The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-09-03
DUELOF MOOSE And CARIBOU
TALE BROUGHT FROM NORTHERN
CANADA BY A TRAPPER.
Herd Of Caribou Charged by An Ugly
Moose With a Broken Antler-GaI-
liant Fight and Clever Tactics Of the
Bull Carlbou-The Victor a Meal
for Wolves, Maybe.

Tor Wolves, Maybe.
George La Rose. the old time trap
per of Kewatin. Ontario. has just re-
turned from his fortleth winters
hunting in the country north of tho
Wabushgang reservation. writes the
Kenora (Ontario) correspondent OF
the New York Sun.
He brings back a story of a spec
tacle such as perhaps no other man
ever witnessed-a duel between a
moose and caribou. This is the
way he tells It.:
II was up on Rat Lake. Don't
know where il is, eh? Well, just get
map of the district of Kewatin, run
your eye along the English River
and take line due north from Yer
million Bay station on tho c. P. r.
about 100 miles. There's Rat Lake.
1--WE had camped about six miles
west of the lake and needed some
fresh meat. / took day off and made
for an old caribou stamping ground.
Now. every enc knows that the
caribou never lives alone. Sometimes
there is one bull and several females,
sometimes two bulls, but they always
go in herds, in this country at all
events. Maybe it's for protection
against the wolves. which are no joke
up there. I'm just telling you this
TO show what courageous fellow
the moose was.
Il approached the lake from the
west, 1 was in dead luck. From q
little hillock spotted a herd OF about
five caribou out on the ice eating
snow, and the wind was dead in my
face
Il could afford to take some chances
and walked Ito the edge of the lake
rapidly. There l dropped and waited
for a chance to get nearer.
THE herd was having good time.
The animals were chasing around as
frisl1y as you like, all except the
leader, who kept facing the wind.
smiling for danger.
Suddenly the leader of the herd
wheeled and whistled At once they
all stopped playing and stood still as
posts; then he gave another whistle
and they came down the lake like
thoroughbred racehorses. A caribou
can run like the wind; moose can't
run at all, because his hind legs ara
too short and his front legs too long.
well, they came down straight to
ward me. l got ready to bring down
that leader. He was a fine bull and
unlike most leaders of the caribou up
in that country he ran ahead of the
herd instead of behind Well, 1 got
ready.
THE big fellow was about 200 yards
off, running close to the shore, when
numbering moose, with part of one
horn torn off made straight for that
herd. never saw. nor did any other
man, believe, see anything like it
before.
"The big, numbering, clumsy brute
didn't single out any particular ami
NAL; he just made for the center of
the whole lot | gave up all idea OF
getting a caribou there and then.
thought the herd would split up and
make off to collect again some other
place, but 1 had another surprise
coming
THAT caribou bull was no coward
either. He stopped short, wheeled
around, and with his huge horns low
cred made for that moose the way a
buffalo would
"The big fellow lowered his head to
meet his smaller opponent and then
butting match began The moose's
broken antler appeared to be hurting
him some. for every now and then
he would sort of take the caribou's
charge with the side of his head and
moo like one of his cows when call
ing for a mate.
"Bit by bit the big moose began
to give way knew that II that
gritty caribou could get his clumsy
enemy into the brush he would finish
him for sure, but wanted to see how
The remainder OF the herd of caribou
made for the opposite shore OF the
lake. where they disappeared in the
woods, | guess. waiting for their lead
or to come back to them
well, as | was saying this moose
was slowly giving way. and in the
meantime I was crawling closer and
closer to the fighters. Up Till now
they seemed content just to go at
each other head to head. but when
they got near the shore be caribou
began 10 charge at the mooses flank
Il watched that carlbou's strategy.
scarcely daring to breathe That
little fellow made for the mooses
shoulder time and again. and time
and again as the moose turned to
take the charge on his horns he gave
way few steps
Each time the moose turned 90
meet the attack he came nearer TO
being broadsdc 10 the brush on the
shore Well that caribou kept up
until he had his enemy within two
or three feet Of the wood and broad
side TO the brush 1l.en me went back
/ to running straight at the moose.
/ "All this time 1T seemed to me that
| the caribou was the attacker and the
moose ON his defence. and 7 began
wondering whether that moose had
| enough The caribou fell I'm one Of
his charges. lie slid to his chest, and
before he could get TO his feet again
| that big moose was on him
with a scrlnch that made my spine
cold he dug his huge antlers into the
| caribou's shoulder and started boring.
I thought 1t was all over and got ready
]