The Moose 259 



Two hunters with whom I was well acquainted 

 once wintered between the Wind River Mountains 

 and the Three Tetons, many years ago, in the days 

 of the buffalo. They lived on game, killing it on 

 snowshoes; for the most part wapiti and deer, but 

 also bison, and one moose, though they saw others. 

 The wapiti bulls kept their antlers two months 

 longer than the moose; nevertheless, when chased 

 they rarely made an effort to use them, while the 

 hornless moose displayed far more pugnacity, and 

 also ran better through the deep snow. The winter 

 was very severe, the snows were heavy and the 

 crusts hard; so that the hunters had little trouble 

 in overtaking their game, although being old 

 mountain-men, and not hide hunters they killed 

 only what was needed. Of course in such hunting 

 they came very close to the harried game, usually 

 after a chase of from twenty minutes to three 

 hours. They found that the ordinary deer would 

 scarcely charge under any circumstances ; that among 

 the wapiti it was only now and then that individuals 

 would turn upon their pursuers though they some- 

 times charged boldly; but that both the bison and 

 especially the moose, when worried and approached 

 too near, would often turn to bay and make charge 

 after charge in the most resolute manner, so that 

 they had to be approached with some caution. 



Under ordinary conditions, however, there is very 

 little danger, indeed, of a moose charging. A 



