Caribou -Hunting. 



213 



ATTACKED BY A WOLF. 



deer tribe that affords better sport or more delicious food when capt- 

 ured. The wandering habits of the caribou make it very uncertain 

 where one will fall in with him, even in his accustomed and well- 

 known haunts. When once started, the chase is sure to be a long 

 one and its results doubtful ; in fact, so much so that an old hunter 

 seldom follows up a retreating herd, but resorts to strategy and tries 

 to head them off, or at once proceeds by the shortest way to some 

 other barren in hopes of finding them there. 



It seems to be a mooted question whether the barren-ground 

 caribou ( R. Groenlandicus ) found inhabiting the Arctic regions and 

 shores of Hudson's Bay is another species, or only a variety of the 

 woodland caribou. The barren-ground caribou is a much smaller 

 animal, and seldom exceeds one hundred and fifty pounds weight, 

 while large specimens of the woodland caribou weigh nearly five 

 hundred pounds. 



The caribou is very fond of the water, is a capital swimmer, and in 

 jumping he is more than the equal of any other deer. His advent- 

 14A 



