The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-04
DAVIS'S AUTOMATIC
- TRAP FOR BRUlN
Old Maine Hunter Discovers the
Secret of Getting Bear
Skins Easily.

PATTEN, Me-. Nov. g. Though l have
studied bears all my life and killed more
than $50 Of them,' said Greenleaf Davis.
Il did o learn how 20 make them commits
suicide until last week.
Il was climbing a hill among some tall
hardwood trees when l saw a young boar
backing down from the top Of a large noun.
tain ash. OF course, the bear had cffnnpea
the tree to gorge itself on the ripe berriesi
which though bitter are very soft and
pulpy, affording much nourishment Tor
squirrels and jays, as well a. bears and
raccoons.
-As,I had no gun with me, I waited to
learn details az to how q bear manages TO
get down from q tree that has a small
diameter, for bears climb all trees with Diff
ficulty and cannot get up trunk less than
six inches in diameter at all.
THE youngster was backing down slowly,
digging it's claws deeply into the bark with
every step. and swinging it's short tail back
and forth to learn IL any obstruction was
In the way, meantime keeping its eyes
fixed on the top OF the tree az II 1t were
afraid OF getting dizzy and falling In case
it looked toward the ground. In this man
ner il lowered it's body I'm il the tail. which
still acted as a scout, came in contact with
the dead leaves and moss o the bute
OF the tree. when it let go and dropped on
all fours and walked away.
Il was busy all the afternoon and evening
collecting tall swale grass and dead leaves
and braiding them into hay ropes, sucn ss
are used for binding hay on racks and Tor
other clumsy f~astenings. Early next morn
ing ! went TO the hillside whore the mountain
ash tree grew. taking my grandson along.
In the course Of half an hour the boy mad
shinned up some forty-ive feet on the trunk
Of the mountain ash and had wound the
tree with several turns OF the hay rope.
making a swelled ring or girdle some four
or five inches thick.
.'What did you make me hoop that tree
with ropes for, grandpopG' asked the boy.
To keep the bears from eating the
mountain ash plums' I replied.
1T rained and kept me in camp for the nexs
two days and when i next visited the hill
side where the mountain ash grew l took
two strong men along to carry home the
bears, for / was certain there was no other
mountain ash Of any size within five miesI
and knowing the fondness bears have for
the plums and feeling sure the bears would
climb that tree until the last bit Of fruit was
gone, I expected all of them would act as l
had seen the young bear perform and COM
init suicide.
For you see nc bear over looks behind
when it is backing down a tree, letting its
busy tail do all the guiding. and OF course
when a bears tail came in contact with
the hay rope it would naturally suppose
it had reached the ground and would let
20 and fall to its death.
Though I had expected at least six bears
had killed themselves from misreading the
meaning OF the rope we found only three
bodies when we arrived, which shows
that bears are getting scarce about Katab-
din. But 1 had proved my theory as to
the trust which bears impose in what their
tails tell them when coming down from
tall trees, and am glad 10 have learned
something new concerning the habits OF
these animals, which are wise in some
things and very foolish in Others"