1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 187 



commodity. The size of the animal, also, militates against its chances 

 of escape if once it is preceived by the hunter, and the largeness of its 

 tracks renders it comparatively easy to follow up. 



The bull moose is polygamous and a vicious fighter during the rut- 

 ting season, which commences, as a rule, in November, though apparently 

 not so disposed at other periods of the year, for in the summer months 

 in localities where moose are abundant, grown bulls are to be seen graz- 

 ing and drinking together in complete amity. The cows herd shortly 

 before the rutting season commences and remain with the bulls during 

 the winter months, but separate before the calf is born and remain alone 

 with the calf until the following rutting season approaches. It would 

 appear that in the majority of cases but one calf is born to a cow. A 

 curious feature is the apparent nomadic propensity of the moose. Some 

 areas, which once contained moose in abundance, and where there is no 

 apparent reason for their disappearance, are now almost destitute of 

 them, while others, which some few years ago the moose was not known 

 to inhabit, harbor at the present time considerable numbers. How far 

 the presence of the caribou and deer affect the moose it has been impos- 

 sible to determine, but it would seem that in certain instances, at least, 

 the appearance of the moose in numbers has been coincident with the 

 disappearance of the caribou from the locality, and that the appearance 

 of deer in numbers has been followed by a marked diminution in the 

 numbers of moose, although, of course, there are instances of localities 

 in which two, or even all three, varieties are to be found. 



As pointed out in the Interim Eeport of this Commission, one of the 

 principal difficulties in connection with tjie perpetuation of big game is 

 removed by the prohibition of the slaughter of flic female. Most par- 

 ticularly so is this the case when the males arc polygamous. The de- 

 struction of a cow or doe entails a loss of reproductive capacity far in 

 excess of that caused through the death of a bull, for the duties of the 

 bull will be performed by another of his sex, even though such other be 

 required to attend to several cows or does, whereas the function of the 

 cow or doe can be replaced by no other of its sex. As an illustration of 

 the effectiveness of saving the females from the liunter, where this law 

 is rigidly enforced in common with other laws and restrictions in re- 

 gard to seasons and numbers, it is interesting to note that in New Bruns- 

 wick it is an established fact that there are actually more moose to-day 

 in spite of the increased population and in spite of the inevitable 

 encroachments of civilization than there were two centuries ago. The 

 restriction against the killing of cows or does is objected to by some per- 

 sons on the gi-ounds that it initerferes with nature's arrangements for the 

 maintenance of good stock. It is claimed that the majority of hunters 

 go nftev the head; that the proportion of the finest bulls — that is, those 

 presumably best for breeding purposes — killed is therefore high; and 

 that the percentage of bulls slaughtered is in any event greater than that 

 of cows. This argument would not appear to be valid in so far, at least. 



