Sports For The Sportsman 



Prairies, Mountains, Woodlands, Lakes and Streams Fur- 

 nish a Natural Habitat and Retreat in Montana for 

 All Kinds of Wild Life, Which is Found in No 

 Other Place in the Union 



lONTANA stands at the head of all the states of the Union as the 

 habitat of big and small game. With 150,000 square miles of 

 prairies, mountain and wooded areas, watered by thousands of 

 lakes and streams, with the two great national parks, Yellow- 

 stone and Glacier, and ten large game preserves in the state, 

 with an efficient game and fish commission to protect wild 

 life, it is evident that as a resort for sportsmen, Montana can- 

 not he rivaled. 

 Its great mountain ranges are the habitat of elk, deer, mountain sheep, bear, 

 mountain lion, bob-cat and numerous fur-bearing animals, including the beaver; 

 its lakes and sloughs are the abode of all varieties of waterfowl and its grain fields 

 and foothills the home of prairie chicken, pin-tail and blue grouse, pheasants and 

 sage hen. It is not surprising, therefore, that sportsmen from all parts of the 

 United States and in peace time, from Europe, come to Montana during the open 

 season to enjoy the sport. 



Buffalo Coming Back. 



Despite years of relentless hunting by Indians and white men the game held its 

 own with the exception of buffalo. In the early 80's the bison were almost extermi- 

 nated and the pitiful remnants were taken over by the government and private in- 

 dividuals and have been slowly but steadily coming back. They are kept in Yellow- 

 stone National park, in the National Bison reserve on Flathead reservation and in 

 a number of private parks. They have increased rapidly in the last few years, 

 owing to the closed season maintained by the government and the state. Animals 

 have been transferred from Yellowstone Park to other places in the United States, 

 so that the "monarch of the plains" may again come into his own. It is hoped 

 that the closed season will be maintained for a sufficient number of years to 

 accomplish this and that eventually the buffalo will have increased to such an 

 extent that a limited number may be taken for food, during a brief open season. 



.Retreat for Big Game. 



During the summer months the ten game preserves and the national parks 

 are the retreat for the big game. They feed on the high altitudes during the 

 summer months, returning to the lower altitude for the winter feeding when the 

 snow gets too deep on the mountains. 



The elk have increased rapidly the past few years, the three principal herds — 

 the Gallatin, the Gardiner and the Madison — have an aggregate of more than 

 20,000 animals. Elk have also been "planted" in six or eight counties where they 

 are protected under the law for an indefinite period. The larger herds in the 

 vicinity of Yellowstone National Park were counted by the federal and state 

 authorities following the extreme hard winter of 1916-1917. The deep snows 

 and the lack of winter feed caused a loss of about 14 per cent. The percentage 



