Georgia game and fish [Vol. 6, no. 2 (Fall 1957)]

COVER PACES
FRONT COVER:
Marion Johnson's camera caught this trio squirrel hunting in north Georgia's colorful forests. Undoubtably, the background caught Mr. Johnson's fancy, too, for he captured t he autumn leaves before their spectacular beauty is wasted on the stillness of the earth.
BACK COVER:
This is a rare scene, indeed. A full grown White Tail buck is shown while his antlers are in velvet. Very seldom does an average outdoorsman come close enoug h to observe a deer during this period.

Director Speaks

2

Games Management A reas

3

Lowdown on Fee Shooting

4

Wood Duck Making Comeback

6

Hunting Outlook Good

7

The Poacher (Fiction)

8

Farming for Quail

10

Lake Sinclair Story

11

Coon-On- A-Log

12

Frogs, F rogs, F rogs

13

Old Formula Pays Off at T urn e r 14

Truth About Coturnix

16

It is Unlawful

19

Letters to Editor

21

License Fees

22

Spotli ght on Outdoors

23

Beaver Trapping

24

Georgia Game Seasons

25

Reaching Outdoors

27

Dove Baiters Tie Noose Around Own Necks

By FULTON LOVELL

Violations of federal and state laws against using bait to attract doves have been heavier this season than ever before. More and

more hun ters, it seems, choose to take the sport out of dove shooting by resorting to such fou l practice.

Hunters would benefit themselves by thinking before they bait fields . They should realize the more they abuse t heir privileges, the

more necessary it will become to tighten migratory bird laws.

Some hunters fail to realize, unfortunately, that ninety-nine percent of Georgia's hunters are penalized because the other one percent insists on violating the

rules and regulations. Field baiters take unfair advantage of true sportsmen, their neighbors and friends.

Granted, there are loopholes in

the existing baiting laws, which

make it possible to employ seem-

ingly unlawful practices to at-

tract doves, if hunters wish to

. . . . ._

take unfair advantage. The old

practice of scattering grain in

fields and, after doves have been

attracted, plow the grain under

one day before a shoot forced

laws restricting shooting over

FULTON LOVE LL

any plowed field where seed t hat

Director, Georgia Game and Fish Commission attracts doves has been placed or planted .
Majority of our sportsmen are not violation-inclined . Occasionally, a case comes up where an unknowing person is prosecuted for shooting over a baited field yet
he is just as guilty as the person who puts out the bait. No provision can be made in the law to protect such an individual and leave it with any teeth.

All violations, be they telephoning fish, nighthunting, baiting doves or taking over the limit, have an effect on animal and fi sh populations. And, they rob true sportsmen of additional pleasure.

Our game supply is not just for today's hunter. It is necessary that it be rationed to assure future generations of enough to hunt. By using legal hunt ing methods, sportsmen harvest only that amount of game that is harvestable. By using illegal methods, our crop can be harvested quickly thus robbing sportsmen of many hours of hunting pleasure in the future.

It behooves all sportsmen to think of these th ings before they use underhanded methods to hunt and fi sh. If each would realize that by employing unsavory tactics to harvest game they are doing
nothing but forcing more restrictions upon themselves, then the rules and regulations that grip them would soon be loosened.

In a telephone conversation the other day, an upset gentleman suggested that courts should give hunters who slaughter doves the same treatment given murderers.

Perhaps his suggestion is a little stringent. Yet it offers food

for thought.

HUNTING EDITION

GEORGIA GAME AND FISH

Vol. 6, No. 2

BOB SHORT, Editor

BILL ATKINSON, Assistant Editor

GLYNN W OR LEY, Photog ra pher

Publish ed by the Georgia Ga me a nd Flsh Commlsslon. 412 State Capitol, Atl a nta. Geo rgia. in th e interest of Georgia wildlife and for fi shermen. hu nt-
e rs. nature lovers and conserv ation of natura l r esources. Th ere ts n o subsc riptlon fee- this publi ca tion is free and is paid for by U1e purchase o[ fishing a nd hunting llcenses. Please n otify us at once of any change of a !ldress. Contents of this magazine may be reprinted wit.h proper credit.
Thls publication welcomes pictu res, drawings, stories and articles dealing wlth outdoor subjects for consideration. :!\"o contributions wlll be returned unless solicited by aut horized JJa rty representing Game & Flsh Commlsslon and accompanied by sufficient postage. Entered as third class postage.

White Tail Deer, such as this doe, combine with turkeys as the easiest game to mana ge on sell!cted a re as.

Game Management Areas

Dee r, Tu rkey Man agement Pay Off For Georgia Spo rtsmen

BY GEORGE C. MOORE
Chief, Game Management Division
IF you hang around enough barber shops and drug stores, sooner or later you'll be called into a conversation about game management.
It happened to me the other day and, as if I didn't have enough to do already, the results of said topic of conversation iiispired me to sit down and write these lines about game management areas.
My reason is this (if Ripley will excuse the stolen lines) : believe it or not, there are many sportsmen in Georgia who do not know the exact definition of a game management area.
Some feel that game management areas are only places where the state puts game for easy shooting. If you're one of these, please don't feel offended for there are several thousand who share your belief. There are other weird ideas about them, too. Ideas we hope to end by

pointing out the usefulness of a game management area.
A game management area is simply an area where the game thereon is managed. Such management may take any one of several forms. It may include protection, stocking, planting, altering food and cover plants, control of competitive species and control of the wildlife crop through harvesting.
Game management areas are known by several names. They are called refuges, reserves, preserves and sanctuaries but, despite the name given them, the aim and end result are the same. They differ only in the amount and intensity of management. For example, an area may be managed to protect animals or it may be managed to guarantee a greater harvest without affecting brood stock.
Game management areas are not easy to establish. A great deal of planning, plus the exis-
(Continued on Page 17)
3

(j),f} (Bang to Urban fJlunters
THE LOWDOWN ON
FEE SHOOTING

New Commercial Preserves
Open to Georgia Hunters
From Oct. 1-March 31
By CHARLEY DICKEY
Field Representative, Sportsman Service Bureau
THERE are ten shooting preserves open to the public in Georgia. They are places where penraised game birds are released, mainly during the hunting season, for a fee to the hunters who pay by either the number of birds bagged or the number released.
Shooting preserves are operated by private ownership for a profit. Since the operators do not depend on native birds, an extended season of six months is allowed on pen-raised birds and there is no bag limit. The raising-pens take the place of natural reproduction in the wild.
The bill authorizing the use of ring-necked pheasants, bobwhite and coturnix quail, chukar partridge and mallard ducks was passed by the Georgia Legislature this year. Contrary to what some sportsmen think, shooting preserves are not something new. New York legalized them back in 1911 and many eastern states, with heavy hunter populations, have allowed preserves for 20 or 30 years.
Before the bill was entered, the Georgia Game and Fish Commission made a thorough study of existing laws in the other states. Basic legislation which would be fair to the operators, the Commission, which has to administer the preserves, and the general public had to be decided upon. One of the basic protections for the average sportsman was a maximum number of acres which could be included in a single preserve. This was to prevent an operator from tying up more land than necessary for his hunting. The Legislature set a maximum acreage of 1,000. This is enough for a sporty preserve but does not close off a lot of land to general hunting.
The Georgia law also requires minimum releases to insure that the operator is depending on pen-raised game, that all birds be tagged before releasing, a well-defined boundary and other requirements based on sound game management practices.
Only a few years ago shooting preserves were controversial and started many arguments at sportsmen's meetings. But 38 states now allow preserves to operate on an extended season for one or more species. Game management experts now realize that shooting preserves are necessary to help take care of hunters.

Two youngsters prove that Shooting Preserves ore popular with the young folks, too.
No one feels that shooting preserves will solve the many problems facing today's sportsmen. Preserves are a partial solution but they will in no way substitute for any plans for public hunting areas, land acquisition, food and cover planting and farmer-sportsmen relations. Georgia now furnishes a technician to help anyone interested in opening a preserve or improving game on their land.
There are two main reasons why hunters are reluctant to try shooting preserves. They have the idea that pen-raised birds are like "shooting fish in a barrel." The preserve operators know this and raise their birds in long, exercising pens where they have room to fly. Where conditions permit, the birds are released several days before the area is hunted to allow them to get conditioned to the wild. Ring-necked pheasants never tame down and can be released 30 minutes before the hunt begins and 99 percent of the flights will be satisfactory. Special care must be taken with quail and chukars or they will not make suitable targets. The secret of sporty preserve shooting is raising game birds conditioned to flying.
The second reason hunters won't try shooting preserves is the cost. The average hunter doesn't consider what a hunting trip costs. At a preserve, it's paid out in one lump sum; but, in the wild the cost is stretched out over a day of driving, meals and often lodging, plus other factors. A day's hunting in the wild may produce few shots but hunting on a preserve assures a certain amount of shooting and game to take home.
Most preserve hunters are from the cities. Sportsmen living in small towns usually know
(Continued on Page 26)
5

Female wood duck-not as handsome as mate, but dazzling color still striking to the eye.

