Hunting at High Altitudes 



The basis of this story seems to be an attack on 

 sheep by a single brown bear, which was promptly 

 killed by the owner of the sheep. The brown 

 bear on Kodiak Island is unfortunately so close to 

 extinction that it is probable that in a short time 

 a specimen will be of considerably more value than 

 many sheep. The recent ash shower on this island 

 from Katmai volcano has probably worked great 

 injury to them, if it has not entirely destroyed 

 them. 



In 1912, in his report on the game, the learned 

 Governor comes back to the subject in the follow- 

 ing language: 



"Attention has been invited repeatedly to the 

 condition which prevails on Kodiak Island as a 

 result of the legal protection of the brown bear. 

 Kodiak is a very large island, having a larger 

 population than any other in Alaska of equal size. 

 Some small farming and some rather extensive 

 stock raising have been undertaken. Yet the cattle 

 and sheep are frequently being killed by the vicious 

 and increasingly plentiful brown bears, which are 

 protected by a three months' closed season, and 

 human beings are not infrequently attacked. Gen- 

 erally speaking, the conditions of human habitation 

 outside the larger towns in Alaska are far from 

 easy, but when the hard conditions of life are en- 



390 



