GOOD-BYE TO ARIZONA 141 



tains, with the hope of verifying this, but the 

 reports were most indefinite and unsatisfactory. 

 I could find not one man who could say posi- 

 tively that he had seen so much as a single 

 sheep here in several years, and others declared 

 that there were none. This leads me to the re- 

 gretful conclusion that the last mountain sheep 

 to inhabit the San Francisco Peaks was killed 

 a few years since. As a result of this personal 

 observation, as well as information obtained 

 through correspondence, I am led to estimate 

 the number of mountain sheep in Arizona at 

 approximately four hundred, and it is certain 

 that this is an exceedingly liberal estimate. 



In the White Mountains, in the Mogollon 

 Mesa, and in the Buckskin Mountains, as well 

 as elsewhere, there are still a great many deer, 

 but it would be quite useless even to attempt to 

 approximate their number. Bear, too, are still 

 fairly plentiful, though rarely now, it may be 

 said never, does one hear of their depredations 

 upon ranches, and the time has undoubtedly 

 come when some protection should be extended 

 to them. It is certain that the bounty on them 

 should be discontinued. 



Predatory animals, chiefly jaguars and coy- 

 otes, are plentiful and are a large factor in the 

 destruction of game. The jaguar doubtless 



