Georgia game and fish [Vol. 9, no. 2 (Fall 1960)]

JAN 5 '61

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

ERNEST VANDIVER, Governor

COMMISSIONERS

Richard Tift. Chairman-Second District

J. T. Trapnell. Metter

Flannery Pope, Dublin

First Dis! riel

Si.tt h Dis! riel

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

Third District

Seventh District

]. C. Owt>n, Jr., Grifhn A. J. Hopkins, Jr.. Folkston

Fourth District

Eighth District

C. L. Davidson. Jr. , l>t>catur L. L. Couch. Lexington

Fifth District

Ten! h District

James Gcwthe, Savannah. Coastal A rea

FULTON LOVELL, Director

DIVISION CHIEFS

Clifford P. Palmer George C. Moore Bob Short ____ _ Fred J. Dickson _ Tom Sanders David Gould _ Vennie M. Jones George Creal

Enforcement CamP 1\lanagement Education and Information
Fish Managt:'ment __ License
Boating Division _ Bookkeeping __ Personnel

FEDERAL AID DIVISION

Jack Crockford

_ Pittman-Robertson

Howard Zdler _

_ _ Dingeli-Johnson

Fulton Lovell . . . Water Safety Sehoul Grouse Hunting ABC's
Facts About Do\es
Quail Huntin~ Deer Disease Waterfowl Lo11 Wild Turke) Water: Problems Ahead Season and Hag Limits Reaching Outdoors . .

Page 3, 25
--1,5 6, 7 8,(_) 10.11.12
13
11. I 5 16. ll
U:. }(_), 20 21
22. 23. 2--l 26 21

COVER
/Jagp.in!f, a do1 e is one of the bi!f,!f,Csl thrills el'er en joyed by a Georgia boy. /:illy Johnson of Chamblee proudly displays results of an afternoon's hunt in Guin nell County. I Photo In Charles Jackson. I

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

BOB SHORT Editor

BILL BAAB Photogra pher

NANCY BELK Circulation

HUNTING EDITION

Vol. 9 , No . 2

Published hy the Georg ': r:;ame and F1sh Commrsswn, 401 State Capi tol, Atlanta 3, Georgra, in the mterest of Georgra w ildlife and for fishermen, hunters. nc.,ure lovE>Ts Jill onservatron of natural resources. There 1s no subscrrption fee-this publication is free and is pard for by the purchase of frshmg and huntrnq lrrenses Please notrfy us at once of any change of address. Contents of this magazine may be reprinted with proper credit. Thrs , ublirat1on WPlc r <"' ~- tures. drawrngs, stones ond articles dealmg with out door subJects for cons1deratron. No contrrbutrons will be returned unle:., 'olwrted bl 111tl r. d 1 arty ~~ resentmg G--,me & Fish Comm1ssron and accompamed by suffrcrent postage. Entered as third class postage.

Editorial
CONSERVATION
at the crossroads

( During the past year Georgia Gam e and Fish Dirertor Fulton Lo vell served as pres ident of the S onth eastern
Association of Gam e and Fish Commiss ioners. This is his address to the Association durin g its 1960 m eeting
at Biloxi, Mississippi. )

FULTON LOVELL

" Fish and wildlife now en joy recognition as one of America 's greatest natural resou rces and ou r cit ize ns hove a keen awareness of their economic value."

"We must realize the public's interest a s we come face to face with the challenges ahead. As public participation in hunting and fishing grows, so do the problems of managing our wildlife and fishery resources."
It was ju st 52 years ago th at President Theodore Roose,elt called together the fi rst conference ever assembl ed to di scuss problems of con se rvation.
At that time. Presid ent Roose,elt felt that somethin g ~ h o uld be d one to help era se som e of the consta nt p r oblems that pl agued America 's natu ral reso urces.
It could be said that the United States was at a con-
se n ati on crossr oad s with no signs direc tin g it s millions of citizens to the co rrect r out e. We need ed guid a nce a nd the na ti on's ci ti zens r allied to p rovide it for us.
Roosevelt 's histo ri c mee ting. ca lled th e Gonrnor's Confe rence on Conserva tion, was the prea mbl e to modern day
(Co ntinued o n page 25 )
3

WATER

SAFETY

Wildlite rongers leorned thot stoying with the boot is o good sofety rule.

key to your survival
IT'ildlife Rangers and public profit from in tensi'l.' e training aI boa I in g schooI.

Georgia was free of deaths attributed directly to boat ing during the summer months of 1960. thanks to strict enforcement of the state's boating law.
The new law. designed to protect and aid the public during its pursui t of the state's top !:'Ummer outdoor sport, also a\\oke the awareness of the people.
Wildlife rangers of the State Game and Fish Com mission. charged with the responsibility of enfarcing the statute, patrolled most of Georgia's major lakes, rivers and reservoirs almost every day during the vaca tion months.
Though there were seyeral drownings reported. none were attributed directly to boating.
Prior to the opening of boating season. more than l 00 wild life rangers attended a special boating school at Laura Walker StatP Park near Waycross where they underwent intensi,e trammg in small boating h andlin g. rescue nwtlwds and first aid.

Swimming also was taught bv a competent American l'la tional Red Cross instructor. Two other Reel Cross instructors handled the boating safetv and first aid courses.
Ran gers were told the only wa y to find out if a boat will si nk is to sink it. And they did just that. orerturning their craft. In most cases. the\' saw the hoats sta y afloat. buoyant enough to support all of its passengers as they r lung to its sides.
Life preservers and swim suits were the uniforms of the day at the weeklong ca mp during which tempera tures ro se past the 1OOdegree mark.
The instructors ur ged the rangers not to enter the water th emselves after a drowning dctim if ther e was another way around it. ":\ lost wouldhe rPsc uers are not qualified to perform actual 'co nta ct' work," an instructor said. ''A dr owning man usually possesses inhuman str ength a nd ca n sometimes get a death grip on his res cuer. Unless the latter has hePn taught how to break these holds, it usually is the dea th of him."

Instructor, left, shows how to boil swomped boot with hands; Rangers Bob Boker, left foregro und, ond W. H. Anderson, right foreground, concentrate on swimming lesson.

--~ ...

Comm ission sto cked up on new croft, left, to enfo rce new booting low ; at right, R. L. Beasley keeps low os he sofely enters boot .

The instructor illustrated the use of other equipment such as oars, ring buoys. paddles. lines, fishin g rods and evf'n a man 's pants or shirt, all of which co uld be hand ed, thrown or extended to the one in trouble.
A boat gasol ine can also may be used effectively, while a tree limb could be used to haul in a person from deep waters near a dock or shore.
A written tes t was given on the last day of the school with ce rtificates and patches award ed to those who passed.
\Vare County officials spoke to th e men on co rrect court procedure, while district chiefs instructed rangers on proper enforcement methods.
The success of the boating school can best be seen in the following example which occurred on Lake Lanier abon Atlanta this year:

Two fishermen were stee ring th eir small craft up a cove when a big cruiser passed them. The men , apparently not kn owing how to head thei.r craft 's bow into the wake of a larger boat, were dumped from their craft. One man made it to shor e, but the ot her, not knowin g how to swim, was swa llowing much water.
Manage ment District Chief Hubert Handy of Flowery Branch and Ranger George Forrester of Gainesville happened to be ou the spot when the mishap occ urred. Forres ter threw the stru ggling man a cushi on-type life preserver. l\'Ieanwhile, the fi shermen's boat was still running. going 'round a nd 'round in narrowing circles. The raugers put their patrol boat between the struggling man and his craft and finall y managed to halt it.
-- I'm certain ly g rateful to yo u fellows," the man said afterward. 'If yo u hadn't been on the scene and not kn own what to do, rd bee n a go ner. "

Above, keep low in tippy conoe; below, left, Ranger Bob Boker soved by coll o r ho ld; right, Johnny Hunt leorns how to tie knots from Bob Forbes.

