The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-11-30
MOOSE HUNT RELATED
BY OLD Time! GU|UE
John II. Hall OF Greenyflle Tells One
OF His Interesting Experiences

John IL. Hall, we'll KNOWN guide OIL
Moosehead Lake region, Is native OF
Moscow. Somerset County. He left
that township for Greenville when but
sixteen years of age. He is now
eighty four years old, apd up to six
years ago served as guidb every year
with the exception of that time spent
in the service during the Civil War.
The following is an account Of one
Of his most interestingf experiences
in the woods.
In September 1903, l.. ~. Puher Il
son Of the Puffer Manufacturing Co,
Boston, hired Mr.. Hall to 10 with them
on a moose hunting expedition. They
set out with Il great determination.
Crossed the Lake with canoes, final
iy landing at Joe Smiths half way
house down the Penohscot River.
Here they hunted three Or four days
with little success, having shot moth
ing but small deer. ! After the
fourth day the elder Mr.. Puffer said
they would go over to Charles Rand
alls camps Oh East Branch Ponds
from Roach River. He did not dis
miss Mr.. Hall, but told him they had
decided to go out with Mr. Randall
for change. After several days
they succeeded in bringing down a
small moose. Just large. enough to
clear the law With this the older
man was satisfied and IAade prepar
ations to 80 home. II the mean
time Hall struck off for Baker Noun
tain where he discovered fresh
moose trail This was followed quite
distance up the mountain and then
lost. They were tracks of bull
moose and COW calf The leaves
were SO thick on the ground that it
made it almost too noisy to do much
toward tracing them without the trail
SO was given up for that day.
! In returning to camp and relating
| his experiences the younger Puffcr
wanted to stay longer and go with
him the following day. His father
did not approve OF it, but did con-
sent to go back alone
! The next morning lunch was made
ready for two and they started off up
| the mountain in search of the trail
After some tramping they found
themselves overlooking a valley where
| they could just see the back of an
animal Hall told Puffer to stand
where lie was and that he (HalD
would circle down around nearer to
aee if il was the moose. All words
were whispered and their movements
were very cautious. Hall said, "lf
| | raise my gun it's the. bull moose,
When l take aim. you do the same and
we will both shoot" AS soon as
HALL was in the position he desired
| the gun was raised and both shots
rang thru the woods. At this the
moose leaped into the air and went
/ down over the mountain, the two hunt
erS after him for a few rods. When
! they found that he was bleeding hard
| and could be traced easily Hall sat
down, took out his lunch kit and COM
menccd the noon meal. Puffer was
| far too excited for this and couldn't
, just understand the delay. Hall ex-
! planned that the moose having been
| hi would soon be too weak to go
[ farther at which time they could east
lily get within reach of him. About
| a half hour was taken 10 eat and
smoke They then started in pur-
| suit Of their victim. When they
we're within sight of him the moose
seeing them jumped and fell head first
with horns into the earth, dead.
The next day Puffer returned to
| Boston and Hall stayed to swamp IA
road thru the woods that a team
could get in after the moose. This
moose which was said to have been
the largest bull moose ever brought
out of that section of the country
had eight prongs on a side. In dress
ing same they found that he had
| been hit by several bullets. but the
one that did the work was from Mr..
| Halls gun. The moose was cut up,
/ part of it being sent to Boston the
/ rest distributed around Grcenville.
Mr.. Halls last trip as guide was
down the Allagash six pears ago. At
/ this time he with Joe COro, Fred Har-
rington, Dan Callahan and Walter
/ Mescrvey. all guides, escorted party
made up of IA Mr.. and Mrs. Hodgman
and two sons of the HOdgman Rubber
! Company of New York.
They left Greenvillc on steamer
! for Northeast Carry. They then took
canoes. went across the Pcnobscot
and down the ChesuncoOk. where they
campcd several days on the shore of
Chamberlain Lake. The journey took
twenty days. Some days they would
make twenty or thirty miles while
| others thoy would camp. sphndi ng
their time fishing and hunting. In
somc places the party WIS Obliged to
walk around the rapids but in almost
every instance the guides would con-
| tinue in the canoe never fearing the
rough water The trip terminated
with the St. Johns River which serves
as boundary line between Maine
and Canada. From that point the
train was taken for home.
Big BuDch OF Game