1931 — BIENNIAL REPORT — 1932 



Page Five 



Moetae^^s StM© Gaime F^rim 



By Joe F. Hendricks, Superintendent 



OMPLETION OF the 

 game bird distribution 

 of 1932 from tlie state 

 game farm at Warm 

 Springs, tlie modern 

 plant established and 

 operated by the state 

 fish and game depart- 

 ment, marked its third year of 

 production. During the three years it 

 has been operated, a total of approxi- 

 mately 20.000 Chinese pheasants and 

 other birds reared in captivity have 

 been liberated throughout the state to 

 provide sport for thousands of weilders 

 of shotguns and to supplement the sup- 

 ply of diminishing upland game birds 

 which are gradually nearing extinction. 

 Chinese pheasants have taken the place 

 of the great coveys of prairie chickens 

 that once nested and thrived in Montana 

 valleys and with plans well in hand for 

 the work of 1933. indications are that 

 the production of the plant at "Warm 

 Springs will keep step with demands. 



Figures showing birds liberated in 

 1932. all of which were hatched and 

 reared at the state farm, total 4.S,^fi 

 Chinese pheasants with 97 beautiful 

 game birds of several varieties lib- 

 erated in desired portions of the state 

 for experimental purposes. 



The last year was not a desirablp 

 period for the successful rearing of 

 game birds. Climatic conditions dur- 

 ing the spring, as well as highway con- 

 struction on the road running past the 

 breeding pens, brought about a condi- 

 tion that upset brooding. Cold, damp 

 weather interfered with early laying 

 and dust and noise that accompanied 

 necessary road work brought further 

 complications. These conditions, it is 

 hoped, will be eliminated during 1933. 

 In 1931 the production of the farm 

 reached the peak when S.720 Chinese 

 pheasants were liberated. In 1930. 

 when the farm was established. 6.146 

 birds were reared and liberated, this 

 figure establishing something of a rec- 

 ord in the history of game bird pro- 

 duction in the west. 



In 1932 the brood stock retained 

 after birds were liberated totaled as 

 follows: 360 Chinese pheasant hens 

 and 72 Chinese pheasant roosters: 10 

 pairs of Hungarian partridges; seven 

 pairs of California quail; three Melan- 

 istic Mutants; three Golden pheasants; 

 three Lady Amherst, pheasants, and 

 three Silver pheasants. 



The brood stock tor 1933 has l)een 

 amplified, anticipating greater produc- 

 tion and the total number of birds now 

 on hand at the game farm, being held 

 in readiness for the 1933 season fol- 

 lows: 420 Chinese pheasant hens and 

 80 Chinese pheasant roosters; 12 Mel- 

 anistic Mutants; 15 pairs of California 

 quail; 10 pairs of Hungarian par- 

 tridges; five pairs of Chukar par- 

 tridges; three Golden pheasants; three 

 Lady Amhersts and three Silver pheas- 

 ants. 



Preparations have been completed to 

 handle the eggs of small game birds in 

 1933 with the purchase of 30 bantam 

 hens. These wee biddies will be util- 

 ized in hatching the eggs of the Hun- 

 garians, California quail and Chukar 

 partridges. The larger brood hens are 

 used in hatching the pheasant eggs but 

 because of their size they have proved 

 undesirable for hatching the smaller 

 eggs. 



Experiments with California valley 

 quail have demonstrated their adapti- 

 bility to climatic conditions in Montana. 

 Many have been liberated on Warm 

 Springs creek at an elevation of 4,700 

 feet and they are thriving. Other test 

 plants have been made in selected parts 

 of the state. They are a wonderful 

 game bird and will be protected until 

 such time as they attain such numbers 

 as to justify opening the season. The 

 California quail are not sought by 

 "meat" hunters but provide sportsmen 

 with good shooting. They are able to 

 care for themselves in more thorough 

 manner than the Bobwhite quail be- 

 cause they roost in trees and brush 

 away from the reach of predatory ani- 

 mals. The Bobwhite roosts on the 

 ground. 



Late spring weather and cold rains 

 caused birds in the field to get a poor 

 start in 1932. yet the number liberated 

 and permitted to nest in the wild state 

 in preceding years, provided sportsmen 

 with excellent shooting. Hungarian 

 partridges, however, were given a bet- 

 ter start because they start laying later 

 in the spring than the Orientals and 

 miss the cold rains and chilly weather' 

 of early spring. 



Expectations are that the first eggs 

 from pheasant hens will be laid, under 

 normal conditions, the forepart of April 

 and the average season's egg collection 

 from each hen is estimated at from 

 45 to 50 eggs. To secure this number 

 of fertile eggs, however, requires strict 

 care and study of diet with prepara- 

 tion of especially mixed food daily, 

 varying with weather conditions and 

 other influences. 



Wheat is kept before the birds at all 

 times. Twice each week they are given 

 Spratt's game meal with 8 per cent 

 Crlssel, a meat preparation. Lettuce 

 trimmings are fed twice a week when 

 weather permits. Grit and charcoal is 

 constantly before them. Wlien gloomy 

 days cause dispositions of pheasants to 

 droop, they are given internal sun baths 

 by the feeding of cod liver oil meal. 



Pheasants Liberated 

 In Counties 



County: 



Beaverhead 



Big Horn 



Blaine 



Broadwater 



Carbon 



Cartel 



Cascade 



Chouteau 



Custer 



Daniels 



Dawson 



Deer Lodge 



Fallon 



Fergus 



Flathead 



Gallatin 



Garfield 



Glacier 



Golden Valley 



Granite 



Hill 



Jeffeison 



Judith Basin 



Lake 



Lewis and Claik 



Libeity 



Lincoln 



Madison 



McCone 



Meagher 



Minoial 



Missoula 



Musselshell 



Park 



Petroleum 



Phillips 



Pondeid 



Powder River 



Powell 



Praii le 



Ravalli 



Richland 



Roosevelt 



Rosebud 



Sanders 



Sheridan 



Silver Bow 



Stillwatei 



Sweet Grass 



Teton 



Toole 



Treasure 



Valley 



Wheatland 



Wibaux 



Yellowstone 



HOW MANY BIRDS 1)0 TOU KNOW? 



According to lists of the American 

 Ornithological Union, there are 768 

 species of birds in the United States. 

 This figure does not include the sub- 

 species of which there arc many. How 

 many birds can you name that are com- 

 mon to your locality in Montana? 



210 



90 



TOTAL 8,720 4,856 



There were 97 miscellaneous birds 

 liberated in 1932, as follows: Golden 

 pheasants: 8 in Missoula county, 6 in 

 Yellowstone county, 2 in Silver Bow 

 county, and 2 in Lewis and Clark 

 county. Quail: 38 in Deer Lodge county, 

 12 in Richland county. Hungarian par- 

 tridges: 25 in Powell county. Am- 

 herst pheasants: 2 in Silver Row coun- 

 ty, 2 in Lewis and Clark county. 



