The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-01-15
MARTELs OF MAINE WOODS.
Caribou By the Hundred a.d . AIsese Fight
by Moonlight.

FitBpatr1cR, q Now 1orkor VINO mas nsned and
hunted all over Maine and a good part Of New
Brunswick. NAT must be over 70. but he
sticks to the woods like a deerhound. I have
known him since 1860, and In that year he
showed me the grandest sight that any mortal
man ever gazed upon. It was one evening
early In tho summer. just between daylight
and dark. We were camping on one Of the
lakes in Somerset county. trout fishing. Nat
had gone to the pond for some purpose. and q
minute later he came back.
"'If you want to see something that you
won't be likely to ever clap your eyes on again
as long as you live" he said, with his eyes
swapping with excitement. sneak back to the
pond with me-
1T crept stealthily In his wake down through
the thick timber to the edge OF the woods. 1t
was still light enough ut the upper end Of the
lake. near which We were camped, and which
was not In the shadow OF the hill. for US to see
plainly for q quarter OF a mile along the margin
Of the water. Nat cautiously parted the dense
growth OF young water birches that fringed the
edge Of the lake on that side.
"'Look yonder.' said he.
Hooked. and my heart almost jumped out
Of my mouth at the sight. All along the upper
shore Of the lake. standing belly deep among
the lily pods. in various attitudes Of grace and
stateliness. the pond was alive with caribou.
n1u&uLuC0ULly dutlcTSu pulS btdLupSu Anu
snorted and tossed their kingly heads among
meek-faced ows while In and out among
them sported a small drove Of velvet-coated
calves. We counted ffty-seven bulls and cows,
and almost every COW had q proprietary inter-
est in at least one calf.
I'VE watched this remarkable congregation
Of caribou for several minutes in silence. The
sight was too much for speech. At last Nat
whispered to me:
"'Well draw on 'em just once. anyhow. and
see how many we can DROP
I'VE selected two Of the biggest bulls in the
drove and fred. A terrific chorus OF snorts
followed the reports Of the guns. There was
o sound OF water in great commotion for q
moment, and the next instant tho woods were
filled with the crashing Of the flying herd
through the thick brush. Nat and l sent the
contents OF our remaining barrels after the
drove as they rushed in q confused and thickly
punched mass from the water. In less time
almost than 1t takes to tell all was as quiet as
ifnothing had occurred to disturb the solitude Of
the great wilderness. In the water. their huge
bulks showing far above tho mat Of lily beds,
selected as our tirst targets. On the edge Of
the lake. ono with its head in the water and its
TANKS stretched on the shore. and the other
with his hind parts buried among the lilies and
his ~antlers lifted high on the land. lay two
other bulls. the victims. Of the two chance shots
luAGl OlIOWC tuC uCIu AL II night.
I've seen q good many caribou in my time
said Nat. after we had dragged our trophies to
never counted on me or anybody else ever
getting In among such a congregation OF en-
Years afterward Nat was at thai same pond.
when twenty-seven caribou came In among
the lilies, He shot one. and was surprised to
pranced and snortsd and huddled together in
out q the lot that the rest began to get their
wits about them, and removed themselves
without more ado out OF the way Of Mats
.s "Tii Gs6 0l4 I.h hunter or was yps thee the GrIEE he n2st Is fss
f taH%R j. by m manys 81 ths Maine ief en Sunte ra' But It
masqgsrader Of them all. The method is sim.
Ere.s W WI 21bi The w snoW y Is 30 on h the gro imd a. and the h
himself in a white sheet and seeks the places
whore no knows his game is to be found. He
stsal e. allSSns among fsE ont the e; timber I9is ra until he %b siGhb5 It's
and nearer 70 the game: Il it suspects danger
as motionless as one Of the dead. spow-covsred
them himself. The disguise fools the caribou.
and seeing nothing to excite is fear, 1t goes to
s etuHTsiptfi o nsasa; sy st9 hnhter a gets p @itSIs
easy range, OF the big deer. and II 1t gets away
from him then It's q lucky beast. When there
81 Az paw Wv uht g hAhiDsiL III Soiol
in the same way. He has more trouble In
but wary. animal has q nose better than any
pointer OF tho finest breed, and he can smell a
he hse csn o sns' IN rs a M suc k { na shist sh and Is hs w trusts Is
his noses warning whether his eyes have seen
any danger or not. and away he goes at the
Nat Moore was the first hunter ever saw
call a bull MOOSE within rifle range. Calling
OF, getting a shot at that sagacious animal. as 1t
takes takes I'll the "a most 9 expert ; PEI and patient lent mhanGTii
OF a moose and ontwit him at his own strategy,
which is his instructive, keeping OF. his trail
s!SSys o YIN noss shs S Sanse1 blowing II th from aa.t ins
nnnn, their ia lone ones sfll I, on on ths hills; NJ
himself to be more easily undope. Tie Mic;
doabt nh ths most 81 s ssiifu irn mooss callers aEs; e on ths
continent, Just as the Indians and half breeds
s angns the Mann Maine sTs ssms v sns eNS me- aS SSilsf IS
up @HRs ti@y fa es IF t the y Emi b best Of i, them fsnm all Ii.
and sometimes later. II is the habit OF the fe-
spaces on the hills at shutdown, and give voice
to a mellow but far.sopnding cry. This, is the
crashing through the brush. his long split
1 hSS5s ES5tlsns f # isvs pss stHIR; on oI his T ;bs Su the he
ers have learned to initiate with creator or less
degrees OF ,exactness. and made 1t an agent for
Turing their game into ambush. The call Is
made by means OF a horn rolled out Of birch
bark. to mouth which perfectly requires long
and constant practice. The hunter. when All
adept at sounding the moose love song, simply
hides himself ut II favorable spot in the wilder
ness, with his gun in readiness. and blows the
horn. AS he hears the bull approaching. gem
orally pausing In the brush at Intervals to listen
needs ali his nerve and an unfaiiing lin. The
call m u be- tempered to the approach
OF tho bull. and one false note is
never lost on, that wary lovers true and cult
waited ear. No cow moose, ever slurred a
| note or sang too fiat or too sharp floating her
amatory invitation 10 her mate on the crisp air
Of an autumn evening, and the slightest, varia-
| tion either way In the sound will send the ex-
pectant brute flying like the wind way from
the treacherous trysting placeadisappointed.
whose false lip lost him his coveted prize.
The female moose rarely calls after dark THE
exceptional instances being on light moonlight
nights. Consequently hunters seldom try to
lure q bull by calling aftor night has come. on.