The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-31
Bio DAY FOR BEARS
Five of Them Bagged by
Two Hunters.
THEY LEFT A PLAIN TRAIL.
Pennsylvania Woodsmen Take Adj
vantage of the alternating
Habit of These Animals;

Chestnuts, beech nuts, ac0rns and all
kinds of mast, known technically in the
veTnacular OF the backwo0ds as" smack, +"
were unusually abundant in northern
Pennsylvania this season. says a Bolton
correspondent of the New York sun, and
as winter weather was remarkably tardy
in its coming. the bears, which dote on
snack. have had at least a month more #
open revelry in the woods than they have
had in any former time these past ten
years. 1t is not cold weather that compels
the bear TO seek quarters for the long win
ter sleep that is a peculiar characteristic
Of animals of this genus. He doesn't mind
the cold. but hunger he cannot endure. III
his fOragng grounds are open to him, the
state Of the thermometer is no concern of
his. But when snow comes and covers the
snack beyond his reach, he has n o further
use for Open-air exercise. and at once seeks
his warm nest in hollow log or tree, or
sheltered nook In the rocks, goes promptly
to sleep. and, unless he is routed out by
some covetOus hunter. or disturbed by the
intrusion of prospecting lum bermen on his
retreat he Will continue to sleep until win
Ter is over.
1t happened that the mildness of our late
Iall came to a sudden end last week, and in
twenty hours foot and n half of snow
fell, sending the fat and revelng bears on the
double quick for winter quarters. But AT least
one family of bears might just as we'll have re-
manned Oul. III fact IL might have gone much
better with them IL they had done 40. There
were five OF these bears and on Tuesday morn
ing their tracks were found in the snow only
TWO miles from Bolt on's, they evidently having
10 travel loug way 10 find the winlering
places they had selected. These tracks were
discovered by jerry Crane aud John Hines,
which was particularly unfortunate for The
hears. .Ipfry and ,JOIO
lentng and untiring bear-huniers. They fol-
lowed the trail of the small drove OF bears and
II led straight toward the wild country lying
around the foot of Big KaOtty Mountain. One
of the bears. a big fellow, had apparently found
a place under tree root To suit him for The
winter. midway between the mountain and
Bolton's, for as the two hunters approached
that spot the bear not having had time TO get
sound asleep ya!, bounded out from his nest
and went shufliing through the deep snow.
Before he got OH OF reach Jerry Crane lodged
a bullet in him somewhere the blood that
marked The subsequent trail In the snow
plainly showed.
speed of the bear and he was soon out OF sight
among the laurels and thick timber His
bloody trail Kept the same course that his
late companions had taken, and continued, as
before, toward Big knotly. The tracks led 10
The south side OF The mountain, where they dis
appeared INTO deep laurel patch. Crane aud
Hines oiced their way into this thicket and al
last came to where large tree bad fallen. the
roots of which had torn large hole In The
ground, close by shelving rock, forming a
deep aud dark cavern. The mouth of this was
closed and partially hidden by taugle OF laurel
boughs, which had plainly been broken off and
! placed there by the bears themselves. Into
this cavern all the TRACKS led, excent those OF
the wounded bear. He had iourneyed 10 the
retreat, but 1t being closed for the winter by
his late companions, he passed on along the
! foot of he mountain, leaving his bloody trail.
when Crane and Hines found that the bears
were brought TO bay the looked about them foi
the best means to get them out and bag them
| The tracks showed that there were Two old
| bears aud TWO this years cubs IN this hole The
hunters were inclined 10 favor The coming oul
OF one bear at a time TO be disposed OF, for, ex
pert and daring as they were, they did not think
| II exactly prudent TO have four angry bears Oh
their hands at once. They finally deciced e