Wichita eagle., 1886-10-09
1ai1s gas1e
KILLING A MOOSE.
AN AMATEURS EXPERIENCE IN THE
GREAT MAINE WILDERNESS.

Erie Mitlow, the lumber contractor, Il 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 leis-
ure and spe1p, the time in that country.
hired guide who was well acquainted with
the resion-a strapping young fellow, who
had grown up in the wilderness and was al
most a part Of it. His name was John Blye,
and he was the third Of that name-grand-
father, father and son-whO had followed the
calling of hunter and guide in that part of
Maine. He took me four days journey
northward, and we camped On a stream that
emptied into the St John only few miles
from the state line. Blyc assured me all the
way UP that if there were any moose left in
the state we would be sure to find some
where we were going, and sure enough we
had been in camp but two days when the
guide came in one night and said:
"'Well, there's bull moose hanging
around here, and if we look sharp we'll get
him.
II was, of course, anxious to know where
Blye had seen the moose, but he surprised me
by saying that he hadn't seen him at all. l
could imagine how be might know there was
moose around, for its tracks and other signs
would inform woodsman Of that; but,
said I, how in the world do you know it's q
bullF
.'Because,' said Byle, IF it was a cow you
would have heard some of the tallest below
ing among these hills every night since we've
been here, that you ever heard since you
were born
"Then Blye let me Ef5o some secres about
moose. He said that it was then the rutting
season, and that while it lasted the COW moose
came out from her hiding place and went to
the high ridges. There she would stand and
send out on the night air her calls for a mate,
and, as the call may easily be heard for a dis
tance of two miles, Blye knew that there
were no COWS anywhere near us, and that
the signs he had seen were consequently those
Of bull. | was SO much afraid that the
moose would leave that part of the country
and cheat us out Of shot that was anxious
to start right up and give chase to it, but
Blye said that if we went to hunting the
moose the chances were that it would be half
way across New Brunswick before midnight.
BIRCH BARK TRUMPET.
"'If we hunt the BULL said the guide, hell
give us the slip, but if we let him hunt us
We'll get ball through him. And the way
I'll get him to hunt us is to play myself off on
him for cow
"Blye went in among his hunting traps and
brought out something that looked like din
ner horn, except that it was made Of birch
bark. 1t was two feet long, three inches in
diameter at one end, and tapered off to an
finch at the other end
"He blew softly upon the peculiar trumpet.
A mild, modulated and penetrating sound
came out of it.
"'That's it, on low key said Blye 4
haven't forgotten how, and if there is moose
within sound of this call when open it for
business tonight, he is our meat. When
blow this in earnest it will sound as near like
the call of the COW moose for the bull as i'm
ftation can get,it.'
"At sundown we started with our rifles for
a barren ridge which Blye said lay off two
miles to the east of us. 1t was dark when we
reached the spot-a high locality surrounded
by dense forest. Blye placed mo in ambush
behind clump Of bushes, which commanded
the barren spot in every direction.
"'If q moose answers the call, said the
guide, you will hear him coming some time
before you see him. The minute he steps out
of the woods into the open, take good aim
right bacl; of his fore shoulder and let him
have it. When you hear his clappers, begin
TO get ready, and don't get excited
Before | could ask any questions Bye was
climbing a tree a 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 rifle. Presently
out on that still, crisp October night cir rang
the weird call of the cow moose, as initiated
by the guide on his trumpet. The expert
mental cry he had given with it at the camp
was soft ard low compared with the blast
1t seemed TO go down into the valley in long
waves Of sound, and fingered an amazing
length Of time on the air before the last re-
verberation died away. Tho novelty of the
situation worked mo up to the highest pitch
of excitement, in spite Of the caution of tie
guide. One moment 1 was burning with
fever and the next my teeth chartered, I
grow 50 cold
A SOUND AS OF CAsTINETS.
"A few minutes after the first call, Blye
gave anotkcr blast on his trumpet When the
cry had died away the silence seemed to grow
more profound, and my suspense was becom-
ing almost unbearable. BY and by sound
as of castinets heard in the hands Of dancer,
only much louder, broke the awful stiffness.
The sound came from the woods of to the
right of the opening 1t was accompanied by
short, cultural snorts, like tho low believing
of bull.
"'Steady therer said Blye, in low voice,
but distinctly. Make ready; he's comingr
II began to shake like an aspen. l couldn't
hold my rife still, and gave up all hope of
hitting the moose, as it 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 visible in the starlight,
came the majestic moose, drawn thither by
~ =
opening. his great antlered head lifted proudly
and thrown gracefully back as il to excite the
admiration of the mate he came 20 meet AS
he sprang with stately tread into the opclsng
he uttered several short, low. mellow cries and
stopped He was not more than twenty PAGES
away. and his great side was turned squarely
toward me. could not control my hands,
and in despair closed my eyes and fired.
Opening my eyes, i saw the huge animal
PROSTATE on the ground where be had stood.
Thsnezt instant he was on his feet again. and
turned as if to dash into the forest. There
came q fash Of light from the tree where
Blye was perched. and once more the noble
beast fell TO the ground. making it tremble as
he fell \ SECOND time he arose | fired
again. and this time. by sheer good luck. /
sent a ball into his yit:ls. Ny first sho. hit
she animal in the neck instead of behind the
soreshoulder. Blye's shot struck where my
first one should haze hit, and my second en-
tered the mooses kidneys The animal was
SO large that ii was impossible for us to get
it TO camp alone. For fear that wolves or
something might devour the carcass before
morning if we left it on the ridge watched
over it while Blye went four MILES TO a camp
and brought back two other guides TO help us
get the moose home. The guides agreed that
the moose weighed 500 pounds. and the ant
lers, which We're nearly five feet long. the