something has to be done to Bruin. 



Several years ago, I helped in capturing a young 

 bear who had acquired a destructive fondness for 

 the bacon and butter of some foresters. He was 

 ranirht in a pit and pulled into a crate on a wagon. 

 He was kept in this cage about a month and then 

 turned loose with a brass tag on his neck saying: 

 "Write to D. Lange, St. Paul, Minn." 



About six weeks later, I received a letter from a 

 frontier settler running something like this : 

 Dear Sir: 



"Last night I shot a bear in my cornfield and was 

 very much surprised, when my knife struck the chain 

 with your tag on it. He had been in my corn several 

 nights, so I lay for him. He was fine eating, not a 

 bit tough and gamy, but just fine, corn-fed meat. 

 Please let me know when you turn the next one loose." 



I have not had an opportunity to turn another one 

 loose, but the man who wantonly kills a bear ought 

 to be ashamed of himself. There is nothing heroic 

 about it ; it is just brutal butchery. 



If. however, you should meet a she-bear with her 

 cubs, it would be the part of wisdom to give her the 

 right-of-way. 



THE SMALL HUNTERS 



Otter, mink, fisher, marten, weasel, skunk, fox and 

 coyote are more or less common according to locality. 



Mink and weasel, although not often seen, are com- 

 mon everywhere. Marten, fisher and otter are always 

 comparatively rare. The otter makes a strange track 

 on the snow. His legs are so short that his long body 



15 



