This story, “Footrace with a Grizzly,” appeared within the Might 1955 difficulty of Out of doors Life.
Two of my brothers, Gene and Wendell, and I had guided six elk hunters from Cleveland into the mountains 30 miles from our dwelling ranch on the north fork of the Blackfoot, in western Montana. We have been camped on Danaher Creek, on the head of the south fork of the Flathead. That’s prime recreation nation. It was September, however snow had come early and the bottom was nonetheless patched with it — sufficient for monitoring. Prospects seemed rosy.
Late the second afternoon one of many hunters killed a pleasant bull on Hay Creek, about 2 1/2 miles above camp. It was darkish when he obtained in, however at daylight subsequent morning I rode out with two packhorses — a grown elk is an excessive amount of for one — to deliver the kill down. We achieve this as quickly as we are able to on this nation, on account of bears. An elk or deer is more likely to be half eaten in a single day.
Bears are extra plentiful and hungrier some years than others, and that fall of 1948 was a nasty one. The berry crop failed utterly and the bears have been on the prowl day and night time, looking for something that might fill an empty stomach. So I wasn’t shocked to see bear signal a number of occasions as I rode up alongside the creek.
Half an hour from camp I hit a jackpine thicket that stopped the horses, so I tied all three of them and went on afoot to search out the elk and choose a path as much as it. I hadn’t walked far after I crossed one other recent bear monitor. The farther I went the extra signal I noticed sufficient to persuade me I’d be fortunate to search out the elk in a single piece. I began to rush, impatient to run the bear off and salvage what was left of the meat. However I used to be too late. Once I obtained to the place the place the bull had been dressed out I discovered only some leavings and a broad path the place a bear had dragged the carcass off.
How would you are feeling when you’d outfitted a celebration of paying visitors, herded them a tough day’s trip into the mountains with all their provides and equipment on pack animals, arrange camp, and noticed the hunters in first-class recreation nation, solely to have a thieving bear lug off the primary kill? Nicely, I felt the identical method. I began out to search out that elk and take it away from the bear.
I had hunted all my life and outfitted and guided for shut to twenty years. With that a lot expertise, I ought to have taken a second take a look at the bear tracks earlier than I did anything. However I used to be mad as a bee in a raided hive, and I neglected that little element. The signal I’d seen farther down the creek had been made by a black bear and I took as a right that this was one of many similar breed.
I knew he was huge, although, for the elk he’d dragged off would have dressed near 400 kilos. However that’s all I observed, and I’ve requested myself loads of occasions since how fool-careless a person can get. The reply got here too late to do me any good.
The path was simple to comply with. He had taken the elk up and across the facet of the mountain, and he’d made simple work of it. After 300 yards or so the monitor dropped right into a sequence of deep washes after which angled up a steep slope towards an remoted stand of thick spruce, simply the spot for him to cease and money in on his night time’s work. I’d discover him in there someplace, with what was left of his loot. That possible wouldn’t be sufficient to pack out, I made a decision, getting madder by the minute.
I halted on the fringe of the timber and went down on one knee for a glance. Twenty-five toes uphill from me a patch of darkish fur moved behind a log, after which I made out the define of an ear and noticed an eye fixed staring in my path. He had seen me first.
The rifle I used to be carrying was mighty mild for the job. A few years in the past, as a child, I shot a field of 8 mm. shells at a coyote about 1,000 yards off. I didn’t kill the coyote, however the huge rifle battered my shoulder in order that I nonetheless flinch with any gun that slams again at me. Consequently I tote slightly .25/35. I do know it sounds screwy for a person in my enterprise, however I do higher with it than with the large bruisers.
It wasn’t rifle sufficient for an enormous bear, even a black, however I figured if I hit him on the butt of an ear I wouldn’t have any bother. He had the ear conveniently uncovered over the log and I used to be so shut I couldn’t miss. I introduced the rifle up, sluggish and straightforward — and in the identical on the spot the bear got here up, quick and laborious. He reared on his hind legs at my first motion and let go a roar that was sufficient to knock my hat off.
