In the last article, we summarized the struggle of the Maine moose to survive the attempt by humans to eradicate them from the Maine woods. It was a close fought battle, but good sense and the moose have prevailed and the woods, while not teeming with moose are now home to a fairly large population, protected by game laws from indiscriminate hunting.

The moose is generally a solitary animal and does not often seek the company or even contact with humans. However, the newspapers have over the years reported many interactions between moose and humans which are interesting, humorous and sometimes quite odd. I’ll begin with stories relating to the two most notorious fish and game felons who ever lived in Washington County-Wilbur Day and George Magoon. Untold legions of moose and deer were caught in the sights of these two fellows in the late 1800s.

Wilbur Day Wesley

Wilbur was a Wesley man who spent nearly his entire life on the wrong side of the law. He resisted the enforcement of the game laws, and once expressed his displeasure at these laws by burning the home of a game warden to the ground. He served a stretch in state prison for the offense although ironically it may well have been the one game offense of which he was innocent.

Even after his early release on the arson conviction he continued his life of crime. The Bangor Whig and Courier reported in 1899 on Wilbur’s illegal hunting with dogs.

The man from whom the dogs were taken is the famous Wilbur Day, who has served time in the state prison for burning the house of a game warden who persecuted him. He now operates a string of camps along Musquash Lakes, there being 7 lakes where he operates, and is extremely difficult to catch him at law breaking even if he does it.

In 1903 Wilbur Day ironically made the news by saving a moose:

Bangor Daily News July 7, 1903:

Catching a live moose in the woods is an experience comes to but few men. Such, however, fell to the lot of J. Wilbur Day of Wesley several weeks ago while engaged in fighting one of the forest fires that raged earlier in the season about the headwaters of the Machias river. One of the men in the crew of which Mr. Day had charge returned from a small brook near the fire line and reported that he had heard a strange noise in the swamp a short distance from where he went for water. Curious to know what kind of an animal could be found so near the front of a raging fire, Mr. Day entered. the swamp and in a few moments located the animal, which he discovered was a calf moose. The little animal had lost its mother and was wandering about in a bewildered sort of manner in the smoke which filled the air.

After watching the animal for a moment Mr. Day decided to capture him if possible and crept steadily through the woods until within a few feet of his prize when he was discovered. Seeing that he was being observed, Day made a sudden dash for the moose which seemed unable to decide which way to flee and dodging in several directions, the animal finally turned directly into the arms of its pursuer. The outcry was made by the moose so startled some of the nearby crew that they sought refuge in a tall tree on the edge of the swamp.

In a few moments, however, the frightened animal became quiet and was led out into the opening and exhibited before the crew. It was then given Its liberty and as the fire was running up on both sides of their station and threatened to surround the place, one of the men was detailed to drive it across the swamp to a place where it would be in less danger of being caught in the fire. The tracks of the mother moose were seen in the swamp. She had evidently taken fright at the men and went for the water. In her hasty departure the calf had not followed, the calls that she had sounded having been heard by the men; although it was an unfamiliar sound to them.

From the tracks found the next day it was seen that the old moose had returned during the night. and undoubtedly had succeeded in finding her calf.

It’s quite possible that by 1903 Day had decided to change his ways and comply with the game laws. He was even given a guide’s license although over the objections of many of his old adversaries.

George Magoon on the run again 1903

George Magoon was another Wesley fish and game felon and the subject of “Geroge Magoon and the Downeast Game Wars” which we mentioned in last week’s article. The Boston Globe carried an article in 1903 about his most recent run-in with the authorities. In the article the Globe describes his 1901 incarceration in the Washington County Jail. In 1901 Geroge was spending the winter of 1901-1902 in the Machias jail for killing a cow moose. George was no stranger to the jail, and he was on good terms with the sheriff and deputies. He was so comfortable in fact that he found it convenient to remain in jail even after his discharge date and proposed a deal with the game commissioner that he would do so as long as the commissioner agreed to credit him the extra time on his next game offense the commission of which was never in doubt. He wrote the commissioner as follows:

“Machias jail. Dec 24, 1901

“Dear, game commissioner-I am george magoon who you must no I guess. I am here for killing a cow moos. I have staid so long there ain’t nothin to do at home before spring and I would like to stay four months more and get credit for it by you.

