Georgia game and fish [Vol. 5, no. 11 (Fall 1956)]

COVER PACES
FRONT COVER: A fine specimen from the "Quail
Capital of the World."
BACK COVER: The wild turkey is usually recog-
nized by the chestnut colored tips of his tail feathers.

Deer Population .. ..... . .......... ....... 2

Mama Turtle

3

Talking Turkey

.... ..... . .... 5

Swamp Philosopher

6

Farmer-Sportsman

......... ........ 7

Short Story

9

Kettledrummer

....... .......... . .10

Georgia's Duck Motel ...................... 11

Piedmont Deer

.... 12

Drugged Darts for Deer ........... .. .....15

Clapper Rail ......... .. .. ............. .....18

My Camera Was Loaded...

... 19

Letters to the Editor

...... 21

Poem

..... 24

Commissioners .. .. .................... 26

Reaching Outdoors

.27

Is the Population of Deer in Georgia

Great Enough to Warrant a Doe Season?

THE deer situation in Georgia has changed quite a bit over the past few decades. In the early 1920's, a deer in North Georgia

was about as scarce as a wild elephant would be today. In the rest

of the state, a hunter could spot one occasionally when he penetrated

deep into the woods in search of other game. Today there are over

35,000 deer in Georgia, and with the beginning of a new stocking

-

program, there will be even

more in the future.

This has not come about rapidly nor without a great many

problems. Our stocking program

first began around 1925. At the

outset only a few deer were brought in from the Pisgah Nat-

ional Forest in North Carolina. A management area was set up at Rock Creek and these deer were turned loose in that area. The stocking continued at inter-

vals and as the deer multiplied,

other management areas were opened.

In 1940, only twelve years after the stocking program began,
the first controlled hunt was held on the management area and 22

bucks were taken. In 1943, the

first opened hunt was declared

in the mountain counties. This

FULTON LOVELL

hunt permitted the use of dogs

Director, Game and Fish Commission and over 200 bucks were killed.

Since the stocking program

began, deer have multiplied rapidly in spots throughout the state.

There have been several factors which have helped them along. For one thing, effective law enforcement and heavier fines have greatly reduced the amount of poaching. Also, better farming and forestry practices have provided more food for those deer in the open ranges. But in the main, the increase is due to the careful development of

the management areas and the constant efforts of those personnel

on these areas. Today there are seven management areas opened to the public
for hunting each year. They are located at Cohutta, Lake Burton, Chestatee, Chattahoochee, Blue Ridge, Lake Russell and Piedmont. In addition to these, there are plans under way to set up several management areas in Middle and South Georgia.

Some people have expressed concern over the abundance of deer

in Georgia. There is a feeling among some groups that deer are be-

coming over-populated, and that steps should be taken to decrease the population. However, this is not a true picture of the deer situation throughout the state. On the contrary, the deer population of Georgia is far less than the number which we could support. There are approximately 35,000 deer in the state, and it has been

estimated that our deer ranges could support as many as 400,000

without any damage to farms and cattle.

(Continued on Page 19)

Fall Edition

GEORGIA GAME AND FISH

Vol. 5, No. 11

BILL ATKINSON, Editor

SHIRLING CALDWELL, Associate Editor

GLYNN WORLEY, Photographer

Published by the Georgia Game and Fish Commission , 412 State Capitol, .Atlanta, Georgia, In the Interest of Georgia wildlife and for fishermen , buntf
ers, nature lovers and conservation of natu ral resources. There Is no subscription fee-this publication Is free and Is paid for by the purchase o fishing a-nd huntlng licenses. Please notify us at once of any change of address. Contents of this magazine may be reprinted with proper credit.
This publication welcomes pictures, drawlnga, stories and articles dealing With outdoor s ubjects for consideration. No contrlbutlons will be returned unless solicited by authorized party representlnl: Game & Fish Commission and accompanied by sufflcl~nt postage. Entered as third class postage.

Mamma Tu..tle
Lays Be.. Eggs
ACH year on the beaches of Jekyll Island,
hundreds of tourists can be found from all parts of the country. Some are there for the first time; others have been there before to gaze in wonderment at the many forms of wildlife found on the island, and to bask in the South Georgia sunshine. Some will return next year and others will go on to new sites during their vacations. But the islanders can be sure that each year as the first full moon of June rises from the ocean, that old mama turtle will be there to lay her eggs.
This year, during the early part of laying season, we rode along the beach at high tide with Wildlife Ranger Ray Hill. The "crawls" were plainly visible under the moonlight where the turtles had gone up into the soft sand to lay their eggs. Whenever there was one "crawl" we knew she was in the process of laying, and if there were two "crawls," one alongside the other, evidently she had finished laying, for they usually follow their tracks back to the ocean.
We caught one just as she was coming out of the ocean and we stopped the jeep to watch her movements. As she pulled her huge bulk out of the water and started her laborious journey up the beach to the soft sand, it was clearly evident that she wasn't made to travel on land. Her fore and hind flippers that served her so well in the water became crude and cumbersome instruments as she dragged her heavy frame over the sand.
Seemingly undaunted by the people standing around her, she crawled directly towards the high ground and soft sand. When she found a suitable spot, she slowly rotated her body in a semi-circle until she was dug in several inches. By this time, sand was spread over her entire body which afforded her some camouflage as she blended in with the beach. Then she began the job of digging the hole for her eggs.
For digging, she used her two hind flippers.
This one decided she wasn't ready so she turned and went back into
tile sea.

Huge tears can be seen coming from the eyes of mamma turtle as she begins her laying.
With her right flipper, she reached under the rear of her shell, scooped up a flipper full of sand and meticulously laid it aside. Then shifting her body to the right, she reached under with her left flipper and took more sand from the same spot. She repeated this methodical movement until she had dug a hole about eighteen inches deep.
When the hole was completed, she shifted her body slightly and pointed her tail directly into the hole to drop her eggs. She dropped them in spurts of one, two and three. And each time the eggs dropped, her labor pains were evident, as her flippers jerked upward spasmodically and huge. tears rolled down her rough cheeks.
After she laid a hundred or so eggs about 1%, inches in diameter, she appeared completely exhausted. She lay very still and breathed heavily for a few minutes, then began the process of covering up her handiwork.
She used the same flippers for covering the hole that she used for digging. She packed the hole firmly with sand, then raked in more sand from the sides and raised her body with all four
(Continued on Next Page)
Atlanta police chief Herbert T. Jenkins looks on as mamma turtle continues her laying.

If you observe closely, you can see Jhe flipper
full of sand as she digs a hole for her eggs.
flippers and pounded the sa.nd with her stomach. Then, w1th her maternal instincts apparently satisfied, she began her slow journey back to the water.
There probably has been more myths concerning sea turtles than any other animal. Their longevity is well known to most people who know little else about turtles. The popular belief is that they live for several hundred years, and while this is probably true, there is no actual proof of one living beyond two hundred years. A giant turtle was supposed to have lived on St. Helena for more than 120 years and to have been well known to Napoleon during his exile. However, later evidence proved that there were actually two turtles whose period of residence overlapped.
Information c o n c e r n i n g growth rates in turtles has been obtained from a study of rings in the scales of the carapace and plastron (the upper and lower shells). During periods of growth, new scales form underneath the old ones and underlap, causing a ring by which the approximate age can be determined. However, it has been found that the older rings wear away or else shed periodically and eventually smooth out the typography of the shelL For this reason, it is difficult to determine the age of the turtle after several years.
4

Herpetologists all agree that the turtle matures very rapidly. One weighing about 29 pounds and about three years old, reached a weight of 360 pounds during seven years residence in California. A captive loggerhead grew from a hatchling to a weight of 80 pounds in four and one-half years.
The largest turtle known is the leatherback, which reaches a weight of 1,500 pounds, and possibly even a ton. The biggest green turtles and loggerheads weigh between 500 and 1,000 pounds.
The turtle that is most familiar to the Georgia waters is the
A very timely shot, as the egg drops into the hole .
loggerhead, which is easily recognized by its reddish-brown color and elongated heart-shaped shell. It will usually attain a weight of about 400 pounds, and there are records of some weighing 900 pounds. The loggerhead is a confirmed wanderer. He can be found basking in the sun on some remote beach, or in little creeks barely wide enough for him to navigate, and he has sometimes been reported on the high seas.
The incubation period of the loggerhead is about 45 days. When the eggs are hatched, the young hatchlings crawl up through the sand and make their

way to the sea. These young hatchlings are seldom seen once they reach the water, and their activities remain a mystery.
The meat of the loggerhead is served as a delicacy in certain areas, but most people find it tough and stringy. However, the meat, shell and flippers are used to make soup, and the eggs are gathered by the thousands in some areas of the world and are said to be more delicious than chicken eggs.
The nest of a turtle on the open beach is easy prey to the egg hunters, and the awkward slow crawling turtle is no match even for the most inexperienced meat hunter. In a very few years this animal would be in danger of extirpation had not the Georgia Game and Fish Commission declared no open season on turtles.
So the next time you are on Jekyll Island during the early part of summer, stroll along the beach late at night and look for the "crawls" in the sand. Watch old mother turtle as she goes through the painful process of reproducing her species, but do not hinder or molest her, for her task is difficult enough, and leave her handiwork untouched so that future generations may gaze at i:his same marvel of nature.
It took approximately 20 minutes to lay these 83 eggs. They were carefully placed back into the hole and covered with sand.

