Evening star., 1909-08-26

been in the park for thirty-two years,
estimates that there are $1,000 elk IN the
park and that they are increasing at the
rate of about 40 per cent annually Jhls
increase is somewhat offset by the annual
shooting under the game laws, which
hermit a hunter TO kill one bull elk, but
prohibit the shooting of cows entirely.
Hofer thinks this law ought to be modl-
fed so as TO double the allowance. and
to remove the restrictions against shoot
ing the cows because. on humane, prin-
ciples, it is necessary that the nerds
should be reduced. or an epidemic sooner
or later will wipe them out entirely.
Hofer is an ardent advocate OF the
policy of demonstrating the elk for food
and for hides. which are becoming quite
valuable. A full-grown elk is worth from
S75 to S1OO as food: the hide is worth
from 81 10 s.. and 1t costs very little TO
maintain a bunch of fifteen or twenty
animals-not half as much as TO fatten
the same number of cows.
His Views of the Beaver.
Hofer also thinks the beaver can be
domesticated with great profit. Any
man. he says, can make good living
in this country by breeding beavers for
fur If he has stream and aspen, will
low, birch or other trees with succulent
bark, which they eat for food. 1t would
be necessary to have running water and
FIVE or six acres of ground, such as Is
worthless for other purposes. 1t could be
fenced III with wire net at small eX-
pense. and the beavers would take care
Of themselves. A man might make
handsome income from beaver farm
of this sort. for they breed very rapidly.
Each female averages four little ones
q year, and the furs now sell for from
s5 to $40 each. There are several wild
animal ranches in this country, and
thousands Of blue and silver foxes are
being raised in Alaska
The deer are SO numerous and SO tame
in the park that they can be photo
around the hotels: they stand in groups
by the roadside, with their beautiful heads
uplifted and their beautiful eyes watching
the strange objects that pass by. They
have no sense of fear within the park
limits, but when they cross the boundary
all animals show an entirely different
disposition. They seem to know that
they are safe here. and their instinct
tells them where the danger line lies.
The other day group consisting of a
buck with beautiful horns. a doe and
two fawns stood in the road without
stirring as l passed within four feet of
them. and while we were driving from
the Yellowstone canyon To Mammoth Hot
Springs a big black bear walked slowly
out from the forest into the roadway and
stood locking calmly at us. The driver
pulled up the horses about fifty feet
from the animal, and, not being familiar
with the etiquette regulating such en-
counters, we remained perfectly still,
wondering whether Mr.. Bear would eat
us up or give friendly welcome. He
stared at us few minutes in an in
different sort of way. and then plunged
OF: into the woods with a clumsy lope.
Objects Of Interest.
The bears are numerous and among
the greatest objects of interest in the
park. After dinner in the evening every
body goes out to the scrap heap in the
rear of the hotels where the garbage
from the kitchen is dumped. and some
times as many as ten twelve of the
animals come out of the woods to eat
it-blacks, grizzlies. silver-tips and Gin
namons The blacks are very tame. and
none of them is dangerous IF We leave
them be-" as the garbage man explained.
But it Is dangerous to trifle with them.
and a soldier is always present to prevent
reckessness among the visitors. and to
shoot any bear that becomes obstreperous.
The black and brown bears are exceed
ingly afraid of the grizzly. and with
good cause. because the latter will kill
and eat their young II he can get hold
of them. So when Mr.. Grizzly comes
along Mrs. Black and Mrs. Cinnamon
Bear send their cubs up into trees for
safety, or start them off into the woods.
Capt. Jack Pitcher says that the griz-
for that reason the mother bear always
takes a vacation and leaves her husband
until the baby is big enough to take care