“If I kill anything else I will have one term in jail to fall back on for I mite be bizzy just when I got caught next time and if I didn’t kill enythlng else or if I do and you don’t Ketch me you’ll be that much ahead because you’ll have that term in late out of me for nothin “

If you think this is fare rite me

 “your friend “gorge magoon.

 “please let me me quick as I’m most thru here unless you take me up.”

Before he had received an answer the weather changed as did George’s decision to accumulate credits in his Washington County jail account.

According to the Boston Globe:

  After George had mailed the letter a fine snow fell- 3 feet on the level, followed by a cold wave that made a crust that would hold up a man on snowshoes, but not strong enough to bear the sharp hoofed deer. It was a sort of crust that makes paradise for poacher making every snow bank a deer trap. George Magoon noted all this from the jail window, and it made him homesick. He had two weeks more to serve and the commissioners had not accepted his offer to lay up time in advance. He longed to get out for a few days’ work now meant a good living for himself and family until spring. Escape was easy. There was no discipline in Machias Jail. No prison uniform was worn, and all hands were turned out into an unenclosed yard every day to saw wood for the sheriff and clean out his barn.

Magoon knew that he could easily get away but what bothered him was his offer to the commissioners. He had always boasted that no man had ever known him to lie except when testifying in his own defense and that was different. He felt that if he should go and the commissioners should accept his offer, it would place him in a dishonorable position. So, he waited four days longer and then, no answer having come from the commissioners, he could stand it no long. One night at dusk the jailer found this note attached to the handle of the ax with which George had been splitting wood in the yard:

“dear fred” I had to go I spose you’ll be mad but I’ll be back in a fortnit and finish up its only nine days more enyway and praps you can let that go if you heer from the commissioner let me no thru my wife she’ll no whare I be. ‘gorge.”.

Moose were not an uncommon sight in Eastport which was originally called Moose Island

This photo posted recently is said to be Calais but the location has been questioned. It too could be Eastport.

While moose are generally unsociable animals, some over the years have overcome their aversion to civilization and dropped into town out of curiosity or perhaps just boredom. Many such incidents were reported in the St. Croix Courier and other newspapers and have given writers the opportunity to flex their creative muscles and have fun with the stories..

A few examples: 

 1958: St Croix Courier:

A moose apparently thought early yesterday morning, 6.30 a.m., it was time he became acquainted with his St. Stephen neighbors. He was just browsing around the town anyway. Alan McCormick reports he saw the moose behind Mitchell s Tourist Home on King St. trotting through a field. At first, he thought it was a race horse that had broken loose from a barn. “Whoops. It’s a moose and pretty big too,” he exclaimed.

Charles Nixon reports he saw the animal later, on Queen St., back of the Legion grounds. Who knows? Tomorrow St. Stephen residents who arise early in the morn may be able to tell their friends, “Guess what? I just bumped into a moose of mine on the front street. He would have been mine if the hunting season was open and I had a gun!’

September 5, 1959, Courier:

CAMPOBELLO — A bull moose that bumped a house with such a jolt the occupant feared an earthquake had struck visited Campobello Sunday.

The wandering animal shook the home of Mrs. Lelia Quigley in the early morning hours. She said later the commotion led her to believe a quake was in progress. After ambling to the nearby home of Mr. and Mrs. Burton Matthews and then to Curry’s Cove, the moose swam across the harbor to North Road, followed by men in boats. Apparently wearied by its peregrinations on land and sea, it then rested near the home of Basil Thurber, while Game Warden Wilford Newman kept an eye on it.

Unafraid, the moose permitted men to approach close enough to all but touch it, witnesses said. A cow moose with her young has also been spotted on the island. Conservation- conscious residents are hoping everyone will observe game laws designed to protect moose, although they are ready to concede that a moose steak dinner would be a treat for many.

In St. Stephen, a spokesman for the forest service said moose have been known to swim across the narrows from Lubec, Me., to Campobello. But their presence on the island is not an everyday occurrence.

1943 St. Croix Courier:

Note-The phrase “point impoverished citizens” refers to the food rationing system in force during WW2.

Calais- A moose in town

1,000 Pounds of fresh meat strolled calmly through the streets of this village yesterday morning while point impoverished citizens watched with drooling mouths and itching trigger fingers. The animal was a big moose that came up from the riverbank, wandered across Main Street to South, cut over to Franklin and then pushed on into the woods in the general direction of Milltown.

