The sun., 1899-02-12
AN ODD BEAST ISTHE BEAR.
soHE or HIS ODDITIES TOLD or
M A VETERAN HUNTER

Bruins Diet Ranges from swamp Mud tn
Moose Observation-Disclosures More
Dominant Trait Thnn Ferocity-Inci-
dents That Illustrate His Cunning and
Adroitness with Tooth and Paw.
FREDERICTON. N. b.. Feb. There are two
kinds OF bears In this country, the natural
bear Ursus WashinotoniU and the dream bear
(Ersus AndnidsD. The stump boar seen by
milkmaids at twilight in the back fields Is n
mild variety OF the latter. The monstrous
squareface bear. which has habit OF revealing
himself along the side OF the road on moon
light nights to farmers coming home from
town, Is now believed to be identical with tho
ferocious lonRneck bear that lies In walt for
tired sportsmen. People who place implicit faith
IN all the weird legends told of the Anunias bear
find the plain unvarnished facts in regard to
the natural bear hard dose TO swallow. This
Ia because the natural bear is really the queer
est most incredible bear OF the lot. When people
have become educated through the newspapers
In regard 10 the natural or meat bear as thoy
have in regard to the Ananlas article. this
skepticsm will die out and the truth Will lose
its emetic effect The widely known hunter.
Henry Braithwaite. who has killed more than
$50 natural bears In tho last twenty years.
says that almost overy bear Is a species by him
self. He says the longer he lives the less he
knows about bears.
There is as much variety In the makeup OF
bears az thero Is in people at circus Some
bears are short. fat and cheerful others long,
Gaunt and grabbed. Some resemble the mar
row-gauge hogs OF Grand Falls in their habits.
feeding mostly on roots. grass and berries.
while others arc fond OF game. During the
open season the black bear has the most elab
crate bill OF fare of any animal to be found In
our northern woods, 1t is mighty sight
,rJa 10 Ind an vvi, ha dpnapt mt than
what he docs He will load up with grass.
mud, roots and insects OF every dcscrp
ton. even to hornets. bees and caterp-
lars There is only one thing that makes
him happier than finding a hill full OF ants and
that is to strike hornets nest. While the
hornets are letting Off their fireworks around
him he Just grunts and grins and yards them
away with his long red tongue. You'd think
they'd put him out OF business in jitfy. but
II seems to be solid comfort for tho bear. He
is not so fond OF bees honey as is commonly
supposed. but likes to tear the combs to pieces
and scoop up the young bees. He has to have
mighty empty stomach before he'll touch
tainted meat. When he finds moose or carl
bou carcass that's little over proof. he pulls it
to pieces. dragging out the choice cuts and
throwing the rest away.
There Is one thing he ought to get credit
for: he never kills any more than he needs at
tne tline. VI course, ne mas Deen known 10
climb into a sheep pen andlay out number of
sheep. but that is because the sheep were tear
ing and jumping all around him. so he got kind
OF ratified and went it blind. When he kills
sheep in the field he will not bother himself
with the rest of the flock He Is very fond of
fresh fish. and | have often seen him in hot
weather sitting on a stone at the outlet or in
let OF a lake. patiently watching for trout and
suckers. which he scoops ashore with sud den
stroke OF his paw Bears get credit for great
many sheep that are killed by dogs. After
bear has killed sheep he seems to know in
stinctively that a loaded gun or trap will be
prepared for him. He never approaches the
sheep for second meal without scouting
around to leeward. so as to find out II the
carcass has been monkeyed with. About the
only way to get n shot at an old ranger Is to
climb a tree within easy range OF the bait.
In trapping in the deep woods the steel
tran is far superior to the deadrall. 1t takes a
lot of time and work to construct the latter
properly. The bear will often go shy OF 1t. and
when you get large bear in he is almost sure
TO work out Most deadfalls l have seen were
not built half heavy enough. bear can lift
ton with his back. and the Indians tell Of cases
where bear has been found standing up in
the pen after having held up the weight OF the
deadfall all night l have otter caught big
bears in the steel trap that had the marks OF
the deadfall on them. When bear finds him
self fast to a steel trap he very soon commences
to look for water. dragging the trap and clog
after him. If he can't find brook or spring
he digs in the damp ground. If he succeeds in
his search he may live for several days. other
wise he W i'll seldom survive more than twenty
four hours.
Bears are sociably inclined with regard to
lumber camps in summer. If the supplies are
not properly looked after the bears are apt to
make sad work of them. They will seldom
enter a lumber camp through the door pre-
ferring to dig a passage through the roof or
eide. Sometimes the first thing bear will do
on reaching the camp is to break every pane OF
glass in the windows. l think he sees his pic
ture in the glass and wants TO have it out with
his imaginary enemy. He always shows a
great fancy!lor .parafline oil. On the Clearwater
stream recently bear went into camp
climbed on the table, took down swing
took oil the chimney without breaking it.
removed the top and poured the oil on the
mai med there for several days. They are very
fond OF rolling about whore any paratiine has
yermn n their fur, There is place on tho
Miramichi portage whore few years ago
tree For two years afterward bears ;oG used to
come and roll at that spot. A bear willtake the
hoops of barrel OF pork aud then remove the
head as neatly rs cooper
You can never tell what bear will do when
ne strikes u camp. | was travelling over my
trapping line one day the spring before last,
and when got back to the camp found that
bear had been there, He had carried away my
towel and soap and left n round of pork that
was hung up on a nail not three feet away /
SET gun trap for him near the camp, using
fresh meat for bait, and laId awake most OF the
night waiting to hear the gun 60 of He never
went near the bait but when got up in the
morning | discovered that he had carried Off
an old pair OF moosc-shanks that had thrown
out IN the yard.
Il have never known a beartO show fight un-
Jess cOrnered. Even a she bear will run of and
leave her cubs to shift for themselves unless
she Ia taken by surprise. l once had an adj
venture With she bear though. that. | didn't
get over Tor quite u spell, WAS running limo
up the ,Nashwaak. and in going through a
thick alder swale a most stepped On a she bear
with her two cubs before | saw them had
no weapon fany kind. She made right me,
most yiciously. Ali" i could do was
back up slowly and keep my eyes upon
her. Sometimes shc got so close that 1
Thought my last moment had como. and
then would make move toward her cubs,
which were few yards away. AMI that seemed
10 distract her attention, she followed me- up
mighty sharp. though. and it seemed like an
hour before reached kind OF clearing on tho