54 CONSERVATION OF CANADIAN WILD LIFE 



few of these animals made their appearance close down to 

 the Chilcotin River, which is the farthest south in this 

 direction they have ever been reported. In East Kootenay 

 some of the finest moose ever known in that district have 

 been killed this season, three of them with antlers measur- 

 ing 533^, 58, and 60 inches, respectively. Until this year it 

 has been the general opinion that the East Kootenay moose 

 never had horns of large dimensions, and a 45-inch head 

 was considered a good one for that district. There is no 

 doubt that in former years the bulls never got a chance to 

 grow big horns, as they were all shot too soon; but with the 

 better protection they have had during the past few years 

 there is an improvement, and the value of the game in East 

 Kootenay has been greatly increased." 



In 1915 Mr. Williams reports on the moose as follows: 

 "These magnificent animals continue to work their way 

 south, and are increasing rapidly almost everywhere. There 

 is one exception to this, and that is on the Nelson River, 

 where they are reported to be very scarce, and the Indians 

 are suffering in consequence. Reports from Cassiar varied 

 somewhat, but the men who are in the best positions to 

 know say they were extra numerous, but that there is an 

 extraordinary percentage of young bulls. That there are 

 plenty of moose in that country can be easily believed 

 from the fact that one tourist counted 280 odd during the 

 short time he was there. A bull moose was lately seen as 

 fax south as the 108-mile House, on the Cariboo Road. 

 Signs of others were seen a little farther south." 



From the foregoing account of the distribution and 

 abundance of moose in different regions of Canada it will 

 be seen that, with the exception of the Prairie Provinces, 

 this noble animal not only appears to be holding its own 

 but owing to adequate protection it is possible to record 

 an increase in certain of those regions of Canada that com- 

 prise its finest natural haunts and hunting-grounds. 



