MONTANA STATE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



Thos. N. Marlowe 



GAME BIRD PROPAGATION 



By Thomas N. Marlowe 

 (liainiuni Mnniaiui Statr Fish and (l(tmr Covimission 



SUCCESS of the effort of the Montana state fish and 

 game commission to stock the state with foreign game 

 birds and thereby add to our native birds, has been 

 nothing short of remarkable. Practically every sportsman 

 in the state is conversant with efforts made by the commis- 

 sion to stock the state with Ringneck pheasants and Hun- 

 garian partridges. The Ringnecks were purchased in Ore- 

 gon. Some were hatched and I'aised from eggs purchased 

 by the commission. This work was commenced eight years 

 ago. The Hungarians were purchased in Europe. Since 

 the commission undertook the stocking of the state with 

 these birds every county has received some of them. 



The story of the success of this undertaking is best told 

 by the sportsmen themselves. When called upon to write 

 an article on this subject for this biennial report, I wrote to 

 a number of the communities receiving birds from the de- 

 partment inquiring as to their condition, and the quotations 

 below are extracts from replies to my inquiry: 



"The Ringnecks and Hungarians you have furnished us and liberated in our 

 section have done just fine. We have received both varieties since they have 

 been available and they have propagated to such an extent that they have cov- 

 ered the entire area of Valley county. The Hungarians do better than the Ring- 

 necks notwithstanding the fact that the Ringnecks were liberated several years 

 before the advent of the Hungarians. The Hungarians are the more popular 

 with everybody." — Leo B. Coleman, Glasgow. 



"The Ringnecks and Hungarians in this vicinity are getting along fine. They 

 are well distributed all over the Deer Lodge valley and I do not think 

 it necessary to liberate any more in this locality. Have heard com- 

 plaints from other parts of the state that the Ringnecks are driving out 

 the native birds but do not think this is so, at least, not in this vicin- 

 ity." — Frank Conley, Deer Lodge. ' 



"Fallon county sportsmen are more than pleased with the 

 work being done by the commission in the matter of liberating 

 Ringnecks and Hungarian partridges. Both types of birds are 

 doing very well and increasing in numbers quite rapidly. One 

 farmer's wife advises me that last winter she feed around 50 

 pheasants all winter and enjoyed the opportunity of doing so." 

 — L. W. Busch, Baker. 



"The Hungarians are doing fine. Multiplying in great num- 

 bers and seem to thrive under any and all weather 



conditions. The Ringnecks have not increased as ; . 



they should, though they seem to be well scattered 

 but are not multiplying like the Huns." — F. M. Lew- 

 ellen. Plains. 



