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MONTANA STATE FISH AND GAMP DEPARTMENT

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By Strickland Gillilan

M,

Y life shall touch a dozen lives before this life is done —
Leave countless marks for good or ill ere sets this evening's sun.
Shall fair or foul its imprint prove, on those my life shall hail,
Shall benison my impress be, or shall a blight prevail?

When to the last great reckoning the lives I meet must go,
Shall this wee, fleeting touch of mine have added joy or woe?
Shall He who looks their records o'er — of name and time and place-
Say "Here a blessed influence came," or "Here is evil's trace?"

From out each point of contact of my life with other lives
Flows ever that which helps this one who for the summit strives,
The troubled souls encountered — does it sweeten with its touch,
Or does it more embitter those embittered over much?

Does love through every handclasp flow in sympathy's caress?
Do those that I have greeted know a newborn hopefulness?
Are tolerance and charity the keynote of my song
As I go plodding onward with earth's eager, anxious throng?

My life must touch a million lives in soids way ere I go
From this dear world of struggle to the land I do not know.
So this the wish I always wish, the prayer I ever pray:
Let my life help the other lives it touches by the way.

MONTANA WILD LIFE

The Official Publication of The State Fish and Game Commission

VOL. III.

HELENA, MONTANA, NOVEMBER, 1930

NO. 6

Cfor Cfish and (jame

An Editorial
By Floyd L. Smith

J\f ONTANA has attained a position of enviable es-
\S (J 1/ teem in the nation through maintaining its fish-
ing and hunting amid scenes of natural gran-
deur, through constant planting of game fish, construction
of rearing ponds, distribution of game birds, and conscien-
tious conservation of wild life.

Increasing inroads are being made on this heritage. The
balance of Nature has been upset. The motor car, air-
plane, roads through virgin forests, modern fishing lures,
high powered rifles and other devices are taking their toll.
Hence, if Montana is to retain her position as a sportsmen's
paradise the conservation program in which the Fish and
Game Commission is now engaged must proceed without
interruption.

To accomplish these results additional finances must be
provided. An adjustment of the hunting and fishing fee
is mandatory. The State Fish and Game Department is
financed and maintained solely by license fees, fines col-
lected from law violators, and through proceeds of con-
fiscations. Because of heavy demands made on depart-
mental funds, the balance at the close of October, 1930,
is at the lowest point in years. The $33,924 in the fund,
with receipts almost negligible until the sale of fishing
licenses is resumed in May, 1931, will not care for the
maintenance of hatcheries, the state game farm, pay roll,
law enforcement and overhead.

The following figures from the books of the State Treas-
urer showing the balance in the Fish and Game Fund at
the close of each calendar year since 1915 is evidence that
can not be contradicted, emphasizing the necessity for in-
creased revenue:

1915 $ 20,421.77

1916 17,052.09

1917 46,185.01

1918 81,899.13

1919 94,244.02

1920 113,126.36

1921 36,234.26

1922 54,568.22

1923 29,853.77

1924 52,597.37

1925 94,753.89

1926 107,003.58

1927 82,457.44

1928 97,084.93

1929 9S.504.22

Oct. 31, 1930 33,924.58

Growth of the demand for fish and game in Montana
is reflected in the following official figures of the depart-

ment, showing the constantly increasing sales of licenses
to fish and hunt:

Resident Non-resident

License

1916 69,466

1917 72,113

1918 42,744

1919 70,429

1920 52,751

1921 59,348

1922 50,508

1923 64,202

1924 56,113

1925 73,042

1926 71,249

1927 67,083

1928 75,063

1929 83,388

1930

Fishing

1,082
1,012
741
252
1,305
1,879
1,620
2,193
2,064
3,369
3,133
3,320
4,335
4,793

During the last biennium the department has completed
its scientific survey of the water of Flathead Lake, built
and operated the largest warm water fish pond cultural
station in the world at Fort Keogh, operated, maintained
and enlarged 14 fish hatcheries, including the nationally
known spawn-taking station at Flint Creek on Georgetown
Lake, distributed 38,321,884 game fish in 1929 and approxi-
mately 40,000,000 in 1930, completed the Lake Francis
spawn-taking station near Valier, completed the first state
game farm at Warm Springs and made possible the libera-
tion of 6,200 Chinese pheasants in every county of the
state, built the Fox Lake and Red Rock Lakes dams to
provide nesting areas and refuges for migratory waterfowl,
purchased public shooting grounds, completed rearing ponds
throughout the state in cooperation with clubs of sports-
men and formulated plans for continuation of the work of
conservation.

Montana's $2.00 resident license fee, lowest among the
states where equal advantages are offered, should there-
fore be increased to a point in keeping with achievements,
permitting this program to proceed without the handicap
that is now threatened. Sportsmen of the state are facing
the facts squarely. The proposed adjustment of the hunt-
ing and fishing license fee has been unanimously indorsed
by the Montana Sportsmen's Association. They realize that
fish and game can not be "lawed" back or "wished" back.
It must be propagated and conserved and this mandatory
method requires additional income.

Montana Wild Life

Duide Ramidheirs le AmumuiLal Coeveetioe

1H. LAROM of Valley, Wyoming,
president of the Dude Ranchers'
• Association since its inception at
Bozeman five years ago, was re-elected
chief executive of the organization at
the conclusion of the fifth annual meet-
ing at Billings November 17-20. A. H.
Croonquist of Red Lodge was re-elected
vice-president and Ernest Miller of
Bozeman was again chosen secretary-
treasurer. T. Joe Cahill is executive
secretary.

Directors were re-elected to serve
another term. In addition to the offi-
cers they are Leonard L. Lambkin of
Lincoln for the Flathead district, Paul
Van Cleve, Jr., for the Big Timber
area, Charles Moore for the Wind River
district, Irving P. Corse for the Jack-
son Hole district, Simon Snyder for
the Sunlight Basin (Wyo.) district, J.
W. Howelle for the North Fork of the
Shoshone district in Wyoming, Frank
Horton for the Buffalo (Wyo.) district,
Charles Murphy for the Gardiner dis-
trict, and Allan R. (Big Bones) Alder-
son for the Sheridan (Wyo.) district.
Mr. Miller is director for the Gallatin-
Madison district, Mr. Larom for the
South Fork of the Shoshone district in
Wyoming, and Mr. Croonquist for the
Beartooth Mountain district.

Among those elected to honorary
membership in the association were J.
M. Schwoob of Cody, Wyo.; Frank Cone
of Sheridan, Wyo.; L. L. Perrin of St.
Paul, advertising manager for the
Northern Pacific; Bruce Nowlin, Wyo-
ming's state game warden; John Mul-
kens of Ringling, and Robert H. Hill,
Montana's state fish and game warden.

The committee on fish and game as
selected at the annual meeting includes
Messrs. Moore, Snyder and Howelle for
Wyoming, and Messrs. Miller, Croon-
quist and Lambkin for Montana.

Send In Pictures

MONTANA sportsmen as well as
readers of MONTANA WILD
LIFE generally throughout the
west are urged to submit unusual
photographs of fish and game to the
official publication of the State Fish
and Game Department. Some other
lover of the great out of doors will
be interested. Some careless hunter
may be converted through a study
of a significant picture. Additions
to the growing ranks of conserva-
tionists in Montana may be made by
means of picture education. Address
photographs and communications ex-
plaining them to The Editor. MON-
TANA WILD LIFE. Helena, Mont.

The legislative committee includes
Messrs. Moore, VanCleve, Horton and
Arnold.

Members of the insurance and pub-
licity committee are Messrs. Horton,
VanCleve and Moore.

Attendance at the Billings conven-
tion further emphasized the fact that
the dude ranch industry is becoming
one of the leaders in Montana. Through-
out the convention outstanding leaders
who reflect the sentiment of the dude
ranch operators stressed the need for
cooperation with the State Fish and
Game Department in its program of
conservation of wild life. Operators
realize the fact that wild life is their
stock in trade, the magnet which at-
tracts the annual bevy of eastern tour-
ists to the playgrounds of Montana.

During the three-day convention ad-
dresses were made by railroad and for-
estry leaders, by men who have won
distinction because of their ability to
care for Montana visitors during the
summer months and by commercial cap-
tains interested in the success of the

dude ranch industry. Problems relat-
ing to the preservation of wild life
were discussed, moving pictures show-
ing operations at the Montana state
game farm, as well as of fish and game
in their native habitat, were displayed,
and lectures delivered intended to ele-
vate the dude ranch industry to its
proper level.

Resolutions were passed condemning
activities of fake promoters selling
stock in the east in alleged summer
resorts in western mountains.

Among those who made addresses
were Glen A. Smith of Missoula, as-
sistant forester; Guy Edwards, acting
superintendent of Yellowstone Park;
John H. Hatton of Denver, assistant
district forester of that division; J. M.
Schwoob, merchant of Cody, Wyo.; B.
F. Gerry, secretary of the Montana
Sportsmen's Association; Jack Stevens
of Chicago, former booking agent of
the Rising Sun Ranch near Bozeman;
Charles Belden of Pitchfork, Wyo.;
Charles Murphy of the Ox Yoke Ranch
near Emigrant; A. H. Croonquist of the
Camp Senia Ranch in the Beartooth
range; T. Joe Cahill, executive secre-
tary; Max M. Goodsill, general passen-
ger agent of the Northern Pacific; L.
L. Perrin, advertising manager of the
N. P.; H. F. McLaury, advertising man-
ager of the Burliugton; C. H. Draper,
publisher of the Red Lodge Picket-
Journal; E. R. Crane of Radio Station
KGIR at Butte; George Shea, manager
of the Northern hotel at Billings and
director of the National Hotel Asso-
ciation: Warren W. Moses of the state
publicity department and others of
equal prominence.

According to statistics compiled by
Secretary T. J. Cahill, returns from 29
dude ranches in Montana and 22 in
Wyoming, submitted in response to a
questionnaire, show that the total value

HERE'S a splendid picture of a portion of the northern herd of elk from Yellowstone Park which annually drifts down into the
Gallatin country. They are shown browsing among the bushes, taking a nip here and there and pawing beneath the crust for
forage. It s a sight for the sore eyes of unfortunate sportsmen who failed to bring home anything but their outfit during the
season which closes December 20. The picture is by W. M. Rush.

