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 
