Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1906-03-08
MOOSEOF NORTHWEST
WOODS OF NORTHERN MINNIE
sofa FILLED WITH THEM.
They Are Wonderfully Keen and In
telligent Animals - Their
Habits in Different
Seasons.

MUCH lnIOrmaLlOn cOuCernluS Ono hn-
ture and habits of the moose is fur
nished by ]. A. Turnbull, who lately
returned to st. Paul, Mimi, from
trip of two and half months in the
wilds of northern Minnesota on the
Canadian boundary.
Few people have any conception OF
the astuteness Of these animals" said
Mr.. Turnbull "They possess a keen
ness Of scent and hearing that is al
most beyond belief and an intelligence
that is seldom credited to them by any
one except those who have devoted
considerable time to studying them and
their ways.
'Tn the section OF the country where
we were the larger part of our stay
moose were exceedingly plentiful, and
we had the finest opportunity to OBJ
serve their actions. We followed them
from one place to another, endeayor-
ing not to brighten them, and all the
while noticing them very closely
'In the mating season, which COM
mences around September 20 ana ends
ABOUT the middle of October, the bulls
are exceedingly vicious, while the cows
are timid and seek the deepest forests,
being easily frightened. 1t is my opin-
ion that the males kill many of their
mates at this time.
"The cows soon betake themselves
to some island in order that they may
not be disturbed by wolves or other
wild animals. The moose calves are
about as homely and unsightly as any
thing I have ever seen. Their heads
are nearly as long as their bodies and
when they are three or four weeks old
they weigh about 100 pounds.
"The calf and its mother remain TO-
gether for about nine months, the
mother, Of course, providing food and
shelter for the younger animal But
after that length of time has elapsed
she will try to get away. In order to
do this they will often travel miles
up stream so as to leave no scent, and
as rule they succeed in accomplish
ing their purpose.
THE bulls have peculiar grunting
sound whereby they call to the cows.
A man can initiate the call after long
practice, but not so perfectly as to de-
ceive them. The only way in which
this ruse can be successfully carried
out is to make your call at the same
time that the moose make their noise.
In this manner l have called them I'M
der branches Of the tree In which I
have been sitting from distances as
great as a mile or more.
"The males also have an odd habit
of striking their antlers against trees,
making a sound that rings clear as
bell, after which they below long and
loud. On quiet night they can be
heard miles away. believe this is
their mode of. expressing defiance and
challenging rival to contest.
1T is astonishing to see them &c
through the woods while bearing their
immense, branching antlers. They cal
culate the distance between two trees
to a nicely and hardl, ever strike
branch. But perhaps the strangest part
of this performance is that this does
not seem to retard their speed in the
slightest.
"In the summer they seek the water,
where they will not be pestered by
flies, and stay there during most of the
warm weather. AS they are not built
to reach the grass with their jaws, be-
ing very high in the forequarters, they
feed on lily pads, roots, watercress and
moose maple during the summer. The
watercress grows chiefly in deep water
and to reach it have seen moose dive
in water from 10 to Is feet in depth,
leaving only their heels visible. They
stay under from minute to a minute
and half and usually do their diving
at night. When they have filled their
large jaws they proceed to sort out
such parts as they want and eat them
leisurely.
when autumn approaches they take
to the rocks and high places. where
they live on yellow birch and white
willow tops have seen them stand
on their hind legs, reach the top Of
birch tree Is feet above the ground,
snap it off and then pull off the young
shoots. In the winter they sustain
themselves on lichens, ground hemlock
and white cedar.
when the snow becomes deep and
the temperature is far below zero they
herd together in some dense swamp
and trample down the snow. Often
as many as 60 gather at one time in
this way"