American Big Game in its Haunts 



game found there, namely, deer, mountain sheep, 

 and antelope, leaving out of consideration elk, in 

 regard to which in California, of course, peculiar 

 conditions prevail. It will be wise for us to look 

 at this question from the standpoint of the settlers 

 who live adjacent to the reserves. They have in- 

 terests at stake, and very strongly feel assured of 

 their right to kill game. If they were to be de- 

 prived of this right, it would result in deep dis- 

 satisfaction. The local press would give expres- 

 sion to this sentiment and our cause would thereby 

 suffer. Moreover, the bill, as framed, would not 

 afford relief to the present congested state of 

 affairs. If but a single refuge were to be created, 

 it might well be the desire of those whose office it 

 became to mark its bounds, in conformity with the 

 conditions of the bill, to designate as large a tract 

 as possible. Suppose, for instance, that they were 

 to set aside the whole Sierra Reserve, which alone 

 is greater in extent than the seven reserves of 

 southern California, selecting this as centrally 

 situated in the State, southern California would 

 derive but slight benefit from the measure. Good 

 hunting in the vicinity of the reserve so protected 

 might tempt a certain number of hunters to pre- 

 fer that region to the more severely hunted forests 

 of their own section ; but there is in that country 



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