CHARACTER OF NORTHERN SHEEP RANGE 59

caribou in close proximity to sheep. When sheep live
on these plateaux their places of refuge are below their
feeding ground in the basins and bluffs, of which there are
always some on the sides of the plateaux. It is but little
use hunting these plateaux in bad weather, as sheep will
not stay up on top at such times, nor will they do so when
they intend to take a good long rest.

While parts of the northern sheep ranges resemble in
appearance some of those to be found in the Lillooet
district, they are never at so high an altitude; very few
of them are over 6,000 feet high, and many of them not
more than 5,000, so that the long, weary climbs you have
to make to get to your ground when hunting the brown
sheep are not necessary. Compared with the hunting of
brown sheep, that of the northern sheep is simpler in every
way, and dangerous climbing is very seldom, if ever,
necessary. On more than one occasion I have done my
hunting from horseback almost entirely, and have ridden
almost to within shot of rams. Still, such a thing as this
can seldom be accomplished, and only when the conditions
are exceptionally favourable.

The most disagreeable part, as well as the most dis-
advantageous part, of northern sheep hunting is the
bitter, piercing wind that often has to be braved. Occa-
sionally you may have glorious warm days with little or
no wind, when you can saunter at your leisure and sit down
to search the surrounding country with your glasses. I
have gone up to the highest of the ranges in the middle of
September without taking a coat, and even then been
over-warm when walking. Under such conditions, only
those who have actually had such experiences can appre-
ciate what joys life can hold for those who really love the
mountains and the game that lives on them. Unfortu-
nately such days are not to be relied on, as the weather
has a most unhappy knack of giving you a touch of winter
just about the time the season opens, so that even if a
snow-storm accompanied by some severe cold does not
strike you about the time you are ready to begin your
hunting, you will indeed be in luck if you escape nasty