1913, inclusive, was 663, an average of only some ninety 

 yearly. But the total death rate may be approximately 1,000 

 or 1,100 annually. I think it safest to assume that they have 

 done no better than hold their own. 



I have heard some hunters say that large heads, trophies 

 worth the sportman's effort, are now quite scarce. This is 

 also my own impression from observations in the Superior 

 Forest Reserve during the last three summers. Among 163 

 adult moose observed, by actual count, there were only about 

 a score or less with size of body and antlers that bespoke 

 beasts in the full prime of body development and vigor. The 

 great majority were inferior or younger animals, yearlings to 

 four and nve-year-olds. 



Our observations thus far are entirely too meager to war- 

 rant positive statements of any sort, but a number of facts 

 may be mentioned which may or may not have some signifi- 

 cance. Of 83 animals, big and small, seen the first summer, 

 there were 36 cows, 11 calves, and the remainder bulls, with 

 the exception of a few cases where the animals may have 

 been cows or yearling bulls. Among 50 seen the second sum- 

 mer there were 23 cows, 5 calves, the rest bulls, with about 

 half a dozen undetermined cases; and altogether this last 

 summer of 52 head, there were 22 calves among the total 185 

 head observed; and as no cow had more than one calf this to 

 say that in round numbers about 70 of the 95 cows observed 

 were without calves. These observations were made in the 

 same territory, all of it protected, excellent moose country, 

 and may therefore be considered particularly favorable. The 

 number of calves seems strikingly small, considering the pro- 

 portion of cows and bulls. The question that suggests itself 

 is, may there not be some relation between the scarcity of 

 large bulls in the full prime of vigor and the low rate of in- 

 crease there observed? 



We have now seen what, I believe, is the situation in regard 

 to our most important mammals at the present time. Among 

 them are most of the valuable fur-bearing animals of North 

 America. Some of them are dangerously near extinction and 

 the killing of them should be completely stopped for a period 

 of years. Others are surely decreasing, perhaps more rapidly 



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