Our Vanishing Wild Life Part 62

In 1910 the Bison Society raised by subscription a fund of $10,526, and with it purchased 37 very perfect pure-blood bison from the famous Conrad herd at Kalispell, 22 of which were females. One gift bison was added by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Goodnight, two were presented by the estate of Charles Conrad, and three were presented from the famous Corbin herd, at Newport, N.H., by the Blue Mountain Forest a.s.sociation.

Starting with that nucleus (of 43 head) in 1910, the herd has already (1912) increased to 80 head. The herd came through the severe winter of 1911-1912 without having been fed any hay whatever, and the founders of it confidently expect to live to see it increase to one thousand head.

THE GRAND CANYON NATIONAL GAME PRESERVE of northern Arizona, embraces the entire Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, for a meandering distance of 101 miles, and adjacent territory to an extent of 2,333 square miles (1,492,928 acres). Owing to certain conditions, natural and otherwise, it is not the finest place in the world for the peaceful increase of wild game. The Canyon contains a few mountain sheep, and mule deer, but Buckskin Mountain, on the northwestern side, is reeking with mountain lions and gray wolves, and both those species should be shot out of the entire Grand Canyon National Forest. It was on Buckskin and the western wall of the Canyon itself that "Buffalo" Jones, Mr. Charles S. Bird, and their party caught nine live mountain lions, in 1909.

I regret to say that "Buffalo" Jones's catalo experiment on the Kaibab Plateau seems to have met an untimely and disappointing fate. For three years the bison and domestic cattle crossed, and produced a number of cataloes; but in 1911, practically the whole lot was wiped off the earth by cattle rustlers! Mr. Jones thinks that it was guerrillas from southern Utah who murdered his enterprise, partly for the reason that no other persons were within striking distance of the herd.

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK.--This fine forest park is the great summer outing ground of the people of the state of Was.h.i.+ngton. Its area is 324 square miles, and as its name implies it embraces Mount Rainier. Easily accessible from Seattle and Tacoma, and fairly well--though not _adequately_--provided with roads, trails, tent camps, hotels and livery transportation, it is really the Yellowstone Park of the Northwest.

THE YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK in California is so well known that no description of it is necessary. Its area is 1,124 square miles (719,622 acres). Its great value lies in its scenery, but along with that it is a sanctuary for such of the wild mammals and birds of California as will not wander beyond its borders to the certain death that awaits everything that may legally be killed in that state.

CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK.--Like all the National Parks of America generally, this one also is a game sanctuary. It is situated on the summit of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. The wonderful Crater Lake itself is 62 miles from Klamath Falls, 83 miles from Ashland, and it is 6 miles long, 4 miles wide and 200 feet deep. This National Park was created by Act of Congress in 1902. Its area is 249 square miles (159,360 acres), and it contains Columbian black-tailed deer, black bear, the silver-gray squirrel, and many birds, chiefly members of the grouse family. Owing to its lofty elevation, there are few ducks.

THE SEQUOIA AND GENERAL GRANT NATIONAL PARKS were created for the special purpose of preserving the famous groves of "big trees,"

_(Sequoia gigantea_). The former is in Tulare County, the latter in Tulare and Fresno counties, California, on the western slope of the Sierra Nevadas. The area of Sequoia Park is 169,605 acres, and that of General Grant Park is 2,560 acres. They are under the control of the Interior Department. These Parks are important bird refuges, and Mr.

Walter Fry, Forest Ranger, reports in them the presence of 261 species of birds, none of which may be hunted or shot. Into Sequoia Park 20 dwarf elk and 84 wild turkeys have been introduced, the former from the herd of Miller and Lux.

OTHER NATIONAL PARKS

SULLY HILLS NATIONAL PARK, at Devil's Lake (Fort Totten), North Dakota.

Area 960 acres.

PLATT NATIONAL PARK, Sulphur Springs, Oklahoma; on account of many mineral springs. Area 848 acres.

MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, Southwestern Colorado; on account of cliff dwellings, and wonderful cliff and canyon scenery. Area, 66 square miles.

