Black [)car JO7.0 



otherwise disabled Bear, whicfi will fij^ht just as surely as a 

 Rat or a Chipmunk will in like conditions. 



Outside these sjiecial circumstances, there is little need 

 to fear the wild Blackbear. 



When cornered or forced to fi^^ht, it is a dangerous enemy. 

 It can disable a dog or a man with a blow of its paw. With 

 its jaws it can crush ribs and limbs. But its claws, sharp 

 and driven by muscles of far greater power than those of the 

 strongest man, are its truly terrible weapons, and, in spite of 

 current legends, we may rest satisfied that no man, however 

 powerful, if armed only with natural wea[)ons, would have the 

 slightest chance in combat with ;i full-grown Blackbear. 



Among hunters J find tlie greatest difference of opinion mi'.i.i.t- 

 regarding the Bear's intelligence. Some will tell you that '''^"'^■'^ 

 any one, with any kind of a trap, can catch a Bear. Cithers 

 maintain that the smartest Fox that ever lived is a fool to an 

 old Blackbear, and stoutly contend that a successful Bear 

 hunter and trapper has attained the acme of woodcraft. 



There are doubtless exceptional Bears, whose performances 

 have raised the trappers' opinion of the whole race. It is well 

 known also that each specialist is apt to give first place to his 

 own craft, and ascribe to his prey an intelligence that he denies 

 to creatures which he knows less about. 



There is little doubt that the Bear is high in the scale of 

 intelligence, though it cannot compare with a dog, Fox, or 

 Wolf. It is gifted with marvellous powers of smell and hearing, 

 and has a deep-rooted shyness about all things strange, or 

 doubtful, which saves it again and again from traps of various 

 kinds. Its fixed, safe, and saving motto is: 'In case of doubt, 

 run,' and it is nearly always in doubt. 



I have frequently seen a Bear at a distance of half a mile 

 cease feeding, throw up his nose as the tell-tale wind brought 

 tidings of my presence, then fly to the woods, to journey rniles 

 before again assured of peace. 



On the other hand, the Blackbear's eyes are not very good, 

 and twice on the open plains in -Manitoba I have, at broad day- 



