136

THE POSSIBILITY OF GRIZZLY BEARS STILL EXISTING IN by Thomas White, Regina

The Grizzly Bear or Grizzly was Grizzlies are numerous in British thought to have been extirpated from Columbia, Alberta, and the Yukon, Saskatchewan before the turn of the and they are increasing in the North¬ century, but there now appears to be west Territories. The nearest of these a possibility that a small remnant known locations is several hundred may remain. I have found it of interest miles from the Saskatchewan border, to collect historical references to the and it would therefore be of consider¬ former existence of this bear within able interest should a remnant be or adjacent to the province and to found within the province. It should relate stories of persons who claim to also be noted that a few years ago a have seen them recently. population of Plains Grizzly was dis¬ The Grizzly was named by George covered north of Edmonton in the Ord of Philadelphia in 1815 following Swan Hills of Alberta. As the Plains descriptions given by Lewis and Grizzly previously was considered ex¬ Clarke after their expedition along tinct, this discovery was of consider¬ the Missouri River to the Pacific Coast. able interest. Their experiences of its ferocity prompted Ord to give it the scientific Early records of Grizzlies in name Ursa horribilis. The widespread Saskatchewan and adjacent publicity given the Lewis and Clarke regions expedition made the existence of this In 1690 Henry Kelsey was sent by bear well known, but it is interesting the Hudson Bay Company from its to note that it had already been de¬ post at the Bay on a voyage of ex¬ scribed for over a century by many ploration to the Canadian prairies, British explorers in and that and as such he was the first known the term “grizzly bear” was in current white man to see the Canadian section use at that time. Later, the Grizzly of the great plains. His journals con¬ became subject to controversy; the tain references to many animals which Plains Grizzly, which is larger, has he saw and there is a strong tradition been considered by some a subspecies, that he killed two Grizzlies, for which Ursa horribilis horHbilis, while others the Indians named him “Little Giant.” believe that it may be a separate There are references in his journal species. The Grizzlies of southern Sas¬ Doughty and Martin (1929) to these katchewan were believed to be of the bears. An entry for September, 1690 Plains Grizzly type, and this identi¬ refers to “an outgrown bear which is fication is supported by a number of good meat” whose hide the Indians skulls in the National Museum in discouraged him from keeping because Ottawa. Whether all Saskatchewan “they said it was God”, and on August Grizzlies were Plains Grizzlies is un¬ 20, 1691 Kelsey wrote: known. “Today we pitcht to ye outtermost In early historical times the Grizzly Edge of ye woods this plain affords ranged over large areas of western nothing but short Round sticky grass North America, from Mexico to the & Buffillo & a great (sort) or of a Arctic. It was subsequently extirpated Bear wch is Bigger than any white over much of its earlier range, just as Bear & is Neither White nor Black the buffalo was, by the settlers and But silver hair’d like our English ranchers. The most recent survey of Rabbit, ye Buffillo Likewise is not like the Grizzly in North America, which those to ye Northward their Horns is a preliminary study by Victor H. growing like an English Ox but Calahane (1964), shows that the vast Black.” majority of the remaining Grizzlies are in the western mountains north of Kelsey was therefore the first white the 49th parallel, though there are a man to describe the Grizzly and to few in Yellowstone and Glacier Na¬ kill one, though his diary was not tional Parks, and in small pockets as published for many years after, in far south as Mexico. In Canada, 1929. The white bear to which he 137

Map from Cahalane (1964) showing the distribution and status of the Grizzly in North America, based on a preliminary study sponsored by the New York Zoological Society and the Boone and Crockett Club. 138