G rouse h unting
ABC's

Amon g the red haw berr ies, the wild grapes and rhododend ron thickets of nor th Geo rg ia lurks one of the g reatest, yet least kno wn, ga me b irds of th em all- th e ruffed grouse.
Southernmost range of the grouse in the United States is in the vicini ty of Dahlonega, Geo rgia. Few hunters know it. but Old Ruff is found ra ther abundantly in most sections of north Geo rg ia's mountains. T he Co h utta mo unt ains in l\ Iurray a nd Fannin co unties contain good gro use populations as do the l\iulk y Gap-Cooper Creek section in Murray and Fannin and the Tallulah River drainage in Ra bun Co unt y.
Old Ruff is not a bird to cut yo ur hunting teeth on . It can explode fr om und er your fee t fast er than yo u can bat an eye and elude even the best of sho oters b y fl ying throu gh the thic kest obstru cti ons it ca n find. This is wh y Ruff has become su ch a popular game bird.
Man y wise hunte1 s ha ve been fo oled, fak ed and even outfoxed by Old Ruff's eccentr ic acti ons. Ruffed grouse are fa st birds. They seldom, if ever, offer an open tar get. By combining its swiftness with its abilit y to maneu,er through close thickets, Old Ruff is a formi dable opponent for even the tru est and most experienced wing shooters.
Ruffed gr ouse are definitely not a bini upon which to experi ment. If your dog is not a good g rouse dog, yo u wi ll no t fin d b irds. If yo ur gun is not a good g rouse gun, yo u w ill m iss easy shots. Yo u will miss many shots, an yway. Unless a huntt>r kn ows Old Ruff's habits, his chances of findin g birds are slim.
Some of the fin est q nail dogs in the world can ' t pass th e grouse test because the two birds are different as night and da y in actio ns. Quai l hold nicely for point .. . grouse r un and flush wild . On another day, a grouse ma y ho ld tighter th an a quail. T his overall inco nsistency is why Old Ruff demands a special breed of dog. one th at h as been trai ned t>spec iall y to hunt gro use.
T he best grouse dogs handle their bi rds by stoppin g as soon as they hit the sct>nt and trailing th e bird until they are in a position to po int. T his, of course, requires very caref ul tracking, since the gro use will r u n and f!u sh wi ld if the dog does not handle it properly.
H unters who use po inters to seek grouse a re smart to "bell" tht>ir dogs. This make~ it ea~y to know the dog's location at all tinws. Sometimes a wide and long rangi ng dog will ruin a grouse hunting trip because you mu st spend more time looking for your dog th an yo u spend lookin g f0r gro u ~e.
6

Grouse hunting is grow ing in popularity; Georgia ' s grouse population is increasing particularly on game management a reas.
Setters and pointers with medium speed and about medium ran ge, plu s a good nose, make the best groust> dogs. It takes a combination of these three traits to beco me a goo d g rou se dog. An y tw o of th em usuall y will not qualify a dog for the tedious task of findin g Old Ruff.
~l o st g rou se hunters will tell yo u that it requires more than a good dog to bring home the birds. A hunter must know where to look for Old Ruff and how to bring him d own once he's found him. This is not as easy as it sounds.
Old Ruff prefers the edge of clearings and it is here that he is found mos t often du r ing the ea rly season. A bandoned houseplaces, g rape thickets and around orchards are other earl y feeding and resting places during ea rl y seaso n.
As winter moves in , however, Old RufT seeks different habitat. Bra nchheads, rh ododend ron thickets and laurel patches a re good winter locati ons. In thi s settin g, grouse

may " hole" up for sevPral days before they move m search of food.
Gro use havP no ~et pattern of behavior. ThPy may bP found in one settin g today, a different onP tomorrow. They are kn own to move about considPrably cvPn when food is abundant. Old Ruff may begin fPNling near his roosting place early in the morning, wamiPr to a sunhill and bathe in the dust until aftPrnoon and get down to se ri ous feeding just befon~ dark.
A rule of the thumb to follow IS to hunt old houseplaces, orchards and grapP thiekPts around a stand of conifers during the morning, work out into the sunhills and laurPl thickets in the afternoon and comb the hi ghlands again as the day draws to an Pnd. Sonwtime during the day you should spot Old Ruff, although this method is not sure-fire nor is it guaranteed to work ever y time.
Next to the shooter, the gun and size of shot arP the most important things in grouse hunting. Of course, a hunter must be a good wingshot to bag a grouse. Old Ruff seldom presPnts an Pasy shot. Wh en he does rise in
North Georgio is the southernmost point of the notion ' s grouse ronge. This typicol nest wos found in Robun County.

A hoppy hunter shows o plump Georgio grouse.
the opPn and fly straig ht, Ruff is no harder to hit than a quail. The trouble is Old Ruff seldom ri ses in thP open and flies straight. If he ri ses in the o1w n, he imnwdi ately gives you a halfback wrinkiP and lwads fo r a fri Pndly tree or laurPI thick et nParb y. If he happ~n s to fl y straight . it's straight for th P nPa rest and thickest co ver.
LikP in an y sport, the equipment must agree with its user. A gun that fit s is the fir st prPrPquisitP. One th at the hunter admits feels good , wh Pther it l oo k ~ or shoo ts good or not.
Usually, 12 or 16 gaugP shotg uns are most pop ular, dependin g on thP individual. NPvcr IPt anyone tell you what gau ge gun to use if yo u a re an Pxperit:>ncf'tl grousp hunter. ChancPs arP, yo ur advisPr knows littiP about it. HP usuall y r Pads his informati on in outd oor stori es lih this one.
OncP you have selee tPd yo ur 12 or Hi (or evPn 20 if you insist ) yo u have a cho ice of shot sizes to choosP. l\ lost hunt Prs prpfpr Is, Gs, 7lj:.!s o r 8s. \VisP hunt Prs may use all sizes. F or shots in thick dPnse eovPr, -Is work better. For open shots 8s work better. It 's always good to carry along all sizPs to fit yo ur particul ar sit uation.
~I a n y huntPrs fee l that 8s a re bes t for they throw up a bigger pattern o n fas t shots typ ical of grol!<;f' hunting. In most cases, th is is tru e.
ThP enti re Chatt ahooc hee ;\at ion a! fonst, with the Pxcepti on of Game and Fish Depa rtmen t wild Iife management areas, arc open to gro use hunti ng d uring the season. Con tro llt:>d grouse hunts will be held on the Blue Ri dge. Chatt ahooelwc, Ches tatPc. Burton, Lake Russcll. Gum Log a nd Jo hn 's l\Iountain areas on Friday and Saturday th rough the mon th of October.
7

Antlers Away I

MAY 23 JUNE 2
JUNE 15 JUNE 27
JULY 19
JULY 31

BY .ARNOLD 0. HAUGEN

the dropping of the antlers each spring has been equally

regular, the losses occurring between March 3 and 14.

You can't eat antlers. Why then are sportsmen willing

The first antlers, which consisted of spikes, came off on

to spend days upon days of effort to bag a buck with

March 28 and 29. Actually, the shedding of the antlers

a "king size" rack? To be sure, there is no practical value to a mounted deer head hanging over the fireplace.

consisted of dropping only the basal one-half inch, including the burr, since the antlers were cut off to that length

I

However, did you ever wonder about the usefulness of

each fall for safety reasons. In March, when the buck was

antlers to the deer? Except for fighting for the possession of a doe in mating season, they are probably without

61;2 years old, both antler bases dropped off while the

.

caretaker was washing the pen. They fell at the base of

value. The "price" antlers put on a buck's head during

a post on which the animal was rubbing its head in anger.

the hunting season is certainly of no value to the buck.

The buck seemed unusually belligerent during the last

From a practical standpoint, the nourishment used to

few days before the dropping of the antlers. At this

~aorouwrisahnmtelnetrs

each for the

summer might body. However

better be used for impractical, antlers,

time the swollen neck was decreasing in size, and by midMarch it was only slightly larger than normal for the

like Easter bonnets, are here to stay and sportsmen are

non-breeding season.

glad of it. In any event, we will probably never live to see the whitetail develop antlers so large that they doom

The operation of "dehorning" the buck each October

the deer to extinction as is believed to have been the

was a sobering experience. A minimum of five well

case with the Irish elk in prehistoric times.

coached men wrestled the belligerent animal to the

ground and held him while the antlers were sawed off.

A captive whitetail buck (Odocoileus virginianus

He objected strenuously to being held down and bellowed

osceola) kept for breeding purposes at the Alabama Co-

in a low pitched, guttural tone. "Dehorning" did not re-

operative Wildlife Research Unit since the early 1950s

sult in loss of blood or pain to the buck, because mature

has provided many interesting facts about antlers. The

antlers that have shed their velvet consist of only dead

herd of deer in southwest Alabama (Sumter County)

bone with no blood or nerve connections.

from which this buck originated is generally believed to breed in January. The quality of food provided this buck previous to its transfer to Auburn at one year of age is unknown, For about a year, it received a mediocre diet consisting mainly of 9 % protein mule feed and a poor quality hay. While growing its 2nd, 3rd, 4th. 5th and 6th racks, it was maintained on dairy feed (18% protein) , scratch grain, and alfalfa hay. At times it has received mineralized salt. Accordingly, except for possibly the first two years, it has been provided with foods of more than adequate quality.
Growth of the second rack (at two years of age) started in the first week of May. The four racks produced

Between the times of shedding its velvet in late September and dropping the antlers in March, the animal has been especially belligerent toward everyone. It is during this season, the rutting period, that its neck swells each year. Since the animal became two years old, the caretakers have not considered it safe to enter its pen at any season.
A series of photographs of successive racks of this deer show that it has produced excellent racks each year since it was two years old, at which time it sported eight points. A maximum of eleven points was produced in the 4th year, and the heaviest rack was grown in the 5th year. There is no direct relationship between age

from its third through its sixth year, started growth in the first week of April. A period of about a month or a little less usually elapsed between the loss of one rack and the start of growth of the new one. As illustrated by the series of photographs on antler development, growth normally was completed by September l. The

and number of antler points. Observations from this study show that a well fed, physically mature deer (21;2
or more years old) can produce a respectably large rack of antlers, and that irregular points are common. The animal reached its maximum live weight of 175 pounds at five years.

