The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-05-09

Yellowstone National Park has
begun. Thousands Of the AMI
mails are now being rounded up
nv cowboys on the overstocked winter
range in Wyoming and Montana, ana
are being shipped by the carload to
states that have sent in requests for
them.
A carload of eighty elk, rounded up
on the Yellowstone Park region and
shipped from Gardiner. Mont, the
northern gateway to the Yellowstone,
arrived in Denver the other day on
thew way to Arizona These elk will
be turned out upon their new range in
Arizona. They will be protected from
hunters, under state laws, and will be
given every opportunity to increase.
In the last few weeks herds of elk
have been sent in this way to Penn
sylvania, West Virginia, North Dako-
ta Washington, Oregon and Califor-
MIA Many other states have put In
application for elk, and will be pro-
vded with shipments as fast as the
animals can be rounded up. 1t was
prophesied that, when this plan was
adopted, the elk would not stand ship
ment, but the percentage Of loss has
been small. Only one of the Arizona
consignment died en- route. It is neces-
sary to give the elk a rest every day.
They are unloaded from the cars and
put into convenient corrals, and after
few hours rest they proceed on
their journey. In this way the loss
is comparatively small.
Prevent Extinction.
The government was forced to adopt
this plan to prevent the elk In the
west from going the way of the buff
Nlo TO extinction. Most Of the elk In
Ine Rocky Mountains had ranged north
until they reached the Jackson's Hole
region south of Yellowstone Park.
mere they congregated in vast herds.
Inc number of elks in this region has
ueen estimated at from $4,000 to 100,-
WV mead, but D. c. Nowlin, former
game commissioner of Wyoming, who
~ now at the head of the work Of
transportation carried out by the gov
elnment biological survey, estimates
'Ha' the smaller number is nearer
correct.
Nass year congress appropriated a
CONSIDERABLE sum for the care and
ieeolng OF the Jackson's Hole elk,
"uicn were starving in the deep
s-0"s' government employees. aided
~ lanchmen, carried hay to the elk
. ,ausvs' where they found conditions
s sp.. especially in the early
spring. Hundreds of calves as well
ss- Older elk, were dying of starva-
wv N.Y. Inc lives of thousands of elk
s asns saved by feeding, but It was
q, A demonstrated that this measure
wor lsiiel was only temporary. It
10 ' l entail a tremendous expense
v.a Yep up the work of feeding, SO it
sn ns determined to distribute the elk
tions 'ne states that put in applica-
n ~. ~, nerds and that were willing
~ pay the expenses of transportation
mol. euarantee protection to the ami
Dials after arrival.
., IAN. .n. states have taken ADVANTAGES
bas sa's oner. Probably 1900 elk have
t tsaa shipped. and this number viii be
ended o ", the shipping season has
the doo Inc herds are rounded up In
dine, weep SHOWS and driven to Gar
dens l''ncnmen. state game war
part .oiest rangers and Yellowstone
WORK enployes are assisting In the
which IL !. is easy to round up the elk
Snow. Ooine stalled" in the deep
have During recent seasons thew
men D T comparatively used to
leys .n anes nave descended to the val
tected h nave fed from all the unpro-
rsno Iu haystacks of the Wvom,ns
to haep 1t did not take them long
men ZONE U used to the visits Of the
rescno n ~ composed the government
the hav pa,lies' and they would follow
wbera roy s., sleds for miles. Sometimes.
bobsleda could not be carried on
Snow ana wing to the depth OF the
range a,t., Inc rough character Of the
on I sna alfalfa was packed" to the ELI elk
Learned ~ snoes. The animals soon
its Of ~ ene friendly nature of the Wis
things h snowshoe men. All these
nave made it comnarativelv