Montana Wild Life

of the 51 ranch outfits is $6,225,800.
Returns for 1929 are listed at $1,167,-
350. A total of 746,525 acres is included
in the ranches listed. Reports were
not received from 100 additional ranches
whose owners are members of the as-
sociation. Expenditures of guests of
Montana and Wyoming during their
summer sojourns have been placed at

Tree 839 Years Old
Shows Fire Peril

A DOUGLAS fir tree that was 402
years old when Columbus discov-
ered America in 1492 did not tell
its great secret until recently when,
cut down in its S39th year, it lay upon
its death bed, preparing to give up its
ghost into 44,000 feet of lumber. And
then its story was not of the Christian
crusades upon Jerusalem, when the
tree was a mere stripling a decade old.
Nor was it of the defeat of the Spanish
Armada. Nor the landing of the Pil-
grims. Nor Cornwallis' surrender to
Washington. Nor Napoleon's Waterloo.
Nor the first sawmill, nor the first At-
lantic cable.

Its great story of the past, told more
vividly than mere words could express,
lay in the growth rings of the tree.
In this living vault were charcoal rec-
ords proving that the fir survived 12
different forest fires during the first
400 years of its life.

After being felled for the sawmill at
Veronica, Ore., the tree, ten feet in
diameter at the base and stretching
230 feet in length, was carefully stud-
ied by an expert. According to his
findings, the tree definitely established
the fact that fires were a menace to
forests long before white men settled
in this country.

Since the consistent fire hazard then
must have been lightniug, the officials
estimated from statistics that a tree
today is in exactly 99 times more dan-
ger from fire than it would have been
then.

thousands of dollars. Among those reg-
istered at the convention were:

C. J. Rowhitz. Omaha; Fred Hold-
ings, Washakie Ranch, Thermopolis,
Wyo.: Bert Luglan. Chicago; William
V. Johnson and Jessamine Johnson,
Rosebud Ranch, Kirby; Elsa Spear Ed-
wards, Sheridan, Wyo.; Mr. and Mrs.
Ned Frost, Cody, Wyo.; Mr. and Mrs.
Fred Richard, Cody; George Ogden,
Clark, Wyo.; Mr. and Mrs. Herbert
Richel, Richel Lodge; William T. Cruse,
Billings; G. H. Downs, Billings; J.
Langworthy, Edith Langworthy and
Alan Langworthy, Cody; Mr. and Mrs.
Simon Snyder, Cody; Max Wilde, Cody;
J. M. Schwoob, Cody; M. G. Jones,
Cody; A. H. Brannin, Brannin Ranch;
L. L. Newton, Lander, Wyo.; John I.
Burdick, Cheyenne. Wyo. ; Darwin Har-
bicht and Mrs. Hazel Harbicht, Ingo-
mar; Mr. and Mrs. John Branger and
Mr. and Mrs. Dave N. Branger, Tee-O-
Bar Ranch, Roscoe; Mary Jester Allen,
Cody; Frank Cone. Sheridan; Warren
W. Moses, Helena; L. W. Rankin, Lu-
ther; Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Miller, Elk-
horn Ranch, Bozeman; Mrs. C. B. Ta-
ber, Forsyth; M. F. Trask, Ballantine.

Ralph and Frances Allan of Allan
Ranch, Augusta; J. E. and Claire Bower,
Seven-Up Ranch, Lincoln; L. J. Lamb-
kin, Camp Lincoln; B. B. Brewster.
Quarter Circle U Ranch, Birney; Mr.
and Mrs. F. I. Johnson, Samp Saw-
tooth; Mr. and Mrs. H. F. McLaury.
Chicago; L. L. Perrin, St. Paul; Guy
D. Edwards, assistant superintendent,
Yellowstone Park; Grace Brewster, Bir-
ney; E. J. Ikerman, Beartooth Ranch;
Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Croonquist, Camp
Senia, Red Lodge; Paul Van Cleve, Jr.,
Big Timber; Johnnie Mullen, Living-
ston; J. H. Hazzard, Billings.

Dorothy and "Big Bones" Alderson,
Bones Brothers -Ranch, Birney; R. C.
Murphy, Billings; Al Volberding, Liv-
ingston; Sol Frank, Livingston; C. T.
Thompson, Billings; Charles Murphy,
Ox Yoke Ranch, Livingston; Ed Miller,
Hunter's Hot Springs; Max M. Good-
sill, St. Paul; Charles J. Oviatt, Sheri-
dan; Jack Stevens, Billings; Robert
Johnston, Billings; Charles W. Mc-
Bride, Billings; D. C. Cowles, Living-

ston; Max Big Man, Crow Agency; L.
W. Johnston. Billings; John H. Hatton,
Denver; Paul J. Fair, Missoula, repre-
senting the Montana Fish and Game
Commission; W. M. Rush, Yellowstone
Park; George Baggley, Yellowstone
Park; Glen A. Smith, Missoula; L. F.
Mills, Sheridan, and J. W. Howelle,
Cody.

New Jersey Buys
Western Rabbits

PEDESTRIANS are divided into two
classes — the quick and the dead.
And poor Bre'r Rabbit seems to
be in the slow motion class when he
becomes a pedestrian on the highways.
He is faring much worse than the hu-
man pedestrian. One or more of his
tribe is killed to every mile of high-
way in the United States, according to
the American Game Protective Associa-
tion.

To meet the motor traffic kill in New
Jersey thus far this season the fish
and game commission of that state has
placed an order for the importation of
5,000 additional western cottontail rab-
bits next year. The order will bring
New Jersey's import of rabbits to '20,000
for next year.

The enormous toll taken of Bre'r
Rabbit and other wild folk is charged
to the raising of the speed limit for
cars, carelessness of motorists, and de-
liberate destruction of the helpless
creatures by cruel drivers. Most of the
animals and birds are killed at night,
blinded by headlights. And the pity
of it is that most of these wild folk
could be saved by the exercise of
thoughtfulness and care on the part of
the automobile driver. The majority of
the animals and birds become fright-
ened and squat in the middle of the
road. In many cases the motorist could
avoid striking them, and certainly those
who deliberately run them down with
malice aforethought should refrain from
doing so through good sportsmanship.

Monarchs of Montana Forests Bunch Up With Approach of Winter

WHEN the rigors of winter strike Montana elk, they are forced to fight the elements, paw through crusted and drifted snow for
forage or wander away from their summer habitat in ■search of feed. This bunch of plump elk, a part of the northern herd
in Montana for which adequate grazing lands are now being purchased, is shown on the pasture slope after a full meal, await-
ing the migration that precedes the next dinner. The picture 's by W. M. Rush.

Montana Wild Life

PREDATORY animal hunters in the
employ ot the State Fish and Game
Department, the U. S. Bureau of
Biological Survey and the Livestock
Commission are in the midst of another
annual drive to rid the forests and
ranges of coyotes, mountain lions,
wolves and other animals and birds of
prey. Under the leadership of R. E.
Bateman, whose headquarters are at
Billings, the work is proceeding apace
and stockmen and sportsmen alike are
deriving the benefits.

Montana's Fish and Game Commis-
sion, in cooperation with the Livestock
Commission, has aided in making pos-
sible the payment of $9,148 in bounties
alone during 1929. The total number
of coyotes on which bounties of $2 each
were paid reached 4,241 pups and 303
adults taken during the months of
April, May and June in the whelping
season. Three mountain lions killed in
Missoula county during 1929 were pre-
sented for collection of the bounty of
$20 each. No wolves, on which there
is a $15 bounty, were reported. These
animals were trapped or killed by resi-
dents and are not considered in the
report of the predatory animal hunters
employed in the drive.

Statistics which follow, showing the
total number of hunting and fishing
licenses issued during 1929, as matched
against the total amount of bounty paid
in each county, reveal interesting facts.
In Carter county 21 hunting and fish-
ing licenses were issued at $2 each yet
234 coyotes netted residents of the
county $468. Eleven licenses were is-
sued in Fallon county at $2 each yet
97 coyotes brought residents $194 in
bounty. Garfield county residents pur-
chased 17 licenses and collected $64
bounty on 32 coyotes. McCone county
residents bought four licenses and col-
lected $136 bounty on 68 coyotes. Pe-
troleum county residents bought 85
licenses and collected $128 bounty on
64 coyotes. Powder River county resi-
dents paid $20 for 10 licenses and col-
lected $226 bounty on 113 coyotes.

Silver Bow county leads the list of
1929 license purchasers with a total of
9.81S; Cascade is second with 6,714;
Missoula county is third with 5,224 ;
Lewis and Clark county is next with
4,471, and Gallatin next with 4,375.
The smallest number of licenses was
issued in McCone county, where, ac-
cording to returns made to the Fish
and Game Department, only four resi-
dent permits were issued.

License dealers in adjoining states
reported a heavy sale of licenses in
1929, Idaho dealers handling 908, Utah
selling 15 and Washington 151.

License sales for 1929 reached the
high mark in the history of the opera-
tion of the department, a total of 83,388
resident permits being issued while
4,793 non-resident fishing licenses were
sold. These facts but serve to impress
upon minds of thoughtful sportsmen the
constantly increasing demands being

made upon Montana's forests, fields
and streams and the necessity for keep-
ing them adequately stocked in order
that the great natural heritage may be
preserved for future generations.

Twenty-five cents out of every license
fee collected goes into the biological
fund, from which predatory animal
hunters are paid and from which the
bounties are taken. At the close of
business on October 31, 1930, official
figures show that nearly as much re-
mained in the biological fund as in the
fish and game fund. The biological
fund balance on October 31 was $24,-
924.61, after disbursing $1,099.25 during
the month, while the fish and game

fund balance was but $33,924.58, after
deducting disbursements for the month
of $31,724.32. With receipts during the
months almost negligible until the re-
sumption of the sale of hunting and
fishing licenses in May, 1931, this fish
and game fund balance, without addi-
tional revenue provided by the proposed
increase in hunting and fishing license
fees, will not meet necessary expendi-
tures for the maintenance of hatcher-
ies, the game farm, law enforcement,
pay roll and overhead.

The accompanying table showing the
sale of licenses by counties during 1929,
as compared with the bounty paid on
coyotes, provides food for thought.

