The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1886-12-25
KILLING A MOOSE.
Az AMATEURS EXPERIENCE IN THE
GREAT MAINE WILDERNESS.

Three years ago next month"; said Capt
Erie INFLOW, the humber contractor, II was
up in Maine, and rs I had never been in the
st John river wilderness made up my mind
TO take advantage of couple Of weeks .leis-
ure and spend the time in that country. l
hired guide who was well acquainted with
the region--a strapping young fellow, who
had grown up In the wilderness and was al
most a part Of It. His name WINS 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 O four days Journey
northward, and we camped on stream that
emptied into the St. John only few miles
from the stnte line. Blye assured me all the
way up that II 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 I'm one night and said:
a'Well, there's bull moose hanging
around here, and If we look sharp wen get
him.
Il was, Of course anxious to know where
Blye had seen the moose, but he surprise me
by saying that he hadn't seen him at aL /
could imagine how he might know there was
q moose around, for its tracks and other signs
would inform a woodsman Of that; but
said /, how in the world do you know it's q
bu1lf
a'Because,' said Byle, If it was 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
aThen Blye let me into some secrets about
moose He said that It was then the rutting
season, and that while Il lasted the COW moose
frr.t,, hnv If1frer ,,loco rva,,t
the high ridges There she would stand and
send out ON the night air her calls for mate,
and, as the call may easily be heard for dis
lance 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 50 much afraid that the
moose would leave that part of the country
and cheat us out of a shot that / was anxious
10 start right up and give chase to it, but
Blye said that If we went to hunting the
moose the chances were that ii would be half
way across New Brunswick before midnight.
A BIRCH BARK TRUMPET.
IF we hunt the bull said the guide, he'll
give us the slip, but if we let him hunt us
Wen get ball through him. And the way
I'll get him to hunt us is to play myself of on
him for q cow
aBlye went In among his hunting traps and
brought out something that looked like din
ner horn, except that it was made of birch
bark It was two feet long, three inches in
diameter at one end, and tapered of to an
inch at the other end.
AHe blew softly upon the peculiar trumpet
A mild, modulated and penetrating sound
came out of It,
@'That's IL, on low key said Blye. Il
haven't forgotten how, sad IL there is moose
within sound Of this call when open IL for
business tonight, he Is orc meat When l
blow this in earnest 1t wiz sound as near like
tho call Of the COW moose for the bull as i'm
itation can get it,
@At shutdown we started with our rifles for
barren ridge which Blye said lay Off two
miles to the east OF u.s. II was dark when we
reached the spot-a high locality surrounded
by dense forest bye placed me in ambush
behind clump Of bushes, which commanded
the barren spot In every direction.
aft a moose answers the call, said the
guide, you will hear him coming some time
before you Gee him. The minute he steps out
Of the woods into the open, take good aim
right back Of his fore shoulder and let him
have IL. When you hear his clappers, begin
20 got ready, and don't get excited
Before could ask anS questions Blye was
climbing tree few yards away. He got
up into the branches and pulled his rife up
butt foremost, by a piece of Irvine. The birch
bark horn was tied TO the rifle. Presently
out ON that still, crisp October night air rang
the weird call Of the COW moose, as initiated
by the guide on his trumpet. The expert
mental cry he had given with 1t at the camp
was soft and low compared with the blast
IL seemed TO 60 down into the valley In long
waves of sound, and fingered an amazing
! lnngth Of time ON the air before the last re-
ycrberation died away. The novelty Of the
situation worked me up to the highest pitch
nf excitement, In spite of the caution of the
ruidc. One moment l was burning with
fcver and the next my teeth chartered,
grow so cold
SOUND AS or CAsTIEETs.
"A few minutes nfter the first call Blye
gave another blast on his trumpet. When the
cry had died away the silence seemed to grow
nIoso profound, and my suspense was becom-
- almost unbearable. BY and by a sound
~ cnstinets heard in the hands Of a dancer,
only much louder, broke the awful stiffness.
lle sound came from the woods off to tho
ii 1T OF the opening. It was accompanied by
siort cultural snorts, like the low believing
or Il bull.
"'Jteady therer said Blye, in low voice,
TT distinctly. Make ready; he's comingr
began to shake like an aspen. couldn't
kn' my rife still, and gave upall hope Of
lifting tine moose as II did not seem that my
rim could be held at anything. But had
vciy short time for reflection. From the edge
of the forest, plainly visible in the starlight,
'a;lc the majestic moose, drawn thither by
to false love call He came prancing into the
opening, his great antlered head lifted proudly
nill thrown gracefully back as IL to excite the
na.niration of the mate he came to meet. AS
q sirang with stately tread into the opening
lic uttered several short, low, mellow cries and
3g.,cd. He was not more than twenty PAGES
t.g.l;', and his great side was turned squarely
lo~ar,i me. could not control my hands,
and in despair closed my eyes and fired.
Opening my eyes, saw the huge animal
rrcstlato on the ground where he had stood.
Ihc iiext instant he was ON his feet again, and
tlinel as II TO dash into the forest There
came fash of light from the tree where
Dlye was perched, and once more the noble
benst fell TO the ground, making 1t tremble as
he fell A second time he arose fired
again, and this time, by sheer good luck,
sent ball into his vitak My first shot hit
the animal in the neck instead Of behind the