velvet on the basal part of the antlers began "tightening" or "hardening" as indicated by the appearance of a roughened surface about a month earlier. While growth

CHANGES IN SIZE OF ANTLERS OF CAPTIVE BUCK-SIX-YEAR PERIOD

was still taking place, the antler tips were enlarged. The tips tapered to a point as growth stopped. Shortly before the velvet was shed, it loosened near the ends of the points so it could be twisted from side to side like the loose skin on one's finger.
The regularity with which this buck "polished" its antlers is amazing. The start of the process varied only nine days over the six-year period. (September 23 to October 1) . Since the buck became 21;2 years of age,

Age of Deer
1 2 3 4 5 6

Number of Points
2 8 8 ll 9 10

Antlers spread in inches
132" 17112"
182"

Antlers weight in
ounces
0.9 21.4 41.1 49.6 54.6 47.9

AUG. 16 SEPT. 1
SEPT 15 SEPT. 25

8

9

Facts about
Mourning doves (lenaidura macroura L) are tl1e most widelv distributed gamf' birds in America. They are also the most controversial.
Although thev arf' considered mig-ratorv. doves are produced and harvested on evPrV farm in Georgia. Tlwv are known to nest in every state in the United States.
LIFE CYCLE
Doves hegin mating activities during thf' first warm weather in late winter or earlv spring. Normallv, two eggs are laid. The male assists in the incuhation of the eggs, usuallv keeping them during the davtime. In about
15 davs, thP- eggs hatch into a nPstful of srrnbbv youngsters that are Pompletelv hPlp}Pss for ahout ln davs.
After tl1is time. the young dovf's }pave tlH" nest but are "upervised hv their parents until thf'y are able to can~ for themselves.
FOOD
DovPs prder to fped in fi elds where grain and weed seeds are plentiful. Tllf'ir primary foods are corn. wh eat. ragweed, cowpeas, millet. oats, harley and crab grass.
RECREATION AND ECONOMIC VALUE
The mourning dove is a favoritf' game hird among Georgia hunters. For that reason. it plays a vital role in the state\ recreational picture. Of rourse. the thousand" of dove hunters spend many dollars purchasing items necessary to hunt. This plays an important role in the state's economy.
WHY ARE DOVES CONSIDERED MIGRATORY BIRDS?
All dovf's have bPen classed as migratorv. evf'n though many of them nPver leave the stak in which t}wy are horn. GPorgia is fortunate in having a largP. honw gro wn population which nf'vcr }pa ves the state. Tn cold wea thf'l'. many doves migrate into Georgia from other statPs whilf' some pass through th e state en routf' to other plares. This is why doves arf' co nsidered migrator y although, in most cases, they are not.
'VHAT IS THE :'\IIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT?
\ligratory hiHh;, th osf' that move across state and national borders, are considered international resources and
10

JOVES

Sitting on o fragile nest of tw igs bolonced precariously on forked branch,
momo dove worms up o few of next year's feathered targets.

are conserved on an international basis. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act between the United States, Canada (Great Britain) and Mexico gives the Secretary of Interior power to adop t rules and regulations go verning migratory birds.
\VH O SETS T HE SEASON ON DOVES?
The State Game and Fish Commission is given a ''framework" from which to choose a dove season. In 1960, this "framework" consisted of a choice between 70 consecutive half-days of shooting or two periods totaling 70 half days. The later choice was made.
\VHY ALL THE FUSS OVER A SPLIT SEASON?
Because of Georgia's unique geographical situation, it is necessary to have an early season for north Georgians. This brings howls of protests from south Georgians.
Th is happy twosom e bogged their lim its eorly.

Two primary objections usually voiced against an early dove season are "hunters kill other game" and "doves are too small to hunt in early September."
\VHY A SPLIT DOVE SEASON?
Previous studies have proven that north Georgia counties have excellent dove populations in September and October. In southern counties, the population is not at its peak until later. Therefore, a split season allows an equal chance of shooting in all areas.
\VHY IS IT ILLEGAL TO BAIT DOVES?
Most conservationists object to baiting because they feel it will result in overharvest of doves. Game Technicians believe that legal baiting would not make doves easier to hunt or more concentrated. Numerous baited fields bait would only scatter the doves, they say.
\VHERE IS IT LEGAL TO SHOOT DOVES?
The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced their interpretation of baiting regulations. According to the Service, it is legal to shoot doves and migratory birds:
Over grain fields seeded in a normal agricultural manner.
Over standing crops. Over flood ed standing crops of grain or other feed, including aquatics. Over grain crops properly shucked on field where gro wn. Over standing grain or other feed crops grazed by livestock. Example, hogged down cornfields. Over grain found scattered solely as a result of normal agricultural harvest. Over weed fields. pastnrelands, wooded or other areas where salt, grain or other feed have not !wen scattered or placed to lure migratory birds. Over fields where grains or other crops have fallen tu the ground from natural causes. Over burned areas from which crops have bPen rc-
(Continued on next page)
ll

moved, or on which no agricultural grain or seed crops were grown during the current year.
0\'er farm ponds or other water 'holes" which have not been baited.
It is illegal to hunt migratory game birds, according to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
Over bait or by means, aid and use of bait, or on or over any area where grai n, salt or other feed capable of luring or attracting such birds is placed , deposited , distributed or scattered except as a result of a normal agricultural planting or harvest.
Over feed lots where grain is present as a result of feeding livestock.
Over areas where grain crops have been cut down, dragged down, kno cked down, burned over or otherwise manipulated and left on the ground.
'VHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP THE DOVE SITUATION
Due to geographical conditions, Georgia hunters would profit from a "zoning" system with a separate season for each zone. It has been suggested that the state be diYided into northern and southern halves around Macon with a season for each half. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, policymakers for migratory birds, has failed to go along with the idea. Until this or some other zoning system is established, the only solution is a split season such as Georgia now has.

I
BILL CLINE
Cline Named State's Wildlife Ranger of Year
The State Game and Fish Department has named its Cherokee County ranger ''Wildlife Ranger of the Year.''
Bill Cline, 30-year-old native of Waleska, has been chosen outstanding enforcement officer for the Department.
Cline was honored during the Southeastern Association of Game and Fish Commissioners' annual convention at Biloxi, Mississippi.
Cline won an expense paid trip to the comention, donated by the Law Enforcement section of the Association. He was presented a plaque naming him Georgia's finest ranger at the Biloxi meeting.
A veteran enforcement officer. Cline previously sened as an employee of the Soil Conservation Service. He has also worked with Lockheed Aircraft Corporation.
Cline is married and has one son. He resides with his family in Waleska , where he attended high school and Rhinehardt Junior College.
Quail Course Offered At University of Georgia
A short course on native quail and stocked quail will be offered at the Center for Continuing Education, at the University of Georgia in Athens April 9-12.
The course is designed for landowners who wish to develop better quail habitat.
It is open to the public and will be sponsored by the Georgia Game and Fish Commission, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Soil Conservation Senice, University of Georgia, Wildlife l\Ianagement Institute and the Sportsmen's Service Bureau.
Noted quail expert Herbert E. Stoddard will be on the program, along with George l\Ioore of the Georgia Game and Fish Department and others.
Information on the course, plus a complete program may be obtained after Jan. l by writing Jack Caldwell, Center for Continuing Education, Unhersity of Georgia, Athens.

Lt. Gov. Byrd, right, congratulates top outdoor writer Allen .
Governor's
AWARDS

Blanchard , left, gets high honors for conservation work.

Jo hn Pierce Blanchard, noted Columbia County conservationist, walked off with the state game and fish conservation awa rd at the first annual Governor's Awards banq uet in A tl a nta.
J ames L. Gillis, Jr., of Soperton, won the co veted
Conservationist of the Year AU'ard for 1960. Others who received state awards from Lt. Governor
Garland T. Byrd at the fete were co-winners of the Junior Conservationist of the Year award Robert Wright II I a nd Larry Joyner; l\Iiss Susan l\1 yrick, l\Iacon, Soil a nd Water Conservation: Judge Harlt>y Langdale, Sr., Valdosta, Forestry; Atlanta Journal outdoor columnist Bill Allen of Young Harris. outdoor writers award; Ex tension Agriculture winner S. F. Yelton; Vocational agriculture winner C. Fred Ingram.
FFA Club Conservation, Bobby Perkins; 1l-H Club conservation, Carlton Griffith and Georgia Sportsman's Federation club public relations award, Georgia Sporbman 's Association of Savannah.
Noted outdoor cartoonist Ed Dodd, creator of l\lark Trail, received a special award from Lt. GoY. Byrd.

-:..:..

/

' !""'

j

\

,.,

"~ :.....

' _...\

Robert Wright, Ill , proud ly d is plays junior conservotionisst trophy, certificate.
Director Fulton Love ll, right , prese nts Re g iona l Gam e ond Fish Trophy to Judge Harley Longdale of Valdosta .
13

The-re's nothing. 'like GEORGIA _QUAIL

A covey af quail flushes suddenly in front of James Be ntley and Senator Herman Talmadge.

