The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-08
YELLOWSTONE PARK
Extend 1t to Take in the Teton For
est Reserve.
Denver News.


The bill for the enlargement OF the yell
lowstone National Park, sent to the SEN
ate by Secretary Hitchcock, is both COM
mended and condemned in Wyoming. 1t
the park is enlarged the addition will be
at the expense of the state OF Wyoming,
and will take from the state some Of its
most magnificent scenic country, including
the beautiful region about Jackson's lake
and the Three Tetons, and this phase of
the uuesti ion does not appeal to the people
Of the state. That the game of the region,
now slaughtered by residents of the sec
ton, should be protected is the wish OF
every sportsman in the state, and as the
state has proved unable to furnish the
protection, the general desire is that the
government take the matter in hand.
The enlargement of the park, if made,
will undoubtedly be effected by extending
the eastern boundary to include all or
part of the Yellowstone park timber land
reserve, and of the southern boundary to
include at least part of the Teton forest
reserve. A year ago the number Of elk
in these reserves and in the park was es-
timated to be $4,000, 10000 OF which were
in the immediate vicinity of Jackson's
lake, a great wintering place. On the
timber reserves the animals are protected
by the game laws of Wyoming, but the
laws are not enforced in one case out of
ten, and the residents of the country Dor
dering the reserves do not seem to re-
alize that the game laws are intended to
apply in their case. 1t is common talk
that the chief summer diet of the resi-
dents Of the country is sailed elk meat.
The Yellowstone park timber land re-
serve covers about 1000 square miles,
1000 square miles in Big Horn county and
400 square miles in Uinta county. Here
every spring thousands of elk and count
less herds of deer gather to take advant-
age of the pasturage afforded. At the
present time the entire eastern part Of the
reserve is overrun with the animals, some
OF the herds being SO vast that they cover
the country as far as can be seen. The
animals are now closer to the outside
world than they get at any other season
Of the year, and while many are being
killed, the slaughter does not compare
with that which occurs in the Teton re-
serves later in the year.
The Teton forest reserve embraces the
celebrated Jackson's Hole, long a haven
of refuge for Mormons who failed to get
along with their neighbors in other states.
In this country the elk gather each fall
to pass the winter, and though scarcely
fifty miles from their spring feeding
ground, are separated from it by an almost
impossible barrier of rugged peaks and
bad lands. To go from one feeling
ground to the other the animals are COM
PEELED to make the long trip westward
around Yellowstone and south to the Jack
sons Hole. Residents of the two regions
take another route, passing to the south
ward of the mountains and thereby avoid
ing the park and the restrictions imposed
by the government. If the park bound
aries are enlarged the reserve will cover
not only the spring feeding ground and the
winter feeding ground, but also the coun-
try which must be traversed by the herds
in passing from one to the other
The principal slaughter of elk occurs in
the Jackson Hole county, and the adjacent
districts in Idaho and Wyoming. There
is much show of obeying and enforcing
the state game laws, but nevertheless
steady stream Of beautiful antlers and the
much sought after elk teeth comes out
of the district the year round. Wyoming
is the principal supply place of elk teeth
for the entire country, and as only bulls
have tusks, and but four good ones each,
the extent of the slaughter can be ap-
preciated.
If the proposed extension Of the parks
limits occurs, there will doubtless be a
strong protest lodged by the residents OF
the Jackson's Hole and other surrounding
districts as well as from the state at
large, but the extension will be urged by
fully as great number of people in the
southern and eastern counties.