The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-01-19
KILLED THE MOOSE.
HOW THREE HUNTERS GOT THE LAST
ONE IN THE ADlRONDACKS


Two of the three men who took part in
the hunt that resulted in the killing OF
the last Adirondack moose are still alive
and living on the outskirts OF the great
north woods. They are Henry VILE and
Captain Frank Faville The home If the
former is at Salisbury, in the northern
part Of Ilerkimer county, while that of
the latter is on the st. Lawrence the ex
treme northern boundary of the wilder
ness.
Wiley, Favillo and Jed Thompson, the
three hunters, were all experienced woods
men, but none of them had killed moose
in the Adrondacks. In fact, moose had
not been killed for 90 years before. 1t was
nearly 80 years ago that the moose left the
Adirondacks and crossed into Canada.
1t was early in the winter of 1858 that
Wiley, Faville and Thompson started out
on hunt for deer. There had been reports
in the settlement for some time before that
an enormous bull moose had been seen in
the vicinity of the Canada lakes, and,
while the hunters did not take much stock
in the reports, they decided to hunt around
the lakes. hoping that If "a moose had stray
ed over from Canada they would get shot
at him. They had Wiley's big deerhound
along, and to that fact the old bull owed
his DEATH
The men were skirtinS the southern side
of West lake when Wiley discovered the
great tracks of the moose in the snow
Calling tie others, they examined the
tracks with deep interest None Of them
had ever seen moose tracks before but
there was no nisJaking them, for no other
animal could have left such hoof prints.
The trail was comparatively fresh, and the
hunters determined to follow it until they
overlook the game if it took all winter,
and at one time it seemed to them as if it
would.
All that day the hunters followed the
trail, and they canped that night on the
shore of Pleasant lake. At daylight they
started again, the trail leading around the
northern side of the lake. BY nightfall
they were on the southern shore and APP
parently no nearer their quarry than when
they started. They were all hardy fellows,
hut they were pretty tired and somewhat
discouraged, for the tracks were as fresh
as ever, and it seemed as If they would
never be able to catch up with the old bull.
AS yet the hound had not taken the scent,
which led Wiley to believe that the moose
must still be long distance ahead of
them.
The next morning another start was
made, and the trail led directly back to-
ward the Canada lakes. At about evening
the hunters reached the point from which
they had started the day before. Here Wi
ley found second track exactly like the
first, at which he was decidedly nonplused.
H. E,,II Il 4,
he said:
"Ill be gol burned if l don't think the
tarnal critters runnin round in circle
'twixt here an Pleasant lake, an If we
want to git shot at him we'll have to go
t'other way an head him off. "
"Thats sensible figuring" replied the
captain. "But if we do that, we'll have to
leave the trail, and the dog won't be of
any use to u.s..
After discussing the matter fully it was
decided to camp for the night and in the
morning to divide the party, Wiley taking
the dog and following the tracks, while
the other two men should go around the
other way, in the hope of heading off the
moose.
A bout o'clock in the afternoon the
hound took the scent, and with deep bay
bounded off into the woods, Wiley follow
ing us fast as he could hoping the moose
would be driven to bay by the dog before
the big animal should run into the guns
of the other hunters. The latter, he reck-
oned, should be somewhere near by that
time Wiley wanted the moose badly, but
he wanted to get shot at it himself
Presently the peculiar barking of the
dog indicated that the moose had turned,
A few minutes later Wiley came upon a
scene that he has not forgotten yet. In a
little glade not 100 yards away stood the
most gigantic animal that he had ever
seen. 1t was twice as big as a COW and
stood higher than a horse His head,
crowned with immense antlers, was low
cred for a charge at the dog, and his eyes
blazed with rage.
The dog was evidently badly scared, but
yet had too much pluck to run away. He
would advance toward the moose, barking
furiously, and then the moose would
charge upon him, and the dog would k1ake
tracks for dear life. Wiley was so astound-
ed at tho enormous size of the animal that
he did not think of his rifle, but stood Raz-
ing at the scene in amazement. AT last he
came to his senses, and when the bull pre-
scented his shoulder Wiley raised his gun
and fired, aiming for a point just behind
the fore leg.
Now, Wiley was ordinarily dead shot,
but this time he must have been affected
by nervousness, for his bullet struck the
moose in the fleshy part of the shoulder.
Up to that time the moose had been so oc-
cupied with the dog that he had not no
ticed Wiley. Now, however, he turned,
and with below of rage started for his
new enemy. In those days there were nc
magazine breechloaders, and Wiley knew
that no would not have time to reload be-
fore the bull would be on him. So he drop
ped his gun and sprang into the limbs OF
a nearby tree
/ The moose came on with "a rush and
| butted the tree with such force as almost
to shake Wiley from his perch. Again and
| again he charged, but Wiley hung on with
/ a desperate grip, Then the dog came into
the play again, and the moose turned tc
him. Once Wiley attempted TO slip down
after his rifle but the moose was alert and
charged so fiercely that Wiley was glad &c
scamper back to his perch
| The moose was very foolish, for he might
/ have taken to the deem woods and ESCAPED