The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-25
THOUSANDS OF CARIBOU.
NEWFOUSDLIND IISHERMEN LIVE
ON IHE MEAI ~ WINTER

1t Is Far Cheaper Than beef aud Thousands
subsist ON II in Winter-Deer Easily shot
aud Almost without Limit-The Range
rs Large as the Island OF Ireland.
ST.. JoHN's n f., Dee. 10 &C., Newfoundland is
probably the only country In the world whcro
yenison, aalcd or fresh IL staple article OF food
for the masses huring the winter months. When
one recalls the rhapsodies Of pocts and novcists
Of the oldcn times over the "haunch Of vcnison,"
and the pleasures of the chase the matter of fact
manner In which the island hunter goes about the
work Of procuring winters supply OF deer
meat seems prosaic in the extreme. Al this writ
Ing hundreds Of poor settlers" are travcrsing tho
uplands Of the interior stalking the caribou and
sailing down and barrclIng away the flesh for
the support 81 themselves and their families.
All through the great northern bays this provision
IL being stored for thc coming Ave months, when
II shares with the all.prcvniIing goldfish the duty
Of keeping alive the fishcrfuikwho cut of from
the outer world by the impcnctrable ice barrier
which covers the North Atlantic
Newfoundland IL the home Of the caribou,
and in countless herds they roam through It's
Interior Foreign sportsmcn arc every year
visiting us In greater numbers. and our fame as
a hunting ground grows in the United States
and England These sportsmcn. and Iatteriy
women, too, kill their three to eight deer each.
but their bags do not npprccinhiy diminish tho
size Of the herds And what they Kill il only q
1.-THE n the number destroyed by the settlers.
Although this killing has continued for years.
the best authorities say the caribou are to-day
as numerous as ever, for the area over which they
range undisturbed IL AZ large as Ireland they be-
Ing only got from the rivers OF along the rail-
wsy line. which cuts through the heart 81 tho
country, but has no spur roads TO quarter up the
territory. Therefore the deer are practically
safe from moicstation when they are few miles
t..I T.. A. 4
hush themselves and shoot down the graceNl
creatures they cross the line their annual
migration southwark TO the forests In which they
find shelter to pass the winter.
When the island fishermen return from Lab
rador in the fall where they had been engaged all
summer In their quest for cod, they organize shoot
Ing parties to 60 up country and get supply
Of deer meat. They are methodcal In the extreme,
every proceeding displaying q business like
grasp Of the situation. In their bats they make
their way up the great rivers which give access
to the Interior, and at suitable points they
camp On board tho boats barrels filed with
salt, and large bundles Of slaves to be made into
other barrels required. likely dcertrack
Is chosen, and the men post themselves at inter-
vnls along IT, and when herd OF caribou pass =
wedirected vollcy lays most Of the animals dead.
With tho experiences alone possible 10 men who
have to practise every trade they soon skin and
cut up the deer the barrels Of salt are empted Of
their contents and tho meat Is packed therein.
and tho slaughter grows the other barrels
nIe prepared until the supply Of salt is exhausted.
Then they rel lad thor boats and return home,
taking a carcass OF two for immediate use, which
Is generally distributed among friends.
Other parties who cannot reach the deer "bar:
Iens by boat g. by train paying iisisht inward
meat they may get Thcsc hunters are dropped
Oft at any place along the line they may desire.
and they 60 10 work in much the same fashion
n their lplRhlzYS a
ally aliens, ind II an unialling course Of enjoy:
men, to %e at from the car Il, windows Ne se..
seen as they pass and often they are shot down
within fun sight o. the train, while the SHINING
side and the marshes are dotted with the carCasses
skins and antIcrs ui the deer the piles Of barrels
and slaves, the gramine hiliocks Of salt and tho
groups Of moving men, actively at work the whole
forming most interesting and novel picture
eighty carcAsscs Of deer being brought out by
The uaiaS from the uplands for conveyance To
the remoter coast settlements by schooner OF aibo
the remotcr coast settlements by schooner or
mail boat Magnificent heads and anucrs arc
ad"rn som- fshcrman's cottage or TO be sold
. Tand"rins trader ncf' season Tor song:
SPLENDID hides are SGws: SuH Gti into ho tho
where they make excellent floor sprc ads and
arc often used by The poorer classes 10 sleep on
5000 caribou are Killed in the island every fall
hy the fishermen. and vcnison is as common TO
them during the winter as it y dclicacy 10 the
Ensland.
south and from mid-Dcccmb'r until February
they are only 10 b. found IN the thick forests back
from hr south coast Into mc.e regions the
Years, when the ground is irozrn sufficiently
u admit Of their crossing the boys ard marshes
without damage. and here they Organize great
haiturs Of the deer which are shot down literally
by the hundred. Tha, This Is no cNagEcration
mail steamer Grand | ak brought 10 81 Johns
IN two uI~ All and $40 carcasScs Of caribou killed
on dog tnms and thence SHIPPED Ia this port
y b" sold in the orcn market for what they will
up on The wharf are iaNoTitc subject for tho
Kodak hcnd, and as they are taken To- tho premises
81 The several conSign"rS they arc unrcrcmo.
which encumbcr tho streets at that season. Here
thy remain until sold, bring cut M with SAWS
thoroughly iTo1"n are they. and /, Is not un-
common a. src the cGrcASScs stood on end in tho
snow In rows OF ten OF twenty like many nun.
Gated lamp posts ~ n sort oi advrrusy mont OF
Vcnison is So plentiful in ST Johns during
hS MINT; h Una, II 81. n fI ,6 ,c ana Sr cents
scqucnuy II Is in great demand among the poorer
classes who purrnas" II cN',nsiv'ly. on the
approach Of the close season. when u IL unlawful
10 have II in ones possession for sale, the char.
i,ablr societies purchase the unS"ld stocks az
about one cent pound and distribute the meat
among the dcstitut" who glad Of this sue
cucnt meat I" IKE gu. th,T scanty farr. In the
south coast Settlements II is In such abundance
that il is fed H. thu dogs and last winter enter
prising rndrr bought up 200 ,arcass"s which
were urlsOld al thn arrival ui III" close 81 aSun ana
took them IN n sChuoncr 10 81 / RE, where he
made n ready Salr "' them 10 the French fishing
vessels 10 b. used bait for rrriwinklc uars
In the cod fishery on the Grand lianks.
II Is only fair /" say that this eliminating out
rage upon the Iordy monarch 81 III" forest was
punished by the p"rPctrator bring fined $40 u
bring an offence To- export der meat from to
colony. lut so long Hs The regulation is not
offended AGAINST u II rUNSihl" 60 do almost any.
thing without fear II UUtruon 81 puUiShW"UL
In theory mn R''n hunter may not kill more Than
three deer, II hiI lir"nsc ~ only fut MONTH nNs
II II is Tor six weeks and eight II It j. for two
months. hut in Wild uuiuhablt d country,
wIth no person near hut III" gu!d" he would need
greater s,lf control than tlo ordinary man has
u let the chance pass - hrngluE down u sag
whose an,lcrrd crown appealed In ono as nm ut
NACuvr ornament Tor ones home Thu, II hap
pens that while wHutuu slaughter may not IN
INDUCED in. thu generality "i Visitors III stag
or two more than their hni Il tho heads arc
striking ones and when strliIug camp the best
in the batch are srirCtd for htinriug away. the
least desirable ones hrtuE discarded lac guides
who accompany these men TIL many an anccdoto
II miraculous II the Law which would make u0ubo
for their rriufipals II they came 81 the knowledge
of the colonial authpriN'S