The black bear study revealed a surpris- 

 ingly large bear population and low bear har- 

 vests which need to be increased in western 

 Montana. Increased black bear harvests can 

 be achieved by revision of present laws re- 

 stricting the hunting of black bear. 



The big game transplanting program has 

 been largely restricted to the effort made by 

 the Commission in transplanting elk from the 

 Yellowstone National Park to the State of Mon- 

 tana, in cooperation with the Pork elk control 

 program. A total of 293 elk were transplanted 

 into Montana during the winter of 1963 and 

 518 elk were released in 1964. 



Nearly all suitable elk habitat in Montana 

 has established elk herds at the present time. 

 The transplanted elk have generally been used 

 to supplement native herds or formerly trans- 

 planted elk. 



During the past biennium a plant of sheep 

 was made in the Sheep Creek area of Meagher 

 County. A sheep plant of stock from the Na- 

 tional Bison Range was also made near Lake 

 Blaine in the Flathead Range of Flathead 



County. Supplemental plants of sheep were 

 also made near Rexford, Lincoln County and 

 in the West Gallatin area. 



The Montana Department has continued 

 the program of introducing Merriam's wild tur- 

 keys into all suitable habitat of the State. A 

 total of 138 turkeys were transplanted during 

 the past biennium in Chouteau, Fergus, Judith 

 Basin, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Min- 

 eral and Stillwater Counties. These plants have 

 nearly completed the distribution of turkeys 

 throughout Montana's suitable habitat area. 



The game farm at Warm Springs was op- 

 erated during the past biennium and produced 

 pheasants at maximum capacity for introduc- 

 tion into the various areas of the State. The 

 primary basis for which this game farm is op- 

 erated is to supply birds for areas meeting 

 with natural disasters that severely reduced 

 the native populations. In years without natural 

 disaster the birds are released in heavily 

 hunted areas prior to season openings to make 

 maximum utilization of the annual farm pro- 

 duction. 



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