The moose didn’t move, just stared at him, its gaze heavy with pain and quiet desperation. Jacob’s fingers worked fast but gentle, peeling the metal away from the wounded flesh. The deep gashes left behind made his stomach twist, but at least the worst was over. The trap was gone.
Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out his medical kit. He wasn’t a vet, but he had seen his mother tend to injured animals enough times to know what to do. Carefully, he cleaned the wound, wincing when the moose shuddered in pain, and then wrapped it tightly with gauze.