THE GRIZZLY BEAR. 223 



tember 1st to January 1st each year. And it shall be unlawful to capture, by 

 means of any pit, pitfall, or trap, any of the above-named animals, at any time 

 ■of the year. No non-resident of this Territory shall pursue,, hunt, or kill any of 

 the above-named animals by any means whatever:: Provided, however, any actual 

 and bona fide resident may at any time pursue, hunt, or kill any of the said 

 animals for the purpose only of supplying himself and family with food; but it 

 shall be unlawful to sell or offer the carcass of any such animal, or any part 

 thereof, for sale, except as is provided in this chapter." 



The effect of such a statute, I need not say, makes hunt- 

 ing in Wyoming impossible — at least, impossible to honor- 

 able men. The trouble is, that it does not reach the root of 

 the matter. The men that destroy the game in that and 

 other Territories are not the small parties of sportsmen who 

 spend several weeks there in the fall. The advent of these 

 is an unmixed benefit to the frontier community. Any 

 properly equipped hunting-party must, of necessity, spend, 

 during a six- weeks' trip, from $500 to $2,000 in the Terri- 

 tory, and in those parts where cash is scarce. Sportsmen 

 who needlessly slaughter game are now fortunately rare. 

 Cow Elk or ewes are scarcely ever shot, except when a 

 party is hard-up for meat; and a few bull Elk and an odd 

 ram falling to the sportsman's lot do not, to any serious 

 extent, diminish the game of the Territory. No, it is in the 

 late fall, when the snow drives the game in large herds 

 down from the mountains — drives them to the doors of the 

 outlying ranches — that needless and irrevocable slaughter 

 is wrought. . Then the game is poor, often scarcely eatable, 

 and in the deep snow whole bands of Elk and Deer are 

 butchered, without chance of escape, by the ranchmen. All 

 who live in the Territory know the truth of what I say. The 

 passage of such a law as this, then, is worse than useless, 

 and its effect .will be to stop Bear-hunting as well, though 

 there is no prohibition in the law against their slaughter. 



Occasionally, the Bear is seen and stalked in the " open;" 

 but I should say that at least nine out of ten Bears that are 

 killed are either trapped or shot in the early morning or 

 evening, when coming to a carcass. When I say nine out 

 of ten Bears . killed, of course I have no reference to the 

 wholesale poisoning that has totally wiped out, in large 