Talking Turkey
In the Spring
TURKEY hunting in the Spring! It sounds a lit tle strange, but such was the case this past April as Georgia held its first organized turkey hunt.
The regular season for hunting wild turkey is November 20 through February 25, but the Spring hunters found it a little easier and much warmer as they bagged eight gobblers during the sevenday hunt. A total of 103 hunters took part in the affair which was held on the two management areas at Blue Ridge and Lake Burton.
Eight turkeys may seem like a small number for so many hunters, but any experienced woodsman who has witnessed the cagey habits of this game bird can tell you that there is no animal more capable of taking care of itself after maturity, and none more capable at times of strange impulses and inconsistencies.
The fact that the wild turkey has diminished quite a bit is not due to its inability to take care of itself after reaching maturity, or to the small animals and predatory birds that eat the eggs or kill the young. It is due to the poachers who hunt them out of season before they are grown. There is nothing more defenseless or foolish than a covey of half-grown turkeys when they are flushed or separated. But after they reach the age of about one year, they develop the traits of alertness, cautiousness, shrewdness and an uncanny knowledge of the hunters movements and intentions.
To bag a full-grown gobbler, the hunter must match his wits against all these traits. He must also have the perseverance which is sometimes needed when he takes his stand in the swamps or on top of some cold mountain and waits for hours without so much as hearing a turkey.
During mating season a gobbler is more easily fooled than at any other time. However, even then the wise old gobblers who have observed the tricks of man from season to season are most suspicious and cautious when answering a call, and often will approach silently to observe the source of the call .
. There are various callers used for luring the birds. Some hunters call with their mouths, and others use artificial membranes in their mouths. The most popular caller is a small box and a piece of chalky slate - the sound being produced by rubbing the slate across the lips of the box. The real test of the turkey hunter comes when he Tttempts to imitate the seductive call of the hen.
he greatest and most common mistake is to call too much. The experienced hunter usually calls
(Continued on Page 22)
(1) This 19-pound gobbler was killed during the Spring turkey hunt
:n the Lake Burton Refuge Area. (2) A typical caller used by turkey
unters. (3) They're wild, but safe in the sanctuary of Jekyll Island.

fii*I*-WU#tlfl! - The Familiar Call of the Swamp Philosopher

THIS is one of the things you have been waiting for all winter.
You're alone at night by a Georgia river.
There's no moon, and everything is still except the occasional humming of a mosquito about yo ur ear.
Then it happens! Brr-wump! A great voice like an angry hull's splits the silence. And a chorus of brr-wumps, greater and smaller, echoes all along the river's edge.
This is the signal, and if you happen to have a boat you push off from shore. Otherwise, you begin a careful patrol down a long the bank. Gig in one hand and ligh t in the other, yo1:1 move quietly towards the spot on the bank where the bullfrogs are bellowing their love song.
As you come nearer, the bullfrogs hush for a few minutes. You scan the matted growth at the water's edge carefully with your light. Presently the beam catches two huge eye which shine from a half submerged log, and you inch forward, keeping the light directly on them.
Slowly, cautiously, not to make t he least disturbance, you raise the gig to strike.
6

When, faster than your eye can follow, the bullfrog makes a leap and puts four more feet between him and you, and he disappears in the depths of the river.
Bullfrog gigging doesn't always end on the frustrating note of the above hunt. If you have keen eyes and a good aim, chances are you'll end up with a dozen or so bullfrogs whose plump and tender legs will provide you with some of the best eating you've ever had.
You'll find Br'er Bullfrog in just about any clean but slow moving stream or pond. He particularly likes the edges of millponds, re s ervoirs, and small lakes. Look for him where there is a fringe of overhanging dead trees, floating logs, and submerged roots and limbs.
As a rule, bullfrogs are solitary creatures. They have favorite perches where they like to sit and sing and philosophize. If a bullfrog escapes your gig by diving, come back to the same spot.in a few minutes. He'll probably be sitting in his old perch. During mating season, however, bullfrogs are quite sociable, and

you might kill several within a few feet of each other.
The successful frog hunter makes sure his gig is long and
sharp enough. Ten feet is about the right length. Use a three or four pronged gig. An old bullfrog's hide is pretty tough. When
you stick him, drive him down against the bottom if you can, to make sure that he stays good and stuck.
Use a bright light. A battery
or carbide lamp fitted over your cap is best, but a powerful flashlight is also effective. Keep it focused at the edge of the water, and move it slowly and systematically ahead of you so that you can cover every bit of the shoreline with your eyes.
Last of all, look out for moccasins. Remember that they like bullfrogs as much as you do and a bullfrog's bellow is like a dinner-bell to them. They'll also pick up your beam of light and f ollow it directly to you like an airplane coming in for an instrument landing.
You'll find two particular kinds of bullfrogs in Georgia.
They are about the same size and color, have similar habits, and
(Continued on Page 22)

FarmerSportsman Relationship Should Be Restored

With a decided incline in the

hunting and fishing pressure each year, the sportsmen are

A farmer points out the boundaries of his land that are safe for hunting.

finding fewer and fewer hunting and fishing areas opened to
them. One of the main reasons for
this is that some of them are no longer welcomed in many places where they used to hunt and fish as long as they liked. And in most cases, the reason they are not welcome is due to their own carelessness and lack of courtesy during their visit to these places
The farmers are always glad to have sportsmen use their land, but only if they are treated politely and courteously. Too many so called sportsmen have violated the rules of common courttesy by not getting the land owners permission to use his land and not giving him a chance to point out the areas where his crops are planted and his cattle are grazing.
Some of the fishermen will

take their families to a farmer's pond for a day of fishing and a picnic. Then, after the picnic they rush back to their fishing, leaving bottles and paper scattered over the area for the farmer to clean up after they leave. Some of the hunters have been known to leave gates opened allowing the cattle to get out and roam in the open fields. One South Georgia farmer lost hundreds of dollars when his cows were turned loose in an opened field that had been poisoned.
There have also been cases of hunters mistaking cows for deer. A true sportsman never pulls the trigger of his weapon on any game until he is sure of what he is shooting, but too many inexperienced hunters become excited in the woods and shoot at anything they see moving in the

bushes. And the trouble is, a farmer can't look at a man and tell whether he is a sportsman or an inexperienced hunter.
There are over 35,000 ponds in Georgia with some of the finest fishing found anywhere. Most of these pond owners would prefer having people fish in their ponds. For one thing, steady fishing keeps the pond from becoming over populated with fish, and another reason is that most of them charge one dollar for fishing privileges which helps pay for their fertilizer. But when it becomes necessary for the pond owner to clean up an area after the fishermen leave and suffer various discour.tesies from the fishermen, he no longer feels like letting them fish.
With winter hunting, there is always the danger of fires

spreading from the camp site

After receiving permission from the owner, these two hunters stroll into the woods for a day to the woods. Many farmers

of hunting.

have suffered loss of timber

from the match of some careless

hunter.

To be considerate of his fellow-

man is a mark of the true sports-

man. And whenever he visits the

lands of another, he usually fol-

lows these basic rules of cour-

tesy:

1. Ask permission of the land-

owner before using his property

to hunt and fish.

2. Be careful not to damage

any crops or endanger any live-

stock.

3. Close all gates so livestock

will not get out.

(Continued on Page 22)

7

TH~ NIMROD AN O TH~ CAT
-.
/

'"'
J u:Jf t,l ow ~~ :J~ou/Jer:J wa:J a t ig gaping ~o/. /rom w~ic~ t fooJ oozeJ Jown ~~ :JiJe.
BY SHIRLING CALDWELL
/ felt a little out of place when I joined the group of North Georgia woodsmen that day near Rabun Gap. I had never been deer hunting and, without exception, every man there had killed at least one deer. I had the feeling that most of the men didn't appreciate my presence in the group. As Bob had explained to me earlier, they were kind of leary of having a "city slicker," as he termed it, "loose in the woods with a loaded gun." Bob had more or less assumed responsibility for my actions on the hunt and had carefully instructed me on the habits of the deer and how to conduct myself in the woods. I wasn't worried about anything, myself. I knew how to handle a rifle, having been an infantryman in the Army, and the only thing that concerned me was whether or not I could get close enough to a deer to get a decent shot. Had I been a more experienced hunter, I would have realized that it wasn't all that simple.
The evening before, Bob and I had eaten in a restaurant in the little town of Clayton nearby. At the table next to ours, I overheard some men talking about a cat; not an ordinary cat but, from what I gathered of the conversation, a large wild one that had been seen near .that area. This was the second time I had heard this mentioned and I asked Bob what kind of cat they were talking about. "Well, I don't rightly know," he replied, in the vernacular of a true North Georgian, for Bob had lived in this section all his life. "Two or three of the fellows
(Continued on Page 24)
9

Hearest thou that bird?

