The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1913-08-21
ELK BECOME
DOMESTICATED
Game Warden Monroe Finds
Hunters Paradise In
Idaho County.


l.. Munroe, was in Grangeville this
week on official business. Mr.. Mon
roe has just returned from a months
trip through the widest part of Ida
no county. including visits to the
Thunder Mountain, Mallard and Bear
Trap creek sections, and to the Cham
berlain basin, located 130 miles south
east of Grangeville, and confirms the
reports of his great game find there.
The trip after leaving the train at
Grangeville was all overland, an ex-
cess of 500 miles being travelled horse
back
The warden set out on the tedious
and trying journey for the purpose Of
looking after the protection of large
and small game, and to arrange for
the appointment of deputies to serve
the state this fall, when there is open
season on all inhabitants of the wilds
with the exception of animals and
birds protected by law for a stated
period.
The country visited" said Deputy
Monroe, ''is surely the paradise for
hunters Of big game. Deer are very
plentiful, saw great numbers on
my trip. and bear are reported as far
from being scarce. Elk, protected by
law are almost as numerous as deer,
but there is a noticeable scarcity of
birds.''
A side trip taken to Mallard creek
proved of vast interest to the deputy
warden. Stopping at the homestead
of E. C. Harbinson, Mr.. Monroe en-
joyed a thrill of excitement by view
ing 90 head of elk, 20 of which were
calves. The animals, unmolested for
years, displayed no signs Of fright
when occupants of the Harbinson
home appeared, the elk licking
salt with a number of cattle. So do
mesticated have the stately animals
become in that section that their dep
relations to fields of standing grain
are now commencing to be felt. AT
the Harbinson place barley planted
ON 40 acres was razed to the ground,
and a great area of hay bedded so as
to be unfit for use. The homestead Is
not fenced, and at the request of Mr..
Harbinson the deputy warden will
recommend to his superior at Boise
that aid be granted the homesteader
in fencing the tract as a matter OF
protection, this step being taken on
account of Mr.. Harbinson's activity
in causing the elk to be protected
from weapons in the hands of Indians
and settlers for many years past. Mr.
Harbinson intends to fence his en-
tire tract with a protection six feet
high, but asks that the state pay fol
the additional three feet needed tC
keep the elk from scaling the barrier
Anglers will find the sections JUS
visited by Mr.. Monroe the greatest il
the northwest. Mallard creek, ont
of the most inviting encountered OF
the journey, contains no trout, how
ever, and has never been stocked, bu
Bear Trap creek, seven miles distant
seems teeming with the delectabl'
foodstuff. Homesteader Harbinsol
was empowered by the state deput.
to set fish traps in Bear creek in or
der to stock Mallard creek, and asid
from this step it will be recommend
ed to the state game warden tha
some plan be devised for planting
thousands of young trout there duI
ing the coming year.
It is reported that Of all section
visited by Mr.. Monroe since in offic
the residents of the great section jus
covered respect the game laws in
most inviolate manner. During tn
entire trip not an occasion arose 70
the official to arrest or repreman
anyone for law violations pertainin
to fish or game.