Georgia game and fish [Vol. 10, no. 2 (Fall 1961)]

V\IH E R E -TO-GO V \ f H A T -T O -T A K E

HUNTING EDITION

GEORGIA GAME AND FISH
Published twice annually by the Georgia Game and Fish Commission in the interest of wildlife and for fishermen, hunters, nature lovers, and conservationists.
STATE OF GEORGIA
IN THIS ISSUE

ERNEST VANDIVER, Governor

COMMISSIONERS

Richard Tift, Albany, Chairman- Second District

]. T. Tr apnell, Metter First District

Flannery Pope, Dublin Sixth District

Wm. E. Smith, Americus J. B. Langford , Jr., Calhoun

Third District

Seventh District

William Z. Camp, Newnan Harley Langdale, Valdosta

Fourth District

Eighth District

C. L. Davidson, Jr. Avondale Estates
Fifth District

Billy Wikle, Clarkesville Ninth District
L. L. Couch, Lexington Tenth District

James Goethe, Savannah, Coastal A rea

FULTON LOVELL, Director
DIVISION CHIEFS David Gould______ _________ __ __ __Executive Assistant Clifford P. Palmer___ _____________ ____ __Enforcement Bob Short___ ________ _____Education and Information Fred J. Dickson __________________ __Fish Management Tom Sanders__ ___ ____________________ __ ___ _License Vennie M. Jones_____ _________ __ _____ __Bookkeeping George CreaL__ ___ _____ ___ ___ ___ ________ _Personnel
FEDERAL AID DIVISIONS
Jack Crockford____________ __ ____ __PittmanRobertson Howard Zeller_____ ___ _______________DingellJohnson

Page
Editorials --------------------- - --------------- 3 White Tail Deer -------------------------------- 4 Survival- Safety in Field and Woodland __________ 6 We Hunted in History --- ---------------- ------- 8 Unwanted Deer Hunters ------------------------ - 10 The Turkey, A Wise Old Woodsman ____ __________ 14 Five Years and Four Deer _______________________ 16
Cottontail and the Grey Warrior ----------------- - 18 Game Hog ---- ------------------------------- - 20 Deer Hunting-Sport and Science ----------------- 22 Field Cleaning a Deer__________________________ 24 Shooting Preserves _____________________ __ _____ _26
Bobwhite Quail ------------------------ - - ------ 28 Doves-A Real Target_ _________________________ _30 Let's Go Along With the Experts __________ _____ ___ 31 Marsh Hen Hunting ____________________________ 32 Guns and Gun Care _______________ __ ____________ 33 Mast and a Balanced Deer Herd _________________ _34 Sportsmen Speak Out on Game Management Areas ___ 36 Hunter and Wife ------------------ - ------------ 37 Chattahoochee National Forest ___________________ 38
Game Recipes ---------------------------------- 39 Sportsmen in Uniform ________________ _______ ___42
Reaching Outdoors ---------------------------- - 43

EDITORIAL OFFICES-40 1 State Capitol, Atlanta 3, Georgia

BOB SHORT Editor

NANCY BELK Circulation

HUNTING EDITION

Vol. 10, No. 2

Pu blished by the Georgia Game and Fish Commis sion, 401 State Ca pitol, A tlanta 3, Ge orgia , in the interest of Georgia w ildlife and for fishe rmen, hun ters. natu re lovers and conservation of na tural resou rces. There is n o subscriptio n fee-th is publication is free and is pa id for by the purch a se of fi sh ing a n d hu n tin g licenses. Please notify us at once of any change of address . Contents of this ma g a zine ma y be reprinted with p roper credit.
This pub lica tion welcomes pictures, drawings _ stories and a rticle s dealing w ith out doo r sub jects for consideration. No contribu tions will be returned u nless solici ted by author ized pa rt y rep re sen ting Game & Fish Commission and accompanied b y s ufficient postage. Entered a s third class postage.

Editorials
By FULTON LOVELL Director, Game and Fish Commission

FULTON LOVELL
TSI Multitude of Sins
The Knudson-Vanderburg Act, which is complete and invaluable in many ways, covers a multitude of sins.
Out of this legislation grew a project known as "Timber Stand Improvement."
Its application in southern forests has resulted in the destruction of great numbers of oaks, hickories, beeches and other hardwood trees that provide mast and food for many types of forest game.
The U. S. Forest Service, under the provisions of the act, has sold and will continue to sell vast amounts of hardwoods, using the profits to "improve" the government-owned forests.
Its program of tree girdling has been accepted in Georgia about like Atlanta greeted Sherman.
For you who are not familiar with this term, girdling is a process in which the forest service cuts a band around hardwood trees to eliminate them from the forest.
Naturally, this band disrupts the natural processes of the tree and as a result the tree dies.
Combined with the ill effects of the linden moth in the North Georgia forests, this program has contributed greatly to the decrease of wildlife habitat.
Sooner or later, sportsmen will force the Forest Service into a clear explanation of this program. So far, it has been sugar coated with a mass of meaningless words. For that reason, the Forest Service must someday face up to its sins. That day is not far off.
Field and Streams Are Tourist Paradises
The golden fields of Georgia, her rich woodlands, lakes and streams have captured the fancy of the out-of-state hunters and fishermen.
Wise use of these outdoor havens by visitors should be encouraged by every one of us. Tourists mean dollars and dollars mean a more prosperous Georgia.
Georgia has much to offer the tourist. Besides excellent hunting and fishing, historical sites, state parks, the Golden Isles and thousands of other attractions make visits here pleasant, educational and worthwhile.
The state has done a magnificent j0b of attracting industry. However, greater strides are needed to induce tourists and keep them in Georgia for longer periods.

Deer Face Food Shortage
The State Game and Fish Commission is gravely concerned over the critical food shortages that plague Georgia's deer herd. To help solve the ever-increasing problem, the Commission constantly increases food patches throughout the management areas in north Georgia, where deer browse and food is noticeably decreasing due to the expanding number of deer.
Game technicians are busy in their attempt to offset the shortage of acorns and other deer foods in state managed areas. These areas are becoming more and more important as the state's population grows and greater numbers of hunters look for hunting sites.
Ostensibly, the deer problem results from poor harvest. Deer hunters are not killing enough deer. This is wasteful since deer left to fend for themselves on a critical food supply are susceptible to malnutrition, disease and eventual death.
It is shameful to waste such a valuable resource. It's time more deer are harvested through controlled doe hunts and other tools of management.
Sportsmen Must Police Themselves
The modern day sportsman is an individual who is interested in wise resource use as well as sport. Far too many, however, pay too much attention to the sport and not enough to the concepts of conservation.
There is no place in conservation for the sportsman who exceeds the ethics of his fellow hunters and fishermen by violating the principles and laws of game and fish management.
Today's sportsmen must police themselves. It is the duty of hunters and fishermen to take appropriate action against those who would squander wildlife resources. Only by such action can we expect to pass on to future generations the rich wildlife heritage our forefathers bestowed upon us.
3

TAIL DEER

By SAM SANDERS
It was still dark when I reached the base of the big chestnut tree. Though it had been dead for many years, it was still strong and steady.
This was the fifth year I'd spent ovember days sit ting against the old tree, waiting for a whitetail buck to come down the well-used trail that leads from a high "hog back" on Hell Hole Mountain into Hell Hole Gorge on the Lake Burton area. I'd been lucky the past four seasons. Four ovembers, two bucks.
As I shined my light close to the ground and kicked back the leaves, I wondered what the next three days would bring. These are the most exciting days in the year for me. About the middle of July every year, I begin waiting for the whitetail sea on to come to Georgia.
I sat down and broke out my thermos for hot coffee. I still had a full half hour before daylight would slowly creep into the woods and the forest would come alive. These are the hour I most enjoy, as the first birds begin to stir, and the squirrels begin to come to the ground to feed on acorns and other nuts that can be found.
If I were lucky again, I'd see deer-maybe all does, but this alone i well worth the time and effort. If real luck wa with me, a good buck would be hanging in front of the house before the hunt wa over.
I sipped the coffee and loaded my Sako .308. I thought of all the time I'd spent on that rifle, selecting the proper
4

handload and zeroing it in and keeping it clean through the long summer months. All for that instant when I'd catch sight of the buck and let reflex take over. With every deer I ever killed, I never remem.ber taking the gun off safety, bringing it to my houlder and after the shot, chambering a new bullet. But for months after a kill, I remember the crosshairs of the scope coming down on the shoulder of the buck and remember the split second before squeezing off the shot.
Dawn was beginning to break and life began to come to the woods. A bird began to sing, a chipmunk gave a whistle and squirrels jumped in the leaves behind me. An hour pa sed with no sign of deer, then nine o'clock and a little breeze began to blow and sent chills up my spine. Even insulated underwear won't keep out the chill of those north Georgia mountains.
Just then I heard the leaves stir up the trail and I slowly turned my head. Two does were feeding down toward me. I was afraid they would wind me and disappear but they turned off the trail and vanished into a laurel thicket. I watched the thicket for a long time until another noise, from the ridge behind me this time, tartled me. I looked around the old tree trunk and there he was- a fine four pointer with his girl friend . Reflex again took over and the buck fell at the sound of my shot. I hit him high in the boulder and cut his spine.
(Continued on page 37)

Proud hunters admire o trophy buck token ot Lake Burton, one of the state's best game management areas.

Early on a sharp ovemher morning, a deer hunter will shoulder his .30-30 and start the long climb to his stand high on the mountain ridge or low in the swamp. His heart will sing with the joy of the outdoors and the approaching moment when he will pit his patience and skill against the cunning and natural instinct of a wily buck. This man is happy, completely at peace with the world.
By nightfall, he will be dead.
Each year, with the regularity of the seasons, hunters enter the wilderness to enjoy their sport and return on a litter or a jeep-a victim of the sport they love so well .
It may have been a stray bullet, fired from the gun of a true nimrod who does not know the basic rules of woodsmanship . It could have been the result of a "sound" shot, fired by a hunter who was unsure of his target. Or, he could have been the victim of an accident caused by a faulty gun or a hunter who failed to snap his safety.
A mounting increase in hunting fatalities has pointed up the fact that the sport is not simply queezing the trigger on a shotgun or rifle and bagging what you aim at. It is more than that. It is a complicated and demand
6

SAFET
ing endeavor requumg skill, knowledge and common sense- and a will to survive.
It is the responsibility of the hunter to respect and protect the wilderness he enters, the game it harbors, hi companions on the next ridge or in the duck blind across the slough and himself.
Most hunters have a genuine regard for all these things and their precaution and knowledge make them seemingly safe from them elves. But, what about the other fellow? This i the problem.
The true outdoorsman should labor long and hard to improve himself and enhance his skill and woodslore. This does not begin at the time of legal opening on the first morning of hunting season. His desire for knowledge and self-improvement should be a continuous thing.
The true outdoorsman should also be as conscious of fellow hunters as he is of himself. It is only natural for him to re pect his tools- his gun , his compass, his knife, his match box, his boat. aturally, he respects the implied damages of being far from camp alone or with companions. He will do nothing without thought and full awarene s of the possible consequences and inherent danger to himself and others-that is, almost.

-in field
and vvoodland
Hunters who learn to safely handle guns early in life se ldom victimize others.

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF SAFETY
l. Treat every gun with the respect due a loaded gun. This is the first rule of gun safety.
2. Guns carried into camp or home, or when otherwise not in use, must always be unloaded and taken down or have actions open; gun always should be carried in cases to the shooting area.
3. Always be sztre barrel and action are clear of obstruction and that you have only ammunition of the proper size for the gun you are carr ying. Remove oil and grea e from chamber before firin g.
4. Always carry your gun so that you can control the direction of the muzzle, even if you stumble; keep the safety on until you are read y to shoot.
5. Be sure of your target before you pull the trigger; know the iden tifying features of the game you intend to hunt.
6. Never point a gun at anything you do not want to shoot ; avoid all horseplay while handling a gun.
7. nattended guns should be unloaded ; guns and ammunition should be stored separately beyond reach of children and careless adults.
8. Never climb a tree or fence or jump a ditch with a loaded gun ; never pull a gun toward you by the muzzle.
9. ever shoot a bullet at a flat, hard surface or the surface of water; when at target practice, be sure your backstop is adequate.
10. Avoid alcoholic beverages before or during shootin g.
o hunter wants to be a killer. His desire is to enjoy his port safely and without incident. But this is not always po sible. A misplaced shot, a nipe at an unsure target or a careless mistake can make him the taker of a life.
The Ten Commandments of Safety may be old hat to most hunters, yet unless they are obeyed the door has been opened to trouble.
Hunters who train themselves properly not only asure themselves of possible danger from their own mistakes but also other outdoorsmen.
Good ba ic instruction in the u e of guns is available from the ational Rifle A sociation. Since 1926 this dedicated group of gun users has been working to famil iarize young and old with firearms. A course in gun handling instills in hunters respect for rifle and smooth bore, the kind of respect that a sures safety afield for all.
Hunting is fun and a priceless way to spend hours of peace with the outdoors. But hunters, regardless of their experience with guns, cannot afford to sit in a duck blind wondering where the green heads are. They must think- think to survive.
7

Ken Gammage and Bill Morgan set out for Wally's Leg near Darien.
WE HUNTE IN HISTORY
or: through toil . anqrouble-to the green-wing

Chuck Childs admires his doily limit.

