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GLORY OF MOOSE HUNTING Haunts and Habits of the Hardiest of the Great Deer Family FamilyThe The moose is the most prominent species of the deer family and excepting in size is precisely the same animal as the1 elk of Europe It is the hardiest and it will bq the last of the deer family to be ¬ come extinct It roams over a greater forest area in America than any other species of the deer family and the wildest sections of the wilderness is its librae Almost all of the forest Kelts f tint whole of North America north of the Lnited Stales and a part of the far north is within its range It is the most cunning of all large animals and is the most capable of eluding the hunter hunterThere There are two known species of moose the Alec Americanus of Maim and lower Canada and Alecs Gigas of Alaska Tlic moose of the Kenai Penin ¬ sula of Alaska are the largest in America In th Cassiar Mountains on the upper Liard River in northwest Britisli Columbia and in the regions about the head waters of the McIiilan Stewart and Peel rivers in Northwest Territory are found the two most famous moose ranges The moose of Maine and lower Canada are some ¬ what smaller and grow a relatively smaller spread of antlers than the Alaska moose Nine heads on the Kenai range in spread from fiftysix to seventy four inches with an average of sixtyfive inches while heads from Maine and lower Canada rarely average more than fifty inches inchesIn In color the moose changes from ashy brown to almost black the species from Maine and Canada being lighter than the moose of the north The hair is coarse and thick and long in winter The young calves are a light red with dark dorsal stripe The dewlap or bell worn by the bull moose is long and narrow in young aiainals growing with the animal to become a Ion aud shallow pouch when fully grown grownRANGE RANGE OF MOOSE IS WIDE WIDEThe The range of the moose extends as far east as New Brunswick and as far west as the limits of tree growth in Alaska but they do not inhabit the large area of ground known as the Barren Grounds which lies between the Mackenzie Itiver and Hud ¬ son Bay In habits the moose is a migratory ani ¬ mal and habits vary in different sections of the country In the north and west tliey do nut yard up in winter and do not live so much upon the bark of trees or feed on lily pads as they do iu Maine Unlike the caribou moose1 are heavy animals with small feet in proportion to their size and they can never run on the top of the snow snowDuring During the summer and autumn moose of Maine and lower Canada feed largely on pond lilies and other plants growing in marshy lakes and during the mating season in September and October the1 bull moose becomes most courageous and reckless The thumping of their antlers can often be heard for a mile and to the ear of the experienced hunter the sounds are unmistakable Like all the deer family at this season moose are curious and will seek out any unusual noise Taking advantage of this the hunter fashions a birclibark horn and imi ¬ tates the sound of the cow mrose to bring the bull within rifle range rangeA A breezy day is always the lust for moose hunting as the bluster of the wind makes it unnecessary for the hunter to be absolutely noiseless Still hunting or stalking is the usual method of hunting moose and it is the most sportsmanlike manner of hunt ¬ ing The knack of still hunting is simply using the advantage of mans superior reasoning ilower fit outwit and bag the game Stiil hunting is effective at all seasons but calling is only an advantage in the fall months monthsThe The track of the moose is similar to that of flic domestic cow only larger aul more pointtd The manner of noting the freshness of the tricks is exactly the same us tracking all animals It is necessary to note flic weather conditions and if the hunter is aided by a recent shower or flurry of snow or te effect of freezing he is able tumake a close approximation of the time paKSCtl1 sluce the animal passed that Avay All Outdoors
