The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-09-05
WINTER CARE Of
GAME IN The
YELLOWSTONE

An old buck antelope has been fire.
quenting the bayfield, down near the
Gardiner Gateway arch. In response
to a tourists inquiry as to the where
abouts of the remainder of the herd,
one of the park old-timers insisted
that this buck had been sent down
from the high ranges as a scout to
ascertain the prospects for free hay
during the winter.
This report is not confirmed by
rangers, who insist that the antelope
prefer sweet sage hay any day, but
at any rate calls attention to the fact
that the hay-cutting this month as
sures a great reserve of feed against
any hardship that may befall yell
lowstone's animals as a result of a.
hard winter. Hay for the game is
either raised or cut wild at four sep
arate areas within the park-on
Slough creek, at the Buffalo ranch,
at Yancey's place near Garnet peak,
and in the vicinity of Gardiner Gate
way. Approximately 1000 tons of
rich timothy, clover and natural hay
has been stacked this summer.
This haying operation is but one of
many steps that are taken annually
for the protection and preservation of
the wild life of Yellowstone National
park. This region is the greatest
game preserve in the world, both in
point of number and variety of ami
mails. 1t is the home of the largest
herd of elk, buffalo, antelope and
mountain sheep within the United
States. Several hundred moose range
the park area. There are deer OF
> whitehall and mule varieties, many
beaver, fox, badgers, porcupine and
lesser animals. Dozens of grizzlies
! and black bears, which entertain the
! tourists during the summer, sleep il
y Yellowstone's caves during the winter
The white gulls on Yellowstone lake
D leave in the fall for the Pacific coast
e or Great Salt Lake, but a great many
geese and ducks and grouse winter il
the park.
After the three-months tourist sea
r son, which ends on September 20
a Yellowstone park loses it's summe
aspect as a national playground AM
becomes essentially a great game pre-
h serve. The animals here are a grea
heritage to the nation, reminding o
old days now vanishing forever. Their
was a time when, in the p~icturesqu
d language of the Indians, the wester
plains were zone great buffalo robe.
Antelope and elk and mountain shee
Sc were numerous beyond estimate. Bu
now the lingering herds of these al
10 imals make their last stand in Ye
rs lowstone, aided by good-willed me
~ who have their interests at hear
or The park personnel appreciates tn
he great responsibility and looks to ii
r. welfare of the animals with unlimite
lit earnestness and devotion.
ed There are many great problems
n the care of wild life in the yellow
at stone. An important one of these
the provision of a reserve of fee
us which will be Immediately availab
o. against any extraordinary condition
as that may arise as a result of wealth
TO, conditions. In 1888 there was
devastating storm in the early wintt
lc- This sent many animals, and part
it ularly the elk, ~hurrying to low
ne areas outside the park in search
,te feeding grounds. Thousands we
tai slaughtered by INSCRIPTIONS huntel
100 Other thousands were saved by eme
of gency arrangements for feedil
.da which prevented the animals fro
o. leaving the park bounds. To preve
nal the recurrence of any such disast
hay now IS grown regularly with
the park.
Under even normal conditions a
). proximately two thousand elk will
the late winter seek a government h
uld ration at Slough creek, while fro
in five hundred to one thousand are lii
of ly to appear in the Gardiner canyC
ate Deer also seek the friendly aid of m
of in subsisting through the winter. T
sides the ~hay-eaters, there are abe
md twenty "beggaE" deer which maints
uld themselves in part by backdoor har
eat outs from residents at Mammoth Z
rho Springs.
vav The herd of tame buffalo. nu
is bering nearly seven hundred, gra,
ard the Lamar valley until the natu'
der feed is gone, and then goes to I
not Buffalo ranch for hay feeding. In
,gs, spring these animals go betwe
ion Slough and Hell Roaring creeks
calving. Last year lis calves w
RMs