Bella Twin, the .22 Used to Take the 1953 World Record Grizzly, and More

By Dean Weingarten

Bella Twin is shown with the hide from the world record grizzly bear
Bella Twin is shown with the hide from the world record grizzly bear

Arizona -(Ammoland.com)- On 10 May, 1953, Bella Twin was hunting small game with her partner, Dave Auger, along an oil exploration cutline south of Slave Lake, in Alberta, Canada. She was 63 years old.

They saw a large grizzly bear coming toward them. Wishing to avoid an encounter, they hid off the side of the cut.

But the bear kept coming closer and closer.  The bear got so close that Bella Twin thought it less risky to shoot the bear than to not shoot it.  It was probably only a few yards away. Some accounts say 30 feet. Perhaps she saw it stop and start to sniff, as if it had caught their scent. We may never know.

She shot at the side of the bears head.  Knowing animal anatomy very well (she was an experienced trapper, and had skinned hundreds, perhaps thousands of animals) she knew exactly where to aim to penetrate the skull at its weakest point.

She shot, the bear dropped. It was huge. She went to the bear and fired the rest of the .22 long cartridges that she had, loading the single shot rifle repeatedly, to “pay the insurance” as Peter Hathaway Capstick said.  She made sure the bear was dead, and not just stunned.  My father taught me the same lesson when I was 13.

Here is a picture of the bear’s skull and the .22 caliber holes in the left side.

1953 World Record Grizzly Skull

For those curious about how to place that shot on a live bear, the place to aim is half way on a line from the center of the eye to the ear hole.

From the front, you would aim directly up the nose. If the bear’s mouth is open, aim for the back of the roof of the mouth.  Aiming above the nose will likely miss the brain.

What rifle did Bella use to shoot the world record grizzly in 1953?

I wrote an article asking for help in 2014. Several alert readers replied over the intervening period.  Because of their efforts, and the Internets, I have been able to find more detail about Bella Twin, her rifle, and the event. One reader was able to track down the current location of the rifle and send me pictures taken by the curator of the museum. The rifle is a Cooey Ace 1 single shot .22 rimfire.

Bella Twin used the rifle for many years on her trapline. The rifle was produced between 1929 and 1934.  From a commenter at Ammoland:

here is a quote from the curator of the museum about the gun when i talked to him via email:

” I can tell you that the rifle is a .22 caliber single shot Cooey Ace 1. I can also tell you that the rifle’s condition, which has remained as it was when Bella Twin shot the bear, leaves a lot to be desired. There is corrosion on the receiver and barrel, the front screw that holds the stock to the barrel is missing and has been replaced with hockey tape. There is a piece of rubber under the barrel – probably as a method of “free floating” the barrel. There is no finish left on the wood. The stock is missing a part by the receiver and there is a wood screw reinforcing a crack in the stock.”

Bella Twin was a Cree woman. She had a reputation for being a deadly shot.  Her grandson, Larry Loyie became an award winning writer.  He wrote a fictionalized account of the bear shooting to include his grandmother in his prize winning children’s book, As Long as the Rivers Flow. From smokyriverexspress.com:

Kokom Bella Twin is a highlight of the adventures in As Long as the Rivers Flow. The tiny 63-year-old Cree wo- man, who lived on Rabbit Hill overlooking Slave Lake, shot the biggest grizzly bear in North America.

“I had to put Bella into the book. She was being forgotten. The only people who remembered her were readers of hunting magazines,” said Larry.

In As Long as the Rivers Flow, Larry wrote that he was with his grandmother when she shot the bear. It made sense to put the story into the book, but Larry was not with his grandmother when she shot the bear. In 1953, Larry had been gone from Slave Lake for five years.  I suspect his grandfather, Edward Twin, had died. Bella was 63 and was spending time with another man.  Larry refers to Dave Auger as Bella’s partner in a family picture. Dave Auger was with Bella when she shot the bear.

Bella Twin and her partner Dave Auger, family photo by Larry Loyie. The photo was likely taken in the 1960’s or later, because it is in color.