By CAVA AUGH MURPHY
To our east and southeast Friday Cap Creek, then through Buttermilk Sound to Egg Island out toward deep water or turning south Wally's Leg at the head of the Mackay. Behind us and surrounding General's Island and Champney and Broughton and shadows of history, of Oglethorpe and Spanish dreams of conquest and the early ScQts who settled the town of Darien just by the tidal waters of the Altamaha.
We were on the lower Georgia coast, county Mcintosh, and close by the bounda1y markers of the waterfowl management area at Butler Island. Our thoughts were on waterfowl, not history, a Sammy and I pushed our 14 footer away from the South River Camp docks, cranked the 15 horse and followed our hand lamp beacons out into the predawn fogs of the South Altamaha. For the fourth year we were trying to solve the riddle of the e duck-choked water and kies that promised o much and gave so little. History could wait for breezeless July nights or storm-filled September Sundays; it was December and we were here for mallards and can vasbacks and blacks and maybe-if the gods that guide the fortunes of waterfowls were willing- for geese.
In the year that had passed we had hunted these waters, Sammy and Bill and Chuck and Ken and I, hugging the shores of the refuge, watching ducks by the thousands explode up out of the rice fields, singing out in steady streams for omewhere but always high, high beyond the reach of the tightest hot patterns and the heaviest loads. Each year we had hot less, slowly realizing that no Winchester or Browning or Parker or any smooth bore ever forged could reach these birds so high in the Georgia sky.
This year was different; we were old hands now, leaving the close islands and marshes to newcomers. We were following the ducks out to the sound or deeper water. The plans were carefully laid, made and broken and remade over charts and maps and aerial photographs. This time Sammy and I were the advance party, scouts-to find the heavy flocks, to study them and mark the charts and guide the others when they arrived a day later. For this we were up before dawn, and before breakfast pushed out with the receding tide toward Friday Cap Creek and Little Friday Cap.
This day we hunted hard, first throwing out the blocks near the mouth of Friday Cap, still to see with the rising
8

sun the ducks, craws stuffed with rice, trading high above us in twos and threes and twenties and thirties, heading out- high and out. The safeties on Sammy's Model 50 and my Parker slid back and forth a hundred times but neither of us fired a shot, remembering those hulls of years gone by covering the bottom of the boat and flooring our blinds.
Back at last to South River Camp and refueling and breakfast at The Shanty; Mr. Davis was up by now to welcome us back and pile our plates with country ham and eggs and wheat cakes such as the Florida-bound tourists at the next table never saw. With coffee and tobacco came more confidence for our depleted stock. The plans were re-forged and with our duffel loaded with ham sandwiches a thick as gun stocks and the coffee bottles filled we headed out again, again to Friday Cap, going in now with the tide, the motor off, floating the ducks. For thirty minutes the only sounds were the splashing dip of the paddles and the clunking changeof-position sounds as we alternated at the bow, peering with gun half-raised into the reeds and marsh grass as the creek twisted and narrowed its way deep into Broughton Island. Once, far ahead of us, three mergansers, perhaps remembering us with half-concealed contempt from years before, ran into the air and left us again with safeties off and clean bores. The creek
Successful duck hunters usually corry decoys-and plenty of clothing.

I

at Ia t burrowed it elf into the marsh and we tied up

a twisted oak, striking out in hip boots toward the hog-

wallows and pot holes inked in on our maps a year

before late on the last day of the season by a local

hunter who had followed his nose to four mallard drakes,

big and beautiful beside the small pile of blue-bills our

five guns had brought down. We followed the wild pig

trail back through the black gumbo, going over our

boots every ten paces, quietly into the first of the small

wallows and on further into the big ones, surprising

two wild sows as large as barnyard pigs. They faded

into the reeds more silently than we could think and

left us. The hunter had inked in the pot holes but we

looked at the map again-he had not inked in four mallard drakes.

to the back of his boat to the cargo hold. A helper ap peared from the shack, both pulled up boxes, sat down

Lunch then in the boat and back out of Friday Cap

and began to do whatever shrimp fishermen do, sepa-

fast, with gas enough in the two cans for Egg Island

ratino- the salable catch from net trash. o jury in tidal

and Little Egg. o ducks were trading as we cut into

waters with one duck hunter enpaneled would have con-

Buttermilk Sound and followed the buoy markers past

victed us if we had run our boat into the channel and

the marsh islands toward bigger water. As we passed

opened up with number 4 magnums on the captain and

the 203 marker, a flock of cans barreled out of the shore

his mate. Instead, Sammy and I exchanged frozen smiles,

reeds and led the boat, raising others as they flew. Fol-

kicked the boat and out of the reeds, picked up the bob-

lowing the channel and watching the time for legal

bing blocks and headed in over the long black water

closing we pulled just off Little St. Simon's Island in

to South River Camp and a bitter upper.

briny water with Egg to our north and east. As we placed the stool, flinging out the blocks almost without

* * *
The light was on in our room at the Highlander Arms

pattern, five teal inspected om decoys, liked what they

as we braked to a stop. We knew that Chuck and Bill

saw and went back for others. A we pulled the boat

were in, with Ken down from ew York for the big

into the reeds and at down on our shell boxes a brace

shoot, all sitting, glasses in hand, waiting for our re-

of cans flashed by at thirty yards. We were set now,

turn and the report on which of these 20,000 acres of

with clean bores, a full shell box and an hour to hunt.

rice and wild celery surrounding us held the key for to-

As we waited for the teal to return with their friends,

morrow. A small boy then chancing by holding four Can-

Sammy whistled softly and pointed east out toward the

ada geese could have paid his way through med school

bigger water. I fished out my glasses and focused almost

on the price we would have paid for his bag. Instead,

unbelieving as a convoy of sruimp boats surrounded by

we went in empty handed to face our inquisitors. The

gulls, no ed into the channel pointed toward our decoys.

let down was gentle and phase two of our operation was

We relaxed then, pulled out tobacco and watched the

planned over supper-two boats now and five guns,

boats come by, moving fast toward the docks at Darien

Chuck unlimbering a new Luigi Franchi, Bill back again

and upper. Our time was fast running out, but the

with a Model 12 after trying to like two barrels super-

fifth and last boat would clear us with thirty minutes

posed and failing. Ken, with an airline baggage check

left to shoot.

stub still strung to his gun case, would try three shots

The last boat seemed to move more and more slowly

this year through a single tube. The Parker, both bar

and cro sed our line of sight at 90 degrees; then-God

rels extra full, had failed the test the year before and

help us- the skipper dropped anchor. I watched him

his new light weight Model 50 was a twin of Sammy's.

so hard the eye-piece of the glasse bit into my sockets

If Sam and I had learned anything from our day of

as he to sed out the second anchor, scratched and walked

(Conti n ued on page 40 )

9

These whipworms are attached to the lower digestive tract of an Alabama deer. Over a hundred of these parasites hove been found in o single animal, but in general they are relatively rare.
Large American liver flukes, deer cripplers, are found within thirteen endemic areas of the Southeast.

Four years ago wildlife conservation authorities of 11 Southeastern states joined forces with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to seek out an unwanted "deer slayer."
They wanted to know what caused periodic " die-offs" in the region's white-tailed deer herds-die-offs which sometimes claimed so many animals that hunting was poor for years to come if not absolutely prohibited hecause of the shortage of animals.
The agency the states set up to investigate there baffling die-offs was the Southeastern Cooperative Deer Disease Study. This regional organization is sponsored by Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, with headquarters at the University of Georgia's School of Veterinary Medicine.
The search began ; clues were collected and fitted together; and now answers are beginning to emerge.
Officials at the Study-which now substitutes "Wildlife" for " Deer" in its title because its activities have been greatly broadened-are careful to say "beginning to emerge," for there may he new evidence to turn up later, hut at least they feel that they are on the right track.
It appears that there is not just a single killer, hut many. They are parasites, the major offenders being round worms, tape worms, flukes, bot flies, and lice which with a host of other organisms work their way into an animal until it sickens and dies.
In all the deer die-offs in recent years in the Southeast, significant numbers of both internal and external parasites have been found. They gain their best foothold in deer when the deer themselves become so num-
10

erous that the area they occupy is inadequate to supply their needs. When the natural browse and mast crops, or acorns, are gone and deer get hungry, the parasites have a good opportunity to move in and take over. They seldom miss the chance.
The staff of the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disea e Study has been looking for these deer killers all over the Southeast from the bayous of Louisiana to the highest mountains of the Carolinas. They call them "a new kind of deer hunter," which abides by no laws, recognize no seasons, and are governed only by their voracious appetites.
To date 12 different kinds of potential deer killing parasites have been found in the Southeast. They are brain worms, gullet worms, stomach worms, nodular worms, whip worms, lung worms, tape worms, liver flukes, nasal hots, biting lice, and ticks.
All can be deadly. In the first place parasite infection results in a marked reduction in the deer's body weight and antler size. In the second, they take a heavy toll on the vitality and reproductive potentialities of these animals. Finally, they take the animal itself. Dr. Frank

A. Hayes, Director of the Study, estimates that within the past year stomach worms and lung worms alone have harvested more deer in certain areas than all the hunters put together.
In the Southeast last year there were three significant instances of deer mortality in isolated areas of Mary land, Mississippi, and orth Carolina. In each case the mortality appeared to be intricately associated with heavy parasitic infections, and on each occasion there were more deer in the area than there was natural food avail able for them to eat.
In Maryland, for instance, the deer died as a result of the combined effects of starvation, stomach worms, biting lice and a bitter cold winter. The deaths were concentrated among young deer which could not com pete for the remaining food, deer crippled by automobiles, and those animals weakened by nature. A long siege of deep snow triggered the die-off.
All of the animals which died in the Maryland area were extremely emaciated and a marked absence of abdominal and kidney fat was evident. Very significant differences were shown by a contrast of the bone marrows of these animals with those of the healthy animals that were taken for comparative studies. The lipid content from the hone marrow of the animals that died varied from 2.5 to 11.3%, whereas those of the healthy animals ranged from 39 to 83 % . According to confirmed accounts from earlier workers, a bone-marrowlipid-content of less than 10% affords substantial evidence of malnutrition and subsequent starva~ion. Comparative studies also strongly suggested that stomach worms and enormous numbers of biting lice contributed

greatly to the mortality rate.
During December, 1960, on a private hunt club in the delta region of Mississippi, a five-and-a-half year old doe was found in an extremely weakened condition. Because of obvious signs of illness, this animal was killed and a careful necropsy was performed. A large number of adult lung worms were found in the air passages and a diagnosis of verminous pneumonia was later confirmed in the central laboratory. The lung tissue were riddled by the larval forms of this parasitic species. A few months later, approximately 30 dead fawns were found in the immediate area.
Several weeks after this mortality, an investigation was conducted to determine the possible cause of deaths. Heavy stomach worm infections were found in three subjects that were examined and in all animals collected, the walls of the stomach were greatly thickened and there was marked inflammation. It later appeared that both lung worms and stomach worms had contributed to the deer deaths.
In late winter and early spring of this year, 73 dead deer were found in three lonely and isolated coves in the North Carolina mountains. Although an investigation was inadvertently delayed until six weeks after the peak of mortality, nine representative deer specimens were procured and the lungs of each were found to be torn apart by the larval forms of lung worms. This was considered evidence enough to hypothesize that these parasites had contributed heavily to the mortality. Stomach worms were also found with as many as 6,000 being collected from a single deer.
It is of particular interest that there was a definite

Medical Technician Gloria J. Dills, Field Veterinarian Theodore R. Ridgeway and Field Biologist Charles M . Marshall conduct laboratory tests on deer from North Carolina.

