Georgia game and fish [Vol. 1, no. 3 (Dec. 1966)]

GEORGIA

VOL. 1, NO. 3 I DECEMBER, 1966



B ~GEORGIA
{~ -;, GAME &FISH

DECEMBER 1966 Volume I Number 3
Contents

Drifting Doves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Kight 1

The Dove Season Is Too Late . . . . . . Jim Morrison 3

Bushy Tails Are For Boys

.. James T. Hicks 6

Oaky Woods is Okay . . . . . . . . Dean Wohlgemuth 7

Small Game-

Hunter's Choice . . . . . . . Dean Wohlgemuth 8

Mark Trail of the Mounties . . . . . .. Jim Morrison 10

800,000 Busy Eyes . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . Jim Tyler 12

Commissioner Charles Davidson . . . . . . . . Jim Tyler 13

The Quail Capital of the World .... . . Jim Morrison 14

Georgia Sportsmen Meet in Macon

Glen Smith 16

Sportsman's Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

17

Carl E. Sanders Governor

COMMISSIONERS

Judge Harley Langdale, Chairman
Valdosta-8th District

Leonard Bassford, Vice Chairman
Augusta-lOth District

William Z. Camp, Sec. Newnan-6th District

Charles L. Davidson, Jr. Avondale Estates-4th District

James Darby Vidalia-1st District

Rankin M. Smith Atlanta-5th District

Richard Tift Albany-2nd District

J. B. Langford Calhoun-7th District

William E. Smith Americus-3rd District

Edgar B. Dunlap Gainesville-9th District

Jimmie Williamson Darien-Coastal District

ROSSER MALONE DIRECTOR

ASSISTANT DIRECTORS

Howard D. Zeller Program Planning

Jack A. Crockford Field Operations

COORDINATORS

Leon Kirkland, Fisheries

Charles M. Frisbie,

Hubert Handy, Game

Marine Fisheries

RobertS. Baker, Law Enforcement Jim Morrison, Information and

Education

REGION MANAGERS

C. V. Waters, Gainesville, N. Ga. Frank Parrish, Fitzgerald, S. Ga.

Wayne W. Thomaston,

D avid Gould, Brunswick, Coast

Fort Valley, M. Ga.

GEORGIA GAME & FISH STAFF

Jim Morrison, Editor Dean Wohlgemuth,
Managing Editor

Dan Keever, Photographer Jim Tyler, Staff Writer
Glenn Smith, Staff Writer

Photo Credits: Dan Keever I , t. 2, t . 5, t. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, t . II , 12, t. & b. 13, t, 14, 16; Jim Morrison b. 2, 3, b. 5, b. 6, b. II , c. & b. 13.

Georgia Game and Fish is the official monthly magazine of the Georgia Game and Fish Commission, published at the Commission's of/ices, 401 State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. No advertising accepted. Subscriptions are $1 for one year or $2.50 for three years. Printed by Stein Printing Company, Atlanta, Ga. Notification of address change must include both old and new address and ZIP code, with 30 days notice. No subscription requests will be accepted without ZIP code. Articles and photographs may be reprinted. Proper credit should be given . Contributions are welcome, but the editors assume no responsibility or liability for loss or damage of articles, photographs, or illustrations. Second-class postage paid at Atlanta, Georgia.

Agovernorwho wasn't afraid
Georgia's dynamic young governor, Carl Sanders, is a man who is not afraid to stand up and be counted for a cause which he feels is right, even though it may be potentially unpopular.
It is for this reason that we dedicate the last issue of Georgia Game and Fish this year to Governor Sanders in the last month of his historic four year term in office.
During that time, Governor Sanders did more for the cause of wildlife conservation than any other man in Georgia history. Primarily at his request, the General Assembly this year increased the budget of the Game and Fish Commission from two million to more than three million dollars a year, the largest increase ever made in its appropriation. That Governor Sanders had the courage to make the increase possible by helping raise hunting and fishing license fees is a noteworthy tribute to the strength of his convictions.
As a result of the one million dollar increase, wildlife conservation for the first time in many years in Georgia is adequately financed. Now, the State Game and Fish Commission can afford to staff and manage every acre of public hunting and fishing land that it can lease or purchase. Public fishing areas will be built in many areas of the State, and more than 200 public boat launching ramps will be constructed over the next five years on previously inaccessible streams and lakes. The eight fish hatcheries of the Game and Fish Commission will be renovated and modernized to produce millions of new fish for stocking in public lakes and streams. 20 new wildlife rangers are already on duty, protecting Georgia's invaluable wildlife resources from plunder by ruthless game law violators. These rangers are now better trained, better equipped, and better uniformed, than ever before in history.
Early in the Sanders Administration, the Governor provided funds for the purchase of the largest channel catfish hatchery in the world at Cordele for the Commission, along with the purchase of the McDuffie Public Fishing area near Thomson, first of a chain of such areas to ring Georgia's metropolitan centers.
During his administration, more than 132,000 acres of public hunting land were leased to the Game and Fish Commission in the Allatoona, Whitesburg, Chickasawhatchee, Piedmont Experiment, and Oaky Woods game management areas. His sponsorship of a limited liability bill eventually will open more than a million additional acres of industrial lands for hunting.
But Governor Sanders' most important accomplishment probably is his initiation of a reorganization of the leadership of the State Game and Fish Commission along the more efficient, decentralized, professional lines recommended by the study of the department made at his request by the Governor's Commission for Efficiency and Improvement in Government, known as the "Bowdoin Commission."
As an avid hunter and fisherman all his life, Governor Sanders shares many interests in common with Georgia sportsmen. He is a crack shot who especially enjoys dove and quail shooting, and is a deer and a duck bunter as well.
If we could select a nominee for the title "Wildlife Conservationist of the Year" for this year or any year so far, our choice would be Carl Sanders, a great governor that Georgians will miss. - J. M.
ON THE COVER: Georgia's number one dove shooter, Governor Carl Sanders, fires a volley at the star of this month's Game and Fish Magazine, the mourning dove. Photo by Jim Morrison.

by joe kight
drifting doves

Doves are perhaps the hardest easy shooting or the easiest hard shooting of any of Georgia's
game birds. They can float in as though they were suspended from wires, or bobble along
like a butterfly with the hiccups, or flash by like an unguided missile. Weighing only four or
five ounces, they can cruise between 30 to 40 miles per hour in calm air. Alarmed by hunters
or traveling with the wind they can, of course, go much faster.
More people in Georgia hunt doves than any other game bird. In most areas a dove
shoot takes on a festive air. Although the weather is usually a little warm, especially in the southern regions, a different smell is in the
air. The languid murky feel of summer is replaced with a crisper, cleaner feel. The harvest
is underway, denoting the end of one season and the beginning of another. Some of the poplar and gum trees are hinting that they are thinking seriously of exchanging their summer suits for a bright colorful gown for one last fling. What is probably the most noted and least mentioned is the sounds of the fields. The rustle of the corn stalks, the caw of a faraway
crow, the chirr of insects - especially the sound of the insects - all take on an eleventh hour feel of expectancy. Dove season is anticipated by
some from January when the season closed , to the opening day of the new
season. The time in between these dates serves only to round out
the calendar and also provides time to catch an occasional fi sh.
1

In case you're in doubt, that blur is a mourning dove , th e hardest to hit gam e bird in Georgia. Last year more than 11 2,000 hunters wen t after doves.

