, 1923-04-11
WY0M|NGS TREATMENT OF THE ELK A CRYING SHAME
"A LASTING DISGRACE TO STATE; HON. ". {. DEL0NEY
OF JACKSON HOLE COUNTRY PLEADS FOR animals
THAT YEARLY PERISH MSERABLY Of STARVATION
= s~~ss
Weak With Hunger, Hoofs Bleeding, Calves Crying, Herd
Wanders Up and Down the Valley in Vain Hunt for
Food While at Cheyenne Politicians for Selfish Rea-
sons Defeat Relief Measures and State Pock-
cts Money Game has Earned: Winter
Feeding is Only Solution

the Government feed yards and about
$500 head continuing south and west
into Game Creek, Hoback, Munger
Mountain and South Park Districts.
On Flat Creek alone last year
some 300 head died out of a herd of
$50 (this can be verified by James
Spencer, Rep from Uinta Co. in this
session of the Legislature) and the
crying shame is that l appealed in
vain to the State Game Dept. to
save this bunch of elk.
The passage of bands of animals
through even sparcely settled dis
tricts must result in some damage to
fences. The ordinary fence used to
confine cattle offers no serious i'm
pediment to elk, especially when
snow lies deep on the ground and the
wind whips up great drifts. . Thus
fences which cross the routes fire.
quented by these animals are usually
broken down early in the winter.
The most serious damage, however,
results from their efforts to reach
haystacks, and in this respect the set
tier finds it almost impossible to pro-
tect himself.
Besides the elk's ability to leap or
scramble over high fences, he shows
great dexterity in clambering side
ways between the poles and, if even
a small space is left, he will force
apart poles hat are securely fastened
at both ends. This difficulty is also
increased by high drifts of snow
against the fences. Many of our
people, d~ispiaring of fencing success
fully are compelled to sleep in their
stacks at night to protect them
from the starving animals. e
Already damage claims have been
paid by the state amounting to
100000 in 1921 and like claims to
the amount of $4,000 were also
paid by the past session of the Legis-
lature.
The life of the elk during a severe
winter is a constant struggle to pre-
serve e~xistance.' Following the lines
of least resistance, the majority of
the animals, including the most of
the young calves, find themselves in
the valley, where they are soon driv-
en- to browse on the willows and other
shrubs already nearly destroyed dur
ing previous winters. They soon eat
the smaller twigs and then are forced
by hunger to attack the bark and
longer branches and ever sage brush
is drawn upon for s~ustenance. Hay
stacks are of course, eagerly sought
and if insecurity fenced are soon at
the mercy of the starving animals,
which frequently die from over feed
ing.
When they find the stacks securely
fenced large numbers will die immed-
lately around them while the larger
animals by standing on their hind
legs may be able to reach a few NOR
sells of hay, the young calves in the
group are trampled by the large
animals and perish miserably.
Apart from the death Of the elk
from actual starvation, there is, OF
course, the normal mortality, most
of which takes place in winter, wher
the conditions surrounding the amin
ais are the hardest. Even in milo
winters, when food is plentiful, many
of the older animals die while n large
proportion of calves, whose mothers
have been killed for food, begin the
winter in n more or less weakened
condition.
During our heaviest winters fully
90 per cent of the calf crop has dice
and under the present system of feeC
ing and caring for them during thu
winter months, we r fortunate in,
deed TO get out with n so per cen
loss Of the calf crop.
About rs per cent o felix cows owe
two years old bear young (but nevei
twins). the majority of calves being
born between 25th of May and th'
middle Of June while the proportion
of the sexes at birth are about ever
and are beginning to Craze nfte,
for TO six weeks and permanent!
weaned early in September.
The bulls begin to drop their ant
lers about March 20 though 1t can