WYOMING'S RESPONSIBILITY 253 



nable. Instead of endeavoring to propagate elk 

 in other regions, capable of supporting consid- 

 erable herds, it concentrated its attention upon 

 the already too large and starving herds which 

 segregated each year in the Jackson's Hole 

 country, bending its efforts to increase still 

 further the numbers, but making no provision 

 to feed or care for these animals in winter when 

 their range was stripped of forage early in the 

 season, as it has been for several years, through 

 overfeeding. 



As any lad in the country could have fore- 

 seen and foretold, this in the natural course of 

 events led to a largely increased death rate. 

 Previous even to this time (1903) the elk of this 

 region had become so numerous as to starve in 

 such alarming numbers that humanitarians had 

 been led to suggest Federal interference. Re- 

 ferring to this, the State game warden took oc- 

 casion to remark in his report of that year: 



"It is to be hoped that our non-resident 

 friends will allow us to demonstrate our ability 

 to protect our own property." 



The State's method of protecting its own 

 property was to create a new game refuge south 

 of and adjoining Yellowstone Park, extending 

 south from the south boundary of the park to 

 the mouth of the Buffalo Fork of Snake River, 



