RECREATION. 



Volume X. 



MARCH, J899. 

 G. 0. SHIELDS (C0QU1NA), Editor and Manager. 



Number 3. 



THE BIG CARIBOU. 



JAMES TURNBULL. 



On November 14, 1895, after many 

 delays, I managed to get away on the 

 long looked for annual hunt — this time 

 in a new country, which proved in- 

 deed a hunter's paradise, so far as 

 moose and caribou are concerned. 

 This was at the headwaters of the 

 Northwest branch of the Mirimichi, 

 on the Bald mountains, and the bar- 

 ren ground surrounding them. These 

 form the watershed dividing the Miri- 

 michi, the Tobique and the Nepisiguit 

 rivers. 



The country is open and barren, the 

 ground covered with low shrubs lo- 

 cally called " hard-hacks," about as 

 high as one's knee, growing all around, 

 and among which, and completely 

 covering the ground, is the white moss 

 which forms the food of the caribou. 

 Here they will stand in herds of 5 to 

 20, pawing away the snow and munch- 

 ing the fine, sweet moss during the 

 greater part of the short November 

 days. 



The first snow had fallen a few days 

 before I got in, and was lying some 

 4 inches deep, just in fine order for 

 still-hunting. Leaving the Newcastle, 

 New Brunswick, at 11 o'clock on the 

 night of the 14th of November, we 

 were landed about 3 o'clock the fol- 

 lowing afternoon — my guide and I — 

 at Camp Pringle, a goodly way up the 

 Mirimichi river. From here we had 

 to tramp 2 days farther up the river, 

 the country being such that no horse 

 could possibly go over it. Before we 



reached the hunting grounds we saw 

 our first signs of caribou, and lots of 

 them, too. We, however, continued 

 our journey about 8 miles farther to 

 Smoky camp, located on the edge of 

 a favorite feeding ground. 



The following morning we were out 

 early, scanning the country right and 

 left for the grayish white objects. We 

 kept moving slowly along till about 

 11 o'clock, when Arthur suddenly 

 stopped and — we had sighted the 

 game. Fortunately the wind was in 

 the proper direction, and, taking ad- 

 vantage of every bit of cover, we got 

 within 200 yards of the herd, in which 

 were 7 animals; one splendid bull with 

 magnificent horns; one a trifle smaller, 

 one large bull which had shed its 

 horns; 2 cows and 2 calves. There 

 was now absolutely no cover between 

 us and them; but by watching when 

 their heads were down, eating, we 

 managed to carefully creep forward 

 another 50 yards, when one of the 

 cows seemed to scent danger. Taking 

 advantage of the moment when they 

 were all standing absolutely still, look- 

 ing for the cause of their alarm, I fired, 

 and the big bull went down. I fired 

 several more shots at the other bull, 

 now leading the band and bound- 

 ing away as if on air, but failed to hit 

 him. 



We then skinned the head of the 

 one I had killed, and taking it, with 

 some of the meat, returned to camp. 

 How that head was admired before the 



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