NOTES ON THE DESTRUCTION OF ANIMAL LIFE IN ALASKA.

BY J. ALDEN LORING,

FIELD AGENT, N. Y. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

I

HAVE been asked by many persons in Alaska to attempt to do something to save the large mammals of that territory from the destruction which now threatens them.

At present Alaska has no game-laws, and the time has come when some legislation should be enacted to protect its most valuable animals from total destruction. While many will say that there is yet an abundance of game in that country, we must not wait until wild life has been so diminished that it is necessary to prohibit killing for a period of years in order to preserve the different species. Alaska is a new country, and, like most countries when new, portions of it still contain a great many wild animals. But the same wanton destruction is going on there that always follows civilization.

In the opening up of Alaska, the game is going to play the same part that the buffalo did in civilizing the Western States. The people there realize what the extermination of game means to them. Miners, natives, and prospectors understand that it would cut short their only supply of fresh meat, and most of them would favor the enactment of reasonable game-laws.

It is not the number of animals actually killed for food that decreases the ranks, so much as those wantonly destroyed, or shot for only a portion of their bodies. It is believed by responsible men that five moose are killed for every one that is used.

Already game has diminished to such an extent that it is necessary to prohibit even prospectors and natives from killing it during the breeding season. But this will be no great hardship, for other than a few animals killed by the natives, the amount shot during the summer is small. Most white men recognize the laws of nature, and will not eat meat killed during the summer. In spring and summer the Indians have an abundance of salmon, and do not need to kill moose and other land animals.

There is a belt along the north and west sides of Cook Inlet wherein game of all kinds has greatly diminished during the past few years. Next to the destruction of moose and caribou, the case of the Sitka deer is probably the most serious of all. These beautiful little creatures are found in vast numbers on the islands and along the coast of southwestern Alaska. Beginning about September ist, both native and white hunters cruise among the islands in small boats, and either hunt the deer with jack-lights or run them into the water with dogs and shoot them while swimming. The greatest slaughter occurs about Wrangel, where the deer are most abundant. Carcasses often sell for a dollar each, and frequently the bodies of deer are piled up on the wharves like cord-wood. I was told by one person that he has seen the loft of a warehouse hanging so thickly with their bodies that it seemed impossible to crowd in even one

more.

It is no uncommon occurrence for sloops manned by small crews to return from a few days' trip with from fifty to seventyfive carcasses. But often only the hind-quarters are taken. From my note-book I copy the following under the name of Harry Pigeon of Wrangel: "I saw a party of five persons return from a week's hunt with one hundred and fifty-two carcasses of deer aboard their sloop."

While the slaughter is not quite so extensive in other localities, it is probably because the deer are not so plentiful. During the summer, when the meat and hides are not good, the number killed is comparatively small. Deer-skins have a commercial value of from ten to twenty cents each, and small as this is, thousands are slaughtered for their hides alone. While at Juneau I saw in the Pacific Coast Company's warehouse ten bundles of deer-hides, each containing about seventy skins, waiting shipment. A few weeks later a second shipment of the kind was made.

With the moose, while the slaughter is not so great, numbers are wantonly killed, as the following instance will show: Two men at Chickaloon Bay, near Turnagain Arm, Cook Inlet,

killed sixteen moose in two days. The first day one shot eight, and the other seven. In order to make an equal showing with his companion, the one who killed only seven took pains to shoot another the next morning. Little if any of the meat was taken.

The Indians take advantage of windy weather for moosehunting, as it is then an easy matter to approach within gunshot and kill a great number. They hunt them extensively with dogs also.

The North American Company's agent at Knik placed an order with the Indians for twenty-four head-skins, from heads of bull-moose only. One windy day the total number was secured, and the relator was quite confident that more than were asked for were brought in.

In the summer of 1889 one Indian killed about fifty moose back of Tyonek. Naturally, moose have greatly diminished in that locality. In the winter of 1901 one of my Indians killed five moose back of Knik, and saved the meat of but one. When asked why he did not use them all, he replied that "they were bulls!"

While the reports from Kenai peninsula seem to indicate that moose have not so seriously diminished in that quarter, there is no doubt but that they are killed much faster than they breed, and there is no reason whatever why they should be killed when not urgently needed as food.

Although sheep are still found in fair numbers on the mountain ranges bordering the coast and rivers of Cook Inlet, they are far from being as abundant as eight years ago. In the locality we visited they have diminished to such an extent that the Indians say "they have left the country"; and now they do most of their hunting in other quarters. Where Professor L. L. Dyche saw bands of hundreds in the summer of 1894, we counted only sixty-four animals in all.

Probably the demand for heads and skins is doing more toward diminishing the game about Cook Inlet than anything else. Tempted by the prices offered for heads, the Indians and a few whites shoot promiscuously in hope that the animal killed may prove to have extra large antlers or horns. As it is usually impossible to judge the size of a head until its owner lies at one's feet, hundreds of animals are slain without being touched.

Through the irresistible desire of the Indian to kill everything he can, whether useful or not, when he gets into a band of animals he shoots as long as they are in range. Fortunately he is a very poor marksman, or there would not now be much game alive in Alaska.

Naturally the question arises, How are we to stop this wanton destruction of animal life? My own recommendations for game-laws are as follows:

Miners, prospectors, and natives should have the right to kill male animals solely for their own use as food while in camp at all seasons of the year; but against all other persons a closed season should be enforced, except for a limited period in the autumn. During the open season any person should be allowed to kill two animals of each species, but when the animals or parts of animals so killed are shipped or transported, they should be accompanied by the owner. The greatest protection to the game of Alaska, however, would be the prohibition of the sale of meat and hides of all wild Alaskan ungulates. To accomplish this, it should be made a misdemeanor for railroad, steamship, express or freight companies, or private individuals, to receive or ship meat, hides, or horns except upon permit issued by the Secretary of the Interior, or an agent appointed by him.

Alaska is an immense territory, and the question arises how we are going to enforce game-laws?

The revenue cutter service could give great aid, and collectors of ports could be instructed to act upon all violations which comė to their notice. Salaried game-wardens, having no private interests whatever in Alaska, should be appointed, and it would be their business to watch and prosecute all violators of the law.

With the native, the Church is stronger than the government. It would seem, therefore, that a very effective way to reach them would be through the priests and missionaries. Representatives could be chosen to visit the missions, and through the priests and missionaries explain to the natives that game-laws have been passed, point out to them their objects and the necessity of abiding by them, and ask their assistance. In this way a great deal of good might be done.