MONTANA STATE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 43 



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Sales of Confiscated Articles Held by Department 



The Montana Fish and Game Department conducts an auction sale each 

 year to dispose of articles confiscated from game law violators. 



The state game laws provide that equipment used in violatmg the statutes 

 may be confiscated and subsequently sold at public auction to the highest 

 bidders. 



Money received from the sale of such property is deposited to the credit 

 of the Fish and Game Fund. 



During the fiscal year July 1, 1934 to June 30, 1935, 40 guns and several 

 fish rods, reels and lines were confiscated and sold at auction. This yielded 

 the Department's fund a total of $307.25. 



The sale of game fish, game birds, deer and elk, which were confiscated 

 at the time the game law violators were apprehended, amounted to $835.36 

 in the same period. 



During the fiscal year July 1, 1935 to June 30, 1936, 49 guns, 31 rods 

 with reels and eight fish baskets were seized and sold at auction for $379.60. 

 The sale of game fish, game birds, and deer and elk totaled $1,149.40 in the 

 same fiscal year. 



Confiscated furs, which included beaver, muskrats, raccoon and mink, 

 came to $866.40. From the sale of beaver skins taken by the state, $563.25 

 was received, making a grand total for the biennium of $4,101.28. 



There is a moral to all this. If you have a friend who wishes to borrow 

 your gun or fishing tackle, first make sure that he has a proper license in 

 his possession before giving your consent. Also be reasonably assured that he 

 does not intend to violate any of the fish and game laws. 



The Fish and Game Commission has taken a firm stand on this. It will 

 not return confiscated articles, even if they had been borrowed. Several guns 

 and fly rods confiscated the last two years were borrowed property. This 

 caused the owners considerable embarrassment by losing their favorite guns 

 and rods. So beware! 



Fur- Bearing Animals Are Rich Montana Resource 



"There's gold in them thar' mountains" and no little part of it is repre- 

 sented by the pelts of Montana's fur-bearing animals. 



Few people stop to realize the value of Montana raw furs. This year 

 the Fish and Game Department has issued more than 600 trappers' licenses 

 which include general and land owners' permits. These allow the holders to 

 take muskrats, mink and fox. 



The value of these furs should be greater this year than in the 1935-36 

 season as the demand is brisk with prices ranging higher. 



Among the early settlers of Montana were people primarily interested in 

 furs. Rugged trappers penetrated the northwest in search of beaver and they 



