204 FOREST OUTINGS 



Similarly the elk population exceeds the feed supply during the critical 

 winter periods on parts of the Clearwater National Forest in Idaho; the 

 Lewis and Clark, Flathead, and Absaroka in Montana; Olympic in Wash- 

 ington; the Umatilla and Whitman in Oregon; the Teton and Wyoming 

 in Wyoming; and the Targhee in Idaho. But even if additional areas of 

 winter range for wild game were acquired, present conditions might easily 

 be repeated unless a control of the maximum numbers allowed on the 

 range is maintained. No well-managed domestic herd is allowed to increase 

 beyond its feed supply, and the same principle is applicable to wild game, 

 especially to deer and elk. 



The first steps to halt the downward trend in numbers of almost all 

 species of wildlife were the State game laws to establish seasons, fix bag 

 limits, and provide bounties for the taking of predators, and the creation 

 of control and law-enforcement bodies under various forms. Another 

 development was the establishment of refuges and sanctuaries by State and 

 Federal Governments. Game animals, fur bearers, game birds, and fish 

 have been transplanted in depleted areas or streams, and the propagation 

 of planting stock at game farms, fish hatcheries, and rearing ponds has 

 become an established practice. But perhaps most vital of all has been the 

 development of a public sentiment favorable to wildlife conservation. 



In almost all States containing national forests, resident forest officers 

 are ex officio State game wardens serving without pay. Even where this 

 is not the case, it is a recognized duty of every Forest Service officer to 

 report violations of game laws and assist in law enforcement if such assist- 

 ance is desired. 



Refuges established by States within national forests in 26 States now total 

 more than 23 million acres. Federal refuges inside national forests in 13 

 States and Alaska total nearly 6% million acres, and some 7 million addi- 

 tional acres of national-forest land are handled as game refuges through 

 administrative restrictions by the Forest Service. Of this 36% million acres, 

 less than half is used by domestic livestock. Both within refuges and with- 

 out, the numbers of domestic livestock and of game have been or should 

 be adjusted to meet the carrying capacity of the range. 



