The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-12-11
FOR %BuFFALoEs.
to Use the Wichita
Forest Reserve.

Forest Reserve.
GREAT GAME PRESERVE PLANNED
Intensive Tract Of Mountain Land In
Oklahoma Said to Furnish Excel
Tent Haunts For Animals Unaccus-
toned to Civilization-Climatc Well
Suited to DuRaIoes-smaller Game
to De Introduced.
To make the Wichita forest reserve
IN the Wichita mountains Of northwest
ern Comanche county, Okla, a great
game preserve, for the purpose pri-
marily Of perpetuating the almost ex-
tinct American buffalo, once SO numer
Gus owe this western country, is IN in
teresting project upon which a num-
Der of southwestern sportsmen have
interested themselves, says the Kansas
City Journal. Little is being said about
the plans. The people interested, how
ever, are quietly getting in whatever
work they can, crenting a sentiment
In that direction, and they seem to
have hopes of ultimately securing sue
cess for the undertaking.
Briefly, it may be explained that in
the Wichita hills of southwestern Ok
lahOma a forest reserve of $4,000 acres
was set apart by congress years ago.
Since that time this reservation has
been utilized only by a few stockmen.
whose stock has been running wild
over the rough and timbered tract. 1t
furnishes excellent haunts for those
animals not accustomed to civilization.
and for that reason, if nothing more,
it is eminently adapted to become the
permanent home of the last remnant
Of the buffalo. The climate is exactly
suited to the animal. Then there is
the vegetable growth sufficient to sus-
tain easily d large herd of them. For
centuries before the country was set
tied by whites, no doubt, it was the
abode, along with other parts of west
ern America. of the buffalo. The
sportsmen use this In arguing that
there would be no question Of the for
est reserves fitness on the score Of
climatic conditions.
? Again, this tract Of mountainous land
is surrounded by the land possessions
Of the Kiowas, Comanches, Apaches
and Caddoes. They and the buffalo are
old friends. The Indians long ago came
to regard the buffalo as almost a part
OF the Divinity, and it would rejoice
the tribes Of southwestern Oklahoma
to have him returned to that part of
the country where only they could, for
the sake of olden times, get a glimpse
Of his rawboned frame, covered by
the growth of shaggy hair. 1t would
be scarcely necessary for the whites,
according to the belief of those back
ing the project, to exercise any great
vigilance for the protection of the buff
faloes in this reserve. The animal,
with his almost sacred position among
the aborigines, would be safely guard
ed from the ruthless search Of white
hunters.
It is a matter of common knowledge
that the buffalo is doomed to complete
unless the government and
a few wealthy stockmen interested in
the upbuilding Of this animal race take
the matter up in proper form. In the
park there are a number
of buffalo-nobody seems to understand
just how many. Buffalo Jones of
Topeka. Kan, who was made game
Of that park, is supposed to
have the figures somewhere about his
but if SO they have not been
given any publicity. The conditions in
the Yellowstone render easy the pos
of an incursion into the great
reserve from adjacent mountains and
escape after shooting as many of the
animals as desired. But in southwest
Oklahoma, the reservation tanked
On every side by the Indian allot-
ments, whose occupants are eve ready
% fight for the preservation of the buff
ralo. this feature would be removed.
Besides the few in the Yellowstone
park there is the herd at the Goodnight
'anch. Texas. n in Montana, another
Minnesota. possibly a few head in
me or two large geological gardens and
he herds OF Buffalo Bill and of Paw
lee Bill at Pawnee, Okla. These could
,e gathered together and when not on