Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-03-23

Bears have been far more plentiful this
year than for many seasons past. There
are many extensive forests of beech and
oak in tie countries of Wayne, Pike and
Monroe, Pa, with vast outlying swamp
lands of laurel, hemlOck and tamarack.
Despite the fact that these forests are pene-
trated by the Erie Railroad, the black bear
makes in them his breeding and feeding
haunts almost as freely as scores of years
ago, before civilization had made any ad-
vance in this section. Along'the borders of
these great swamps is wide strip Of soft
mud. These swamps are almost inaccessi-
be to man ana tie Tears make them their
places of refuge. Wien the teIrs are
plenty this border of mud is full OF tie ami
mails tracks. In many place the mud ls
found followed out in spots eight or ten
feet long, thee or four feet wife and two
ieet Leep. Should large patches OF scrub
Oaks lie found le4len down 10 tie ground
il Is sue sign that the tears have beeG
working there and fee ling on the acorns.
They rise on tIeir hauncLes among the
scrub oaks and teat the bushes violently
with tier fore paws.
Bears al very fond Of bugs and insects of
all kinds. They know just whe.e 10 find
them every time and know that their favor
ite insects alahe tleir homes under the
stones during the winter months, The
brutes consequently select spots where the
ground is covered with stones and with
their paws turn them up to get at the bugs.
Yellow jackets and hornets arSfavonIe
morsels with the black bear. If bruin sees
a yellow jacket or hornet il the woods he
is wild until Re flnds the insects home. He
tears madly through the woods until his
unerriDg scent leads him TO the spot. Then
he settles down 10 business. " hen bear
finds a yellow jackets nest it takes but a
few swoops OF his fore paws to turn il
wrong side out. A yellow jackets nest Is
generally built in tAe ground, Just under
The surface. As soon as their nest IS
touched the bees swarm about in clouds
and cover the bear until he is as yellow as
a suniower. lie pays no attention to their
assaults, though all attack OF yellow jackets
ON any other animal would result III deaIh-
The bear merely shuts his eyes and grlns
rs he devours nest and all. He attacks
honey bees the same way, and scoops the
honey out with his paws and licks them oil
until the nest Is despoIled completely.
Old jerry GreenIng, The hunter, Gays that
on one OCCASION he Shot u bear and was
going to drag the CARCASS home, when he
discovered The bear had just been robDlns
a yellow jackets nest and mas sill covereu
wIlh the merry little insects. '''F that bar
he'd only been wounded I'd a walIZed right
in an liked I'm, said Jerry, ''buI couple
o them cussed hIIle ho,-tailed critters
came arter NE an skipped, an l dldn' I
dare go arter thet barn Two DAYS"
Hornets build their nests high up in the
branches OF trees OF fasten them 10 the
rocks. But as cute as these insects are the
bear is more than their match. A bear
discovers q hornets nest IA Out On a limit
bey ond his rJach- lie Climbs the tree
breaks the longest branch he Can get and,
holding II In his fore paws, hits the nest un-
til II drops TO the ground. Sometimes he
dances or stamps on the limb till the nest
is shaken of. Should the nest be on d
rock the bear goes up 10 the top of the
ledge above IL, where he gathers stones ami
sticks and rolls them down the side of tue
rock Till one hits the nest and sends IL
tumbllng TO the ground below. The
hornets appear TO know what has caused
their ruin and all remain in the falling nest
till the bear appears when they attack
him.
a hornet sting" says Jerry GreenIng,
''is bout S strong whack from sledge-
hammer, an one hornet III knock a pull
down, but their bite won't ralse lump
Digger'n buckshot on bar, an the shaggy
crIIIer thinks its fun. Hell stan Gu his
HIM legs an square of with his fore paws
jest as ef he were u bOxin' with somebody.
only he's durn keerful keep his eyes sheI.
Then he'll lay down an roll oSer 'em jest
ez if he didnt keer cent fer 'em. Once't
L seed a she bar knock hornets nest big
germ half-bushel basket Off'n a rock an
pick it up an tuck it under her arm an
walk off with il u cool ez 7 were one o
her cubs"