426 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



LBec. 24, 1885. 



NIGHTS WITH THE GRIZZLIES. 



THEOUGH the courtesy of Major H. W. Merrill, we are 

 permitted to publisli the following letter, sent to Mm 

 by our correspondent "P." The tracing of the ball of the 

 bear's foot is exact size. The points A A are the balls of the 

 toes; C C, the points of the claws; 



Kanche on HELii-KoAEma Riveb, ) 

 Wyoming, Nov. 8, 1885. ) 



Major H. W. Mm-riU: 



My Deab Frteind— Secondary only to the enjoyment of 

 the pleasures of the field by yourself is a truthful account 

 of bunting incidents by some fi-iend, and so 1 thought an 

 account of some experiences with large bear this summer 

 aHd fall might interest you. This account is prepared the 

 more cheerfully in the hopes, to some extent, of making 

 amends for nay dereliction as a correspondent for several 

 months past. 



Though we have not communicated as often as usual, I 

 have taken great interest in the rifle columns of the sporting 

 papers; more especially in the practical and instructive 

 communications from .yourself on the subject of trajectories 

 based on the experiments of yourself and Mr. Romer. The 

 trajectorj^ of the Merrill loader cannot be equaled, especially 

 when combined with its accuracy. Why not publish all 

 your experiments? They would be a valuable contribution 

 to the discussion of a subject tlmt is now engaging the at- 

 tention of riflemen. 



It is gratifying to see an interest awakened on this sub- 

 ject. More practical information as to the flight of the rifle 

 ball can be obtair.ed from such experiments, where the 

 screens of the range are within small intervals, say 25 yards, 

 than from pages of purely theoreticid talk. You know this 

 is an old hobby of mine, having frequently urged the mak- 

 ing of such experiments in the Eastern States, say at Chi- 

 cago, about 600 feet above tide, and at tide level, say at 

 New Tork. 1 was desirous that these experiments should 

 be made as a supplement to the two elaborate series of ex- 

 periments made by myself at an altitude of about 5,000 feet. 

 One reason was to test the extravagant claims of some rifle 

 makers for the trajectories of their rifles, but who, like 

 Dougal, were unwilling to come to the test. Another rea- 

 son was to ascertain the different trajectories made by the 

 same rifle with the same cartridge at the different eleva- 

 tions, or in other words to test the question as to whether 

 there would be a more complete combustion of the powder 

 charge at the higher barometrical pressure. 



If the trajectory for the same cartridge was found to be 

 the same at tide level as at an elevation 5^000 feet higher, it 

 would go to prove that there was a more complete combus- 

 tion of the powder, and consequently a higher initial velocity 

 at the former level. So I was glad to see the new paper. 

 The Rifle, had commenced its career by (to some extent) 

 supplying this want, by publishing some experiments made 

 near Boston, and that the Forest akd Stkeam was prepar- 

 ing to make a still more extensive series. But for the long 

 time required to communicate by mail I should have made 

 to them some suggestions gathered from my own experience 

 in such experiments. Time, however, did notadmitit, after 

 receiving notice. I notice the statement by the editor of 

 that journal that up to this time there had been no reliable 

 experiments made with American sporting rifles, and was 

 very much obliged to you for reminding them of my experi- 

 ments, whose correctness substantiated by experiments of a 

 subsequent year, have never been challenged, and embraced 

 all the sporting rifles now being used in an altitude where 

 most of the big game of the country is to be found (except 

 the Winchester express whose trajectory was subsequently 

 given). There are a few other rifles used now, but as they 

 use the same cartridge as some of those experimented with, 

 their trajectory would be substantially the same. I am 

 curious to see the difference in trajectory taken at tide level 

 by some rifles of my experiments, and whether the trajec- 

 tories taken near tide level will suit the altitude around the 

 foothills of the Rockies, where most of the big game of the 

 country is now to be found. 



