Evening star., 1909-01-24
CARE OF WILD GAME
More Wisdom Shown by Can
ada Than This Country.
DECREASE OF THE ELK
apparently No Friends to Look
After the Antelope.
WHERE BEARS ROAM HARMLESS
Bruin Becoming So Numerous in the
Yellowstone Park That He Is
Becoming a Menace.
WHERE BEARS ROAM HARMLESS
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Mr.. T. S. Palmer, chief Of the division
Of game preservation in the Department
Of Agriculture, says that there Is herd
Of 200 elk in the Yellowstone Park and
the forest reserve adjoining 1t in north
ern Wyoming. Gen. Young, who has been
superintendent OF Yellowstone Park for
several years. says that hunters have esti-
mated the herd as high as 10000 head:
and while nobody knows the exact num-
Der, because there is no way to count
the animals. they undoubtedly number
between 25,OOO and $4,000. They spend
the summer in the Yellowstone Park, and
as winter approaches move southwark to
a lower altitude to find grazing. They
can stand any amount of cold if they can
get food.
| Mr.. Palmer says that several thousands
of them winter around the town of Gardi-
ner, near the Mammoth Hot Springs. and
| in Hayden valley, in the northeastern
portion of the park. where there is an
| open country and plenty Of food; more
go down into the Wyoming state game
| preserve. where range of more than
100000 acres was set apart in 1905, and
others go down into Jackson's Hole,
which is rapidly being filled up with
settlers. and where, for that reason, they
are no longer safe. A great part of the
Wyoming game preserve is too high for
them, and in JackSon's Hole their old
winter range is being rapidly covered with
cattle and settlers, who cut the hay from
the pastures. The elk get so hungry that
they actually climb the haystacks and
feed upon them.
The elk are very cunning and know the
boundaries of the park. While they are
inside of them they are very tame and
do not show fear when they see people
approaching; but the moment they cross
the line they become very shy and wary.
Another Preserve Required.
1.-The elk have been much more numer-
our than they are today" said Mr.. Pal
mer, land they have inhabited that part
of the country from time immemorial.
The Yellowstone Park was established in
1872 the game laws were passed in 1894
their range was created a forest reserve
in 1904 and the Wyoming state game pre-
serve was created in 1905; but the prob
lem still before the government is to find
them a permanent feeding ground, where
they will be protected during the winter.
as they are now protected in the park
during the summer season. There has
been bill before Congress for several
years authorizing the President to set
aside certain tracts of country as refugees
for wild game, and last session sixteen
special bills for this purpose were intro
duced.
"The government now has two game
preserves-one on the Wichita river, in
Oklahoma and the other in the Grand
Canyon Of AriZona-and action should be
taken to provide third for the protection
of the Yellowstone herd Of elk as soon as
possible. They move about in large
bands, sometimes in hundreds and some
times in thousands, keeping together like
cattle. They breed rapidly, the females
having one and sometimes two calves a
year. They are reasonably we'll pro-
tected against hunters. and the greatest
obstacle to their increase Is the lack of
winter food. The best place for them is
on their old range in Jackson's Hole,
which is a deep gorge shut in by the
Teton mountains on the west and the
Gros Ventre mountains on the east. The
banks of the Gros Ventre river are not
suitable for settlement, and would make
an excellent game preserve. The state
warden of Wyoming, who has investi-
gated the subject thoroughly. recommends
that four townships, comprising thirteen
square miles, be set apart. This is not
enough, but 1t is more than he will get.
Other Large Herds.
There are other large herds. probably
a5,OOO more. although nobody can tell. be-
cause there is no way of counting them.
grazing in western Montana, eastern
iudIlo anu dSioSS tiic DoldSI III +AiDci Id
province of the Dominion. They range
on the Rockies and come down into
lower attitudes in the winter, where
they can get the best food They have
been in that part of the country for ages.
and some permanent provision ought to
be made for them before the land is all
taken up.
In the Olympic mountains Of Washing
ton state Is another distinct species
called the Roosevelt elk. in honor Of our
President, which number between 3.OOO
and 800, and proposition has been be-
fore Congress for several years to estab-
lish preserve for them also. 1t came
very near passing both houses a few
years ago, but failed and has not been
| revived. There are few--we don't know
Cascade mountains in the western part of
Oregon. These animals are supposed to be
protected by the state laws. but in Oregon
there is an open season in which every
body is allowed to shoot one elk and that
keeps down the numbers.
Down in the San Joaquin valley of
California. west Of Bakersfield, out on the
hot open plain, not far from the Oil re-
elk, numbering between 100 and $50. In
1865 we took twenty Of them up into the
Seauoia National Park, where they are
doing well and increasing in numbers.
The California laws are very strict. 1t Is
felony to kill an elk out there. so that
they are comparatively well protected
'The bands have spoken Of represent
four different species. and there was once
fifth species in the White mountains Of
northeastern Arizona. 1t was called the
Merriam elk in appreciation for what DIR.
Merriam of the Department of Agricul-
ture had done for the preservation of
game In this country: but Notwithstanding
his efforts that species Is extinct. The
last animal was killed ten years ago.
with the addition of a few animals on
Vancouver Island, I have given you the
entire distribution of the elk upon the ter
ritory of the United States proper with
out reference to Alaska; and what we
need is authority for the President to set
aside refugees where they can find food in
winter as we'll as In summer upon the
ranges which they have been in the habit
| Of occupying for ages in Wyoming Mon
tana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. 1t
is not necessary to withdraw any further
land from settlement because there is
plenty of room in the national forests,
and it only needs the action of Congress
| to authorize the President to take the ne
cessary steps for their protection
other Rio Gama