Evening star., 1935-11-10
Monarch of Woods Finally Forgets
Fear in Rage at Rivals" Challenge
Patience Is Needed When
Veteran Guide Lures
Big Game.
BY WILLIS p. KNIGHT.

O4N AOAeSS SoNS@OAAS&
II .: &; :s; :ss: nov; T.; :: 81; @.;; e:
- what may happen. Be
perfectly quiet"
We we're deep in the woods. For
the first time in my life I was to
witness the calling of moose.
Joe, my guide, raised birch-bark
trumpet to his mouth and gave the
first call 1t was very low, sudden
and rather muffled below, a noise
such as COW might make If she
were surprised and uneasy for the
safety of her calf. But it was not as
soft as the below of a COW. Nor
was it prolonged: rather, it was al
most too short, I said to myself
no bull moose would ever hear or pay
attention to it.
Then there came an interval of
silence, and Joe raised a warning
hand, as If he anticipated question.
Two minutes passed, and again the
birch-bark trumpet was raised to
Joe'S lips. This time it was weird,
plaintive and pleading below that
NdIllt 1Cl llll"SOlIltlIlitlS SIllICly
ferent from that first call. In max
ing this call, Joe swung his trumpet
in three wide circles to make the
sound go in every direction through
the woods. Then he came and sat
down beside me.
There" he said in a low voice.
THAT will fetch any bull within half
,,,j1o Tho cOll,od from q birHh h9 rk
trumpet carries far. Ill give the old
man a chance to think it over"
THE "old man" was bull moose
that made his home in that long
stretch of woods back of the lake
AS Joe waited, I took the trumpet
and looked it over. 1t was a sheet Of
birch-bark rolled into a cone about
Is inches long, 4 to 6 inches in
diameter at the larger end, and only
an inch at the mouth. The smooth
side of the bark was inward and
both ends we're perfectly rounded.
In making his call. Joe held this
trumpet firmly with the right hand
near the mouth end the left hand
grasping the trumpet tWo-thirdS OF
the way out toward the larger end.
1t was with his left hand that he
swung the trumpet in sweeping cir
cles. I asked Joe why he did this,
and he replied that it was to initiate
the peculiar roll of a COW moses
call to her mate.
Have you plenty of patience?" Joe
asked with a smile. Calling moose
is something that cannot be hurried.
We may be here for two or three
hours, and after I give my next call,
We must not even whisper, for bull
moose has the keenest ears Of any
animal known to man"
A FTER a wait of nearly half an
hour. Joe repeated the two calls
he had previously made-one short
and low with tinge of surprise in 1t;
the other plaintive and rather long
drawn out. Another wait Of 20
minutes. and this time Joe pointed
the birch-bark trumpet toward the
ground to muffle the sound,
Apparently my guide had heard
far-off rumble, for he said in
whisper. Look sharp and be prepared
to climb that tree. The old man Is
on his way, but he is mighty sus-
picious. He has already circled us
once and is getting mad
Again Joe called. this time with
the large end of the trumpet fairly
close to the ground. I heard. a dis
tant crashing in the brush and took
Joe's advice-I climbed that tree!
But Joe simply stood there, hidden
behind the fir. and once more
plaintive call came from the trumpet.
That settled the "old man. He
thought a rival was present, and in
he dashed. exhaling his breath with
a loud hiss. then roaring challeng-
ing below at that rival. Past the
tree he went. like an animated eX-
press train. And wasn't thankful
that was not in his path!
HOW Joe could be so calm was
beyond my comprehension. He
stood there, half hidden by the trunk
of the tree while the moose, raging at
not being able to locate the other bull
moose that he thought was attracting
his lawful mate, dashed out of sight
into the thicker shadows beyond us.
After Joe assured me that it was
safe to come down, I descended from
my tree and asked questions.
YES" replied Joe, "a bull moose
will not respond to the first calls.
but approaches very slowly. His eye
sight is far from keen. but his hear
ing is perfect. If there is flaw in
that call, he quietly gets away from
what he realizes Is danger; but If he
thinks it is the COW moose calling, he
will face anything-even another bull
that is larger and older. He comes
in a circle to get any scent Of danger.
That circle narrows until he Is ready
to charge, and then he RACES in.
You saw how he made bee-line for
the spot where he thought his rival
was"
Yes. I had seen! And I thought OF
the Scotchman who was in tent
when a moose plunged through in
response to an actual call from his
mate. That moose hit the tent and
took part of 1t along with him on his
antlers. When the Scotchman picked
himself up, he asked the guide:
What was that, a wild elephant?"
mo" replied the guide, that was
. moose"
"Moose!" exclaimed the Scotchman.
'Mon, If that's a moose, what are
your rats like!"