The trapping of beaver was the first enter- 

 prise conducted by the whites in the Northwest. 

 It followed almost immediately the first explora- 

 tion of the territory. The Golden Age of beaver 

 trapping was between 1810 and 1840. By the 

 latter date the cream had been taken, and the 

 streams and rivers had been trapped to their 

 headquarters. There followed a long period of 

 scarcity. Since about 1900, however, aided by 

 more adequate protection the beaver staged a 

 very desirable comeback. They have now become 

 sufficiently numerous to present an important 

 management problem. 



Under our state laws beaver are protected 

 throughout the entire year. However, where they 

 are doing actual and material damage the land- 

 owner may apply for a permit to trap them. After 

 applying for the permit, the damage must be in- 

 spected by a deputy game warden who recom- 

 mends how many beaver may be taken by the 

 landowner. This has become one of the most 

 abused statutes in the state at the present time, 

 mainly because it has outlived its usefulness. 

 Incepted during a period when beaver were prac- 

 tically extinct, it served an important purpose 

 until today, when beaver have increased until 

 they represent an important fur resource which 

 should be harvested annually not only where 

 they are doing damage, but in those places where 

 they are endangering their future food supply. 

 As with other animals, the population should be 

 governed by the food supply. 



This valuable fur bearer has served an im- 

 portant place in the economy of our state. During 

 the drought years he has aided in the conserva- 

 tion of our waters and made it possible for hay 

 crops to be produced on what otherwise would 

 have been barren fields. Since much of his habitat 



[15] 



is found in the mountains and foothills, his dams 

 tend to control the run-off and thereby regulate 

 the flow of our streams. There are many places 

 along irrigation canals and orchards where beaver 

 are a nuisance, and in these places they are 

 either trapped under a permit or transplanted. 



In the spring of 1941 it came to the attention 

 of some of the State officials that there was con- 

 siderable illicit traffic in beaver pelts in the 

 State of Montana. Since under the terms of the 

 Lacey Act furs leaving the State of Montana il- 

 legally were also the concern of the Federal gov- 

 ernment, a cooperative plan was developed by 

 Governor Ford, Kenneth Roahen of the U. S. Fish 

 and Wildlife Service, and J. S. McFarland. Later, 

 Attorney General Bonner was called in to coor- 

 dinate the activities of his office with the general 

 plan. The basic investgiative work was done by 

 Kenneth Roahen and James Gerow of the Fish 

 and Wildlife Service. The State Fish and Game 

 Warden and some of the deputies cooperated in 

 this work when requested to do so by the fed- 

 eral agents. 



Despite an attempt to keep the plans and the 

 workers secret as far as the State was concerned, 

 there apparently was a leak or two resulting in 

 increased awareness on the part of some of those 

 suspected of dealing in hot furs; however, a con- 

 siderable number of arrests were made resulting 

 in convictions, and it is hoped that the trapping 

 and selling of beaver pelts in the State is under 

 closer enforcement than in the past. Following 

 is a recapitulation of the fur operations investiga- 

 tion: 



Headwaters 



Wood Creek, Sun River. 