Licenses by Counties for 1929 and Bounty Paid

County

Beaverhead .. 2,343

Big Horn

Blaine

Broadwater

Carbon

Carter .. .
Cascade
Chouteau
Custer

696

702

706

2,084

21

6,714

920

575

Daniels 221

Dawson * 624

Deer Lodge 3,148

Fallon 11

Fergus 2,408

Flathead 5,750

Gallatin 4,375

Garfield 17

Glacier 596

Golden Valley 104

Granite 777

Hill 1,756

Jefferson 676

Judith Basin 1,101

Lake 2,038

Lewis and Clark 4,471

Liberty 126

Lincoln 2.128

McCone 4

Madison 1,573

Meagher 678

Mineral 665

Missoula 5.224

Musselshell 714

Park 2,225

Petroleum 85

Phillips 586

Pondera 1,020

Powder River 10

Powell 1,033

Prairie 67

Ravalli 1,950

Richland 359

Roosevelt 603

Rosebud 282

Sanders 1,603

Sheridan 886

Silver Bow - 9,818

Stillwater 1,031

Sweet Grass 747

886

878

59

470

787

75

3,992

Teton
Toole
Treasure

Valley

Wheatland

Wibaux

Yellowstone

Idaho

Utah
Washington

*Three mountain lions.

83,388

E Ol CT3

O — ■£ O — r~

U — £- id —

DC11- Ct-J

178 4

15

8
72

70 "~"i

5
2

5 ......

72 3

38 1

203 1

1,047 15

50 ".'"".

5
35

6 2
13

12
182
145 11

4
223

267 2

21
162 1

18 6

1
129

1 '.'.'.'.'.'.

10

18

68 .".'.""

2 ......

210 5
2 16
135 10
80
58
14
4

12 ~'z

10
107 5
908 18

15
151

4,793 102

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1- S

i0

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a

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2

3

520

12

245

8

$1,040.00

24.00

490.00

16.00

30

54
234

108.00
468.00

2

25

106

212.00

1

55
13

44
116

110.00
26.00
88.00

232.00

2

12

97

194.00

2

810

1,620.00

3

12

18

26

60
32

120.00
64.00

3

7
7

462

31

14.00
14.00

924.00

62.00

3

29

32

5
72

10.00
144.00

9

68

136.00

6

11
3
1

22.00
6.00
2.00

6

16

1

42

* 60.00
84.00

2

21

1

21
64

354
39

113

42.00
128.00
708.00

78.00
226.00

2

4
37

8.00
74.00

2

73
271

1

146.00

542.00

2.00

5

3

91

182.00

2

89

1

6

3

97
39

194.00
78.00

2

66

6

60

132.00
12.00

120.00

70

140.00

15

30.00

4

6

8

16.00

4

107

290

3

4,544

$9,148.00

Montana Wild Life

How Tom Turkey
Got His Beard

TH7"ITH tne aPProacn °f Thanksgiv-
Wy ing thoughts of the wild turkey,
that stately emblematic bird,
arise and recall a charming Indian
legend of how the noble bird got its
beard. Old Chief Galagina, the Gob-
bling One, according to the Indian leg-
end, met the victorious tortoise re-
turning from his famous race with the
rabbit. The tortoise was wearing his
trophy of victory, a scalp, about his
short neck, and the scalp was dragging
in the dust.

Old Chief Galagina, after expressing
his doubt to the tortoise as to his win-
ning the race, began to comment upon
how awkwardly the tortoise wore the
trophy.

After making the humble tortoise mis-
erable, the turkey offered to show him
how to wear the scalp gracefully. After
much persuasion, the tortoise reluc-
tantly handed the scalp to Old Chief
Galagina. He placed it around his neck
and the hair hung gracefully from his
breast.

Old Chief Galagina strutted off a few
feet to let the tortoise get a better
view from various angles — and then
ran. And the tortoise has never caught
up to recover his trophy won in the
rabbit race. Old Chief Galagina is
still wearing it on his breast.

Old Chief Galagina, however, is said
to be nearing the end of his race. He
formerly ranged over most of America
but today he is found only in spots in
the south and southwest. Conservation-
ists are trying valiantly to bring him
back and increase his tribe.

Destruction of much of the wooded
area of his former range has forced
old Chief Galagina into restricted areas.
Conservationists, foresters and sports-
men are trying to restore forests on
many areas and otherwise create ideal
conditions for Old Chief Galagina to
strut his purloined trophy in. His tribe
is increasing in several areas where
environmental control has been prac-
ticed.

A REPORTER'S PSALM

The editor is my shepherd; I shall
not want. He calleth me forth at un-
godly hours and sendeth me on tough
assignments. He restoreth my courage
with a bleak smile and a slight nod,
then maketh me write copy for his own
sake. He maketh me tramp the hot,
hard streets; he soureth my soul. Yea,
though I walk through the Valley of
the Shadow of Death, I will fear no
gunman or gangster. His pencil and
power protecteth me. He uses me as
a buffer in the presence of his ene-
mies, but occasionally buys me a meal
when my money runneth short. Surely
poverty and privation shall follow me
all the days of my life and I shall
dwell in the house of the poor forever.

Guide: "Say, are you a pretty good
judge of horse flesh?"

Dude: "Can't say that I am — don't
believe I ever ate any."

St. Ignatius Lad
Master Angler

■

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-r.

■v ««mm^

HERE'S the manner in which every
Montana dad should bring up his
lad. Teach them to enjoy the
thrills of the out-of-doors. Take 'em
with you on hunting and fishing trips.
This snapshot of Walter B. Fellows,
little more than four years old, shows
him with his first string of sunfish and
perch caught at Nine Pipe Reservoir,
under the supervision of his dad, W. F.
Fellows, assistant cashier of the Mis-
sion State Bank at St. Ignatius. The
Daily Missoulian of Missoula says of
the catch:

"While 100 or more fishermen lined
the shores of the Nine Pipe Reservoir,
10 miles from St. Ignatius, and had
little or no luck getting fish to take
a hold " their hooks, Walter B. Fel-
lows, three-year-old son of Mr. and
Mrs. Walter Fellows of the Mission,
pulled 3S sunfish and one bullhead to
shore. Young Walter didn't find it
necessary t end a day at his task.

Instead he made his fine catch in ex-
actly one hour and fifteen minutes, a
record that any old - timer would
boast of.

"Although Walter was accompanied
on the fishir- trip by his father, Wal-
ter Fellows, of the Mission State Bank,
and Professor W. E. Maddock of the
Education Department at the State Uni-
versity, he only called for their as-
sistance when he wanted to take a fish
off the hook and put in his basket.
Walter did all the casting himself and
also pulled every fish to shore."

The one who got stung: "I'm pretty
sore. That horse you sold me dropped
over dead."

Horse Trader: "I can't help it. He
sure never did that while I had him."

Mont Blanc provides Switzerland with
an income of at least $10,000,000 a
year derived from tourists. A Scotch-
man who wanted to see Mount Blanc
for nothing, applied for a mountain
pass.

Regional Supervisors
Direct Pest-Control

FIELD workers of the United States
Biological Survey engaged in co-
operative campaigns for the con-
trol of injurious rodents and predatory
animals will be grouped, effective Janu-
ary 1, 1931, in four regions, Paul G.
Redington, chief of the Bureau of Bio-
logical Survey, U. S. Department of
Agriculture, has announced. The Sec-
retary of Agriculture has approved this
regional plan of organization. The
grouping, with each region in charge of
a supervisor, will coordinate more
closely the work of the bureau through-
out the country. Each supervisor will
be in contact with the state leaders in
his region, and also with the adminis-
trative heads of the bureau in Wash-
ington.

The new regional supervisors are
men who have had wide experience in
the wild animal control work of the
bureau. James Silver, with headquar-
ters at Washington, D. C, will super-
vise Region No. 1, comprising all states
east of the Mississippi River, including
all of Louisiana. Mr. Silver is leader
of the bureau's eastern rodent control
district, which occupies approximately
the same area as the new region.

Region No. 2 will be supervised by
Leo L. Laythe, with headquarters at
Denver, and will cover Montana, Wyo-
ming, South Dakota, Colorado and Utah.
Mr. Laythe is at present state leader
of predatory animal and rodent control
for the Biological Survey in Colorado.

Region No. 3, with headquarters at
Portland, will include Washington, Ore-
gon, Idaho, Nevada and California. Ira
N. Gabrielson, at present state leader
of rodent control for the Biological Sur-
vey in Oregon, is the new supervisor.

Don A. Gilchrist, leader of predatory
animal and rodent control for Arizona,
will be in charge of Region No. 4, com-
prising Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma,
Arkansas and Texas, with headquarters
at Phoenix, Ariz.

The new regional supervisors will
each spend some time in Washington
before the first of the year to acquaint
themselves with the policies of the bu-
reau that will be effective when the
change is made.

A THOROUGHBRED

One day, years ago, when Theodore
Roosevelt was a boy, his father said
to him, "Theodore, do you know what
a thoroughbred is? Well, I'll show
you. See those two dogs? Well, this
one — " and he picked up an ugly-look-
ing lowbred pup and gave him a gen-
tle shaking, causing yelps and barks
and howls to rend the air — "this is
not a thoroughbred."

Then he picked up a fine-looking,
handsome young dog and shook him
hard, not a sound coming forth. "There,"
said the father, "that's your thorough-
bred. Be a thoroughbred, my boy, and,
whatever happens, don't squeal."

"Don't let me hear any bad reports
about you."

"I'll try not to, Dad, but you know
these things will leak out."

Montana Wild Life

MootMM Fish and M^W%\ Gaoie Commission!

G. T. Boyd, Great Falls-Commissioner
Jos. L. Kelly, Anaconda. Commissioner

W. K. Moore, Billings.. ..Commissioner
E. A.Wilson, Livingston..Coramissicwer

Thomas N. Marlowe, Missoula, Chairman
Robert H. Hill, Helena, State Fish and Game Warden, Secretary

MONTANA WILD LIFE

The Official Publication of the State

Fish and Game Department.

Published Monthly at Helena, Montana.

FLOYD L. SMITH, Editor

Subscription Rate $1 per Year — 15 Cents per Copy
Advertising Rates on Application

Copy for advertisements subject to approval of State
Commission and must be in the hands of the editor at the
State Capitol building, Helena, on the 15th of the month
preceding publication date.

