Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-18
Habits OF the BIack Rear

A letter dated Bethel, Me-, March II, printed
In Forest and Stream, gives the writer's per
Sonal observations OF the habits of the black
bear as follows:
"These hot days remind old hunters that the
bears are about awakening out of their long
, winter Sleep They 60 into den at different
times In Inherent years, according to the
abundance or scarcity of berries. In years of
plenty they prowl about until the last of De
cember, and even the first of January; at
other times they have been known to den up
IN November. Sometimes they make their
quarters in nice, snug room in ledge; at
others, in hollow logs, in hollow standing
trees, under the bottom of trees partly turned
up by the roots, and even under large brush
heaps, after the snow gets deep. They often
come out in mid winter, in a heavy thaw, and
take round turn of mile or more and re-
turn to their old quarters again, thus showing
that it is the. warm weather which brings
them out, and not because they have got their
nap out. have often seen where the bear
mas camped on the snow crust by breaking
boughs ofeyergreen or tearing dry rotten logs
to pieces for a nice, warm bed. They some
tlmes leave their winter quarters early in
March, and make some other place a tenn
Porary abode until spring opens. L have
months at a time in cave in a ledge in the.
deep receSseS of the forest, in utter Solitude.
where the dampnesS of the rocks only added
to the =, dismal surroundings: They are sup
posed by many to suck their claws during
thelr long isolation, but they do not; neither
90 they require any nOuriShment, for the ex-
haustlOn OF the system is so little that they
usually come out in the spring in as good con-
dition as they enter their dens in the fall
generally fat.
Before going into the den they eat but
selves by degrees for their long fasting; and,
when they come out in the spring they are
very dainty for long time. They first eat
spears OF green grass, then frogs and fish as
AFTER the SnOwiS gone and the fish work
up the little streams in the woods and heritage
be gins to spring up, the bears begin to follow
the shore OF ponds and streams in search of
food and other bears. At this season thew
rub their feet deep in the ground and make
deep StepplngS, and all other bears that hap
pen along in these paths will step i'm the same
foot-marks. So hunters set their traps in one
OF these deep tracks and cover it so that they
all look alike, and they are sure of the first
bear that comes along. At this time, which is
bears viii stretch up against a fir tree and bite
large strips of bark and wood from the tree
some people suppose this is to obtain balsam
TO h hea nedr toes Which they have sucked all
done because they feel savage and want to
try their teeth. Others suppose it is done to
iet osheT bears know that they have been
week or two of this trampfng, is to traverse
second growth land, or where few years be-
fore extensive forest fires have destroyed the
original trees and much down timber Is the re-
suit. Here they finish up the summer tearing
Iotten logs 70 pieces Tor the ants and grubS
they can find, until berries begin to ripen
1.-The cry of the bear varies according to the
circumstances which occasion 1T. If in a trap.
the adult will make grunt, squeal or coarse
from some distant point where they have left
them, the sound is like the voice of a woman
calling loudly, and If they are merely giving
pany and not far apart, thew whistle Suife
sharp and loud, and if suddenly startled hv
man or beast, they usually make loud Snorf
which is like three or four coarse whistles tn,
gether. io' W.