American Big Game in its Haunts 



only authentic records I could find of bears of this 

 species which had fallen to the rifle of an amateur 

 sportsman. 



After spending two months in southern Alaska, 

 I determined to visit the Kadiak Islands in pursuit 

 of this bear. I reached my destination the latter 

 part of June, and three days later had started on 

 my shooting expedition with native hunters. Un- 

 fortunately I had come too late in the season. The 

 grass had shot up until it was shoulder high, mak- 

 ing it most difficult to see at any distance the game 

 I was after. 



The result of this, my first hunt, was that I 

 actually saw but three bear, and got but one shot, 

 which, I am ashamed to record, was a miss. 

 Tracks there were in plenty along the salmon 

 streams, and some of these were so large I con- 

 cluded that as a sporting trophy a good example 

 of the Kadiak bear should equal, if not surpass, in 

 value any other kind of big game to be found on 

 the North American continent. This opinion re- 

 ceived confirmation later when I saw the size of 

 the skins brought in by the natives to the two trad- 

 ing companies. 



V ^ ^ s(S SfC 



As I sailed away from Kadiak that fall morning 

 I determined that my hunt was not really over, but 



102 



