Henry 
Braithwaite’s 
Tales 
of the Forest 
Moose-Calling-Methods and 
Some Experiences 
HERE have been some suggestions 
made to the government to declare 
moose calling unlawful. In my 
opinion I think it is one of the best 
protections they have. 
I would like to call attention to the 
following statement made by Mr. A. J. 
Stone, the talented moose hunter. He 
says, “I wish to correct the general im- 
pression that bull moose can be called 
by use of the birch back horn in the 
belief that he is approaching the fe- 
male. No bull moose is half so stupid; 
such a thing is entirely unreasonable. 
He is simply attracted by the unusual 
sound, and being extremely curious, en- 
deavors to locate the meaning of this 
strange thing in his home.” My opinion 
is that Mr. Stone has had very little 
experience, and knew little or nothing 
about moose. I have abundant proof 
that I have called many moose for re- 
liable sportsmen. They have shot many 
bulls with cows coming with them, and 
we have often been amused by the cow 
walking back and forth in front of the 
bull, making a low whining noise and 
rubbing her head against his neck and 
shoulders, trying to stop him. At dif- 
ferent times I have known the cow to 
remain around some time after we had 
commenced skinning the bull. 
I have the credit of being a good 
caller and admit I have called up a 
great many moose, but I have no way 
of knowing how many I scared away. 
I have often been amused at the skill 
some men claim they use in calling 
moose; but in considering it according 
to their version, I think the moose de- 
serves more credit than they do, judg- 
ing from my own experience. 
I remember once of taking a sport- 
ing man toward a lake where we ex- 
pected to find moose. We heard a cow 
-alders. 

Henry Braithwaite ready to summon a bull moose. 
call when we were a short distance from 
our camp. The bull answered a long 
way off and I decided to stop and await 
events, as I might learn something. 
Finally, we heard the bull coming, 
breaking everything before him. He 
stopped two or three hundred yards in 
front of us, evidently listening for the 
cow. I gave a low call like a cow call- 
ing a calf, and he immediately answer- 
ed and charged toward us. I whispered 
to my sporting man not to shoot till 
we had seen what he would do, as there 
were plenty of trees to dodge behind 
and we were perfectly safe. He evi- 
dently didn’t think so, for as soon as 
the moose came in sight, he commenced 
filling him full of lead and spoiled a 
scene I was anxious to see. I think the 
cow deserved more credit in that case 
than I. 
WAS very anxious when I first com- 
menced moose hunting to learn the 
art of calling and hired one of the best 
Indians I knew of. He had the reputa- 
tion of being a good caller and deserved 
it, for he was as good as any I have 
ever heard. I took him to a dead-water 
I knew harbored plenty of moose. He 
wouldn’t go out until nearly dark and 
we paddled down the dead-water and 
commenced calling.: Soon we got an 
answer and could hear a moose coming. 
Inside of twenty minutes a moose step- 
ped out into the water. I could see a 
black object and was quite sure it was 
a moose. The Indian said, “There he 
is, give it to him.” I obeyed the order 
as quickly as possible. The flash of the 
gun blinded me but we could hear a 
great rush and smashing of bushes, 
and the rattling of horns through the 
-We listened and it still kept 
going farther away. The Indian said, 
“Hush, you miss him.” I had my doubts 
of it for I had fired for the center of 
the object and it wasn’t over fifteen or 
twenty yards away. 
Fibres there was nothing to do 
but go to the tent and give in to 
the Indian that I had missed him, as he 
said he had heard horns a long ways 
away. The next morning I started to 
look matters over. I could easily find 
the trail as the water was muddy and 
I could see the tracks on the bank and 
broken bushes. I went in about a hun- 
dred yards from the shore and there 
lay a big cow moose with a_ bullet 
through her, back of the shoulders. She 
had come in ahead of the bull which, I 
afterward learned, they often do. 
That put an end to my calling after 
dark, and I claim to be the first man to 
attempt to call moose in daylight. I was 
hooted and laughed at by nearly every 
hunter in the country, but I think my 
past experience shows that I succeeded. 
There are more ways than one of call- 
ing moose. By studying their habits 
and using a little common sense you 
can get many moose you couldn’t call 
with a horn. If possible, never call on 
dry land where you can leave a scent. 
If a moose is a mile away, he may 
come in the dark after you leave and 
look the ground all over; and the most 
singular thing is he can come to the 
exact spot where you called. This has 
been proved to me by moose coming 
and pawing up the ground where [ 
stood. In calling from a canoe or wad- 
ing in the water, a plan I have often 
followed is to call just before or at sun- 
down, and if I don’t get an answer I go 
there quietly the next morning and look 
the ground over and listen. I have 
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