NORTHERN ALBERTA.
Game, Fur-bearing Animals and Fish.
The Land of the Wood Buffalo.—Where the Last Remnant of American
Bison Living in a Wild State Roam.—A Splendid Moose Country.—
The Home of Numerous Fur-bearing Animals.—The Prolific
Fisheries of Lake Athabaska and Other Waters.
As the northernmost portion of northern Alberta includes a considerable
part of the range of the herds of wood buffalo (_Bison athabascae_),
which are the sole remnant, living in a natural state, of the countless
millions of American bison which existed when the northwest was first
opened up, it is a country of especial interest to the naturalist and
sportsman. It seems to be agreed that the wood buffalo is exactly the
same species as the buffalo of the plains, being descended from herds or
individuals which drifted into the wooded country to the north for
pasturage or protection, and finding conditions congenial remained
there. Within the memory of living men the wood buffalo of northern
Alberta and beyond were immeasurably more numerous than they are to-day,
and they would probably have suffered extermination before this had the
Dominion government not stepped in and enacted laws to protect closely
the remaining herds.
The wood bison formerly ranged over immense areas north to Great Slave
lake and Liard river, but it is now restricted to a few small herds
inhabiting the region north of Peace river.
The bison was first recorded from this region by Samuel Hearne, the
first traveller to penetrate its unknown wilds. After crossing Great
Slave lake (his Athapapuskow lake) from the north, in January, 1772, he
entered the level country to the eastward of Slave river, and there
“found buffaloes very plentiful.” He travelled southward for some days
and then left Slave river and proceeded to the eastward, still finding
the animals abundant until he reached a point near the longitude of the
eastern end of Great Slave lake. (Preble.)
Hon. William Christie, ex-member of the Northwest Council, and late
Inspecting Factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, examined before the
Senate committee of 1888 stated that at that date the wood buffalo
roamed over the Athabaska country, chiefly in the woods; but in the
summer they came down to lick the salt at the salt springs in the valley
of Salt river, which flows into Great Slave lake. He understood that
these wood buffalo were in small bands of four or five. Mr. Christie
considered the wood buffalo to be identical with the plains buffalo.
Long ago the latter species was found as far north as Peace river in
great numbers, and the plains Indians, the Sarcees and others, were then
in Peace river country. There is a place called Battle river in Peace
river valley, where these plains Indians had a tremendous battle, and it
is called Battle river from that circumstance. The plains buffalo were
in that country then in thousands, just the same as they were in the
plains. As they got hunted by the Indians, they moved out, and the
Indians moved out of Peace river country also after this great battle
and went into the plains. The battle in question was fought perhaps one
hundred years previously. A number of the plains buffalo got into the
woods and bred and remained there and were still living in the woods
there.
THEY HAD GROWN LARGER
in some way, but they were just the same as the plains buffalo. Those
who had killed some of them said they had increased in size in the
woods, possibly from not being disturbed so much and not having to move
about as the plains buffalo had to do. The wood buffalo lived in the
woods, on the grasses that they found. The buffalo does not scrape; he
breaks the snow with his nose and eats that way. Unless the grass was
pretty long he could not get his living there in the winter. About four
or five hundred pounds would be the weight of a wood buffalo. A buffalo
cow in the plains, after being dressed, would weigh about three hundred
pounds; one of these wood buffalo would weigh about three hundred and
fifty to four hundred pounds dressed.
Mr. Christie, speaking of the possibility of using the wood buffalo for
hybridization purposes, explained that as far back as 1842, the Hudson’s
Bay Company had at Edmonton a herd of buffalo. They began by taking some
calves, and from these the herd increased until they had some thirty
altogether. These used to herd out with the other cattle and come in
with them. All at once the buffalo came near Edmonton and this herd went
off with the others. It was the impression then, from their mixing with
the other cattle, that they would not cross, because there were not any
signs of it.
Mr. H. J. Moberly, another Chief Factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company,
submitted a statement in writing to the Senate committee of 1887 in
which he stated that as to wood buffalo there was a band, probably about
two hundred, between the Saskatchewan and the Athabaska. They kept on
the mountains between Lac la Biche and McMurray, and another band,
probably about three hundred strong, was between Athabaska and Peace
rivers on Thickwood and Birch mountains. A third band, probably seven
hundred strong, was scattered through the mountains between Liard and
Peace rivers, and from Salt river to the foot of Rocky mountains.
