222 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



were not deeply impressed in the snow, that the moose were 

 those of about three years old. 



THE OWL TRACKS MOOSE 



That night, as Oo-koo-hoo was in a talkative mood, he told 

 me much about the hunting of moose, as we sat before our 

 snow-encircled fire in the still, silent, sombre woods. 



"We hunters usually take moose by shooting or snaring 

 them, and the first thing to do is to find a track, and if it is old, 

 follow it up until new signs appear. And now, my son, as you 

 may some day want to hunt moose on your own account, I shall 

 tell you how to trail them and what to do when you find them. 

 Listen to my words and remember : As soon as you find a fresh 

 track, look toward the sun to learn the time of day; for if it is 

 between eight and nine on a winter morning the moose will be 

 feeding, as it seldom lies down until between ten and three. 

 If feeding, the track will zig-zag about, and for a time head 

 mainly up wind, until its feeding is nearly done, then if the wind 

 is from the right, the moose will turn to the left and circle down 

 wind and finally come about close to its old trail where it will 

 he down to rest. So when you find a zig-zagging track about 

 which the brush has been browsed, and when the wind comes 

 from the right of the trail, you, too, should circle to the left, but 

 instead of circling down wind as the moose has done, or is now 

 doing, you circle up wind until you either approach the danger 

 point where the wind may carry your scent to the moose, 

 or otherwise, until you cut the moose's track. In either case 

 you should now retrace your steps for some distance and then 

 begin a new circle, and this time, a smaller one. If you now 

 find a new trail, but still no sign that the moose has turned up 

 wind, or is about to do so, you retrace your steps and begin a 

 still smaller circle, then when you strike the trail again, you can 

 judge fairly well — without even getting a sight of it — the exact 



