materials; but in order to use them with effect in killing deer, the sagacity of the hunter is often severely tested, for with the Eskimo there is no cover behind which to hide or creep upon his prey. The hunter's first precaution is, of course, to keep the deer to windward, for the moment they catch the scent of an enemy they are off, and to get within range of the wary animals upon the open plains or rocky barrens is often a difficult matter. A common way of working, when several hunters are together, is for some to take up positions in concealment, while the others drive the deer their way, causing them to pass within range of the deadly shafts. At a moderate distance an Eskimo with his ingeniously constructed bow can drive an arrow its full length into a deer.
Occasionally vast herds of deer, numbering many thousands, are met with, and at such times their numbers appear to give them confidence. The hunter then has no trouble in approaching them, but may go up and kill as many as he desires, either with bow and arrow or with spear.
The spear, however, is chiefly used for killing deer in the water. At certain seasons of the year, when travelling north or south, the deer cross streams, rivers, or lakes in great numbers, and these crossings are commonly effected year after year in the same place. The hunter, knowing their habits, lies in wait at the crossings, and often from his kyack spears large numbers as they are swimming past.
When more deer are killed than are required for immediate use, the carcases are "cached," that is, they are covered over by piles of stones to preserve them from the wolves and foxes, and the place of their burial
