Those responsible for managing wildlife must be concerned with more than the ecology, environmental requirements, and protection and harvest of animals, birds and fish. Wildlife managers, in our complex and dynamic society, must realistically appraise and cope with demands and restrictions imposed by sociological, political, and economic influences. While the scientific bases of wildlife management have constantly expanded through the years, the ability of the profession to deal with problems evolving from its relationships to society has often lagged behind, despite the best efforts of information and education programs. Many writers have discussed the interactions of wildlife management and the community in general terms, but few studies have delved deeply into specific examples. Paul Tillett's Doe Day (1963, Rutgers University Press), an account of public reaction to deer management in New jersey, and Richard A. Cooley's Politics and Conservation: The Decline of the Alaska Salmon (1963, Harper and Row, Inc., New York), about the management, or mismanagement, of the Alaska salmon fishery as influenced primarily by economic interests, are two exceptions.The completely documented case history of the Gallatin elk herd is unique in that it is a study in depth of a single, very controversial, wildlife management situation. Readers, whether professional conservationists, sportsmen, or interested citizens, can gain insight into some of the rewards, difficulties and frustrations involved in this exceedingly important and interesting "people aspect" of wildlife management.
