THE SPORTSMAN'S POINT OF VIEW 113 



In hunting the Caribou, quietness is essential. Never 

 break a twig if you can avoid it, for a cracking branch 

 makes a noise which carries far and may give warning of 

 your approach to the very stag you particularly want. 

 Equally important is it to keep a sharp look-out at all 

 timesj especially when entering a barren, where a stag may 

 be sleeping, for under such conditions they are hard to 

 see. Among the numerous grey dead stumps and moss- 

 covered low trees, the colour of the Caribou is so incon- 

 spicuous that the untrained eye will fail to detect the 

 animal even at close range. The first intimation will be 

 a glimpse of a disappearing patch of white, as the Caribou 

 vanishes into the woods. The success of big game 

 shooting largely depends on seeing the game 6efore the 

 game sees you. When the stags are feeding on the open 

 barrens they may be stalked with comparative ease, 

 provided no movement is made while they have their 

 heads up. No matter what may be your position, keep 

 absolutely quiet until feeding is resumed, for when the 

 head is down they do not see much beyond the food 

 they are eating. Always be sure that the wind is in the 

 right direction, otherwise there is no chance of success, 

 for the animals are very keen of scent. So, also, is their 

 hearing acute. Where there are does with the stag, 

 stalking is always far more difficult, as one will nearly 

 always be doing sentry duty while the rest are feeding ; 

 and to circumvent a watching doe requires very careful 

 calculation and clever stalking. All things considered, 

 the Caribou of Newfoundland is not as alert as any other 

 deer that I know of, and is therefore more readily 

 approached. There is, of course, great variation among 

 them, some being extremely alert and difficult to stalk, 

 while others are so absurdly tame that they will allow a 



