Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-10-17
A PLENITUDE OF DEER AND MOOSE IN
THE MAINE WOODS.
Sportsmen Now Flocking Thither.

The law is now off the signal has
sounded with the advent of October anC
thousands of sportsmen are planning
and preparing for tour in the Maine
woods.
Already the crack of the rifle has re-
sounded and the chase is on the fleet.
footed deer and the raging, snorting
moose 90 crashing through the brush,
disturbed by this sudden noise and I'M
looked for intrusion startled they are,
but naturally inquisitive they soon be-
come the victims of the changed con
ditions which October brings in
In these dense forests where the only
stir of life at this season is the drum
of the partridge or the foot falls Of the
denizens which inhabit these jungles.
the ardent sportsman now enters. the
smoking campfire and occasional bang
Of the gun being the only tell-tale signs
of his habitation,
Arriving at his destination, wherever
it may BE-, possibly long ride in a
rickety blackboard over country roads
to some choice camping spot selected
by an almost infallible guide: maybe
it Is some distant island in an inland
lake reached by a delightful paddle in
the canoe: or perhaps il lies close to
the railroad station. a registered camp
or an up-tu-date hotel, where the hunt
er i rot obliged to rough it: il mat
( tiers not. wherever his stopping place,
the preparations are the same, first
hearty meal and good nights rest.
Awakening in the morning in the fresh
October sunshine and the bracing at
mOSpherc of the pine forests, the hunt
er will feel equal for any task. and the
search for big game is then on in ear
nest.
If the quest is for deer. then a mis-
take cannot be made in location, for
deer in abundance can be found in any
portion of Maine. In that famous fish
ing section the Moosehead Lakes. "
where the disciples of Isaac Walton
love to gather, the nimrod will find an
equal plenitude Of deer. and the same
in the Rangeley and Dead River re-
gions.
As two deer are all that anyone is al
lowed To carry out of the state, then
the man who knows how to shoot at all
is pretty sure of his legal allotment.
The moose hunter, however. requires
just a little more patience, a certain
supply of skill and a goodly amount of
caution, and his efforts will he repaid
with thrilling and exciting adventure.
These animals. which in recent years
have increased under the protection of
the Maine game laws, now roam the
northern portions of the state in large
numbers. and in 1901. the Bangor n
Aroostook Railroad shipped 259 moose
over its line; and this, together with
the large number which were killed for
consumption in camp, and those that
fell prey to the hunters quarry in
other portions of the state, gives evi-
dence of the plenitude of this specie
of game
If you desire to engage in moose
hunting. the services of trained guide
are almost indispensable, for, although .
the katahdin. Aroostook and Washing
ton County sections of Maine are known
TO be good moose territories, there are
particular romping places and feeding
spots where they gather in large num-
bers, and these places are known only
to the experienced guide or woodsman.
While the excitement of moose hunt
ing is generally of a nature to please
the average sportsman, still the more
Jealous hunter can take a try at the
savage forms of forest quadrupeds if he
desires to venture into the interior of
the Penobscot and Washington County
regions. Wildcats and loup-cerviers
are often encountered, and many a
wildcats hide from Maine finds its
way annually to a New York or Boston
market.
The berry section and orchards
around Washington County are over
run with bears, which at this season of
he year are fattening at the farmers
expense in anticipation of the long !
winters siege: and the sportsman who
brings his shotgun will find awaiting {
him small game and birds of quantity {
md variety to suit the most fastidious ]
aste. rabbits, squirrels. beaver, etc,
;rouse, quail, partridge, ducks, pig 3
'ons, and a score of others.
And. hold, Who knows but what :,
Diana will favor you with the good !
ortune to catch glimpse of the giant r
# the pine Tree Forests. - the ia =
nous white Moose" which. accord 7
ng to the estimate of persons who have :
cen him, weighs $500 pounds and has :
ntlers measuring twelve feet across. =
his animal has been seen several times =
d the past few years by guides and :
He first made his appear .
nee in 1898. and since then has been /
cen several times, each time in a diff :,
arent section of Maine. He is a rare =
riZe and he has never been shot at V
18th either camera or rifle.
Even if you are not a sportsman. you b
ill enjoy a trip in the wilds of Maine n
this season of the year. The sharp a
nd exhilarating ozone which perme- b
ties this region saturated with the fra is
rance of the pine and spruce will do ii
uch to inyigorate and rejuvenate the 10
orn out body and the tired mind al
In a beautifully illustrated booklet SC
llled Fishing and Hunting" pub nj
shed by the General Passenger De 1t
Boston & Maine Railroad. pl
oston, the game section of Maine is &C
detailed and pictured es
his book will be mailed upon receipt pr
two-cents in stamps. 1t ca