NATIONAL MONUMENTS

Under a special act of Congress, the President of the United States has the power forever to set aside from private owners.h.i.+p and occupation any important natural scenery, or curiosity, or wonderland, the preservation of which may fairly be regarded as of National importance, and a duty to the whole people of the United States. This is accomplished by presidential proclamation creating a "national monument."

Under the terms of this act, 28 national monuments have been created, up to 1912, of which 17 are under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior, and 11 are managed by the Department of Agriculture. The full list is as follows:

ALASKA: COLORADO: SOUTH DAKOTA: Sitka Wheeler Jewel Cave Colorado

ARIZONA: Montezuma Castle MONTANA: UTAH: Petrified Forest Lewis & Clark Cavern Natural Bridges Tonto Big Hole Battlefield Mukuntuweap Grand Canyon Rainbow Bridge Tumacacori Navajo NEW MEXICO: El Morro WAs.h.i.+NGTON: CALIFORNIA: Chaco Canyon Mount Olympus La.s.sen Peak Gila Cliff Dwellings Cinder Cove Gran Quivira Muir Woods WYOMING: Pinnacles OREGON: Devil's Tower Devil's Postpile Oregon Caves Shoshone Cavern

THE NATIONAL BIRD REFUGES.--Says Dr. T.S. Palmer[M]: "National bird reservations have been established during the last ten years by Executive order for the purpose of affording protection to important breeding colonies of water birds, or to furnish refuges for migratory species on their northern or southern flights, or during winter. With few exceptions these reservations are either small rocky islets or tracts of marsh land of no agricultural value."

[Footnote M: National Reservations for the Protection of Wild Life, by T.S. Palmer, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Circular No. 87, Oct. 5, 1912.]

These reservations are of immense value to bird life, and their creation represents the highest possible wisdom in utilizing otherwise valueless portions of the national domain. Dr. Palmer's alphabetical list of them is as follows, numbered in the order of their creation:

Belle Fourche, S. Dak. 34 Bering Sea, Alaska 44 Bogoslof, Alaska 51 Breton Island, La. 2 b.u.mping Lake, Wash. 39 Carlsbad, N. Mex. 31 Chase Lake, N. Dak. 20 Clealum, Wash. 38 Clear Lake, Cal. 52 Cold Springs, Oreg. 33 Conconully, Wash. 40 Copalis Rock, Wash. 13 Culebra, P. R. 48 Deer Flat, Idaho 29 East Park, Cal. 28 East Timhalier, La. 14 Farailon, Cal. 49 Flattery Rocks, Wash. 11 Forrester Island, Alaska 53 Green Bay, Wis. 56 Hawaiian Is., Hawaii 26 Hazy Islands, Alaska 54 Huron Islands, Mich. 4 Indian Key, Fla. 7 Island Bay, Fla. 24 Kachess, Wash. 37 Kecchelus, Wash. 36 Key West, Fla. 17 Klamath Lake, Oreg. 18 Loch-Katrine, Wyo. 25 Malheur Lake, Oreg. 19 Matlacha Pa.s.s, Fla. 23 Minidoka, Idaho 43 Mosquito Inlet, Fla. 15 Niobrara, Nebr. 55 Palma Sola, Fla. 22 Pa.s.sage Key, Fla. 6 Pathfinder, Wyo. 41 Pelican Island, Fla. 1 Pine Island, Fla. 21 Pribilof, Alaska 50 Quillayute N'dles, Alaska 12 Rio Grande, N. Mex. 32 St. Lazaria, Alaska 46 Salt River, Ariz. 27 Sh.e.l.l Keys, La. 9 Shoshone, Wyo. 42 Siskiwit, Mich. 5 Strawberry Valley, Utah 35 Stump Lake, N. Dak. 3 Tern Islands, La. 8 Three Arch Rocks, Oreg. 10 Tortugas Keys, Fla. 16 Tuxedni, Alaska 45 Willow Creek, Mont. 30 Yukon Delta, Alaska 47

In addition to the above, the following governmental reservations have been established for the protection of wild life: Yes Bay, Alaska, of 35,200 acres; Afognak Island, Alaska, 800 sq. miles; Midway Islands Naval Reservation, H.T.; Farallon Island, Point Reyes and Ano Nuevo Island, California; Destruction Island, Was.h.i.+ngton, and Hawaiian Islands Reservation (Laysan).

