The Fish and Game Commission took action on the petition on 

 July 18, 1955, and abandoned the preserve effective immediately as 

 provided for in Sec. 26-127. The area was opened to deer hunting 

 during the 1955 season. 



This preserve was created in 1921 by an act of the legislature, 

 therefore, the act creating the preserve should be repealed to remove 

 the enactment from the statutes to conform with the action of the Fish 

 and Game Commission. 



3. REPEAL SEC. 26-1106. CREATING POWDER RIVER 

 GAME PRESERVE. 



The Powder River Game Preserve was created by the legislature 

 in 1917. Since 1945, the Fish and Game Commission has recommended 

 that this enactment be repealed for the reason that the preserve has 

 .served its usefulness and is no longer needed. 



The Commission has abandoned the preserve as far as hunting 

 regulations are concerned, but the statute still remains in the codes. 

 This preserve contains over one-third of the total area of Powder River 

 County, and antelope and deer have increased to the extent that game 

 damage to private property has occurred for many years. It is 

 recommended that the legislature repeal Sec. 26-1106 to remove this 

 legislation from, the statute. 



4. HUNTER CHECK IN AND OUT STATIONS. 



For many years there has been a definite need of legislation re- 

 quiring hunters to stop at game checking stations which have been 

 established by the Game Department to gather information for game 

 management. Under existing checking station authorization, hunters 

 stop and report on a voluntary basis. The Department has discon- 

 tinued the placing of checking stations in some areas because the infor- 

 mation gathered was not complete due to the number of hunters who 

 failed to cooperate. 



In managing big game in some areas, such as two-deer or two- 

 antelope areas, accurate information which could be gathered from 

 compulsory checking stations is necessary for immediate use during 

 the current open season. 



It is recommended that consideration be given to providing author- 

 ity to the State Fish and Game Commission designed to allow the 

 establishment of specific game checking stations. All hunters entering 

 a general or a special area would be required to register in and out 

 and give information needed for wildlife management, protection, to- 

 gether with record of wildlife taken. 



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