Electric Lighted Steam Heated
Rates $1.00 to 13.00 Room with Bath
THE STEDMAN John W. Stedman
proprietor
Ketchikan, Alaska Nov. 25, 1906.
Dear Dr. Merriam:
Yesterday I returned here from Graham Island after hunting
continuously in the country about Virago Sound from Oct. 31st to Nov.
22d. I was not successful in finding a caribou. But it is positively
certain that at least a few caribou exist on that part of the island.
’71th few exceptions I found their tracks daily on the edges of the clear
vast xxtixx swamps where the impressions in the ground can be seen, but all were old and the caribou were either exclusively in the dense woods, where, without snow it is practically impossible to hunt them, or they had moved to some other locality. The track of the caribou is, as you know of a peculiar shape and one that would not confuse me after my careful observations of thousands of tracks this summer. So first they were cerlbou tracks. Should, however a doubt exist as to my identification of the tracks, there can be no doubt about the i- dentificatlon of the dung and I have preserved a small Quantity and will send ti to you on my arrival in New Yor1r. The wild cattle in the island exist only in one well known locality and are not about Virago Sound. The finding of the opribou horn by Cant. Hunt is a fact. Two other attempts were made to get these caribou by Chas. Harrison, in the same country that Capt. Hunt visited and Harrison found dung in abundance found tracks numerous and also hair of the oaribou. This was in the month of March. As I hunted the same country through much
more extensively and found little dung and no fresh tracks it seems Boone and Crockett Club Records (Mss 738), Archives and Special Collections. Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library. University of Montana-Missoula.
-2-
Dr. C. Hart Merriam Nov. 25, 1906
that caribou freauent this locality in spring and perhaps summer and early fall. But not in the month of November. I pushed directly through to hunt the divide ranges with the west coast and then found no tracks. The whole story of my hunt is a long one and I will relate it to you. Somebody should go there in January when the snow is on the ground and thus have something about the novement of the animals.
At present I am inclined to think that at this season the caribou stay almost exlusivelv in the dense woods, that but few are left in - the island and that their range is very limited. The question is interesting and I have full notes about it. I will be in New York when you receive this. I am expressing to you a box contain 5 bear
skulls including a fine old male, the skin and skull of a martin—
male—5 other martin skulls, 3 land otter skulls and part of a sea otter skull. I could not get a bear skin with the head and feet on. But I have arranged so you can get one if you want it, also the skin of a land otter. I have offered #75.00 for a btill caribou killed in the
island and think one or two men will try to find one in January. I
shall look forward to seeing you soon in Washington.
Sincerely yours,
(signed) C. Sheldon
Boone and Crockett Club Records (Mss 738), Archives and Special Collections. Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library. University of Montana-Missoula.
