THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 39 
MALHEUR LAKE GAME RESERVATION 
3y Warpen I*. W. Triska, Burns, Oregon. 
It might be of some interest to the sportsmen of Oregon to read 
something about the Malheur Lake game reservation in Harney County. 
The Malheur reservation is not very well known on account of it 
being located so far from the railroad, but still Government statistics 
show that it is one of the best in the United States. This reservation 
is about thirty miles south of Burns and covers about 80,000 acres, 
and is an ideal natural refuge for birds of all kinds. A large body 
of water, surrounded by tules, makes it a wild fowl paradise. There 
are plenty of “Thrash” fish in this lake for the pelican, carallone, 
cormorant, tern, blue heron and other birds to feed on. 
Malheur Lake is fed by two rivers, the Silvies and the Blitzen, 
also a large spring on the south side. These two rivers abound with 
trout higher up in the mountains, where sportsmen get their fishing. 
This lake is a shallow body of water, varying in depth from two to 
eight feet. There are about 15,000 swan on the lake now, and during 
the summer there are thousands of birds nesting on the reservation. 
The pelicans nest in colonies on an island. There were about 10,000 
of them on the reservation this year. Pelicans are increasing since 
the reservation was created in 1908. 
‘This year, eight permits have been issued to trappers to trap 
on the reservation, of which seven are trapping. Their combined 
catch for the month of November was 3700 muskrats and five mink. 
On account of low water, hunters from the outside were disap- 
pointed in not getting as good shooting this year as usual on the 
adjoining sloughs. 
The Biological Survey Department furnishes a motor boat for the 
warden, with which he patrols the reservation, also a canoe for the 
Blitzen River, the channel of which affords a good passage to the 
main lake. Many visitors this season enjoyed a trip on the lake. 

EXPERIENCES OF A GAME WARDEN 
By WarpEen Jas. H. Driscotzt, Ashland, Oregon. 
October 20, I received word that hunters were flocking to the hills, 
and that it behooved all game wardens to do likewise. The next 
morning Warden Edgar Walker, of Medford,’ and I started for Snow 
Shed Camp via Butte Falls. The first day out we made Butte Falls, 
and as it was too late to make camp, put up at the hotel. As Mr. 
Walker had put in several years at Butte Falls in charge of lumbering 
interests for Edgar Hofer, we found ourselves perfectly at home, and 
were soon listening to the many things that go to make up the sum 
of life. in the small town. Right here I wish to say that one cannot 
fail to be impressed with the energy of a people who have literally 
carved a town out of the wilderness. They have built a good hotel, 
stores, dwellings, sidewalks, installed a water and light system, and 
last but not least, erected a beautiful school building that will be a 
credit to the town for many years to come. 
Here is where the Fish and Game Commission have promised to 
build a hatchery, and this proposed hatchery has aroused the keenest 
interest in all that pertains to the work and wishes of the commission. 
