The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-01-18
BRUINS TRAITS.
SOME QUEEE THINGS ABOUT
THE BLACK BEAR.
He Goes Into Winter Quarters Cor.
pulent and Comes Out So In
the Spring-Then He Loses
Flesh Rapidly.
MAJORITY of the people who

a -
{. can black bear have got the
idea into their heads somehow--nnd
naturally, perhaps - that when he
comes out of his hole in the spring,
after his long winter sleep, he is lean
and scrnggy and Of II generally used up
appearance. Such people will doubt.
less be surprised 60 learn, on the best
of backwoods authority. that just the
contrary is the fact
The bear. when he seeks his winter
quarters, is about the fattest thing on
four legs. He doesn't swell up with
fat like II pig, but seems to go tat all
over. When he starts in TO accumu-
late this fat the bear can eat bushel
Of chestnuts at meal without giving
any sign that he could not eat another
bushel il any one insisted. AS he gets
fat his stomach gets smaller and
smaller, until, when he Is in proper
condition for wintering over, its
capacity is insufficient for handful
Of food. Every part Of the bear has
made room for fat, and this fat sticks
right to Bruin all wintec and keeps him
warm.
II you are after n bear for his grease
/ you want to kill him either Just before
he goes into his hole III the fall or i'm.
mediately after he comes out of il in
the spring. In ten days after the bear
wakes up and crawls out after his win
ter's nap he will he almost us lean as n
razor back hog, although he has been
eating everything catable he could get
his paws on since he woke up-and
that is II good deal
He keeps lean until he begins to get
ready for winter again, aud then rolls
| M his fat rs before. II seems odd that
II bear should keep fat for months
without eating anything and lose his
flesh ms soon rs he begins to take in
victuals, but that is the way the bear
is made, and | don't see how we are
| going to help it.
For this habit of the bear biting
| particular trees while he is travelling
| even backwoods authority has no sat
isfactory theory. The trees may he
two rods, or they may he half mile
| or more away from his line of travel,
but no bear passing that way ever fails
/ to sheer Off to them and bite piece
]
closely pressed by dogs--and the dogs
have got to be very close if the bear
cannot take time to indulge in his
bite from these trees.
Any experienced North Pennsyl-
vania woodsman can take you to trees
| of this kind that are almos. bitten in
two by bears that have stopped and
| chewed them in accordance with this
/ peculiar ursine custom. The bear has
| some reason or purpose in picking ont
trees to be visited and bitten whenever
he passes that way, but what il may
| he no one has as yet had the courage
to say that he knows.
When the black bear is serious he is
very serious. No living thing has
/ stronger affection for its young than
mother bear has, and no animal will
| defend them SO desperately against
/ hurm. But she is Il strict disciplin-
| arian, aud does not hesitate second
| in resorting to. the most extreme of
| heroic measurcs in dealing with her
/ young when IL seems TO her that the
circumstances require il.
The most striking illustration of
this trait of bear character that ever
knew was given once on the Sinnema-
honing Greek, in Potter County, Penn.
Larry Lyman, the famous woodsmau,
and two other men were standing on
the bank of the creek when big she
bear, accompanied by two small cubs,
came down off the hills on the same
side of the stream, short distance be-
low where the men were standing.
The old bear stopped for moment
and gazed at the men. Then she
plunged into the creek. The cubs
followed her and swan boldly toward
the opposite side with her. One of
the cubs was evidently stronger than
the other, and swan we'll mp with its
mother, keeping almost head 10 head
with her. The other cub fell q little
behind but swan bravely on.
The old bear climbed ont of the
water when she reached the shore and
clambered up the bank, which was
quite high, and obstructed somewhat
by the projecting roots of trees. The
stronger of the cubs followed her
without difficulty, and trotted along
in pace with its mothers sweeping
| strides. But the other little bear
could not clear the distractions on the
bank, and, finding that itsmother and
brother or sister, whichever it might
have been, were going right on with
out noticing its absence, it began to
cry piteously.
The old bear and the strong cub had
gone couple of rods from the creek.
When the mother heard the cries OF
the faltering cub she stopped and
looked around. Not seeing the cub
she flew into fearful rage She
snapped her teeth together and growl-
ing sayagely hurried back to the bank
of the creek, keeping an eye on the
three men who were watching this in
teresting proceeding.
When she came to the edge of the
| L A. 4. 4.