AMERICAN RANGE OF THE MOOSE 43 



mountain sheep, and there was a wanton and 

 wasteful killing of these valuable food animals. 

 Indeed, some of the old-timers made it their 

 boast that they killed a moose merely for what 

 they considered the choice part — the tongue — 

 leaving the carcass to go to waste. . . . 



" *Now conditions are much improved. The 

 game law, as applied to moose and mountain 

 sheep, gives them immunity from needless 

 slaughter, with the result that a gradual increase 

 in their numbers is manifest. . . " 



The area of the peninsula is about 9000 square 

 miles. 



In his report dated November 13, 1919, cover- 

 ing the fiscal year ended June 30, 1919, Governor 

 Riggs gives estimates of the number of game 

 animals of different species in various sections of 

 Alaska. Moose "are found in practically all of 

 the lowlands south of latitude 68°, and even north 

 of this latitude in certain valleys,'^ he writes. 



On the Kenai Peninsula the number of moose 

 is estimated at 4000; in the Fortymile District 

 there are about 1000; on the Nenana River 500; 

 on Yentna River 500. In all these regions their 

 numbers are increasing. On the breeding grounds 

 about Lake Minchumina there are about 1500 

 moose, but they are suffering from disease, from 



