Zoological Explorations. 243 



learned to fear the report of a gun. If the hunter can keep 

 himself concealed, he may get several shots at the same ani- 

 mal before it realizes the situation. A moose will sometimes 

 stand and unconcernedly look at a man for some moments, if 

 the latter is to the leeward and remains motionless. At the 

 slightest movement, however, the huge brute is off in a 

 twinkling. 



During a wind-storm these animals often "get crazy" as 

 the Indians sav. That is, they wiU start to run and keep 

 going, not in any particular direction, but hither and thither, 

 as if they had actualh* lost their senses. When thev once 

 commence this sort of performance, the Indian hunter refuses 

 to attempt to trail them, regarding it as a waste of time. At 

 such times the senses of the moose seem unusuall}* acute, and 

 although branches may be breaking all around them bv the 

 force of the wind, they are said to instantl}'' detect the snap- 

 ping of a twig under a hunter's foot. 



The oft repeated story of the manner in which the moose 

 attempts to elude the hunter is corroborated by every Indian 

 I have talked with. Briefly, it is as follows: 



The moose, after finishing his browsing for the day, betakes 

 himself to the deep woods or muskeg, and having penetrated 

 some distance, will make a long circuit leeward, and come 

 back to within a short distance of his own trail where he lies 

 down, thus making it sure that he will get the scent of any 

 one following on his trail. The hunter, knowing this ingen- 

 ious ruse, will, upon finding that the trail is quite fresh, make 

 long detours to the leeward, until he finally strikes the loop 

 made in the trail b}* the moose before lying down, and thus 

 get the wind of his game. 



The Cree hunter always cuts out the liver, heart and as 

 much of the other viscera as he can carry, immediately after 

 the moose is killed. This is eaten, often raw, the first 

 thing after reaching camp, no salt even being used. This 

 eating of the viscera seems to partake of the nature of a 

 religious ceremony. To allow a dog to eat a portion of the 

 heart of a moose is bad luck, and a friend of mine seriouslv 



