The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-02-03
GOVERNMENT SAVES
ITS HERDS OF ELK
AGENTS OF GOVERNMENT ARE
FEEDING MANY THOUSAND
ELkS IN WYOMING

WASHINGTON, D. C.-Recent
statements that the elk herds are
now starving in the Jackson Hole
section of Wyoming are not in ac-
cordance with the facts and are re-
sented by the residents of that sec
tion, who offer to cooperate with
the state and federal governments in
any way requested to help carry the
elk through the winter.
About 5000 elk came to the elk
refuge in Jackson Hole to be fed in
December, says the United States
department of agriculture, but con
ditions have improved since then so
that on January Is, only about one
half that number remained about the
feeding grounds, the others having
gone back to the hills.
Drought Reduced Forage.
The severe drought throughout
Wyoming and Montana during the
summer of 1919, so reduced the
growth of forage on the range and
the production of hay on the ranches
that the outlook for the great elk
herds in and about the Yellowstone
Park, and the live stock in that reg
ion was serious for the coming
winter. The situation affecting the
elk became still more critical when
severe snow storms and low temper
ature began the last of October, near
ly two months in advance of the
usual time. 1t was evident that the
$50 tons of hay available for feed
ing the elk on the winter elk refuge
in Jackson hole, and the small sup
ply IN the possession of the state |
game commission at that point would |
be wholly inadequate to meet the |
situation and save the appalling loss
which might reach as high as eight
or ten thousand animals. To meet |
this emergency the state game ward
en- of Wyoming accumulated about.
500 tons of hay and the secretary of
agriculture authorized the biological
survey to use part of its general ap-
to meet the emergency
by purchasing 573 tons of hay in ad-
1ition to the $50 tons which it had
On hand. There is now available for
use in the Jackson Hole section near
y 1000 tons of hay, which reservation
Warden Newlin of the biological sur
vey, in charge of the winter elk ref
lge, considers will be sufficient to
larry most of the elk of that section
through the winter. i
AS still further assurance, the peo-
Die of the Jackson Hole section have
a representative of the bio
ogical survey that should more hay I
oe required later in the season they
will see that it is provided. This
action on the part of the stockmen
S generous one in view of the
great need of all the hay available
or the use of live stock. In fact, Il
arge numbers of live stock have al {
'eady been removed from that region t
n order to forestall heavy losses {
rom lack of feed.
Northern Herd Threatened.
At the beginning of winter the i,
ritical situation of the southern elk :
lerd was duplicated for the northern '
lerd, which was forced out of the +
Yellowstone National Park by the
anne storm which drove down the
outhern animals in October. The c
National Park service promptly made :
n emergency purchase of nearly I
nough hay to carry these animals $
through the winter and is now en- 4
aged in securing the additional !,
mount needed. 1t is thus apparent
nat through the prompt action of
ne government bureaus and the I
tate game commission of Wyoming, :
nth the cooperation of the people in |
ne jackson Hole section the appall-
lg losses of elk from starving, which
ppeared imminent early in the sea-
On, will be prevented.