December, 1919 
FOREST AND STREAM 
647 
A BIG GAME HUNT IN NEW BRUNSWICK 
THE RECORD OP A TRIP INTO THE SILENT LAND OF THE MOOSE AT THE TIME 
OF THE YEARS’ DECLINE WHERE MANY INTERSTING THINGS ARE OBSERVED 
By E. L. pope. 
A fter a twenty-four hour trip from 
Boston, I met my guide, Robert 
Craig, of Zionville, at Taymouth 
Station, eighteen miles from Frederick- 
ton and on a two-horse wagon holding 
our supplies, we rode five miles to his 
house. 
The next morning the supplies .were 
taken six miles to one of the camps in the 
Cain’s river, south branch section, 
abounding in plains of many sizes, also 
medium and heavy growth. As there 
were but two of us, we selected a small 
log camp, pleasantly situated near a 
brook. 
We started through the silent forest 
each morning before daylight, ate our 
lunches beside noonday fires and returned 
after darkness, the last quite enjoya*)le, 
when the brilliant moon, reflecting on 
the snow, made it surprisingly light. 
Of moose we saw twelve bulls, eight 
cows and three calves, and of deer fifteen 
bucks and eight does, or over nine tons, 
live weight. As the law for the first time 
forbade the killing of caribou we did not 
go to the camps near the plains on which 
they roam. Nine bull moose and eight 
bucks were close enough to afford fair 
shots. 
Spirited action began, when I fired at 
my first buck on high ground, one hun- 
dred and fifty yards across a valley. 
Away he went, while we slid down one 
hundred feet, then scrambled up the 
steep bank and ran k quarter of a mile 
to the brink of the main valley. We had 
no time to admire the mile-long view to 
the right of the river, sparkling far be- 
low us in the bright sunlight, so wheeled 
and dashed along the edge, until beyond a 
growth that had obscured our view^ Two 
hundred and fifty yards across, the buck 
leisurely climbing the opposite side, ap- 
])eared just then above the line of the 
tops of the trees in the valley. 
Three quick shots made him dance 
about but at the fourth he turned a great 
somersault far down the slope, landing 
on his back dead and sliding on the snow 
crust until a hind leg caught in a small 
tree. It was a long job to pick our way 
down the steep rough slope, cross the 
river on a seventy-foot slippery log and 
lower him to 'the valley bottom. He was 
quite large, weighing probably two hun- 
dred and forty on the hoof. 
After dressing him, a fast three-mile 
walk completed a busy da 3 *. We had an- 
other task a few daj's later, when we took 
the buck across the river w'hich had 
frozen just in time and then hauled him 
to the top ready for the sled. We walked 
two hundred and seventy-six miles in 
twenty-six days, or ten and one-half a day. 
Covering so much ground in a well- 
stocked game section, was bound to bring 
good results, but a sportsman who fin- 
The author wearing his imusual sweater. 
ished his trip with the guide, just before 
I began mine, walked short distances, yet 
got a moose, two deer and a bear and the 
year before got the same amount plus 
another bear. 
W E started on a buck track at eight 
o’clock one morning and wound 
across the great plains, down into 
valleys, up the steep sides, for deer and 
moose are fond of climbing, and into the 
pretty ridges of conifers and hardwoods, 
many of the latter being of great size. A 
big cow moose lying in full view did not 
see us, owing to a small, snow-laden 
branch across her eyes. Her great jaw 
moved as she chewed her cud, until I had 
crept closely, with camera ready. She 
looked formidable as she took a couple 
cf steps towards me, onto a little rise, her 
neck upstretched and the tips of her 
“windmill” ears, about eight feet above 
the ground. 
I had given my rifle to the guide, who 
finally said, “Don’t go any nearer.” I 
took two snaps before she trotted away. 
When we resumed the buck track, we 
were surprised to see a calf moose jump 
to its feet and disappear. This is the 
only time I have seen a calf fail to keep 
close to its mother; on one occasion, a 
little one was pressing against the side of 
the cow so persistently that the latter was 
compelled to go very slowlj% 
As the buck track led us to the river, 
in the valley, Bob removed his socks and 
took me across on his back. After a stiff 
climb, we entered the big growth and 
three hours from our start on the trail, 
we came upon a big buck hooking bushes. 
As he swung sideways to resume his wan- 
derings, I fired as soon as his neck ap- 
peared, instead of waiting for his broader 
shoulder and only caused him the loss of 
a bunch of hair and one drop of blood 
from the top of his neck. 
O NE afternoon, we came upon a bull 
moose in a swamp, carpeted so 
thickly with moss, that we made 
no noise. He did not go far, as the sec- 
ond shot sent him lifeless to the ground, 
(Continued on page 685) 
One of the twelve bulls seen on the trip 
