Department) spent over $200,000 in capital outlay 

 for damage prevention. 



Henry Oldenburg, Flathead County Commissioner, 

 informed the Subcommittee of the consensus reached 

 by an area Fish and Game Advisory Committee. The 

 group supported: expanded sportmen's education 

 rather than creation of more hunting laws and 

 regulations; and increased penalties for poaching 

 violations . 



Several area landowners expressed views on the 

 unique wildlife damage problems of northwestern 

 Montana. Densely populated hunting areas create 

 safety problems and discourage hunting and access, 

 even though game is plentiful. Game is attracted 

 to tree farms and even the availability of other 

 forage does not reduce the loss of many young 

 trees. Some landowners would like either 

 compensation or more assistance in erecting game 

 barriers . 



Bruce Maclay, Chairman of the Landowner/ 

 Recreationist Committee of the Montana 

 Stockgrower ' s Association, explained particular 

 damage problems, such as the bow-hunting-only 

 season, which did not reduce the whitetail deer 

 population and increased consumption of livestock 

 forage. He suggested that area landowners should 

 be more involved in the formulation of local game 

 management plans. He also discussed the need to 

 provide winter feed near winter ranges, even 

 though the Department has opposed that concept. 



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