Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-11-29

known here as the pine squirrel,
which pays little attention to his
winter food supply if the winter is
going to be an open one, preferring
to gather his food on the mild win
ter days, rather than store ii up;
but if the winter shows signs OF
coming on early and being severe,
he always fills his storehouse full
to OVERLOOKING. Another sure sign
is to watch closely the habits of the
common gray gopher during the
first of September. If you find
lot of fresh dirt at the mouth of
the hole, it is an unfailing sign
that they are burrowing deeper,
expecting a hard winter, and that
they will go below the frost line;
when they fail TO thus go deeper 1t
sure shows an open, mild winter
to be coming.
81 have also often been interested
in studying the habits of the little,
insignificant, long tail, white bel
lied mouse, that takes up his abode
in hollow log, or in some rotten
stump in a secluded spot. Few
people have ever attached any inn
portance to this little animal, but
he is worthy Of more than the pas
sing glance, for his instinct equals
that of the beaver, and far sur
passes that OF many OF the larger
animals. When the younger tim
Der mouse leaves his home, to
build one for himself, he is very
choice in his selection of that
home and does not pick out Just any
old hollow log or stump, as some
people imagine, but he finds suit
able place where he can have at
least two and generally three rooms
in his house. One room is used as
a bed room, another is stosed and
the other for any purpose he sees
fit. After the house is located he
finds his helpmate and they soon
have the home furnished and then
turn their attention TO the gather
/ IGN of the winter stock of provi-
sions. Out here they live mostly
on toadstools and mushrooms, and
in the east they subsist mainly on
beach nuts through the long winter.
''Now, by watching them closely
in the late fall we can readily de-
] termine what kind of a winter we
may expect. If at any time they
are seen to be very busy carrying
in moss, grass and dry leaves suit
able for nest building, it is sure
thing that they have had, as the
saying is, bunch from some
source that hard winter is at
hand. On the other hand, l have
never known it to fail that If at
this time of the year this little
mouse is seen to be inactive along
this line and yet remains in his
summer home, that a mild, easy
winter is at hand. From observa-
tions thus far in the seasons he is
about as busy as he can be laying
in his stock of provisions for the
winter.
II have studied the habits o.
many more of our common wild an
imals, and the more | study then
the more wonderful it appears t.
me of the clear instinct they pos
sess in these matters, and during
my years of study and observation
have but few remembrances of eve
seeing them fail in their forecastins
of weather conditions. 1t seems t,
be as natural for them to prepar'
for certain conditions as it is 70
man to lay in supply of coal whei
winter approaches.
''But you have not yet made an
mention of the bear, +" was re
marked at this point, for doe
not the bear stand forth in tradi
ton as being the forecaster of al
such events?n Well" said Mr.
, Stafford, 81 consider the bear yer
: poor teacher and bad actor, and yo
, can tell very little about him
: While it is believed by uesrl
, every one that the bear goes int
some den or cave at the approac
. of winter and rolls himself u
, like a muff and remains in thu
r condition until called forth by tn
: balmy spring air, do not place an
s credit on such stories, for haN
: known him to be wandering arour
4 in the hills until into January b.
o fore going in to stay at all. Pc
e haps when he does go ia he wi
2 only remain few days or possib
weeks at the most. If you kno
: in what locality bruin has take
!. up his home for the winter, yc
- visit that spot and YOU will fir