In Bruno Engler: Photography, the famous photographer has pictures of Bella in front of the bear skin. When Bruno told her that he wanted to take the picture, she insisted on going home and sprucing up, and changing into nicer clothes. Engler writes:

She was dressed very simply. When she thought I was going to take a picture of her she said “No, I have to go home first.” And she came back with a dress and put some cornstarch on her face for makeup. I said “Bella Twin, you looked much better before.”

Women want to look their best in a photograph that will be shown to the world. This explains the somewhat awkward grip on the Cooey Ace 1 in the Engler photograph. Her left hand covers up the repair to the rifle.

What ammunition did Bella Twin use? The written accounts say .22 Long.

Ammo Used to Kill 1953 World Record Grizzly

This style of box was produced by CIL in Canada from 1950 to 1956. It is probably the type of ammunition Bella Twin used to shoot the world record grizzly. Bella Twin is specifically recorded as reporting that she shot it with .22 Longs, not Shorts, not Long Rifles. I recall that into the 1960’s Longs were more expensive than shorts, but cheaper than Long Rifle ammunition.

The High Velocity .22 Long dates back to the 1930’s and uses a 29 grain bullet at 1240 fps.  The High Velocity .22 Short dates to about the same period, with the same bullet as the Long, but a velocity of 1125.  The difference in velocity is 1240 – 1125 or 115 fps.  That amounts to a 21% increase in energy for the Long, but far short of the Long Rifle, which is almost double that of the .22 Short.

The energy figures are listed as Short 81 foot pounds, Long 99 foot pounds, and Long Rifle 158 foot pounds, all for High Velocity loads of the period.  A standard velocity .22 Long Rifle is listed at 1140 fps, with 120 foot pounds of energy, or 21% more than the High Velocity Long.  The modern CCI standard velocity .22 Long Rifle travels at 1070 fps, with 102 foot pounds of energy, still 3% more than the High Velocity Long.

What was the location where the bear was shot?  During my research, I came across a photo of the right side of the bear’s skull. The right side has the location where the bear was shot written on it. The bear was shot in Section 24, Township 71, Range 6, W 5th Meridian.   That is a section of land about 7 1/2 miles south of Slave Lake. The bear was likely shot just west of Florida Lake.  A section is one mile square.

In Larry Loyie’s obituary in the Smoky River Express, Bella Twin is described as a tiny woman. This photograph suggest that she was under five feet tall.

We know the date the bear was shot, because it is recorded on the top of the skull. Most written accounts only say it was the spring of 1953. It was on May 10th of that year.

Bella Twin was only a name for most of the time I knew of her. I wondered about this famous huntress for many years. Now we know that she was an expert trapper, hunter, and a crack shot.  She was a beloved grandmother who taught her grandchildren well and knew the Cree traditional folkways.  She lost one man and found another.  She was shrewd enough to parlay the world record grizzly into cash. She sold the skin and skull separately, and sold the old, beat up rifle as well.

Bella Twin, I salute you. I would have liked to know you. Born in the Canadian wilderness in 1890, your life stretched between worlds.

May your memory and deeds live long, told around many campfires. I will tell my grandchildren about you.

Readers who know more about Bella Twin, please share your stories.


About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

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Wild Bill

Wow, what a narrative! I never heard the account, before. And a testimony to cool nerve and the .22LR. Amazing. That is an experience that no politician will ever have.

Mason Bg

Just have in mind it was not .22lr but .22long! EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN!

Ej harbet

Slightly warm 22 short!

Rattlerjake

Actually, if things keep going the way they are, politicians WILL experience a similar fate as the bear!

gsteele

Well, she was both brave enough and lucky enough to pull off a shot that was a charm. We’re reading about her, and not about others, because she’s the one who didn’t miss, didn’t hit the wrong place, and didn’t end up as bear dinner. I’d venture that there are a few rifles rusting on the ground scattered here and there that were fired and didn’t hit their mark, and their owners didn’t live to tell their story. An animal that size is not to be shot with a .22 under any circumstances other than as a last resort. Frankly,… Read more »

Ej harbet

Excellent story sir,fascinating lady!

