Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-07
CATCHING BEAR CUBS.
Amusing Methods Adopted by HUM
ers in the Yellowstone Park.

in the Yellowstone Park.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
The National Zoo at Washington is sup
Piled with many animals from the Yellow
stone National Park, where they are caught
young. The park abounds with all kinds
of wild animals and birds, from the hated
and detested English sparrow to the sly
and cunning mountain lion, but it is unlaW-
full TO hunt or modest them excepting when
those delegated with authority capture
Eears, elk, deer or swan, or other gayly
feathered birds for the zoo in the nations
caEital. The capture of the bears Is at
tended with much eXcit ment The meth
ods adopted are so peculiar that they Will
cause many to stop and think twice before
they believe what they read.
The cubs caught are always found up
some comparatively small tree, sleeping or
resting on the branches with their mother
When espied by the hunters. who are un-
armed excepting for a large ak, a couple
of leather collars and several pieces OF
rope, the first thing done is TO get rid OF
the mother bear. who scented the hunters
long before they saw her or her little ones
That is not a difficult nor dangerous task,
bur a very ludlcroUs one, fun of fun and
excitement. As a usual thing, one of the
hunters climbs a nearby tree. and armed
with a long pole, which vas cut by his
companions while he climbs the tree, pro-
ceeGS TO dlSlodge the mother. This he doe
by prodding her in the sides with the pole
which is cut long enough TO reach from one
tree to the other. The first punch or two
usually causes the old bear TO hug the
limb Of the tree upon which she rests all
the tighter, and during the time she rends
the air with peculiar grunt, made by pro-
truding the lower lip several inches and
forcing the air from her lungs through the
haf-open mouth. The cubs not long in
seeming danger and they, too, grunt and
growl, rolling their bead-like eyes from
side side to side in terror, launching their
soft backs in their endeavors to cling TO
he tree all the more securely.
A few vigorous punches in the sides soon
cause the mother to shift her position
II ON limb to limb, grunting and snarling
all the time at a great rate 1t is often the
case that she Will seek refuge on the op-
posite side of the tree, beyond the reach of
the man with the pole. That necessitates
his companion cutting a pole for himsAlf
and climbing another tree on the opposite
SIDE, from which position of vantage he
continues the jabbing process The bear
IS between THE devil and the high s,a"
and after climbing from limb to limb, only
TO receive vigorous prods in the ribs and
back, soon gives up the unequal fight and
with erunt, evidently a signal to her
young to retreat, she slides down the
trunk, scraping off the loose bark in the
descent, until almost to the bottom, when
she gives a leap, striking the ground
with a thud and grunt and goes scamper-
ing off in the forest, probably never TO re-
turn, leaving her young up the tree, which
at her departure rend the air with their
peculiar and heart-appealing cries
Then comes the difficult and no less
amusing task of capturing the young This
takes time, often consuming an hour or
more. but always with the same result
The men arm themselves with long ropes
with a ShpnooSe at one end, and climb
nelghborlng trees. Thu capture by this
time has resolved itself down to the ability
of the men to throw the moose over the
heads of the crying cubs. After the disap-
n q of air mot ha
curl themselves up in ball placing their
heads between their front paws 1t is i'm
possible to do anything until the silence of
the forest gives them feeling of reassur-
ance, and they poke out their heads to
view the situation. 1t is then that the
hunter quietly and daXterOusly drops the
moose over the unsuspecting projecting
head and with quick jerk draws it tightly
around his neck. The other end of the rope
IS quickly drawn over a limb. and poor
Mr.. Cub IS drawn from his perch the tight
enlng hoose shutting off his wind. He is
drawn up sufficiently to clear the limb
upon Which he rested, and then he is low
cred to the ground, kicking and suuirming-
IN midair, uttering gurgling sounds from
his wide-open mouth. The man on the
ground soon has a stout leather collar
around his neck and in a jiffy he is tied to
a nelShborlng tree, where he rncoVers his
breath and yells all the louder during the
repetition of the scene attendant upon the
capture of his mate.
SOMETIMES during this apparently bar
barous but harmless mode of capture. the
mother bear, attracted by the cries of her
young, will return and view the captors
from a distance. looking at the men ana
her cubs through a clump of bushes. and
answering the cries of her young as only A
bear knows how, but never venturing very
close. being easily scared away by the way
ing OF the arms of the hunters and shout
or two.
In some instances, where the trae IS
small, 1t Is cut off close to the ground after
the mother bear has been frightened away
ana Is carried in an upright position to
lowered on its side in an inclosure and the
cubs are caught at leisure