Sport: BIG GAME in the US.

• Share

(2 of 2)

Bears are seldom hunted in the U.S. for their own sake. They are fairly plentiful, but are such tireless travelers—ranging as much as 20 miles in a day—that it is usually futile to try to track them down. They are mostly bagged as a sort of bonus by men who set out primarily for deer or elk and run into a grizzly or black bear on their trails through the bush.

$99 Underwear. Among America's 5,000,000 big-game hunters, there are probably 5,000,000 differing but firmly held opinions on the right equipment and tactics for big-game hunting. One hunter will spend thousands of dollars for his kit, including such luxury items as Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s pure cashmere long underwear (price $99) and binoculars (at $230). Another will actually turn a profit on a hunting trip, spend less than $100 and come home with enough venison to stock his freezer.

One hunter will contend that deer, being mostly nocturnal animals, should be stalked at dawn or dusk; another will hold firmly that they should be hunted in daylight. An experienced moose hunter will argue that a single shot from a comparatively light 30-30 rifle is enough to fell a moose; a second will answer that only a powerful .35 Remington Express with a 200-grain bullet is equal to the task. Is a bear's eyesight bad? Should elk be hunted on horseback? Is a Rocky Mountain goat harder to kill than a grizzly? Fresh experiences refuel the old arguments every fall and keep them raging until the next big-game hunting season comes around.