Recent hunting trips in British North America

Front matter

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Chapter I. A Moose Hunt In The Forests Of Central Canada

Long-standing ambition to hunt moose — Wish at last gratified — Start from Mattawa — George Crawford and his boy Joe — Number of Sportsmen — Vastness of the country — Enough moose for all — Reach Lake Kippewa — Voyage across the lake — Camp near old landing stage — Portage to Lake Bois Franc — Paddle to old lumber camp — Unsuccessful attempt to call a moose — Find good moose ground — Hear a moose cow bellow — Bull moose seen and shot — Its size and weight— Ruffed grouse drumming — A week's unsuccessful hunting — A family party of moose — A grand sight — Big bull shot — Visit Snake Lake — White-tailed deer hunting — Young stag shot — Return to Montreal.

CHAPTEE II.

• AFTER WOODLAND CAEIBOU IN NEWFOUNDLAND.

Reach Newfoundland — Journey from Port-aux- Basques to Howley Station — Unfavourable imjjressions — Migration of caribou — Watching a " lead " — Enemies of the caribou — Six thousand killed in one year — Enormous numbers still in existence — Curious experience with peregrine falcon — A day on a "lead" — Disgusted with that form of sport — Hunting in the bogs — Special adaptation of the hoofs of the caribou to its mode of life — Visitors to camp — Old time weapons — Fine head shot by Saunders — Caribou swimming — Caribou shot for the larder — The " Accommodation Train " — Start for Terra Nova — Voyage up the Lake — Caribou stag shot — " Packing in " to Lake St. John — Scarcity of caribou — Shortness of provisions — Heavy rain storm — Long day's trudge — Delicious berries — Willow grouse — Return to main camp — Arrangements for hunt the following year — Start for home.

Chapter III

BEYOND ST. JOHN'S LAKE. A WELL STOCKED HUNTING GROUND.

Land at St. John's — Icebergs — Start for Terra Nova — Equipment — Leave the railway line — High

CONTENTS. 21

hopes of success — Eeacli the South-west River — First caribou seen — Stag wounded, but lost — Black flies — Slow progress — Unnamed waterfall on the Terra Nova River — Reach Lake Molly go jack — Caribou stag shot— The cry of the loon— St. John's Lake— Old Indian look-out tree — An undisturbed hunting ground — Another caribou shot — A wonderful piece of luck — Fourth caribou shot — The fifth and last — Habits of caribou — Advice to sportsmen — Caribou easily approached when the wind is right — Good rifles for caribou — Return journey down the Terra Nova River — An enjoyable trip — The charms of a wild comitry — Danger of encroachment by civilization — Tribute to Robert Saimders and John Wells.

Chapter IV. Hunting On The North Fork Of The Macmillan River, Yukon Territory

"Klondyke " — Dangers and difficulties of tlie early days —Dawson City to-day — Only three weeks' journey from England — Beauty of the Pacific coast — The Wliite Pass — Objects of my journey to the Yukon — Mr. J. B. Tyrrell — His fascinating book " Across the Sub- Arctics of Canada" — The Bonanza creek — Future prospects of the Klondyke Gold Fields — A journey to the Ogilvie Mountains — Caribou stag shot — Start for the Macmillan — A large party —Reach Selkirk — Fort Selkirk established long ago — Destroyed by Indians

— Appearance of Indians seen at Selkirk — Enter the Pelly River — Slight accident — Passage of the Canyon — Enter the Macmillan River — Few tracks of game seen — Scarcity of birds — Leave the "Emma Nott " — Make a start with om* canoes — Strong stream — Meet Mr. Armstrong — Mr. Sheldon and I proceed alone up the North Fork — Some account of the beaver — Louis Cardinal's story — Moose cow shot — Tameness of the calf — Photographed by Mr. Sheldon — Moose meat hung up, but finally eaten by bears.

CHAPTEE V.

HOW WE FARED IN THE YUKON MOUNTAINS.

Water bitterly cold — Remarkable beaver dam — Bull moose near camp at night — The trappers Barr and Crosby — Hardships of a trapper's Kfe — Barr's adventure with a moose — Bear seen — Reach the foot of mountain range — Numbers of moose in the Yukon country — Carrying a pack — Start in a snow storm — Bull moose shot — Wild sheep seen — Affinities of the various races of the American wild sheep — Two caribou bulls shot — A noble picture — Size and weight of caribou — Bad weather — An Aiirora Borealis — A soul stirring display — Mr. Sheldon's curious experience with a moose cow — Second moose bull shot — An inconvenient snow storm — A heavy task — Floundering through a willow swamp in the dark.

