The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-05-07
Wild LIFE REFUGE
PROTECTS FUR
AND GAME ANIMALS
Perils Of Fire, Farming and
Grazing Averted by Regula.
tons Up Mississippi

Yesterday Superintendent Cox tolt
of land acquisition for the Upper Mis-.
sissippi river wild life and fish refuge
Today he tells of protective work II
this area set aside for wild creatures
The third and last Of his sketche.
will appear tomorrow.
* X X
BY ". T. cox
Superintendent Upper Mississippi
Refuge)
Winona. Mimi, May 7.-(R-The
first measures of protection were d.
rected toward the development o.
good cooperation with the state con-
servation departments.
It has always been a difficult mat
ter for the states to protect the wild
life along the Mississippi river. In
the first place, the laws Of the ad-
joining states differ widely and the
boundaries following the tortuous
channel Of the river were lone toe
definite. Then, too, some Of the
state laws did not fit conditions along
the Mississippi. but were designed
more especially for general condi-
tons throughout the state.
Again, the intensive work needed
to protect fish, game and u r-bearing
animals in the Mississippi bottom
lands could not be done with the
small state forces available in the
locality.
Working arrangements have beer,
made with the states, whereby bet
ter protection is now afforded and
the federal forces of rangers and their
assistants tend to harmonic the
work and add much to its effective
ness. This federal force is now well
equipped with patrol boats and work
boats of various kinds and gives at
tcntion not only to game and fish
protection but to fire prevention, con-
troll of timber cutting, protection OF
fur-bearing animals, regulation ol
grazing and other features.
Nests Well Protected
Special efforts arc made to prevent
running fires which injure much wild
life through burning up of nests and
the young of various creatures and
destroying cover and food. This is
being rapidly changed and the resi-
dents along the refuge r being
brought to realize more fully the Sc
rious effects that fires produce.
1t is necessary to permit some stock
to Craze on the lands on the refuge
otherwise some of the farmers would
be seriously Inconvenience.
The cutting Of wood and hay Is also
necessary to a certain extent. Wood.
cutting operations are to be super.
vised as not to injure the forest but
rather to improve it. The cutting Of
hay is permitted only after the nest.
ing season for wild ducks and Other
birds using the grass lands as nest.
ing places have reared their young
to a point where they are safe from,
the mower.
The number of domestic stock al
lowed Oh nesting grounds and the
time when they are permitted to en-
ter the range arc so regulated as not
to endanger seriously the nests, eggs
or young Of the wild fowl.
Duck Slaughter Prevented
Last fall five closed areas were deS-
ignated within the refuge boundaries
and these were given particularly close
patrol to prevent duck shooting on
them. They are the same areas where
muskrats have been given protection
since the establishment of the refuge.
1t was only a day or so preceding the
opening of the duck season that
these areas were closed and posted
and it was surprising to see how
quickly the ducks discovered the
places of safety.
Large numbers of ducks and coots
and some wild geese found these sane
tuaries almost Immediately and re-
manned on them or in the neighbour
hood all fall until freeze-up.
Accordingly. ducks were much in
evidence throughout the hunting sea-
son, whereas during previous falls
the wild fowl flights were brief. Other
years they were quickly shot out all
along the river, but last fall it was
different.
The ducks in thousands remained
on the sanctuaries and flew back and
forth to different portions of the