the whole of the continent, though now rarely killed in the
Eastern states. The best country for bears is Alaska, where the
grizzly grows to an enormous size, and the Kodiak Island bear
is probably the largest variety of its genus in the world, except
perhaps the Yezo bear of Japan. In Alaska, bears are frequently
shot along the river-banks, to which they resort in autumn to
feed on the salmon which then crowd the rivers. Otherwise
no fixed rule can be laid down for American bear-shooting; the
quarry may be hunted with dogs, which “ tree ” the black bear,
or bring the grizzly, which is unable to climb, to bay; it may be
killed over a bait; it may be spied and stalked, or, most common
of all, it may be accidentally “ jumped ” and shot by the hunter.
The neck or heart is the most vulnerable spot to aim for, but
bears are very tenacious of life, and astonishingly active, despite
their clumsy appearance. Their eyesight is bad, but their sense
of smell and hearing very acute. The biggest of grizzlies will
rarely charge unprovoked, unless it be a female with cubs, but
when molested or wounded it will push its attack home with the
greatest temerity, and caution should always be exercised
in approaching a wounded animal, even when apparently dead.
Of North American Cervidae the finest is the wapiti, invariably miscalled elk, once as plentiful as the bison, but now extinct east of the Rockies, where, though still fairly abundant, it is found in sadly diminished numbers. It is especially common in Vancouver, but as is almost invariably the case with insular deer, the heads are small compared to those of the mainland. Wapiti-hunting is probably the finest sport in America, not only from the magnificent trophy these splendid deer afford, but also on account of the beautiful country they frequent in the United States; open rolling ranges of hills interspersed with patches of timber. Wapiti are almost invariably killed by stalking during the rutting-season, when the big bulls betray themselves by their defiant challenge. The largest deer in the world is the North American moose, which, except for a difference in size, is precisely the same animal as the elk of Northern and Eastern Europe. It is essentially a forest-haunting animal, which in the Eastern States and Canada is frequently killed by “ calling ” i.e. imitating the call of the cow, and so attracting the rutting bull to within shot of the hunter. This is usually effected by means of a species of trumpet made of birch-bark, and in this art of “ calling ” both white men and Indians become exceedingly skilful. In Alaska, where the finest moose are found, they are usually stalked or “ still-hunted ” on foot, and to “ still-hunt ” these animals in dense timber successfully is a most delicate piece of wood craft. Unless struck in a vital part a wounded moose will travel enormous distances, but a single shot in the heart, or better still, the neck, is usually fatal. A wounded moose can be dangerous and should be approached with caution.
The North American caribou, which is practically the same animal as the European and Asiatic reindeer, may be divided into two varieties: the Barren Ground caribou, found in the north, and the Woodland caribou, found all over the forests of Canada, and in a few localities in the United States. The former is probably the only wild animal existing on the American continent in practically the same numbers as formerly, while the latter, thanks to careful preservation, is still abundant. The Barren Ground caribou of the northern regions of North America are frequently hunted by white men. They form the staple food of the natives of Arctic North America, and huge quantities of them are killed during the spring and autumn migration, especially when swimming lakes or rivers. The woodland caribou is easily stalked in fairly open ground, and a bullet in the heart or neck will kill the largest bull. Caribou and reindeer are the only animals of the Cervidae in which the females have horns as well as the males. The two most widely separated districts of Canada, Newfoundland and British Columbia, probably afford the best ground for woodland caribou. Other American deer are the mule, or black-tailed, and the Virginian, or white-tailed, both widely distributed throughout the continent, but the latter, which is essentially a denizen of thick forest, is much the most difficult beast to stalk. It is occasionally “ hounded ” or hunted with dogs, which drive it to runways where the hunter has previously concealed himself. A smaller variety of the black-tail is found on the Pacific coast.
The prongbuck, invariably, but incorrectly, styled an antelope, is a sporting little animal only found on open plains. It was formerly exceedingly plentiful, but is now sadly diminished in numbers. It can only be obtained by fair stalking, and the shot has almost invariably to be taken at long range. It affords excellent sport when coursed with greyhounds. It is the only hollow horned rurninant which annually sheds its horns.
Now that the bison is extinct as far as shooting is concerned, the only bovine of North America is the musk ox of the Arctic Circle, but few sportsmen care to undergo the discomforts attendant on the pursuit of this animal, which moreover is an exceedingly uninteresting beast of sport and offers but a poor trophy. The same may be said of the Rocky Mountain goat, a curious animal, which zoologically is an antelope, and which, though its pursuit exacts great powers of endurance and mountaineering ability, is so stupid, or self-confident a creature, that practically no science is required to stalk it. Very different is the chase of the magnificent big horn or wild sheep, now scarce in the United States, but fairly plentiful in the Kootenay district of British Columbia, and which, when killed by fair stalking, affords a trophy that may be considered the Blue Ribbon of American big game shooting. It is occasionally hunted with dogs, which hold it at bay until the hunter can get within range, or it may be killed by watching the so-called “ licks,” or beds of limestone clay, to which these animals are fond of resorting, and which they lick or gnaw, presumably as a form of corrective. Big horn, varying according to locality, are found as far north as the shores of the Bering Sea, and south to Northern Mexico. The only other wild animal of North America that needs mention is the puma or panther. This is invariably hunted with dogs, which “ tree ” it or hold it at bay until the arrival of the hunter, while a good pack of staunch hounds will kill it themselves. To seek it without the aid of dogs is useless, and it is therefore an uninteresting beast of sport. Certain American writers have claimed a rather spurious courage for the puma, but the general consensus of opinion is that it is a skulking, cowardly beast.
No special battery need be taken to America; a .303 rifle is sufficient for all the big gameof the continent, but a .400 or .450 cordite rifle is probably preferable for dealing with the big Alaskan grizzlies.
Useful works of reference for American shooting are: Roosevelt, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman; Van Dyke, The Still-Hunter; Pike, The Barren Grounds of Northern Canada; Grohmann, Camps in the Rockies; Caton, The Antelope and Deer of America; American Big Game Hunting (edited by oosevelt); Davis, Caribou Shooting in Newfoundland; Buxton, Short Stalks; Whitehead, Camp Fires of the Everglades; and the volumes of the “ Badminton Library " dealing with the subject.
Although two or three sorts of unimportant deer are found in
South America, as well as the puma and jaguar, it doesSouth
America.
not call for special mention in respect of big game ifggm
shooting, an extraordinary fact in view of the enormous
size of the continent. The best work of reference is Kennedy,
Sporting Sketches in South America.
Arctic big game shooting appeals to such a small class of
sportsmen, and is so limited in its variety of game,Other
areas.
that it need not be touched on here. Full information
on the subject can be found in the works of Lamont,
Nansen, and other Arctic explorers.
Some of the finest deer stalking in the world can be obtained in New Zealand, by those able to spare the time for so long a journey.
Big game shooting is not only an exceedingly expensive
amusement, but one of which the cost has been continually
increasing, and no expedition of any length outsideGeneral
considera-
tions
Europe could be enjoyed under an expenditure of from
£300–£500; but in View of the enormous difference in
local conditions, no less than individual requirements,
no hard and fast scale can be laid down. East Africa, and
Somaliland are probably the most expensive localities in which
