For the better part of a week, till October 29, I found no further fresh indications of Caribou in our vicinity. In the meantime the weather was largely cloudy, with some rain and snow (4-5 inches of the latter on the 27th); winds very light to moderate, swinging from east to south and west; temperature, 27° to 50°; waters generally open.
October 29 was largely cloudy; a gentle wind, south to east; temperature, 29° to 35°; 4-5 inches of snow on ground; thin ice on a tundra pond. The fresh track of a buck ([fig. 20]) was found near camp.
On the 30th gentle rain changed to snow; calm to a moderate wind, northeast to north; temperature, 30° to 33°. Tracks showed the passing of about a dozen Caribou, including half a dozen that swam westward across the mouth of Little River, breaking through a rim of ice at the edge.
Clouds prevailed on the 31st; wind moderate to brisk, northerly; temperature, 17° to 25.5°; 5-6 inches of snow on ground, with drifts up to a foot deep; river and lake open. Fred reported three Caribou.
November 1 marked the long-delayed “freeze-up.” Windy Bay and the edges of Windy River were frozen, while pieces of ice floated down the river. The day was cloudy, with continual snow flurries after noon; wind light to brisk, southeast; temperature, 21° to 31°; about 6 inches of snow on ground.
The 2nd was cloudy, with some rain and sleet; wind moderate to brisk, southeast to west; temperature, 29° to 34°. No Caribou sighted for two days.
On the 3rd it was cloudy all day; wind light, northwest; temperature, 16° to 20°. A herd of about 50 Caribou (largely does, with a few fawns and well-antlered bucks) hurried down the side of Little River Ridge onto the ice of Duck Bay, with the apparent intention of crossing to the south side of Windy Bay; but they were intercepted by a hunter and retreated northwestward along the ridge. Fred secured three southward-traveling bucks at a distance from camp.
No Caribou were sighted on the three following days (November 4 to 6), which were more or less cloudy, with some snow; wind light to brisk, southerly to northerly; temperature, 13° to 24.5°; ice 3 inches thick on Windy Bay; about 6 inches of snow on ground.
There was snow during the night of November 6 and the morning of the 7th, resulting in drifts up to a yard deep; wind brisk, northerly; temperature, -3° to 13°. Fred reported “lots” of Caribou some 10 miles to the north, moving south.
The next three days (November 8 to 10) varied from cloudy (with a snow flurry) to sunny; wind moderate to strong, northwest and north; temperature, -10.5° to 1°; 6-8 inches of snow (much drifted); Windy River gradually becoming ice-covered. No Caribou sighted.