The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1913-04-24

begun. Thousands Of the ami
mails are now being rounded up
by cowboys on the overstocked winter
range in Wyoming and Montana, and
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 Peak region and
shipped from Gardiner, Mont, the
northern gateway to the Yellowstone,
arrived in Denver the other day on
they 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-
Ia, Washington, Oregon and Califor-
mia. Many other states have put in
application for elk, and will be pro-
vided with shipments as fast as the
animals car be rounded up. 1t was
p~rophesied 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. 1t is neces-
sary to give the elk a rest every day.
They are u%nloaded from the cars and
put into convenient c~orrals, and after
a 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
ralo to extinction. Most of the elk in
the Rocky Mountains had ranged north
until they reached the Jackson's Hole
region south of Yellowstone Park.
Here they congregated in vast herds.
The number of elks in this region has
been estimated at from $4,000 to 100,-
600 head, but d. c. Nowlin, former
game commissioner of Wyoming, who
is now at the head of the work of
transportation carried out by the gov
eminent biological survey, estimates
that the smaller number is nearer
correct.
Last year congress appropriated a
considerable sun 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, where they found conditions
appalling, especially In the early
spring. Hundreds of calves, as well
as older elk, were dying of starva-
ton. The lives of thousands of elk
were saved by feeding, but it was
soon demonstrated that this measure
of relief was only temporary. 1t
would entail q tremendous expense
to keep up the work Of feeding, so 1t
was determined to distribute the elk
among the states that put in applica-
lions for herds and that were willing
to pay the expenses of transportation
mails after arrival.
Many states have taken advantage
of this offer. Probably 1900 elk have
been shipped, and this number will be
trebled before the shipping season has
ended. The herds are rounded up In
the deep SHOWS and driven to Gar
diner. Ranchmen, state game war
dens, forest rangers and Yellowstone
Park employees are assisting in the
work. 1t is easy to round up the elk
which become stalled In the deep
SHOWS. During recen seasons they
have become comparatively used to
men. -Fhey'have desceaaed to the val
leys and have fed from all the unpro-
tected haystacks Of the Wyoming
ranchers. 1t did not take them long
to become used to the visits Of the
mo who composed the government
rescue parties, and they would follow
the hay sleds for miles. Sometimes,
where hay could not be carried on
bobsleds. owing to the depth of the
snow and the rough character Of the
range, alfalfa was packed" to the elk
on snow-shoes. The animals soo
learned the friendly nature of the Wis
its OF these snowshoe men. All these
things have made 1t comparatively