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222 T H R O U G H T H E M A C K E N Z I E B A S IN
the far north, one and two, but rarely three, young are
produced at a b i r t h ; but the Indians of N e w Caledonia dist
r i c t , B r i t i s h Columbia, have assured me that two, three,
and four at a time are events there of rather frequent occurrence,
and that even as many as five have been occasionally
observed. This difference i n prolificness may be owing to
the fact that while roots and berries may ibe equally abundant
i n both sections of country, salmon are very abundant i n their
season and easily accessible i n the western spawning r i v e r s and
streams, and they, for the time, f o rm the chief i t em of diet
of the ' bears. The young u s u a l l y hibernate two seasons with
their mother, after which they are rather harshly repulsed
by her and thereby made to understand that they must set
up house and provide for themselves. This course would
indicate that they breed only every t h i r d year, while some
Athabascan Indians thought they did so each, alternate
spring. I n this connection I would mention that the C a r r i er
Indians of Stuart Lake, B r i t i s h Columbia, have t o l d me that
i t was an event of the utmost r a r i t y ( one such occurred in
the spring of 1889) to k i l l a hibernating bear w i t h unborn
young. Even when attacked i n their winter shelters, they
w i l l almost i n v a r i a b l y manage to abort the young, i f not
already i n existence, immediately on becoming aware of the
near presence of men w i t h deadly intentions. D u r i n g the
r u t t i n g season, the males of a l l bears are always more ferocious
than on other ordinary occasions. They frequently
fight together until one submits, nor w i l l they hesitate to
attack any man they may meet at such times. When bears
quit their winter quarters, they usually resort, morning and
evening, to the nearest stream and feed on the small
fish. They also eat roots, etc., as already mentioned. When
wounded they are said to utter a cry and moan i n pain
much as most men would do under similar circumstances.
T h i s is p a r t i c u l a r l y the case w i t h the black bear. They are
taken i n snares, shot, and captured i n deadfall and powerful
steel traps. The Indians themselves cannot account satis-
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| Title | Page 245 |
| OCR | 222 T H R O U G H T H E M A C K E N Z I E B A S IN the far north, one and two, but rarely three, young are produced at a b i r t h ; but the Indians of N e w Caledonia dist r i c t , B r i t i s h Columbia, have assured me that two, three, and four at a time are events there of rather frequent occurrence, and that even as many as five have been occasionally observed. This difference i n prolificness may be owing to the fact that while roots and berries may ibe equally abundant i n both sections of country, salmon are very abundant i n their season and easily accessible i n the western spawning r i v e r s and streams, and they, for the time, f o rm the chief i t em of diet of the ' bears. The young u s u a l l y hibernate two seasons with their mother, after which they are rather harshly repulsed by her and thereby made to understand that they must set up house and provide for themselves. This course would indicate that they breed only every t h i r d year, while some Athabascan Indians thought they did so each, alternate spring. I n this connection I would mention that the C a r r i er Indians of Stuart Lake, B r i t i s h Columbia, have t o l d me that i t was an event of the utmost r a r i t y ( one such occurred in the spring of 1889) to k i l l a hibernating bear w i t h unborn young. Even when attacked i n their winter shelters, they w i l l almost i n v a r i a b l y manage to abort the young, i f not already i n existence, immediately on becoming aware of the near presence of men w i t h deadly intentions. D u r i n g the r u t t i n g season, the males of a l l bears are always more ferocious than on other ordinary occasions. They frequently fight together until one submits, nor w i l l they hesitate to attack any man they may meet at such times. When bears quit their winter quarters, they usually resort, morning and evening, to the nearest stream and feed on the small fish. They also eat roots, etc., as already mentioned. When wounded they are said to utter a cry and moan i n pain much as most men would do under similar circumstances. T h i s is p a r t i c u l a r l y the case w i t h the black bear. They are taken i n snares, shot, and captured i n deadfall and powerful steel traps. The Indians themselves cannot account satis- |
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