The Mountain Sheep and its Range 



within its borders to preserve that stock most 

 scrupulously. It is said that in Colorado, where 

 sheep have long been protected, they are notice- 

 ably increasing, and growing tamer. I have 

 been told of one stock and mining camp, near 

 Silver Plume, where there is a bunch of sheep abso- 

 lutely protected by public sentiment, in which the 

 miners, and in fact the whole community, take 

 great pride and delight. 



It is fitting that on the statute books the moun- 

 tain sheep should have better protection than most 

 species of our large game, since there is no other 

 species now existing in any numbers which is 

 more exposed to danger of extinction. Destroyed 

 on its old ranges, it is found now only in the 

 roughest mountains, the bad lands, and the desert, 

 and it is sufficiently desirable as a trophy to be 

 ardently pursued wherever found. 



Several States have been wise enough absolutely 

 to protect sheep; these are North Dakota, Cali- 

 fornia, Arizona, Montana, Colorado (until 

 1907), Utah, New Mexico (until March i, 

 1905), and Texas (until July, 1908). Three 

 other States, South Dakota, Wyoming and Idaho, 

 permit one mountain sheep to be killed by the 

 hunter during the open season of each year. 

 Oregon, which has a long season, from July 1 5 to 



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