alludes is the Polar Bear of Hudson there were horses still bearing Bay where he started his epic journey. claw marks from Grizzly attacks in In 1754 William Henday (or Hendry) the , according to Corky was travelling in the area south Jones (pers. commun.) and at the of the North Saskatchewan River same time they were still being killed near the Alberta border when one in the Eagle Hills south of Battleford, of his men was killed by a grizzly and according to an Indian interviewed by R. D. Symons (pers. commun.). In the another was attacked {Burpee, 1907). Edward Umpreville, when wintering 1890’s Grizzlies were killed in the sand hills north of Maple Creek; and, at Cumberland House in 1784, reports according to Steve Mann (pers. com¬ Grizzly on the Saskatchewan River mun.) there is a story of one being and states that many Indians were lassoed in the Cypress Hills at the maimed (Wallace, 1954). Sir Alex¬ turn of the century. It would seem ander Mackenzie on his first crossing that there are no records after this to the Pacific, having passed through date, and so the Grizzly has been writ¬ Saskatchewan, found them on the ten off as extirpated from the prov¬ Peace River in 1793 (Sheppe, 1962). ince. Grizzlies were apparently not uncom¬ mon in the area to the south of Bran¬ In addition to these recorded occur¬ don, and probably extending as far as rences, Grizzly skulls found near Moose Mountain and southern Saskat¬ Shaunavon and Maple Creek are de¬ chewan, e.g., Alexander Henry (Coues, posited in the National Museum in 1897) in 1800 has reports of Grizzly Ottawa. Two other skulls are exhi¬ skins being taken from the Pembina bited in a museum in Maple Creek, Mountains, Pembina River, Portage and another skull, found near Prince la Prairie, Salt River, Devil’s Lake, Albert, is exhibited in Lund’s Wild¬ Cheyenne River and Reed River. He life Exhibit in that city. describes the local distribution as One undated reference attributed to varying from “not numerous along Ernest Thompson Seton {MacFarlane, the Red River” to “very numerous and 1908) mentions Grizzlies occasionally dangerous” at the Cheyenne River. It being found in the Pas Mountains of would seem that between 1800 and Cumberland House and the Touch- 1805 there was a considerable number wood Hills of Manitoba. The “Pas of these bears in this general area. In Mountains” of which Seton speaks are 1808 Alexander Henry {Cones, 1897) the Pasquia Hills and Wapaweeka wrote that Grizzlies were common in Hills in Saskatchewan, and it is in the Nipawin area, which is on the this area that rumours of Grizzlies Saskatchewan River within 50 miles have persisted. of the Pasquia Hills. Sir John Richard¬ The Pasquia Hills and Wapaweeka son (1829) saw one killed at Carlton Hills are one of the roughest and House in 1820 and said that their wildest parts of the province and are range extended from the Rocky Moun¬ very thickly wooded. At the Red tains to latitude 61° on the Saskatche¬ Earth Hudson Bay Post, Mr. Hutton, wan. The Palliser Expedition (1863) the son of the factor, says there are came upon two at the Elbow of the stories of Grizzly skins being handed Saskatchewan River in 1865 and suc¬ in before the First World War. Stan¬ ceeded in killing the smaller one, ley Holloway, who laid out the trails which was 92” long and had a head for The Pas Lumber Company, says 16” broad. Isaac Cowie, who carried bears have been shot, the skins of out a survey over several years (1867- which cover a barn door and which 1874), writes (1913) that there were were known as Grizzlies. The Indians incredible numbers of Grizzlies in the in that area have a separate name for Cypress Hills and that the Indians a large bear which is said to live in did not hunt there owing to their fear the Pasquia Hills; it is supposed to of them. In the summer of 1872, be different than a Black Bear and 750 skins were taken out of the has a reputation of being fierce. Sixty Cypress Hills at Chimney Coulee. The years ago, according to Joe Fournier Fort Pelly journals {Klaus, 1961) (a resident of the area and a trapper- report skins being turned over in naturalist) a Indian was considerable numbers in 1857 and killed by a bear in the area; on more came when the carts from Fort another occasion an Indian who is Qu’Appelle, Fort Ellis and the Touch- still living at Red Earth was maimed wood Hills arrived. In the 1880’s by a bear. Even today there is a taboo 139 in this area of the Pasquia Hills, and on the other side which he first Indians will not enter the area unless thought was a moose. As he drew near they are in a large group and well he saw that it was a huge bear which armed. There are persistent rumours did not walk like a Black Bear and among Indians, trappers, loggers, and which had a different shape and pro¬ woodsmen of great cinnamon-colored file. It moved off when he tried to bears in the Nipawin area being slain track it. When he reached the place from time to time. where the bear had been, he found the Ansgar Aschim, a forester and at foot prints were over a foot in length this writing President of the Saskat¬ and three to four inches in depth in chewan Natural History Society, dry earth. while flying over the Porcupine Hills In the wilder parts of the Pasquia in 1960 saw a very large bear with a Hills there is a high area called Wild¬ high hump on its back and a large cat Hill, near which is a fire tower nose, which Aschim is certain was a and hut. I have been told that some Grizzly (pers. corres.) The helicopter years ago a local towerman was be¬ pilot, who was used to flying over the sieged in the hut for a number of Swan Hills of Alberta where he had days by a large bear which came been accustomed to seeing Grizzlies, every evening and tried to force its was also sure it was a Grizzly. As the way in. The towerman finally escaped helicopter was only 100 feet over the by leaving some food outside of the bear and both observers had a clear hut and running towards Shoal Lake view, this sighting under perfect con¬ . The size of the bear, ditions by experienced woodsmen has its apparent intention toward the real value. towerman, and its daily visits are un¬ In the mid 1950’s, Joe Fournier is usual for the normal Black Bear. certain he found a Grizzly in the east On the May 24th weekend, 1964, I portion of the Pasquia Hills. Accord¬ organized an expedition to the Pas¬ ing to his story, he was approaching quia Hills, consisting of members of a ravine when he saw a large animal the Regina Natural History Society,