I list'ned and from 'midst the depth of woods,
Heard the signal of the grouse, A sound like distant thunder;

I ~~r
1 l

Slow the strokes at first, then faster and faster U!-1

'Till at length they passed into a murmer and were still.

Ket e

A-' t . '1 t races of snow

le.: 'It'

t;1ountains and the

"'..- --m air slips into the valleys,

' . e on an old dead chest-

uu lv!:.. 1 .1e kettle-drummer is

telling the world that he is a

part of mother nature's orches-

tra. And nearby, a hen is at-

tracted to the drumming and

slowly approaches to investigate.

She comes upon a magnificent

sight, as she gazes at her mate

with his neck ruffed, tail spread

and performing an irresistible

dance of love. This characteris-

tic drumming of the male usually

ushers in the mating season

which runs from April through

July.

There are several theories con-

cerning the drumming of a male

grouse. Some say that it is to

attract a mate, others interpret

it as a challenge to other male' grouse to try and dislodge him
from his log, and still others say it has no particular meaning. Whichever theory you accept,
there is still no doubt that the female grouse is attracted to the noise during mating season.
Many hunters who brag of
their ability to steel their nerves when a covey of quail flushes "under their heels," find themselves completely bewildered at the sudden explosion of a grouse taking flight. His wings are
short and capable of fast bursts of speed. He has been clocked at 50 miles per hour in open country, but he seldom exceeds 30 miles per hour in wooded areas.
The grouse of Georgia are found only in the mountainous section of the state, and the ter-

rain is usually a hunters nightmare. It penetrates deep into the ra:vines of the mountains where the laurel is so thick a hunter can hardly push his way through. A dog, unless trained for this type of hunting is more of a handicap than an asset. Still, with these odds against them, there are a few hunters who make it an annual affair to pit their skills against this phantom of the hills.
After the mating takes place, the hen begins looking for a place to raise her family. She builds her nest and lays her first egg about one week later. Other eggs follow at the rate of about two every three days until she has laid 10 or 12 eggs. Then
(Continued on Page 22)

(Left) A proud hunter holds up one that didn't get nay. (Right) Typical grouse country in the North Georgia -untains.

Georgia$ "DUCK MOTEl."

Thousands of Ducks Now Use Butlers Island as Their Permanent Winter Resort.

A few years after the Revolutionary War, Major Pierce Butler had no idea that he was laying the ground work for what is now one of the most modern and up-to-date waterfowl refuges on the Atlantic Flyway.
Major Butler purchased what we know today as Butlers Island and built one of the finest rice plantations in the colonies. It is said that he picked this spot because it was far enough from the ocean not to be affected by salt water and yet close enough to benefit from the tides pushing the water back to flood his rice fields. As years passed, the Island was passed from hand to hand until 1954 when it was bought by the State Game and Fish Commission for a waterfowl refuge. The old dykes, canals and flood gates were repaired and the Altamaha River Waterfowl Refuge came into being.
For years Georgia has been loosing many of its duck hunters because the State offered little protection to the ducks as they migrated to the South and back North again. It is felt that with the addition of this refuge along with our many ponds and reservoirs, the duck hunters of Georgia can look forward to a brighter future.
At the present time, the object of this refuge is to establish a permanent stopping place for the ducks as they migrate South. It will be comparable to Lake Mattamuskeet in North Carolina and the other large feeding and and resting grounds in the flyways throughout the United States.
Last year after the experimental planting, there was an estimated 8,000 ducks to stop over and feed on the few plots of buckwheat that were planted.
(Continued on Page 25)

(1) A crane is used to clear off areas for planting and to dig ditches for irrigation. (2) Irrigation ditches such as this one weave in and out of the huge patches of wild rice and duckweed . (3) Over 15,000 of these ducks are expected on and around Butlers Island this year.
11

Out/celt on
The Piedmont
Prospects are Better This Year Than Ever Before
BY BOB CANNON
I N 1952 the Game and Fish Commission opened the Piedmont Wildlife Management Area to the deer hunters of the state for the first time. At that time, it was felt that this area would produce some of the largest deer in the state due to the excellent range and the fact that a number of the large northern whitetailed deer, imported from Wisconsin, had been released on the area some years previous.
On the first hunt in 1952, there were approximately 200 hunters, but since most of them were not familiar with the area, only 10 deer were killed. In 1953, there were 375 hunters and 33 deer were killed. The additional hunters and the permission for hunters to use rifles on this area for the first time were the main factors in an increased kill. The use of shotguns only the previous year resulted in a number of deer being crippled that were not recovered. Although only one-third of the hunters used
T. W. Cannon poses with the 227 pound buck he bagged in the Piedmont Area last year.

rifles during the 1953 hunts, they accounted for two-thirds of the total deer kill. Also, a check of the hunters revealed that of ten wounded deer that were not recovered, nine had been shot by hunters using shotguns.
The big year for the Piedmont Area thus far was in 1954. By then, hunters were more familiar with the hunting compartments, more experienced deer hunters were attracted to the area and more hunters were using rifles. During this hunt, there were 567 hunters and 57 deer were killed. The average weight of these deer was 175 pounds which was approximately 40 pounds greater than the average of deer taken in other areas of the state.
During the 1954 hunt, Mr. H. G. Carmichael of Macon, Georgia, came in from his stand and told his partners that he had killed a nice buck and needed some help to pull it in. After joking about every man for himself, they started out to bring it in. As they approached the kill, one of his hunting partners turned white and said, "Mike, you've killed somebody's Brahma bull." When they finally got him back to the checking station and weighed him in, he tipped the scales at 308 pounds. After checking, it was found that this was a record for the Southeast. He had fifteen points and his neck carried many scars from fighting with other bucks.
There is one deer, a big grey-

Here is the largest deer reported in the Southeast. Shot by H. G. Carmichael in 1954, this buck weighed 308 pounds and had 15 points.
sided buck with a rocking chair rack, that A. B. Briscoe, the manager of the area, has been watching for several years. Other hunters have seen this buck but so far no one has been lucky enough to bag him. Everyone that has seen this deer says that it will go over 300 pounds, and an adding machine would be needed to count the points. This old fellow has been named the "Phantom of the Piedmont." Mike says when he killed his record deer there were two bucks together, and he killed the smaller one. So maybe Mike killed the brother of the "Phantom of the Piedmont."
In 1955, additional deer hunting was made possible when the State Game and Fish Commission declared deer hunting legal
(Continued on Page 23)

IT'S ALL IN A DAY'S HUNTING
During hunting season, these scenes will be common in the many huntin9 areas found throughout the state.

Jack Crockford, of the Game Management diYision, poses with the weapon he developed to propel the darts.
Jack Crockford and Sam Caldwell watch as Dr. Hayes checks the heartbeat of a young buck after he was hit with a dart. Dean Jones, of the Veterinary School, checks the heart beat, as Dr. Hayes injects penicillin into the deer.

Capturing Deer T es on a New Look With the Use Drugged Darts

Georgia Develops New Technique for Transferring Deer From One Area to . Another.

BY SHIRLING CALDWELL


ON a little island off the coast of Savannah, a group of men have been experimenting for

the past two years on a new technique for cap-

turing wild animals.

The men are from the Georgia Game and Fish

Commission and the University of Georgia. On

this 35,000-acre laboratory, known as Ossabaw

Island, they have been shooting deer with drugged

darts in an attempt to find the most effective drug.

On their most recent visit to Ossabaw, I went

along to watch them complefe the final stages of

the experiement. Dr. Frank Hayes, of the Veter-

inary School, had tested strychnine and several

other drugs before he finally discovered that nico-

tine would do the job. The gun used to propel the

darts was devised by Jack Crockford of the Game

and Fish Commission. He had converted a Cross-

Irian air rifle and attached a telescopic sight for

night hunting. This type of hunting must be done

at night, so the hunter can stalk the deer without

being seen.

r

That night, we started out about 9 o'clock in a

jeep. Jack sat on the hood of the jeep with his

gun resting across his knees, so he could disem-

bark quickly whenever we spotted a deer. Dr.