A TALE OF SLAUGHTER.
Mr. William Ogilvie, in his report of 1888 wrote:—“The wood buffalo
which formerly roamed around all the upper waters, is now nearly a thing
of the past. A few still remain scattered over a wide district. Could
some means be devised to protect them for some years they would probably
soon multiply and become a source of food supply and revenue to the
natives. Mr. McDougall (of the Hudson’s Bay Company), who has for some
years past been gathering information concerning the number of these
animals and their locality, has kindly given me the following notes:—In
the winter of 1887-88, on the head waters of Hay river, which flows into
point:—“Rumours that the wolves were destroying the buffalo were
current everywhere. Some went so far as to say that these wolves were a
new and larger race come in from the barren grounds, to prey on them.
Such rumours were repeated at every point in much the same words,
without details. This aroused my suspicions.”
At Smith Landing, where the party arrived June 7, the Inspector met
Pierre Squirrel, chief of the Chipewyans, and arranged for a meeting of
the chiefs and hunters who knew the buffalo country near there. At the
meeting next day, Mr. Jarvis told them he had come to investigate the
buffalo question, and if necessary, to take steps for the destruction of
the wolves; that he must go in person to the buffalo country, and if
possible see the buffalo and the wolves. Countless objections were
raised to his plans. The whole country was under from one to five feet
of water, according to one statement. The party would not get a dry spot
to sleep on, according to another. They would be devoured by flies;
would die of rheumatic fever; it was impossible to find the buffalo;
they might be hundreds of miles off at that moment.
[Illustration: Royal Northwest Mounted Police Barracks at Smith
Landing.]
On the thirteenth, Inspector Jarvis left Smith Landing and after a long
day’s march in a west-southwest direction reached Salt river. None of
the swamps so much talked of proved very serious, and it was evident
that all were dry in late summer. At one point only was a true bog seen
and it extended for only half a mile. The following day, following the
course of Salt river downward, the first buffalo were sighted. Inspector
Jarvis writes in his report:—“The trails, wallows and chips of buffalo
became noticeable, but as they were old we gave them only passing note.
But when two perfectly fresh ones appeared, we dismounted to follow them
on foot. I took charge of the horses as the flies were very thick. Great
Slave lake, and west of Battle river, a tributary of the Peace, the
Indians saw three bands containing seventeen, ten, and four,
respectively; they killed five, but Mr. McDougall did not ascertain
whether or not these were in addition to the above numbers. The same
winter three bands were seen between Salt river and Peace point on Peace
river, numbering fifty, twenty-five, and about twenty-five,
respectively. None of these are reported to have been killed. During the
winter of 1886-87, between the north end of Birch and the south end of
Thickwood mountains, distant about one day or thirty miles from McMurray
on Athabaska river, one band of about thirteen was seen. Since then five
of this band have been killed. Below Red river, a tributary of the
Athabaska, and between Birch mountains and Athabaska river, and ranging
down to Poplar point on the Athabaska, another band said to contain
about twenty was seen. Altogether we have only about one hundred and
eighty head of wood buffalo in this vast extent of territory. The
paucity of their number is, to some extent, a protection to them. If
they escape epidemics and such a winter as almost exterminated them on
the upper Peace some years ago, they may possibly increase. Whenever the
Indians come across a band they try to exterminate them whether they
need them for food or not. They try to drive them into a bog, if one be
convenient, and, if they succeed in this their object is soon
accomplished, for the poor brutes mire in the bog and are quickly
killed. The Indian feels, after accomplishing a feat of this kind, as if
he had won a battle, and never thinks of a reduction in his food
supply.”
Since Mr. Ogilvie’s report was penned; and partly as a result of it,
steps have been taken to protect the wood buffalo, and for years back,
the few members of the gallant Northwest Mounted Police in Athabaska
country have devoted considerable energy to enforcing the law which
prohibits the hunting of the buffalo. The most authentic portion of the
more recent information we have as to the present extent and condition
of the herds of wood buffalo is obtained from the reports of officers
and non-commissioned officers of the distinguished force mentioned.
PRESENT CONDITION OF WOOD BUFFALO.
