GAME MANAGEMENT 



Maximum opportunity to hunt game birds 

 and animals in a sporting manner under pleas- 

 ing circumstances is foremost among the 

 objectives of game management. Only by 

 applying scientific fact-finding to the basic 

 nuestions of game management can this ob- 

 jective be met year after year. Fact-finding 

 must supply answers to questions on at least 

 three important items to accurately guide 

 hunting .season recommendations. 



Habitat. Game birds and animals must 

 have a place to live — an adequate habi- 

 tat. For example, the only way healthy, 

 productive big game herds can be main- 

 tained is by keeping their numbers in 

 balance with range food supplies. Sur- 

 veys wich measure the amount of use 

 and the trend toward improvement or 

 deterioration on vital winter ranges 

 provide the facts in this case. 



Population Trends. Surveys which de- 

 w i nun • the relative abundance of bird 

 population on spring breeding grounds 

 and surveys which determine the pro 

 portion of young game birds and ani- 

 ,, the population are examples of 

 population surveys. 



Harvest. Checking stations and mail 

 questionnain uppl; an wers or the 



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number of game birds and animals har- 

 vested, hunter success and many other 

 facts about hunting on a statewide, dis- 

 trict and hunting area basis. Compila- 

 tion and analysis of this vast quantity 

 of information requires the use of high- 

 er mathematics and electronic business 

 machines. 



There are two important reasons why the 

 Montana Fish and Game Department constant- 

 ly digs for facts and depends so heavily upon 

 facts to resolve questions. 



First, experience no matter how rich and 

 varied is not sufficient if it is not kept up to 

 date by thorough analysis of new problems. 

 Today's problems differ in detail from the 

 similar problems on which experience was 

 acquired. 



Second, it' game management is really the 

 process of getting sportsmen, landowners. V\\\ 

 <-i.ii Agencies and Department personnel, each 

 with their own opinions, needs and enthusi- 

 asms to work together, there e.m be no more 

 effective arbiter of differing opinions than 

 THE FACTS 



Results 



ri I 



the game management program 

 red in the qualitj and quantitj 

 tjoyed bj Montana's big game 



