The Western news., 1941-11-27
Prominent Men
ToIk of Montana
Come Problems
Continued from page u


Severy were the need to transplant
beaver from one district to another
where they are wanted, to put
crews out to make careful count of
game and study movement Of herds
in the winter, also to study the
amount and character OF feed and
what winter ranges are becoming
depleted. Preliminary work in this
respect is already being done here
by Messrs. Brink and Bergeson.
DR.. Severy said one of the fac
tors in game management is the
human problem. But so far the COM
mission has received the finest CO.
operation from sportsmen's organ
ization. I'VE all make mistakes" "
said DR.. Severy. II expect we will
continue to make mistakes but we
will make them only after careful
study and when convinced we are
wrong, we will correct those mis-
takes. We are always willing to
learn. The commission can only
use its best judgment and act ac-
cordingiv.'
Talks on Fish Problems
The other speaker of outstanding
note was Elmer Phillips, state su-
perintendent of fisheries. Mr.. Phil
lips started the fist hatchery here
and was located here for num-
Der of years
Mr.. Phillips likewise impressed
his audience with the grasp of his
subject. He said it was like coming
back home TO visit Libby and re-
called how he and number of
Libby men had taken the first steps
to build the present state hatchery
here. Progressing in his subject,
Mr.. Phillips said the job of handling
the fish resources of the state is a
large one. There are about 5000
miles of fishing streams and a
thousand fishing lakes, he said.
He stated that most of the present
state hatcheries are developed to
capacity because of lack of any
more water. Therefore plans must
now be laid to develop large ponds
elsewhere, ponds where natural
food is abundant and where there
is greater water supply. Many of
such ponds are now being de-
veloped.
Mr.. Phillips spoke of the need Of
restoring streams to natural con-
ditions. Many streams, he said,
have been largely ruined as a hah-
itat for fish. This has followed
logging off the land, resulting in
heavy floods that secured out the
streams, destroying food and pools.
His department is now attempting
to correct that damage Trees are
being felled into streams to collect
gravel and debris and thereby help
in gathering food and creating pools.
In this connection, it is recognized
that beaver are great help.
Mr.. Phillips said he hopes to build
extensive refrigeration plants at
present hatcheries Thus cheap
food, can be acquired in large
quantities and held for summer use,
greatly reducing present costs. An
other plan is to divide the state
into districts and make each hatch
cry responsible for the propagation
Of fish in that district. This would
do away with haphazard and dupli-
cation in planting, he remarked. A
careful mapping of the state is be-
ing made to aid in management
plans More and larger fish are be-
ing planted in headWaters Of
streams. The young fish are there
by able to survive when not called
on to combat larger fish. As they
grow in size, they follow the stream
down into its lower reaches.
Trying New Plan For Removing
Rough Fish
One serious problem is removal Of
what he called rough fish-such as
suckers, squaW fish, sinners and
bass. The natural habits of some
of these make it possible to trap