R-US^T 



-2- 



1-17-30 



bers under protection* 



Tliore rrrust be a best member of i^ame animals to keep on any given range; so 

 as to keep the range and the aniinals both in good condition. The foresters take 

 a census of the different aninials, on our national forest ranges.. At the times 

 of the year vrhen the aniiTials are gathered tof;ether on the range, the Forest Ser- 

 vice men uiatce counts on representative areas, and then apply these figures to 

 other parts of the range where conditions are similar* 



They have several methods of checking up these counts. They check the num- 

 ber of animals killed by man and predatory aniiTials, and then estimate the size 

 of the herd that could produce that number annually. They run strips through 

 representative regions, counting the animals seen and allowing for those not seen, 

 by tracks and other evidence on the ground. They keep a record of all animals 

 seen as to age and sex., and they estimate the acreage that animals inhabit. 



Knowing how many animals are on the range at one time, however, is just a- be- 

 ginning. Mr, Rachford pointed out several other links in the chain of wild 

 animal knowledge that need i.iuch strengthening. We need more information on how 

 long different animals live, and the age at which they stop breeding—on the per- 

 centage of males to femedes necessary to maintain a fully productive herd — on 

 the average increases of each sex in a given herd — on food habits., and on the kind 

 and quantity of range necessary. We need investigations along practical lines to 

 find out the differences between raising domestic livestock and wild livestock. 



And, the Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Biological Survey, 

 is gradually getting these necessary facts. They have already learned many 

 things, and in the fut\ire they will get all of the information that we now lack. 

 But it takes time. Meanwhile we must do the best we can to -orotect and conserve 

 our wild animal supply and our wild animal ranges. 



One of the main problem.s so far as range is concerned, is with deer. Num- 

 bers of deer increased almost 7 per cent in 1928, and the increase was pretty 

 generally distributed throughout the national forests and states. As a result of 

 protection deer are so numerous in some localities that their management is a 

 serious problem, Faovision must be m.ade for removing the surplus in a way that 

 serves an economic purpose, and at the same time allow the maintenance of range 

 vegetation on which the animals depend for food. 



With mountain goats and sheep the problem, is a little different. They have 

 boeh crowded back within their natural ranges imtil they occupy now only the 

 roughest mountain regions. These unfavorable feed and climatic conditions, to- 

 gether v/ith natural enemies, keep goat and sheep herds from increasing as they 

 wo-uld if they were undisturbed. 



States are helping to solve some of these problem.s th-rough state game re« 

 fuges. More than 100 National Forests now have state game refuges, covering 

 approximately 20 million acres of land. And in addition the federal government 

 has sot aside some 2 million acres in forests as refuges on which domestic live- 

 stock arenH allowed to graze, thus conserving the range for wild animals. In 

 fact, on all the state game lands the number of domestic livestock is held down 

 so that there is adequate range for the wild livestock. 



In some cases, where there has been a surplus of wild animals on a range, 

 they have been transplanted to other ranges where the stock is running low. More 

 than 100 National Forests, for instance, have been restocked with Elk. 



