Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-16
Has
Great Gain
In Wild Life
World Traveller Has
Charge of Game in
Open Sections.
BY WILLIAM A. BELL, Jr.

I UNTIL the writer met DR.. Homer
Shantz he had the notion that
wild life-big game such as deer,
antelope and bear-was becoming as
scarce in this country as bison, car
riage horses and cigar store Indians.
Seems It's not. In private domain.
true, the game population Is decreas-
ing, but in the millions Of acres that
comprise our national forests wild life
numbers are going up by leaps and
bounds-like mountain goat
Dr. Shantz. a gray-haired former
university president, is chief of the
Forest Services Division Of Wild Life
Management. That word manage
ment" is favorite with him. He uses
1t as often as doctor uses diagnosis"
or surgery" Continued increase in
the game population depends on
management" Long and happy lives
for animals protected in Government
reservations depend on management"
In the past dozen years, according
to this official, the average increase
in wild life in United States national
forests has been 100 per cent despite
400 per cent increase in hunters and
an increase in forest visitors, hunters
and otherwise, approximating 650O0,-
600. The antelope population is up
500 per cent; mountain goat, more
than 100 per cent; deer and elk, more
than 100 per cent, and brown bear, rs
per cent. This is in national forests.
Wild life statistics Cor most other
areas have minus signs.
Such is the increase In game that
overcrowding has become a problem,
DR.. Shantz said. There is room for
all. but particular areas become too
well stocked and there are food Short
ages.
In order to protect the animals
properly" Dr. Shantz said. we've got
to see that overcrowded conditions are
eliminated When there is not enough
food to go around. the size Of the
game falls of as well as the numbers"
The overcrowding situation wouldn't
be as acute if it wasn't for the fact
that deer are difficult to move Stub
born and stupid, they won't be driven
from one place when the food supply
there is exhausted to another where
food is plentiful. They'll starve to
death in one place when there's food
right next door. Forest fires will drive
them out, but only temporarily, for
they'll come right back to the burned
over area, so strong are their home
ties.
Another factor in the overcrowding
problem, DR.. Shantz said, is the law
which allows hunters to shoot only
buck deer. Not that he's In favor Of
permitting the killing Of does, but
more and more is the female deer
population outnumbering the male.
and the does foal more females than
| males.
DR.. Shantz. world traveller. has
many an anecdote about animals he
has known. One concerns a rangers
dog in the Pecos division Of the Santa
Fe National Forest. Fido, when DR..
Shantz was introduced to him, had
killed SO porcupines, valuable serv-
Ice, for porcupines injure forests by
eating the bark of yellow pines. His
method was to circle porcupine I'M
til he could catch 1t by the front foot.
Then he would turn it over and seize
its throat in death grip. The dog
never was seriously struck by porcu-
pine quilts. What hurts he did get
did nothing to discourage him.
Put beaver in a place he doesn't
like and he'll move, DR.. Shantz said.
This has been shown in the transfer
OF beavers from one national forest to
another or from particular site in
one forest to another area of the
same forest. Beavers can migrate sur
prising distances and will, If home
that has been found for them does
not suit,