398 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



persecution of man still abounds as far east as the provinces of 

 Quebec and Ontario ; is reported to exist in large numbers on 

 the head- waters of the Clear Water River, in Idaho ; is found in 

 Montana and Wyoming, and flourishes exceedingly in the 

 North-Western portions of British Columbia as well as in the 

 adjoining territory of Alaska. 



With great wisdom the Legislatures both of Canada and 

 the States have taken the moose under their protection, but the 

 great deer would be in no danger of extermination even if the 

 law had overlooked him, as he has haunts still remote, and 

 except in deep snow can take very fair care of himself ; indeed, 

 even as lately as 1887 I could have killed seven bull moose in 

 six days' hunting in Ontario had I been butcher enough to do 

 so, whilst in 1891 I saw two canoes (big freight canoes) come 

 down loaded with magnificent moose horns from a district 

 where almost the only residents are a few Siwashes (Indians) 

 and some Chinese miners ! Where Chinese kill game, game 

 must be fairly plentiful still. 



Although as big as a haystack, the moose is not quite as 

 easy to hit, nor is he everybody's ' meat.' His favourite haunts 

 are the dense thickets round lakes and about river-bottoms, 

 the dark balsam groves, hardwood hills, and brule patches 

 of Ontario, and wherever the lily pads, moose wood, swamp 

 maple, alder bushes, coarse grasses or mosses upon which he 

 feeds are most luxuriant. 



By some strange fatality, wherever things are most con- 

 venient for the moose they appear to be least convenient for 

 the hunter. The scrub over which the moose looks without 

 raising his ugly head closes over and drowns the unfortunate 

 biped who tries to follow him ; the fallen trees and huge logs 

 which the moose takes comfortably in his stride must be 

 climbed by the hunter, and yet, in spite of his size, when the 

 big bull has answered your call and has come crashing through 

 the alder and swamp tea to within twenty yards of you, he is 

 likely enough to halt in the shadow, detect the fraud, and steal 

 away without a sound. 



