The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-03-01

say, you VIII nave 10 ask him w hen
! say this ! have In mind the follow.
Ing case that was brought 10 my no
tice: A young cub. only few weeks
old, was caught one spring and fed on
milk. He was kept In camp until the
following fall when they moved camp
down on some bottom lands Here.
while running about. he would sud
denly stop. dig up some roots and de
YOUR them with a relish. He seemed
10 be as fully prepared TO forage for
himself as If he had been taking les.
sons from his mother all summer.
Another much mistaken idea about
the black bear Is that he energies
from his winter quarters very thin
and emaciated tthis so far. is trueD;
that he is desperately hungry after
his long fast; or is terribly ferocious,
and inclined 10 attack anything on
sight, man included This is not so,
although | have often heard IL so
stated. Not even q black bear with
his enviable digestive apparatus can
or does indulge I'm hearty meal after
SO long fast The organs OF bear
are no different from those of a man
In this respect. and after their long
disuse are only capable OF assimilat.
ing the daintiest morsels of food
such AZ grass shoots. tender roots and
their like In fact, at first they show
little or no desire TO eat but after a
few days they commence TO partake
again OF pretty much everything |
say this because bear is omnivorous
which means that he eats quite Cener
ally eyerything-both vegetables and
meat They are not as carnivOrous as
generally supposed, usually being con.
tented with such small animals as
ground squirrels and field mice. but
still. when the opportunity offers. they
have great propensity for stealing
down ever so carefully to nearby
farm and carrying OF fat little
shoat. They, too. have a great weak
ness for sheep, and IL Is hardly neCes-
sary for me To mention honey and
sweets. for here we see him again
like n good mature. inischievous boy.
The various ins.h form long list
of goodies for them. and they spend
much Of their time overturning stones.
prying open old stumps and logs. polk
ing their nose and smiling nj every
tiny hole or crevice for such dainty
morsels as grubs. caterpillars,
crickets. and ants The black bear
seems To partake OF such variety or
food that II Ia hard 10 say just which
he enjoys the most Ants are one OF
his favorite. dishes and have no
doubt that they consume rs many OF
these as some of the anteaters OF
South America One OF their iavorite
methods OF catching a certain species
Of ants. which are very vicious little
fighters. Is 10 thrust a paw In the
midst OF one OF their hills. and as
they swarm over the bears paw with
the purpose Of attacking their enemy,
they are quickly Tapped up.
But what greater picture of content
ment can one imagine than bear In
n good sized blueberry patch? Sitting
half ND on his launches and pulling
the branches towards him with his
paws-fairly shovcling in the berries
that help fatten him up for the long
winter-they are indeed great berry
eaters and will often travel miles to
locate n patch. and then will patronize
Il long and often.
Last fall in the Sierra Madre noun
tains in northern Mexico was camped