Hunting from a home-made blind of corn stalks and pine boughs is especially
popular in middle G eorgia. It pays off with closer shots and clean ground for
locating down ed birds quickly .
2

Doves are found throughout the state. While we have a large resident nesting population, many birds found here during the late fa ll and winter were raised in states to the north. The nest is a very frail affair that is more of a platform than the cup-shaped nests of songbirds. The usual clutch consists of two eggs. Doves have been known to nest in South Georgia every month of the year except December. Although each brood is small , production continues throughout the nesting season . Five to seven broods are started by each pair per yea r, but nest mortality accounts for about half of the young birds. Three successful broods of two birds each are abo ut average.
Hunting doves requires very little equipment and a minimum of effort. Dull colored clothes which blend with the backgrou nd wi ll do very well although camouflage clothes are usuall y harder to detect. However, don't forget th at an upturned face will shine like a full moon, so keep your head down until the birds are in range. A long billed cap will help.
A wide variety of shotguns are used, but repeaters in 12, 16, or 20 gauge are the most popul ar. An improved cylinder or modified choke is quite adequate. Although a full choked guo has a greater range, probably not more than one person in teo can shoot this choke efficientl y. Size 7112 to 9 shot are large enough. Most guns seem to pattern these smaller shot better than larger shot. However, each gun will shoot a little differentl y, so it is a good idea to pattern yo ur gun with different shot sizes to determine which is best for you and your guo.
Doves are strict vegetarians that require free water. Although quail can get enough water from dew and succulent foods, doves must have water to drink. This is especiall y needed dur-

ing nesting season to manufacture "pi geon milk" which is fed to the young. Good shooting can be had at a watering hole when dry weather forces the birds to concentrate on a few available watering places.
A mo re dependable pl ace to shoot is over a harvested grain field . Millet, corn, wheat, peanuts, peas, and grain sorghums are choice foods , as are watermelon and tomato seeds. The object is to provide a choice food supply and conditions that are attractive to doves. Bare ground between the rows i best, but a field with close cut stubble is good too. Doves are not scratching birds and therefore have to find their food on top of the ground . In preparing a field for dove shooting, be sure to check the federal regulations. As doves are considered migratory, they are included in the migratory bird treaty act and are under federal regulation . A lot of people find it hard to stop shooting when they have their limit and the birds are sti ll coming in to the field . But bear in mind th at if yo u wa nt to go dove hunting next year and the next, and would like for your kids to enjoy th is fine sport, stop shooting when you have the limit. Too, both state and federa l judges have been known to frown on game hogs.
The secret of dove hunting, if there is one, is to keep still until the birds are well within range, fo llow through on your swi ng, and LEAD him. Perhaps the real secret of a successful hunt is the observance of one simple but "common sense" rule. D on't shoot at low flying birds! Picking shot out of your hide is not a pleasa nt way to spend the evening. Having a surgeon pick a shot from your eye is even more unpleasa nt. But to be on a fie ld with good fr iends when the doves are starting to drift in is, as the man sa id , paradi se enow.

by Jim Morrison
"It's just shameful, the way the State lets hunters go out and kill those little birds in September. Why, most of them are so small they can't hardly fly yet, and they're being slaughtered right and left. I even killed one bird that left an egg in my hunting coat. Shooting birds still nesting, or that can't fly, and they call that conservation?"
It doesn't really matter just who it is that's doing the talking, because almost exactly the same words have been said for many years by dove hunters, especially in South Georgia.
If, on the other hand, we were listening to a fellow dove hunter in North Georgia, we probably would hear different, but equally familiar words:
"Those idiots in the State Capitol have done it again! Why can't they ever set the dove season right and leave it the same every year. By the time the season opened, all the birds had left out. We had plenty of birds two weeks ago, and now you can't find any."
Confusing? You can say that again! Both of these viewpoints are based on valid arguments. And both are made by si ncere sportsmen interested in good dove shooting. Presumably, they are also good wildlife conservationists.
In between these two warring factions are the poor devils who are supposed to make everyone happy, including the doves: the men of the State G ame and Fish Commission. But settling the issue about the dove season
3

is one problem with even more knots ments were made about the present

But, what about the picture in South



than the average burning issue facing system, and some of them are shared Georgia during the first season in Sep-

a State wildlife conservation agency.

by the Game and Fish Commission.

tember? Here the complaints about

To begin with, not all doves are born The federal regulations determine birds unable to fly or still on the

and raised in Georgia, although about how hberal the seasons, bag limits, and nest ring through the air, along with

70 per cent of them spend their en- hunting regulations can be that are set some more valid comments about the

tire lives here. Because of the migra- by Georgia. Actually, the state could better shooting that will be had later

tory 30 per cent that flies into Georgia set a shorter dove hunting season with in the year when the birds are not so every year, and more especially be- a smaller bag limit and more restric- scattered and food is less plentiful. Be-

't
(

cause of the doves that fly into the tive hunting regulations than is al- sides, the weather is usually unbear-

United States every year from Mexico lowed by the federal government. It ably hot for hunting, usually in the 90's,

and Canada, the dove has been de- could not set a season longer than insects are still out in bloodthirsty

clared a migratory bird under federal allowed by federal regulations, etc.

droves, and snakes are still a nagging

protection. Under treaty acts, doves Normally, the greatest concentration worry. But just the same, hunters who

and other migratory game birds such as of birds in North Georgia is during the have impatiently survived the spring

ducks may only be hunted between middle two weeks of September, at and summer are eager to get into the

September I and March 15 of each year. the time that brown top millet, milo, field again, and the dove season is their

But even though the dove is protect- corn, and other early silage or hay first opportunity, in spite of early sea-

ed by federal law, it would be unfair crops are mature enough for cutting. son objections. But undoubtedly the

to entirely "pass the buck" to the fed- During this period, the entire year's South Georgia hunter would prefer a

eral government concerning the dove production of surviving young birds is season opening in October or later,

season, since both the states and the at its greatest numerical peak, and the when shooting is better on fields being

federal government share joint respon- birds are more concentrated on the planted to winter wheat or being har-

sibility for the rules and regulations. harvested fields than at any other time. vested late.

These regulations are conservatively set Naturally, this is the time that North

By this time, the obviously perfect

to insure that the annual survival of Georgia hunters want to shoot doves. answer to this dilemma has undoubt-

the dove breeding population is well Later on, when the crops have been edly swept over you in a great wave

above the level needed each year to harvested and cold weather moves in, of realization. It's so obvious, you

produce as many doves as possible for shooting will be poor, except on a few can't help but wonder why it hasn't

r

hunting, year after year.

scattered late corn fields that are har- already been done. Why, you say,

The federal government declares the "framework" for the dove season, meaning within what beginning and ending dates the states can set their seasons, including the number of days of shooting they can have. In addition, the federal government sets up the maximum bag limit each state may have, along with regulations governillg the hunting methods which may be used, such as shooting over baited fields, etc.
These regulations are promulgated through the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Bureau has established the framework for the dove season of September !-January 15, with 70 half-days of shooting which could begin and end at any time between those dates within two or three consecutive shooting periods, during which time the entire State would be open. The daily bag limit was set at 12 birds a day.

vested with a mechanical picker. Many of the September birds will already have died at the hands of predators, disease, exposure, or parasites.
Normally, dove shooting in North Georgia during the first half of the season is over within two weeks. Shooters are anxious for the legal opening of the season to coincide with this grain maturation date, which unfortunately may vary considerably, depending on rain and climate conditions. Browntop millet, for instance, can be planted anytime from May through July, maturing in six weeks. If rain coincides with cutting, the millet seeds soon germinate, and doves leave the field.
But, suppose the season does hit the grain maturation right on the head. Even then, shooting may be poor. With the rapid increase of dairy and beef cattle farming in Georgia, the acreage of hay and silage crops grown has soared, especially in level terrain that can be worked by machinery on large farms . This has the effect of scattering

don't we just simply zone Georgia into a northern zone with a season opening in September and a southern zone opening in October or November?
But throwing a bucket of cold water on this charming daydream is the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, which refuses to consider such a plan on the grounds that it would almost double the number of days for Georgia shooters to hunt doves, possibly threatening the surviving brood stock with a serious reduction. According to the Bureau, if the state were zoned as has often been suggested, Georgians would expect 70 days of shooting in North Georgia and 70 days in South Georgia, giving us up to 140 days of shooting, as compared to the 70 given other states in the eastern management unit. According to the Bureau, hunting pressure on doves would be greatly increased, perhaps doubled, by migration of hunters into North Georgia during the first zone season, followed by concentration of hunters in South Georgia during the

()


As has been the custom for many doves over a much greater area, pro- second zone season, resulting in a much

years, the State Game and Fish Com- ducing a general decline in the quality greater kill of birds, than the present

mission again selected the option of a of shooting from the "good old days" figure of more than three million birds

shorter season beginning earlier in Sep- when good dove fields were less com- a year. However, this is only a the-

tember with a longer second half of the mon, concentrating the birds more ory, not a proven scientific fact.

