Montana labor news., 1950-01-05
Open FORUM
Stocklnen Criisizes
R. M. Sportsmen
Dillon. Montana
December %. 1910

Montana Labor News
Butte, Montana
Dear Mr.. Nawter
In the December 18th issue OF
the Montana Labor news you pub
liShcd an article by Mr.. John Stan
ton, president OF the Rocky Noun
tain Sportsmen's Club. under the
headline, "Sportsmen Continue OPP
position to Proposed Slaughter Of
Elk" Since there are always two
sides to every controversy | feel con
iidcnt you agree that the readers
are entitled to the benefit oi all the
angles possible pertaining to any
certain questions. therefore il would
be greatly appreciated ii you would
see tit to publish also the lew lol-
lowing remarks.
| believe that MIR. Stanton IN his
article speaks only for a small seq
ment OF sportsmcn, those | will say
are so-called or sell styled sports
men because real sportsman wishes
To see our game ANIMALS die OF star
vation nor disease, a condition, from
past experience, we al only nat
urally expect without sane and COM
mon sense game control and man
agement.
! should like to ask MIR. Stanton
if he knows Just how many big
game animal, We do have and III
what way and why he and some Of
his group feel that they are qualified
to challenge the statements, as To
Numbers, OF those who are on the
ground and are qualified by actual
experience in game counting The
Elk herds OF Yellowstone Park are
not so very difficult to count and
ii is ever less difficult 10 count the
~carcasses in the spring.
1t appears that he has missed one
point entirely and that Is the mat
ter OF game winter ralec. As Tor
summer range. with a icw cxccp-
tons, there is an abundance OF tor
age for both game and livestock
but most Of the range, where game
animals might survive during the
winter is privately owned decided
land or else land tied-in very closely
and interminglcd with the decided
land, the latter the owners Of course
pay taxes on and the other either
rental or grazing lees. Considerable
privately owned land has been pur
chased and large tracts OF public
domain have been withdrawn to-
date Tor the exclusive use ior the
grazing OF game animals pcrhap
there has been to much land taken
iron the tax rolls ior this purpose,
do not believe il necessary to pulnl
ont the condition We would soon ind
ourselves in. should large blocks oi
taxable land be further withdrawn
Suffice it to say that considerable
over SO per cent OF the land area OF
the western states is III federal on
state ownership now and any ad.
ditional tracts set aside would only
disrupt our already tattcrine loca'
and state tax structure.
Mr.. Stanton is critical OF our o.
iMicials, | presume he includes Tor
es, service officials. From a sports
mans view point he is entirely out
OF order. Mr.. Paul II. Roberts. as
sistant regional forester III chare,
oi grazing and wildliie management
with headquarters in Missoula, SAID
in Butte a few days ago, The Tor
est service is concerned with ny,
major i'll the public do
main, he explained. They arc
in the order OF their Importance
Protection OF water sheds, timber
wildlifc conservation, grazing ant
recreation" From a stockman> view
point we should be insisting tina
grazing be moved up a notch OF
So, at least ahead OF wildliie con
scrvation, but that is the policy o
the forest service and why the,
should draw criticism from sports
men is beyond comprehension
The president OF the Rocky Noun
tain Sportsmen speaks OF his vii
lingness for a $3.50 basis IN the us'
BIZ game animals and livestock Oh
iedcrally owned lands. | should Ink
to ask him if they would be wilma
10 90 $3.50 on what il costs tn
ranchers in the way Of damages t
fences and etc. and the forage ant
hay consumed by carrying this sur
plus Of game: Our outfit PASTURE
$50 head OF antelope onc hundrc'
ner cent OF the time and % head O
elk most OF the time within sigh
OF the buildings the past summer
These were actual counts and ne
estimates. They caused considerable
damages besides the forage they con
suned, and still ! am not III iavo
OF killing off the game. ike
see them and have them around. bt
would like very much to have til
numbers controlled to lessen on
load and keep the game IN halanc
with the available winter forage I
prevent starvation and death iro'
disease.
Mr.. Stanton speaks OF the 'preda
tor stockmen.' There are a 'e'
influential members OF the group !
represents, not the majority by an
means | am sure, who oppose al
and every constructive measure i'
vildlife conservation or manage
ment plan that is brought up by al
one except themselves. They al
absolutely selfish individuals Isl
use this method Tor cheap advc
Using to further their " buSine
activities. They know nothing
10 game animal numbers nor abo.