190 llEPOKT OF ONTAliiO GAME No. 52 



flesh of bucks is unsavoury during this period. Undoubtedly both these 

 contentious are facts. The presence of hunters in the woods will tend 

 to scaMer the deer, which is to be regretted in the rutting season, but it is 

 fto be noted that the same effect is produced more or less under the dates 

 of the open season as at present existing, wliile none the less the bulk of 

 the deer appear to succeed in performing the functions necessary for 

 reproduction. The meat of the males is certainly strong in flavour dur- 

 ing this period, but, although some meat in consequence might be wasted, 

 it would appear that the obvious results can only be a diminished demand 

 for it and in consequence a diminished slaughter, which after all are 

 the principal objectives now to be sought. Were these dates applied to 

 the moose, the above remarks would be applicable to its case also, in 

 the main, but it must be acknowledged that as the bull moose 

 is so strong and so vicious during the rutting season, this might be held 

 to constitute a sufficient reason for not sending hunters into the woods 

 when the i-ntting season is in full swing, and also that a hardship 

 may be wrought on the settlers, who depend on the moose in jnsm.j 

 instances for their winter's supply of meat, if they were compelled 

 to take bulls whose flesh was more or less rank. The rutting season of 

 moose, however, would appear to extend over the latter portion of Octo- 

 ber, the whole of November, and on into the early portions of December, 

 «o that if the open season is to be declared during this general period 

 of the year at all, which from most points of view is undoubtedly the 

 proper one, it would not appear that the considerations above referred 

 to would be more applicable or carry more force in regard to the latter 

 two weeks of November than in regard to the earlier portions of that 

 month. There would be, moreover, one great advantage in having the 

 open season during the latter two weeks of November, namely, that the 

 weather by that time throughout the moose and deer country will almost 

 invariabh^ be sufficiently cold to allow of the preservation of the meat 

 by freezing, whereas earlier in November or in October this might not 

 always be the case. Most particularly is this point of importance to the 

 settler and others who shoot to obtain food for themselves and families, 

 for it is of small avail to grant them privileges in regard to the taking 

 of big game if the weather conditions during the periods of privilege 

 will prevent their being able to preserve the meat. 



The woodland caribou, or American reindeer, is, in all probability, 

 still more or less abundant in the extreme northerly portions of Ontario, 

 but it would seem to have diminished considerably in numbers in the 

 more accessible localities. The caribou, like the moose, appears to avoid 

 the proximity of civilization, to require considerable areas of wild land 

 over which to roam, and to move from one district to another without 

 any very apparent reason. Large tracts of forest and wild land in this 

 Province are undoubtedly adapted to sustaining the caribou, and con- 

 tain plenty of suitable food, but from many of them it seems to have de- 



