University of Idaho School of Forestry - Forester Yearbook (Moscow, ID)

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BIG GAME MANAGEMENT ORANGE A. OLSEN 171319907507 Of Grcazing, U. S. Forest Service, Region 1, GAME management and game conservation are synonymous, meaning one and the same thing, that is, both involve propagation, protection, and a wise utilization of the sur- plus. Game managers endeavor to get away from guess work and to build on facts and make common sense application of scientific knowledge. The game manager, when confronted with a problem of management, soon finds that it is extremely ramifying and frequently complex. He does not only have to deal with the habits and needs of the particular game animal in- volved, but also has to consider its relation to man. Civilization has pushed out into the most remote sections of our game country and a correlation of land use by man and game must be worked out. Use by man means his utilization of land resources-forage, timber, watershed, agriculture, and recreation. Defi- nite information concerning the animal to be conserved is important g its life history should be well understoodg also, at least, its approxi- mate numbers, rate of increase and losses should be known. Information is needed on diseases and the effects of parasites internally and externally. What game animals eat and the amount are also valuable data is correlat- ing range use by them with that of livestock. It is evident that those charged with the re- sponsibility of managing game resources should have broad training, both technical and practical, in many of the sciences. The bett-er they are versed in biology, ecology, forestry, range management, livestock, agriculture, eco- nomics, and so forth, the better qualified they will be to handle game problems. Training and experience are essential to see the broad picture of how game conservation should fit in with our whole economic structure. Correlat- ing land use by game with that of forage sup- ply, livestock, recreation, private lands, and the public is a big undertaking. EARLY CONSERVATION The value of wild life and the need for its proper conservation are being realized and ap- preciated more and more as the years pass. Never before has the interest been greater interest is growing. More thought, and this time and money are being devoted to the prop- protection, and utilization of wild agation, life than ever before. The early trappers, explorers, and settlers who came West found an abundance of game on lands wherever conditions were favorable. The buffalo and antelope numbered thousands on the plainsg deer and elk were abundant in the foothills, valleys, and some mountainous regionsg mountain sheep, goats and moose oc- cupied ranges in reasonable numbers where the environment was to their liking. That which is plentiful is seldom appre- ciated. Game exploitation resulted. In a few short years the buffalo became strangers to the plains and the antelope were seldom seen. Deer and elk in reduced numbers were crowded into the back country. Not much is recorded about the mountain sheep, goat and moose, but undoubtedly civilization adversely affected their numbers. ' The numbers of game animals decreased rapidly and in many instances disappeared entirely. To save them from extinction, State Fish and Game Departments were createdg laws were enacted to restrict the kill. Game preserves were established and serious effort was made to save the remnants. Public senti- ment was generally favorable to big game. Elk plantings were made to restock depleted areas. Control of predatory animals was un- dertaken by the States, Federal Government, stockmen, and sportsmen. In many places throughout the intermountain region several species of our big game in response to this protection, have made a very pleasing come back, especially during the past ten years. On the National Forests of the West, elk, deer, and antelope have shown excellent recovery. Mountain sheep and goats seem to be gradu- ally decreasing, while moose are making nor- mal increases in some sections. GAME MANAGEMENT ESSENTIAL This protection, admirable as it has been and is, has in some few instances not worked to the best advantage, even to the game them- selves. In a few places, big game, especially deer, elk, and to a lesser extent antelope, have increased to such density that they have either of themselves or in conjunction with livestock, so depleted their ranges that heavy losses in game have resulted, particularly on winter ranges which are usually limited in area and grazing capacity. On some units game have become so abundant that stockmen complain against the numbers of deer and elk and main- tain they are being crowded out. Game fre- quently trespass in excessive numbers on pri- vate lands, consuming forage to which the land owner is entitled. Occasionally game ani- mals do considerable damage to farm crops, orchards, and gardens. Evidently such conditions are not to the best interests of game. It is poor management that permits game to increase beyond its food supply causing losses from starvation and in- viting parasites and disease. Those who have seen dead elk and deer scattered over depleted ranges, due to starvation, are indelibly im- pressed that too much protection can reach a stage where it is worse than not enough. It is difficult to reestablish game on a depleted range. Management based on the year-long 13