11

I
...
~/

Field Biologist Charles M. Marshall (left) and Project Director Frank A. Hayes observe a small segment of deer from a combination of malnutrition, starvation and parasitism in Maryland.
correlation between the number of stomach worms found and the bone-marrow-fat-content of each deer: the more stomach worms pre ent, the lower the percentage of bone marrow fat.
Member of the Wildlife Disease Study staff were on hand to investigate each of these instances of deer mortality. They collected animals that had died and made complete or partial necropsies of each. AU gross lesions were recorded, and tissues from many organs were preserved for micro copic examination at the Central Laboratory.
They also looked for systemic fungi infection , attempted isolations of infectious bacterial and viral organisms, and earched out toxic substances in either the tomach contents or animal tissues. Many parasite were also collected from each animal and the e were later identified.
From the e methodical and rather exten ive studies, only the parasites could be singled out as the cause of the three consecutive white-tailed deer die-offs. The significance of these guileful and insidious creatures was apparent: they are the " unwanted hunter " in the Southeast, hunters which are sure to pla y a significant role in game management practices in the future.
Before the Georgia veterinarians and biologists began their study of deer diseases in 1957, very little was known about deer para ites in this region. There are still many unan wered questions. Where do the parasites come from? How are they carried? How do they get into deer? What can they mean to deer hunters in this region? The answers lie in intensive research.
Such research is expensive, too expensive for one state to carry on alone. That's why l l Southeastern states and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service joined forces to upport a regional program. The staff of the Study now includes, in addition to the director, a full time field veterinarian, Dr. Theodore R. Ridgeway ; field biologist, Charles M. Marshall; biological aide ; James F. Smith ; medical teclmician, Gloria J. Dills, and business manager, Lounette Whelchel. George R. McCahan and Annie K. Prestwood are also employed as part-time senior veterinary student research assistants.
The e specialists are read y to go an ywhere in the 11-
12

Senior Research Assistant Ann ie K. Prestwood discusses "ovarian scars" with Dr. Lloyd G. Webb of Clemson College, South Carolina, and other biologists.
tate region at any time to inve tigate mysterious wild animal deaths. They have already located a primary killer in the parasites, and they think they know why these killers have gained such a strangle hold in some area .
They say it's overpopulation.
The theory, of course, must have a proof so the Study is now conducting a region-wide para ite survey. They are collecting and thoroughly examining 10 deer taken at random from potentially critical areas within each participating state. State biologist et up the field laboratories and general facilities. They make the tables, get running water and electrical current, and collect specimens. Water can often be pumped in from a nearby river, but power ometimes has to be supplied from long distances. They also furni h coffee for the study team , for the research work goes on far into the night and sleep is a luxury they ca n eldom afford .
The state biologist also participate in all phases of work co nducted in the e crude but efficient wilderness laboratories and exchange ideas with the repre entatives from other tate who are often pre ent.
When deer are brought to these stations they are aged, weighed and examined for external parasites. Then, after the hides have been removed, they are placed on a necropsy table and meticulously di sected. Careful records of gros lesions are made and all suspicious tissues are preserved for later histopathologic examinations. The contents of the entire intestinal tracts are " fixed " and the parasites kept for future identifications. Both femur are removed and frozen for fat analysis studie .
So far, \ orm have been found in the nasal passages, brain , pharynxes, gullets, lungs, livers, stomachs, small and large intestines and the abdominal cavitie . In some localities various species of lice and tick are also quite common.
Complete surveys have already been conducted in Alabama and Louisiana, in localities where heavy deer concentrations existed. Similar urveys will be made in the nine remaining states.
Overpopulation continues to crop up as the real cause of trouble.

Field Biologist Charles M. Marshall observes work of Clayton P. Johnston , Nedrick L. Johnston, David B. Walrath and Paul W . Chapman in deer disease laboratory.
Every incidence of deer die-offs last winter occurred in greatly overpopulated herd . Sometimes there were twi ce as man y animals in an area as the range could po sibl y accommodate. The food supplies got low ; sometimes the weather became severe; animals grew weak; and the full fur y of parasitism moved in.
The Southeast's wildlife veterinarians and biologists sa y that steps must be taken to alleviate the overcrowded conditi ons that now exists in man y deer herds.
The li ght mortality noted in recent years should be interpreted as a precursor of a "major die-off" within a few years to come. The time of such a die-off will be governed by several factor : L when deer population within a certain area exceed the range carrying capacity of that area; 2. when adequate numbers of worm and insect parasites enter the picture; 3. when animals become starved, stunted and weakened until their bod y resistance i at a low ebb ; and 4. when environmental conditi ons such as an extended winter complicate an already difficult situation.

Veterinarian Theodore R. Ridgeway (seated) searches livers far large American liver flukes .
In short, overpopulation among deer results in malnutrition; partial starvation is the forerunner of parasitism; and the worms and their associates then move in and make a major set-back in the number of whitetailed deer available for the hunting public.
The logical solution to the problem of parasitism in white-tailed deer, the Wildlife Disease Study experts ay, is the reduction of deer populations to comply with the specific range carrying capacities. This should be done through legal deer harvests. In many overstocked areas, it is becoming imperative that hunters take more animals, and this must include does, before the number of animals ever can be retained at a safe level.
" If this is not accomplished by sportsmen, the paraites and their accomplices will do so without invitation or hesitation," Dr. Hayes says. "A few parasites do not exert harmful effects on either the animal's health or its venison, but when they are pre ent in great number , the y become the unwanted hunters. "

Senior Research Assistant Geo rg e R. McCahan and Medical Technician Gloria J. Dills check newly born fawn from the research dee r herd of the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disea se Study.

13

The TURKEY

the time when the gobbler is at his best, the mating season. Hear him on a ridge at daylight one time in early spring-calling, and you'll be back year after year trying to outsmart this wise old woodsman.
The second picture shows a tu r key call which is a difficult instrument to play. Many men call, few turkey gobblers respond.
The most comm on problem in calling a gobbler is using the call too much. After you have mastered the tones and strokes yo u need to kno\ , don't chase your turkey away. Call him one time, wait at least fifteen minutes before yo u call him again . Once you get a response, keep qui et. He'll find you. Ju t don't move or breathe. He'll be in range before the hour passes.
It takes a lot of practi ce to master the call, but once you call a gobbler and gun him , you'll be proud of every hour you worked to reach the perfection it takes to fool him. Those who use the electroni c call to kill turkeys m1 ss the true value of hunting. Ever shoot a quail on the gr ound ? It's about as porting as callin g a gobbler with a 33 -Ya long play reco rd .
The best advice to give to turkey hunter is thi
Find a real old timer who knows the way of the turkey. Offer him a fill of your city tobacco. Fill your own pipe and sit back and listen.

Sam Sanders with a wil y turkey to ken in north Georgia .

wise old woodsman

)

The picture illustrating this piece has appeared many times in many places. The reason for this is that pictures of dead wild turkeys are collector items and hard to come by.
The turkey is American and as wily as a Shawnee Indian. He is wise in wood lore and knows more about

the ways of man than man knows about him. Turkey hunting is more a south Georgia sport, November to February; limit two gobblers per season. The bird can be found in quiet, distant places where there are pine trees to supply seeds for food.
In recent years a managed spring gobbler hunt has been offered in the Lake Burton and Blue Ridge Game Management Areas only. The gobbler picture was taken in a spring hunt in the E li fi eld in the Burton area. The bird was shot with a load of o. 4 magnum pushed through the 30-inch barrel of a 12 gauge Browning automatic. The range was just under 40 yards.
Spring turkey hunts offer an opportunity to get into the woods when life is beginning to come back into the forest after lying dormant for four to six months. It's a nice time of year and cuts down the long waiting period from the end of quail hunting to the middle of September when doves fall to your shots. This is also

14

The tur key caller, a delicate instrume nt, is d iff icu lt to master.
15

Five years

....,
.,
and FOU :DEER

By DAN QUILLIAN
Fifteen years ago I went on my first deer hunt. As I recall, I chose the Chestatee Game Management area because at the time I felt my chances of bagging a buck were greater there than anywhere else. As beginner's luck would have it, I somehow stumbled over a nice eight pointer and the team of a .30-30 and myself did the trick.
From that moment on, I have been hooked for gooda deer hunter for life. The ensuing years have found me anxiously waiting for the opening of deer season. Somehow, however, my luck just never held out and for nine years I stalked in vain. But the worm turned when I took up archery hunting. And, since that time my trips have been filled with excitement and good fortune.
During those years of rifle hunting, I often stared in wonder and amazement at the bowhunters we met after they finished their annual hunt at Rock Creek. I often wondered just what motivated archers, since my experiences with deer hunting had been noticeably fruitless and I was armed with a weapon much more powerful and accurate than a bow and arrow. I finally decided that hours spent in the woods and fields probably would be just as enjoyable with a bow as with a rifle.
So, a few months later I purchased myself a real archery outfit and began the long process of becoming adroit enough to hunt deer with it.
A month later I still didn't know how to shoot but I was going into the woods just off Rock Creek, I felt a little silly carrying a batch of sticks, when suddenly about fifteen yards in front of me, out stepped the prettiest eight pointer I had ever seen. I pulled back and let fly. The arrow hit about four feet in front of the deer; he jumped into the air, came down and stood looking at me. I pulled another arrow. Off it went over his head. He jumped into the air again, came down and till did not run. The third arrow went winging on its way. This one went in front of him. I guess the old
16

boy at this time thought, "This fellow could be dangerous," so he turned and very stately walked away.
I walked up the hollow, cussing my luck and wondering why this hadn't happened to me with my trusty .30-30 in my hand. While I was mentally kicking myself over the ridge, up came three more deer. During the day and a half I hunted, until I became disgusted and went home, I shot eleven times at deer. I had never seen anything like it but I knew one thing for sure, before I went back hunting again, I had to learn to shoot that thing.
A month later, I met Dick Ardell, who had moved to Georgia from Michigan, where people know how to use the bow. When he showed me how to shoot correctly, I started to put them where I wanted them.
Come January I was on Blackbeard Island, in a live oak tree. I'd gone out in the dark to find my stand and had finally settled down just before dawn. At daybreak, a deer appeared to my right. This time, with much confidence, I pulled back and let go, but that was about all. The arrow struck the sand and the deer left in overdrive. Then the parade started. In an opening about thirty yards away a proce sion of deer started going across. But there was only one trouble. Just above the line of sight between me and the deer was a large limb, and I knew that any arrow I shot would end up stuck in the limb, because of the trajectory of my arrow in flight.
Suddenly, one of the biggest deer across the clearing was spooked by something. He turned and ran straight towards me. Without even thinking, I pulled and released the arrow. At the same time the deer turned and the arrow struck it in the hind leg and penetrated the other hind leg. I was very di appointed. I thought, "Well, I wounded one," so I stayed on my stand until 9 :30 and climbed down in hope of recovering my arrow,

but with no hope of recovering the deer. When I started looking for the arrow, I saw a few drops of blood. Suddenly, the few drops became a blood trail two inches wide. By then I was at a full run and almost tripped over my deer, lying less than fifty yards from where he had been hit.

Another year, another hunt, I was in the Blue Ridge Refuge with a cold wind blowing out of the west. My buddy and I were sitting around the camp fire with a geodetic survey map, trying to decide where we would go if we were deer and wanted to get out of the wind. We finally picked a slope facing the southeast, well protected from the wind.

I had been easing along over the hogback for about

an hour when I saw a deer about a hundred yards away.

As I watched, seven deer came in ight. For about half

an hour I watched them feed . Suddenly they decided to

move out and cross the ridge I was on, below me.

Straight down the ridge offered a clear but long shot.

The deer stepped into the open and I drew my bow and

released my arrow. There was a sound as loud as two

boards being lapped together. The deer jumped and

stopped. As I put my second arrow in the bow I could

see the fletching of the first arrow protruding from the

deer's hip. I drew and shot the econd arrow. This one

struck a limb, richocheted and hit the ground about

twenty yards from the deer. The deer trotted over,

smelled the arrow and went back to feeding. I wa

amazed! I had read about this but it wa the first time

I had out of

een it. his hip,

Here first

dwisaplaayidnegerc,urwioithityananadrrothwenstciaclkminl"yo-

""Oing back to feeding. I at down to watch. In a few

minute the deer calmly bedded down within my sight.

When a few more minutes went by and I could stand

the ten ion no longer, I decided to light a cigarette. A

I struck the match, the deer jumped up. My heart sank,

Dan Quillian with one of the four deer he has taken with o bow and arrow.

but . in just a few steps, down he went and I had my deer. A I carried him back to camp, I thought, "Won't my buddy be surprised," but when I came in sight of camp, I was surprised, for there hanging in a tree was a deer he had shot about fifteen minutes after I had left him.

My next hunt was on Blackbeard Island, where I bagged one of the biggest bucks ever killed on the island. And the following year it wa a nice spike.

