BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL, SURVEY. 453 



lance. The buffalo and elk are in excellent condition and have in- 

 creased to a point that necessitates the disposal of a number of 

 each in order to prevent the range from becoming overstocked. 



Evidence of the unexpected aggressiveness of bobcats on the game 

 "was found when a warden trailing an antelope during a winter 

 snowstorm discovered that a bobcat had joined the trail a little ahead 

 of him. A short time later he came on the carcass of a full-grown 

 antelope that had been killed by the cat just before the warden 

 arrived. A large number of coyotes have been destroyed in and 

 about this refuge. 



Niobrara Reservation^ Valentine, Nehr. — The large game animals 

 on this refuge up to the end of the present year have been maintained 

 in two small inclosures. Several years ago the inclosure of an addi- 

 tional 4,000 acres of excellent range land for game was undertaken 

 and was completed at the end of the present year. Later in the sea- 

 son game will be transferred to it. A number of beavers live along 

 the river on this refuge, but how many is not known. 



Quail were more numerous here during the spring of 1923 than at 

 anj' other time within the past seven j^ears. About 300 pairs of 

 prairie chickens and sharp-tailed grouse nest along the southern side 

 of the refuge, and in winter others move into the shelter from the 

 more open country on the north side. Many ducks remain along the 

 river on the refuge during winter, when at times several hundred 

 are present. 



Sully 8 Hill Game Preserve, near Devils Lake, N. Dak. — The hostess 

 bouse for visitors to this refuge and 1 mile of 6-foot fence which keeps 

 the buffalo and elk from Sweetwater Lake, were completed, thus 

 making the refuge a pleasanter place for the public to visit. This 

 refuge continues to be a popular place for picnic outings for people 

 of Devils Lake and the surrounding region, the total number of visi- 

 tors during the fiscal vear being 6,0^9, as follows: July (1922), 2,931; 

 August, 1,321; September, 514; June (1923), 1,313. 



The numbers of animals on the refuge on June 30 were as follows : 

 Buffalo, 13; elk, 30; white-tailed deer, 5; a total of 48. Shipping 

 corrals were built for the purpose of readily crating and transporting 

 surplus elk. Unfortunately, severe weather conditions developed 

 before shipments could be made, and a number of the elk perished. 

 The buffalo came through the winter in excellent shape. 



Winter Elk Refuge, Jackson, Wyo. — The early winter was com- 

 paratively open, with light snowfall, thus leaving the pasturage acces- 

 sible to the game. About 3,400 elk were fed on the two feeding 

 grounds, of which 3,000 or more came in early in the year and about 

 400 came in in small parties at different times. They remained in 

 good condition throughout the season and the loss was comparatively 

 light. 



Feeding the elk started on January 23, after a snowfall of 21 

 inches, and continued until April 25. Very satisfactory results were 

 obtained by the construction of feeding corrals for the elk calves, so 

 arranged with low, narrow entrances, called " creeps," that the calves 

 could enter to feed free from molestation by the larger animals. This 

 method of feeding was so successful that it will be continued on an 

 extended scale during the coming winter. It is certain that this will 

 result in saving a large number of calves that would have died, as 



