MONTANA STATE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



1. The number and kind of big- g-ame animals inhabiting; the forests. 



2. The area and kinds of land occupied and best adapted to their needs. 



3. The available winter and summer range. 



4. The feeding- and breeding- habits of big- g-ame animals. 



5. A survey of the streams to determine: (a) The adaptability of each stream 

 for fish, and the kind of fish best suited to it. (b) The usage. (This information 

 to be used in mapping- out an intelligent program of fish planting.) 



Each forest officer is also commissioned a deputy state fish and game -warden 

 (without pay). The estimates made by them of the 122 ranger districts and 

 compiled into a state report gives the following inventoi-y for the National For- 

 ests of Montana: Deer 50,000, elk 9,800, moose 1,146, mountain sheep 1,750, 

 mountain goats 3,700, besides a large number of fur-bearers. 



Figures compiled on the area of winter and summer ranges within the na- 

 tional forests bring- out the following facts: Practically all the 15 odd million 

 acres are used more or less as summer range, while the winter range is restricted 

 to 4 million acres of widely scattered tracts. 



There have been set aside 12 large and several small areas as state game 

 preserves, aggregating- in round numbers 1,500,000 acres. 



Better than 1,000,000 acres have been set aside as game range exclusively, 

 while the gross area used by game exclusively is slightly more than 8,000.000. 

 This latter includes areas inaccessible to domestic stock and areas closed for 

 use of game only. 



Considerable data have been accumulated on the 

 feeding and breeding habits of game animals. 



The fish-planting program has resulted in plant- 

 ing from 15,000,000 to 25,000,000 baby fish annually 

 in the streams within or having their immediate 

 sources in the national forests and the stocking of 

 numerous lakes heretofore void of fish life. Sports- 

 men, state game officials and others have assisted 

 in this program. 



Cooperation has been of a high order between 

 state game officials and forest officers, which has 

 resulted in many px'osecutions of game law violators. 



One among many of the fine examples of the 

 results that may be expected on suitable areas and 

 under proper protection is well illustrated by what 

 has happened on the Sun River game preserve. This 

 preserve was created by the legislature in 1912. It 

 embraces approximately 200,000 acres of rough, 

 mountainous, more or less timbered lands. It in- 

 cludes all of the territory bounded on the east by 

 the North and South Forks of the Sun river and on 

 the west by the Continental Divide. At the time of 

 its creation it contained approxinately 200 head of 

 elk, some deer, mountain sheep and goats, also a few 

 moose. Under 14 years of protection the elk have 

 increased to between 3,900 and 4,000 head, and at 

 the same time the annual utilization on this herd ^lontana elk crossinfj from 

 u ■, J- <• 1 1 . r.rn -ii 111 timber to the soutli slopes in 



has ranged from a few head to 650, with a probable ./,,„,„,,,. Xote the trail in 



annual average of 200 head. Other game has in- tite snoic. 