In 1907 Inspector A. M. Jarvis, C.M.G., was specially despatched from
headquarters at Regina to the Athabaska country[17] to ascertain the
existing numbers and condition of the wood buffalo and to recommend
means for their protection.
Inspector Jarvis, accompanied by the well known naturalist, Mr. E.
Thompson Seton, left McMurray for the north on June 29. He wrote in his
report at this and sent Mr. Seton on with his camera. Beaulieu stalked
them exactly as he would a moose, and in about an hour led Mr. Seton to
an open glade where in plain view was
A HERD OF THIRTEEN BUFFALO,
two big bulls, one calf of this year, and the rest cows and yearlings.
Their photograph was taken three times at sixty yards, before they
became alarmed and ran off.
“Bear tracks abound everywhere, and that night Beaulieu shot an old bear
and two cubs within fifty yards of our camp.”
The Inspector reports as follows as to the next day’s
operations:—“Beaulieu and myself started out at 6:45 a.m. and travelled
around the west side of Salt mountain until 10:40 p.m., following fresh
tracks of two buffalo, until we came upon fresh tracks of what appeared
to be a large herd. We tied our horses in the woods and followed along
for about a mile through wet, swampy ground, until we came in sight of a
bunch, all of which were lying down except three large bulls. They were
on a large salt lick. We crawled up to within (which we afterwards
measured) fifty paces of them, through the brush. I took out my glasses
but owing to our position, could not get a correct count of them. After
resting for a little while we both walked into the open. I took out my
pocket book and wrote down as follows:—‘Four big bulls, one yearling,
four little calves, three two-year-olds, and eight cows.’ They then saw
us and got up one by one and stared at us, showing how easily they can
be approached and killed. Beaulieu then shouted and they galloped into
the woods. The bulls were magnificent looking animals. They had not yet
shed all their winter coat, but the cows were sleek and fine looking.
Before going into the open, Beaulieu, who had his rifle along, said,
‘Mon Dieu, major; let me kill him one cow.’ I explained to him that we
would be fined five hundred dollars and that I would lose my position.
He then said, ‘Let me kill him one for the Government.’ But I would not
permit it. We returned to the camp where we had left Mr. Seton and that
evening moved our camp to a spot where we thought these animals might
pass. But we saw no more of them. As we
HAD SEEN THIRTY-THREE OF THESE ANIMALS,
and the fresh tracks of ten or twelve more, possibly bulls, in the
woods, we concluded that we had seen all the buffalo in this particular
district. And as there was no time to go to Peace point and rapid de
Beaulieu, and keep our word with the guide, I decided to return, to go
to Fort Smith and arrange if possible to see the band reported to be in
the Caribou mountains, near Hay river. We looked everywhere for buffalo
bones, but found only four very old skeletons, with nothing to tell how
they had been killed. At all drinking places, muddy lakes, marshes and
salt licks, we looked particularly for tracks of wolves and found very
few. I got a glimpse of one small wolf, or possibly coyote, in the
woods, and heard one coyote calling, just as we were leaving the
mountain, he having smelt the bear we had killed. We found the skull of
one wolf killed years ago, but I am forced to conclude that wolves are
scarce here, and I found ample justification for my suspicion that the
constant cry of ‘wolf’ is a mere ruse to divert attention from the
two-legged depredators, who are really doing the mischief.
[Illustration: Looking across Slave river from Fort Smith.]
“Other game abounded. Bear tracks were seen on every side. Caribou are
said to be plentiful in winter. Moose are common. I saw one without
doing any hunting. This is important for the buffalo, as several well
known hunters claim this region as their hunting and trapping grounds.
They go in ostensibly to kill moose and come out abundantly supplied
with pemmican, but bring out very few moose skins. I am informed by the
traders here, that a few years ago these hunters begged sale for moose
skins, but of late years scarcely any have been brought out. This is
very suspicious, to say the least of it. These men did all they could to
prevent my going in, and I consider it no longer doubtful what is
destroying the buffalo.
“The following morning the guide announced that his time was nearly up
and he wanted to return to Smith Landing, which we did, arriving there
at 4 p.m. on the afternoon of June 16. It will be seen by the map, that
we barely entered the buffalo country, so were fortunate in seeing so
many head.
“In case it were desired to capture some calves for the purpose of
infusing fresh blood into other national herds, it could, I think, be
easily done, as in the early summer, when the calves are young, they
could be run down and roped. A fresh cow could be taken out from Smith
Landing or some other point, calves captured, and weaned on to the cow.
