904 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



HOME- I have no evidence on the home-range of the individual 



RANGE 



Marten beyond the opinion of trappers that it will range a mile 

 or more around its head-quarters. George Linklater thinks 

 that two square miles, in Algoma, will cover the usual beat. 

 When food is scarce, however, it will travel for many miles in 

 search of better hunting. 



ABUN- To form an idea of the Marten population I have consulted 



all authorities and available books as well as trappers and fur- 

 traders. 



Professor H. Y. Hind, in his " E.xploration of Labra- 

 dor,"' says that an Indian who there took only 22 Martens all 

 winter on a 30-mile line of traps, was thought to have had 

 very bad luck. In this district, Moisie River, Martens were 

 scarce. The same hunter, in a well-stocked region, the Mani- 

 couagan Valley, caught 57 Martens in one month. As they 

 were of good quality and brought the highest price then 

 current ($5), he was now considered successful.'' 



Roderick MacFarlane writes me a personal experience 

 during a season when Martens abounded in the North: 



" Many years ago, when I had charge of Fort Good Hope, 

 Mackenzie River, I made a 15-miIe line of perhaps 100 dead- 

 fall traps, baiting them with the heads of smoked fresh-water 

 herring. A few days later I went to the end of the track, and 

 on my way out I found quite a number of whiskey-jacks 

 taken, and one or two Squirrels, while 8 Martens were secured 

 dead. Most of the baits had, however, been removed by 

 Mice and birds. On my way out I placed new baits in all 

 of the traps, and 4 more Martens were found in them on 

 my way back to the post. They were freshly taken. On 

 my next visit a cussed Wolverine had preceded us, the few 

 Martens secured were stolen by him, and the entire line de- 

 molished. The brute kept around most of the winter, so 

 that my total catch of the season was only about 60 skins. 

 Had he kept away, I might have secured between 100 and 

 200 skins. 



'' i86,:i, Vol. I, p. 195. ' Jhid., pp. 47-8. 