Hayes stood in the rear of the jeep with a spot-

light and shined it back and forth through the

woods as we rode along. A deer is easy to spot

at night for he looks directly into a light and his

eyes glisten like two bright marbles.

In a short time, we spotted several of them in

the woods about 30 yards from the jeep. Jack

slid off the front of the jeep and started walking

silently around to their flank. as Dr. Hayes played

This one's enjoying a nice snooze while under the effect of the drug. Tomorrow he'll wonder if it was all a nightmare.

the spotlight back and forth to hold their attention. As Jack drew a little closer, he switched on a light which was attached to the top of his head, and the spotlight from the jeep was turned off.
For the next few minutes everything was quiet, as Jack crept closer and closer. It was necessary for him to get squarely abreast of the deer, and close enough for a direct shot. Otherwise, the dart might go in at an angle and the deer would not get the full dose of the drug. Jack kept playing his light back and forth and, from the jeep we could see the deer as the light passed across them. When he came to about 25 feet of the deer he stopped and held his light steady on the rear shank of one of the bucks. We couldn't see him aiming in the dark, but we heard the sharp ping! as the dart left the gun. The buck jumped slightly as the dart went into his hip. Then he stood motionless as the nicotine began to take effect. The other deer scampered off into the woods at the sound of the shot.
Jack switched off the bright light and turned on a red one to watch the deer's movements. The bright light irritates the deer when it's held directly on him and sometimes he attempts to escape before the full effect of the drug hits him. But under the red light he stood very still as though hypnotized for two or three minutes, then he began to sag as if his body was too heavy for his legs. His rear legs buckled first, and he held on for a few seconds supported by his fore legs, then toppled over on his side.
We stayed by the jeep until Jack had approached him and turned on his bright light. Then Dr. Hayes grabbed his medical bag and we ran toward the deer. He was out cold, but his eyes were still opened and saliva was coming from his mouth. Dr. Hayes knelt down and examined his heartbeat with a stethoscope then he shot him with a dose of penicillin to ward off infection. He also smeared the dart wound with screw-worm
(Continued on Page 23)
Here's a close view of the converted Crossman air rifle and the darts.

.

Jack Crockford makes a soft pillow for tJte deer's head 01 Dr. ttaya., Director Fulton Lovell and Dean Jones look on.
Dean Jones examines one that was held for observation to check the effects of the drug. Dr. Hayes, who developed the drug, watches as the drug wears off and the buck tries to stand. He' ll never explain his condition at home, so maybe he better sleep this one off.

--

MANY HUNTERS ARE LOSING THEIR "SQUIRREL FEVER"

BY BILL ATKINSON
i/ few years ago, many hunters
throughout the state looked forward each year to that first day of hunting the bushytails here in Georgia. But now there seems to be a decrease in the number of hunters, and those who have stopped are missing some fine shooting because they have lost that old "squirrel fever."
Georgia is blessed with an abundance of squirrels. Not only is the grey squirrel found here, but also the fox squirrel is present in the southern section. The grey squirrel, however, is considered more important as a game animal. because it is much more abundant.
Both species produce about two litter of young per year, which could account for the abundance found in our state. The first litter is born in late winter and the second in late summer. In these litters there are usually three or four young. The female squirrel will care for the young for about six weeks
A North Georgia hunter sits quietly, waiting for one to make an appearance.

and then leave them on their own. It is certainly a sight to see when the young squirrels start playing. Their games resemble those played by children, such as follow the leader or hide-and-goseek.
The main diet of the bushytails in Georgia is made up of nuts, acorns and seeds of different types. Usually a squirrel hunter will go out a few days before the season opens and find some old nut trees or oak trees with their acorns and then on the first morning of the season, he can go to these places before sunrise and be ready when the squirrels come to feed.
Whenever we have a long dry spell here in Georgia the food for squirrels becomes scarce in certain parts, and when there is a scarcity of food the grey squirrel will migrate to some other
section where there 'is sufficient

If he poses like this when a hunter draws a bead on him, he'll wind up on somebody's table.
food. These migration habits are found only in grey squirrels and usually are more pronounced in north Georgia where there are immense tracts of hardwood and food is easily found.
More squirrels are produced in the year following a good food production season, and fewer squirrels in the year following poor food production. This was found through the work of a technician named Trippensee in 1948.
Many of the farmers in Georgia have asked if planting trees will hold squirrels on their land. It will, but the growth of trees takes such a long period of time that it isn't practical. It is recommended when thinning out trees to leave one food tree and one den tree per acre.
Early in the morning during the fall, many people have heard the bark of a squirrel but few have known just what it was. When Mr. Bushytail is out looking for breakfast and a cat or some other animal is nearby, he will flatten himself out on a limb and start barking. Each time he barks, his bush will shake like a leaf in a heavy gale. Placing den boxes around the home is always considered a good conservation move when squirrels are desired in your neighborhood; also food planks nailed on trees is another way to bring the squirrels closer so the children can watch them.
People often say that they just can't cook a squirrel so that it tastes right. Here is a good re-
(Continued on Page 25)

GEORGIA

I
' t : f

Fulton Lovell, director of the Game and Fish Commission, receives a plaque from the Woodmen of the World for outstanding work in conservation . Governor Griffin presents the plaque as John P. Blanchard looks on.

Allatoona Dam and Reservoir, one of the many reservoirs now under development in Georgia.

SNAPSHOTS

Alvin Cannon holds up a piece of a coffin that was dug up in an old graveyard on Butlers Island .

Here is a scene from one of the more famous spots in Georgia-the Okefenokee Swamp.
17

This marsh hen can barely be seen as she scratches for fo6d in the marsh grass.

BY DAVID GOULD

Mr. Clapper
of the Rails
They're all wet, but it looks like their mission was accomplished.

To most Georgia hunters the name Clapper Rail means nothing, but at the mention of a Marsh Hen they immediately take notice, for this is the name used by all to describe the elusive rail that is found in the marshes of coastal Georgia.
Very often a hunter will look directly at this bird without even seeing him, for no other form of wildlife blends in so well with its surroundings as does the Clapper Rail when he stands in the middle of the marshes. And no other type of hunting requires the planning and the work and the hazards as does the hunting of this ungainly bird.
There has been a decrease in the number of Marsh Hen hunters during the past several years. This might be explained by the fact that it is a difficult game to bag, and the hunter has so little meat in return for his trouble. When a hunter begins picking one of these birds, he sometimes wonders if he just shot a lump of feathers.
The Marsh Hen is definitely partial to salt, usually the brackish marshes near the coast. Along the lower reaches of some of the larger streams they may be found sporting about the dense vegetation several miles inland, but still well within the areas affected by the tides. Clapper rail marshes are characterized by the presence of an aquatic vegetation, for it is under cover of this matted growth that these birds cavort with abandon.
(Continued on Page 26)

GEORGIA1 S DEER
POPULATION
(Continued from Page 2)
The big problem we are faced with is one of properly distributing deer throughout the state. For example, there are areas in Middle and South Georgia that could support more deer than they now have. There are other areas there and in North Georgia that have too many deer. The reason for this is due to the deer's reluctance to move out of his original area. When you move a group of deer into an area they usually stay there, and all of their offsprings do likewise. Consequently, after a time, the herd becomes so big that the available food is not enough to take care of them. The ideal situation would be to take some of these deer from one area and move them to another area. We did this several years ago by t rapping deer in the Rock Creek Area and moving them to the Lake Russell Area. However, it t ook two years of hard work to trap only 105 deer, which was too slow to give immediate relief to the Rock Creek Area. Since that time we have carried on a continuous trapping program and have experimented with new methods for capturing deer.
Naturally, the same problems have presented themselves in other states throughout the country. None of them have come up with a method which is fast enough to move deer from one place to another. For this reason, many of them have legalized the shooting of does.
Conditions so far do not warr ant a doe season throughout the entire state. We are beginning to have browse problems only in certain restricted areas. The most notable of these is at Rock Creek. Since the last doe season in that area, the browse problem has grown increasingly worse. The population of deer in this area should be cut down before they begin to die off again. A doe season is the only practical way of doing this. It is much better for the hunters to take the meat home than to leave it to die in the woods.

