Last winter (1911-12), because the deer of Montana were driven by cold and hunger out of the mountains and far down into the ranchmen’s valleys, eleven thousand of them were ruthlessly slaughtered.  State Game Warden Avare says that often heads of families took out as many licenses as there were persons in the family, and the whole quota was killed.  Such people deserve to go deerless into the future; but we can not allow them to rob innocent people.

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OUR SPECIES OF BIG GAME

THE PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE, unique and wonderful, will be one of the first species of North American big game to become totally extinct.  We may see this come to pass within twenty years.  They can not be bred in protection, save in very large fenced ranges.  They are delicate, capricious, and easily upset.  They die literally “at the drop of a hat.”  They are quite subject to actinomycosis (lumpy-jaw), which in wild animals is incurable.

Already all the states that possess wild antelope, except Nevada, have passed laws giving that species long close seasons; which is highly creditable to the states that have done their duty.  Nevada must get in line at the next session of her legislature!

In 1908, Dr. T.S.  Palmer published in his annual report of “Progress in Game Protection” the following in regard to the prong-horned antelope: 

“Antelope are still found in diminished numbers in fourteen western states.  A considerable number were killed during the year in Montana, where the species seems to have suffered more than elsewhere since the season was opened in 1907.

“A striking illustration of the decrease of the antelope is afforded by Colorado.  In 1898 the State Warden estimated that there were 25,000 in the state, whereas in 1908 the Game Commissioner places the number at only 2,000.  The total number of antelope now in the United States probably does not exceed 17,000, distributed approximately as follows: 

Colorado 2,000 Yellowstone Park 2,000
Idaho 200 Other States 2,000
Montana 4,000 -----
New Mexico 1,300 Saskatchewan 2,000
Oregon 1,500 -----
Wyoming 4,000 19,000

To-day (1912), Dr. Palmer says the total number of antelope is less than it was in 1908, and in spite of protection the number is steadily diminishing.  This is indeed serious news.  The existing bands, already small, are steadily growing smaller.  The antelope are killed lawlessly, and the crimes of such slaughter are, in nearly every instance, successfully concealed.