Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-10-09
SIM.
ANTICS OF A MOOSE.
Big Fellow Amuses Sportsmen on
the Guagus.

the GuaguS.
When NJ. s. Smith returned to Ellsworth
recently from a months stay at Great
Pond, he brought down good story OF
the amazing antics of bull moose which
held up a party of sportsmen and Great
Pond guides on the Guagus. The story is
told in the Maine Woods by one OF the
Bangor men in the party, as follows:
Few sportsmen have had the experience
with big game in the Maine woods that
was afforded Wilbur A. Estabrook, of
Bangor, who, with E. L. Dunn, of Bangor,
and George II. Berlin, OF Ridley Park, Pa,
recently returned from fishing trip to
camp Snuggery on Brandy pond. 1t was
an unusual experience, to say the least SO
unusual, in fact, that the party prepared an
affidavit OF the whole occurrence and
signed it, having it done in duplicate to
show their unbelieving friends.
ave left Edgar McIninch's camp on
Brandy pond early one morning in three
canoes to go up the Big CAUCUS on trout
fishing trip" says Mr.. Esta brook. "Mr.
Dunn had McIninch for a guide. Mr..
Berlin's canoe was in charge OF John B.
Baker, of Bradley, and l had Ezra Will
liams, OF Great Pond, with me.
"Mr. Dunn and his guide left Big
CAUCUS to fish Little CAUCUS. The other
canoes separated, and Mr.. Williams and
went down below the mouth of Little
CAUCUS about half a mile. The fish were
not biting very well that morning, and we
were padding along quietly when sud
denly we came upon large bull moose
swimming in the stream.
"The flies were apparently bothering
him more than we did, and he was swim
ming around and around in the stream,
trying to rid himself OF the pests. Occa-
sionally he would roll over, and only his
hoofs would stick out OF the water.
awhile we were there, Mr.. Berlin and
his guide came up, and Mr.. Berlin took
several fine shots at him with his camera.
We were able to get right up close to
him, Mr.. Berlin going up with his canoe
to about a distance OF fifteen feet to get
better pictures. We remained there with
the moose for more than two hours, and
had time to send for Mr.. Dunn and his
guide.
"Mr. Berlin had one film left in the
camera and he wanted to get picture oil
the moose leaving the water, but the
animal was not disposed to do so. We
wanted to get him to leave by the right
hand bank Of the stream and he wanted tt
| go ON the other side. Mr.. McIninch went
| to the left hand shore and with his long
canoe pole tried to force the moose back
| into the water. He went so near to hin
that he struck him several times with the
canoe pole in the nose and prodded hin
| in the back. Finally Mr.. Berlin, who go
behind some alders, got very good pic
ture OF the moose just as McIninch was il
the act of prodding him.
"Even a revolver shot fired between the
moose and the left shore where he was
irving to get out did not turn him back
and as we found he was getting very ugly
we decided to let him leave the stream
any way he wanted to. When the moos'
left the stream Mr.. Williams chased hin
into the woods, but he came back again.
"While we were trying to get him out OF
the shore we threw sticks at him, ane
from time to time he would charge us, bu
with the light canoes we had no dlfhculty
in getting out OF the way. Two men OF
the shore hitting him and prodding hin
with their canoe poles did not prevent thu
moose from leaving the stream by the
left hand bank, as was his first intention
/ estimated that the moose was four or tiv'
wears old and weighed about 800 pounds.