mr'-is 



opportunity to hunt go 



birds and animals consistent with the wellaie 



iPhcto by Hdcn Smith) 



GAME MANAGEMENT 



Wild game on all lands and waters of Mon- 

 tana is the property of the State and as such, 

 belongs to all of the people of the State. The 

 State Fish and Game Commission is charged 

 with the responsibility of perpetuating the 

 game resource for the people of Montana 

 through sound game management practices. 



The major objectives of the game manage- 

 ment program in the State of Montana do not 

 change from year to year. During the bien- 

 nium, we have continued to operate under the 

 principle that we should provide the maximum 

 opportunity to hunt game birds and animals 

 consistent with the welfare of the resource. The 

 program of providing this maximum hunting 

 opportunity is based on the information ob- 

 tained from forage surveys, population surveys, 

 harvest surveys and research. 



Montana's progressive management pro- 

 gram, which is based on factual information 

 concerning the animals and their habitat, is 

 providing sportsmen a maximum of recreational 

 opportunity. Many sportsmen have partici- 

 pated in the recreation of hunting nine big game 

 species. A Montana big game harvest of 

 162,710 animals in 1962 decreased somewhat 

 in 1963 to 154,890 animals. The greatest con- 

 tribution to the statewide harvest was deer. 

 The harvest of this species averaged 122,514 



during the past biennium compared to 126,303 

 deer taken during the 1960-61 biennium. A 

 high take of more than 120,000 deer, however, 

 is being maintained in the State. Fluctuations 

 in harvest can be expected due to variable 

 hunting season weather, season regulations 

 and other factors. A five-year record of big 

 game harvest is given for the State. Hunting 

 success has rated generally high for each of 

 the species involved. 



The harvest of upland game birds increased 

 during the biennium and a record high harvest 

 of 727,749 birds of nine species was achieved 

 in 1963. The waterfowl harvest of both ducks 

 and geese also increased during the biennium. 

 A five-year summary of the estimated game 

 bird and waterfowl harvests is given to indi- 

 cate trends of small game take by hunters. 



The game harvest in Montana has continued 

 at a reasonably high level. Montana still con- 

 tinues at an increasing rate to produce trophy 

 heads of big game in the Boone and Crockett 

 Club records of North America. During the 

 biennium (1963) a typical white-tailed deer was 

 taken in Flathead County which should rank 

 third in the records of all North American 

 heads of this class. A non-typical white-tailed 

 deer was also taken in Flathead County in 

 1961 which should rank seventh. 