CONTENTS. 23

CHAPTEK YI.

THE LUCK OF A HUNTER. A BIG MOOSE.

Tracks of wolverine and grizzly bear seen— A very old bull moose killed — Two more moose seen —Another bull killed — A magnificent specimen — An awfiil walk home in the dark — A band of wild sheep approach our camp — Variation of colour in wild sheep — Louis carries the big moose head to camp— I sleep alone near the dead moose — A quiet and comfortable night — White sheei? shot — Rivers freezing up — Obliged to stop hunting — Moose bull seen from camp — A timely thaw — The poetry of travel — Mr. Sheldon calls up a bull moose — Its noiseless approach — A misfire — A bitter disappointment heroically borne — Moose calling — Meet Messrs. Barr and Crosb}" — Large herds of caribou — Tameness of beavers — Their alarm signal— Overtake Messrs. Osgood and Rmigius — Hunting on Plateau Mountain — Return to the river — Meet a French Canadian trapper — His history — River full of ice floes — Pass safely through the Pelly River Canyon — Reach Selkirk — Bear seen — Lynx shot by Mr. Sheldon — Famishing birds— The Yukon territory a most fascinating country.

CHAPTEE VII.

A JOUENEY TO KING GEOEGE'S LAKE, NEWFOUNDLAND.

King George's Lake — Discovered and named by Cormack — Subsequently only visited by Mr. Howley — AiTival at Millertown— Kindness of Mr. Beeton — Joseph Geange and Samuel Smart — Lloyd's Eiver — First caribou shot — Hungry hunters — Slow progress— Tameness of caribou — Bad weather — Caribou near King George's Lake — Stag shot — Continuous rain — Soaked condition of the country — Travelling over the bogs — Visit an unnamed lake — Numbers of caribou — Eeturn to main camp on the river — Another stag shot — Caribou on migration — Hmiting spoilt by continuous rain — Start down stream — Sailing down Lloyd's Lake — Caribou swimming — Wonderful buoyancy — Hunting near Mount Eamsay — Niunbers of caribou on migration — Eetm-n to river — Eeach Eed Indian Lake — Ai-rive at MiUertown — More bad weather — End of the trip.

CHAPTER VIII.

HUNTING ON THE SOUTH FOEK OF THE MACMILLAN EIVEE.

Start once more for the Yukon — Arrive at Skagway — Start from Whitehorse — A long canoe journey — Charles Coghlan and Ehoderick Thomas — Lake

CONTENTS. 25

Lebarge-Eeach Selkirk— Birds along the river- Indians of the Yukon-Start up the Pelly River- Game killed by Indians, trappers, prospectors, and meat-hunters -Destruction of a large band of caribou _ A moose cow shot for f ood-The GuU Rocks— Poling and towing the canoe— A walk along the river's bank _A luxuriant undergrowth— Tracks of bears- Diminution of beavers— The PeUy Canyon— A solitary prospector— A lynx bagged-The cabin under Plateau Mountain— Two English trappers— Atrapper'swork—

Usefuhiess of dogs-Mr. and Mrs. Hosfall— A remarkable woman— A terrible adventure— RusseU Creek- Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong— Number of moose in winter— A giant bull— Reach the forks of the Macmillan— Start up the South Fork- Bear tracks— The salmon of the Yukon— Our base camp— Start for the mountains— A doe caribou shot for food— Our mountain camp— A herd of caribou— They come within a few yards of me— A big stag— He gets my wind— My second shot HUs him— A caribou calf is inquisitive.

CHAPTER IX.

SPORT WITH BIG GAME IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MACMILLAN.

Ravens, the scavengers of the Yukon— Caribou shot during a snow storm— A long day with Thomas —Another fine stag shot— Types of caribou horns— A fine head— Black wolf shot— The wolves of Alaska

—The Eiddell Eiver— A bad sho1>-"Pack" up into the mountains again — Moose bull seen — Another wolf shot — Moose bull shot — Return to our old camp — A day's hunt — Many caribou seen — Four magnificent old stags — The two finest shot — Skin of the largest preserved whole — A flock of wild sheep — Variation in colour — Retm-n to the river — A striking picture — Wounded moose charges Coghlan — The moose of the Yukon — Great size of body and antlers — Journey down stream to the Yukon — Eeach Whitehorse — End of trip.

