The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1905-01-18
WAYS or THE MOOSE
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NoeLEsr
or AL WILD ANIMALS.
Tho Largest Of the Deer Family. LIv-
inE or Estisrt-Tbe Alaskan BuIi
Moose Have the Greatest AntIers
The Cow and Her InEsisI, calf


Now aud then IN waudcrinps through
/ the mountain and forest one comes up.
I on u gigantic hlucLish brown deer
which 10y reason uf the great length Of
f lts yclluwish gray legs stands higher
than tail horse II X clothed Ia
coarse, bristly hair. longest on the neck
/ aud shoulders. and IL has u rather ugly
/ overhangiug nose which distinguishes
/ Il at once from all other kinds Of deer.
/ From the throat Of the male hangs q
| long hair covered uppeudHgc known us
/ the bell and in the FAN aud winter
/ he has also pair of Widcsprcadlup
/ autlcrs. very heavy and much nHttpucI
/ or "plauatcd" lie stalks the forest
through underground aud over fallen
/ trunks Ike King uf giants. or, if
alarmed hc speeds away at an ama2
| lngiy swit' swinging trot aud with %
crashing vhi"h resembles the sound ~
| falling trees such is the moose the
largest of all deer living or extinct.
I The moose i> chiefly AN nuhral ~ the
/ northern Wuudp thr southern limit ~
/ its range being tie head of Green riv.
| er Wyoming Il i- also found In
| northern Nlaiuc Now Brunswick.
southern canada. lGJhu. British COlum-
/ bn Alberta. Athabasra. Yukon aud
Alaska. II is strictly Il dWcller Of the
forest. seldom yrnunring 10 trcelcss
plains II lives fJr the most part 10y
browsing uu the leaves. twigs aud bark
| Of trees. particularly young trees In
| order to reach IT," tops ~ tall saplings
| the moose rcnrs up against them, strad-
| ding them with his long legs and lit
orally riding them down lie Is fond
/ est Of birch. hcmluck. alder. aspen, vii.
| low aud maple lie also eats moSscs
and lichcns.
In May the "cow." as the female
moose Is called, gives birth TO n long
/ legged, ungninly, tawny colored calf,
! TO protect which the mother Will hght
\ any woodland creature " the death.
| She has no untler~. but she can use
her grent sharp hOofs with the skill OF
/ q prize lighter aud has been known to
pound tu death IA large hlnCk bear and
fairly trimplr his body into the
ground The calf stays with it, moth
I
wundcrs of 10 seek mate for him
self. one day last summer | came sud
denly upon COW moose standing knee
deep In a shallow pond, while from
beneath her neck her grotcsque looking
calf pccred out ut me with eyes wide
| open. rs II with astonishmcnt. | hur-
rlcd home ana returned with camera,
but when | reached the spot they were
gone.
Like all American deer, the bull
moose sheds and rcnews his antlers
every year. They become full grown.
hard and sharp about the list Of Octo-
ber the beginning of the breeding sea
son. At this time of year the bulls are
! very savage ana not only fight furious
~ among themselves, but are apt 10
attack anything or anybody who comes
in their way.
The call of the bull IS q long drawn
buVl with several loud gruutS At the
end II thcrc is a COW within hearing
| she VIII answer with a low cry, and
the hull viii come forward To meet
her. Hunters often take advantage OF
this fact uud attract the hull by an
imitation OF the call Of the COW, exc
cutcd on cone shaped horn made of
birch bark Lying concealed on the
bank or lake or stream, they give
out the call ana when the bun comes
within range they shoot him. But as
this trick ls usually played at night
ana as the bun sometimes never gives
any warning Of his coming until he is
almost on the spot the sport Is apt to
be dangerous The bun at such a time
is IN no mood 10 hc trtlcd with and
unless the hunter is cool headed and u
good shot the moose Is not only willing
but very able 10 kin him and dozen
like him II they happen TO be on the
spot
Probably the largest moose Of which
there Is reliable record was shot by
Carl RungiuS. the animal painter in
New Brunswick In 1901 This great
beast stood seven feet high at the
shoulders, and the length OF its head
aud body together was nine feet seven
inches The Alaskan moose have the
largest nutlcrs, and one pair from an
animal shot ON the keuai peninsula
has spread OF seventy eight ana a
half inches ana has thirty-tour points.
with the dry skull to which they are
attached these nntlcrS weigh ninety.
three ana a quarter pounds, a weight
which nothing but an animal OF gigun-
tic strength could carry nj top speed
over the toughest ground and through
thickly wooded country.
In the winter, when the snow is deep,
the moose, sometimes several families
together, will gather In certain sec
ton Of woodland and Ice breaking out
paths for themselves over II space OF
perhaps several acres from what Is
known as yard" where, II not dts.
turbed. they may stay for weeks 10.
gether. But the moose ls able to travel
well st all seasons. and even in dccp
snow his long legs enahlc him 10 move
NJ pace which sstonishes any hunter