"split season" beginning later in December. Under the existing restrictions placed on the states by the federal government, tills pattern has been judged to be the best possible arrangement by Georgia's wildlife agen-

than is the case today even though just as many doves may be present now as then, if not more. Then, too, doves are an unpredictable lot, inclined to ignore ample food on one field and concentrate on another that is identical a

The Bureau says that if Georgians are concerned about killing young birds in South Georgia early in the split season and hunting doves in North Georgia late in the second season when

,

cy. But is this arrangement satisfactory mile away, for no apparent reason.

they are scarce, then the state should



with a majority of hunters? If you think

So, the North Georgian quite likely be zoned by state regulations.

so, then read the comments again with will complain about the season opening

For example, during the early first

which we began this story. These com- too late.

half of the season this year, from sep-

4

tember 9 through October 8, South creased if zoning were allowed with 70

Georgia could have been closed for days of hunting in each section. Geor-

hunting by State regulation. Then, dur- gia's game biologists contend that few

ing the second half of the split season, hunters would travel great distances to

from December 6 through January 14, the other end of Georgia if they had a

North Georgia could be closed by satisfactory season close at home. They

state regulation, if desired.

point out that South Georgians could

However, the net effect of this plan never find better shooting in North

would be that South Georgians would Georgia than what they would have at

lose approximately 30 of their 70 half- home under a later 70 half-day season

days of shooting, and North Georgians of their own, and that both North

would lose approximately 40 of their Georgians and South Georgians would

70 half-days. It is doubtful if Georgians be diverted from dove shooting by

would be willing to sacrifice hunting other hunting seasons that are open in

days in an already short season, merely to satisfy esthetic considerations about killing young birds. Such a situation well might produce many more com-

November, such as quail, squirrel, rabbit, and deer hunting. As a result, they feel that only a small number of North Georgians would drive 200 miles or

Game biologist Jim Scharnagel records the band number on one of 4 ,000 doves banded by

plaints than are now heard.

more to hunt doves in South Georgia the State so far this year.

Biologists also point out some birds are still on the nest during the September season, especially in South Georgia, but these birds are seldom

for only half-a-day on the weekend, assuming that Sunday hunting is not allowed. In addition, since dove shooting is normally found only on private land,

This information will help in justifying any changes in the present federal regulations.

killed on a field . Normally, they are few North Georgians would have good

still tending the nest and will not come landowner contacts in the southern

to a harvested field, although some part of the state. Most landowners

may be shot at an occasional water- only invite their families, close friends ,

hole. This is also one reason why birds and neighbors to dove shoots.

are still scattered with poorer shooting There is plenty of ammunition on

in South Georgia during September.

both sides. At present, only Texas is

So, there are some good arguments allowed a zoned dove season, due to

on the side of the federal government its great size. But, Georgians point out,

for leaving the regulations as they Georgia is the largest state east of the Dove shooting in North



presently are, without zoning. But Georgia's game biologists and many dove hunters believe that the discussion

Mississippi River. So far, the Bureau has held fast in its position.
But even if zoning never becomes a

Georgia depends to a great extent on the date when grain crops such as milo ripen and are harvested,

doesn't end there. For one thing, there reality in Georgia, it is sure to be a especially by mechanical

is considerable disagreement over the- red-hot issue with Georgia hunters for methods. lf the season

ories of whether or not dove hunting as long as they still hunt "the grey opens after this period

pressure would be significantly m- ghost of the cornfields"

doves will be hard to find.

5

By James T. Hicks
BUSHY TAILS ARE FOR BOYS
Shotguns are most commonly used for squirrel hunting, but many hunters prefer .22 rifles.
6

adjacent to a field of corn. Gray squirrels prefer the hardwood forests of the valleys while the fox squirrel will be found in timbered areas with many openings especially in pecan orchards.

There are several methods of hunting Mr. Bushytail that may be used successfully. To still hunt, the bunter must locate a tree or group of trees that is being used for a feeding area or as a den. He must then conceal himself and ) remain very still until the squirrels appear. Several squirrels may be taken from one tree or one area if the hunter will wait until he feels that the action is all over before picking up his kill.

Stalk hunting is probably the sportiest method of all to use. Stalking may be done in a heavily wooded area and around the edges of fields or clearings. By advancing quietly, two or three steps at a time and then stopping to survey the trees in the area, the stalking hunter may effectively cover a larger territory than the still hunter. For any measure of success to be attain~d in this type hunting, the bunter must move very slowly, quietly, and observantly.

A popular method of hunting in many areas is with a dog. A larger amount of territory may be covered with this style of hunting than either still hunting or stalking. The common mixed breed mongrel dog seems to be most efficient in squirrel bunting.

than an y oth er gam e species in Georgia.

The best time of day for hunting squirrels is early and late. Still, clear, frosty mornings and warm fall afternoons are ideal. Almost without exception , bunting is much better when the wind is not blowing. Damp leaves due to a rain or heavy dew are desirable because they lessen the noise made by the hunter's feet.

Fall is for bushytails, and for boys to go to the squirrel woods, and for grown men to pretend for a while that their youth has returned as they too go hunting Mr. Squirrel.
Regrettably, most present day forest management does not provide the practices that are most beneficial to the squirrel. Mast producing hardwoods such as oak and hickory are the key to an abundance of bushytails. Hollow trees, when present, serve as veritable squirrel factories. All too often neither the mast producing hardwoods nor the hollow trees are spared on areas of intensely managed forestlands. The territory for good squirrel hunting bas thus become limited.
The best areas for hunting are patches of hardwoods that may be used by squirrels for feeding stations, den trees, and nesting sites. Fence rows are excellent if a stand of mature timber lies

The .22 caliber rifle and all the various gauges of shotguns are used for squirrel hunting. The .22 rifle is regarded by many hunters as the more sporting weapon to use. The use of a scope mounted .22 will provide a maximum of sport as well as a full bag if the hunter is skillful. Practically all of the shotguns are adequate with field loads of no . 6 shot.
Drab colored or camouflage type clothing makes the hunter much less noticeable when in the woods. Waterproof boots will add greatly to the comfort of the hunter if wet weather is prevailing.
One of the great values of squirrel hunting is the opportunity it presents to be afield and observe the beauty of nature. Do you remember when you went squirrel hunting as a boy and your Dad would shake a bush so that you could have a chance for a shot? Take your boy squirrel bunting, and remember to shake a bush for him.

by Dean Wohlgemuth
Ray Plaster, area manager of the new Oaky Woods Management Area near Perry, gets a birds-eye view of the area under his charge from atop a fire tower located near the heart of his domain.
Oal<yWoods

two parts. One part is a large block of 17,000 acres. This is the area open this season for managed small game hunts. Eventually it will be opened for deer hunting. The area was stocked with deer four years ago under federal aid, and cannot be opened for deer hunts until at least five years after stocking.
The other part of the area consists of 15,000 acres in scattered tracts. Although not opened this season, this part of the area will eventually be opened as a public hunting area. Hunters will be allowed to hunt small game in season on this part, without obtaining a permit or paying a fee.