But what about that fifth year? Well, that's when I made my most serious mistake. I used up half my hunting time by making a trip north and leavinrr Georgia. Hunting was good up there, but I couldn 't ;roduce as I can at home.

if

All of thi you really

hwaasnrteatollyseberodueegrhtanhodmeenjtooymheunotniengt,hingc~r-

a

bow, find a uccessful bowhunter to teach you how to

~oot it, and go to the woods during the archery season.

I m not ure why you'll see so many deer. Possibly it's becau e there' no g~n ~re to disturb them, but during

the bow season, they're hke street cars-if you miss one

there'll be another along in a few minutes.

17

GREY WARRIORS

Rabbit and squirrel hunting in Georgia is the most popular of all hunting sports. Quail, deer and doves are talked more and more around the fire place,
and the glamor hunters may look down their noses at the country boys who follow the beagles, or stake themselves out under a hickory tree waiting out the speedy little grey u;arrior. None the less, more people hunt these two species of game than anything else in Georgia.
Rabbits cmd squirrels can be found anywhere in the state. Take a small patch of woods in any county and if any hickory, oak, or beech trees are there you
u ill also find a few squirrels. Any thicket may conceal a rabbit.

SQUIRREL
Squirrels can be hunted with either shotgun or .22 rifle. The same method is generally used with either gun, and any small patch of hardwood trees will pro duce a squirrel or two for dinner.
Find yo ur spot in October and ovember when nuts are still available, get there by daylight and conceal yo urself as much as possible. Clothing in subdued colors help . Soon after daylight the limbs will begin to shake and sq uirrels will be all around you . Squeeze off yo ur shot and yo u'll take home some good meat for the table.
There a1e many varied opinions on how to quirrel hunt. Some men use a dog; if yo u have a good squirrel dog, you'll get your limit ever y time yo u go out. The use of a dog is generally more effective when all the leaves are off the trees, and nuts and acorns on the ground. That's where yo u'll find Mr. Grey. During the early part of the season just sitting and waiting will bring you a lot of pleasure and success.
Fortunately, predators do very little damage to the squirrel population but enemies do exist. Between the mass destruction of hrudwoods (timber stand improvement ), the Botfly (wolves ) and the span worm, these little animals are leading a mi erable life. We are finding the city squirrel population on the increa e while the rural population is declining. The little fellow are becoming city slicker .
Squirrel hunting has lost a lot of its popularity in recent years, and a lot of hunters are missing a great sport The deer season is short and the limit low quirrel hunting, especially with a .22, will sharpen your eye and lengthen the pleasant hours in the woods.
Let the grey warrior entertain you during October and early ovember. You'll love every minute yo u spend trying to bring down this speed y little animal-and yo ur wind will last longer in ovember when you start up that long ridge after a white tail.
18

RABBIT
While squirrel hunting i a peaceful and sedentary port, rabbit hunting is just the opposite. Rabbits can be found in an y rural area. Find a farm , easy enough to do in Georgia, and get permission to hunt (chances are the farmer will go with you if you own a couple of beagles). ow yo u're ready for an exciting day of shooting.
Rabbit hunting is the number one hunting sport in America. More men hunt rabbits every year than go to baseball games. Hard to believe maybe- but true. It has been e timated that 240 million pound of rabbit meat are put on American tables every year.
The rabbit ha survived and thrived on the increa ing human population and the decrease of rural areas in this countr y. One reason is that rabbit have supported mo t predator for years. With the coming of new sub-di vision , hi ghways and hopping centers, predator move out of the area. The cottontail goes across the street to the hedge thicket and goes on with the job of raising a family.
Hunting with beagle hounds is the most popular way to take rabbits. Real beagle owner have reached the point where they now only run the rabbits with dog and never shoot. This is becoming a popular port ; it's a great thrill to see and hear a good pack of hound hot on the trail of a cottontail. The rabbit's worst enemy now is probably the common house cat, although foxe , bobcat and wild dogs take quite a few every year. The rabbit bounces back and the closed sea on Georgia now has, has done a lot to increase the population. ~
Some duck and quail hunters think that the rabbit doesn't make a good target for the scatter gunner. Thi is not true. It takes good, fast reflexes and a sharp eye to consistently kill rabbits.
Find a friend with some beagles and go hunting with him a couple of times. Chances are that by spring yo u'll be buildin a dog pen in the back yard.

' '1
...... "' >
1 .
. \
1 I
J'
1 ..
... '
..,. 1

EQUIPMENT AND COST
WEAPON Any shotg~n or .22 rifle-cost from $12 .00 up . A si ngle shot .22 will put o lot of meat in the pot.
CLOTHING
For rabbit good briar-proof pants ond jacket. For squirrel, camouflage clothes help but not necessary-stay owoy from bright colors. Cost not over $25 .00. INCIDENTALS
Not many needed--a small sharp pocket knife, 0 con of potted meat ond some crackers make o fine doy. WHERE
Anywhere in Georgia outside incorporated oreos. DOGS For rabbits, thre~ or four sr:noll beagles. Squirrel dogs ore of many vonet1es-trom1ng is the important thing .

Be ogling, o sport for both mon ond dogs, hos captured the hearts of many rabbit hunters.

Cottontail rabbits ore found on almost every
form in Georgia.

The I GAME HOG ~~

By Ed Dodd

In the past two or three years I have had some rather heated arguments with

several of my good friends about overshooting of game. The conversation usually

goes somewhat like this:

,

"Look, Old Boy, I get to hunt doves only once or twice during the year and I don't see any harm in shooting a few more than the limit. Other guys go eight or ten times a season ... so what's the difference?"

"The difference is," I try to point out, "that you're breaking the law, you're setting an example of poor sportsmanship not only for other adults but also for children. Not only that, but you must admit if everyone did what you advocate, the small amount of game now left would soon be depleted." I actually call "game hogging" a bad word, and the bad word is STEALING. The person who overshoots is stealing from his own sons or his neighbor's sons. The Federal Government and the State Government, working through the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Game and Fish Commissions of the several states, do a pretty good overall job in protecting our game and at the same time providing shooting and fishing for us sportsmen. This is not to say that these agencies haven't made mistakes. They certainly have, and yet over the years their programs and regulations no doubt account for the fact that we still have doves and turkeys to shoot and fish to outwit.

The trouble, it seems to me, with local sportsmen around the country is that they think in terms of only their small hunting and fishing areas. They curse the Federal and State authorities for this or that regulation, or for split seasons, or for certain limits, and they fail to realize these restrictions are imposed by people who study the overall picture, by trained experts who are in a position to know what's best for the country and the game as a whole.
As I write this I hear that the duck situation is very bad, and that Arkansas, where I hunt greenheads every year, will have a limit of two ducks a day. This is indeed discouraging to duck hunters and to me personally, but I'm perfectly willing to go along if it means your children and mine will have a few ducks to shoot at twenty years from now.
The game hog is a menace, and I hope you who read this will do all you can to discourage him. Overshooting is nothing but childish selfishness, and those who do it should begin to grow up!

21

Investigations show that wal king hunters see more deer, get less shots.

Deer Hunting...
SPORT
AND
SCIENCE
The old argument of whether a deer hunter's chances are better with or without a dog will
probably last forever, but technicians are drawing a bead on the answer in a new project designed
to study the mechanics of deer hunting.

By ROBERT L. DOWNI G Game Technician
Hunting is one of the best known methods of keeping deer herds balanced with their food supply. Thjs, of course, is pleasing to Georgia' hoards of hunters. It probably wo uld be pleasing to the deer , too, if they had a mind of their own. nfortunatel many of them who are smart enough to evade the peep sight of a porting rifle wind up dead an yway. Much too often deer that escape hunters fall victim to starvati on cau ed I y food shortages.
The biggest problem in deer management is one of numbers. If hunters kill too many deer, as was the case with early settlers, there is n ot sufficient breeding stock remaining. Thus, the herd may be eliminated or greatly reduced in number.
On the other hand, if hunter harvest too few deer, as is often the case these da ys, the herd will become too large and the food supply will become permanently damaged to the point that it will support only a mall portion of the deer that's left.
Since the aim of the Georgia Game and Fish Com mi ssion is to provide the best huntin g possible at all times, either situation is poor fr om a game technician 's point of view.
Legal hunting as we kn ow it today has never resulted in over-har vest of deer. The main problems arise from harve ting too fe w. F or that reason , the Game and Fish Commission has undertaken tudies to determine better ways to hunt in hopes that its findin g will be used to the greatest sat; sfaction of all.
A 760 acre enclosure on the Marine Corps Supply Center near Alban y is the site of one stud y. The Com mission maintains a herd of 30 deer (guinea pig m this case) for u e in this and other tudies.
22

The high productive rate within the enclosure requires that 10 to 15 deer be removed by hunters each year. Each hunter is required to report how many deer he ees, ex of the deer , and his method of hunting. To find out how hunting pr essure affects the herd, the Commis ion is experiementing with three ratios : a hunter to ever y 120 acres a hunter to 60 acres, and a hunter to ever y 40 acres. Game technicians have never before hacl an opportunity to experiment with hunting in areas in whi ch the variable , number of deer, number of hunters and length of the hunt can be so carefully con trolled and observed.
Similar hunts are held each year on the Internation al Paper Compan y's Southland Experiment F orts in Bain
brid ge. Internati onal's F ore t Wildlife Specialist C. J.
P erkins and Wildlife Coordinator Ra ymond Mood y have also co nducted experimental hunt du ring the past three years to determine the relati ve merits of "stalk " and "dog" hunting.
Informati on o-a thered on these hunts is compiled by Intern ational and the Game and Fi sh Commission to supplement the data coll ected durin g hunts on the Marine Corps enclo ure.
Several hunters on the Clark Hill Game Management Area during the past two easons have participated in the project by recording how ma ny deer they aw and their methods of hunting.
Informati on collected so far shows that hunters who walk quietly throuo-h the woods see more deer than tho e who it and watch a likely trail or feeding area.
However, deer seen by hunters using this method usually see or hear the hunter fir t and hightail it for protective cover. Since a running deer presents a ver y

formidable target even to the most accurate shooter, the walkin g hunter has less chance of bagO'ing one than the hunter wh o just sits and waits.
On the questi on of doo-s v . talking, information gathered at Southland 's experiment forest indicate that hunters have better chances of baggin g a buck during a stalk hunt than they do by using dogs.
The large t difference in these two popular meth ods o~ hunting has been that fact that hunters actually ee more bu ck during stalk hunts. Thi s ma y be true simply because stalk hunters get a better look at a deer and , therefore, are better able to identify bucks.
But to answer the qu esti on co nclusive! , the Commission plans to experiment with hunts in which any deer is legal game, either buck or doe. Thi s hould help to clarify the ituati on.
Deer hunters have the strong desire to hunt in areas where they have little, or preferably no, competition. While this eems to be the thing to do in the ver y best hunting circle experiments show that more deer are een when hunting pressure i greatest.
For example, an even dozen hunts during the past two seasons at the Marine Corps Center in which hunting pressure was varied between a hunter on ever y 120 acres, a hunter on ever y 60 acres and a hunter on ever y 40 acres how that more than twice as many deer are seen durin g a typical da y when one hunter is assigned to every 40 acres.
In other word s, tripling the number of hunters has more than doubled the number of deer seen by hunter .
Most hunters fear that too many people in the woods greatly increase the possibility of hunting accidents. Actually, mo t accident are the result of a hunter mis-

takin g a man for a dee r and hoo tin g what he thinks i a deer.
aturall hunters are much more cautious and ure of their target when they are aware of the number of hunters surrounding them. o area in Georgia has ever had so many hunters that it is excessively danger ou to hunt. Most areas would probably benefit from even greater numbers, since thi s would make the deer move around more freely and increase the harvest.
To implement its stud y of deer harvest , the Commission ha trained a dog to track injured deer. This could possibly provide specific information on deer losses due to injury or crippling. Data also will be obtained comparing the relati ve effi ciency of riAe , hotguns and bows for taking deer.
Other studies to refine present methods of co unting deer and determinin g harvestable numbers are presently being conducted in Alban y, Bainbridge and on all state game management areas.
Illegal hunting, predators and parasites are now so well under co ntrol in man y areas of the state that the problem involved in maintainin g a healthy deer herd over a long peri od of time is now basically avoidin g overpopu lation that could permanentl y damage food supplies .
The solution, happil y, lies in harve ting a larger porti on of each herd annually. Just how large a portion remains a mystery but upon completion of present studies, all the facts will be known and some specific recommendati ons will be made.
Georgia hunters are sure to benefit from the e projects. By continuing their research, game technicians are sure to uncover even more information on the mechanics of hun6n g and their relation s to a healthy deer herd.

Left : Fi e ld hunte r interviews re veal exce llent info rmation in new project. Right: Author Down ing stalks wounded dee r with help of hi s trained dog .

