The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-06-13
HABITS OF rHz BLACK BEAR.

A lettsr dated Bethel, Me-, March -,
printed IL Foraf and Stream. gives the
Writer'S personal observation 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 go into den at
different times in different years, according
to the abundance or scarcity OF berries. In
years of plenty they prowl about until the
last of December, and even the first OF jan
uary at other times they have been known
to den mp in November. Sometimes they
make their quarters In q nice, snug room in
q ledge; at othen. in hollow logs, in hollow
standing trees, under the bottoms of trees
partly turned mp by the roots, and even
under large brush heaps, after the snow
gets deep. They often come out in mid
winter, in q heavy thaw, and AXE q round
turn Of a mile or more and return to their
old quarters again, thus showing that 1t is
the warm weather which brings them out,
and not because they have got their nap
out. l have often seen where the bear has
camped on the snow-crust by breaking
boughs OF evergreen or tearing dry, rotten
logs to pieces for n nice, warm bed. They
sometimes leave their winter quarters early
in March, and make some other place q
Temporary abode until spring opens. / nave
known them to lay themselves AWAY for six
months III d tAiht III u ave In u lGQRe
In the deep recesses Of the forest, In
utter solitude, where the dampness Of the
rocks only added to the dismal surround
ings. They are supposed by many to suck
their claws during their long isolation, but
they do not; neither do they require any
nounshment, for the exhaustion Of the
system isso little that they usually come.out
in the spring in as good condition as they
enter their dens in the fal~l-generally fat.
Before going into the den they eat hut
very little for some time, and so prepare
themselves by degrees for their long fast
ing and when they come out IN the spring
ant eat spears Of green grnss, then frogs
and fish ~ soon Is the little brooklets open.
After the mow Is gone and the fish
work up the little streams in the woods,
and heritage begins to spring up, the beam
begin to follow the shore Of ponds and
streams In search Of food and other bears.
At this season they rub their feet deep In
the ground and make deep ~steppings, and
all other bears that happen along In these
paths will step In 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
about the first Of June In Northern Maine,
the bears will 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 heal their toes which they
have sucked all winter, and 30 made ten
der. ! suppose 1t In done because they
feel savage and want to try their teeth.
Others suppose it is lone to lot other bears
know that they lave been there. The
ncxt move they make, after a week or two
Of this tramping, Is to traverse second
growth land, or where a few years before
extensive forest fires have destroyed the
original trees and much down timber is the
result Here they finish up the summer,
tearing rotten logs to pieces for the ants
and grubs they can find, until berries begin
to ripen.
"The cry Of the bear varies according to
the circumstances which occasion 1t. II in
a trap, the adult will make a grunt, squeal,
or coarse noise, very loud and long II call
ing their cubs from some distant point
whore they have left them, the sound
nk the voice Of a woman calling loudly,
and II they are merely giving notice to each
other while feeding or In company and not
far apart, they whistle quite sharp and
loud, and II suddenly startled by man or
beast, they usually make a loud snort,
which 70 like three or four coarse whistles
together"