The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-02-09
antelope for Oklahoma.

,,.useros, Feb Feb 9Th. Game War
VASE Of the Wichita Game Refuge
ar f" Stote of Oklahoma has informed
BE 1,,psrtrnsnt of Agriculture l of, Of the
scslP' which came from the National
pte0pt.,b he Yellowstone Park. Through
bf' I,srosity of members of the Boone
be gs"l ,Estt Club of New York, funds
81 V .'.,ished for capturing and trans
s'Te ~ these animals from Wyoming to
pfuDE The news of the arrival of
0Sl'nOI lame at their destination has been
he 'p' With satisfaction by the Depart
rs's''Sa H,ials who are much interested
PEN tempt to preserve this interest
ag g''@ ,,,oughorned antelope is unlike
Jus .sr antelope on the face of the
ay an3 has so many peculiarities that
'a'- lists class it in a family by itself.
as' D existing by thousands on our
f@D o.s+ern plains, it has now been so
'|n IN numbers that its absolute ex-
f4'1, "a certain in the very near future
a'" -roi.-tion is given to the few re-
~' It does not do well east of the
a''. ,,;ru River, and cannot be success
aA.al in captivity; but it thrives if
la-. .,3 r9 roam practically free within
'1'. enclosures and under conditions
~s .. approsching the natural ones.
T - fola the Biological Survey estimated
,,. total number of antelope in the
..:.,l States had been reduced to II, 900.
o,4b..a about 10000 were in Montana,
,-r,,o,rr anil the Yellowstone National
w.. and the remaining 1000 were dis
a,n-s5 in u other States. Z N
D a, -5s Wichita Game Refuge it is
..o.a that the antelope will find them
,,r.s m surroundings suited to their in
r.s.e The Wichita is really National
- and Game Warden Rush acts as
~ snpsrvisor and attends to all the bust
49,. ,o,5yrd in it's administration. But
+e Wichita. which was set aside by
|.- II Congress as a National Game
p.tnoe because of its especial suitability
;, ec- as breeding place for the wild
,,.stt,res Of the plains and lower Rocky
Maintain regions, the Importance of the
r,ns work has overshadowed the ordi-
s.rr gg4s of National Forest. There
.r. over $50 National Forests, but only
tro National Game Refugees.
This Toes not mean that outside of
tsss refugees the game on the National
rrrasts IS not protected, for the National
Forest Ulcers are uniformly instructed
-,.s-. TINT the game laws of the various
lr,.. are observed on their forests, in
50 fan as they can do this in justice to
ns- other duties. Many Of the forest
oS..rs ara regularly appointed Deputy
Srats ama Wardens, and it is the policy
Of ths Department of Agriculture to
encourage their acting in this capacity
vner they can do so without prejudice to
thei. work IS forest officers. They are
not however, expected to go off the for
ssts ~ .ldar to enforce the game laws
Of yar States, nor can they make en-
torctuent Of game laws their principal
occupation. The work of forest officer
III ook e after Uncle Sans affairs gen.
auy nsures his being a pretty busy
nan an what he does in enforcing game
laws can only be incidental to selling
tn5sr. protecting the forests from fires,
Docking after grazing matters, and re-
sponliug 10 the various other calls which
us5 Of the forests by the public involves.
Ordinarily, game matters pertain to
TIT States and not the National Govern
meat The State prescribes when and
under what conditions game may be kill
Cd, If 1t desires to prohibit the killing
Of game il certain parts of the States,
in mCeI hat the game may breed there,
and these parts of the States are within
the National Forests, the Government
m-0perates with the State to carry out
The 'aw such cooperation may require
The closing of fixed areas Of the National
Forests to grazing, for when big game
becomes plentiful it must have a suffici-
e1t Iood supply left on the range to carry
through the winter, or it will succumb
LOT lack Of sustenance. If the range is
fully utilized by cattle and sheep during
the summer. elk and deer will fare hard
lynn the winter.
IN the Wichita and the Grand Canyon
Osfae Refugees the Government has not
1911 the matter of caring for game pro-
lection wholly to the States, but has es-
abolished National reservations on which
al attempt will be made to breed game.
Inc Wichita is notable for the fact that
" mas a small herd of buffalo upon it,
"alch the game warden regards as the
apps OF his eye. They were donated by
nut American Bison Society and shipped
hun the New York Geological Garden in
i'Vo' They then numbered Is, and have
"nce been increased by the. addition of 10
''VeS' two of the original herd, how
s'si' died IN the first year. To the buff
'aoeS are now added the antelope.
Inc antelope were shipped from yell
""SVone Park; and have been liberated