Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1904-12-02
MOOSE SEASON IN NAME
Six Weeks During Which the Great
Animal Is Hounded by
Hunters.

The moose, that monarch OF the Maine
woods, ana the greatest game animal TO
be found IN the temperate zone, has been
fair game for the hunters since mid
night of Friday, October IA, for the close
time which has protected him fer ten
months ended then, and for six weeks
the bull moose of Maine have to run the
Rantlet Of the s~portsmen's fire, says the
Bangor Commercial
loose hunting Is the greatest sport to
be had IN the Maine woods, for the size
of the game and the valuable trophy
which the head of Il good-sized bul.
makes with It's Ornamcntation of great
antl"rs Is enough to cause a sportsman
to endure almost any hardship in the
hope Of securing one of the big fellows.
There Is also an element Of danger which
makes the sport the more cnticing, for
a bull moose on a rampage Is a danger
Gus foe, and unless the hunter Fortunate
~ disablc5 his game at the first shot
there Is trouble in store for him. The
moosr's great size enables him to crash
through the woods with the speed OF a
locomotive and with almost as much
power, and the knife-likc hoots and
great antlors are terrible weapons when
brought into play at close range. More
than on" hunter has paid the penalty for
his carclcsSnoss and met death beneath
the feet Of one of these maddened mon
stors, and others have been freed and
nearly frozen to death while "A bull
moose kept watch. as patiently as a
sphinx, beneath the limb which shell
tered them.
Moose weighing more thar 900
pounds are often brought out of the
woods. and their great heads, adorned
with wid"-sprcading %antlers, form the
decoration of many a den" The
largest moose ever brought To Bangor
measured nine feet from his forchOofs
to tGr top of his %antlcrS, and weighed
over 200 pounds. In many cases the
antlcrs measure more than five feet from
tip 70 tip. and in some cases the breadth
exceeds six feet
When the various water plants which
form tn" summer food OF the moose
HAY" bccom" edible in the spring tho
moose leaves the yard or sheltered spot
Wh"r" he has passed the winter and
seeks the waterways. Here he spcndH
Tn" summer feeding on the tender
plants and bathing in the water to keep
cool and to protect himself from tho
vicious flies which are a terrible pest IN
some parts Of the woods. when thus
engaged the moose are often easily ap-
preached by persons in canoes, and more
than one summer visitor has carried
home a photograph Of a big bull or q
Cow and calf taking their daily bath
The COWS and calves are often seen to-
Gethcr during the summer months, and
In some instances are very tame and
linper in the vicinity of the camps. cvi-
IDENTIFY pleased at the attention bestowed
upon them.
Usually in April the horns OF the bulls
begin to sprout and they attain "A mar
vclous growth before September. They
wear their soft covering called velvet"
until September. and are sometimes
found ate in that month with the cOv.
erlng still on. During August and Sep
TENDER the bull Dos are In the pink %
condition, and are dangerous animals
to meet. They tear through the woods
for weeks at a time, believing a chal-
lengc TO any living thing that roams tha
woods Fierce fights between riva.
bulls are common at this period, and
many instances are on record of such
fights, In which both cOmbatants fell
with their antlers locked In the death
struggle.
When the cold weather comes on tho
moose go back into the woods and seek
shelter In the thickets from the cold
winds of winter. They are often found
"yarded, " a dozen or more together In
some spot whore there Is plenty Of food
in the form Of young poplars, naples and
birches
The reports which have been brought
from the hunting regions indicate that
moose are unusually plentiful In ths
Maine woods this fan. Whether the tn
crease isduo tothe protection thc anima.i
have received during the past few yeats
OF whether their numbers have been re.
,rulted by moose from The northern par,
.! the state, or pcihrps from New
Brunswick. Is not known, but whatever
the reason for the increase the moose
are certainly more plentiful, IluAn hoy