The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-20
A MOOSE HUNT IN THE WILDs OF
MAINE


AS usual, Outing; furnishes a. most
interesting sketch of moose hunt in that
very popular sporting country, the Pine
Tree State, of which the following is an
excerpt:
"A hunt in the Maine woods; limit of
time two weeks; sole object, a moose
The leaves have fallen the underground
has become comparatively clear, and the
moose have left the lakes and streams
and sought shelter in the more thickly
wooded hills and ranges. The rutting
season is oyer, and all the fight has left
the bull. who busies himself in selecting
a yard" some well protected hillside.
where the tender tops of the moosewood
and maple will furnish him food. during
the heavy SHOWS. The sportsman in quest
of moose in Maine arrives at the little
station nearest the hunting region, puts
up at the country hotel, listens to stories
of the heads carried out of the woods, and
is assured by his guide of the plentiful
ness of game. The next morning-what
| joyl The ground is covered with snow,
soft and velvety, four or fye inches. Just
! travelling, yet just enough to cushion the
| leaves and deaden ones footballs. The
| hunter, with whatever rife he fancies,
and the guide with his pack make an
early start. Three or four miles over one
range, with here and there view of
| distant lake. or glimpse of long
| stretch of crimson and blue hills. down
| into a swamp, across treacherous brooks,
when loi moose tracks. Immediately the
hunters spirits mount high, his strength
is doubled, and every sense Is on the
| alert. The guide examines the tracks
! critically; 1t might be young bull. At
any rate, it will probably lead to yard
or to other moose. so for the next three
| or four hours the trail is followed through
| bogs, over fallen treetops and under over
| hanging boughs. which the guide scru-
tinizes closely. Bark freshly peeled from
young trees, bushes bent over and the
fresh tracks the guide decides We're made
during the early morning. There are
three in the herd big tracks, and from
| the bark scrapeed off the trees, there is
| evidently a bull amongst them. The
trails cross and wander about aimlessly.
| The beasts are possibly in the near neigh
| borhood Now great caution must be OBJ
| served. A finger is wetted and held up to
| find the exact direction Of the wind. TAX
| ing note of the general appearance Of the
surrounding hills and valleys, the guide
| leads the sportsman circuitously to lee
ward of a certain narrow little valley,
/ where they again discover the trail
which fortunately leads up the valley
| and against the wind. Creeping, half
crawling, they cautiously select a place
| for each step The signs grow fresher
every minute, and the hunters grow more
alert and careful. Just as they reach
| the top of a little rise a black object Is
| seen TO move amongst the growth some
| hundred yards distant. Crouch low and
! be ready. moment later the object
turns, and presents a broadside. showing
a fine pair of horns. Now quick but take
careful aim. Bang! once. twice Shoot
| again as he runs--three, four-yea, more
and weakens. then. staggering, fails
| heavily to the ground. dead. A moment
to realize that he has actually killed his
moose, and then the triumphant hunter
produces a flask that he and his guide
may drink to their success, and to each
others health-and to everybody ese's
good health They then fill their pipes
and sit down to enjoy a little of that calm
contentment that follows the complete
and successful accomplishing mt of ones
most cherished desires The next day is
spent in blazing and 'swamping out
way by which the moose may be hauled
out, and after much labor and difficult
driving he is hauled into camp on sled"
If you want to know all about the hunt
ing regions, send two-cent stamp to the
general passenger department of the Bos-
ton and Maine Railroad for the pamphlet
1t is well worth reading.