Is 01<

Whittington and Plaster both commented that there was a good amount of deer sign on the area, and that Oaky Woods would most likely provide

Folks li ving in the heart of Georgia eys of quail in about an hour's time." some excellent hunting for deer.

have a brand new bunting management Dick Whittington, supervisor of

"Oaky Woods will fill a big gap for

area to enjoy this season, thanks to Georgia Kraft Co.'s generous policy of leasing land to the State Game and Fish Commission for that purpose.
This new area is a dand y, too. Open on a somewhat limited scale this first

game for the middle Georgia Region of the Game and Fish Commission, confirmed this. "In areas where timber has been cut, and there are a good supply of weeds, there is fine quail hunting for this type of habitat," be said. He

hunters in the middle of the state," Whittington said. "It should be a fine all-around area. We expect it to draw hunters from Macon, Warner Robins and Dublin, and other towns in that vicinity."

year, the area, named Oaky Woods pointed out that removal of timber

To reach Oaky Woods from Macon,

Game Management Area, has very fine left the forest floor open enough to go south on 1-75 to the Georgia 96

populations of quail and squirrel.

grow cover and food for the birds. highway. Go to the left on Ga. 96

Located in the heart of the state, These areas are growing new timber, about eight miles to Bonaire. In Bon-



Oaky Woods is about a half hour's but the timber is small enough so aire, turn right onto Georgia Highway

drive from Macon, and two and a half as to al.Jow good growth of food cover. 247 and go about eight miles. A mile

hours from Atlanta. It's south and a He added that cutover areas also pro- or so past the town of Kathleen , there

little east of Macon .

vide excellent deer browse.

is a large wooden sign on the left side

A huge, 17,000 acre tract was An excellent squirrel population ex- of the highway, saying "Oaky Woods

opened this year for small game hunt- ists in the area . There is a consider- Management Ar.ea." Turn left there on-

ing on Wednesdays and Saturdays able amount of hardwoods in Oaky to the dirt road and go about 1lh miles

until Jan 28. The usual $1 fee for small Woods, particularly in swampy sections to the checking station.

game hunts on state-operated areas, applies to these hunts.
"There are plenty of quail on the area," said Ray Plaster, who was given the position of area manager for Oaky Woods. "Recently, I found four cov-

adjoining the Ocmulgee River. Hunting pressure was light early in
the hunting season, possibl y because the area is so new that it is as yet unknown to many hunters.
Actually, Oaky Woods consists of

The area is actually in parts of four counties, Houston, Twiggs, Bleckley and Pulaski. Most of the area is in Houston County.
W. J. Bridges Jr. , Vice President of Woods and Woodlands for Georgia

Kraft Co., pointed out that Oaky

Woods was Georgia Kraft's fourth such

woodland area to be put into agree-

ment with the Game and Fish Commis-

sion for game management and super-

vision. This area is the largest of the

four. A total of 90,000 acres of Geor-

gia Kraft land is now in management

J

areas.

Mr. Bridges and Rosser Malone, director of the Game and Fish Commission, said Kraft's forest management program, directed to achieve commercial harvesting of trees, was very compatible with the management of both large and small game.

Ray Plaster, right, talks over how things are going on Oaky Woods with James Denton o f Georgia Kraft Company. Georgia Kraft leased the land to the Game and Fish Commission to provide more places for th e public to hunt.

Mr. Malone added that the addition of Oaky Woods brings the Commission's total acreage in managed public hunting areas in Georgia to 876,500 acres. The Commission hopes to reach a goal of one million acres managed for public hunting by 1970.

7

Outlook is bright for better hunting.
By DEAN WOHLGEMUTH

When talking of small game hunting in Georgia, the words "bobwhite quail" are just naturally a part of th e phrase. He's th e most prominent figure in hunting circles hereabouts.

This is the target often sought by small game hunters everywhere. Not only does the rabbit provide an interesting adversary, he's plentiful most everywhere, and ranks high as prime table fare.

Paint a mental picture of a hunting

scene.

A beagle yapping, hot on the trail

of a rabbit, with hunters hurrying,

huffing and puffing, hoping to cut off

the bunny before he disappears.

Or a bird dog, creeping forward like

he was walking on eggs, then sud-

denly he freezes - tail extended sky-

ward, forefoot lifted, nose quivering.

With shotguns ready, hunters edging



ahead of the dog, then the spontaneous

burst of birds catapulted into the air

with a nerve-shattering whirr.

Or a youngster, .22 rifle in hand, sit-

ting with his back against a huge hard-

wood tree, his eyes flitting from limb

to limb in search of a patch of gray

fur. The patch appears, then a small

beady eye. The little rifle cracks, and

down plummets the squirrel.

Or perhaps it's a spaniel, nosing

through the thick underbrush in the

mountains, keeping an eye open for h is

master, never straying too far ahead.

From in front of the dog comes an ex-

plosion as a ruffed grouse bursts into

the open for a fleeting second, giving

the hunter a quick snap shot before

the darting 11erial acrobat swerves

seemingly unbelievably close to a tree

before zigzagging out of sight through

the forest. All of these scenes are repeated in-

-

numerable times each year in Georgia.

Small game hunting is the sport of

every outdoorsman. The big game

hunters started on small game. And

after deer season bas faded away,

you'll find many of the same hunters

hanging up their deer rifles, and return-

ing to the field with shotgun or small-

bore rifle in search of small game.

And in the state known everywhere

as the Quail Capital of the World, there

is a wide variety of excellent small

game hunting available.

Each year, hunters have much to

The thunderous, tricky grouse keeps shooters on their toes when they prowl the mountains after him. If you're not ready for him, you'll never put him in the bag.

look forward to in their quest for sport and small game. This season should be no exception. Prospects look good for some very fine hunting in all areas of the state.
Squirrel and quail hunters should have little trouble in finding some good shooting this year.
Squirrel populations look good all around the state, say game biologists and other field personnel. Apparently there was good reproduction last spring along with good survival. Both the mountains and Piedmont sections look good. Also good reports come from the Metter District in the coastal region.
Also, the quail picture is a bright one for the coming season, for the same reasons - good reproduction and good survival. Even in north Georgia areas, not reputed for fine quail hunting, populations seem to be in good order this year.
Grouse hunters can also hope for a good year in the mountain counties, but hunters wiU have to take their luck where they can find it on rabbits. Again, as last year, rabbits are in short supply in the northern part of the state.
Grouse are showing up a little more prominently in the mountains than they did about this time last year. Reproduction was fair, and like quail, the grouse had good weather to hatch their eggs and raise their young.
A certain amount of mystery enshrouds the grouse and his reproductive cycles. Records seem to indicate these birds reach a peak in population approximately every 10 years. Midway between the peaks, the birds appear to decrease in numbers to a low point. Over the last season or two, Georgia grouse seem to be moving along the upswing side of the cycle.
The farther south you travel in Georgia, the better rabbit hunting you can find . . . and ironically, the less pop-

ular the bunny is to local hunters. Biologists say there was a very good
crop of young quail last spring, and weather conditions were suitable so that a higher percentage of the baby birds were apparently able to survive the rigors of nature. High winds and heavy rains or sudden cold snaps can do a great deal of damage to numbers of tiny birds when clutches of eggs are first hatched. Food supplies also seem to have been good enough to raise plenty of healthy youngsters.
Food was expected to be a little less plentiful for the squirrels. Mast acorns, nuts and similar squirrel foods - appears to be somewhat spotty and scattered, particularly in north Georgia. However, a fine mast crop last year produced a good number of young squirrels.
It's a little harder to find land that is open enough for good quail populations and good shooting. Naturally, best quail hunting is down south, where habitat and climate are more suitable. Yet, it appears that north Georgians should have at least as good a year as they've been accustomed to in the past, and perhaps a little better.
For example, the Whitesburg Public Hunting Area in Carroll and Douglas counties seems to have a good supply of birds this season, and even in fairly heavily wooded country, in the Cartersviiie area, birds seem to be more plentiful than usual. The Allatoona Public Hunting Area may be improved somewhat for quail hunting this year. The Whitesburg, Allatoona, Altamaha (except Butler Island), and Seminole public hunting areas are open for all small game in season, at no charge. Hunters are not required to check in or out.
Managed small game hunts are as follows:
Dec. 2 and 3, 9 and 10, 16 and 17,

