FIRST MOOSE SHOT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20235, 20 April 1929, Page 14

FIRST MOOSE SHOT.

dusky sound 'expedition.

1 .TREK IN WILD COUNTRY. i

PENSE BUSH AND SWIFT RIVERS.

UNEXPLORED AREA PENETRATED.

]>Y T^LKGIIAPH. —OWN COIUIESPONDENT i INVEIICARGILIi, Friday. The distinction of shooting the first moose in Now Zealand belongs to Mr. E. J. Ilerrick, of Hastings, who has just returned from a five weeks' expedition to virgin country at tho head of Dusky >Souml. A licence was issued to Mr. Herrick ill 1924, but no heads woro secured. Sinco then he has noticed a large increase in the number of tracks, and there is evidence that tho animals, which were first liberated in 1910, have spread over a large area of country. Tho ketch Britannia took Mr. Herrick niid Mr. James Muir, of llawea, to the sound, and there thoy established a camp. Tinned, foods and rice wore the staple diet, while the red deer which abound were drawn upon considerably for tho commissariat, although tho heads generally were of a very poor shape and not worth keeping. The base camp was erectod on tho wooded banks of the Seaforth, at Supper Cove, and everything was stored there. Although a boat was also left by the Britannia it was impossible to take it up the river because cf tho huge, jagged rocks that littered the bed of the stream, while the torrents provided another danger. Wonderfully Beautiful Bush. Tho country is wild, but wonderfully beautiful, and steep hills follow each other in a series of steps up to the mountains, where at the 3600 ft. line the bush Mops. Everywhere up to that line is covered with the most dense native bush. In the damp climate ferns grow to a height and in a luxuriance seldom equalled, / while "bush lawyers" stretch out clutching tentacles in a network, and pampas grass flourishes. Neither European nor Maori had ever set foot on most of the, ground covered by the two sportsmen. ' Deer, moose and native birds are almost the only animals in the bush—almost, but not' quite, for a pest is there in the weasel. That this animal should have reached the district is a tribute to its tenacity and strength, for it could only have travelled overland through all the .wild country that separates the fiordland from the irest of Southland. Its presence, said Mr.' Herrick, will almost certainly mean tho gradual extinction of ground birds. lie noticed wood pigeons, wekas, kakas and the footprints of the but no sign of the kiwi. Birds abounded, and a vast army of insects was encountered. One night almost all the time was spent in brushing spiders off the sportsmen's faces and bodies. The multitude of them was astounding. Although there were 710 mosquitoes, the sandflies caused absolute torture until one became used to them. They formed literally a black coating to the skin of the arms and face < unless they were continually brushed off.

Moose Difficult to Track. With such a huge area of unknown country to work the sportsmen had a herciilean task to track down the moose, which never congregate in herds, but travel either alone or in pairs. "We were ,very lucky -indeed in petting the one we did," saj'd Mr. Herrick. "I have done » considerable amount of deer-stalking and I consider the moosn to be very much irore intelligent anil alert. Its senses of sight, hearing and smell are all very acute, while the density of the bush . assists tnem greatly. One could be within 10yds. of a beast ami yet lie unable to shoot him on account of the thick undergrowth." The method adopted was to set out from the base, carrying between 601b. and 801b. of provisions and other essentials, as well as a small bivouac tent, and ' strike out for suitable country for moose. Here the tent would lie pitched and tracks followed, and if the country was .unsuitable the two men would push on the following day. In all, six flying camps .were set up. After a while a hunter is able to read the message of the tracks like a book —the time elapsed since the Animals / passed and the direction they Were going. Incident in Pitch Dark Night. Several moo?« wqre seen, but most of them wen very young and others ran a\S'av befoi'e it could be seen what they were like. One night the sleepers were awakened by a noise, and they heard a nosing around outside the tent. They immediately jumped up and ran outside, but it was a pitch dark night ahd the rain was pouring down. Before they could show their nose outside ■the tent the animal was away, and it was impossible to pursue it through the forest tin such ii night. By daybreak the sportjjneri were on its tracks, and they followed them a Jong ' way, but the wind changed, and as it was not desirable that all the country to windward should bo put on the alert tho chase had to be abandoned. Indeed, when the Britannia called again after three weeks had elapsed, no heads had Lcen Secured, and it was ordered back Again. Last Tuesday morning the hunters set out early in the morning before the sun iv;(s up, and followed some recent tracks 1 hat led across the river. The fording of tho river was always an ordeal, not riily on} account of the danger from the force of the rushing current, but also because 'wading hip high in a mountain stream before the sun has risen is a pretty cold The tracks were followed up Iho valiev through swainpy country, and Mr. Horrid t emphasised that the swamps there/' were real swamps, knee deep morasses of soft, red mud. ■ Success Rewards Efforts. Suddenly, on coming out of tho thick, ■est growth into a patch of more or less open swamp, tliev saw a fairly large stag * moose on the other side of the swamp, iWith a/great deal of care thoy were able "to get into position, and Mr. Herrick shot it through tho heart, The animal was V,|d and in poor condition, but the fntlcrs were fairly good and measured between 3ft. and 4ft. across. The head Weighed 951b., and the skin 851b., so that ! it was no small job to transport them hack to the base camp over the rough country. The meat was delicious to eat. Although tho animal was old. It was hotter than any beef. A moose will climb anywhere and swim Anywhere, lhe precipitous bluffs descending straight into the water that were such a barrier to the progress of the sportsmen are no obstacle to the moose, for if they could not climb over them they would swim 200 or 300 yards through 1 he/swirling water to round them. Their food is the leaves and the bark of various s native trees. A photograph was obtained •if a/tree trunk which had been barked 1o a height of lift., a good example of the tremendous height of the animals.