THE MOOSE AND WAPITI OF MANITOBA 



A PLEA FOR THEIR PRESERVATION 



that is required is public sentiment 

 in favor of the movement,, as we hav 

 able men in our legislature ready to 

 comply with any such reasonable re- 

 quest. Therefore, I say, let us pre- 

 serve the wapiti, and not relegate it 

 to history and museums. To an un- 

 thinking man it is probably nothing 

 more than hide and meat, but to the 

 lover of the great out-of-doors, the 

 naturalist, the sportsmen and the 

 wholesome-minded citizen, it is a sub- 

 ject of the deepest admiration. 



What will the outcome of all this 

 needless destruction mean? Simply 

 that the people of Manitoba will lose 

 two of the grandest of big animals 

 now existing, through the agency of 

 a few who are slaughtering them for 

 purely personal gain. Will we allow 

 future generations to look back upon 

 the killing of these splendid animals 

 as an indelible blot upon our national 

 character Many say to protect them 

 rgi to frame class legislation, which 

 will preserve them only for those who 

 would kill for sport. To such people, 

 we can but extend sympathy. They 

 are so engrossed with their own per- 

 sonal affairs that they care little for 

 the magnificent things Nature has be- 

 stowed upon them. They see nothing 

 of the beauty of Nature, they care for 



nothing other than that which directly 

 concerns them, and they do not realize 

 that after all, the true sportsman is 

 the most potent factor in game pro- 

 tection. 



In allegiance to our country^ and its 

 big game heritage, let us not put upon 

 the minutes of our history, that the 

 wapiti sought its last refuge in Mani- 

 toba and was miserably exterminated, 

 or that the moose was driven forever 

 far beyond our borders. 



The Manitoba Gam e Protective as- 

 sociation has for some time past been 

 advocating the establishment of a 

 provincial game preserve, having 

 brought the proposition before the 

 legislature; and, I think, if other so- 

 cieties were to offer their support they 

 would greatly assist in the accom- 

 plishment of the desired results. No 

 organization in the province is more 

 worthy of lending a helping hand in 

 such a cause than the Manitoba His- 

 torical and Scientific Society, which, 

 for many years, has kept constantly 

 in touch with the many important 

 factors in our provincial history, and 

 I trust that its members will consider 

 the future of our big game and give 

 their support in providing for its 

 perpetuation. 



At the close of the reading of the paper a discussion arose on the 

 matter of the preservation of the deer family in Manitoba, when it was 

 moved by Mr. W. J. McLean, seconded by Chief Factor William Clark, 

 and unanimously agreed as follows : 



"Whereas this Society learns that a proposition has been brought before the 

 Legislature of Manitoba by the Manitoba Game Protective Association to establish a 

 provincial game preserve in the Riding Mountains District : this Societ}' begs to 

 give notice of its hearty endorsation of the movement." 



