Of the ground, they enclose a herd upon a neck of land and
drive them into a lake where they fall an easy prey but, in the rutting
season and in the spring, when they are numerous on the skirts of the
woods, they catch them in snares. The snares are simple nooses, formed in
a rope made of twisted sinew, which are placed in the aperture of a
slight hedge constructed of the branches of trees. This hedge is so
disposed as to form several winding compartments and, although it is by
no means strong, yet the deer seldom attempt to break through it. The
herd is led into the labyrinth by two converging rows of poles and one is
generally caught at each of the openings by the noose placed there. The
hunter too, lying in ambush, stabs some of them with his bayonet as they
pass by and the whole herd frequently becomes his prey. Where wood is
scarce a piece of turf turned up answers the purpose of a pole to conduct
them towards the snares.
The reindeer has a quick eye but the hunter, by keeping to leeward and
using a little caution, may approach very near, their apprehensions being
much more easily roused by the smell than the sight of any unusual
object. Indeed their curiosity often causes them to come close up and
wheel around the hunter; thus affording him a good opportunity of
singling out the fattest of the herd, and upon these occasions they often
become so confused by the shouts and gestures of their enemy that they
run backwards and forwards with great rapidity but without the power of
making their escape.
The Copper Indians find by experience that a white dress attracts them
most readily and they often succeed in bringing them within shot by
kneeling and vibrating the gun from side to side in imitation of the
motion of a deer's horns when he is in the act of rubbing his head
against a stone.
The Dog-Rib Indians have a mode of killing these animals which though
simple is very successful. It was thus described by Mr. Wentzel who
resided long amongst that people. The hunters go in pairs, the foremost
man carrying in one hand the horns and part of the skin of the head of a
deer and in the other a small bundle of twigs against which he from time
to time rubs the horns, imitating the gestures peculiar to the animal.
His comrade follows, treading exactly in his footsteps and holding the
guns of both in a horizontal position so that the muzzles project under
the arms of him who carries the head. Both hunters have a fillet of white
skin round their foreheads and the foremost has a strip of the same kind
round his wrists.
