154 
FOREST AND STREAM 
April, 191 & 
A vision of ice-bound ranges 
limited to hunts in Montana, the Bitter 
Roots in Idaho, on the MacMillan in 
Yukon, the Nahlin District in Cassair, 
and this hunt on the Stikine. My kill 
of bears totals five grizzlies and two 
blacks so I cannot say from personal ex- 
perience that this bear is a glacier bear. 
Of the many bear pelts that have come 
under my observation at trading posts 
none were like this one though of course 
I have seen black bears that were grey 
with age. 
Mr. E. W. Nelson in the National Geo- 
graphic Magazine for November, 1916, 
states that “the glacier bear is an Alas- 
kan animal, which occupies the seaward 
front of the Mount St. Elias Range, 
about Yakutat Bay, and thence southeast 
to Glacier Bay and a short distance be- 
yond to the interior.” 
To be sure the bear that I killed was 
not within this range but it was near 
Alaska, not far from the sea and in a 
country where there are many glaciers. 
So location decrees that my bear is not 
a glacier bear. 
But Mr. Nelson further tells us that it 
has been established by abundant proof 
that the glacier bear is “merely a color 
phase of the black bear.” If the color 
may determine the species I may have 
the right to claim a glacier bear. “Its 
color,” says Mr. Nelson, “varies exceed- 
ingly, from a light smoky, almost bluish, 
gray to a dark iron gray, becoming al- 
most black. Some individuals are ex- 
traordinary appearing beasts, quite un- 
like any other bear.” That is a good 
description of my bear. But Mr. Nel- 
son’s final observation that “the interest 
in this curious color development is in- 
creased by its restricted distribution” 
may deprive me of a glacier bear trophy 
which he states “is a highly prized tro- 
phy” if taken in a fair stalk. 
As all good bear hunters should do 
with unusual bear trophies I shall, in due 
time, send the skull to C. Hart Merriam 
and the pelt to E. W. Nelson for exam- 
ination. Should they say this bear is 
not of the coveted type the incident will 
be closed as far as I am concerned. 
from the shores of the Stikine 
Some Observations 
T he Clearwater is about seventy-five 
miles long and flows from the east 
side of the Coast Range into the 
Stikine. The country drained by it has a 
fine climate on account of its location 
east of the Coast Range and away from 
the mist, fog and rain that make the 
Pacific coast in Alaska so intolerable. 
During the days spent on the Clear- 
water we had perfect weather, not a drop 
of rain nor a flake of snow; cold and 
frosty at night and warm in the daytime. 
The snow would bear our weight until 
about half past eight in the morning and 
then lookout. After that one would 
flounder to almost any depth. There was 
no place to walk except along the river’s 
edge where a slight rise had melted the 
snow from a narrow strip of land. We 
worked early and late, often leaving camp 
at six in the morning and not returning 
until eleven at night. But as the days 
were long there was plenty of light until 
late and practically no real darkness. 
We saw many ducks of many kinds 
and among them the beautiful harlequin 
duck. The spring days had brought the 
robins, thrushes and fly-catchers, the lat- 
ter to feed upon the flies and mosquitoes 
which come as soon as the snow begins to 
disappear. Eagles and fish hawks were 
seen every day, and their many old nests 
in unprotected places demonstrated that 
in this out of the way place the birds 
were unmolested during the nesting sea- 
son. 
The evidence that this is a favorite 
nesting ground was so apparent as to 
call for the reason. Conover explained 
that the existence of many nests is due 
to the fact that during June and July 
the river is so high on account of melting 
snows that it is impossible for one to 
take a boat up the stream and, there 
being no trail for men through the im- 
penetrable brush along its shores, the 
birds are not disturbed by human beings. 
None but a trapper would desire to go up 
the Clearwater and that river and its im- 
mediate confines are recognized as Con- 
over’s domain. By the custom of trap- 
pers he hunts and traps there without 
interference. Another reason why 
others, and especially the Indians, do not 
trap in this region is the very hard work 
necessary at any time to ascend the swift 
current. Therefore there is no disturb- 
ance of these nesting birds. 
The valley of the Clearwater for the 
most part is from one-half to a mile in 
width and the stream cuts through it in 
a winding course. Here over wide flats 
and in narrow canyons and there through 
several channels. Cottonwoods, willows, 
alders, birches, and quaking aspen pre- 
dominate among the deciduous trees, and 
spruce, balsam and pine among the ever- 
green trees. Everywhere the underbrush 
is so dense as to be impenetrable. 
We ate beaver meat occasionally and 
fish when we wanted them. A full grown 
beaver weighs about sixty pounds and 
the hams make a good roast. When sliced 
cold this flesh is good for lunch. I shot 
a muskrat and ate it and found it fully 
as good as the beaver. A ‘remarkable 
thing about the diet of the inhabitants of 
that country is that they do not eat 
' The cabin of Mr. and Mrs. Jackson on the Stikine 
