Trout
which has sharp, conical teeth, though not so numerous or strong as those of the Pike.
Food. On the other hand, the Black Bass has villiform or brush-like teeth, much these waters are of an isolated character.
On the contrary, the Black Bass, under such circumstances, does not multiply so rapidly as the other species, notwithstanding that it guards its eggs and young. The unfortunate introduction of the German Carp into American waters has been very disastrous to the Black Bass, owing to the spawneating proclivities of the intruder. It astonishes the American angler to learn that the English are so prejudiced against the Black Bass, although tolerating such a marauding fish as the Pike, to say nothing of spawneaters like the Carp, Tench, Dace, Perch, &c. Game Qualities. - The Black Bass is a percoid fish and much higher in the scheme of evolution than the Salmon or Trout, and in game qualities is their peer-" Inch for inch, and pound for pound, he is the gamest BLACK BASS. fish that swims." "He has the arrowy rush and vigour of the Trout, the untiring strength and bold leap of the Salmon, while he has a system of fighting tactics peculiarly his own." These words seem to me, after twenty-five years' experience, as true as ever. like the surface of a tooth-brush, which are incapable of wounding or cutting: such teeth indicate a diet of crustaceans and insects. As a matter of fact, seventy-five per cent. of the natural food of the Black Bass consists of crayfish, but like all carnivorous fishes, the Bass occasionally swallows small fish, frogs, &c., especially if they are found in a disabled condition; and this explains why a minnow proves a good bait, and is eagerly taken by a Black Bass when he may ignore a school of lively minnows swimming near him. Those of the school are hard to catch, while the one on the hook is easily captured.
There are countless small lakes in America where the Black Bass, Trout, and many other species of fishes have co-existed from time immemorial, showing conclusively that the Black Bass is not the enemy of other fishes, and does not militate against their increase in the same waters, even when Distribution. -The Black Bass is capable of a much wider geographical distribution than most other game fish. In America, its range extends through twenty-five degrees of latitude and thirty degrees of longitude, which shows that it can withstand very great variations of temperature and vicissitudes of aquatic life. In Germany its introduction has been very successful, especially that of the largemouthed Bass. It has also been transplanted to France, the Netherlands, and other countries.
Fly-Fishing.- The methods of angling for Black Bass are fly-fishing, minnowcasting, still-fishing, and trolling. Flyfishing, of course, comes first in importance. The Black Bass rises to the artificial fly as eagerly as the Salmon or Trout, and perhaps under more varying conditions.
While it has the boldness of either, it is more wary and intelligent, and must be fished for with corresponding caution, for inasmuch as it is only in comparatively shallow water that any fish rises to the fly, it follows that all due caution must be exercised to keep out of its sight. If fishing from a boat, the angler should keep in deep water and cast toward the shallows or shore. If fishing from the bank, he should stand well back from the shore and make long casts, or be screened from observation by trees, bushes, &c. If wading, which is the preferable plan, he may fish either up or down stream, but fishing down stream is preferred in America, particularly in swift streams, as the line is thereby always straight and taut, and a more natural appearance is given to the fly.
The best time for fly-fishing for Black Bass is late in the afternoon, toward sunset, and during twilight. The early morning hours are also favourable; but, except on very dark, cloudy days, the angler will catch nothing for his pains during the hours of mid-day. The reason for this is that all fishes feed mostly at night, and in shallow water; consequently, they are found in such situations at the times mentioned, approaching or departing from their feeding grounds. The method of casting is about the same in vogue for wet-fly fishing for Trout. One or two flies may be used in the cast. The dropper, or hand-fly, should be three or four feet above the stretcher, or tail-fly. The leader, or casting line, should be from six to nine feet of good, round, single gut.
Almost any good "general" Trout fly of large size, tied on hooks No. 4 to 7, will answer for Black Bass. The Coachman, Red Ibis, Professor, Grizzly King, Alexandra, Montreal, &c., and small Silver Doctor are all good flies, as also the various hackles (Palmers), if made large and bushy.
Among the best flies used in America are the Polka, Henshall, and Oriole.
Moderately long casts, about fifty feet, should be employed for Black Bass fishing, though if there should be a brisk breeze with ruffled water, somewhat shorter casts will answer. The line should be always straight and taut. After the cast is made the flies should be gently roved or drawn from side to side with jerky or tremulous motions, to simulate the movements of a natural fly. They should be permitted to [BASS sink frequently for several inches, or a foot, in likely-looking places, especially in lake or pond fishing.
The angler should strike upon sight or touch; that is, he should instantly strike upon feeling the slightest touch of the fish, or upon seeing its swirl. Striking is merely a turn of the wrist with a taut line, which is sufficient to set the hook. After the fish is hooked, he should be kept on a bent rod and taut line, never under any circumstances having slack line. When the Bass leaps from the water, which he may do half a dozen times before he is in the landing-net, the straightening of the bent rod is sufficient to keep the line taut while he is in the air, but he should be followed into the water by slightly lowering the tip, if necessary, to prevent the hook from tearing out with the weight, and the instant he reaches the water he should again feel the spring of the rod.
He should be reeled into close quarters as soon as possible, and kept near the surface of the water. The spring of the rod will eventually cause him to turn on his side, when he should be taken into the landingnet.