STATE GAME PRESERVES IN THE UNITED STATES

PENNSYLVANIA.--The proposition that every state, territory and province in North America and everywhere else, should establish a series of state forest and game preserves, is fairly incontestable. As a business proposition it is to-day no more a debatable question, or open to argument, than is the water supply or sewer system of a city. The only perfect way to conserve a water supply for a great human population is by acquiring t.i.tle to water sheds, and either protecting the forests upon them, or planting forests in case none exist.

In one important matter the state of Pennsylvania has been wide awake, and in advance of the times. I will cite her system of forest reserves and game preserves as a model plan for other states to follow; and I sincerely hope that by the time the members of the present State Game Commission have pa.s.sed from earth the people of Pennsylvania will have learned the value of the work they are now doing, and at least give them the appreciation that is deserved by public-spirited citizens who do large things for the People without hope of material reward. At this moment, Commissioner John M. Phillips and Dr. Joseph Kalbfus are putting their heart's blood into the business of preserving and increasing the game and other wild life of Pennsylvania; and the utter lack of appreciation that is now being shown _in some quarters_ is really distressing. I refer particularly to the utterly misguided and mistaken body of hunters and anglers having headquarters at Harrisburg, whose members are grossly mislead into a wrong position by a man who seeks to secure a salaried state position through the hostile organization that he has built up, apparently for his own use. In the belief that those members generally are mislead and not mean-spirited, and that the organization contains a majority of conscientious sportsmen, I predict that ere long the evil genius of Pennsylvania game protection will be ordered to the rear, while the organization as a whole takes its place on the side of the Game Commission, where it belongs.

The game sanctuary scheme that Pennsylvania has developed is so new that as yet only a very small fraction of the people of that state either understand it, or appreciate its far-reaching importance.

To begin with, Pennsylvania has acquired up to date about one million acres of forest lands, scattered through 26 of the 67 counties of the state. These great holdings are to be gradually increased. These wild lands, including many sterile mountain "farms" of no real value for agricultural purposes, have been acquired, first of all, for the purpose of conserving the water supply of the state; and they are called the State Forest Reserves.

Next in order, the State Game Commission has created, in favorable localities in the forest reserves, five great game preserves. The plan is decidedly novel and original, but is very simple withal. In the center of a great tract of forest reserve, a specially desirable tract has been chosen, and its boundaries marked out by the stringing of a single heavy fence wire, surrounding the entire selection. The area within that boundary wire is an absolute sanctuary for all wild creatures save those that prey upon game, and in it no man may hunt anything, nor fire a gun. The boundary wire is by no means a fence, for it keeps nothing out nor in.

Outside of the wire and the sanctuary, men may hunt in the open season, but at the wire every chase must end. If the hunted deer knows enough to flee to the sanctuary when attacked, so much the better for the deer.

The tide of wild life ebbs and flows under the wire, and beyond a doubt the deer and grouse will quickly find that within it lies absolute safety. There the breeding and rearing of young may go on undisturbed.

In view of the fact that hunting may go on in the forest reserve areas surrounding these sanctuaries, no intelligent sportsman needs to be told that in a few years all such regions will be teeming with deer, grouse and other game. Where there is one deer to-day there will be twenty ten years hence,--because the law of Pennsylvania forbids the killing of does; and then there will be twenty times the legitimate hunting that there is to-day. For example, the Clinton County Game Preserve of 3,200 acres is surrounded by 128,000 acres of forest reserve, which form legitimate hunting grounds for the game bred in the sanctuary reservoir.

In Clearfield County the game sanctuary is surrounded by 47,000 acres of Forest Reserve.

