The Unexploited West: A Compilation of all of the authentic information available at the present time as to the Natural Resources of the Unexploited Regions of Northern CanadaChambers, Ernest J.
History
The Unexploited West: A Compilation of all of the authentic information available at the present time as to the Natural Resources of the Unexploited Regions of Northern Canada
Chambers, Ernest J.
Canada -- Economic conditions; Northwest, Canadian -- Economic conditions
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 of the north; reindeer, small—all over the barren grounds in
the north, and come south in winter as far as Lac de 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, valleys 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.
In his report of his exploration of the country between Churchill river
and Lake Athabaska in 1892, Mr. J. B. Tyrrell writes:—“The moose
(_Alces Americanus_), roams through the more thickly wooded parts of the
country as far north as Stone river, which is probably near the northern
limit of its range. Seven individuals in all were seen during the course
of the summer. The woodland caribou (_Rangifer caribou_) is said to
occur in the more southern portion of the district, near Churchill
river, but none were seen. The barren ground caribou (_Rangifer
Grœnlandicus_) comes south in winter to the south end of Reindeer lake
and the upper portion of Mudjatik and Foster rivers. It travels north in
spring to the Barren Lands, but a very few animals are occasionally left
behind, one having been shot in July near the north end of Cree lake.
The Canada lynx (_Lynx Canadensis_) is moderately abundant in some
seasons in the more southern part of the district. The gray wolf (_Canis
lupus occidentalis_) roams over the country, but is not plentiful. The
coyote (_Canis lisatrans_) is found occasionally as far north as the
height of land, one having been shot by the writer on one of the small
lakes near the source of Foster river. It is, however, certainly not
common in the district. Red, black and cross foxes (_Vulpes vulgaris_),
wolverine (_Guloluscus_), marten (_Mustela Americana_), weasel
(_Putorius vulgaris_), mink (_P. vison_) and skunk (_Mephitis
mephitica_) are all found in greater or less abundance in the rolling
wooded country underlain by Archaean rocks. The otter (_Lutra
Canadensis_) was found on all the streams north to Stone river. The
black bear (_Ursus Americanus_) roams over the whole country. A few
beavers (_Castor fiber_) may still be met with in many of the streams. A
considerable colony was found in the untravelled country near the source
of Geikie river, but our canoemen brought back word of this (to the
Indians) important discovery, and doubtless the beaver were killed
during the following winter. The muskrat (_Fiber zibethicus_) was seen
swimming in all the streams. The rabbit or American hare (_Lepus
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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