The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-11-12
BIG CANE ROAlAS
ALASKAN WILDS
Giant Moose. Huge Brown
Bears and White Noun:
tain Sheep Abound.


esQue and interesting game animals Of
this continent, says DR.. E. w. Nelson,
in a recent bulletin Of the American
Game Protective association. The
most notable Of these are the giant
moose, the greatest living representa-
tive OF the deer tribe in the world.
The huge brown bears of Kodiak
island and the Alaska peninsula, the
greatest Of living c~arnlvores, are the
survivors of a line of huge bears which
nee inhabited western North Amer
lea. Skulls from the asphalt deposits
Of southern California show that even
the gigantic Kodiak bear was far ex-
celled In size by the bears Of that re-
giOn in the long ago, says Doctor
Nelson.
The white mountain sheep Of Alas
ka's mountain ranges are among the
most beautiful of their kind. Their
nearest relatives are mountain sheep
found g throughout Kamchatka and
/ eastern Siberia. Several races Of
caribou also inhabit Alaska. Former
~ they existed In vast herds over
much Of the territory, but they have
been exterminated in some req and
greatly reduced In numbers Of others,
although large herds still occupy the
region between Fairbanks and the
course Of the upper Yukon river.
Meat Value Of Game 100000
In addition to it's large game Alaska
Is the breeding place every spring Of
vast numbers Of migratory wild fowl
which come to the States to spend the
fall and winter. With its game re-
sources the territory also has rich
resources in land f~ur-bearing animals,
the gross income from which amounts
to about 100000 a year. The gross
value Of the game taken each year In
Alaska by the native and white popu-
latiOn probably has a meat value close
ly apprOximating $1,O00.OOO.
"FOr a long time after purchase
Of Alaska from Russia no effort was
made TO safeguard its wild life re-
sources" writes Doctor Nelson. "In
1902, however, the first general game
Law applying to the territory was
passed by congress. As a result after
my visit to the territory in 1920 to es-
tablish the reindeer experimental work
Of the biological survey / undertook
the preparation of a new Alaskan
game and fur law. This bin was
sponsored by Alaska's delegate, Dan
Sutherland, enacted and signed by the
President in 1925.
Alaska contains a vast area Of WILD
country which will remain a wilder
ness far into the distant future, anC
among the main u Of such
areas will continue to be the game
and ~fur-bearers which they support.
"One gratifying development unde
the new act has been cooperative ar
engagements with the game authoritie
OF British Columbia and Yukon terri
tory providing for the same seasons
i, especially on fur-bearers, on both side
|, of the boundary. In addition join
, patrols of the boundary have alread
been instituted with gratifying efeC
! in putting out Of business some lay
viOlatOrs who have been located alOn
, the line in order that their transgrel
: siOns might be concealed by mOvin
! back and forth Over the boundary.
o $50 far as can be judged in tn
8 short time since the new law becam
effective it's reception by the peOpl
t Of the territory and its operations haJ
Y been very promising fer its effecd'
4 influence in the conservation of Ala
e ka's wild life.
f. Caribou and Bears Threatened.
J. 1.-THE biological survey has turnC
D. over to the commission a sea-gOiI
. patrol boat, the Sea Otter, AZ feet
length, for patrOling the coasts Of Il
le mainland and islands Of southeasteI
q Alaska. Within . It's territory the
g. coast lines aggregate a total Of abO
% $4,000 miles. Plans are being draw
for a power cruiser 68 feet In lengt
10 to be equipped with a full Diesel e
ss CINE, for use In patrOlling the islam
3 of the southern coast Of Alaska frC
n Cook inlet to the westward, the AlS
% ka peninsula and the Aleutian islam.
ns This great ares has hitherto be
ue without any game or fur law enfOr'
or ment.
'The caribou on the Alaska pen.
sula have been reduced to a point II
seriously endangers their existen
- and the persistent hunting Of bro
bears on the peninsula has also grea
reduced the numbers Of these intere
ing animals In parts of that area.
roads have also been made on [
a brown bears and caribou on Unlm
island, the e~asternmOst Of the Al
i. don Islands reservation. In ma
areas the winter poisoning Of I
bearers has also been a common pr
tice, with disastrous consciousness
the fur supply.
"0ne Of the most gratifying resi-
FROM the administration Of the q
law has been the willingness Of
ALASKAN courts TO punish ofgendars