Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-25
Copyright, 1917, by Frank G. Carpenter.)
NOME Alaska

NOME, Alaska
00 9th the opening Of the new
MAN. government railway a horde
WV of big game hunters will rush
" " to Alaska. They will swarm
over the kenai peninsula after the giant
moose and the great brown bear. they
will chase the caribou over the Tanana
valley. and will climb the Alaska range
to kill mountain sheep and goats. They
will even make excursions to Mount Nc
kinley, and some may go farther north
to hunt the mighty walrus and polar
bear.
The government is already preparing
for the invasion. 1t has enacted stringent
laws as to the open seasons for certain
animals, and 1t has in view the creation
of great game preserves, one OF which is
to surround Mount Mckinley. AS 1t is
now. every nonresident of Alaska is re
ouired to pay from $50 to 500 to hunt in
the territory, and without an additional
payment he cannot kill moose south of
latitude sixty-two. He has to have spe-
cial license for moose, and this costs $3.50.
Moreover. the hunter is limited as to
the number of animals he may kill, and
even the residents cannot ship out the meat
of the animals, or their heads as trophies,
without shipping license from the Gov
ernor Of Alaska 1t will cost him $40 to
export one moose, and he can send four
deer, two caribou. two sheep, two goats
and two brown bear for $40. The law
forbids hunting of game animals with
dogs, or the use of shotguns larger than
those Of a number ten gauge.
The open season varies in different parts
OF the country. North of latitude sixty
TWO brown bear may be killed at any time,
and moose. caribou. sheep and sea lions
from August l to December TO- Walrus
may be killed from May 10 to July /, and
grouse. ptarn1igan and other birds from
September ] to March 1.
II is unlawful for any person. in any
one year, to kill more than two moose
one walrus or sea lion, three caribou
three mountain sheep, three brown bear
or eight deer; and he must not have in
his possession on any one day more than
twenty-five grouse or ptarmigan.
On the Kenai peninsula the region that
the railway will first open. it is now nee
essary to have licensed guide and it
VII VII cost S +, from s. to $40 day for the
be either white men or Indians; they are
appointed by the governor, and their
names are published. They are subject
to the governor and to the game wardens
who watch to see that the laws are kept
The penalty for infringement of the hunt
>ng regulations is a fine Of 5000, or i'm
prisonment for not more than three
During my trip across the Kenai pc
ninSula / saw number of men from the
big cities Of the United States engaged
In hunting. The most of them were after
the giant moose, which is abundant in
that region. and they were enthusiastic
az to the prospects. On my way over the
peninsula saw much wild game; and at
several OF the roadhouses I was served
with what was called Alaska beef, but
which tasted very like moose meat It
was. l doubt not. killed contrary to the
law.
The stringent hunting regulations are
necessary to the preservation of the
game of Alaska. and already the govern
ment has had to suspend the killing of
certain animals in certain territories
from time to time. 1t Is now prohibited
to shoot moose in southeastern Alaska:
and 1t was only lately that the restriction
on caribou in the Renal peninsula was
abolished This is SO notwithsta nding
the caribou in certain parts Of Alaska
are almost numerous as were the
buffalo on our western plains. 1t is esti-
mated that there are still several millions
of these animals on the barren lands of
the far north. They live there in the
summer and go southwark in great herds
for the winter. Two or three years ago
a drove Of 10000 came within a mile of
Dawson and fed there on the hills. Men
went out to see them in automobiles and
great numbers were killed. The animals
did not seem to be afraid of man, and
even the automobiles did not create a
stampede.
About forty-hve miles from Fairbanks
is a hill known as Porcupine Dome, where.
as the hunters say. the caribou of that
region come together to start south in
companies. They move in droves of
thousands and make their way to the
headwaters of the rivers. They stay south
during the winter. and along in February
and March begin to straggle back in
bands of zoe or So
Caribou are still seen as far south as
the Lynn. canal. over thousand miles
from their summer home in the far
north In 1915 a drove Of more than
10000 passed south. crossing the klon-
dixie. valley about twenty-five miles from
Dawson. and 500 were killed for the win
ter food supply of that city. The car