, 1920-01-15
STARVING ELK IN YELLOWSTONE
Many Thousands VIII Die Unless For
age is PrOvitled-Winter Range
Gone and No Feed Left.

Concerning the conditions surround
ing the great elk herds on the north
side of the National Park, a Montana
paper says:
Each winter. the problem of pro-
viding the great herds of elk in the
Yellowstone National park with
adequate forage presents itself and
Is sill crying for a solution. Follow
ling closely the slaughter of several
thousands of elk by hunters. this year.
many thousands more will die of star
Walton. according to predictions made
by men who are thoroughly familiar
with the situation.
During the summer the elk Craze
in the Specimen Ridge country. o far
from Yellowstone lake. Here the alti-
tude is close to 10000 feet. At the be
ginning Of winter, they naturally fol-
low the drift of the country out into
the Yellowstone valley and on the east
side of the Yellowstone river.
This year they left their summer
range in the early part of November.
They OWNED the approaching storm
three days before it hit them. The
Yellowstone herds natural winter range
had been used to Craze sheep during the
summer 1t extends from the Boulder
river. west down the Yellowstone 20 or
80 miles.
When they emerged from the park.
travelling in lunches of from two to
100, they We're subjected to a barrage
from hunters, which was severe and
very costly. The bombardment contin-
ued during the first two weeks of the
season and thousands of the animals
We're slain.
Authorities say that the yearly loss
Of three herds, the Yellowstone herd,
the Jackson Hole herd and the Madi-
son and Gallatin herd, could run as
high as 10000 and still be made up by
the normal yearly increase. This loss
would include death from natural
causes, animals dying from wounds,
and wolves and mountain lions.
This year the hunters took an un
usually heavy toll. AT Gardiner and
at Othsr points along the Yellowstone
it is estimated that fully 1000 were
killed by hunters and rs many more
have died or will die from wounds.
The Yellowstone herd which num-
bers about 10000, has already sus-
tanned this loss. In addition to this.
the elk will begin to die of starva-
ton within six weeks. Their winter
) range is practically pare and any
grass which might be left, is buried
deeply in the now
For several years the government
forestry department and the state
game commission have tried to solve
the problem of feeding the elk dur
ing the winter. but no progress has
been made. Men who are best in
formed on the subject are authority for
the statement that if elk are fed hay,
provide for themselves. They will stay
at n hay corral, which has been pro-
vided for them, and feed ~contentedly
during the. winter, but in the spring,
when the surrounding hills are green.
they will still gaze through the corral
bars. looking for hay which is no long
er there, and finally starve to death.
The elk is naturally n good rust
ler,' Montana sportsmen say, but when
he is pampered II little by winter feed
ing, this Characteristic is destroyed.
At Gardiner his year, the govern
ment department has placed 900 tons
of hay and here about $500 elk, 500
antelope, 800 deer and a few mountain
sheep are feeding. After this hay has
has been consumed, II large percentage
Of the elk herd will perish. This is
only a small part of the Yellowstone
herd and among the rest, the mortality
will be much greater.
On account of the unusually heavy
SHOWS members of the national park
boards are planning drastic measures
in the hope of reducing to the owest
possible minimum the loss of park ami
mails, but it is thought that nothing can
save the thousands of elk which are