THE BEAR 



sess an abundant supply of patience, for, barring 

 lucky accidents, no one can reasonably hope to 

 outwit Bruin at the first attempt. 



The end of their hibernation depends largely 

 on the weather, but about March or April bears 

 frequent snowless slopes and gulches in search of 

 roots, bulbs, and similar food, and it is there one 

 must look for signs at that time. If a cold 

 spell interrupts the spring weather, as is often 

 the case, a trail, sometimes a week old, will often 

 lead the hunter to a near-by thicket where Bruin 

 has made himself a bed on the ground, with the 

 intention of sleeping until another thaw. He 

 usually changes his bed every two or three days, 

 but ordinarily will not leave the thicket unless he 

 is disturbed. If a bear is found to be in such a 

 thicket, the hunter should curb his impatience and 

 suspend following up the trail until the snow gets 

 soft, when he can work carefully against the 

 wind toward his quarry. However, as it is usu- 

 ally impossible to see farther than ten or twenty 

 feet ahead, Bruin has, in this kind of hunting, 

 much the best of the hunter, and the latter finds 

 in most cases an empty bed. 



76 



