The Winslow mail., 1925-06-16
INTERESTING DATA
ON BIG GAME IN
NATIONAL FORESTS

According to the game and wild
animal census taken by the forest
service for 1924, Assistant Forester
Will Barnes sends out the follow
ing figures, covering national for
ests only. The figures given for
Arizona forests are as follows:
Antelope, 1,421; brown bear, 1876;
grizzly bear, 27; deer. 49,02O; elk,
$50; mountain sheep, "a.
In analyzing the figures given,
Assistant Forester Barnes says:
Il am sure you will be interested
in the inclosed tabulation showing
by states the number of big game
animals found on the national for
ests in 1924 These figures, OF
course, are by no means absolute
and are not given out as such. They
are estimates made by forest Off
GERS, and through careful check
are believed to be as reliable as
such figures can be made where an
actual count is not possible.
I'VE have previously sent out the
same information for the years
1921, 1922 and 1928. We are now
starting a new period, 1924, 1928.
and 1926. Our men have now had
a number of years of making such
estimates and reports, and some OF
the changes shown by the 1924 fig
ures are undoubtedly the result of
more careful estimates. This is
especially the case because 1924
was very dry season throughout
the entire west, which resulted in
unusual concentration Of game ami
mails around watering places and
enabled our men to see more OF
them than III ordinary years.
"On a countrywide basis, ante
lope show slight increase in
nearly every national forest. Here
and there herds have decreased
from unknown causes. Poachers
and predatory animals undoubtedly
have played some part in this re-
duction.
For 1924 we have begun to keep
track of the number of bear and
are hereafter going to consider
them as game animals. Many
States already classify them as
game and we hope legislation will
be secured along these lines in the
rest of the states.
Sc 70 ,,afo i71
California, famous as the greatest
habitat of the grizzly, not a single
animal of this species is known to
exist within any national forest in
that state. Montana reports more
than $50 of these animals, Idaho
116, and Arizona twenty-seven. New
Mexico, which up to within a few
years had large number of bear,
now reports none. I recall we'll
seeing six huge silyer-tip hides
stretched on a hunters cabin in
Northern New Mexico, in 1901,
every one of the six animals having
been killed during the summer
season when the hide was at its
lowest possible value. Evidently
such work has about exterminated
them in that state.
''Elk have increased in every
part of the country, especially in
the Yellowstone region, where, due
to the last three fine seasons, mild
winters and excellent summers, the
increase has been unexpectedly
large and the question is again
confronting the authorities as to
what shall be done with the sur
plus.
with a few exceptions deer show
increases everywhere. One or two
forests in California show appar-
ent reductions, which are believed
to be the result of closer estimates.
Mountain sheep and mountain
goats show slight decline in num-
bers which officers report is due to
disease, pneumonia in one case and
hemorrhagic septicemia in another.
One herd of about $50 mountain
sheep in Colorado has been prac-
tically exterminated from the latter
disease.
Beaver are increasing every
where. in spite of the fact that in
one or two states, notably in Ore
gon and Colorado, permits for
trapping these animals have been
granted by the state, presumably
for the purpose Of removing the
animals where damage is being
done to headgates and other works
of that kind. The reports indicate,
however, that many people are
taking advantage of these permits
to extend their operations far be
yond the animals Immediately con-
cerned with the damage.
sit should be understood clearly
that these figures show the number
of big game animals using only
the national forests for practically
the entire year They do not taxi
into consideration those which
Craze on adjoining areas outside