The Washburn leader., 1905-01-14
WAYS OF THE MOOSE
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NoBLEsT
OF ALL WILD ANIMALS.

CHARACTERISTIC OF THE NOBLEsT
OF ALL WILD ANIMALS.
The Largest of the Deer Family, Liv-
ing OF Extinct-The Alaskan Bull
Moose Have the Greatest Antlers.
The Cow and Her Ungainly Calf.
Now and then in wanderings through
the mountain and forest one comes up
on gigantic blackish brown deer
which by reason Of the great length of
its yellowish gray legs stands higher
than tall horse. 1t is clothed in
coarse, bristly hair, longest on the neck
and shoulders, and it has a rather ugly
overhanging nose which distinguishes
It at once from all other kinds of deer.
From the throat of the male hangs a
long hair covered appendage known as
the "bell," and in the fall and winter
he has also pair of widespreading
antlers, very heavy and much fattened
or ''plamated." He stalks the forest
through underground and over fallen
trunks like king Of giants, or, if
alarmed, he speeds away at an amaz-
ingly swift swinging trot and with a
crashing which resembles the sound of
falling trees. Such is the moose, the
largest of all deer, living or extinct.
. The moose is chiefly an animal of the
northern woods, the southern limit of
It's range being the head of Green riv-
er, Wyoming. 1t is also found in
northern AIaine, New Brunswick,
southern Canada, idaho, British Colum-
bia, Alberta, Athabasca. Yukon and
Alaska. It is strictly dweller of the
forest, seldom venturing to treeless
plains. 1t lives for the most part by
browsing on the leaves, twigs and bark
of trees, particularly young trees. In
order to reach the tops of tall saplings
the moose rears up against them, strad-
ding them with his long legs and lit
orally riding them down. He Is fond
est of birch, hemlock, alder, aspen. will
low and maple. He also eats moses
and lichens.
) In May the <"cow," as the female
moose is called, gives birth to long
legged, ungainly, tawny colored calf,
to protect which the mother will fight
any woodland creature to the death.
She has no antlers, but she can use
her great sharp hoofs with the skill Of
"a prize fighter and has been known to
pound to death . large black bear and
fairly tralnple his body into the
ground The calf stays with its moth
er for two or three years. or until he
wanders of to seek n mate for him
self. Que day last summer came sud
denly upon Il COW mease standing knee
deep in a shallow pond. while from
beneath her neck her grOtesquc looking
calf peered out at ire with eyes wide
open, as II with ,astonishment. l hur-
ried home and returned with Il camera.
but when ! reached the spot they were
gone
I:.,f. au -A,:.s".ie1n deer. tic ''bull'
moose sl4els .,:thl renews his antlcrs
every year. They become full grown.
hard and sharp about the 1st Of Octo-
ber, the beginning Of the breeding sea
son. At this time Of year the bulls are
very savage and not only fight furious
" among themselves, but are apt to
attack anything ~r anybody who comes
In their way. .a,s
The can Of thu bull 10 a long drawn
bawl With sevenal loud grunts At the
end. II there = q cow within hearing
che will answer with low cry. and
the bull will came forward to meet
lasr. Hunters sn1en take advantage Of
this fact and attract the bull by an
1mitation Of the call Of the cow, exc
cuted on q cone shaped horn made of
birch bark. Lying concealed on the
bank Of a lake sr stream. they give
out the call, and when the bull comes
within range they shoot him. But as
this trick IL usually played at night
and as the bull sometimes never gives
any warning Of his coming until he is
almost on the spot the sport is apt to
be dangerous. The baat at such time
% in no mood to be trifled with. and
unless the hunter 10 cool headed and
good shot the moose Il not only willing
but very able to XIII him and dozen
like him IL 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 tho length Of it, head
and body together was nine feet seven
inches. The Alaskan moose have the
largest antlers. and one pair from an
animal shot on the Kenai peninsula
has Z spread Of seventy-eight and
half inches and has thirty-four points.
With the dry skull to which they are
attached these antlers weigh ninety
three and a quarter pounds, a weight
which nothing but an animal Of gigan-
tic strength could carry at 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