22 REPORT OF MONTANA FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



Biological inid Ediicatiornil J I 'ork 

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The educational and biological branch of the Fish and Game de- 

 partment, collaborating with the secretary's office of the Montana 

 Sportsmen's association, has done what it could, with the funds avail- 

 able, to create a new atmosphere of support and cooperation about 

 the sportsmen's department. This work has included the organization 

 of a number of new sportsmen's clubs in various parts of the state 

 and the reviving of several old clubs that had subsided to the point 

 of mere existence. The head of this department has made over 170 

 public addresses before schools, sportsmen's organizations, chambers 

 of commerce. Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions clubs and various other or- 

 ganizations, in spreading the gospel of a higher and more enlightened 

 standard of sportsmanship. During 1922 a quarterly bulletin. The Big 

 Horn, was issued and has attained a circulation of 4,000, affording 

 a splendid medium of information, education and publicity, of which 

 one national biologist writes: "It certainly is the best thing published 

 by any state organization in the country." Another national game 

 conservationist writes: "The success of The Big Horn is so evident 

 and so satisfactory that the Permanent Fund is going to enclose here- 

 with another subscription of $200 for the purpose of speeding this 

 gallant publication on its way for another year." 



The work being done by these new and revived sportsmen's clubs, 

 not only in receiving and planting fish and birds, but in waging war 

 against the natural enemies of our fish and game and in building up 

 a healthy public sentiment favorable to the progressive programs of 

 the Commission and the Sportsmen's association, is proving of un- 

 questionable and immeasurable value to the sportsmen's cause. 



Perhaps one very material obstacle to more general acceptance of 

 a progressive game conservation program in Montana is the fact that 

 tliere is in some sections of the state still quite an abundance of game. 

 Facing the fact that since the advent of the automobile, at least, there 

 has l)eeii a consistent, persistent and positive decrease in the number 

 of elk and deer in Montana and just as persistent and positive an in- 

 crease in the number of hunters, many of our sportsmen assume a 

 passive and disinterested attitude toward a game conservation pro- 

 gram and many others even array themselves against every movement 

 to preserve our heritage of desirable wild life. They rre still able to 

 reap the rewards of keen eyesight, steady nerves and a true aim and 

 do not trouble to look further into the situation. Montana is passing 

 through the same experiences that Pennsylvania, Vermont, New York 

 and other of the eastern game states passed through when first game 

 conservation was attempted in them. With their decades of game con- 

 servation history to draw upon. Montana sportsmen should be able 

 to progress with fewer missteps. 



The need of education, not so mucli along lines of game conservation 

 methods as of actual conditions in Montana, is very apparent. A 

 thorougli knowledge of Montana's game and actual conditions sur- 

 r()un<iiiig it would give ready birth to that standard of sportsmanship 

 that dares be measured by "the thing within that cannot." 



Therefore, from tJie viewpoint of this department, while real ad- 

 vancement has and is being made and we are on a sound and effi- 

 cient organization basis, there is a huge task still ahead and more 

 funds and more energy and effort are needed for educational and 

 biological work in our department. 



M. S. t'ARPEXTER. 



