license buyer is getting more for his money and effort 

 than he did ten or twenty years ago. The 1961 grand 

 total of 166,700 big game animals far overshadows 

 the 1951 figure of 62,000 and the 1941 total of only 

 22,500. 



A Decade of Progress 



1951 1961 



Deer 39,000 129,100 



Elk 14,600 15,500 



Antelope 8,200 19,300 



Moose -- -- 90 530 



Mountain Goat ____. 70 330 



Bighorn Sheep 70 



GAME DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 



Game development projects make up an impor- 

 tant part of the Game Management Division pro- 

 gram. Much of this work represents a continuation 

 of projects started during earlier biennium periods. 

 Important new projects, however, were added during 

 the reporting biennium. 



Winter Game Range Development 



Since 1948 several critically needed winter game 

 range areas have been acquired by the Montana 

 Fish and Game Commission. Winter forage is avail- 

 able on these special areas for major numbers of 

 game — primarily elk. These game ranges amount to 

 approximately 60,000 acres of state owned land. A 

 somewhat lesser acreage of lands held under lease 

 round out an important pattern of winter ranges 

 developed. They have proven to be immensely im- 

 portant from several aspects. Such acquired elk 

 ranges furnish critically needed winter forage for 

 herds of major importance. In addition, they draw 

 and hold game animals off nearby private lands. In 

 this way, a relatively small acreage of winter range, 

 properly located in the foothills, can be the key to 

 future sport hunting over a large adjoining moun- 

 tainous area. 



Ranges acquired prior to the reporting biennium 

 include the Sun River Game Range near Augusta, 

 the Blackfoot-Clearwater Winter Game Range near 

 Ovando, the Judith River Winter Game Range near 

 Utica, the Gallatin Winter Game Range near Gallatin 

 Gateway, the Madison-Bear Creek Winter Game 

 Range on the Madison-Gallatin Range near Ennis 

 and the Haymaker Winter Game Range near Two- 

 dot. Two additional game ranges have been obtained 

 during the reporting period — the Madison-Wall Creek 



Game Range on the west side of the Madison Valley 

 above Cameron and the Fleecer Mountain Game 



Range southwest of Butte near Divide. 



An important aspect of the ownership of these 

 Game Ranges by the state and one that is sometimes 

 not well understood is the fact that an annual pay- 

 ment in lieu of taxes is made by the Montana Fish 

 and Game Commission to the various counties in 

 which these Game Ranges are located. The amount 

 per acre, as determined by county assessors, is equal 

 to the taxes paid by neighboring ranchers on similar 

 types of land. This payment in lieu of taxes is very 

 important in maintaining the financial structure of the 

 counties. Should a portion of a Game Range be found 

 surplus to game needs, this portion will either be 

 returned to private ownership or traded to round out 

 the present unit. 



Big crally honkers are a real challenge for waterfowl hunters. 



Waterfowl and Upland Game Development 



Several waterfowl development areas of major 

 importance were further improved during the bien- 

 nium. Freezout Lake area, located thirty-five miles 

 from Great Falls, was improved a great deal by 

 additional diking. A pattern of dikes in this area 

 maintains water levels most advantageous for water- 

 fowl development. Grain crops continued to be pro- 



15 



