Western N. D. Has, 
     Most Of Pheasants 
 
  FARGO, Sept. 24-(A---Wil- 
  liam J. Lowe state game and 
fish commissioner, in a talk be- 
fore the Fargo rotary club Wed- 
nesday, said the pheasant pop- 
ulation over the state in gener- 
al is below the 1942 peak, al- 
though satisfactory in the well- 
populated pheasant territory in 
southeastern counties and south 
and west of the Missouri river. 
"Acre for acre, he believes the 
population  is heaviest in  the 
western counties. 
  The pheasant population, he 
said, has doubled every  year 
from 1939 through 1942, but due 
to storms in February, March 
and June, numbers had declin- 
ed. Late broods, he pointed out, 
will make it difficult to dis- 
tinguish  between young cocks 
and hens for the first few weeks, 
asmost of the late hatch     is 
just getting color,. 
  The Hungarian partrige has 
declned to about. half of the 
1941  peak, the   commissioner 
said, the cause for which is un- 
determined.   The   sharp-tailed 
grouse in western North Dakota, 
veteran sportsmen have inferm- 
ed the game department, are 
albout as numerous as at any 
 
 
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