FOREST AND STREAM 
527 
Wood Buffalo of Canada Are Increasing 
Latest Report Made by an Official Expedition Shows That the Herd is 
Growing, but Advancing Civilization Threatens It 
Gratification will be expressed over the fact 
that the wood buffalo of the Peace River country, 
Canada, are not only holding their own, but ow¬ 
ing to better protection are increasing in number. 
Francis Harper of the Canadian Geological 
Survey accompanied the Athabaska-Great Slave 
Lake Exposition, sent out by the Government, 
and Forest and Stream has received his report 
as follows: 
As field naturalist of an expedition sent by the 
Geological Survey to Great Slave lake, under the 
leadership of Charles Camsell, the writer spent 
the season of 1914, from May to October, in 
making biological investigations in the provinces 
of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and in the Mac¬ 
kenzie district. 
The territory covered during the season may 
be briefly indicated as follows: leaving Atha- 
baska Landing on May 19, the expedition pre- 
ceeded by means of one of the river scows down 
the Athabaska, and reached its mouth on June 
2. I spent the following week on the marshy 
delta of the Athabaska, and two more weeks at 
Fort Chipewyan, where final preparations were 
made for the canoe traverse to Great Slave lake. 
On June 24 the traverse party departed from Fort 
Chipewyan in tow of a steamer, and on the fol¬ 
lowing day arrived at Chariot river on the north 
s;de of Lake Athabaska. From this place we 
began portaging on June 29, and passed through 
a series of five small lakes, reached Tazin lake 
on July 6. Following the course of its outlet, 
the Tazin river, we arrived at Hill Island lake on 
July 14, and at the junction of the Tazin and 
Taltson rivers, on July 29. We proceeded down 
the Taltson river reaching Tsu lake on August 
6, the junction with Hanging Ice river on Aug¬ 
ust 10, and Great Slave lake on August 15. We 
followed the south shore of the lake, and came 
to Fort Resolution on August 21. Ten days 
(August 26 to September 4) were spent in pad¬ 
dling up the Slave river to Fort Smith. From 
this post, through the courtesy of A. J. Bell, the 
Government agent, and of Peter McCallum, the 
Government buffalo guardian, I was enabled to 
make a six-days horseback trip into the wood 
buffalo country on the south. From Smith 
Landing our party made the outward journey 
with as few stops and delays as possible, reach¬ 
ing Fort Chipewyan on September 16, Fort Mc- 
Murray on September 22, and Athabaska Landing 
on October 10. 
On the journey into the country of the Wood 
Buffalo (Bison bison athabasex) , I was accom¬ 
panied by Peter McCallum, who has been the 
buffalo guardian for several years. W^e rode for 
a distance of approximately 40 miles in a general 
southerly direction from Fort Smith, and during 
about the last 15 miles crossed a slightly elevated 
plateau, known as Salt mountain. This plateau 
is in the range of the buffaloes, and here were 
their signs in abundance—tracks, trails, wallows, 
dung, and a salt lick. Some of the trails, 
is a possible danger from human encroachment 
that cannot be overlooked; settlements and rail¬ 
ways are rapidly pushing into the Peace River 
valley. The setting aside of a buffalo range as 
a permanent reservation, as well as the main¬ 
tenance of a warden service, seems essential to 
the continued existence of this noble animal in a 
wild state. 
Whooping Crane. Grus americana. It is a 
pleasure to record several recent occurences of 
this magnificent and nearly extinct species. I 
saw photographs of two specimens which had been 
taken on the lower Athabaska river on about 
September 13, 1913 j a.nd in Edmonton I saw one 
of these two birds, which had been mounted. I al¬ 
so received quite reliable information concerning 
the presence of a single bird on April 20, 1914, and 
Reminder of the Southern, not the Northern Herd. 
especially those covering towards the salt lick, 
had been worn six inches into the ground, and 
were kept open by constantly passing feet. The 
lick itself is an irregular area, approximately 
100 yards long and 30 yards wide, and appeared 
to have been trampled over by scores of animals. 
Here, on September 11, we saw one of them. 
According to McCallum, the buffaloes are divi¬ 
ded into main herds or groups, and number at 
present about 500 individuals. During the winter 
the herd, whose territory we entered, ranges 
south to Peace river. The other herd is found 
northwest of Fort Smith in the region of the 
Little Buffalo river. 
In the last few years, since the appointment of 
a guardian, the buffaloes have probably been 
molested but little by the Indians. It is doubtful 
if many are killed by the wolves, and it seems 
that the herds have increased of late. But there 
of six birds, including young of this year, in the 
last week of August, 1914, in a certain locality 
near which we passed during the season. The 
birds were believed to have nested there. 
This brings information down to as late as 
last fall and there is no reason to assume that 
conditions have changed since then. 
SALT LICKS FOR YOSEMITE. 
In order that the many visitors at the Yose- 
mite this summer may have an opportunity to 
see some of the wild creatures which abound in 
the woods, quantities of crystal salt are being de¬ 
posited in many places convenient for deer and 
elk and within sight of roads and scenic spots 
frequented by tourists. 
Yosemite shelters very large numbers of harm¬ 
less wild animals, but few persons would even 
suspect their presence. 
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