VOL. Ill

NOVEMBER, 1930

NO. 6

SPORTSMEN MUST WAKE UP

SHOOTING is only one of many factors responsible for
the reduction of game. In some cases it is not even
the chief factor, though some propagandists harp on
the one string, that smaller bags, shorter seasons and
other restrictions are the one and only remedy for disap-
pearing game. Without food, cover, sanctuary, brood stock,
control of enemies, and adequate range, shooting may be
entirely prohibited to no effect. Game will disappear.

That game can not live in a desert where there is no
water or food, in a burned forest where cover and food
are destroyed, or on intensively cultivated farms where no
nesting sites are permitted, no one will dispute, and wher-
ever these barren conditions are approached, the wild life
is always proportionately reduced. Constant restocking of
field, forest and stream is mandatory in order that the
supply of fish and game keep pace with civilization and
ever-increasing demands. Montana's Fish and Game De-
partment has in hand one of the greatest programs of con-
servation in the west. To carry it to a successful conclu-
sion additional revenue is required and to this end an ad-
justment in the fishing and hunting license fee is the solu-
tion proposed.

The extermination of the passenger pigeon and the near-
extermination of the buffalo are the two threadbare ex-
amples always cited as illustrating the effect of man's de-
structive propensities. It may be that excessive killing by
man was the chief destructive factor in both instances, yet
there were other influences nearly if not quite as effective
in wiping out the millions of these creatures which once
swarmed over the country.

The plow and the cow made it impossible for a herd
of buffalo to find wild range anywhere in the United States.
The ax and the saw played havoc with the roosting and
nesting groves of the pigeon.

Just so the displacement of the worm rail fence, the
stone wall and the hedgerow by the wire fence has oblit-
erated the cover of bob-white; the steam shovel and the
ditching machine have sucked out the water and dried up
the homes of the waterfowl and the muskrat; the same
engines have caused an impenetrable crust to form where
the woodcock was wont to bore for food; fire, pasturage,
deforestation and cultivation have ruined the resorts of
grouse, deer and moose; all these agencies added to pollu-
tion have obliterated many streams or made them untenable
for fish.

These things can not be charged to "sportsmen," though
the man with the gun must bear his rightful share of the
blame, because the common run of gunners are not always
sportsmen. A few hoggish individuals have brought odium
on the fraternity.

It is up to the man who is not reconciled to hang up
his gun and rod for keeps to help solve this problem in
a constructive way. He must work through organization
to put effective methods into operation. More restrictive
laws will not suffice. There must be more food, more
cover, more sanctuary, more breeding and stocking, and
better law enforcement.

If sportsmen continue their indifferent attitude shooting
will be abolished either by law or gradual disappearance
of game. Only a small proportion of the men who buy
hunting licenses are members of any sportsmen's organiza-
tion. Banquets, resolutions and speeches create no fish or
game, but as a means to the desired end, organization is
the only salvation of field sports in America.

The United States is guilty ot polluting its lakes and streams
more than any country in the world.

JERSEY HUNTERS CLAMOR TO PAY HIGHER LICENSE

HERE is an instance of hundreds of men clamoring for
a higher tax upon their own pleasure. Organized
hunters and fishermen of New Jersey will go in force
before the state legislature to obtain an increase in hunt-
ing and fishing license fees.

Enthusiasm for a higher cost of license has become
practically unanimous in New Jersey, due to the highly
favorable results obtained through a similar move of sports-
men a few years ago, when they added 50 cents to the
license fees.

Increased game distribution made possible by the new
funds has given New Jersey sportsmen the best hunting
in many years, officials declare. The state fish and game
commission achieved a new record for game propagation
in releasing 25,000 ringneck pheasants and 15,000 western
rabbits this season and in other restoration projects. The
new license returns to the commission will not only pro-
vide for more game and fish, but for the purchase of long-
term leases by the state of cheap lands for public hunt-
ing grounds.

only God can make a tree.

A WOODSMAN'S WISDOM

What weighs an ounce in the morning, weighs a pound
at night.

A pint is a pound the whole world round.

Allah reckons not against a man's allotted time the days
he spends in the chase.

If there's only one, it isn't a track, it's an accident.

Better safe than sorry.

No smoke without fire.

The bluejay doesn't scream without reason.

Ducks flying overhead in the woods are generally pointed
for water.

If turtles on a log are dry, they have been there half
an hour or more, which means no one has been near to
alarm them.

Cobwebs across a hole mean "nothing inside."

Between eleven and two

You can tell what the weather is going to do.

The Injun says, "White man fool, make big fire, can't
go near; Indian make little fire and sit happy."

Montana Wild Life

THE BENEFITS OF SOLITUDE

PRESIDENT HOOVER'S reference to solitude while
studying nature as the only opportunity "for refresh-
ment of one's soul and clarification of one's thoughts"
seems to have slowed up for a moment the machinery in
his own engineering, electrical, mechanical, time-saving
age. Yet he knew what he was saying as would anybody-
else who had put in winters and summers in remotest Aus-
tralia, the back of China, India's interior, or the mining
districts of Russia. Such places impose the necessity of
developing one's own inward resources. Afterward one is
lonesome nowhere. Returning to crowded neighborhoods
and busy occupations he misses the daily leisure to consult
with himself. The harm of being too sedulously employed
is that it limits action in solving auy single problem.

President Hoover has the support of most poets and
some classic essayists.

"Wholesome solitude, the nurse of sense," was the way
Pope described it. "Nothing is achieved without solitude,"
concluded Lacordaire. Simms at a later date observed that
"solitude bears the same relation to the mind that sleep
does to the body," and Disraeli added that it "is the nurse
of enthusiasm and the true parent of genius."

"What," asked Hawthorne, "would a man do if he were
compelled to always live in the sultry heat of society and
could never better himself in cool solitude?" Which dove-
tails with Goethe's saying: "One can be instructed in so-
ciety; one is inspired only in solitude."

Others have found various virtues in solitude. Their
words have been often quoted:

In the world a man lives in his own age; in solitude,
in all ages. — Matthews.

Solitude shows us what we should be; society shows us
what we are. — Cecil.

If the mind loves solitude, it has thereby acquired a
loftier character. — Humboldt.

Wretched and too solitary he who loves not his own
company. — Cowley.

Solitude cherishes great virtues and destroys little ones.
— Sidney Smith.

Solitude is as needful to the imagination as society is
wholesome to the character. — Lowell.

Solitude is essential to man; we come into the world
alone; all leave it alone. — De Quincey.

In winter's chill and rime and murk

We find it difficult to work.

But in the balmy days of spring

We find the self-same, gosh-durned thing.

CONSERVATION VALUED AT BILLI(L\ ANNUALLY

WILD LIFE conservation is worth $1,000,000,000 a year
to this country, according to W. L. McAtee of the
Bureau of Biological Survey, Department of Agri-
culture. Mr. McAtee, who is in charge of the bureau's
division of food habits research, made this estimate on the
basis of the following items:

Meat and fur production, about $150,000,000; destruction
of harmful insects by birds, $350,000,000; production of
fish, $15,000,000; hunters' expenditures, $160,000,000; hunt-
ers' license fees, more than $9,000,000; and a share of gen-
eral tourist expenditures credited to the drawing power of
wild life, $252,000,000.

"At least $1,000,000 was spent by visitors to the national
forests and national parks in one typical year," said Mr.
McAtee, "and probably one-seventh of all such expenditures
may be attributed to the drawing power of the wild life
in those areas. All this contributes to the material wel-
fare of the people in sections where the parks and forests
are located.

"It all goes to show that it is a wise policy to increase
wild life, and so augment our wealth in natural resources.
Wild life should be given not only living room but the
best available methods of care. Besides helping toward the
general aims of the federal and state wild life reservations,
the layman can assist by protecting birds and their nest-
ings and the small animal life, helping them in winter
feeding and in supplying home sites, and in many other
constructive ways.

"The forest area of this country is estimated at 470,000,-
000 acres. If that can be kept producing wild life, it would
easily mean an increase of what may be calculated at about
$21,000,000 annually."

A TRIBUTE FROM ANACONDA

Dl "KING these strenuous days when thoughts of the
majority of men are turned toward commercial ac-
tivities, a tribute to the work being done for the
benefit of sportsmen of the state by the workers and af-
filiated supporters of the State Fish and Game Commis-
sion is deeply appreciated. Such a tribute is offered in
an editorial published by The Anaconda Standard. It fol-
lows, in part:

How many men who shoulder rod or gun and go out
after game or the finny brethren realize what a handful
of real sportsmen in Montana have been doing in their
behalf? The ordinary gunner or fisherman never gives it
a thought. Merely gets his apparatus together and hies
to stream or field. He doesn't know that:

Men who do not get a cent in salary or wages make it
possible for him to have his favorite sport. They have
propagated the wild life or it would be so scarce even in
this prolific state that seeking it would be too arduous a
task to make it attractive. There may be many others,
but we know one man of independent means in the prime
of life who could be making money hand over fist if he so
desired. Instead he has good, sound investments and a
deeply rooted love of hunting and fishing. That man ex-
pends energy galore in restocking streams and fields. He
is out almost every favorable day for hunting and fishing.
No matter how early he gets his bag limit or creel allow-
ance, nothing in this world could tempt that man to take
one bird or one fish above the legal allotment. If he gets
"his" early in the day, he'll prowl around the watershed
scanning localities favorable for spawning grounds or rear-
ing ponds, or if it be game he's after, interviewing ranch-
ers regarding cover or possible game law violators.

Many a day that man puts in on a springless truck cart-
ing cans of fingerling trout to high mountain streams and
all without a cent of pay or thought or reward other than
the satisfaction of the thing. Yet only a few of his inti-
mate friends know what he is doing. Perhaps there are
many of him in Montana. Let's hope so.

The purling waters of trout streams wear down the rocky
points of contact between father and son.

SANCTUARIES SAVE WILD BIRDS

CREATING refuges or sanctuaries is proving more ef-
fective than legislating against hunting in the preser-
vation of wild birds. Urbanization of many broad re-
gions is destroying the lakes, swamps, streams and forests
which are breeding places, havens and feeding grounds of
wildfowl. The sweep of the forest fire, the draining of a
lake and consequent loss of shelter for game destroy more
birds than the unethical hunter and predatory animals.

