220 THE PRESENT AND FUTURE 



At present the American people are sorely puzzled by a 

 remarkable elk problem that each winter is presented for 

 solution in the Jackson Hole country, Wyoming. Driven 

 southward by the deep snows of winter, the elk thousands 

 that in summer graze and grow fat in the Yellowstone Park 

 march down into Jackson Hole, to find in those valleys less 

 snow and more food. Now, it happens that the best and 

 most of the former winter grazing grounds of the elk are 

 covered by fenced ranches! As a result, the elk that strive 

 to winter there, about fifteen thousand head, are each winter 

 threatened with starvation; and during three or four winters 

 of recent date, an aggregate of several thousand calves, weak 

 yearlings and weakened cows perished of hunger. The winters 

 of 1908, 1909 and 1910 were progressively more and more 

 severe; and 1911 saw about two thousand five hundred 

 deaths. (S. N. Leek.) 



In 1909-10, the state of Wyoming spent $7,000 for hay, 

 and fed it to the starving elk. In 1911 Wyoming spent 

 $5,000 more, and appealed to Congress for help. Thanks to 

 the efforts of Senator Lodge and others, Congress instantly 

 responded with a splendid emergency appropriation of $20,- 

 000, partly for the purpose of feeding the elk and also to 

 meet the cost of transporting elsewhere as many of the elk 

 as it might seem best to move. The starving of the elk ceased 

 with 1911. 



In order to provide adequate winter grazing grounds for 

 the Yellowstone-Wyoming elk, it seemed imperative that 

 the National Government should expend between $30,000 

 and $40,000 in buying back from ranchmen certain areas 



