The Holbrook news., 1912-04-19

little ridge might have separated us,
 wEere l could see, possibly the next
 morning after, that he had been hay
 ing fine feast in a blueberry patch.
 One night we were little more so-
 ciable. I 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
 feet from my tent During the night
 my friend (who. by the way, always
 reminds me of a good-natured boy
 with fur overcoat on), came down and saved me the trouble by carrying
 1t away for me. 1 did not hear him
 arrive, for I believe I was asleep, 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 ex-
 tends from Mexico to Alaska, and
 they have been met with in nearly
 every state and territory within the
 United States; also Labrador, Province
 of Quebec, Alberta and Assiniboia,
 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. I 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 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 been 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- auisitive canine that would cause him to roll out in a hurry. It is safe to Iay all black bears den up both north and south, sometime between Novem- Der and January 1, depending on the altitude, weather and latitude. They emerge in the spring, usually
 from the first part of April to the mid de of May, according to conditions, the males often appearing some two weeks before the females. It is at this time in the spring. just after they have left their winter quarters, that a 1lk f@ fw nrfr fn as no food Is laid up, they, of course, do not eat, nor do they drink, unless they make use of the snow that has fallen about them. Contrary to the general supposition. they are not in deep coma or hay condition, for they are easily aroused. It Is true that they sleep, but are quick to detect danger and fully equal to the occasion of making of and looking up other quarters if dis turbed
 The cunning little cubs (for what deserves the name more than a little woolly, back cub?) are brought forth turing Information, usually between February 1 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 would say two or three is the aver age; four is rare, but three is often net with, and a she-bear followed by one cub does not always indicate that he young hopeful had no brothers )r sisters, as they may not have sur lived all the dangers of cubdom. At | birth they are ridiculously small, com pared with the size of the mother, | md weigh but a few ounces. I have | never weighed one, but understand hat Dr. Hornaday, director of the | New York Geological park, has, and | heir weight runs from 8 to IS ounces, on the number in the lit .er. Their eyes are closed-they have | 10 teeth, nor have they their little | urrr jacket as yet The reason ad- | 7anced for bears being so unusually | Jmall at birth, is that the old bear having remained all winter without | ood, and not being able to forage for Iome weeks after the young are born, t would naturally be a great drain o nurse cubs that weighed several )ounds. So Nature has thus provided D this way.
 Unlike the grizzly. the black bears nate every year, or nearly so- Griz- .lys may be put down for about every | ,ther year. When the cubs are from dx to eight weeks old, they are able o accompany their mother and do so III during that summer. It Is usually bout berry time before the little fel- ows develop a grown-up appetite and commence to rustic for themselves Not very long after this the old bear Irives them of to shift for them elves. In some cases they have been ound denning the following fall with heir mother, but this is unusual
 Now a little bear knows exactly what he wants, and what is good to at just as well as you do. He knows very root. every bulb, every berry