The copper era and Morenci leader. [volume] (Clifton, Ariz.) 1911-1929, 1913-06-13
ELK GIVEN STATES
Thousands Needed by Govern
merit Agents on Preserves.
Herds Will Be Kept From Starving to
Death and the Overcrowoeo
Ranges Will Soon Be Re
pienlshed.

Denyer-The Compromised d1Strf
bution of elk from Jackson's Hole
and Yellowstone National Park has be-
gun. Thousands of the animals are
now being rounded up by cowboys On
the ,oyerstocked range in Wyoming
and Montana, and are being shipped
nv the carload to states that have sent
in requests for them.
IA 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
their way to Arizona. These elk Will
be turned out upon their new range !
in Arizona They will be protected !
from hunters, under state laws, ana
will be given every opportunity TO IN
crease.
In the last few weeks herds OF eiKs
have been sent in this way to Pennsyt
vania, West Virginia, North Dakota
Washington. Oregon and California
Only one of the Arizona cons1gn-
ment died en- route. 1t is necessary
to give the elk a rest every day They
are unloaded from all the cars and put
into convenient corrals, and, after
few hours rest, proceed on their jour-
ney In this way the loss is compare
lively small.
The government was forced to
adopt this plan to prevent the elk IN
the west from going the way OF the
buffalo to extinction. Most OF the elk
In the Rocky mountains had ranged
north until they reached the Jack
sons Hole region south of Yellowstone
Park Here they congregated in vast
herds The number of elk in this re-
dion has been estimated at from 25,OOO
to 100 900 head, but G. d. ,Nowlin, Tor
mer game commissioner of Wyoming,
who is now at the head of the work
of transportation carried out by the
government biological, survey esei-
mates that the smaller number is near
er correct.
Last year congress appropriated a
considerable sum for the care and
feeding of the Jackson's Hole elk,
which were starving in the deep
SHOWS Government employees, aided
by ranchmen, carried hay to the elk
ranges, especially in the early spring
Hundreds Of calves, as well as Older
elk, were dying of starvation.
The lives of thousands of elk were
49,
onstrated that this measure of RELIEF
was only tremendous expense to keel
up the work of feeding 80 it was de
termined to distribute the elk among
the states that put in applications fol
herds and that were vii ng to pay the
expenses of transportation and guaran
tee protection to the amin ais after ar
rival
Many states have taken advantage
of this offer Probably $500 elk hav
been shipped, and this number will b.
trebled before the shipping season ha
ended.
The elk are rounded up in the dee
SHOWS and driven to Gardiner. Ranch
men, state game wardens, forest rams
-ers and Yellowstone Park employe
are assisting in the work 1t Is cas-
to round up the elk. which becom
stalled in the deep SHOWS.
Under old conditions State Gam
Warden Hudson of Wyoming repor
ed that nine out of ten elk calves Dor
il. the Jackson's Hole region died b.
fore they were four weeks old
In all the government has appropr
ated close to 100000 for elk prote
ton. The appropriation is general
approved, as it will result in replenis
ing the depleted elk ranges of mar
states and will give the fast disappea
ing elk of this country a new lease
life. In few years states which ha'
not had elk hunting for generation
will be enabled to issue elk-hunting
eenses for brief periods each year.