6S Moose Deer, — Alces Americand. 



Sir Jolin Richardson states that iu the more northern part of Nort^ 

 America the Moose is a very solitary animal, more than one seldom being 

 seen at a time unless during the autumn. *' It has the sense of hearing in 

 very great perfection and is the most shy and wary of all the deer-species, 

 and on this account the art of moose-hunting is looked upon as the greatest 

 of an Indian's acquirements, particularly by the Crees, who take to them- 

 selves the credit of being able to instruct the hunters of every other tribe. — 

 The skill of a moose-hunter is most tried in the early part of the winter ; for 

 during the summer the moose, as well as other animals, are so much tormen- 

 ted by musquitoes that they become regardless of the approach of man. In 

 the winter the hunter tracks the moose by its foot-marks in the snow, and it 

 is necessary that he should keep constantly to leeward of the chase and make 

 his advances with the utmost caution, for the rustling of a withered leaf or 

 the cracking of a rotten twis' is sufficient to alarm the watchful beast. The 

 difficulty of approach is increased by a habit which the moose-deer has of 

 making daily a starp turn in its route, and choosing a place of repose sa 

 near some part of its path that it can hear the least noise made by one that 

 attempts to track it. To avoid this the judicious hunter, instead of walking 

 iu the animal's footsteps, forms his judgment from the appearance of the 

 country of the direction it is likely to have taken, and makes a circuit to 

 leeward until he again finds the track. This manceuvre is repeated until he 

 discovers, by the softness of the snow in the foot-marks and other signs, that 

 he is very near the chase. He then disencumbers himself of everything that 

 might embarrass his motions, and makes his approach in the most cautious 

 manner. If he gets close to the animal's lair without being seen, it is usual 

 for him to break a small twig, which alarming the moose, it instantly starts 

 up, but not fully aware of the danger squats on its hams and voids its urine 

 preparatory to setting off. In this posture it presents the fau-est mark, and 

 the hunter's shot seldom fails to take effect in a mortal part. In the au- 

 tumn the bucks lay aside their timidity, and attack every animal that comes 

 in their way, and even conquer their fear of man himself. The hunters then 

 bring them within gun-shot by scraping on the blade-bone of a deer and by 

 whistling, which, deceiving the male, he blindly hastens to the spot to assail 

 his supposed rival. If the hunter fails in giving it a mortal wound as it 

 approaches, he shelters himself from its fury behind a tree, and I have heard 

 of several instances in which the enraged animal has completely strijiped the 

 bark from the trunk of a large tree by striking with its fore feet. 



" The flesh of the moose is very good, though the grain is coai-se, and 

 it is much tougher than any other kind of venison. The nose is most excel- 

 lent, and as is also the tongue, but by ho means so fat and delicate as that of 

 the common deer (caribou.) The fat of the intestines is hard, like suet ; 

 but all the external fat is soft, Hke that of a breast of mutton, and when put 

 into a bladder is as fine as marrow. In this they differ from all the other 

 species of the deer, of which the external fat is as hard as that of the kidnies." 



The skin of the moose deer, when properly dressed, makes very good 

 moccassins, mittens, leggins, and other articles useful m a cold climate 



