The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-08-07
OUR ST0RY TELLER.
OVER THE BORDER.
Nobleman's Experiences

Lord Dunraven has an article In the
Ninteenth Century about Canada. In
describing moose hunting he says:
The moose may also be run down in
winter time on snow-shoes. This may
be called partly legitimate and partly
an illegitimate mode of killing the
animal. If the snow is not very deep
the moose can travel, and to come up
with him requires immense endurance
on the part ola man, but no skill except
that involved in the art of running on
snow-shoes You simply start the ami
NAL and follow after him for day, or
sometimes two or three days, when you
come up with him and walk as close as
you like and shoot him.
If the sncw lies very deep in early
spring, moose may be slaughtered with
ease. The sun thaws the surface, which
freezes up again at night and forms an
icy crust strong enough to support
man on snow-shoes, or a dog, but not
nearly strong enough to support moose.
Then they can be run down without
trouble. You find your moose and start
dog after him. The unfortunate moose
founders helplessly in the snow, cutting
his legs to pieces, and in a very short
time becomes exhausted and you can
walk up TO him, knock him on the head
with an axe or stick him with knife,
as YOU think best. Hundreds and hun
dreds of moose have been slaughtered in
this scandalous manner for their hides
alone. The settlers also dig pits for
them and snare them, both of which
practices. I need hardly saw. are most
nefarious. There il nothing sportsman
like about them and thew involve waste
of good meat. because unless n man
looks to the snare every day-which
these men never do-be rims the chance
Of catching n moose and finding tbe
carcass unft for food when he rev;s;ts
the place. 7 shall not describe the
method of snarino a moose for fear
some reader who has followed me thus
far might be tempted to practice II. or
lest il might be supposed for a moment
that / had ever done such a wicked
thing mvseIf
MANY men prefer cariboo hunting to
moose hunting. and / am not sure that
they are not right. The American
cariboo is, / believe, identical with the
reindeer of Europe, though the American
animal grows to a much larger size and
the males carry far finer horns. The
does have small horns also. / believe
the cariboo is the only species of deer
marked by that peculiarity. Cariboo
are very fond of getting out on the
lakes as soon as the ice will bear and
feeding around the shores They feed
entirely on moss and lichens, principally
on the long gray moss locally known as
"old mems Boards" which hangs in
graceful festoons from the branches of
the pines, and on the beautiful purple
and cream-colored cariboo moss that
covers the barrens. They are not very
shy animals and will venture close to
lumber camps to feed on the moss which
grows most luxuriantly on the tops of
the pines which the ax-men have felled.
Cariboo cannot be run down, and the
hunters rarely go after them. They
must be stalked on the barrens and
lakes, or crept up to in the woods,
precisely IN the same manner as the
mouse.
Such is brief outline of some Canadian
sports. Life in the woods need not bt
devoted entirely TO hunting. but can b,
varied to a great extent by fishing ant
trapping. The streams and lakes teen
with trout and the finest salmon fishinf
in the world il To be found in New
Brunswick and on the north shore of tn,
gulf. In Lower Canada there ia still ,
good deal of fur to be found. In New
brunswick and Nova Scotia beavers ar,
almost extinct. and martin. minx lvnx
otter and other valuable fur-bear;n,
animals are comnarat;veJv scarce 7
would he hard I tbink for a man I,
.pend a holiday more pleasantly an,
benefciaIlv than in the Canadian woods
Hunting leads him into beautifn
scenerv: his method Of life induces
due contemnlat;on of nature and tend
IN Wholesome tbouobt He has no
much onnortunitv for ;mnrov;ng hi
mind With l;terature hut be can roo,
ont of the great hook Of Nature and fin,
"books in the running brooks. sermon
in stonea and GOOD in .verv,b;n,n 7
he has his eyes and ears onen he canno
fail TO take notice of MANY interestin
circumstance and phenomena. and If h
has anv knowledge of natural history
ovarv r,on,ar, of tha H. ,,,,st ho s,,s
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