BOO-EEB, BOO-EEB -- Wood Ducks Make Slow But Sure Comeback

AN irate voice breathed dragon-fire into the telephone. "Tell me, sir, if you would be so kind," the man said dryly, "why citizens like myself and my friends are allowed to shoot only one wood duck a day. It doesn't seem right to us.
"I would like t9 bring to your attention, sir, the fact that wood ducks are the only species we see around our neck of the woods. Come on, mister, let us have some fun, too."
That one-way conversation has been carried on by many Georgia Game and Fish Commission district offices. Everybody wants to know why strict limits are imposed on wood duck shooters.
The answer takes us back to 1918, the year the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service prohibited the taking of wood ducks for any purpose. Ai the time, the birds were too scarce to be included in the category of harvestable waterfowl.
Due to protection and management by the federal government and many states, though, the nation's wood duck population increas~d to the point that a limit of one per day was permitted in most states in 1941.
Since that day, seasons on the multi-colored bird has varied, depending on the population and the number felt safe to harvest in various flyways.
Wood ducks have long been considered the mo~t beautiful species of waterfowl. Their color pattern is resplendent with rich chestnut, spots of black and white, golden flanks and red eyelids
6

arrayed in the midst of greens, purples and bronze. The female, less colorful than the male, has a brown body and grey-crested head with a prominent white ring around her eye.
Wood ducks formerly reigned throughout the entire eastern half of the United States with a general movement from the northern part of the nation to the south during winter months. During the past fifty years, however, much of wood duck's favorite habitat has been destroyed by the clearing of bottomland hardwoods by agriculturists. This has been particularly true in the upper Mississippi, Illinois and Ohio bottom country.
Because of destruction in its range, more and more wood ducks are being raised in the Southeast, where considerable timber remains along large rivers and streams. In addition to this, thousands of beaver ponds, begotten during the past quarter of a century, have created additional range.
Before the Fish and Wildlife Service placed a forbidden sign on wood ducks in 1918, they were harvested with equal fervor by meat-seekers and plumage-gatherers. Connoisseurs of roast duck still consider wood ducks as the tastiest dish of all. And no one can deny that their many-colored plumes paint a beautiful picture.
Wood ducks are one of two species of waterfowl that nest in trees. The other is the Hooded Merganser. Wood duck nests are usually found in
(Continued on Page 20)

LEGEND

111111111111111 --'"' ' ' ""
. ~ ___ , ',..,_,__,' ""

MANAGED HUNTS

AREA

DATES

LIMIT

Burton

Nov. 25-26 One Buck

Nov. 28-30 (with visible antlers)

Chestatee

Nov. 25-26 One Buck

Nov. 28-30 (with visible antlers )

Chattahoochee Nov. 25-26 One Buck

Nov. 28-30 (with visible antlers)

Blue Ridge* Nov. 25-26 One Buck

Nov. 28-30 (with visible antlers)

Dec. 2- 5

Lake Russell Nov. 25-26 One Buck

Nov. 28-30 (with visible antlers )

Dec. 2- 5

Piedmont

Nov. 18-19 One Buck

Nov. 21-23 (with visible antlers)

Nov. 25-28

* Archery hunt will be held in the Blue Ridge Area

only Nov. 18-23. Limit: One Deer, either sex.

Wild hogs may be taken in above management

areas, except Lake Russell and Piedmont, during deer

hunts. No limit has been placed on number of hogs.

Hog hunting must end when hunter bags limit of

deer.

Deer Aplenty
Hunting Outlook Good

THIS is no prognostication, it is fact. Georgia hunters will harvest one of the largest game crops in history this season.
Dove shopters found a large crop awaiting them on Sept. 12, the day the season opened. Three days later, on Sept. 15, nol"th Georgia hunters were greeted by an abundant squirrel population on opening day in that area.
Georgia game management technicians predict a large harvest of deer this year, due mainly they say, to an abundant food crop which carried the animals over the winter in good shape.
The outlook on quail is equally bright. Reports say nesting conditions in all areas of the state were satisfactory. More quail have been seen early, some rangers reported, than in any year recently.

Rabbits, opossum, raccoon and wild turkey also appear to be on
the increase. The Game and Fish Commis-
sion ordered a large harvest of deer in central Georgia to avoid overpopulation and possible death by starvation to the herd there.
At its June meeting, the Commission voted to extend the season in Jones, Twiggs, Putnam, Baldwin, Wilkinson, Laurens, Hancock, Washington, Johnson, Treutlen, Glascock, Jefferson, Emanuel, Burke and Jenkins counties. New season was set from Nov. 1, 1957, to Jan. 5,
1958. Bag Limit in those counties
has been set at one buck with visible antlers. A complete rundown on deer seasons in other areas may be found on page 25.

7

clter

"I come from tough stock," Doc screamed, "and I ain't above blasting that feller's head off-you know that. Tell him if he isn't careful, I'll fill his backend full of buckshot."
By BOB SHORT
ON the square in the small town where I grew up is a statue of a fellow named Doc Hampton. It is the spitting image of the man I knew when I was a child and the townspeople are proud of it, just as they are of the man in whose honor the bronze was shaped and erected.
I knew Doc Hampton rather intimately when I was young. In his saner moments, Doc used to ask me to hunt with him. I always wanted to, but 1 never did. My father was always against it for Doc Hampton was considered an unsavoray character. That is, to everyone but me. I liked him.
I guess I'll never forget the series of events that changed old Doc from a greedy, rabble-rousing old cuss into the man for whom the monument was erected. I like to think I have a reason for remembering. I played a small part in it.
When I am at home, I often walk down to the park to stare at Doc's image. As I look at it, it all comes back to me ... Doc's silly mustache, always filled with tobacco juice . . . Pop's soft, blue eyes droopily baring down on some innocent object . . . Mom and her housekeeping-! still swear I'd eat off the floors-and Game Warden Jim McDuff's understanding but stern manner.
It seems like only yesterday when Doc Hampton paid us a call at four-thirty one morning. The reason I remember it so well is that Doc got himself in hot water with Mom for flopping down on her new sofa. Ordinarily Mom wasn't the fussy type. It was just, she explained later, that she had no place on her new sofa, or the old one either for
that matter, for .a fellow like Doc Hampton.
Doc Hampton wasn't really a doctor, folks just called him Doc. Some folks said he was the next thing to nothing, whatever that is. He didn't have a job. He didn't even want one. He provided for his family by killing deer, squirrels, rabbits, quail, wild turkeys and pheasant. He never believed in seasons for game and had no use for game wardens or hunting licenses. When he wanted meat for his smokehouse, he bagged it. He asked no questions and gave no answers. He was smart, he thought, and had few peers as a poacher.
The reason Doc Hampton honored our house with a visit so early that frosty November morn-
(Continued on Page 18)
9

~-:
;.. . --.,...r- ..~ .

.. '" ::: ._

Pittman-Robertson Coordinator Jack Crockford watches as young bicolor plants get daily water ration.

FARMIN,G,,.
QUAIL
Farm Supervisor Johnny Jernigan inspects grown. stand of Bicolor on farm border.
10

FROM a far corner of the field came the rhythmical chant of working men, hushed somewhat by the swirling and everflowing water from the irrigation system.
All around them were thousands of green plants, each holding the key to future bob white populations in Georgia and each bowing its head in thanks as the refreshing water slithered down its heated brow.
The scene is the Game and Fish Commission nursery near Albany and the workers are employees who farm for quail. The plants are bicolor lespedeza.
Each year, the Game and Fish Commission distributes over three million bicolor plants to farmers who are interested in improving quail habitat. All three million plants are grown on the 320 acres that compose one of the few "quail farms" in the South.
Johnny Jernigan, a tall farm boy, well schooled in wildlife management, is superintendent
(Continued on Page 22)

LAKE
TO
E~TOKTON

SINl:LAIR

TO SPARTA

A NOT-TOO-MODEST Lake Sinclairian, somewhat overtaken by civic pride, has been accused of describing the Georgia Power Company's mammoth infant as "a lake where the fish are the biggest and the water is the wettest."
That's a new approach. Several lakes boast of being "Georgia's finest fishing lake," and "Georgia's top recreational spot." None, though, have yet claimed to have the wettest water.
Actually, before Lake Lanier was constructed, Sinclair was the largest body of water wholly inside the state. It now ranks

(S econd in a se1ies of stories on Geo1gia lakes. N ext : Clark Hill R eservoit.)

second in size and age to Lanier. Until this year, Sinclair was the youngest. It was completed in 1953.
When the Sinclairian boasted that the fish are biggest," he wasn't exaggerating. Technicians who have studied the lake report that it is able to produce around three hundred pounds of fish per surface acre, a staggering amount. However, the same people say most of the popula-

tion is tied up in rough fish. If

such fish can be removed or con-

trolled, Sinclair will be among

the top fishing spots in Georgia.

