The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-11-30
TREEp BY A MOOSE.
They Are Savage Customers
When They Get Hunter at
DISADVANTAGE

Disadvantage.
j On coming to the footprints / found
it was a moose that had been along
there, writes an old time hunter in the
Minneapolis Tribune, and had kept oul
track, as easier than the deep, heavy
snow. followed along, making as lit
tie noise as possible, and found that he
quietly fed at every tree he could
reach; then / came TO where he had
lain down during the storm. knew
from this that he could not be great
distance off, and went on slowly and
cautiously. He kept the track most oil
the time, but would, when good feed
ing tree was handy, get out in the
deep snow, but soon got back again. In
my moccassin feet made no noise; the
signs grew fresher, and it was not
long before / came to where he had
rested the night before. l fancied |
could scent him. So got down on my
knees and crept along. and soon had
the satisfaction of hearing the break
| ing of branches ahead of me. had
with me my short fowling piece, loaded
for deer, with three buckshot in it.
The charge would have been good for
a deer at short range, but not for a
moose, unless could hit his neck bone
or cut his jugular. So l worked my
self along on the path as noiselessly us
possible, and when within thick
clump Of bushes / raised up to take in
the situation, / had the satisfaction OF
seeing the moose within easy gun shot.
but not on the beaten path. He was
just reaching up his long head and
nose to the top of small tree, on the
branches and twigs of which he was
feeding. had my snow shoes under
one arm and the gun in the other. |
dropped the shoes as quickly as
could and took aim at him, but he had
either scented or got sight of me, for
in flash, before could get my gun
up, he made a jump, and was out
sight in the trees.
| did not believe he would 60 far, SO
l slipped my feet into the toe straps of
the snow shoes, and it was lucky for
me that did not stop to fasten them
on. / followed on his track and in a
short time found he had got enough of
the deep snow and crust and had stop
ped, with his head to me and his long
ears projecting forward; he did not
turn to run as l advanced on him, but
kept his head bobbing up and down, so
that it covered his front neck andIbreast.
As he stood facing me could hit moth
ing but his face and forehead, and |
waited for him to hold his head up long
enough for me to aim under, and as /
thought | had him right / let go at
him. He was not more than fifty yards
from me, and could see in an instant
what my buckshot had done for the
moose. just as fired ne must have
thrown his head down again and got
the charge in his nose and face. One
shot went through his nose and lodged
in the jaw, giving him the toothache;
the other two struck him fair in the
forehead between the eyes and fiatten-
ed out on the bone.
My! wasn't he mad:a 1t didn' take
him long to take in the situation. He
made for me at once, giving me no
time for reflection or to reload; no time
to climb tree or get behind one.
There was nothing between him and
me. All could do was to turn and
run. As ! turned / noticed few rods
to my right large cedar tree that had
turned up by the roots and lay with its
top at an angle some ten or fifteen feet
up from the snow, and was high enough
at the roots for one to crawl under. l
made for it. 1t was race for life. AS
l put my hands on the tree l realized
in one more jump the sharp hoofs of
the moose would be ON me unless |
could get over the tree. dropped my
gun, put both hands on the cedar
(there were no limbs near the roots)
and turned somerset over the tree
and came down all right on the other
side face to the moose. It was close
shave, for one of the snowshoes struck
him in the nose as l circled. As l went
over the shoes dropped off. When /
landed in the snow the crust gave way
and let me down nearly to my armpits.
Before / could get my footing the
moose was on the other side of the tree,
but it was too high and too wide for
him to get over. He rose on his hind
feet and put his forefeet down on the
bark hard enough to shake the dirt off
from the roots, and his sharp hoofs
cut through the thick tough bark TO
the solid wood. He would reach over
and try to bite me, and the blood from
his wounded nose spurted in my face.
The two shot holes in his forehead did
not bleed much, but think they gave
him headache. He could not paw
the snow from under the tree, and | at
once began TO dig hole to crawl I'M
der if he should get on my side. This
he soon did.
Finding he could not get over or
under he took the way around the root
As he went round l went under and
faced him on the other side, and | had
to do it quick. When l got my head
up he was on the other side, his head
and neck well over, every hair on his
thick, short name bristling with rage.
Finding he could not get at me on that
side with his fore feet, he turned round
tail to, just as you have seen mule do,
and for a while he made the snow fly
in my face, and some of it hit hard.
Then when he had trampled the snow
down so that he had got good footing,
he turned and came at The tree on the
full jump. He tried this twice; the
second time / thought he would get
over, for his fore feet hung over on my
side. But did not hurry. found l
could get under s quick as he could
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