Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-09-06
STUDIES IN
NATURAL HISTORY
BY JAMES HENRY RICE, Jr.
The BLACK BEAR


The Black Bear is the most widely
distributed and best known bear in
North America. He is found from
Florida to Alaska; and from Nova
Scotia to the Pacific. His furtherest
south, according TO my good friend DR..
w. 7. Hornaday, is Costa Rica. For
merly the Black bear was common in
all the Eastern states. Even within
the past fifty years, there have been
| portions of South Carolina where hog
raising became impossible because of
bears. Raiding pig pens and corn
| fields were the worst charges against
the Black bears character. He was
guilty on both counts but he IS Il
notable destroyer of ants. Black bears
still exist in North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi,
Louisiana and Texas, with perhaps
| few still left in Alabama and Arkansas.
They are no longer numerous any
where.
The so-calIed Cinnamon bear is
merely a olOr-phrase of the Black
bear; for cinnamon cubs and black
cubs have often appeared in the same
litter.
Cubs Born in Winter.
The cubs arc born during the hibcr-
mating period in winter, some six
weeks or so before the dam emerges
usually between the last Of January
| and the middle of March. varying aC-
cording To latitude From one to four
cubs are brought forth; four are not
uncommon, although, according to
| Wright who spent twenty odd years
studying bears in thci open, three ap-
pea rto be the rule in the Rocky noun
tainS. Here occurs an inky- black bear.
The cubs are tiny, the whole lot
weighing about two pounds, less than
Il litter of puppies. They are born
blind and are utterly helpless. The
dam keeps a sharp watch ON the male.
for he does not hesitate TO kill and cat
his own offspring.
The cubs stay with the mother and
are nursed until they are seven Or
eight months old, sometimes older.
Toward fall, when berries ripCn, they
begin to forage for themselves but will
usually den up with their mother again
in winter, if she allows it.
The young fellows are fun OF play
and mischief. and the mother frOIicS
with them; but. on the approach of
danger, she gives a 'woof' which
sends them up a tree, where they re-
main until she herself calls them down.
To imen the Black bear is entirely
! harmless, unless wounded and driven
TO bay, when he becomes 4 fierce
fighter for his life. a wanton attack
on man by Black bear is a thing
unknown, even To the rOmancCrS who
make up so much of the natural his
tory of pioneer times.
Will Not Attack Man.
From the first, man has warrcd on
| him, for his meat. for his hide and for
the mere sake of killing something that
was wild in the woods BCar bacon and
bear hams were rclshed by our an
cestOrS; and they are not bad when
taken from fat bear; but the main
delicacy was the paw, cooked muc!
like we cook pigS-fCCt and not unlike
them in flavor.
The Big Swamp, i'm Horny, Carvcr's
Bay, in Georgetown, Hell. Hole, III
Berkley. with the swamps Of the San
| tee, E,diSto and Savannah were the
favoritc homes for Black bear in South
I Carolina Over on WaCcamaw Neck
they become experts in trapping bear,
using the hGid of Il beef for the pur-
pose. This was set in steel trap ana
the trap made fast 10 flukc anchor.
After being caught. the animal would
wear himself down by the anchor con
| tinually catching on roots and limbs
so that next morning he fell an easy
victim. An old hunter told me that
he had caught as many as three bears
with the same beef head, and that hc
never knew Il bear to 20 moro than
Il few hundred yards from where hC
was trapped.
Uncle Jerry Smith, of Horny, was Il
famous bear hunter. One night he was
watching for bear in the late fall to
ward the end of = thick bay. He heard
the bear but could not see him. FINAL
ly, when he had almost given up hope
he looked up the tree. by which he was
standing and saw the bear backing
down on him. 1t was the work Of Il
second 10 raise his gun and shoot: ard
the work Of another second to scon;
| He could hear the bear gaspinE tol
breath; but il was dark underneath