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‘The Wichita Buffalo Range 
Mr. J. Alden Loring madea most favorable 
report to the New York Zoological Society of 
his examination, for the society, of the Wichita 
Forest and Game Reserve, in Oklahoma, with 
a view to the selection of a suitable range on 
this federal forest reservation on which to 
confine and propagate American bison. That 
part of Mr. Loring’s report to the society 
which will be of most interest to our readers 
is substantially as follows: 
Arriving at Cache, Okla., on November 24th, 
I spent the three following days riding over 
the reserve. These three trips, together with two 
others that were made to ride over the boundary 
line and explore the territory that was finally 
chosen, covered about 150 miles. I think I am 
safe in saying that all of the country within the 
reserve that is suitable for a buffalo range was 
either ridden over or observed carefully from 
the tops of mountains. Whenever a location met 
with approval, it was afterward inspected closely. 
Although I was charged with locating a buffalo 
range only, the pasturage and character of the 
country were so admirably adapted for other big 
game mammals that it was possible to locate a 
site suitable for elk, deer and antelope as well, 
and that without in the least interfering with the 
rights of the buffalo. In a certain large area, 
wherein prairies, hills, gullies, ravines and moun- 
tains occur, there is ample opportunity for animals 
to escape from the attacks of each other. 
The buffalo range, as it is now mapped, em- 
braces about twelve square miles. It is situated 
in the western center of the Wichita Reserve. 
Although there is enough grazing land outside the 
range to supply the cattle now feeding there, the 
preserve includes the choicest grazing sections 
within the reserve. If at any time it is deemed 
necessary to enlarge the range, it may be done by 
including the land north of the northern boundary. 
The range is 12 miles northwest of Cache and 
24 miles west of Fort Sill. 
With the exception of a valley three-fourths of 
a mile wide, which leads out of the southeast 
corner of the range, and a few narrow valleys of 
little consequence, the range is practically sur- 
rounded by mountains, hills and ridges; which 
afford protection from storms. These mountains 
are from too to 600 feet high, and while the boun- 
dary line does not always run at the foot of them, 
the peaks are so close that as a whole they shelter 
the range. 
Occupying about the center of the range is a 
cluster of mountains, hills and’ ridges that com- 
pletely surround a beautiful valley about a mile 
long and three-quarters of a mile wide. The 
highest peaks are fully 600 feet, and they shut out 
the storms from the north and west—the directions 
from which the worst storms blow. The top of 
one of these mountains is flat, well grassed with 
blue-stem and mesquite grass, and during all 
but the dry season water can be found upon it. 
This plateau would make an excellent retreat 
for antelope, elk or buffalo during the hot weather, 
as it is easily accessible through the draws and 
passes that lead up to it from the valley. A story 
is told of a cattleman who searched six weeks for 
a bunch of thirty cattle, and finally found them on 
this mountain in excellent condition. 
The valley surrounded by these mountains I 
have named “Winter Valley,” because it makes 
such an excellent winter range. In it we found 
many buffalo wallows, and mesquite grass in 
sufficient quantities to winter such a herd of 
buffalo as it is proposed to place on the range. 
Passes lead from this valley in all directions, 
some into the open prairie country to the north- 
west and southwest, others into smaller valleys, 
and still others to rough-timbered draws or gul- 
lies, where the shelter of the high hills and timber 
gives fine protection from sun and storms, and 
where there is plenty of fine grazing. The most 
notable of these draws leads to a fine sheltered 
gully through which Cache Creek flows, and where 
water of the finest quality can be had at all times 
of the year. Properly speaking, it is a timbered 
*“‘coulee”’ cut into the prairie. 
The bulk of the grazing country on the proposed 
range is gently rolling prairie, three-fourths of a 
mile wide, that extends over the southern part 
(4 miles) of the range, and a flat of about two 
and a-half square miles in the northwest corner 
of the preserve. While there is no section on which 
mesquite grass grew in such abundance as I 
found it on Mr. Charles Goodnight’s ranch, the 
grazing on that ranch seemed to be confined to one 
area, outside of which little of the choice mesquite 
and buffalo grass were found. On the Wichita 
buffalo range, however, the mesquite grass is 
mixed with the blue-stem. Sometimes a patch 
of an acre or more will be found. Even on the 
mountains and hillsides this favorite grass is 
found in abundance, and on the prairie, where at a 
glance there seems to be blue-stem only, careful 
examination will reveal small bunches of mesquite 
grass mixed with the former; in fact, on the 
greater portion of the range an animal can, without 
moving from its tracks, crop several mouthfuls of 
mesquite grass. Even in the fall and winter, when 
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