Provo, Utah, July 21# 32 
 
 
Mr. S.5B. Looks 
Oonservation Director 
Issak Welton League, of America 
0hioago, Illinois 
 
 
 
           You will remember that we talked of the sage hen situation when

I sa you last in Salt Lake. hbr several years I hav. believed. the sage 
hen doomed. A reseat trip to Vernal has *aneed. so toriso aV ideas on 
this question. First we passed thr- the S           refuge where there is

undoubtedy a congestion of these bird. and where m     of then are killed

by autos because they have become so tame. The young ones are now about 
the right size for good shooting, but too tame for real sport. 
 
           At Vernal I visited with E. B. Hampton who is raising quail 
successfully with bantam hens. Hampton has also experimented some with 
sage hens by hatching them under domestio hens. While he has not been 
sucoessful so far with the sage hens he feels certain that the problem of

hatching and rearing sage hens can be worked out. I feel that he is the 
man to do it. 
 
           My theory would be to gather the eggs in the early spring from

a refuge such as the Strawberry. Then set up a *sheep camp* in the mountain

valley where you desire to restore the birds. Make a series of small pas-

tures andr In the pastures pen up and. set a domestic hen with sage hen eggs.

A tent coop with run oould be maintained at the camp to insure a suffioint

number of setting hens. The young birds are so wild, however, that the hen

should be placed in the individual hatching pen and wire pasture to remain

until the season is finished. The attendant could spend his spare time 
destroying predators. If the first experint proved successful the ap 
could b. moved the 'next seaos to a n   locality, The season cud be 
finished not later than the fifteenth of July each ma     or whenever the

young birds appeared to meed nomoer  protection from the h~.    According

to Hampto  the man trouble comes from the wild habits of the ohics. Then

they should be taken away from all disturbances as near as possible. The

pasture Idea would. provid natural food if the right range to. is selected.

We can find plenty of places where there was at one time plenty of sage hens

but where there are noeo  t present. Am sure that Hapton will appreciate

a letter from you. 
 
           They a   going to shoot sage hens in the Strawberry refuge this

fall--the right thing to do if we cannot find a better way of disposing of

the surplus. Would like to see them pass up the shooting for another year,

however, and try out some plan of getting a better distribution from this

heavily stooked area.