Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-28
THE BLACK BEARS OF MAINE
Queer Animals of Northern Woods
Exhibit Human characteristics.
CUNNING IN EvADNG TRAPS
Bruin Proves Good Boxer, but Is Not
n FiEbter--Has wide Range OF
Appetite and Is an Ex-
pert Fisherman.

while tramping the Maine woods in search
Of deer or moose the hunter comes upon
another animal the sight Of which makes
his heart beat faster than did ever the
sight Of antlered game and causes him to
bring his rifle into speedy action. More
often It Is the farmer living In an isolated
region who comes upon this brute, the
Maine black bear, as the big fellow makes
off with one OF his lambs. In either case,
be it sportsman or farmer who sees the
bear. the view he gets is likely TO be short
unless he brings the animal down, for this
big brute with all his strength and for
mldable teeth and claws Is no fighter and
prefers running to fighting on almost all
occasions.
Black bears are found in Maine in every
county in the state with the exception
OF the most southerly counties west Of
Penobscot bay, but are OF course most
numerous where the deer and moose are
also found in greater numbers, In north
ern Hancock, Washington, Penobscot,
Franklin and Somerset counties and the
vast region embraced by Piscataquis
and Aroostock counties, most Of which Is
covered with a heavy growth Of timber.
Years ago black bears were common. in
the regions named. but the advance Of
civilization has made far greater inroads
on their numbers than on the deer and
moose. The animals were hunted for
their fur and for the bounty placed upon
them by the state legislature.
Hunters Thin the Ranks.
The bears had no friend. They were
kiled at any and every time Of year. for
even In the summer months when their
fur was of no value the bounty made
hunting them worth While. This indis-
eliminate hunting of course speedily
thinned out the ranks Of bruln.
A few. years ago the bounty of g was
removed, and since then the hunters have
lost NEST Of their fervor. Bears are
killed now wherever they are found by
the ordinary hunters, but the men who
made a business Of trapping and hunting
them have gone out Of the business except
for a few months in the year when the
fur is In prime condition.
The Maine black bear is a queer ANNA.
In his makeup there seems to be a COM
bination Of the characteristics Of the hui
man, the cat, the hog, the racoon. the
squirrel and several other animals. Though
his natural method Of locomotion lie on all
fours, he can walk upright almost as
easily and steadily as a man, and there is
something laughably human in the way
one of these big brutes will sit up on his
launches and reach a fat forepaw around
w eNAaANl lAS IAbH AZ TldnN times the
bear displays almost human intelligence in
the manner in which he evades traps and
deadfalls set for his destruction.
No member of the cat family could he
quicker with a stroke Of its forepaw than
Is a black bear, and the bear has his paws
armed with claws which a tiger or lion
might envy. With his ~forepaws the bear
can strike a blow with the swiftness and
sEil OF a trained boxer, and many is the
"oodsman who has found this out to his
cost when he has tried to kill one Of these
animals With the stroke of an axe. One
stroke of that great paw will ward off a
violent blow and another may send the
wielder of the axe spinning twenty feet
away A black bear will ascend a tree
with the agility Of a cat and does so frN
quently to get the various nuts which form
a choice bit of his diet.
Black Bear Resembles Hog.
In general appearance the black bear
resembles the hog more than any other
animal. The head with its round skull
sharp snout, short pointed ears and bright
beady eyes is like that of a hog. wbIs
the bear will eat anything a hog will
The bear roots about among the leaves in
quest OF nuts, enters orchards to eat tbe
apples which have fallen on the ground
and II they are not there shakes the tree
until the fruit comes tumbllns about his
ears, wherein he has the advantage of the
hog and resembles the human again.
More than one black bear has Gonna
to an untimely end because of his pro.
pensity for entering corn fields and eating
the sweet corn from the stalks "a favorlte
occupation or the raccoon. Like the
"a nannn Nna IT, H.
fisherman.
He will lie at full length on a log over
some quiet pool and drop a bit of wood
or offal on the water. He watches the
bait with his small bright eyes until some
uhsuspeoting trout or club comes up 10
investigate, then a quick sweep of one
OF those mighty paws lands the fish flon-
ping on the bank and Bruln makes a
dainty meal off his prize.
When the cold frosts OF fall arrive
the black bear begins to think Of a snug
nome during the winter months. He
looks about until he finds the place thai
suits him. It may be In a hollow los
and II the hollow Is already the home oF
a family OF coons Bruin has no soruples
about turning them out.
II ma be that the bear finds a blow
down where the passing years have do
posted limbs and leaves until there IL
a covering impervious TO snow and
rain, and he crawls underneath and bur
rows into the scurf to sleep for the win
ter. II he can find a cave or a deem
cleft In the rocks bruin is as we'll salts
hed and he will sleep fully as comfort
able until warm weather comes again
The bear has no larder to resort to during
the winter and he wants none. for he
sleeps soundly while hts waste Tissues
are replaced by the great rolls OF lat
which cover his ribs as a result of a sum
mer's foraging on the fat OF the land.
Winter SIumber and Spring Tonic.
The bear retires for his winter slesn
Just as soon as the ground begins 10
freeze, which Is usually about the LAST
OF November. This win OF course moi
apply to all cases, for many bears are
found roaming about until long after
the first OF December, but ordinarily then
den up early.
Frequently when a bear dens IN he
meath a blowdown, or lies In a hollow
log with his snOut near the opening
the warmth OF the bears breath mslts
the hole In the covering OF snow. This
hole keeps growing larger, until finally
Il becomes enorusted with ice and then
remains a sort OF chimney or ventilator
for bruins bed chamber.
Woodsmen frequently find these air holes
In the snow and upon Investigation FIND
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