She led her calf when approaching, because if there should be danger she wanted to meet it first; and when she found danger she drove her calf ahead of her in retreat, so that if harm came to either of them it would come to her.
Isn't that the human mother instinct?
And the bull is glorious! In the mating season he will face a dozen men in defense of his cow.

If she falls first he will stand between her body and the hunters' rifles, pawing the earth, his eyes glaring defiance, until he is riddled with bullets.

Once I saw a wounded cow, and as she staggered away the big bull that was with her hugged her close behind, never for a moment leaving her exposed to the fire, but unflinchingly taking every bullet in his own body.

So beautiful was his courage that you would not have known he was wounded until he fell dead in his tracks, literally cut to pieces.

It was that sight that made me swear never to kill another moose--unless I had to." Rod was silent.