REINDEER AND MUSK-OX 



Islands in Hudson Bay — 



On January 27, 1920, your commissioners asked that, as a precautionary 

 measure, certain islands in Hudson bay, namely, Southampton island, Coats 

 island and Mansell island, should be reserved for the purpose of providing 

 grazing grounds for reindeer and musk-ox and this request was granted by Order 

 in Council of date March 10, 1920. (P.C. 522.) 



It would appear that in some respects, the most desirable of these islands 

 is Southampton island, which from all the information which your commis- 

 sioners have been able to obtain, is suitable in every respect except that it is too 

 large, being about equal in size to Ireland. 



There are also on it at present several herds of wild caribou and a number 

 of wolves. 



These conditions would involve a considerable expenditure for fencing, 

 as without fences it would be quite impossible to keep the reindeer from joining 

 the wild caribou, and there would also be constant danger from wolves. 



There is a further danger of the ice setting solid on Rowes Welcome, thus 

 giving access to the mainland, which, for various reasons, would be undesirable. 



Coats island, which lies southeast of Southampton island, is about sixty 

 miles long and twenty miles wide. According to Captain H. Toke Munn, 

 whose submissions, attached as Appendix No. IV to this report will be found 

 well worthy of perusal, the food on this island is excellent, there are no wolves, 

 and on the north side there are plenty of walrus available for food for any 

 Esquimaux that might be employed as herders. 



There are some barren land caribou on this island which Captain Munn 

 recommends should be reduced to a small number, and the young caught and 

 put in with the reindeer. 



The only animals which might prey on the reindeer on Coats island are the 

 polar bears, which are numerous. It is said however, that these animals seldom 

 succeed in catching caribou, while they themselves are easily killed and will 

 soon abandon a place w^here they are frequently hunted. 



There is a tradition that in one season many years ago, the caribou on 

 Coats and Mansell islands were killed off by weather conditions, a heavy rain 

 followed by freezing creating a hard crust through which the animals were 

 unable to reach the food underneath. 



This, however, is a condition which might occasionally be met with on any 

 of the lands in or tributary to Hudson bay, and one against which it would be 

 possible to provide, at least in the case of a small reindeer herd. 



Coats island is deficient in harbour facilities, but this should not prove a 

 serious drawback, at least during the earlier stages of the experiment. 



Your commissioners understand from the evidence, that Mansell island is 

 very rugged and short of vegetation, although it might possibly, on further 

 investigation, be found well adapted for reindeer, j 



Ungava — 



The whole of Ungava would appear to be well suited for reindeer. There is 

 an ample supply of suitable vegetation and in the northern and western parts 

 of the peninsula there are very few caribou. This latter condition has existed 

 since 1883, when, as a result of forest fires, they disappeared from that part of 

 the country. As a consequence, probably of this disappearance, the number of 

 wolves is also insignificant. 



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