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

by Ernest J. Chambers

Game, Fur-bearing Animals and Fish.

Over Forty Moose Killed in one Season Near Fort Simpson.—Caribou of both Woodland and Barren Lands Varieties Plentiful.—Pass Great Slave lake in Countless Numbers.—Mountain Sheep Plentiful in the Mountainous Districts.—Incredible Numbers of Geese, Swans and Ducks in Season.—Inexhaustible Supplies of Fish.—The Speckled Trout, Lake Trout, Grayling, Herring, Inconnu, etc.

Everyone who has visited Mackenzie river region seems to have been much impressed with the variety and the quantity of the fish and the game there, all the books written by the explorers, traders, missionaries and sportsmen who have visited the country, containing numerous references to its wonderful resources in this respect. As a matter of fact the fish and the game of the country have hitherto been and still are the support of the slender resident population, and will play a very important part in the ultimate development of the region. Without discussing the commercial value of the apparently inexhaustible inland and coastwise fisheries, it might be pointed out that once settlement begins to flow into the country the fine waters and immense game ranges of this huge country will contribute most usefully towards the support of the pioneer settlers during the critical period when the local agricultural, lumbering and mining industries are in their early experimental stages. Undoubtedly, too, the game and fisheries will contribute, as they have done elsewhere, to the ultimate development of the country by attracting to more remote sections sportsmen who by reason of their natural intelligence, world experience, education and influential connections, are sure to discover and to attract attention to natural resources at present unthought of.

A Fur Shipment of One Season from Mackenzie basin, estimated value over two million, five hundred thousand dollars.

Frequent references have been made in the preceding chapters to the work accomplished by Mr. E. A. Preble, of the United States Biological Survey, in the Mackenzie country in 1901 and 1903, and to his report “North American Fauna, No. 27,” published by the Biological Survey at Washington in 1908. In no respect is this altogether admirable report more instructive than in its complete references to the game and the fisheries. Mr. Preble naturally devotes much attention to that monarch among northern game animals, the moose.

The Majestic Moose.

Mr. Preble points out that “Hearne was the first to record moose from the Mackenzie region, finding them ‘very plentiful,’ on the south side of Great Slave lake, east of the mouth of Slave river, during the winter of 1771-72, while on his way back to Churchill during his famous journey of exploration.” Harmon noted their occurrence on the plains of Peace river in 1808. “During Franklin’s first northern journey a moose was killed near Fort Enterprise in the spring of 1821.” During his second expedition moose were killed on Ellice island, near the mouth of the Mackenzie, in the summer of 1825, and near Fort Franklin in September of the same year, and in February, 1826. During the spring of 1834, while Back’s expedition was wintering at Fort Reliance, a moose was killed on “Fish river” (in all probability the Thelon, or Ark-i-linik) several days’ travel east of Great Slave lake. Simpson reports that tracks of moose were seen on MacTavish bay, Great Bear lake, during the winter of 1837-38. Ross recorded specimens taken at Fort Good Hope and Fort Simpson. Lockhart, writing in 1865 on the habits of moose, states that they were rarely killed in the vicinity of Fort Rae, though they were quite numerous at Big island and along the south shore of Great Slave lake, and that the moose of Peel river and the Yukon are much larger than those in Great Slave lake region. While exploring in a country between Athabaska lake and Churchill river in the summer of 1892, J. B. Tyrrell found that the moose occurred throughout the more thickly wooded parts of the country as far north as Stone river, near the eastern end of Athabaska lake. Russell states that a moose was killed near the mouth of Yellowknife river, Great Slave lake, in August 1903. A. J. Stone records the moose from several points in lower Mackenzie valley, giving evidence as to the large size of the animals found there, and from the headwaters of Nahanni river, where they abound.

“During the early autumn of 1895 a moose was killed by a member of Loring’s party near the headwaters of McLeod river. In the autumn of 1896, fresh tracks were seen almost daily along the trail between Smoky river and Jasper House.

Found to be Rather Common.