JACKSON HOLE ELK 1 GOOD CONDITION Government Man Tells of Open Winter Where Herds Are Gathered. Special to The Tribune. OGDEN", March 7. Smith Riley of the department of preservation of game in this district of the forest service, with headquarters at Denver, is in Ogden conferring con-ferring with the local officials regarding the elk herds in the Jackson Hole district, dis-trict, where he has been investigating conditions for some weeks. During the time he was in the Jackson Jack-son district Mr. Riley investigated the manner in which the government is taking tak-ing care of the elk. He said the past winter has been a mild one and the herds of cattle and elk have been able to graze In the bottom lands along the creeks and in meadow spots. He said the elk were in the best possible' condition this year. The biological survey has a farm of 1200 acres, on which " the government caretakers are able to raise enough hay to partly feed during the heavy winters. Mr. Riley said that the elk are barely holding their own. "While the calf crop this year is exceptionally heavy, the winter win-ter kill and the season kill of the last year will offset the increase. Estimations Estima-tions received from the various goern- ment observers say the total elk herds are about 500 less than they were a year ago.