2 8 NEWFOUNDLAND CARIBOU 



in the picture facing this page, where the does are seen clearly 

 suspicious, while the stag walks on blindly to within close 

 range of the camera, not even paying heed to the warning 

 snort of the more timid does that are so much more 

 careful. But however unsuspicious the stag may appear to 

 be, he never fails, so far as I have been able to observe, to 

 take alarm at the scent of man, and with the wind in the 

 right direction they notice that scent at incredible distances. 

 It is interesting to see how they are affected by the slightest 

 taint of man-scent. The Caribou stag may be walking 

 along quietly, apparently not taking heed of anything, 

 suddenly his sensitive nostrils are assailed by the alarming 

 scent, he immediately jumps sideways as though a bomb 

 had exploded directly beneath his body so high does he 

 bound from the earth ; then he usually stands still for 

 some seconds, staring in the direction from which he believes 

 the danger may appear in more tangible form. If the scent 

 reaches him again, he will make several more bounds and 

 then go off with a long deliberate swinging trot, throwing his 

 legs high as he makes his way through the bog, but when 

 very badly frightened, he will gallop at full speed. If no 

 further suspicion of scent comes to him, he will circle round, 

 keeping a safe distance until he gets down wind of the place 

 where he was first alarmed, then he will remain for a long 

 time standing still and throwing his head up frequently in 

 his efforts to catch the wind-borne scent of danger. The 

 stags jump more often than the does at the first moment 

 of fear, but the does are more painstaking in working their 

 way down wind in their efforts to determine the origin of 

 the danger. 



It is difficult to say what will frighten the Caribou and 

 what will not. I remember once trying to " spoil " a lead 

 so that the animals, instead of following it, would come 



