NASHUCIAN MOUNTAIN
Flathead County - Flathead National Forest - 35N-23W-16
August 7, 1930: "William Reimer, who was attacked Friday night by a grizzly bear while locating a fire in the North Fork country, will be able to return to work within a few days, but is now recuperating from his unusual experience.
Reimer, who was stationed at the Nashucian lookout about 25 miles from the Ford ranger station in the North Fork, left the station between 11 and 12 o'clock Friday night to locate a fire which had been reported by a lookout. About two miles from the station he stopped to get his bearings and rest a moment. He heard a crash in the brush and saw a grizzly bear coming toward him and turned to run from it but was overtaken by the animal which struck him, first across the back and then on the hip, the first blow wrenched his revolver to the middle of his back where he was unable to reach it. Reimer was then knocked to the ground as the grizzly attacked his left leg.
As he tried to kick at the animal it took the toe of one of his shoes between its teeth and reared upon its hind legs, holding him dangling in the air entirely off the ground, shaking him about in a suspended position as he struggled for a grip on the 32-20 revolver at his waist. Still suspended from the mouth of the grizzly, with his head down, he poured five shots into the bear's stomach with no apparent effect, but the sixth and last shot caused the animal enough discomfort to drop him and go running toward a rock where it disappeared.
With nearly all his clothes torn to bits, Reimer crawled to a tree and twisted his dislocated hip into place by putting his foot between the tree and a rock. Walking and crawling for two miles back to the station, he telephoned the ranger at the Ford station for help and was brought out on horseback a distance of 19 miles. From the Moran station he came to Kalispell Sunday with J. W. Broadwater." (The Western News)
Reimer, who was stationed at the Nashucian lookout about 25 miles from the Ford ranger station in the North Fork, left the station between 11 and 12 o'clock Friday night to locate a fire which had been reported by a lookout. About two miles from the station he stopped to get his bearings and rest a moment. He heard a crash in the brush and saw a grizzly bear coming toward him and turned to run from it but was overtaken by the animal which struck him, first across the back and then on the hip, the first blow wrenched his revolver to the middle of his back where he was unable to reach it. Reimer was then knocked to the ground as the grizzly attacked his left leg.
As he tried to kick at the animal it took the toe of one of his shoes between its teeth and reared upon its hind legs, holding him dangling in the air entirely off the ground, shaking him about in a suspended position as he struggled for a grip on the 32-20 revolver at his waist. Still suspended from the mouth of the grizzly, with his head down, he poured five shots into the bear's stomach with no apparent effect, but the sixth and last shot caused the animal enough discomfort to drop him and go running toward a rock where it disappeared.
With nearly all his clothes torn to bits, Reimer crawled to a tree and twisted his dislocated hip into place by putting his foot between the tree and a rock. Walking and crawling for two miles back to the station, he telephoned the ranger at the Ford station for help and was brought out on horseback a distance of 19 miles. From the Moran station he came to Kalispell Sunday with J. W. Broadwater." (The Western News)