, 1905-01-24
TUESDAY, JANUARY "a, 1905.
AN INTERESTING PUBLIC DOCU.
MENT.

PAhbhiNt VI
twenty-six pages and does great credit
to the author. Mr.. Nowlin has been
particularly fortunate in the selection
OF his pictures. The first is a beauti
full halftone entitled. "At Last" A
veteran hunter stands with rifle 'at
ease" viewing the form of a mammoth
bear, who has fallen by his prowess.
Other illustrations are, "Snowbound,"
Hunting the Blacktail,' and The
Work of the Tusk Hunters"
But there Is nor than beauty in the
report of the game warden. Every
page Is replete with valuable informa-
ton and the compilation of the infor-
nation Is made in such a way as to
Indicate that Mr.. Nowlin handles the
pen as well as the rifle. He makes no
pretense that the law is not violated,
but says the general trend of public
sentiment is toward a stricter en-
forcement of all laws for the protec-
ton of wild animals and birds"
Opponents Of game protection he
says "actua.ed by various motives, all
based upon ~selfishness. are fond of
magnifying and heralding aboard every
~infraction of the game laws, great or
small, hoping thus to discredit the en-.
tire scheme of game protection"
Stringent game laws will always be
unpopular with two classes of people
resident pot hunters n poachers and
nonresident trophy and tusk fiends.
Happily but few of our own citizens or
spOrtsmen from other states belong to
either class"
The warden refers to the elk as the
largest and most numerous of our big
ea~n animals. About two hundred
1870 .de ofg Horn mountains and
q few in Albany n Carbon counties,
but the bulk OF them-probably %. 900
range on the Yellowstone forest re-
serve. During the early part OF the
season just passed nearly every good
camping place was occupied by hunt
ers, who pursued the elk from one
vantage ground to another, until many
hundreds Of them were forced to take
refuge in the National Park, where
hunters could not follow.
Actual observation of these condi-
tons has convinced me- a y Mr.Now-
lin, that certain small, non-contiguous
areas should be set apart upon the elk
range and hunting absolutely prohib,
tied thereon. These would afford much
needed shelter to the elk during the
open season, and they would rapidly
learn to seek safety in such places.
II the federal government would do.
nate a few townships of the Yellow,
stone forest reserve to the state of
Wyoming, to be used only as state
game parks, and the state would make
roper provisions for the protection of
game in such parks, itwould be a happy
solution of the vexatious game pre-.
serve" problem which threatens to
cause some friction between our state
and national authorities.
Half a dozen townships could Q
selected in the mountainous section,
where domestic stock never range, and
each of these townships thoroughly
protected by two wardens during the
open season, In winter, when all big
game animals leave the higher ranges,
these parks" would require no more
supervision than other portions of the
big game sections. Protection of this
sort, during the milder months of the
year, is an absolute necessity"
Here is a recommendation that
should receive the earnest and care.
full attention of the legislature:
"All nonresident hunters land some
Of our own people, kill male elk ex-
clusively for their heads. which are
mounted as trophies. Several years
of this sort Of hunting has caused a
scarcity Of bulls amongst the elk, and
change in Section 21O9 of our game
laws, limiting each hunter to bull
and one COW, or two cows, is neces-
sary."
Mr.. Nowlin regards the wanton de
struction of elk for their tusks as an
other reason for the scarcity Of bulls.
He says "the tusk hunter carries away
no part Of the dead animals that might
be c~onflscated and used as evidence
against him. The tusks are easily
concealed and al be sent away easily
by mail to INSCRIPTIONS dealers. Even
when caught red-handed. the penalty
provided for such an ofense is wholly
inadequate. The penalties in our pri-
vate game laws see to be sufficiently
severe for ordinary violation. but 1
most earnestly recommend that the
killing Of ali big game animals for
their heads. scalps, horns or tusks be
made q felony. The buying or selling
the elk tusks should also be made a
felony"
The game warden directs attention
to the antelope, which abound in every