^•J* 



Photograph by R. B. Murray 



A TRAPPER'S RELIEF CABIN UP IN THE HILLS: ALASKA 



"Every one of us who loves out-of-door life should realize what a wonderful country— 

 a country of impressive mountain scenery and hig game — we have in the northern territory, 

 and how seriously the wild life of that region is now menaced" (see text, page 69). 



count I was perhaps overmoderate, for if 

 in a trip up a valley I saw 90 sheep, and 

 on my return by the same route I saw 

 the same number, I added nothing to my 

 count, presuming that the sheep last seen 

 were the same as those counted earlier in 

 the day. Thus while traveling among 

 herds of animals that were in constant 

 movement from one feeding ground to 

 another I may have failed to make record 

 of many new herds that came into sight, 

 because T was not sure they were new 

 herds. The same practice was followed 

 in counting caribou. 



GAMELESS DAYS ARE RARE 



Aii examination of that diary or rec- 

 ord, which was made from day to day in 

 the field, shows how wisely the park lines 

 were established so as to include the best 

 game ranges. Until July 8 we were out- 

 side the park, and although we were in a 

 good game country, we saw compara- 

 tively few animals on an)' one day, and 

 on some days none. Our crossing of the 

 park line was coincident with a remark- 



able increase in the number of animals 

 seen, and afterward there was a steady 

 succession of days in which game was 

 sighted. 



The decrease in numbers on July 26, 

 27, and 28 was due not to a paucity of 

 game in that part of the park, but to a 

 violent rain-storm that kept us in camp. 

 Even then we had only one gameless day, 

 for our record was kept almost unbroken 

 by caribou that passed close to our tents 

 on two of the three bad days. 



I have tried to make plain the fact that 

 the area within the proposed national 

 park is a game country without rival in 

 America. That is certainly true today, 

 but unless 'this game refuge is immedi- 

 ately reserved a few years may see these 

 great herds destroyed beyond hope of re- 

 -establishment. Even today the encroach- 

 ments of the market hunter are serious. 

 True, there are game laws in Alaska, but 

 they are by no means everywhere strictly 

 enforced, and many sled-loads of wild 

 meat are carried into the towns during 

 the winter. The town of Fairbanks,' 



80 



