The Daily Alaska empire., 1937-03-11
DEER FEEDING
 HALTED; RAINS
 CLEARED SNOW
Favorable Reports Receiv- ed by Game Commission
 from District Wardens

Because recent rains have dis pelled much of the danger, emer- gency deer feeding activities made necessary over widespread areas particularly in Southeast Alaska. by this winters heavy snows, have now been halted, it is announced. by Clarence Rhode; assistant executive officer, of the Alaska Game Commis- sion <
 Reports from Warden w. R. Sel- fridge, who, assisted by band of eco workers loaned by the Forest Service, has been feeding deer in the Ketchikan district off the Game Commission patrol vessel Grizzly Bear, disclose that the feeding party counted, within radius of fifty miles of Ketchikan, 92 live deer and dead deer. The dead ani- mals are believed to have succumbed to starvation, or to attacks by pre- datory animals, for whJch they were made easy prey by their weakened condition.
 In Fine Condition
 In some areas, Warden Selfridge said, the deer were in fine condi- ton because the snow there was not so deep. But, in many other sections the feeding parties cut cedar, alder, and hemlock shrubs for the deer to browse upon, and the animals immediately took ad- vantage of the feed. The Forest Service vessel Ranger x, with an- other CCC crew aboard, also aided in the feeding in the Ketchikan area, and those aboard that craft counted 60 live deer and found three killed by wolves. The older bucks and lawns have been hardest hit by the ravages of the winter, the report stated.
 Rains Aid Situation
 Warden Selfridge declared that recent heavy rains in the Ketchi- kan area have much improved con- ditions and they should now be able to survive without additional feed ing. unless more heavy snowfall occurs.
 While feeding deer in the Pet ersburg and Wrangell Narrows sec tion aboard the Game Commission vessel Marten, Warden H. R. Sarber counted more than 500 live deer and 32 dead He also reported that wolves are very bad in some spots. An attempt was made by Warden Sarber and his aides to determine the proportions in the animals they sighted, and from such times as they were able to get close to the deer they estimate that there are ! two bucks to every three does in that district.
 Recent rains have greatly solved the feeding problem in the Peters, burg area also, Warden Sarber re- ported. He was assisted in his work by Forest Service CCC crew also Feeding Results Good i It was reported that three feet of snow has fallen in some spots in Southeast Alaska this winter. Experiments were made during the feeding with the specially prepared deer cakes developed by Pennsyl- vania game directors, and it is de- clared that results obtained with them were excellent The deer liked them, and the cakes seemed to be very good for the deer. Attempts to feed with hay were not so success full, the deer seeming loathe to eat it. The Game Commission now plans to lay in a supply of the deer cakes for future emergencies.
 The transplanted deer in the Cor dova area are also reported to have suffered to some extent during the winter, but sportsmen in that sec- tion co-operated with the Commis- sion in fine manner during the cri- tical period, MT Rhode stated. ! Generally the largest loss of deer occurs each year just following the disappearance of the snow, when the animals commence to browse upon green food. It is hoped that 1 the feeding done this winter may have considerable effect in alleyiat- 1 ing such loss this year.