Sinclair contains, among other

things, three types of bass -

largemouth, spotted and Coosa ;

crappie, bluegill, redbreast, shell-

cracker and warmouth bream;

channel catfish; speckled bull-

0

5

head ; shad; carp; a few eels, and

a tremendous supply of gar.

The nice thing about Sinclair,

from fisherman's standpoint, is

that it is easy to reach and has

good boat, tourist and restau-

rant facilities. Entrances to the

vast reservoir may be made from

(Continued on Page 20)

11

COON-ON-A-LOG

WHEN the doors of the Northeast Georgia coonon-a-log trials finally swung open, a hundred baying hounds dragged their masters into
the arena. They took their places in one corner of the big
ring and snarled hateful challenges across a pond of water to a peaceful-looking raccoon.
This was to be, in the words of a mountaineer, the "battle of the century."
This was coon-on-a-log. The game is not a new one. Our pioneer forefathers used to play it regularly, not because they derived any special pleasure out of a coon and dog fight. They liked to show off their dogs and this is the safest way to do it. Neither the 'coon nor the dogs ever get hurt. On the other side of the arena that afternoon sat Mr. Raccoon, wiping his face confidently and paying no attention whatsoever to the nasty comments of the dogs. The 'coon was not to be pitied for he always holds the upper hand in this test of strength and cunning. Some people think it is not humane to pit 'coon against dog in such a fashion. They fear for the 'coon. Only a scattered handful have ever been heard talking of the safety of the dogs. But real fans of coon-on-a-log feel that the 'coon, not the larger dogs, has the advantage. The 'coon has the security of a log to cling to. Hounds have nothing, save their sinewy paws with which they keep their heads above the water. Sponsors of the big show made ready to get the feature attraction underway, that July afternoon, by pushing a big log into the water. The champion, Mr. Raccoon, took his place on the log. The challengers, all of 'em, doubled the velocity of their vocal attacks. Coon-on-a-log was about to begin. When all preparations had been made, the ring

announcer took his place and called for the first challenger.
Here came a big black and tan, his master right behind him.
"Sic 'im, boy," the master said to the dog. "Go get him."
The dog tore across the water toward the 'coon, barking at the top of his voice.
The air became filled with barks and words of encouragement.
"Yeeeeeeeeeeee-hoooooooooo," one mountaineer cried.
"Burrrrrrruuuuuuuup," the dog answered. "Get 'im, boy. Sic 'im, sic 'im, sic 'im. Hooooooeeeeeeeeeee," another sideliner shouted. The dog gave the same reply: "Burrrrruuuup." The 'coon sat on the log. Soon it was canine against 'coon, no holds barred. The dog rushed valiantly toward its target, splashing and barking with all its might. He made an attack on the 'coon, which by now had been splashed with just enough water to get its dander up. The 'coon didn't budge. After a few minutes of battle, the dog relented and the 'coon was declared the winner. But just for the moment. "Next challenger," the ring announcer begged. "Let's keep 'em moving. Let's have your dogs

Coons are able to withstand attacks by dogs by staying firmly attached to floating log.

Mr. Coon gets a ride, sort of piggyback, on yelping dog.

Mr. Coon oullasls hounds In bailie royal

ready when their turn comes." A small man, who led a big
dog, walked briskly toward the water's edge.
"I'll guarantee you this dog will get 'im," the man said to the audience. "Bet you a dime to the hole in a doughnut."
A few jeckled but nobody would risk the hole in a doughnut, so the man got no takers. He rolled up his britches legs and walked with his dog until the water almost reached his knees. He held the dog back momentarily, then leaned over and whispered something in his ear.
"WOOOOOO-ha !" he .yelled, straightening u p from his crouched position. "Go take the mask off that 'coon, Blue."
Old Blue went after him. He sprang through the water like a jet-propelled U-boat. Mr. Raccoon stood up on the log, looked around in amazement but stayed glued to his position. He wasn't about to budge for Old Blue or anyone else.
Blue went about his work for about five minutes. But he, like the one before him and several after him, could not dent the 'coon's rugged defense. He soon tucked his tail and was called back to the bench.
So went the afternoon.
The 'coon outfought one dog, then another and another. He refused to give one inch of ground, not even to the largest and loudest dog on the lot. He wanted no part of that water and no one could blame him for it.

FROGS, FROGS, FROGSI

BY GLYNN WORLEY
(As Told to Bob Short)
{ HAVE often heard of the vast, spectacular beauty and
prolific wildlife in the great Okefenokee Swamp but before I went there in search of photographs, I never fully realized what a many-splendored sight it really is.
Together with Tom Smith of Pearson, a local expert on the weedy wonderland; I set out early one May morning on the Farg.o side to try for some unusual outdoor photos to use in education and information work.
Smith had chosen the middle Suwannee River channel route and we boarded our boat at dawn. As we trolled cautiously up the channel, Smith inserted one of his infamous "chaws of tobacco," which is his trademark. Smith weighs in at 250, the tobacco at one-half pound.
This was not my first visit into the swamp, but it's the one that I'll always remember. As the sun began to burn its way through the haze that separated the swamp from a clear, blue sky, I watched the turtles peep out from under their blanketshells, looking for a log or stump to take a sunbath.

One poor turtle, the largest in the group, found him a choice spot on the end of a log and waited until we were almost upon him before he decided to move. He suddenly found himself perfectly balanced by his bottom shell on a slick log and we laughed at him when all four legs swept furiously in an attempt to move. He finally dug a toe-nail in the log and flipped himself in the water. But not before I had snapped my picture.
The next fifteen miles I will always classify as the most dangerous of my life, despite the fact that I have sailed the seven seas for Uncle Sam. Smith had settled down peacefully to run the motor at full speed. It was necessary for him to do it, since the growth along the channel hampered our :progress.
When we reached the first open water, I spotted a bald eagle's nest in a cypress just off the water's edge. The eagle, a rare bird, stood nearby protecting its young and screaming at us every breath. We stopped the boat long enough to capture this vivid scene with my camera.
As we moved toward Big
(Continued on Page 22)
13

/
Henry Hodges turns quail eggs in his home-hatchery at Turner Air Force Base.
After they hatch, Hodges keeps a twenty-four-hour-a-day vigilance over birds. Hodges places feed in self-feeder for quail on Rod and Gun Club Range.

Old Formula For Tu-rner R
AGROUP of Air Force quail hunters have licked a big problem by using an old formula. Good sportsman-farmer relations plus sound management, they found, equals good hunting.
Not too long ago, Turner Air Force Base's Rod and Gun Club, a band of avid shooters from all parts of the country, had no place to hunt. Now, thanks to a good conservation program and good relations with Dougherty and Lee County farmers, they have a large area on which to search for quail.
The club, of which Major William McClure, a Pennsylvanian, is president, began its operation in September, 1955, by calling on landowners and asking to lease their land. To return the favor, club members promised to release birds on the property and to improve quail habitat. Farmers were eager to cooperate.
"It all seems like a dream," McClure says of the progress his charges have made. "It just goes to show you that being on good terms with landowners and farmers will help hunters find good places to hunt."
As soon as they got some land on which to start work, the club bought quail feeders and hatchery equipment to get started. When told that stocking birds was not the surest way of increasing population, McClure and his men began a habitat improvement project. Bi-color lespedeza, multi-flora rose and a few annuals went into the ground for the quail to feed on.
Although the Turner club has quail hunting improvement as its No. 1 project, it has made other recreational improvements on the base.
Rod and Gun funds bought two house trailers for use by club members on their fishing junkets to streams requiring overnight facilities. The base skeet range was renovated by the club and a new pistol range, boat docks, riding stables and kennel now help club members spend idle hours doing worthwhile things.
"We haven't had too much luck with it yet," McClure quipped, "but we've built a duck blind on the Flint River. Maybe one of these days one of us will slip up and bag a honker."
Rod and Gun Clubbers maintain kennels where dogs are kept for use on hunting trips.

ts Jackpot and Gunners
Rod and Gunners put many hours behind their projects, there's no doubt about it, but all of their efforts may have been in vain had they not had the full cooperation of the base commander, Colonel Gordon Graham.
Graham, an avid Georgia quail hunter, helped with the organization of the club and is one of its charter members. His ideas and experience with
Rod and Gun clubs at other military installations
helped iron out some of the Albany club's early problems.
"I had but one wish at the start," modest Graham says, "and that was to find a place for base personnel to hunt and fish without stomping around on someone else's land.
"We did that by talking with farmers, giving them an honest answer and backing it up. There's no substitute for good relationship with farmerswe can all vouch for that."
As an added attraction, Graham, McClure and the Rod and Gunners throw open their 2,700 acres to hunters, civilian or military, who are club members. Their land is not posted, nor do they disturb local hunters who are taking pot shots at quail inside their fences.
McClure had little trouble in finding a qualified person to place in charge of the club's small bobwhite hatchery.
Henry Hodges, who hails from South Carolina, literally lives with the project. Inside his trailer home a short distance from the base is an incubator, usually full of eggs.
In a fenced area back of his home, Hodges works diligently with young birds. He feeds 'em on schedule, waters them on schedule and has even been accused of weighing them daily to see how much they have grown.
Hodges says the biggest trouble with pen-raised birds does not occur in the pen, but in the wild.
"We have been using self-feeders," the Palmetto State native said, "and have found that predators are a big pro.blem around our feeding areas.
"So, we decided to plant bi-color and some peas in our hunting areas and eliminate feeders. I
(Continued on Page 26)
Major Bill McClure (foreground), and his men inspect Club's Rifle Range.