The most suitable rod is ten feet three inches long, and weighs not more than eight ounces. Any good Trout fly-rod of about this description will answer. The line and click-reel ordinarily used for Trout fishing do very well for Black Bass fishing.
Minnow-Fishing.-Casting the minnow for Black Bass is a very artistic mode of fishing. It requires special tools and tackle.
In America the short, single-handed rod known as the "Henshall" rod is universally employed. It is eight feet three inches long, and weighs eight ounces for an ash and lancewood, or green-heart rod, or seven and a half ounces for a split bamboo. It is somewhat stiffer than a Trout fly-rod, but pliable enough for all the emergencies of playing a fish. A first-class multiplying reel is a sine quâ non, as the bait is cast from the reel. A braided line of undressed silk of the smallest calibre should be used.
Twisted lines kink too much for casting. A leader, or casting-line of gut, is not required, the swelled hook being attached directly to the reel-line by a small brass swivel. A sinker of the smallest size may also be affixed, if necessary.
The minnow, from two to four inches in length, is hooked through the lips, and reeled up to within a foot or two of the tip of the rod, when it is cast to the left or right for a distance of from seventy-five to one hundred and fifty feet, which is easily done with the tackle mentioned, and a little practice. The cast is not made over-hand BEAR-SHOOTING] or over-head as in fly-fishing, but underhanded that is, from below upward-the tip of the rod being a foot or two from the ground or water at the beginning of the cast. The running of the reel must be controlled by the thumb, which should maintain a gentle, but uniform, pressure upon the spool to prevent over-running or backlashing, and when the bait reaches the desired spot the thumb stops the reel by a stronger pressure. The bait is allowed to swim about, if lively, and the line slowly reeled in, giving a natural, swimming motion to the minnow; a new cast is then made in another direction. The playing and landing of the Bass is the same as in flyfishing.
Still-Fishing.-Still-fishing is about the same as Perch fishing in England, and the best Perch tools and tackle may be employed, when of sufficient strength. A float may be used, though it is generally dispensed with in America, except where the bottom is grassy or mossy. Usually still fishing is practised from an anchored boat.
Any time of day will answer for still-fishing or minnow-casting, though the Bass will be found in deeper water during the middle of the day.
Trolling. Trolling is practised with a stiffer rod than that for minnow-casting or still-fishing, and a somewhat larger lineone of flax will answer-of about the size used for large Perch. The bait may be a large minnow, hooked through the lips, or a trolling spoon or spinner of small size.
One hook is all-sufficient. A minnow, hooked through the lips with a single hook, presents a more natural appearance and is far more effective than the most approved spinning-tackle, with its forbidding array of flying hooks. Trolling is practised from a boat, which is propelled over the feedinggrounds at a speed varying according to local conditions. From fifty to one hundred and fifty feet of line are let out from the reel. The Bass hooks itself when it strikes.
JAMES A. HENSHALL.
MEASUREMENTS, &c. -Length of head 33/4 to 4, of caudal fin 534, height of body 44 to 42/3 in the total length. Eyediameter 42 to 5 (or even proportionately larger in very small examples) in the length of the head, 1/4 to 12 diameters from the end of the snout, and 1/4 apart. Posterior edge of the preopercle strongly serrated, the largest tooth being at its rounded angle, and three more forwardly directed along its lower limb. Two opercular spines, the rest of the bones of the head unarmed. Jaws of about the same length anteriorly; the maxilla reaches to beneath the first, third, or middle of the orbit. Nostrils patent.
Teeth-villiform in the jaws, the outer row in the upper somewhat larger than the rest: in an almost crescentic spot on the vomer, in a band on the palatines, and also at the base of the tongue. Fins-occasionally the first spine in the anterior dorsal fin is absent, the first two are short, the third twothirds the length of the fourth, which is equal to the two succeeding, which are the highest, and slightly exceed the length of the rays of the second dorsal. Third anal spine slightly longer than the second.
Caudal forked. Scales-ctenoid. Lateralline-nearly straight, passing from the upper edge of the opercle to the centre of the base of the caudal fin. Intestines-five SEA BASS. short cæcal appendages. Colours-gray on the back, becoming silvery on the sides and beneath. A dark spot at the upper half or two-thirds of the opercle, darkest posteriorly. Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins stained with gray externally; pectorals and ventrals yellowish-white. The young have usually some fine dark spots scattered over the body.
Day, Fishes of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. i., p. 9.
BASS, SEA (Labrax lupus) [See SEA- FISHING].
BEAR-SHOOTING.- AMERICA, NORTH.-Bears are the most widely distributed of all North American big game, and may be encountered at any moment almost anywhere in the Rockies.
There are three species of Bear in North America, the Grizzly (Ursus horribilis), to which the following notes chiefly apply, the Black Bear (U. americanus), a much smaller and less formidable beast, and the Polar (U. maritimus) [See BEAR, POLAR].
The so-called Brown Bear of North America is a variety only, though many sportsmen insist on regarding it as a distinct species.
Grizzly Bears are not nowadays to be found east of the Rockies, and even in that range there is sometimes considerable difficulty in procuring a trophy. They constantly change their quarters according to where the best food supply is to be found.
In the early spring, when the skunk cabbage shoots forth its handsome yellow flower, bears are high up the mountain sides digging at the roots. Later on, when putrid salmon strew the river banks, they will be found revelling in a nauseous meal. Where salmon do not exist, they will pick up a living on beetles and other insects until the berries ripen in the fall, when they claw down the luscious fruit and lay on their supply of fat preparatory to hibernating.
