SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT. 143 



killed sixteen moose in two days. The first day one shot eight, 

 and the other seven. In order to make an equal showing with 

 his companion, the one Vv'ho killed only seven took pains to 

 shoot another the next morning. Little if any of the meat was 

 taken. 



The Indians take advantage of windy weather for moose- 

 hunting, as it is then an easy matter to approach within gun- 

 shot and kill a great number. They hunt them extensively with 

 dogs also. 



The North American Company's agent at Knik placed an or- 

 der with the Indians for twenty-four head-skins, from heads of 

 bull-moose only. One windy day the total number was secured, 

 and the relator was quite confident that more than were asked 

 for were brought in. 



In the summer of 1889 one Indian killed about fifty moose 

 back of Tyonek. Naturally, moose have greatly diminished in 

 that locality. In the winter of 1901 one of my Indians killed 

 five moose back of Knik, and saved the meat of but one. When 

 asked why he did not use them all, he replied that " they were 

 bulls ! " 



While the reports from Kenai peninsula seem to indicate that 

 moose have not so seriously diminished in that quarter, there 

 is no doubt but that they are killed much faster than they breed, 

 and there is no reason whatever why they should be killed when 

 not urgently needed as food. 



Although sheep are still found in fair numbers on the moun- 

 tain ranges bordering the coast and rivers of Cook Inlet, they 

 are far from being as abundant as eight years ago. In the lo- 

 cality we visited they have diminished to such an extent that the 

 Indians say " they have left the cotmtry " ; and now they do most 

 of their hunting in other quarters. Where Professor L. L. 

 Dyche saw bands of hundreds in the summer of 1894, we count- 

 ed only sixty-four animals in all. 



Probably the demand for heads and skins is doing more tow- 

 ard diminishing the game about Cook Inlet than anything else. 

 Tempted by the prices offered for heads, the Indians and a few 

 whites shoot promiscuously in hope that the animal killed may 

 prove to have extra large antlers or horns. As it is usually im- 

 possible to judge the size of a head until its owner lies at one's 

 feet, hundreds of animals are slain without being touched. 