If gaps made in the flocks of game birds every hunting
season are to be filled up during the breeding season, man
must see to it that adequate breeding grounds are pre-
served, or, if destroyed, restored or supplanted by new ones.

Wherever conditions are adapted to their requirements
wild creatures will be found. Destroy their refuge and
they will not return until it has been restored. Restore an
old sanctuary and birds and other game will return as if
by the call of some supernatural voice.

All know how easily one can attract wild birds to town
yard or country garden by providing food, drink and pro-
tection regularly. They are quick to learn where they are
wanted — and just as instinctively know where they are un-
wanted.

What the nature lover can do in a small way in attract-
ing birds and the small game to his doorstep and arbor can
be accomplished in a large way by the creation of large
sanctuaries.

High water-level years are the years in which to assure
permanent water-levels in lakes.

MANOIADE CAUSES

IT IS true that natural enemies, disease and starvation
raise havoc with wild birds and wild mammals, but
these ills our wild friends have always had to combat.
But think of man-made destructive agencies that man had
added — guns, traps, snares, poisons, trained dogs, decoys,
sneak boats, sink boxes, blinds, motor boats, automobiles,
baited waters and fields. And then we wonder why our
wild life is disappearing.

10

Montana Wild Life

MONTANA has accomplished what
sportsmen of the state regard as
almost a modern miracle, in lib-
erating a total of 6,146 Chinese pheas-
ants in 55 of the 56 counties of the
Treasure State within a year following
the creation and establishing of the
first state game farm at Warm Springs.
The season, in the majority of counties,
opened November 23 and continued
through November 27, the bag limit
being three male pheasants per day.
Under the direction of J. F. Hendricks,

superintendent of the state game farm,
these birds have been hatched by do-
mestic biddies, reared at the state farm
and carried by motor truck and rail
transportation to the points of libera-
tion. Because of the lack of adequate
feed and cover, none of the Oriental
game birds have been released this year
in that area adjoining the Idaho state
line in Mineral county. All other coun-
ties have been made testing grounds, the
larger number being released in coun-
ties where better conditions prevail.

Little Sister Lake

KENNETH D. SWAN of Missoula, photographer of the U. S. National Forest
Service, contributes this scenic shot of another beauty spot of Montana taken
in the Flathead National Forest. Little Sister Lake and others in the vicin-
ity teem with trout stocked by hatcheries of the State Fish and Game Commission
and the federal government.

Construction of an additional 100 pens
< is now proceeding at the interesting
institution at Warm Springs. Comple-
tion of these wire enclosures will add
to the capacity of the farm and enable
the State Fish and Game Commission
to make increased plantings in 1931.

Additional tests will be made with
the propagation of Hungarian partridges
in captivity. Superintendent Hendricks
has the nucleus for a start at the farm,
several pairs having been trapped and
moved into captivity. The Hungarian,
however, is not a polygamist and se-
lects his mate with extreme care, hence
out of the group in captivity the result
of mating is yet to be determined.

The following tabulation indicates the
distribution of Chinese pheasants by
counties up to November 1.

Beaverhead 244

Big Horn 16S

Blaine 84

Broadwater 84

Carbon 140

Carter 10S

Cascade 144

Chouteau 120

Custer 96

Daniels 72

Dawson 96

Deer Lodge 155

Fallon 72

Fergus 162

Flathead 168

Gallatin 68

Garfield 72

Glacier 36

Golden Valley 96

Granite 4S

Hill 144

Jefferson 124

Judith Basin 92

Lake 120

Lewis and Clark 250

Liberty 72

Lincoln 96

Madison 374

McCone 72

Meagher 96

Mineral

Missoula 96

Musselshell 96

Park 120

Petroleum 82

Phillips 96

Pondera 120

Powder River 48

Powell 150

Prairie 96

Ravalli 216

Richland 96

Roosevelt 87

Rosebud 96

Sanders 48

Sheridan 88

Silver Bow 24

Stillwater 116

Sweet Grass 120

Teton 96

Toole 72

Treasure 96

Valley 108

Wheatland 72

Wibaux 96

Yellowstone 138

Total 6,146

Montana Wild Life

11

WHILE Montana's Fish and Game
Commission is pressing its cam-
paign of constructive conserva-
tion, it is likewise taking time to take
an active part in matters of interstate
importance in which Montana sports-
men are keenly interested. Equaliza-
tion of the non-resident license fees as
charged in Idaho and Montana has be-
come a question of importance, and, if
present indications are correct, the
matter will be taken before the Idaho
state legislature when it meets at Boise
in its next session.

Through the activity of Thomas N.
Marlowe, chairman of the Montana
Commission, and R. E. (Dick) Thomas,
Idaho's state game warden, some re-
vision of the fees now charged may
be made through legislative action. At
the present time residents of Idaho
who flock to Montana's trout streams
near the Idaho state line may fish in
Montana by paying a non-resident fee
of $3.50 for the privilege. Montana
sportsmen, on the other hand, must pay
$5 for the similar privilege of fishing
in Idaho. Idaho sportsmen may ob-
tain a general hunting and fishing
license for non-residents in Montana
for $30 while Montana sportsmen who
desire a similar license in Idaho must
pay $50. Sportsmen of sister states
agree that the fees should be equalized
and the work of several years seems
about to bring results.

The following letter, written by Sec-
retary Charles E. Horning of Wallace,
of the Shoshone county chapter of the
Izaak Walton League of America, to
the Idaho game warden, explains the
situation:

"We recently received a letter from
Mr. Thomas N. Marlowe, chairman of
the Montana State Game Commission,
in which he protested against the cost
of non-resident hunting and fishing
licenses in Idaho. Mr. Marlowe called
attention to the fact that residents of
Idaho may fish in Montana waters for
a license fee of $3.50, while residents of
Montana must pay a fee of $5.00 for the
privilege of fishing in Idaho; and that
residents of Idaho may obtain a gen-
eral hunting and fishing license in
Montana for the sum of $30, but that
residents of Montana must pay $50 for
a similar license in this state. In Mr.
Marlowe's opinion, this is unfair both
to the State of Montana and to Mon-
tana sportsmen.

"This matter was taken up at a re-
cent meeting of the driectors of our
chapter and the directors were unani-
mously of the opinion that Mr. Mar-
lowe's complaint is justified. As sec-
retary of the chapter, I was instructed
to give you our views on this subject.
We are of the opinion that Idaho
should fix a minimum fee of $25.00 for
non-resident general licenses, a n d
should then provide that residents of
other states having a higher non-resi-
dent general license fee should be
charged a fee equal to that charged
non-residents in their own states. Of
course this change could be brought

Lest You Forget

THE migratory waterfowl season
closes on December 31. The
open season on Chinese pheas-
ants and Hungarian partridges, in
specifically named counties, extends
from November 23 to 27, both dates
inclusive. The bag limit is three
birds. Only Chinese pheasant cocks
may be bagged.

The open season on elk in the
Yellowstone Park area in Park
county outside the park extends from
October 15 to December 20. Shoot-
ing is permitted between 8 a. m. and
5 p. m.

The open season on elk in the Sun
River district extends from October
15 to December 1. This area is in
Teton county, not included within
game preserves, and that portion of
Lewis and Clark county lying north
of the North Fork of the Dearborn
River.

The open season on Rocky moun-
tain goats in Ravalli county closed
on November 15.

about only through legislative action.

"Similar action is recommended with
reference to our non-resident angling
licenses.

"An examination of the game laws of
the various states discloses the fact
that a number of different states have
reciprocal laws such as I have sug-
gested. Among these are the States of
Washington and Nevada. The Washing-
ton statute was clearly enacted as a
slap at Idaho. As you are of course
aware, Washington has a non-resident
general license fee of $25.00. But they
have added a provision to the effect
that if the applicant for a license is
from an adjoining state he must pay
the same fee that a resident of Wash-
ington would be required to pay in
the state in which such applicant re-
sides. This provision was intended, of
course, to apply only to residents of
Idaho, since both Oregon and California
have lower non-resident license fees
than are charged in Washington.

"There would seem to be no good
reason why the sportsmen from ad-
joining states should be charged so
much more to hunt big game in Idaho
than our own sportsmen are charged
for hunting privileges in these other
states. As between Idaho and our
neighboring states much of this big
game is migratory, ranging in Idaho,
for instance, in certain seasons of the
year and in an adjoining state during
other seasons. It is hardly becoming
of us to establish a monopoly on these
animals by charging our neighbors a
prohibitory license fee.

"Many of us in this section of Idaho
fish a great deal in Montana and hunt
in that state every fall. We hunt in
that state for several reasons — one
reason, and perhaps the principal one,
being that deer are more easily ob-
tained in Montana than in Idaho. I
am still referring to this particular
section of Idaho. Many of our sports-
men hunt ducks in Montana in pref-

erence to hunting these birds in our
own state.

"It costs Montana money — and a lot
of it — to keep her streams stocked with
fish and to protect her birds and game
animals, and no good reason suggests
itself why we should expect to enjoy
hunting and fishing privileges in that
state for about one-half the fee that
we charge residents of Montana who
may occasionally wish to hunt or fish
in Idaho. The wonder is that Montana
has not adopted retaliatory measures
similar to those which have been
adopted in both Washington and Ne-
vada. Her people are noted for their
friendliness and for their big-hearted-
ness, but sooner or later they are go-
ing to tire of our taking advantage of
them.

"From a practical standpoint it is very
doubtful, I think, whether our fish and
game would suffer to any appreciable
extent through a lowering of our li-
cense fees. A few residents of our
neighboring states who live near the
Idaho boundary would probably do a
little fishing and hunting in this state.
But a lowering of our non-residence
license fees would result in a lowering
of the fees which our sportsmen would
be charged for hunting and fishing
across the Nevada and Washington
lines. A lot of our own hunters would
then go into these states for their
annual hunting trip instead of killing
our own game, and mutual accounts
would not likely be far off balance.
So far as Montana is concerned, her
sportsmen have so much game right at
their back doors that they wouldn't
leave home for a hunting trip no mat-
ter how much we might lower the
price of their licenses. A lowering of
our non-residence fees would, so far
as Montana is concerned, be for the
most part only a friendly gesture. If
we are not interested in the execution
of friendly gestures, we might look at
the matter from another angle and say
that if we continue to adopt a selfish
attitude toward our neighbors there is
considerable danger that one of these
days they will be charging us fifty
dollars for the privilege of hunting
over there.

