The group was desperate for a kill hunting. Why didn’t French kill the moose?

French comes face to face with the moose. French is taken with the size and grandeur of the moose. Although the moose would provide food and materials, French realizes most of it would go to waste. They couldn't carry that much meat and they can't stay long enough in one place to cook it or use the whole moose. French decides to let the moose be.