This is quite a digression from the object of this letter, 

 and that was to give an account of some expeiience with the 

 grizzly bear this summer and fall. Here let me correct some 

 impressions prevailing among sportsmen from the East as to 

 the proper time to hunt this animal. As detailed in the 

 sporting papers, one sportsman hunting late in the fall finds 

 them at the timber line, and having some success and basing 

 his opinion upon some one acting as guide, is satisfied that 

 is the only locality to find them, and that you must stealthily 

 follow his trail through dense timber, as he did. Another 

 sportsman finds them below the foothills among the bad 

 lands, and thinks that is the proper locality; and so each 

 one is governed by their own particular good luck and ex- 

 perience. This reminds me of the heated controversy that 

 agitated some of the readers of one of the sporting papers a 

 few years since as to the color of the jack rabbit of the 

 plains; one party contending they were gray and the oppo- 

 site party that they were white, each party citing his own 

 restricted, experience with that fleet-footed animal. To those 

 having more extended observation it was plain that each 

 side was right to a certain extent as well as wrong, for it is 

 well known that the jack rabbit is gray during summer and 

 fall and turns wlute in the winter, and then again shedding 

 his white coat in spring; at least that is the case in Wyoming 

 and Montana. 



So with the grizzly. He is essentially an omnivorous ani- 

 mal; his food varying with each season and the locality 

 where such food is obtained and his own habitat varies ac- 

 cordingly. He lies in his winter bed until routed out by 

 the melting of the winter snow, and the ground being still 

 frozen, he has to rustle for his grub. jSe soon* becomes 

 poor from the necessity of much traveling around for old 

 carcases and whatever food comes handy. He is then usually 

 in the foothills. In the summer bis food is more vegetable — 

 grass, roots^ plants, etc. His haunt is then on the highest 

 mountain plateaus, where he does a great deal of rooting in 

 a certain kind of loose rock and loam. In the last of sum- 

 mer berries are ripe, and he is then found below the foot- 

 hills and in the bad lands or wherever chokeberries, plums, 

 bullberries, etc., are found. In the fall he craves animal 

 food and is then found high up in the foothills or again on 

 the mountain plateaus wherever game is most abundant; and 

 in November and December he seeks his winter quarters. 

 The remarks do not apply to grizzly bears that are found in 

 the badlands bordering the Missouri or the Lower Yellow- 

 stone, as they live there the entire year, "holing" up in 

 winter in the bluffs of those desolate-looking regions. 



The intellect and intelligence of the grizzly^'bear are not 

 fully appreciated. Strip him of his hide, stand him erect on his 

 hindfeet, stick a plug hat on his upper end, and he resem- 

 bles in anatomy and general appearance that "noblest work 



of God"— man. A little too long-bodied, neck a little short, 

 but otherwise, looking at the muscles of his thighs and fore- 

 arm, a veritable athlete. Reclothe hira in his fur, place him 

 on his all-fours, watch him rooting around for grubs and 

 worms and carrion, and wallowing in mud and filth, he 

 resembles in apparent stupidity and habits the lowest type of 

 animal—the hog. Yet those well acquainted with his char- 

 acteristics will, I think, agree with me that in intelhgence 

 and intellect he is not many grades in the process of evolu- 

 tion below man. 



About the middle of July last word reached me that there 

 was considerable sign of bear "rooting" on some high 

 mountain plateaus not many days travel by pack outfit from 

 ray ranche. Taking a pack outfit, including my fur-lined 

 sleeping bag, a good mountain man and a lad of fifteen to 

 take care of camp and the horses, and enough grub for a 

 few days, we reach the locality, after a hard climb, about 

 noon on the 18th of July. Wo make camp at about 8,500 

 feet elevation on the head of one of the forks of Four Bear 

 Creek, having to pack wood up from below for making 

 coffee. 



