The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-02-15
Enter, the Bear!

The following article written by
John A. Mcclure has been forwarded
to the Reporter from the State Fish
Game department.:
And now come forth the two defend
ants, "Ursus Horribilis" and "Ursus
Americanus.' The first has a name
sufficient To convict him. while both
have regulations that for a century
or more have kept their names in pro-
minent places in the Bad Book. But
these gentlemen are not truly known
to the public at large. The trouble
is that Mr. Public, when he WAS a
toddling infant, was told frightful
tales of these forest inhabitants, and
he has never forgotten them nor tried
to find an alibi for the eccc.ed ami
mails
A bear will occasionally turn stock
killer, but naturally he is an hcrbivor-
Gus animal. and eschews meat except
when berries, mast etc, are played
out 1t is sthe exception when he
Kills anything and rare exception
at that. Just because our dog has
been caught killing chickens is poor
reason for declaring war on all dogs.
Kill the dog with the habit (provid
ing he cannot be brolten1. but spare
the good dogs Same with The bears.
The time is approaching when the
bears of our Western wilderness will
be one Of the most valuable natural
assets that We posses. The grizzly
bear right now is the sublimest
character that roams our mountain
fastnesses. As a sporting trophy his
hide stands at the very top of the
list of Americas wild animals. He
should he preserved to posterity. and
the process should begin soon, for
there are mighty few grizzly bears
in the United States today. When
he is gone. he disappears forever. for
nowhere on the globe is the grizzly
found except on this continent and
there's no such thing as transplant
ing" grizzly bears, for they are not
built that way.
The overwhelmingly cruel steel bear
trap should be forever forbidden in
our wilds. For mountain lions and
smaller predatory animals a No. A
Newhouse trap is big and strong
and that sized trap will not hold a
full-grOwn bear. The stOckman
should welcome the elimination of tho
bear trap for stock will get into such
traps in spite of the nimsy pens that
are usually built around to guard
them Many men have stumbled in
to bear traps some with fatal re
suits. Such hidcous emblems of
misery and suffering should he kept
from the wilderness. with the pos
sible exception of the smaller kinds
for the lions. etc.
We have been appealing for the
life of Bruin for many years in
fact we are The pioneers we believe,
in carrying his briCf-and our breth-
rem are assured that we shall never
forsake him until he has place on
the statute books with the members
of the deer family. Some ten or
eleven states have added protective
measures since we began our agita
ton. and as only two had any such
measures at all when We began, we
feel that our efforts so far have not
been In vain
oar bear bill drawn up by the
writer after consulting many legal
and natural history authorities. is
known to the members of dozens of /
assemblies. as for many years it has
been before these bodies II once
passed the California Legislature, but |
was vetoed by the then governor |
johnson In Montana, in Wyom- |
ing, in Washington, in Colorado and !
other states. il has all but passed
i'm each case mentioned having passed |
either the upper or lower house, bur /
being smothered or lost at the cru /
cial moment However. portions OF /
the bill have been written into game !
bills that have finally passed in ten |
or eleven states. so it has accom- /
plished some good The text of this /
bill is published below. 1
This year we are making a special +
appeal to the sportsmen of the Unit /
ed States We want big man 10 (
come forth-big in spirit. in ambition !
and in his love for the wild things
in each of the states containing bears, I
and tell us that he will push this /
bill this winter in his assembly. If |
he be an assemblyman-eleet, then all J