The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-14
The King|y Moose

The sportsman who has been down IN
Maine or M in New Brunswick hunting
deer or caribou. and when on stili-hunt-
ing trip has suddenly come upon moose
has EaS4+se=- -~ft+ f,rrr-t+rst tffe
largest and one OF the noblest OF the Am
erican deer. From the mounted head and
antlers one can got only vague concep-
ton or the size and dignity OF ful
grown moose buck Even 10 see him IN
captivity is not 10 realize With full power
his size and majesty AZ he appears when
standing perhaps just In a wlndfsl clear
ing near he edge or the stream, with the
foliage and undsrbrush hiding all but
shoulders. head and autlers. Buck fever
comes easily 10 the hunter upon first see
ing d moose, and there Is excuse for IL,
too.
The several species OF large deer are
often confused Recently newspaper de-
voted considershl hle space to the discussion
OF the elk and moose. The discussion was
brought about in commenting upon the
very large pair OF American elk antlers
in the possession Of General Cha rles w
Darling Of Utica. The newspaper made
the statement that n the horns were
called moose rather than elk a pure Am
erican word would he used. and the owner
OF the horns would be more pa triotic This
would be true II the horns were those OF
an American moose. but as they are those
OF the American elk IL would he incorrect
10 call them moose. and would convey
the idea thst they are palmated horns
which they are not The word elk as APP
piled to American deer has come by COM
mon use 10 mean the Wapiti deer. and Is
now generally so accepted. The writer OF
the article in question seems TO have
made the error OF not taking into account
the necessity or considering the country
OF the animal before deciding upon the
meaning OF the word elk.
The American moose is more similar 10
the European elk than 10 any other OF the
khrafaesFf- deer, whereas rrs Eufopesn n
elk is similar TO the American elk only in
size aud color. IN is therefore not unnat-
ural that the elk and moose should be-
come confused. Most authors have re-
carded the European elk and our moose
ss the same, although Agssiz IL authority
for saying that the moose is distinct
Moose being now well protected in
Maine and Canada. are somewhat on the
increase. Moose are found also IN the
Northwest. No elk are found now east OF
the Mississippi. although there seems 10
be little doubt that I'm earlier times elk
were native 10 the eastern part OF North
American. In Hunting Trips OF a Ranch
man Colonel Roosevelt says: II have
myself known OF several fine elk antlers
preserved I'm the house OF a Long Island
gentleman. whose ancestors had killed
the bearers shortly after the first settle
ment I'm New York"
In size the moose Is very similar To the
American elk. being little larger: I'm
habits, IL is quite different. generally be-
ing found alone, sometimes with mate
Having short neck IL is unable TO eat
grass from the ground and feeds mostly
upon leaves OF bushes I'm spring. and
seems TO enjoy liy-pods i'm the summer
when II is driven into the water by the
heat and flies. In winter IL feeds on bark
and small twigs and branches. IL can be
distinguished most readily from the Am
erican elk by it's sptlers. The antlers OF
full grown moose are broadly palmated. !.
but IL is not until the moose il four or
i've years old that the horns become fully
palmsted. The next year two crown an
tiers appear and four or five points And
with Increased age one or two noints are
added annually. The palm is often four
tech inches wide. and as many as twenty
one points have been seen on the antlers
of moose killed in Maine. The horns are
shed each year In old and vigorous moose
usually in December. whereas In the
younger animals often not until March
After the animal passes the stage Of
greater visor the horns diminish in size