WAYS OF THE GRIZZLY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 746, 19 February 1910, Page 14

WAYS OF THE GRIZZLY.

4 — ' AS A QUARRY, A FOE, AND A HUNTER. . , If we were to.believo all ol the .writers who have dealt with tho grizzly this animal would seem to have been well named. But it is n't necessary to abandon the traditional idea, that "he is the enemy of man and literally; thirsts' for human blood." So, at least, we are told by Mr. William Wright, the great American hunter, in his new book just published by Scribner., Mr. Wright has studied his subject at close quarters for manj'.. years. He does. not underestimate tho grizzly's resources as. a fighter.' But ho has not found him : justifying his reputation' for ferocity., The grizzly will fight, if he must, and then he.will fight like a demon, ' using- tremendous : strength, but as a matter of fact he does not seek encounters with man. It is only when ho is placed on the defensive that he shows himself swift;in conflict.' He is chiefly remarkable, according' to Mi.' Wright, for an alert, wariness.. -Doubtless 6ome .instances of wanton viciousness might; be cited; .The. author does not reject the possibility. But his experience serves to explode- once for. all tho legend of . the grizzly as an unspcakablo portent.

Mr; Wright notes,, too, that the.animal does not possess the phenomenal vitality which has so often, been. attributed to it. If- some of the old hunters had possessed our. modern weapons, and had,known just where to , land their bullets, they never would have' dreamed. of regarding the grizzly as desperately hard to kill.-From the numerous hunting episodes related in this, book!"wo gather that .when skilfully, shot; the grizzly .collapses /with, all tho promptitude in the .world. ',* , . Intensely, interesting are those pages in which , Mr'. ' Wright minutely - exposes . .the characteristics ' and' habits'. of,; his;'. bear. There, is something, curious about the' colouraKon .of.'the'beast; " Mr. .Wright has seen grizzlies in all" shades, "ranging from almost jet;black, , through, browns'-'and creams, .to practipally, snow white." . The bear has no. "typical" colour. It grows, by the way, .to, a great size,.and'is often ot: enormous weight; but its cubs at' birth aro" almost ~ fantastically ' small.. - Mr; Wright notes that the "wee little, chaps" ■are' really no larger...than the.. common squirrel.

Mr. Wright's .book ' contains , inkumerable, other ...bright; details. 'An interestingpio'turo is ,' drawn of : the. grizzly' • catching his own salmon:— -'

The:.grizzly, usually sits on;.the, bank of the stream and' watches the riffles over .which the-salmon try. to forco their way. ~He will wait quietly,-enough-.until the salmon - is ' about ; hg-lf. way < up ■ the riffle .'and'struggling in its efforts to make the ascent.- Then, ho will make a quick ; dash, and, with.,one sweep of. his .huge paw, will send a showeri of .water ten feet into the air, in the midst of which ivill be seen a salmon sailing toward th« cieek baTik and landing, many times, ton or. twenty feet, boyond.. Then the boar hurriedDy .makes for.- tho ,6horo, ■ and, if hungry, eats the fish. - If he. has alreadyhad his fill, he will ,101 l it,,lay it down, and, returning, wait for p.nother. ;I have seen one bear catch soventeen salmon in this manner, before stopping, and ho than carefully ■ piled them. together ■ ttnd buried them .for. future-use. . .'■■■•'■

"Soinetianes a bear will. sit'on/a. loj. jam and.;watch for the fish-to'swim out from under, the logs. . When, onp comes he will,, with. a. sweep .of his paw, send - it. flying! to ;the; hank. ;I have often scon them fishing/in. this way, lying on-a log, with- one paw-hanging an /tho'. water, and it .-is- wonderful, how' many; Salmon they will fling out.''-Once.l 'saw five old 'griz-'; zlies fishing: from one'log jam. ' Indeed, I' havo watched, for • hours along; .these streams, and some of the. pleasantest ments of my hunting, trips have been' fx) spent;- but while' I obuld have .killed many a'bear in this way, I have never killed but ■ thi'to." '."'

Mr. Wright also Wis us how the'bear goes after itho; _f6oa : 'that' i 'li6 , * s is , ''tb' devour -before "denning up" for : the winter. He 1 digs out the ■ hibernating ro-dents,''-and, a 1 whistling marmot or gopher- is. a-little oroature, offering' but a trifling meal to a gigantic bear, the.latter will, work Ihis -way down to a burrow, with an expenditure 6f energy at once' comic', and. appalling. .Sprakinff ..of the holes in the mountain sides thus created, Mr. '.Wright I 'says he has seen them from eight to'-ten feet'deep, and twelve or fifteen feet long. . Following up one beax ..that "was 1 after • marmots, -the author discovered that "the hole ho had dug was larger than miners are amraally. required to excavate' in order to hold a mining - claim." . ' .v •■■' •