FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER. 28 







It would seem from the foregoing table that the complete restoration 

 of the elk to our forests is merely a matter of time, and that the present 

 herds might be depended upon to restock fully the Adirondack region in 

 the course of ten or more rears. But the experience of the past has shown 

 those who have been concerned in previous efforts to restock a given section 

 with any large game animals, that the unexpected is to be reckoned with 

 as a factor liable at any time to upset what might be considered to be the 

 ordinary course of nature, and that stock of any kind that has been newly 

 introduced into a country, especially during the first ten years, is open to 

 diminution or disaster which may arise from a variety of causes. That 

 which most needs to be guarded against at present is inbreeding. The 

 only admixture of new blood which the Adirondack elk have received in 

 the past two years has been that of a few individuals which are believed 

 to have escaped from private preserves in which elk are kept. The law 

 empowers the Commission to " acquire by gift, purchase or capture, a suf- 

 ficient number of wild moose and elk to stock the Adirondack region," 

 but at present the Commission is without funds for introducing new stock, 

 and it is again pointed out that private citizens or associations interested in 

 the propagation of big game, would materially add to the safety and num- 

 bers of these species by generously liberating either elk or moose at their 

 own expense in any portion of the Adirondacks. If those who are disposed 

 to make such contributions to the State will communicate with the Com- 

 mission, every facility at its disposal will be given them and full credit will 

 follow in the succeeding annual report. 



TI)e noose 



As no appropriation for the further purchase of moose has been made 

 since 1901, it has not been possible during the past two years to liberate 

 any additional moose in the Adirondacks and, as unfortunately several 

 cows were killed during the first year of the experiment, before the under- 

 taking had received a fair impetus, the increase has been very slow and 

 unsatisfactory. Occasionally a moose is reported as having been seen in 

 some portion of the Adirondacks, but the number existing there to-day 

 is entirely too few to insure the perpetuation of this animal and the result of 



