THE EXTRA ACRE 



.... Roger Fliger, Education 

 Rep. , Fish & Game Department 



Man, like other creatures, needs recreation to make his life more complete. With 

 an expanding population more and more demands are being placed on our outdoor 

 recreation areas. 



We sometimes think it almost sacrilegious to use land for recreation or pleasure. If 

 we can't cut, burn, plow, irrigate, or mine in or on land it is worthless and only then 

 is it left to scenery or wildlife recreation. This, of course, is not true. All land and 

 All land and water have aesthetic as well as dollars value. 



The tourist trade should bring in $100,000,000 this year. These people come to look, 

 to relax and to enjoy Montana. They want to fish and hunt, look at scenery, to boat 

 and to picnic. 



This money will not only benefit cares, motels, gas stations, sporting goods stores 

 and packers but since these people are a part of the community the whole comnftmity > 

 will benefit. 



Montana has a variety of public lands such as parks, monuments and wilderness areas. 

 But is this enough? Large areas such as wilderness areas and national parks are 

 sometimes inaccessible to the average tourist passing through our state. With the 

 demand on public lands apt to double in the next few years, where will we find that 

 extra acre? Perhaps the answer is on private lands. 



The extra acres that private lands provide have sometirnes created problems of 

 vandalism and trespassing. The number of "No Hunting" and "No Trespassing" 

 signs show that a problem exists. But the real problem is not between the land- 

 owner and sportsman. Ninety-eight per cent of the landowners are reasonable 

 and friendly. Ninety-eight per cent of the sportsmen are careful and responsible. 

 The problem is with the two per cent socially maladjusted individuals who exist 

 in all age groups and occupations. 



Landowners who do allow people to enjoy their land perform an important and val- 

 uable service to their fellow man. In most cases people realize these benefits and 

 appreciate this freedom to use the land. 



Public education such as the hunter safety course which teaches young hunters the. 

 responsibilities and privileges that must be observed — hunting or fishing by per- 

 mission signs and, perhaps, get-togethers where sportsmen could invite their 

 landowner friends might be ways to improve landowner sportsman relations. 



The sportsmen should ask permission to himt and the landowner should recognize 

 and ride herd on the socially maladjusted individual. Together their efforts 

 may answer the c(uestion of where the extra acres will come from — perhaps we 

 already have them. 



RANGE MANAGEMENT 



.... Ef^b Ross, SCS, Range Conservationist 



The greater the amount of supplemental feed (from ir- 

 rigated areas or elsewhere), the greater the temptation 

 to misuse range lands. The greater the amount of sup- 

 plemental feed available, the more livestock can be 

 wintered to be turned onto the ranges the following 

 spring. 



Many ranches are stocked according to how much hay 

 is available with little concern for range condition or 

 how many head the summer range will profitably support. 



