FORTY-FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT 29 



GAME MANAGEMENT AREAS 



The game inanaoeineiit area plan has now been in operation for 10 

 years. This plan was initiated in 1939 by the State Legislature as an 

 effort to stimulate the landowners' interest in the game crop. It was 

 intended to foster and increase the supply of upland game through land 

 management and stocking of game farm birds. Backers of the plan 

 believed that the income derived from the game crop would provide an 

 incentive to the landowner to manage his land for game production. 

 Since these areas were to be open to any licensed hunter, the income from 

 the game produced was to be obtained by charging hunters up to a 

 designated maximum fee for shooting privileges. Actually the income 

 received from the game crop could not compete with the high prices 

 being paid foi- farm crops which these areas could produce. The land- 

 owners also found it too difficult to control the public on these areas. 



In 1947 the State Legislature modified the plan to allow for non- 

 commercial areas where the public was excluded. These private areas are 

 now supported by season memberships, or by a share-the-cost arrange- 

 ment with the operator. Most operators are now satisfied with the plan. 



There are now 43 operators who control 44,556 acres of land. During 

 1949 they liberated 20,720 pheasants and killed 11,539 in 5,446 man-days 

 of hunting. 



WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT AREAS 



Waterfowl management areas were created not only to provide the 

 unattached hunting license-holder with a place to shoot, but also to pro- 

 vide waterfowl with areas where they could feed and rest. The second 

 part of this program includes management of land and water areas to 

 the degree where waterfowl would be attracted to these areas and forego 

 their depredations on the crops of surrounding agricultural lands. Until 

 this biennium, all development and farming operations on these areas 

 were carried out under service agreement with various contractors. This 

 arrangement proved wholly unsatisfactory, as certain seasonal agricul- 

 tural practices were not always performed at the opportune time. Start- 

 ing in July, 1949, when the necessary equipment became available, all 

 development work has been done by bureau personnel. 



On these areas hunters were offered their choice of three types of 

 shooting grounds as follows : 



1. Fully developed areas with blinds for a fee of $5 per shooter. 



2. Partially developed areas with no blinds for a fee of $1 per 

 shooter. 



3. Undeveloped or natural areas with no charge. 



Hunting success varies with weather conditions and the waterfowl 

 migration, but on the whole hunters expressed satisfaction with the plan. 



The waterfowl management areas and the extent of their use by 

 liunters are listed in Table 3. 



