[Illustration: F-386019
_A week-end party at one of the forest’s improved campgrounds._]
For the purpose of maintaining and preserving the big game herds within
them, the State has established the Shoshone and Hoodoo State Game
Preserves, where no hunting is permitted.
The Cody-Yellowstone Road passes through the Shoshone Preserve. During
the summer months most of the animals, particularly deer, elk, and
mountain sheep, are in the high country back from the road. Moose,
however, are frequently seen along the river and occasionally deer and
bear. During winter and spring, however, hundreds of deer and elk can be
seen quietly feeding along the road. Mountain sheep are also frequently
seen during these seasons.
Keep your camera loaded when passing through the forest. A shot of a big
bull moose or a graceful deer makes just as good a trophy as a head or a
hide, and the camera season is always open. It requires much more skill
to stalk and shoot game with a camera than with a gun.
If you go hunting be a genuine sportsman by obeying the State laws, by
putting out your smokes and campfires, and by leaving a clean camp.
Fur Bearers.—In the old days of the fur brigade and trading posts the
area now in the forest furnished its quota of furs, and it still
produces some of the finest. The most valuable and most eagerly sought
fur bearer is the marten. In addition, there are badger, muskrat,
ermine, mink, red fox, coyote, and bobcat. There are also three other
species which are protected, beaver, otter, and wolverine, which is
extremely rare.
On the Shoshone the trappers are assigned to individual trapping
allotments. Each man regards the allotment as his, because it is
reissued to him year after year as long as he wishes to hold it and
obeys the State and Federal laws. This system promotes harvesting the
fur crop rather than mining it. In other words, the trapper realizes
that he cannot take all of the animals but must leave a sufficient
number to restock the allotment for future trapping. Each trapper is
required to report to the proper officer all game law violations
occurring within his territory.
Fishing.—Practically all suitable waters of the forest are stocked with
fish. Species include the black spotted, rainbow, Eastern brook, and
mackinaw trout, Montana grayling, and whitefish.
In recognition of the importance of keeping lakes and streams stocked
the State Game and Fish Commission operates a fish hatchery near Cody,
and practically all of its output is used in replenishing the waters of
the forest. Additional assistance is rendered by the U. S. Bureau of
Fisheries by furnishing planting stock from its Yellowstone Park,
Crawford, Nebr., and Bozeman, Mont., hatcheries. Forest officers
cooperate with representatives of these agencies in planting fish in
forest waters. The forest maintains a specially built tank truck for
transportation of fish into the mountain waters. Four rearing ponds have
been constructed by the Forest Service in which fry and fingerling trout
are kept until they are from 4 to 7 inches in length before being
released. The percentage of survival of fish reared in such ponds is
many times greater than when they are released in turbulent mountain
streams before they are large enough to care for themselves.