MOOSE HUNTING AND CALLING. 189 



which respect he differs from the caribou, who, once his 

 suspicions are aroused, heads away at his mile-eating 

 gait, and travels for hours and even days. 



The movements of moose in bulk are slow so slow 

 that it takes as long as thirty years for a country to 

 become well stocked. Thus in the old days, before 

 legislation of a protective nature was thought of, the 

 moose were entirely killed out in certain districts. The 

 slaughter was committed in the winter, when the deer 

 had "yarded," at which time the old bulls will offer 

 battle if disturbed. Little chance had they against the 

 Indian or trapper with his muzzle-loader, who, having 

 discovered the beaten paths between the high walls of 

 snow, set to work and shot them down in cold blood for 

 the price of their pelts, the horns being abandoned, and 

 the meat left to feed bear, bird, and wolf, while their 

 slayer sought the settlement. In this manner the moose 

 were killed out, and for many years the great hunting- 

 grounds of the 'fifties remained deserted. Now, thanks 

 to the enforcement of laws more or less adequate, the 

 moose are finding their way back to their old haunts. 

 First one bull is seen, then a couple of years later two 

 or three, so that if the country is not much disturbed 

 each year shows a slow increase, until the district may 

 at length be classed as re-populated. 



However, we have wandered far from the period just 

 antecedent to the " first snow," when the floor of the 

 woods is like a vast sounding-board that carries timely 

 warning to the huge ears of A Ices americanus. Thus 

 light frosts and still days followed the evening which 

 has been described, with occasionally a little wind at 

 sunset the very worst weather for our purpose so that 

 though we hunted by day, and evening found us at the 



