The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-03-11
WAYS OF THE MOOSE.

| through the mountain ana forest one
comes upon gigantic blackish brown
deer which by reason of the great
length ofits yellowish gray legs stands
higher than tall horse. 1t is cloth
ed in coarse, bristly hair. longest on
the neck and shoulders, and it has
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 ap-
pendage known as the ''bell," and in
the fall and winter he has also pair
of widespreading antlers, very heavy
and much fattened or planted. !"
He stalks the forest through under
growth and over fallen trunks like a
king of gaints, or, if alarmed, he
speeds away at an amazingly swift
swinging trot and with q 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, thesouthern limit
of its range being the head of Green
river, Wyoming. tits also found in
northern Maine, New Brunswick,
southern Canada, Idaho, British Co.
lumbia, Alberta, Athabasca, Yukon
and Alaska. It is strictly a dweller
of the forest, seldom venturing to tree
less plains. It lives for the most part
by browsing on the leaves, twigs and
bark oftrees, particularly young trees.
In order to reach the tops of tall sap
lings the moose rears up against them,
straddling them with his long legs and
literally riding them down. He is
fondest of birch, hemlock, alder, as
pen, willow and maple. He also eats
MOSES and lichens.
In May the tcow," 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 trample his body into the
ground. The calf stays with its moth
er for two or three years, or until be
wanders off to seek a mate for him
self. One day last summer I came
suddenly upon cow moose standing
knee deep in a shallow pond, while
from beneath her neck her gro
tesque looking calf peered out at me
with eyes wide open, as if with aston
ishment. hurried home and return
ed with a camera, but when / reached
the spot they were gone.
Like all American deer, the "bull"
moose sheds and renews his antlers
every year. TEey become full grown
hard and sharp about the Ist of Octo-
Der, the beginning of the breeding
season. At this time of year the bulls
are very savage and not only fight
furiously among themselves. but are
apt to attack anything or anybody
who comes in their way.
The call of the bull is long drawn
bawl with several loud grunts at the
end. Ifthere is a cow within hearing
she will answer with a low cry, and
the bull will come forward to meet
her. Hunters often take advantage
of this fact and attack the bull by an
imitation of the call of the cow exc
cuted on cone shaped horn made of
birch bark. Lying concealed on the
bank af lake or stream, they give
out the call, and when the bull comes
within range they shoot him. But as
this trick is usually played at night
and as the bull sometimes never gives
any warning of his coming until heis
almost on the spot, the sport is apt to
be dangerous. The bull at such time
is in no mood to be trifled with, and
unless the hunter is cool headed and
good shot the moose is not only will
ing but very able to kill him and
dozen like him if 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
and body together was nine feet seven
inches. The Alaskanmoose have the
largest antlers, and one pair from an
animal shot on the Renal peninsula
has spread of seventy-eight and a
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, 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 a GER
tain section of woodland and be break
ing out paths for themselves over a
space of perhaps several acres from
what is known as yard" where,
if not disturbed, they may stay for
weeks together. But the moose is
able to travel well at all seasons, and
even in deep snow his long legs en-
able him to move at pace which as
tonishes any hunter who tries to run
him down on snowshoes.
A wild, free life is the only one on
which amoose can live and thrive. In
captivity it is much less nervous than
most deer and is disposed to be gentle
and affectionate. But, as rule, it
will live but short time, even though
it gets the same food which it had in
its native woods. 1t may appear to
relish its food, but it will grow to no
great size and in short time will prob
ably die of inflammation of the
stomach.
This is one of the noblest wild ami
mails in the world, and it should be
given adequate protection throughout
its range.-Bango, Commercial.