The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-12-03
THE BUFFALO Is NO
LONGER WILD GAME
American Game Protective Says Any
one Should Be Allowed to Raise
Bison for Commercial Purposes.

On Antelope island in Great Salt
Lake, Utah, was a herd of over two
hundred buffalo. These animals were
private property, and because the men
who owned both island and buffalo be-
lieved that domestic cattle would prove
more profitable, it was decided to dis
pose of the bison. IT was found inn
possible to sell them on the hoof for
anything near the price at which they
were held. Then bill was introduced
at Washington by Congressman Well
ing of Utah to purchase both island
and animals for 100000.
Not receiving any encourage
from this source, the owners decided
to sch one hundred of these animals
to men who would go on the island and
shoot them. The price charged was
5000 a head The remainder was to be
sold at private sale for what tiley would
bring, to be used either for propaga-
ton purposes or to be butchered and
sold for what the meat, head and hide
would net
The American Game Protective assoc
citation received great many letters
of protest against killing the buffalo,
and the only place in which the assoc
/
these letters is in the element of sport
attached to the killing. The associa-
ton would look at it rather that a man
paid 5000 for the privilege of going on
this island and procuring quantity OF
buffalo meat and trophies in the
mounted head and hide Surely no one
could seriously consider this sport
From the standpoint of the actual
LIN 49, a.
see no objection to It, The buffalo
now being held in captivity are rapidly
increasing The chance of the species
being exterminated is far removed.
From nucleus OF 40 buffalo in 1909,
on the national bison range at Noise,
Montana, there are now 1856 animals.
Statistics of the American Bison So
ciety show that on January 1, 1920,
there were 1898 American bison in the
United States. over 1000 of these were
under the direct protection, Of the fed
eraI government. There were 4S9 buff
falo calves born in the United States
in 1919. Canada also maintains large
herds of these animals on her preserves
and is at present contemplating COM
mercializing them to take care of the
Increase.
Buffalo No Longer Game.
The buffalo can no longer, IN any
sense Of the word. be considered a
game animal in the United States.
They can only survive in numbers
when placed on the plane with beef
cattle. The American Game Protec-
tive association believes that it should
be permissible for anyone to raise
buffalo for commercial purposes with
out being hindered by legislation.
Often sentimental propaganda proves
detrimental to real game protective
measures The A. G.. p. A. has no pa
thence with the man who raves because
the buffalo no longer inhabits the west
ern plains. It was inevitable that he
should give way before the settlers of
the prairie states Pray tell where
there Is enc spot in Oklahoma, Kansas,
Nebraska or the Dakotas where a bull
buffalo on the rampage would not
cause at least half dozen farmers to
go on the war path.
Formerly the mastodon was found
practically all over the United States.
Can you imagine mastodon tramp
ing around in New Jersey today? Diff
ferent species of the mammoth were
also once native to America and they
were not exterminated by game hogs
of this or any other generation. 1t is
almost as far fetched to hear man
bemoaning the fact that the buffalo
herds no longer exist as it would be
were he to claim that by proper con-.
servation measure the diplodocus, a
reptile Of over eighty-five feet in
length, should still be romping around
upon the table lands of Wyoming.
where scientists obtained his skeleton,
which can now be seen in the Carne-
gle Museum at Pittsburgh.