Trapping and Transplanting Mountain Sheep 



Alountain sheep have been reintroduced into the Gates of the Moun- 

 tains area where they were once extremely abundant but were subse- 

 quently entirely annihilated. Fourteen head have been taken from the 

 lower Sun River Canyon and have been placed in this area. Investigations 

 indicate that this group has drifted some little distance from the point 

 of release but are still well within the desirable range unit. 



Trapping and Transplanting Deer 



Several restricted range units lying within the western portion of 

 the state present problems of heavy winter use by deer. In some cases 

 this use has extended even to the ha\ stacks of the ranchers living in 

 those areas. Therefore 199 mule deer (blacktail) were trapped in these 

 areas and taken to desirable ranges in the eastern portion of the state. 

 The deer that once inhabited these areas in vast abundance have been 

 almost entirely killed out during the past several decades. The areas, 

 however, present ideal habitat so that huntable numbers may be devel- 

 oped without any appreciable interference with the other land uses 

 within these areas. Up to the present time the Bull Mountains lying 

 between Billings and Roundup, and the badland section lying .south of 

 Glendive have been planted with deer. 



It is hoped that during the coming winter this program may be 

 expanded to include the capture of whitetail deer and their transfer 

 into several very desirable areas where these deer were once abundant 

 but from which they have been entirely eliminated many years ago. 

 An area outlined for this development lies along the foothills of the 

 Beartooth Range between Red Lodge and the Stillwater Canyon. An 

 abundance of aspen and willow growth, coupled with a desirable pattern 

 of coniferous species, seems to present an ideal habitat for this very 

 desirable deer. 



Trapping and Transplanting Game Birds 



Among the game birds which have been trapped and transplanted 

 have been 243 sage hens. These were trapped in Carter County in the 

 southeastern corner of the State and released in sagebrush areas north of 

 Helena, near Ovando, in northwestern Madison County, and in the Bitter- 

 root Valley. All of these areas once produced an abundance of this grouse 

 but they were completely killed out during the period of settlement. 

 Chinese Pheasants have been trapped during the winter in areas of 

 abundance along the Milk River and liberated in several sections where 

 this game bird had become somewhat depleted. This wild trapped bird 

 has been found to be extremely hardy and very adaptable. Two thousand 

 five hundred pheasants have now been live-trapped and transplanted. 



Trapping and Transplanting Pine Marten 



The trapping and transplanting of marten, a phase of wildlife de- 

 velopment that is thought to be entirely new for this country, 

 apparently holds considerable promise as a means of re-establishing 

 this fur-bearer throughout the desirable mountainous areas of the state. 

 The trapping and transplanting of 12 of these animals has just been 

 completed. These were captured in the fur management unit on the 

 North Fork of the Flathead and liberated in the Anaconda-Pintler 

 wilderness region. 



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