MONTANA BIG GAME HARVEST— STATEWIDE ' 



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deer populations as a result of the previous 

 severe v/inter. In addition, the new law requir- 

 ing landowner permission to hunt on private 

 land, considerable posted land, and possibly 

 the guide law, restricted or discouraged more 

 deer hunters than previously. There were only 

 a few extended or post-deer seasons. 



The elk harvest also decreased during the 

 biennium. The decrease was distributed among 

 the elk districts and appeared to be related to 

 a decrease in hunters afield. 



Hunting may have been influenced by mild 

 weather. Hunters waited for snow which did 

 not appear until the very last week of the reg- 

 ular hunting season. The new law requiring 

 non-residents to be accompanied by a resident 

 licensed to hunt game, undoubtedly played a 

 part in decreasing non-resident hunter license 

 sales nearly five percent and fewer nonresi- 

 dent hunters were afield. A larger decrease 

 also occurred in resident hunters. However, 

 elk hunter success decreased only from 20 to 

 18 percent. 



There were no postseason elk hunts which 

 ... L J- •• .1 L .« . . yielded significant kills as those in the Gal- 



clk, two con be seen distinctly here, oHcr aerial , ,. j ,-. . , , . . „ ,^i 



•s o method of identifying individual elk. This is '°"" °"<^ tiordmer areas had durmg the 1964- 



nt for gathering various types of information. 65 SeOSOn. 



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