The story begins within the dark, boreal forests near the boundary between Ontario and Manitoba, where two hunting parties are camping before they embark within the morning. The groups contains two Scottish adventurers (young theology student, Simpson, and his psychologist uncle, Dr. Cathcart, who studies mass hysteria), an indigenous cook named Punk, and two Canadian guides, the foul-mouthed outdoorsman Davis and therefore the nature-obsessed French-Canadian Défago. Since the moose are uncommonly scarce (a week has gone without a kill), the groups plan to break up , which seems to stress Défago. When Cathcart inquires into his worries, Davis rolls his eyes and intimates that the Quebecois is frightened of an old fairy tale, which Défago angrily denies. they are going to sleep, but Punk stays up late, smelling the air coming down the lake: it's an unfamiliar odor that concerns him, but he keeps this to himself.