The morning call., 1893-10-22
BIG GAME IN THE NORTH.
Wood Buffalo Nearly Exterminated.
Many Musk Oxen i'm Canada.
New York Su


Mr.. Ogilvie, the Canadian explorer, has re-
Gently been travelling in the baunts OF the wood
buffalo of Canada. This buffalo Is now found
IN small herds, tie last remnants of the enor-
nous numbers that once roamed over the cOun-
try north and west Of the Arbabasca River in
the Peace and Laird river basins. Half cen
tury ago il was no uncommon thing for few
Indians on the Peace River TO go out and In a
few Gays secure sufficient buffalo to supply
their people with meat for the win er. In many
years. however, no undue slaughter OF the
animals has occurred
Mr.. Ogilyie says that the cause OF their rapid
decrease In number Is that one winter about
twenty five years ago heavy fall OF rain &C.
Cured, which completely saturated the snow.
Then came cold spell, and The snow was con-
verted into an immense cake OF ice, and the
butfaloes were nearly exterminated. The scar.
city of The animals and the difficulty of getting
near them does moi deter white men from going
into the region TO hunt them. MIR. Ogvie says
he sees no reason for bunting the wood buffalo
except the sport 1t affords, as the pauciy OF
their numbers and the difficulty of getting the
skins OUT OF the country preclude all idea OF
profit.
plain buffalo and darker in color. The differ.
ence IN size may be accounted for by the differ
ence In the quality of food peculiar to each.
and the difference In color by the shelter from
the bleaching action OF the sun on the hair
afforded by the woods.
The musk OK Is also hunted In the country
DOftD OF tDat IN WHICH the WOOu ranges.
With the means Of travel now available it Is
little more ,haD pleasure trip to reach the
home in British America OF this Arctic animal.
1t roams over what is commonly known as the
Bdrren Lands, the treelesS plain lying east of
the fringe of woods along he Mackenzie River,
north of the Great Slave Lake. Mr.. Ogive
was told that musk oxen had recently been
found southeast of Lake Athabasca. They are
frequently found within forty or fifty miles of
the Mackenzie River north 10 the Al ctic Ocean.
white man recently entered their grazing
grounds simply to see the region they iniiabit
and secure few heads as trophies. He was
accompanied by large number of Indians,
who insisted on going with him to take CAFE of
bIm should he be attacked by Eskimos. In
stead of helping him they proved to be q nuis.
ance and had TO be provided with food. The
or ninety cariboo. Only few musk OK heads
were brought back.
The n0i.e which this trip made has induced
others TO think OF striking for this region In
quest of the animals for the sake Of their tins,
ana Ogilyie says 1t Is only question OF time
when these musk oxen will be hunted exten-
sively. He thinks the Government should i'm
pose close season to prevent their extermina.
tiOn. The Northwest Council, which governs
the nor bwest terri Ory OF Canada, has already
an ordinance in force prohibiting the killing OF
wood buffalo.
A British scientific society has recently Of
fered considerable sum OF money for one
musk or herd Of several oxen, TO be deliv-
cred alive at the Geological Gardens In London.
Ii anybody wants this money the probabilities
are that the musk OK will come from part of
are now found. as it will probably be far easier
10 secure the animals and take them TO the sea
from this region than from any part of the
arctic countries where they are found.