DEER FAMILY 



winter. In Maine and lower Canada it feeds 

 extensively in the summer on pond lilies and 

 other plants in the marshy lakes ; sometimes 

 when feeding in a pond or lake it will go com- 

 pletely under the water and out of sight after its 

 favorite lily root. In the forests it feeds on 

 moss and lichens and on the twigs, leaves, and 

 bark of certain trees, such as willows, alders, 

 and aspens. It is a powerful swimmer, and is 

 especially fond of wading in shallow water. 



The Moose is usually monogamous, and the 

 mating season begins in September. The bulls 

 at this time become absolutely reckless, and do 

 battle royal for possession of the cow. The clash- 

 ing of their antlers may sometimes be heard a 

 mile off. The bulls seek the cows, uttering con- 

 tinually a short, loud roar, which can be heard 

 at a distance of two or three miles ; the cows now 

 and then respond with low, plaintive bellows. 

 Hunters and photographers of the Moose sum- 

 mon the animal to them by imitating the call of 

 the bull, on a horn made of birch bark. It has 

 been a disputed question as to whether this call 

 really deludes the Moose. The calves are born 

 in May and usually remain with the cow till the 

 second year. One or two at a birth is the usual 

 number, very occasionally there are tri])lets. 



An eye-witness to a fight between two bull 

 Moose gives (in Field and Stream) the follow- 

 ing vivid description of the contest : " For a 

 brief space they eyed each other with lowered 

 heads, pawing the ground savagely meanwhile. 

 The great ears hugged the bristling necks. Slowly 

 they approached each other like two trained 

 wrestlers waiting for an opening. Suddenly the 

 gray bull with lowered antlers charged at a dis- 

 tance of ten yards. The other, not a whit behind 

 his rival in courage, sprang to meet the onslaught. 

 So evenly matched were they in size and strength 

 that at the terrific impact each was hurled back 

 and almost upon his haunches. The gray Moose 

 was the first to recover himself. Again their 

 antlers crashed together, resounding far through- 

 out the quiet moonlit woods. 



" It now became a test of strength. The first 

 to give way would surely lose the fight, for once 

 started backwards his hinderparts would sooner 

 or later come in contact with some obstacle that 

 would cause him to swerve, when the other 

 would have a chance at his unprotected side. 



" The earth spurted up from their straining 

 cloven feet, yet not a sound was made bv either 

 other than the tramping and labored breathing. 

 With a deep knowledge of the game they strove 

 to keep head-on. Around and around they 



struggled until the grass and leaves were 

 trampled out of sight. At last in one of these 

 evolutions the rump of the stranger struck 

 against a tree, preventing him from swinging to 

 keep in line with his antagonist. The neck 

 muscles, though tremendously powerful, could 

 not hold his adversary. He struggled to recover 

 himself but without avail. The tree that had 

 been his ruin prevented him from leaping side- 

 ways and thus escape the onslaught. The ant- 

 lers of the gray Moose slipped around his neck, 

 one of them catching him forward of the 

 shoulder, and the other just back of it. With a 



Photograph by G. W. Vissi : 



MOOSE SWIMMING 



The Moose is not so pugnacious wlien in the water, and this one 

 was snapped while busily getting away from a canoe 



surge the gray Moose drove his antlers home. 

 Nothing that lived could withstand that fierce 

 vindictive thrust. Through hair and hide and 

 flesh those terrible points sank. The stranger 

 reared to avoid the shock. That action, together 

 with the tremendous lifting stroke, threw him 

 with a crash full upon his back. As he went 

 over the curved points ripped out of the wounds, 

 lacerating the flesh. The lungs were pierced, but 

 he struggled to his knees, and while in that 

 defenseless position the gray Moose struck him 

 full in the side in a maddened charge. As he 

 made no motion to rise the gray Moose drew 

 off and watched him for a moment, then turned 

 to where the cow stood, who had been apparently 

 an uninterested spectator of the fight." 



The Moose has several enemies, among them 

 being the Bear, the Cougar (the most dangerous 

 where both animals are at all plentiful), and the 

 big Timber Wolf. Man, of course, is its most 

 dreaded foe, though owing to the excellent game 