That roar modified the entire scenario. I knew finally, slightly late, that I wasn’t coping with a black. I had walked right into a grizzly as short-tempered as a stick of dynamite, and impulsively the little .25/35 appeared ineffective as a popgun.
We seemed one another over for 10 seconds that appeared like 1 / 4 of an hour. I don’t know what the grizzly considered me however I had time to understand that he was a good-looking previous sorehead. His darkish silvertip coat shone like frost, even within the dim mild underneath the spruces. I held the gun on his neck and waited for him to make the subsequent transfer, hoping it wouldn’t be in my path.
When he did nothing, I took a cautious step again, after which one other. He stayed put and I saved backing up till I had an inexpensive distance between us. Then I dropped down into one of many washes and obtained out of there quick. However I nonetheless didn’t intend to steer the packhorses again to camp empty, and I knew I’d need to kill the bear if I wished to say the elk.
I made a decision to return at him from above and check out a shot within the open, at one thing greater than 25 toes. I made an enormous circle and labored warily down the hillside to the higher fringe of the spruce thicket. I believed I knew precisely the place I’d discover him. He’d be on the elk, ready for me. However I guessed flawed.
I used to be down on one knee once more, making an attempt to see underneath the branches, when he minimize unfastened with one other roar so shut behind me that I believed he should be trying over my shoulder. I spun round and stared him within the face — simply six yards off.
He wasn’t a pleasing sight. He was up on his hind toes like a person, eyes blazing, lips curled in a rumbling growl, the hair on his neck and shoulders all standing the flawed method. He seemed 20 toes tall and he scared hell out of me!
How he obtained that shut with out giving himself away I’ll by no means know. We went again the subsequent day, when the affair was buttoned up, to look over the signal an-d piece the story collectively. He had come out of the thicket on the downhill facet, picked up my monitor and trailed me as a hound trails a rabbit, following me whereas I circled to get above him, stalking me with the stealth of a cat.
The snow was frozen and as crunchy as breakfast cereal, but he’d crept to inside 18 toes of me — we later measured the gap between our tracks with a metal tape — with no whisper of sound. Then he stood up and bawled his blood-chilling problem, prepared for the ultimate rush. They are saying an unwounded bear received’t stalk a person, however this one definitely did.
I’d by no means cease him earlier than he obtained to me with the .25/35 and I knew it. He’d be on high of me earlier than that little bullet took impact. There was just one method out. If I may discover a tree and attain it in time, I’d climb. A grizzly can’t comply with you right into a tree.
It was a skinny likelihood, for there was only one tree of the correct dimension wherever close to, and it was between me and the bear. After we paced it the subsequent forenoon we discovered I used to be 10 toes from the tree and he was eight. However I didn’t have time to suppose. I will need to have acted from intuition, or possibly it was one thing they’d drilled into me within the Navy, {that a} shock offense is commonly the very best protection. I yelled in his face, a screech that might have achieved credit score to a Blackfoot buck, and jumped for the tree.
How I made it, slamming into him that method, I nonetheless can’t determine. My yell will need to have startled him for a second or two, and my headlong rush saved him off stability simply lengthy sufficient. I used to be within the tree when he began for me and out of attain when he arrived. I’ve been requested fairly a couple of occasions since whether or not I had any bother reaching the primary limb. For the report, I by no means touched it. My first leap put me in attain of the third or fourth limb up. I didn’t climb. I sailed into that tree like a flying squirrel.
Once I began my sprint, I had it in thoughts to take my rifle with me, however after I reached a secure perch 15 or 20 toes off the bottom I didn’t have the gun. I seemed down and noticed it mendacity two or three yards from the bottom of the tree, with the bear smelling and cuffing at it.
The grizzly actually blew his cork over my get-away. He danced round underneath me, bawling and raging and clawing bark, tearing up the bottom like a baited bull. I may see the elk carcass within the spruce thicket, about 20 yards away, and I saved hoping the recent meat would lure him off. Lastly it did. He turned and lumbered downhill, stopping each few steps to throw again a warning growl. When he reached the elk he lay down on it, however saved his head turned my method.
The very first thing I wished was my rifle. It nonetheless lay a couple of steps from the trunk of the tree. I gave the bear quarter-hour to calm down and get within the elk. Then I began inching towards the bottom, reducing myself from one department to a different.
