Phofo by Eldon Smith 



GAME MANAGEMENT 



The game management program of the Mon- 

 lano Fish and Game Commission is geared to 

 provide the necessary background and scien- 

 tific management information necessary for 

 season setting. The basic premise towards 

 which this program is aimed is to provide the 

 maximum hunting opportunity based on the in- 

 formation obtained from forage surveys, popu- 

 lation surveys, harvest surveys and research. 

 We are continuing this program as rapidly as 

 we can obtain public acceptance for partici- 

 pation in additional sport hunting which does 

 not affect the basic resource. 



For example, through the use of sound bio- 

 logical information, the area of Montana placed 

 in the Pacific Flyway was increased more than 

 twofold during this biennium. This adjustment 

 was based on migration patterns of the birds 

 involved and band returns indicating that this 

 portion of Montana was, in fact, part of the 

 Pacific Flyway complex. Through this program, 

 additional sport hunting was permitted for Mon- 

 lanans. 



Big Game Harvest 



The numbers of big game animals killed by 

 hunters decreased during the biennium. The 

 greatest drop in harvest was for antelope, deer 

 and elk in 1965. There are a number of reasons 

 for the decline in kill of these species. 



Antelope permit quotas were reduced in 1965 

 because lower populations were found in some 

 areas of the state. The previous winter had 

 been severe in north and southeastern Mon- 

 tana which resulted in winter losses of ante- 

 lope followed by a lower spring reproduction 

 in many antelope herds of this region. The 

 antelope haivest is of course regulated by per- 

 mit quotas and was lowered by the decrease 

 in antelope licenses issued. 



Tlie deer harvest decreased in northwestern, 

 southwestern, central and southeastern Mon- 

 tana. This was atlributed partly to a lower 

 number of hunters afield, extremely mild hunt- 

 ing season weather, widely dispersed deer 

 populations due to the previous summer mois- 

 ture maintaining green vegetation and to lower 



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