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Batch
02-07-2010, 03:30 PM
I was reading an article about Ishi, the last surviving member of the Yani indian tribe of Northern California. The article mentioned how Dr. Saxon Pope met Ishi at the university hospital. How, Ishi got Dr. Pope into archery and primitive hunting.

I wanted to learn more and so I did some research. I learned how Arthur Young was introduced to Dr. Pope. How folks told them that the bow was fine for rabbits and squirrels. But, you could never take a deer with one. They proceeded to bag every type of game on this continent and others.

They filmed some of their hunts in a film called "Alaskan Adventure". There is footage of of him dropping a charging bear. I would like to see it if anyone knows of a source.


In 1922 and 1923 Young traveled to Alaska accompanied by cameraman Jack Robertson. Neither carried a firearm, relying solely upon Young's osage longbow for protection. Young took mountain sheep, mountain goat, moose and an Alaskan brown bear on Kodiak Island. Many of these hunts were captured on film and later released under the title Alaskan Adventure. Who will ever forget that riveting view of Art as "he stood in the high grass of that Alaskan meadow near the salmon riffles, with four great Kadiaks just about to play croquet with him, and only his strung bow with which to protect himself and the camera man. Even as he shot, one of them, a female, started to charge from his right. Very fortunately it changed its mind when it saw Arthur's arrow lay low its enormous comrade, and veered off to disappear in the brush. If this sow grizzly hadn't veered off we never would have seen the movie of this item of unbelievable coolness and skill." Dr. Pope included a chapter on Young's Alaskan adventures in the second edition of Hunting with the Bow & Arrow published in 1925.

The article on Arthur Young can be read here:

http://www.stickbow.com/stickbow/history/ArtYoung.html

Rick
02-07-2010, 03:53 PM
This is the best I can do. There are a lot of references for the film but no place to pull a copy of a 1926 film. The book below is free online and discusses the subject along with some photos.

http://www.archerylibrary.com/books/pope/hunting-with-bow-and-arrow/

Batch
02-07-2010, 04:09 PM
Thanks Rick, looks like a good read.

hunter63
02-07-2010, 05:03 PM
Cool, have to look this up, thanks.
BTW
They aren't related to Bear Grylls in any way are they?

Actually I enjoy reading these old accounts
Some of my favorites are George Herter, Bradford Angier, cook books, and stories Like Call of The Wild.........

mcgyver
02-08-2010, 09:43 AM
They aren't related to Bear Grylls in any way are they?


Nope, Pope and Young had way more common sense.