I used to be cautious to not make any commotion, and he paid no consideration till I used to be virtually down. Then he appeared to understand impulsively what was occurring. He lurched to his toes with a bawl of pure hate and got here streaking uphill. A bear can cowl floor quick for a brief distance when he needs to, and I needed to hustle to climb out of attain once more. He trampled round underneath me for some time, grumbling and snarling, after which went again to the elk.
I gave him time to lose curiosity in me and tried one other catfooted descent. It introduced the identical outcome. He let me get right down to the bottom branches, then bounced up and got here raging for me.
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It’s laborious to imagine, however we saved up that recreation at intervals for greater than seven hours, from 8:30 within the morning, when he treed me, till virtually 4 p.m. I don’t know what number of occasions I went up and down the tree, however I used to be worn to a frazzle and realized I couldn’t hold at it for much longer. Until I obtained the rifle on the subsequent attempt or two I’d have to present it up. And that meant sitting within the tree and ready for assist to return from ca mp, one thing I didn’t relish within the least. Gene and Wendell wouldn’t begin to search for me till darkish, and this bear was nothing to blunder into at night time. I wished to save lots of them from that if I may.
However now the grizzly’s angle modified unexpectedly. I suppose he lastly determined that he couldn’t catch me within the tree and that I wasn’t going to danger coming all the best way down. Once I began down this time he lay on the elk and watched me balefully, growling and blustering. As I reached the bottom branches he stood up and bawled his resentment, however he refused to be tricked into making any extra runs uphill until there was a good likelihood of getting at me.
That gave me the chance I’d been ready for all day. I braced myself at my very own peak from the bottom, with my legs tense and prepared for a quick ascent. Cautiously I broke off a forked department, reached out with it and snagged the rifle. Then I pulled it as much as me. I felt virtually safe as I began again up the tree with the gun.
However again on my perch I started to query my concept of utilizing this peashooter on the grizzly, even capturing from the tree. There was solely the slimmest chance that I may kill him with one shot, and as soon as he was hit and went into the thick spruce I wouldn’t have a second likelihood. I had Wendell and Gene to consider. They’d come up alongside the creek looking for me. If I wounded this bear he’d possible leap them at nighttime and kill one or each of them. He would possibly anyway. One way or the other I needed to get out of this repair and head them off whereas it was nonetheless daylight.
As I let myself right down to the bottom branches the grizzly growled ominously, and it took all of the nerve I needed to let go and drop to the bottom.
I suppose I had seemed over the hillside 100 occasions, however now I took one other look and thought I noticed a method of escape. As close to as I may determine, it was about 60 toes downhill to the elk carcass the place the bear lay. Thirty toes the opposite method, uphill, was a tree I may climb. Past that have been two extra, slightly farther aside. With a sequence of dashes and climbs, I would put sufficient distance between me and the grizzly for him to overlook about me.
The run to the primary tree could be dangerous nevertheless it appeared the one method out. I’d have 30 toes to cowl whereas the bear was coming 90. If I may get a working begin, I figured I may make it.
As I let myself right down to the bottom branches the grizzly growled ominously, and it took all of the nerve I needed to let go and drop to the bottom. I lit working. I heard a gruff bawl because the bear lumbered to his toes after which I may hear him pounding uphill behind me. However my 20-yard headstart was an excessive amount of for him. I used to be up the second tree when he obtained there and I nonetheless had my rifle.
He snorted and tore round on the foot of the tree for a couple of minutes, then gave up and went again to the elk.
The following tree was about 50 toes farther uphill. As quickly as he quieted down I dropped and went for it. It was simpler this time. He got here charging after me, however he had too far to run now to trigger me a lot concern. However, it took 4 bushes and a complete achieve of 75 yards to make him name quits. He chased me up these 4, one after one other. Then he will need to have concluded that he’d pushed me off finally, for after I got here down the fourth time he paid no consideration.
I backed away a couple of yards, one step at a time, to verify. When he stayed put I took off uphill, watching him over my shoulder. I made a large circle to get again to the horses, and you’ll guess your backside greenback I saved my eyes open all the best way to camp.
