The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1912-07-26

stone Park country have proved too
great for the natural range to support.
Wyoming has had to feed the elk, and
finally the problem of caring for the
animals has grown so acute that I'm
Gle Sam has been called upon for aid.
and at the last regular session Of con-
gress several thousand dollars were
appropriated, to be spent in caring for
the elk. Had the elk been properly
protected from the first, no such sit
uation would have arisen.
Tragedy of Buffalo.
1t has been proposed to remove sew
eral thousand of the Jackson's Hole
elk to Colorado and Montana, but old
hunters claim that such move would
be folly, as the elk would drift back
to their old feeding ground and in a
year or two conditions would be as
bad as ever. Apparently the only so
luton of the problem, according to
officers Of the Biological Survey who
have the matter in hand, is the re-
moval of a part Of the elk in small
numbers to various parks, and private
game preserves, where they will be
under fence. This means a long step
toward the extinction Of the elk. for
those animals do not thrive well in
captivity, their natures being too rest
less to stand close confinement.
Owing to differences in the game
laws of various states, and lax en-.
forcement Of the same, game birds are
disappearing. Wild geese that could
be killed in great numbers in the
Rocky mountain states few years
ago are now rarity. Some of the
game hog" pictures, taken by men
who love to pose before the camera
in the midst of their trophies. go
long way toward telling the details OF
the tragedy
The tragedy OF the buffalo is famil-
lar to all. There is only one outlaw"
herd IN the country, which numbers
about seventy-five head, and which is
supposed to be part Of the herd own
ed by Michael Pablo, of Roman, Mont.
There was a small herd in Losa Park,
Colorado, but the last chapter in the
history Of that herd was written
when the state confiscated number
of skins and heads, in the possession
of a hunter. and sold them for $1,0S5.
Mountain lions, wolves, coyotes and
bob cats are responsible for a part OF
the decrease In wild game in the
western states. These predatory AMI.
mails have actually shown an Increase.
in spite Of liberal bounties offered for
their destruction. Mountain lions are
especially skillful in killing deer and
elk They have wrought great DAM
age in Yellowstone National Park
so much so that professional hunters
are employed in the national forests
adjoining the park and spend much OF
their time pursuing mountain lions
with packs of specially trained hounds.
Wolves and coyotes play havoc with
the antelope on the plains in winter.
All western states have standing boun-
ties on the heads Of these animals, but
so hard are the wolves and coyotes to
trap that they remain constant
menace to the wild game as well as to
the fiocks and herds Of western stock.
men.
The problem OF saving the wild
game in the west is difficult to solve,
but 1t is not impossible of solution.
Evidently the simplest way is to have
the government take the matter in
charge. The game hog" has whole
some fear of Federal off1c.Ss that To-
cal officials fail to inspire. Convic,
lions could be secured against local
residents in the Federal cou-ts,
whereas such things would be impos.
sible in local courts. The extension
OF the national forests has done much
to preserve the wild game. Forest
rangers who are deputized as game
wardens have brought many prosecu-
lions which have ended successfully.
Next to absolute control of the gov
eminent. cooperation between the
government and the state would be
effective A more uniform system of
game laws on the part Of the states,
and an awakening of public sentiment
in behalf Of state authority would be
beneficial. AS 1t is, game protection
in the last haunts Of the creatures of
the wild is merely farce, and one
of the choicest heritages of the PEG.
pie is being shamefully wasted.