178 CRUISINGS IN THE CASCADES 



a tramp. Not until well into the night did we cease 

 to eat, and wrap ourselves in our blankets. We staid 

 several days in the canon after that, and killed plenty 

 of elk and other game. 



The skin of the grizzly is one of the most valuable 

 trophies a sportsman can obtain on any field, and its 

 rarity, and the danger and excitement attending the 

 taking of it, the courage it bespeaks on the part of 

 the hunter, render it a prize of which the winner 

 may justly feel proud for a lifetime. 



The best localities in which to hunt the grizzly 

 bear that is, those most accessible and in which he 

 is now most numerous are the Big Horn, Shoshone, 

 Wind River, Bear Tooth, Belt, and Crazy Mount- 

 ains, in Wyoming and Montana, all of which may be 

 easily reached by way of the Northern Pacific 

 road. 



The best time of year to hunt for this, as well 

 as all the other species of large game in the Rocky 

 Mountains, is in the months of September, October, 

 and November, though in the latter month the 

 sportsman should not venture high up into the 

 mountains where heavy snow-falls are liable to 

 occur. There is a great deal of bear hunting done 

 in the summer months, but it is contrary to the laws 

 of nature, and should not be indulged in by any 

 true sportsman. The skins are nearly worthless 

 then, while in the autumn they are prime; the heat 

 is oppressive, and the flies and mosquitoes are great 

 pests. 



The best arm for this class of game is a repeating 

 rifle of large calibre, 45 or 50, carrying a large 



