ii8 NEWFOUNDLAND CARIBOU 



think — and camping was forbidden on the reserve.^ To 

 make sure that the law is enforced, the district is patrolled 

 very thoroughly during the entire season of the migration. 

 This naturally caused a certain amount of dissatisfaction 

 among the meat hunters, who now have to go rather further 

 afield for their supply, but it has an excellent effect on the 

 Caribou, as they can pursue their journey over the region 

 where they concentrate in greater numbers with little fear ot 

 being molested ; so it is probable that they will persist 

 in the habit. 



Another sensible law is that guides shall have to obtain 

 a licence, and that they may not shoot while out with parties. 

 Neither may antlers or skins be exported, and the sale of 

 Caribou meat " in cans, tins, or other packages " is 

 prohibited. Regarding the number of stags which may 

 be shot on a licence there is some possible room for argument. 

 If each sportsman shoots three stags, and each native is 

 allowed two stags and one doe, the proportion of stags 

 will eventually be too small, and there will almost certainly 

 be a falling-off in the vigour of the herds. It is a 

 question which should be very carefully considered. The 

 number of does born each year among all the deer usually 

 exceeds that of the stags, so that if a proper balance is to 

 be maintained it may be found advisable to allow more does 

 to be killed. The meat-hunters will always take a barren 

 or dry doe by preference, as they are in better condition 

 than either stags or does with fawns. It is impossible to 

 say for certain whether these does are habitually barren, 

 or whether they are among the number that miss occasional 

 years. If the former were the case, the shooting of them 

 would not be harmful. 



^ The authorities very kindly granted me permission to work on the 

 reserve, as I carried no fire-arms. 



