Hunting at High Altitudes 



A few evenings later, while watching the elk 

 carcass on the mountainside near camp, I saw a 

 bear. The only way to approach him was to go 

 up the valley and to climb over a rocky ledge to a 

 position about on his level and within twenty or 

 twenty-five yards of him. I knew that, unless hit 

 through the brain or spinal cord, this bear, when 

 shot, would as bears usually do place his head 

 between his hindlegs and roll down the hillside. 

 The first shot was delivered at his mass, and he 

 acted as I expected. I quickly reloaded, and when 

 he stopped rolling and straightened up before run- 

 ning, I gave him a second shot, which was suffi- 

 cient. After dressing the carcass I found that the 

 big horse that I had ridden had freed himself and 

 gone to the herd, and to reach camp I was obliged 

 to wade the creek. 



Herendeen had told me that an elk he had shot 

 at and probably wounded had gone up a dry 

 ravine which came in just above the camp, and I 

 determined toi investigate in that direction, for it 

 was possible that he had died from the wound. 

 Following up this dry gulch that had been washed 

 out six or eight feet deep and ten or twelve feet 

 wide at the top by the melting snows, I found his 

 body and saw that a bear had begun to feed on 

 it. I selected a watch point, and George, the dog 



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