440 WILD ANIMALS. 



a call to her lord. This call consists of a succession of low, deep 

 grunts, ending in a very loud, prolonged, and hideous roar, which, 

 in the profound silence of the woods on a calm night, is audible at 

 a distance of two or three miles. Unmelodious and unsyren-like 

 though the sound is to human ears, it apparently has its charms 

 for the animal that it is intended to attract, and by closely and 

 skilfully imitating this strange cry through a kind of horn or 

 trumpet formed of a twisted roll of birch-bark, the hunter is 

 enabled to decoy the most wary old ' bull '-moose within shot. 

 To do this, however, requires, as a rule, much skill and experience 

 on the part of the caller, who must be gifted with a good ear and 

 a natural aptitude for mimicking sounds. A moose, especially an 

 old bull, is one of the shyest and most suspicious of animals, and 

 his sense of hearing is of the keenest ; moreover, the nearer he 

 approaches the spot from whence the call emanates the more 

 wary and cautious he becomes, consequerltly the least inaccuracy 

 in pitch or tone is immediately detected, and sends him to the 

 right-about forthwith. Each note must therefore be correctly 

 rendered, as one false note or improper variation will inevitably 

 ensure detection of the imposition. The chief secret of success is 

 in knowing exactly when and how to modulate the sounds in the 

 manner best calculated to allay the animal's suspicions as he 

 draws neai-er ; when to raise or lower the notes, in particular 

 when the crafty moose makes a halt close to you, perhaps within 

 range, but still concealed from view, and pauses thus irresolutely, 

 keenly listening, and dubious whether to advance or take his 

 departure ; to be able, at this critical moment, to produce the low, 

 half-uttered, and distant sounding grunts and subdued roars 

 which are needed then to overcome his distrust, and entice him 

 fairly under fire." 



Although moose are wary animals, they seem to have consider- 

 able curiosity, for the sound of even an axe upon a tree has been 

 known to attract them to the spot to investigate it, and men 

 possessing but the most feeble powers of " calling " have on occa- 

 sions allured an animal to their near proximity. Captain Hardy * 

 states that he knew a white settler in New Brunswick who thought 



* "Sporting Adventures in the Few World." 