I consider this feasible.
“To sum up I conclude:—
“(a) That it is impossible for me or any one else in this country to
give you an intelligent report as to the numbers of the buffalo, without
first making a thorough patrol of the country, which would take from two
to three months with a complete pack outfit.
“(b) That the buffalo are in danger of extermination not by wolves, but
by poachers;
“(c) These poachers are all known and live at the village of Smith
Landing in the summer time;
“(d) They could easily be controlled by a local police patrol;
“(e) Without some protection the buffalo will not last five years
longer. Therefore I strongly recommend, as I did some ten years ago,
that, if it is the wish of the Government to protect the buffalo,
resident guardians be placed on the grounds.”
WOLVES NOT THE DESTROYERS.
Inspector Jarvis started from Fort Smith for his second trip on June 24.
The party proceeded in a westerly direction for about nine miles through
a level, dry country, covered with jackpine and poplar, following nearly
the course of Slave river to Gravel point, where they turned
southwesterly to Salt river, which they reached in another nine miles.
The party proceeded as far west as Little Buffalo river which flows into
Great Slave lake west of Slave river, but saw no signs of buffalo beyond
some old trails and wallows.
Reporting on this trip Major Jarvis wrote:—“Although we found no fresh
buffalo signs, we learned a great deal about the range and were glad to
hear that the main herd is the one we expect to reach by Canoe river. We
saw no signs of wolves, not even a trail, and I am confirmed in my
suspicion that the wolves are not the destroyers of the buffalo. In
conclusion I would point out that the range of the buffalo herds is very
limited; that it has certain natural boundaries; that the buffalo do not
attempt to leave this area; that it is removed from any village or
permanent habitation; and that, finally, it would be an efficient and
easy measure of protection if the whole area in question were at once
turned into a National Park. Animal life was not abundant. We saw no big
game whatever, and but few signs of moose or bear. Mr. Preble was
fortunate to find the nest and eggs of a very rare bird, the Bohemian
Waxwing, but we saw no game birds in the woods, and only a few ducks on
the ponds.”
THE LITTLE BUFFALO COUNTRY.
Major Jarvis, accompanied by Mr. Thompson Seton and Mr. E. A. Preble,
naturalists, made a third trip by canoe into the buffalo country from a
point on Slave river below Fort Smith. A water and portage route of five
and a half miles took them to the Little Buffalo, down which they
paddled to its mouth. On this trip fresh signs of buffalo were seen, but
no buffalo.
The Inspector writes in his report of this trip:—“We saw three bear,
three beaver, and some duck along this part of the river, and all along
we saw numerous signs, and fresh, of beaver, rat and mink. We also saw
an exposure of limestone on the left bank during the afternoon. We found
the river abounding with jackfish, Mr. Preble catching four with a troll
in a very short time. During the night Buffalo river seemed to be alive
with mink swimming forwards and backwards across it.”
As a result of Major Jarvis’s report more stringent regulations
regarding the protection of the buffalo were put into force. A system of
occasional patrols by selected non-commissioned officers and men of the
Royal Northwest Mounted Police into the buffalo country was inaugurated,
and some resident hunters were engaged as special constables.
A BAND OF SEVENTY-FIVE.
Corporal Mellor, Royal Northwest Mounted Police, on a patrol into the
buffalo country southwest of Smith Landing in 1909, found buffalo tracks
very numerous at Beaver lake and also on the “Big Salt prairie” at Hay
lake and about Peace point. In the district last named Corporal Mellor
was able to get within five yards of a band of about seventy-five
buffalo, and obtained a good look at them. He says in his
report:—“Owing to the fact that many of them were hidden from view in
the bush, I was unable to count them correctly. Those nearest to view
were nine large bulls, all splendid animals and rolling fat. I saw only
four calves in the band, although there may have been more in the bush,
but the guide, after examining the tracks, told me that there were no
more. We tried to get around to see them all, but something alarmed them
and off they went. This band was evidently composed of the different
small bands whose tracks we had been following at times.”
