214 The Grizzly Bear 



age when I lost sight of him. This was in the Bitter Root 

 range in Idaho. Every fall, for these twelve years, we saw 

 where this old grizzly had made his way up to the main 

 range to den up for the winter; and each succeeding 

 spring we saw his track as he again sought the lower 

 country to spend the summer among the berries and the 

 salmon. That it was the same bear I am certain, for not 

 only was his track a huge one, and not likely to be du- 

 plicated, but I have seen the bear himself many times, and 

 on several occasions could have shot him. He was, as I 

 say, full grown the first time I saw him, and there was 

 during all these years no appreciable difference in the size 

 of his track, which measured nearly fifteen inches. Each 

 fall, as we came from these hunting grounds, and made our 

 way out into Montana, we looked for the track of this 

 old monarch, and invariably saw his footprints. Where 

 he kept himself during the summer and early fall I was 

 never able to learn, as I could not, during these times, find 

 even his track. 



Dr. Hornaday, in speaking of bears in captivity, says: 

 "The bears of North America generally reach full ma- 

 turity between the ages of six and seven years. Some are 

 full grown at six years — others not until seven." 



I am inclined to believe that in the wild state grizzlies 

 do not usually reach full maturity until somewhat later. 

 I have watched several that inhabited certain localities, 

 and they, I am sure, did not reach their full growth under 

 eight years. Allowing, then, for the time it must have 

 taken this grizzly to attain his growth, and adding to this 

 the time he roamed the hills under my observation, his 

 age when I last saw him would have been beyond the 