Field Cleaning

When the sharp crack of a rifle brings a big buck tumbling to earth, the main objective of deer hunting has been attained. But the time between that glorious moment and the time a hunter arrives at home with his deer are very important hours. Important, that is, if the proud hunter expects to have venison for his family and fTiends .
Many hunters fail to properly field dress their animals, which results in wasting pounds of tasty venison that could supply a normal American family with enough steaks, chops, roasts and stew for two months.
Here's how to avoid that waste : After the deer has been downed, approach it care fully from the back. Many hunters have been injured by sharp hooves for failing to be cautious. When you approach the animal and find it still alive, put a shot through its neck just under the ear. This will kill the animal cleanly and help to bleed it, since it severs the vem.
A deer should be bled as soon as it is killed. Failure to do so impairs the quality of the meat. To bleed the animal, insert a sharp knife at the base of its neck (where it joins the chest-brisket) and cut the artery. Keep the wound open and free of clotting blood.
Accurate shooting provides the best venison. When a wounded animal runs off to die at a distance, his physical exertions end blood coursing through his body into his muscles. This makes meat tough and coarse. If the lucky hunter doesn't reach the deer until some time after the animal dies, all or almost all of the blood may remain in its body, further toughening the meat and making it more likely to spoil.
24

If the deer can be dressed immediately, bleeding, though still advisable, is not quite so necessary. Dressing can be accomplished with greatest ease by hanging the deer by his head or placing it, head up, on sloping ground. With a stout rope, hunters can pull deer up over a limb or work it up on a tripod. If the deer is dressed out while lying on the ground, a piece of rope can be used effectively to tie one hind leg to a bush or rock and keep it out of the way while the hunter is working.
A good, sharp hunting knife is necessary to complete field dressing the deer. It's best to make a cut through the hide and belly muscle at the point just short of its tail. Hunters should be careful not to puncture any of the organs while making the incision. Cut around the genitals on both sides and cut the hide in a complete circle aTound the anus.
Next, pull out the large intestine. The genitals and anus will come out with it. If you have an axe handyand all good deer hunters should-cut the pelvic bones. This will help you to remove the intestines and permits the carcass to cool more rapidly.
Remove the heart, lungs and other organs. The deer's windpipe should be severed at the sticking point. Clean out the inside of the animal to remove any remaining free blood, using a dry cloth or clean moss and leaves.
(Note: don't use water. Some oldtimers carry a piece of clean cloth or burlap to clean inside their deer.)
Heart and liver are ready for cooking as soon as they are cleaned and cooled. Usually, hearts and livers make good camp meat and give hunters an opportunity to serve their friends campstyle immediately after the kill.
Torn and bloodshot meat around the wound should be separated from the rest of the carcass and saved. It can be soaked for about ten hours in cold, salted water and served as ground meat or stewed.
This will leave no waste, providing, of course, that the whole process is clean and orderly.

a DEER

Carelessness or delay in dressing a deer quickly and failure to cool its carcass are things every hunter should avoid. Two sticks should be inserted in the animal's body between the walls of its body cavity to permit free circulation of air.
The deer's hide is an excellent insulation layer and unless cool air can flow freely to the open flesh, cooling may take many hours.
Now that the deer is dressed, it's time to get it to the highway or to camp. The easiest way is to drag him, especially if you're hunting on bare terrain. A short rope, even a belt, fitted with a handle, will make drag ging easier. Cut the skin and flesh just behind the lower jawbone and pass the line or belt through the slit. Sometimes, a deer will drag easily if a rope is simply tied around the base of the horns.
Dragging will cause some wear and tear on the animal's skin so, if you want to save the hide, hoist the deer to your shoulders and carry it. One man can usually carry an average buck on his shoulders but if there's a friend around, let him help you carry it home by hanging the animal from a pole between you.
If the deer is too large for you to carry, it can be divided into two loads by cutting it in two sections at the quartering point. This can be done with a knife.
Foilowing the rear rib, cut up to the backbone on each side. Cut the tendons at the backbone and separate the vertebrae at that point. Now, your deer has been transformed into two loads instead of one.
Don't be bashful while carrying or dragging your deer. It's much safer to sing, whistle or make some sort of human noise so that some other hunter won't fail to notice you. Always tie a piece of red cloth on the deer's antlers.
When you reach your destination, the deer should be hung immediately and his sides propped open to continue the cooling process.
Much meat spoilage occurs while the carcass travels from the hunting area to its final destination. Never ride the carcass on the hood of your car or even on

the fender, unless there is no other place to transport it. Traveling under these conditions subjects the carcass to undesirable heat and dirt.
It's wise to be prepared to bring home a buckwhether you actually do or not.
Wise hunters take along a saw, hatchet and cheesecloth to make sure they're equipped just in case they bag a deer.
Once he's dressed, the deer should be skinned and quartered and each quarter wrapped in clean cheesecloth. This gives protection from flies and dirt.
Don't put the quarters in the trunk of your car with the door closed. This encourages spoiling and subjects the meat to more dirt and insects.
The deer should be skinned before butchering. If you plan to use the hide for shoes or clothing, cover the flesh side with a thorough coat of salt. After a day, remove the coating and put on a fresh one. Then fold the hide with the flesh side in and ship it to a taxidermist unless you plan to tan it yourself.
If you plan to butcher the deer yourself (many hunters take it to their butcher shop and let an expert do it) hang the carcass by the hocks and saw it in half down the backbone. An ordinary handsaw will do if a meatsaw is not available. Then take each half and cut according to the accompanying diagram.
Once this is done and it has been refrigerated properly, you will have plenty of good venison-one of the choicest of all meats.
Field dressing a deer is not difficult if it's done in a proper and orderly fashion. If it isn 't, you have little chance of enjoying the venison you bring home.
A little extra effort in the field will guarantee many hours of pleasure at your dinner table. One taste of properly prepared deer steak and gravy with roasted potatoes will prove that your time was well spent.
25

SHOOTING
As the bulldozer and araders work into the pine thickets and laurel game birds retreat and regroup. To the city dweller, each year presents new problems in where to hunt and how to get there in the limited time a vailabl e.
One solution in Georgia, as in all parts of the nation, i the shooting preserve. A combinati on of posted land and the increasing distances fr om home to game have sent man sportsmen to the shooting preser ves where they are welcomed and feted- for a pri ce.
The pre erve are generally operated by true out doorsmen who kn ow game management and love their work. Through careful husbandry the make available to the gun toters a place to go and bird s to shoot. They will also suppl y dogs and clean the birds.
Man y old time hunter tend to coff at preser ve hoo ting, but in many cases a hard pressed city dweller would be denied the pleasure of the field if it were
Most Georgio pre serve owners roi se ond releo se quoil under supervis ion of the Gome ond Fish Commission .
26

Although " wild" quail ore abundant in Georgia, Bobwhites remain the most popular bird on shooting preserves.

PRESERVES

not for a nearby preserve. The efforts of the preserve owners supplement the work in game bird propagation done by the state, and in the long view tend to improve field condition for all of us. The Game and Fish Com mission oversees preserve management to assure strict compliance with the letter and the spirit of existing game laws.
The tourist en route from Boston or ew York to Florida can spend a few happy days in Georgia enriching his peace of mind for the price of a night on the town in Miami Beach. In this way both the tate and the tourist benefit.
If you have never vi ited a hunting preserve, pick out one near yo u and drive over with your olde t boy. Chances are that yo u and the pre erve manager smoke the same brand of pipe tobacco and speak the same lan gu a ge.

GEORGIA QUAIL PRESERVES
Briar Creek Hunting Lod ge, Thorn on; Hutchin 's hooting Preserve, Lithonia: Whi tling Wing hooting Preserve, Cordele; Callaway Gardens Hunting Pre erve, Pine Mountain; Pine Center Hunting Preserve, Baxley : Dogwood Plantation, Thomson ; Sportsman Shooting Preserve, Metter; Jones Hunting Preserve, Alma ; River view Shooting Pre erve, Camilla ; Union Mission , Savan nah; Indianola Shooting Preserve, Valdosta ; Aucilla Shooting Plantation, Thoma ville; Mar h Hunting Preserve, State boro; Herrmann 's Hunting Preserve, Soper ton ; Freeman's Shooting Preserve, LaGrange ; Alma Quail Farm, Alma; Sowega Shooting Pre erve, Arlington; Crabapple Preserve, Crabapple: Cherokee-For yth Shooting Pre erve, Canton.

Quail propagated for preserve use ore checked for diseases and quality by officers of the Game and Fish Commission.

27

The Bob White

QUAIL

The Southern Bobwhite is a hand y little bird , much respected by men who hunt him. The Bobwhite is a member of a family widely distributed throughout the
nited States, but it is this bird of the so uthern wood lands and thickets that causes men to leave comfortable homes in Connecticut or desert Iew York apartments to seek him. They spend many hours in travel and then many more in the saddle, in jeeps or on foot waiting for the moment of truth when the dogs freeze on point and they walk slowly forward into the covey waiting to explode beneath their feet.
The primary attribute of the Southern Bobwhite as a game bird is his inherited willingness to stand to a point. His western cousins are more sp ooky and run before approaching dogs or hunters, taking to wing only as a last resort. The Bobwhite, when discovered by dog or man , holds steady and then makes his bid for escape by sudden and swift flight. A newcomer to quail hunting tends to shoot into the brown mass as the covey ex-
plodes. He quickly learns that this will lead only to
dinner s of beef and p ork. The more experienced hunters
A day's hunt has ended a s two mighty proud hunters show off their work.

select their individual targets carefull y, move with the bird , swing the gun beyond him, shoot and then wheel to draw dO\vn on another bird just before he reaches the pine thicket and escapes. The old timers with cool eye can select these birds fr om the vanishing covey and shoot only cocks- distinguished by their white and black m a r k i n gs .
Quail have survived the rigors of drought, harsh winters and encroaching civilizati on by their adaptability and the hardiness of the species. Their diet is simple wood seed, insects, fruit, buds, greener y, which is usually readily available. Over-cultivation and too intensive use of farm land push the coveys into distant places or they find refu ge in small thickets by-passed by tractors. The wise fa rmer , with a love for this November sport and the Bobwhite, leaves cover in hed ge rows or rough edged fields so that the easily pleased quail can raise his famil y in peace and near food. Coveys in insufficient cover can be depleted by probators. Their enemies are many wild house cats, weasels, hawks, and the nest itself, with usually some 15 eggs, is target for crows and snakes.
The quail is a famil y man and gregarious. Coveys consist of 25 to 30 birds and remain together for food, water and nesting. They do not range very far afield and unless overshot, will remain for years in the same general area. Quail are seldom found near cattle as the area is usually overbrowsed, but many coveys have taken up residence near a deserted farm house, living a bountiful life off old garden truck, gone wild, and droppings from old fruit trees.
A patient hunter who knows hi trade can work without dogs. True field success and maximum pleasure come when hunter and well-trained dog, pointer or setter, work together. Qu ail, when sh ot in mad fli ght for cover,
The sig ht of a mot ionless po inter neve r fo ils to quic ken the pulse of a qua il hunte r.

28

The golden fields of Georgia become olive during quail season because Mr. Bobwhite is King in the "Quail Capital of t he W orld ."

tend to drop in briar patches or thickets and a retriever with a good nose is almost a necessity to bag what you shoot.
The training of a good bird dog is a complicated art, requiring much time and patience. In Georgia and across the South, there are many experienced kennel owners and dog handlers who have this savvy. The extreme pleasure in quail hunting is shooting over a registered dog of good blood lines which you have trained yourself. Because of the time demands of twentieth century living, most city hunters leave this to the professionals.
Field trials for many years have provided extra sport and pleasure for quail lovers. Here the science of dog
EQUIPMENT AND COST
WEAPON Shotgun-si ng le barrel, doub le barrel (side by s ide or superposed), pump or semi-automatic. Ignore bol t action guns. Choose o c hoke with moderate sprea d, improved cylinder is good, cost-$50 to $5,000; good guns ore available ot low cost. Use number 8 or 9 shells. CLOTHING Depende nt on weather-briar resistant pants, waterproof coot with gome bog, leather loce-up boots-midcoif high , cop or hot, light worm shirt, wool socks, gloves with trigger finger, duo-fol d long johns for December to February. Cost- $75. DOG Setter or pointer, yours or o friend 's-prefe robly yo urs and tra ined at home. Cost-free_ to $ 2,000.
INCIDENTALS Not mony as you o re usually close to car or civiliza tion . Possib ly o sta inless stee l thermos for coffee , conteen, camera , pocket flask for day's end, pipe, tobacco. WHERE Best from soy the Cedartown-Athe ns line south , very best from Albany south to the Fl o rida line.

handling reaches its peak, as dogs of many blood lines meet to show their masters and other onlookers what they do best- locating coveys and retrieving downed birds.
Quail hunting can be a simple, inexpensive sport, as simple as walking into the corn patch behind the barn. It can be as involved a a safari to Kenya with land cruisers, gun bearers, dog handlers, portable kitchens and tents. Either way, simple or sophisticated, quail hunting is a sport of much grandeur and much pleasure. If you have yet to sample this brand of shot-gunning, be prepared for a change in your way of life. Quail hunting, once it enters your blood, is there for life.
No closer bond of friendship exists thon thot between a quail hunter and his dog .