Calvin Alexander

Was hunting there in 2017 October. We ran into Grizzly tracks. Not too far from Florida Lake. I have photos of the tracks with my hand beside them to show scale. My hair stood on end when we seen these tracks.

Richard

Really liked that story and how you researched it. Many so called writers could use lessons form you. I really love how a under sized woman with a undersized gun killed the biggest most dangerous animal in America. It proves what my grandfather an my military shooting instructors all said ” shot placement Trumps caliber” anyone ever wondering if a 22 is deadly needs to read that story. Also remember it was a single shot rifle, WOW what a brave woman. To shoot that accurately with a giant grizzly is the stuff of legends. Her story will be told around… Read more »

BERNARD STONEY

I ACTUALLY SAW THIS BEAR IN PERSON AT A RANCHERS HOUSE- HIS NAME WAS-HE PASSED ON- MR. EBEAN-( SPELLING MAY BE WRONG) HE WAS WELL KNOWN IN SLAVE LAKE,ALBERTA.HIS SON- I THINK IS ROLAND. MR EBEAN HAD THE BEAR AS PART OF HIS MUSEUM COLLECTIONS. ALSO THE LADY STILL HAS FAMILY ALIVE IN SLAVE LAKE.

Joyce Johnson

I remember when this happened. I would have been about 8 years old. My dad was so excited about it he told the story over and over. I lived near the other end of the lake about 80 miles from the town of Slave Lake in Alberta, Canada.

Matt in Okahoma

Good story with many important points in it

Fightback

How big WAS that 1953 World Record Grizzly Bear?

Mike0369

Excellent article. She did in deed bridge two worlds, and her cool competence certainly came from the old world. I too hope her memory and deeds live long, and are told around many campfires. I be one of those doing the telling.

joe martin

What a great story and an amazing lady. It just goes to show what I have always said, “It is not how fast the bullet is going, it is not how big around the bullet is, or the configuration of the bullet; it’s all about bullet placement.” Better a single well-placed .22 than multiple bigger caliber hollow-point, FMJs, copper-solids, plastic tip or any other “modern/magic projectiles just hitting “somewhere” close.

JS

Can you just imagine today’s snowflakes in this situation? Most, if not all would be bear scat now.

Turkeys and bees

Translation: “Snowflakes”… a.k.a. “Soy Boys”, “Neck Beards”, “Orbiters”, “Cucks”, etc., …names for men who, back in the day, were commonly called “wimps”, “sissies”, “fairies”, ‘pu%$ies”, “nancy boys”, etc… (for anyone else from my generation) Yep, I’m in my third year of retirement but my youngest son is still in high school. More than despise these “new men”, I truly feel sorry for them. In past years, most of the kid’s that’d come to the house were starving to be taught everything from playing baseball to working with power tools. It would break my heart…I’d spend as much time as I… Read more »

J.J.

How big was the bear it seems important to the story.

Charles Carpenter

Bears are scored by skull measurement due to the large variation in mass during the seasons. Their weight can change 25-30%…

Turkeys and bees

OK, so… …a grizzly bear?.. ..I guess that’d be about what.. …700-800 lbs. or so??… ..and she dropped it???.. ….with a .22 long?????….. …. … …I guess I’d better get busy… ….because I’ve got a whole lotta guns to sell.

Well, seems I’ve been having everything I’ve ever needed since Christmas 1967.. …when I got my trusty little Marlin 39A.. …..Thanks Dad!!!

Dave WENGER

The Bear was mounted full size in a standing position, it was about 10 feet tall. I saw it in a local hotel bar in Fort Assiniboine, Alberta. Fort Assiniboine is on the southeast end of the Swan Hills and Lesser Slave Lake and the town of Slave Lake, Alberta are at the north end of the Swan Hills. I saw the bear in about 1970 and it was pretty ratty by then. Story at the bar was that it was shot by a Native Lady who shot it through the wall of a tent as the bear was nosing… Read more »

T Bryan

The skull looks to have other markings, perhaps measurements and weights? Couldn’t the size of the skull roughly determine the size of the bear? Where is the skull today?

