Glacier County chief., 1939-03-03
YELLOWSTONE ELK
SCATTERED AFFAIR
So STATES, CANADA AND ARGEN-
TINA HAVE RECEIVED LIVE
SHIPMENTS
Since 1892 in Neighborhood of 5000
Animals Have Been Sent to Zoos,
Game Preserves, Private Estates, In
dian Reservations, Park, Forests.

Yellowstone national parks elk
are scattered in sc states of the
United States, the District of Co.
lumbia, Canada and South Amer
lea, according to compilation Just
completed by members of the
parks protection department.
Starting in 1892, two years before the
law protecting the parks wildlife was
enacted. and extending to the close of
1888, 4,9l4 elk have been sent from the
park to ZOOS, geological gardens, game
preserves, private estates, Indian reser-
vations, parks and forest areas for
exhibition and propagation purposes.
Live shipments under way this winter
to sportsmen's organizations for plant
ing In western Montana will bring the
figure well over the 5000 mark Of elk
supplied from this great wildlife sane
tuary.
Although but u of the states have
received like elk shipments from the
park, most of the distant shipments
have been made to supply ZOOS with
animals for exhibition purposes. At
least 10 states, some of which lie in
the eastern part of the country, have
restocked sections of their mountainous
areas and have protected these animals
until well established state herds have
been developed.
Montana Gets Most
Montana ranks first in the states re-
ceiving elk from the park, with 1907
animals, Idaho is second with 675. and
washington is third with 462.
OF the foreign shipments, Canada
received 1863 elk, the nucleus of some
OF its present large herds, two of the
animals having. been sent to Van
couVer, B: G., in 1907, SO to Jasper
park in 1917, 200 to Rocky Mountain
park in 1920 and SO to Jasper park the
same year. These animals have thrived
IN their northern environment and the
American elk may be seen TODAY in
large numbers by visitors to several of
Canada's national parks.
Two elk were shipped to the Buenos
AIRES geological gardens in Argentina
IN 1897 and one COW in 1885, Due to the
death of the latter another COW is now
enroute TO round out the family, re-
curing 33 days in transit. Thirty-one
elk furnished the national geological
park in the nations capital between
1892 and 1917. Glacier national park
received 81 animals from the Yellow
stone herd in 1912.
Despite the more than 5000 elk
taken from the Yellowstone's northern
herd through live shipments since 1892
and S69i taken by hunters outside the
park during the past four years, a cen
sus taken March 1-3, 1898, resulted in
1926 elk being actually counted in
the northern herd by 20 observers, rep
resenting the United States forest sery-
ice.
No Count in Gallatin
While no count was made of the
Gallatin herd on the west side of the
park during the past year, It is esti-
mated that there are some 2 500 of the
animals in that herd. Counts by park
rangers also showed 652 elk wintering
IN other areas Of the park. Hunters
during the past season took practicallv
5000 elk from the northern herd, while
live shipments will reduce it by OBS
more and some 500 will be lost through
deaths by natural causes.
Even with the enforcement of an
extensive reduction program. due to
insufficient winter range for the
parks wtldlife, 1t Is necessary to secure
additional winter range to properly
take care Of the country's second iarg-
est elk herd. Legislation has been in
troduced in congress providing for the
release OF money appropriated in 1928,
which had to be matched by private
funds, for purchasing lands north of
Yankee Jim canyon to be added to the
Absaroka and Gallatin national forests
Tor more winter grazing for these ami
mails, as well as a large portion of
the parks deer, antelope and mountain
sheep. Unless this legislation is enacted
1t may become necessary to invoke a
more drastic action by reducing the
herd to the point where It can slbsist
on the available range.