THE GAME FIELD 
remarkable extent. It is the same old story. of 
“oraft.” The wary, wealthy old sportsman 
knows that he has to pay from $3.00 to $3.50 per 
day for a guide, and he also knows that if he 
offers $50 to $100 extra to his guide, to secure 
him a good moose, it is almost a guarantee, 
although it works much to the disadvantage 
of the poor and unsophisticated tenderfoot. 
467 
three of these foxy, so-called guides, having 
located certain big bulls, will pack ‘sufficient 
provisions for three to six days and start on 
wlfat is called a dead-sure hunt. (Hounding 
deer and such would be commended by the 
S. P. C. A. compared to this.) Two men are 
generally ample, but three usually start, and 
three to four days are generally sufficient; but 

JACK-SNIPE PROBABILITIES GOOD 
The honest and earnest amateur hunter, not 
being up in mooseology, etc., is shown the 
tracks (that’s all) of a fine bull moose, but if he 
gets a shot or secures the game, it is because 
the moose was walking backward. ‘The green, 
countrified guide (God forgive me) will take 
him off the track, or lose the track, if he finds 
it is only his day’s pay coming and no prize or 
premium offered. But these guides are true to 
their State. The animal can be had, but his 
value must be returned to the State. In a nut- 
shell, it is run on the principle of a gigantic 
game preserve. To any one that knows how 
to go about it, a fine moose can be had any 
time for the price. 
I have many times received tempting letters 
from these unprincipled guides suchas follows: 
“T know where there is a grand big fellow, and 
any time you want him, you know the price.” 
These same guides were guiding sportsmen 
every day, but they must have been guiding 
the sportsmen in some other direction, for as 
sure as I would forward the cash, down would 
come the ‘‘grand big fellow.” 
When the snow is heavy in the woods and 
there is crust enough for good snowshoeing, 
and just before the moose go to yard, two or 
the poor brute is often brought to the gun in 
fifty to sixty hours and in the following manner: 
The fresh tracks are found, and the men on 
snowshoes are soon off on them. They are 
experts and can travel remarkably fast. The 
moose when fresh also travels fast, but he 
breaks through the deep snow and has a much 
more strenuous time of it, fast using up his 
great strength. One of the two of the 
slaughterers stops and rests; the fresher and 
stronger continues on. When night falls 
lanterns are used, and the so-called hunter 
tramps on, and on, in order to keep the poor 
animal on the move, preventing him from lying 
down to sleep, breaking the ice to drink or 
even from chewing his cud. By and by this 
hunter tires and his gait slackens. Then his 
two friends (the relays) come up, and the 
fresher continues with lantern in hand, keeping 
the animal on the move. This is kept up as a 
rule for three or four days and nights, until the 
miserable creature is walked down—the real 
term used for this disgraceful mode of hunting. 
This is, undoubtedly, the most cruel method 
of hunting ever practised, as the poor animal 
when found is scarcely able to stand, and is 
easily shot. But so long as the money remains 