CHAPTER X.

HINTS ON EQUIPMENT.

Rifles — -303— -375 — -256 Mannlicher— Cartridges — Expanding bullet — Dum-dum— Hoav to make the dum-dum — Deadly character of the dum-dum — Camp equipment — Tent versus lean-to — Advantages of the lean-to — Blankets — Wolf and lynx "robes" — Reindeer-skin sleeping bag — Cooking utensils — What I take with me — Waterproof canvas bags — The advantage of the rucksack — Clothing — The cardigan jacket — Eootgear — Moccasins — India-rubber soles — German socks and gum boots — Provisions — Bovril pea-soup — A fishing-rod useful — Preservation of skins — Danger of allowing a head to freeze before skinning — Skins to be thoroughly dried — And not allowed to freeze — The care of the rifle — Boiling water — Vaseline — Misfires in frosty weather.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FACING PAGE

Caribou swimming across a lake. Photograph by S. H. Parsons Frontispiece

On Lake Bois Franc. George Crawford in a

birch-bark canoe .... 35

Head of moose shot Oct. 1, 1900 ... 46

George Crawford and the head of the moose

shot Oct. 9 49

The canoe launched on Lake Kippewa . . 53

Pine caribou head shot near my camp,

A " pond " in the interior of Newfoundland 64

The author's camp near Howley. Photograph by S. H. Parsons ... 69

Caribou swimming across a lake in Newfoundland. Photograph by S. H. Parsons ...... 76

On the Terra Nova Eiver .... 80

RECENT HUNTING TRIPS.

" Packing " through the bogs of Newfound land ......

The nameless waterfall on the Terra Nova River . . ....

A wonderful head ....

Caribou on migration. Photograph by S. H Parsons .....

Caribou swimming. Photograph by J. H Beveridge .....

Young caribou stas shot on the shore of Lake Molly go jack

My second best caribou head

My best caribou .....

After the hunt on St. John's Pond

Dawson City, Yukon Territory

Caribou killed in the Ogilvie Momitains

Photograph by W. Osgood Caribou carcases being brought into Dawson

City

The Macmillan River ....

Near Russell Creek. Ideal moose country Photograph by Carl Rungius

Moose calf. Photograph by Charles Sheldon

Large beaver dam near the North Fork of

the Macmillan River . . . .

Beaver dam in a backwater of the Macmillan

FACING PAGE

112 117 124 129 144

165 166

171 172

ILLUSTRATIONS. 29

FACIN'G

PAGE

Large beaver house. Photograph by Charles

Sheldon 176

The author and the moose shot on Sept. 8,

View from the ridge behind our camp.

View from the top of the mountain near our

Moose cow and calf. Photograph by Charles

Sheldon 197

In the moimtains, Sept. 17, 1904 . . . 204

The great moose shot on Sept, 18, 1904 . 213

The great moose shot on Sept. 18, 1904 . 220

Wild sheep near our camp, Sept., 1904.

Dromedary Mountain, from the Macmillan

Eiver 227

The author " tracking " up the North Fork.

Photograph by C. Sheldon . . .229

Poplar trees cut down by beavers on the Macmillan River. Photograph by W. Osgood 236

Wolverine shot and photographed on the

carcase of a caribou by Carl Rmigius . 238

FACINC PAGE

Caribou stag shot and photogi'aphed by Carl

Rungius on Plateau Mountain . . 241

Ice in the PeUy River, Oct., 1904 . . .243

Grizzly bear shot and photographed by Carl

Rungius in the Russell Mountains . 244

The Exploits River from near Lloyd's Lake . 253

Beaver work on the Macniillan River. Photograph by W. Osgood .... 254

Geange and Smart at the camp on the

Exploits River 256

An unnamed lake to the east of King George

the Fourth's Lake . . . .261

Good caribou ground east of King George

the Fourth's Lake .... 268

Lake to the North-west of the South-west

end of Lloyd's Lake . . . .273

On the way down the Exploits River . . 288

Wounded caribou breaking through the ice

on a small lake ..... 292

Salmon drying at SelHi'k. Photograph by

Lansing Creek Indians, North Fork, Stewart

River. Photograph by D. 0. Cameron 304

Cottonwood tree (18 inches in diameter) cut

down by beavers .... 309

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Trapper's cabin on the Macmillan below Plateau Mountain. Photograph by W. Osgood ....

