I have a few memories of old classics. A loooong time ago, when I was a teenager, I was in a strange area with another kid, maybe a year younger than me, in the spring of the year. We looked toward an old millsite about ¼ mile away, that had been operating over winter. There was a shiny black bear walking around. We got all excited, me wishing I had a rifle, when the other kid pointed to a homesteader's place a short distance away and said they had a gun.
I rapped on the door and a very elderly lady came. I told her the story and she said, "Wait a minute," and went back in the house. She came back with a very heavy, long barrelled Winchester, gave it to me, along with a handful of shells.
I eagerly took them, and soon looked at the shells--44-40. We were less than a hundred yards from the sawdust pile, when the bear walked right around the pile and disappeared on the other side, without seeing us. A perfect set up.
I hadn't loaded the rifle, I was waiting to see if we would get a shot, because I knew a lever action with the tubular magazine was a bit awkward to unload. The other kid said, "Wow, that's a big bear!" I said, "These are sure short shells." One of us suggested that maybe we should rethink our plan. The other one quickly agreed and we headed back to the old homestead to return the rifle.
Thanks for sharing that story 4831.
Some folks may have read this one before but why not.
Year was 1928, Uncle Reuben was just 18 and had his homestead in his name for only a year so far. He would collect cream each morning in his pail and since he was 10 miles from town, he'd lower the pail by rope down into his well.
A cheeky little bugger of a bear which was too smart for his own good happened by and Reuben swears he would lift the pail by the rope up out of the well and consume all the cream! In those days cream would be collected and taken to town, traded for coupons that were used at the other merchants in town to keep buisness alive. Being his source for food he had to do something about this problem. The bear returned a couple more times doing the same thing.
Reuben talked to a local trapper who had also recently sold him a Remington 12C 22 and Martin brought over a trap and set it by the well, anchoring it to a hefty log.
In the mean time the Bear had gone a mile north to torment the teacher and student of the Red Deer River School. He'd sit outside the door and make them all stay late for detention, or catch the kids outside at lunch break and have them all scurrying to safety. A little menace as Reuben recalls. He held the teacher captive inthe school untill very late one night. She was a fresh recruit if I recall and was petrified of the wildlife.
Well that bear must have got hungry after tormenting the poor woman and went back to Reuben's, who at the time was out in the barn tending to one of his horses. There was quite a commotion when yogi got stuck in that trap, bellaring and barking, getting horse riled.
Reuben went and grabbed his Rifle and it sounds like it was much like Bruce's above. A big long Lever gun in 44. He thinks it was a winchester but what model he is not sure, just said it was big long heavy and he hated packing it.
The bear had hauled himself a little ways from the well and was very much alive when Reuben started shooting. He recalled it was real frustrating and it took several shots to kill the animal.
The trap was for what ever reason never returned to Martin. Reuben asked me if I'd like to have that trap three years ago now and then told me the story. It is one of my favorite items in the bat cave and is hanging under the moose skull in that B&W photo I already posted here.
Reuben turns a century this December, I cherish every moment with the grumpy old fellow.
Then:
The trap:
Sad to say the old 44 is long gone, he cannot recall who he sold it to.
Same for the 303 Savage carbine he replaced it with. He did give me the 12C to look after though.
