134 



THE XATIOXAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZI\'1< 



Photograph by George Sbiras, 3d 



WHERE ANIMAL FLASHLIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY HAD ITS BIRTH 

 THE END OP WHITEPISH LAKE 



THE SLOUGH AT 



In this small area more deer were killed, and later more photographed by day and by 

 night, than in any similar locality on the continent. Natural salt licks were one of the 

 attractions^ This picture shows the method of taking daylight pictures by means of a 

 string running from a seat in a tree to a camera on the beach. Whenever a deer was passing 

 within range of the camera a sharp whistle stopped it, and then a pull on the string recorded 

 the scene. A number of such pictures appeared in the National Geographic Magazine for 

 July, 1906. The figure of a deer may be discerned in the background. 



familiar with it are fast departing or have 

 never understood the unusual character 

 of this migration when compared with 

 the habits of the white-tail in its other 

 widely separated ranges. 



Early in May, as soon as the depth of 

 the snow permitted travel, thousands of 

 does worked their way north, traveling- 

 alone into a broad belt along the south 

 shore of Lake Superior, where a few 

 weeks later the fawns were born. The 

 bucks came more leisurely, but by early 

 June the migration was over. 



On the coming of the first heavy north 

 winds, accompanied by a light frost, 

 sometimes as early as August 15, the 

 does, fawns, and yearlings started south, 

 and by September thousands were on 

 their way, regardless of the fact that no 

 snow would fall for six weeks and none 

 deep enough to interfere with the food 

 supply or freedom of movement for more 

 than three months later. 



In October most of the bucks had gone, 

 and I well remember my old guide, Jake 

 Brown, who for many years wintered in 

 the vicinity of my camp, telling me, on 

 more than one occasion, that if he 

 ''didn't get his venison under the snow by 

 Thanksgiving Day" he "would not have 

 a chance again before the middle of 

 May." 



In a few instances it was known that 

 deer yarded, trying to winter near the 

 lake ; but they were promptly killed, 

 either by the wolves or the Indians. 



SNOW MAY 



HAVE CAUSED ORIGINAL 

 MIGRATION 



Doubtless the great depth of snow in 

 this region was the original cause of their 

 fall migration, until it had finally become 

 so fixed by inheritance that long before 

 there was any apparent necessity the re- 

 tirement took place. In twos and threes 

 they traveled southerly on many trails 