We strike out after lunch up the gulch, and after going a 

 few miles discover a grizzly rooting among the rocks well 

 up to its head, near the summit of the range, which is here 

 between 10,000 and 11,000 feet elevation, A reconnoisance 

 indicated that the only chance to approach him to windward 

 was by crossing the mountain to the right into the valley of 

 another fork of Four Bear Creek. Acting accordingly, we 

 climbed over the mountain divide and were making along 

 its opposite slope, when just in our front about a mile off, 

 near the head of the gulch on the right, was discovered 

 another grizzly rooting. It was agreed that I was to have 

 the shot, and it became necessary to leave my horse and 

 dogs back with the men. I took it afoot. A little study of 

 the ground showed that in order to approach him success- 

 fully, it was necessary to descend to the bottom of the gorge 

 on the right, and to ascend along its bed. This I proceeded 

 to do. Just before reaching the bed of the gorge I was ex- 

 posed to view, and was walking fast or running to get the 

 advantage of its friendly cover. When within about fifty 

 yards of the bottom, and with my attention directed to the 

 bear about half a mile away, a large grizzly forced himself 

 on my attention by rising from his bed in the bottom of 

 the gulch, and walking slowly away he commenced ascend- 

 ing diagonally the opposite and steep side of the gorge. The 

 old rascal dui-ing the heat of the day had dug a bed in the 

 cool bed of the branch, was taking his afternoon siesta, and 

 evidently resented being disturbed. From the sullen way in 

 which he made off, occasionally looking back, I felt he was 

 going to be ugly. Quicker than it takes to write it I had 

 two cartridges in my right hand, which, with the one in the 

 rifle, was thought sufficient, for at that time the size of the 

 beast was not realized. The cartridge in the rifle was a 110- 

 270 grain Express, and those in the hand 110 370-grain and 

 110-340-grain respectively, all Express balls. 



While making these preparations, the bear, going diag- 

 onally up the side of the gulch, had disappeared beliind a 

 huge conglomerate boulder that overhung the stream. See- 

 ing he must soon emerge, I dropped on my right knee and stood 

 ready to fire at the first favorable opportunity. In a moment 

 he emerged from behind the boulder, walked up a sliort dis- 

 tance, stopped and looked back, exposing his left side to 

 rather more than a quartering shot. Aim was quickly taken 

 for his heart. A report followed, and the little express ball 

 did its work well. It broke two ribs, three or four large 

 fragments entered the heart and the balance of the splinters 

 scattered through the lungs. Making but little noise when hit 

 — an ugly sigh— he, as almost invariable with this species of 

 bear under like circumstances, tucking his head between his 

 hindlegs, rolls down into the gulch, using his forelegs for 

 guides. He comes up with a Ijounce, is on his feet in a 

 moment and making a rush straight for me. I am loaded in 

 a jiffy with the other 110-370-grain cartridge, but wait a 

 moment until he commences ascending my side of the gulch, 

 hoping with a good shot to roU him back. Crossing rapidly 

 the bed of the gulch, he was in a moment ascending toward 

 me, and when within about thirty yards (he was originally 

 about seventy yards at the first fire) I fired at his front, 

 hitting at the point of the right shoulder, shattering the 

 socket-joint and that bone half way to the elbow. He 

 does not roll back, but is demoralized and sickened and has 

 not the sand to come further, but changing his direction to 

 the left about forty-five degrees, passes within twenty yards 

 to my right front; I am loaded and ready for another shot 

 as he passes. He appeared so near done for, however, that 

 I hesitated to fire, wishing to have some practice on him for 

 my two young dogs Bob and Snip, which had never seen a 

 live bear. He, however, seemed, after passing, to mend his 

 licks so fast that I feared he would give trouble in despatch- 

 ing him, so I ran rapidly after him, he in the meantime 

 having partially disappeared under the bank, and when 

 within fifteen or twenty yards he tmned at bay, facing me. 

 Before he could charge, if such was his aim* the 110-340 

 grain cartridge was delivered into the side of the neck within 

 the collar bone, making a fearful wound and rolling him 

 down into the gulch, where he soon died. It was only after 

 Rush came up and he had been rolled over that his dimen 

 sions were realized and the danger I escaped by the little 

 ball doing such execution at the socket joint. Had it struck 

 an inch and a half to the left, he would have been on me in 

 a few more jumps, and though another shot would have 

 been given, 1 think, unless a paralyzing shot in the brain or 

 spinal column, he could have so torn and lacerated me as to 

 make death preferable. 



