Vol.XC MARCH, 1920 No. 3 
A BEAR HUNT ON THE CLEARWATER 
SEARCHING FOR GRIZZLIES ALONG ONE OF THE TRIBUTARIES OF THE STIKINE 
RIVER IN BRITISH COLUMBIA DURING THE SPRING OF NINETEEN NINETEEN 
T HE story of my experiences during 
a spring bear hunt appeared in the 
April, 1919, Forest and Stream. 
This hunt was in British Columbia, along 
the Stikine river and one of its tribu- 
taries, during the month of May, 1918. 
It was to again enjoy that experience, 
as nearly as possible, that I undertook 
a similar trip the succeeding spring. 
Forest and Stream has asked for an 
account of it. So here it is. 
I reached Wrangell, Alaska on May 
fourth. There I was detained until the 
eleventh by a few of those unexpected 
circumstances, which sometimes haunt 
one in a hurry. This delay was not en- 
tirely without its pleasurable incidents, 
but had I been as well posted about the 
points of interest in that vicinity, as at 
present, idle time would certainly have 
been put to a more profitable use. 
One of these unknown points of in- 
terest was the Le Conte Glacier. A small 
boat makes daily trips to this glacier to 
get ice for the salmon canneries. This 
glacier is more active than it has been 
for years and is one of the very few 
active glaciers along the coast. Until 
another opportun- 
ity is presented to 
see this wonderful 
river of ice dis- 
charging its mass- 
es into the sea, the 
failure to see it 
will be a regret. 
However, the run 
of king salmon had 
been on about two 
weeks and trolling 
was the chief oc- 
cupation of the 
fishing population. 
These fishermen go 
out every morning 
early and troll for 
four or five hours. 
In the evening 
they repeat the 
process. Their 
catch is sold to the 
Contents copyright, 1920, by 
By ARTHUR H. BANNON 
cannery depots on the dock at from nine 
to eleven cents a pound, according to the 
quality of the fish. It is no uncommon 
thing for a fisherman, with a single hand 
line, to make in one day from thirty to 
forty dollars. 
A trapper, who was spending some of 
his idle time at the village hotel, was 
persuaded to take me trolling. We land- 
ed a forty-one pound salmon. It was the 
largest fish thus far brought in. But do 
not think that forty-one pounds is any- 
thing like the limit of the weight of these 
fish. One weighing over eighty pounds 
was landed shortly afterwards. It is re- 
ported that the record king salmon for 
that locality weighed one hundred and 
nine pounds. To the local fishermen, 
working for their living, trolling is not 
sport so when they hook one of these 
game fish they only triflle with him long 
enough to get him within reach of the 
gaff hook. 
Up the Stikine 
L OW water and ice kept navigation of 
the Stikine river closed until the 
eleventh. Then, with Arthur B. 
Conover as a companion, I started up the 
river. We left the boundary between the 
United States and British Columbia in 
an eighteen foot Peterboro canoe, to 
which was attached an outboard motor. 
Although the purpose of the motor was 
to propel the boat, occasionally a paddle, 
a pole, and some muscle oil had to be 
brought to its aid. Six days were spent 
in driving up this swift and tortuous 
stream. 
We caught a few Dolly Varden trout at 
our camp sites, and found them very good 
to eat, in spite of the fact that at 
Wrangell we had feasted on the superior 
king .salmon for several days. We saw 
many wild geese, but very few wild duck. 
There were tracks of moose and bear 
along the bars in many places, but the 
noise of our motor was quite sufficient 
notice of our presence. 
We did, however, see two black bears 
on the last two days of our journey up 
the river. One of them we fully expected 
to get. He was within range, not over 
two hundred yards away. I was in the 
boat close to the main land. A narrow 
stretch of water and a small island lay 
between the bear and the boat. There 
was no brush or 
cover to conceal 
him. He was walk- 
ing unconcernedly 
up a little grassy 
bank not twenty 
yards from the 
water’s edge. The 
surroundings did 
not indicate that he 
had the slightest 
chance of escaping 
without being shot 
at. But as I stepped 
out of the boat, to 
avoid its motion, 
the bear disap- 
peared into a little 
draw along the 
foot of the moun- 
tain. This draw 
had hitherto re- 
mained unnoticed. 
Conover and the largest grizzly killed on the trip 
Forest and Stream Publishing Co. 
