THE WILD FAUNA OF THE EMPIEE 



81 



offered to take me to them. For two days we cut our way through 

 dense bush, and then I discovered that what he had said was 

 correct. I saw nine stags on one occasion and seven on another 

 fighting for a single hind and I gathered from the tracks of others 

 what few hinds were left had a large following of admirers. The 

 result of such a state of things it is unnecessary to dwell on, but 

 the difficulties of the case were so great that even if the authorities 

 had been aware of what was going on they would have found it no 

 easy matter to cope with. In the same locality a great deal of 

 trouble was being taken to preserve the game, even down to the 

 ducks, from being killed out of season by the settlors. 



In the framing of game laws the rights and necessities of the 

 natives should be the first consideration, but care should be taken 

 not to give them opportunities of killing game which they have 

 not desired or had the chance of exercising in times past. 



The next question to be considered is that of the settlers, and 

 here again careful handling is necessary. There is no doubt that 

 this class kill a great deal of game in season and out, and it is no 

 easy matter to prevent them doing so. 



Provided they kill a certain amount for the sake of the meat 

 for their own consumption, I personally do not consider one is 

 justified in stopping them : they are opening up new country, they 

 are usually having a hard struggle to tide over the early stages of 

 colonisation and after the natives they have more right to the 

 game than anyone else. But when they make a practice of killing 

 the game for profit, either for the sake of selling the horns and 

 hides or the meat, then I do say every effort should be made to 

 bring them to book. In Newfoundland hundreds of cariboo used 

 to be killed for their skins ; measures were taken, I believe, to 

 check this, but I believe I am right in stating that in the south of 

 the island cariboo are still killed every winter and the carcases 

 carried by the hundred in ships and sold in St. John's for a few 

 cents a pound. 



In Canada and America large numbers of wapiti were killed 

 for the sake only of their tushes. 



There is a very considerable demand for horns as trophies by 

 tourists, and certain individuals in Canada and elsewhere will pay 

 handsomely for all horns offered to them, for which I have no 

 doubt they have a ready market. The result is, in Canada, and 

 Newfoundland every man takes the opportunity of killing whatever 

 beast he comes across for the sake of the few dollars he may get 

 for the head, 



As far as possible! this should bo stamped out, but in considering 

 the question of the settlers, their requirements with regard to meat 

 must not be overlooked. 



The last and easiest of the three classes to deal with is the 

 European sportsman. He has no rights whatever which have to bo 

 considered ; everyone in the district knows the object of his visit, 

 and although he probably of the three classes does least harm the 

 energies of the game wardens are generally centred against him. 