Rod and Gunners participate in Rifle and Shotgun matches with local Civic Organizations.
Turner Air Force Base's Skeet Team is considered one of the top in the South. Game Management Chief George Moore talks over quail problems with Hodges, the keeper of the pens.

The TRUTH
About
Cctui'Hix
.ILL coturnix quail, those wily Wimports from the Old World,
be a bonanza to Georgia hunters? ... will they shed their migratory tendencies long enough to become a permanent resident? . . . is Georgia's climate suitable for them?
These are not the closing lines of an afternoon soap opera. They are, indeed, important questions the Georgia Game and Fish Commission expects to answer during the next three years, the time it will take to get a good line on "Experiment Coturnix."
In probing into the possibilities of introducing a new game bird into the state, Georgia game management technicians came up with coturnix or, if you prefer, Japanese, European or Biblical quail. Experiments in other states proved the bird may be adaptable to grassland areas -a situation this state has plenty of, thank you, due to sharp increases in improved pastures.
Coturnix have been stocked in sixteen study areas in scattered areas over the state. The tedious task of finding out whether or not they are suitable game birds is underway.
Are they as migratory as other states say they are? ... will they hold for dogs? ... exactly what does the future hold for them? . . . will Mary Backstage find happiness with Noble Larry, the bedridden stagehand?
Early reports from field workers indicate that the situation is not as bright as most hunters had hoped. In several cases, it has been proven that coturnix are migratory. Last season a bird wearing an Ohio band was killed in south Georgia. Another one, this one banded in Tennessee, was harvested in Florida.
But despite migration, cotur-
16

It is hoped Coturnix, the original "Biblical Quail," will prefer grassy areas such as this improved pasture.
Caturnix eggs, speckled with dots of purple and brown, have an incubation period of 16 days.
In only seven weeks, these hatchery-raised chicks will be growing families of their own.

Will Coturnix Quail Prove Bonanza To Georgia Hunters?

nix, if they prove themselves capable, may fill the bill as an additional bird for quail hunters. As a matter of fact, the chief concern to date has been the rumor that coturnix will not hold long enough for a dog to come to point.
Robert (Slim) Howarth, the project's leader, says he has proven on several occasions this slam at the bird is not true. He says coturnix hold and they are quite a bit of fun to hunt.
In all of the areas where the birds were stocked, they have been seen or flushed in grassy areas or bushy strips along pasture edges. However, no coveys \ have been found, adding more truth to the theory that coturnix: must be harvested singly and not in coveys.
There is no evidence, Howarth has been quoted, which indicates coturnix are nesting. "On one area," he said, "I searched for nests in the general vicinity where several birds were flushed. I found no indication the birds are reproducing."
None of the birds have exhibited a "broken wing antic," Howarth said. When with young and afraid of danger, coturnix often fake wing injuries to beg sympathy from their tormentors. Occasionally, they do the same trick to lead enemies away from their nests. The fact that they do not attempt this trick is also proof that they have no nests or no young, Howarth said.
Coturnix, which are smaller than native bobwhites and slightly larger than field larks, are natives of the Old World and are believed to be the same quail mentioned in the Bible. Until several states began research on them around 1900, they had never been stocked in the United States on a large scale, although they are plentiful in other parts

of the world. There's one nice thing about
coturnix, though, the way they reproduce. Each pair is capable of having three sets of young a season, which is encouraging enough to paint a mental picture of quail flying haphazardly between the sights of an awaiting shooter. Young coturnix require only seven weeks from birth until they begin raising their own families. The bird usually lays a clutch of eight or ten eggs, it's been found, and the eggs are the same size as bobwhite's, except for coloring. Coturnix eggs are beautiful things with mottled red, brown and purple combining to add color to a pale white background.
This untested species of quail was chosen for stocking, not to replace bobwhites, but to aid them in making Georgia an even "happier hunting ground." Coturnix and bobwhites will not cross, experts have found.
It's too early to predict the outcome of coturnix and their role in making "the Quail Capital of the World" a more lucrative hunting spot.
It is not too early to say, though, that if coturnix reproduce in the wilds as they do in captivity they will add greatly to quail hunting for their home life blends in with Georgia's terrestrial pattern perfectly.
In any case, if you're interested in coturnix, you may help the Game and Fish Commission enrich their knowledge by sending the bands from the birds you harvest to the Game Management Division Office in Atlanta; giving specific location and date the bird was killed and describe the type of cover where the bird was found.
By weighing the data from such a report, technicians will be able to find out the real truth about coturnix.

Management
Areas
(Contjnued from Page 3)
tence of certain conditions must be present before a successful area can be started.
Whatever the needs, when the Commission sets up an area it formulates a plan that will improve the carrying capacity yet not interfere with owners' la nd use program.
Presently, the Commission has 13 management areas under the watchful eyes of technicians. Several others are being studied and may become managed areas before long, depending on whether or not the Commission feels that they will provide hunters with enough game.
Most of Georgia's areas are managed principally for deer and turkeys except the Altamaha Refuge, which is mainly a waterfowl area. Public hunting is allowed ort 250,000 of the total 325,000 acres and, if plans don't fall through, more will be added in the near future.
Many people ask how management areas serve sportsmen. The answer is simple. Besides giving them a place to hunt without fear of trespassing, it assures them of an abundance of harvestable game, yet promises them more in the future through a retained breeding stock.
Because hunters sometimes are overly cautious in protecting certain species on an area, it results in waste and poor management of other species. A good example is the situation on many deer areas. Some hunters object to other types of hunting on an area devoted to deer, which results in waste of harvestable raccoons, squirrels and other small game.
Maybe the result of my conversation in the barber shop hasn't done anything to clarify or defend game management areas. If it hasn't, nobody can ever say I didn't try. If it has, I'm sure some sportsmen will have a better idea and respect for areas and what they mean to other sportsmen.
17

THE POACHER
(Continued from Page 9)
ing was to see my father, the circuit judge. Seems Doc had been involved in a ruckus with our new game warden. I'd been expecting it for Jim McDuff was sent to our county to put a stop to Doc's game slaughtering.
Jim McDuff was a prince of a fellow, I'd heard some of the girls around the drug store say. He was tall, dark and had bulging biceps and a cool set of nerves. Doc resented McDuff's being here, everybody knew that. That's why he came to see Pop.
"Judge," Doc told Pop after Mom had shoo-ed him off the sofa, "I've come to tell you you'd better tell them fellers in the state capitol that they'd better send for this here game warden before he gets into something he'll never get out of. Ain't nobody, Judge, gonna tell me what I can do and what I can't do with my rifle. It's my rifle, ain't it? Sure, it is. And I'm gonna use it anyway I want to.
"I come from a tough stock, Judge," Doc screamed, "and I ain't above blasting this feller's head off-you know that."
Pop, a real mild fellow with the heart of an elephant, looked at me, looked at Mom, then at Doc Hampton. He was a pensive fellow, my Pop. He always weighed his answers before he gave them, a trait not too many inhabitants of this good earth are guilty of. I guess he got it from his many years of service as a judge, listening to the trials and tribulations of frustrated people like Doc Hampton.
"Doc Hampton," Pop says to Doc after his thinking session, "I'm a patient man. I don't care what everybody says about you . I think there's a little bid of God-given goodness somewhere beneath that tough hide of yours.
"I'm willing to forget all the wrong-doing you've done in the past at your trial next week, if you'll promise me you'll bury your hatchet and leave our game wardens alone."
Doc Hampton's thin smile

changed into a smirk. It was easy to see Pop's suggestion had brought out the bull in Doc Hampton. His burning hate for game wardens was hotter than ever at that particular moment.
Before Mom could ask Doc to get his bloody hunting clothes out of her house, he was up and almost to the door. "Ain't nobody gonna tell me what I can and what I can't do," Doc yelled back to Pop. "You, a game warden or nobody else.
"And another thing, Judge," he said. "That game warden will wind up with a backend full of buckshot if he isn't careful. Why don't you tell him that? Tell him I'll fill his rear full of buckshot and put a hole the size of a 30-30 bullet in his head. Think he'd like that, Judge?"
Pop didn't say anything. He just stared into space as Doc bounded out the door. But Pop wasn't through with this case, he was just thinking. His answer would come sooner or later.
It wasn't long before there was another rap upon the door.
"No, not Doc Hampton again," Mom said, partially hiding it under her breath. "So help me, if that fellow sits down on my clean sofa again in those dirty, bloody clothes I'll ... ''
"No you won't," Pop broke in. "Just be a lady, now and answer the door."
You know, it's not true of all fami lies but here Pop definitely wore the pants. Mom seldom even offered an argumert and when she did, she usually lost.
She moved toward the door to greet our-visitor.
"Howdy," the tall man said to her when she finally got there. "My name's McDuff and I've come to see Judge Jennings."
It was the game warden, Jim McDuff. Had he been earlier, he would have met Doc Hampton head-on in the doorway. I thanked my lucky stars they didn't cross paths.
"Come in, Mr. McDuff," Mom invited, examining his green uniform carefully before she asked him to take a seat on the sofa. "Please sit down. The

