May, 1918 
FOREST ANl) STREAM 
311 
“SHEEP OR ELK?” 
COMMENTS OF SOME OF OUR READERS ON EMERSON HOUGH’S 
APPEAL FOR THE PROTECTION OF OUR LAST GREAT ELK HERD 
r HE article “Sheep or Elk?’' by Emerson Hough in the March issue 
of Forest and Stream has attracted wide attention. It is in times 
like these when we are fighting abroad that our resources have most to 
fear from profiteers and exploiters within. How to preserve what is left 
of the last of the great elk herds is a question of national importance that 
threatens to become a national disgrace. It is a subject upon which con¬ 
structive criticism is invited. At this time Forest and Stream desires 
to go on record as being unqualifiedly opposed to the entrance of sheep 
or cattle into the Yellowstone Park or its environs. This applies partic¬ 
ularly to sheep. The entrance of sheep means the death of all living things. 
The amiable attitude that the Board of Forestry and the Biological Survey 
have displayed toward sheep and sheep men is arousing criticism from 
men who have the peoples’ interest at heart. — Editors. 
SPORTSMEN SHOULD ORGANIZE 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I have read Mr. Hough’s article in the 
March issue and feel that I want to say 
a little, too. The conditions he describes 
have long been known to us fellows here 
in the west and we feel that it is a lam¬ 
entable fact that the Government has al¬ 
lowed the sheep to range on Government 
land where the game depend on forage for 
the winter months. But we as sportsmen 
have been so far in the minority and lack¬ 
ing in organization that we have been un¬ 
able to remedy the condition. I hope the 
Federal Government will take measures in 
Game Preservation that will at least give 
the elk the same chance that the water 
fowl have under the Federal law. 
There are a couple of other features that 
will bear mention I think. In this state 
(Montana) a deer is a deer, and we are 
allowed one. Some kill does and some 
kill fawns while other kill meat. With the 
meat killer he seldom regards season or 
limit and there are many of them among 
the ranchers. 
I have seen in the course of 5 or 6 hours’ 
ride in this state, 3 and 4 bands of antelope 
ranging from 10 to 20 to the band. I never 
have killed one, it was too easy, and for 
the last few years they have been protected. 
Regardless of this they are nearly extinct 
in the section of the country I refer to 
(North and East of Great Falls). There 
may be several causes but the reasons are 
simple—sheep and the meat hunter. 
The silencer is mentioned in Mr. Hough’s 
article. The Government bars its use on 
a side arm, and I can see no reason for 
its use on the high power. It certainly has 
no place in the sportsman’s outfit for any¬ 
thing but .22 or .25, but it sure is a god¬ 
send to the meat hunter. 
Dr. H. E. Wright, Montana. 
TRANSPLANTING ELK 
UNSUCCESSFUL 
Editor Forest and Stream : 
Want to compliment you on the article in 
your March issue by Emerson Hough. We 
who live and hunt near Yellowstone Park 
have long known the conditions existing 
in and around the Park, but many are slow 
to acknowledge, even to themselves, the 
fact that the elk in that vicinity are di¬ 
minishing rapidly. 
Last year and the year before we shipped 
in a carload of elk from the Park and lib¬ 
erated them here, but comparatively few of 
them remain, the majority either migrating 
or succumbing to starvation. Would like 
to know what you might suggest in the 
line of a local movement doing our part 
in protecting the remainder of the elk 
around Yellowstone. 
L. P. Holliday, Montana. 
CATTLE MAN SUGGESTS REMEDY 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I am greatly interested in Mr. Hough’s 
story of the vanishing elk herds. 
This is my experience in regard to the 
elk situation. Before moving here this 
fall, I had been fifteen years in the cattle 
business in Colorado and every fall had 
been running up into Wyoming for an out¬ 
ing, for I love that country. During my 
earlier visits I had gone into the Jackson 
Hole country via Riverton, Du Bois and 
Fogarty pass, coming onto the head of 
Black Rock Creek and Spread Creek and 
down on the Buffalo. Of late years, in¬ 
cluding this fall, I have gone in via Vic¬ 
tor, Idaho, over Teton pass, and have been 
over every foot south and southeast of the 
National Park and with a stock grower’s 
interest made a note of probable feed con¬ 
ditions. 
As most every one knows, the elk have 
worlds of feed during the summer time, in 
the Park and the reserves adjacent, but 
their natural winter grazing country below 
the Buffalo Creek extending to the Gros 
Ventre and especially the south hillsides 
near the latter Creek and next to the Hole 
proper, are generally bare of feed, owing 
to heavy grazing by cattle. It was a shame 
to see hundreds of carcasses that had died 
of starvation on this strip of country this 
summer. Two years ago when hunting 
around Mt. Leidy there was not sufficient 
feed for our saddle horses and after the 
elk had been driven down by heavy snows 
above and with a foot or more of snow on 
below, what could they do? 
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