Going on a bear hunt

This weekend we will welcome the Adams State Grizzlies to our campus. Wait a second, bears in Nebraska?  That’s right, the Grizzlies will be making a return that dates back to their historical range. That is in terms of the animal species. The unique theme for Homecoming is “Going on a Bear Hunt.” This is not the song your elementary teacher made you sing. However, if you want to relive your childhood the song can be found in a few seconds on the internet. There’s even a children’s book based on it.

We could do some exploring and find this is not the first time the phrase “going on a bear hunt” has been used. Some of the first written encounters were recorded in Lewis and Clark’s expedition. A “most tremendous looking animal, and extremely hard to kill,” wrote Lewis in his journal on May 5, 1805. A “very large and a terrible looking animal,” Clark described. It was the largest bear they’d ever seen, weighing an estimated 600 pounds. Many Native American tribes told them they would only attack these bears if there were six to 10 people in their hunting party, still resulting in the possible death of members. Lewis wrote in his journal that the bears were no match for a skilled rifleman. He would soon change his mind after a grizzly unexpectedly came running towards him after he shot a buffalo. He was able to escape the mighty grizzly, but made sure that nobody went out alone after that. More can be read about their encounters with this mighty animal from America’s Library online.

You won’t find grizzly bears roaming the plains of Nebraska anymore. According to published studies, they were extirpated from most western states throughout the 20th century. Distribution maps of the contiguous United States show that they primarily inhabit Montana, with small centralized populations in Wyoming and Idaho. Their primary range is throughout Alaska and western Canada.

As Homecoming draws to a close let’s rally the Eagles to finish the bear hunt. Good luck to our football team against the Adams State Grizzlies. Go to the game, support the team, and make a solid effort to tame the Grizzlies.