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Show 'laity Yellowstone Elk Dying, Deep Snows Cause Starvation: Alarming reports of conditions wh'ch threaten decimation of the Yellowstone elk herds are beginning to reach the Department of Agriculture, Agri-culture, both from the Jackson's Hole region and from Gardiner, Monona. Mon-ona. The danger is said to be due to an exceptionally heavy winter snow fall and late oncoming of spring. Deep crusted snow is preventing pre-venting the elk from obtaining their usual feed and the weakened animals, ani-mals, especially the calves, are reported re-ported to be dying rapidly in spite of the large supply of hay provided by the Federal Government for such emergencies. This supply, however, has been exhausted, and it is impossible impos-sible to get hay to the herds as the roads are impassible. The elk which winter around Jackson's Jack-son's hole in Wyoming, are known as the scithern or Jackson's hole herd and number more than 20,000. The northern or park herd Is estimated by the Park authorities to contain over 30,000 animals. According to the reports received by the Forest Service the losses in the southern herd may reach even as high a figure as one-third of the entire herd, with 'iractically an entire loss of last year's calves. In the northern herd conditions appear to be less critical, 'nit an Immediate spring break-up is eagerly hoped for by those Interesl-d Interesl-d in seeing the elk preserved. Mr. Charles Sheldon, the explorer md naturalist who was selected by the government to represent the -portsmen In the elk census attempted attempt-ed this spring, states that the Forest Service has either prohibited or greatly restricted grazing on about two million acers of the National forests of the Yellowstone , region In order to provide food for the elk. This, he states, includes by far the larger part of the remaining available winter elk range on these forests which can be reached by the elk. The most serious feature of the sivntion, according to Mr. Sheldon, is that in the past the elk have been In the habit of wintering In open j country outside the National Forest i md the Yellowstone Park on l'Mid I which is now in homesteads. Work-nc Work-nc out the r1o"ht pollf,v cal's fo-expert fo-expert study of the whole fubject lo" the line already undertake" by the officials in charge. Officials of the department of 'eulturo point out that. dMl'V as are the losses whicli the elk herds i "re now suffering, the situation is not i "Ksentially different from that creat- ed among domestic livestock hy sea- : 'sons of unusual severity. The nat- j 'iral increase will, they sav, gradually bring the herds bark to their former size if they are properly nrntpftH Roth the Forest Service and the National Na-tional Park Service are deenlv intor-ested intor-ested in the perpetuation of the rlk. md are working toireiher In an effort ef-fort to find a consistent, workable conservation policy. |