My Camera Was Loaded
By GLYNN T. WORLEY

Sometimes the life of a photographer can be a little exasperating. Take for instance, the recent assignment I had on a little farm near Crawfordville, Georgia.
We had received word that a gentleman by the name . of Wayles T. Flint had imported three buffaloes from one of the midwestern states, and I was assigned to go there and take some pictures. There was a big stir in the office about buffalo returning to Georg:a after an absence of over 150 years. I couldn't visualize big herds roaming over North and Central Georgia as they once did, or even enough to declare an open hunting season on buffalo. But as I learned later the news angle was that Mr. Flint and several other Georgia farmers were planning on cross-breeding the buffalo, or bison as some people call them, with a domestic cow to produce a heavy breed of cattle. I understand this experiment has been successful in several western states.
Anyhow, as I say, my job is
taking pictures, so I set out for Crawfordville to get a mug shot of these ugly invaders. When I arrived, I spotted them, a bull, two cows and a young calf, grazing lazily inside an enclosure about a hundred yards from the edge of the fence. They looked

harmless enough, and I remember thinking that they must be a far cry from the wild stampeding animals of the days of Buffalo Bill. I was too far away to get a good shot and I stood there for a few moments debating on whether I should climb the barbed-wire fence. The three
grown buffalo glanced over in my direction but they seemed unimpressed and went back to their grazing. I loaded my camera and climbed the fence to see if I could get in front of them for a better shot. I walked cautiously around to the side, feeling a little uneasy about the distance I was putting between me and the fence. As I came closer, they turned around slowly and stared at me suspiciously while I adjusted my camera. I got a couple of angle shots, but as I came around squarely in front of them, they turned to the side and started walking toward the fence. I followed them back toward the fence until I was within 25 feet of the buffalo, and a little closer to the fence than I had been a few minutes before.
I knelt down and adjusted my camera once more and snapped a couple of shots. The two cows
(Continued on Page 25)
19

WILDUPI MANA61MINT AliA STIIAMS
141
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MANAGEMENT AREAS

A COHUTTA

38, 000 ACRES

8 BLUE RIDGE
c CHESTATEE

38,000 2!1,000

D CHATTAHOOCHEE 3!1,000

E LAKE BURTON

1!1,000

F LAKE RUSSELL 17,000

G WAR WOMAN

14,000

4 DEER HUNT CHECKING STATIONS
FISH CHECKING STATIONS
CHATTAHOOCHEE NATIONAL FOREST

PAVED ROADS
--- OTHER ROADS
LOOKOUT TOWEit

MR. SPORTSMAN
ltiA!il<..S FOR HELPING
PREVENT
FOREST ' FIRES .r~,-

GUIDE .MAP TO
NORTHEAST GEORGIA HUNTING AND TROUT FISHING
GEORGIA GAME AND FISH COMMISSION UNITED STATES FISH AND WILD LIFE SERVICE
UNITEO STATES FOREST SERVICE

COOPERATION WITH YOUR WILDLIFE RANGER MEANS BETTER HUNTING AND BETTER ASHING.

Letters to the Editor

Dear Sir:
Just looked over issue of "GEORGIA GAME AND FISH." Very handsome and interesting. I was impressed with a statement appearing in the article "Queen of the Muddy Waters" which read "The art of cooking this fish has become a lost art." This is not as it should be. If lost, it must have existed; and if it once existed, I believe it can be brought back. Certain it is, if the carp is a good table fish, it would be a great blessing to our people--and would greatly augment fishing for the carp and thereby keep down the crop without wanton destruction of the spawn. At any rate, why not offer a prize to the one who will produce the best recipe or method for preparing and cooking this ancient favorite of the great English sportsman?"
Judge Raleigh Eve Tifton, Georgia
(Ed.... More people every day are turning to the carp as a food for their tables. Your suggestion for a contest is an excellent idea, and I wish we could follow through with it. However, we would be happy to pass on any recipes you might collect on the carp.)
Dear Sir:
I have thirty days vacation coming, and I have decided to come to Georgia and find out why people talk as if it were heaven. Would you please send me some information on sightseeing, hunting, fishing, etc. I am also interested in whether the state pays a bounty on certain predators.
Robert C. Cleveland 1243 Davis Street Jacksonville, N . C.
(Ed.... Glad to accommodate you with the information. You'll

find that the people were right -it is like heaven. As for the predators . . . at the present time, the state does not pay a bounty on any predator.)
Dear Sir:
I recently received a copy of "GEORGIA GAME AND FISH" and man! Oh man! I sure want to thank you. It is one of the finest magazines of its kind that I have seen. Please put my name on your mailing list, and if you have any back issues available send them along. I sure would appreciate this, thanks again.
Mr. Thomas J. Ludlam 112 Kearsarge Street Pittsburgh, Pa.
(Ed.... Thank you for the enthusiasm. Your name is certainly added to the mailing list.)
Dear Mister Editor:
I have read your recent issue of the "GEORGIA GAME AND FISH" magazine, and am greatly impressed with its contents. I have read similar magazines from other states and this is by far the best I've seen. I feel sure that sportsmen all over Georgia are proud to receive this fine publication. Several men in my Department who have seen the magazine would like to receive a copy. If you could send me a few extra copies I would appreciate it very much.
H. T. Jenkins Chief of Police Atlanta, Ga.
(Ed.... Glad to oblige you, Chief ... Would also be glad to place on the mailing list anyone in your Department who would like the magazine regularly.)

LICENSE FEES

COMBINATION:

Hunting and Fishing .........$ 3.25

FISHING:

Resident .. ........................ ... . .... ...... $ 1.25 Resident Shad ................ ... .......... 1.00

Resident County (under 16 and

over 65 years old........................ None

Nonresident ................. ........Reciprocal

Nonresident 1 Day....

1.00

Nonresident 10 Days .......... .. .. . ... 3.25 Nonresident Shad ............ .. .......... 10.00

HUNTING:

Resident ................ ........... ............... 2.25

Resident under 16 and over 65

years old .................................... None Nonresident ........ .. .... ......... 20.00

Nonresident 10 Day or County.... 10.25

ROUGH FISH BASKET:

Resident ................. ... ......... ..... 1.25

to hunt any game over or in the vicinity or any baited areas.
to molest, kill, hunt, or trap fur bearing animals out of season.
to take sea turtles or their eggs. to trap, molest, or kill alligators ex-
cept in opened counties. to hunt on any game refuge except on
supervised hunts. to ship game except by permit from
the State Game & Fish Commission. to shoot from public highway or rail-
road right-of-way. to take or sell plumage or eggs of game or song birds without a per-
mit. to sell, offer for sale, barter, or ex-
change, any of the protected game animals, or game birds or parts thereof, taken in the State of Georgia. ot take any game bird or animal for holding in captivity except by permit. to trap, net or ensnare game birds and game animals, except fur-bearing animals, in season. to poison game or non-game birds or animals. to use a light of any kind in hunting game animals and birds except raccoons, frogs, opossums, fox, mink, skunk, otter, and muskrat. to fail to report to the Game and Fish Commission any deer or turkey killed in the State of Georgia. to kill any deer other than bucks with spiked antelers or larger. to hunt on lands of another without permission from the landowner. to hold any game in cold storage longer than five days after the season has expired, without permit from the Game and Fish Commission. to take any fresh water fish with any device except hook and line, trot line, rod and reel, and set hooks. to fish in streams on lands of another without permission from the landowner.
21

TALKING TURKEY
IN THE SPRING
(Continued from Page 5)
only once, then waits patiently for the gobbler to make his a~ pearance. A turkey is an expert at locating the exact spot from which a sound emanates, but suspicious by nature, he always proceeds cautiously and slowly to the caller. For this reason, hunters have a tendency to lose patience and call too much, scaring him away.
One technique about calling that is very important is the matter of stationing oneself in a favorable situation - that is, taking up a position in line with the course that the bird would be likely to travel. It is a mistake to try and call one downhill or through a dense :thicket, for they tend to walk uphill and they love big timber and open ground. In the mountains, turkeys often fly from the crest clear down to the level of the valley, then slowly make their way up again.
The Eastern Turkey, which is the type found in Georgia, is the largest of all turkeys and the largest of all upland game birds. The weight of these birds usually averages around 14 pounds, but some reach as high as 40 pounds. They are strong and swift of foot, and capable of walking long distances and running at a speed of 18 miles per hour. They spend very little time in flight and seldom fly as much as a mile without stopping.
Turkeys roost at night and usually make a leisurely, playful pastime out of the approach to the nest, scratching and looking for food along the way. But if one is behind schedule, he will run at full speed to reach the roosting area by dusk. Once in the area, they carefully check for any suspicious noises or changes since they left at dawn. If they are satisfied that all is well, they fly up into the trees, keeping well apart, for turkeys never bunch together.
A wild turkey is sometimes difficult to distinguish from a domesticated turkey because of frequent cross-breeding. Most hunters identify them by their copper-bronze color and the deep
22

chestnut tips on the tail feathers. With the steady decrease in
the number of these birds, turkey hunters have found them increasingly harder to bag. So much so that turkey hunters are almost in a class to themselves. One of the hunters in the North Georgia Spring hunt summed it up in these words: "I've hunted all my life. I've killed a deer almost every season for the past 25 years, but I never get as much satisfaction out of killing anything as I do when I bag one of these gobblers."
MOTHER NATURE'S KETTLE DRUMMER
(Continued from Page 10)
she starts her long incubation period which lasts for about 24 days. After the:y hatch, the little grouselets begin walking immediately.
The "pheasant," as the ruffed grouse is called by many people, played an important part in the economical setup of our forefathers. They are pictured in bountiful supply on the tables of the pilgrims and early settlers. The "fool hen," as most of the early settlers called it was considered second only to the wild turkey as a table delicacy.
Georgia's grouse crop, although limited to the mountain area, is plentiful at the present time. The open season on grouse is from November 20 to January 10, and the limit is set at 3 birds daily and 3 weekly.
FARMER-SPORTSMAN RELATIONSHIP
(Continued from Page 7)
4. If you are hunting, aim carefully before you shoot, for a rustle in the bushes could be livestock and maybe even children.
5. Don't be a litterbug. Clean up all trash and garbage before you leave.
6. Be careful with camp fires {l-nd cigarettes. Make sure your fire is out before you leave, and use the old army technique of field stripping your cigarette.
7. Be polite and courteous to the land owner and treat his property as if it were your own.

