GAME MANAGEMENT 



The past two years have been particularly 

 important in Montana's Game Management 

 program. The Fish and Game Department's 

 reorganizational plan, extending over a period 

 of several years, was completed early in 1957 

 by the establishment of a Game Management 

 section. In this way the management work 

 having to do with big game, game birds, water- 

 fowl, and fur bearers is more effectively car- 

 ried out. The valuable assistance given by 

 other sections still remains a vitally important 

 part of the manatjement program. Coordination 

 of effort is now more readily achieved. 



Particular efforts have been made in the 

 past two years to obtain statewide uniform- 

 ity in opening dates for big game .seasons. 

 It has been found that in this way, undesirable 

 hunter concentrations can be very materially 

 reduced. This wider distribution of hunters 

 also tends to avoid over harvests in the 

 smaller more accessible areas. 



A special effort has been made to select 

 high, less accessible areas in which an earlier 

 than general opening date could be allowed. 

 This makes available a longer season for high- 

 quality "back country" type himting. Early 

 snows in these areas often handicap accessi- 

 bility during the regular and extended seasons. 



Montana is liccoming increasingly known 

 throughout the nation for its unusually fine 

 wilderness hunting. Early seasons in these re- 

 mote areas ha\e oeen a most impi>rtant factor 

 in this regard. The general lessening of true 

 high-quality hunting makes this a particularly 

 important consideration. 



Kaiip' aii«i S«>aMiii .Srlliii^: 



Probably the most important development 

 in game management during the past several 

 yeais has been aii increased awareness of the 

 impt)rtance of range in the setting of seasons. 

 The balancing of game numbers with winter 

 food supply lias become the primary objective 

 of Montana's Mianagement program. 



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