29

DOVES
. . . a real target

The first time this seaso n you fire yo ur 12 gauge

Browning superposed yo u are cro ing to mi ss a little

grey dove. If yo u don 't tire easily and can afford the

price of 75 shells, number 7:! or number 8, you may

bring in your limit by dusk. Dove seaso n opens earl y ~ nd is now usually divided

in two parts. In September, still hot in Georgia, the catter-gunner has his first chance to put meat on the table. The do ve is a swift and deceptive bird and the things he teaches yo u in September, things about lead and follow through, will serve yo u well in November when yo u change shells and go off after quail and duck.
The dove is coming back after man y years of overshooting and depletion. Thank the State Game and Fish boys for thi s. Men who deeply respect the quail and the deer, never exceeding the legal bag limit, go into coma in a millet field and shoot doves unti l dark, or until a green -uniformed ranger interrupts them to count their bag and check their automati c for shell capacity.
It's hard to respect the dove as a game bird. Separated from food and water by a field full of hunters, the dove continues to fly in. It may take 12 or 15 hunter to kill him but he is going to come back until he dies.
ature has given the mourning dove little protection. His instinct of sur vival are bad and the onl y thing that protects him is his speed and hi s irregular, completely

one mallard per two shells yo u are going to borrow shells from yo ur friends before yo u fill yo ur limit on doves.
Doves can be shot in corn fields at dusk. More doves can be shot in millet fields near dairy farms. Here the action is all da y and yo u should wear sun glasses to protect yo ur eyes from pellets lobbed over by yo ur companions across the field.
Doves are good to eat if properly prepared to preserve their natural juices. A strip of bacon helps and , as small as they are, they can be stuffed as yo u stuff a turkey. Figure two birds per invited guest. Claret or Burgund y is a good wine for the mildly gamey, dark meated dove.
Many dove hunters use 20 gauge guns. Many hunters prefer a 12 gauge which generally assures dead birds at your feet rather than wounded birds Ayin o- off to die in the pines.
You need two birds per guest ; the big limit is 12. Take a minimum of two boxes of shells, number 7lj2 or number 8-high velocity.

unpredictabl e fli ght pattern. Many good quail or skeet

shooters have walked into a dove field in early afternoon and came out at dusk with the gra y ashes of defea t in their mouth . The dove is hard to hit, peri od .
Manufacturers of shotgun shell s pay di vidends to their stockholders from the profits made in dove fields across _ the South . If ou average two q uail per three shells or

EQUIPMENT AND COST
WEAPON Any shotgun will do . Use your quail or duc k gun as dove shots are widely var ied. Full cho ke is good . Cost$500 to $5,000, $1 00 should do it. Use Number 7 Y2 or 8 shells.

Flighty doves offer o reel challenge to sportsmen.

CLOTHING

You is a

can shoat doves in a sedenta ry a nd rela xed

s

busi ness port. Any

s cuoit~fodratvaebleh ucnl ot itnhg-

ing is 0 . K. Boots for walking to your stand are optional.

A wide brimmed hat or cap for shooting ' into the sun,

sungla sses and you're in business. Cost-you probabl y

have it in your c loset.

DOG Unnecessary, go and pic k them up yourself.

INCIDENTALS

Shell box with revolving seat, canteen or vacuum bottle,

shoulder game bag or war surplus gas mask ba g Cast-

$15.

.

WHERE

Anywhere in Georg ia , best m id to south Geo rgia . Doves

are classed m igrato ry and do move about. The best

pl~ce is a fresh mown millet field near a dairy farm .

Bnng enough fri e nds to cove r the field and keep the

J

birds moving .

Let's go along
vvith the
EXPERTS
There are an awful lot of sportsmen in Georgia. A lot of them are hunters and consider themselves experts in their field. A man who has been hunting deer every
ovember for years thinks he knows a lot about deer, their habits and how to hunt them. Chances are he does. He also knows that the Georgia Game and Fish Commission exists, because he must buy a license every year. But that's about as far as it goes.

Now a big problem has come up in the Chattahoochee National Forest that most deer hunters don't like-doe hunting. When first exposed to the theory they are in sulted. "They expect me to kill a doe, not on your life." Many hunters said it. They don't always stop to think that the real experts in the state have done a lot of research on this problem. If true hunters were asked not to hunt in a certain area because there were too few deer, they wouldn't hunt there. ow, they are asked to kill does in certain areas to help out the population.
This is why:
From around 1905 to 1928 there were no deer at all in orth Georgia. Now there are too man y. Look what the experts have done in only 33 years.
As recently as 1946, deer that came fr om state game management areas were real beauties. ow, ever y year more and more spikes and small racks hang in front of the checking stations.
Fulton Lovell says " In some areas the average dressed deer weighed 135 pounds a few years ago. Iow, in the same areas they weigh 89 pounds."
Not much meat considering all the time, work and money spent by the hunters.
The Georgia Game and Fish Commission has spent a lot of time, work and money developing a strong, health y herd. Its technicians have done their part to p ut venison on our tables. Let's not let them down now. Too many deer now may result in no deer at all later. They have always been subject to disease caused by malnutrition. An over-population is certain to end up in disaster, and set the deer herd back many years.
During the season, you will be asked to harvest does in certain areas. If yo u normally hunt there, go back, find yourself a nice big doe and bring her in. You'll be doing yourself a favor. Maybe next year, you'll bring in a ten pointer.

Above : Hunters review the remains of o deer that storved to d eath. Below: Wildlife technicians soy that habitat improvement results in more and bigger game birds and animals.

31

MARSH HEN
hunting

Whoever pegged the marsh hen as a game bird went a long way toward sending rum down the same trail as the buffalo. If someone hadn't put in some pretty strict rules, the slow fl ying rail would have become the midget version of the whooping crane.
Twenty years ago, a man and boy could have gone to the St .Mary's River on the Georgia coast, spent three high tides in a flat-bottomed , motor-driven boat and brought home one hundred and fift y marsh hens.
Back in those days, a hunter had no trouble bringing down seventy-five birds with four boxes of number 7% shells. This was the legal limit at the time- twenty-five birds daily. Regulations and limits were so loose that it was almost as though a sign should have been on t~e docks- HELP STAMP OUT MARSH HE S.
Eventually, and luckil y, the federal authorities decided to save marsh hens from total extinction . They reduced the legal limit to ten, shortened the season and made motor boats illegal. ow, the rail 1s well on the road to recovery.
The federal regulations against use of motor boats for marsh hen hunting proved very unpopular with hunters.
Cries of "foul play" arose and hunters shouted that without motor driven boats marsh hen hunting has become a spo rt for the very rich and the very poor. They contend that either you be rich enough to hire someone to pole your bateau or poor enough and hungr y

enough to pole it yourself.
While these claims are a bit facetious, the fact remains that marsh hen hunting under present conditions ha detracted from the popularity of the sport. However, there are plenty of marsh hens along the Georgia coast waiting for the sportsman.
The most important facet of marsh hen hunting, naturally, is the tide. Select any high tide during season and set out for the marshes. The rest is up to you. Since rails are relatively slow fliers, don 't expect an explosion like the rise of a covey of quail.
Once scarce, marsh hens now provide excel lent hunting along the Georgia coast.

EQUIPMENT AND COST
W EAPON Any shotgun fr om .4 10 to 12 gouge pump, outomotic, etc. Cost fr:Jm $30.00 up-don ' t spend too muchsalt water and marshes ore no place for on expensive gun.
CLOTH ING Any good hunting clothes will do and don't worry too much about the cold. A good jacke t and woo l shirt will keep you worm . Waders ore not necessary but a good pair of hip o r high top rubber boots will keep your feet and legs dry.
INC I DENTALS Boot and guide a nd o careful attention to tide tables.
WH ERE St. Mary 's River, St. Simons Is land, or an y of the Georgia coostol area.
DOG None required.
32

GUNS

... and gun care

The true deep woods hunter, as contrasted to the drug store or shooting galler y sport, has deep respect for his equipment. Special care is given to the basic tool of hi trade, his rifle or shotgun . As with all worldl y goods, the performance and dependability of a firearm are based completely on the knowledge and integrity of the manufac turer. Cost is important only up to a point. Beyond this variable point the gun purchaser i spending his good money fo r wind ow dressing.
A hunter 's best friend s are his gun merchant and hi gunsmith. F ortunately, there are a number of ver y knowledgable professional gun vendors. The men in these stores are doing a job they know a nd love, and they can help the green horn if he will admit that he is green and not pretend to knowledge be has not. These vendors are backed up by the manufacturers, primarily American , who supply quality firearms in a wide range of prices. Man y of the fine old names are sadly missing. Hand craftsmen such as Parker, Le Fever and L. C. Smith could not survive competition with larger, automated factories. Many good names are left- Winchester, Browning, Colt, Remington, Savage, Weatherb y, Ithaca and a welcome newcomer, Strum Ruger, out of ew Haven, Conn. Trust these names and tru st yo ur gun merchant. Selecting the proper firearm for your intended purpose is important to yo ur end result- meat on the table. Even old timers who remember black powder seek advice from the pros.
Good gunsmiths are as hard to find as blacksmiths, but can be found . Ask around the gun shops. When yo u find a good man with respect for his tools and your firearms befriend him, gain his confidence, cherish yo ur relationship. If he seems sickly and pale insist that he have a complete physical. Your success in marsh and field may depend on this man-especially if you use a repeater, a semi-automatic weapon .
Gun care is simple and based on common sense. A well blued gun, if properl y care for, can survive the

rigors of upland hunting for many years with rudimentary attention to the bore and stead y oiling of the working parts. Waterfowling is much harder on firearms and requires pre-exposure treatment as well as the conventional cleaning after firing. A rust inhibitor should be applied to internal parts as well as exposed metal before yo u go after the ducks and geese or mar h hens. Several silico n-base preparations are available, some in spray cans. F or the stock, linseed oil rubbed in b y hand will preserve the wood and enh ance the bea uty of yo ur piece.
After firing or exposure to the elements yo ur rifle or fowlin g piece should be promptly cleaned. A simple kit can be assembled to be carried in yo ur gear bag or shell box for field care or superficial maintenance in the car on the way home. The basic components of yo ur cle_aning kit are store-bought patches- home-made flannel ones are better- a good break down brass rod with brass attachment, Hoppe's umber ine and oil. Modern ammunition is kind to yo ur b ore but in m y book an y firearm needs swabbin g with a solvent.
A single or double barreled shotgun i a simple mechanism and simply maintained. The mechanics suppl ying three rapid shots are more complex. A weed seed or a grain of misplaced sand ca n turn a Sweet Si xteen into a single or no shot piece, and co t yo u game a nd composure. Careful hunters break down their automatic and tooth brush key fun ctional parts.
If you are putting yo ur firearms awa y for an y extended period do not trust oil. Oil dries out and disappears to be replaced by a li ght coat of ru st. Once again go to a heavier lubricant such as Rig.
To sum up-possessing a fun cti oning fi rearm is a simple and pleasant thin g. Decide what you want to shoot, co unt yo ur money or see a fri endl y banker, seek advice from those competent to give it, give yo ur gun the care it deser ves and if it is ill take it at once to a crack gunsmith. This g un will brin g do wn game for yo u, for your son and your on 's son.
33

MAST



Don't look for deer on Georgia's mountain tops where the principal crops are snow, ice and rocks.
The whitetail deer likes to browse on grasses, weeds and other plants.
The deer, however, do not subsist entirely on shrubs and other woody, understory plants. Acorns, berries and some nuts make up the animals' diet in addition to seed crops utilized-which irritates farmers-during the fall and winter months.
Other plants preferred by deer in north Georgia in elude the strawberry bush, greenbriar, Japanese honeysuckle, ash, poplar, black locust, sassafras, sourwood, dogwood, yellow poplar and maple.
Blue Ridge Game Management Area biologists found that rhododendron, which abounds throughout the area, was being browsed more heavily than was common in regions where it was less plentiful.

