Preserving the Game in Yellowstone Park 



By J. L. DeHART, State Game Warden. 



I have had about as good an opportunity to get as correct a survey 

 of wild life in and about Yellowstone Park during the past 25 years 

 as any one now residing in the Rocky Mountain region. 



Upon the most reliable information I can secure, a very small per 

 cent of cow elk made their return trip from the Yellowstone wintering 

 area to the summer range in the park. Therefore, the calf crop would 

 be very short for 1920. 



During the spring months of 1917 a survey was made of what is 

 known as the Northern Yellowstone Park Elk Herd. The Yellowstone 

 Park people, the Biological Survey, the Forestry, and the Montana 

 Game Department all took part and the final tabulation gave approxi- 

 mately 17,000 head, as the grand total. 



On or about October 1, 1919, the state of Wyoming published and 

 circulated a pamphlet, quoting Yellowstone Park authorities as being 

 responsible for the information, to the effect that the northern herd of 

 elk had but 10,000 head. 



During the "open season" of 1919 in Montana the early storms 

 throughout their summer range district drove the elk from the park, 

 and our department can show to the entire satisfaction of any one who 

 has a desire to know the facts that there was the awful slaughter of 

 4,000 elk from this reported band of 10.000. We must not overlook 

 the cruel treatment Montana's wild life has received at the hands of 

 the state legislature, when the "open season" was extended 30 days, 

 making 90 days' hunting season on elk, thereby extending the inhumane 

 slaughter well into the early winter months. 



We also know that the Yellowstone Park people fed this remnant 

 of a once noble herd of elk, on the Gardiner river bottom, not far from 

 the village of Gardiner, during the severe winter weather, and not- 

 withstanding the many tons of hay fed them the loss runs from 700 to 

 1,000 head. 



Regarding the statement relative to the elk starving to death in 

 Montana, I desire to say that game wardens and forest rangers report 

 finding less than 100 dead elk throughout the northern herd's territory, 

 and this loss was caused where drifting herds sought winter shelter. 



They also tell us that "The Yellowstone National Park and the 

 Teton game preserve, immediately south of the park, contain about 

 25,000 elk." This information is misleading; for the Teton herd, under 

 normal conditions, for several consecutive years past, has shown 25,000 

 or more elk, and this herd of elk is found on the southern slope of the 

 high mountain divide, tributary to the Teton waters, and does not 

 reach Montana's hunting ground. 



Our northern herd of elk summers on the Yellowstone watershed 

 and drifts north to Montana's hunting ground when the severe storms 

 of early winter drive them down for food and shelter. 



The time is ripe for the sportsmen of the state to ask the powers 

 that be to consider Montana's interest when making arrangements for 

 stocking the forests with domestic animals. 



With these facts before you, may I ask, why give the public such 

 unreliable information? Is it for the purpose of camouflaging the 

 truth so that this damnable system of renting the elks' winter feeding 

 ground to flock masters for a few paltry dollars? What's the profit, 

 and what's the loss? 