The _game_ preserves created in Pennsylvania up to date are as follows:

In Clinton County 3,200 acres In Clearfield County 3,200 acres In Franklin County 3,200 acres In Perry County 3,200 acres In Westmoreland County 2,500 acres

It is the deliberate intention of the Game Commission to increase these game preserves until there is at least one in each county.

It is the policy of the Commission to clear out of the game sanctuaries all the mammals and birds that destroy wild life, such as foxes, mink, weasels, skunks and destructive hawks and owls. This is accomplished partly by buying old horses, killing them in the preserves and poisoning them thoroughly with strychnine.

Each preserve now contains a nucleus herd of white-tailed deer, some of them imported from northern Michigan. Ruffed grouse are breeding rapidly, and in the Clearfield County Preserve there are said to be at least three thousand. The Game Commission considers it a patriotic duty to preserve the wild turkey, ruffed grouse and quail, rather than have those species replaced at great expense by species imported from the old world. In their work for the protection, preservation and increase of the game of Pennsylvania--partly for the purpose of providing legitimate hunting for the mechanic as well as the millionaire,--the State Game Commissioners are putting a great amount of thought and labor, and whenever their efforts are criticized, their motives impugned or their honesty questioned by men who are not worthy to unlace their shoes, it makes me tired and angry.

NEW YORK:

THE ADIRONDACK STATE PARK.--With wise and commendable forethought, the state of New York has preserved in the Adirondack wilderness, familiarly known as "the North Woods," a magnificent forest domain forever dedicated to campers, outdoorsmen and hunters. At present (1912) it contains 2,031 square miles (1,300,000 acres) of forest-clad hills, valleys and mountains, adorned by countless lakes and streams. By some persons it has been believed that in the State's forests the cutting and sale of large trees would be justifiable business, and agreeable to the public; but it has been demonstrated that this is not the case. The people of the state firmly object to the havoc that is _unavoidably_ wrought by logging operations in beautiful forests. The state does not yet need any of the money that could be derived from such operations.

The chief anxiety of the public is that hereafter forest fires shall be prevented, no matter what fire protection may cost! The burning of coal on any railway operated through the Adirondacks should be made a penal offense.

MONTANA:

In 1911 Governor Norris, Senator Cone and the legislature of Montana, at the solicitation of W.R. Felton, L.A. Huffman and others, created the SNOW CREEK GAME PRESERVE, fronting for ten miles on the Missouri River, in the northern side of Dawson County. It is a magnificent tract of bad-lands, very deeply eroded and carved, and highly picturesque. The new state preserve contains 96 square miles, but there is so little grazing ground for antelope and bison it is absolutely imperative that a narrow strip of level gra.s.s land should be added along the southern border. This proposed addition is being fiercely resisted, by an organized movement of the sheep owners of Montana (the National Wool Growers' a.s.sociation), who naturally want the public domain for the free grazing of their tariff-protected sheep-herds. It remains to be seen whether the _three_ sheep men south of the preserve,--the only men who really are affected,--will be able to thwart a movement that has for its object the development of a very good game preserve for the benefit of the ninety millions of the general American public. The range is necessary to contain representatives of the big game of the plains that has been so ruthlessly swept away, and particularly the vanis.h.i.+ng p.r.o.ng-horned antelope, once very numerous in that region.

In order to relieve the sheep men of all trouble on account of that preserve, the area should be enlarged to the right dimensions and made a national preserve. A bill for that purpose (Senate 5,286) is now before the Senate, in Senator McLean's Committee, and _help is needed_ to overcome the active hostility of the sheep men, _who vow that it never shall be pa.s.sed_! All persons who read this are invited to take this matter up with their Senators and Representatives, without a moment's delay.

WYOMING:

THE TETON STATE PRESERVE.--One of the largest and most important state game preserves thus far established by any of our states is that which was created by Wyoming, in 1904. It is situated along the south of, and fully adjoining, the Yellowstone Park, and its area is 900 square miles (576,000 acres). Its special purpose is to supplement for the elk herds and other big game the protection from killing that previously had been found in the Yellowstone Park alone. The State Preserve is an admirable half-way house for the migrating herds when they leave the National Park to seek their regular winter ranges in and around the Jackson Valley.