Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-23
TWO HUNTERS TREED BY
INFURIATED BULL MOOSE
USE OF LARIAT ENABLED MEN TO
MAKE THEIR ESCAPE
While the Animal Was Tying Himself
by Running Around the Tree
Trunk, Successful Flight Was
Possible

From the New York Tribune.
Cass Lake, Minn.-Moose, deer and
caribou are numerous in the woods of
Minnesota north of this place, and not
few have fallen before the rifle Of the
homesteader and lumberman in the last
month, Notwithstanding the open season
does not begin until November is. But
one of the queerest incidents involving
bull moose and two Cass Lake resi-
dents occurred near here last week. A
bull moose, one of the old fellows whose
tuft of hair under his chin Is turning
gray, is an ugly customer to meet alone
in the woods, and the king Of the
northern forests" is especially vicious
on hot days in the summer.
Bert Oakley, the receiver of the land
office at Cass Lake, and Frank Liesen,
the cashier of the First National bank,
chartered a boat and went up the Turtle
river to enjoy an outing Of several days,
taking their guns with them, as well as
fishing tackle and well supplied COM
missary. They stopped at a point not
far from where the Mississippi river
waters Join the waters Of Cass lake.
Here there Is a dense swamp. They
penetrated into the swamp several rods
when Liesen espied a mudhen or coot
flying over the rushes. He brought
down the coot with we'll directed shot
Moose on the Warpath
The shot was answered by snort
and a below from the interior of the
swamp followed closeiy by a cracking
Of brush. In short time the head of
moose, with antlers thrown back, an
inevitable sign of belligrency put In an
appearance followed by giant body
that was moving along at terrific trot
directly for Liesen. The latter gave
one terrified yell and ''shinnied" up the
nearest tree, the moose arriving at the
foot of the tree only few feet behind
the fleeing form Of the cashier, and
striking the tree with its head, giving
1t a resounding whack. Liesen was soon
perched on limb at a safe distance
from the ground. and defied the antlered
one to do his worst. The infuriated
animal began beating tattoo against
the tree with his horns, and 1t looked
as IL he would eventually knock it
down.
Then Oakley went to the rescue. He
never goes hunting without carrying a
long rope or lasso tied securely around
his waist. Oakley is an expert lasso
thrower, and his skill stood him in
hand on this occasion. He united his
rope and giving it several whirls about
his head let it fly at the moose. The
| rope struck squarely over the horns of
the moose and Oakley began to pull 1t
taut, when the animal discovered what
he was doing and started in his d.
rection. Oakley made the rope fast
with one wind about the tree nearest
him and started on a run toward the
boat leaving Liesen roosting in the
tree.
Animal Tied Fast
The moose began a race around the
tree and gradually wound himself al
most tight, when he started furiously
around the tree in the opposite direc-
ton. This he repeated several times
Liesen in the mean time watching for
an opportune moment when he could
Jump to the ground, while the moose
was bound closely to the tree, and make
his escape. He saw an opening. drop
ped to the ground and dashed for cover
out Of the circle which the moose was
making. He just managed to elude
frantic lunge from the antlers, and soon
Joined Oakley in the boat They rowed
to the boat landing at Cass lake, where
they hired an Indian to go out and cut
the moose loose and give him his lib
erty. There would undoubtedly have
been one moose less in the state had
the time been moose season.