Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-22
SAVING THE BUFFALO
Report indicates Animals Are
Increasing in Number.
FIGURES NOW SHOW 2,108
New Fenced Range Established
During Year in Montana.
CONTAINS OVER $4,000 ACRES
American Bison Society Gives In
teresting Data-No Danger of
Species Becoming Extinct.
CONTAINS OVER $4,000 ACRES

There are now altogether c.1oS buff
falo in North America. These "buffal 10"
are really bison, but the term buffalo
has been applied so long and generally
to the American bison that the term
conveys more meaning to the general
reader. This census OF the animals is
the work of the American Bison So
ciety. that has been trying to save the
breed from extinction. In comparison
with former years it shows that the
animals are on the increase and the
annual report of the society says that
the danger of the animals becoming eX-
tinct seems to have passed.
The figures given include the buffalos
in the geological gardens all over the
country, the national herds, the scat
tered herds in private ownership and
the few wild bison that are still at
large.
The society states that the most no
table event of the past year was the
establishment of a new fenced range in
Montana, where nucleus herd of
forty-seven animals was turned loose
under the supervision of a game war
den The bison have gone well through
the winter and the outlook for the flu
ture is promising.
Contains Twenty-Five Square Miles.
The society worked for several years
to secure the fenced reservation and the
nucleus herd in Montana. The pasture
comprises a tract of twenty-nine square
miles, or something over $4,000 acres on
the F'lathead reservation. 1t is cut by
Mission creek, quite a large stream. and
has number of smaller streams running
from the hills There are within the IN
closure three very fair-sZed mountains,
and Dr. William r. Hornaday, the presi-
dent of the society, says that the range
is as near ideal for the animals as couid
be secured The grass is thick, the
water good and there is some timber in
the hills but not more than is good for
the range. The herder'S house, In one
corner OF the reservation, is comfortable
and is connected with the outside world
by a telephone running along the top OF
the pasture fence.
The fence itself is six feet. six inches
high and is strong and durable II was
erected by the workmen of the forest
service as being the cheaper and quicker
way to have the work done. 1t is esti-
mated that the inclosed space will easily
support 800 bison, 500 antelope. 100 deer
and 100 elk specimens OF all or which are
to be released in the Enclosure.
The government now owns three good
sized herds of bison-the Montana herd,
with a total of Al: the Wichata herd of
10 and the Yellowstone Park herd of %.
Bought From Conrad Herd.
OF the recently established Montana
herd 81 were bought from the herd of
IS established by the late C. E. Conrad
on Ills estate at Kalispell, Mont, seventy
FIVE miles from the new range of the
government herd. The purchases were
mace from the widow, Mrs. Alicia Con
rad. They include animals from one to
seven years old, and are really the pick
of the herd. In addition, Mrs. Conrad
gave two more very fine bison. one of
them kalisren Chief, the leader of the
herd
The shipping Of the herd from tre
Conrad ranch to the new reservation was
an interesting and rather exciting ex-
periencc, but as accomplished wilho 1T
loss. The sco-ety is very well satisfied
with the present outlook of bison in
nerica, and states that it believes the
future Of the breed in this country IS
assured