HUNTING THE GRIZZLY IN BRITISH 

 COLUMBIA 



By Joseph Wendle 



HUNTING the grizzly in its nat- 

 ural wilds may be termed an 

 exhilarating pastime, but be- 

 fore the bear is finally captured many 

 things are apt to occur which make the 

 oldest and most experienced hunter put 

 forth his best efforts. To the observer 

 it may seem as easy to kill a score of 

 bears as so many deer, but when you hap- 

 pen across a grizzly that has never been 

 compelled to leave its own trail, it is ad- 

 visable to think twice and then feel your 

 pulse. 



On approaching the feeding grounds 

 of the grizzly, much care must be taken 

 by the hunter. If the game is disturbed 

 quietly, it will give you the slip and get 

 away; but if you come in contact with 

 it suddenly, at short range, you may get 

 into serious trouble. 



When on a hunting trip not long ago 

 and passing through an unexplored sec- 

 tion, we suddenly came across three griz- 

 zly cubs. Being to windward, we man- 

 aged to get quite near, and while watch- 

 ing and admiring, without a thought of 

 hurting them, we were suddenly charged 

 by their mother, and, not having guns 

 for such large game with us at the time, 

 we were forced to run, and were chased 

 into a small lake near by, the close prox- 

 imity of which doubtless saved us. In 

 this stampede my position by accident 

 was in the rear. With the bear thunder- 

 ing along with its mouth wide open, at 

 times running in an upright position and 

 only a few feet behind, I certainly felt 

 that I would be knocked into the "great 

 beyond" at every step, so close behind me 

 came her bearship. 



At one time, while camping in a high 

 pass, a large grizzly could be seen about 

 two miles away and up a steep mountain 

 side. After a short discussion, it fell to 

 my lot to supply the camp with fresh 

 meat. 



It was late in the evening, and I had 

 to hurry to get within shot of the game 

 before dark. After much hard climbing 

 I reached the spot, only to find my bear 

 had gone. Resting for some minutes 

 after the climb, I heard a disturbance be- 

 low me and immediately saw the bear fol- 

 lowing my tracks up the steep mountain 

 side. Being above the timber-line and 

 in a rocky spot, all seemed easy; and as 

 the bear came within shooting range, he 

 grew larger and larger, until it looked 

 like an impossibility to miss him. My 

 first shot took him by surprise, and with 

 loud roars of rage he rolled over and 

 over ; but in an instant he was standing 

 upright again and started up the hill so 

 rapidly that I realized things were get- 

 ting serious. With an angry grizzly clos- 

 ing up fast and an exploded shell jammed 

 in the breech of my rifle, I had to think 

 quickly, and instantly made up my mind 

 to take my chances on a passage down a 

 snowslide almost at my feet on the steep 

 incline. Once having started, there was 

 no stopping, and I made the fastest trip 

 of my life, had the good fortune to land 

 safely, and reached camp in a few min- 

 utes, being very glad to be alive. For 

 the following few months I felt I had lost 

 no bear. 



On one occasion while on horseback I 

 came across a grizzly while he was feed- 

 ing on the carcass of a young deer he had 

 pulled down, and as he made no attempt 

 to get away I had little trouble in getting 

 a shot. The ball carried away a consider- 

 able portion of his face, and his roars 

 caused my horse to take fright and run 

 away. My dogs in the meantime took 

 up the fight and drove the bear back into 

 the thicket, and when I finally got the 

 horse under control the bear had de- 

 parted. Shortly after this I again came 

 across him, just at dusk, and after firing 

 several shots he again disappeared in the 



