American Big Game in its Haunts 



rifles entered the reserves. This besides the enor- 

 mous horde of the peaceably disposed who also 

 seek diversion here, and who naturally disturb the 

 deer to a certain extent. The supervisor of two 

 reserves — the San Gabriel and San Bernardino — 

 embracing a tract less than half the size of Con- 

 necticut, assured me that in 1902 sixty thousand 

 persons entered within their borders; In the sum- 

 mer of 1903 this number was estimated at no less 

 than ten thousand in excess of the previous year. 

 In these two reserves the number of permits for 

 rifles and revolvers issued between June i and De- 

 cember 31, increased from 1,900 in the year 1902, 

 to 3,483 In 1903, and as. In some cases, these were 

 issued for two or more persons, the supervisor 

 estimates that at least 4,500 rifles were carried last 

 summer Into these two reserves. He was of the 

 opinion that two-thirds of these were borne by 

 hunters, the remainder as protection against bears 

 and other ferocious wild beasts, which exist only 

 In imagination.* 



♦"Relative to the figures for game permits, and the reason 

 for the larger number issued for 1903 over 1902, I cannot 

 myself altogether explain the large increase. One reason, 

 however, was that our rainfall for the winter of 1902-3 

 was very large compared with that of the five previous 

 winters. As a result grass and feed were plentiful, and at- 

 tracted many more travelers and hunters, who figured that 

 game would be much more plentiful owing to the abundance 



416 



