360 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE, 



\ liobt motor truck has been obtained for use at this preserve and 

 IS a vahiable addition to the equipment, as it will be very useful 

 for fire fighting and for facilitating fence repairs, road work, and 

 other necessary activities. 



Concrete work at one of the watering places for the animals was 

 completed during the fiscal year and has made it possible for the 

 spring to be used more extensively and at all seasons. 



Niobrara Reservation, Nehr. — There are now 41 buifalo, 54 elk, 

 and 1 deer, as against 37 buffalo, 53 elk, and 1 deer a year ago. It is 

 hoped that new blood can be introduced into the elk herd next year. 

 The inspector has been instructed to arrange for the transfer of 

 some of the excess elk from Sullys Hill to Niobrara and at the same 

 time to weed out some of the older or less desirable animals now on 

 this reservation. 



The new game fence, 12 miles in length, is still under construction. 

 Posts are set and a contract has been let for erecting the wire for a 

 distance of 822 rods. When this fence is finished it will inclose ap- 

 proximately 4,320 acres, making this one of our best game refuges. 



Sullys Hill National Game Preserve. N . Dah. — The buffalo have 

 increased from 9 to 11, the elk from 36 to 50, and the deer from 3 

 to 5 during the year. 



Construction work on the hostess house and other buildings and 

 improvements was advanced last summer, and it is hoped that the 

 work will be entirely completed during the coming summer. 



Elk Refvge^ Wyo. — The winter of 1921-22 is reported to have been 

 the severest, on record in relation to the elk. Extreme weather con- 

 ditions did not commence until after the 1st of Januar}-. Heavy 

 thaws followed early snows, and the resulting slush was later frozen 

 into solid ice over the grazing lands, making it impossible for the 

 elk to get at the native forage. 



The bureau had on hand at the commencement of the winter 

 slightly more than 1,000 tons of hay, a larger supply than ever be- 

 fore. In addition to this, the State furnished 200 tons. This 1,200 

 tons was exhausted in April, before spring conditions permitted the 

 elk again to do their own foraging, and no funds were available to 

 purchase more. As a result approximately 20 per cent of the total 

 number of the elk that came to the refuge perished, not so many as 

 in the winter of 1919-20 but probably a larger percentage of those 

 that came to the refuge. The greatest number of elk reported on the 

 reservation at any one time during the winter was 4,350. 



There is no hay now on hand, but the outlook is good for a better 

 crop than that of last year, which amounted to 644 tons. While it is 

 unlikely that another extreme winter will follow that just past, 

 still it is deemed unsafe to start the winter with so small a stock on 

 hand, and additional hay will be purchased. 



BIRD REFUGES. 



There are now 68 Federal bird refuges, 4 of which are located on 

 the big-game preserves. No new reservations have been added dur- 

 ing the year, and one has been abandoned — the Yukon Delta Reser- 

 vation, Alaska, eliminated by Executive Order No. 3642, issued Feb- 

 ruary 27, 1922. The North Platte Reservation, Nebr., was slightly 

 reduced in area by Executive Order No. 3540, dated August 26, 1921. 