"If your views upon this subject are
contrary to ours will you please let
us hear from you. It is not likely that
the suggested amendment could be
passed without your advocacy of it.
If you are in favor of such an amend-
ment I think we shall probably pro-
ceed at once to seek the views of other
Izaak Walton chapters and to endeavor
to arouse a little sentiment in favor
of the change."

FUEL TO THE FLAMES

Wife: "Don't you dare to speak to me
again for a month."

Husband: "Do you think you'll have
finished all you want to say by then?"

12

Montana Wild Life

Moe§e Gate aod Birds of Prey

By JACK MINER, Kiiigsville, Out.

DURING my extensive travels, meet-
ing with about all classes of bird
lovers and sportsmen, I certainly
do get a variety of opinions about birds
and animals, but all agree that educa-
tion has practically stopped humanity
from destroying song and insectivorous
birds and our cardinals, scarlet tan-
agers, gold finches, swallows, native
sparrows, brown thrushes, wax wings
and hundreds of other loving, cheerful
winged creatures are scarcely shot at
all today, where 25 or 50 years ago
everything was shot down. Again let
me say thanks for better education.

Now the question comes, why are
these cheerful, lovable birds not in-
creasing more rapidly? All this to me
is far easier than ABC. It's their
natural enemies that are keeping them
down, and yet intelligent men are writ-
ing articles trying to lead the public
to believe that hawks and owls should
be protected, "because they are becom-
ing too scarce." Remember, I don't
get my knowledge from the city or out
of books, possibly written for some
purpose, but I get my knowledge from
the woods and the fields, and I am
right here to tell the world we have
ten times more hawks and owls than
we need, and if I could reduce these
birds of prey 90 per cent I would do
it right this minute, for these birds of
prey are the direct cause of our cheer-
ful birds not increasing.

My home is about 15 miles from
Point Pelee, which is the most extreme
southern part of the Dominion of Can-
ada, and any person who will go there
from September to October and see the
hawks, crows and grackles migrating
south will change his mind as to the
danger of their becoming extinct, and
if he is a far-thinking man and knows
anything about the murderous habits of
these birds of prey he will readily
understand the handicap under which
our lovable birds are trying to exist.

Will you please stop and consider
how fast our desirable birds multiply?
The majority of them raise at least
two broods of from three to five, and
they are not winter killed, because they
migrate out of the country. Yes, the
little chipping sparrow will raise three
broods of from three to four and while
the mourning dove lays only two eggs,
they often nest four times. These facts
will give any reader a reason to won-
der why they are not more abundant.
Yet we have professional men writing
articles advocating protection of hawks
unci owls because "they are getting
scarce" or "because they kill field
mice." Apparently perfectly blind as
to the value and cheer of the birds,
these birds of prey are depriving us
of having, and at the same time nearly
every one of these men advocate the
destruction of the house cat because it
kills birds. This proves to my entire
satisfaction that they have watched the
house cat sneaking and springing onto
birds on the lawns in the cities, where
there are no mice, but if they take the

Montana Wild Life
as Christmas Gift

WHEN you are making up your
Christmas gift list, bear in
mind the fact that friends and
relatives in Montana or in eastern
states will long cherish your
thoughtfulness if you will send them
a year's subscription to MONTANA
WILD LIFE as your Yuletide greet-
ing. Twelve copies — one each month
— for $1 will carry the message of
what Montana is doing to conserve
fish and game resources to your as-
sociates at home or in other states.
Obey the impulse. Make up the list
of subscribers at $1 each now. Mail
it to The Editor, MONTANA WILD
LIFE, Helena, Montana.

same cat into the country where hawks
and owls live they will find he is the
greatest mouse killer of any of our
birds' enemies. How an intelligent man
can advocate the destruction of the
house cat and the protection of the
great horned owl, goshawks, Cooper's
hawk, sharp shinned hawk, marsh
hawks, crows and grackles is more than
I can understand; for the positive facts
are that the house cat is a far greater
mouse killer, according to the number
of birds he kills, than any one of the
above-mentioned birds of prey.

In other words, the house cat is the
natural mouse hunter, but takes birds
if he can get them. These hawks and
owls are natural bird hunters, but will
take mice if they can not get birds.
All men that are acquainted with the
creatures know that this is true. Now
don't any one he led to believe that I
am in favor of the house cat. I have
not kept one on my premises for 30
years and I destroy every one that
comes on the premises; but the great
horned owl is five times more destruc-
tive on birds than the cat ever was.
Never have I known a cat to climb
over 15 feet high in a tree for the pur-
pose of getting a bird's nest, nor have
I seen his claw marks around an empty
nest that high in a tree; but there is
not a bird that can build high enough
or low enough to be out of reach of
the great horned owl. Yes, it is true
the great horned owl will kill crows
now and then and that is the reason
the crows are fighting him and trying
to drive him out of the country before
he goes to roost; but remember, the
great horned owl also kills the red-
tailed hawk, and a red-tailed hawk kills
fully five times as many crows as an
owl does, for the crow is one of the
easiest birds for an awkward red-tailed
hawk to catch. When we are catching
crows here one of our handicaps is
the red-tailed hawk coming and dis-
turbing them. I have seen this great
favorite of mine dart right under my
crow net after crows and you can well
believe I didn't catch many crows that
morning.

Some writers take us back 50 or 60
years and tell us how all these crea-
tures, from the panther or mountain
lion down to the chicadee, all harmoni-
ously multiplied together. Yes, I was
here 55 and 60 years ago and I was
10 years old 55 years ago, and there
were ten times more pigeons in Ohio
than there were all other varieties of
birds combined — yes, over nine out of
ten of the birds were pigeons — and
they apparently multiplied like rabbits
and became more plentiful each year;
and in 1S78 they were dying, and 90
per cent of them were gone in five
years. This left all these hawks and
owls to feed on other birds and they
are still doing it.

Isn't this a fact: if a bunch of our
school boys go on a birds' nest robbing
expedition we will prosecute them,
while these hawks and owls are on a
bloody expedition every day and night
of the year and you advocate protect-
ing them? Is it true you have more
love for these winged kidnaping mur-
derers than you have for your neigh-
bors' boys?

The biggest joke to me is, "you are
disturbing the balance of nature." Yes,
I have about 35 acres enclosed here at
my home, planted out with all bird-at-
tracting trees. There are practically
no mice here, but we shoot at least 100
hawks a year. May I ask any fair-
thinking man why these hawks concen-
trate here on this little 35 acres? Why,
because there are more birds here than
there are on any other 1000 acres in
the county. Yes, I have disturbed the
balance of nature by planting 15,000
trees and shrubs, including hawthorne,
mulberry, wild grape and so forth; in
other words, I took God at His promise
in Genesis 1, verses 26-27-28; and any
other human being can do the same and
the birds will change their migrating
route and come to you for food and
protection from their natural enemies.
You, too, can have your country home
fairly echoing with the coos, songs and
singing of our choice God-given crea-
tures that He promised that men could
have dominion over. But don't tell us
to destroy the house cat and protect the
winged devils that are far worse ene-
mies to our birds.

Bobby (reading aloud); "'John ap-
peared presently in immaculate evening
dress.' What does 'immaculate' mean?"

Eight-year-old Sister: "No gravy spots
on it."

"Got anything snappy in rubber
bands?" asked the boy from the town.

"No," said the salesgirl, sweetly, "but
we have got something awfully swatty
in fly paper."

Author: "When my play was pro-
duced the public stormed the ticket of-
fice!"

Friend: "Did they get their money
back?"

Montana Wild Life

13

The Passion of the Heath Hem

IN 1914 there died in Cincinnati a
famous native American. "Martha"
was her name and her fame con-
sisted of the fact that she was the last
of her race, the sole survivor of the
countless millions of passenger pigeons
which once darkened the skies in their
flight in the Mississippi Valley. Today
somewhere in the protecting scrub oak
which covers the green plains of Mar-
tha's Vineyard there wanders another
native American who is the successor
to the unique position once held by
"Martha." He bears no man-given
name, for where "Martha" died in cap-
tivity he is spending his last years in
the freedom of a vast reservation which
was created 20 years ago to save his
species from extinction. But the effort
has failed for today this single heath
hen, a male, on Martha's Vineyard, is
the last of his race.

When the earliest settlers came to
New England the heath hen was the
most abundant of all game birds in
the East, being distributed from Cape
Ann to Virginia and especially abun-
dant in the lowlands of Massachusetts,
Conecticut and Long Island. In fact,
in Governor Winthrop's day this bird
was so common around Boston that
laborers "bound out" to employers
stipulated in their agreements with
their masters that it should not be
served to them as their food oftener
"than a few times a week." But when
the settlers began cutting off the for-
ests the decline of the heath hen
started. The spread of civilization and
the increasing number of cats and dogs
which preyed upon its young further
decimated the heath hen and by a cen-
tury ago they were gone from the
mainland of Massachusetts, although a
few lingered for another decade or two
on outer Long Island and on the Jersey
plains.

Eventually it was discovered that the
island of Martha's Vineyard off the
Massachusetts coast was the only place
where these birds could be found and
even there they were engaged in what
seemed a hopeless struggle against
death.

In 1876 they were reported extinct
and the introduction of foxes and rac-
coons to the island the following year
made the death of the race seem cer-
tain. But somehow the heath hens re-
established themselves. In the early
'90s William Brewster reckoned that
there might be 200 birds left on the
island. The grass fire of 1804 ruined
their breeding ground, and observers
could find only five birds that autumn.
In 1897 a hunter with a bird dog failed
to start a single bird. Yet again they
came back, only to suffer in another
fire in 1906. Massachusetts game war-
dens set the heath hen population at
21 in 1907 and at 50 or more in 1908.
Then the state took a hand and gave
the birds active protection.

