274 THE BEAR FAMILY 



that grizzly bears do not eat human flesh, so that the 

 ruse of playing 'possum should work. The bear's inter- 

 est in his enemy ceases with his death. 



Mr. Muir tells of a bear-hunter, who acted as guide for 

 a geological survey party and who had killed forty-seven 

 grizzlies, and said he wished to kill one hundred. This 

 old hunter had learned so much while with the survey 

 that his admiring fellow-mountaineers, he said, gave 

 him credit for knowing not only the botanical names 

 of all the trees and bushes but also the botanical names 

 of the bears. He was accompanied on his bear-hunts 

 by " a small wise dog," which could trail and worry a 

 bear and often engage its attention long enough for 

 him to take careful aim, and many of his bears fell dead 

 at the first shot. 



There is a great difference in bears. Some are much 

 more courageous, vicious, and formidable than others. 

 Although wounded, grizzlies often charge the hunter, 

 and it is important for him to be ready to fire a second 

 or more shots; they seldom show fight unless wounded 

 and there are many recorded instances, besides those 

 above given, where even wounded bears tried to make 

 their escape. A well-directed heavy ball from a mod- 

 ern rifle often kills the bear instantly. The best shots 

 are at the brain or heart. 



Grizzly bears are far less abundant than they were a 

 score of years ago. When in Montana I saw many 

 robes offered for sale at two or three dollars each, and 

 some fine ones with the claws on were sold for only a 

 little more. There are comparatively few places where 

 a sportsman can be sure of getting a grizzly on a short 

 hunt to-day. I thoroughly believe in the use of dogs 