This example shows to what degree deer will browse a certain species of plant.
Weather also plays an important role in the feeding habits of deer. A severe winter, when snow and sleet cover the ground for lengthy periods, will cause the deer to munch on less preferred and less nutritious plants such as the laurel. This plant-when eaten in large quan tities will be the death of the deer.
Mast-acorns, berries, leaves, nuts-provides a large percentage of the deer's food during the long winter months since timber contains many mast producers.
The Georgia Game and Fish Commission's personnel on management areas also assist the deer's diet by planting corn or orchard grass and clover food plots throughout the areas.
Roads in the areas which are little used are seeded to fescue (a species of grass) as are road banks where

Game technicians and foresters make periodic checks of available deer food.

balanced DEER HERD

it prevents erosion. This provides the animals additional forage material. This seeding program is undertaken by Game and Fish Commission personnel.
Food plots are checked to determine how often they are utilized by game. A growth and usage study is sometimes conducted to find out the amount of food taken by deer.
Availability of deer food is determined by watching the height of the browse line on trees and taller shrubs. If the line-that is, if leaves and berries and such are nipped off to a height of more than five feet- the browse becomes unavailable.
This method also is used to show when a deer population reaches a number in excess of what it should be. Another indication of overpopulation in a deer herd is to compare the average weight of deer killed on area hunts each season.

Steps to maintain a normal population of deer must be carried out. Too many deer in one area will cause all to starve to death. One plan is to harvest (shoot) surplus animals. Another is to increase the food supply and increase the carrying capacity of the area in which the herd makes its home.
There is only one way to reduce the deer population and that is to hold hunts during which any deerbucks and does alike-may be slain. If this were not done, the supply of harvestable bucks would be quite small and the ratio of does to bucks too large.
Both yearlings and old does would suffer most during severe winter weather conditions when browse is limited.
This is a phase of hunting all too often overlooked by the average deer hunter, intent only in bringing in a buck. The state and the hunter are both deeply in volved.

Plenty of food and most result in bigger deer, like these bucks token on the Chattahoochee area.


.

34

35

Sportsmen speak out on
GAME MANAGEMENT AREAS

Ask a hunter one question and you can count on at least two answers. But when it comes to hunting sites, sport men solidly upport State Managed Areas.
A survey taken by the Game and Fish Department personnel during fall hunts reveals that Georgia sportsmen are pleased with the result of deer and turkey management on tatecontrolled or tate-leased land.
Most hunters favor a special " big game" license with revenue earmarked for development and management of more areas.
Department Director Fulton Lovell is in full accord. "We are striving diligently to obtain, through lease agreements, more land that can be used for deer and turkey management," said Mr. Lovell. " Georgia hunters are entitled to good deer hunting and we are trying our best to give it to them. "We feel that our management area method is the best way to do it, since we are much more capable of protecting game from poaching and other conditions that would reduce their population in numbers. We have been successful with our program in the Chattahoochee ationa! Forest for many years. However, the time has come to expand." The urvey was dreamed up by Lovell and his staff to find out what hunters think about controlled deer and turkey hunts. Comments were good for the most part, but some called for improvements : "The road on the area are terrible," one hunter complained. "The hunting's fin e hut you land in a mess of trouble traveling over some of the e roads." " I've been trying for everal year to get a map of a certain area," another griped. "Someone should see to it that we get them."

management areas offer excellent small game during the special "small game hunts."
"Campers ruin huntin g," yet another opined. " I am in favor of restricting camping areas to one designated spot. "
" I would like to compliment the wildlife rangers," one hunter said. " I feel they are doing a wonderful job of enforcing the law."
That answer came from a que tion asking if hunters felt law enforcement is adequate.
" I am definitely in favor of a 'big game' license or stamp like they have in other tates with funds used to develop more lands for public hunting," one hunter offered .
For the most part, the Game and Fish Department does little road work. That respon ibility rests with the U. S. Forest Service, owner of the land.
Under a cooperative agreement signed by the Forest Service and the Game and Fish Department, the federal government manages the fore t, the tate its wildlife resources.
" We are proud of the progress Georgia has made in public hunting areas," Lovell said. " But this is only the beginning. We must carry our program further. "
During the period covered by the survey, 5,014 hunters bagged 492 deer during the management area hunting period. This does not count deer taken outside managemen t area lands during the regular eason.
Much time and money is being spent on area management. The State Game and Fish Commission welcomes comment, pro or con, on the job it is doing. It works for you.

Left: Camping an special sites within management areas is popu lor with hunters-some even bring their families. Right: They may not have venison, but they' re eating anyway.

WHITETAIL DEER (Continued from page 4)
I didn't know what had happened to the doe and didn't care as I rushed over to dress out the deer. I shucked off my coat, rolled up my sleeves, and made the cut with my knife. For some reason, I looked up and the doe was standing not fifty feet away-watching my every move. She was curious about what had happened to her mate.
Four hours later, after a lot of sweat and with the help of Bill and Chuck, the buck was hack at the cabin.
The cabin at Lake Burton borders the refuge in Rabun County. Burton is one of six game preserves in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Burton has fifteen thous and of the one hundred seventy-four thousand acres of wildlife management area in north Georgia.
Unlike the western states, deer are hard to come by in Georgia although they are known to inhabit nearly every county in the state.
In south Georgia they are hunted with dog and shotgun, and from the Piedmont area (around Macon) north, they are hunted with rifle. The "still hunting" method is most popular.
The season in Georgia varies with the county in which you hunt, hut the management hunts start late in November and go into early December.
Select the area you want to hunt in, plan your trip ahead, and contact the Georgia Game and Fish Commission at the State Capitol for the time to hunt and the permit you need. Until 1960 permits cost $5.00, hut now they are free.
Along with the refuge hunts, Georgia has millions of acres of deer infested land.
In north Georgia, there is some ten times as much public land as refuge. In south and middle Georgia there

is land owned by the pulp and paper industry. Most of this land is open to the hunter though some is posted. If you want to hunt on the outside, hunt on government land, or get the permission of the landowner.
The work is hard, the season is short and your chances of bringing home a huck are about one in seven. The reward is worth the time and money it takes to bring off a hunt.
Take advantage of the hard work that the Georgia Game and Fish Commission has put in to get the deer herds built up to what they are today. Go deer hunting, maybe you'll he that one in seven.
EQUIPMENT AND COST
WEAPON Any type 12 gauge shotgun with rifle slug of .00 buck shot. Rifle caliber .243 to .35 with muzzle energy not less than 1800 pounds and preferably not in excess of 3200 pounds. Cost $50.00 to $300.00 . A good rifle can be purchased for around $125.00. Scope sight not necessary but available for htose who prefer it at around $50.00 extra. CLOTHING A red cop, good soft weave hunting coat and pants, insulated underwear and leather boots. Cost around $60.00. INCIDENTALS Knife, compass, handwarmers, thermos and 20 feet of 3 / 16 nylon card. WHERE North Georgia from Cornelia across to Rome, north to state line. South Georgia, Piedmont area (Gray, Macon and surrounding territory). Also from Savannah across to Albany south. DOGS In south Georgia only--<my common hound trained for deer rather than coon or bear.

HUNTER AND WIFE
Irresistible Force vs . Immovable Object
She may be boss at home but in the woods it's a man 's world-sometimes!
New York state grants divorces for one reason onlyadultery. Obviously, in New York state wives of hunters use techniques other than threat of divorce to control their hooted, powder-mad mates.
There are many ways for the hunter to combat the problems at home. The neophyte hunter or neophyte husband invariably first approaches the problem in this way: He talks of the lure of the outdoors and the good affect of fresh air on complexion. He elaborates on the "togetherness" of man and mate sharing a duck blind or deer stand. When his lovely bride succumbs, he outfits her completely in field gear and buys her a nice little field grade 20 gauge shotgun. This is wrong, as

he quickly learns. He does not achieve his goal and loses money when he trades the 20 gauge in on a deer rifle for himself. The gear may fit his son in 10 years if it does not lose out to dry rot.
Wives vary. No one technique is best, but this one works in some houesholds. Get your wife a large ledger book and after settling on a point system, train her to enter points for and against you. Between hunting seasons work long and hard to accrue points " for" yourself.
Possibly a trip to visit your in-laws could count as 20 points. A week long visit by your in-laws to your home might count for 50 points on the plus side. A few other point gainers might be painting the kitchen in July, attending with your wife a lecture on abstract painting, transplanting the rose garden, hosting your wife's bridge club at dinner in a better restaurant, and many others. Cunning and timing are important here. There are only so many days to build up points between the spring turkey shoot and the first day of dove season. Then points score "against" you.
If the ledger is kept accurately-always double check this-you can easily fill out in doves, quail, duck and deer through a long, sweet, smokey Autumn with no feeling of guilt or contrition. Just tell her to check the ledger.
37

CHATTAHOOCHEE
National Forest
The Chattahoochee ational Forest, located in north Georgia's picturesque mountains, is widely acclaimed for its hunting and fishin g. Also available to recreationists in this mammoth area are facilities for hiking, camping, picnicking and fishing.
The Georgia Game and Fish Commission, in cooperation with the U. S. Forest Service, helps nature provide excellent hunting and fishing in the forest. Many of the state's game management areas are located in the wide expanse that makes up the forest area.
Available for hunters are deer, turkeys, wild hogs and all species of small game, including ruffed grouse. Trout fishing is excellent in the myriad streams of the forest during season.

HANDY REFERENCE TO RECREATION AREAS IN THE
CHATTAHOOCHEE NATIONAL FOREST

Recreation Area

Chattahoochee is a hoven for youngsters learn more about nature.

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Raccoons, like this shy one, abound in the forest, offering sport and thrills for everyone.
Below : Wild boor hunting is a popular sport on game management areas and other ports of the forest.
A family unit consists of a fireplace, garbage receptacle, table, and parking spur or area.
At Lake Winfield Scott horses ore available for horseback riding. Rental cabins ore available through reservations from concessioner. A $1 .00 per night fee is charged for camping to cover firewood and cleanup. All other areas ore free of charge with no reservations needed .

RECIPES

ROAST WILD DUCK

COOKING DOVES

Plucking a duck is hard work hut paraffin helps.

The dove can he cooked using the same techniques

Hand pick the heavy feathers, clip the wing tips and pop the duck into hot water with melted paraffin (about ~ lb. to 6 quarts of water) . The bird is then removed and allowed to cool. The wax and feathers then break off easily.

as for quail. Dove is dark meated and gamier than quail hut either bird can he broiled, roasted or served southern fried. Frying is perhaps the easiest method of preparation hut does conceal some of the delicate game flavor. Follow the same method you would for fried chicken hut cook more slowly and, of course, for a

Methods of preparation and cooking vary widely. The specie of duck, to a large extent, will affect the kitchen technique-some ducks are gamier than others and even the feeding pattern within a specie will alter the flavor. A good basic method is shown. An imagina-

shorter period because of the hird's smaller size. Golden brown fried dove cooked slowly for tenderness is a delicious meal on a winter night. If you and your friends have had a good day's shoot, combine your hags and try a dove supper. The wives will appreciate the chance to vary the routine of daily meal planning, and eating

tive cook can modify this to individual taste and im-

what he shoots adds flavor to the hunter's plate.

prove on the standard recipe.

ROAST WILD TURKEY

L Cook as early as possible after the duck is bagged.

The perfect Thanksgiving dinner is America's own

Refrigeration increases dryness.

wild turkey roasted to perfection, bulging with chestnut

2. Dry the bird thoroughly and rub the inside with

dressing and served with wild rice and gravy.



salt. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

If you are fortunate enough to hag a fall or spring

3. Stuff with your usual poultry stuffing enhanced with

gobbler turn him carefully over to your wife with these

chopped apples or onion.

instructions:

4. Cover the breast with strips of bacon and place in an uncovered roaster. Butter brushed on lightly could replace the bacon.

L Prepare for the oven like domestic turkey. 2. Stuff with a combination of chestnuts, a cup of bread
crumbs, two tablespoons of butter and salt and pep-

5. Roast at 325 degrees-10 to 15 minutes per pound for rare duck, 15 to 20 minutes per pound for well done.
6. Baste frequently with the juices; a small amount of claret or burgundy can be added hut don't overdo this and destroy the subtle gamy flavor.

.per. The chestnuts, three cupfuls for the average gobbler, should he cooked until soft and tender, then put through a collander. The dressing can he softened with sweet or sour cream. 3. Truss the stuffed bird and roast for about two hours at 450 degrees. As with all game birds, haste frequently.

BROILED QUAIL

4. Enjoy a feast gourmets dream about.

This is a good method; there are others.

