-210 With Rod and Gun in New England 



deringon the grotesque, some having a muzzle arched like that of a horse, 

 others resembling that of the domestic cow, while others approximate to 

 the Virginia deer. Their weight is seldom under 250 and seldom over 450 

 pounds. 



In the depth of the Canadian winter a herd of caribou may often be 

 seen systematically scraping away the snow on the barren in order to 

 reach their favorite moss. When from the scarcity of food it becomes 

 necessary for them to shift their charters, they will adopt that habit which 

 seems instinctive in all members of the deer and elk families inhabiting 

 northern climes ; they form in single file and push each other forward 

 through the snow, the leader being relegated to the rear from time to time, 

 as he wearies with breaking the road. Is chivalry confined to the human 

 animal ? Why is it, then, that it is always a buck who assumes the office of 

 snow-plow and faces the blinding drifts ? 



The conduct of caribou in the presence of man is very eccentric. As 

 a rule the report of a rifle will occasion them little or no alarm, nor do 

 they readily take fright at the sight of unusual objects, but the least whiff 

 of human scent will start them off on the gallop. Sometimes they will dis- 

 play a large degree of curiosity, and upon catching a glimpse of the hunter 

 behind a knoll or fallen tree, the entire herd will march forward with the 

 utmost apparent coolness to make an inspection. When one of their 

 number has been killed it frequently happens that his comrades will circle 

 around the hunter for several minutes, as he is engaged in skinning the 

 animal. When a herd of caribou is on the move the hunter will often suc- 

 ceed in bringing them to a full stop, by giving an imitation of that peculiar 

 grunt or bark, which is the only vocal sound the caribou is ever known to 

 utter. This grunt is precisely the same in the female as in the male. It 

 is sometimes employed by experienced hunters for the purpose of " call- 

 ing " caribou, but has not the effectiveness of the moose call upon the lat- 

 ter animal, for the reason that even though the counterfeit call is perfect, 

 it is not loud enough to be heard beyond a very short distance. A herd 

 of caribou will sometimes stampede at the faintest sign of danger, or no 

 apparent sign at all ; at other times they will huddle stupidly together or 

 walk aimlessly about while the death-dealing rifle is thinning out their 

 ranks. 



I have a vivid recollection of my first sight of caribou. In company 

 with an American friend, and having as our guide the renowned Henry 

 Braithwaite, whom I verily believe to be Canada's greatest woodsman, I 

 had been sojourning for a week or more in a trapper's camp on the 

 shores of Little Sou'-West Miramichi lake. Our object was moose, but as 

 yet the guide had called without success. One morning it was decided to 

 vary the monotony by taking a trip to another large lake about three miles 

 away, which Henry said was a famous resort for caribou. A dry barren 



