WYOMING'S RESPONSIBILITY 257 



areas that are more or less wind-swept, and 

 forage, therefore, to some extent, is uncovered 

 and available while it lasts. Thus it will be 

 seen that while the animals have between sixty 

 and seventy acres per head on the summer 

 range, when forage is green and plentiful, they 

 have less than one acre per head in the winter 

 when forage is withered and of poorer quality 

 than in the summer and much more difficult to 

 be reached. 



By the middle of January the elk ordinarily 

 have the range eaten pretty clean and are then 

 compelled to turn to coarse sticks and bark, 

 which in the case of grazing animals such as 

 elk possess small food value. The bark is even 

 eaten from fence rails. By February first the 

 elk have grown gaunt and many of them have 

 fallen into a starving condition; presently the 

 weaker ones are seen lying down, unable to re- 

 gain their feet. Thus they remain one, two, 

 and sometimes three or more days, until a mer- 

 ciful providence relieves their sufferings. 

 Thenceforward this pitiful spectacle is con- 

 stantly before the eyes of the settlers until 

 spring thaws come and the famished creatures 

 that have survived the period turn back again 

 into the hills to regain strength and flesh in a 

 season of plenty. 