. .r -
.
Se nator Talmadge waits under walnut tree for the doves to start fly ing .
.,
Ope n pine woods shooting is typical of much af Georg ia ' s quail hunting at the Pinevale Qua il Preserve at Millen .

HUNTING

BY CHARUE DICKEY
When Senator Herman Talmadge returns from Washington to his native Georgia each fall he temporarily forgets the political wars by hunting quail and doves. Although his time is limited, he manages to get in a few hunts each winter.
One of his favorite hunting areas is the Pinevale Quail Preserve near Millen. It's owned and operated by the three Pierce brothers- Winton, Stanton and BilL The Senator's steady hunting companion is James Bentley, who was his executive secretary when he was governor and is currently a blossoming figure on the state political scene.
Sportsmen at Millen really lay out the welcome mat. Besides the quail hunting at the preserve, they always put on a dove shoot and that's followed in the evening by a game dinner of quail, rabbit, 'coon and turkey.
The Senator amazes everyone with his expert marksmanship. He no longer has much time afield but he hasn't lost his shooting eye. He quickly bagged a triple last year at Pinevale, with Winton Pierce guiding. And, just to prove that it wasn't luck, he did it again later in the day.
Senator Talmadge also hunts at Mike Moneymaker's Preserve near Dacula, where another famous Georgian goes for relaxation-Senator Dick Russell. Evidently the leaders of the state can find plenty of relaxation afield. Governor Vandiver also shoots sometimes with Moneymaker.
Georgia leads all Southern states in the number of quail preserves open to the public. They're not only good drawing cards for Yankee dollars, but the folks at home like them too.

A single in the dense wire grass caught the Senator and Bentley by surprise and flushed behind them .
Hunters seem happy about the size of birds at Pinevale Quail Preserve, Millen. Left ta right : Jam es Bentley, W inton Pierce, one of the owne rs of the prese rve, and Senator Tolmodge. This quail seems to be wrapping Bentley up in knots a s Senotor Tolmadge concentrates on another.

Painter gives a back foot point as the Senator moves in an a single.

Did you ever
sit up vvith a SICK DEER?

S. C.'s J im W e bb and Arkan sas' Ne lson Cox examine tapewarm removed from dog a t Un ive rsity's vet school laborat ory. Fra nk Hayes wa tc hes a dee r left groggy f rom dug 's effects.
16

Can you imagine a deer with tuberculosis, a quail with bronchitis or a squirrel with a common cold?
It may sound a little strange, but animals do have such diseases just like human beings. Of course, many of the illnesses are known by other names but their effects are just as uncomfortable to animals as they are to humans.
The wind can carry bronchitis from quail to quail just as it carries disease germs from human to human. And unfortunate quail that catch Newcastle's disease probably will wind up with "tired blood" and a very poor appetite.
Conservation people were not too concerned with animal diseases until mysterious epidemics felled many deer throughout the southeast a few years ago.
When this happened, eleven southeastern states joined hands to investigate deer diseases and founded what is today the nation's only cooperative study of animal sickness.
Headquarters for the study is in Athens, under the watchful eye of Dr. Tom Jones, dean of the University of Georgia's school of veterinary medicine, and the project's leader, Dr. Frank Hayes.
" We are very happy with the progress Dr. Hayes and his staff have made since we accept the responsibility of this program," Dr. Jones said in his thick, Scottish accent. "We think he has done a remarkable job considering the few staff members he has had to assist him. "
Dr. Hayes is a natural for the job of project leader. He has an outstanding background in vetermary medicine and is interested in all types of wildlife. He is recognized as a pioneer in the field of deer diseases, having examined many specimen that died from unknown causes in various states.
At first, Dr. Hayes and his staff concentrated on diseases of deer. In particular, they were interested in disproving the theory that whitetails transmit brucellosis to cattle.
Although he has never gone on record as saying that the theory is wrong, Dr. Hayes' studies have eliminated most beliefs that deer are responsible for spread of the disease.
Since he first organized the study, Dr. Hayes had investigated almost every imaginable disease known to animals. Needless to say, he has found many interesting cases among Mother Nature's inhabitants.
A wild turkey brought in from Francis Marion Preserve

r
-.... . .
r
. ..
~-- -

Georgia Commission Director Lovell, left; Cox, cente r, and Virginia 's Cheste r Phelps view equ ipment used in study.

Drugged " dart" felled this youngster; scientists keep close
watch an velvet-antlered buck.

in South Carolina could have been suffering from rheu-

matism; A yearling doe taken from the Chestatee Game

Management area in Georgia was nursed hack to good health following a cerebral concussion; a complete labo-

ratory analysis of a deer from Talbot County (Ga. }

revealed that the animal was killed by an automobile,

although it showed no outward signs of being struck.

One day in June, Dr. Hayes and some of his student

assistants delivered a baby for a suffering young doe.

"The animal was observed at the Memorial Park in

Athens," Dr. Hayes recalls, " and we were summoned to

make an investigation.

"We captured the animal by the remote delivery of a

drug and took her to the School of Veterinary Medicine.

A close examination revealed that she was having trouble

with her baby so we gave her as much comfort as possible,

delivered the dead baby and confined her to the

'hospital.' "



"The following day, the doe seemed healthy enough so

we released her in a wooded area near Athens."

At the recommendation of Dr. Hayes, the Southeast-

ern Association of Game and Fish Commissioners unani-

mously voted to change the study from one of deer diseases

only to a study of all animal diseases. A budget of

$27,000 has been approved for the coming fiscal year.

In addition to Dr. Hayes, the study will employ a

fulltime ecologist and laboratory technician, clerical help

and four part-time study research assistants. Other stu-

dents will be employed on a part-time basis for special

projects.

Officials of the conservation agencies supporting the

work were given a glimpse of the project when the school

conducted a forum on the different phases of studies.

They found that there are over 80 animal diseases in

the world transferrable to man.

" But we have little to fear, " said Albert L. Kleckner,

head of the Dept. of Microbiology and Preventative Medicine at the University, "There are few types of these diseases in the United States."
Hughes M. Sims, poultry pathologist in Kleckner's department, has done considerable work with bobwhite quail diseases. Chief quail illnesses, Sims reports, is cr.op capullarium worm and Newcastle's disease. The first illness irritates the bird's crop, causing it to lose its appetite and eventually die. Newcastle's disease causes quail to suffer from "tired blood" and a poor appetite, also resulting in ultimate death if the disease is not stopped in time.
These symptoms, Sims added, are similar to those of other diseases in wild birds. A chronic respiratory disease sometimes hits entire coveys of birds, causing runny noses and hoarse breathing. Quail bronchitis can be spread by the wind and infected birds to other quail and .sometimes poultry.
Hayes has done considerable work with deer but until the Southeastern Cooperative study got underway he had not encountered many of the diseases and parasites that harass the animals.
Among his most ususual discoveries is brainworm, a long, slender worm that is found in a deer's brain. Many of the e worms may be found in a single deer's brain. Its effects are many times fatal. Kidney flukes, tumors and pneumonia are all common deer diseases which Dr. Hayes has examined many times.
In his annual report to the Southeastern Association of Game and Fish Commissioners, Dr. Hayes recommended that as many unusual deer deaths as possible should be investigated.
" Far too little is known of deer diseases," Dr. Hayes said, "and for that reason as many deer deaths as possible should be investigated, especially if there is any chance of an epizootic."

17

H

f"

...

Although Georgia is not located on a major fl yway, waterfowl hunting in the coastal marshes offe rs sporting recreat ion .
Conservation ~oe:
~ATERFO~L LO~

Are ducks destined to be doomed?
Both federal and state conservation agencies are being asked that question today and both must admit that the duck situation is growing progressively worse.
Present duck problems are the most acute in history. Only time can tell what will ultimately happen to America's waterfowl population. While there is no indication that ducks are threatened with total extinction presently, every duck hunter has the right to be alarmed.
"The crux of the whole situation lies in suitable habitat in which ducks and other waterfowl can winter, rest and reproduce," a Georgia Game and Fish Commission spokesman says.
Jack Crockford, federal aid coordinator, says that much of the waterfowl breeding grounds, which must contain a suitable water supply, has all but disappeared. Losses of this land came from drought and agricultural drainage.
Other causes are laid to industry and pollution. The reduction is so gradual that it is commonly overlooked, yet it constitutes a major threat to such wildlife as ducks and geese. Mammals such as muskrats and beavers also are th.reatened.
But let's explore the duck situation. Figures from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service show that during the 1958-59 season, hunters killed only one-half of the total kill registered the previous season.
18

Twenty per cent less breeders appeared on prarrie breeding grounds in 1960.
The story behind the methods used to obtain such figures makes interesting reading.
Most important facet of the study is the breeding ground survey, conducted in May and July. An inventory of the waterfowl population on the wintering ground in January immediately following the close of the hunting season also is taken. Most biologists feel the wintering ground and the later May surveys are almost useless, since only a minute measurement of potential breeding birds is produced. The July survey gives the index to the production of young birds.
Experimental breeding ground surveys were begun in 1947 in an effort to find statistically sound ways of measuring annual changes in production. Experiments continued through 1950, and the information gleaned from the studies was used to guide decisions affecting regulations. In 1951, the surveys became an integral part of waterfowl management.
Planes, each carrying a U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service pilot-biologist and an observer, fly at an altitude of about 100 feet. The observer counts the birds seen from hi side, while the pilot takes care of those on the other side. Each man counts birds in a strip approxiTnately 200 yards wide on his side of the plane. A voice recorder or dictating machine is used to count the numbers. This count is far from accurate.

