The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-06-15
BY Frank Is. Linderman.

BY Frank Is. Linderman.
1t was gold that brought the pio-
neer to Montana, but during the last
20 years her big game has called
many investors to come within her
borders as her open lands, and more,
because the average man who came
mere to avail himself of taking land,
had little to invest. I can recite
many instances where men came here
to hunt and, during their stay, grew
fond OF our plains and mountains and
not only invested their money but
became citizens of Montana. Men who
have given the subject any thought
realize the truth of, the statement
that our big game is one of our great
est assets and it's careful protection is
as necessary as the outstanding of any
other OF our resources.
Individual greed must not be per-
mltted to drive the elk and deer from
thelr winter ranges and starve them
to death. This is being done and
steps should be taken at once to set
aside some portion of every winter
range where the elk and deer spend
the months of January, February.
March and April. No great area is
required for this but unless it is done
there will be no elk and few deer in
the next five or six years.
Stockmen are permitted to cover
the reserves with all the cattle and
sheep the ranges will support and
when the snow falls deep and the cat
tie and sheep have been driven to the
valleys, the natural inhabitants of
these reserves are obliged to remain
IN the deep SHOWS where there is no
food left. Even after paving through
the snow, no grass is to be found and
repeated efforts waste the strength
and break the hearts of the snow
bound animals. The deer is natural
browser. but the elk is essentially a
grass-eater-justa as much so as the
coW-and the elk must soon pass if
present conditions are allowed to con-
tlnue. 1t is not necessary to reserve
any great area from the stockmen-
not enough to mbarrass them in the
least, because in every elk country
their winter range is we'll known and
never covers much territory these
days.
l have been told that the carcasses
OF hundreds of dead elk have been
taken from the waters of Gardner
river this spring, because they were
polluting the water. I believe it is
true, for hundreds of elk starved to
death on the upper Gallatin river and
l have been there and have seen
many of them scattered from little
way below the mouth Of the West
Fork to several miles above it. The
country stinks with the decaying
meat, and anyone may verify this by
making a trip consuming but 'wo
days.
noticed that some of tn ,m died
after having shed their horns which
proves that they lived until the
month of March, and made hard
struggle to exist until the grass came
again. I noticed, too, that the ma
jority of the dead elk were cows aad
calves, with a goodly number of
spike-bulls. Once in a while I found
an old bull, but not often. Every
elk on the Gallatin could have been
saved with few tons of hay. What
will winter one cow will save ten elk,
easily, and even from commercial
it would be good business
to save the elk. I saw several elk
that were too weak to get out of their
beds as l passed and raising their
heads, they looked at me as though
they expected harm, but cared little
when the end came.
Hay can be contracted for at the
rate of $40 per ton right on the
ground where the most elk have died.
Mr.. McMullen, who lives in the
heart of the elk country, says that he
can furnish all the hay necessary
$40 per ton, and the hay will be
stacked on the spot where the elk
suffer the most.
Only Fifty Tons Needed.
Fifty tons of this lay will save ey-
cry elk that winters in that country.
and, while it is true that little or no
hay will be required some seasons.
here is always a market for it and
10 loss could result from it's purchase.
Dur big game is a great asset to this
'tate and we must care for it. There
should be no elk killed this season
lnder the circumstances, for there
will be very few calves born this
pring owing to the condition of the
cows and the hunter need