New-York tribune., 1911-11-26
SEEMING FOR SALMON IN ALASKA

certain limits their course Of travel and
time Of arrival at given points are well
known.
Probably the best known of the large
herds Is the one which collects along the
watershed between the Yukon and Tanana
rivers This herd still regularly musters
from 1000 to 5000 or more animals,
although levied upon annually by hunters
from Forty Miles, Eagle. Circle and the
new mining towns of the Tanana River
Formerly the woodland caribou inhabited
Maine and other northern states, but In
recent years 1t has disappeared and may
never reoccupy its old territory The carl
bou OF Alaska. therefore, are the only ones
now TO be found in the territory Of the
United States.
Only one species Of mountain sheep hVes
in Alaska the white or pal sheep IL
differs decidedly from the we'll known ois-
horn or Rocky Mountain sheep. oeing
practically pure white in color. somewhat
smaller in size and having more slender
and rather more gracefully curved horns
Its former range included practically all
the mountains of the interior of Alaska
and at present it Is absent only from those
mountains which lie near permanent set
Elements.
Another game animal Of Alaska is the
white mountain goat. This animal Is the
most peculiar of American game animals,
and with the possible exception of the musk
OK its habits are the least known. Despite
its name It is not a goat, nor Is II an ante
lope, though having more in common with
antelopes than with the true goats. Al
present its nearest relatives are the curious
Asiatic serows and gorals and the well
known chamois, all Of which belong to a
group collectively termed goat antelopes
It lives almost entirely at high attitudes
| frequenting steep cliffs, rock walled can
yons and SUBMITS OF an even more forbid
ding nature than those traversed by noun
tain sheep To approach mountain goat
successfully is more a feat Of mountain
eering than OF crafty hunting This Is
partly because the goat keeps watch only
over the country below him, so 1t IL neces'
sary to get above-and to get above
white goat is in most cases to reach TN
| skyline.
| Although the greater part or Alaska IL
| without small deer, the southeastern coas
| region or 'pdnHaHule Is 6iSotiS law
| in this respect. Only one variety occurs
| however, the so-called Sitka deer; but TINS
one is very abundant. 1t is variety o'
! Columbia blacktail, but smaller. Like the
| blacktail. the mule deer, It is a bound
ing" deer and i'm flight plrsues zszas
/ course, allghting on all four feet at once
! after each leap Unlike the Whitehall. II
does not raise its tail or flag while run
ming. In size 1t is small Ordinary bucks
weigh less than one hundred pounds. Pre-
vious TO the enactment OF the Alaska gam
law deer were killed by hundreds, and ever
thousands, merely for their hides. whicf
netted the hunter few cents apiece.
Alaska is without a rival In respect to
number and variety Of bears. No fewer
than thirteen kinds live in the territory
These, however, belong 10 only four gen.
eral types. the brown bears, the grizzlies
the black bears and the polar bears.
The brown bears are the most numerous
and most important They are OF huge
size being much larger than the grlz'
zlies and all other bears except the polar
bear and their relatives Of KamchatKa
Therefore, the statement often MADE.