For his own sake we hope the bull of the woods gave that town a wide berth. Otherwise, his chances of taking another stroll on this earth would have been exceedingly slim. Several gents up there are prone to shoot first and discuss the situation later when meat is to be had.

1903 Calais Advertiser:

On a Sunday in 1903 Calais churchgoers were entertained before services by a cow moose who swan the river from St. Stephen. The moose proceeded on a tour of the city and seemed quite content to spend the day in town until she ran into a high chicken wire fence at the Arcadian Hotel, later the Mecca in which she became entangled. After a long battle to free herself, she concluded she had worn out her welcome and swam back to St. Stephen.

There were times when the interaction between humans and moose was not so innocuous.

June 14, 1934, Courier

He asked for it.

A car belonging to Arthur Rogers of St. Andrews has been in the Border Garage here for several days while repairs were made to damage sustained when a large moose charged the vehicle near Lawrence Station a week ago Sunday night while Mr. and Mrs. Rogers and party were returning from a visit to Mouth of Keswick.

The monarch of the forest resented the intrusion on his territory and as the car approached reared on his hind legs and charged at the oncoming lights. The impact shattered the lens in the left head light, broke the standard supporting the other and pushed in the radiator shell, and the body of the moose as it passed on the right side of the car sheared off the handle of the front door. with some difficulty, retained control of the car and none of the occupants was injured.

The moose staggered into the ditch and later was heard making its way through the woods making its way through the woods.

September 22,1938 St Croix Courier

Stand Aside – Moose Charging

A picture was taken by Max Brockway in the McKnight pasture at Benson’s Corner at Oak Bay one morning last week. Driving by in his car, Max noticed a number of men clustered about the field and on stopping learned that a bull moose had been raging about the enclosure for some little time while vain attempts were being made to get him back into the woods. The moose already had treed one man.

Undaunted, Max climbed the fence into the pasture and, camera in hand, stole up on the animal in an effort to get a close-up. He snapped one, then started to follow the moose over a slight knoll when suddenly the lordly bull appeared over the slope and charged toward him. While the watchers stood petrified with horror Brockway coolly held his ground and took the photo. Realizing it was useless to try to run, he planned to sidestep the animal’s attack, but the moose veered off just before reaching him, turned and ran past him again and then took to his heels. The picture was taken with the moose some 15 or 20 feet from the camera.

St. Croix Courier 1907:

Harold Eagan, Marcus Towers and James Burns, three Milltown boys, drove to George Watters’ farm at Moannes last Sunday, where they were picking berries in a field, a monster bull moose came out of the woods and started to “mix it” with the horse. Between the shouts of Mr. Watters and the boys and the barking of a big dog the monarch of the forest was frightened away. The boys describe the moose as “bigger than Sandy,” and that means a good deal to a Milltown boy. Two Baring men who were present verify the story.

1909 from the St. Croix Courier:

A big moose swimming in the river was encountered on Sunday evening by a party of Calais people, who afterwards saw the animal chase a land lubber who appeared on the bank at an inopportune time up a convenient tree. The moose showed an inclination to keep the unfortunate gentleman treed for an indefinite period but was finally driven away by the people in the boat who made such a disturbance that the animal finally took flight.

There were a number of stories about a family or community adopting a wayward moose. A typical example is the 1937 Courier article below.

June 10, 1937: Courier

Children of Pennfield family have new pet.

A baby moose was discovered walking in the road near the residence of William Lloyd at Pocologan, on Saturday afternoon about three o’clock. Apparently, it had lost its mother and was tangling up the traffic barely escaping injury as it wandered along the highway.

William Dines, Pennfield, and Wm. Dean of Musquash, coming up from the rear in a truck rescued it and without a struggle Wm. Dines picked it up in his arms and took it to his home in Pennfield where it is being fed and cared for. Though bewildered it seemed very hungry and took a fair amount of milk from a bottle.

Constable James, R.C.M.P., Norman Gilmor, and Orlo Ackerley, game wardens, were notified of the capture and decided it had better remain in the care of Mr. Dines until further provision can be made.

There are a number of accounts of moose being domesticated. Seth Smith of Calais broke a pair to harness in the 1860’s and they became a common sight in Calais. They were later sold to a fellow in Philadelphia. In 1855 a moose broken to harness sold for $53 in Bangor and state fairs advertised domesticated moose as attractions.

