The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-02-10

difficult. and any number of photo
gapns may be secured.
The country over which they roam
is near the Pend dOrielle river The
SOIL Is sandy, held from blowing by
vegetation. There are numerous cou-
lees and few high buttes To the
east the Mission range. snow-capped
IN winter and clothed in dark green
during summer, makes an imposing
view. occasionally in winter, when
the river freezes, the herd crosses
the river and give much trouble.
In the large bay of Flathead lake.
extending west from the main body
OF water, is large island. named
wild Horse island. Several years
ago about - half breed buffaloes
and four full blooded bulls were
placed on this island and left to
roam. The island is several miles
long and not quite as great in width.
1t is we'll timbered, and rises several
hundred feet above the lake. The
writer has not been on the island.
but has been around lit on the water.
No one lives on it. Rarely is it Wis
lted, even by Indians. 1t is entirely
within the Flathead Indian reserva-
tion.
The buffaloes stayed on the island
for a couple of years. but did not like
it They began swimming to the
mainland. mile and a half away.
continuing thus until but few We're
left on the island, when they were
removed.
This short record shows what can
be done by private enterprises. and
that the work Of the Indian. In 20
years herd Of So has increased to
more than $50, or ten times the orig
ihal number. with no record of the
many sales that have been made dur
ing most of the time. In 90 wears
the number of calves lis given at 81
per year, more than double the origi-
nal number The range on which the
herd is kept certainly does not ex-
coed 40 to 100 square miles, and
they could no doubt be kept on a
smaller range than this.
There $ this notable differences he
tween the AllardPablo herd on the
Flathead reservation and the herd in
Yellowstone park. to which so much
attention has been directed and
which has done so much toward form
ing an opinion in the minds of men
adversely to save to the world herd
OF these noble animals. The Allard-
Pablo herd has a man with it con-
stantly. The animals are therefore
accustomed to man and are not
alarmed at his approach. The park
herd We're rarely seen by man, and
were not carefully looked after. The
park herd We're placed at high alti-
tude, over 1000 feet. where SHOWS
were deep. winters long and severe,
and where it was very difficult. per-
haps impossible, to give them aid in
case of scarcity of food. The Allard-
Pablo herd has range at altitude
below 5000 feet where deep SHOWS
do not occur, and where poachers
cannot modest without fear of dis
covery Moreover, hay or grain may
be taken to the herd in a few hours
in case of necessity. While they
range in a treeless valley. they have
in the range coulees. morainal de-
pressions. rivers and creek banks.
which offer shelter. Several high
buttes offer protection from the wind
while the river, creeks and ponds
supply abundance of water.
From a careful study of facts It
will become apparent that congress
SHOULD not cease in its efforts to save
the buffalo from extinction An APP
preparation Of $4,000 viii purchase
p COWS and a dozen bulls. If pur-
chased from several different herds
there is little danger from inbreed-
ing. This is as large a herd as Al
lard and Pablo had in the beginning
With the same care exercised over
this herd in 20 years the increase
from % COWS and II bulls should
make the herd number between 400
and 500. Now there are large tracts
of land leased annually for small
are large tracts in Indian reserya-
tons which can be used for some
such purpose more legitimately than
to lease to cattle men for stock. If
a tract of land containing from 30 10
100 square miles We're set apart for
this particular use, with an appro-
r@iation at the beginning of $4,000,
nd an annual appropriation of $1,000
here certainly should be no difficult
" whatever of in developing a herd
from small beginning to one that
would be credit to the nation
The government and care of the
herd should be placed under the iuris-
diction of the biological survey Of
the department of agriculture. The
men in the survey are keenly alive
to the importance of an attempt to
save the buffalo from extinction and
may be relied upon to look after the