THE SWAMP
PHILOSOPHER
(Continued from Page 6)
both taste better than the best chicken.
One is the American bullfrog, found over practically all of. the United States. The other is restricted to a narrow strip from Louisiana to Florida and Southern Georgia.
The Southern bullfrog averages slightly smaller than hh cousin. Adult Southern bullfrogs range from three and one-fourth inches to six and one-half inches. The adult American bullfrog is from about three and one-half to eight inches long. Females of both species average larger than
the males. Both bullfrogs have similar
breeding and growth periods in Georgia. Breeding takes place from March to September, with a peak in June and July. Bullfrog tadpoles are very large, up to four inches long. They remain in the tadpole stage from one to two years, when they transform into tiny bullfrogs of one to two inches long. It takes about four years after this transformation for the bullfrogs to reach maximum size. Dependent upon location, climate, and other factors of nature.
Frog-giggers are not the only ones who have learned to appreciate the succulence of bullfrogs. Fish and flesh-eating insects stuff themselves on tadpoles. Water snakes and moccasins dearly love to sink their fangs in a plump bullfrog. Certain water fowls also like to include them in their diet.
Adult bullfrogs manage to pay back their natural enemies in a like manner. Although their main bill of fare consists of countless insects, bullfrogs will eat young fish and reptiles, and they occasionally manage to catch fledging water birds. As a matter of fact, bullfrogs are not above making a meal out of their little brothers.
Of all the kinds of frogs that sing in the night chorus on a Georgia river bank - peeping, gurgling, tremulous; plaintive, snoring-it's the grand old bass bullfrog that steals the show.
And when you hear that "brrwump" shatter the night, its time to go gigging in Georgia.

OUTLOOK ON THE PIEDMONT
(Continued from Page 12)
in three counties adjoining the Piedmont Area. These counties were Jasper, Jones and Putnam. There was a slight increase in the number of hunters within the management area over 1954, but a noticeable decrease in the number of deer killed. Personnel familiar with the deer herd and range conditions attribute this decrease to the severe drought which hit Georgia in 1954. The drought caused heavy damage to crops and pastures, and as a result many local farmers were forded to turn their cattle loose to forage woodland areas. This created a food shortage for deer on many areas of the manage-
The antlers shed by deer each year are seldom found. Mice, porcupines, and other rodents gnaw them for the minerals they contain.

ment area which forced many

deer to move out to adjoining

areas where food was more

abundant. Consequently, only 31

deer were killed inside the man-

agement area by 600 hunters but

field checks by wildlife rangers

revealed that some 60 to 70 deer

were killed during the open sea-

son outside the management

area. If the number of deer

killed on the outside are included

with the deer killed on the man-

agement area it totals approxi-

mately 100 deer taken in this

general area which is consider-

ably more deer than taken .dur-

ing 1954. The largest buck killed

on the 1955 management area

hunts was by T. W. Cannon of

Greensboro. This buck was a 9

pointer and weighed in at 227

pounds.



This year, a larger group than ever is expected to turn out for the hunt. Manager Briscoe reports the food conditions are much better this year and he has seen a great many deer already. So load up your guns, and put on your combat boots, for your chances of bagging a big buck
this year are better than ever. And who knows, you might bring home the "Phantom of the Piedmont."

CAPTURING DEER WITH DRUGGED

DART

(Continued from Page 15)

preventive and sprinkled the

deer with tick powder. By to-

morrow, this would be the

healthiest deer on the island.

We waited around for a while,

and every now and then Dr.

Hayes checked the breathing and

heartbeat of the animal. After

about forty minutes, the deer

started regaining cons-ciousness.

We helped him up on his legs

and he stood for a few minutes

looking around to see what was

going on. He w~s still groggy as

he staggered slowly through the

woods and out of sight.

We continued our hunt

through most of the night and

Jack shot five more deer, using

the same procedure. On on~ oc-

casion, a big buck sprmted

through the woods after he was

mshiontu' tebsutlawteer floyu.mngd uhnicmonasci.foeuws

in some thick bushes.

This hunt spelled success to

the two years of experimenting.

In all deer

~nthdeynuhmaveerotuesstegdoaabtsouwt i2t5h

nicotine, and have been success-

ful with every one.

The purpose of the experiment

was to develop technique where-

by deer can be quickly removed

from one area and placed into

another. "Until now, we've been

using traps to capture these ani-

mals," says Jack, "but this meth-

od has proved too slow and ex-

pensive for us as well as the

other states. Most" of the states

have experimented with darts,

but so far none of them have

come up with the right drug or

an effective weapon to propel the

darts."

The group first experimented

with currare compounds. Dr.

Jim Jenkins of the Forestry

School and Dr. Hayes tested a

currare drug known as flaxedil.

The first tests were made on

goats at the Veterinary School,

but the drug was abandoned be-

cause it proved fatal to most of

the goats. As Dr. Hayes explain-

ed it, "The currare drug did not

have a wide enough range. It

was difficult to prepare a dose

that was large enough to put the

animal to sleep within a few

msminaulltees~oaungdh

at the not to

same time, be fatal."

After the currare drug failed, they used strychnine on several goats and deer. The drug worked when an antidote could be administered immediately after the deer was hit, but in some cases, the deer escaped before the antidote could be applied. While they were using strychnine, Drs. Hayes and Jenkins continued their research for a better drug. They tested nicotine on some 85 goats with excellent results. Of the 25 deer they have shot on Ossabaw with nicotine, not one has been lost. "The beauty of this drug," says Jack Crock~ord, "is that no antidote is reqmred, and the deer is unconscious in a very few minutes with no harmful effects."
In October, Jack and his men will begin moving deer from Ossabaw with this technique. The first 50 deer will be loaded into carrying cages and transported to the North Georgia Management Area at Warwoman. There are over 2,000 deer on Ossabaw, and about half of these can be moved into less populated areas throughout the state.
Many of the other states have written to Jack for a chance to watch this technique in operation. Next month, Jack expects to release the details and the mixture of the drug to the general public, and many of the~e states will probably use this technique in capturing wild animals.
OLD DUKE He was more than just a big old
dog Best friend I've ever known He always did his share to help To make our house a home. There's an empty spot within my
heart I guess there'll always be I thought an awful lot of Duke And Duke thought a lot of me.
I sure do miss old Duke.
I'll always miss his welcome whine
When I come home at night. That waggin' tail that went in
circles Sayin' everything's all right. I miss his big old ugly head A rubbin' close as he could get His big brown eyes of deep
affection How can I forget.
I sure do miss old Duke.
(Continued on Page 25)
23