In the summer of 1910 Sergeant Mellor, accompanied by Constable Johnson,
ascended Big Buffalo river from Sulphur point on Great Slave lake to
Buffalo lake. The main object was to determine as far as possible the
northern boundary of the wood bison habitat. As a result of his
exploration Sergeant Mellor concludes that the wood bison never range as
far as Buffalo lake, nor across the Caribou hills, neither do they reach
Great Slave lake at any point; on the other hand, they come close to
Slave river from a point about fifty miles below Fort Smith right up to
Peace river, and also reach Peace river, at any rate, as far as Jackfish
river. Their habitat would therefore appear, he says, to be bounded on
the west by Caribou mountains, on the south by Peace river, on the east
by Slave river, and on the north by an imaginary line drawn from Caribou
mountains on the west to Slave river on the east, touching the latter at
about Point Ennuyeuse, and the former about fifty miles south of Buffalo
lake. The buffalo have, as far as he could make out from careful
inquiry, never been seen for many years north of these two points.
A TREMENDOUS ANIMAL.
Mr. H. A. Conroy of the Indian Department, in his evidence before the
Senate committee of 1907, said that he believed that there were then
approximately three hundred and fifty wood buffalo still roaming wild at
that date. He obtained a specimen for the Department of Agriculture in
1906 to be mounted. The Indians got it for him. This herd are the only
wild buffalo on the continent, he believed. They are very large, much
larger than the plains buffalo. One old Indian told the witness that
years ago they found a herd of buffalo between Liard and Hay rivers, and
one time they got a herd of them at Fort Providence, and they
slaughtered all that were in there. There had since been a close season
for buffalo for a good many years. The skin of the buffalo that the
witness procured for the department was a tremendous size, and he would
say that the animal must have weighed fourteen or fifteen hundred
pounds. Mr. Conroy in his evidence said:—“You do not require to enforce
the law to protect the buffalo. The Indians will not kill them. They
want to preserve them as much as any one else. They are the Wood Cree
Indians in the country north, as far as the 60th parallel, and the
Chipewyans north of latitude 60 degrees, until you come to the Aleutians
or Esquimaux. The Indians think if the buffalo are gone they will have
nothing left. The Wood Crees are benefiting by the errors of the Indians
south of the Saskatchewan. They know that the buffalo are all gone,
south of them, and they want to protect the wood buffalo.”
Sergeant R. W. Macleod, Royal Northwest Mounted Police, in the report of
his long patrol across country in December 1910 from Fort Vermilion to
the mouth of Hay river on Great Slave lake, corroborates the final
statement of Mr. Conroy. The sergeant states:—“The Indians I met were
familiar with the regulations for the protection of the buffalo and
protested strongly against a white man being permitted to kill any. The
Indians told me the extreme western range of the buffalo is thirty-five
or forty miles east of Buffalo lake, and there is certainly no feed for
them in any part of the country I passed over.”
During the summer of 1911 the special supervision of the wood buffalo
was taken out of the hands of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, and
transferred to a government agent who is stationed at Smith Landing.
OTHER GAME AND FISH.
Some interesting evidence as to the general fish and game resources of
the whole north, and more particularly northern Alberta, was submitted
in writing to the Senate committee of 1887 by Mr. H. J. Moberly, a chief
trader in the Hudson’s Bay Company’s service. This gentleman, through
long residence and frequent travels therein, was quite familiar with
this country. According to his statement lake trout is found in almost
all the large lakes all over the country, and river trout in Athabaska
and Peace rivers and other streams close to Rocky mountains. Speckled
trout and mountain trout are found in waters on the east and west slope
of Rocky mountains; whitefish, all over the country from the
Saskatchewan north, in lakes and most rivers; pickerel, in most lakes;
jackfish or pike in most lakes; suckers, in all waters; gold-eye,
Athabaska river, Peace river and their tributaries; a peculiar kind of
salmon (doubtless the inconnu), in Mackenzie river as far up as Salt
river rapids, above Great Slave lake.
Ducks are found all over the country and geese and swans along the
Athabaska, the Peace, and the Mackenzie and the shores of Hudson bay;
cranes, along the Athabaska, the Peace and the Mackenzie; prairie
chickens, Athabaska and Peace river countries; ruffled grouse and spruce
partridge all over the Northwest Territories; ptarmigan, Athabaska,
Peace river, Hudson bay; plover and snipe, all over the Northwest
Territories.
According to Mr. Moberly, moose run all over the wooded country north of
the prairies and east of Rocky mountains.
