The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-06
4 MOOSE HUNT.
by Three Prominent New Haven Gem
tIemen.


by Three Prominent New Haven Gem
tIemen.
| The following interesting article from
Forest and Stream is by our townsman
George w. Lewis, firm of Lewis e. May
cock. In the party with him were Rev.
Mr.. Scoville Of Trinity church and
Judge Hobart l.. Hotchkiss; also of this
city. The article, beside being enter
tainly written goes to disprove the
claim frequently made that moose are
no longer in evidence in the wilds of
northern Maine
In company with party of friends,
spent twelve days at Lake Sourdna-
hunk sometimes spelled Nesowadne-
hunk, the lower end of which Is located
in township 4, range 10. While there it
was my good fortune not only to see but
to come into close cntact with large
number of moose of various ages, sizes
and stages of development Lake Sourd-
nahunk is reached by blackboard from
Patten, via Shin Ponds Sebois, Grand
Lake and Trout Brook, a total distance
of fifty-two miles, eleven miles of which
is over good road, twenty-one miles
over fair to bad tote road, and the re-
naming twenty miles over road which
is probably as rough as any in the state
Of Maine. The time consumed in taking
the trip from Patten is just two and
one-half days. We saw occasional
moose tracks the second day out, but
when within five miles of the lake the
tracks became very numerous and were
of various sizes, ranging from the spring
calf up to the old bull.
A tramp over the numerous logging
roads leading to the lake revealed the
same state of affairs, many soft places
having the appearance of q barnyard.
Sourdnahunk Lake empties into Sourd-
nahunk stream, and at the head of the
stream there is an old dam, which has
set the waters of the lake back among
the timber. producing lot of dead
wood. This flooded district. which is
perhaps half mile long and six hun
dred feet wide, Is known as the "thor-
oughfare," and is a favorite feeding
ground for moose. A trip to the thor
oughfare,' either in the evening or early
morning, would always be rewarded by
the sight of one or more of the big
game. Our first trip was made in the
evening, and as we silently padded our
canoes among the dead wood, we could
hear the splashlng Of moose long before
we were near enough to discern their
outlines. We padded up very close to
a spilxe-horn bull, and passing him I'M
observed, we next saw large COW and
two calves. The COW was standing in
about three feet Of water, and was feed
Ing on the bottom. We watched her for
at least ten minutes. She made great
deal of noise splashing about, and when
she raised her head from the stream the
water would run from her shoulders in
Further down the stream bull we
had not observed, but who evidently
saw u.s., let out below and In an in
slant all the moose in the thorough
fare started for the shore, going
the dead wood with tremen-
dous crash.
One morning about five o'clock we
took a trip to the "thoroughfare" and
saw five moose, ne yung bull, three COWS
and one calf. Moose are easy to ap-
proach If one is careful not to let them
allow us to get very close to them, look
ing at us in stupid, wondering way,
and appearing like great over-grown
mules On another occasion we We're
there with two canoes, and as we en-
tered we saw large COW swimming the
stream. We headed her off so as to pre-
vent her landing, and brought our ca
noes very close to her on either side,
when suddenly changing her course the
bank opened for business after the holi-
bow of my canoe struck her ON the hip,
the point sliding very gracefully up her
back, and nearly causing the canoe to
capsize. By this time she was blowing
pretty hard, and not wishing to injure
her, we allowed her to swim ashore. AS
explained, the place is filled |
with dead wood and fallen trees, but she |
went over and under all distractions |
without the slightest difficulty. She en-
one fallen tree about the size |