Four reports for administrative use are made each summer to the Washington office by the field crews in the breeding ground survey work . Report No. l contains general information on weather, water, arrival dates of waterfowl, but no actual survey data. Report
o. 2 is a forecast of breeding ground conditions. It contains information on changes in breeding population s, water conditions, and an uneducated guess of probable fall Aights.
Report No. 3 is very similar to the first one. In addi ti on to weather and water reports, the emergence of yo ung ducklings and conditions of habitat are given.
A final forecast of breeding ground conditions is given in Report o. 4. It i on these conditions that the Secretary of the Interior will base the hooting regulations. The repo rt also includes a summary of weather and water conditions durin o- the brood period together with a production forecast.
Although the prairie breeding grounds supply-under normal conditions-from 50 to 70 per cent of the continent's duck population and bird s from it mi grate to all four Ayways, the principal Aights are down the Missisippi, Central and Pacific Ayways. Fewer and fewer birds go to the Atlantic Flyway, on which Georgia is located.
Fish and Wildlife Service spokesmen say survey techniques have not yet been perfected for measuring goose production in the Far North and the bulk of the black duck population in scattered areas of eastern Canada.
Final reports of production success arrive in Washington in late July. They are consolidated and analyzed. The information is considered by a waterfowl regulations committee of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, which develops recommendations for regulations. At the arne time, as much survey information as possible is ubmitted to those Flyway Councils which are holding meetings. These councils are made up of State Game and Fi h departments.
The Fi h and Wildlife Service's Waterfowl Advisory Committee, composed of members of the ational Waterfowl Council, and representatives of nati onal conservati on agencie then meets. Summary of the breeding

ground data developed by the intensive surveys and the forecasts for the fall Aight are presented at this meeting.
Many proposals, arguments and recommendations are made by this committee. The director of the Bureau of Sports Fisheri es and Wildlife bases his decision on regulations for the upcoming season for these recommendations. They are submitted through channels for approval. Then they go to the Secretary of the Interior for his approval. Once the length of the season and daily bag and possession limits options have been approved by him, the states make their selections of shooting dates within the overall period when hunting is permitted. These dates are incorporated in the final regulations.
There you have the story in a nutshell. Can the national duck picture be brightened? Yes, say Georgia Game and Fish Dept. biologists. George Moore, chief of the department's Game Management Division, says an increased program of land purchases for waterfowl nesting sites, wintering grounds or stop-over places is urgently needed. Land, he says is not getting any cheaper and also is becoming hard to purchase. Here, says Moore, is where the Fish and Wildlife Service has run against snags. First of all, a committee must approve each bit of land either donated or purchased for use by waterfowl. "This is a bottleneck," he says.
(Continued on next poge) Beside floating for ducks, Georgia hunte rs also lure waterfowl into rang e with a caller, from their hideaway in o blind.
19

Former Georgia Bulldog, Woyne Dye, left, his brother Pot, right, All American guord, ond Syd Newton of Augusto ofter o successful doy.
Conservationists feel that land already approved by Fish and Wildlife Service technicians should be grabbed immediately.
Then comes the duck stamp story. Since the sale of these "stamps" began in the '30's, at the cost of one dollar, revenue driftt>d from the sales was supposed to go toward the acquisition of new homPs for ducks. In the past this money wasn't always used to do this. Congress specifically outlined uses of these monies in a much-neNled bill passed last year. The recipients are to spend it on wetlands and breeding areas only.
The solution to the wholt> problem lies in the preservation or present duck nesting, feeding and stop-over grounds and the speedy acquisition of new lands.
Here's proof thot waterfowl nest in Georgia. This Mallard was photographed on the Clork Hill Monogement Areo neor Thomson.
. ~ -~
,:[" . '
20

To Shoot or Not to Shoot? New Guide Answers Queries
A new gu ide for dove hunters, issued recPntly by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, outlines "baiting" rt>gulations for doves and other mi gra tory birds.
According to the Fish and WildlifP Service, IT IS LEGAL TO HUNT l\1IGRATORY GAME RIRDS:
l. Over grain fields st>edt>d in a normal agricultural manner.
2. Over standing crops. 3. Over floodt>d standing cro ps of gra in or other feed. including aquatics.
+. Ovf'l" grain crops properly shocked on field where
grown. 5. OvN standing grai n or other feed crops grazed by
livestock. Examplt>, ho gged down co rnfields. 6. Over grain found scattered solt>ly as the result of a
normal agricultural harvest. 7. Over wet>d fit>lds, pasturelands, woodt>d or other
areas where salt, grain or other feed has not !wen scat!Pred or deposited so as to co nstitute a lure or attraction for such birds.
8. Over fields where gra ins or other crops havt> fallen to the grou nd from natural causes.
9. Over burned areas from which crops have het>n removed. or on which no agricultural grain or seed crops were grown during the current year.
10. Over farm ponds or other wat er areas which have not been baited.
IT IS ILLEGAL TO HUNT ~TIGRATORY GAME BIRDS:
l. Over bait- or by means. aid and use of bait- or on or over any area where gra in, salt or other feed capable of luring or attracting such birds is placed. deposited. dis turlwd or scattered exct>pt as the result of a normal agricultural planting or harvest.
2. o,pr feed lots, wherP grain is present as a result of feeding livestock.
3. Over areas where grain crops have bet>n cut down. dragged down, knock ed down, burned mer or otherwise manipulated and left on the grou nd.
Ex pe rimenta l Hunt Slated
An experimental hunt on the Southland Fores! near Bainbridge has been filled , the Game and Fish Depart ment said today. The hunt is sched uled to begin Decem her 6.
A Department spokesman said uo more hunt ers will he allowed to take part in the hunt due to space limitations.
The hunt will he conducted as an ex pNiment by the Game and fish Department. Game biolo~ists hope to determine the effect of "either st>x" kills on deer popula tions during the hunt.
Southlands Paper Company is cooperating in the hunt. " Since the number of acres is limited it was necessary to limit the number of hunters for safety reasons," Pitt man-Robertson roordinator Jack Crockford of the State Game and Fish Commission said. "As of now the hunt is full and no more hunters can he allm,pd to participate for safety reasons.

Wild T URKEY

Tam , right, struts toward futur e mate, but s he igno res him.

Skill paid off far this hunter, who still can't believe his eyes.

He re is a portio n of la st ye a r's harvest of same 3,500 wild gabb lers.

By GuY G. GERMANO
As wary as an Indian And silent as a ghost, Where the water moccasin And rattlesnake are host; Where th e swamp is thickest And the wildcat lurks aroundThat's the kind of r::ountry Where OJ' Gobbler can be found. While the stars still twinkle And the pale moon lip:hts the way, While skeeters still are buzzin' Before the break of day; Staunch breakfast and black coffee, And with shotgun safe in hand You wind through soggy bushes To take your turkey stand. You stretch your ears to listen, You strain your eyes to see, Until you hear the SWOOSH of wings Take off from roosting tree. Come daylight. take your caller, Let out a "cluck, cluck, cluck," Hold still, don't bat an eyelid;
Don't breathe, just pray for luck! Then you squat down to wait, And wait, and wait some more; You concentrate and watch For movf'ment aft or fore; But just as you've decided You were "taken for a ride," When, lo !- the sovereign of the swamp Appears on your left side! The rest -is up to you, sir: Tf you're quick upon the swing, It's gobbler for your table, Tale to tell, and songs to sing; But -if you're more like me. sir, All a-shak-ing, paralizedHc'll van-ish quick as blazes Leaving you in dumb surpr-i:-;e.

"Sovereigns of the swamps" race far the nearest cover.

p
R
0
B
L E
M s

A

H

E

A

D

The City of Atlanta alone uses 65 m illion g allons of wa ter doily. At th is rate, conse rvation ists feel problems ore ahead unless proper steps are taken to conserve this vital resource .

?