and 23 and 24, hunting for grouse, quail, squirrel and rabbits permitted at Blue Ridge, Chattahoochee, and Cedar Creek. Clark Hill is open on these dates except on Dec. 9 and 10, when that area is closed. Grouse hunting only at Blue Ridge and Chattahoochee, quail only at Cedar Creek and Clark Hill.
Dec. 5-17, Grouse, squirrel and rabbit hunting permitted at Swallow Creek and Coleman River.
Dec. 12-1 7, and Jan. 9-14, quail, squirrel and rabbit hunting permitted at Bullard Creek.
Jan 2-28, quail, squirrel and rabbit hunting permitted at Suwanoochee.
Jan 23-28, quail, squirrel, and rabbit hunting permitted at Arabia Bay.
Jan 30-Feb. 4, quail, squirrel, and rabbit hunting permitted at Waycross State Forest Area.
Hunting for small game in season is permitted each Wednesday and Saturday at Piedmont Experiment Station between the dates of Dec. 3 and Jan. 21.
Duck hunts at Butler Island, by reservation only, are permitted each Tuesday and Saturday in season.
A fee of $1 per day for small game hunts is charged at these areas: Blue Ridge, Chattahoochee, Chestatee, Lake Burton, Cedar Creek, Clark Hill, and Bullard Creek. Duck hunts at Butler Island are for a $5 fee. No charge is made and no permit is required at all other areas open for small game hunts.
All these things point to a good year for all holders of a Georgia hunting license. There's a good variety for all, suiting every personal taste, and near at hand for nearly everyone. And the budget doesn't undergo as much strain as for a weeklong deer hunt. Yet, in the pot, there is a dish awaiting that is a delight to the palate.

