Bear Hunting on Kadiak Island 



generally returned to camp a little before noon, 

 but in the afternoon returned to the lookout, where 

 we remained until it was too dark to see. 



When the wind was blowing into these valleys 

 we did not hunt, for we feared that whatever bears 

 might be around would get our scent and quickly 

 leave. New bears might come, but none which had 

 once scented us would remain. For days at a time 

 we were storm-bound, and unable to hunt, or even 

 leave our little tent, where frequently we were 

 obliged to remain under blankets both day and 

 night to keep warm. 



On May 15, by 4 o'clock, I had finished a hur- 

 ried breakfast, and with my two Aleuts had 

 left in the baidarka for our daily watching place. 

 This was a large mound lying in the center of a 

 valley, some three miles from where we were 

 camped. On the right of the mound rose a gently 

 sloping hill with its sides sparsely covered with 

 alders, and at right angles and before it, extended 

 a rugged mountain ridge with rocky sides stretch- 

 ing all across our front, while to the left rose an- 

 other towering mountain ridge with steep and 

 broken sides. All the surrounding hills and much 

 of the low country were covered with deep snow. 

 The mountains on three sides completely hemmed 

 in the valley, and their snowy slopes gave us an 



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