It was darkish after I rode in. I had anticipated my lengthy absence to trigger some anxiousness, however my story was greeted with extra amusement than sympathy, to my annoyance, and it took my brothers and the remainder of the social gathering a few hours to understand that I wasn’t simply spinning a tall yarn. It was laborious for them to imagine {that a} bear would hold a person in a tree a complete day. I lastly satisfied them, nonetheless, and earlier than we turned in we had all the things organized to settle the grizzly’ s hash very first thing within the morning.
“If he’s nonetheless there,” any person put in.
“He’ll be there,” I predicted grimly. “He received’t go 10 yards so long as there’s a mouthful of that elk left. He received’t transfer until we transfer him.”
We left camp at dawn, following Hay Creek for a few miles, then driving straight up the mountain to get across the bear. I remembered an open ridge about 250 yards above him that might give us a transparent view of the creek backside, the hillside, and the spruce thicket the place he was holed up. We’d put up the hunters alongside that ridge and Gene, Wendell, and I’d transfer right down to flush him out. That method there’d be no likelihood that he’d catch us with our guard down, as he’d caught me the morning earlier than.
It was a great plan and it might need labored, apart from one factor we hadn’t figured on. No one wanted to enter the comb and stir that bear up. He was prepared to return out with none prodding.
We tied the horses a secure distance again within the timber and moved right down to the ridge afoot. Most of our horses will bolt at grizzly sign up a path, and we knew we’d be asking for bother if we took them wherever close to the bear. We bunched on the ridge 300 yards from his thicket, directing the hunters to their locations. The bear was nowhere in sight nevertheless it was a secure guess that he was down there watching us, as a result of impulsively we heard a commotion on the hill under and Gene yelled ”Right here he comes!”
I assume that was the primary time my brothers had actually believed me, too, for Wendell added “By gorry, it IS a bear!”
The grizzly boiled out of the thicket and got here plowing uphill at a useless run, able to deal with all 9 of us. We let him come to see if he actually meant to undergo with it. After his first 40-yard sprint he reared up on a fallen log, stretching excessive on his hind legs for a greater look. I don’t imagine it was warning that stopped him. All of us agreed later that he simply wished to dimension us up earlier than he took us on. We’ll by no means be certain, for we didn’t wait any longer. Gene obtained within the first shot. He belted the bear within the shoulder with a 180- grain Core-Lokt bullet from his .30/06 and the grizzly dropped off the log with a bellow that shook the bottom. However he didn’t go down. He whipped round, bit at his shoulder, pulled himself collectively, and got here pelting uphill straight at us.
The mountain fell in on him then. I don’t bear in mind all the main points, for there was yelling and capturing throughout me. Not all of the pictures linked, for I noticed twigs clipped off and snow and dust kicked up behind him and on each side. However I additionally noticed three or 4 strong hits.
He saved his footing by way of the entire barrage however he knew he was licked. He wheeled and began the opposite method, nonetheless roaring, and Wen dell spiked him with a soft-nose at the back of the top. He was lower than 100 yards from us when he went down.
After we skinned him we discovered he’d been hit 9 occasions, and any considered one of them would have killed him, ultimately. But he had stayed on his toes till that final shot blew his mind aside. I used to be glad I hadn’t tried for him with the .25/35 the day earlier than.
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His pelt squared 9 toes, as stunning a silvertip pores and skin as I’ve ever seen. It makes a effective trophy on our ranchhouse wall. My brothers and I estimated his weight at not lower than 800 kilos. A number of the visitors who had hunted Alaska browns thought he’d weigh greater than that. Anyway, that is for positive: No meaner grizzly than that one ever roamed the mountains of Montana!
As for the elk, we salvaged a part of it in any case. Fortunately, a bear begins on the neck and eats again towards the hams. masking his kill with brush and leaves and mendacity on it between meals. Until he’s pushed off, he received’t go away till the final chunk is gone. This fellow had labored again so far as the loins. I determine he was saving the steaks for a final supper, however we didn’t give him time to take pleasure in it. The hindquarter have been nonetheless in effective form and we packed them out.
