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AERIAL PHOTO USE IN FIELDS OF WILDLIFE AND RECREATION 3 
Crissey (1949) in his interesting bulletin describing the use of aeroplanes in 
fish and game work by the Division of Fish and Game in New York reported: 
“To date, pictures have been taken for a variety of purposes. Extensive areas have been 
covered with vertical pictures for the purpose of constructing maps and analyzing the 
types of cover. In this connection, it is of interest to note that the hardwood-conifer 
composition of a woodland becomes very evident when the pictures are taken in the winter 
when the ground is covered with snow. Vertical pictures have also been used in prospect- 
ing for sites suitable for waterfowl and muskrat development. Field maps have been con- 
structed from these pictures as a base for intensive habitat surveys. Pictures have been 
taken before and after development of an area as a means of measuring and illustrating 
changes that took place. Others have been used in stream pollution cases when they were 
taken to court. 
“A wide variety of oblique pictures have also been taken. The majority of these were 
intended primarily for the purpose of illustrating written articles and as such have proven 
to be particularly effective.” 
William P. Dasmann, Game Range Technician, Bureau of Game Conserva- 
tion, California Division of Fish and Game, indicated that his Division used 
aerial photographs in making game inventories, and as maps. He stated: 
“In game inventories, herds of animals or flocks of birds are photographed from the 
air usually with a K-20 camera. The prints are enlarged, and the game species counted 
on the picture, sometimes with the help of magnifying glasses. Sometimes counts are 
randomized by blocks on photos where the individuals are numerous, viz., waterfowl. 
“We use aerial photos directly as maps, and sometimes take pictures of localized 
areas for that purpose. These are used to determine both topography, cultural features 
and vegetation types. But we have no specialized equipment other than simple stereo- 
scopes for that purpose.” 
Assistant Game Manager Gordon C. Ashcroft, Jr., also of the California 
Division of Fish and Game, indicated (in litt.) that aerial photographs were use- 
ful in determining the relative importance and relation of a part of an area to a 
much larger game range such as a National Park. For example, in looking at 
one unit of area from the ground its importance might be considered greater 
than it actually is. 
Mr. A. W. F. Banfield, Chief Mammalogist, Canadian Wildlife Service, 
stated (in litt.) that his '* . . . Service has used aerial photographs widely in the 
census of caribou, wood bison, and big game of the National Parks of Canada,” 
and that ““ . . . from the photographs, data on the numbers, sex and age classi- 
fication of the big game species were obtained.” From aerial photographs taken 
during the late Arctic winter, Banfield (1950) also learned much regarding the 
migration habits and range of the barren ground caribou, Rangifera arcticus. 
The Fish and Wildlife Service has used aerial photographs in connection 
with mapping, censusing waterfowl and other species, in locating boundaries 
of National Wildlife Refuges for condemnation proceedings, in law enforcement, 
and in numerous other ways. Aerial photographs, for example, have been taken 
of salmon along the Pacific Coast as they entered rivers up which they swam 
for spawning. Much of interest can be learned from these photographs regarding 
numbers of these fish, migration habits, etc. 
Replying to a questionnaire submitted by K. E. Bradshaw of the U. 5, 
Forest Service to Region 4 of the National Park Service, employees of the latter 
Service stated: 
“Extensive use is made of both low and high oblique air photographs of existing and pro- 
posed areas, boundaries, existing and proposed road locations, and wildlife habitat. 
We have been doing this type of work since early in 1945, usually taking our own