WINTER REFUGE. 23 



which was embraced by the Teton National Forest, and included 

 several claims occupied by stock ranchers, and recommended its 

 acquisition by the State. 



Early in 1909 a joint memorial was presented to Congress by the 

 Wyoming Legislature requesting that a tract comprising six town- 

 ships of public land in the Gros Ventre region be granted to the State 

 for a winter game refuge, and that provision be made also to acquire 

 the holdings of the few settlers thereon located, who favored the 

 proposition and were willing to dispose of their land at a fair price. 

 Owing mainly to the opposition of the people of Jackson Hole, no 

 result was obtained. 



In the course of the present investigation an attempt was made to 

 ascertain the sentiment of the people of Jackson Hole regarding winter 

 refuges. About 40 residents of the valley, most of them living within 

 a few miles of the town of Jackson, were asked specifically whether or 

 not they favored the acquisition of a tract for a winter refuge. Of 

 this number, 27 favored the securing of a tract in the settled part of 

 the valley. Most of the remainder were in favor of feeding hay in 

 winter, while a few believed that some area should be set aside for the 

 elk but were indifferent as to its location. The few inhabitants of the 

 Gros Ventre Valley were, generally speaking, in favor of the estab- 

 lishment there of a reserve, and several from other sections were like- 

 minded. It is evident that, while the inhabitants of the region as a 

 whole have heretofore violently opposed the setting aside of an elk 

 refuge on the Gros Ventre, they are really in favor of a refuge and 

 differ mainly as to its location, the people in the valley advocating 

 its establishment there, while the settlers on the Gros Ventre favor 

 that section as its site. 



The Biological Survey looks on the establishment of one or more 

 winter refuges as the best solution of the problem of properly caring 

 for the elk in winter. An area in the lower part of the region is of 

 prime importance, since there the greatest number of elk resort and 

 there an area of a given size can be made to support the' greatest num- 

 ber of animals. On the other hand, the establishment of a second 

 refuge in the Gros Ventre Valley would be comparatively inexpensive 

 and would gradually be the means of detaining there in autumn a 

 considerable number of the elk which would otherwise keep on to the 

 lower country. It has been estimated that 600 tons of hay can be 

 harvested on the claims now occupied on the Upper Gros Ventre, 

 and this amount, with the available forage, would support more elk 

 tli an now winter there. The number which might be supported on a 

 properly managed refuge in the Jackson region would be limited only 

 by the size of the reservation. It is earnestly recommended that at 

 least one winter refuge for elk be established. 



O 



