ARIZONA WILD LIFE 
 
on toward Seligman with the rest of his charge, some 
30 head, for planting in the Hualapal Mountains. 
People lined the main streets of the various small 
towns through which the highway passes, to get a 
glimpse of this unique cargo. Springerville was not 
an exception when the trucks began rolling in at 10:00 
p. m. The boys were about all in from a strenuous 
day, including Deputy Wardens W. W. Freeman and 
W. 0. Hamblin, seeing the project through for the 
Game Department. Daylight, too, would be a de'cid'& 
asset in fighting a perilous road off the main higlivay-, 
So nice rooms and warm meals were secured for the 
crews, and a decision was reached to hold up for theh 
rest of the night. 
At 6:30 on the morning. of February' l', th- 
trucks left Springerville. Unfortunately, on account 
of being too tightly loaded, three of 'the elk--  'cw, a 
yearling heifer, and a yearling bull- had died:during 
the night and had to be removed from the crates:. 
Roads were frozen and excellent progress vw  s iadei: 
to the long hill south of Alpine on the Coronado Trail;! 
where two feet of snow was encountered-and-the' 
trouble started. The half dozen extra: carse broke_ 
track with the help of ten husky sportsmen coopeya- 
tors, and in about two hours the two smaller trucks, 
containing six animals each, were landed in the Noth 
at the divide. Not so for the big truck, a six,-wheeled 
affair with eleven elk left. A big four-horse team was 
necessary, after more delay, to make it 'budge., Once. 
on top, however, sailing was good again.' With only 
brief delays getting this or that truck out of the ditch, 
and issuing words of encouragement to the- trucker'.s- 
who were sick of their bargain, we finally landed ot 
the Campbell Blue at 4:00 p. in., just twenty-four 
hours after the elk had left their comfortable Santa 
Fe coach. 
Unloading brought a surprise to' us allJn-thaf 
every single "critter" had to be dragged out of the 
trucks with ropes. Once in the open, ,however, they 
each left the scene with twenty-foot strides up  the 
steep slope forming the north side of'the canyon, 
little the worse for their trying experience. They were 
in perfect condition at the railroad, having had plenty 
of room (the main requisite), feed and water, and" 
the trip to the Blue Range injured them only 'as there 
was not room in which to rise when'they' had fallen 
or lain down. One fine cow was taken off and 
cared for at McKay's ranch twelve miles from Spring- 
erville, and another was injured in a hind. foot when 
unloaded. In spite of all efforts they died within a 
few days, leaving twenty-two head charged with re- 
plenishing the White Mountain area, starting on ,its 
eastern extremity, the Blue Range. Of these,'16 
were grown cows, 2 yearling heifers, 3 yearling bulls 
and one two (possibly 3) year old bull. 
A ton of baled meadow hay, brought' from 
Nutrioso by two utility trucks hired for the day,-aid- 
100 lbs. of salt was left on the banks of Campbell 
Blue River, which the elks soon patronized until isme 
weeks later every straw had been eaten, but by which 
time the south slopes of the adjoiningrange: fiurnfished 
them ample pasturage. Deputy Hamblin gave them 
his personal attention far enough into 'the §prihg *so 
that every one seen was on his, own and' dinkg fin-&: 
By agreement with the Department he reported f e-' 
quently to the White Mountain Sportsmeins Asso'ia- 
 
tion whose obligation to provide additional feed was 
found unnecessary, but for salt, due to an open winter. 
At this writing; there should be around 43 head in 
the herd (which, by the way, has scattered so widely as 
to make observation difficult) based upon the ap- 
proximate calf crop in sight for 1927 of 15, a similar 
increase in 1928, one bull being killed in 1927 big 
game season by some unspeakable parasite who left 
him as he fell, and a 10 per cent annual loss factor. 
Not least among the numerous matters connect- 
ed wviti this plant was the necessary compliance with 
an agreement drawn in 1919, and still in effect be- 
twe en the State Game Departnjent, the U. S. Biologi- 
cat Survey and the Forest Service, providing that no 
more elk4w l be plahted in the State by either party 
Without full consent of the other two. Four ldcal 
livestbck associations and seventeen ranchers in the 
Bti Range country were canvassed for sentiment 
with ever,' reply being favorable. Largely actuated 
by this showing, approval was finally given by the two 
Bureaus in Washington. 
Nor does all the credit for cooperation go to 
the Vhite Mountain Sportsmens' Association. While 
as  a _body "it "w:as the leaviest cash contributor in ad- 
dition t6 guaranteeing and actively supervising the 
project, various other agencies and individuals helped 
very materially. Apache and Greenlee County Boards 
of Supervisors each gave $50.00, the Holbrook Gun 
Club $50.00, and -citizens of St. Johns $34.25. With 
the Association's $81.75 a total cash expense of $266.00 
was met. Not so mtch, but the spirit shown by all 
hands to-the wheel was of genuine sort so necessary 
in making safe for present and future generations our 
heritage in wild life and other natural resources. 
BEAV R TO IMPROVE FISHING 
The e orts of beavers- on fishing streams has 
always bein a  oot question and doubtless the effect 
varies accordin  to conditions and locality. It re- 
mains', however, for the Sportsmen's association of 
Seattle, Washingt n,. to inaugurate a plan for system- 
atically directing -ie energies of these industrious 
builders so as to  ntribute to the improvement of 
fishing in Washingt  streams. 
It is intended t divert the beavers from their 
unorganized progran o building dams and put them 
to work constructing da s at carefully selected spots 
thus forming artificial po Is useful for the propaga- 
tion and encouragement ot rout and incidentally the 
improvement of trout fishin -American Game Pro- 
 
tective bulletin, 
 
* * 
 
MEXICAN QUA 
CAROI 
 
Director Wade H. Phillips ofhe North Caro- 
lina department of Conservation an Industry, has 
received very favorable reports of the i troduction of 
fotir thousand Mexican quail which we  distributed 
in that state last spring, says a bulletin ot he Ameri- 
can Game Proective association. Reports fom many 
sections indicate that the birds are thriving in their 
new surroundings, and that they have ma d and 
reared broods of yqung.