Judge will be with you in a minute."
"Thank you, M'am," McDuff answered and took his seat. He fumbled in his pockets for his pipe and a penny box of matches. When he got his tobacco in place, he lit up and sat back on the cushions.
Pop peered at him through the curtains for a second, then came bursting out, shook McDuff's hand and they chatted for a few minutes on such subjects as the weather, deer season, hunting licenses and Pop's rheumatism. Finally, McDuff got to the point.
"I came here to see you, Judge," McDuff told Pop, "about this fellow Hampton. You know him I'm sure. I guess you've been told that I have been clamping down on him to try to stop his poaching. I'm having a hard time, frankly, and I need your help."
"What can I do?" Pop asked. "I don't enforce game laws."
"No," McDuff fired back, "but you do pass sentences. It would help me and all the sportsmen in this area if you would make it rough on Hampton. Sort of discourage his kind.
"If you ask me," McDuff continued, "the guy's a little off his rocker sometimes. He has threatened to put a hole in my head. I don't want that, Judge, and I don't think you do either."
"I should think not," Pop replied. "Surely Doc Hampton wouldn't go as far as to kill someone over a few dead deer carcasses. He's a bad fellowthat's true-but he's not that bad."
"Yes he is too," Mom broke in. "Anybody who would sit in a decent home on a new sofa and let animal blood drip all over the floor is nothing but a ..."
"Mamma, Mamma," Pop ejaculates. "Stop that talk and tend your own business."
Pop went into one of his thinking trances. He looked clear through me, then McDuff. When he came to, he said to McDuff, "Why don't you, Doc Hampton and myself get together and set-

18

tle this little matter among ourselves? I'm sure Doc will consent to talk to us if I ask him. I've heard the state game and fish department has some good films and literature made just to educate people like Doc Hampton. I'll tell you what, let's get Doc over here Thursday night and begin our conservation classes. Maybe a little education will solve his dilemma."
McDuff agreed and promised to contact his department's education and information officer for the necessary equipment. Their plans set, Pop bid farewell to McDuff and set out to find Doc Hampton and extend to him ;:~n invitation to a party in his honor at our house on Thursday night.
The following afternoon I was down by the river, watching a young buck and a fawn drink water from one of the creeks that flows into it. I saw Doc Hampton standing in a clump of bushes drawing a bead on the buck. "Don't shoot, Doc," I yelled. When I did, the buck threw his head into the air, did a jig while shifting his feet and took off into the woods only four or five steps ahead of the fawn.
"Why'd you want to kill him, Doc," I asked him. "You've already got your limit this year." Doc didn't answer. Mayoe it was because he was ashamed. I had never seen Doc do anything to violate the rules, except this time.
"I'm ashamed of you, Doc," I told him, "for even thinking of killing more than your share of game. What if everybody did it? Then we'd have very little left for the future. Doc, I hope my father puts you under the jail after your trial. You deserve it!"
Doc sort of tucked his chin under his hunting coat and we both went in our separate directions. On the way home, I thought about Doc Hampton. I wished there was something I could do to help him stay out of trouble. It wasn't long before I got the chance.
After Doc came to our house and he, Pop and McDuff talked

uver his case and trial, he seemed to be somewhat of a changed man. He reduced his hunting by a half; stopped fishing altogether and went to a meeting of the local sportsman club. I began to sense that the once-a-week lectures and movies Pop sentenced Doc to were paying off. Pop didn't want to see Doc go to jail, but he wanted him cured of his poaching, so he passed a sentence that called for two onehour classes in conservation each week at our house. McDuff was the teacher and I was his assistant.
After a few weeks of it, Doc sidelined me one night and asked me if I thought the things McDuff had been telling him were true. I told him yes. He asked me if I thought Pop, McDuff and his enemies around town would ever forgive him for the damage he had done. I told him yes, but he would have to apologize for it and promise to be a better citizen. Doc didn't say anything, just took off home.
Another year passed and I went off to school. I hadn't thought too much about Doc Hampton during those months, mainly because I had too much other stuff on my mind. But one weekend when I came home from school, Pop handed me the news.
"Son," he said, "I guess you knew the sportsmen club elected Doc Hampton president last week. Doc told me that you were the one who helped him make up his mind about it. He's no longer a poacher-he's now a leader in conservation."
lt was good news, that's for sure. But somehow I doubted it. Just for fun, I decided to go to Doc's house and ask him to go trout fishing with me. The season had been closed for five months.
"Can't go, son," Doc told me. "It's out of season. Besides, I've got to go down to the high school and work with some FFA boys on their wildlife projects. Ain't got time to trout fish."
Doc's case just goes to show, I guess, that you can teach an "old dog new tricks," and that,

with the right attitude, even the toughest game law violator can become a good conservationist.
The rest of Doc Hampton's story is like any other success story. His work in conservation made him a national officer and finally, after two decades of hard work in improving wildlife, the statue that's now in the city park was dedicated to him.
The statue I'm looking at right now.
It Is Unlawful
To hunt any game over or in the vicinity of any baited area.
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 except 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 railroad right-of-way.
To take or sell plumage or eggs of game or song birds without a permit.
To sell, offer for sale, barter, or exchange, any of the protected game animals, or game birds or parts thereof, taken in the State of Georgia.
To 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 kil! any deer other than bucks with spiked antlers 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.

19

Lake Sinclair Wood Ducks Coming Back

(Continued from Page 11)
. S. 441 from Eatonton, the Uncle Remus Highway, or from Spar ta or Eatonton on Ga. 16. From the South, again U.S. 441 takes you there and U. S. 129 and Ga. 22 are good routes from Macon and Gray.
Best bass this spring and summer wer e caught on Little River on the western side and Island River on the eastern side. Most Sinclairians use lizards, but artificial lures do an equally good job with largemouth, local anglers say.
For a lake so young (it was completed in 1953) Sinclair has its share of large fish. Bass and crappie, it's been proven, have grown rapidly, due to, perhaps, the introduction of treadfin shad into the water. Bream, though, do not grow as fast as they do in other reservoirs. However, they are there and in abundance.

(Continued from Page 6)
trees at varying altitudes, sometimes as high as fifty feet above ground. The nest cavity itself may be quite shallow or as much as six feet in depth. Mother duck transports no material to build her nest, r elying entirely on down plucked from her body to shelter her young. Her nest completed, the female lays from ten to fifteen eggs and the young are born in about twenty-eight days.
Sportsmen can help to restore the diminishing wood duck population by learning to identify

waterfowl. Occasionally, it is possible for a hunter to kill wood ducks by mistake, for it is not easy to identify birds from the confines of a blind. But hunters can easily identify wood ducks, even in flight, by their unmistakable characteristics.
Wood ducks hold thir heads high in flight, with their bill pointed at an angle. Its long, squarish tail and short neck are also characteristics that make it easy to identify. If these fail, the sudden hoo-eek, hoo-eek, uttered in flight should erase any doubt.

Although its beard is not gray with age, Sinclair also has had its share of fishing fables.

One such story involved a channel cat and a fisherman's trot line. The cat, which later weighed out at 10 pounds when dressed, attacked the man's lines and snipped his hooks, bait and all, until he was too tired to go on. When the culprit was finally caught, ten hooks were removed from its insides. Fishery biologist Wayne Thomaston, under whose watchful eye the lake was kept until recently, was present when the hooks were removed.

Male duck is easily identified by "ducktail" haircut, many splendared colors.

