, 1906-01-19
THE REPORT ON GAME.

Hon.D. C, Nowlin state game warden,
has submitted his annual report to the
governor. The Republican has had the
pleasure of looking over a printed
copy. 1t is a beautiful production. The
! warden has chosen several cuts Of an
inspiring, pleasing nature for the delec-
tation of nimrods. The frontispiece is
a mountain scene-forks of the Buffalo
river-rare in its rugged sublimity and
suggestive of bear, elk and big game OF
all kinds. One halftone illustrates a
hunter who has just laid low a mighty
= monarch between whose horns the ri
He reaches scarcely more h half
way. Other pictures present wood
land. mountain and stream.
Mr.. Nowlin lays no claim to being
an expert in English. H is just a plain
mountaineer. But his report is one of
the best filed in the governors office.
1t is concise, states the facts and is EN-
bellished with sound logic as well as
splendid illustrations. Following are
a few of the warden's interesting com
ments;
wyoming has many hundreds Of
| thousands of acres of fine farming
land; millions of acres of grazing, tim
Der N mineral lands, all destined to
be utilized in the near future; and still
other millions of acres, partly waste
and partly grazing, where wild game
can be perpetuated without injury or
inconvenience to any industry or occu-
patton.
The money value of our game is
being demonstrated with more force
each season, n that feature of the
question needs no elaboration. But 1t
may not be amiss to view the game
question, briefly, from an ethical stand
point.
Granted, as it must be, after inyes-
tigation, that our wild game can be pre-.
served indefinitely, without injuring
any legitimate enterprise or industry,
have we a right to expect such bene-
icent results as would compensate us
for the trouble and expense of protec-
ton? believe that every thoughtful
n broad-minded citizen of Wyoming
will answer this question in the affirm
alive.
THE time is not remote when this
nation will be as thickly peopied as the
countries of Europe, when parks and
breathing places will be rated at their
true value. And, when that time
comes, those who are fortunate enough
to own homes in Wyoming will bless
rough eanons-even for the desert
places-that intervene between towns
or communities, insuring an eyerlast-
ing supply of pure water and untaint-
ed air.
Nature has arranged u parks and
breathing places n recreation
grounds; thus thrown around them,
with lavishness, beautiful and inspir-
ing scenery, INT has stocked them
with some of the noblest game animals
of the western hemisphere. Shall we
bequeath these places to our children
unspoiled? Or shall we selfshly rob
them of half their charm by destroying
the game, and leave them untenanted,
silent and gloomy?
The day is near at hand when hunt
ing, as now practlced, will no longer be
in vogue. Wild game of all kinds will
be hunted with a camera and studied
from a naturalist's standpoint, and the
collector of game trophies will be elm
mated by education. In the meantime
laws must be enacted n enforced in
order that all species of our game be
saved from extinction.
'"rhe beneficial effects. physical and
moral, of an annual outing have long
been recognized, and are being en-
phasized more and more each year by
the leading medical experts. Whatev.
er helps to diversity the Landscape and
to stimulate interest in the surrounding
scenery adds TO the pleasure of the
~bebolder, thus giving real assistance
TO the health-seeker and tourist. The
expectation of seeing live game in its
natural haunts causes a majority of the
visitors to the Yellowstone park to
HahS q TOUR OI ina WOrIQ-Iameu re- |
sort. Wild game is an inherent feature
of our mountainous regions, and its alb
sence is always noted with displeasure
by the traveller. Destroy the birds and
animals of ou9 mountains and plains, |
and no artificial substitute will ever
compensate us for this loss; our chill
=area viii lament the lack of foresight,
or the s~elfshness, that robbed them of
their just Inheritance.
Our state will never be so densely
populated but that there win be ample
space left for a generous supply of wild
game. The future should always be
kept in view when dealing with the
game problem. We must look forward
to the time when our children will as
sumo control, and we will have to make
a strict accounting of our stewardship.
If we are derelict in this matter, and
suffer the game to be ruthlessly exter-