ECHO MOUNTAIN GRIZZLY 231 



number of small traps in the camp rubbish. 

 He felt certain that if a bear with cubs should 

 be prowling near, the cubs on scenting the place 

 would rush up to investigate before they could 

 be restrained by the mother. There would be 

 little to rouse her suspicion, she doubtless having 

 smelled over many abandoned camp sites, and 

 she, too, might be trapped. 



One of this grizzly's three cubs was caught. 

 She and the two other cubs were waiting with 

 the trapped one when the trapper came on his 

 rounds, but at his appearance they made off 

 into the woods. The trapper set a large steel 

 trap and left the trapped cub as a decoy. 



The mother bear promptly returned to rescue 

 the trapped cub. In her excited efforts she 

 plunged her right forefoot into the large trap. 

 Many grizzlies appear to be right-handed, and 

 her best hand was thus caught. An old grizzly 

 is seldom trapped. But this bear, finding her- 

 self caught, did the unusual. She gnawed at 

 the imprisoned foot to get away, and finally, 

 at the reappearance of the trapper, tore herself 

 free, leaving a foot behind her in the trap. 

 She fled on three feet, driving the two cubs 

 before her. 



Then, though crippled, she returned that same 

 night to the scene where the cub was trapped. 

 Not finding it she followed the scent to the 



