She also hunted.

The accounts describe her killing bears — large animals, dangerous animals, animals that would have been a genuine physical threat if approached incorrectly.

The gun made this possible in a way it would not have been otherwise, but the gun had to be loaded and aimed and fired correctly, by a woman who had not been trained in its use, against animals that could kill her if she missed.

The bears she killed provided meat and fat for food, and their skins for warmth — a practical use of available resources that speaks to either prior instruction in how to use what she killed, or to the improvisation of someone who understood survival at a basic level.