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: MONTANA FISH AND CAME COMMISSION 9 I 



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y4 JVord from a Former Commissioner 



Mr. C. A. Jakways, 

 State Game Warden, 

 Helena. Montana. 



Dear Sir: 



During the last two seasons there has been an improvement 

 in the game bird situation in this (western) part of the State Re- 

 ports from every part of this section are favorable, in some in- 

 stances farmers reporting that grouse are often seen in winter 

 feeding with the domestic fowl in barnyards. There naturally would 

 be found a wide difference of opinion among those who find the wild 

 birds feeding with the tame ones, but on the whole, sentiment seems 

 to be favorable. Many take pride in having the wild birds around 

 and make especial efforts to protect, feed and shelter them. 



In this connection it might be wise to provide in some way for 

 setting apart, on the request of the owner or owners of a farm, or a 

 locality embracing a number of farms where hunting could be for- 

 bidden even during the open season. This plan has been suggested 

 by Mr. Ben Plummer of Stevensville who owns a large farm near the 

 town, and on whose place many of the birds find winter shelter 

 and are fed. A plan of this kind would undoubtedly improve hunt- 

 ing in all of the surrounding open country. 



It is my observation that fishing conditions are fairly good in 

 most parts of the State and in some places the best in the world. 

 The extreme low water of last summer caused some disappointments 

 to the anglers, for in many instances the larger fish were not 

 found in the usual places, and in some cases not in the smaller 

 streams at all. 



" Your efforts to interest the fishermen, to have them take out 

 licenses, and to help in stocking of streams has been wonderfully 

 successful about here. It has occurred to me that while the plan 

 adopted of raising the trout fry in ponds until they reach fingerling 

 size is a good one, there may be other reasons or causes which 

 work against the efforts at restocking, especially with native trout. 

 As a rule the native trout spawn at the age of three years; it is 

 pretty well known and has been shown in many plantings made in 

 lakes and streams and under favorable conditions that at the end 

 of the first year the fry will have grown to a length of approxi- 

 mately six inches and in two years to a length of nine inches, and 

 after that time may reach a length of twelve or more inches in the 

 third year. 



Is it not probable that many of the native trout planted by 

 your department are caught before they reach the spawning age? 

 if so, your department is working at a disadvantage; the fisherman 

 has all the best of the game. 



It will be urged, with some truth and justice that native trout 

 are caught containing spawn that are not more than six inches in 

 length. This is true, but in such cases the trout are three years of 

 age and the small size of the fish must be accounted for by the 

 fact that it has grown in a small stream, on an inadequate food 

 supply and with only small waters to swim in. 



