88 BEARS

they do, for only very short periods. On the other hand,
in the northern interior they may go to their dens as early
as the end of October and not come out again until April.
Grizzlies stay out later than the black species, and are
also later in putting in an appearance in the spring.

Black bear are very particular about their winter
residences, and often will spend a lot of time picking out
a suitable place and fitting up a snug retreat. It may
happen that a hollow tree will answer the purpose, but
they are more partial to a tunnel dug in the bank of a dry
gulch. If it is easy ground to dig in they may burrow in
seven or eight feet, and then make a regular nest, which
they line with plenty of leaves and moss. While I have
found a number of black bear dens, never once have I
come across a den that I could be positive was made by
a grizzly, or met anybody who had killed one in a den.
It is extremely doubtful whether they prepare places to
hibernate in. All indications point to their not doing so,
but suggest that they just pick out a sheltered place,
such as a thicket of balsams, a pile of fallen trees, or
the cover of overhanging rocks, where they lie down and
let the snow fall over them.

Though I have killed nine black bears in their dens,
every one of them was of the male sex. Probably the
females choose more inaccessible places to lie up in and
give birth to their young.

In the depth of winter the bears are in a very comatose
state, so that it sometimes takes a lot of prodding with
poles, or several shots fired, to induce them to take any
interest in the proceedings, and even then, if you do
persuade them to come out, it is likely that they will
still be half asleep. Towards spring they become more
wakeful, and usually, before they leave their dens for
good, take several preliminary jaunts to find out what the
weather is like.

Both black and grizzly bears are a strange mixture of
wariness and absolute lack of caution. When they are
on the “ slides”? in spring, or feeding on salmon in the
autumn, they are extremely wary—particularly the