American Big Game in its Haunts 



A bill introduced at the last session of Congress 

 authorized the President, when in his judgment it 

 should seem desirable, to set aside portions of forest 

 reserves as game refuges, where no hunting should 

 be allowed. The bill passed the Senate, but failed in 

 the House, largely through lack of time, yet some 

 opposition was manifested to it by members of 

 Congress from the States in which the forest reserves 

 are located, who seemed to feel that such a law would 

 in some way abridge the rights and privileges of their 

 constituents. This is a narrow view, and one not 

 justified by the experience of persons dwelling in the 

 vicinity of the Yellowstone National Park. 



If such members of Congress will consider, for 

 example, the effect on the State of Wyoming, of the 

 protection of the Yellowstone Park, it seems impos- 

 sible to believe that they will oppose the measure. 

 Each non-resident sportsman going into Wyoming to 

 hunt the game — much of which spends the summer in 

 the Yellowstone Park, and each autumn overflows 

 into the adjacent territory — pays to the State the 

 sum of forty dollars, and is obliged by law to hire a 

 guide, for whose license he must pay ten dollars 

 additional ; besides that, he hires guides, saddle and 

 pack animals, pays railroad and stage fare, and pur- 

 chases provisions to last him for his hunt. In other 

 words, at a modest calculation, each man who spends 

 from two weeks to a month hunting in Wyoming 

 pays to the State and its citizens not less than one 

 hundred and fifty dollars. Statistics as to the number 

 of hunters who visit Wyoming are not accessible ; 

 but if we assume that they are only two hundred in 



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