Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-06-01
A CHASE AFTER A MOOSE.
THRILLING DESCRIPTION OF A
HUNT IN A MAINE FOREST.
A Nimrod Relates His First Expe-
rience-How the Noble Beast is
Decoyed to His Slaughter.

II WAS uuTltE one OCTOBER tnAt i had
the satisfaction of seeing my first moose
and of aiding in baegiug il, " said we'll.
known New York sportsman lit was
far up in the St John River region, in
the northwestern part OF Maine anG only
few miles from the line of New Bruins
wick. My guide, a Swarthy young fell
low named Raleigh Wing, told me one
day that he had seen abundant signs of
moose IN the woods, and was sure "a hul
moose was near. At this time OF the
year the cows come out OF the ridge, and
call for mate, and n their cry can be
heard for two miles at least, W ing was
OF the opinion that none were near Us. !
was ANXIOUS to 90 out and give chase 10
the bull whose presence he suspected,
but he said that such a course would lie
useless and that he would 60 on; that
night and ''call" it, 1t would surely
answer the call if it was in the neigh
borhood. and we would get shot AT it at
short range. He produced from among
his kit of hunting and trapping accou-
trements something that resembled a
dinner horn, except that it was made Of
birch bark. 1t was about an inch In
diameter at one end and perhaps five a.
the other, and nearly two feet long.
"It has been good while since |
had occasion to use this, sad W iuT,
and l don't know but I've forgotten
how
"He blew upon the peculiar trumpet
and produced a wild, modulated, peue
trating cry that made the woods ring.
81 haven't forgotten said Wing,
laying the horn down with a Contentcd
smile, and if there is a moose within
sound of this call tonight we'll Get
him.
cat shutdown we started with our
rifles for barren rldge that lay of two
miles to the east. 1t was dark when we
reached the spot, h gh locality, sur
rounded by dense forest. The guide
placed me in ambush behind a clump of
bushes which commended the barren
space in every direction. He then
selected tree standing by itself a few
feet away, and telling me if he succeeded
in calling a moose to the spot to take
good aim at it back of the shoulder if
could, and to fire the instant it stepped
into the opening, he climbed the tree
until he was hidden in the lower branches,
drawing his rifle after him, butt end first,
bv Irvine which he had attached 10 It,
Presently, out on the still, crisp, Octo-
Der night air rang the weird call to the
cow moose as initiated by Wing on
the birch bark trumpet. l had thought
it penetrating before, but the expert
mental cry the guide had made at the
camp was soft and low compared with
this calf that meant business. 1t
seemed to 90 down into the valley In
long waves of sound, and fingered an
amazing length of time on the air before
the last reverberation died away. The
novelty of the situation aroused me to
the highest pitch of excitement. One
moment was burning with fever and
the next / grew SO cold that my teeth
chartered. In few minutes Wing gave
another blast on his trumpet When
the sound died away the silence seemed
to grow more profound and my suspense
was becoming almost unbearable. Then
a sound as of castanets heard In dancing
broke the stiffness off TO the right OF
this opening, and series of short, gut
tural sounds like the low believing Of
bull came from the same direction.
" Make ready! He's coming" Wing
signaled to me.
Il began to shake like an aspen, but
showed the gun around the bushes and
had the entire opening before me. My
hand shook so that / gave up all hope of
hitting the moose, even if he came within
twenty feet OF me- But / had short time
for reflection, for from the edge Of the
forest, plainly visible in the starlight,
came the majestic moose, drawn thither
bv the false love call. He came pranc-
ing into the opening, his great antlered
head lifted proudly and thrown grace
fully back as if TO excite the admiration
Of the mate he came to meet. AS he
came with stately tread into the opening
h uttered several short, low, mellow
cries and stopped. He was not twenty
PAGES away and his great side was turned
souarely toward me. My hands could
not be controlled, and. despairing, L
closed my eyes and fired. Opening my
ewes l saw the huge animal lying on the
ground The next instant he was on his
feet and turned to dash into the forest
when the truer aim of Wing laid him
low again. Once more he essayed TO rise
and fired again at random, but through
good luck hit vital part. Ny first shot
had hit the moose In the neck and
knocked it down. Wings shot
struck it back of the shoulder.
My second shot passed through
the moses kidneys. l never saw hand
somer animal than that moose. Its skin
was as glossy as satin, and its antlers,
which were four feet long and over
foot wide, were polished like ivory. The
moose polishes his antlers by rubbing
them on messy trees. To get the moses
carcase down from the ridge We were
obliged to call to our help some guides