dimming the light； and keeping out the heat； their brown boles sprang
from the ground like buttressed columns。 On the barren mountain…side
beyond the heat was oppressive。 It was small wonder that Bruin should
have sought the spot to cool his gross carcass in the fresh spring
water。
The bear is a solitary beast； and although many may assemble together；
in what looks like a drove； on some favorite feeding…groundusually
where the berries are thick； or by the banks of a salmon…thronged
riverthe association is never more than momentary； each going its
own way as soon as its hunger is satisfied。 The males always live
alone by choice； save in the rutting season； when they seek the
females。 Then two or three may come together in the course of their
pursuit and rough courtship of the female； and if the rivals are well
matched； savage battles follow； so that many of the old males have
their heads seamed with scars made by their fellows' teeth。 At such
times they are evil tempered and prone to attack man or beast on
slight provocation。
The she brings forth her cubs； one； two； or three in number； in her
winter den。 They are very small and helpless things； and it is some
time after she leaves her winter home before they can follow her for
any distance。 They stay with her throughout the summer and the fall；
leaving her when the cold weather sets in。 By this time they are well
grown； and hence； especially if an old male has joined the she； the
family may number three or four individuals； so as to make what seems
like quite a little troop of bears。 A small ranchman who lived a dozen
miles from me on the Little Missouri once found a she…bear and three
half…grown cubs feeding at a berry…patch in a ravine。 He shot the old
she in the small of the back； whereat she made a loud roaring and
squealing。 One of the cubs rushed towards her； but its sympathy proved
misplaced； for she knocked it over with a hearty cuff； either out of
mere temper； or because she thought her pain must be due to an
unprovoked assault from one of her offspring。 The hunter then killed
one of the cubs； and the other two escaped。 When bears are together
and one is wounded by a bullet； but does not see the real assailant；
it often falls tooth and nail upon its comrade； apparently attributing
its injury to the latter。
Bears are hunted in many ways。 Some are killed by poison； but this
plan is only practised by the owners of cattle or sheep who have
suffered from their ravages。 Moreover； they are harder to poison than
wolves。 Most often they are killed in traps； which are sometimes dead…
falls； on the principle of the little figure…4 trap familiar to every
American country boy； sometimes log…pens in which the animal is taken
alive； but generally huge steel gins。 In some states there is a bounty
for the destruction of grislies； and in many places their skins have a
market price； although much less valuable than those of the black
bear。 The men who pursue them for the bounty； or for their fur； as
well as the ranchmen who regard them as foes to stock； ordinarily use
steel traps。 The trap is very massive； needing no small strength to
set； and it is usually chained to a bar or log of wood； which does not
stop the bear's progress outright； but hampers and interferes with it；
continually catching in tree stumps and the like。 The animal when
trapped makes off at once； biting at the trap and the bar； but it
leaves a broad wake and sooner or later is found tangled up by the
chain and bar。 A bear is by no means so difficult to trap as a wolf or
fox although more so than a cougar or a lynx。 In wild regions a
skilful trapper can often catch a great many with comparative ease。 A
cunning old grisly however； soon learns the danger； and is then almost
impossible to trap； as it either avoids the neighborhood altogether or
finds out some way by which to get at the bait without springing the
trap； or else deliberately springs it first。 I have been told of bears
which spring traps by rolling across them； the iron jaws slipping
harmlessly off the big round body。 An old horse is the most common
bait。
It is； of course； all right to trap bears when they are followed
merely as vermin or for the sake of the fur。 Occasionally； however；
hunters who are out merely for sport adopt this method； but this
should never be done。 To shoot a trapped bear for sport is a
thoroughly unsportsmanlike proceeding。 A funny plea sometimes advanced
in its favor is that it is 〃dangerous。〃 No doubt in exceptional
instances this is true； exactly as it is true that in exceptional
