GAME AND WILD-FUR PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION 45 



FARM-GAME MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS 



The theory has been advanced that the adoption of some sort of 

 management plan will somewhat retard the progressive movement 

 toward closing private farm land to public use for hunting and trap- 

 ping, and that such a program will assist in the solution of many 

 wildlife-production problems. 



The term "game management" has been variously interpreted, but 

 it has usually been thought of as assuring the welfare of the game 

 and wild-fur animals. For the purpose of this discussion, lands on 

 which a conscious effort has been made to increase game and wild 

 fur and direct its utilization will be considered as managed lands. 



Purposes 



Management for increased production has developed through vari- 

 ous stages ; now it may involve restriction of hunting, control of pred- 

 ators, maintenance of refuge areas, restocking, and environmental 

 manipulation. The degree to which each of these practices is neces- 

 sary is determined by local conditions and the objective of the 

 undertaking. 



When farm-game programs have been undertaken by the State 

 game departments or by organized sportsmen, the purpose has been 

 to increase hunting opportunities by providing for a more abundant 

 supply of game and for public access to private lands. When engaged 

 in by the farmers, the purpose has generally been to protect their 

 holdings from trespass and to restrict the public use of their lands. 

 Only in isolated instances is the money consideration of paramount 

 importance in farmer-initiated programs. 



Types 



Although various elements appear to be common to all types of 

 managed areas, probably no two units are identical in their concept 

 and operation. For the purpose of classification, however, they may 

 be divided on the basis of land control under the following cate- 

 gories: Privately owned and operated land, club-owned and club- 

 operated holdings, club-leased lands, farmer cooperatives, farmer- 

 sportsmen cooperatives, State-managed lands, State-leased lands, and 

 State and Federally owned lands. Not all of these types have an 

 important or direct bearing on the farm-game problem. 



PRIVATELY OWNED AND OPERATED HOLDINGS 



Privately owned and operated hunting areas on agricultural lands 

 vary from modest to elaborate enterprises and may be maintained 

 primarily for the pleasure of the owner and his friends or for money 

 returns. Such units seldom, if ever, provide any facilities for public 

 use, but they do relieve pressure on open lands to the extent that hunt- 

 ers possessing these exclusive privileges are not in competition for the 

 areas more accessible to the public. Private holdings, even though of 

 considerable acreage, seldom furnish facilities for more than a very 

 few individuals and are rarely put to maximum use. Where man- 

 aged more or less intensively, such tracts are said to bring about bet- 

 ter hunting opportunities on the surrounding areas by acting as reser- 



