Survival Skills of Bears

[brotherbear]

Man Meets Grizzly by Young and Beyers.
By common consent, the grizzly is known as an aristocrat among animals, as much the monarch of North America as the lion is of Africa and the tiger is of Asia. He is not only the most powerful of our wild animals but also the most intelligent, and is so esteemed by three men most capable of judging him, namely, Dr. W.T. Hornaday, Enos Mills, and W,H. Wright. These authorities paid tribute to his intelligence by citing his cunning, his prowess, his adaptability to his surroundings, his choice of foods, his woodcraft, his sensibilities, his strategy of outwitting hunters, and the development of his senses, especially those of smell and hearing. Dr. Hornaday said that except for the monkey or ape, the grizzly's facial expression and general adaptability of head and body, which it uses to express its thoughts, exceed that of all other animals. Enos Mills admired the alertness of this animal, whose nose enabled it to outwit its enemies until the repeating, long-range rifle came into use. W,H. Wright, probably the greatest of the bear hunters, had a special .45 - .90 repeating rifle made for his bear hunting. He said that trailing the grizzly bear is a great challenge, one of the most difficult and demanding, for not only is the grizzly phenomenally quick to catch every sound, and not only is his sense of smell amazingly developed, but he is also unusually cunning in guarding himself against danger from the rear. Enos Mills supports this view, noting that the bear has the skill, audacity, and speed to slip around and follow interestedly along behind the individual who is trailing him. Reply