Baiting. Of the various modes of hunting bears, by far the most successful and pleasant pleasant is baiting for them. This can, however, only be accomplished in a country plentiful in deer; which should be killed [Photo. by H. J. Shepstone.
GRIZZLY BEARS IN YELLOWSTONE PARK. surand left in suitable places, care being taken to select spots which the sportsman can easily approach unperceived, for though bears make little use of their eyes, they are keen-scented, quick of hearing, and prisingly active. The bait must be inspected within two or three days, and should it be found partially eaten or buried, the hunter should lie in wait at dawn or nightfall for the bear, taking care to approach up-wind and noiselessly. In places where bears have been much hunted, they become nocturnal in their habits, but otherwise they frequently wander abroad during the daytime.
A wounded or seemingly dead bear should be approached with caution; for even when shot through the heart, it can still prove dangerous at close quarters. Through the neck, if it be sufficiently exposed, is the best shot; otherwise spine, shoulder, or head is good enough. If, as sometimes happens, the hunter comes upon a grizzly with cubs, let him pay due attention to the old bear before meddling with the cubs. [BEAR-SHOOTING Hunting with Dogs. - Another mode of hunting bears is with well-trained dogs, which quickly "tree" the black bear, while a grizzly, being unable to climb, will be held at bay until the sportsman comes up.
From Canoes. On certain rivers whose banks are composed of mud flats, or fringed with berry-bearing bushes, bears are hunted from canoes which are paddled noiselessly in and out of every irregularity of the bank, until either a bear is seen grubbing in the mud or eating dead salmon, or can be heard dragging down berries. If a clear view of him cannot be obtained, there is nothing for it but to wait patiently until he appears, for the underwood in districts usually haunted by bears is so dense that to approach unheard would be impossible. Choice of Ground, &c. -The best furred bears come from the north coast of British Columbia and up the Skeena river, where they are mostly killed in May just after leaving the cache, when the fur is at its prime. They are in the finest condition from September to May, according to climate; after the end of May the wool falls out, the long hairs slip, and the pelt becomes valueless until the end of September.
The mode of hunting is most arduous and uncomfortable. While the snow is still deep in the timber, but rapidly melting on the mountain side, a likely valley must be sought, the sides of which rise almost perpendicular in this country. Here, on swampy ground surrounded by patches of snow, the tent must be pitched and no fire lighted. Morning and evening the hunter scans the steep rocky sides of the valley or cañon until high up he spies a bear. Carefully locating it, he starts on a perilous climb of an hour's duration, and is usually unable to see the bear at the end of it. Sometimes from a spot below he may see as many as seven bears, but on getting close to them, all are hidden by great boulders of rock. If the sun shines, it becomes too dangerous for climbing; warning avalanches come crashing down, and if one does not fall on a man, his weight is sufficient to start another. This class of hunting is suitable only for Indians.
Bears' caches, as they call the holes wherein they spend the winter in a more or less torpid condition from about December to April or May, are often discovered during the summer, and if the exact spot can be found when deeply covered with snow it is almost certain to contain a bear; here, too, the she-bear gives birth to her young.
The largest bear in the world, excepting the Polar Bear, inhabits Alaska, and does BEAR-SHOOTING] not appear to have received due attention from any naturalist. It differs somewhat from the grizzly in uniformity of colour and in the shape of its claws, and is said to be plentiful in the dense country around Mount Elias.
A 500 Express is, taken all round, the finest weapon for the work. No one who can handle a rifle should require to give his bear more than one bullet. The grizzly being an animal of uncertain temper, it is well to reserve the second barrel, in case of accidents.
J. TURNER TURNER. when suddenly come upon; and many natives are mauled by bears that they have disturbed. In a beat, bears coming out of holes in the rocks at the last moment, when the beat is close to them, often charge the beaters. On the whole, however, this bear is by no means a dangerous animal before it has been fired at and wounded, but when wounded and followed up, it will often charge. The writer discredits the popular idea that the bear rises on its hind-legs and hugs its adversary. He has never seen a charging bear rise on its hind legs. Bears SHOOTING A GRIZZLY IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.
INDIA. The Sloth Bear (Melursus labiatus) is the only species found through out India to the south of the Himalayas.
Habits. It is common in the hill ranges and jungles, more especially where the ground is rocky. Its habits are nocturnal; during the day it lies up in thick jungle or in caves and recesses among the rocks. It may occasionally be met with by sportsmen out stalking early in the morning or late in the afternoon; but as a rule, except when driven out in the course of a beat, it will not be observed during the day. Its food consists of the jungle fruits, ants, beetles, and other insects, and it is also fond of honey, and climbs the forest trees to procure the honeycombs which hang from the boughs. Instances have been known of its eating flesh, but they are rare. Like all wild animals it avoids man, but may attack can stand erect, and do so to look about them in long grass or jungle that they cannot see over on all-fours. The soles of their feet leave a print not unlike that of a child's foot. Their cylindrical bones resemble the same bones in a human skeleton more closely than those of most other animals; and this formation enables them to assume the erect position. Their claws are long, and with them they dig up the ground for roots, ants, and termites, and turn over stones to get the beetles and insects that lodge there. The female has generally two cubs, sometimes three, which remain with her till nearly full-grown. When young, she carries them on her back. In a beat, a she-bear will often be seen galloping galloping along along with her cubs hanging on to her. The cub clings to the long hair on her shoulders with his fore-legs, the hind-legs hanging down her side well clear of the ground.
