Pierre Fontinack II was born in the wilds of Maine. To get there you go to the middle, turn left and then go straight for another 20 miles. Pierre was the only child of Pierre Fontinack Sr. and his wife Pierrette. Not only was Pierre the Fontinack's sole child, he was the only child in the small village where he lived. His would have been a lonely childhood, but for his well-developed lungs. He discovered at an early age that if he gave a loud bellowing sound, a moose would come and play with him. Thus was born the greatest moose caller in the history of Maine. Even as a child, he won contests as far north as Hudson's Bay.

The moose (Alces alces) is the largest member of the deer family. Males can weigh up to 1,400 pounds (630 kg) and stand 9 ft (2.8 m) at the shoulders. Antlers' span can exceed 6 ft (2 m). Moose eat woody plant material despite a lack of teeth in the front of the upper jaw. They feed on fresh leaves by browsing and may strip leaves right off of a branch with the aid of the tough, thick tongue and lips. They also enjoy the tips of twigs, especially recent growth. Moose thoroughly crush the plant material between twelve sets of broad, flattened teeth at the rear of the mouth.

The great sportsman's club, The Moose and Squirrel Club of Boston, acquired several new stuffed moose. This made eight adult moose in their collection. To mark the occasion they invited Pierre Fontinack II to come and deliver an after dinner speech. Pierre was honored by the invitation, and he accepted. He practiced and practiced his speech for weeks.

On the day of the dedication, Pierre traveled down to Boston by train. He had never liked cars as they scared his friends, the moose. He walked to the club on Beacon Hill and was ushered into the large room the stuffed moose occupied. There were some with their heads up high, some with their heads down low and some with their heads looking to the side. They were arranged very artistically. Although offended, Pierre held his tongue.

He delivered his speech, and at the end gave a demonstration of his moose-calling ability. In the midst of the demonstration, everyone present heard a loud noise from the showroom below. The noise didn't disturb Pierre at all, but it really upset the president of The Moose and Squirrel Club. Immediately after the speech, Pierre left stating he wished to catch the last train home. The president of The Moose and Squirrel Club rushed to the showroom to investigate the cause of the noise and discovered to his dismay that all of the stuffed moose had vanished. The Boston police investigated the incident thoroughly at the time, and it remains an open case in their files to this day. However, no explanation has ever been discovered despite efforts by their finest detectives, one or two of whom are members of the club. They found sawdust on the floor of the showroom, out in the hallway and on the back steps but no other clues.

No one has verified any connection, but since that night a group of moose has been seen from time to time eating sawdust at several of Maine's numerous sawmills. Some of The Moose and Squirrel Club members have suggested that Pierre Fontinack II has such an incredible gift for moose calling that he can even call moose back from the dead.

You can find out more about moose at www.mooseworld.com.