1 68 



RECREATION. 



guide continued to call at regular in- 

 tervals, and in a few moments an- 

 other answer was heard far down the 

 bog, though that time from a smaller 

 moose. A few seconds later brought 

 a reply from a third, in another di- 

 rection. The sport was getting excit- 

 ing. The guide came down from his 

 perch on the rock and stationed his 

 employer and himself behind a small- 

 er boulder beside it, over which it 

 was possible to look while lying on 

 the ground. The guide thought the 

 young moose would not come up for 

 fear of the larger ones, and of course 

 the one he wanted was the monster 

 that had first answered. In that, 

 however, he was disappointed. The 

 distance was considerable, and while 

 the big bull was still a long way off he 

 was interrupted and turned from his 

 course by another party of hunters. 

 The little fellow on the bog ceased to 

 answer, but the large one that had 

 started last was, when the sun went 

 down, already quite near and coming 

 steadily along. When the moose was 

 about breaking cover the guide climb- 

 ed partly up the big rock and noted 

 the direction from which he was com- 

 ing, satisfying himself the game 

 would appear on the side of the 

 boulder on which they were stationed. 

 Another call, and the bull's hoofs 

 were heard beating the firm ground 

 as he trotted up the slope toward the 

 men. In full view of the hunters and 

 about 10 yards from them, grew a 

 bunch of sapling birches. There the 

 moose paused and began a furious 

 onslaught with his antlers. Having 

 tired of that he turned toward the 

 hunters and going down on his knees 

 ploughed his horns along the ground 

 some distance, tossing them well 

 loaded with vines, moss and earth. 

 With a snort he shook these from 

 his head, the dirt falling on and 

 around the 2 men lying behind the 

 rock. The city man was about that 

 time enjoying his first acute attack of 

 buck fever. His teeth fairly chatter- 

 ed, and the guide had to grip his rifle 



barrel to prevent it from rattling 

 against the rock. Again the moose 

 came on and stood with his broad- 

 side toward them, not more than 12 

 feet from the muzzle of the rifle. That 

 was about as close quarters as the 

 guide cared for on his own account, 

 so he gave the word to fire. The 

 moose went down with the shot, but 

 immediately came to his feet again. 

 The Winchester spoke again and 

 again he fell, only to rise the next 

 moment. The third shot, however, 

 dropped him for the last time. Any 

 of the shots would have proved fatal, 

 but the moose was too close for the 

 men to take any chances. 



The sportsman was convinced a 

 moose would come at a man's call, 

 and was so excited over the fact that 

 he slept none that night. 



The call is an imitation of the 

 whine, or bellow, of the cow moose 

 in the mating season and will only be 

 answered by the males during that 

 period, which is from the middle of 

 September to the middle of October. 

 The sound is most peculiar and can 

 only be acquired by long practice. 

 The most expert callers are those who 

 have taken lessons from nature; 

 that is, have been close to a fe- 

 male moose when she was calling. 

 After the calling season is over re- 

 course must be had to still hunting, or 

 stalking. 



About the end of October or the 

 first of November the moose begin to 

 form yards ; that is, they browse over 

 one section thoroughly before mov- 

 ing to another. While in a yard of 

 this sort moose are very methodical 

 in their habits. All their methods 

 have, however, an eye single to one 

 object, viz., the detection of any pur- 

 suer. It is therefore only by a knowl- 

 edge of their tricks that they can be 

 approached within gunshot. It is 

 their senses of hearing and smell that 

 are to be guarded against by the hun- 

 ter, for, as a rule, when the moose 

 can see the man, he can also see the 

 moose, and the capture of the game 



