14 BIG GAME SHOOTING IN ALASKA chap. 



farther north, we reach Montague Island, where bears are 

 reported to be so abundant that prospectors are afraid to 

 land. I should not, however, advise any sportsman to try 

 this spot, as the only men I could find who had actually 

 remained any time on the island declared that bears were 

 few and far between. A trip overland from Valdez into the 

 Copper River country might produce good sport. From 

 this district is reported a bear known locally as the " bald- 

 faced bear," which is said to be particularly savage, and to 

 lie up near the trails for men. Several authentic instances 

 are on record of men being attacked and killed in this 

 district without any previous molestation on their part of the 

 bear. My own experience, however, goes to prove that the 

 average Alaskan brown bear does not play this game half 

 well enough, and that this is what makes the big ones so 

 hard to procure. Towards the head -waters of the Copper 

 River wild sheep are plentiful, but to what species or variety 

 they belong I am unable to state definitely, never having 

 seen one in the flesh. Here also tales of the fabled Alaskan 

 ibex are rife ; and prospectors from that district have spent 

 hours describing these animals to me in the hope that I 

 should credit their existence. 



Going still farther to the north-west, the Cook's Inlet 

 district is reached. Here one may land at Saldovia, and 

 put in the season in search of brown and black bears, as well 

 as sheep and moose. For bears, the bays and rivers on the 

 west side of the Inlet are best, the most likely spots being 

 Chinitna Bay, Snug Harbour, Krison River, and Polly Creek. 

 The last three places have been well described by Colonel 

 Cane in his book on Alaska ; and the first bay has been 

 visited by two or three sportsmen at different seasons, who 

 have generally done well with brown and black bears. This 



