, 1923-04-11

| have been reading the various
reports of the wonderfully good con-
dition of the elk this winter; it is
the same old story over and over
again, and l must confess it makes
me sick at heart.
1t is true the elk are in good condi-
ton now but now is not the time of
danger, it is the condition which will
confront US if we have a late spring
with the attendant thaws. rains and
successive freezes.
We invariably have two periods of
thawing weather in the jackson Hole
Country, one in January and n in
March. Warm days and nights with
probable rains settle the snow; this
is followed by a heavy freeze and
then snow, which need not be heavy
as it is not the new snow which does
the damage but the consequent crust
ing of the old snow which absolutely
bars the elk from breaking through
and getting to the grass beneath.
We have been extremely fortunate
this season in that there has been
such continuous wind as to blow the
ridges clear of snow, and there are
some 5000 head of elk being fed with
approximately 500 head still in the
hills.
Our state game warden under the
past administration contracted for
some 300 tons of hay for this winters
feed, which was a ridiculously small
amount of hay in the event of a hard
winter.
Mr.. Smith, the present game war
den, has paid US a visit since my re-
turn home and, acting under his in
structions, / have moved heaven and
earth in my efforts to purchase more
hay but have succeeded in getting
only 5000 tons at $40 with a possible
chance of getting about Is more.
If spring opens next month all will
be well, but it has been a continuous
snowfall for nearly IS days past.
With fair weather soon, then no dan
ger but woe unto the elk herd if
there comes one of the bad spells
which we expect during the latter
part of March. If such weather as
We have learned to look for m
upon us it means certain death for
at least 40 per cent of our elk.
At the beginning of the Legislative
session / asked that a committee be
appointed from both houses to in
vestigate the elk herd and the hand
ling of the feed proposition, but the
members could see no good in such
a possible action and the investiga-
ton wa not made.
was successful in getting the
ways and Means Committee to see
the necessity of better provision for
winter feeding and they gave us
S~zO,O00.00 for purchase of future hay
-s5,o00.00 emergency and a special
provision of 100000 to take are of
a deficit.
My proposal is to contract, in adj
vance, for 400 IONS Of hay in the
south Park locality-200 ton in the
munger Mt, district and 100 ton in
the Flat Creek district, which, with
the federal hay, will be adequate pro-
VISION for the herd that frequents the
lower valley.
This state hay alone will feed $500
mead OF elk and bring them out in
the spring strong enough to be able
70 stand the green grass as that is
when u real loss of elk occurs, lie:
IN their weakened condition they IAN
not stand the green grass.
Ihe hay from the Government
ranch will provide feed for n like
number and that will leave the
scattered punches for which emer-
sency purchases can be made.
n average price of hay for the
past seven years has been $1,000 per
ION and we should enter into these
contracts for a 8 year period and II
we nave n surplus of hay one year
!. can be held In the stack and addi-
uonai hay be had for n more severe
season.
Under the present system, no pro-
VISION is made until the need becomes
Imperative and we have to buy hay
smilnout thought as to location Of the
"eros' shelter or water, while feeding