The "Indian Black Bear," as it is also called, has long and shaggy hair, especially on the top of the shoulders; and on the breast is a large yellowish crescent-shaped mark. The muzzle is of a dirty white. As the hair is very coarse, an Indian bear's skin is not of much value as a trophy.
Methods of Hunting.-Bears in India are not usually made a special object of sport.
They are generally shot when men are out tiger-shooting-on days when no tigers are abroad. A chance beat on suitable ground often produces a bear or two. Bears are turned out in the course of a beat for tiger, but on such occasions they are not fired at.
They are driven in the same way as all large game has to be driven in India. A crowd [Copyright by Underwood and Underwood.
AMERICAN BLACK BEAR. of beaters are collected from the nearest villages, a few of whom have tom-toms and other native instruments, useful not only in waking up the animals and keeping them moving, but also in keeping the beaters in line. A large number of stops have to be placed in trees on either side of the intended drive to prevent the animal breaking out at the side. The sportsman is placed in a tree or on a rock in front, and if the drive has been properly planned and carried out (the chief, if not the only, secret of success in this kind of shooting), the animal passes within a few yards, and, whether walking or galloping, affords a very easy shot.
Another way of shooting bears is to visit before daylight the rocks, in which they are known to lie up, and to intercept them as they return from their nocturnal rambles. They are also shot by sportsmen when stalking bison or deer. The sportsman, walking [BEAR-SHOOTING through the jungle, sees them by chance and stalks them; but it is no good going out with the special object of stalking bears, as they are not numerous enough to make it worth while, so far, at least, as the Indian Black Bear is concerned, though it is different with the Himalayan Black Bear and the Brown Bear.
Weapon, &c. - Every sportsman has his own fancy as to the best rifle for the work.
The writer prefers a good double-barrelled 500 Express to any other rifle for all kinds of soft-skinned big game. It is comparatively light, can be quickly manipulated for a running or snap shot, and better shooting, especially with running shots, is made with it than with a heavy rifle. The shot, if at all properly placed, will certainly kill the animal in a few seconds. The only objection to it is that, in the case of a charge, an Express bullet does not give the knockdown blow of a heavier solid bullet, and is therefore less likely to stop the charging animal. On the other hand, the proportion of charges to animals fired at is extremely small, and the weapon that will bring most game down is the preferable one. At any rate, a 500 Express is quite big enough for a bear. In firing at a bear it is necessary to remember that the animal is not so large as it looks, and that a good deal of the apparent size is due to its long hair. All shots should be aimed so as to enter the cavity of the chest. Behind the shoulder, through the point of the shoulder, and in the centre of the yellowish mark on the chest, according to the position of the animal, are the usual shots. Through the back of the skull or neck is also fatal, but the body shot is recommended, the mark being greater.
J. D. INVERARITY. [The other Indian Bears are the Black (U. torquatus) and the Snow, or Isabelline (U. isabellinus), both of the Himalayas.
The former is chiefly to be found in the forests at the base of the range, where it lives on fruits, acorns, the crops of the villagers, and occasional carrion. It feeds at night and is usually shot as it comes to or leaves its feeding-ground.
The Isabelline Bear, on the other hand, is chiefly encountered along the snow-line.
Like the foregoing species, it hibernates; and its food also differs little, except in a preference for roots.] POLAR (Ursus maritimus).
Habitat. The Polar Bear ranges over the whole of the discovered tracts of the North Polar regions, but to a greater extent BEAR-SHOOTING] in the southern part of the Arctic zone than further North. In the expedition of Sir George Nares in 1875-6, no bears were seen north of lat. 79°, although travelling parties reached the latitude of 83° 20'.
Previous to this, however, bears had been seen, and killed, though not in great quantities, by the United States exploring expedition under Captain Hall as far north as 81° in the locality visited by Nares. They are found in great numbers in Franz Josef land, in Novaya-Zemlya, in Spitzbergen, along the east coast of Greenland, in Davis Straits and Baffin's Bay, and in the numerous channels and inlets leading thence, and they are encountered as far south as Hudson's Strait and Bay, and along the Coast of Labrador. They might, with a fair show of reason, be regarded as aquatic rather than terrestrial animals; for not only have they been found on icefloes and icebergs hundreds of miles from any land, but I have come across them swimming unconcernedly in the water with no ice in sight and more than eighty miles from land!
Colour, Size, Habits, &c. -Their colour is sometimes of a very pure white, the tip of the fur in places being tinged slightly with a yellowish hue. Their feet are large, flat, and muscular, being armed with formidable claws, and they have very strong and powerful teeth. They do not hug, as is alleged of their congeners the brown bears, but bite and use their claws freely.
It is averred that they never eat their victims until life is extinct, but will play with them as a cat with a mouse.
The Polar bear attains a great size. I have myself killed them over 102 feet in length, and weighing something like half a ton, and they have been known to exceed even 13 feet in length; but this is, I believe, quite an abnormal size, the average being about 7 or 8 feet from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. They possess enormous strength. On one occasion we disturbed a bear in the enjoyment of his feast on the ice, which proved to be the entire body of a white whale, fifteen feet in length and weighing about 3 or 4 tons. This whale was presumably found by the bear floating dead in the water, and must have been dragged by the bear on to the ice where we found it. It is difficult to conceive how this could have been accomplished, for it would have taken at least half-a-dozen strong men with ropes and other appliances to have hauled it up on to the icefloe.
