134 Deer and Antelope of North America 



though less rapid than on the plains, has never- 

 theless gone on with melancholy steadiness. In 

 the early nineties it was still as abundant as ever 

 in large regions in western Wyoming and Mon- 

 tana and northwestern Colorado. In northwest- 

 ern Colorado the herds are now represented by 

 only a few hundred individuals. In western 

 Montana they are scattered over a wider region 

 and are protected by the denser timber, but are 

 nowhere plentiful. They have nearly vanished 

 from the Big Horn Mountains. They are still 

 plentiful in and around their great nursery and 

 breeding-ground, the Yellowstone National Park. 

 If this park can be extended so as to take in part 

 of their winter range, they can be preserved for 

 all time, to the delight of all lovers of nature, and 

 to the great pecuniary benefit of the people of 

 Wyoming and Montana. But at present their 

 former winter range, especially south of the park, 

 is filling up with settlers, and unless the condi- 

 tions change, the wapiti will more and more be 

 compelled to winter among the mountains, which 

 will mean such immense losses from starvation 

 and deep snow that the herds will be wofuUy 

 thinned. Surely all men who care for nature, 

 no less than all men who care for big game hunt- 

 ing, should combine to try to see that not merely 

 the states but the Federal authorities make every 

 effort, and are given every power, to prevent the 



