Old Epkraim, the Grisly Bear. 295 



he will suddenly spy a bear ; or he may see nothing after 

 the most careful search in a given place, and must then go 

 on half a dozen miles to another, watching warily as he 

 walks, and continuing this possibly for several days before 

 getting a glimpse of his game. If the bear are digging 

 roots, or otherwise procuring their food on the bare hill- 

 sides and table-lands, it is o course comparatively easy to 

 see them ; and it is under such circumstances that this 

 kind of hunting is most successful. Once seen, the actual 

 stalk may take two or three hours, the nature of the 

 ground and the direction of the wind often necessitating a 

 long circuit ; perhaps a gully, a rock, or a fallen log offers 

 a chance for an approach to within two hundred yards, 

 and although the hunter will, if possible, get much closer 

 than this, yet even at such a distance a bear is a large 

 enough mark to warrant risking a shot. 



Usually the berry grounds do not offer such favorable 

 opportunities, as they often lie in thick timber, or are 

 covered so densely with bushes as to obstruct the view ; 

 and they are rarely commanded by a favorable spot from 

 which to spy. On the other hand, as already said, bears 

 occasionally forget all their watchfulness while devour- 

 ing fruit, and make such a noise rending and tearing 

 the bushes that, if once found, a man can creep upon 

 them unobserved. 



