IN THE FAR WEST. 205 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE MOOSE. 



The moose Its range in the West Its form, haunts, and habits Tlio 

 rutting season Cries of the animal How males arc lured within rifle 

 range Calling as an art How to make a call The best callers 

 Young bulls easily inveigled The best time for calling The moose 

 as a browser Difficulties in stalking it Acuteness of its nose and ears 

 How experienced hunters quarter the ground Its haunts in summer 

 Hunting it in winter Dogs and snow-shoes The European and 

 American species How the latter can be domesticated Hide-hunters 

 A moose-hunt and its result A charge Lost in the forest Trying 

 to find camp A welcome moose call Rescued A hunt on snow-shoes 

 Episodes Number of moose killed Difference in si/.e and habits be- 

 tween the eastern and western species Large antlers Moose-hunting 

 as an art. 



THE moose (Alee americanus], which is fast disappearing from 

 its haunts in the Atlantic States and Canada, is still common 

 beyond the Rocky Mountains, being- found from British 

 America to the mountains of Central Idaho, while it is very 

 abundant in Alaska. It does not, in all probability, move 

 further south than the 48th parallel of latitude, as I never 

 heard of it in Oregon, and but very little in Washington 

 Territory. The Lumni Indians, in the north-western portion 

 of this Territory, say that it was formerly quite common in 

 their section of country, but that it has moved further into 

 the recesses of the forests and higher up on the mountains 

 since the advent of the white man. That they do not con- 

 found it with the wapiti, or elk, is evident from the fact that 

 they have a different name for it, and readily recognize its 

 horns as portrayed in works of natural history. 1 have heard 

 that it is found extensively in the Coeur d'Alene and Kootenay 

 Mountains, in Idaho, and is largely hunted by the Kootenay 

 or Long-knife Indians a wild tribe who inhabit these 

 mountains, and make, or at least did make, it dangerous 



