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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUR

BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY

Jackson,Wyoming. October 4,1934,

Quarterly Report for the Winter Slk Refuge for the Period From July 1, to September'30, 1934.

The hay harvest on the Winter Slk Refuge and the Izaak Walt en League addition was completed on August 31, An itemized report is attached listing the measurements and tonnage of each stack and the total amount of hay harvested. You will note that we cut and stacked 660 tons of hay this season. In addition to the hay we also cut 29 acres cf oats with a grain binder and stacked it for threshing. This oats threshed out 1250 bushels which will be used for feed for the work horses and for seed. The straw from theooats ,of which there is about 25 tons,will be fed to the elk during the winter. With the 2140 tons of hay that we had left over from last winter,we now have on hand 2800 tons of hey. In addition to our hay the Stata-Qaae„ DepeYtment has "S^^ tons"of_ hay in stacks on private ranches.452 tons of cot-tQngped cake a and SQtona of opm. The bulk of the cottonseed cakes and corn is stored on the Elk Refuge,

With the Biological Survey hay and the cottonseed cakes,corn, and hay that the State Game Department has on hand we have about as much forage stored for taking care of the elk this winter as we have had to feed any previous winter. However,this does not mean that we are prepared to safe guard against any starvation that may take place among the Jackson's Hole elk should we have a hard winter. I consider that we are prepared to feed approximately 10500 elk for a period of 100 days which is 10 days longer than the average feeding period. The light snow fall the past winter followed by a dry summer has made a very scant growth of vegetation on the elk winter ranges,

V It seems to me that.should the usual number of elk attempt to winter on the outlying ranges such as in the Gros Ventre and Hoback regions,and should we have a hard winter a large percentage of those elk would either die of starvation or be forced down into the low valley and onto the feed grounds for feed.Considering that we have 20,000 or more elk in the Jackson's Hole elk herd it is difficult to determine the number of elk for which we may be called upon to furnish food, A year ago last winter there were approximately 11,500 elk on all of the feed grounds,and this was about 1200 more elk than there had been on the feed grounds any previous winter.

The bulk of the hay that was for sale in this valley has been purchased by cattlemen from an adjoining county,Cattlemen six weeks ago purchased about 1500 tons of hay at ^10,00 per ton within a radius of six miles of the Elk Refuge , At the present time alfalfa hay is selling for |15,00 per ton.

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Quarterly Report-Elk Refuge:

Beginning on the night of September 21 we had three days of rein in the valley with snow fall in the high mountains. About 16 Inches of snow fell in the high mountainsjsnd the rain in the valley soaked the soil about six inches in depth. This has made the soil suitable for fall plowing.

Seven elk,four cows,two calves,and a bull,came onto the meadow near headquarters on September 29. A few elk are also beginning to come onto the meadows at nig^t on the upper portion of the League addition, A large bull moose also crossed over the Refuge near head­quarters in the morning of September 10, During September about 80^ Canada Gre^se,8nd 700 ducks stayed on the gef^ge^The greater number of the ducks were Mallards and Teal, pintai 1,Gadwall,and Bal]Ja;t,e ducks were also observed. The ducks and geese feed in our grain stubbles during the day and stay in the large springs on the Refuge diming the night.

During the quarter in addition to completing the hay harvest, all of the haystaeks have been fenced.All the hsy machinery has been repaired and placed thethe sheds.Two of the tractors were also repaired, 10 headgates were constructed were constructed for ditches on the League addition lands, A 500-gallon gasoline tank with a 10-gallon visible gasoline pump was installed at headquarters for use in filling tractors and trucks. About 75 acres of ground is being plowed,of which 50 acres is on the Germain tract and 25 acres near headquarters.

Respectfully yours,

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EJCT llLmESTED ON THE WIKTSR LEAGUE ADDITION 1934

ELK REFUGE Mm IZAAK WALTON SEASON:

DIMENSIONS OF STACKS OF HAY NEAR HEADQUART5ES.

Overcest Width Length Tonnage 50.5 ft. 20.5 ft. 39. ft. 28 T, 176 42. t» 24. « - 19. « 9 T. 306 51,5 n 23. it 35. it 27 T, 77 35. n 19. n 38. n 13 T. 290 52. n 22. it 13. •• 10 T. 70 49, n 21.5 ii 16.6 n 11 T. 236 40.5 n 21. •i 33. « 16 T. 5 55. n 26. tt 18. ii 16 T. 34 33. »» 21.5 n 14.5 « 4 T. 104 34. n 19. it 36. it 12 T. 66 51. n 22. n 44.5 it 33 T. 269 53. « 21.5 H 31. •i 24 T. •369 56.- «i 19.5 II 18.5 n 15 'T. 254 39. « 19.5 I f 13. n 5 T. 362 52.5 « 23. II 32.5 •i 26 T. 54 55. ti 24. 11 44.5 n 39 T. 96 37. if 18.5 11 41. it 16 T. 264 38. it 19. If 39.5 •i 16 T. 377 38. if 18.5 II 32.5 ti 13 T. 376 34. if 17. 20. n 6 T. 358 34. n 17, If 39, IT 1? T. 149 37. n 16. n 17. It 6 T, 324 50.5 ii 19. it • 19, ft 13 T. 199 35. if 19. it 19,5 n 7 m A 0 10

DIMENSIONS OF STACKS OF HAY ON THE CERTAIN TRACT,

Overcast Width Length Tonnage 52. ft. 20.5 ft. 28. ft. 21 T. 170 32. it 19. •t 19.5 n 5 T. 298 51. « 21. it 36. ti 26 T. 368 33. it 18. it 55. n 17 T. 251 53. » 20. •t 19.5 tt 15 T. 105 45, tt 20. tt 13. it 7 T. 296 50. ii 21.5 ii 60. it 43 T, 236 59, tt 21. ii 18.5 tt 17 T, 207 35. ti 17. n 19,5 it 67 T. 29

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DIMENSIONS OF SlaCKS OF HAY OK THE LEAGUE iLDITION:

Overcast Width Length Tonnage Stack No .34 54. ft. 22.5 ft. 32. ft. 26 T. 368 ft..

n tt 35 41. " 20. tt 17.5 " 8 T. 299 tt n n 36 45.5 22. tt 19. « 11 T. 269 tt r» Tt 37 RA tt 22.5 » 18.5 " 15 T. 225 tt tt tt 38 50. " 22. tt . 14.5 " 10 T. 246 tt tt tt 39 33. •» 19. tt 19.5 " 6 T. 62 tt tt tt 40 57. « 22. it 15.5 n 14 T. 59 « tt n 41 36.5 » 19.5 tt 38. " 14 T. 390 tt

108 230'

Total hajr harvested 660 To 271 ft

Tonnage computed at the scale of 422 cubic feet.

From the amount of hay harvested 146 tons is oat hay, 121 tons is native hayjand 393 tons is alfalfa®