While sorting out the house of a recently deceased relative, some friends of the family found a book they thought I might be interested in. It was written by James H. Bond (copyright 1948), and Titled "From Out of the Yukon". It's about a trip taken by the author to hunt a part of Alaska no man had ever hunted before. He takes many game animals (with a rifle), but the adventure contained in the pages is something none of us will probably ever get to experience as he did.
Two of the paragraphs that really stood out in the book, relate to an incident with a moose one of the guides had before the Author's trip. I thought I'd share it with all of you!!! I hope he wouldn't mind...
[At breakfast Norman told us about an experience he had with a bull while hunting on the Stewart River near Lansing. He needed meat so badly that if he didn't get a moose or some other animal his dogs were going to die from starvation. For a trapper to lose his dogs back in a wilderness would be nothing short of a catastrophe. Norman had "grunted" a number of times in what he said was the most perfect imitation of a bull he had ever made. He received an answer finally from a point far away in back of him. At the time he was facing a big open basin. He replied after waiting a short time. No answer came. He grunted again. Still no answer. He took the dry shoulder blade of a cow moose that he had carried in his pack sack on many a hunt and rubbed it up a dry small spruce. Then in the same slow motion he firmly rubbed it down the tree, then up, and down again. No answer came and Norman turned to watch the basin in front of him. Fifteen minutes passed and Norman said that as he sat there he had the "feeling of death" in him even though he had not been alarmed in any way. He turned slowly and fifteen feet behind him and slightly above was a giant of a moose. His nose bore a five inch gash and his hair was standing on end from the middle of his back to the base of his horns. On his chest was a mass of blood that would turn the stomach of any man.
The moose lowered his head to charge as Norman raised his rifle to fire. The bullet entered the head near the eye and the moose crumpled to the ground and slid almost to Norman, stone dead. Norman told us he was sick with fear. Knowing Norman as I do, I knew it would take a mighty ferocious animal to even frighten him at all. He said that for two hours he walked along the mountainside and could not bring himself back to the moose although all the time he knew it was dead. One cannot help but marvel at the ability of large four hoofed animals to go noiselessly through the brush and trees when we small two legged people cannot go anywhere without making some noise that the animals can hear.]
I've never hunted moose before, but if it's anything like the above incident, I think I'd have no problem classifying the event as a close encounter with a "Dangerous Game" animal!!! And.....
...I'd probably need a new pair of shorts!
Take care,
Stump
P.S.: The book is an autographed copy by the Author to the original owner dated "October 30, 1948". Man, What a treasure of a book to have landed in my hands. I don't know how it happened. If anyone would like to borrow it, send me an e-mail!!! I'd be happy to share it!!!
Topic: From Out of the Yukon... (Read 1790 times)