One of the top, yet most un- technicians, have removed con- to come Sinclair will harbor ex-

derrated, spots on the reservoir siderable numbers of scavengers cellent game fishing.

is the upper region, made up of from the water. Only drawback

As is true of many other

Shoulderbone Creek and the has been that their catches al- Georgia impoundments, Sinclair Oconee River. In these waters ways contain numbers of small has its share of recreational-

. .

are found large bass and crappie fish, which indicates that there seekers. Water skiiers, yacht and

and, during their annual run, are probably more of the rough power boat enthusiasts and

white bass. The headwaters are species there than at first ex- swimmers swell its weekend pop-

found by taking Route 16 out pected.

ulation with little interference to

of Sparta or Eatonton.

If figures mean anything to fishermen.

The never-ending problem of you, it's safe to say that rough

Sinclair is fastly growing into

rough fish in Lake Sinclair has fish's lock on the habitat has de- the mecca for weekenders. Its

heen aided some by commercial creased from 90 percent to 75, recreational facilities are tops

fishermen who, according to fish leading one to believe in years and fishing is not far behind.

20

What Crops Can I Plant
To Inc rease Rabbits?
Dea r Sir: Please f urnish me with infor-
mation on cover and feed for wild r abbits. I would like to know what types of planting I could do to improve habitat on farms. We have several places that are going to let us plant cover and food for rabbits.
Sincerely yours, Paul E. Camp Rome, Ga.
(Ed's Note: R abbits 1espond to m.anagement bette1 than most game animals. Th ere is no g1eat shortage of f ood du1ing t he summe1, but it is sometimes necessa1y to supplement the native wint m f ood supply .
R ab bits a1e known as b1iar patch animals. A n y thing t hat yott can do to encou1age conditions that will c1eate plenty of b1iars, plu1ns, sumac and va1ious vines will help yow 1abbit population. A djacent to b1-ia1 patches and othe1 thick tangles, it is good to have foods sttch as se?"icea lespedeza, annual lespedeza and soy beans. Oats, wheats and va1-ious clovers se1ve as ideal winter foods .
P lease remember t hat these f ood and cover plants must be located adjacent to each other t o have m aximu1n v alue. L a1ge open fie lds and la1ge dense wooded a?"eas have little ca11ying capacity.)
Here's Good Advice On Treating Chigger Bites
Dear Sir: The 1957 Fishing Edition a~
rived about three days ago. Thanks. I have read about half of it with interest. On Page 5 "Stop Those Pests" one finds interest and, of course, a little amusement.
Here's a little information taken from Horticultural N ewsletter, Arlington, Vt.:
"Look for a new liquid insect repellent soon that should make outdoor life more comfortable and safer than ever before. The repellent is diethyl toluamide which, in solution, can be applied

to the skin or clothes to protect against at least five insect pests - mosquitos, ticks, chiggers, fleas and flies. It is t he nearest to an all-purpose repellent yet developed. Also, it has a nongreasy lotion-like consistency, a delicate fr esh fragrance and a resistance to rubbing or wearing off that makes one application last several hours.
"Diethyl toulamide was synt hesized some years ago by U.S. D.A. research chemists and has been tested against many harmf ul and annoying pests at Orlando, Florida. It wards off mosquitos better than any other chemical or combination of chemicals. It is safe to apply to the skin and will not stain fabrics."
Now, outdoorsmen and gardener s will soon be able t o get some relief from those pests. I h ope.
Let t he good work continue. J. P .Castle Charleston, Ill.
( E d's Note : I hope so, too .)
Improve Habit-at for Quai l, Reader Advised
Dear Sir : I am interested in restocking
my woods with quail. Would you please send me information on putting out pen-raised birds, how to feed them, what to plant for feed, etc. Any other information on the subject would be greatly appreciated.
Very truly yours, E. Y. Mallary, III Macon, Ga.
(Ed' s Note : W e a1e sure y ou could do a m01e thorough and mO?-e lasting jo b by imp1oving you,- quai l habitat, mther than by stocking pen-r aised bi1ds. Game management t echnicians st?ongly ?"ecomme?id that you solicit the advice of a technician to help you set up your p1og1am. A game technician from this office will be glad to smve you and help you f o?mulate a program that will blend with y our local conditions.)

Rea der Praises Fil m, Wildlife Rangers
Dear Chief : At a meeting of a civic club
not too long ago in another town, I saw a fi lm entitled, "Men In Gr een ." I believe you wer e at the meeting and made an addr ess before showing t he picture.
This movie is one of the best on wildlife I have ever seen. I would like to encourage every club or organization t hat has not seen it to do so.
I would like also to put in a good wor d for your wildlife ranger s. My associations with t hem, a,nd the associations of my f riends, have been splendid.
Yours ver y truly, Bill Bailey Atlanta, Ga.
( E d's Note: W e, too, a1e proud of the film and' offer it, along with other educational ty11e prog1ams, to civic clubs, conse1vation g1oups or any othe1 interested groups. A letter or telephone call to the Education and Inf01m.ation Division is all that's needed.)
Fisherman Writer Says G&F Mag A 'Dandy'
Dear Editor : How are the chances of get-
t ing on the mailing list for GEORGIA GAME AND FISH at my home address? I would like to receive any r egular news releases, etc., mailed out by your o r ga n i z a t i on.
Your fishing issue of G & F was a dandy, incidentally.
Sincerely, Ernest A. Bauer Travel Editor The Fisherman Oxford, Ohio
(Ed's Note: We a1e happy to inform you that you will receive futu?"e issues of Geo1gia Game and Fish at you1 home add1ess. Thanks f o1 t he compliment. We like you1 magazine, too .)
21

Farming For Quail
(Continued from Page 10)
of the nursery, a job that involves several headaches:
First, there's the weed problem. During bicolor's tender youth, they must be nurtured carefully with no interference from weeds. Jernigan, then must be sure no wandering plants invade his rows.
Diseases of all sorts are always hazardous. This season, charcoal wilt, a fungus growth transported to the plants by nematodes, wiped out several hundred plants. Previously, Jernigan encountered alfalfa leaf girdler, an insect; excessive wilt; and leaf hoppers.
"Another thing we must guard against," Jernigan said, "is improper irrigation. Bicolor must be watered at exactly the right moment. If even a silght crust forms around the plants, our stand will be reduced."
How does all this help quail? "Easy question," Jernigan replied. "Bicolor is wonderful quail food. Besides providing cover during the period when good cover is scarce, bicolor gives a food supply during the winter when other food is scarce. "It's also a good soil conservation plant for it gives cover along field edges and prevents washing. Usually, it's hard to get anything but weeds to grow in such terrain." Bicolor, the kind produced at the nursery, usually grows from five to ten feet high and, like all other species of lespedeza, is a legume. Originally, it was intro. duced into the United States from Asia. There are many ways in which farmers may utilize hicolor to improve quail habitat. Farm borders, woodland food patches and creek banks are good places to plant it. Agriculturists recommend that it be planted in strips 15 feet wide, 400 feet long in rows three feet apart. How does a farmer obtain hicolor from the nursery?

LICENSE FEES

COMBINATION:

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

FISHING:

Resident . ... ....

.. $ 1.25

Resident Shad..... .. . .. ... .. .. ....

1.00

Resident County:

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

Under 16 years of age.................. None

Over 65 years of age-Honorary hunt-

ing and fishing licenses required

Nonresident

.... Reciprocal

Nonresident 1 Day.. ...... ....

1.00

Nonresident 10 Days.... .

3.25

Nonresident Shad....

10.00

State seiners and netters

1.25

HUNTING:

Resident .......

2.25

Resident County:

Under 16 years of age

... None

Over 65 years of age-Honorary hunt-

ing and fishing licenses required

Nonresident ............. .. .................. 20.25

Nonresident 10 Day or County .... 10.25

ROUGH FISH BASKET:

Resident

1.00

"It's simple as contacting the Chief of the Game Management Division or your local wildlife ranger," Jernigan pointed out. "We distribute them to farmers, free of charge, usually a thousand at a time."
Quail are not the only creatures that find bicolor pleasing to the taste. Bees use the plant extensively during the summer months when arrid weather has robbed them of foodstuffs. Honey made from bicolor is lightcolored and has an extraordinary flavor. In planting bicolor for bees, the same patterns used for bob whites comes highly recommended by agriculturists.
The Game and Fish Commission's nursery has contributed tremendously toward improving Georgia's quail population in the past. The future holds an even mor~ important role for it. Within the next few years, the Commission's Game Management Division expects to expand their "quail farm" to grow other plants for quail.
Georgia is known as the "Quail Capital of the World," an honor bestowed upon her by hunters from all over the world.
The Game and Fish Commission's "quail farm" has helped make this honor possible.

