Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-01

Correcting the general belief that
big game is becoming extinct in the
United States, the United States For.
est Service has Just published its an
nual census of the big game or the
National forests and finds that many
varieties are on the increase. While
this increase may not offset losses out
side the forest reserves, the forest
rarfgers believe that most varieties
covered in their reports are pretty
we'll holding their own everywhere.
Many States in the West have set
aside large game refugees and on the
whole there is evidence that our
game supplies are holding up.
VIII c. Barnes, assistant forester
who compiled the annual census from
Acid renorts. believes that it Is a very
fair estimate Of the game In the Ma
tional forests. OF course, wild animals
will not stand still and be counted,
but the forest rangers covering the
big timber and game country year
after year come to know pretty accu-
rately what amount of life there is In
the woods.
The increase in numbers among GER
tain animals is such as to require
some means OF using them TO pre-
vent their dying of starvation, &C.
cordinR to the Forest Service data'
Thus the elk in the jackson Hoie
country of Wyoming and the deer IN
the Kaibab forest in Arizona have
multiplied until the Government men
feel II would be better to let hunters
have a few more than to let them
starye. Some of the game CLUBS ana
conservation associations want to let
the increase go on and to turn over
ali of the National forests TO the game.
Cattle and sheep are now permitted
~ Craze in the forests under Govern.
n1ent authority, but wherever the feed
for natural game runs low the Forest
Service cuts off the permits for graz
ing domestic animals.
The Jackson Hole elk herd. Tor ex-
ample. now numbers some zo,VuV
head and cannot find enough Winner
faed in the areas not under renee.
The Rioiogical Survey of the Depart
n,ent Of Agriculture has a ranch In
the area and feeds hay to this nero.
hut several thousand acres more OF
hay must be raised If the herd is TO
he preserved at its present number.
IN acme Winters it has been cut
nesrlv in half by cold and hunger,
which destroys the calves especially.
large Animal Increase.
rba Forest Service suggests that
enough feeding be arranged TO Keep
ths hard IN to about present size, and
that additional hunting be permitted
to use the increase, which would oe
4 600 or &. 900 elk a year. AT present
onIv about 1000 are taken by hunters.
THE Kaibab deer have continued %
increase until there Is not enough
Winter feed for them, and private cat
lie and sheen grazing is being steadily
c,It down in the area Last year tne
CovernYnent allowed some huntlns
and about 500 deer were killed. More
bunting will be allowed this year. An
interestinR evidence Of changing tunes
in Arizona occurred In TINS Ioress
when the Indians were given speclai
permission to go into the preserve anu
hunt deer for the bucksKln, when
was once the sole source OF ciosnIns q
for the natives. The 1nolans ui1 ny, ~.
bother to accept the permission. Ihey
aSe oil wearing store clothes these
daya and buckskin means little or
nothing to them.
Trha wild game survey reveals tnaI
beavers are not becoming extinct, put
are at last holding their own IN the
National forests. The estimate SHOWS
ia 600 beavers, and the rangers pc
lieve half as many more exist OUTSIDE
Government areas. About tWo-f1ftns OF
ta,naa Matad are in Colorado. Noun
tain goats and mountain sheep are
aleo practically holding to even num-
hers. The current census SHOWS
1851 mountain goats in the Ma
ffonal forests, an increase OK ABOUT
500 over 1924, and 1862 mountain
sheep. q decrease Of about SOO. Espe.
cial care is being taken by the flows
Service to prevent grazing oy comes
tic sheep In areas which woulo cur
tail the food supply Of these WHO spe-
ctes. i.
the country. OF which $500 are in the
National forests. and the foresters be-
lieye this species Is hourishlng In the
higher lands to which they have been
driven as their native plains We're set.
tied by farmers and stockmen Inc
numbers in National forests Increased
almost so per cent last year. state
game refugees have helped perpetuate
the antelopes, which do not thrive In
captivity.
Black ana brown bears are also on
the increase, largely because many
States have decided that these COM
paratively harmless animals should
be preverved rather than slaughtered
ais menace. Game laws In most
places now limit the killing Of these
bears to seasons when the fur is q
best quality. There are some $4,000
OF them in National forests.
Deer are steadily on the increase,
being carefully protected by game
laws. The report shows 605,0O0 in
National forests where $4,000 were
recorded q year earlier. This increase
was recorded despite the necessary
slaughter Of about $4,000 deer suffer-
f,.ev P,f4,, frat and ,1nolitl1 Iirkaca The