In camp, Plateau Mountain .

Head of caribou shot August 29th, 1906

Head of caribou shot on Sept. 1, 1906 .

Caribou shot on Sept. 2, 1906

Caribou shot on Sept. 2, 1906

On the way down the Macmillan Eiver .

Moose shot in the mountains Sept. 7, 1906

Head of moose shot on Sept. 15, 1906 .

Head of caribou shot on Sept. 12, 1906 This specimen is now in the Natural History Museum, London .

PACING PAGE

A MOOSE HUNT IN THE FORESTS OF CENTRAL CANADA.

ON LAKE BOIS FRANC.

GEORGE CRAWFORD IN A BIRCH-BARK CANOE.

Chapter I. A Moose Hunt In The Foeests Of Centeal Canada

It had always been one of my ambitions to visit some district of the great North American Continent where moose were still to be found, and to hunt this giant deer in its native haunts.

For many a long year, however, Fate decreed that my life was to be passed in a part of the world far removed from the great northland, and gradually the hope of ever seeing one of these quaint ungainly old-time looking beasts grew somewhat faint, though it never entirely left me.

However " tout vient a qui sail attendre,^^ or rather, if I may paraphrase that familiar French saying, " He who really wants a thing will sooner or later get an opportunity to go after it," and so in the autumn of 1900 the chance came to me to make a hunt after moose.

Having made some preliminary arrangements by letter, I arrived at Mattawa, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, on the evening of September 24th, bringing with me a single-shot '303 bore rifle, a few cartridges loaded with Dum-dum bullets, and a kit bag containing blankets and spare clothing. At Mattawa I x^urchased a supply of provisions at the Hudson's Bay Company's store and hired for the trip a few cooking utensils, two small tents and two birch-bark canoes.

AVith the kind assistance of Mr. Colin G. Rankin and Mr. E. O. Taylor, the sujoerintendent and manager of the Company's business at Mattawa, I got everj^thing packed the day after my arrival, and on the morning of September 27th took the train to Lake Kippewa, accompanied by a half-breed guide named George Crawford, and his l^oy Joe, I foimd George Crawford a keen and experienced

AT MATTAWA. 37

hunter, and a most excellent fellow in every way, and his nephew Joe, who was almost a full-blooded Indian, a very good tempered willing servant, and a wonderful joacker, for, although only fourteen years of age, he thought nothing of carrying a load of eighty pounds.

I must confess that during my two days' stay at Mattawa I was somewhat taken aback by the number of hunting parties constantly arriving there from various parts of the United States and Canada, all intent on securing that much-coveted trophy, a fine moose head. However, I reflected that the country in which all these eager sportsmen, I among them, were about to hunt, was very vast, and covered entirely, except for its rivers and lakes, with forests of a densit}^ which must be seen to be tmderstood, and concluded that there were probably enough bull moose in these primeval solitudes for all of us, if we could only find them.

A three hours' journey by rail brought us to the south-western shore of Lake Kippe\\'a, where we embarked on a fine steamer— the

" Hurdmau " — which is employed in carrying stores to the varions lumber camps on the lake shore, and which bore iis forthwith across Lake Kippewa, and then through Hunter's Lake to an old abandoned landing stage, distant about a mile and a half from Lake Bois Franc.

The passage through the various sheets of water known collectively as Lake Kippewa, all of which are studded with innumerable islands, amongst which the steamer threads its way often through very narrow channels, would have been a most interesting experience had the weather been bright and fine, with the sun shining on the forests with which every island on the lake, and every portion of the mainland that was visible, is covered. Forests in which the dark-foliaged sx3ruce and balsam are intermingled with the maple, and birch, whose leaves were now all glorious with the rich and varied tints which mark the advent of the Indian summer. But the sky was dull and threatening, and entirely obscured with raincharged clouds, which hung low over land and

A MODERN HERCULES. 39

water, whilst a cold wind blew from the north which was far from comfortable.

We pitched our tents that night near the old landing stage, and the next morning, which was bright and fine after the sun had dispersed the mists, carried all our belongings over a rough trail through the forest to the nearest point on Lake Bois Franc. It took us three journeys to get everything across. On one of these, George Crawford excited my admiration by carrying a bag of flour (100 lbs.) on his back, and the heaviest of the canoes, weighing probably another eighty pounds, balanced on his head. With this load he walked the mile and a half of the portage without stopping to rest.