9

The Wildlife Ranger Mark Trail of The Mounties )
By Jim Morrison
Protecting G eorgia's wildlife resources night and day isn't half as glamorous a job for wildlife ranger Wa yne Dunn of Marietta as many people think it is. Thanks to th e license increase, he's better eq uipped than ever before to do a good job .
~~~~~~:~~

Just for a moment, imagine yourself as a wildlife ranger: a combination of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Mark Trail, sleeping out nights under the stars in a sleeping bag, paddling a canoe over raging rapids, stopping the mad onslaught of a huge black bear with a single bullet, and subsisting on wild berries and reptiles, or freshly caught trout, all the while ignoring the wistful look in the eye of ordinary hunters and fishermen, as well as the beautiful women dying to take you away from it all.
But the plain hard facts are that the wild life ranger has a difficult job that is sometimes dangerous and frequently is unrewarding, often with long hours and unpleasant worki ng conditions.
If you are a wi ldlife ranger, you know that a fisherman or boater never gets lost when it's warm or the sun is shining . . . just at night or on the coldest, wettest, and most miserable day of the year. Often, it's your job to find the body of a drowned person, watched from the shore by the distraught eyes of wives or mothers. You are the man who is cursed by the over-limit hunter you have just arrested. You are the man who finds your truck with four flat tires where you left it in the woods, or whose patrol boat is burned and sunk during the night. You are the man who feels the cold steel of a highpowered rifle held at your back, or who knows that sting of birdshot peppering your face at close range.
You are the man who is the fisherman's friend , who knows where they're biting and on what, who knows of a good place to hunt, and who plays a big role in seeing that it stays that way. You're a wildlife ranger. It's your job, and you wouldn't have any other one. And you're one of the big reasons Georgia sportsmen don't mind paying a dollar a year more for the wonderful privilege of hunting and fishing for the wi ldlife you are protecting.
What did the license increase do for wi ldlife conservation law enforcement? One of the most important benefits was to immediately provide 21 new wildlife rangers, bringing the total number of enforcement officers in the State to 151 men, including district chiefs and game management area managers who frequently patrol outside their areas.
This increase in the patrol forces has reduced the average area patrolled by one ranger before the license increase from 500 square miles a man to less than 388 square miles each today. Although additional men may be needed in the future to meet increasing hunt-

ing, fis hing and boating pressures in
some localities, for the most part the
Game and Fish Commission now for the first time has an adequate number of
men for the job.
In addition, these men are now well equipped and well uniformed, with new
vehicles and patrol boats which are
more economical to operate and main-
tain, as well as safer and more effective in operation against law vio-
lators who are quite often well armed, determined to escape, and traveling in
powerful, fast automobiles.
Since April 1, the Commission has
purchased 64 pickup trucks and 39 boats, both as original equipment for
new personnel and to replace old, worn-out equipment.
With license increase funds, it was
possible to have a State-wide training
school for all Department personnel for the first time in three years to pre-
sent the new Department policy man-
ual. The manual for the first time sets out the rules, policies, and procedures
to be used by rangers throughout the entire state in game and fish management, law enforcement, and public relations.
That these improvements in the
ranger force were vitally necessary is clearly shown by the increase in hunt-
ers and fishermen licensed in Georgia,
What Makes a Good Game Warden
A Game Warden must be neat and a diplomat, and must be able to settle differences between boaters and fishermen to each person's satisfaction.
If he is neat, he's conceited. If he is careless, he's a bum. If he's pleasant, he's a flirt. If he's brief, he's a grouch.
He must make instant decisions that an attorney will take weeks or even months, to defend.
If he hurries, he overlooks things. If he takes his time, he's lazy. If you get caught, he had it in for you. If he's energetic, he's trying to impress somebody. If he's deliberate, he's too slow to catch a cold.
He must be an expert in First Aid, must arrive first at the scene of the accident, make a diagnosis of the victim 's condition; start breathing, stop bleeding, apply splints to broken bones and send the injured home with scarcely a limp.
He must be an athlete able to subdue men twice his size and half his age, without damage to himself or his uniform without using undue force.
If you strike him, he's. a coward. If he strikes you back, he's a bully. If you see him first, he's a bonehead.
If he makes a good catch, he's lucky. If he gets promoted, he's got pull. If he doesn't, Aw what's the use?
He must be a minister, a social worker, etc.
Last, but not least, he must be economical. He must be able to live on what a game warden makes.

jumping from 222,000 in 1950 to 759,000 in 1964. From 1964-65 to 1965-66 alone, the number of registered motorboats jumped 12 per cent from 58,000 to more than 65,000, with an estimated total of all boats of 106,000.
Georgia's wildlife rangers have one of the biggest jobs in conserving our State's wildlife . . . enforcement of wildlife . conservation laws and regulations. Their job frequently is not an easy one. Although intended to be humorous, this contribution by an anonymous writer contains a lot of serious thoughts about the job of the wildlife ranger, or "game warden" as he is universally known :
Modern new patrol boats like this one skippered by ranger Jim Farris of Forsyth on Lake Lanier will help the State Game and Fish Commission step up water safety efforts on Georgia's busy lakes and streams. Many species of wildlife, such as the wild turkey, would soon become extinct with out stringent enforcemen t of conservation laws. Columbus hunter Dan Self probably would never have bagged this trophy without the protection it received from ran ger chief Lewis Cotton of Manchester and his wildlife rangers.
11

Finning quietly in the clear water, largemouth bass
occasionally rolled an eye at the people peering in, for
instance Judi Townsend of Atlanta.
aoo,ooo
Busy Eyes
By Jim Tyler

Bambi the deer was there along with his girl friend Faline. Flower, the skunk, was there. And as nature is not all composed of cute animals, the wise old owl glared from big eyes. An ugly old mud turtle looked about.
Georgia wildlife was on exhibit for the nearly 400,000 people who visited the Southeastern Fair in Atlanta.
Looking over this "herd" of wildlife was Game and Fish Ranger Arthur Abernathy. Arthur spends three to four months each year making it possible for Georgians to see their wildlife in the flesh. He captures many of the animals himself. You should see him handle a snake. Or gently handle a fawn.
Some of the animals exhibited were not too lively. Onlookers had to take a long look to realize that some of the animals were not just holding a pose. They have been set in very life-looking scenes by Joe Hurt, State Museum Taxidermist.
The Southeastern Fair, like most fairs , was crammed with hurly burly activity. People laughed. People shouted. People enjoyed themselves. Yet, thank

goodness, the original characters of a fair were still there, and enjoyed the cows, the pigs, the blue ribbons although the teeming midway dominated.
But this was a 20th century fair, with 20th century people. Even common animals were not common to all.
"See the cow, children," a woman excitedly points to the pens.
"A cow, whoopee!"
The family moves along to the Game and Fish exhibit where animals not commonl y seen were to be found.
"Oh, children, look here,. it's Bambi." "Bambi!! "
The kids get all gushy over Bambi . Pop looks at the swimming catfish and bream , eyes the mounted record bass. He points out a red fox to Mom. Mom feels the excitement of the children, and gives an involuntary shudder as the kids move on to storm the snake cages.
It's too late to do anything about it this year, but come out next year and join the "busy eyes" at the Southeastern Fair.
P.S. Be sure and visit us.

Lost in his own world of discovery , a young lad intently watches a diamond-back rattlesnake.

Bambi and th e game keeper (Ranger Arthur Abernathy), strike a pose at the South eastern Fair.

1')

By Jim Tyl er

Commission er Davidson and his wife, Cile, strike a pose while examining an 11 point, 300 pound mule deer he shot white hunting in Wyoming.
Commissioner Charles Davidson Jr. of the fourth Congressional District represents a metropolitan area . . . DeKalb-Atlanta, a sprawling black veined giant that forever reaches out and devours chunks of the countryside. The earth is remolded for urban living, trees toppled, buildings erected - and the giant spreads, cancerlike.
These people, the people caught up in the tremendous expansion of cities,
Granite is Da vidson's business. "Scotch on th e Rocks" is a term coined to depict his Scottish family and th eir granite business.

whether they be of Atlanta, Augusta, or Macon, are a special concern to Commissioner Davidson. Where will they hunt? Where will they fish?
"The only answer for the city people is game management areas managed by the State Game and Fish Commission," the Commissioner says with thought. "My boys are 9, 12, and 14, and live in Avondale Estates, a suburb of Atlanta. They want to get out and shoot that gun, fish a little. So do the other city boys. It's my concern to provide them with a place to go."
Records show that about 221 ,000 acres in Georgia were under the Game and Fish Commission management area program when he became a Commissioner in 1959. The acreage has shot up to include almost 900,000 acres today. Now serving his second appointment as a commissioner, Davidson says assuredly, "Th is is just a start."
The motive behind his effort in making it possible for others, the city fellow, to have a place to hunt and to fish probably stems from his deep satisfaction with the outdoors. Commissioner Davidson leads the sportsman's dream , usually accompanied by his absolutely beautiful wife, Cile. Off the coast of lower California he has hooked and felt the tremendous muscle of the mighty marlin . He has reeled in a thrashing Pacific sailfish from the salt water of Mexico. And just recently, in Wyoming, he brought down a mule deer that measured 1611/z points (green measurement, antlers not dried) under Boone and Crockett specificatjons, a trophy he is more than pleased with .
In Georgia, quail hunting is his favorite sport, but he admits that twothirds of the thrill is watching the dogs work. This leads into another aspect of his enjoyment of the outdoors . . . shooting with a camera. Squeezing the camera trigger has been his hobby for some time, and many excellent photos are the result. There is more than one way to bag wildlife.

Granite is his business. The Davidson family owns a tremendous granite concern, probably the largest diversified granite business in the country. The Davidson dynasty, dubbed "Scotch on the Rocks" by Atlanta Journal and Constitution writer Willard Neal, was started 80 years back by the Commissioner's grandfather, a stonecutter from Scotland who settled in Lithonia to continue his trade.
