STATUS OF THE PRONGHORlsrED ANTELOPE, 1922-1924 49 



of land. The fenced area will be approximately 4 miles square and will cover 

 some of the present antelope range. 



" Whether it will be 15 or 16 sections depends on the purchase of a ranch, 

 for which negotiations are now under way. Most of the land inside the in- 

 closure is owned by the State of South Dakota. An SOO-acre ranch, with im- 

 provements, located in the center of the area, has already been purchased by 

 the State. 



" The inclosure will cover approximately half of the proposed game preserve, 

 it being the intention of the commission to enlarge it in a year or two by add- 

 ing an area 4 miles square, which will include a few sections of forest-reserve 

 land in the vicinity of Slim Buttes. 



" The preserve is located in the eastern part of Harding County and is 84 

 miles from the closest railroad point by present highways. This, of course, 

 makes the undertaking rather expensive; but it is a splendid location, even 

 though somewhat isolated." 



In connection with the establishment of the State antelope refuge in South 

 Dakota, mentioned above, the following letter, dated December 4, 1923, from 

 State Game Warden Hedrick, is worth quoting: 



" Senator Norbeck and myself have been making a personal investigation 

 along this line, having recently put in several days in Harding County, in 

 the northwest corner of South Dakota, investigating conditions and looking 

 for a location for the establishment of an antelope preserve, which was author- 

 ized by the South Dakota Game and Fish Commission during the time that 

 Senator Norbeck was governor of the State. 



" When the Senator arrives at Washington he will doubtless see you per- 

 sonally and paint a word picture to you of this beautiful prairie animal, as 

 he certainly got very enthusiastic when we came upon a band of 85 head on 

 a fine Sunday afternoon and were within 200 feet of a considerable number 

 of these animals at times. Within 3 miles of this place on the same after- 

 noon we came upon another band of 17 and drove up within 8 or 10 rods of 

 them. There was also a band to the west of us that we did not get close to ; 

 we do not know how many there were in this band. Upon talking to the 

 neighbors and ranchers in that section, where the antelope seem to have 

 many friends, my estimate would be that there are at least 225 antelope 

 within a range of 4 to 6 townships. There are also many other bands in 

 Harding County, as well as in Perkins, Butte, and Meade Counties. We also 

 have a band of from 50 to 75 head within 50 miles of Pierre, lying to the 

 northwest of us, in the Cheyenne River country. The Senator and I investi- 

 gated this situation the latter part of July, this year." 



Three unsuccessful efforts have been made to stock the large State game 

 park of South Dakota, but in each case the animals died from disease or other 

 causes. The new antelope refuge is in much more suitable country, and there 

 the animals should do well. 



On May 29, 1923, Louis Knowles, predatory-animal inspector of the Biological 

 Survey, who furnished most of the information as to the specific distribution of 

 antelope in South Dakota, wrote that he believed antelope have decreased 50 

 per cent during the year. This has come about through depredations of 

 predatory animals, diseases, illegal shooting, and a shortage of males. Coyotes 

 are reported to kill many antelope. One of the official hunters has been work- 

 ing in (lie principal antelojx: ranges, where he has killed many of these preda- 

 tory animals, thereby relieving Hie herds from one of their chief dangers. 



On June 23, 102.'',, Mr. Knowles wrole dial stockmen and others throughout 

 the country whore the surviving antelope occur report a marked decrease in 



