written and said of bear raising from
their hind feet to attract people's attention who chanced to come in
their way when in the woods. I have never seen a bear raise on his
hind feet for battle, in any case, when a hunter or trapper
approaches them. I have often seen them sit upon their haunches to
listen when they heard a noise and were not sure of its origin.

As to the number of bear at the present time and forty or fifty years
ago, through Northern and Central Pennsylvania, there seems to be
about as many now as there were then. This I attribute to the fact
that much of the country in other localities has been cleared up and
thus deprived bruin of his natural haunts.

Forty years ago,--in the early 70's--it was customary then as now, to
keep tab on trappers as to what they were doing along the trap line.
Trappers of years ago would average from three to twelve bears,
according to how plenty they were and to what the condition of the
weather was.

It often happens that when bear are plenty on the trapper's trapping
grounds, he does not have the best of luck in taking the game. If
shack is very plentiful it is sometimes difficult to get the bear to
take ordinary bait. The bear will also den up or go into hibernation
much quicker if they get fat, than they will if shack is a little
scarce so that they do not get quite so fleshy. If the bears get real
fleshy early in the season they will den up at the approach of the
first cold and freezing weather and sleep until spring. On the other
hand, if the bear continues to be a little lean, as he generally is
during the summer, he will continue to search for food during quite
severe weather. They will leave winter quarters and come out in
search of food when there are a few warm days, or a slight thaw,
which they will rarely do if they go into the den in good flesh.

The bear is not like the raccoon. Their rutting season in this
latitude is in August and not in February and March as with the
raccoon and groundhog. Now all of these conditions has much to do
with the number of bears that a trapper may get during a season. The
number of bear taken in Pennsylvania by the average trapper at the
present time and forty years ago may be slightly less now than then
but the difference is not great.

There are more bear trappers today than forty years ago. During the
months of October and November, 1909, there were nearly one hundred
bears caught in traps and killed with dogs in th