260 BIG GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



is early in the morning, or a short time before sundown. 

 You must make a deadly shot, or you will not get that 

 Bear, if shot near night. If the old she-Bear has to go some 

 distance to feed, she leaves her cubs in their den, and on her 

 return it is likely you may get a shot. You may find her 

 while she is tearing to ijieces rotten logs in search of insects. 



" If her cubs are with her, the chances to get a good 

 shot are better than if she is alone. The cubs are as play- 

 ful as kittens, and while they are tumbling over one 

 another, and grabbing at a bug or worm that the mother 

 has found, she is not so cautious in looking out for a 

 hunter. If she is alone, there is no animal I know that 

 is more timid and suspecting. I have seen them rolling 

 over heavy logs, tearing them to pieces, and almost at 

 every moment looking around to see if anyone was 

 approaching. At the least noise they hear, they rear 

 with their fore feet on the log, and listen intently, and then, 

 if the alarm prove false, resume their search — it was only 

 a Deer passing, too far away to be molested by them, but 

 the noise was not that of man. Perhaps it was made by 

 hogs rooting and grunting. 



"How changed is everything! They rear again uj^on 

 the log, turn their heads in every direction, to locate the 

 precise spot where the hogs are feeding. They instinctively 

 know how far off it is — they have located them. Now 

 they step along so softly that it is difficult to hear the least 

 sound of their feet; now they stop and listen again. See 

 them crouching to the ground! They have discovered that 

 the hogs are approaching, and feeding toward them. 

 They have approached sufficiently near, and, with a bound, 

 they rush forward and seize the largest. 



"The Bear never makes a mistake as to the largest and 

 fattest hog. No sooner is the hog caught than the Bear 

 begins tearing and eating the squealing victim, regardless 

 of how much it squeals, until it has gorged as long as it is 

 possible to eat, when it ambles slowly away to some dense 

 thicket, there to lie down until hunger compels it to return 

 to the remains of the hog. 



