New-York tribune., 1921-10-23
The Prong-Horn Antelope
On the Verge, Of Extinction-Wan-
ton Killing Reported

way SuitVi VI / he tribune.
Sir; The prong-horn antelope is one
OF the very few, North American ami
mails peculiar to the continen. and
without close relations anywhere in
the world. 1t formerly ranged from
near the Mississippi River west to the
facihc Ocean. and from western
Canada south we'll into Mexico. In
primitive times, and indeed within
the memory of living men, it was the
most abundant Of the larger animals
OF the plains-more numerous, many
or us believe, than the buffalo, whose
numbers have always been 80 talked
about. Like many other wild crea-
lures that formerly we're enormously
numerous--the wild pigeon and the
buffalo--the antelope has disappeared
before the advancing settlement of the
country. There is no place left for
him.
To-day this unique animal appears
to be on the verge of extinction.
Though almost everywhere protected
by law, its numbers are constantly
growing smaller, SO that in place of
the millions that once existed on the
plains there are now apparently but
very few thousand. Some of these
are in the dryer, less settled portions
of the plains, or the foothills of the
Rockies; others are in Canada, and
there are still good many in arid
Mexico.
A small group of these animals has
long been known to occupy territory
in eastern Oregon and northern Nevada,
just along the boundary between these
two states; and since the country is
valueless for agriculture some efforts
have been made TO have a refuge set
apart there for the protection of the
antelope--and, incidentally, of the sage
hen, our largest grouse, which also1is
constantly becoming fewer in numbers.
Of late years, however, outfits of
sheep have been driven into this area
occupied by the antelope, and it is
reported that the sheep men declare
that they purpose to kill off all the
antelope, SO that there shall be no
excuse for asking the government to
establish an antelope refuge in that
district
News recently received in the East
from people in Nevada declares that
an official of the Biological Survey and
his deputy recently spent some days
riding the antelope range, where they
saw many antelope; and just across
the state line in Oregon they counted
fourteen carcasses Of antelope that had
been shot down and left. The carcasses
we're examined and the bullet holes
we're seen in them; and no portion of
the animals had been used. The kill
ing was wanton. Stock riders in this
district informed the official that a
little further north was another place
where, in the same fashion, twenty
seven antelope had been shot down
and left.
The region where this is reported to
have occurred is remote and is settled
sparsely or not at all, but it seems
evident that active measures should
be taken by the States Of Oregon and
Nevada and, SO far as possible, by the
Federal government, TO protect these
unique animals in what is almost their
last home.
Over most of the United States set
tlement and the economic use Of the
land have extinguished most OF the
large animals native to North Amer
ica, but it seems that we should all
of US do what is in our power to
postpone as long as possible their
total extermination
GEORGE BIRD GRINNEIL.
New York. Oct. 20, 1921.