By 1916 the colony had grown to a
thousand. The foxes and raccoons were
exterminated; other pests were kept
down. But that summer another fire

Teacher Is Angler

MISS MINNIE M. AUMOCK, teacher
in the Laurel public schools, is
an ardent angler. The snapshot
above shows a splendid catch made by
Miss Aumock using flies in the Still-
water River. She landed the big fel-
lows unassisted.

swept over the heath hen reservation,
and that autumn great flights of gos-
hawks descended on the island and
preyed on the survivors. In 1917 fewer
than 100 heath hens were left; these
increased to more than 400 in 1922.
when a cold, wet season almost wiped
out the colony. Perhaps 50 birds were
left in 1923, possibly 30 in 1927. De-
spite the care of the state and of the
Martha's Vineyard Rod and Gun Club,
despite distribution of food, cultivation
of clover and sunflowers, despite the
destruction of cats and rats and crows
and hawks, the colony dwindled stead-
ily.

And now there is only one left. Pro-
fessor Alfred O. Gross of Bowdoin Col-
lege, who for several years had made
an annual census of the heath hens on
the island, returned to Boston and sub-
mitted his annual report. In it he said:

"During the year 1928 the number
of heath hens dwindled from three to
one lone bird. This bird was alive at
the time of the annual census taken
March 30 to April 3, 1929. Though
suggestions have been made to the
state department of conservation to col-
lect and preserve this last bird for
science, it has been allowed to live its
normal life among the scrub oaks on
the sandy plains of Martha's Vineyard
island.

"The bird continued to visit the farm
of James Green, West Tisbury, during
the early spring of 1929, and was re-
ported as late as May 11. After that
date, as was the custom of the heath
hen in the past, this individual disap-
peared among the dense scrub oaks to
live in seclusion during the summer
months. In October, after going through

the ordeal of moulting, it again ap-
peared at the Green farm to announce
to the world that it was still alive.

It was seen at irregular intervals
during the winter, and since the first
warm days of March it has made daily
visits to the traditional 'booming' field,
the old meadow along the state high-
way between Edgartown and West Tis-
bury, in a place less than a hundred
yards distant from Mr. Green's house."

Almost simultaneously with the an-
nouncement that the heath hen was
traversing the last mile of its road to
extinction came the news also that the
supposedly extinct passenger pigeon had
staged a "come-back." At least two
Michigan men, Robert H. Wright, Mun-
ising publisher, and Dr. Samuel R.
Landes of Traverse City, both of whom
knew the passenger pigeon in the days
of its abundance, declare that within
recent months they have seen passen-
ger pigeons in northern Michigan.
Wright, his wife and son declare that
from a distance of 10 feet they saw
two adult pigeons sitting in the road
near Munising, and Doctor Landes and
his brother state that they saw a flock
of approximately 15 between Kokomo,
Ind., and Indianapolis, while driving
from Florida to Michigan.

William B. Mershon of Saginaw, one
of America's leading authorities on the
subject, and Professor Norman A. Wood
of the University of Michigan, say there
is not the remotest chance for the sur-
vival of a single passenger pigeon. Re-
ports have long been received of the
pigeon's presence in various localities,
but investigation has proved the ob-
servers mistaken. Usually the pseudo
"passenger pigeon" was found to be a
mourning dove or the band-tailed pigeon
from the West.

The extermination of the passenger
pigeon was accomplished even more
swiftly than that of the heath hen.
Michigan was their principal nesting
grounds and their rookeries in the
northern part of that state covered
dozens of square miles with as many
as a hundred nests, each occupied by
one or two squabs, in a single tree.
The farmers considered them a pest
and the slaughter of the birds which
began in the sixties reached its high
tide in the seventies, when the com-
mercial possibilities of the birds were
realized.

No one took steps to regulate the
slaughter, for the supply was consid-
ered unlimited. No matter how many
thousands or even millions were killed,
the enormous flocks still streamed out
of the South in April. They still dark-
ened the sun — broke the branches from
trees by their weight. Their rookeries
still filled the woods. Then shortly
after 1SS0 the pigeons suddenly disap-
peared.

Pigeons were observed near Cadillac
in 1888, but disappeared a month after
their arrival. They were traced north-
ward as far as Oden, Emmet county,
and are presumed to have crossed the
Straits of the Mackinaw into the Upper

14

Montana Wild Life

Peninsula or Ontario. After 1SSS no
large flocks were seen anywhere, and
the appearance of a single bird was
considered worthy of mention in scien-
tific journals.

Another American bird which is now
extinct — and has been for nearly a hun-
dred years — is the great auk. It was
different from any other American bird
in that it could not fly, although it
had great powers of swimming and div-
ing. Its native habitat was the coast
and islands of the North Atlantic and
from the first arrival of white men on
the shores of the New World they
preyed upon these birds, seeking out
their eggs for food and killing the
birds for their feathers. The slaughter
of the defenseless birds went on for
more than two centuries when it was
suddenly discovered that the great auk
was all but exterminated. The last
specimens, a male and a female, were
killed on Fire Island off the south-
western coast of Iceland in the North
Atlantic on June 3, 1S44, by the crew
of a sloop which visited the island for
a cargo of meat and feathers of other
seafowl which inhabited the place. To-
day either mounted specimens or eggs
of the great auk command huge sums
whenever, which is a rare occurrence,
they are offered for sale. It is esti-
mated that there are about 70 eggs in
existence today while the number of
skins or mounted specimens does not
exceed SO.

The great auk and the passenger
pigeon are extinct. The heath hen is
nearing extinction. And not far behind
it on the road to oblivion, in spite of
all the efforts that have been made to
preserve them, are other species. No-
table among these are the majestic
trumpeter swan, which is today a rarity
even in zoos, and the snowy egret,
which is all but extinct because its
dorsal plumage in the breeding season
furnishes the much sought aigrette for
the ornamentation of women's hats.
And so widespread has been the de-
struction of our national bird, the bald
eagle, that only recently a bill was
introduced into congress forbidding the
killing of an eagle, except when it is
caught attacking livestock, in an ef-
fort to save it from the fate which has
already overtaken some of our birds
and is threatening so many others.

She: "You're nothing but a 'yes'
man."

He: "You don't seem to mind it,
though, when you ask me to take you
to dinner."

"What's your name?" inquired the
traveler.

"George Washington, sah!"

"Wei, that's a name everybody knows."

"If it ain't, it ought to be. I'se been
drivin' dis yere hack in dis yere town
foh thutty years, suh."

Better DUCK Shooting

Order Wild Rice Seed Now
For Spring Planting. Thou-
sands of ducks will come to
an established rice field. We
also have wild celery, Sago
Pond plant, Wapato duck
potato and other attractions
and fur bearers. Also
rice for table use.
ILTON'S AQUATIC FARMS
Detroit, Minnesota

V

for waterfowl
parched wild
GEO. D. HAM
Box 16

Too Many Bears In
Yellowstone Park

BEARS in Yellowstone National
Park have reached the peak which
their numbers should be permitted
to maintain, according to Superintend-
ent Roger W. Toll. This means that
about 30 black bears and 10 grizzlies
will have to be "controlled" or disposed
of by park rangers each year. It
is claimed that a larger number than
there are at present would be a men-
ace to visitors and that the natural
food supply is insufficient for more
than the present number, which is 160
grizzly bear and 450 black bear.

There are of other large animals in
the park — 650 antelope, 1,113 buffalo,
150 mountain sheep, 700 moose, 10,600
elk and 800 deer. The problem of dis-
posing or caring for the excess over
the maximum number of game animals
that the park can support is great.

The elk find abundant summer range
in the park but their food problem is
in lack of winter range, which is in
lower country outside the park where
the elk are in competition with live-
stock ranges and where losses from
starvation have frequently occurred.

Game Leaders Meet
In December

WITH the imperative need of re-
storing the decimated ranks of
wild life due in part to the huge
toll taken by drought and forest fires,
the Seventeenth Annual American
Game Conference, to be held at Hotel
Pennsylvania, New York City, Decem-
ber 1 and 2, will redouble its efforts
to form a national game policy. The
conference will be under the auspices

High Class Mink $90.00 pair. Castor-
rex and Color-rex Rabbits from Im-
ported Stock $20.00 and up.

STRONG'S FUR FARM
Box 411, Livingston, Mont.

of the American Game Protective As-
sociation.

The promotion of the conservation
and wise administration of our wild
life will be an important part of the
conference, according to Ross L. Leff-
ler, president of the Board of Game
Commissioners of Pennsylvania, and
chairman of the conference.

The development of a national game
policy presents many problems, par-
ticularly that of land management. The
committee appointed two years ago to
formulate such a policy has given the
question careful consideration. Its re-
port, and the subsequent discussions,
will be of vital interest to the repre-
sentatives who will assist in the work-
ing out of the national policy so that
when it is finally adopted the activities
of state, provincial, federal and Do-
minion agencies will be properly co-
ordinated.

Game commissioners or their dele-
gates will represent every state in the
Union and every province in Canada,
and all are expected to take part in
the discussions calculated to bring
about the formulation of this much-
needed policy.

With the policy established, it is be-
lieved, conservation and restoration of
wild life will be speeded up and a
great deal of constructive work will go
forward.

The conference is a cooperative as-
sociation of many organizations, na-
tional and international in scope, in-
terested in the promotion, develop-
ment and preservation of land, water,
forest, plant, scenic and wild life re-
sources of the North American con-
tinent.

Teacher: "What insect lives on the
least food?"

Bright Student: "The moth; it eats
holes."

Outstanding

Are the trophies
mounted in our
shop.

FINS— FURS
FEATHERS

Lentfer Bros.

Successors to
Jonas Bros.

Taxidermists

215 W. Park St. Livingston, Mont.

Phone 337-W

SERVING -

118 Montana Cities and Towns

THE MONTANA POWER CO.

Montana Wild Life

15

Cafeterias" To Save
Wild Life

EVERYTHING from airplanes to ru-
ral mail carriers will contribute
services in establishing "cafete-
rias" for feeding wild life this winter,
according to reports to the American
Game Protective Association. The
drought has destroyed so much food
and cover that wild life faces condi-
tions that might exterminate it this
winter if man does not come to its
rescue.

Because of these conditions every
one should contribute his or her help
to feeding wild life; for it will face a
severe crisis this winter.

Perhaps the first and wisest step is
to get instructions regarding what
should be done in each locality from
the deputy game warden or the state
department. Conditions will vary in all
localities, and methods that would be
ideal in one locality would not be suited
for another.

