The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-12-20
GRAND ISLAND GAME PRE-
 SERVE

Elk, Moose and Caribou, Pheasants and
 and Grouse Found in Native State.
 Excepting only Yellowstone Park,
 Grand Island, in Lake Superior, Is the largest and most complete game in the United States. Nesting in the wa ter of the great inland sea, this pie | turesque native woodland, with it's roekbound shores, is a veritable gem of nature.
 Grand Island resembles in shape a transposed outline of the State of Louisiana, but here the similarity ends. The island contains but 13,000 acres, or about twenty square miles. It is ten miles long and four miles wide.
 It's unbroken forests of pine and hardwood have been converted into a game preserve in which nearly every species of game animal and bird na- tive to this latitude can now be found in it's native State, says the Muskegon Chronicle. The physical nature of the project.
 Over half the coast line is bounded by perpendicular cliffs rising to an elevation of from 40 to $50 feet above the level of Lake Superior, forming a perpetual barrier against escape In some places along the coast line these miniature mountain ranges are broken by deep ravines and gulches, which in most eases are sequestered valleys of singular loveliness.
 Where three valleys open an exit to the lake, game fences have been built to prevent the animals from gaining access to the mainland by swimming 1 the channel in summer or crossing the ice in the winter season. At a point two and a half miles north of the southern extremity of the island a game fence twelve feet in height and extending east and west to the shore line. has been built, enclosing an area of about 5000 acres over which the animals Is roam at will
 Between two lofty ridges that traverse the island from north to the south IS a dense cedar swamp. three miles long and one mile wide at it's broadest point. This is the natural home of the caribou, which feed upon the dry, gutllnous mixture commonly called moss and found in great auani- titles in this region.
 The original herd of caribou was brought to the island three years ago | from Deer Lake Newfoundland. There were five animals in the herd Like their near relatives the moose, they l are slow breeders, but grow to enor- nous size, There are probably a. score of specimens of the moose fam fly on Grand Island, one of which has attained its full growth, now being about 15 years old, and weighing LOGO pounds The moose were imported from Canada and northern Minnesota
 Other big game in the Grand Island preserve iB a herd of elk. Originally it numbered eleven, but since brought tO the island three years ago it has largely increased, the elk being a pro- life breeder.
 During certain seasons of the year men are employed by the company to carry on war of extermination against the fox, mink and other small animals which prey upon the game birds. The beaver, however. is allow ed to propagate, and many specimen, have been brought to the island and given the freedom of it's several streams. The native or ruffed grouse arc plentiful in all parts of the pre- serve, and the spruce hen, bird now almost extinct is present in great numbers.
 From Scandinavia two years ago the company imported 150 game birds, also members of the grouse family and from Manitoba it secured a number of sharp tailed grouse. The birds se- cured from the Scandinavian peninsula are known as the capercailzie and or rle. The former is possessed of habits much like those of the partridge to the native to the Lake Superior re- zion. There are many other speci- mems of game birds on the island. among them the English ring neck pheasant, bird of highly colored plumage, and the wild turkey. The latter were obtained in the Indian Ter ritory and are the most difficult of all game birds to propagate.
 The capercailzie, 0r "black game bird of Norway" is one of the largest species of game birdsin the world. be- ing very hardy and frequently attain ing weight exceeding fifteen pounds. but when the birds are young they are easy prey of hawks. The birds are known as rangers, for the reason that while in quest of food they cover | a wide expanse of territory. During | periods of heavy snowfall they burrow into the snow and remain until the | storm subsidies before venturing out again. Their food in winter consists chiefly of birch buds and in summer | they catch mice and other small ani-