West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-12-07
Moose Hunting In Maine


TO tree" a man in the sense I'm which
the term is generally understood. nu-
merous reports TO the contrary being
fables or at best exaggerations.
I'm my day" said Ben York. Il have
seen thousands OF moose and killed
hundreds OF them. have followed
| them days and nights. at all seasons.
| | have watched them for days at a
time TO learn their tricks: have kept
them in fenced enclosures near my
camp for years at time, and have
I tanned and driven them To harness all
| along the West Branch. More than
| all this | have questioned reliable
hunters and woodsmen who were alive
and active when there were as many
moose in Maine as there are hedge
hogs now. and have never known or
heard from any reliable sources OF a
single instance OF human being be
ing "treed" by one OF the animals.
During the mating season." SAYS
York. 'the bull acts very strangely at
times, rushing about in an aimless
manner, climbing steep hills. swim
ming furious streams and placing
themselves in peril OF their lives in
many ways. While the fury for COM
bat is on an old bull he will crash
through the woods, running his head
against rocks and trees and often in
juring himself seriously. II a man
should get in the bulls way at such
time. why. very likely he would be-
come candidate for the hospital. At
such time the bull never stops to
note how much damage he has done
He keeps racing right along at top
speed until he gets all tagged out or
meets a rival for the object of his af-
fections
THE stories that some guides tell"
said York, about moose driving the
hunters into trees and standing guard
over them all night. paving the
ground and believing with rage, are
inventions of nature takers TO awe
greenhorns. | am convinced that no
moose ever deliberately attacked hu-
man being. unless wounded and crazed
with pain, in which condition the
meekest OF animals often become dan
gerous. and whoever tells OF being
treed by moose at any time or un-
der any circumstances is drawing up
on his imagination.
81 have seen two bull moose fight"
he says, while stood within a few
rods OF them. and keep up the battle
for half an hour without becoming
aware of my presence. At other times
have padded up to a mother moose
when she was feeding on the roots OF
pond lilies with her head under wa
ter, and drawn off a half-pint of her
milk without alarming her. have
seen moose fight with wolves and
bears, and have observed their ex-
treme solicitude for their young: but
never yet have | seen or known of a
moose freeing a human being
While I'm talking about moose"
York said, II want to say that take
no stock in the so-called moosehorn
for calling bulls to their destruction in
whose cry is said to be closely imi-
tated by the birch bark horn, utters
long and dolorous wall at times, what
ever the time of year. / have stood
close by several times while cow
moose were making such cries, but
never knew bull to respond although
i have waited for hours All through
the mating season the bulls are very
alert to catch the slightest sound, and
let twig snap or an axe handle beat
tattoo on a hollow stump and the
bull Is away I'm the direction OF the
sound, believing his defiant challenge.
/ have used the birch bark horn with
some success I'm calling moose, but
have done as we'll or better by rap
ping the butt OF my rife against the
trunk Of tree or breaking a twig in
thicket. II is my belief that the
dominant passion in the mind OF a bull
moose in mating time is 20 meet and
defeat his rival. and that the dolorous
eTy Of the COW neither attracts nor re-
pels the male"
Many Of the oldest hunters and
guides agree with Mr.. York concern
ing the freeing OF men by moose, but
most Of them believe that the birch
bark horn is very useful TO the hun
ter