Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-01-24
HE LASSOOED A MOOSE.
And Then Captured the Animal and
Her Two Young Ones.

The Boston Journal has this interest
ing story from WaterviIle. Me: The
greatest achievement in the hunting
line heard of Is that of Frank Pooler
of Moose River. 1t seems that he has
had more or less experience in the
use of the laSSo, also understands the
the game with which his county
abOundS, and not long since. seeing
Il moose COW with two young ones at
her side, while he was out in the
woods, he made up his mind that he
would secure the whole lot. Instead
of shooting he left the opening where
the game had appeared and went to
his home and secured some oats. With
these he went back and made three
piles on the ground, and then went
some ways back and climbed a tree
where he could overlook the place
and waited. He thinks it must have
been some two hours which he had to
remain in this not too comfortable DO
SitiOn when he saw the COW and her
young come out again and commence
to Craze. At first it looked as if they
were not going to see the bait, but
they worked out a little at a time
and finally seemed to smell the oats,
for one of the young ones came to-
ward it and stopped, seemed to be
shifting the air, then deliberately ad-
vanced to the first pile and began to
eat.
Instead Of paying any more atten-
70 lnA L.,
ceeded home, ate his supper, and some
time in the evening went back with
the second lot of oats and made some
more heaps upon the ground and then
returned home once again. He now
got out his laSSO, and taking some
stout cord started back. 1t was not
a very pleasant place to spend the
night, but this is what Mr. Pooler did,
his patience being rewarded at an hour
before day had fairly dawned by see
ing Mrs. Moose and her two children
appear and walk deliberately up to the
oats.
The distance of the lasso throw was
some II feet, Mr.. Pooler thinks, and
was made at the COW moose The
moose was successfully struck about
the neck and then came some fun of
the rough and tumble order. Pooler
and the COW moose Were very much
mixed up, for though the lasso was
firmly seated, the strike had not been
sufficiently hard to choke the animal
down. Instead, she put in some tall
Sprinting, but could not stand the sec
ond shock received when the full
weight Of PoOler's body was thrown
upon her neck as he tripped his toe
and fell to the ground. Though still
hanging on to the lasso, by which he
was dragged some little distance, her
wind being cut off, the moose also
dropped to the earth in a choked con-
ditiOn, so that it took but a short time
for Pooler to right himself and go to
her and tie her legs so that she was
perfectly secure.
The two young ones, which turned
out to be two little bulls, did not rum
to any great distance, for when the
mother beloved, as she did when the
lassO was lOosened, the young ones
came out of the woods, a short dis
,tance away, but could not be caught
at the time.
Having the moose secure, the next
thing to do was to get her some half
mile back to his place This he could
not do himself, he found, and so re-
turned home for his wife, who return
ed with him, and then the great feat
of dragging the cow moose to the
c0W-pen commenced. 1t took about a
day to do it, as only short stages could
be made at a time, the moose below
ing all the time, and the young ones
following at no great distance, but
lodging back quick enough if any adj
vance was made toward them. They
seemed to know that something was
wrong.
Then the cow-pen was reached
which consisted of a pole fence some
six feet high, the Enclosure not being
over 80 feet square. This all had to
be fixed and the moose hobbled For
the time being Mrs. Moose was left
united, the door to the pen left open,
and Mr.. and Mrs. POoler went into the
keeping lookout for the young moose
In less than an hour both of the young
ones had entered the pen with their
mother and were made secure, the pen
was put in proper condition and the
old moose let loose. For a long time
all she would do was to stand and
tremble, then tried to use her head to
butt the fence down; but finding this
would not work, she wandered round
and round the pen. For a day she
would eat nothing, but then consent !
ed to do away with a few oats and
some cut clover. In a few days the
moose would eat all right, and Satur-
day last Mr.. Pooler was in this city
and sold the two young bull moose
to George Mcguire of Waterville for
$40.
ERINTEiNDFINTS TO MEET