The flesh of the bear is eatable when nothing better can be obtained, but it is coarse and rank and terribly tough; the liver, however, is to be avoided as an article of human food, for it has the reputation of producing severe bowel complaints.
Their rate of progression over soft snow is wonderful, and when once alarmed, un- [Photo. by II. S. Berriage, F.Z.S.
SLOTH BEAR. less stopped by a bullet, they speedily place a safe distance between themselves and their pursuers. Their powers of locomotion in the water are also marvellous, and it is by no means an uncommon incident to see them plunge after a seal, and pursue it in its own element, but whether with a successful result I have never yet been able satisfactorily to determine. They will watch a seal for hours together on an icefloe, and if unable to approach it without being observed, have been known to slip quietly into the water, and swim towards it under the ice, and then emerge suddenly along- [Photo. by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.
ISABELLINE BEAR. side of their prey, so that if it takes to the water it falls into the clutches of the bear, and if it remains on the ice it soon falls a victim to its powerful adversary.
Unless rendered fierce by pain or hunger, they will very rarely attack man. On one occasion only can I call to mind their assuming the offensive, not being themselves attacked or wounded. In that instance, it was a female accompanied by her cub. We first sighted them on a piece of ice, and immediately pulled lustily towards them in our boat. Without, however, waiting for us to come to close quarters the bear, followed by her little one, plunged into the water, swam vigorously towards us, and would certainly have succeeded in getting into the boat had not a bullet from my rifle terminated her existence. The cub was captured alive and took aboard the ship. It was a most ferocious little beast, and was just as wild and untamable after it had been on board three months, as on the day of its capture. It sounds somewhat unnatural, but the only food it had for the first few days after it came on board was the flesh of its own mother, which it devoured greedily and with apparent enjoyment.
On another occasion we had observed a bear reposing apparently asleep on the ice.
I proceeded to stalk it, but the noise made by my breaking through a piece of rotten ice disturbed the animal in his slumbers and caused him to get up. Thinking he was contemplating a retreat, I took a hasty and long shot, which wounded him badly and caused him to slink away behind some hummocks. Running up somewhat imprudently in my haste to secure his skin, I suddenly came across the beast, which at once rushed at me open-mouthed, when, fortunately for myself, I succeeded at about five yards in planting a bullet in his head, which effectually put a stop to any further developments. These are the only instances that have come under my personal observation, in which the Polar bear has assumed a disposition to act on the offensive. On all other occasions they have been exceedingly timorous when scenting danger.
The majority of bears that are killed by the vessels engaged in sealing or whaling die in the water, for on the approach of a boat, unless they happen to be on an extensive field of ice, they invariably endeavour to effect their escape by swimming. As a boat can be propelled at double the speed at which a bear can swim, the poor beast is very soon overhauled, when a bullet through its brain kills it.
This, however, is the poorest of sport; in fact, it is no sport at all, for the element of danger, which makes the pursuit of savage animals so attractive, is altogether wanting. [BEAR-SHOOTING Pursuing a bear on a large icefloe, or pack, is, however, altogether different.
Prudence has then to be exercised in approaching the quarry; care has to be taken to avoid stepping on treacherous pieces of young ice; and when after, perchance, much trouble and exertion, the hunter succeeds in approaching within the desired range, more skill, care and dexterity are required in handling the rifle in order to ensure killing, than would be the case if the beast were swimming in the water, where it would be comparatively harmless.
Vulnerable spot. - My experience has taught me that the most vulnerable part of a Polar bear is the forehead. I have known several instances of bears being hit in other parts of the body, and they have either succeeded in making good their escape, or required another bullet to finish them. The head is, of course, a small mark, but a shot in it is instantaneously effective.
Weapon. I have always used a small Martini-Henry rifle with a 45 solid bullet; but I am inclined to think that a good magazine rifle carrying a 4 expanding bullet would be the best and safest for Polar bear shooting.
Range. Unless a bear is actually making off at speed over the ice, I should deprecate firing at a greater distance than 15 or 20 yards; the nearer you are to the animal, the greater the chance of hitting it in a vital spot. They are wonderfully tenacious of life, and unless hit in the head will scamper away over the ice and through soft snow with perhaps two or three bullets in them, leaving behind a bright crimson trail on the otherwise spotless snow with which the ice is covered.
To sum up, the Polar bear is by no means a formidable beast to contend with, if the hunter is armed with a good magazine rifle, is a fairly reliable shot, and is prepared to undertake a trip to the "regions of thickribbed ice" in quest of his prey. A. H. MARKHAM.
RUSSIA (Bear = Russ. Mědvyed). Though the number of bears (Ursus arctos) killed within reasonable distance of St.
Petersburg has of late years steadily diminished, these animals still abound in outlying Governments, such as Olonetz, where any sportsman able to spare a month or more, and to afford the expenditure of a considerable sum of money, may still be certain of a bearskin or two.
Bear shooting is a winter sport, for without snow to track them in, these shy rovers are not easily found; luckily for the sportsman, however, the bear is a hibernating BEAR-SHOOTING] animal, and the first fall of snow not only drives him hurriedly to seek his winterquarters, but also enables his enemies to track him to his chosen retreat.
