Brave Woman Kills Big Bear in Exciting Hunt
January 5, 1907
Summary
A courageous woman tracks down a bear.
Transcription
Brave Woman Kills Big Bear in Exciting Hunt
Follows Animal Through Thick Brush and Finally Succeeds in Ending His Life.
Tilamook, Ore.-Mrs. M. J. Cone, who lives with her husband at Nerarts, Ore., and who rents the Maxwell place at Netarts Beach, showed that she was a woman of courage and pluck in an exciting bear hunt. She was returning home from the Maxwell place alone on horseback and suddenly came across a large bear in her way. Mrs. Cone drove her horse at full speed to her home and, obtaining Winchester and a shepherd dog, returned to the place where she had seen the bear. The beast was soon located at the sheep corral, and, getting within close range of the bear, she fired her first shot, which broke the bear’s fore leg. The wounded beast made off on three legs.
Mrs. Cone followed it up and fired again at close range, the bullet striking the bear in the nose and coming out at the side of the head. For some time the bear wallowed around, with Mrs. Cone and the dog after, it when it dashed off into the thick brush. This did not daunt Mrs. Cone in the least, for she followed as fast as her clothes would permit, some of which she threw off so as not to impede her progress.
Every once in awhile she came up with the bear, and did not miss an opportunity to fire. For over a mile she chased her quarry in the thick brush and succeeded in hitting the animal four times. The dog, nipping at the bear’s heels, forced him to take to a log, where a desperate fight occurred between the two animals. The bear kept fanning the dog off with its paw.
Mrs. Cone Fired at Close Range.
Mrs. Cone came up and, at about 15 feet distance, took aim and shot the bear in the breast. The bear fell off the log and the dog jumped on it, when another savage fight commenced. Attacking the dog, the bear caught it by the mouth and broke its under jaw.
Mrs. Cone saw that something had to be done immediately, with the dog under the bear and likely to be killed, so she approached with her gun while the fight was going on and placed the muzzle at the back of the bear and fired. This shot ended the battle.
Mrs. Cone retraced her steps out of the brush and told her husband and others what had occurred. Out of nine shots fired seven had taken effect. The bear was a large one and when dressed it weighed 337 pounds.
Follows Animal Through Thick Brush and Finally Succeeds in Ending His Life.
Tilamook, Ore.-Mrs. M. J. Cone, who lives with her husband at Nerarts, Ore., and who rents the Maxwell place at Netarts Beach, showed that she was a woman of courage and pluck in an exciting bear hunt. She was returning home from the Maxwell place alone on horseback and suddenly came across a large bear in her way. Mrs. Cone drove her horse at full speed to her home and, obtaining Winchester and a shepherd dog, returned to the place where she had seen the bear. The beast was soon located at the sheep corral, and, getting within close range of the bear, she fired her first shot, which broke the bear’s fore leg. The wounded beast made off on three legs.
Mrs. Cone followed it up and fired again at close range, the bullet striking the bear in the nose and coming out at the side of the head. For some time the bear wallowed around, with Mrs. Cone and the dog after, it when it dashed off into the thick brush. This did not daunt Mrs. Cone in the least, for she followed as fast as her clothes would permit, some of which she threw off so as not to impede her progress.
Every once in awhile she came up with the bear, and did not miss an opportunity to fire. For over a mile she chased her quarry in the thick brush and succeeded in hitting the animal four times. The dog, nipping at the bear’s heels, forced him to take to a log, where a desperate fight occurred between the two animals. The bear kept fanning the dog off with its paw.
Mrs. Cone Fired at Close Range.
Mrs. Cone came up and, at about 15 feet distance, took aim and shot the bear in the breast. The bear fell off the log and the dog jumped on it, when another savage fight commenced. Attacking the dog, the bear caught it by the mouth and broke its under jaw.
Mrs. Cone saw that something had to be done immediately, with the dog under the bear and likely to be killed, so she approached with her gun while the fight was going on and placed the muzzle at the back of the bear and fired. This shot ended the battle.
Mrs. Cone retraced her steps out of the brush and told her husband and others what had occurred. Out of nine shots fired seven had taken effect. The bear was a large one and when dressed it weighed 337 pounds.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Benton Camper
Citation
“Brave Woman Kills Big Bear in Exciting Hunt,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed May 12, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1.