158 THE AMERICAN MOOSE 



as a sort of inoculation against "buck fever.'* 

 If a sportsman cannot find time and opportunity 

 for target practice before going into the game 

 country he must expect either to lose game which 

 he would gladly kill, or else to accept the aid of his 

 guide's rifle. Many guides expect to give this 

 assistance; some even persist in shooting when 

 they know that their aid in making a kill is not 

 desired or needed. To guard against this latter 

 fault the author for many years past has required 

 his guide to carry a .22-caliber rifle or .28-gauge 

 shotgun — it keeps the guide out of mischief. If 

 a grouse or rabbit should show himself, and there 

 would seem to be no danger of scaring bigger 

 game, it is easy to exchange weapons for a moment. 



Assuming that the sportsman has a rifle, wisely 

 selected and carefully tested at the targets, and a 

 moose which measures up to requirements offers 

 himself as a sacrifice — ^what then? Whether the 

 moose is standing or running, the hunter will do 

 well to aim each shot as carefully as if there was 

 not another cartridge within twenty miles. This 

 does not mean to let the moose get away; it means 

 to seek to make the first shot effective, and not 

 to rely on the second, and third, and fourth, that 

 may be pumped out of the magazine. One, or 

 two, or three shots carefully but quickly aimed — 



