Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-23

1t has not been a hard winter for the
big game in the northern Maine woods.
There is less snow on the ground there
than the average of the past few win
tiers. although there has been more III
the lower sections of the State. Meth
or has there yet been any crust to ham,
per the movements of the deer ana
moose, and it is a crust rather than
depth of snow that makes serious trou-
BILE for them. Of course, the winter is
not yet at an end but thus far the re-
ports all indicate that the game is win
toring well. In view of this fact, Com
missioner Carleton was somewhat
amused at the following absurd yarn
which some enterprising correspondent
sent from Bangor to New York paper
that likes a breezy story regardless OF
the facts:
There is more. than six feet of snow
on the level of Coxahexis lake, and in
edges of the great spruce forests which
come down to the shores the drifts are
from ten to Is feet in depth. Records
kept at John Largay's camps show that
81 inches of snow fell, in January.
which is nearly a foot more than the
average for all winter. Most of the
downfall came in very cold weather
and in the form Of dry and mealy snow,
so that no teaming along the roads
could tread it down or make it lie III
| shape for loads to pass along. Since
February came in a foot of snow has
| fallen. In Largay's further camp.
which is six miles back from Church
i'll lake. are 40 men living on salt pork
| 1
nothing to eat except frozen twigs from
the trees. Owing to the great depth Of
| the snow, no supplies can reach this
camp for a week or more, and though
the men can come out on SnOWShoeS. il
is feared the horses will Starve before
hay and oats can be brought down from
Northeast Carry. The men who have
come out say that the deer and moose
are unable to move about in the woods
on account of the deep snow. and that
most of them will perish from hunger
before spring. James Burke, 4 pros
lpectOr, who was cruising in the woods
Tor new Chopping, came upon moos"
yard near CaucomagOrmac lake. where
he found six dead moose and five very
lean ones that We're too feeble to break
Through into the deep snow when he
tcame upon them. One big bull. that
was reduced to skin and bones. allowed
him to come up and feel his ribs and
showed no signs of fear. When Burkc
held out a fragment of Indian bread
the moose ate it ravenously. and was
so greedy for more that he tried to fol
low the proSpector when he quit thu
yard Wildcats had visited the yard
J and fed on the frozen bodies Of tbs
moose. From the number of tracks
yard. Wildcats had visited the yard
Burke thinks there must have been al
least a dozen wildcats close by. waiting
; to prey upon the survivors so soon as
they became weakened from starvation
: In addition TO the wildcats. he saw
signs where foxes had been at WORK
among the bones. Though he hat
heard reports that wolves had returned
to Maine from Canada during the cold
weather, he saw no indications of these
animals, though he remained about tn,
lake for a week
1t made good story, but as a matter
of fact those who are in position t,
know say that this winter is al
especially propitious one for the big
game. The snow has not been, deel
and the game has been able to not onl!
keep alive but are in fat and health!
condition. w. T. Pollard, one o
Names best known and most veraciou
game wardens, was in Bangor few
DAYS ago. His tales of the conditions
in the woods above Moosehead lax
differ materially from those of thu
above quoted letter. why Tin
Pollard told me the other day." said {
friend OF the warden's, that Their,
wasn't over two and half feet o
snow in the woods. He had just com,
from the region, this paper speaks of
too. l guess the man that wrote tina
story was never in the Maine wood:
and he certainly must have been hare
up for news. Pollard said that The
woods were so comparatively free from
snow ard the conditions so good for the
big game that the moose hadn't ever
yarded." n