Bear Hunting on Kadiak Island 



We threaded our way through a mass of thick 

 alders to the head of the valley, and then climbing 

 a steep mountain took our stand on a rocky ridge 

 which commanded a wide view ahead and to our 

 left in the direction in which the tracks led. We 

 had only been in our new position half an hour 

 when Nikolai, my head hunter, gripped my arm 

 and pointed high up on the mountain in the direc- 

 tion in which we had been watching. There I 

 made out a small black speck, which to the naked 

 eye appeared but a bit of dark rock protruding 

 through the snow. Taking the glasses I made out 

 a large bear slowly floundering ahead, and evi- 

 dently coming downward. His coat seemed very 

 dark against the white background, and he was 

 unquestionably a bull of great size. Shortly after 

 I had the satisfaction of seeing a second bear, 

 which the first was evidently following. This was, 

 without doubt, a female, by no means so large as 

 the first, and much lighter in color. The smaller 

 bear was apparently hungry, and it was interesting 

 to watch her dig through the snow in search of 

 food. Soon she headed down the mountain side, 

 paying absolutely no attention to the big male, 

 which slowly followed some distance in the rear. 

 Shortly she reached a rocky cliff which it seemed 

 impossible that such a clumsy animal could 



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