Frogs~ Frogs I
(Continued from Page 13)
Water, a fresh water lake deep in the swamp, alligators frequently churned the water ahead of us. The swift passage of an occasional otter was seen. now and then and waterfowl of all species and description filled the skies above us.
On Big Water, Smith and I decided to try our luck with the stump bass. We fished seriously for two hours and brought in several swamp-type bluegiLl bream, a few bowfins and an occasional bass. Smith, one of the few persons who really know the swamp from end to end, decided we could improve our luck deeper in the swamp. We moved on through the narrow waterways.
As the hum-hum of our motor carried us closer to our destination, we noticed a terrific churning action in the water on the far edge of a small lake ahead. As we approached, the occasional snout of an alligator, thrust above the water drew our attention. We then noticed a large, dark peculiar mass extending into the lilly-pads, riding down the swamp grass and again we wondered what we had found.
As we silently watched, the alligator disappeared beneath the surface and suddenly reappeared on the edge of this dark mass, mouth wide open, turning and twisting. It dawned on us about then that the alligator was devouring whatever it was we had spotted.
We decided to move in closer for a better look at the dark mass that had attracted our attention.
It was a sight few human eyes have ever seen. There they were, thousands and thousands of bullfrogs, stacked two and three deep, massed on every twig, lilly-pad and anything that offered support.
Smith, a native of the swampland, had never seen such a sight, either.

SPOTLIGHT ON

Carsten Tiedeman of Sea Island admires the wild boor he killed with bow and arrow-and on first shot, too!

Dick Gross shows off award given his father, the late Fronk Gross, by Tocc oa Deerhunters Association .

OUTDOORS

This turkey family, Pop, Mom and six kiddies, ore off for a day's frolicking in South Georgia .

L. G. Hobbins of Atlanta poses with on eight point buck (160
pounds) token near Hiawassee.
23

l
I

,.

(1) Commission Trapper Jesse Smith sets live trap near break in beaver dam. (2) Smith uses twigs and branches to lead beaver into trap. (3) Mr. Jesse removes beaver from trap with help of croker-sack.
24

BEAVER TRAPPING
BEAVER trapping is not just business . . . it can also be plenty of fun.
At least, that's the story you get from Brother Jesse Smith, a gentleman who has spent considerable time enjoying the sport.
Brother Jesse belongs to the Game and Fish Commission's Pittman-Robertson branch and his duti.es include, among other things, trapping nuisance beavers. It isn't hard, he says, the secret being that you must outguess the beaver. Mr. Jesse has done that almost all of his life.
Most important thing is to set the trap in the rigbt place. Smith says he always looks for a break in the beaver dam. If such a location is handy, he sets his trap there. When beavers come back to repair the leaky dam-Wham! You got him. If you can't always find a broken dam, Smith suggests you choose the next most probable place a beaver might be, use sticks and branches to lead him to your trap, and sit back and wait.
Once the beaver has sprung your trap, it is best to remove him as quickly as possible. Brother Jesse suggests that, when live traps are used, you place the animal in a croker-sack while he's still in the trap. This is very easy, he says, but it takes plenty of practice to acquire the know-how.
When the beaver is sacked, it's time to remove his hide and cure it. Brother Jesse starts by taking off the animal's feet, both fore and hind, and cutting a ring around the animal's hide just at its tail. Then, by using a sharp knife, he cuts a groove up the animal's stomach toward its head and skins it, cutting the skin from side to side.
When the skin has been removed, Smith uses a hickory or white oak circle, made especially for the purpose, to sew the hide on and store it for curing.
"Beaver hides are not bringing the fancy price they once were," Mister Jesse said. "But if a fellow can trap several medium sized or "blankets" (extra large pelts) he can make himself some money."
Smith is no amateur at beaver trapping, yet he confesses to learn something more about it every day.
"Back when I started this business," Brother Jesse said, "we didn't think of using a croker-sack to help remove our catch from the trap. But when I saw someone do it, I had it explained to me and now I wouldn't think of trapping without using one."
Georgia's beaver population is increasing rapidly. In some areas, complaints are continually coming in asking that nuisance beavers be removed because of the devastation they have done.
When a farmer has a beaver problem, he could have himself plenty of fun and occasionally make a few dollars by following Brother Jesse's tips and doing some trapping for himself.

1957-58 GEORGIA GAME LAWS
Seasons and Bag Limits

RESIDENT GAME

OPEN DATES (Inclusive)

Bear (a)

November 1, 1957-January 10, 1958

Deer (See Below)

Quail

November 20, 1957-February 25, 1958

Ruffed 1Grouse

November 20, 1957-January 5, 1958

Rabbits (b)

November 20, 1957-February 25, 1958

Opossum (c)

October 15, 1957-January 31, 1958

Raccoon

October 15, 1957-January 31, 1958

Alligators

June 1, 1957-January 31, 1958

Sea Turtles

No Open Season

Squirrels (d)

September 15, 1957-January 5, 1958

Turkeys (See Below)

MIGRATORY BIRDS

Rails, Gallinules

September 23, 1957-November 30, 1957

Ducks

November 7, 1957-January 15, 1958

Geese (Except Snow Geese) November 7, 1957-January 15, 1958

Coots

November 7, 1957-January 15, 1958

Doves

(See Below for Split Season)

Woodcock

December 12, 1957-January 20, 1958

Wilson's Snipe

December 3, 1957-January 1, 1958

TRAPPING SEASONS

Fox

November 20, 1957-February 25, 1958

Mink

November 20, 1957-February 25, 1958

Muskrat

November 20, 1957-February 21), 1958

Skunk

November 20, 1957-February 25., 1958

Opossum

November 20, 1957-February 25, 1958

Raccoon

November 20, 1957-February 25, 1958

Beaver and Otter (e)

November 20, 1957-February 25, 1958

DAILY BAG LIMITS
No Limit

WEEKLY BAG POSSESSION

LIMITS

LIMITS

12

30

3

3

10

No Limit

No Limit

No Limit

10

10

15

30

4

8

2

4

10

10

10

10

8

8

8

8

No Limit No Limit No Limit No Limit No Limit No Limit No Limit

EXCEPTIONS
(a) - The following counties which have no open season: Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon , Habersham, Lumpkin, Murray, Pickens, Rabun , Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, White, Whitfield.
(b)-Bag limits 5 rabbits daily north of following counties: Heard, Coweta, Spalding, Butts, Jasper, Putnam, H ancock, Glascock, Warren, McDuffie, Richmond.
(e)-Coweta County only season opens Oct. 1, 1957, ends Jan . 31, 1958. N o limit.
(d) - Season for all counties south of, but not including, Carroll, Douglas, Fulton, DeK alb, Rockdale, W a lton , Ocon ee, Oglethorpe, Wilkes and Lincoln, will he Nov. 1, 1957-Jan. 6, 1958. Bag limits, 10 daily, 10 weekly.
(e)-Except all counties north of and including Carroll, Fulton, DeKalb, Walton , Oconee, Oglethor pe, Wilkes and Lincoln are closed to the trappinu: of Beaver and Otter. Trappers must report to Game and Fish Commission number of hides shipped.
DEER SEASONS
Paulding and Polk Counties-Nov. 7, 8, 9. Bag limit-One buck per season. AIJ counties in State closed to deer hunting on above dates.
Appling, Atkinson , Bacon, Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien, Blakely, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Calhoun, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Chattahoochee, Clay, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Decatur, Dodge, Dooly, Dougherty, Early, Echols, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Grady, Irwin , J eff Davis, L a nier, L ee, Liberty, L ong, L owndes, Marion, Mcintosh, Miller, Mitchell, Montgomery, Muscogee, Pierce, Pulaski, Quitman, Randolph, Screven, Seminole, Stewart, Sumter, Tattnall, Telfair, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Turner, Ware, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, Wilcox, Worth, Butts, Monroe, Jasper, Putnam, J ones, Baldwin, Hancock, Twiggs, Wilkinson, Washington, Glascock, Johnson. Laurens, Treutlen, Emanuel, Jefferson, Jenkins and Burke Counties will be open for Deer Hunting Nov. 1 through Jan. 5. Limit is two bucks per season in all co unties except

Butts, Monroe, Jasper, Jones, Baldwin, Wilkinson, Twiggs, Putnam, Han.. cock, Glascock, Washington, Jefferson, Johnson, Laurens, Treutlen, Emanuel, J e nkins and Burke. Limit in these counties is one buck per season.
Candler County's open season will be Dee. 17, 24 , 31, 1957, only. Bag limit is one huck :per season.
Season in the following counties will be Nov. 5, 1957, through Nov. 20, 1957 : Chattooga, Dade, Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Habersham, Lumpkin, Murray , Rabun, Stephens, T owns, Union, Walker and White. Limit is one buck per season.
MOURNING DOVES
Seasons on Mourning Doves will be sp lit. First half opens at one-half hour before sunrise on Sept. 12, 1957, and closes at sundown Sept. 28, 1957. Second half commences one-half hour befor e su nrise on Dee. 14, 1957, a nd ends at s undown, Jan . 10, 1958. Bag limit is 10 birds. Possession limit 10.
WILD TURKEYS
Season on Wild Turkeys will be Nov. 1, 1967, through Jan. 5, 1958, in the following counties: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Candler, Char lton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Echols , Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Jeff Davis, Lanier, Liberty, Long, Lowndes, Mcintosh, Montgomery, Pierce, Screven, Tattn a ll, Telfair, T oombs, Ware, Wayne and Wheeler. Bag limit is two gobblers per season.
Season on Wild Turkeys will be N ov. 20, 1957, through Feb. 25, 1958, in the following counties: Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Calhoun, Chattahoochee, Clay, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Decatur, Dooly, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Irwin , L ee, Macon, Marion, Miller, Mitchell, Museogee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Seminole, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell, T ift, Thomas, Turne r, Webster, Wilcox and W orth. Bag limit is two turkey gobblers per season.
The Thomas Seawell Refuge in Museogee County will not be open. The remainder of the State is clo~d entirely.

