Volume VI. 



RECREATION. 



JUNE, 1897. 

 G. 0. SHIELDS (C0Q.U1NA), Editor and Manager. 



Number 6. 



WILL A DOG BAY A MOOSE? 



ED. H. TRAFTON. 



In a recent number of Recreation 

 I saw an inquiry about hunting moose 

 with dogs. When I first came to the 

 Teton Basin, 15 years ago, there were 

 a great many moose in this country, as 

 well as other game. During the first 

 winter I spent here another trapper and 

 I estimated there were about 1 50 head 

 of moose in the big swamp on the river, 

 within an area of 15 miles long by 3 

 wide. I had a small black dog, which 

 we called a collie. Some of these dogs 

 are bobtailed, and some have no tail — 

 only a tuft of hair.* They are natural 

 born heelers; that is, when they attack 

 an animal, they always bite at the heel. 

 In my experience this is the only breed 

 of dog that can stand up a big bear, 

 single handed, and hold him until the 

 hunter can come up. 



I had trained this dog to hunt elk. 

 He would stop a big bull just as 

 quick as he got to him and would 

 hold him until I came up to within 10 

 or 15 yards. Then I would throw 

 sticks or stones at the elk, and see the 

 dog work on him. Every time the elk 

 would make a break to run, the dog 

 would have him by the heel ; until fin- 

 ally the elk would get sulky and refuse 

 to budge. It was impossible for any 

 kind of game he could catch, to get 

 away from him. They either could 

 not, or would not, stand the punish- 

 ment he could inflict on their heels. 



The first opportunity I had to see 

 this dog work on a moose was one day 



* This was probably an t; old English sheep dog" instead 

 of a collie. — Editor. 



when I was snow-shoeing up the river, 

 through the swamp. There were lots 

 of fresh signs and I knew I should 

 jump a moose before I went far. I also 

 knew I should see some fun when 

 Bob, my dog, tackled him. I was 

 shoving the long skis easily over the 

 snow, and just as I slid out into a little 

 park, bordered by thick willows, there 

 stood a big bull moose, not more than 

 15 feet from me. I stopped dead still 

 and the old bull swung his big head 

 around toward me. I saw his eyes 

 turn green, and the hair on his head, 

 between his ears, rise up like a cat's 

 tail when a strange dog comes around. 



Then I felt myself getting kind of 

 dizzy under the hat, as if I had been 

 smoking a strong pipe too much. The 

 next thing I knew, I heard Bob give 

 voice, and knew I was safe. I looked 

 in the direction the noise came from, 

 and thanked my lucky stars that Bob 

 appeared on the scene just as he did, 

 for the old bull had him by the middle 

 of the back, with his mouth, and it 

 looked as if Bob's hide had stretched 

 about 8 inches. Before I had time to 

 do any more thinking, he threw the 

 dog about 10 feet in the air, over his 

 back. 



I tell you right now, boys, I didn't 

 hang around there to see what the next 

 play was going to be. I just hollered, 

 " Heel him, Bob," and slid for a bunch 

 of willows. When I got behind these, 

 I tore the snow-shoes off and jerked 

 my revolver. I didn't know T had one 

 before. Then I looked for Bob and the 



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