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Woodland Caribou — Part 2
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"The little ones were pushed out into the middle, away from the mothers to whom they clung instinctively, and were left to get acquainted with each other, which they did very shyly at first, like so many strange children.
"It was all new and curious; this meeting of their kind; for till now they had lived in dense solitude, each one knowing no living creature save its own mother.
"Some were timid and backed away as far as possible into the shadow, looking with wild, wide eyes from one to another of the little caribou, and bolting to their mother's side at every unusual movement. Others were bold and took to butting at the first encounter. . . .
"As I watched them the mothers all came out from the shadows and began trotting round the opening, the little ones keeping close as possible, each one to its mother's side.
"Then the old one went faster; the calves were left in a long line stringing out behind.
"Suddenly the leader veered into the edge of the timber and went over a fallen tree with a jump; the cows followed splendidly, rising on one side and falling gracefully on the other, like gray waves racing past the end of a jetty.
"But the first little one dropped his head obstinately at the tree and stopped short. The next one did the same thing; only he ran his head into the first one's legs and knocked them out from under him. The others whirled with a ba-a-a-a-ah, and scampered round the tree and up to their mothers, who had turned now and stood watching anxiously to see the effect of their lesson.
"Then it began over again. It was true kindergarten teaching; for under guise of a frolic the calves were taught a needful lesson--not only to jump, but far more important than that, to follow their leader, and to go where he goes without question or hesitation.
"For the leaders on the barrens are wise old bulls that make no mistakes.
"Most of the little caribou took to the sport very well, and presently followed their mothers over the low hurdles. But a few were timid, and then came the most interesting bit of the whole strange school, when a little one would be led to a tree and butted from behind till he took the jump.
"There was no `consent of the governed' in the governing. The mothers knew, and the calf didn't, just what was good for him."
The caribou is such a restless wandering fellow that it is little use to attempt hunting him by following his trail; you may succeed in getting a short at him in this manner, but the chances are that he will see you first, or at all events become aware of your presence in some way, and after that you might as well be following the trail of a wood-nymph, as far as your chances of success are concerned.
Still hunting is the most satisfactory method of getting caribou. Keeping the wind in your face you wander silently through the forest and along by the edge of the open barren and by the lake's margin, keenly searching the skirts of the spruce thickets and birch clumps for a sight of your game. If you should chance upon a trail very recently made, it is sometimes possible, if the wind is in your favour, to follow it cautiously and get a shot; or perhaps after following it a little way the direction of the trail will tell you the caribou are in all probability heading for a certain open feeding ground or lake shore that you know of, in which case a cross cut will often enable you to intercept them.
Caribou are full of inquisitiveness and not very keen sighted, and in winter, when the woods are white with snow, some caribou hunters make a point of wearing a white flannel hunting suit and a brilliant red cap; the caribou seeing this spot of bright colour moving among the trees are tempted by curiosity to approach within gunshot.
Varieties of the Woodland Caribou
There are seven kinds of caribou in North America which appear to be quite distinct and geographically separated from one another, and all of them certainly different from the reindeer of Europe. They fall into two groups; the larger woodland caribou and the smaller Barren Ground caribou. The most striking differences between the members of the former group are given below, and of the latter beyond.
1. Woodland Caribou. Rangifer caribou (Gmelin). Description and range as above.
2. Mountain Caribou. Rangifer montanus. Seton-Thompson. Uniformly darker than the preceding with the white band above the hoof very narrow. Size rather larger.
3. Stone's Caribou. Rangifer stonei Allen. Dark like the last but with a heavy white fringe of hair on the front of the neck in strong contrast.
4. Newfoundland Caribou. Rangifer terrae-novae Bangs. Uniformly whiter than the woodland caribou, with a white ring around the eye. Antlers very massive and widespread with numerous points.