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oat fields where '' bear sign " ha3 been found. The usual and mosb 

 approved mode is to fasten a log of sufficient weight to the chain, whicli 

 the aninievl, when caught, drags after him, leaving a well defined trail 

 which can be easily followed. The hunter who follows thi-5 trail must 

 be careful that he does not come suddenly or unconsciously upon the 

 fettered animal. A few years ago an old man named John Dennisoii, 

 a former resident of Ottawa, in crossing a fallen tree, came suddenly 

 upon a large bear which was fast in a trap that he had set, and a ter- 

 rible encounter only ended with the death of both. When seized the 

 old hunter attacked the furious animal with hi? hunting knife and su(> 

 ceeded in killing him, but, unfortunately, not until he was himself 

 mortall)' lacerated. ]VIan and bear were found lying dead together. 

 This happened at Bark Lake, on the Madawaska Eiver. 



Bears are possessed of great strength and astonishing activity. I 

 knew an instance where a black bear climbed twenty feet into a tree with 

 a heavy steel trap fastened to one of his hind feet, and a log of at l(>ast 

 fifty pounds in weight attached to the chain. Dead-falls for bears are 

 frequently baited with fish, of which they are quite fond. "When food 

 is scarce on land, bears have been known to wade and swim in the 

 rivers of British Columbia and other places, for the purpose of catching 

 fish, particularly when the streams arc crowded with salmon making 

 their way inland to spawn. They are constantly seen along the coast 

 of the Island of Anticosti devouring herring spawn, which is cast up 

 there in vast quantities by the waves. The Wack bear is a good swim- 

 mer, although much slower in water than a deer. In thair rambles 

 through the woods they swim across riveis and lakes, and are often 

 killed in the water by hunters and others in canoes. Should a party 

 without a gun, an axe, or a good stout pole, encounter a bear in the 

 water, I should strongly advise them to steer clear, for, under such cir- 

 cumstances, he would prove a dangerous antagonist. I have heard it 

 said by those who have tried it, that, if a good strong pole is laid aci'oss 

 the back of a bear's neck, when he is swimming, he will instantly raise 

 his fore-paws and catch a firm ho\l of the pole on each side of his head, 

 and by this means draw his head under water and drown himself. It 

 is afiirmed that, when in this position, in water, the animal cannot 

 detach his feet from the pole. I have never had an opportunity of 



