14 



MONTANA STATE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



Some of the best wheat producing lands in Montana are adjacent to this 

 preserve on the north and east. An ordinary four or five barbed wire stock 

 fence will not confine antelope in a field or pastui-e. They find a slight depression 

 under the wire and establish a run-way there, always going under a wire fence 

 when not forced or frightened. They graze out over the wheat fields in bands of 

 from 10 to 200. 



I desire to say a word of praise and commendation of my good neighbors 

 for their patience and sportsmanship. They have shared without complaint part 

 of the cost of the maintenance of these antelope and I deeply appreciate their 

 attitude. 



Last May I stopped at a farm bordering the preserve. About a quarter of a 

 mile distant were about 150 antelope grazing on a nice, green wheat field. My 

 neighbor .said: "Beautiful sight". 1 replied: '•Yes, Jim; but I don't believe they 

 are doing much damage to the wheat, are they?" 



"No, not much," he said; "but I'll be d ed if 1 believe they are doing it 



much good, either." 



GAME LAW VIOLATIONS 



By T. O. PEASLEY 



ASSISTANT STATE GAME WARDEN 



Despite the fact that the last two years have been serious ones from the 

 standpoint of law enforcement, considering the financial condition of many of 

 tlie people of the state, the department has been able, through rigid patrol by 

 its: deputies, to keep game law violations at a minimum, and to show a marked 

 reduction over former years. 



The peak of Inw violation was reached in lOHO when 514 arrests were made. 

 There has been a decrease from that year, and the last biennium showed that 

 sportsmen in the state, or those in quest of wild game, are l>ecoming more 



game-minded and are taking the laws of the state more seriously. 

 In the fi.scal year ending June oO. VXVA, there were 468 

 arre.sts made in Montana and in the fiscal year ending June 

 .">0, i;>;>4, only 'Ml violators were placed under arrest. With 

 many people on relief rolls and others striving to better their 

 larders by violating the game laws, the state deimrtment 

 believes that it has kept violations down to a minimum. 



Leading the list of violations were those arrested for 

 hunting and fishing without licenses and those apprehended 

 for killing wild game and birtls out of season. During 11)3^ 

 there were 122 arrests for fishing without a license, 34 for 

 liunting without a license. 47 for killing deer out of season, 

 and ;;o for fishing in closed streams. Although violations 

 were considt-rably lower in 1!K54, the sjime ratio held true to 

 tlie particular forms of violations. 



Of particular interest to tho.se who love fishing and love 

 to al>i<l(' by the "rules of the game," is is interesting to note 

 tliat during the entire biennium only eight were arrested for 

 catching over the limit and .34 for catching more than five 

 fish umlor .seven inches in length. 



Sniff! 



