676 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



eral of those on the bison range and on the Wichita preserve have 

 died. Elforts to secure additional animals for these preserves during 

 the past year have failed. There should be herds of at least 25 lioad 

 each on the bison range and on the Wichita preserve; strong nucleus 

 herds on the Niobrara Bird Ivesci-\ation in Nebraska and on the 

 AVind Cave National Park in South Dakota. More important still 

 would be the establishment of a suitable preserve, especially for ante- 

 lope, in the antelope country. Provision for such a refuge is con- 

 tained in a bill now pending which authorizes the establisliment of 

 the Snow Creek Antelope Range in Montana. 



Thus far more effective protection seems to have been accorded 

 the antelope on the private ranges in the Southwest than under 

 either Federal or State auspices. In order to ascertain the condition 

 of these antelope a systematic effort was begun last autumn to find 

 out the location, size, and present condition of the various small bands 

 in western Oklahoma, Texas, and eastern New Mexico. A con- 

 siderable area in these States was covered by a representative from 

 the Department and much valuable information procured. It is 

 planned to continue this investigation as opportunity permits and 

 extend it to other paris of the West in order to secure data necessaiy 

 for ascertaining the true condition of antelope in the Western States. 



GAME PROTECTION IN ALASKA. 



At the close of the fiscal year new regulations were issued under 

 the Alaska game law to afford additional protection to deer and wal- 

 rus, prevent the excessive traffic in moose on the Kenai Peninsula, and 

 to suspend deer hunting on five islands in southeastern Alaska, thus 

 practically making them game refuges. The suspension of the sale 

 of venison in 1911 has been continued through the season of 1912. 

 Through cooperation with the Secretary of the Treasury, special in- 

 structions were given to the revenue cutters patrolling Bering Sea to 

 insure a strict enforcement of the law protecting walrus. 



Under the appropriation of $15,000 for the protection of game, 

 wardens appointed by the governor were stationed at several of the 

 more important points. Tlie annual, report of the governor, setting 

 forth in detail the enforcement of the law, was published by the 

 Survey as Circular 85. Sixteen permits were issued for the collection 

 of specimens for scientific purposes or for exhibition. 



INFORMATION CONCERNING GAME. 



Through cooperation with the Forest Service, comprehensive data 

 were collected for the first time regarding the number of big game 

 animals killed on the vario^is national forests, and as these forests 

 include the principal hunting districts in the western States, the data 

 thus collected furnish a practically complete basis for estimating the 

 total number of big game killed in several of the western States. In 

 addition, two representatives of the Bureau were detailed for some 

 time in the summer and early autumn — Mr. D. C. Nowlin, in Idaho 

 and eastern Oregon, to collect definite information concerning ante- 

 lope and deer; and Mr. A. C. Cooper, in western Texas and eastern 



