Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-08
COLORADO BEARS AND BIRDS
President Roosevelt Tells of His
Experiences rs n Hunter in
the Mountains.

Black bears are not, under normal con-
ditions. formidable brutes. II they do
charge and get home they may maui a
man severely, and there are a number Of
instances on record in which they have
killed men. Ordinarily, however. black
bear will not charge home, though he may
buster a good deal. I once shot one
very close up which made a most lament
able outcry and seemed to lose it's head.
its efforts TO escape resulting in its bounc-
ing about among the trees with such heed
less hurry that was easily able to kill
T.. Another black bear. which l also shot
at close quarters. came straight for my
companions and myself. and almost ran
over the white hunter who was with me-
This bear made no sound whatever when
first hit IT, and I do not think II was
charging. I believe II was simply dazed
and by accident ran the wrong way. and
so almost came into collision with US.
However when Il found Itself face to face
with the white hunter, and only four or
five feet away, II prepared for hostilities,
and I think would have mauled him IL
I had not Drained II with another bullet
for / was myself standing but six feet or
so TO one side of It. None of the bears
shot on this Colorado trip made a sound
when hit: they all died silently, like so
many wolves.
Ordinarily, my experience has been that
bears were not hurried when I suddenly
came upon them They impressed me as
II they were always keeping in mind the
place toward which they wished to retreat
in the event of danger. and for this place,
which was invariably a piece Of rough
ground or dense timber, they made of
with all possible speed, not seeming to lose
their heads
Frequently I have been able to watch
bears for some time while myself unob-
served. with other game I have very
often done this even when within close
range, not wishing to kill creatures need
lessly, or without a good object; but with
bears my experience has been that
chances to secure them come so seldom
as TO make II very distinctly worth while
Improving any that do come.
As we left even further behind us the
wintry desolation of our high hunting
grounds we rode into full spring. The
bird songs sounded on every side, from the
fields and from the trees and bushes be-
side the brooks and irrigation bitches: the
air was sweet with the spring time breath
of many budding things The sarvice
| bushes were white with bloom, like shad-
blow on the Hudson; the blossoms Of the
| Oregon grape made yellow mats on the
ground. We saw the chunky Says ground
squirrel, looking like big chipmunk with
on each side a conspicuous white stripe
edged with black. In one place we saw
quite large squirrel, grayish. with red
on the lower back. I suppose 1t was
| only a pine squirrel, but It looked like
one Of the gray squirrels of southern Colo
RADIO. Mountain Knockers and the hand
some. bold Arkansas king birds wer nu-
merous. The black-tail sage sparrow was
| conspicuous In the sagebrush, and high
among the cliffs the white throated swifts
were soaring. There were numerous war
blers. among which could only make on,
| the black throated gray, Audubon's and
| McGilHvray's. In Glenwood Springs Itself
the purple finches, house nnches, the Bull
locks orioles were in full song. F1ocks OF
siskins passed with dipping flight In one
rapid little stream we saw a water ousel
Hummingbirds-I suppose the broad tailed
were common, and as they flew they
made, internationally and almost rhyth-
mically curious natalie sound; seemingly
1t was done with their wings
But the things that interested me mos
In the way of bird life was something
saw in Denver. To my delight I found
that the huge hotel at which we took din.
ner was monopolized by the pretty, must
cal house finches to the exclusion of the
| ordinary city sparrows. The latter ar,
all too plentiful In Denver. as in every
other city, and as always, are noisy, quar-
| relsome-in short, thoroughly unattractivG
and disreputable. The house fitch. on tn,
| contrary, is attractive in looks, in song
and in ways. 1t was delightful to hear
the males singing, often on the wing.-Presi
dent Roosevelt In Scribner,s Magazine.