54 GAME ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 



wounded will not hesitate to attack the hunter with the utmost 

 fury. 



In this season no animal could present a nobler appearance. 

 View him as he stands with glossy coat glistening in the early 

 sun, with wide-spread antlers upward stretched hke the hands ot 

 some fable god, and say if you can, that there is nothing in him to 

 admire. He at times during this period becomes furious with rage, 

 tearing wildly through the thickets, pawing the earth with his feet, 

 and making dead branches crack like pistol'shots. This is when, 

 as the Indians say, he is " real mad." This is in reality the bel- 

 lowing season. The bull roars, and utters his peculiar, short, gut- 

 tural sounds, and the cow pours forth a wild, prolonged call. The 

 latter goes forth of a still October night, with the going down of 

 the sun, to some high barren ridge, surrounded with deep and 

 heavy forests, and there she bellows forth the wildest of strain:s 

 until answered by the bull. We believe the call may be heard on 

 a still night three miles or more. During this season the bulls 

 fight many desperate battles. In these conflicts one or both are 

 sometimes killed. 



With the close of the rutting season (November ist) the bull 

 Moose appears like another animal. He no longer trails through 

 the forest bidding defiance to his foes, but mopes along with down- 

 cast head and draggling limbs, paying Uttle or no attention to pass- 

 ing events. His coat is now rough and dingy, and his antlers 

 seem to serve no purpose save as a heavy weight to keep his 

 head bowed down. He is cadaverous, gaunt, and exceedingly 

 stupid. Recovering not from his fall campaign, he remains poor 

 until the next spring when he again rallies. About the ist of 

 November Moose begin to look about for winter quarters. These 

 are usually selected with reference to the abundance of white 

 birch, maples (white, striped, swamp,) poplar, witch hazel, moun- 

 tain ash, and the different species of firs. 



While Moose are not gregarious, several are often found feed- 

 ing together in what are called moose yards. These yards are 

 simply their feeding grounds, and are made by the animals' con- 

 stant browsing about the pasture grounds, and are not the result 

 of plan or thought. During the time of the falling of- snow they 

 go around browsing, following each other unconsciously making 