A ~~ riuu~ wa te r prob lem may be s neakin g up o n th e l rnited State,; , one o f the world's ri chest n a tural a r eas.
Pro blems in man v a rea s are so acute th a t Con gr ess has author ized r iver ba.,i n study commissions to probe int o tlw problems from \ 1a in e to California.
Tlw-.e 1o rnmi ssions are e"(pected to pro,ide the data wc "'' 11 .. for t..,tahlishin~ a lon g- ran ge use p rogra m so 1lt.tt luittrt f!t'tlt rat roth a n take advantage of wat f' r r' "IJUH ttlwr thdn nPatt p ro ble ms for the mselves.
Tlw ~outl wr-.t Ht\t'l Ba..,in ~ udy Co mmissio n . ht>adquatlt'rtd "' \tl.~nta ha;;. lwgun it .. ted ious task o f

surve ying Geo r g ia's li quid asscb. T h is is no easy job. There ar e l.J. m ajor rinrs in th e sta tt>, plus m yriad small streams, c reeks and bran ches.
P.eginnin g in th e wes tern part of th e sta te, ther e arc th e Oostanaula , Et owah , Chattah ooch ee, flint , Ochlockonee, S uwann ee, St. M a r ys, Satilla, Ocmulgee. Altamaha, Oconee. Ogeechee. and the Savanna h rivers. This, of course does no t include tr ibut a ries of these mighty stream s.
Up on loo kin g close ly at Geo rg ia 's wa ter reso ur ces, one could hardl y im agine that there will ever be a problem.

22

From the towering red oa ks of the App alac hia ns to Sidney Lanier 's " l\larshes of Glynn ,'' the picture for the futur e looks bright. But one has onl y to co nsider the plight of Los An geles, for example, to quickl y see th at problems can arise- and fast.
Several yea rs ago. Los Angeles was a cit y with sli ghtl y more than one million people, about the same as Atl ant a. Now this burgeonin g metropolis has spent millions of dollars ge tting water for her people. California is n ow stud ying a 10-billion d ollar plan to pipe water fr om th e northern part of the state to Los A ngeles.
F ortunat ely, man y of the Na ti on's - and Georgia'slarger cities were establ ished near large rivers. Atlant a, the largest, is not on a p rincipal river, neither is Gain esville n or Athens. But each is located near enoug h to a principal stream to have an ad equate suppl y.
The Cit y of Atlanta and it s suburbs pro babl y use more water than any other area in the south . The city requires 65 milli on gall ons a da y, taken fr om the Chattahoochee river; DeKalb count y, Cobb co unt y and the Cit y of East P oint take approximat ely 26 million more gallons fr om the river and its tributaries.
Georgia's rainfall. of co urse, pla ys an imp ort ant par t in its water picture.
The state averages gettin g 50 inches of rainfall a yea r. The wett est a rea, the north Geo rgia mountains, gets 65 inches a year. The driest area is Augusta, which gets onl y II ir;ches. However , the Sav annah r ive r, form ed in the mountains and full of steam b y the time it reaches Augusta, fl ows alm ost through the cent er of town.
Geo rgia 's hidd en water is a so urce th at is never seen , but a lways und erground if needed to suppl y fluid to farm families or well-diggers.
Geologists report that Georgia's underground wa ter suppl y is n ot dwindlin g, despite rum ors to the co ntr ar y. Only in coastal area s, wh ere many wells are constantl y pumping gallons up on gall ons of water, is there a decline. Geologists offer as an exa mple a n experiment co ndu cted in an unu sual well near East Point where a day- by da y record of the water table has been kept si nce 1~H4.
The lowest water mark was 25 feet below th e surface durin g the drought of 19,l-1, and onl y 13 feet down durin g the rainy spring of 1953. In the past 15 years, they report , it dipped under 15 feet onl y twice, in 1954 and 19 5 5 .
Like man y eastern states. Geo rgia has serious poll uti on p roblems. T his has become a serious h ind rance to the industr ial gro wth of the state. Crea ti on of poll ution problems in the Alta maha and Chattahoochee rivers, the Satilla and the Sava nn ah in rece nt year"' have added to the awesome pictu re.
Fa ilure of Pres ident Eisen hower to sign th e Blatnik Water P ollution A ba tement bill is felt by many to be a setback toward camp aigns to clean up mu nicipal wastes in str ea ms. There are ser io us m un icipal wast e problems throughout the state. One is loca ted in A tl an11, where cit y se wage and other wastes poll ut e th e South riv er from the city lim its clear to J ackso n Lake.
Fis her y biolog ists report that it is impossible for f1 sh to sun he in such polluted wat ers. F ollmving the appear -

ance of several dead fi sh in the rive r last summer, one biologist said he was surprised th at even '" ro ugh" fi sh co uld li ve in th e se wage-sy rup y river.
S ince Geo rgia h as no current wat er problems, it lacks leg islati un to clean up pollu tion . H owever, needed laws will pro babl y come when clean water ge ts sca rce or loss of human life result s from pollution.
Geo rgia's -10,000 farm lakes arc watershed projects that lend a help ing hand during d ro ug ht peri ods or when ra infall is slack.
~! a n y farmers, particul arl y tobacco and pea nut growers, use small farm lakes as :so urces of irrigation. Livestoc k fanners, also us uall y try to proY ide at least one small pond o11 their la nd for watering purposes.
23

Of course, industry has assistf'd Georgia to secure a storeroom of water. Georgia has a great wealth of electric power reservoirs and navigation proj ects: an inland port at Bainbridge and soon one at Augusta, Columbus and ma ybe even Atlanta.
Outdoor recreation on Georgia's impounded waters. large r ivf'rs and coastal area is growing by leaps and bou nds. Lake Lanier. near Gain Psville. was third in the nation in attend ance, according to the U. S. Curps of Engi neers. Lake Seminole. Clark Hill and Allatoona. to nlf'nt ion a few mo re. Wf' If' not far behind.
So it\ easy to see th at Gao rgia 's water resources will become e\ en a more vi tal pa rt of the state's wealth in years to come. And. whi le it may not seem apparent just now , it\ not too ea rl y to sit d own ancl surve y the water si tuation to sf'e how we stand for the future.
No ne will den y th at Georgia 's industrial and reonomic fntun dq wiHls o n its suppl y of clea n. fr esh water.
It is tlw d ut\ of thP Su utheast River Basins S tn dv Conullitl!t to p r.ovide arru1 ate fi gur Ps on water resource~ in th is ...,.,tion so that indnstr~ \\i ll know where suitabl e lorat ions a 11 d nd \\hat to t x pr1 t w lwn it gets there.
24

Department's Macon Office To Move fro m Courthouse
The State Game and Fish Department has mo,ed its Macon office from the Bibb co urthouse to space provided in the Georgia Forestry Department building, director Fulton Lovell said toda y.
Lovell said chief ranger J. W. Thomasson and his offi ce
staff occupied air-condi ti oned quarters furni shed by the Forestry Department on Nov. l. Thomasson's office is now located in a jury room of the Bibb co urthouse.
A spokesman for the Commission sa id the decision came after a directi,e from the Dept. of Civil Defense required all stat e agenc ies with tw o-way radios tu provid e a generator at each station for emergency purposes.
Both the Game and Fish Department, the Foresty Department a nd the Highway Patrol recei,e aid from Civil Defense in the form of radio equipment and funds . All three are part of the Co nalrad Alerting System.
Lovell said hi s department will joi n the Forestry department in providing a generator in 1\laco n , statin g that it wi ll sa ve both departments money.
The ga me and fi sh director also said an agreement has been reached between his department and the Highway Patrol permitting both agencies to use generators in cities where bo th have radio station s. This wo uld be in Waycross, Gai nesville, l\lanchester and possibly Savannah.
The Forestry Department and the Game and Fish Department now share a similar arrangement atop Stone l\ l o u n t a i n .
Lovell said Game and Fish personnel have checked out the new quarters and found them much more suitable than the present location.
Free Preserve Directory
A free director y of Georgia Shooting Preserves ma y be obtai ned by writing the Geo rgia Game and Fish Commtsswn. 101 State Capitol. A tlanta 3, Georgia. The directory lists the best prPserves in the state which are upen to the public.
~\lost of the presetTes spr>cia lize in bobwhite quail hunting. hut some offer ri ngnec ked pheasant, chukar partri dgP, and mallard ducks. Because they depend manly un pen-raised game that is sto cked, the preserves have a season of six months- Oct. 1 through ~larch 31.
Game Laws Hu nters Need to Know
Opening dates begin with sunrise and closing dates end at sundown on dates specified.
It is unlawful to hunt in Georgia while under the influence of any intoxicating beverages.
Each Deer and each Wild Turkey killed must be reported in writing to the Georgia Game and Fish Commission within five t5) days.
Firearms for Deer are limited to sho tguns loaded with slugs or No. l buckshot or larger, or to rifles using an y center fire cartridge .22 calibre or abo,e with the following exceptions: .25-20; .32-20; .30 Army Carbine; .22 Hornet or .218 Bee.
It is illegal to kill or pos~ess the meat of any female deer, except in counties where the taking of rloe is legal.

