bear sign
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bear sign noun Any indication of a bear's presence, specifically droppings, torn bushes, footprints, and other marks used by hunters to track a bear or to gauge its proximity.
1926 Hunnicutt Twenty Years 40 My brother who had just come asked me if we had found any bear signs; I told him just plenty of them. 1939 Hall Coll (Cataloochee NC) And they found no bear signs to turn loose on, so they just turned [the dogs] all loose. 1953 Hall Coll (Plott Creek NC) We had quite a time too getting our dogs through the bear sign in the orchard. 1959 Hall Coll (Newport TN) Miss McSwain or some of them axed him how he could tell bear sign. He said, "Shit and tracks, madam." 1960 Burnett My Valley 22-23 Scouts went out to locate bear signs, and wherever bears are there are plenty of signs. As he travels in search of food the bear leaves his readily recognized tracks. Overturned rocks and demolished and torn-to-pieces logs line his routes of travel. He relishes grubs and honey. He is on the lookout for yellow jacket nests, and you may see where he digs for groundhogs. He likes to add grubs and honey and fresh meat to his diet of nuts. So, if he is using a given area or territory, he is sure to leave plenty of signs.