1890s Stories of Bears in Utah - interesting

[bedbugbilly]

I was doing some searching last night on an unrelated topic and for some reason this site came up. Sounded interesting so took a look. Interesting stories of "Bears" in Utah in chelate 1800's. Thought some might enjoy reading it - not long but interesting.

https://mysteryofutahhistory.blogspot.com/2018/02/

[358429]

Wow those people had many problem bears. I wonder if guns was the only effective bear repellent for the melon patch. And that one guy shooting the bear attracted more bears must sound like a dinner bell.

[badguybuster]

Killed a 900# Grizz with a .22, GOD was watching over him

[358429]

Yeah man he shot it in the eye it was probably still tryna eat his toes when it fell at his feet[emoji848]

[kootne]

There is a book, don't know if it is still in print, pretty sure it is not politically correct. The title is; "The only good bear is a dead bear." Subtitle is; "The Wests best bear stories". One of my all time favorite reads. Sounds like similar stuff.

[bedbugbilly]

kootne - thanks for your post! I did a little looking around and found quite a few copies of that book on fleabay. I was able to get a used coy of it in very good condition for $5.00. Looking forward to reading it.

As a side note: I'm from lower Mic high and both wolves and bears used to roam back when it was a Territory and sparsely settled. I ran across a story printed in a county history book many years ago about my g-g-grandmother. She and her husband came from New Jersey and settled in Lenawee County. The story told about the "men folk" being gone from the homestead and my g-g-grandmother spotting a bear (probably brown bear) in her garden helping itself to her plantings. Of course they depend ended on things like the garden for survival in those days so she grabbed a pitchfork and went after it to chase it out of the garden. She was successful in getting it out of the garden but it was not a happy camper and evidently was getting quite irritated with the woman with the pitchfork. About that time, the "men folk" showed up and they dispatched the bear with a rifle. This wold have been in the very early 1830s - probably around 1831. My g-g-grandmother must have been one gutsy woman!

[RickinTN]

Billy,
You should be very proud of such a Great Grandmother. One, back in the day, might become more Gutsy than expected when their winter rations are being threatened. The closest story I can relate is when my grandmother shot a large cottonmouth off of the back steps with the family model 12 just after my uncle, then a toddler, had gone to the back yard to play.
Take care,
Rick

[Cosmic_Charlie]

That is some real excitement. Hard to imagine that much proximity to those brutes.