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12 THE IDAHO FORESTER mation was incorporated in extensive reports of as uniform a character as the circumstances would permit. These special reports were sup- plemented by, and to some extent summarized in, a general report on the entire problem entitled An Economic Survey of the Range Resources and Grazing Activities on Indian Reservations prepared by Mr. Lee Muck, Assistant Director of Forestry in the Indian Service, assisted by Mr. P. E. Melis, Assistant Forester, and Mr. G. M. Nyce, Associate Range Supervisor. This report was published in Part 22 of Senate Hearings under Senate Resolution '79 of the Seventieth Congress. On June 4, 1931 the Department of the Interior approved the regulations, permit forms, etc., that had been devised in thelight of the stud- ies conducted during the year following April 15, 1930. The new regulations, stipulations as to use of range, permit forms, and so forth, went into effect on July 1, 1931. An inventory of the grazing resources hav- ing been made, the main weaknesses of the former method of administration disclosed, and a plan outlined for future administration, attention was directed to special studies of particular ranges on the various reservations and to the accumulation in definite, recorded form of data that could be compared with other data gathered at subsequent periods so as to disclose unmistakably the trends toward im- provement or depletion of the range on such particular areas. Obviously, studies of this character require great care and much time and it is not surprising that the accomplish- ments along this line during the first two years have been comparatively limited, when it is remembered that the current administra- tion connected with the actual use of 40,000,- 000 acres has necessarily demanded a very large part of the time of the very restricted force available. For instance there are several reservations comprising more than 1,000,000 acres on which only one man is available for grazing work and while some guidance can be given by foresters and grazing specialists at large, it is clearly impossible with such a limited personnel to devote adequate time to studies of the most vital importance to the establishment of successful range management. ADMINISTRATION CHANGE AT WRONG TIME Unfortunately the efforts to introduce new methods of grazing administration on Indian lands happened to coincide with a period of the most adverse conditions in the livestock industry that have been experienced in forty years, and possibly during the whole history of the industry in America. The summers of 1929 and 1930 were marked by extreme drought in diferent portions of the Northwest and Southwest, and so little precipitation occurred within extensive areas in Washington, Mon- tana and the Dakotas in 1931 as to force the removal from their usual ranges of tens of thousands of head of stock in the late summer and autumn of that year. The general eco- nomic depression having its incidence late in 1929 had begun to be seriously felt in the live- stock industry in 1930. The low prices of stock combined with the shortage of forage and even cultivated crops in the range states, placed the owners of livestock in a most precarious con- dition. Economic conditions became succes- sively worse in 1931 and 1932 until the prices obtainable for steers, lambs and wool dropped to one-half or one-third of the realizations of 1928. The inability of the Navajos and other tribes in the Southwest to dispose of their lambs and older sheep, greatly accentuated an over-stocking of ranges that already threaten- ed future income from their grazing lands. The disastrously low prices for livestock pro- ducts prevented permittees on the Indian ranges from paying their grazing fees estab- lished on a basis of comparatively high mar- kets for products. An urgent demand came from the stockmen that grazing rates be sub- stantially reduced even on contracts already made for a term of years. The Indian Service was not in a position to reduce grazing fees in existing contracts with- out the consent of the Indians and was un- willing to agree to reductions on future per- mits without the consent of the Indians. For a long time the Indians on many reservations opposed any reduction, but as they became convinced that the permittees were really un- able to pay the former prices and came to realize that the ranges might lie idle if rates were not reduced, agreements on adjustments were reached and it affords us much satisfac- tion to state that generally the Indians showed a very commendable spirit in meeting the users of the range half way in a reduction of graz- ing fees. PROBLEMS OF ADMINISTRATION The Indian Service is confronted by a pe- culiarly ditlicult problem in the administra- tion of grazing lands as well as timber lands. In 1887 legislation was passed by the federal Congress that was directed to the individuali- zation of the Indian problem. The theory back of this legislation was that if each Indian were given an allotment Of land in severalty the tribal status and customs would in a com- paratively short time be broken up and the individual Indians with their distinct land holdings would assume much the same posi- tion as homesteaders on the public lands. Under this general allotment act and special acts of a similar character the greater part of the grazing land on reservations in North and South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, and to a lesser degree in other states, has been allotted in areas varying from 160 acres to 320 acres, Or even a larger amount in one or two instances. 1Continued on page 483

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14 THE IDAHO FORESTER grazing capacity of the available range, plus supplemental feed if provided, should be prac- ticed. It is inhuman to raise game in the summer and let it suffer the agonies of starva- tion in winter. Where there is conflict be- tween game and livestock on National Forest lands, a balance between the interests of both should be worked out. Game and livestock are both valuable resources and one must not un- necessarily crowd out the other. The problem of game on private lands is ditlicult to solve. Fortunately most land owners are friendly to- ward game and gladly tolerate game in rea- sonable numbers and complain only when it becomes burdensome. Lands which are the key to a particular game problem should be publicly owned and administered primarily for the benefit of game. This applies chieiiy to game winter rangesg summerranges are usu- ally adequate. CHANGES NEEDED IN GAME LAWS The conditions surrounding each game herd vary, with no two herds having the same prob- lems to meet. This brings out the need for fiexibility in game laws to permit the handling of any game herd as a unit, separate and apart from other herds, in accordance with its par- ticular conditions and needs. Big game con- servation has a wider field than mere law en- forcement and most of the states have now enacted laws giving to some one, either the Fish and Game Commissioner, a Game Com- mission, or a Board, authority to regulate hunting seasons, limit the kill as to numbers and sex for the purpose of controlling numbers where necessary to prevent range depletion and damage to private property and to use wisely any surplus of game that may exist. The first duty of every game administrator is to produce the maximum amount of game consistent with the forage supply and eco- nomic needs of the people. The ideal would be to remove only the surplus game animals. A surplus may be considered as existing when numbers exceed the year-long forage supply fnatural or artificialj, when control is neces- sary to safeguard against undue damage to private property, when the density of game is out of balance with numbers of livestock, and when there is a greater ratio of males to females than is necessary to maintain a proper breeding herd. The application of management principles will provide for producing and maintaining the greatest number of game animals possible on any given area and will also give the sportsmen maximum hunting privileges con- sistent with the welfare of the individual game herds. On some areas less hunting would be necessary, while on others it would be in- creased. Ultimately with wise management, the optimum of numbers would be reached and under a system of regulated hunting the perpetuation of game would be assured and the needs of the sportsmen, recreationists, and big game lovers would be provided for to the highest degree possible. THE NEW PUBLIC DOMAIN UCH has been said in recent years about the public domain remnant of the original public land wealth of the United States, comprising the culled over leavings after the more desirable lands had been privately acquired. Its final disposition is a problem of great mag- nitude. But there is a new and somewhat similar problem that is of growing importance. Forest land from which the original timber crop has been removed is gradually going through the stages of tax delin- quency until, as county land, it becomes a new public domain-a new no man's land -since the counties are doing no more with it than has the government undertaken hitherto with the old public domain. There are some distinct differences. The old public domain is constant in size or, if anything, slowly diminishing. The new public domain is growing very rapidly. The old public domain is the the poorer land,' the new public domain was originally the best of the timber producing lands. M. H. WOLFF.