THE MOOSE, OR ELK. S9 



As the winter approaches, the cows, with the young bulls 

 and calves, congregate in small parties on the open "barrens" 

 and hill-sides. When the snow comes thickly down, they form 

 what is called a yard ; and in Canada, where its depth is 

 very great, they have to remain in it during the whole winter, 

 feeding round the area on the young wood of deciduous trees. 

 In Nova Scotia, however, they migrate to other localities, 

 when they have consumed the more tempting portions of 

 food in the yard. In the morning and afternoon they are 

 found feeding, or chewing the cud ; but at noon, when they 

 lie down, they are difficult to approach, as they are then on 

 the alert, employing their wonderful faculties of scent and 

 hearing to detect the faintest taint or sound in the air, which 

 might indicate the approach of danger. The snapping of a 

 little twig, the least collision of a rifle with a branch, or 

 crunching of the snow under the mocassins, will suffice to 

 arouse them. Curiously enough, however, they are not alarmed 

 by any sound, even the loudest, to which they have been 

 accustomed. The hunter has, therefore, to approach the 

 yard with the greatest possible caution, in order to get a 

 shot. 



We will, however, start off on a moose hunt, in autumn, 

 with a practical Indian hunter. The air of the autumnal 

 night is frosty and bracing. The moose are moving rapidly 

 from place to place. Night is drawing on. The last flutter- 

 ing of the aspens dying away, leaves that perfect repose in the 

 air which is so necessary to the sport. The moon rises, shed- 

 ding a broad and silvery light through the forest. Mysterious 

 sounds greet our ears. The Indian hunter is provided with 

 his trumpet of birch bark, in the form of a cone, about two 

 feet in length. He shelters himself behind the edge of the 



