112 BIG GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



was broken," and liis interested witness cried out: " Hang 

 on, John, hang on," until the final catastrophe, when he 

 was rolling on the ground in a fit of laughter, and pausing 

 at intervals to say, "Oh, John, how your eyes stuck out!" 



Mr. Danforth has a number of fine specimens of mounted 

 Caribou -heads. 



All attemj)ts to transport the Caribou across the Atlantic 

 have failed. They have invariably died on the voyage. 

 Some attribute their deaths to lack of Reindeer moss. 



Like all the Cermdce family, the Caribou is very wary, 

 and frequents marshy places, dense forests, or high, rocky 

 hills which are difficult of ascent. He feeds on arboreous 

 food, grasses, and aquatic plants, and his fiesh is always 

 tender, though sometimes insipid and tasteless. 



In my estimation, the order of preference is, Moose first. 

 Caribou second, and Virginia Deer third. 



The best time for hunting the Caribou is about the middle 

 of December, and the best arm, in my judgment, a Marlin 

 or a Winchester rei^eating-rifle, with 45-70 cartridge, which 

 I consider the most killing cartridge for all large game. 



As indicating the difficulties often encountered in hunting 

 the Caribou, I will relate a bit of my experience in com- 

 pany with one of the best and oldest guides of the Dead 

 River region, Andrew Douglas. 



We left King and Bartlett Camp, crossing three miles 

 over the mountains, and going in a birch canoe more than a 

 mile on Baker' s Pond, when we heard the splashing of a 

 Caribou in a little bay masked in by alders, through which 

 we could not possibly get a shot or make our way. The 

 Caribou, alarmed at the unavoidable sounds we made, fled. 

 He left immense tracks that could not be mistaken, and we 

 made a second attempt to catch him the next night. Again 

 we were baffled, though the Caribou was evidently feeding 

 and drinking in the same inclosure. In desperation at his 

 escaping again, we cut away the alders, and hoped to meet 

 our wary opponent in a fair and open encounter the third 

 night; but he anticipated our conclusion, and did not appear 

 that night. 



