The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-02-24
GOVERNMENT INTRODUCES AN
TELOPE INTO OKLAHOMA

Washington, Feb. 15.-Game War
den Rush, Of the Wichita Game Re-
fuge in the State Of Oklahoma. has
informed the Department of Agricnl-
ture OF the receipt in good condition
OF head Of antelope, which came
from the National herd In the yell
lowstone Park. Through the gener-
osity Of members Of the Boone and
Crockett Club of New York, funds
were furnished for capturing and
transporting these animals from Wyo-
ming to Oklahoma. The news Of the
arrival Of the antelope at their des-
tination has been received with sat
lisfaction by the Department officials,
who are much interested in the Ct
tempt to preserve this interesting
game animal
The pronghorned anterope is I'M
like any other antelope on the face OF
the earth, and has so many peculiar
lities that naturalists class 1t In a
family by itself. Formerly existing
by thousands on our open Western
plains, It has now been SO reduced in
numbers that its absolute extinction
| is certain in the very near future
unless protection is given to the few
remaining. It does not do we'll east
OF the Mississippi river, and can not
be successfully bred in captivity: but
i 1t thrives if allowed to roam practi-
1 cally free within large enclosures and
under conditions closely approaching
the natural ones.
4 In 1908 the Biological Survey es-
] timated that the total number Of an
telope in the United States had been
reduced to 1900. Of these about
Il 10, 900 were in Montana, Wyoming
and the Yellowstone National Park,
J and the remaining 1000 We're distri-
butde in IL other states.
on the Wichita Game Refuge 1t
7 is hoped that the antelope will lind
themselves in surroundings suited to
! their increase. The Wichita is really
National Forest, and Game Warden
Rush acts as its supervisor and at
tends to all the business involved IN
( its administration. But on the Wich-
tia, which was set aside by Act OF
: Congress as National Game Refuge
, because of it's special suitability to
act as breeding place for the wild
I creatures of the plains and Lower
3 Rocky Mountain regions, the import
s ance of the game work has oyershad'
owed the ordinary uses of Nationa
1 Forest. There are over $50 Nationa
Forest, but only two National Game
Refugees.
This does not mean that outside
d of those refugees the game of thu
d National Forests is not protected, TO
s the National Forest officers are uni
4 formly instructed to see that the
e game laws of the various states ar
observed on their Forests insofar a
they can do this in justice to thei
other duties. Many of the Fores
9 officers are regularly appointed De
putty State Game Warden, and 1t i
the policy of the Department of Agri
culture to encourage their acting Il
this capacity when they can do s.
without prejudice to their work a
:. Forest officers They are not, how
a ever. expected to 60 of the Forest
in order to enforce the game laws Q
the states, nor can they make en-
/. forcement Of game laws their prin
cipal occupation. The. work OF
Forest officer in looking after Uncl
II Sans affairs generally insures nj
y being a pretty busy man, and wha
II he does in enforcing game laws ca
IS only be incidental to selling timber
le protecting the forests from fires
d looking after grazing matters, an
r responding to the various other call
R which use of the forests by the pull
= lie involves.
le Ordinarily game matters pertain 7
% the states, and not to the Nations
A. Government. The state prescribe
when and under what condition
IS game may be killed. If 1t desires
le prohibit the killing of game IN Gel
Al tain parts OF the state, in order tina
d. he game may breed here, and tines
parts OF the states are within IN
National Forests, the Government g
= operates with the state to carry 9,
the law. Such cooperation may r
\ quire the closing Of fixed areas Of y
y National Forests to grazing, for whe
big game becomes plentiful IT pu'
have a SUFFICIENT food supply left 9
4 the range to carry 1t through y
= winter, or 1t will succumb for LAG
~ ~ C,,cf onanc IF the range is ful