The distribution of other game and fur animals in far northwestern
Canada was given by Mr. Moberly as follows:—Reindeer (cariboo), large,
all over the wood countries from Saskatchewan, to the barren grounds in
the north; reindeer, small, all over the barren grounds in the north,
and come south in winter as far as Lac la Brochet, Athabaska lake and
Peace river, close to Rocky mountains; red deer, Athabaska and Peace
river valleys; black tail deer, jumping deer and chevreux, same country
as the red deer; black and brown bears, all over the wooded country and
Rocky mountains; grizzly bears, Rocky mountains, valley of the Peace,
Athabaska, Liard, and Fraser, but seldom farther than two hundred and
fifty miles from the foot of the Rockies; beaver, Athabaska, Peace
river, and in fact all over the wooded country,
BACK’S GRAYLING.
Professor John Macoun, before the Senate committee of 1888, said he had
caught Back’s grayling in the tributaries of Peace river, in Rocky
mountains. It is both an Arctic and a mountain fish, and delights in
clear water. It is very gamesome and takes all kinds of bait. When it
took the bait it would jump clear out of the water, many times a couple
of feet or so, and of course, the beautiful colours (more beautiful than
those of the mackerel even), glistening in the sun, made the anglers
thrill with excitement. They are a white fleshed fish, and not anything
like as hard as the trout.
Writing of the immense quantities of fish caught in Lake Athabaska, Mr.
Wm. Ogilvie states in his report:—“At Chipewyan, the Hudson’s Bay
Company required, in the fall of 1888, thirty-six thousand fish for the
use of the post; the Roman Catholic mission, twelve thousand; and the
rest of the population at least thirty thousand more. Most of these were
caught in three weeks, while I was there. Sometimes they are numerous in
one place and sometimes in another, so that long journeys are often
necessary from the place where they are caught to the place where they
are to be used. This necessitates a large number of dogs to haul them
home, which is a very poor method, though it is the only one in use. To
overcome this inconvenience, Mr. McDougall, at Chipewyan, has built an
ice-boat, but has so far met with indifferent success, as the ice has
been unusually rough during both of the last two falls.”
As to the fish and game in the district explored by him in 1909, Mr.
Frank Crean reports that the principal fish to be found in the north is
the whitefish. The chief use made at present of this valuable fish is
for dog feed, large numbers being caught for this purpose in the annual
“fall fisheries,” as they are termed. Beside the whitefish, the jackfish
is also found in most of the lakes, and indeed in that country which
lies to the west of the height of land and on the watershed of Athabaska
river this is the principal fish. Although extremely good food in these
cold northern waters they are, of course, not to be compared with the
whitefish. The perch, or as the natives sometimes call them, the doré,
are found in most of the rivers and lakes. During the summer months they
form the staple diet, as the whitefish apparently go into the deep holes
in the lakes and are not caught by the natives, who rarely fish in deep
water.
[Illustration: Roman Catholic Mission at Chipewyan.]
Describing an ascent by him of Big Buffalo river, in 1909 Sergeant
Mellor states:—“The cutbanks are riddled with sulphur springs (the
odour of which overhangs the whole river), interspersed in peculiarly
intimate proximity with streams of beautifully fresh water. The river
was literally alive with ‘coneys,’ a species of fish somewhat resembling
a salmon, and which attains a large size; the name is a corruption of
the French name for the fish ‘poisson inconnu,’—‘the unknown fish.’
They were apparently ascending the river for spawning purposes; it was
quite unnecessary to use a net or line to catch them, as it was a simple
matter to throw them on land with a paddle or stick. For the next twenty
miles the river, while still running with great velocity, has not so
many rapids to encounter, and the going is considerably better. The
banks are lower, and in many places were clothed in berry bushes of all
kinds, and simply riddled with bear tracks. We did not have the good
fortune to kill one of these latter, although we saw them several
times.”
A MOOSE COUNTRY.
Sergeant R. W. Macleod, Royal Northwest Mounted Police, in a report of a
patrol in 1909 from Fort Vermilion to Hay river, states that while
descending Hay river on January 27 one of his men shot a two-year old
bull moose about one hundred yards from the river bank. After the patrol
got almost one hundred miles down the river from the Horse track they
saw moose tracks all the way as far as within twenty miles of Great
Slave lake, and they saw three moose, but did not shoot, as they did not
need the meat. They did not see a snow-shoe track in the whole distance
of two hundred and thirty-eight miles, which accounts for the moose
being so plentiful. One fox track was all the indication of fur to be
seen.
