The National tribune., 1890-01-23
would probably suggest to most men something

I more difficult TO stalk than wild elephant OF
account of the perfection of its nose and cal
the latter organ being so exceptionally de
veloped as 10 possess an uneuuallcd power O
discriminating between different sounds. Com
ing mp wind and also eilectually concealed b!
. | intervening objects, the hunters approach i
nevertheless known by the breaking of a single
| twlg, and this although the noise is nearly in
audible TO himself, while the lying up moss
is at distance, and although the autumna
, wind be rushing through the forest, swaying
iTacturlng and creaking branches, rustllnl
dead leaves and making the woods vocal Will
ali the sounds which belong to the scene under
such circumstances. Then the animal vanishes
1t is marvellous" remarks Lord Dunraven
how so great aud heavy n creature can move
through the woods without making the slight
est sound" Ward. Butler and I.eveson alike
bear witness 10 the death-like silence witt
which the game, so TO speak, fades away if the
hunter he not seen, in which case, however, &
tremendous rush follows, but soon subsidies into
the usual ghost-like manner of departure
During the pairing season n temporary change
IN the males character occurs. His brain is
enSorgcd, he is constantly excited by actual or
anticipated conflict with rivals, and if any rndi-
ments of aesthetic sensibility exist, they are
then awakened. Conscious of effective arms
oil ohense and great power. the bull moose I'M
| ceaslngly roams the harrcns and forests in quest
OF adventures in love and war. and il is by sue
! cessiuily overcoming his natural caution
| through the excitement of passion that he is
betrayed TO his death. Many stories are told
about the tragic ends of moose hunters by
means of the formidable antlers and fore feet of
/ animals they have failed to kill or disable !;
and when II is remembered that at bay crea-
! tnres so inferior in size and strength as tho
! kusa or true stag, are really dangerous il may
| be readily believed, though the writer has met
with no authentic account of such an event
a 10 uI,nr ~
| man.
:" The moose" observes Hardy SIS thoroughly
| wild, and unsociable toward other animals" He
is more than this according 10 Sir John Rich
ardson, during the rutting season. for then he
attacks every creature he encounters. Still il
VIII he found that the former writer expresses
the sense OF the best descriptions which have
been given on the basis of personal observa-
ton. in saying that the moose, when taken
young, can be easily domesticated, and becomes
at once perfectly tame aud audacously famil-
lar' There is, naturally. much difference be-
tween the characters of animals specialized for
predatory life and those which are not thus
adapted. Several observers besides Hardy
mention the fact of moose being
BROKEN To HARNESS,
of the trouble they give on account Of their
awkward intrusivenesS when tame and of their
propensity. when young and astray in the for.
est, TO attach themselves to cows Further,
domestic moose not infrequently roam the
woods all day and return at nightfall to their
homes
heanimal's geographical distribution is thus
given by X. Ramsay Wright: lin the Old
World its range extends from Sweden through
LthuaGia. aud Northern Russia to tho forests
OF The Lower Amoor as far south as the mouth
Of the Jssuri IN latitude 4S9. In the New
World II extends on the west coast from the
shores of the Arctic Ocean nearly 10 the Column
bra River. Farther east its northern limit is
about TO, and thence il extends southwark
through British North America TO the Northern
States"
In Scandinavia Ekstrom fixes its limits be-
tween - and 6i north but Lloyd states that
The animal overpasscs these parallels In both
directions, and he mentions also cases OF elk
THE European name for our moose over seven
feet high, as having been quite recently killed
IN Sweden. IL this statement Is authentic IL
Is scarcely surprising that a creature so short
bodied and so tall should have been formerly
thought TO be without joints, as the elephant
was once said 10 he and also only able TO eat
while walking backward and through the in
sirnmen:aiity Of his upper lip. There are, in
fact, many s,mbiances between elk aud elc.
plants; both possess the same senses i'm ex-
eep'ional perfection both are wary and wild
creatures that resign themselves at once 10 re-
str1ihi, although IA this particular the com
parison rs made between mHture and immature
specimens; 10th likewise cvinre the same pref
ereuce for old trails and when new ones arc
made tread 50 closely IN each others tracks az
70 make 10 difficult % determine their num-
bers. These animals. moreover. are exceed
ingiy destructive 20 cultivated lands and 10 so
great a degree Is this true In case Of the elk,
that IN the old West Goihland laws be is de.
scrii'ed rs " r noxiOus animal and classed
with the wolf and bear; while i'm more modern
days many districts have taken charge OF his
destruction in sclf-dcfense. Again. both tho
moose aud elephant move their huge forms with |
ABSOLUTE SoIsELEssNEss,
and although neither Of them can be called |
active. either can traverse the most broken and |
difficult country. AOgr6und, however rough" |
says Lloyd. nothing but snow with a frozen |
crust impedes the elk Like elephants, herds |
Of moose consist OF group Of families; but |
unlike the elephantine herd, these are led bv |
cid bulls. Almost invariably, Sandergon ob. |
serves, females direct their movements in the |
latter case, aud the tuskers loiter in rear but
with moose this order is reversed
No white man, Col. Butler aud Mai. Leve |
son assert, can stalk a moose unaidcd by |
an Indian. They possess. besides unusually |
acute senses aud extreme vigilance aud |
caution, great sagacity, which eYinccs IT. /
self among other modes Of conduct in the |
protective habit Of returning upon their trail. |
and lying down % windward of H. So that |
II TINS DC IoiiONeu the animal IS certain 10 !
scent the hunter. Where they have been much
molested, elephants. bison, and the rhinoceros
do the same, but this is practiccd while these
animals are being pursued, and is a stratagem
Of war upon their part
Moose generally dispense themselves during
those seasons when the ground Is uncovered by
snow. but IN the Winter they yard" as IL IL |
called. Moose yards' may be seen depicted as
circular snow forts with a group Of animals
within their walls No such thing as this IL
ever found outside the pages Of magazines or
illustrated sporting books. yard" is a gpace
OF open forest where an abundance Of food ex-
lists, and where the animals congrepate dur
ing severe weather until this is exhausted.
When found IN this position, however, those of
them who are hunted, AS they always are by
men on snow shoes. almost invariably lose
their lives, bccHnse they break through the
surface, cut their limbs 10 pieces
with the crust. and soon become exhausted.
Formerly in Europe every device, from a ROYAL
battnc 10 pitfali, was reg0rted 10 for their de-
and matters would have been az had
here If the population had been as dense. The
result has been that the number of moose be-
came greatly decreased in both continents. aud
that they disappeared from large areas-not as
Lloyd says OF those Of Lapland, because thew
but because they were extermin.
ated." Now, however, this fine animal IL pro.
tected In certain localities by law, and al.
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