The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-02-07
HERD ARRIVES SAFELY
REFUGE IN NATIONAL RESERVE

Washington. Fe. Game Warden
Rush, Of the wichita game refuge,
IL the state Of Oklahoma, has inform
eJ he cepartme-- o. agriculture of
the reeeiy. in goot condition. Of eight
head o' antelope. which came from
tie national herd .a ne Yellowstone
PARK through re generosity Of
r.enJeIs Of the Boone and Crockett
club d New Yors. funds we're fur
n.shed FOR capturing and transporting
these animals from Wyoming 10 Ok
lahOms. The news Of the arrival OF
the antelope a. their destination has
been received with satisfaction By
the department officials, Who are
much interested In the attempt 10 pre-
serve this interesting game animal
The prOng-houed antelope IS un-
Ike any other antelope on the face
Of the earth, and has 60 many peculi-
arities that naturalists class II in a
family BY itself Formerly existing
By thousands on our open western
plains. II has now been 50 reduced in
number that it's absolute extinct on
is certain in the very near future un-
less protection is given 70 the few re-
naming. II does not do well east
Of the Mississippi river, and cannot
be successfully bred in captivity, but
II thriyes II allowed to roam practi-
cally free within large enclosures and
under conditions closely approaching
the natural ones.
In 1908 the biological survey esti-
mated that the total number OF ante
lope in the United States had been
reduced TO 10000 OF these about
10000 were in Montana, Wyoming
and the Yellowstone National Park,
and the remaining 1000 were distrib-
uted in ~ other states.
On the Wichita game refuge It is
hoped that the antelope will find them
selves in surroundings suited to their
Increase. The Wichita is really a ma
tlonal forest, and Game Warden Rush
acts as It supervisor and attends to
all the business involved in it's admin
lstration. But on the Wichita, which
was set aside by act Of congress as
national game refuge because of its
especial suitability to act as a breed
ing place for the wild creatures OF the
plains and lower Rocky mountain re-
gions, the Importance OF the game
work has overshadowed the ordinary
uses Of a national forest. There are
over $50 national forests, but only two
national game refugees.
Foresters After Game Wardens.
This does not mean that outside of
these refugees the games on the ma.
tional forests is not protected, for the
national forest officers are uniform
ly instructed 10 see that the game
laws Of the various states are observ-
ed on their forests, in so far as they
can do this in Justice to their other
duties Many Of the forest officers
are regularly appointed deputy state
game wardens, and 1t Is the policy of
the department of agriculture to en-.
courage their acting in this capacity
when they can do so without preiu.
dice to their work as forest officers |
lhey are not, however, expected to 20
on the forests in order to enforce the
game laws OF the states, nor can they
make enforcement of game laws their
principal occupation. The work OF a
forest officer in looking after Uncle
Sans affairs generally insures his be.
ing pretty busy man, and what he
does In enforcing game laws can only
De incidental to selling timber. pro-
tecting the forests from fires. looking
after grazing matters, and responding
to the various other calls which use
OF the forests by the public involves
ordinarily, game matters pertain TO
the states, and not to the national gov
ernment. The state prescribes when
and under what conditions game may
oe Killed. If it desires to prohibit the
killing Of game in certain parts of the
state. in order that the game NAV
breed there, and these parts of the
states are within the national forests,
the government co-operates with the
state to carry out the law. Such co.
operation may require the closing of
hXed areas of the national forests TO
grazing. for when big game becomes
plentiful II must have a sufficient food
supply left on the range to carry it
through the winter, or it will succumb
for lack of sustenance. If the range
is fully utilized by cattle and sheep
during the summer. elk and deer will
rare hard in the winter.
In the Wichita and tho Grand Cap