APPENDIX B 



319 



And yet during all the days we spent in Buffalo country we 

 found neither hair, hide, howl, nor track of a Wolf. Every 

 river margin, every lake shore, and every mud bank did I and 

 Jarvis and the guide search for track of a Wolf; not one did we 

 see, and not a howl did we hear. Had there been wolves 

 within 5 miles of us we surely would have heard them at night. 

 At every opportunity among natives and among traders we 

 made inquiries, and in artless contradiction of the much dis- 

 seminated Wolf story, were assured that Wolves were exceedingly 

 scarce in the region. 



We saw the usual percentage of young calves of the year, so 

 evidently the calves are not killed when very small, and to kill 

 them when six months old, and with the herd, would take a 

 large number of Wolves. 



On the other hand, we found one ancient skeleton of Buffalo 

 apparently not killed by hunters, and Sergeant R. Field, the 

 Royal N. W. M. Policeman at Fort Chipewyan, believes that 

 it is the Wolves that are keeping the Buffalo down. He is a 

 capable man, and his opinion must receive attention. But he 

 is 100 miles from the Buffalo country, and never has actually 

 entered it. 



Neither Major Jarvis nor Sergeant Field had such oppor- 

 tunity of learning from the natives as I had, because they were 

 officers. These were the important points: 



Sousi never dreamed of any one going to the range without 

 killing Buffalo. 



These Buffalo are as shy as a Moose. Why, if not hunted? 



In January, 1900, J killed 5 Buffalo. 



In January, 1905, S killed 2 by special permit. 



In 1903, K killed 2 that he brought in, but was known 



to be after them all the time, and has undoubtedly killed many 

 since. 



All of the Indians whose territory includes Buffalo country, 

 come from the hunt with plenty of pemmican ; that is, neither 

 Moose nor Caribou. But they bring no hides. 



A trader at Fort Resolution, in answer to certain of my ques- 



