The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-12-15
Club Dinner
Attendance
Was Large
Fish and Game Situation
Discussed; Many Valuable
Ideas Submitted.
SWITZER APPOINTS
INVESTIGATORS

Probably the largest attended
meeting of any ever held in Libby
by the Rod and Gun club was that
of last Friday night when lbs men
gathered in the Moose hall for an
excellent dinner and to discuss mat
tiers of vital Importance to sports
men. And from that meeting there
will undoubtedly come program OF
great value to the fish and game re-
Sources of this district, because OF
certain action taken at the meeting.
The program that will mean SO
much to the game resources fol-
lowed q suggestion by K. A. Klehm,
supervisor of the forest service. he
likened the question of game con-
servation to the sustained yield plan
in forest conservation. In the sus-
tanned yield program he said 1t first
was necessary to determine the
amount of timber in the district,
then to learn the yearly cut, and
lastly what could be accomplished
by re-cropping cut over land, lie
suggested that similar program
be followed in game matters Learn
as near as possible the number of
game animals in the district, deter
mine the average annual kill, and
also the natural reproduction, and
then there would be solid basis
of fact for working out program OF
fish and game conservation.
Thanks Helpers.
The discussion meeting was called
to order by the president, Earl
Switzer. He expressed his thanks
to a number of men for their help
is all club matters. He thus thanked
E. M. Boyes, A. N. Richard, NJ ID.
Rowland, Bill Darlington and the
men of the fish hatchery and the
forest service. Mr.. Switzer also re-
ported that State Senator Baker
was member OF the fish and game
committee in the senate and had
asked that Libby sportsnen let him
know what they wished in game
legislation.
The first subject discussed was
the bird season. All agreed that
the one day season this year was
too short. Boyes favored 10 day
open season on upland birds. Char
ley Powell thought it was too early
to decide on the length of the sea-
SON. He thought many birds might
be killed if the winter was severe
II the birds came through the win
ter we'll 10 days would not be toe
long, he said. However, he didn't
favor that long season on TOO
hens.
Deputy Game Warden Dorring-
ton favored 10 days season If the
hatch next spring is good one.
(. J. Weidner of Troy said he
favored a longer season than this
year-probably 10 days.
A long discussion followed on the
elk question. When asked, Boyes
said he thought there were about
750 elk in the county, Dorringtor
thought that was a conservative
estimate, Powell said there were
about 507 head in 1896 and tina
there were from 200 to 300 killed
this year. Sheriff Baney though
the estimate was too high. He sale
he had hunted over an area of |.
miles long and three miles wide AMI
had seen only five elk. c. j. Lille
WIZ tIlOQEill fpD q IoAiSSi sdaisL 1AhaAi
Der and E. M. Kedzie expressed thu
opinion that it had been unwise t.
plant elk, that with a scarcity 0
feed in the winter the deer woult
suffer and he favored the deer owe
the elk. Elmer Switzer wonderet
if it wouldn't be better to move tn
open season to the first of the sea
son until at the last of the dee
season Darlington thought bette
keep It at the end of the season
Bill Baenen wanted an open seaso
on bulls only.
Leave Open Season Unchanged.
Tom Brindley suggested that tn
law be left as it now is. He sal
only the gunnysackers would bene
fit by a changed season. He sal
a true sportsman will not take &C
vantage of the law and that it take
some men 80 days to get a deer.
A, l.. Thompson recalled the tim
when they killed the deer here fc
their hides. He said he shipped OF
two carloads of hides one year.
Carleton Joughin said he Woul
like to see the season cut down
little, probably to three days 0
bull elk; only the outsiders benef
by a long season, he said. Ma
Petrusha also joined in the discu
sion and then upon motion by +
mer Switzer it was decided that til
is. The elk season was left for late
consideration.
season.
When the question of an ope
season on mountain goats w;
brought UP Harold Miller objecte
He said the goats were an attra
ton for tourists, that there we
only a few of them, and that The
had more value alive than dea
A. l.. Thompson suggested an opt
season on eagles as they kill Il
kids.
Paul Church and Vernon Bess,
then suggested that one of the be
advertisements the community h;
ever had was the 1-day holiday