I found the Lidian way of carrying a pack, the weight of which, though it rests on one's back, is supported to a considerable extent by a broad leather strap passed across the forehead, a most excellent one, and the easiest method of carrying a heavy load, though liable at first, and especially when walking on uneven ground, to strain severely the muscles of the neck.

40 REGENT HUNTING TRIJ^S.

After having repacked the canoes, ^ve embarked on Lake Bois Franc, and paddled about three miles to an old lumber camp, where we established our headquarters. In the afternoon Ave paddled to the other end of the lake, some distance up a beautiful little creek, on the sandy bottom of which we saw a few moose tracks not verj^ old. We passed several great northern divers on the lake, and noticed a good many grebes, somewhat larger than our English dabchick. We remained in the creek until the evening, and then George gave some calls on his birch bark trumpet, in imitation of the bellow of the moose cow. These calls, though repeated at intervals until it became dark, were, however, unheard, or at any rate met with no response from a bull.

During the night it again came on to rain, and continued to do so until after noon the next day. As soon as it cleared up a bit, George and I paddled across the lake, and threaded our way through the dripping woods to a small lagoon about two miles distant. Here we saw a good many moose tracks, some

CALLING FOR MOOSE. 41

of them evidently those of large bulls, so we determined to fetch one of our small tents as quickly as jDOssible, and then hunt the surrounding country.

Accordingly, on September 30th, we carried a tent and the smaller of our two canoes, together with blankets and a few days' provisions, to this promising-looking hunting ground. Li the evening, George again called for moose until long after dark, but there was no repl}^ and but for the occasional hooting of an owl, the great forests by which we were surrounded were absolutel}' voiceless.

The next day was the first of October, the opening day of the hunting season in the county of Pontiac, Province of Quebec, and in the early morning George and I set out to look for moose, following an old lumberer's trail which after a mile or so brought us to a small swamp}^ lagoon. Here George gave a call on his birch bark trumpet, and shortly afterwards, an animal which I of course thought was a bull moose, bellowed loudly not far away in the forest behind ns. George, however, prouoiinced it to be a cow and not a bull moose.

Thinking that there might be a bull in company with her, Ave at once coixanenced to make our way in her direction, skirting along the lagoon just within the shelter of the forest, Avhich grew to the very edge of the w^ater. Before Ave had gone very far George Avho Avas in front, stopped suddenly, saying that he had heard something in the forest behind us like the noise of a bull's horns brushing through the spruce trees. This sound had been quite inaudiljle to me, as African malarial fever, or the large quantity of quinine I have taken to counteract that malady, has somcAA'^hat dulled my sense of hearing ; but I soon heard a distinct rustling in the bushes, and then the sound as of some large animal Avalking in shalloAv Avater.

" It's a bull," AA^hispered George ; " he's coming towards us along the edge of the lake."

There Avas apparently no Avind at all, but Ave were afraid that the keen-scented animal might smell our tracks, so Ave started to meet it,

A BULL MOOSE. 4a

threading onr way cautiously hut quickly through the forest.

As we advanced the noise made by so large an animal walking in the w^ater became more and more distinct, so I presently stepped out beyond the edge of the timber along the trunk of a fallen tree, to see if I could get a view of it. I at once caught sight of a bull moose — the first I had ever seen — coming slowly tow^ards me, and walking knee-deep in the w^ater of the lake just outside the forest. It looked immense, and its horns showed up well, and appeared much larger than they really proved to be w^hen actually measured. When I first saw it this buU moose was not more than two hundred yards away, but as it seemed to be coming much nearer along the edge of the lagoon, I thought it better not to fire at once. However, after it had come a little nearer in full view, it suddenly left the water, and turned into the forest, after first passing through some bushes growing in the lake, alcove which only its head and horns were visible.

We now again advanced cautiously through the forest to intercept onr quarry, and heard it give two or three low grimts. Then its dark form came dimly into sight amongst the trees which grew very close together. It was not more than fifty yards off, bnt the stems of the trees hid it to snch an extent, that, moving as it was, I shonld prol)ably have missed it and hit a tree had I fired hurriedly.

As George and I had halted suddenly on the instant when the moose first became visible to us, we were not hidden from it behind the stems of trees, but we stood perfectly still, and the doomed animal never turned its head towards us nor seemed in the least suspicious of danger, but came steadily forward. It had none of that appearance of alertness or timidity usually noticeable in wild animals in countries where the}' are much hunted by man or constantly preyed upon hj carnivorous beasts.

