MONTANA STATE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



driven out of Yellowstone Park by weather conditions and deep snow was in 1911. 

 Hunters came from all over the state. A careful check estimated 600 elk killed 

 in a few days. This thinned the herd down to about the number that could win- 

 ter on their native habitat. Because of the size of the herd, it increased rapidly. 

 It had so increased by 1919 that when that hard winter came thousands of elk 

 came out of the hills. Hunters, on learning of this., came quickly. At the close 

 of the season a careful check by the state game department, the forest department 

 and scouts from Yellowstone National Park, cooperating, estimated the number of 

 elk killed during the hunting season along the east side of the Yellowstone river, 

 from Buffalo flat to Dailey basin, aggregated 3,600. 



That year the game department issued a special license, costing $25, which 

 permitted the hunter to kill an extra elk. 



About as many elk died that winter from starvation as were killed by the 

 hunters. There was no feed in the hills. 



In 1919 the noi-thern herd suffered a great loss, but since that fatal year 

 there have been but few elk killed each season. I honestly believe that the north- 

 ern herd has increased to the extent that they now number nearly what they did 

 when that hard winter of 1919 depleted their numbers so severely. 



This year, 1926, gave the hunters plenty of sport, about 700 being killed. All 

 departments agree that this is a good thing. It will keep down the enormous 

 increase and give the herd a better chance to winter. 



I want to say that since the Brooks bill passed in 1920, creating a commission, 

 and five good sportsmen from different parts of the state were named on this 

 commission by the governor, the department has taken on new life. It is being- 

 conducted in a business-like manner. Fish and game of all kinds are on the in- 

 crease in the state. Chinese and Hungarian pheasants, birds that were never 

 thought of in early history of the state, have been planted and are increasing 

 nicely. The game department, cooperating with the forest department and the 

 national park forces, are aU working hand in hand to the betterment of our wild 

 life. We also get wonderful cooperation from the federal game department. 



Vrputji (iiiiiK l\ ardin J', i) . Aclsan, who ho.t hern in the t^rrvicr of the state commix- 

 sinn for .20 years, jilaniinp ihtel: food on Sprinp creek, six miles from Liviiujston. 



