Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1850-10-18
The Moose.

The Moose, which has probably been
extinct in Massachusetts, for the last thir-
ty or forty years. is still found in Maine
in the upper wilds of New York and in
some Of the northern portions Of Vermont
and New HAMPSHIRE Around Moose
Head lake, the West Branch of the Pen
ob>cot, &c. they are quite abundant yet
This is the largest Of the deer family the
length of the body not uncommGnly being
SIX feet ten inches and the height FIVE feet
four The color Is black or blacklist
brown, intcrmixed with gray; head large
and long, terminating in large. thick
curved nose. with a small. triangular muz-
zle and thick upper lip; neck very short
surmouuted with a short name and fur
nished with hairy appeudage beneath ;
nostrils long. slouchcd and narrow; bods
rather thick aud supported on long and
slender legs: ears long, ten inches more
or less; toes capable Of being widely
separated tail very short; the male fur
nished with large palmated antlers, the
females destitute Of horns The flesh is
delicious, being more like beef than ven
ison, bat infinitely superior, by our taste
to the finest beef ever eaten.
in the winter these animals are said to
herd together to the number of eight or
ten, not roaming as in the summer. but
confning themselves TO the same locality.
unless disturbed, as long IS the snow re
mains on the ground They select IA
vorable spot, where the twigs, branches
and bark of trees will furnish them witt
suitable food, tread down the snow hard
and gradually extend their enclosure as
they consume their supplies. In the
summer they roam near swanips and
marshy grounds in the vicinity of lakes
ponds where they can find the coarse
grass. twigs and bark Of trees, and water
lilies. on which they feed Woodland
rovers who traverse their hauuts, often see
trees stripped and pealed of their bark
where the moose has been feeding Its
peculiar conformation. the shortness Of it,
neck. and the length Of Its legs. viii not
allow OF its feeding like other quadrupeds.
but admirably adapt it to pluck the tender
twies aud strip the bark from trees. t,
crop the high grass OF the marshes anG
to luxuriate on the leaves of the waite.
lily as the animal stands in the cooling
lake.
The ease and rapidity with which IT,,
moose makes its way through the forest IS
sarprsing. With his &ntlers thro1 n
back. and nose projecting in long M
calmly. awkward trot. with ho0fs wid.
spread he plunges over fallen trees, thro
thickets aud brush. seemingly impenctra
bic. with astonishing speed Int he can
not sustain a long continued flight
The Indian Specification Of the tern
moose is 7r924-c1ter. name which 1t.
habits make quite appropriate Its fl
vorite tree. of the bark Of which it IS pc
culiarlv fond. is called the moose-wood
otherwise the striped maple, which does
not grow very high.
The moose is hunted for food and for It's
hide which the Indians tan and convert
to various useful ends The hair IS some
times used to stuff horse collars and foI
ike purposes. and might be employed to
advantage much more extensively, but it
is generally thrown away and wasted -
We noticed heaps Of Il about the deserted
camps of the Indians who had stopped
here on their way up a1d down the lake
These improvident fellows dre making
sad havoc among the moose. / party Of
five. of the St Francis tribe. Who quarter
cd ct Kinso. after one Of their hunting
exDediticns. who left the day before our
arrival. had with them seycnty-fye moose
hides-having shot them merely for their
skins, stripped them, and left their car
casses In the woods Such destruction. if
continued, will soon thin their ranks and
drive them into more inaccessible regions
-Sa2en5 (lIIss) Register.