To say nothing of Judge Folta in Juneau who killed a pile of them with a .35 Remington.
Curious, never heard of the man and his exploits. Lever gun, pump, semi?
The book is a good read. Especially his "hell" on Kodiak. But he tipped over some eleven foot bears.
"Judge George W Folta may have been grudgingly called “the hanging judge” by annoyed criminal defense lawyers who observed vicious convicted killers dangling from Juneau’s public gallows, but most Alaskans affectionately called him “Alaska’s bear hunting judge” because he personally bagged some 300 bears during his half century of Alaska hunting. Judge Folta grew up in an era when young boys were taught to emulate Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, and developed into manhood after the example of Theodore Roosevelt. Coming to Alaska in 1912, young Folta wasted no time in beginning his lifelong pursuit of Ursus Arctus, venturing onto Kodiak Island the very next spring. Indeed, he future judge returned to Kodiak the next year as well, and packed deep into the heart of that island where he shot three tremendously large Brown Bears with a little model 1906 .35 Remington autoloader. Folta continued bagging four to six large bruins annually until his untimely death while bear hunting in 1955. But Folta was far ore than just a hunter of bears; he was one of the most respected Alaska jurists of his day. Without any formal law school education, young Folta began his legal career working as a territorial court clerk. He later passed the bar, and worked as a territorial solicitor, prosecutor, and practicing attorney before being appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve as the US District Court judge at Juneau in 1947. This volume, written by his son Richard D. Folta, contains the very essence of Alaska’s bear hunting judge, as can be related only by one who accompanied his famous father on many hunts. Action-packed with scores of exciting bear tales from the judge’s own notes and records, this book also contains personal maps describing “private” trails and hunting preserves known only to Judge Folta and those closest to him." (from back cover)
ALASKA is a "HARD COUNTRY for OLDMEN". (But if you live it wide'ass open, balls'to the wall, the pedal floored, full throttle, it is a delightful place, to finally just sit-back and savor those memories while sipping Tequila).
