The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-02-23
WEATHER PINCHES
GAME IN YOSEMITE
Ranger Leidig Reports Deep
Snow and Ice.
DEER ABUNDANT AND TAME
Watchers Find Trouble Keeping Of
Mountain Lions and Coyotes
From the Herds.

Game in the Yosemite and other ma.
tional parks is thought by w r. Acker
chief Of the patents and miscellaneous
division Of the Interior Department. tC
be getting along better than was expect
ed in this hard winter. but before the
winter is over Il IS feared that many OF
the wild creatures viii perish.
Ranger Leidig sent a letter TO the
department on January 81. in which he
stated that there were fifteen inches OF
snow on the roads over the mountains
while IN the valleys the snow was In
some places many feet deep. From the
standpoint Of the birds and herbivorous
wild animals the worst feature of the
situation IS that under the snow there
IS coating of three to four inches Of
ice on the ground. This coating Of ice
has seriously interfered with the wild
creatures in their efforts 70 Obtain food
and If there Is not shortly a decided
break in the weather many Of them must
die.
Deer Are Abundant.
Ranger Leidig says that deer are
abundant in the park. and are quite
tame. He has spread salt for them i'm a
number Of places. Tho deer seem to
know thar he is carrying salt and watch
for him accordingly. As the park has
an area Of 1.512 square miles tho ranger
has q wide territory to cever I'm his
errands Of mercy. Fortunately. the
roads are pdssable, and he Is able TO get
around among his charges.
The hard winter and the segregation
Of deer and other game I'm the compare
lively few places where food is easy TO
obtain has also caused the coyotes and
other carnivOrous animals to gather at
the same places. Ranger Leidig had al
really killed a mountain lion and ten
coyotes when he wrote and said he ex-
pected to keep up his campaign against
the ''varmints" until the winter was
over.
There is a strange scarcity Of noun
tain quail and tree squirrels in the park.
The probability is that many Of the
quail have been killed off by the snow
and ice, as quail and partridges always
suffer severely in heavy snow, espe-
cially when there is ice under it.
The ranger reports that ever since the
severe storms Of January II and 10 the
rivers and streams have been frozen
solid. What effect that will have on
the fish has not vet been determined
The letter states that some of the
nlshts this winter have been the cold
est ever known In the Yosemite.
Favorable for Game.
Last winter was a particularly favor
able one for game in the Yellowstone
National Park. The effects Of the COM
paratively mid weather We're noticed
in the increased number Of animals of
all sorts that were noted by the rang
ers. Mr.. Acker is now anxfously wait
ing TO learn whether or not the exces-
siveiN long cold snaps of the present
winter have undone the good work OF
the winter before and reduced the num-
beers OF the game which the Government
has fOstered with so much care and
has hedged with so many regulations
IN the last annual report of the SUI
perintendent Of the Yellowstone Park
] 800 antelope I'm and around the park
Mountain sheep had begun TO come
back In Increased numbers and the
superintendent estimated that there
were about 100 in the park. Deer were
especially numerous and any day from
fifty TO seVenty-fiVe could be seen graz
ing on the parade ground of Fort Yell
lowstOne.
The new buffalo herd in the park conf
sisted Of twenty old animals and sevea
calves, and was doing well when the
report was written last spring. Specie
efforts viii be made TO assist the bur
falO through the heavy weather. as
the officials are particularly anxious 20
preserve AS many as possible OF tine
few remaining specimens Of the great
American animal.