Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1922-03-24
FOREST SERVICE
| CAME INSPECT ION
VIEWED GAME AT CLOSE R ANGE
ON THE NORTH FORK AND
! KELLY CREEK

! C. Urquhart and Geo. McKin-
non officers Of the Clearwater Ma
tional Forest with headquarters at
Orofino, completed II day trip
yesterday, into the upper North
Fork country of the Clearwat ter.
They got some data on the game
situation of this region that can
pnly be secured during a winter OF
heavy SHOWS and the pictures taken
hre Of much interest and value.
From Pierce City to the mouth of
Kelly creek a round trip Of 100
miles was made on snow shoes. The
going was poor due to fresh SHOWS
Ind the best travelling was found on
|he ice of the North Fork a good
bortion Of the distance. The snow
Faries in depth from to Z feet. be-
1t the very unusual depth OF feet
bn the river flats.
1t was judged that practically all
(he game from the upper North
Fork, and area Of probably 200 to
300 thousand acres, was gathered
klong the river between the Wietas
knd Kelly creeks. The first game,
With the exception of 10 white tail
beer on the Orogrande, was seen at
(he mouth of the Weitas, 35 miles
from Pierce. Thirty-three head OF
pix were yarded on the flat at the
mouth of this creek on an old burn
where feed is very scarce and they
were poor and weak. One hundred
and sixteen elk and fifty blacktail
deer were seen between that point
and the mouth of Kelly creek, fiji
teen miles, but no white tail deer.
The deer are wintering in fair
condition on the rocky points along
the river and the elk are yarded In
punches on the flats, sometimes u.s.
lng the ice as a bed ground. Such
places have the appearance of cattle
pens and the willows and other
brush which is the only available
iced are practically all browsed off
No cougar sign was seen and but
lew coyotes with no evidence that
the latter are punched or making
much depreciation, altho the condi.
tion of the game would render them
an easy prey Very few carcases oi
ik or game of any kind were seer
@ho There Is little evidence OF death
Wy starvation or exposure.
A good many pictures we re taken
a. Instances of from 40 yards dowr
~ Two feet. McKinnon held some
vi. VI ,he animals in the deep snow
"nhe orquhart took closeup views
some We're held with a rope for tn,
same purpose.
a., All the bulls are still carrying
sn .nelr horns. The old ones ant
.aises are weak. Some may die be
% ,oIe the snow leaves. but on tn,
mhoie. are wintering better thar
was thought possible.
census of the elk was takel
ana SHOWS ages and sex OF the III
mead as follows:
calves, 2s; yearlings. 10: 2-yea'
o'as, IL; large bulls. l3; cows. 80
Aiter years old It ID impossi
Se 70 tell the age Of deer and oil
oy .heiI appearance IA the numbe
VI points" is no Indication. How
ever' some interesting conclusion
. uah be drawn from these figures
mere Is either a high rate Of NOR
ality between the calf and ycarlinl
"He or the last years crop wAs larg
VT than formerly. II Is rathe
common belief that the elk of thi
region have been on the increase tn
r"st TWO years. but 1t ID probabl
mat calves fall victim to predator.
animals more often than other ages
Inc killing of bulls by hunter
probably accounts in a large meas
ure Tor their small number In com
parison to the cows. OF the IS bull
seen only 1 or s carried heads o
horns that would make good mount
representing only about 4 per cen
OF the total. hence II IL evident tina
hunter IL lucky" II he gets
good head. One bull noticed ha
freak head Of 10 or IL pronxs o.
each side irreguiarly SHAPED.