THE BUFFALO OR BISON 133 



off for several minutes, while photographs were taken of it. 

 This incident would appear to indicate that the animals 

 are not being molested by Indians or other hunters. On 

 the same salt lick there were seen tracks of animals of all 

 ages, and many of these were the tracks of yearlings and 

 calves, indicating that there is an increase taking place in 

 the numbers of the herd. Some of the tracks were those of 

 very large animals. 



The general opinion appears to be that the Indians are 

 now observing the law prohibiting the killing of the buffalo, 

 and except perhaps in cases of necessity, where an Indian 

 family is out of food, no buffalo have been killed, at least in 

 recent years. 



Timber wolves would appear to be the only natural 

 enemy of the buffalo, and in the various traverses made 

 into the southern range ten or twelve old and new tracks 

 of these animals were seen at various points. 



The other wild life found on the buffalo range consists 

 of moose, woodland caribou, black bear, lynx, fox, beaver, 

 marten, mink, otter, fisher, wolverene, coyote, and musk- 

 rat. In the spring and fall ducks and geese are found. 

 Spruce partridge, willow grouse, and sharp-tailed grouse 

 occur all the year round and ptarmigan in the winter. 



From all the evidence he collected and from his observa- 

 tions when in the buffalo territory, Mr. Camsell has no 

 hesitation in saying that the buffalo are not only holding 

 their own, but are increasing. If, therefore, a portion of 

 their range could be made a national park, there is no 

 reason why the wood bison should not only be saved from 

 extermination, but there is every reason to believe that the 

 surplus would migrate into the adjacent territory, which is 

 unsuited to agriculture and therefore could be justifiably 

 devoted to the preservation of the only examples of our 

 largest and noblest native mammal now living in its original 

 wild state. 