Finding the Bear. The usual method is for the local sportsman to sally forth about the first fall of snow, in November, either alone or with his dog; that is, if he has one endowed with the gift of silence. He knows from experience how to mark down each animal to the sanctuary in which it had hoped to sleep through the winter; and having made careful note of the where- 22I tice of engaging the beast so lightly armed is well-nigh obsolete.
He must drive to his destination, the vehicle being in all probability the Kibitka, a tented sleigh drawn by a pair of horses, the latter being changed en route at the poststations. At the end of his journey, a matter of a week or considerably more, according to the distance traversed and the state of the roads, he will lodge at his guide's house; and, unless he is prepared to live on black rye-bread and vodka, with now and again a dried herring and a cup POLAR BEAR. abouts of a number of occupied berlogi, as these hibernating dens are called in those parts, he hastens with his secrets to St.
Petersburg, where, as the bears are not likely to emerge when once they have settled down for the season, he is able to dispose of each berloga for a sum of from 40 to 70 roubles (£4 to £7), according to the estimated size of its occupant. It is not improbable that he will thus sell his whole batch of bears, from one to a dozen, to a single amateur, who will then, as soon as convenient, set out from town well equipped with heavy rifle and small arms, or, if he be of an enterprising disposition, with no more than a bear-spear, though the prac- [From an original drawing by E. Caldwell. of weak tea, he should take with him a store of provisions.
Snowshoes will be found necessary, but they may generally be had of his host, and those of Olonetz, shaped like Norwegian ski (long and narrow, and not after the Canadian model), are perhaps the very best obtainable.
Then comes the march for the nearest berloga, a function in which a trained dog is of use in supplementing his master's memory; and at last the supreme moment arrives when the sportsman stands, rifle in hand, at the den mouth, having secured good foothold for his snowshoes, in order that they may not slide at an awkward moment.
Meanwhile the guide, aided by his dog, if he has one, begins the work of driving the bear from its retreat, a feat accomplished by either sending in the dog to bark at and worry it, or stirring up the sleeper with a [Photo. by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.
RUSSIAN BROWN BEAR. pole pushed through the frozen snow and piled brushwood that form the outer wall of its den.
Sooner or later, a question of seconds or minutes according to the disposition of the tenant, the walls of the sanctuary will part suddenly and, with a roar of rage or a howl of terror, the bear will, in nine cases out of ten, bolt for the nearest cover.
In the tenth case he will charge. Either way, this is the moment to fire, and, if possible, kill at a shot, otherwise an accident, or at best a long snow-chase, ending possibly in disappointment, will follow.
Spearing. When bear-spears were in vogue, the sportsman would stand at the mouth of the berloga, receiving the brute's rush upon the steep-tipped point, and wrestle with the impaled monster until it succumbed. Sometimes the bear would succeed in hurling its assailant to the earth and tear savagely at his flesh before expiring.
Occasionally a bear is seen and shot in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, or a solitary marauder may at still rarer intervals fall to the axe of some peasant infuriated by the spoliation of his oat-patch or rye-field.
It may be convenient to offer a few hints as to the several ways of reaching Russia, and how to proceed when arrived there.
Firstly, then, let the intending traveller provide himself with a passport, and let him [BEAR-SHOOTING have this properly visé by the Russian Consul, in Great Winchester Street, E.C.
Armed with this necessary document, he may set out with an easy mind. St. Petersburg may be reached by sea or overland, as preferred. If the sea-route be chosen, there are frequent sailings from Hull during open navigation time-that is, roughly, between April 30 and October 30.
It is advisable to obtain permission before attempting to pass firearms into Russia.
Without friends in Russia, or introductions to sportsmen, it is difficult to obtain sport near St. Petersburg; intending shooters are therefore warned to make full inquiries beforehand, through friends in the country, to prevent disappointment.
FRED WHISHAW.
SCANDINAVIA. -The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) of Northern Europe is distributed, though in gradually diminishing numbers, over the greater part of Norway and Sweden. It is, however, rarely, if ever, now met with south of latitude 59°.
Many hunters consider that there are two distinct kinds of Scandinavian Bear, whereas most naturalists are now agreed there is but one, though two skins are seldom found exactly alike. Some are black-brown, darkbrown, light-brown, yellow-brown, some grayish-brown with silver-tipped hairs, and others of a light yellow.
The Northern Bear retires into winter quarters about the middle or end of October according to the season, and at this period he falls into a lethargic state and ceases taking food. He comes out again about the middle of April, but this depends greatly on the season and locality. On first coming out, he is lean and scraggy, and has only ant grubs to depend upon for food, which cause his flesh to smell strongly of formic acid. At this time he greedily devours any putrid carcass which happens to be in the neighbourhood. Later in the spring and summer the alpine sow-thistle (called Tort by the peasants), angelica, and cow-parsnip afford him a good meal. Berries of every description from juniper to mountain ash, cloudberries (Molte bær), wild raspberries, whortleberries, cranberries, crowberries, &c., wasp and wild-bee grubs and combs, beetles, slugs, frogs, shell-fish near the fiords, barley, oats, and rye in the peasants' clearings in the forests, to say nothing of cattle, sheep, and goats, all find a place in his bill of fare.