Within this family owned enterprise, the dynamic 38-year-old businessman serves as Vice-President of D avidson Granite Company; Stone Mountain Grit Company; Atlanta, Stone Mountain and Lithonia Railroad; and president of Ben Hill Development Corp.
Three years ago, in his first term on the Commission, he was chairman during a major administrative change within the Game and Fish Department. He took the leading role in urging a reorganization of department leadership and joined with Governor Carl Sanders and the other 10 commissioners in asking for a study by the Governor's Commission for Efficiency and Improvement in Goverpment. "I felt it was up to me to stand up and take the position of the proverb my father raised me by, 'truth wins out,'" Davidson said.
A study was made - the Bowdoin Report. T he department was looked at critically and subsequently reorganized. Wildlife biologists were placed in many key administrative positions.
Commissioner Davidson continues to fight for what he thinks is right and tempers his judgment by listening with an open mind to what the professionals, the biologists, have to say, before he makes a decision. He is progressive, and young thinking - a definite asset to the Commission.
His philosophy on being a commissioner : "There is such a short time in life to enjoy what you like, and this was my opportunity to do something for the hunter and fisherman."

13

(In the November Issue of Game & Fish, the decline of quail habitat in Georgia due to declining farming and increasing woodland was described. This is the second and final article of the series.)
Part Two
The Quail
Capital Of The
WOrld
By Jim Morrison
14

Most observers predict that this rapid increase in timberland will level off somewhat in the next few years, but it is still surprising to think that more than two-thirds of Georgia's 37 miUion acres is covered by woodlands.
How strange that seems is shown by a story to the effect that when Columbus discovered America, a squirrel could hop all the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River from tree to tree without ever even touching the ground. Now, be could only make it by bopping from billboard to billboard! But when we consider the facts of the matter, our furry friend might make it all the way to the Mississippi on trees again, if he doesn't get flattened by a semi-trailer crossing the Interstate!
Looking back to the days when that squirrel's jumping trees began to be thinned out, I'd be willing to wager that there were some dyed-in-the-wool turkey, squirrel, and deer hunters around who couldn't understand what had happened to "the good old days," even though the world's finest quail hunting had replaced their forest game.
But rapidly increasing timberland is not the only threat to Georgia's quail hunting in future years. Much of the remaining open land is now devoted to pastures for dairy and beef cattle, rather than for cultivation of crops. Grasslands are only slightly more productive of quail than forests.
How does this great increase in forests and grasslands threaten quail? The answer lies in the food and nesting habits of the bobwhite, a ground bird that relies primarily on highly nutritious weed seeds for his existence, along with some insects. Adapted for scratching and pecking in short grass and weeds, the quail is not large enough or strong enough to turn over heavy leaves in the forest to eat acorns, as the wild turkey does. He also must have more and better seeds to eat than are found in the usual pasture.
On the other hand, cultivation of even non-edible seed crops such as cotton stimulates the production of choice quail food weeds in the disturbed field area, growing in rows between or under the plants, at the edge of plowed fields , in fence rows and gullies, on terraces, and other protected spots, especially when the crops are too tall to plow between. Frequently, these crops are heavily fertilized , producing heavier numbers of highly nutritious weed seed preferred by quail such as Johnson weed, ragweed, foxtails, and crabgrass.
In addition, quail benefit from cultivated small grain crops, such as corn, millet, milo, rice, oats, and barley.

But unfortunately for the bobwhite, and for the quail bunter, agriculture of this type has declined sharply in Georgia during the past thirty years, and shows no signs of ever returning to the days when cotton was king, and so was the quail, as Georgia's favorite game species.
But, as quail habitat declines into woods, it becomes more suitable for deer, turkeys, and squirrel. Quail, doves, and to a lesser extent rabbits, all become less numerous.
This pattern is indicated by the fact that deer are now found in all of the 159 Georgia counties, with a deer season in 85 counties this year. Soon, every county will be open. During a three year period, the total number of Georgia deer hunters jumped from 86,000 during the 1962-63 season to more than 113,000 deer hunters in the 1964-65 season. At the same time, the number of deer they bagged shot upwards from 13 ,100 to almost 21 ,000 deer.
During the same period, the number of quail hunters only remained constant at approximately 135,000, while the total number of hunters in Georgia increased. The quail bag dropped off from more than four million birds in 1962-63 to less than 3,400,000 birds in 1964-65. The figure is still quite respectable, even though it is declining slowly.
What is the answer to halting the decline? There isn't an easy answer, because quail, like all forms of wildlife, increase or decrease with the suitability of their habitat. Man is the only creature capable of managing that habitat to suit himself, by clearing and cultivation, burning, deliberate seeding of grass or tree seedlings, or simply allowing the land to reseed itself naturally and grow up.
In all but the few cases of extremely wealthy landowners, the land normally will be put into the most profitable use that can be found for it, regardless of the effect on wildlife, including quail. At the present time, cultivation beneficial to quail is becoming largely economically unfeasible, while cattle raising and timber production offer profits with less effort than cultivation. No amount of money spent by a State wildlife conservation agency could stop this trend. It would be easier to sweep the Atlantic Ocean back with a broom.
Currently, some governmental officials are discussing plans for America to "feed the world" by dramatically increasing the production of soybeans through government programs which would put much idle land back into production. If this ever occurred on a massive scale, then quail hunting

might again become the predominant Georgia game species.
But, there are a few things that can be done to preserve reasonably good quail hunting, even on lands that are not in cultivation. But even these take more effort and expense than the average landowner is willing to go to, unless he is interested in good quail hunting, usually only for himself and his family.
One of the best of these practices is controlled burning of woodlands, including both mature hardwoods and pines, after they reach a sufficient height to prevent low-lying limbs from catching fire off the ground and destroying entire trees with a "crown" fire . A slow, "cool" fire set against the wind in the late winter on humid, low wind days, is an effective force in removing unproductive brush. After the fire, regrowth of annual weeds and legumes highly preferred by quail and wildlife, such as beggarweed, is stimulated. Without the competition o f woody, brushy plants, these native quail foods grow rapidly. If permitted, grazing should be light.
Food patches are more expensive than controlled burning, but can be justified if kept small in size, usually from one-eighth to one-half acre for quail, especially the lespedezas.
Other helpful practices include selective timber cutting to provide' openings in woods to stimulate weed growth. On cultivated areas, so-called "clean" farming practices should be avoided, including burning off fencerows, gullies, and other edge areas which serve as cover for wildlife. Quail populations are highest on areas where the four types of habitat they require come together most often: forests, brush, grass, and cultivated areas. Quail must have some of all four types of areas to prosper. Forests and short grass provide nesting cover, and cultivated areas provide food.
Undoubtedly, one of the greatest problems now facing the quail bunter, and most other types of hunters, is the problem of finding a place where he has permission to bunt. Since quail usually aren't present in high density, most landowners who hunt themselves guard their quail like gold nuggets, to be reserved for themselves, their family, friends, and neighbors to bunt. Permission to hunt probably can be secured more readily for almost all other game species.
Efforts of the State Game and Fish Commission to solve this problem by securing public quail bunting lands have not been very successful, for several very good reasons. Quail are most common on farmland, which is usually

in small tracts of less than a thousand acres, which is too small for much public use if good hunting is to be maintained. In addition, the landowner usually lives on the land and prefers to limit bunting on it to a small number of people. He is troubled by a large number of people wandering on his land, sometimes leaving gates open for valuable cattle to wander off, breaking down fence wires and posts, and perhaps peppering livestock or littering his property.
The Game and Fish Commission has attempted to lease quail land, but so far, only industrial timber companies and public land in the National Forests and a few other areas have been leased to the Commission. These are primarily forest areas, with little or no quail hunting. This picture is not likely to change in the near future, since only timber companies own large acreages that can stand public hunting, that do not have the owner living there to bunt or be bothered by bunters, and who would prefer assistance from the State Game and Fish Commission in controlling hunters and preventing forest fires and vandalism.
Some of these areas do have quail hunting at least as good as on most overgrown areas, but it's not the gentleman's bird shooting of "the good old days" that could be readily hunted walking or from a wagon or on horseback. Hunters willing to work can still produce quail from these public areas. Why more hunters don't take advantage of these opportunities is a mystery.
Stocking of pen-raised quail in forest or other areas is not the so.Iution, as shown by many research projects in which banded birds were released in the spring or summer for fall shooting. Returns of banded birds by bunters have seldom exceeded three per cent of the birds released, usually considerable expense to the ill-informed hunter. Pen-raised quail do about as well as canaries turned loose in the wild to fend for themselves.
Stocking wild trapped quail isn't the answer either, because there are so many wild quail by the millions now present all over the state in the native brood stock. If an area bas suitable habitat for quail, birds move into the area naturally. When trapped and moved to an area of poor food , such as a forest, the birds are quite capable of beating the trapper back to their original home! This principle is proven by the fact that research projects have shown that when every last quail is killed out of a covey, a new covey of birds will appear in the same location year after year, if the habitat is still suitable.