Westerner

Great slave lake has always been in Canada a fact I’ve known since second grade! After reading many outdoor magazines fishing articles I learned this and a lot of other useful info. Still, I would like to know how big the bear was!

connie

this bear was shot near slave lake NOT great slave lake, there is about an eight hour difference in location of the two lakes. the town of slave lake is on what they call lesser slave lake. great slave is in the nwt

Roland Chambers

I well remember when a kid reading of Great Slave Lake and it’s location in Northwest Territories. Back then I was into reading of early fur trappers and traders of the era. There is often confusion between Great Slave Lake and the town of Slave Lake, which is located on the shore of Lesser Slave Lake in Alberta.

Freedom1080

Great story Dean can you email me. I would like to include this in a book I am writing.

Don

I would love to know what she replaced the Ace 22 with – being a trapper, I would guess she went with another 22, but it would be interesting to know. Or maybe she retired…

Anyhow, nice one, Dean. Small woman, with lots of grit.

Don

Also – the rubber under the barrel of her rifle, mentioned by the curator in his email, likely functioned to keep the barrel from rattling around in the stock and making unwanted noise.

circle8

It is “shot placement” that counts. Large calibers are used as insurance to bad shot placement. She proved it.

chuck

the first line says Alberta, Canada…….clearly stated for those who read………I have not heard of this before.. I am not sure that I would have even taken the shot…….so shaken that would most likely have missed anyhow. just call me lunch..

Wild Bill

@chuckfab, I believe that Dean added the Alberta, Canada after many people read the article and the question arose.

Gene

I believe Slave Lake is in the Northwest Territories.

Brian

Slave Lake is in Alberta. Almost exactly the geographic centre of the Province, North West of Edmonton on Lesser Slave Lake.

J.J.

How big was the bear?

Dan

Great story BUT where the heck is Slave Lake??? I see that it is in North America but Dean never states where (unless I missed something). She was born in the “Canadian wilderness” and there is a Florida Lake mentioned along with details of road names and even a map but no mention of where. Canada? Wyoming? Montana? Florida??? Sure I can look it up but it should have been mentioned in the first paragraph.

Wild Bill

Yaa, Dan, Canada, don’t ch know.

Dr. Jim Clary

I am in AWE…. what an amazing woman. I now remember reading about her Griz kill when I was a teenager in Ohio., At that time, my father told me that most women could shoot better than men if given the chance. And for those readers who don’t recognize me from our writings, Mary, my bride of 30+ years is a better shot and hunter than I will ever be. I love it when we go to the range and the guys gather around to watch her “clean out the bullseye”. Thank you for sharing the story Dean, Doc

Phil Shoemaker

If I read the measurements in the skull correctly it says 26 3/16″ . Which makes it a large grizzly but nothing like a brown bear where the minimum size for inclusion in the record books is 27″ and the record is over 30″
But those are only details that take nothing away from an incredible event !

Don byrne

i seen the news paper article way back then. I live in fort mcmurray , Alberta . there was a picture of her standing next to the bear and the bear was hanging from a tree. in the article im almost %99 that it was weighed at 1600-1800 lbs it was absolutely giant!!! Let me tell you, i have a 10.5 ft polar bear and it looked bigger!! also, it said her partner was attacked and she shot it in the ear hole with the first shot!! then one after another from her single shot 22 she gave it finishing… Read more »

Don from Diamond Valler

There are a lot of different stories but these actions would make a lot of sense to a hunter/trapper/outdoorsman.

David F Cruikshank

If you look at the bear skull there are at least 9 bullet holes in the bears left temple. The article states multiple holes in the bear’s left side of the skull. I’d say yours is the most true story.

Icorps1970

But the Coastal, tidewater, bears are not considered to be the same as the inland Grizzly Bears or the North Slope barren ground Grizzly. The tidewater bears are BROWN BEARS for the purposes of measurement and records. And this bear was a LONG way from tidewater so its a Grizzly. The current record for the GRIZZLY BEAR is 27 6/16″ from what I see. The Coastal Bears and those on Kodiak and Afognak Islands, again, are BROWN BEARS not Grizzly Bears.