The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1960-11-11
EARLY ABUNDANCE
By ROBERT COONEY, Game
Manager, Montana Fish & Game
Department

Montana's wildlife heritage is
unique. We need only glance at the
journals and diaries of early explor-
ers for picture of conditions as they
existed through the fnid-1800's. 1t is
almost impossible for us to visualize
the abundance and variety of game
animals at that time. 1t is also inter
esting to note that they inhabited,
for the most part, prairies and river
bottoms of eastern and central Mon
tana. Here were vast herds of buff
falo, elk, deer and antelope. Noun
tain sheep, now associated with high
mountain ranges, were reported as
plentiful in breaks along the Missouri
River and it's tributaries. Even the
grizzly bear was encountered as far
east as the Montana-North Dakota
boundary.
This picture of vast abundance was
changed but little during the period
of the explorer and trapper. These
men depended upon game but killed
only what they needed for food and
clothing.
Gold strikes of the early eos
brought flood of prospectors into
Montana, and game within the prox-
unity of mining camps became an
important source of food. Wholesale
slaughter did not take place how
ever until the overthrow of Indian
tribes in eastern Montana following
the Custer campaign of 1876.
The ruthless slaughter of big game
animals that then took place high
lights the history of wildlife destruc-
ton. In 1880 the northern buffalo
herd was estimated at million head.
In four years the herd was all but
exterminated-killed chiefly for the
hides and tongues. Other big game
species were vastly depleted. Rem
nants, however, managed to survive
by adapting themselves to the more
severe climate of mountain ranges. |
SCARCITY AND THE
OF CONSERVATION
By the turn of the century. wild
ife resources of Montana presented |
! sorry picture. Buffalo had dis
from the wilds many years
before. A few scattered bands of elk
till remained in the high mountains.
Deer were rapidly diminishing in
lreas where they had been formerly
abundant. Mountain sheep, for the
most part, had disappeared from the
liver breaks and antelope were re-
luced to a fraction of their former
lumbers.
The only bright spot in this picture
vas when dwindling' game fostered
realization that the wiidlife re-
ources were not inexhaustible.
The first Board of Game Commits
toner's was established by legislative
nactment which became effective
1arch ID, 1895. Hunting seasons at
nat time were certainly liberal. The t
ig game season was open from Sep /
smber l to January 1. The limit for
ach hunter was eight deer, eight I
fountain sheep, eight mountain goats ]
nd eight antelope. Upland bird sea- ]
IN extended from August 15 to jan v
airy 1 with no limit on the number q
grouse that might be taken. The S
Jason on waterfowl ran from Au- t
ust Is to May 1 without limits on :
lie number that hunters might take.
On April /, 1901, the first State
anne Warden, w. F. Scott, was APP
ointed and Fish and Game Depart
ent was organized. Law enforce
ent personnel at that time were
mited to eight deputy wardens.
BACK
PERIOD OF PROBLEMS
A great many problems had evolved
nee those pioneer days of the Mon
ma Fish and Game Department.
nportant industries had developed.
farming, numbering, and
ming were all playing an important
lie in rapidly expanding economy.
Ist where wildlife would fit into
is complicated pattern was not easy
determine. These problems pointed
the need for a reliable fund of
curate, well-founded information
on which to base game manage