KOUTV-I'IK'ST HIK.WIAI, l{i;i'()KT 29 



GAME MANAGEMENT AREAS 



The game inanaji'emeiit area plan lias now been in opcijit ion foi- 10 

 years. This plan was initiated in 19;59 1)_\' the State Lc^islat nre as an 

 effort to stinuilale the landowjiers' interest in the <iaine crop. Tt was 

 intended to foster and increase the supply of upland jj-anie thi-onjih land 

 management and stocking of game farm birds. ]^)a('k('rs of the plan 

 believed that the income derived from the game ci-op wonld proxidc an 

 incentive to the landowner to manage his land for game j)rodiictioii. 

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

 the game prod need was to be obtained by charging hunters uj) to a 

 designated maximum fee for shooting ])rivileges. Actually the income 

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

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

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



In ]f)47 the State Legislature modified the ])lan 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 5,44(j man-days 

 of hunting. 



WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT AREAS 



Waterfowl management areas were created not only to provide the 

 unattached hunting license-holder wdth 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 w^aterfowl 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. Partiall}^ 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 waterfowd 

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



The waterfowl management areas and the extent of their use by 

 hunters are listed in Table 3. 



