The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-19
HUNTS The LIONS.
Buffalo Jones Tells How He De-
strOyed Them.
Exciting Experiences With COu-
gars in the Yellowstone.
ENEMIES OF THE ELK.
Killed Young and Prevented In
crease Of Herds.
Also Destroyed the Buffalo in
the Park.
ENEMIES OF THE ELK.

G. j. Jones, better known as Buffalo
Jones' who recently resigned as game
warden Of Yellowstone Park, is at his
home at sos Harrison street, visiting
his family and looking for new worlds
70 conquer
Five years ago when President Roose-
welt recommended Buffalo Jones as the
one man in the country suitable for the
place Of game warden Of the great Ma
tional Park many Of the old scouts of
the wonderland OF America set up a
cry that a tender Foot would not do.
Mr.. Jones had hardly become acquaint-
ed with them by sight before they were
ready and willing to do anything in their
power to assist him In the work that
he had undertaken. for they immed-
lately saw in him a man thoroughly
familiar with the work which he was
about to undertake.
The first few months, in fact the first
year, that Colonel Jones spent in the
great national preserve was spent in
acquatnting himself with the conditions
which prevailed and studying out re-
forms for the evils which existed. Many
OF the reforms which were instituted by
Mr.. Jones did not meet with the ap-
proYal Of hardy Westerners who had
lived their lives In the park, and at first
u.
However it was but a short time until
the wisdom Of his methods were to be
seen When Mr.. Jones took charge Of
the park he found the conditions exist
ing deplCrable. There were not as many
Of the animals which were supposed to
be protected in the park as there were
fifteen years before when he visited the
park as a tourist. There were but a
few specimens Of the male elk to be
found in the park and invariably they
were diseased and it seemed that a few
more years would see the race extinct
as far as the park was concerned. The
deer, mountain sheep and antelope were
so diminished in numbers that it SEEM
ed that they, too, would become extinct
before a remedy could be discovered for
the mortality in their ranks. But Of all
of the animals in the park the buffalo
had Jared the worst, for there was hard
" cOrpOraPs guard of them left and
the older guides in the park could
scarcely remember when a buffalo calf
had lived to reach maturity and the
remnant Of the herd were so old that
the members were dying of old age. The
first thing that Mr.. Jones did upon as
Stunning his duties in the park was to
find the cause for the existing condi-
tons This was not hard matter for
he soon learned that in the springtime
that there were a large number Of
calves following their buffalo mothers
and this was equally true of all Of the
other protected animals in the preserve.
The fact that none of the young of
these animals reached maturity indicat-
ed that they were being destroyed by
their animal enemies.
Mr.. Jones soon found the most de-
structive and ferocious of these to be
the moUntoin lions or cougars, which
were so plentiful and bold that they
did not hesitate to attack their prey in
broad daylight and in the open. Nor
were the lions the only enemies of the
young and unprotected offsprings of
these animals which the government is
striving to protect and perpetuate. The
wolves and coyotes came in for their
share and then the immense eagles were
to be reckOned with for they do not
hesitate to sweep down on the half
grown young of the mountain sheep,
antelope and deer. After further in
vestigation Mr.. Jones found that in
nearly every instance where the victim
was an elk, that it was q young male.
This was a puzzling proposition but
after watching them for a time he
found that at the season of the year
when the young ellks were cutting their