THE SPORTSMAN'S POINT OF VIEW 117 



people for the better preservation of the game, and this is 

 obviously of the utmost importance, but it brings more 

 money into the country, benefiting a great many people. 

 Provision dealers, outfitters, guides, and indirectly many 

 others are helped. When either fishing or shooting rights 

 are leased or sold, very few gain employment, and it 

 frequently happens that the places are only visited by their 

 owners or lessees once in a number of years. This is all 

 very well for the game, as it apparently has a better chance 

 to increase, but I believe far more poaching goes on in the 

 private reserves than in the open free country. Newfoundland 

 has jealously guarded her rights, and no man may own 

 exclusive fishing or shooting. She has been quick to take 

 advantage of new conditions and profit by the experience of 

 others. When the railway opened up the country, it was 

 found that during the Caribou's southerly migration people 

 flocked to the region between Grand Lake and Kitty's Brook 

 Falls, chiefly near Howley, and the animals were literally 

 slaughtered as they crossed the tracks. Had this continued, 

 it is difficult to say what would have happened. Harm, 

 certainly, would have resulted. The migration route would 

 have been changed, or perhaps the habit would have been 

 entirely abandoned, so that the herds would probably have 

 suffered greatly. The authorities made a reserve of this 

 region {see map), and all shooting was absolutely forbidden 

 within its limits. This put a stop to the disgusting slaughter, 

 but men would take boats, with the apparent intention of 

 going up Sandy River to the open country north of the 

 reserve \ instead of continuing up river, they would camp 

 within, perhaps, a couple of miles of the railway, and do 

 their shooting with little fear of detection. The meat was 

 then brought down river and no one was the wiser. A 

 change was therefore made — about three or four years ago, I 



