MONTANA STATE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



In the days to come Chukar cocks like 

 this will provide keen sport for part- 

 ridg^e hunters in the semi-arid re- 

 gions of Montana. 



Reports received indicated that a 

 surprisingly abundant number of birds 

 were found with little damage done be- 

 cause the hunters were so widely dis- 

 tributed over the state. It was felt pos- 

 sible to provide a similar regulation for 

 1936, but with the severe drought, in 

 addition to the damage caused by grass- 

 hoppers and Mormon crickets, which 

 forced the birds to water areas (small 

 springs, reservoirs and creeks), where 

 both food and water were available and 

 where they would be easy prey to hunt- 

 ers and predators; to the many requests 

 from farmers that the season remain 

 closed on account of the valuable work 



the birds were doing in the control of 

 the insect pests and on account of the 

 danger of fires caused by hunters in 



the timbered areas, the Commission declared the entire state closed to the hunt- 

 ing of all native upland birds with the exception of Lincoln county where a four- 

 day open season was declared on Blue and Ruffed grouse only. 



There was no danger of appreciably reducing the birds in this county by 

 a concentration of hunters due to its location in the extreme northwestern 

 part of the state. Travel was most difficult due to the heavy road construc- 

 tion program under way at that time. Too, the nature of the area, heavily 

 timbered, provided ample protection to the birds, and not being suitable for 

 Chinese pheasants or Hungarian partridges which are thriving so splendidly in 

 other sections of the state, the Commission felt the sportsmen of Lincoln 

 county who were unable to travel the long distances for "Chink" and "Hun" 

 shooting should be considered and a short open season declared. No harmful 

 effects resulted. However, with the road program showing definite progress 

 in that territory, it will undoubtedly be inadvisable to again single out this 

 one county for the native bird season. 



Heretofore little progress has been made in the artificial propagation of 

 the native species but recently in some of the eastern states, where means are 

 available to permit extensive research studies, some fair progress is being 

 made along this line. It is the sincere wish of all sportsmen that a practical 

 plan will be developed to assure the perpetuation of these most valued of 

 our game birds. 



