The Monte Vista journal., 1912-07-27

appropriated. to be spent In cartnx for
inc ok. Had the elk been properly
projected from the nrst, no such sit
uation would have arisen.
Tragedy Of Buffalo.
IL mas been proposed to remove ssv.
eral thousand Of tho Jackson's Hols
elk to Colorado and Montana. but old
hunters claim that such q move would
De folly. as the elk would drift back
to their old feeding ground and in Q
year or two conditions would be a.
DAD a. ever. Apparently the only 90
iution OF the problem. according to
omcers Of the Biological Survey who
nave the matter in hand. is the ~
moval Of 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 we'll 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 a 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. 20 a
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-flve head, and which 10
supposed to be part Of the herd own
ed by Michael Pablo. OF Roman. Mont
There was small herd In Losa Park.
Colorado. but the last chapter in the
history of that herd was written
when the state conflscated a number
Of skins and heads, in the possession
OF hunter. and sold them for 31,0S6.
Mountain lions. wolves. coyotes and
bob cats are responsible for a part Of
the decrease in wild game in the
western states. These predatory anil
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 we'll 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
charge. The game hog" has a whole
some fear Of Federal offlcers that To-
cal officials fail to inspire. Convic.
tions could be secured against local
residents In the Federal courts,
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-
tions which have ended successfully.
Next to absolute control of the gov.
ernment, cooperation between the
government and the state would be
effective. 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 fares. and one
OF the choicest heritages Of the peo-
Pile is being shamefully wasted.