Wildlife issues continued to be of prime concern to park management during the remainder of the 1920s. More bears fed on the garbage dump at Government Camp in 1922 than ever before, attracting considerable interest on the part of park visitors. Deer were increasing, in part because few cougars or other predatory animals had been seen in the park for several years. [10] In 1923 NPS Director Mather offered a glowing account of wildlife in the park:
Wild life has been more abundant than heretofore, several bears daily visiting Government Camp to be fed or kodaked liberally by visitors. They became quite tame by midseason, a fact which unfortunately makes such of them as do not hibernate within the park easy game for hunters. Deer have been exceedingly abundant. Several elk., progeny of the herd transplanted into Klamath County, have been seen occasionally. Foxes, timber wolves, and coyotes were not uncommon sights, and one cougar was reported. Small game is present in countless numbers. Bird life has also been very abundant; a number of rare birds have been identified, and an unusual number of humming birds have been present in the great fields of wild flowers that carpet the forest glens. The ranger force is, however, not sufficient to adequately patrol the 249 square miles of park to protect against poaching. [11]
The park continued to encourage the growth of the bear population in part as a tourist attraction. In 1924 Superintendent Thomson reported that ten bears, including four new cubs, were “almost daily visitors at Government Camp, to the great enjoyment of thousands of visitors.” As a result of such contact the bears, according to the superintendent, were becoming docile and fearless, thus leading to their destruction by hunters outside the park boundaries. This development led to a successful Park Service effort to have the Oregon state legislature enact legislation in 1925 declaring an eleven-month closed hunting season on bear in Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath counties surrounding the park. [12]
By the late 1920s park wildlife was thriving as a result of the aforementioned legislation, favorable weather and forage conditions, and management policies. In 1929, for instance, Superintendent Solinsky reported:
Our wild life did exceedingly well this year because of favorable weather and forage conditions, which have been exceptionally good throughout the park. The bears, our most attractive animals, created considerable interest among the visitors and were seen at all centers of habitation. Deer were seen in practically every part of the park during the year, and indications point to a considerable increase in number. One herd of five elk. was noticed in the southern part of the park. Signs of the predator animals, such as cougar, wolf, and coyote, show the presence of these animals in comparatively large numbers. One wolf was seen on the north rim, while a number of coyotes were reported as seen in various sections of the park. Small animal life such as marmot, ground squirrels, chipmunk, and conies were seen in great numbers. Occasionally pine martins were reported, showing the existence of this animal in the park.
Bird life was much in evidence. The most common species were camp robbers, bluejays, Clark’s crows, nut hatches, juncoes, robins, finches, hawks, ravens, and humming birds Eagles were seen about Wizard Island on numerous occasions. [13]
Park management devoted increasing attention to the enhancement of fishing opportunities at Crater Lake during the 1920s. The lake was planted with 20,000-30,000 rainbow fingerlings and salmon silversides each year through the cooperation of the Fort Klamath and Butte Falls hatcheries and the State Game Commission. The silversides were found to thrive better than the rainbow trout. Stream fishing was less satisfactory than that in the lake, but good catches of Dolly Varden were reported in Anna Creek. In 1925 “four fine trout streams heretofore sterile” were planted with eastern brook. and loch leven” with the intention of opening those streams to sportsmen in several years. [14]
Forestry issues, especially control of damage from insect infestation, became a major focus of park concern after 1923. That year Superintendent Thomson stated, “Outside of the lake itself our great cover of coniferous trees gave greatest pleasure to visitors.” He went on to observe, “Unfortunately the thousands of trees killed by beetles during recent years present a sad aspect, projecting a definite problem that must soon be met.” [15]