I have been in a half dozen such scrapes with these bears 

 of more or less danger, but have never lost my presence of 

 mind until the bears were dead and the danger passed 

 through realized. I have always determined never to run, 

 but to face them and fire away, believing that the least sign 

 of fear vdth all animals gives them additional courage. 



I had an adventure similar to this with a she bear that had 

 been approached within fifty-seven yards. It was a bright 

 moonlight night and her cub was squalling in a beaver trap 

 by her side. A good shot was deUvered over the heart. 

 Three shots were delivered as she rushed forward, first by 

 myself, then one from Le Corey, who was backing me, and 

 then another by myself, and when the "racket" was over the 

 bear was lying dead twelve yards from us. All these shots 

 were buhseyes and deadly. In this case I could not have 

 run had the spirit moved me, as from a serious accident 1 

 had been on crutches or my back for twenty-foui- days and 

 hobbled up the mountain in this instance with the help of a 

 crutch and a stick, Le carrying my rifle. 



A familiarity with all the breech actions of the day, to- 

 gether with an extended experience with the Sharps system, 

 has convinced me that the latter system, in t-afety, facility 

 and rapidity of manipulation is not equalled by any. Take 



the next best, the double barreled rifle, only two shots could 

 have been delivered in the two before described adventures. 

 I have never had sufficient confidence in any of the repeating 

 rifles to use them against dangerous game, where so much 

 better could be had. Their want of power, their facility for 

 getting out of order at the wrong time, especially when rapidly 

 manipulated, combined with the fact that their rapidity of 

 fire was very little greater than a system like the Sharps, 

 were the considerations that have influenced me. In my 

 opinion there has not yet been invented a repeating apparatus 

 that is equal, under all circumstances to the human hands, 

 in connection with a good breech system. 



A better idea of these bears can be had from measure- 

 ments than from weight. The stereotyped size of those 

 killed by true sportsmen is "1,000 pounds." Their size, aver- 

 age fat, is 350 pounds. The bear first alluded to was a very 

 large one (one among three of the largest ever killed by me), 

 and, judging by one killed and weighed subsequently, he 

 jrobably weighed 600 pounds., though not fat. His length as 

 le would have stood was 6ft. lOin. Measurements show he 

 could have stood erect on his hind feet to the height of 8ft. 

 His head was 18in. long by 12in. wide. His hind foot, a 

 tracing of which I send you, was ll-^n. by 6in. Forefoot, 

 without the toes, was 7in. by 6in. His forearm, after being 

 skinned, measm-ed 18in. around. His skull, which is pre- 

 served, 15|rD. by 9in. The tusks projected from the gums 

 If in. With the .45-caliber rifle used I have killed nearly 40 

 bears, but with the exception of this one using a 340-.grain ex- 

 press ball. The 270-grain express used here was a .44-caliber 

 used for several yeiirs on deer from a .44-caliber rifle. It did 

 very good work in this instance, but for a large bear the 

 heavier ball is preferable. The 370-grain ball flies remark- 

 ably true for its weight. 



In the process of skinning the bear, it was found that this 

 was not the first encounter he had with mankind. In the 

 muscles of the neck and of the right foreleg above the elbow 

 and next to the bone, were found four rifle balls and a large 

 fragment of another ball. The wounds had cured up and 

 each ball was inclosed in a sac with the appearance of hav- 

 ing been placed there several years One .42-cahber 205-grain 

 lead ball in the muscles of neck, one other of same caliber 

 and weight, two .50-caliber 375-.graui lead balls and the large 

 flattened fragment of a ball in the muscles of one foreleg next 

 to the bone. "The .42 caliber balls 1 judged were fired from a 

 '66 model,. 44 caliber Winchester, and as all the balls were little 

 battered and did not shatter the bone, they must have been 

 fired from a rim-fire cartridge, all balls cannellured. 



