Hemed i al "^ _as'ir es S-'ag~e?ted 



From present information it is evident (1) that there in a 

 disastrous decrease p:!riodically in important gaTie species; (2) that 

 this diminution occurs re^larly aft'-^r times of grea,test aoundance and 

 in ij'uzQP. \vl:ere t-?.e animals aro concentrated; and (3) that dissemination 

 of fatal diseases is facilitated araong game when the populations are 

 dense. It would seem necessary, therefore, to avoid the overpopulation 

 of an area. By keeping the numhers -.mif ormly oelov; excessive ahundance, 

 it shorJd "be possible to keep the ravages of disease and other unfavor- 

 aolj factors at the minimum and to insure a sustained yield. 



In order that landowners and sportsmen may get m.oximum returns froia 

 the geitiL in any region, a regular annual supply must Tdc kept availahle. 

 On several experimental areas on which moderate h^jnting v.'as continuously 

 carried on v/hen populations were increasing, it was found that there was 

 reg"alarly a greater supply of gojne in the lean years at the low period 

 of the cycle than on ronges v/hcre no hunting had been done. Proper man- 

 agement of cyclic species thxit are either hunted, trapped, or otherwise 

 pursued oy men, should include complete protection during the years when 

 their numhors are low. Investigations strongly indicate that if the high 

 peaks of populations are prevented, the periods of extreme scarcity can 

 he forestalled. To do this effectively, the hunting seasons in the vari- 

 ous States should ho adjusted each year to correspond with the rise end 

 fall of t"ie game supply as determined oy field observations. Some State? 

 have arranged for this fairly satisfactorily, hut others still adiiere to 

 more or less fixed hunting seasons designated months or years in advance, 

 A flexihl ,; plan that can he adjusted to meet current conditions should 

 lessen the radical fluctuations in the abundance of gam 3 and maintain a 

 more uniform supply each season. 



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