THE SPORTSMAN'S POINT OF VIEW 115 



incentive to hunting is the procuring of meat in such a way 

 that the best sporting instinct shall be satisfied. To kill 

 simply for the sake of a pair of horns is not altogether 

 satisfactory to most of us. The horns are the trophy which 

 appeal to our vanity ; we like to show them to our 

 friends, and they give us an excuse for telling how the 

 animal was shot, and other — to ourselves, at least — interesting 

 details of the trip. But we do like to think the need of 

 food in the wilds was part of the reason for the killing. It 

 makes our comfortably elastic conscience more easy, so that 

 we are pleased with ourselves. Of course, I know perfectly 

 well we would not express this so bluntly before our friends, 

 or even to ourselves, any more than we like to discuss the 

 feeling of regret which so often comes when we see that we 

 have really killed a large beast. Most of us have experienced 

 that moment of remorse. Even guides, who all their lives 

 have either hunted or been with hunters, have told me how 

 they frequently would have given anything to have brought 

 the fallen animal back to life. When a Caribou stag is shot 

 either during (which is forbidden by law) or soon after the 

 mating season, it is useless for food, as the flesh has such a 

 pungent odour that none but those with the strongest of 

 stomachs could touch it. The texture is almost like that 

 of a sponge ; the meat is feverish and so disgusting that even 

 the sight of it is nauseating. The man who shoots these 

 animals after the middle of October, and until the horns are 

 dropped, must therefore not count on the stag as furnishing 

 his supply of meat for camp use. This, of course, does not 

 apply to the young stags, whose passions are not thoroughly 

 developed. 



The game laws, in full, will be found at the end of this 

 volume, placed there so that any changes which may be 

 made from time to time can be inserted without interfering 



