Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-12-20
fine BIG GAME SEASON

Deer Hunters In Maine Met viii,
Excellent Success.
HUNTING CONDITIONS IDEAL.
Over 1900 Deer and About Seventy
Moose Shipped BY One Railroad
Alone-Loss of Life Small isunnor-
ons Experiences With Moose and
Dser-Wonen Enjoyed the Sport.
In many respects this has been the
most remarkable ssbig game hunting
season in Maine, the maritime PROV
inees and Newfoundland for number
Of years. Even In Vermont. where the
open season on deer has been compar-
atiYely short, the hunters have had
unusually good luck, about 300 deer
having been killed during the first two
days.
All the returning Nimrods who have
gone through Boston en- route to their
homes In New York, Pennsylvania, the
west and the south have been agreed,
says Boston correspondent OF the
New York Post, that they have seldom
seen more deer In the Maine wilder
ness or been able to hunt under more
enjoyable conditions.
In the earlier part of the season
down in Maine the warm weather and
the absence of snow on the ground
were considerable Of a handicap to the
hunters, the dry leaves rendering it
difficult to get within range of the
acute cared quarry, but latterly con-
ditions have improved great deal.
While bull moose and bears have been
somewhat less plentiful than last sea-.
son, the woods have been swarning
with. deer, and few visiting sportsmen
have had any difficulty in securing
their quota. Partridges also have been
unusually plentiful as result Of the
early arrival of summer.
During the first six weeks Of the
hunting season more than / 600 deer
and about seventy moose were shipped
over the Bangor and Aroostook rail-
road alone, considerable increase
over the 1907 figures for the same per
riod. Taking It altogether, the big
game hunting season has turned ont
much better than was generally ex-
pected. The open season for moose
closed Dec. !, and for deer It will close
Dec. 15.
As usual, the wilderness has fur
nfshed its tragedies and its comedies,
but fortunately the loss Of human life
has been small. One Of the amusing
cases Of mistaken IDENTIFY is that IN
which q Houlton (Me.) hunter figured,
as reported to the writer by Boston
friend who was there at the time. This
luckless sportsman, who was by no
means new to the business, fred at
and killed a valuable colt in q clear
Ing, thinking it was young moose.
The affair happened In the dusk. and
he didn't discover his mistake until
after he had cut the throat of the sup
posed moose.
Greatly disturbed and being con-
scientious man, he took all the money
he had in his pocketbook, $40, and
tied 1t to the front door Of the farm
house where he supposed the colts
owner resided, scrawling brief note
Of explanation at the same time. Here
ne made another little mistake, how
/ ever, for the owner of the slain animal
lived in an entirely different house,
and it was some time before things got
entirely Strengthened out. ,sE5g
Another man, Vermont farmer this
time, has every reason to believe that
the hunting joke Of the season In the
Green Mountain State Is on him. He
had managed to entice deer into his
barnyard the day before the hunting
season opened, intending to shoot him
with neatness and dispatch early next
morning. He was on hand, with his
rifle, at daybreak, and the patient deer
was still there, waiting for slaughter.
The. farmers aim was a trile too high,
however, and the rife ball went
through the side of the barn and killed
a valuable horse.
Several hunters In Maine have been
treed by an angry moose, and farm
er was actually chased indoors by one.
A particularly aggravating case was
that of two sportsmen who were pur-
sued by big wounded bear while out
partridge shooting. While they were
up in tree waiting for bruin to recoI-
lect a more important engagement
they saw two large buck deer and a
doe not far away and distinctly heard
the below Of q moose. The sequel to
this incident was that they went back
next day and secured a buck and
doe, while the bear was captured
little later.
While following deer tracks two
hunters from Lynn, Mass, went astray
IN the woods and for more than twen-
fy-four hours were without shelter or
food. They had to walk around FIRE
al night to Keep from freezing. Next
day they were found by guides. The
hunting story most nearly approaching
the typical sswii6 Wosfn sfan.5or5 Is