In Norway, bears are more or less numerous in North and South Throndjem, Nordland, Hedemarken, Nedenæs, Bratsberg and Romsdal, Amts, also in Sætersdal, Thele- BEAR-SHOOTING] marken, and Finmarken. In Sweden, in the forests of Jemtland, Dalecarlia, and Vermeland, and in Swedish Lapmarken generally. Methods of Hunting. -Of the various modes of hunting and killing the bear, the most sporting way is with a good bearhound in leash, in summer and autumn, accompanied by one follower only. In winter-time several dogs may be used to range the woods and find the "Hie" (winter lair), the hunters traversing the "Ski." snow on Dogs are absolutely necessary for the first-named mode of hunting, and prices ranging from five pounds to twenty-five are often given for a first-rate animal; an invoking manner all day, keeping a few hundred paces to leeward of you, and unless you can reverse the situation, it is almost hopeless to follow him. Being also a wonderful stayer and first-rate climber (though rarely climbing trees), he can beat any dogs at clambering up or down rocky hill-sides.
Haunts of the Bear. During hot weather he lies up for many days at a time, picking out a cool, swampy dell in the recesses of the forest, where he makes several large holes in which he wallows like a hog.
He also retires to the high ground, above the timber-line, and digs out a bed in a secluded snow-patch, where he will remain for days, safe from flies and mosquitoes.
BROWN OR SCANDINAVIAN BEAR. different hound is worse than none at all.
They may be bought in Jemtland and Ljusnadal in Sweden, and at various places in Norway. The dogs should be fitted with a light leather harness round the chest and shoulders, to which a leading strap three yards long should be attached. They are most intelligent animals, with remarkably good scenting powers, and will lead the hunter straight up to his game. They should never be beaten. Bears have a very keen scent, but neither their sense of sight nor hearing is so well developed. Should a bear once realise that he is being hunted, he will travel down wind in the most pro- On cool days, with a northerly wind and drizzle, during August and September, he is out feeding, and the hill-sides where berries grow in profusion should be carefully scanned early and late.
When the first snow falls in mid October, the hunter has a good chance of tracking him and ringing him in his "Hie." When this is found, it should be approached with caution and invariably up wind.
Stalking, &c. Get as close as possible to a feeding bear, keeping above him all you If his broadside be toward you, aim just behind his right or left shoulder as the case may be. If he be running from can. you, shoot anywhere, at his rump or tail; load quickly, and fire into his chest as he turns round to charge. If below you, aim between his shoulders or loins, or at the centre of back. Should you suddenly come on a she-bear with cubs, kill the old one first; if the cubs escape, fix up the mother's carcass and wait near; you will then probably bag them also. In the event of shooting a cub at some distance from the mother, load immediately, and hide near the body, for she will certainly turn up sooner or later. Should she rush in on you, making a loud, angry "huff, huff," keep your nerve and shoot straight. Never approach a dying or apparently dead bear with unloaded rifle, but go up cautiously with both barrels at full cock. Do not smash the skull with your finishing shot, as one in the neck or behind the head is equally effective.
Measurements. - Scandinavian bears will ran up to nearly 900 lb. in weight, and a skin has been measured 9 ft. 3 in. long and 6 ft. wide. The largest shot by the writer weighed about 800 lb., having a skin 7 ft.
II in., from nose to tail, by 4 ft. 8 in. in width. Thirty-five years is about the limit of age.
Guns and Ammunition. -A 500 or 450 express, by a good maker, firing a conical expanding bullet with a thick solid base and small, shallow hole at apex is a very useful weapon, being accurate at long ranges and effective at close quarters.
BIG GAME.
GERARD FERRAND.
AFRICA. Although shooting in Africa has vastly changed since Captain Cornwallis Harris (the forerunner of the great hunters) first entered the present Transvaal country in 1836, and discovered a wilderness teeming with game, where the sound of the rifle had never yet been heard, there is still, if the sportsman will travel far enough, plenty of sport to be got among the great fauna. But the wonderful plenty of what may be called the great game-slaying epoch-1836 to 1890-is not nowadays to be found except in a few remote and difficult places. The sportsman, then, must be prepared to work much harder, and to travel very far before he can find and bag big game. He will discover, as a general rule, that heavy game in Africa is much wilder and more suspicious than of old, and that its pursuit involves much more difficult hunting. Many species of game that fifty or sixty years ago grazed quietly in vast legions upon the open plains, and merely stared at the wagons as they plodded slowly across the Veldt, now drink [BEAR-SHOOTING by stealth during the night, feed across the flats at very early morning, and then betake themselves to the bush, where they find sanctuary during the hot hours. The mere pursuit of many of these animals frequently involves long and weary days in the saddle, starting from the wagons before sunrise, and often not coming up with the game until after several hours of steady spooring, which is undertaken by a native hunter or bushman. Perhaps another two hours are occupied in the actual chase, and the operations of skinning and cutting up, after which ensues a long ride of possibly another five or six hours back to the wagons.
