Tote guts to a bear: Never argue with skunk, mule, cook; Horse-high, bull-strong

[Charles Doyle]

Barry, your postings are extremely hard to read as they appear on my screen--larded with arcane computer codes.  But I think this antedates your listings:

B.J. Whiting's Modern Proverbs and Proverbial Sayings (1989) gives "Not fit to carry guts to a bear" (#G234) from 1938.

--Charlie

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org