Hibernation takes place in late autumn, usually after the first light snows. Evidently the animals have a den already located, for when they feel the urge to retire they strike out across country to it. The same winter quarters often will be used by one individual for several seasons. Dens are chosen in a variety of locations. They may be in old hollow logs or in the bases of fire-gutted trees. Some are in crevices among huge boulders, others in caves. The main concern seems to be to find a place sheltered from the wind and snow. If the floor happens to be covered with chips or leaves, so much the better. It usually is, either from air currents which bring in falling leaves or through the labors of woodrats which deposit much litter in such places. The bears curl up on the floor, and after the first heavy snow there is nothing to mark the spot. In the case of a small den, such as a cavity in the base of a tree, an airhole may form in the drift from the warmth of the animal’s respiration.
The cubs are born in late winter. From one to four in number, they are incredibly small at birth. They develop rather slowly and at the time the family emerges from the den are approximately 18 inches long. The cubs may all be one color or some may be brown and some black. The male bear has no part in raising the family; indeed, he is driven from the scene by the irate mother, should he approach too closely. She has all the responsibility for raising the family, and a busy time is assured with such mischievous, carefree youngsters.
One of the first lessons learned by young cubs is that of obedience. The mother insists on compliance with her every command, and enforces her authority with a heavy paw. It is fortunate the cubs are sturdily built, for some of the slaps they receive in the course of an average day’s instruction would kill a less durable animal. The first haven of refuge when danger threatens is in the trees. A special command note and a slap or two sends them hustling. Now the cubs are out of the way and the decks cleared for action, so to speak. The cubs will remain in the trees until the mother lets them know they may come down. This is not a time of boredom for the youngsters, however. Expert climbers, they carry on the same games and rough play indulged on the ground, with never a fall. Their confidence in the trees is amazing. It is not unusual to see a cub sound asleep on the end of a 20-foot branch that is bending down with its weight and swaying in the wind. As the months go on the cubs begin to lose their juvenile ways. By autumn, they have put on enough fat to last the winter. They usually hibernate with the mother, since they remain with her for well over a year. During the following summer they are well able to take care of themselves, and the mother deserts them.
It is normal, rather than unusual, among black bears to breed only every other year. The youngsters usually do not breed until about three years old.
No account of this bear would be complete without mention of the so-called “bear trees.” These are trees situated at the crossroads, that is, near the intersections of bear trails or otherwise prominently located. When a bear encounters one, it stands up and scratches at the bark with its front claws as high as it can reach. Sometimes it will also bite at the bark. Bears have been observed rubbing the sides of their jaws against the bark. Whether this is a way of leaving their scent is not known. It is thought this may be a way of communication with others of the species, but this has not been definitely proven. Many of the trees chosen for this purpose in mountains of the Southwest have been aspens. The heavy black furrows left in the white bark will persist until the death of the tree. Often they are the only evidence that bears have ever been in the locality.
Another custom which will be observed very early in one’s experience with bears is the scratching that goes on. It may be due in part to the presence of ectoparasites, but the bear takes such an obvious satisfaction in scratching that, one feels, this must be only incidental. Trees, posts, rocks, and claws are all employed for this purpose. Some of the smaller trees often suffer severe damage from the treatment accorded them.
My cautious attitude toward bears is a result of early experiences with them, ranging from humorous to tragic, and probably best typified by an incident which took place near Yellowstone Park in the late 1920s. I was on my first trip into the Rockies at the time and hired out on a construction job at an isolated dude ranch. Horses were being used, and their supplies, including a considerable store of oats, were kept in a large tent adjacent to that in which some of the employees slept. On the previous night a bear had gained access to the supply tent, torn open a number of oat sacks, and wasted more of the grain than it had eaten. The foreman, an old-time packer in the Park, vowed vengeance on the bear. That night when he went to bed he leaned a small, double-bitted axe against the entrance to the tent. During the night I awoke as the foreman went out the entrance in his underwear. A partial moon shed a weak light over the scene and revealed the foreman entering the other tent with the axe in his hand. A short silence was followed by a heavy splat, a tremendous grunt, and some frenzied shouts. The supply tent heaved violently, went down, and split open as the bear hurtled out and through the woods toward the creek. When order had been restored it transpired that the foreman had stolen up to the bear, which had its back to him, and had struck it across the rump as hard as he could with the flat of the axe. The element of surprise apparently was all in his favor because the startled bear charged directly away from him into the far end of the tent. Although in this instance no injuries were suffered, it has always seemed that this was an extremely foolhardy thing to do. Although one of the most laughable happenings I have ever seen, it also had all the elements of a possible tragedy.
Grizzly bear
Ursus horribilis (Latin: a bear ... horrible)
Range: Alaska, western Canada, and in the United States confined to the high mountains of the Continental Divide as far south as northern New Mexico.