instances it is 〃dangerous〃 for a butcher to knock over a steer in the
slaughter…house。 A bear caught only by the toes may wrench itself free
as the hunter comes near； and attack him with pain…maddened fury； or
if followed at once； and if the trap and bar are light； it may be
found in some thicket； still free； and in a frenzy of rage。 But even
in such cases the beast has been crippled； and though crazy with pain
and anger is easily dealt with by a good shot； while ordinarily the
poor brute is found in the last stages of exhaustion； tied tight to a
tree where the log or bar has caught； its teeth broken to splinted
stumps by rabid snaps at the cruel trap and chain。 Some trappers kill
the trapped grislies with a revolver； so that it may easily be seen
that the sport is not normally dangerous。 Two of my own cowboys；
Seawell and Dow； were originally from Maine； where they had trapped a
number of black bears； and they always killed them either with a
hatchet or a small 32…calibre revolver。 One of them； Seawell； once
came near being mauled by a trapped bear； seemingly at the last gasp
which he approached incautiously with his hatchet。
There is； however； one very real danger to which the solitary bear…
trapper is exposed； the danger of being caught in his own trap。 The
huge jaws of the gin are easy to spring and most hard to open。 If any
unwary passer…by should tread between them and be caught by the leg；
his fate would be doubtful； though he would probably die under the
steadily growing torment of the merciless iron jaws； as they pressed
ever deeper into the sore flesh and broken bones。 But if caught by the
arms； while setting or fixing the trap； his fate would be in no doubt
at all； for it would be impossible for the stoutest man to free
himself by any means。 Terrible stories are told of solitary mountain
hunters who disappeared； and were found years later in the lonely
wilderness； as mouldering skeletons； the shattered bones of the
forearms still held in the rusty jaws of the gin。
Doubtless the grisly could be successfully hunted with dogs； if the
latter were trained to the purpose； but as yet this has not been done；
and though dogs are sometimes used as adjuncts in grisly hunting they
are rarely of much service。 It is sometimes said that very small dogs
are the best for this end。 But this is only so with grislies that have
never been hunted。 In such a case the big bear sometimes becomes so
irritated with the bouncing； yapping little terriers or fice…dogs that
he may try to catch them and thus permit the hunter to creep upon him。
But the minute he realizes； as he speedily does； that the man is his
real foe； he pays no further heed whatever to the little dogs； who can
then neither bring him to bay nor hinder his flight。 Ordinary hounds；
of the kinds used in the south for fox； deer； wild…cat； and black
bear； are but little better。 I have known one or two men who at
different times tried to hunt the grisly with a pack of hounds and
fice…dogs wonted to the chase of the black bear； but they never met
with success。 This was probably largely owing to the nature of the
country in which they hunted； a vast tangled mass of forest and craggy
mountain； but it was also due to the utter inability of the dogs to
stop the quarry from breaking bay when it wished。 Several times a
grisly was bayed； but always in some inaccessible spot which it took
hard climbing to reach； and the dogs were never able to hold the beast
until the hunters came up。
Still a well…trained pack of large hounds which were both bold and
cunning could doubtless bay even a grisly。 Such dogs are the big half…
breed hounds sometimes used in the Alleghanies of West Virginia； which
are trained not merely to nip a bear； but to grip him by the hock as
he runs and either throw him or twirl him round。 A grisly could not
disregard a wary and powerful hound capable of performing this trick；
even though he paid small heed to mere barking and occasional nipping。
Nor do I doubt that it would be possible to get together a pack of
many large； fierce dogs； trained to dash straight at the head and hold
on like a vise； which could fairly master a grisly and； though unable；
of course； to kill him； would worry him breathless and hold him down
so that he could be slain with ease。 There have been instances in
which five or six of the big so…called blood…hounds of the southern
Statesnot pure blood…hounds at all； but huge； fierce； ban…dogs； with
a cross of the ferocious Cuban blood…hound； to give them good scenting
powershave by themselves mastered the cougar and the black bear。
Such instances oc