CHAP. viii. HAUNTS AND HABITS OF THE MOOSE. 125 



fine animals were mentioned by Pere Jean de Quen, in 

 1652, in his description of the country of the Oumamiois 



a few weeks they become thin and poor, in consequence of their continual 

 roaming and their many combats. They also neglect food at this time. At 

 this period the loud bellow of the male is frequently heard and distinguished 

 by the watchful hunter at the distance of two or three miles, in the stillness 

 of the night. The males also make another noise, which, from its peculiar 

 sound, the hunters call chopping ; it is produced by forcibly bringing 

 together and separating the jaws in a peculiar and singular manner, and, as 

 its name implies, resembles the sound of an axe, used at a great distance. 

 They also emit a variety of strange sounds and cries. When they return to 

 the water they spend a great deal of time in it for a week or two, but after- 

 wards they gradually shorten their visits until the sharp frost sets in. Still 

 they occasionally come into it till ice forms an inch thick during the night. 

 Then they leave and return to the mountains, where they select their fall 

 and winter haunts, roaming about, and subsisting on the bark of small trees, 

 which they peel or gnaw off, and the twigs of the fir tree and other woods. 

 When the deep snows fall they select a spot well adapted to their wants, 

 and commence to browse and peel more closely. This is called " yarding," 

 and as the snow deepens and crusts form on its surface, they peel and break 

 down bushes and browse closely, in preference to wallowing through the 

 snow in search of choicer food. A " moose yard " frequently occupies about 

 100 acres, more or less, but the latter few weeks of the season are fre- 

 quently spent on an area of ten acres, or less. 



( The old males and females never " yard " together, but sometimes the 

 young animals are found occupying the same " yard." Still they are seldom 

 found in close company. The females and their calves frequently "yard " 

 together, the calves remaining with their mother one year. The oldest 

 males invariably yard alone, choosing some lonely knoll or mountain 

 peak, where they reside in utter solitude. Indeed, as age increases, the 

 moose becomes more solitary in his habits, avoiding th'e common resorts of 

 other moose, and frequenting some lone little pond or stream. The moose 

 of two or three years old, also, often yard alone ; but the males between the 

 ages of three and ten years are very gregarious. I have known as many as 

 nine in one yard. When hunted at this time (deep snow), they go off in 

 Indian file, each moose stepping accurately in the footprints of its prede- 

 cessor, so that any but an experienced hunter would scarcely suppose that 

 more than one moose had passed, when perhaps six or seven had gone in 

 reality. Still, when they are closely pursued, and the one that is first 

 becomes tired in consequence of having to break the way through the 

 snow that one turns out a very little, and the rest, having passed him, 

 bring up the rear. So they change in rotation, the males showing the most 

 chivalrous spirit in aiding the females or weaker ones. Sometimes, too, 

 thev break their order of troiug in awkwardly passing a tree, when hard 



