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: MONTANA FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 19 ? 



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Predatory Bird and Animal Drives 



There is no better way to propagate game animals or game birds 

 than by destroying the predatory animals and predatory birds that 

 live upon them. Realizing this to be a fact, the State Fish and Game 

 Commission at one of its meetings held in the spring of 1924 set aside 

 the sum of $500.00 of the sportsmen's money to be paid in prizes to 

 the rod and gun club organizations destroying the largest number of 

 predatory animals and birds during the year 1924. Mr. M. S. Carpenter, 

 the Secretary of the State Sportsmen's Association, was designated 

 as the person to have charge of these contests and points were offered 

 for each predatory animal and bird destroyed and also for the eggs 

 of certain of the predatory birds. 



Quite a number of the rod and gun clubs of the state participated 

 in this drive. It is to be regretted that all of the clubs putting on 

 these drives did not make reports, even though the reports showed 

 their particular club would not be entitled to any of the prize money, 

 for it would be a source of valuable informtaion to the sportsmen to 

 know just how many predatory animals and birds were killed on ac- 

 count of this drive. Only ten clubs filed their reports and two of 

 them filed reports too late to be counted in the contest, for, according 

 to the rules laid down by Mr. Carpenter, who had charge of the drive, 

 the reports were required to be in by November 25th. But even 

 though few of the clubs reported as to their activities under this drive, 

 it will, I am sure, be interesting to the sportsmen of the state to know 

 the results accomplished. 



Compilation of these reports show the following number of pre- 

 datory birds and animals killed: 



Mountain Lion ..-.: 1 Bobcat 2 



Coyote 232 Weasel 217 



Lynx 6 Wood Chucks 169 



Badger 6 Gopher 23287 



Hawks 783 Hawk's Eggs 142 



Great Horned Owl 211 Great Horned Owl Eggs 232 



Magpies 12927 Crow Eggs 3618 



Crow 1168 Magpie Eggs 18076 



Kingfisher 25 



It is certain that had all the other clubs reported, this number 

 would have been increased by at least one third. The number of 

 game animals and especially game birds taken by these predatory birds 

 and animals during a year is considerable and it is certain that a 

 large number of our game birds have been saved for propagation pur- 

 poses by putting on this campaign. 



We do not believe that any like sum of the sportsmen's money has 

 ever been spent to a greater advantage than this $500.00 was spent 

 and believe it would be a great thing to repeat this contest in the 

 years to come. 



The Big Timber Rod and Gun Club was the heavy winner in the 

 contest, the members of this club having killed 158 coyotes, 2 lynx, 

 17 weasels, 2788 gophers, 316 hawks, 75 great horned owls, 3420 mag- 

 pies, 1145 crows and destroyed 66 hawk eggs. 145 great horned owl 

 eggs, 5221 magpie eggs and 1692 crow eggs. 



