MOOSE HUNTING. 85 



semi-disgust, derives the greatest pleasure in watching 

 their wonderful powers of tracking, their sagacity in 

 finding the game, and general display of woodcraft. 



It is, perhaps, to this art of tracking or " creeping " 

 that the sport itself owes all its excitement ; and it is in 

 the lower provinces (Nova Scotia especially) that it is 

 carried out to perfection by the Indian hunters ; a race, 

 however, which, it must be regrettingly stated, is fast 

 disappearing from the country. 



In Nova Scotia the moose may not be legally shot after 

 the last day of December, and are thus protected, by the 

 absence of deep snow in the woods during the open 

 sen son, from such ruthless invasions of their restricted 

 " yards," and wanton massacres as are of frequent occur- 

 rence in New Brunswick and Lower Canada. Moose 

 hunting in the deep snows which choke the forests to- 

 wards the close of winter — the hunter being able to move 

 freely over the surface by the aid of his snow-shoes, 

 whilst the animals are huddled together, spiritless, and 

 in wretched condition — is a stupid slaughter, and 

 decidedly deserves the imputation often cast upon it, 

 that it has no more merit of sport than the being led up 

 to a herd of cattle in a farmyard. 



The light snow-storms, however, of the first winter 

 months cover the ground just sufiiciently to bring out 

 the art of creeping to its perfection, whilst the moose 

 cannot be run down, and snow shoes are never required. 

 The dense deciduous foliage of the hard woods is now all 

 remov^ed, and the woods afford clear open vistas in which 

 game may be far more readily detected than in the cover 

 of autumn ; a wounded animal seldom escapes the hunter 

 to die a lingering death ; and, lastly, there cannot be the 



