TRAITS AND HABITS OF THE MOOSE 73 



American deer is naturally so well adapted to 

 domestication as the moose." 



As the writer of the bulletin states (p. 52), 

 ''the chief obstacle to profitable game propagation 

 in the United States lies in the restrictive char- 

 acter of State laws affecting the killing, sale, and 

 transportation of game." In the interest of the 

 game propagator a distinction should be made 

 between wild game and game legally acquired and 

 kept in private possession for commercial purposes 

 or for private use. But "in more than half the 

 States and Territories the sale of venison from 

 private preserves is illegal at all times," and the 

 owner at the same time is forbidden to use the 

 venison for food in his own family. The tendency 

 of recent legislation, however, is more favorable 

 to the game propagator. 



Disease is not known to have been a factor in 

 reducing the numbers seriously in any portion of 

 the moose's American range, but the elk of Europe 

 suffer often from such ailments as malignant 

 anthrax {milzbrand) and rinderpest. Doubtless 

 moose living in close proximity to domestic cattle, 

 however, as in Europe, are more exposed to 

 epizootic attacks than those in forests remote from 

 civilization. The age which moose attain under 



^4 See pp. 305-307- 



