76 Where to Hunt 



solely for bear-hunting, and there are many inquiries as 

 to the best country for bear. In the country between 

 Montpelier and Snake river, taking in the Teton basin 

 and Jackson's Hole, bear are abundant. A good guide 

 can take a sportsman into the mountains adjacent to 

 Montpelier within a radius of one hundred miles, and 

 find plenty of bear. In Star valley, fifty miles from 

 Montpelier, there are plenty of grizzly bears or silver 

 tips, and many are killed there every autumn, just pre- 

 vious to their annual hibernation. They are said to be 

 most abundant north of Clark's fork of the Columbia 

 river, along the Bitterroot range and head waters of 

 Clearwater river, along the Salmon river and tributaries, 

 and in the Sawtooth and Seven Devil mountains. One 

 hunter in Bear Lake county, who makes a specialty of 

 bear, killed sixty in 1895. During the past few years 

 a great many bear have been killed near Lake Idaho. 

 While there are many bear still in Idaho, the great 

 number killed has made a perceptible decrease. 



Deer (black-tailed) are found throughout the state. 

 They are most numerous at the head waters of Clear- 

 water river and on the middle fork of Salmon river. 

 There are a few white-tailed deer in Idaho. Deer are 

 believed to be fast decreasing, principally owing to their 

 systematic butchery by the various Indian tribes, who 

 hunt them persistently in and out of season, principally 

 for their hides. 



Bighorn are scarce, and are now found in Sawtooth 

 and Seven Devil mountains, on the south fork of Salmon 

 river, and along the Bitterroot range. 



Mountain-goat are also scarce. Elk, like the deer, 

 are disappearing, mostly owing to Indian butchery. 