LOVELL- (Co nti n ued from page 3)
discussion of mutua l problems by indi vid uals, sta tes aiHI oth er co nsenation agencies.
It went a long wa )' toward providin g some of thf' a nswers American conseiTationists needed to provide " Thf' grea test good for the g reatest numher for the longest time. '' as Gifford Pinchot predicted.
This co nference helped OJWn the eyes of Legislator~ in our National Co ngress.
It also helped form the background for the passage of many ronsenation acts that have benefit ed spor tsmen throughout the nation.
The Dinge)J .Johnson Act. Pittman-l{ober tso n. l\ligra tor y Bird Treaty Act. Coordination Act of 1046 - all of these were gigantic steps forward in conservati on.
And the y are the results of tremendous effort on the part of organized professional co nse n ation gro ups like our Southeastern Association.
The ~1igrat o ry Bird Treaty Act is an example of h ow nations can cooperate to prot ect and co nscn e a resource that otherwise could he misused.
By the same token. many important and forward steps haw resulted from action taken ri ght here in the sou theast by this association.
Our joint. reg ion-wide cloYe stud y was co mm endable ... our cooperati,e deer disease stud y opened the eyes of the nation ... our present wildlife and game bird di sease stud y is ce rtainlv one of th e most progressi,e programs ever initiated in America.
Our close friendship with each other has resulted in expa nsions of fi sh and ga me programs in every sta te. The southeast as a unit now has more techni cal JWrsonnel than any other area of the nation.
During the past two years the reservoir committee of this association has made great strides in standardizing methods in reservoir man agement in the sou theast.
The sharin g of inform ati on gathend in thi s coo peratiYe endea,or certainly will have an effect on maximum utlization of later resources in the future.
To me. one of the greatest advances the Sou theastern Association has made has bePn the fi eld o f deer di seases. We ha,e at the University of Geo rgia. in Athens, Georgia. facilities and a staff th at a re seco nd to none.
Although it was only small a nd insignifi rant at the "tart. the So uth eas te rn Associ ation's coo pera ti ve wildlife disease stud y is one of the greates t con t ri but io ns e\er made to co nsenatio n on a nati onal le\ el.
I am also proud o f thi s Association's contribution in promoting and brin ging about hetter understanding of wildlife and fi,.h management programs and the role it has played in ga inin g fa, orah h legislation in \Vashington.
,\Iany of our citizens haw come to depend on wildlif(' a nd fi sh as our grea test recrea ti onal asset. Hunting, fi shin g and boatin g are now prominf'nt sports and occupy a hi gh place amon g the nation s participant sports.
\Ve must rf'a li ze th is as we co me face to face with th e r hallenges ahead. As publ ic participation in huntin g and fi~diing gro w,. so do the problems o f managing our wi ldlife an d fislwr y rP'-'OUrce.;.
:\m erica as a nation and thl' southeast as a region i"

again at a tonserva ti on crossroads. \Ve must join together and co nside r the most appropriatf' route to take. just as tlw~ did dnring Tedd y Roosevelt's time.
Today, however. we havf' been given ample warning of what's ahead.
Tlw Sou th eastf'rn River Basin Study Commission estimates th at the population in the State of Gf'orgia will doul1l!' within the next ,to years.
Your statf' will probably gain as man y new citizPn" a ~ Gf'o rgia. Many of them will gain more.
But, regardless of how many or how fpw nPw fares we see lwtween now an d th e year 2,000, onr ta~>k as an associat ion, as an individual State Game and Fi~h Department and as a conservation voicP in Amt>rira will become f'X tremely important.
As I look hack through the past 10 yPa rs th at I have heen associated with conservation as a State Game and Fish Department Director, I can sec progress in every fi eld of endeavor.
The cal iber of technical and admini~>trative personnel has improved- more finances are available- enforcement has improved- research has come into being and the puhlic has hecom e more conscious of conservation.
Eac h of ~ou. vour state departments, the federal gove rnment and ot her conservation agPnries h ave had a part in this progress.
This Association can be proud of its accomplishments - hut we cannot rest on our lau rels.
There is still work to he done. Our dove stud y was a success, there is no denving that fac t. But, all of our f1nve problems are not solved. We have yet to convince fedPral agenries of our bPliefs. I feel that it is tim e we face the issues that have been plaguing us for yea rs. It is tim e we mad e some headwa y with regards to the management of mourning cloves. The State of Geo rgia went on record sevPral vears ago as favoring a zoning system for its don shnotPrs. Recently, Louisiana petitioned the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife for a similar zoning svstem. I sincerely hope Louisiana has lwttcr lu ck than Gcon!ia. \Ve have bee n turned hack every time we approaclw<l \Vash in gton with the sugges tion. \fow. I clo not feel qualified to say who is right in thi s runnin g don deba te. I am simply a Georgian, who has hunted doves in Georgia for manv years and who has a first-hand knowledge of Georgia's prohlems. But thi s do es not qualify mP. l am not a Washington bureaucrat who has ne\ e r Lwen to Georgia, so } am not qualifil'd to <;ay what's lwst for Georgia. But as I see it, it is time we facPd this i<.;:-;ue sqnarch and ask for at )past an opportunit~ to Sl'f' whether or not Georgia. Louisiana, or any other state that kncm,_ its own problems. arc right or wrong. Our country "as founded on that basic principle. The surface has only !wen tapJwd as nseanh prognnns llllCO\ l' r more and better way~> to do thi11gs. we can rertainly add to tiiP riclme,;<; of onr natural resource" and rontinue to prmide cnjoyahh rccrc~Ition to the million~ of pcoplc who inhaibt this area.
25

1960-61 GEORGIA GAME LAWS
Seasons and Bag Limits

RESIDENT GAME
Bear (a) Deer (See Below) Quail Ruffed Grouse Rabbits (b) Opossum (c) Raccoon Alligators Sea Turtles Squirrels (d) Wild Turkeys

OPEN DATES (Inclusive)
November 1, 1960-January 5, 1961
November 20, 1960-February 25, 1961 November 20, 1960-January 5, 1961 November 20, 1960-February 25, 1961 October 15, 1960-January 31, 1961 October 15, 1960-January 31, 1961 June 2, 1960-January 31, 1961 No Open Season November 1, 1960-January 5, 1961 See Below

MIGRATORY BIRDS

Rails, Gallinules

September 6, 1960-November 14, 1961

Ducks

November 29, 1960-Januuary 7, 1961

Geese (Except Snow Geese) November 7, 1960-January 7, 1961

Coots

November 29, 1960-Januuary 7, 1961

Doves

(See Below for Split Season)

Woodcock

November 20, 1960-February 25, Hl61

Wilson's Snipe

November 20, 1960-February 25, 1961

TRAPPING SEASONS

Fox

Muskrat

Skunk Opossum Raccoon

----~

-

---~~-

Beave1, Otter, Mink

November 20, 1960-February 25, 1961 November 20, 1960-February 25, 1961 November 20, 1960-February 25, 1961 November 20, 1960-February 25, 1961 November 20, 1960-February 25, 1961 November 5, 1960-January 15, 1961

DAILY BAG LIMITS
No Limit

WEEKLY BAG Lll\IITS
-~-----

POSSESSION LIMITS

12

30

3

3

10

No Limit

No Limit

No Limit

10

10

15

30

4

8

2

4

6

12

12

24

8

8

8

8

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

-

-~~~--

--

EXCEPTIONS

(a)-All counties in the State closed to the hunting of bear except Echols, Clinch, Charlton, Ware, Brantley, Camden, Glynn, Wayne, McIntosh, Long, Liberty, Bryan and Chatham.
(b)-Bag limit for 1abbits 5 daily north of the following counties: Howard, Coweta, Spalding, Butts, Jasper, Putnam, Hancock, Glascock, Warren, McDuftie and Richmond.
(c)-Coweta County season ovens Oct. 1, 1960-.Jan. 31, 1961. No Bag Limit.
(d)-Except Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Lumpkin, Dawson, T owns, White, Habersham, Rabun and Stephens counties where season will be from Sept. 15, 1960-Jan. 5, 1961. Banks, Baldwin, Barrow, Bartow, Bihb, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton. Cobb, Coweta, Columbia, Crawford, Dade, DeKalb, Douglas, Elbert. Fayette, Forsyth, Floyd, Franklin, Fulton, Gordon, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Hancock, Haralson. Harris. Hart, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, J asper, Jones, Lamar, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDuffie, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Murray, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Richmond, Rockdale, Schley, Sumter, Spaulding, Talbot. Ta_haferro, Taylor, Trouv. Uoson, Walker. Walton, Warren. Whitfield and W1lkes counties season will be from Oct. 15 1960-Jan. 5, 1961. B".t limits 10 daily, 10 weekly.

DEER SEASONS

Paulding, Haralson, Polk. Floyd counties Nov. 17-18-19. Bag limit0JH' buck with visible ant lers per season. Dogs prohibited.

r.Bhaalmdw. iHn.:.nHeaunckk"..lB:'"upttesr.,

Chattooga, Dade, Jones. Lumoki n,

Dawson, Monroe,

Fannin, Murray,

Gilmer, Pickens,

HabPut-

n;tnl, H.:dntn. ~t(phPn:-;, Towns, Union. Walker and White counties seaso ns

"lwn No\'. ;, l!11:11 :liHI cl"P Nov. 20. 19150. Bag limit- One buck with Vl~tblf' antl er. -. l>ng-"' fll'ohibited.

Tw o bucks t>r un buck and on<' dc are legal in Baker, Calhoun, Dougherty Grad~ :tnd Thomas. Connti(:-;..

