BIG GAME OF THE CANADIAN ROCKIES 121 



Mountain big game and its requirements, and,, as a result of this 

 study, has delineated four proposed game preserves, which con- 

 form to these requirements as nearly as it is possible to do so. 

 Three of these preserves are contiguous to the three mountain parks. 

 The total area of proposed preserves is 2,260,000 acres, or about one- 

 sixth of the Rocky Mountain Forest reserve. These preserves are 

 all selected because they form the natural range and breeding grounds 

 of one or more of the big game of the East slope. None of 

 them contain all the species found on the slope, but most contain a 

 majority. In all cases, both winter and summer range inside the 

 preserve has been assured; there is a minimum of known or probable 

 mineral deposits, very little grazing land suitable for domestic stock 

 and, although there is considerable timber, it is not considered that the 

 harvesting of timber under forest regulations is detrimental to the 

 interests of a game preserve. None of these preserves is crossed by 

 any line of railway or is likely to be, and, in all cases, natural boun- 

 daries have been selected which constitute almost insuperable barriers 

 to ingress and egress. The object of the boundary delineation was to 

 select lines having as few gateways as possible, and also to retain all 

 around the preserves a buffer strip of forest reserve or park. This 

 has been accomplished with almost complete success. In addition, the 

 preserves are well distributed along the East slope, so that they serve 

 all portions, and there are large areas of forest adjacent to the preserves 

 where the overflow from them may be hunted without endangering 

 the preserve itself. 



Game Preserve Administration 

 The practical difficulties which confront a force of game guardians 

 are very frequently overlooked in the establishment of game preserves 

 by governing bodies, who look to others to assume responsibility for 

 this protection, or when preserves are created as the result of non- 

 official representation by parties interested in game preservation but 

 inexperienced in the administration of restrictive regulations over 

 large areas of land. In outlining a game preserve policy for the 

 Rocky mountains, the Forestry Branch has drawn not only on its 

 detailed knowledge of natural conditions in the Rockies and of the big 

 game of the mountains, but also upon its fund of experience in the 

 administration of large areas of forest reserves, and has outlined a 

 complete plan for the efficient guarding of these proposed preserves. 



The two principal elements in this plan are (1) the 

 F(frestryBranch Prohibiting of firearms of any kind within the pre- 

 serves, and (2) the establishing of a special force of 

 game guardians who shall have no other duties and who shall be 



