THE GAME FIELD 
kinds of deer hunting in Colorado, and a score 
of years ago the buffaloes were still roaming the 
plains east of the Rockies, but to-day the deer is 
getting almost as rare as the buffalo, thanks to 
the tireless energy of the great American game- 
hog. The elk long ago left Colorado’s moun- 
tains, and drifted north into Wyoming, where 
bands of them are still to be found in the Jack- 
son’s Hole region. But the laws of Wyoming, 
while “‘making it hot” for any outsider who 
kills an elk out of season, are inadequate when 
put in operation against the native hunter. It is 
the Western ranchman who is doing most of the 
illegal killing. It is impossible to convince the 
average rancher that he is not privileged to go 
out and get “‘fresh meat” whenever he wants it, 
regardless of game laws. 
Colorado took steps some time ago for the 
protection of mountain sheep. It forbade the 
killing of these animals at any time of the year, 
and real sportsmen hoped they would increase 
in numbers. But mountain sheep are scarcer 
than ever to-day, for the reason that the native 
pot-hunter has no fear of the law. 
In the home of the mountain goat similar 
slaughter is being carried on. Montana, Wash- 
ington, Idaho and other States whose peaks are 
graced by bands of these strange animals, form 
the Mecca of hunters who have no regard for 
law and who kill as many sheep or goats as 
come within range of their rifles. Naturally, 
such work cannot be kept up without the total 
extinction of game. 
Even the setting aside of Government forest 
reserves and parks has done little to stop the 
slaughter of game. In the summer, when the 
reserves are patroled by rangers, and when 
Yellowstone Park is guarded by soldiers, there 
is little or no illegal killing done; but in the win- 
ter, when there are no rangers in the reserves, 
and when the snow-bound roads make it impos- 
sible for the soldiers to patrol the big park 
thoroughly, the work of slaughter goes on. 
There are two big forest reserves adjoining 
Yellowstone Park—the Teton reserve and the 
Yellowstone reserve. Both are alive with game, 
as is the park itself. A limited amount of game 
can be killed in the reserves, in season, in con- 
formity with the game laws of Wyoming, but 
the season in the park is always closed. No 
firearms are admitted into the park, save those 
carried by the soldiers. If one insists on carry- 
ing a gun into the park he must have it sealed. 
But all these rules and regulations cut little 
figure in the eyes of the skilled and experienced 
poachers who live in the vicinity of the park. 
These men do no killing in summer or autumn. 
They make their five dollars a day as guides for 
hunting parties of Easterners. But in the win- 
ter, when the snows are deep and the tremen- 
369 
dous winter of the Yellowstone country has set 
in, they get very busy. On snowshoes these 
poachers find it easy to enter the forest reserves 
and the park and kill all the game they want. 
Magnificent elk, deer and other game fall before 
their rifles. Ifa lonely soldier sights the poach- 
ers at work, the chances are he pays no atten- 
tion to them, for the reason that it would only 
result in his own death. 
In addition to the work of the white game- 
butcher, many of the Western States have 
troubles with wandering bands of Indians, who 
carry on indiscriminate slaughter of game. 
These Indians have no business off their reser- 
vations, but many of the agents find it impossi- 
ble to keep their wards within the boundaries 
prescribed by the Government. The Uintah 
Ute Indians, who have a reservation in Utah, 
make pilgrimages to the deer country in north- 
western Colorado, and they spare nothing in 
their long hunt. Bucks, does and fawns all fal] 
before the rifles of the red men, and by the time 
the State authorities of Colorado arrive on the 
scene, the Indians are back in Utah with their 
“jerked meat” and their loads of buckskin. 
Apparently the forest reserves are the only 
hope for partial preservation of wild game. 
With the reserves under heavy patrol both 
winter and summer, and with stringent Govern- 
ment laws for the punishment of offenders, 
there would be some hope of saving America’s 
wild game heritage from destruction. But as 
matters stand to-day, the outlook is discourag- 
ing and the hunting country that was once 
regarded as the finest in the world promises to 
hold nothing but memories for the huntsman. 
—— 
Colorado Museum of Natural History 
Mr. Howard S. Reed, one of the prominent 
sportsmen of the wide West, in writing for in- 
formation concerning localities for hunting elk, 
moose and bears, for specimens for natural 
history groups for the new Colorado Museum 
of Natural History, sends the following in- 
formation about the Museum, which is an 
extract from the Denver Post: 
The Colorado Museum of Natural History will 
be one of the greatest and most comprehensive 
institutions of its kind in the world. While never 
probably, being favored with the wealth and 
general magnificence of the immense museums of 
New York and London, its location in a field from 
which all others draw their best and most valuable 
specimens should give it a natural advantage. 
The project was started several years ago. At 
that time Col. Edwin Carter, a famous Colorado 
hunter, had gathered a very extensive collection 
of mounted animals, some of them very valuable. 
He attained great fame for his collection, and 
people from all parts of the country visited his 
place. 
