Volume 4, 1951 - The Arctic Circle - Home

A comprehensive account of the fauna of the country
between Norway House and York Factory, as well as of the
Churchill district, was published by Edward Preble in 1902.
Woodland caribou is reported to range throughout the region,
while moose reach the Shamattawa River, which joins the
Hayes about 50 miles above York Factory. Three polar bears
were killed for dog food while the writer's party was at
this post, and a prospector from Fox River stated that he
had seen others swimming as far in1and as the lower
Shamattawa. Indians are reported to have seen, in 1897,
a pair of muskoxen on the barrens halfway between York
Factory and Churchill. Preble believes this to be probably
the most southern authentio reoord of the animal. Beaver,
beooming scarce even at the time of Preble's survey, is
.now rare1y taken, and muskrat fur is at present the prinoiple
article of trade. Other anima1s trapped inc1ude otter,
mink, wease1, marten, fisher, skunk, red fox, lynx, gray
wolf, and wolverine. The Canada goose was once a staple
article of food for posts along the Bay, and was salted
down in large quantities for winter use. Apart from being
'reduced in numbers by this means, there are indications
that rapid uplift of the land along the southwestern side
of the Bay has resulted in the drying up of large portions
of the salt marsh feeding grounds of ducks and geese within
memory of living man.
During the 1950 season, the writer was accompanied
by Mr. W.K.Vi. Baldwin, of the National Herbarium staff.
The summer was spent largely in the prairie and forested
regions of south and oentral Manitoba, but inoluded flights
ta Baralzon and Nejanilini Lakes northwest of Churchill.
Oamp on the eastern shore of Baralzon Lake was made on the
81xtieth parallel, near the southern limit of that part of
,the subarotio tundra which enters the northeastern corner
of the province. Extensive areas of dry Barren Ground
alternate with muskeg in wet depressions, while perhaps
.one per cent of the terrain is oocupied by small patches
of stunted blaok spruoe and tamaraok. The ground is oovered
by a maze of tracks formed by the Barren Ground caribou
durlng their seasonal migrations, the ruts in places being
over a foot deep. Lemming burrows were numerous, but none
.-S found to be occupied, although T.H. Manning reports that,
,durlng 1949, the lemming cycle was at a high peak in many
,plaoes in northern Canada. (Arctic Oircular, Vol. III,
')ta, II (1950) p. 20). Many drowned lemmings were seen by
the writer's party during the 1949 trip up the lower
;~elson. No snowy owls were seen during the twelve-day
.top at Baralzon Lake in early august, but many dried
pellets containing the remains of lemmings were found
below their rook perches. .