The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-08-01
MOOSE-HUNT STORIES

of the Fulton chain county, usTu ~ ue
clare that in the days OF moose hunting ~
the Adirondacks he never shot more than
once AT a moose to Kill 1t, because ne IN
variably put the bullet right where 1t would
do the business at the trst shot, yet one oil
MS favorite stories OF his career IN the woods
was about the moose he shot Il times before
be killed it. c,-
Gle was hunting on the West Canada
creek waters and started two moose,
bull and a COW. They took to the creek
where Alvah shot the bull and dropped 1t at
the first fire. The COW stopped when the
bull fell.
"Alyah did not want to kill her as she
stood in the creek, and he tried to scare
her so she would go out on land, but she
wouldn't move. The hunter knew that II
he got the moose mad she would come
tearing out of the creek right at him, and
he concluded to make her mad.
'eIhe nose of a moose is very tough, ano
will stand a good deal OF punishment, out
Cunning thought by sending bullet INTO
this cows nose it would sting her so that
her temper would instantly rise enough to
make her seek revenge and rush out OF the
creek upon him, so he fired bullet INTO hef
nose.
'To his surprise, she merely shook her
head a little, but her temper was unruffled'
He shot another bu..et into her nose. she
minded it no more than she had the other
Alvah kept on firing bullets into the moose's
nose until he had lodged II between her
ewes and her nostrils, and still she stood
still and kept her temper.
"'Well,' said Alvah, after all these efforts
to make her mad had failed, you're either
too sweet-tempered and good-natured to
he left alone in this wilderness, or else SO
set in your ways and contrary that youi
make it unpleasant fog other folks to live
here, and SO | guess | had bette: quit vast
ing lead on you and gather you IN as you
! stand
$50 Alvah sent a bullet under her ear
and tumbed her into the creek.
"Alvah Dunning killed hundreds OF
moose. and his story of the killing OF the
FIRST one is an Adirondack classic. HIS
father was one of the greatest hunters the
north woods ever had and one day he
got after one of the biggest bull moose he
had ever seen the track Of.
'"oThe moose got away from father as
Alvah used to tell the story. and the
next day | told him l would like to go and
kill it. He laughed at me, and said 1t took
the best kind of a man to bag moose,
and he didn't think l2-year-old boy stood
much of a show with one. / stuck to 1t,
though. for | had killed bears and deer
and wildcats, plenty of 'em, but hadn't
Knocked over a moose yet and l thought it
was time had, if was only II years old.
az stuck to it so tight that by and by
father told me that | might go out with ham
and see him kill the moose. | grinned and
said: "All right. That'll be better than
nothing" and when father went out that
day / shouldered my gun and went along. :,
:" Z led the dog. From all had heard
father and others talk about moose gath
cred that moose were mortal afraid OF man,
and would flee and keep on fleeing as long
as they knew that one was following them,
but that they hated dogs so that they would
stop on the trail to fight one
"'That kept moving in my head on this
moose hunt, and made up my mind would
see whether it was true or not, II L got the
! chance and then, maybe, something might
! happen. | trotted along with father, Tor
he could walk through the woods about as
| fast as a horse could trot on the road, and
| made no more noise than falling leaf. l
kept even with him, but few rods of to
one side and always in sight of him.
"We hadn't gone more than two miles
| when noticed the dog begin to lift his head,
prick up his ears and snuff the air. believed
that he had got scent of the moose, and
determined to conduct that hunt on my own
responsibility.
"The dog kept Juggling at his string
! and wanted to push forward so much that L
quietly slipped his collar. Away he went,
and | started on the trail as fast as | could
run. Father hollered after me and wanted
to know what I had let the dog go for, and l
hollered back that he had slipped his collar
and was trying to catch him.
az didn't stop to argue any farther and
was soon a good ways ahead OF father. l
hadn't gone more than half mile when
came upon the moose, which, hearing the
dog behind it, had waited Tor him to have
a bout with him. And he was having 1t,
good and lively.
1.-THE dog knew his business and kept
the moose engaged. | got up to within
safe shooting distance, aimed at the butt
of the moose's ear and fired. The big fellow
dropped all in heap in his tracks and never
stirred.
"Pretty soon along came father in
hurry. / had one foot on the big carcass,
and maybe | was grinning little. Father
was surprised and no mistake.
| We'll" said he, you tumbled 1T,
didn't you?"
"'"Yes," said I. 81 thought l wouldn't
wait until you came up to let me see you
kill it."
"He laughed and went to work skinning
the big moose out. As he skinned he kept
examining the hide and carcass until he
had skinned the moose clear up to the
ears.
'"There amt any bullet marks any
where" said he. "Where bouts did you
shoot it?"
o'clock under the butt of the ear" l
said.
"'He looked under the butt of both ears
and all over his head, but not sign OF
bullet mark was anywhere.
"'"This moose" said father, looking
disgusted "hain't been shot at all! You
missed him and he's just been scared to
DEATH"
"'That dampened my spirits, for couldn't
bear to think that had missed that moose.
But the mystery was explained later and
was vindcated as a marksman. The
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