Between December 2 and 24, 1910, Sergeant Macleod made a patrol from
Fort Vermilion across country to the post at the mouth of Hay river on
Great Slave lake, a distance of five hundred miles. Sergeant Macleod
took advantage of some Indians travelling through to make the trip,
which was a very hard one, particularly on the dogs, as the snow was
deep. No white man is known to have made this journey before, and it was
twenty years since Indians had attempted it. The country is quite
unexplored. The width of Cariboo mountains is about one hundred miles
and the country is mainly moss-covered muskeg and lakes. Sergeant
Macleod made enquiries regarding a large unmapped lake he saw the
previous year and found that it is called Fish lake by the Indians. It
is as large as Lesser Slave lake and is in Cariboo mountains. This is
believed to be the lake which a Mr. Radford, an American naturalist,
claimed he discovered and reported to the Department of the Interior as
Lady Grey lake.
Sergeant Macleod reported that all the lakes he passed during this long
trip seemed to be deep for their size, and in the sergeant’s opinion
they no doubt contain whitefish and lake trout. In Fish lake there is
good fishing. There were three half-breed families belonging to Fort
Vermilion and two Chipewyan Indian families living on Deer Mountain
creek four miles southeast of Buffalo lake, it being a good place for
fall fishing. Caribou were plentiful on the mountain. Moose were
plentiful on the north side, and there were considerable fur tracks on
the north side of the mountain. Sergeant Macleod’s party “tracked” four
wolves.
The latest data available as to fish and game in the region immediately
under discussion appear in the annual report for 1911 of Superintendent
G. E. Sanders, D.S.O., commanding “N” Division, Royal Northwest Mounted
Police, with headquarters at Athabaska. In his report Superintendent
Sanders writes:—“The fur catch during the past season has improved;
lynx were plentiful in the far north; they have been very scarce for
some years and are now reappearing with the rabbits. The value of the
fur which passed through Athabaska this year on its way out of the
country is estimated at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Moose
were scarce in some parts where they are generally plentiful and
appeared in large numbers at points where they are not usually seen;
this is accounted for by the wolves moving them about. Wolves are
reported thick in all directions and at Peace River Landing a small pack
chased a moose through the settlement. Chicken and partridge are
numerous in the southern portion of the district. This year the chief
game guardian of the provincial government has notified that the close
season for beaver will remain in force. Hitherto it has been the custom
to open the season during the winter for a short time. The effort to
preserve the beaver by having a close season in this country fails
entirely, and I would repeat what I said last year in regard to this
subject about which I made careful inquiries. ‘I am strongly of opinion
there should be an open season for beaver. I found during my travels
that Indians kill more beaver when there is no open season than when
there is. When they do not kill for the fur, and there is no reason in
their minds to preserve the animals, they exterminate whole families for
food, whereas if they have an open season, and the fur is thereby more
valuable, they are careful not to destroy certain colonies, but leave
some to breed. They kill only when the fur is prime. The majority of the
hunters and trappers whom I consulted agreed that between October 15 and
December 15 would be the most suitable time for an open season.’”
Corporal S. G. Clay, Royal Northwest Mounted Police, made a patrol
through Grande prairie country in August, 1911, and in his report
states:—“Indians in this locality are in fairly good shape, moose and
bear being plentiful, and consequently there has been practically no
destitution amongst the Indians.”
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[17] A considerable portion of the wood buffalo range lies immediately
beyond the northern boundary of Alberta and is consequently within the
limits of the region particularly treated of in the later chapters
especially devoted to the “Mackenzie country.” On reference to the map
(and the map must necessarily be consulted frequently by the reader of
these pages) it will be noticed, also, that much of the data quoted here
really refers to those sections of the wood buffalo range within what is
arbitrarily defined in this volume as the Mackenzie country; but as the
southern part of the range is in northern Alberta, and as the wood
buffalo, probably on account of its scientific designation, is
associated in most people’s minds with the Athabaska region, it was
considered advisable to treat the question of the wood buffalo, as a
whole, in the present chapter. E. J. C.
[Illustration: THE MACKENZIE RIVER REGION]