The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-06-04
THE MO0SE'S HOME.
A GREAT BREEDING PLACE
FOUND IN MINNESOTA.
A Large Herd Discovered in an Al
most Inaccessible Tract of
Timber-A Man freed by
the Stampede,
TTHE breeding place of the

to the New York Press. These
animals are multiplying rapidly, and
as the law prohibiting their killing
does not expire for two years yet, it is
believed that moose soon will be more
plentiful In Minnesota than the red
deer.
The home of the moose is in the will
derness bounded by Red Lake, the
Vermilion River and the Rainy River,
in the far northern part of the State,
which is seldom visited except by
prospectors and pine land locators.
The country is almost inaccessible,
and the largest game animals left in
the Northwest herd there undisturbed.
For three years it has been known
that the Minnesota moose had one
great breeding ground, somewhere in
the north of the State. but until now
no one has known where this place
was. Ben Jackson and Gustave Her
man, pine land "1ocators, are the
men who found the breeding place Of
the moose by accident. Jackson bad
q narrow escape fr ON death in cOnse-
| quence.
The two men were in town few
days ago, fresh from the woods, and
Mr.. Herman said to me:
'We were up in township 60.2O
north, looking up pine lands, and IN
our wanderings came to an excellent
tract many miles in circumference.
We determined to make a careful in
| spection of the timber, and SO entered
from opposite sides. The snow was
heavy, but we made good progress on
| our snow shoes. Along in the after
noon came to something which made
me open wide my eyes. 1t was huge
moose yard, in which were, at the
least calculation, fully 500 moose. AS
far rs | could see among the trees
there were moose, big bulls and
smaller cowsl
81 observed the herd for some time,
and then attempted to get closer. l
must have made some noise, for the
entire herd started off in the opposite
direction. After the animals had gone,
leaving a beaten path in the deep
snow many rods wide, I made tour
of the yard, and found from dozen
indications that it wss an old stamp
ing'place.
"rhe trees were dennded Of bark
| and small branches, and in many
places the hard ground was cut up as
though by pillow. found the skele
tons of two big bull moose, with the
antlers firmly interlocked. These
bones evidently had been there for
years, and told of desperate battle.
Hearing nothing from Jackson, who
was about due, started off on the
trail left by the moose. The animals
had made road through the snow
over which an army could have
marched.
'Small trees were broken and old
stumps overturned by the moose in
their mad flight, and about mile
from the yard I came upon the man
gled remains of a small COW moose.
She had, no doubt, fallen as she ran,
and had been trampled to death by
her companions, as they rushed on in
their efforts to escape.
"Just at dusk found Jackson. He
was up a pine tree. at the foot of
which, paving, stamping and snorting
in anger, was bull moose. The ami
NAL had been tearing at the tree with
its antlers until most of the bark was
off. fred one shot at the animal,
and he made off, as l Intentionally
missed him when fired. At the foot
of the tree lay what was left of Jack
sons rife. The stock was broken of
and trampled into little bits, while
the barrel was bent and twisted"
eyes, and if had not climbed the
tree when l did" put IN Mr.. Jackson,
81 would have met the same fate as
did my rife and my packsack. l was
making my way through the woods
when suddenly a noise like hurri-
cane coming fell upon my ear. There
was no wind stirring, and, therefore,
/ was at loss to account for the
sound. Just then the herd of moose,
many hundreds strong, came into
sight, and for minute / felt sick.
The animals were headed straight for
me, and, knowing that bullet or two
would not change them from their
courses, I dropped my rife and went
up t1ee like asquirrel. The animals
paid no attention to me for time.
They dashed along under me, the
ground trembling. When the herd
had gotten past, an old bull, who
seemed to be bigger than all outdoors,
took his stand directly under the
tree, and until Herman came along
kept trying to knock down my refuge.
"Later Herman and / visited the
yard. and we were convinced that the
animals had made the region breed
ing ground for many years.
When the moose law went into eff
fect. five years ago, there were few OF
tho ANIMALS to be found. Now they
can, be seen frequently in summer.
They wander into small settlements
in upper Minnesota. There is a fine
$500sfor killing moose. When the
law expires the true sportsman, tho
man Fho does not believe in wanton