334 WESTERN GRAZING GROUNDS AND FOREST RANGES 



their extermination the losses of cattle in that vicinity 

 from wolves ceased. 



The average litter of a wolf is between eight and ten, 

 so that they increase with tremendous rapidity, if al- 

 lowed to breed. 



Bears. Bruin, which is probably considered one of the 

 worst of all predatory animals, is more the victim of a 

 bad name than of its own acts. While there are cases 

 where bears are responsible for the death of cattle and 

 sheep, as a general thing, considering their numbers, they 

 do not do any great damage. Here and there a bear 

 will be found that, like a sheep-killing dog, has learned 

 the taste of mutton or pork, and makes heavy forays on 

 the stockman's herd. 



Occasionally a cow will be found deep in some moun- 

 tain canyon which, by the signs, has undoubtedly been 

 pulled down by some bear, and a few mouthfuls taken 

 from her flank or legs ; but these are individual cases and 

 not general. The sheepman is often damaged by a bear 

 that comes snuffing about the corral some night, more 

 likely looking for something in the camp than anything 

 else. Its strong animal odor fills the air and the fright- 

 ened sheep stampede across the pen and pile up in their 

 mad rush and smother one another. 



It is unfair to class the bear as a predatory animal in 

 any sense, especially the black and brown bear, which 

 do little harm either to man or beast, beyond robbing 

 some camper's outfit of sugar and bacon. Apart from 

 the giant grizzly, the average western stockman does not 

 believe in classing bear as pests to be slaughtered as fast 

 as possible, but he is willing to have them preserved 

 and hunted as game animals. 



The grizzly is of course a dangerous animal, to be 