25

:

Fee Shooting
(Continued from Page 5)
farmers who will allow them to hunt. But around Atlanta, Macon, Augusta, Columbus, Savannah and other population centers it is becoming harder to find open hunting land. And the number of hunters is increasing every year. Shooting preserves will take some of this load off of state and federal agencies.
This fall you will hear a lot about shooting preserves, some good and some bad. The best way to find out about them is to visit one. You don't have to shoot if you don't want to. Any of the operators will welcome you as a questioning guest. They are eager to tell you about preserves and you will have a chance to talk with other hunters who have shot there. If you like what you see, then maybe you'll want to bust a few birds yourself.
There will be ten commercial shooting preserves in Georgia this year operating from October 1 through March 31. Retired Admiral Richard E. Hawes of Thomson opened five years ago for non-native game birds and released quail during the regular state-wide season with regular bag and possession limits. The Admiral was the first to open a preserve in Georgia and this year will be the first to release mallards for pass shooting.
After 35 years in the Navy, the Admiral came home with two Navy Crosses and a burning desire to catch up on his bobwhite shooting. On the land he hunted as a boy, Admiral Hawes opened a shooting preserve with dog training and boarding as a secondary income. In addition to quail, his Briar Creek Hunting Lodge provides pheasants, chukars and Coturnix. For overnight hunters, there is a spacious lodge with home-cooked meals served country style. Besides taking care of Georgia hunters, Briar Creek has a sizable number from other states.
26

GEORGIA GAME AND FISH COMMISSION

412 State Capitol Atlanta, Georgia

S. MARVIN GRIFFIN, Governor

The Commission is a constitutional body, responsible to the Legislature, and the Governor.
Eleven in number-one from each Congressional District-the members 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:

ALVA J. HOPKINS, JR. , 8th Dist., Chai1man

J. T . TRAPNELL, 1st Dist. Vice-Chai1'man
RICHARD TIFT, 2nd Dist. MAYO P. DAVIS, 3rd Dist.
J. 0. BOWEN, 5th Dist.

GEORGE EAST, 6th Dist. W. B. (BILL) AUSTIN, 7th Dist.
Secreta1y FRED C. J ONES, JR., 9th Dist. LUKE L. COUCH, lOth Dist. JAMES GOETHE, Coastal

ADMINISTRATIVE FULTON LOVELL, Director

W. H . HODGES, Enforcement

HOWARD ZELLER, D & J Coordinator

GEORGE C. MOORE, Game Management JACK CROCKFORD, P & R Coordinator

ToM SANDERS, License Div. FRED DICKSON, Fisheries

DAVID GOULD, Coastal Fisheries BoB SHORT, Education & Information

The heads 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 the entire program, which is established, and ways and means approved for its operation, by the Board of Commissioners at regular meetings.

What must have been a world's record was set at Mike Moneymaker's preserve n e a r Dacula last year. Shooting only in the normal season, it took two hunters 276 shells to bag their daily limit. Moneymaker, an Atlantian, specializes in bobwhite quail but will have a few Coturnix this year.
Herschel Hutchins of Lithonia has opened Hutchins Hunting Preserve, which is only a thir.ty minute drive from Atlanta. He will release bobwhites and plans to experiment with Coturnix.
Hutchins says, "We hope that our preserve will provide hunting recreation for the city s p o r t s m a n ."
All preserves provide guides, dogs and are located near motels and restaurants. Shooting preserves are places of convenience and the operators are anxious to have what may be a critical public try their hunting this season.
Before you make up your mind whether preserves are good or bad, why don't you see what's going on?

Turner
(Continued from Page 15)
think we'll have more success in building up our quail."
Hodges, a sincere worker on the project, fell victim to a prank once, but his razor-sharp sense of humor made a joke of the joker.
"Someone called me one day," Hodges said, "and told me my best bird dog was sick and that the local vet decided it must be put out of its misery.
"I suspected some sort of joke so I told the man not to let the vet do the job-l'd do it myself. I went after the dog, took it home and told everybody in the club I had to put it out of its misery. All the "boys" decided they had pulled a dirty trick on me, so they took up a collection to buy me a new dog. When I saw how sorry they were about it, I told 'em I didn't do it after all."
It is with a deepened sense of responsibility and love for hunting that spurs the men of the Turner Rod and Gun Club toward improving quail. As McClure said, they have come a long way in two years.

CHING OUTD

,i,.', _,;;,_.... , ,

By BOB SHORT
Edi tor, Georgia Game and Fish

Common Sense Afield Needed to Reduce Sting of Accidents

THIS being the time of year when stray bits of lead tend to strike "unaimed at" objects, I have donated this space (free of charge) to the campaign against hunting accidents.
I am reminded by this amusing but tale-telling story, which was written by our old friend, anonymous, that hunting accidents were begotten long before the coming of double-barrelled shotguns:
A Jmnte1 po]J]Jed a 7Ja1t1idge on a hill, I t danced a jig and then it was still. It .~eems that later the htmtm spied, I t wasn't a pa1t1idge, it was the guide !
One shot a squinel in a nea1by wood, A pretty shot f?om w he1e he stood, I t wore, they saul, a hat of b1own And owned the funeral home in town!
A not her clis7Jatched a m bbit for his haul, Th at late1 p1oved to be six f eet tall; A nd, lest you think I'm handing yatL a myth, Th e "rabbit's" name was 1eally S mith !
Anothe1 Nim1od slew a champion fox, When he saw him lurking among the 1ocks, One 1apid shot did it, it neither S7Joke o1 moved -th e inquest p1oved!
A cautious man saw a glea?n of b1own, Was it a dem, o1 J ones, a friend from to10n? No soone1 had walked to the 1ive r's brim Than J ones, the rascal, potted him !
These lines, or versions of them, appeared in the Philadelphia Ledger in 1909. Even then, it seems, hunters were their own worst enemies. Those were the days when it was more difficult to hit a fellow hunter because two people were less likely to run up on each other on the same patch of ground. That isn't true today. Now, we're lucky to spend a day in the woods without swearing someone has tattled and reminded t he whole community of our f avorite spots.
Sportsmen made headlines all over the country last year when they set an all-time record for the number of livestock shot in one season.
It was reported in some quarters that farmers

probably would have set a record in the number of sportsmen killed if they could have gotten their hand s on the guilty culprits.
This business of shooting cows, hunters, or anything else for that matter, is a serious one. Had proper precaution and common sense been practiced, most of those incidents would not have happened.
Knowing how and when to shoot is more important than knowing when and where to hunt. In the majority of hunting accidents, it was just a case of "I didn't see him," " I thought he was a deer," or "I thought it was a deer."
Let's face it. When a hunter shoots another, a cow, or even a pine tree, he isn't thinking. If he had complete control of his. adions he would not have shot at a target of which he was unsure. There is no room in the woods and fields for persons who forget to think.
I am confident we can wipe out serious hunting accidents by using common sense when we'r e hunting.
We may help save our own skins by wearing colorful clothing; keeping ourselves out of range of other hunters whenever possible ; avoid stomping through brushy growth an d, of course, never pointing guns at sections of our own anatomy.
It has been proven that yellow surpasses red as an easier color to detect in the woods. Whichever you prefer, wear it-but make sure it's one or the other.
When hunting with others, and it's always a good idea to do so, it is essential to plan trips in order to know the exact location of cohorts all the time; not to horse around and, above all, see a target clearly before firing.
Let's make hunting accident s scarce. It would be a wonderful reli ef to go through this season without one accidental injury or death. If we vow to use common sense on our hunting trips, I'm sure no harm will be done any of us.
How about it?

GEORGIA GAME AND FISH COMMISSION
412 STATE CAPITOL BUILDING
ATLANTA. GEORGIA

SEC . 34 . 66, P . L. 6: R .
U . 5 . POSTAGE
PAID
ATLANTA . GA. PERMIT NO. 155