HUNTING ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS 



179 



One Day's Bag. 

 this game was shot in the yosemite national park, tuolomne county, california. 



the protection of domestic stock and in 

 the interest of the game, the "varmints " 

 need to be hunted down. An example 

 of what can be done by putting a stop 

 to big-game hunting within a definite 

 area while holding in check the beasts 

 of prey is afforded by the Grand Canyon 

 Game Refuge, in Arizona. This game 

 refuge covers nearly 1,500,000 acres of 

 rough country, ill-adapted to grazing 

 use by domestic stock, on both sides 

 of the Grand Canyon. Within it the 

 Forest officers have waged an active 

 campaign against the mountain lion 

 and bobcat which in that region are the 

 worst natural enemies of the deer. The 

 prohibition of game hunting has been 

 effectively enforced. As a result the 

 deer have multiplied rapidly until their 

 number is now estimated at 10,000 

 head; and they are apparently over- 

 flowing into the surrounding country 

 where they can be hunted in the open 

 season. 



The Grand Canyon Game Refuge 

 was established by a special act of 

 Congress; and the Wichita Game Pre- 



serve of 57,120 acres, which is coter- 

 minous with the Wichita National 

 Forest in Oklahoma, was the result of a 

 similar act. These are the only game 

 preserves within the Forests which 

 have been established by Federal au- 

 thority, and before the number of such 

 National perserves can be further in- 

 creased legislation must be enacted 

 either empowering the Executive branch 

 of the Government to create such 

 preserves where they are found to be 

 desirable or specifically designating cer- 

 tain areas within which game may not 

 be killed or taken. There are, however, 

 fourteen National Parks, in twelve 

 Western States, on all of which the 

 game is absolutely protected; and the 

 same is true of the Olympic National 

 Monument which shelters the Roosevelt 

 elk in its sole habitat. There are also 

 a number of game preserves or refuges 

 on the National Forests which have 

 been established by State laws — two 

 in Minnesota, four in Wyoming, five in 

 Montana, two in Idaho, and one each 

 in Utah, Oregon, and Washington. 



