The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-26

are objects of much interest to tourists.
If let alone they are quite harmless, and
the enjoyment they afford tourists more
than offsets the mischief they do.
Wolyerine.-Wolyer while not
plentiful. are distributed over a large
part of the park, though they are sell
dom seen by tourists.
COyotes.-Coyotes are very numerous
in certain sections. They do some dam
age TO the water fowl and kill some Of
the young elk. but the antelope is the
greatest sufferer from their depreda-
| tons. If a large number Of coyotes
could be gotten rid of it would doubt
less be a great benefit to the other
game in the park.
There are some mountain lions but
these are rarely seen and do no mate
rial harm.
E'ur-bearing Animals.-The beavers
are quite numerous in the park, and in
habit the following localities: Gard-
ner river, near the post, Lupine and
Blacktail creeks, Elk creek, the Lamar
river, Slough creek, Cache creek. Soda
Butte creek few in Pelican creek, the
upper Yellowstone, Thoroughfare creek,
a few in Barlows fork Of Snake river,
some in Falls river meadows, a few
about Sh0shone lake. There is a flour
ishng colony in Nez Perez creek. a
large one near the mouth of Maggie
creek. and a goodly number in the Glib
bon river near Norris. There are some
in Cascade creek and i'm the lake, and
all the creeks that drain into the Card
iner river above the falls. The lower
beaver dam, opposite obsidian cliff, has
been rebuilt | think there are more
beavers in the park now than at any
time within the last six years. ana if
unmolested they viii rapidly increase.
Their protection, however, Is one of the
most difficult duties intrusted to the
park management. They are now quite
valuable and very easy to trap, and
their skins are easily disposed of. The
professional beaver trapper leaves al
most no sign of his work, and it is very
hard To catch him at his work.
Offers are fairly abundant and have
increased since the barren streams
have been stocked with fish.
Marten are plentiful and are widely
distributed, as are the Canadian lynx
ana wildcat.
Mink are quite plenty: foxes are
plenty, and there are a goodly number
of black and cross foxes There are
some badgers and many muskrats.
ground hogs, squirrels, skunlks, porcu-
pines and rabbits. OF the last we have
the cottontails a few jack rabbits,
many snoWShoe rabbits, besides the
pika-tny rock rabbits.
ON the whole the park is a grand sue
cess as a game preserve. The variety
of species is great, and the condition Of
most of the species is satisfactory. The
exceptions to this are: FIRST the buff
falo, which are undoubtedly away from
their natural range. the open plains,
and next the antelope, which are suf-
fering from lack of suitable winter
range, and from the depredations Of
coyotes. The elk problem is not a seri-
GUS one as vet but it undoubtedly will
be in a few years unless more suitable
territory is provided for winter range.
This territory can now be acquired with
little difficulty and at insignificant eX-
pensc, and If it is acquired promptly
there will always be elk hunting about
the edges Of the park. The longer the
acquisition of this winter range is de-
ferred the more difficult it will be- until
perhaps few generations hence the
elk problem viii become as difficult as
submitted,