ROAST VENISON

L Cut off head and feet; pick; split down the hack with a short bladed knife; eviserate.
2. Dust lightly with flour. 3. Place birds breast down on rack at moderate heat
of 350 degrees. Broil, turning once. 4. Allow 10 to 15 minutes to serve well done . 5. Baste often with melted butter. 6. Season with salt and pepper. 7. Serve on toast with light gravy made from the drip
pings. 8. Wild rice is always good as is a rose wine; Almaden
Vin Rose, domestic and cheap, is hard to heat.

If you bring in a fine buck, properly field dressed, you can have delicious eating for a long time. It is usually best to work with your neighborhood butcher in preparing the meat for the freezer locker.
To roast the loin or shoulder portions follow these general instructions:
L Wipe clean and dry and season to taste. 2. Put in pan, fat side up, and do not cover or add
water. Steaming detracts from the deep woods flavor. 3. Baste for flavor and tenderness. Bacon strips on the
venison helps here. 4. Roast slowly at 300 to 325 degrees for 20 to 25
minutes per pound of meat.

39

Ken Gammage's smile is accounted for by his keen shooting.
WE HUNTED DUCK (Continued from page 9) advance scouting, it was that we must move out even further from the boundaries of the refuge. The ducks we had seen off Egg Island were casuals, not the big flocks, but they were within range. By the second day of the season the flights learn to approach the feeding grounds on Butler high and then drop in fast after they have passed far above the guns of hunters in shore blinds and reed-covered boats near the refuge.
The subtle swiftness of these tidal waters made a lot of our decisions for us, and we decided to cut again through the South Altamaha with both boats, this time into the Mackay River south to Wally's Leg. Here was enough water to ride out the tide changes and, if our plans were true, to catch some of the big flights before they swung up high for the approach to Butler.
The talk was good and the hour late when we turned in; Bill snored once and the alarm sounded, bouncing us again into the pre-dawn chill of the Georgia marshes. The lights in The Shanty penetrated only a few feet into the heavy fog as we pulled in again for breakfast and lunch packs for the long day. It was early, but there was a lot of water between the South River docks and Wally's Leg. We wanted time to place our stool as enticingly as possible to convince these high flyers that Walley's Leg had as much to offer as the free lunch at Butler Island.
Chuck Childs tries his duck call a t Butler's Isl a nd.
40

We were less than a mile through the South Altamaha when our plans sputtered and coughed out with the motor on Bill's boat. He and Ken in the smaller boat had been keeping pace with Chuck and Sammy and me. Suddenly they were falling back in black clouds of smoke and becalmed as the motor quit. It had pushed through many miles of mud creek and fresh water coves and sloughs in upland Georgia, but the salt air and. heavy tide had stopped it. The night before a shrimp boat had cost Sammy and me our evening gunning, and now a dead engine did the job for the five of us on the morning shoot. The jinx was sticking. Sammy remembered back to the previous winter when his lovingly hand -loaded .308 had snapped dead at an 8-point buck during the refuge hunt at Lake Burton. The sun was well up; and we had heard distant shots when Bill threw down his pliers, warmed the chill air with a few final words, and we began the long tow back to camp, glancing up occasionally at the ducks headed for our rendezvous in Wally's Leg.
The rental motor was old and ill-tempered but running as we headed out again at slower speed in two-
The author, his face smeared with smut, sights on incoming flo c k .
boat convoy, retracing our morning route. The afternoon sun had caught the mood of the morning and disappeared as we worked our way slowly into the white caps of the Mackay. The wind and tide were fighting us now, but the sky was a chill steel gray, disgorging frequent spatters of rain as we swung out into the wide water where the Frederica River swam south away from the Mackay. At last the signs were good. Far ahead of us thick groups of black specks rode the bouncing water, and ducks of some species strange to us ran off ahead of our boats. I put the glasses on them, shrugged ques tioningly and passed the binoculars to Chuck, who doubles as champion caller and identification expert. The cosmopolitan waters of this coast had shown us in years gone by species foreign to our usual fresh water haunts; we settled for seater; exact species unknown.

In duck hunting, the call's the thing!
We were approaching the entrance to Wally's Leg when Bill and Ken, after a moment's consultation, cut away and coaxed their surly motor toward a smaller creek. With luck they would be positioned to work in tandem with the three of us in keeping the birds moving - with luck.
The tide was changing and the day disappearing as we cut into the big creek or small river that is Wally's Leg. About 70 yards wide at low tide it promised fair pass shots at any flocks followin g the water toward Butler Island. The heavy saw grass and thick reeds of this coastal region makes the banks of every creek a prefabricated duck blind. As usual I chose the moist but reasonably stable footin g of the shore in preference to the dry instability of the boat. I pushed out of the boat and back a few feet into the reeds to wait out this last hour of our second day.
From a hundred yards further down I heard the first tentative rasps as Chuck cleared his throat and his duck call. He and Sammy were in the boat, pushed hard into the reeds on a rising tide, and waiting as I was for the first shot of this three-day hunt.
The rain was steady now, trying to find its way into my parka ; and I shivered with cold and anticipation, waiting for something to happen. The day was almost over, and after thirty minutes I had despondently moved out toward the water's edge to yell to Chuck and Sammy for taxi service when the sound began. Suddenly thick flocks of small swift ducks-surely teal- beat through the wet air in a strong rushing sound I'd never heard before, aimed straight over my head toward Butler Island. There was no need for concealment ; the high grass at my back shielded me as I stood in the black mud and stared up at the flocks of twenty, thirty, fifty teal streaking thirty yards over my head. After four long years of search I had landed in the exact middle of a narrow duck-choked path with scant minutes to shoot. Finally I shook off the wonder of it all and threw down on a straggler in a flock of twenty and dropped him with the right barrel. I threw the left shell ten feet behind a second and fumbled two more number 4's into the Parker as I heard Chuck and Sammy open upshooting toward the hole in the sky above my head that was releasing this steady stream of ducks. Another teal veered slightly away from his flight and the right barrel

dropped him into the blackening waters of Wally's Leg. He fluttered and tried to rise as the second load of shot met him. The steady sound of wing beats continued, but I looked at my watch and broke my gun . I watched as the flight continued against the blackenin g sky until the sound of the motor cranking up veered them away from us.
Sammy ran the boat in to pick me up, and we cut out into the swifter water to pick up the ducks we had dropped- green-wings. Chuck and Sam had dropped two each ; one of Chuck's r ode out a magnum load to fall, irretrievable, deep in the marshes. We had five green-wings in the boat and headed back into the quick darknes to meet Ken and Bill and compare bags before the long, wet ride home. They had not seen the heavy fli ghts but had gunned down one each in quick pass shots at birds we had sent them.
Again we rode tow back to South River Camp as the other motor, feeling its years, coughed out. We didn 't feel the cold or the salty wet on the long trip back through the buoy-marked blackness. We had found one key to the mysteries of these Georgia marshes, and there was another day to come. The teal might never fl y that course again, but we had meat in the boat and tomorrow- maybe canvasback. Ahead of us at last, lights and a forgotten jinx wa hed out by seven green-wing teal and glasses of warm whiskey.
EQUIPMENT AND COST
WEAPON Shotgun, ideal is double-barrel with right barrel modified, left barrel full o r extra full . For single barrel guns a choke lets you adjust to the conditions that prevail, pass shooting or shooting over decoys. Cost-$200.00 absolute tops; banging from boat o r blind is hard on a shotgun so don ' t aver-buy. Again $50.00 will do it. Use number 4 or 6 ma gnums. CLOTHING Dress like a duck, in layers, waterproof and warm; insulated underwear, light wool shirt, sweater, waterproof pants with rubberized knees and seat, waterproof coat or parka , boots, waterproofed by science or a good ru bber/ leather combination, hat or cap with ear flaps, all in camouflage colors and water proof, not water resistant. Add to water proofing with a spray can of Gard. Warm gloves, two pairs.
DOG
Good if you can afford it. Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Newfoundla nds, Weimaraners, even Spaniels ma ke good heavy-coated water proof blind companions-if properly trained and simpat ico. INCIDENTALS Endless-duck call, thermos, canteen, binoculars, duffel bag with dry socks and shirt, revolving seat shellbox, rubberized parka and pants, waders, camera, hand warmers, hand warmer kidney belt, rubberized gloves, knife, life preserver, boat- fibergla ss best to take 12 horse moto r, boat trailer, and decoys. The decoys can. cost $. 88 or $10.00. A good set of blocks, up to 50, can be had far $100 and will last for years. Try the local merchant. Follow the instructions as to rigging the blocks and tossing them a ut. Ducks are smart and sharp-eyed; they don' t like phonies. WHERE Ducks like food ond water. Try the Chattahoochee, Lanier, Allatoona, Jackson, Sinclair, High Falls, the Altamaha and Tuga loo Rivers, Woodruff. Aim eventually for Stuttgart, Arkansas, or Ma tta muskeet, N . C. Get up earl y; the best shooting is at day break and dusk. Buy a duck stamp at the post office and sign it.
41

Enforcement Chief Cliff Palmer makes a routine check of dove hunters for license violations.

Sportsmen in UNIFORM

A familiar sight in a Georgia dove field is a State Fish and Game Ranger and his partner quickly and efficiently moving from stand to stand, checking licenses, and dead birds.
The true sportsman is always glad to see these men. For the most part the rangers are courteous and dedi cated public servants enforcing the written rules. If a hunter pays his state license fee, contributes to water fowl propagation by buying a duck stamp, shoots no more than three times without reloading and scabbards his gun when he fills out, he likes to think that some body appreciates him. These homely virtues game war dens do appreciate.
There are a few hunters who react badly when they see a game ranger. They desperately try to plug their automatics or start flinging dead doves into the cane brake. Fortunately, those game bandits are few, but it's good to know there is organized, intelligently adminis tered opposition to flagrant violation of game regula tions.
Behind the wardens in the field is a complex organi

zation of scientists, administrators, chemical workers, publicists and all of the personnel required to try to please politicians and public, informed and uninformed. Game and Fish people are fallible; like anyone they make about as many bad deci ions as they make good. Generally, they succeed and for this they should be appreciated.
Enforcement of game regulations has become increas ingly complex with the advances of science. The ranger can still spend a week on hor eback, packing his grub deep into the mountains to seek out violators. Don't be surpri ed though to see him skimming over your stool of decoys in a modern amphibious plane. Flexibility in communications through the intelligent use of radio has thwarted game robbers as well as bank robbers. The rangers are well equipped and well trained. They work hard to protect the public's wildlife and to educate this public on the value of this priceless possession.
When next you see a truck with Department mark ings- state or federal-driving down a mud rutted road, wave your hand. These men deserve recognition.

Left: Wildlife rangers ore constantly in touch with trouble areas via two-way radios. Right: Chief J. D. Atchison issues instructions from his bose radio station in Metter.

By BOB SHORT
Editor, Georgia Game and Fish
From the Mountains to the Sea
The outdoorsman, whether he is hunter, fisherman, or camper is a lucky mortal. Georgia outdoorsmen who have hunted and walked the woods of this state as boys and then as men are even luckier mortals. They learned from their fathers to love and respect these woods. Their fathers, as boys, had kicked up coveys of quail where now stand pavement and houses.
As our sons grow to manhood, we should teach them, a we ourselves learned, what the woodlands and marshes of Georgia offer. These woodlands are shrinking; yesterday's deer stand is today's drive-in theatre. Progress i inevitable but eventually there must be a pause. Something green must be preserved for us, and for newcomers arriving with the very industries which tend to restrict the available woodland as they enrichen the communities they join.
Georgia is a large tate, the largest east of the Missi sippi, and Georgia is a rich state-less in actuality than in potential. There is in Georgia every variety of wood land and marsh to offer sustenance and cover for many forms of wildlife. We have only to recognize this fact and appreciate it to open up to ourselves and our children a rich reserve of pleasure and adventure.
From Hell Hole Gorge in the Georgia mountains to the Altamaha River on the Georgia coast, we have waiting for a variety of hunting and outdoor living that few states can match. Take your choice of the cold crispne s of the Eli Field high above Lake Burton or the alt-stained air of Wally's Leg off the Mackay River near Darien. Take your choice of a .308 Sako for the 8-point buck at Burton or a 12 gauge Parker mooth bore for the teal at Butler Island. The fun and richness are there for the taking, for yo u and your children.
Men with love and respect for the wilderness and its creatures mu t unite in spirit to preserve ' hat we have and pass on this legacy, unimpaired .
To this end the special hunting edition of the Georgia Game and Fish Commission Magazine i dedicated.

Georgia Game and Fish Commission
412 State Capitol Building
Atlanta, Georgia

SEC . 34.66, P. L. & R.
U. S. POSTAGE
PAID
. ATLANTA, GA. PERMIT NO. 1SS
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