Quail feeders aren't the answer either. These artificial devices are not only expensive to operate, but they lose a high percentage of their food to pests like rats and mice, squirrels, chipmunks, etc. while concentrating quail predators, such as hawks, owls, and snakes, and bringing the quail together in such close contact helps spread disease.
On the other hand, elimination of predators like foxes and hawks has little effect on quail, which have survived in high numbers for thousands of years with no predator control at all. Most predators take more undesirable species like rats and mice than they do game birds and animals.
No gathering of quail hunters would be complete without some comment being made about the "good old days" when quail were fat and chunky. Now, they say, the birds are small and wild. "Mexican quail," we are told, have inbred with the "good ole" bobwhites of our youth. However, scientific investigation has failed to show any such decline of bobwhite size. Game biologists state flatly that quail brought from Mexico in the late 40's have now apparently all died out because of the difference in habitat of Mexico and Georgia.
As to the wild characteristics of bobwhites, the game biologists once again .feel that the barbershop biologist is mostly off base when he claims that quail have changed. They say that the birds haven't changed - but the habitat has. Birds that held still in open farmland areas until being flushed underfoot don't have to wait to fly in thick brush or "swamps" where they can run and escape danger as easily as flying.
The biologists say that some quail have always been found in "the swamps" and in thick places, but no one hunted them because of the difficulty. Now, the thick places are getting thicker and more numerous. Because these memories of "the good old days" never seem to include the days when we walked miles and hardly got a shot, it's probably inevitable that "things'll never be as good as they used to be."
But to be more practical about it, quail hunting or farm game hunting is for those that prepare for it, either with a little extra effort, extra expense, or both. Georgia's magnificent quail hunting on cultivated areas will always be good, in spite of what happens elsewhere. But with controlled burning in forest areas and food patches around pastures, the dedicated hunter can insure that on his property, at least, Georgia will always be "the Quail Capital of the World."
15

[KJ~rnWWillTID[KJ CRUSADERS
Georgia Sportsmen meet in Macon By Glen Smith

Fair treatment of Georgia's 100,000

motorboat owners in the distribution of

gasoline fuel taxes has been urged by

the Georgia Sportsmen's Federation.

Meeting at their annual convention

in Macon, the group adopted a reso-

lution calling for a constitutional

amendment to earmark taxes on motor-

boat fuels for construction of boat

launching ramps and other boating pro-

grams. It has been estimated that two

and one half per cent of the gasoline

taxes in Georgia comes from motor-

boating. At present, all such taxes are

earmarked for highway construction

only.

The other major resolution approved by the convention concerned the growing problem of strip mining

Outgoing president Tommie H olliman of Thomaston, right, congratulates new Georgia Sportsmen's Federation president Jim Adams of Tuck er, center, and secretary-treasurer Phillip Ham of Forsyth.

throughout the state. It specifically calls

for legislation allowing the state to issue permits to strip miners after they post a performance bond. Strip miners would also be required to reclaim the land they mine when they have completed their operations.
During the convention, the group
heard reports on the activities of the State Game and Fish Commission from Director Rosser Malone and assistant directors Jack Crockford and Howard Zeller. Other speakers included Charles Kelly, game and fish chief of the Alabama Department of Conservation.
New officers were chosen for the next four yea rs. Elected president was James L. Adams of Tucker. Executive vice president will be Clyde Greenway, also of Tucker. The secretary-treasurer will be Phillip Ham of Forsyth.
Vice presidents serving eight of the state's ten congressional districts were also chosen. They are: Felton Mikell of Statesboro, First District; Bill Jones

of Albany, Second District; Jessie Miller of Richland, Third District; J.W.K. Holliday of Atlanta, Fourth District; D ave Green of Macon, Sixth District; Frank Atwood of Cartersville, Seventh District; Lewis Raulerson of Haylow, Eighth District; and Don Huey of Canton, Ninth District.
At its awards banquet, the Federation presented a number of trophies to individuals and groups for outstanding achievements in conservation during the last year.
Dr. Phillip Greear, chairman of the Department of Biology at Shorter College in Rome, and Dr. Clyde Connell , chairman of the Department of Biology at Valdosta State College were cited as Conservation Educators of the Year for their leadership in two new Natural Resource Use workshops.
The Legislative Conservationist of the Year is George Busbee, representa-

tive from Dougherty County. As Administration Floor Leader, Mr. Busbee was cited for his support of the hunting and fishing license increase bill passed during the last session of the Legislature, which provided the State Game and Fish Commission with a one million dollar budget increase.
Other awards went to: Tommy Boren of Bibb County, Youth Conservationist of the Year and Youth Conservationist of the Sixth District; Steve Phillips of DeKalb County, Youth Conservationist of the Fourth District; the Southeast Bulloch F.F.A. Chapter of Brooklet, First District; Dr. Ralph K. T yson , Dean of Students at Georgia Southern College, Wildlife Conservationist of the Year; Mr. B. Fred Statham , Soil Conservationist of the Year; Mr. Trammel Carmichael of Cherokee County, Water Conservationist of the Year; Mr. Harvey Brown, Forest Conservationist of the Year; Mr. James

From left to righ t, President Adams with Dr. Clyde Connel, Valdosta , Doy Boyd, Statesboro, and Dr. Phillip Greear, R ome. Connel and Greea r were joint recipients of th e conservation educator o f th e year award; Boyd is president of th e Bulloch County Sportsm en's Club , judged outstanding club of th e year.

Avery Lee, Farm Director of WMAZ in Macon, Conservation Communications Award of the Year ; Mr. Bob C. Smith of the Towaliga Soil and Water Conservation District, Conservation Or-

ganization of the Year; Mr. Malcolm

Edwards, Outstanding Vice President

of the Georgia Sportsman's Federation ;

The Bulloch County Sportsmen's Club,

Outstanding Sportsmen's Club.

The Governor's Award for Conser-

vationist of the Year went to Jeff

Owens, the area conservationist for

the Soil Conservation Service, for his

work in the Piedmont and Towaliga

Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Present at the Convention were 300

delegates representing 43 affiliated

clubs with 4,300 members.

16

Sportsman's

~calendar

SEASONS NOW OPEN
GUN DEER SEASON
Southeast Ga. Season-Oct. 29, 1966 through Jan. 5, 1967 in the following counties:
Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch County south of the Atlantic Coastline Railroad and east of the run of Suwanoochee Creek, Echols County east of U. S. 129 and south of Ga. 187, Effingham, Emanuel north of U. S. 80, Evans, Glascock, Glynn, Jefferson, Jenkins, Liberty, Long, Mcintosh, Pierce County south of U. S. 82 and east of Ga. 121, Screven, Tattnall, Washington and Wayne counties. Bag Limit-Two (2) Bucks. Hunting with dogs is allowed in all of the above counties.
GROUSE, RUFFED
Season-Oct. 15, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967. Bag Limit-3 Daily, possession limit 6.
SQUIRREL
Season-Oct. 15, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967. Bag Limit-10 D aily.
OPOSSUM
Season- Oct. 29, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967, Exception: Coweta County opens Oct. I , 1966 through Jan. 21, 1967. No Bag Limit.
RACCOON
N . Ga. Season-Oct. 29, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967. Bag Limit-One ( 1) per night per person. S . Ga. Season- No closed season. No Bag Limit.
GUN DEER SEASON
Southwest Ga. Season-Nov. 5, 1966 through Jan. 5, 1967 in the following counties:
Baker, Calhoun, Chattahoochee, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee County west of U. S. 19, Marion, Mitchell, Muscogee, Seminole, Stewart, Terrell, Thomas, Webster and Worth County south of U. S. 82. Bag Limit-Two (2) Bucks, except in Baker, Calhoun, Grady, Dougherty, and

Thomas counties where the bag limit is two (2) bucks or one (1) buck and one (1) doe. Exception: The Worth County bag limit shalJ be one ( 1) buck only for the season.
Hunting with dogs will be alJowed in aU of the counties listed above during the season with the exception of Chattahoochee, Muscogee, and Worth counties, where hunting with dogs will be prohibited in order to prevent over-harvest of deer and to insure continued growth of the deer herd.
Only One More Issue of Game & Fish
Unless you subscribe to Game & Fish by January 15, 1967, the January issue of Game & Fish will be the last issue you will receive.
Don't miss the next 12 ac-
tion-packed issues of Game & Fish. Use the handy envelope, and subscribe now!
Wll..D TURKEY West Central Ga . Season-Nov. 5, 1966 through Jan. 5, 1967 in the counties of Chattahoochee, Marion, Muscogee, Stewart, and Talbot. Bag Limit-One ( 1) per season. Southw est Ga. Season-Nov. 19, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967 in the counties of Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Miller, MitchelJ, Seminole, and Thomas. Bag Limit-Two (2) per season.
QUAll.., BOBWHITE Season-Nov. 19, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967. Bag Limit-11 Daily, possession limit 36.

RABBITS
Season-Nov. 19, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967. N. Ga. Bag Limit-5 D aily. S. Ga. Bag Limit-10 Daily.
GEESE
Season-Nov. 7, 1966 through January 15, 1967. Bag Limit-1 daily, possession limit 4. See federal regulations. Migratory stamp required. Liberty and Mcintosh counties closed.
DUCKS, MERGANSERS, AND COOTS
Season- Nov. 24, 1966 through January 7, 1967. Bag Limit-Ducks: 4 daily, including no more than 2 wood ducks or 2 canvasbacks. Possession limit 8, including no more than 4 wood ducks or 4 canvasbacks. Mergansers : 5 daily, including no more than 1 hooded merganser. Possession limit is 10, including no more than 2 hooded mergansers. Coots: 10 daily, possession limit is 20. See federal waterfowl regulations available with the required $3.00 federal migratory bird (duck) stamp at all main U. S. Post Offices. State regulations for waterfowl hunting are the same as the federal regulations.
SEASONS OPENING THIS MONTH
Wll..DTURKEY
Southeast Ga. Season-Dec. 1, 1966 through Jan. 5, 1967 in the counties of Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Liberty, Long, Mcintosh, Pierce, Screven, TattnalJ, and Wayne. Bag Limit-One ( 1) turkey gobbler per season. Hens are protected.
WOODCOCK
Season- Dec. 12 through Jan. 30, 1967. Bag Limit-5 Daily, possession limit 10. See federal regulations.
DOVES
Season-Dec. 6 through Jan. 14. Bag Limit-11 daily, possession limit 24.
SEASONS CLOSING THIS MONTH
NONE
SEASONS OPENING NEXT MONTH
NONE

FOUR IS THE LIMIT

J~
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