The bear I was after when this one was stumbled on, took 

 to his heels and disappeared rapidly over the mountain after 

 the second shot. We went for the first one seen, but the 

 dogs getting the wind of him and having a taste of bear's 

 blood, ignominioasly "broke" and stirred him up. We 

 chased him on horseback and afoot for three-quarters of a 

 mile, but did not get near enough to get in an effectual shot. 

 The dogs that had never before chased a live bear, could run 

 alongside of him, but did not take hold. Probably you or I 

 would have done the same thing under the circumstances. 



Haying time cut short this hunt. A short time afterward 

 one of my neighbors complained of the depredations of bears 

 among his thoroughbred cattle, having recently lost two 

 yearlings. I suggested that if he would furnish the medicine 

 in the ahape of a carcass a repetition of such business might 

 be stopped. He agreed and I at once reconnoitered the 

 locality and selected a point in the valley of a small mountain 

 stream where he had the carcass promptly planted. An 

 almost daily inspection was made of the medicine, but not 

 until the morning of the seventh day were there any indica- 

 tions of its being disturbed. Promptly on hand at 5 o'clock 

 that evening I was rather incautiously approaching under 

 cover of a slight rise of ground and the sage brush and had 

 gotten within 150 yards when a dark object appeared to rise 

 out of the earth, that to my startled imagination appeared 

 ten feet high and proportionately broad. Recognizing the 

 situation at once, 1 rose up off hand and pulled, but the 

 firing pin failed. This had never before happened under 

 such circumstances, and only a half dozen times in the rifle's 

 history, for want of attention to the firing bolt. He gave 

 me time to cock and fire, but there coming no answer- 

 ing "bawl" it was evidently a miss, resulting from my 

 being "put out" by the previous mishap. He was 

 rapidly followed to the edge of the willow swamp (about 150 

 yards), through which the trail passed, where he was seen, 

 evidently unwilling to forego his evening meal. He quickly 

 sat up, made me out, and at once disappeared before a shot 

 could be delivered. I gave him up that time, very much 

 discouraged for failing to bag such a large grizzly. He was 

 evidently a boar and certainly was not much scared, and 

 from his size and actions I was satisfied he was the fellow 

 that stole my neighbor's yearUngs. The next evening, Aug. 

 17, I was on hand early, but, acting on previous experience, 

 took a different po.sition on his trail a hundred yards from 

 the medicine. The direction of the wind forced me to take 

 position with my back to the brush from which the bear 

 would probably appear. This did not suit me. On first 

 arriving on the gi'ound a dark object came rapidly down the 

 mountain side, about one mile up the valley, through an 

 opening. This evidently was a bear, though not appa- 

 rently as large as my friend of the evening before, and I felt 

 sure he would make his appearance did he not take the 

 alarm. Lying down, protected by some sage bush, I waited 

 patiently until the gray light of approaching twilight, but 

 no bear appeared. 



Can you recall your feelings when, as a boy, passing 

 through a graveyard at the hour of dusk, thinking with the 

 poet: 



'Tis DOW the very witching time of night 

 When chui-chyardsyawn and hell itself breathes out 

 Contagrion to this world. 

 How with what superstitious dread you look cautiously 

 around, expecting a hobgoblin at any moment to rise out of 

 the ground? How every noise— the crackling of a twig — 

 startles you? So it is with me when watching on the trail 

 of this bear at such an hour. When occasion requires it, 

 his movement is as stealthy and noiseless as a cat. _ You 

 hear the rolUng of a boulder up the mountain side in the 

 timber several hundred yards away. You know it must be 

 done by some large animal, and you suspect a bear. Pres- 

 ently the same noise, but closer, and your faculties are all 

 on the qui vive, and you are expecting every moment his 

 appearance. You wait what, to the excited senses, appears 

 a long time. What has become of him ? It was, perhaps, a 

 false alarm, and you are discouraged ; when presently there 

 he stands, apparently right on you, and seemingly rising 

 out of the ground. 



So it was on this occasion, as I lay about thirty feet in the 

 open from the thicket in a prone position in the grass, clothed 

 in soiled buckskin, with three cartridges in left hand and 



