24 



BULLETIN 1(M9, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGEICULTUEE, 



1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1916. 1918, 1919. 1920-, and 1921. 

 Briefly, they show that the total niunber of buffalo in existence has 

 increased in 32 years from 1,091 in 1889 and 1,753 in 1903 to about 

 9,300 on January 1, 1921. These figures do not include the wood bison 

 of Canada. The details of the first count were published in 1889 in 

 Hornaday's "Extermination of American Bison" (p. 525) ; the sec- 

 ond by the National Zoological Park ; and the others in the annual 

 reports of the American Bison Society. 



In the case of antelope the Biological Survey published an estimate 

 for the year 1908, based on the best figures then obtainable, showing 

 a total of 17,000 in the United States, or, adding those in Canada, a 

 total of less than 20,000 north of Mexico." 



An estimate of the number of moose, made by the Biological Survey 

 for 1910, showed about 3,050 in the northern Eocky Mountain re- 

 gion — in Idaho. Montana, and Wyoming.^^ 



For mountain goats the Forest Service officials estimated that in 

 1910 the total number in the State of Washington, exclusive of the 

 Mount Eainier National Park, was about 1,700, of which 700 were on 

 the west slopes and 1,000 on the east slopes of the Cascades. 



The New York Conservation Commission estimates the total num- 

 ber of deer in that State at about 50,000. No other State has at- 

 tempted to collect the necessary data in as comprehensive a manner. 



From the foregoing partial estimates it is possible to approximate 

 roughly the total number of big game other than deer in the United 

 States. The figures in the following table should be regarded merely 

 as maximum approximations and not in any sense accurate estimates. 



Estimates of total number of big game other than deer in the United States. 



Iflnd of game. 



Buffalo.. 



ElV 



Antelope 

 Moose. . . 



2,700 

 72,000 

 10,000 



6,000 



1920 



3,400 



52, 000 



7,500 



7,000 



Kind of game. 



Mountain goats.. 

 Mountain sheep. 



1918 



6,000 

 11,000 



Total 107,700 



1920 



6,000 

 10, 000 



85,900 



This total of about 86,000 for 1920 covers only the big game south 

 of the northern boundary of the United States, latitude 49°, and 

 does not include the game of Alaska or of any part of Canada. Con- 

 sequently, more than 50 per cent of the buffalo of North America 

 are omitted from the statement, as are a considerable number of elk, 

 the great herds of moose and caribou, and thousands of moun- 

 tain slieep. Of the 3.400 buffalo, 1,032 are in Government herds, 111 



1^ Palmer, T. S., Progress of game protection in 1908 : Yearbook, U. S. Dept. Agr., 1908, 

 p. 582, 1909. 



!-• Palmer, T. S., and Henry Old.vs, Progress of game protection in 1910 : Biol. Surv. Circ. 

 80, p. 11, 1911. 



