The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-04-13
THE CARIBOO.


HUNTED IN NEW BRUNSWICK.
The cariboo of North America is, to all
intents and purposes, identical with the
reindeer of Lapland and Greenland. The
most southern range of this animal is the
state of Maine, and the most northern. for
arght we know to the contrary, is the North
Poe. There are still good many of them
in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, but
each year we have to go further from home
to find them. In the northern part Of New
Brunswick, in Gaspi, in Labrador, and in
Newfoundland, they still roam almost I'M
disturbed by the hunter. They are not
much hunted by the settlers for two rea-
sons, viz, because the hide is of tritiing
value, and because few men know how to
hunt them. Would it were so also with
til, moose. But these huge animals can
not travel in deep snow, and at certain
periods Of the year fall easy victims to the
hunter on snow-shoes. Cariboo, on the
contrary, from their lesser weight and the
peculiar formation of the hoofs, which they
Can spread out or close at will, walk on the
top of the Snow, and can rarely, if ever, be
run down. 1t requires a good stalker, and
favorable conditions of wind and snow, to
approach within range. Unlike the moose,
they are sociable though wandering ami
mails, and 60 about in herds. Their favorite
resorts are spruce and juniper woods and
barren grounds. Thes feed on MOSES, of
pale green and brown color, which hang
in profusion, like tufts of hair, from the
stems and branches of the black spruce
and juniper trees; also on the lichen, which
grows on the mountainous and barren
ground. They dig for the latter with their
fure.f through the snow. Their PAGES
are walk, trot, and gallop. When travel
ing in either of the former ways, they move
in lille, so that it is impossible from the
tracks to judge the number of a herd
When frightened they gallop, clearing
twenty or thirty feet at a bound; but this
they cannot do in deep snow The does
have one or two calves in the month of
May. The rutting season is in October.
Although 4 shy and wary animal, the carl
boo is sometimes q very stupid one, and
seems so puzzled at the sound of shot
that he frequently gives the sportsman
more than one chance.
If one of the herd be dropped in his
tracks-the shooter being concealed from
view-the remainder get quite bewildered,
and sometimes the whole herd will fall to
his rifle. 1t is far otherwise if they wind
man; indeed, all the wild animals have
met with seem to imbibe fear through their
noses more than through any other organ.
The hoofs of the cariboo, which serve as
snow-shoes also, from their sharp edges,
enable them to walk over perfectly smooth
ice without falling. In fact, they are at
home amid snow and ice, and every at
moderate climates has hitherto failed.
The great event for the hunter is finding
fresh tracks. These the Indians follow up
and trace out with great skill, in favorable
circumstances never failing to get. within
shot. This is not as simple a matter as it
might appear to be, particularly when the
tracks are choked with fresh or drifted
snow. A herd, too, when feeding, is per-
petually on the move, and makes vast
amount Of tracks, backward and forwards,
round and round. They are obliged to do
so from the nature of their food, which
they obtain in small quantities here and
there. The pretties sport is when they are
found on the barrens-great plains dotted
over with spruce and juniper bushes.
They can then be seen long way off,
and the stalking is very exciting. Success
depends upon the state of the snow. A
thaw, succeeded by a sharp frost, forms
crust which the snow-shoe breaks through
with so much noise as to render stalking
The only remedy then is take
off the snow shoes and walk without them
in the animals tracks; but this cannot be
done in very deep snow. 1t is charming
sight for the sportsman to see large herd
of cariboo on the barrens, when he is hid
from them, and hts their wind. In this
chase, he can almost make sure ofapproach-
ing to within a hundred yards distance, or
much less if there is good cover.
Once Week.
DoNESTrc III ,ppISEsS The rraat and IF