The bidl had now changed its course, and was advancing in a line that, had it kept, would have brought it past us ahnost broadside on at a distance of not more than thirty yards. I was afraid, however, to wait any longer, lest an

A SPREAD OF FORTY-NINE INCHES. 45

eddy of wind should Ijetray our proximity, and as soon as I could get a clear view of the front part of its body through the trees I fired. Just at that moment it was in a dip of the ground, so that its legs and part of its body were hidden from view, and my l^ullet struck it rather high behind the shoulder, but this shot would certainly have proved fatal, as it pierced both lungs below the backbone. Immediately I had iired, I ran in, pushing another cartridge into the breach of my single-shot rifle as I did so.

The ground here rose rather steeply from the lake, and the wounded moose went straight up hill, but after going some twenty yards, stopped and, turning broadside, looked back, giving me a splendid second chance, of which I was not slow to take advantage. At this second shot, which pierced its heart, the giant deer gave a spasmodic plunge forward, and then rolled over dead.

I was mightily pleased to have at last shot a fairly good specimen of a bull moose. George pronounced it to be live years old. Its horns had a spread of forty-nine inches, and carried eighteen points, and it stood six feet one inch in perpendicular height at the withers. After taking the whole of its inside out, I skinned and quartered the carcase, and then A^eighed the sections with my small Austrian scale. The result was as follows : —

Head with skin of neck attached 48 kilos Rest of hide . . . . 30 ,, One forequarter with greater

part of neck .... 100 ,, The other forequarter . . 90 ,, One hindquarter . . . 66 ,, The other hindquarter . . 60 ,,

Total . 394 kilos

Taking the kilo at two pounds thi'ee ounces this would he equal to eight hundred and sixty-two pounds clean, which is the weight that George pronounced to be that of a fair-sized moose bull of about five years old. It was, however, in very low condition and would certainly have weighed over nine hundred pounds clean, had it been shot a month earlier, and as the paunch, intestines, liver, heart and lungs weigh al)Out one-fourth

HEAD OF MOOSE SHOT OCT. 1, 1900. Note the shape of the nose and the smallness of the eye.

BACK TO CAMP. 47

of the total weight of an animal, its live weight at that time would have been at least one thousand two hundred pounds. An exceptionally large and fat bull moose would of course weigh a good deal more.

We soon had some meat frying in the pan, and though it was naturally neither tender nor juicy, I was glad to eat any kind of meat after having tasted nothing but bacon since leaving Mattawa.

As it w^as still early in the morning when the moose was shot, we were able to get back to our main camp on Lake Bois Franc with the head and a load of meat the same evening. It took me almost the whole of the followingday to skin and clean my lirst moose head, but in the evening George paddled me across the lake into a very nice looking creek, where he called for moose but failed to get an answer.

Whilst paddling up the creek we caught sight of a white-tailed deer standing amongst some reeds. At our approach it gave one bound and disappeared in the forest which here grew close down to the water's edge. As it jumped it threw up its broad fluft'y tail, exposing the snow-white hair of the undersnrface, and looking for all the world like an African reedbuck.

On October 3rd we returned to the little lake where I had shot the moose two days previously. On our way there I heard a ruffed grouse drumming, and creeping close up to it, watched it displaying itself on a fallen tree. Ultimately I cut its head off with a '303 bullet, as I thought it would make a welcome addition to my larder. It was a very handsome cock bird with a fine ruff of black feathers round the neck.

I thought it ver}^ curious that a ruffed grouse should be drumming at this time of the j^ear, as I had imagined that, as in the case of European game birds, such manifestations were only indulged in during the breeding season, but George told me that ruffed grouse may often be heard druinming in the autumn during fine weather. In the evening we again called for moose, but got no answer and saw nothing. During the night it rained a little, and the weather l^ecame quite warm and muggy.

GEORGE CRAWFORD AND THE HEAD OF THE MOOSE SHOT OCT. 9.

A GREAT BULL MOOSE. 49

For another week we hunted daily and travelled many a weary mile through the sombre forests to the south of Lake Bois Franc. We happened on many beautiful little lakes and swampy lagoons, in one of which was a small beaver house evidently inhabited, as it had been recently built. Although during this time we came across three moose cows with calves and a young bull with a small head, no broad-antlered monarch of the northern forests ever crossed our path until on the morning of October 9th.