Page Eight 



MONTANA STATE FISH AND GAME DEPARTMENT 



Aetelope leerease oe Gaume Preserves 



Hj .liinips A. AVciMcr. Deputy Sfate (iiiiiip Warden, LewNfoHii. 



J. A. Weav 



BA NTELOPK a r e 

 Ck increasing to 

 such an extent 

 on limited space 

 provided within the 

 boundaries of Mon- 

 tana game preserves 

 that remedial steps 

 have become neces- 

 sary in order that 

 the burden on ranch- 

 ers be lightened. 

 For years these 

 fleet little creatures 

 that once bounded 

 in great herds over 

 Montana's prairies 

 have been protected 

 by state law. Dur- 

 ing early days the 

 antelope provided 

 food for Indians, fur traders, miners, 

 and railroad construction camps and 

 they were ruthlessly slaughtered. They 

 were on the verge of extinction when 

 laws were passed protecting them. 

 Tracts of native pasture land were set 

 aside as havens and the increase in the 

 herds in central and northern Montana 

 has been gratifying from the standpoint 

 of preserving the animals, but disas- 

 trous when the preservation of adequate 

 range for livestock is given considera- 

 tion. 



The antelope is a game animal with- 

 out a home. The natural habitat on 

 the prairies has been taken over by dry 

 land farmers. They roam from place 

 to place where they find grazing the 

 best. They miss the open fields that 

 were once the habitat of thousands. 

 Barbed wire fences now enclose much 

 of the territory whore the herds once 

 grazed before civilization and intensive 

 cultivation of the soil entered into the 

 scheme of things. 



The largest herd of antelope in the 



west grazes on the Sullivan game pre- 

 serve at Square Butte. More than 700 

 constitute this herd and they are gra- 

 ciously given the privilege of thriving 

 on lands owned and leased by W. P. 

 Sullivan, chairman of the State Fish 

 and Game Commission. For years Mr. 

 Sullivan has taken pride in protecting 

 this herd, but the increase has become 

 so great that the animals now threaten 

 to require grazing ground needed by 

 livestock and sportsmen of the vicinity 

 are attempting to work out ways and 

 means of scattering them or moving 

 them to other desired localities. 



It is a striking sight to view herds 

 of from 100 to 300 antelope grazing in 

 the rolling hills in the Sullivan game 

 preserve. Passengers on trains are 

 able to catch glimpses of these herds 

 from Pullman car windows and many 

 letters have been received from east- 

 ern visitors by Mr. Sullivan, comment- 

 ing on the thrill provided. 



While this growing herd has been 

 given protection, other herds have been 

 decimated by ruthless Indians. For 

 years the state fish and game depart- 

 ment has attempted to secure some ac- 

 tion through the Indian department at 

 Washington. D. C, looking toward 

 checking the slaughter of antelope 

 when they wander over the boundary 

 lines of Indian reservations. The red- 

 skin in the majority of cases feels him- 

 self secure when on the reservation, 

 and hunts and fishes during all sea- 

 sons, regardless of fish and game laws. 

 Deputy game wardens are without au- 

 thority on the reservations, and deer, 

 elk and antelope which are so unfor- 

 tunate as to cross into the red man's 

 reserve fall before the guns of Indians 

 regardless of seasons. Reports are 

 to the effect that this situation Is par- 

 ticularly annoying in the Glacier park 



country in the vicinity of Browning and 

 Cut Bank. 



Suggestions regarding handling the 

 antelope problem have been made by 

 sportsmen and ranchers alike. Some 

 have ventured the suggestion that an 

 open season be declared but this idea 

 is opposed because of the realiEatlon 

 that such a move would mean wiping 

 out the herds. Another suggestion has 

 been made that an open season be de- 

 clared on male antelope. Another is 

 that special antelope licenses be sold, 

 while another group maintains that the 

 little animals should be rounded up and 

 transported to other localities where 

 they will thrive and increase. 



While efforts are being made to cope 

 with the problem, the antelope continue 

 making it tough on ranchers who must 

 depend on their grazing lands to fatten 

 their cattle. 



At the bison range at Moiese. where 

 the federal government is in charge, 

 the surplus buffalo and elk are annu- 

 ally moved off the range so that ade- 

 quate feed remains for the desired 

 number. If the buffalo and elk are not 

 sold alive, they are killed and the meat 

 distributed among needy Indians. To 

 the sentimental opponent of this method 

 of keeping the herds within check, the 

 killing may appear uncalled for, yet 

 when the welfare of the entire herd is 

 considered, sane control demunds that 

 the number be kept within the feeding 

 capacity of the range, lest the entire 

 herd suffer winter privations and event- 

 ual starvation. 



KECOMMENDATIONS 



A farmer was asked what he thought 

 of the two candidates for the legisla- 

 ture. 



Ho replied—'When 1 look at them 1 

 am thankful only one uf them can got 

 elected." 



Antelope Present Striking Picture on Montana Skyline 





! 



Undsr protection of •tnle 



f,irm«r» and itockmgn. 



