A Sportsman 25 



an eye on the spot the bear had occupied until 

 he had placed himself some hundreds of yards off, 

 where he waited from five to ten minutes watching 

 any movement which might occur. Not seeing any, 

 he carefully approached the bear, and found him 

 in place, in the last faint struggle of life. It was a 

 large bear in good fur and flesh, but no advantage 

 was taken of either, as the fur was out of season, 

 and the weather was too warm for holding the meat, 

 and the latter was of little value at any season as 

 an edible. 



The grizzlies of the Pacific Coast, though larger 

 than those of the Rocky Mountain ranges, and of 

 great ferocity, are not considered as tenacious of life 

 as those of the latter. Repeated instances are recited 

 where the Rocky Mountain grizzlies after being 

 fatally wounded have committed acts showing sur- 

 prising vitality, mention of which has been made by 

 all the prominent explorers of the West, commen- 

 cing with the accounts of the famous Lewis and 

 Clark expedition across the American continent in 

 1804. It is related in the journals of that first ex- 

 ploration party to cross the Rocky Mountain regions 

 that grizzly bears were an especial terror, which 

 swam rivers and killed hunters after being shot 

 through the heart. 



Hunters have remarked the effect upon animals 

 resulting from the active or passive condition the 

 animal was in at the time of being wounded. A 

 ferocious animal in pursuit of its prey, or in defence 

 of its young, will exhibit a far stronger hold on life 

 than when engaged in resting, or quietly feeding. It 

 was quite common in the earlier days of California 



