6 OUR BIG GAME 



big- game animals are listed as follows: "Black or 

 brown bear, grizzly bear, polar bear, buffalo (bison), 

 mountain-sheep, woodland caribou, barren-ground 

 caribou, cougar, musk-ox, white goat, elk (wapiti), 

 prong-horn antelope, moose, Virginia deer, mule-deer, 

 and Columbian black-tail deer." 



The wolf (not coyote) was originally on the list, but 

 was stricken out before the constitution was adopted. 

 Wolves and foxes are fair game for the hounds, and 

 furnish much sport when chased with a full pack, but 

 they are not big game for the riffe. 



So far as the true game animals (those which are 

 good to eat when shot) are concerned, the list of the 

 justly celebrated Boone and Crockett Club is complete 

 and authoritative. It has occurred to the writer that 

 if the cougar or mountain-lion is listed as a big-game 

 animal the lynx or common wildcat might be added to 

 the list, since it is always shot on sight by sportsmen 

 with the rifle or dislodged and killed with dogs, and it is 

 often pursued in the same manner as the cougar. For 

 these reasons the lynx is included in my commentary. 



All of the big-game animals are placed by the natu- 

 ralists in the four families, the Cervidis or deer family, 

 the BovidcB or ox family, the Ursidcs or bear family, and 

 the FclidcB or cat family. 



The first of these families is the most important to 

 sportsmen and includes the moose, the elk, the two 

 caribou, the mule-deer, the Columbian black-tail deer 

 and the Virginia or white-tail deer — seven splendid 

 game animals, all gifted with a keen sense of hearing, 

 of sight and of smell ; and all swift of foot, wild, wary — 

 ready to match their wits against those of the sportsmen. 



