A REASONABLE GAME REFUGE POLICY 



In advocating the establishment of national game refuges, 

 or game sanctuaries, upon a number of the National For- 

 ests in the West, the supporters of the plan clearly realize 

 that others also are interested in the use of these forest 

 ranges, and they desire to proceed along lines which will be 

 at once just and equitable to all concerned. 



It is well known that many of the ranges once occupied 

 by game animals are now more or less used by the flocks 

 and herds of the western settlers. At the same time, there 

 are many forest areas which cannot be used to advantage 

 for domestic stock, or which from their very nature will 

 support a number of large game animals in addition to 

 domestic animals without injury to either. 



It will be the policy in establishing such refuges, or sanc- 

 tuaries, to locate them, as far as possible, upon areas which 

 are so rough or inaccessible as to prevent their use by 

 domestic stock, and before one is established, this side of 

 the question will be carefully looked into. These areas, 

 however, will be comparatively few, and the restrictions 

 upon grazing which may be necessary will not be a burden 

 on the nearby settlers. 



We feel certain that every western stockman and settler 

 is interested in the preservation of the big game in his vicin- 

 ity, and the only practical method of preserving it seems 

 to be through the establishment of these sanctuaries in 

 which they may breed and multiply, and eventually spread 

 out over the surrounding country. There they may be 

 hunted during the open season, and in accordance with the 

 laws of the various states in which they are located, thus 

 furnishing to the local settlers a fairly stable supply of 

 winter meat. It is, of course, unreasonable to expect that 

 animals such as deer, elk, and mountain sheep can subsist 

 upon barren rocks or mountain scenery. They must have 

 forage upon which to exist, the same as all other animals 

 of their class. At the same time it is well understood that 

 these animals can and do subsist upon many species of 

 plants and grasses which are not palatable to domestic ani- 

 mals, and also that they will penetrate into regions so 

 rough and so distant from water that domestic stock will 

 not use them. 



