GAME REFUGES. 33 



there is almost destitute of big game. The hunters north of Cody 

 have to go south of the Yellowstone National Park to hunt elk. 



Several men whom I know, and of whom I was one for four years, 

 have been petitioning and begging the legislature of Wyoming to 

 give the remnant of the mountain sheep of that State a 5 or 10 

 year close season, so that they will not become exterminated. Three 

 years ago one of the best guides in the State of Wyoming, of the 

 firm of Frost & Richards, was in my office, and we discussed the 

 problem and the prospects of the mountain sheep in Wyoming. He 

 said, k ' If any of your friends want to hunt mountain sheep in Wyom- 

 ing they had better be coming pretty soon." I said, "How many 

 mountain sheep do you believe there are on grounds that can be 

 hunted in the State of Wyoming to-day?" He said, "Well, there 

 are not very many." I pressed him for a definite answer; I asked 

 him to name a figure and finally he said, "I do not believe there 

 are over 100." Now, that was a guide from Cody. 



Mr. Mondell. Mr. Frost was seeking a job. 



Dr. Hornaday. Up to this moment the State of Wyoming main- 

 tains the right to hunt her pitiful amount of mountain sheep, and I 

 fear the legislature will maintain it until the last sheep is dead. 

 Now, that is what it means to influence western legislatures in these 

 States. The State of Washington is doing the very same thing. 

 Last year we did persuade the Legislature of Montana to put a three- 

 year closed season on mountain sheep and goats. Montana is now 

 almost destitute of mountain sheep and goats. 



Mr. Mondell. Dr. Hornaday, in view of what our State has done 

 in the matter of moose and elk, it can not be possible that the legisla- 

 ture would not respond to any reasonable request for a close season on 

 mountain sheep. I am not familiar with just the character of the re- 

 quests that have been made, but I do know the frame of mind of the 

 people of my State. 



Dr. Hornaday. I will say to the gentleman from Wyoming for his 

 information that last winter and two years before that I sent to each 

 member of the Legislature of Wyoming and to the governor of the 

 State a special petition in behalf of the better protection of the 

 mountain sheep by a long close season. I did that myself. I put 

 the matter before a number of sportsmen of Wyoming, particularly 

 of Sheridan, and the association of sportsmen at Wolf, and they did 

 the same thing, but all to no purpose. 



Mr. Mondell. That proposition has never come to Congress, of 

 course. 



Dr. Hornaday. Mr. Mondell has mentioned the moose of Wyo- 

 ming. I am very glad to be reminded of that. It is a very useful 

 object lesson. About 10 years ago it was discovered that there were 

 moose in the southwestern corner of the Yellowstone National Park. 

 It was counted as a fine discovery, because everybody thought they 

 were extinct. But they were breeding in that sheltered corner of 

 the Yellowstone National Park, from which they did not migrate at 

 that time. 



Mr. Mondell. Dr. Hornaday, have you ever been there person- 

 ally ? Have you ever been in that region % Are you speaking from 

 personal knowledge ? 



53985—16 3 



