Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-02-27

little ridge might have separated us.
where could see. possibly the next
morning after that he had been hav-
Ing fine feast in a burberry patch
One night we were little more so
ciable had just removed the pelt
from coyote, and had intended car
rying the carcass away from camp the
next day, but left it that night a few
feetefrom my tent During the night
my friend Cwho. by the way, always
reminds me of a good-natured boy
with fur overcoat on), came down
and saved me the trouble by carrying
ii away for me. | did not hear him
arrive, for believe | was as.eep, but
the telltale tracks were enough to
convince me in the morning. And SO
by having lived with him in his own
home, watched, photographed. and
studied his ways. can set down for
those who may be interested. some OF
his characteristics and habits.
The range of the black bear iex-
tends from Mexico to Alaska, and
they have been met with in nearly
United States; also Labrador, Province
Of Quebec, Alberta and Assinibuia.
British Columbia. and the Mackenzie
River basin All black bears hibernate
during the winter months. There are,
however, woodsmen in the south who
disagree with me on this point, saying
they have seen their tracks during
every month of the winter, and the
mild climate does not force them to
lay up in a cave or den as 1t would IN
the more severe weather of northern
ATTITUDES. | have myself seen bear
tracks during the winter months, and
even in the deep snow of the northern
state. But this is the exception, and
i have no doubt that these bears are
simply shifting to another sleeping
place having been driven out for one
reason or another. Their dens may
not have Leen we'll chosen. and they
/ possibly became leaky, or exposed to
/ the winds, or some hunter might pass
/ that way with a keen nose and an in
/ quisitiye canine that would cause him
! 20 roll out In a hurry. 1t is safe to
I say all black bears den up both north
and south, sometime between Novem-
! Der l and January l, depending on
! the altitude, weather and latitude.
/ They emerge in the spring, usually
! from the first part of April to the mid
/ die of May. according to conditions,
the males often appearing some two
weeks before the females. 1t is at
4 this time in the spring, just after they
4 have left their winter quarters, that a
bears pelt is in it's prime. During
4 liberation. as no food is laid up,
/ they, of course, do not eat, nor do
Z they drink unless they make use OF
4 the snow that has fallen about them.
Contrary to the general superstition.
4 they are not in a deep coma or hazy
! condition, for they are easily aroused.
! II is true that they sleep. but are
quick to detect danger and fully equal
to the occasion of making off and
looking up other quarters If dis
| turbed
The cunning little cubs (for what
deserves the name more than little
/ woolly, bs ok cub?) are brought forth
/ during alteration. usually between
/ February | and March 1, and 1t is
several weeks before they are able to
| leave the den with their mother. From
one TO four cubs may be born-i
age; four is rare. but three is often
met with, and a she-bear followed by
one cub does not always indicate that
the young hopeful had no brothers
or sisters, as they may not have sur
viVe ed all the dangers of cubdom At
birth they are ridiculously small, COM
pared With the size of the mother.
and weigh but a few ounces. | have
never weighed one, but understand
that DR. Hornaday, director of the
| New York Geological park has. and
their weight runs from to Is ounces.
depending on the number in the lit
ter Their eyes are closed-they have
no teeth, nor have they their little
furry Jacket as yet. The reason ad-
vaneed for bears being so unusually
small at birth, is that the old bear
having remained all winter without
food, and not being Sblc 20 forage for
/ some weeks after the Young are born
e would naturally be a great drain
- nurse cubs that weighed several
pounds So Nature has thus provided
ir this way.
Unlike the grizzly. the black bears
mate every year, or nearly so. Griz-
zlys may be put down for about every
other year When the cubs are from
six To eight weeks old, they are able
10 accompany their mother and do so
all during that summer 1t is usually
about berry time before the little fell.
lows develop a grown-up appetite and
commence TO rustic for themselves
Not very long after this the old bear
drives them of 10 shift for them.
selves in some cases they have been
found denning the following fall with
their mother. but this is unusual
Now a little bear knows exactly
what he wants, and what is good 10
eat Just as we'll as you do. He knows
every root, every bulb, every berry
that win make him fat and happy
How does he know this? cannot
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