212 THE OREGON SPontemMae 
part of the Blue Mountains in this county which are within easy reach 
of Condon, the county seat. 
Besides this, there is fine trout fishing in this county in Rock 
and Thirty Mile Creeks and their tributaries, which are also within 
easy reach of Condon. ‘These creeks are from fifty to seventy-five 
miles in length, have numerous branches and can well be classed as 
small rivers. 
Wheeler County extends from the south line of Gilliam County to 
the .Grant County line and also affords a great variety of hunting 
and fishing, as it contains a great deal of rough, mountainous country 
and takes in part of the Blue Mountains on both sides of the John 
Day River, which flows nearly through the center of the county. 
These mountains formerly furnished fine deer hunting during the open 
season, which was generally the year round. Under this system the 
deer have been badly thinned out, but since being protected are again 
on the increase and with continued and adequate protection will soon 
be quite plentiful again. The Blue Mountains in both of these coun- 
ties are much easier of access than the mountains in some other parts 
of Oregon and can be penetrated in most cases in cars over fairly good 
roads. 
Wheeler County boasts of a large number of fine fishing streams, 
which rise in the Blue Mountains and run into the John Day River.. 
These creeks were formerly full of mountain trout, but for lack 
of protection they have been badly thinned out. A great deal of 
the damage here, as well as in Gilliam County, has been caused by 
the irrigating ditches, but few of which are screened. During the 
past season a start was made in screening these ditches, but it was 
not possible to continue this, owing to the lack of funds in the game 
protection fund. 
The State Fish and Game Commission and Mr. R. E. Clanton, 
Master Fish Warden, sent the fish car ‘‘Rainbow’’ to Condon last 
season with over 77,000 trout fry, which were divided among the best 
fishing streams of Gilliam and Wheeler Counties. Besides this, these 
counties received from the commission last season, through Carl D. 
Shoemaker, State Game Warden, twelve dozen Chinese pheasants, 
which were liberated in the most favorable locations for shelter and 
protection. We hope to do at least as well this season if the com- 
mission has the funds to permit. As a result of these activities on 
the part of the Fish and Game Commission and their officers, there 
is a great and growing interest being taken in fish and game protec- 
tion in these counties, and the best people are right in for it. There 
are three rod and gun clubs in these counties, at Arlington, Condon 
and Fossil, the latter being only organized last summer. Some of these 
clubs had fallen into a state of ‘‘inocuous desuetude,’’ but sinee the 
commission and its officers have been taking so much interest in these 
counties have wakened up to their own interests and are now in good 
working condition. 
As an evidence of this, they have recently petitioned the State 
Fish and Game Commission to investigate the John Day River with 
a view to stocking it with some variety of fish adapted to it. On 
account of the great amount of sediment in this river for the larger 
part of the year and its liability to sudden and violent rises, trout 
cannot live in it for a distance of 150 miles from its mouth. The 
same is true of lower Rock Creek and other streams running into the 
lower part of this river, and I think for the same reasons. We hope, 
therefore, that the commission will be able to do something for us in 
this matter. 
Although the receipts from hunting and fishing licenses for 1916 