THE NIMROD AND THE CAT
(Continued from Page 9)
have seen this critter and from w-hat they say, I'm a mind to believe it might be a cougar." "A cougar! In this part of the country?" I asked. "Well, it is a bit unusual," he replied, "but every now and then one slips down from the Carolinas just before deer season and attacks some of the young deer. Jim Turner, from over in Habersham, tried to bait him a couple of times but didn't do much good. He hung up a big hunk of beef and hid out for a couple of days, but the cat never came around."
The first day of the hunt Bob went with me. I took my stand in a thicket on low ground and he circled above me with the idea of flushing a deer out into the open so I could get a shot at him. We used this system all day but never saw any signs of a deer. From the way Bob had talked, I had visions of deer running all over the woods, just waiting for someone to take a shot at them. That evening, back at the camp site, I reminded him of his remarks concerning the abundance of deer. "Oh, they're out there," be replied. "But don't think for a minute they don't know what we're up to. Why I'll bet at least a dozen of them saw us out there today. Just remember, it's a lot easier for them to see us than it is for us to see them." This made sense, and I decided that the next day I would be more cautious and observing.
I hunted alone on the second day, even though Bob had suggested it would be best to hunt in pairs. I knew it would be much easier if he were with me but this was my first deer, and I'd never qualify as a hunter without tracking him down and killing him by myself. So all day I wandel'ed through the woods trying to find some signs of the spoor, but either it was not there or else I was not able to recognize it. By the end of that day I was beginning to get pretty discouraged. Maybe this deer hunting was too mucp for me, I thought. It seemed to be something that was inbred in these North Georgia hunters, for they could look at a broken twig or
24

scrapings on a tree or even the droppings on the ground and tell what kind of animal had passed. But to the eyes of a novice these indications were unnoticed, and all I could look for was the outline of a deer.
By the third day I had already accepted the fact that I would probably go the full week without so much as seeing a deer. But I was still hanging onto a faint hope . . . . . . . .
Toward the middle of the day I was beginning to get hungry, so I found a little clearing behind some thick bushes and sat down to eat one of the sandwiches I had brought with me. I leaned against a tree to ward off the strong wind that had begun to blow, and watched the leaves spin crazy patterns through the air as the wind lifted them and then passed on to let them glide lazily back to the ground. I don't know how long I sat there thinking of the
Wild geese live the longest of any of our game birds. Authentic records give them as much as 70 years.
beauty of the woods and letting my thoughts ramble on, but presently my body grew warmer and I began to drowse. Then, in the next instant I was on my feet, as I heard a distinct snapping of the bushes of to my left. My first thought was that I had been mistaken for a deer, and I had the sickening feeling that one of the hunters was taking a bead on me and was just before pulling the trigger. I began flailing my arms through the air so the hunter could see that I wasn't a deer. This, of course, was a ridiculous thing to do for no true hunter is going to shoot until he sees the antlers on the deer, but all I could think of at the time was to let whoever it was know that I was human. Then just about the time I was beginning to recover my wits I saw his head pop out from the bushes about 75 yards from where I was standing. Here was my deer! And there I was, doing my best to scare him away. My rifle was about six feet away from me and I ducked behind the bushes and

made a lunge for it. Then I stood up, half concealed by the tree,
and looked toward the spot where I had seen him a few moments before. His head was gone but I could see a faint rustle of the bushes and I knew he was still there. The thought ran through my head that something
was wrong with this situation. Why hadn't he run? Surely he
saw me a few moments before when I was standing up in plain
sight waving my arms like a madman. But then, maybe he didn't. Maybe even a deer gets careless sometimes. As he stuck his head out of the bushes again his nose was up in the air and his ears seemed to be pricked, as a rabbit sometimes does when scenting danger. I raised my
rifle to my shoulder and took careful aim. As his head came into my sights and I began to squeeze the trigger, I got a funny
sensation that I had been squeezing for hours; and just before I felt the rifle lurch, the deer seemed to make a last minute effort to leap clear of my sights.
Everything seemed to stand still for a few seconds. Then he lunged head first into the bushes. I hesitated for only a split second then leaped over
the bushes and sprinted the 75 yards to where he had fallen. As I came close to him, I had my rifle ready, for I halfway expected him to jump up and start running. But then as I looked at him sprawled out on the ground I knew there was no need to worry about his ever running again. I laid my rifle on the ground and knelt down to see where I had hit him. There was blood all over his right side, from his neck halfway down his body. I could see where the bullet had gone through his neck just above
the right shoulder. Then I discovered that all the blood wasn't coming from the wound in his
neck. Just below his shoulders was a big gaping hole, from
which blood still oozed down his side. It looked as if someone or something had ripped a piece of flesh from his body. Then every-
thing came to me at once . . . The deer not running when I was waving my arms ... The ap-
parent effort he had made to move just before I fired. He had seen me but he was too exhausted or too near dead to act.

Suddenly, my heart stopped, and I seemed to get a cold tingling sensation right at the base of my neck. The cougar ! And then the frightening realization that he was nearby, for the wound was still fresh. Somehow I knew where he was. I could feel his presence behind me, or maybe it was the simple fact that I knew he had to be near. My arms turned to lead. My whole body was so heavy I couldn't move. I sat there helplessly staring at my rifle. Then I hear him growl, like the noise of a base drum as it starts softly and gains momentum until it becomes a rumble. The noise suddenly brought me to life. I made a dive for my rifle and rolled over on my back, bringing my rifle up in front of me. All I could see was one big black face with long whiskers and two big fierce green eyes staring at me. I pulled the trigger once, twice, and just kept pulling it as several more pairs of eyes loomed before me . . . And somewhere off in the distance I could hear a voice calling my name, faintly at first, then it seemed to get louder ... louder ... and all at once someone was shaking me. I opened my eyes and saw Bob kneeling down beside me laughing. "Come on nimrod, you'll never kill a deer in your dreams!" I looked out into the woods and the leaves were still floating lazily to the ground.
DUCK MOTEL
(Continued from Page 11)
This year, the refuge has planted
185 acres of buckwheat, millet and corn, and it is expected that over 15,000 ducks will stop over during the winter. In addition to the planting, there are 1200 acres of marsh land being developed for smartweed and wild rice. The men on the project have been busy drying out the marsh areas and spot burning them during the summer. This winter, they will again be flooded and cultivated, and the process of drying out and burning will be repeated again next spring. By the fall of 1957 the area should be well developed.
There are many species of waterfowl seen on this refuge during their migration southward, but the two most common types found can be classified as

puddle ducks and diving ducks. Included in the puddle duck class are the mallards, black mallards, wood ducks and blue wing teal ducks. Most common among the diving ducks are the ringnecks, bluebills, redheads and canvasbacks. These ducks fly into the Delta Area and the waterfowl refuge sometimes in October. A great many of them spend their entire winter in this area, leaving for their northern nesting area around the first of April; others stay a short while and then go on further south into Florida and the Caribbean Area.
Alvin Cannon, Manager of the Refuge at Butlers Islands, says that a few wild geese stop at the Island each year on their way south and back again. Since geese usually feed on upland dry fields, those stopping at Butlers Island are probably a few stray ones that have broken away from their flocks. Another interesting point is that most of the ducks which visited the Island in 1954 returned again last year. This is not a new discovery concerning ducks, but it is an indication that they approved of the area. Ducks show a definite tendency to return to a suitable resting and feeding area and also to bring newcomers each year. It is expected that each year more and more ducks will stop over at Butlers Island and the hunters should reap big dividends from this modern "duck motel."
MY CAMERA
WAS LOADED
(Continued from Page 19)
kept looking at me but the bull turned so much I couldn't get a front view of him. I finally grew impatient and picked up a small pebble and threw in his direction to attract his attention. He turned toward me and I looked at him through my sights and pressed the shutter. When I looked up from the camera, I suddenly realized that he wasn't standing still any longer. In fact, he was running hard, and in the wrong direction for me to make any further attempts to improve my photography. The fence looked a hundred miles away, but I must have broken all records getting to it. I reached out and grabbed the barbed-wire,

sinking one of the prongs into the palm of my hand, and half rolled over the fence.
When I recovered myself on the other side of the fence, about the only thing still intact was my camera. The side of my trousers was ripped and I could feel a sharp sting in my leg. I looked back toward the buffalo and noticed that he had stopped some distance from the fence. I guess when I started running, he felt that his mission was accomplished, so he gave up the chase. He just stood there looking at me, and from the expression on his face I thought he was going to burst out laughing.
Old Buffalo Bill must have been a pretty cagey fellow, and I can't say that I envy him. In fact, the only way I want to see another buffalo is when I look at the back side of a nickel.
OLD DUKE (Cont.>
Duke wasn't any fancy breed With fame or pedigree But his heart was big as the
open fields He used to hunt with me. In some strange way it seems He always understood My changing moods, and tried to
please The very best he could.
I sure do miss old Duke. The Indians told of hunting
grounds Beyond the setting sun Where spirits of the faithful
hunters Lived when life was done. And so I pray this may be true Some strange eternity Where dogs like Duke, with tail
a waggin' Wait in hope for guys like me.
I sure do miss old Duke.
PAUL THYGESON GILBERT
HUNTERS LOSING "SQUIRREL FEVER11
(Continued from Page 16)
cipe that is worth trying the next time you bring a squirrel in : After dressing the squirrel, salt him good after the body heat has left him, put about a cup of water in a pressure cooker and cook until tender; then take out and barbecue over some low coals until brown. A good barbecue sauce poured over the squirrel will make a dish "fit for a king."
25

