Grizzly Country

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Grizzly Bear

The Fearsome White Bear

As Lewis and Clark continued west, they were dazzled by the wildlife they saw, including a herd of buffalo estimated to contain over 10,000 animals. The Mandan Sioux had warned them of an enormous animal they called the "white bear," whom they only dared to hunt in groups of six to ten warriors. The Corps was eager to encounter such an animal and fell such a formidable beast. On April 29, 1805, the Corps killed its first Grizzly Bear, an immature weighing only 300 pounds. Lewis, far from impressed by the kill, wrote in his journal that while such bears may be hard to kill with bows and arrows, they were no match for skilled riflemen.

The Encounter

On May 5, 1805, Meriwether Lewis came upon the largest bear he'd ever seen, somewhere near the border of modern-day North Dakota and Montana. Lewis estimated the Grizzly Bear to weigh at least 600 pounds and called it "a very large and turrible animal." According to his journal, it took at least ten gunshots to finally fell the bear. Lewis considered the Grizzly Bear the largest carnivorous animal he had ever seen.

Did You Know?

The Grizzly Bear is no longer found in the areas in which Lewis and Clark originally observed them. In the continental United States, grizzlies are now only found in Yellowstone National Park and remote parts of Montana and Idaho.

Discussion Questions

Why did the Mandan Sioux warn Lewis and Clark about the "white bear"?
What did Lewis think about the first bear the Corps killed?
How did the second grizzly bear encounter change Lewis’s view of the animal?
Why do you think Lewis described the grizzly bear as “terrible” and “large” in his journal?

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The Fearsome White Bear

As Lewis and Clark moved farther west, they were amazed by the wildlife, including a giant herd of over 10,000 buffalo. The Mandan Sioux warned them about a huge animal called the “white bear,” which they only hunted in large groups. The Corps was curious and wanted to see and hunt this powerful animal. On April 29, 1805, they killed their first grizzly bear, which was a young one weighing 300 pounds. Lewis wrote in his journal that it wasn’t very impressive and thought that skilled riflemen could easily handle it.

The Encounter

On May 5, 1805, Lewis saw the biggest bear he had ever come across near today’s North Dakota-Montana border. He estimated it weighed at least 600 pounds and described it as “a very large and terrible animal.” It took at least ten shots to finally bring the grizzly bear down. Lewis said it was the largest meat-eating animal he had ever seen.