Jack Gray-Calais High Class of 1961 relates this encounter with five moose-

I once saw 5 moose together while hunting deer around the early 90’s!

I had worked for Malcomb “Friday” Edgecomb from Mariaville in the 80’s, driving a skidder in the woods around rt 9 in the area from Aurora to the Wilderness Lodge.   Once we were cutting out the Spectacle Pond road, which goes off the east end of the Airline, but shortly after leaving route 9 there is a road to the right, which goes out near the Narrows on Spec Pond, then comes back onto the Spec Pond road near “Dog Corner” before getting to the bridge over Spec Pond outlet.  (The Spec Pond road comes out on Route 193, near the Beddington/Deblois town line).

While cutting near the Narrows, we saw quite a few moose nibbling the tops of felled trees, etc. Now, when I was hunting there in the 90’s, I walked through the whole area we had cut, which was fairly open then, over to a little rise that came down to a little cleared area we had set up a woodyard for delimbing, cutting to size, and loading the wood we had hauled out with the skidders when we had cut over that area..

As I came to the little rise before the old wood yard, I could hear a strange “clacking” sound…when I came up to the top of the little high point, I could look down on the old yard, where two giant moose were fighting over a cow moose standing there..!!!

I was mesmerized just standing there watching them, but noticed something in the corner of my eye, to my left.   I looked and there stood two more bull moose who had come up the rise, standing about 10 feet from me, watching just as intently as I was…lol.  I gently moved over to my right, despite having my rifle in hand, and climbed up on a big rock there..lol

They turned and sauntered off back down the hill they had just came up.! 

I wish cell phones had been in use then so I could have gotten a picture…

Author’s moose encounter 2010

I thought the moose was interested in the apple in my right hand, she wasn’t

I had my own close encounter with a moose. Some years ago, I was on a trail at Mt. Katahdin near Chimney Pond with my daughters and several other hikers when we were startled by the very loud snapping of tree branches and trashing of some animal just off the trail. A cow moose suddenly entered the trail into the midst of our group followed by her calf. Naturally the group scattered quickly in all directions. Conceding mother moose had the right of way I backed off the trail and waited for her to pass but her eyes locked directly on me, and I presumed an apple I had in my right hand. She walked directly to me, and I began to consider how I was going to give mother moose the apple without losing my hand in the process. I held the apple out for her, hoping for the best but she ignored both me and the apple and began munching on the evergreen branch directly above my head. This continued for some time during which I was enveloped by the swarm of flies which was pestering the poor beast. I was tempted to run, not from the moose but from the hundreds of flies which apparently followed her wherever she went.

Finally, there are limits to the domestication of a moose:

Moose in Harness. From Forest and Stream. 1893

A letter to the magazine described a moose recently captured in Minnesota and domesticated. The “sulky” referred to below is a lightweight cart used in harness racing. It has   two wheels and a small seat for a single driver.

 A Minnesota moose in a sulky race –

At a recent fair or something of the sort, he was billed to trot against a certain horse. The moose, then three years old, was hooked into sulky, and Harris, being a well-known horseman, was requested to drive him. The headgear with which the moose was provided was simply a halter, to which the reins were attached. Harris insisted on having a bit put on, but the liveryman said the moose objected; that he was perfectly gentle and tractable in the halter, but that he drew the line on a bit–he wouldn’t have it. Harris mounted the sulky, but he had some doubts as to the outcome of the race.

The bell sounded and the horse and moose started. The latter reached out in a style rarely seen on any racecourse, his clumsy hindfeet fanning his ear at every stride. At the first quarter post he was more than a length ahead of the horse, and before the post was reached had doubled his lead. About this time, however, he concluded he wouldn’t play and lit out for home, striking squarely across the racecourse and the fairgrounds for the main entrance. There was a jam of people, carriages, farm wagons, half-breed carts and the like, that when the moose startled them, they stampeded if a cyclone were coming their way.

The way was cleared and in spite of all the pulling and hawing Harris could do the moose went out of the grounds and down the main street of the town like a tornado headed for his corral adjoining the livery stable the gate of which happened to be open, but made a bad shot and caught one wheel of the sulky on a gatepost. He went out of the shafts as if there had been none, went to the other end of the corral and stood looking at his late driver with his cars thrown forward just as if he scented someone. Harris pulled himself out of the wreck, bruised and disfigured, and says that the next time he drives a moose he will put on him the wickedest ring-and-chain bronco bit he can find.