The Washington herald., 1912-01-07
SAM GOES TO THE RESCUE
OF OUR ONLY BIG HERD OF ELK

elevated land. to which the animals could
retire when not feeding.
Undoubtedly at least one such refuge,
and possibly two or three. viii Be soon
established lfr. d. c. Nowiin, formerly
the Wyoming State game warden. has
suggested the use In this way. To- elk.
moose. and other game. Of 3 part OF the
valley % the Gros ventre River. This
AREA u embraced b. the Teton national
forest, and includes several claims oc-
oupsed by stock ranehsrs. which oould
easily be acquired BY condemnation and
Fortunately elk are fairy prolinc AMI
mails, ana are able to hold their own IN
respect 70 numbers. or even to increase.
under conditions not excessively unfagor-
able. At best they have a hard time
IN winter. Even when that season y
comparatively mild. and food - not
lacking, many OF the elder aninnals de
Owing to the fact that a large prcpor-
ton ofsthose killed By hunters during
the autumn are females, q great many
young calves are left mothsrlesa. and are
IN q more or less weakened condition
when winter comes on.
EIl< Dyine IN jackson Hole.
OF the asoo s1l< that died OF starvation
In the jackson Hole region last winter.
a great majority were calves OF the pre-
vious year Probably % per cent Of the
calves which came into the valley IN No
vember and December had perished Of
hunger before the end of the following
March. In some herds the loss Of calves
was as high as % per cent. Most OF the
loss occurred before feeding began, but
very many. both calves and older AMI
mails. were % weak that they died even
when receiving what would ordinarily
have been an abundance OF food A
large number. IN fact. on being fed. died
almost Immediately.
II Is estimated that the whole number
Of 1900 elk which winter in the Jack
son Hole region includes about 66B cows
three years old and over. OF which %
per cent, or ass will produce calves
each year. II. then. the animals are not
to fall below their present numerical
total. the deaths from all causes must
not exceed 1855 per annum- In other
words, the deaths each year may rise TO
4.e6s. and still the elk win hold their own
The total death roll Is the result OF
four causes-hrst, natural mortality, IN
Guiding accidents: second. starvationI
third. wolves and other predatory ami
mails, and. fourth. hunters. II IS evil
dent that anything done to decrease
losses from the first three OF these
causes will augment the number Of elk
that can be shot each year without
diminishing the herd as a whole But
Just IN proportion as starvation and
wolves claim a great number OF victims.
so much the number shot be curtafled, or
else the total OF elk will be lessened.
At present probably about LOO are de-
stroyed annually by wolves.
The life OF the elk during a winter 30
severe as that OF 19lO-u Is 4 constant
struggle to preserve existence. A ma
jority Of the animals. including most OF
the young calves, are soon driven to
browse on the willows and other shrubs.
After eating the smaller twigs. they are
forced by hunger to attack the bark end
larger branches-though the woody hoer
thus swallowed has little nutriment. and
is without doubt actually injurious Hay
stacks about ranches are eagerly sought.
and, II lnsecurely fenced. are soon at
the mercy OF the starving creatures.
which often die from over,feeding- Many
settlers, to keep the elk from eating the
hay needed for their stock. are actually
forced TO sleep beside the stacks during
much OF the winter.
, The fayorite haunt Of the elk IL an
extensive marsh bordering Flat Creek.
above the town OF Jackson 1t occupies
an area I'VE niles IN length and vary
ing IN width from one to two miles. A
rank growth IN coarse grass covers the
greater part OF the march, into which
several warm springs drain These cause
parts Of Flat Creek to remain open dur
ing most or all OF the winter. but the
marsh itself Is partially flooded and
freezes early, allowing the animals to
gain access to such forage as remains
above the ice and snow. During the last
winter, however. a heavy fall OF snow in
January became heavily crusted as the
result of a wet storm. and the elk were
prevented from obtaining more than a
small proportion Of the rich store OF
food which should have awaited them.
The surrounding hillsides. as result OF
grazing by cattle and sheep. were bare
OF grass, and before the winter was half
over the condition OF the herds had be-
come appalling RENE BACHE