Not infrequently, after leaving camp at dawn, the hunter does not reach it again until dusk or even darkness has set in. To hunt successfully in South Africa nowadays, therefore, the sportsman should possess patience, endurance, an even temper, and a hardy frame. The actual shooting of the game, in itself not always an easy operation, is by no means the most difficult part of the business of modern South African hunting. The mere fatigue of riding under a burning sun for from eight to ten hours, or even more, day after day, over a rough, and often parched and waterless country, is no light matter. And even with good and willing native servants (not always to be counted upon), the labours of the day are by no means ended when the camp fire is reached. The skinning of specimen heads, and perhaps rare birds, which should never be entrusted to raw natives, cleaning guns, changing camera plates, writing up the diary, seeing that horses and dogs are fed, and many other necessary matters, have to be attended to before the wanderer can settle himself down by the fire, and enjoy in quiet his pipe and cup of coffee.
If, however, the sportsman is possessed of patience and a determination to succeed, he will find at the end of a week's hunting that his labours are becoming somewhat lightened. Every succeeding day hardens him and puts him in condition. The irksome detail of carrying a heavy rifle in the right hand during a long day while riding, which at first seemed so wearying, becomes a mere trifle as the muscles of the arm grow hardened to the task; and so with the rest of the labour. In some parts of Africa, where Tse-Tse fly abounds, and horses cannot be used, the fatigue of hunting on foot, no light operation in Africa, has to be faced. In these districts, however, bush and covert are more abundant, the game has been less disturbed, and shots are more easily obtained.
BIG GAME] THE ENCYCLOPÆDIA OF SPORT Q [Photo. by A. Radclyffe Dugmore.
HIPPOPOTAMUS ON THE ROCKS AND IN THE WATER ON THE TANA RIVER. Hunting-grounds and Game. - Thanks to the advance of railway communication in South Africa, the traveller can get within hail of his hunting-ground, at the present day, with far more ease and at considerably less expenditure of time and money than was formerly the case. It is not worth while lingering in Cape Colony, unless it be intended to shoot the smaller antelopes, such as springbok, klipspringer, steinbok, duiker, rhebok, bushbuck, and bluebuck, or in the Orange River Colony and Transvaal. If the sportsman is minded to shoot in Khama's Country, Eastern [BIG GAME plentiful, while elephant, black rhinoceros, and giraffe may be occasionally encountered.
Hunting, however, must be performed on foot. All information as to outfit and cost of hunting in Southern Rhodesia, North- West and North-East Rhodesia can be obtained at the offices of the British South Africa Company, 2 London Wall Buildings, London, E.C.
North-West Rhodesia is one of the best game countries now to be found in Africa.
This can be reached by the Cape Town to Cairo Railway, which carries the passenger as far as Broken Hill (rail-head) for the [Photo. by A. Radclvffe Dugmore.
TWO RHINOCEROS ABOUT TO CHARGE.
Matabeleland, and towards Lake Ngami and the Zambesi, his best plan will be to proceed by rail direct from Cape Town to Serowe (Palachwe Road) or Bulawayo, and fit out there. If he means to hunt in Mashonaland (Southern Rhodesia) he will do best to go on to Salisbury, and there procure his wagon, stores, and equipments; from Salisbury also can be reached the country between Beira and the Zambesi, one of the best hunting-grounds now left to South Africa. In this latter country buffalo are still found, and roan and sable antelope, eland, blue wildebeest, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, waterbuck, reedbuck, spotted bushbuck, inyala, kudu, pallah, tsesseby, Burchell's zebra, wart-hog, bushpig, lion, leopard, and hippos are fairly sum of £20 8s. 1 Id. first class, £14 14s. 2d. second class, or £88s. Id. third class. From here also the magnificent sporting-grounds of North-East Rhodesia can also be reached.
The game of these regions include elephant, rhinoceros, hippo, buffalo, Burchell's zebra, giraffe, eland, kudu, hartebeest, blue wildebeest, sable and roan antelope, waterbuck, lechwe, puku, pallah, sitatunga, tsesseby, reedbuck, bushbuck, duiker, steinbuck, oribi, grysbuck, ostrich, lion, leopard, hyæna, &c. In Khama's Country, Matabeleland, and Ngamiland, elephants and rhinoceros are for the most part shot out, but most of the above-mentioned species can be procured and the splendid gemsbok is also to be encountered. In South-West Africa, in German territory, especially in BIG GAME] the Kaoko Veldt, and in the Ovampo Country, fair sport may be obtained.
Behind Benguela and Mossamedes, in Portuguese West Africa, elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, zebra (mountain and Burchell's), Penrice's waterbuck, lechwe, eland, roan and sable antelope, kudu, and other antelopes, as well as lion, leopard, and other carnivora are to be found. Here, however, bush is very prevalent, the country is difficult to work, native servants are bad and hard to get hold of, and neither wagons nor horses can be always reckoned oryx beisa and oryx callotis, Clarke's, Waller's, and Thomson's gazelles, sitatunga, bushbuck, bongo, reedbuck, klipspringer, duiker, steinbuck, oribi, lion, leopard, buffalo, giraffe, Burchell's and Grévy's zebras and ostriches. Elephants and black rhinoceros, as well as hippopotami, are in some parts numerous. But it is to be remembered that hunting has to be conducted mainly on foot, and, as a general rule, it may be stated that the climate, especially near the Equator, is more trying than in South Africa. Somaliland, where horses HERD OF GIRAFFE NEAR THE TANA RIVER. on. Good sport can also be obtained in Portuguese East Africa.
British East Africa is, of course, one of the finest game countries to be met with at the present day. Landing at Mombasa, the sportsman now finds much of his former difficulty of transport obviated by the