72 BE/LLETIX 790, U. S. DEPAETMEXT OF AGRICULTURE. 



cation of the range and its division between different classes of stock, 

 it is pointed out that the forage habits of elk, deer, and mountain 

 sheep are similar to those of cattle and sheep, and that, as a conse- 

 quence, there may be conflict where a range as a whole is fully stocked 

 cr where either the summer range or the winter range of the game 

 animals is fully stocked with cattle and sheep. It is obvious, there- 

 fore, that the needs of the game animals for range must be given 

 more and more consideration as grazing by domestic stock becomes 

 more intensive. There is the immediate problem of seeing that 

 range is provided for the elk, deer, and mountain sheep already in 

 any given locality. There is the future problem of providing for 

 wider distribution of these animals and providing range for in- 

 creased numbers in localities where an increase is desirable. 



For either of these purposes it is necessary to know the number 

 and distribution of game animals on each National Forest, the char- 

 acter of range necessary for the proper maintenance of each class, the 

 area and grazing capacity of such range already available, and the 

 need for increasing the present acreage or of restricting its further 

 development for use by live stock. More accurate information on 

 these subjects is vital to proper maintenance of the game without 

 undue restriction of the development and use of the range by domestic 

 stock. 



Careful observations as to forage available for game animals will 

 involve a study of the ranges in use by cattle and sheep as well as 

 areas not used by domestic stock. The preceding chapters should 

 make clear the difficulty of securing equal distribution of domestic 

 stock over the range so as to use all the forage available. In the case 

 of sheep, for example, forage must be in such quantity that it can 

 be used by a band of 1,000 to 2,000 sheep under herding. Xot in- 

 frequently small pockets of excellent feed, forage in dense brush and 

 timber, and narrow strips of grasses, weeds, and browse along streams 

 are not utilized by sheep because a band of sheep can not be handled 

 on them. This feed, however, may be choice, both in character and 

 location, for use by game. There may be enough range of this sort 

 to provide summer feed for all the game animals which can be pro- 

 vided with forage or feed during the winter. This fact, or the con- 

 trary, should be established by a study of the situation. 



The problem of winter range is more complicated. A great deal of 

 the former winter game range has been taken by settlement, making 

 it difficult in some localities for the game animals to live through 

 the winter, even if there is little or no grazing by domestic stock. 

 Where this is the case a thorough winter study of the winter game 

 range should be made at the first opportunity. Such a study should 

 be made by some one acquainted with the habits of game animals and 

 having a knowledge of range. The big question is to determine 



