Military Hunting Preserves

sport hunting facilities of the All-Army Military Hunting Society, located in various regions of the USSR. Within the military hunting preserves, game animals and birds are protected and their reproduction encouraged, and game hunting is carried on. The first military hunting preserves were established in 1931. In 1970 the All-Army Military Hunting Society had 164 military hunting preserves with a total land area of about 6 million hectares. All members of the hunting society who have obtained a pass tc hunt in the given preserve for a definite time and type of game have the right to hunt in the preserve. For the use of society members the military hunting preserves have hunting and fishing gear: boats, decoys, and small flags for claiming animals. Some preserves also have means of transportation, as well as hunting dogs and ducks for stocking.

Game is hunted on the basis of a production plan consistent with records on the presence of animals and birds, and when the plan is fulfilled hunting is closed regardless of the previously determined periods of time. In the military hunting preserves biotechnical measures are carried out to increase the population of animals and birds, records of the animals and birds are kept, mass breeding grounds are protected, harmful predators are shot, and so on. In order to enrich the fauna of the military hunting preserves stocking (acclimatization and reacclimatization) is carried on with game animals and birds such as the maral, the sika deer, the roe deer, the wild boar, rabbits, the willow grouse, and the common partridge.