Managing Utah's Big-Game Crop 



575 



but which were now torn off for food." 

 It is certain, however, that the com- 

 ing of civilization, with its free and its 

 unregulated use of the ranges, with un- 

 restricted hunting, and the establish- 

 ment of ranches, towns, and cities soon 

 reduced seriously the numbers of deer, 

 elk, bighorn sheep, and antelope that 

 were originally present. 



With the first settlers came the first 

 domestic livestock, which were grazed 

 near the valley towns. In 1860, milk 

 cows and draft oxen constituted 62 

 percent of the 34,000 cattle reported in 

 the agricultural census for the Terri- 

 tory. After the danger of Indian depre- 

 dations had ceased and the need for 

 additional ranges developed, the cattle 

 and sheep were moved into the canyons 

 and onto the mountains. By 1890, suit- 

 able grazing areas of the entire State 

 were being exploited in severe and un- 

 restricted free use by domestic live- 

 stock. That year, 360,000 cattle and 

 2,000,000 sheep were reported in the 

 Utah Territory. 



At the turn of the century the 

 mountain ranges had been depleted of 

 much of their native forage, and num- 

 bers of big game had declined until 

 action was necessary to save both. 



THE FIRST CONSERVATION measures 

 came in the 1890's. In 1897, the first 

 Utah forest reserves were established. 

 Additional areas were set aside in the 

 next decade. The regulation of grazing 

 by livestock was then inaugurated. 



A fish and game department was es- 

 tablished in Utah in 1894, but few reg- 

 ulations or restrictions were set. The 

 open season on deer extended for 5 or 

 6 months. Several animals were per- 

 mitted each hunter. No hunting li- 

 cense was required of residents until 

 1907. 



The destruction of big game had 

 proceeded so far that in 1908 it was 

 deemed wise to prohibit all hunting of 

 elk, deer, antelope, and bighorn sheep 

 for 5 years. The people realized that 

 immediate and drastic action was ne- 

 cessary to prevent a famine of game. 



The legislature in 1913 enacted a 



"buck law" that forbade the killing of 

 doe deer, because the female had to be 

 protected if deer were to increase. The 

 hunting season was shortened to 15 

 days in early October, and elk, ante- 

 lope, and bighorn sheep were given 

 complete protection. 



The Utah Fish and Game Commis- 

 sioner's tenth biennial report, which 

 included the year 1913, said in defense 

 of the new regulation: "The season 

 opens generally before snowfall, which 

 gives good protection to the deer. It 

 assists him in escaping the aim of the 

 huntsmen, and hampers the huntsmen 

 in his efforts to track the game." The 

 report also gave the first recorded esti- 

 mate of the number of deer taken by 

 hunters: "From the best information 

 obtainable approximately six hundred 

 deer were killed in Utah this year, yet 

 an increase is observed." In 1916, the 

 forest rangers reported there were 

 some 8,400 deer on the national forests 

 of the State. 



Later, the State legislature estab- 

 lished a series of large game preserves, 

 which included many of the more fa- 

 vorable deer and elk ranges. By 1925 

 there were 11 State game preserves 

 covering 940,000 acres in the national 

 forests. Enforcement of game laws by 

 wardens and forest rangers became 

 more strict, and stockmen waged con- 

 stant war against coyotes, wolves, bob- 

 cats, and mountain lions to protect 

 their flocks and herds. The regulated 

 use of the mountain ranges meant bet- 

 ter forage and vegetative cover. Suit- 

 able conditions for big game thus were 

 created food, cover, control of pred- 

 ators, and protection. 



Under the protection given them, 

 the mule deer increased remarkably. 

 The deer population in the national 

 forests increased from 13,500 in 1920, 

 to 18,500 in 1925, to 55,000 in 1930. 

 The State game department and wild- 

 life enthusiasts were proud of the re- 

 sults. An estimated 800 bucks were 

 killed in 1920, 1,400 in 1925, and 6,400 

 in 1930. 



But the protection apparently did 

 not benefit the antelope and bighorn 