MR. CLAPPER
OF THE RAILS
(Continued from Page 18)
Now and then they are seen rust~ ling for food along the edge of the mud flats, and an occasional swimmer may be spotted several miles from shore, but otherwise they seldom venture outside their habitat. It is for this reason that hunters usually wait for high tide before trying their skills against the Marsh Hen. As the water comes up over the marshes, the birds are flushed from their protective canopies and the hunters take aim as they fly from one point of high ground to the next.
The Willet, which is another member of the rail family, is often mistaken for the Marsh Hen. Many people riding along the highways near the coast have seen these birds perched on the telephone wires., and have thought them to be Marsh Hens. But the experienced hunter, who has studied the habits of Marsh Hens, knows how unlikely it is for a flock of them to be near a highway, or even in an open field.
It is surprising to some hunters to learn that rails can, and do, make extended migratory flights. This surprise is due to the Marsh Hen's apparent struggle to become airborn and remain that way for short distances. Some members of the rail family have been known to migrate across the wide reaches of the Caribbean Sea on their way from the Jersey marshes. Major movements of these birds are made under cover of darkness and for this reason they seldom make long flights.
The Marsh Hen is able to swim with considerable ease, and can remain under water for some time. If hard pressed, it often sinks below the surface and may remain for some period with only the bill extended above the water. But its swiftness in the water cannot be compared to its fancy foot work on the ground. The Marsh Hen's ability to weave through a seemingly impenetrable maze of rankly growing vegetation never fails to impress the observer.
Marsh Hens apparently lay two or more clutches of eggs each season, with from 4 to 15
26

GEORGIA GAME AND FISH COMMISSION
412 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia

S. MARVIN GRIFFIN, Governor

The Commission is a constitutional body, responsible only to the Legislature and the Governor.
Eleven in number-one from each Congressional District-the membets of the Commission are appointed by the Governor for staggered terms of seven years and the Commission in turn appoints the director.
The present Commissioners are:

COMMISSIONERS

FRED C. JONES, JR., 9th Dist. Chairman

ALVA J. HoPKINS, 8th Dist.

MAYO P. DAVIS, 3rd Dist.

Vice Chairman GEORGE EAsT, 6th Dist.
J. T. TRAPNELL, lst Dist.
RICHARD TIFT, 2nd Dist.

J. D. PoPE, 4th Dist.
J. 0. BowEN, 5th Dist.
W. B. (BILL ) AusTIN, 7th Dist. LuKE L. CoucH, lOth Dist.

Secretary

]AMES GoETHE, Coastal

ADMINISTRATIVE

FULTON LoVELL, Director

W. H. HoDGEs, Enforcement

FRED DICKSON, Fisheries

JACK CROCKFORD, Game Manage C. C. ]AMES, Hatcheries

ment

DAVID GoULD, Costal Fisheries

ToM SANDERS, License Div.

TAD LANE, D&J Coordinator

W. J. ATKINSON, Education and Information

The he~ds of the various departments and all employees are appointed

by the Director on the approval of the Commission. The Director is a

bonded state official and directs and ways and means approved

the for

ietsntiorpeerpartoiognra, mb,ywthhiechBiosaredstaobfliCshoemd~

missioners at regular meetings.

eggs per clutch. Their nests are constructed of dry rushes or marsh grasses with an inner lining of finer material. They are usually built on a foundation of similar material and high enough to not be washed away by high tide. The nesting period in Georgia usually begins during the first part of April. After hatching, it takes about 50 days for the young Marsh Hens to attain full growth. The young birds remain with their parents until they are about half grown and then strike out on their own.
Although Marsh Hen hunting is best during high tide, there is some hunting done at low tide as the birds come down from the grass to feed upon the mud flats. The hunter kills the birds as he moves along the water edge in his boat. This method is much easier than high tide hunting but the birds are not as abundant along the edge of the water as they are in the marshes.
Sportsmen who hunt Marsh Hens often do not find any birds. For this reason they are inclined to believe that the population is low. Usually what happens is that they have hunted on a high tide that did not quite rise to the

level of a good "Marsh Hen Tide." Since the water did not rise above the Marsh Hens cover, the bird would not flush as the hunter approached. In 1947, the Game and Fish Commission began a research investigation of the Clapper Rail so that proper management practices could be put into effect. This investigation proved that Georgia has an abundance of Marsh Hens and will continue to do so unless conditions change. An average of 52,160 of these birds were killed each year for a three year period. Research figures showed that the yearly population is 282,265, birds in Georgia, so the annual kill does not approach the kill that could be made without damaging the stock.
So the birds are there, deep in the thickness of the marsh ; and the characteristic sounds of CAC, CAC, CAC, CAC, CA, CAHA, AHA, is their challenge for you to come and find them and flush them out of their hideout.
The common shrew eats its own weight in food every day.

CHING OUTO.__.....

, l
--:;::_..;--

By BILL ATKINSON

LET THE WHEEL OF NATURE TURN

If a man should decide to dismantle his watch
and on reassembling it he should leave out a small screw or wheel, then the clock or watch would be useless to him.
This same thing could easily happen to the clockwork-like precision of nature's wildlife design. In these days we find that more and more people are screaming for the extermination of a few of the predatory animals without thinking the prob-
lem out. Take for instance the fox. A farmer has a fine
grain field, but along comes a group of insects that begin to ruin his crop. Nature will then send rats into this field to help control the insects, but they, in turn, start eating the grain. Then the fox comes in and eats the rats. The farmer decides that the foxes are bad for his place so he exterminates them and then the rats come back and he is right back where he started. The point is that each animal plays a very important part in each acre of land.
Stocking farms with game and birds has been quite popular in the last few years. Still, if there is not enough cover and food for the birds, they in time will leave. If there are too many. animals on one acre of land, disease or some other means will reduce these animals to the carrying capacity of the land.
There are no other animals or birds living that have the number of predators working against them as the quail. From the time the eggs are laid and they start to pip, skunks, crows, 'coons, foxes, turtles, ha\YkS, ants, dogs and cats are all working against this one small bird. Still we make up our minds that there is only one of these doing all the damage. How can we put our finger on just one of this number and say that he is the one responsible?
Many states up North have advocated the shipping in of rabbits from out of state to areas that they say are depleted of these animals. Shortly after the stocking period, many of the rabbits killed in this area were found diseased and the situation was worse than before man tried to come and take over the job of nature.
Take the case of one pond owner that was having trouble with coons around a pond that he had made into a duck preserve. He knew it was the 'coon that was doing the damage because he had seen where the nests were broken up. He carried on an extermination program on coons and found that it wasn't the coon at all, but turtles. The coons were helping the man by digging the turtle
eggs up when they were laid and controlling the

number of turtles but it was too late to do any-
thing about it then. The turtles would crawl on the bank and eat the eggs of the ducks and also the young, so this is another example of throwing the wheel out of balance.
What should we do? One of the best answers for this question is to plant food for the species of game or birds desired and let Ol' Mother Nature take over from there. Whenever you see a hawk or owl or fox just remember that he is placed there for some purpose.
One of the worst predators we have here in Georgia is the two-legged animal called man. With his greed he can kill off more in a season than nature can replace in years.
Let's be sure that we aren't the ones to loose that little screw that makes the great wheel of nature turn.

located far back up the shore line of Clark Hill

Reservoir, away from the many public swimming

and boating areas, there is a small wire enclosure

of about an acre that holds in captivity some turncoats that are helping biologists in their quest

to learn exactly where the wild goose goes.

This area is the Georgia Game and Fish Com-

mission's goose farm and these traitors are geese

that have been trapped and used to decoy their brothers and sisters into the enclosure to be

banded. Around this area are planted many crops

that rate high on the goose menu as fine eating,

such as corn, milo and other types of grain.

The main object of this farm is to entice the

migratory geese to stop over and use this area as

a resting place. After they have established it as

such, the banding program will begin. A number

of geese were brought in from a trapping area

and were put into this enclosure where they have their own private pond and plenty to eat. A few

months ago, Mr. Roper, the caretaker, reported

that two geese got out and flew away. These he

marked down as gone, never to be seen again,

but, in a few days these two geese returned with

a third goose.



This was doing it the hard way-the idea is

for the geese to sound off with their honkers

when their wild brethren fly over and give them

the clear signal to land. So far, there have been

only a few stray flocks to fly over the area, but

with the establishment of Butler Island Water-

fowl Refuge, the flyway will swing over to in-

clude this area.

GEORGIA GAME AND FISH COMMISSION
4 12 S T A T E C AP ITOL BUILDING
ATLANTA . GEORGIA

SEC . 34 . 66 , P . L. 8t R .
U. 5 . POSTAGE
PAID -
ATLANTA. GA. PE RM IT NO. 155

KNOW YOUR WILD TURKEY

Black, Smooth Tip

Brown, Fringed Tip

MALE BIRD Regular Edge

Breast Feathers
FEM-ALE BIRD Irregular Edge

OLD BIRD

Spread Tail

YOUNG BIRD