THE FLATHEAD BUFFALO RANGE. 



A REPORT TO THE AMERICAN BISON SOCIETY OF AN INSPEC- 

 TION OF THE FLATHE.^ INDIAN RESERVATION, MON- 

 TANA, FOR THE PURPOSE OF SELECTING A SUITABLE 

 LOCATION FOR A NATIONAL BUFFALO RANGE. 



By Morton J. Elrod, Ph.D., 



Professor of Biology, University of Montana, Missoula. 

 Director of the University Biological Station. 



Acting on instructions from the President of The 

 American Bison Society, I examined several places in the 

 Flathead Indian Reservation, Montana, for the purpose 

 of selecting a suitable location for a range in which to 

 confine and perpetually maintain and propagate a herd of 

 American Bison, or, as it is popularly known here, the 

 Buffalo. 



Having travelled over the reservation every summer 

 for the past ten years I had some definite ideas of the 

 portions of the reserve that would be most suitable for 

 such a range. To my mind there were four available 

 localities, but just which one was ideal could be deter- 

 mined only by close observation, covering all the points 

 involved in preparing the range so as to make it suitable 

 for permanent use. 



The chief items of importance in making the selection 

 were outlined as follows, although not necessarily in order 

 as here given: 



I. Accessibility. — To be of the greatest use, the 

 range should be reasonably near to the railroad. The 

 reasons for this are quite obvious. To ship animals in and 

 out will be necessary from time to time. There may be 

 need for transportation of forage. Fencing material must 

 be procured, and long hauls by wagon are expensive. 

 Lastly, the public will want to visit the animals and see 

 them on the range, and will desire to reach them easily 

 from the railway. 



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