CHAPTER XV. 



THE BEAR ITS NATURE AND HABITS 



I have found the favorite haunt of bears to be in 

 Lycoming county, above Pine Creek, on the head 

 waters of Larry's Creek, and on the first fork of 

 Pine Creek. I have also found them near the head 

 of Kettle Creek, Cedar Run, and Young "Woman's 

 Creek. In the month of August they were to be 

 found traveling west, and crossing Pine Creek, twen- 

 ty-four miles from the mouth, where they had a 

 beaten road that might be followed fifteen or twenty 

 miles. At that time the bears were lean and their 

 skins were worthless, we did not, therefore wish to 

 kill them. I have noticed that generally every sev- 

 enth year the bears travel west in August, and return 

 about the middle of October, but scattering wide 

 apart and paying no attention to the path. I have 

 also noticed that the winter succeeding the season 

 in which they travel west is a very hard one. In 

 severe winters ths bears retire to the holes that 

 they last occupied, whether it is ten, thirty or sixty 

 miles distant, and when started they go in a straight 

 course, not stopping for mountains, rivers or other 

 obstructions, and when one is seen traveling in a 

 direct line, without stopping, it is pretty certain thai 