Airplanes will be used to drop "grain
bombs" in the more remote sections
of the east when snow covers what
little food is left from the drought;
rural mail carriers, working with
sportsmen and other nature lovers, will
carry feed into the country and either
scatter it at cafeteria feeding stations
along the road or get farmer friends
to take it to the ranges of game, song
and insectivorous birds. Some flour
mills, grinding mills and grain eleva-
tors intend to save "sweepings" against
this emergency, and furnish the grain
to the mail carriers and others who
will agree to feed it to the suffering
wild life.

School teachers will interest their
classes in carrying out this humane
work of winter feeding. Sportsmen do
much of this work every year, but will
redouble their efforts this year.

FOXES

Pen-Raised Alaskan Blues and Pedigreed Silvers. Order
Now — Early Delivery more satisfactory. We guarantee,
in Your hands or Ours, 100%increa8e under ranching con-
tractonadult Blues. 6 Bank Ref. for 25 yrs. and Satisfied
customers. Breeder-Agenta wanted — Yourreal opportun-
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CLEARY BROS.. Fox Farms, Empire BMg., SEATTLE, U.S.A

Eastern States Are
Planting Huns

MONTANA has made a success of
planting and protecting the wily
Hungarian partridge. Efforts are
now being made to acclimate the gamey
foreigner in eastern states and Canada.
Sportsmen of the Treasure State are
unanimous in their laudatory comments
regarding the foxy traits of the feath-
ered wizard and during the open sea-
son extending from November 23-27
in designated counties, shotgun wielders
have been provided sport aplenty.

Benjamin Lawtou, game commis-
sioner of Alberta, reports that the Hun-
garian partridge is being established
with remarkable success in the Cana-
dian western provinces. While this
bird and others that may be "planted"
should not be thought of as replacing
the native species of game birds, the
establishment of the Hungarian will go
a long way towards keeping up a bal-
ance of game reserves.

Though the Hungarian partridge has
not been established in the United
States as yet, his tribe is being raised
on a large scale in Montana, Oregon,
Washington, and the Canadian western
provinces.

More recent attempts to establish the
Hungarian are being made in New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and
Ohio. A successful experiment is re-
ported from Minnesota.

The Hungarian can thrive in lati-
tudes farther north than quail choose
as a natural habitat, game breeders
report.

MONTANA MADE

The Pott

Trout Flies

Hand Woven
Hackle and
Bodies of
Selected Hair

F. B. POTT

Missoula, Montana

SPORTSMEN-

Recognize this as Headquarters for All
Hunting, Fishing and Camping Equipment

THE MONTANA HARDWARE

Department of Anaconda Copper Mining Company, Butte, Montana

Weasels Increase
Despite Bounty

LIKE the miracle of the loaves and
fishes the little ermine or weasel
is said to be on the increase in
Pennsylvania in spite of the fact that
$S4,000 was paid in bounties on their
pelts last year at $1 per pelt. The kill
of weasels for bounties has averaged
47,000 a year in that state for the past
15 years and the game commission says
100,000 a year will have to be killed
before the increase is checked.

The payment of bounties to control
predators is a moot question. The fed-
eral government employs trained hunt-
ers and trappers and pays no bounties.
Some states cooperate with the gov-
ernment, while others adhere to the
bounty system. Pennsylvania is firmly
committed to bounties. One objection
to bounties is that it encourages fraud,
many instances of gross deception and
illegal collection of bounties being re-
corded.

Pennsylvania pays bounties as fol-
lows: Wildcats $15, gray foxes $4.
weasels $1, goshawks $5. The total
paid in bounties is a large sum, reach-
ing more than $100,000 annually, but
the game commission is convinced that
it is a good economical investment.

Hercules Alaskan Silver

Black

Foxes

Write

for Information and

prices.

Idaho Fox Farm Co., Porthlll,

Idaho, or

Hugo

Renlund, Red Lodge

Mont.

TROPHIES of the
FALL HUNT

Realistically mounted perpetuate the
life-likeness of the specimen as well as
the thrill of the experience.

Art catalog with reproductions of
famous mountings FREE on request.

Jonas Brothers

Master Taxidermists
1036 Broadway Denver, Colorado

16

Montana Wild Life

U. S. POSTAGE

PAID

Helena, Montana

Permit No. 27

THE number of "No Trespass" signs
is growing each year. Dozens of
sportsmen are denied the privilege
of fishing and hunting in many desir-
able areas because of the acts of every
thoughtless fisherman and hunter. Real
sportsmen are lending every assistance
for game conservation. If they are to
be denied the use of privately owned
lands, then much of their effort is in
vain and considerable attention should
be given to the elimination of these un-
sportsmanlike few. The land owners
and sportsmen have many things in
common. The wild life of Montana at-
tracts many tourists each year. The
tax from gasoline used by the tourists
builds many miles of modern highways
and a good highway greatly increases
the value of land. Both are greatly in-
terested in and working for the de-
struction of predatory animals and
birds which are very destructive to
domestic animals and poultry as well
as game animals and birds. Many of
the upland birds have their place in
Nature's program of raising vegetables,
fruits and grains. Much valuable as-
sistance is given by the farmers in the
care and feeding of game birds and
animals during the winter months.

B. F. Gerry, Secretary of the Mon-
tana Sportsmen's Association, says an
appeal is being made to sportsmen of
Montana in view of the coming pheas-
ant season when there will be thou-
sands of hunters afield.

A few don'ts to be observed:

"Do not shoot toward grazing live-
stock, buildings or persons.

"Do not disregard 'No Trespass' signs.

"Do not leave gates open or tear
down fences.

"Do not destroy whiter grain crops.

"Do not leave campsites without
properly disposing of refuse and put-
ting out fires.

"Do not forget that a word of thanks
will be appreciated, or that you or
some fellow sportsmen may want to
hunt on the same property again."

A Fantasy

CHINESE PHEASANTS

UPLAND birds are becoming more
scarce each year in practically
all states. A great man/ states
already have an abundance of Chinese
pheasants and the hunters are continu-
ing to enjoy the popular sport of shoot-
ing upland birds. Montana has vast
areas suitable for these birds and the
propagation of them should be seriously
considered and undertaken by every
sportsmen's club in these areas.

Less than a year ago the State Game
Farm was started at Warm Springs.
Practically 6,000 birds have been lib-
erated the first year throughout the
state. The State Fish and Game Com-
mission and the management are to be
highly commended for this wonderful
work. The game farm is being enlarged
and the output should be larger in 1931.

Toil up, up, up, with the wild pack
string,

To the top o' the top o' the world.

Where the trail ends high and the twi-
light's grey

On the rocks of the west wind's throne;

Where there are no troubles or wor-
ries to fret,

No rivers or oceans to span;

Where there's silence, and wonder, and
the mystery of God,

Where a man is no more than a man.

Where there's mountains, and ranges,
and bridges no end,

With forests and valleys below;

Where there's power, and beauty, and
lonesomeness, too —

In the land that a few men know.

TOOLE COUNTY HAS ACTIVE CLUB

THE Toole County Sportsmen's As-
sociation has been organized with
J. P. Gerlough president, W. Rav
Walker vice-president and G. R. Smith
secretary and treasurer. They have a
membership of 206 and much can be
expected from this group of sportsmen.
They are interested in the planting of
fish and pheasants and fully realize the
need of more protection for wild life.

TWO CLUBS JOIN ASSOCIATION

THE Valier Rod and Gun Club has
joined the Association. They have
a very active club and are inter-
ested in many problems confronting
sportsmen. L. M. Johnson is presi-
dent, H. E. Wilkenson vice-president
and John M. Newell is secretary and
treasurer. Mr. Newell is on the job
handling the affairs of the club and
assisting the Association whenever pos-
sible. They are now interested in mak-
ing Lake Francis a bird refuge.

The Libby Rod and Gun Club also
joined the Association with a member-
ship of 162. W. E. Dexter is president,
J. K. Dwinelle vice-president and Mr.
Malcom is secretary and treasurer.
They recently assisted in locating a
state fish hatchery on a new site and
are interested in the liberation of elk
and enforcement of game laws.

With 100 such clubs as these great
things can be accomplished in Mon-
tana. Both of these clubs realize the
necessity of an increase in license.

CLUBS FAVOR LICENSE INCREASE

SOME time ago a questionnaire was
sent to sportsmen's clubs in the
state regarding an increase in our
fishing and hunting license. A great
many have been returned and all but
three clubs favor such an increase.

ACTIVITY OF CLUBS

WE HAVE more than 100 sports-
men's clubs throughout the state.
Most of the work falls upon one
man and in some instances a very few
members, and they are usually officers
or directors. Many of the clubs meet
only once a year. If meetings were
held at least three and four times a
year more activities could be outlined
and carried to completion. In practi-
cally all instances the members are
enthusiastic and willing to do their
bit. We have many problems confront-
ing us at this time if we are to con-
serve and propagate successfully. Prac-
tically all problems are state-wide and
not only local problems, therefore more
can be accomplished if we work col-
lectively.

Meetings are generally successful at
this time of year as a barbecue of elk
or deer will get the members out. It
is also a good time to review activities
of the year and outline programs, and
by having all activities well planned in
advance more will be accomplished.

Many of the states delayed such ac-
tivities until most of their wild life was
depleted. In practically every instance
it has cost huge sums for propagation
and during such period the sportsmen
have been deprived of their sport by
closed seasons and smaller bag limits.
In order to maintain our wild life it
is necessary that every sportsman give
but a little in both money and time.
It offers the greatest pleasure for the
least money and effort that we have.

REST DAYS FOR WATERFOWL

MANY states have one or two days
of each week set aside as rest
days tor migratory waterfowl.
This plan possibly originated with some
of the private shooting clubs that found
this plan very successful. The states
now having such a law report that it is
advantageous. These rest days are gen-
erally between Tuesday and Friday and
sportsmen are not deprived of their fa-
vorite shooting days. It might be well
if such a plan was worked out for
Montana.

DIRECTORS HOLD MEETING

THE directors of the Association met
at Billings November 19. This was
a very busy session as matters to
be brought before the next legislative
session were outlined and the program
for 1931 laid out. A much larger and
more active program will be undertaken
for the coming year, and it is hoped
that with the assistance of the many
sportsmen's clubs throughout the state
problems can be overcome and on De-
cember 31, 1931, it can be said that it
was a good job well done.

The Dude Ranchers' Association held
their annual meeting at Billings No-
vember 17 to 19.