A RCTIC CIRCULA NO. I Notes on a trip in l6-foot ... - The Arctic Circle

VOL. iiV No. 2 THE A<strong>RCTIC</strong> <strong>CIRCULA</strong>R zz
Field work to date has centred around stradies of winter activity,
especially denning, for very little is known about the habits of these
Iarge carnivores during this season. Frorn the end of January to midrr'it.rch
I961, I collected prelirninary data on Southampton Island; most
denning information was obtained on dog sled reconnaissanges arnong
the low, rolling hills and virll.eye'of the Porsild highlandr, I I am very
grateful to Barrie Gunn, the alea adrninistrator, Parneeolok, Tony
f-echerk, Joe Curley, and Pootoolik for their assistance.
From rYovember 7 to Decernber 18, I undertook cimilar gt\rdiee
ia the Clyde area of Baffin Island (Scott Inlet to Cape Hooper), where
the annual bear kill is reiatively high. Using the settlement of Clyde ae
a base, I rnade a number of local sled trips and two longer ones with
tJrree rnain objectives: to find out more about bear-den locations, the
movements of the species Curi.ng the dark oeriod and the numbers aad
use rnade of caribou in various Eskirno settlements tributary to Clyde.
On a sled journey frorn Novernber 13 to 20, along Cormack Arrn
to a point about eight rniles up Clyde River, I found that the major dennirg
zones were nearer the Baffin Bay coast, and that a steady movement of
rnale bears toward the mouth of Clyde Inlet and the floe edge was taking
place. Although only four caribou were seen en route, tlrey were fairly
abundant at the heads of rnost inlets - especially Inugsuin Fiord, Rernains
of an Eskimo winter cainp were observed on the southeastern margin of
Cormack Armr a6 were signs of a 1950 Arctic Instihrte expedition camp
at the mouth of Clyde River"
Both coastal and peninsular areas were inspected for wildlife
during a sled reconnaissance between C1yde and the Eskirno settlement
on Ekalugad Fiord to the south from Decernber I to 15.
I . Jfficially the Por slld rviountains.