26

Nov . 1. 1960-Jan. 5, 1961 - Th e follow in g counties are open to the taking of deer: Appling, Bacon, Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bleckley, Brantley. Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch. Burke, Calhoun, Camd<m, Charlton, Chatham, Chattahoochee, Clay, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Crisp, Candler, Decatur, Dodge, Daugherty, Early, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Glynn, Grady, Irwin, J e ff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkin s, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Lee, Liberty, Long, L owndes, Mal'ion, Mcintosh, Miller, Mitchell, Montgomery, Muscogee, Pulaski, Quitman, Randolp h, Screven, Seminole, Stewart, Sumter, Tattnall, Terrell, Thomas, Tift. Toombs, Truetlen, Twiggs, Wa re, Washington, Wayne, \V ebster, w heeler, Wilcox, Wilkinson.
Bag limit- Two bucks with visible antlers, except in Baker, Calhoun, Dougherty, Grady and Thomas counties where two bucks or one buck and one doe are legal.
:\IOUHNING DOYES
Seasons on Mourning Doves will be split. First half opens Sept. 15. 1960, and closes Oct. 1, 1960. Second half commences Nov. 23, 1960, and ends Jan. 14. 1961. Shooting hours 12 noon to sunset. Bag limit 12, possess ion limit 21.
WILD TUI{l\.EYS
Wil<l turkey season will be~:in Nov. I, 1960, and end Jan. 5, 1961, in the following counties: Baker, Ben Hill. Berrien. Brooks. Calhoun, Chattahoochee, Clay, Colquitt. Cook, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Irwin. Lee, Macon, Marion, I\! iller, 1\litchell, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Seminole, Stewart, Sumter. Terrell. T homas, \\'ebster, Wilcox and \Vorth. Bag limit is two gobblers per s : ason.
Wild turk ey season wiJI begi n Nov. 1. 1960 and end Jan . 5, 1961. in the following counties: Applin g, Bacon, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch. Camden, Candler. Charlton , Chatham. Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Eftingham. E'ans, Glyn n, Jeff Davis. Lanier. Liberty. Long, Lowndes, Mcintosh. Montgomery, Screven. Tatnall. Telfair, Toombs. Ware, Wayne and Wheeler. Bag limit is two gobblers per season. Th<' remainder o f the state is closed entirely.

Editor, Georgia Game and Fish
Clouds of Confusion Su rround TRESPASS LAW

O n a q ui et Sa t urcla) afternoon tw o fishe rmen paddled their boat a long the Fl in t Ri,er in a mid-Georgia county. casting their plugs from side lo side as they d rifted along.
The sun was !wilin g clown. With each st roke o f tlw padd le it became holler. Fi nally. one suggested that t hf'y stop a n d rest beneath the shade of a big oak ln'P along the sandy bank.
As the) padd lt>d their boat to ward the shore. a man stepped from behind the tree and informed them lhey we re lres passing.
The man called the sheriff.
A few minu tes later the sheriff arrived and placed the two fishermen under arrest. Naturally. the\ protested .
"Unde r arrest for what"?'' OIIP demanded. ""We didn 't p ul our fuol on this man's land u nt il after lw told us we were trespassing. \Ve have a pe rfect r igh t to fish in th is ri\er. He do es n "t o wn the water - it helongs lo the taxpayers.''
The s lwriff tried to e xplain tlw Ia \\ lo the ira te fishermen, hut they would nul let him. Su. he ca rted them off lo jail a l the eo u nl) sea l.
This was another in a sene,.; of littl e dramas that lll'\'e r fail to lem r a fou l taste in the m o uths o f a ngle rs. a sunrll'"s they IH'\'e r seem lo forget.
Jnsl \\ ho o\\ ns water? Who h as a
right lo fish wlwre"? Ca 11 a landowner pro;:ecule for Lnspa s,.; tho,.;t who flsll on hi s land without p<nnissioll "?
Th ese questions arc asked thou sa nd,- o f Limes eac-h \ear. u,.;uall~ b~

fisherme 11 who were nah lwd by land-
owners for fishin g without pe rmi ssion. Let's examine the issues.
Can a pr o pe rl) o \\ ner bar fi s hin g in a stream that run" throu g h hi ,.; land e\ en though the stream is naviga ble b) boat s'?
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled in the ease of Thompson v. Ten11yson that ""the owner of land adjoining a nun-naviga ble stream is the ownPr of the soil to the center of the thread of the stream a nd o f the fishin g ri g ht,.; lo the ee nler of th e threa d on his sirl< of the stream.
"If one propriet or owns th e la11d on both sides of the stream. he has thP exdu!'-ive right of fi s hing th ere in.' '
It is clear, in this ease. that land-
owners have a perfeel right lo har fishin g i11 no n-navi gabl e strea ms if they own both side~ of th e stream.
But what about streams that arP navigable'?
Aceording ln the sa me dt>eisinn. one ga ther s that owner~ of land on lwth ~ id es of a na\'i ga hl e stream ha\e the sa m e exelu si\e fis hin g rig ht .; ao; the o wner of a non-nmigable ,.;lream. Therefore. the lando\\ ner can legalh bar fi~hin!-! e\en thoulllr the slr<'am
i.; p a,.;~ah l e hy boat.
\Vater. a~ tlw fisherman sn/-!p:eslP<I. does not lwlung lo tlw laxp ayr r,.; .
Seet ion BS-1 :H)] of tlw Ctorg i,J
Code Annolakd sa) s running water, \\bil e oll land. lwlon l-!s lo Llw o\\ 111'1" of th land.
"" But .'' it <'ontimu~- ''lw ha,.; no righ t lo di\ crt it from tlw usual dranrwl, nor ma\ lw ~o n"<' or adultc ral<'

it a~ lo inlerf<-'r<' with the enj o} lllt'n l
o f it by tlw ne xt owner."
These laws have heen on the Georg ia books for quite a numlwr uf ) Pa rs. Yet. fe w anglers nally J...no\\ and und e rs tand thl~m.
Of eourse. there are man ) unusual situations that develop in conncrtion
with the application o f th e,.;p Ia"'"
Each cast> may b< differe nt. H owev"-'r, tlwrt> is one sure way lo g ua rd again.;;L prosecution for trespass while fishing and that is lo secure permission of th e landowner befo r e fi~hiuf! in the strea m.
The Game a nd Fr s h Department d oes not e nfor<'e trespass law s. un!e,.;o; it is asked lo do so h) propt ~ rl~ o wn ers. This job usually fall~ lo l )cal r'nforcemcnl o ffi cers.
Mo st Iandow ner:-. \\ ho do not 1\ i"'h fishermen to use their properl~ han!-! posted signs. Some haw !-!one as far as lo stretch a eah le aero"'~ the s tr eam and ereel signs warnin g against fr,_;hing. Thi,.; Ira~ r<'"ulted in mass furor 111 :-.ome scl'l ions of tlw :-.late.
;\lan~ fio;lwrmen fm ,,r e~lahli:--hing a cl,ar t"lll, corw i~< law that L<ll,., Llwm in hlack and \\ lritf' just \\ lwre the\ <'<Ill and t'<Innol fr:-.lr. Thi:-.. of tour;,e. mnsl he dmw h~ the Ct'llr;..! ia G<'n<'ral
t\-...;tnlhh. II i:o- txtnnH'h doubtful
if sn<'h a la\1 \\ill l'\ 1' r he pa,.,scd.
Thf' ani-!l'r mn,.;l <H'<' <'Jll tlw J,urdt n ;md go nwn than half \\<I\ lo t'O
operal<' \\ ith landowner,-. Simp!~ a,k.
ing ma\ h<'lp soh< ' ,.;oml' nasi\ ,.;ilua-
tions. If tlw lando\\ rwr rPfW"t',.;. tlwn
go tl ,.;l' \\ lwre. Ilon"t im itt a ,ourl ,.; uit tlw ) <"<Ill sonwlim<,.; bt unplea"'a nl.

GEORGIA GAME AND FISH COM MISSION
412 STATE CAPITOL BUILDING
ATLA N TA. GEORGIA

SEC . 3 4 .66, P. L . S. R.
U . S . POSTAGE
PAID
ATLANTA. GA. PERMIT NO. 155

_.. cquisicions Div~sion. The University L~bxar1es

The University of Georgia

A the:ns, C-a ..

--.

,r- ...........

r"

Waterfowl hunte rs

DON'T SHOOT

REDHEADS o r C ANV ASBACKS this year
OBSERVE WATERFOWL CAREFULLY BEFORE SH OOT I N G!

These ducks ore fully protected by law during the 196061 season . Now in short supply it is necessary to get os many of them os possible bock to the nesting grounds next spring.

REDHEADS
MALE : Round, Red Head, Black Chest, Gray Body
FEMALE: Gray Brown

CANVASBACKS
MALE: Red Heod, Slop ing Profil es, Black Chest, White Body
FEMALE: Gra y Brown
The Redhead and Canvasback are diving ducks- they run across the surface of the water before taking f light - are fo und in salt water bays and fresh water lakes.