Youth Education 



The emphasis on youth education has 

 shifted during the biennium since the Fish and 

 Game Department is financing a conservation 

 program through the Department of PubUc 

 Instruction. However, there is still a great de- 

 mand upon the Information and Education 

 Division for youth instruction. Boy Scout 

 camps, 4-H camps, Boys State, Campfire Girls, 

 as well as many schools, are supplied with lec- 

 tures and instruction on wildlife resources. 



Instruction and lectures are devised so that 

 a student receives an appreciation of all na- 

 tural resources. Particular emphasis is placed 

 on the relationship of animals to soil and 

 vegetation. 



Adult Education 



The Department of Fish and Game is spon- 

 soring wildlife extension for adults through 

 Montana State University and Montana State 

 College. However, department personnel also 

 give numerous lectures and talks to adult 

 groups. 



Huntin§; Safety 



The newest addition to the Information 

 and Education work of the Fish and Game De- 

 partment is the hunting safety program. This 

 responsibility was delegated the Fish and Game 

 Department by the 1957 legislature. New legis- 

 lation requires that: "On and after January 1, 

 1958, no big game hunting license shall be is- 

 sued to any resident person under the age of 

 eighteen ( 18 ) years unless he presents to the 

 person authorized to issue such license either: 

 ( 1) evidence that he has held a hunting hcense 

 issued by this state in a prior year, or (2) a 

 certificate of competency as provided by this 

 section; providing further that all resident per- 

 sons under fifteen (15) years of age must 

 present a certificate of competency even if he 

 has held a hunting license in prior years. 



"The Departmient of Fish and Game shall 

 provide for a course of instruction in the safe 

 handling of firearms and for that purpose may 

 cooperate with any reputable association or 

 organization having as one of its objectives the 

 promotion of safety in the handling of fire- 

 arms. The department may designate any 

 person, found by it to be competent, to give 

 instructions in the handling of firearms. A 

 person so appointed shall give such course of 



instruction and upon the successful completion 

 thereof shall issue to the person instructed, a 

 certificate of competency in the safe handling 

 of firearms." 



To meet this assignment the Information 

 and Education Division was given the respon- 

 sibility of training the youngsters. One man 

 was delegated to set up training and certifi- 

 cation procedures. By the end of the bien- 

 nium, in less than one year of operation, the 

 division had trained nearly 9,000 teen-age 

 Montanans. 



Volunteer instructors using the course 

 established by the Montana Fish and Game 

 Department and the National Rifle Association 

 did the class work. The department supplies 

 material and training techniques. Men of the 

 Enforcement Division serve as local contact 

 men for the program. 



From youngsters to aged, county fair visitors find wild- 

 life one of the most interesting and educational exhibits. 



In addition to techniques of safe hunting, 

 the course includes sportsman-landowner rela- 

 tionship, and sportsmanship. 



This program is expected to train new 

 generations of safety conscious sportsmen. 

 Many Montana lives should be saved as a re- 

 sult of this work. 



District Education 



Local administration of the Montana Fish 

 and Game Department is based on seven dis- 

 trict sub-divisiom-.. In one of these a district 

 educator has been established as a pilot project 

 to show the value of this service. The explora- 

 tory work is in District 4, headquartered in 

 Great Falls. District education includes all 



