Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-15
CALLING \ BULL MOOSE.
An Amateur Hunters Experience IN
the Great Maine Wilderness.

KILLED moose, | don't thuA j rOElu resi-
easy until mad worked my way upiE;O the
Name woods ana mad little bout with al
least one OF these giants OF the Wilder
ness. | am no hunter, but | had little
experience once with moose. ana ate
that THIS chasing If a lonesome deer now
aud then, or harassiug an occas onal va
grant bear. which ! see you fellows do
every fall, and which seems TO be accept
ed as the acme of sport, str hes me as be-
dng very tame business. | spent num-
Der of years in the lumoer woods OF
Maine, out / never saw live moose.
and never snOt of a gun until thf years
ago. The seeing OF no moose, however,
was not strange, as tneY had become
scarce ten years ago, but cV ~ sea son We
would hear OF seyera, beng killed 10 the
1t. John river country, near toe New
Brunswick border, and IN the PaSsadum-
keaR region.
Three wears ago next month was up
in Maine. and as / had never been In the
st. John river wilderness / made up my
mind to take advantage OF a couple OF
weeks leisure and spend the time in that
country. | hired guide who was well
acquainted with the TegiOn--a strspping
young fellow, who had grown up IN the
wilderness, and was almost part OF il.
His name was John Blye. and be " as the
and son-who had followed the calling Of
hunter and guide in that part Of Maine.
lie took me lOur-days' journey north
ward, and we camped on a stream that
emEtied into the ST. John only few miles
from the StaLe line. bye assured me all
the way up that if there we're any moose
left ~ the state we would be sure to ind
some where we were going. and sure
enough we had been ia camp but Two days
when The guide came in one night and
said:
"'Well, there's a bull moose banging
around here, and if we look sharp Well
get him.
81 was, or course, anxious to know
where bye had seen the moose, but he
surprised me by saying that be hadn't
sen MIN al all. L could ina CINE how he
might know there was moose around,
for it's tracks and other signs would in-
torn a Woodsman Of tnaU.
But said !, how in the world do you
know it's bullT
Because. said Blye, If it was COW
gou would have heard some OF the tallest
believing among these hills every night
since we've been here that you ever heard
since you were born'
Then Blye let me into some secrets
about moose. lie said that 1t was then
the rutting season, and that While IL last
cd the COW moose came out from her hid
lag place and went to tue high ridges.
There she would stand and send out on
the night air her calls tor a mate, aud, as
tine call may easily be heard for a distance
of two miles, Bye knew that there were
no COWS anywhere near us, and that the
signs be had seen were consequently those
of q bull. / was so much AFRAID that the
moose would leave that part OF the coun-
try and cheat us out OF shot that | was
anxious to start right up and give chase
10 it, but Blye said that II we went TO
hunting the moose the chances were that
1t would be half way across New Bruins
wick before midnight.
ell we hunt the bull,' said the guide,
she'll give Us the slip, but il we let him
hunt us Wen get ball through him. And
the way I'll get him TO hunt US is to play
myself off on him for a cow
''Bye went in among his bunting traps
and brought out something that looked
like adinner horn, except that It was made
of birch bark. 1t was two feot long.
three inches in diameter at one end. and
tapered on to an inch at the other end.
lit has been a long time since used
this said Blve, and Pm not sure but Pve
forgotten how TO WORK it,
He blew softly upon the peculiar
trumpet. A mild, modulated and pene-
trating sound came out OF it.
"'That's it, on low key said Blye. Il
haven't forgotten how, and If there is a
moose within sound of this call when
open it for business tonight, ne is our
meat. When | blow this in earnest 1t
will sound as near like the call of the
cow moose for the bull AS imitation can
get it,
AT SHUTDOWN we started with our rifles
Tor barr IA ridge which Blye said lay OFT
two miles TO the east Of us. IL was dark
when we reached the spot--a high locality
surrounded by dense forest. bye placed
5ne in am bush behind a clump OF bushes,
which commanded the barren spot In ey-
cry direction.
"'lf moose answers the CALI said
the guide, you Will hear him coming
some time before you see him. Toe MN
ute be steps out OF the woods Into the
open, take good aim right back of us fore
shoulder and let him have it. When you
hear his clappers. begin 10 get ready, and
cont get excited
before | could ask any questions
lBlye was climbing a tree few yards
away. He got up into the branches and
pulled his rife up, butt foremost, by a
piece OF twine. The birch bark horn was
tied TO the rife. Presently out on that
still, crisp October night air rang the
weird call OF the COW moose, rs INIT ated
by the guide on his trumpet. The expe-
llmental cry he had given with IL at the
camp was soft and low compared with
this blast. IL seemed To go down into the
valley in long waves OF sound, and lin
EeTed an amazing length Oftlne on the dir
before the last reyerberatIon died away.
The novelty OF the situation worked me
alp 10 the highest pitch OF excitement. in
spite OF the caution OF the guide. One
moment L was burning with fever and
tue next my teeth chartered, 1 grew so
cold. a lew minutes after the frat call
lBlye gave another blast on his trumpet.
When the cry had died away the silence
seemed 70 grow more profound, and my
suspense was becoming almost uuOeara-
Die. by and by sound as OF castRnets
beard IN the nshds OF a dancer, only much
louder, broke the awful stiffness. The
sound came from the woods OF 10 the
FiRbt Of the opening. 1t WAS accompan-
jed by short, cultural snorts, like the low
below Of bull.
.'steady therev said Blye, in a low
voice, but distinctly. Make ready! He's
comlngv
81 began 10 shake like an aspen. |
couldn't hold my rifle still, and gave up
all hope Of hitting the moose,
as 1t did not seem that my
aim could be held at anything.
But had very short time for reflection,
From the edge OF the forest, plainly visi.
BILE IN the starlight, came the majestic
moose, drawn thlther By The false love
call. He came prancing into the open
ing. mis- great antlered heAl lifted nroudly