Bear killed by set-gun in 1939 at Veillardville, possibly a Grizzly 140

to search for information about Since the bear shot in 1939 was de¬ Cougars and Grizzlies. The Conserva¬ scribed by a professional mammalo- tion Officer at Carrot River, Mr. J. G. gist as almost certainly a Grizzly, the Cockwill, remembered an unusual bear other stories seem more credible. The which had been shot by a Mr. Gerry wilder parts of the Pasquia Hills have Murdock in 1939. I was able to been little known for there have been obtain photographs of this bear and no roads into the Hills until recently. these were submitted to Dr. Philip M. This is probably the only area in cen¬ Youngman, Curator of Mammals at tral Saskatchewan where a small the National Museum of Canada at population of Grizzly could remain Ottawa. Dr. Youngman states (pers. undetected. In the northern part of the corres., 1964) that, judging by the province there are large uninhabited photograph, the bear shot by Mr. areas where other populations might Murdock was almost certainly a still exist. This bear has long been Grizzly. The story of the bear shot by written off as extirpated from Saskat¬ Mr. Murdock is thus of interest: chewan, but there would seem to be a while he was homesteading to the definite possibility that a few still south of the Pasquia Hills at Veillard- remain alive. As it was in Saskatche¬ ville. a giant bear broke into the home, wan that the Grizzly was first de¬ drank a five gallon crock of cream scribed, and as so many of the early and caused much damage. The Mur¬ explorers who first described it have docks were in terror of their lives and Saskatchewan connections, it would so stayed with neighbors. A gun was form a valuable link with the past if left on a trip wire behind the door of it could be shown that a few of these the storage shed, and when the bear great bears still remain in our prov¬ opened the door it was shot between ince. the eyes and died immediately (see photograph). LITERATURE CITED In the summer of 1964 Ansgar Burpee, L. J. (Editor). 1907. The journal of Aschim landed on an esker, which is a Anthony Hendry, 1754-55. Proc. and Trans. Royal Soc. Canad., 3rd Series, Vol. 1, p.307- ridge formed during the ice age, in 359. James Hope and Son, Ottawa. northwestern Saskatchewan north of Cahalane, V. H. 1964. A preliminary study of the Clearwater River trying to locate distribution and numbers of cougar, grizzly a fire tower. He came upon many and wolf in North America. New York Zoo¬ signs which he took to be of Grizzly. logical Society, New York. 12 p. Cowie, I. 1913. The company of adventurers. There were very large footprints and William Briggs, Toronto. 515 p. trails along the crest of the esker with Coues, E. (Editor). 1897. The manuscript all of the branches on nearby trees journals of Alexander Henry and of David broken off to a five foot height. Drop¬ Thompson. 3 vols. Francis R. Harper, New pings found on the esker were not York. 1027 p. Black Bear type. There were lakes on Doughty, A. G., and C. Martin. 1929. The Kelsey papers. The Public Archives of both sides of the esker with well-worn Canada and the Public Record Office of trails leading down to them, which Northern Ireland. Queen’s Printer, Ottawa. suggests that these bears were doing 128 p. some fishing. Klaus, J. F. 1961. Fort Pelly: an historical sketch. Saskatchewan History, Vol. 14. The All stories of large and exceptional Saskatchewan Archives Board, Saskatoon. bears seen in the woods have to be MacFarlane, R. R. 1908. Notes on the mam¬ carefully appraised and considered, mals and birds of northern Canada. (And, Through the Mackenzie Basin ... by Charles since mistakes and unintentional exag¬ Mair). William Briggs, Toronto. 494 p. gerations are common. Any naturalist Palliser, J. 1863. The journals, detailed reports, can give examples of reports which and observations relative to the exploration, when checked do not conform to the by Captain Palliser, of that portion of British North America . . . during the years details supplied. On the other hand, 1857, 1858, 1859, and 1860. Eyre and Spottis- it is an historical fact that Grizzlies woode, London. 325 p. were widely distributed in Saskatche¬ Richardson, J. 1829. Fauna Boreali Americana. wan and that they occurred up to the Vol. 1. John Murray, London. 300 p. 1890’s in considerable numbers. There Sheppe, W. 1962. First man west, Alexander Mackenzie’s account of his expedition across are historical references to Grizzlies North America to the Pacific in 1793. Univ. in the Nipawin area and Pasquia Calif. Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles. Hills region. I have heard of many 366 p. other stories of Grizzlies, but those Wallace, W. S. (Editor). 1954. Present state of Hudson’s Bay . . . (Journals of Edward mentioned above are largely from Umfreville, first published in 1790). Ryerson trained and experienced woodsmen. Press, Toronto. 122 p.