12 NEWFOUNDLAND CARIBOU 



than this number. In his deHghtful book, "Newfoundland 

 and its Untrodden Ways" (published in 1907), he writes: 



" It is very difficult to figure out the number of Caribou 

 in Newfoundland, and all estimates must be mere guesses. 

 Mr. Moulton, of Burgeo, judging by the numbers wintering 

 in the barrens north of that place and White Bear Bay, puts 

 it at two hundred and fifty thousand, and thinks they are 

 increasing at the rate of ten thousand annually. Mr. 

 Howley, on the other hand, places the figures at a hundred 

 thousand, and I think that double this number is a very fair 

 estimate. In spite of the enormous slaughter which takes 

 place annually, and which is every year greatly on the 

 increase, Newfoundland will keep the deer for many 

 centuries to come if all shooters are licensed, and the 

 number of deer shot by each person does not exceed three. 

 Thus, putting the death rate at the highest estimate of three 

 animals each to four thousand shooters, twelve thousand 

 would be killed out of two hundred thousand, that is a 

 depreciation of six per cent. Now this is a much smaller 

 rate of killing than takes place among the stags of Scotland, 

 and they are undoubtedly on the increase." 



This is a hopeful view of the subject, and though his 

 estimate of the existing numbers seems slightly high, there 

 is every reason to hope that the animals will not decrease 

 unless some entirely unforeseen condition arises. To those 

 who, when out hunting, are accustomed to seeing two or 

 three wild animals in a day, and believe themselves fortunate 

 indeed if they see half-a-dozen, the extraordinary number 

 of Caribou to be found in a single day's walking or 

 canoeing in Newfoundland must be a great and very 

 delightful surprise. During the autumn migration it is 

 not unusual to see four or five hundred in a day, and 

 earlier in the season when the animals are following 



