and it is the writer's prediction that if the present late season is continued, there 

 will occur a slaughter in one season of the future, that will forever bring the 

 blush of shame to the cheek of every sportsman in Montana, who has not con- 

 sistently and continually opposed December hunting. 



What has been said concerning elk is equally applicable to deer, as an early 

 storm brings them to the lower foothills, from the high mountains, and when 

 deep snow prevents a return to the more secure regions of the higher crags, the 

 helpless deer are hunted for two weeks longer than they should be. They fall 



A Cruel System 



in multitudes under the ruthless onslaught of hunters armed with high power 

 rifles. This is not alone the opinion of the writer, but the expression of hun- 

 dreds of sportsmen who have spoken to me concerning this matter, during the 

 past two open seasons. 



In 1911, when the open season on deer closed December 1st, on account of 

 an early storm, the deer were slain by the thousands — an estimate based on careful 

 reports from each warden's district in the State, placing the number at 15,000. 

 In the vicinity of Whitefish in Flathead County, 3,500 were killed during the last 

 fifteen days of November of that year. 



Are not these facts sufficiently alarming to warrant the Montana Legislature 

 in closing the season at least as early as November 30th of each year? 



Mr. Vernon Bailey, a member of the United States Biological Bureau, has 

 carefully compiled statistics from data laboriously obtained by actual count of the 

 number of elk in Yellowstone Park, during the season of 1915-1916. His contention 

 is that over thirty per cent of the elk exist there now, that did five or six years ago. 



Upon a report to the Biological Department of the conditions, which Mr. Bailey 

 found to exist, concerning the depleted number of elk in the Yellowstone National 

 Park, this department is in receipt of a letter from Dr. H. W. Henshaw, Chief of 

 the Biological Bureau, calling attention to the result of Mr. Bailey's investigations, 

 and urging the necessity of more stringent regulations, to protect this variety of 

 game, in the immediate future. In fact Dr. Henshaw expressed the fear, that 

 the entire Gallatin herd of elk may be wiped out during the season of 1916. 

 (53) 



