Georgia game and fish [Vol. 2, no. 11 (Nov. 1967)]

GEORGIA

VOL 2, NO. 11 I NOVEMBER, 1967

~GEORGIA
~ GAME&FISH
November 1967 Volume II Number 11
Contents

The Woodie: Mr. Georgia Duck . . .. Oscar Dewberry 1

Hide and Seek

... Jim Tyler 5

Trophies-or Sad Memories? . ... .Dean Wohlgemuth 8

Call the Crows . . .

.Joe Kight 10

By The Numbers

.. Dean Wohlgemuth 13

The Outdoor World

14

Sportsmen Speak

15

Sportsman's Calendar

16

Lester G. Maddox Governor

George T. Bagby Director, State Game & Fish Commission

COMMISSIONERS

Judge Harley Langdale, Chairman
Valdosta-8th District William Z. Camp, Sec.
Newnan-6th District James Darby
Vidalia-1st District Richard Tift
Albany-2nd District William E. Smith
Americus-3rd District

Rankin M. Smith, Vice Chairman Atlanta-5th District Charles L. Davidson, Jr. Avondale Estates-4th District Leonard Bassford Augusta-lOth District J. B. Langford Calhoun-7th District
Clyde Dixon Cleveland-9th District

Jimmie Williamson Darien-Coastal District

TECHNICAL SERVICES DIVISION

Jack A. Crockford, Assistant Director Leon Kirkland, Fisheries Chief
Hubert H andy, Game Management Chief Charles M. Frisbe, Supervisor, Marine Fisheries
Robert S. Baker, Special Services Coordinator LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION Bill Cline Deputy State Chief, Atlanta D avid Gould Deputy State Chief, Brunswick

GEORGIA GAME & FISH

STAFF

Jim Morrison, Editor

Jim T yler, Staff Writer

Dean Wohlgemuth,

J . H all, Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Ted Borg, Photographer

Georgia Game and Fish is the official m onthly m agazine of the Geor-

gia Game and Fish Commission , published at the Commission's of/ices, 40/ State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. No advertising accepted. Subscriptions are $ / /or one year or $2.50 fo r three years. Printed by Stein Printing Company, Atlanta, Ga. Notification of address change must include both old and new address and Z IP code, with 30 days notice. No subscription requests will be accepted withorll Z IP code. A rticles and photographs m ay be reprinted. Proper credit should be given. Contrib utions are welcome, but the editors assume no responsibility or liability for loss

or damage of articles, photographs, o r illustrations. Second-class postage

paid at A tlanta, Georgia.

PHOTO CREDITS: Ted Borg 6, 7, 8; H . C . Cruce 14, t. & b.r. ; Dan Keever 10, 11 ; Jim Morrison 2; Harry Murph y 14; b.l. ; Jim Tyler 3, 4.

The high-powered rifle-friend or foe?

E~ery year with the opening of the gun deer season in Geor-

gia. a fierce debate rages across Georgi a a bout the rel ative

sn fet y of all ow in g dee r huntin g with rifles versus shot guns.

In nny debate of thi s kind , more he at th an li ght is usuall y

ge nerated. and facts seldom sta nd for long agai nst stro ng emo-

tio ns of fe ar.

Part of the problem stems from the fact th at many sections

o f Georgi a have n't had any deer hunting within the last half-

ce ntur y or more. since deer were wiped o ut. Now th at th e herd

is expnnding and new cou ntieS are being opened for deer hunt-

in g aga in, some sincere but mi sled people have become al armed

about th e possibilit y of so-called "hi gh powered" rifles being

used to hunt them.

A detniled examin ation of the record of Georgia hunting

acc idents for the last ten yea rs in the nrticle on pnge eight

shows th at the shotgun has been involved in a much hi gher

percent nge of hunting acc idents and fatalities. with onl y a

handful of ncc idents in volving big bore rifles. In fact, there

hns neve r been more th an one fatality in a single year involving

lar!!e caliber rifles.

Of 68 ncc idents in the ten yea r period from 1957-1966, sho t-

guns we re invo lved in 48 cases. or 71 per cent of all gun-rel ated

huntin g acc idents in Georgia. 14 acc idents in volved .22 caliber

rifles for 21 per cent of the to tal. while large r caliber rifles we re

involved in only 6 acc idents. or an almost insignificant 8 per cent

of the total number of acc idents, including both fatal and non-

fatal ncc idents.

In fatal acc idents alone. 62 per cent involved shotguns. 24

per cent .22 rifles. and 14 per cent large rifles. This reco rd in-

dicates th:~t Georgians have little cause for alarm abo ut the

type of wea pon th at is used for deer hunting. The records show

th at the superstitiously fe ared "high-powered" rifle is not any

more dangerous th an the shotgun . It is the man behind the

gun. not the type of gun itself. th at is the most dangerous. Even

so. considering the fac t th at there are well over a qu arter of a

million hunters in Georgi a, hunting is safer th an driving your

automobile on the hi ghways and streets to reac h your destin a-

ti on. There a re only fi ve times as many licensed drivers in

Georgia as hunters. yet more people are killed on the road

each weekend th an are killed all yea r in huntin g accidents.

Hi gh velocity rifle bullets are capable of traveling more than

two or three miles. but they seldom do, even if shot straight up

in the air. which a deer hunter has no excuse for doing. Even

in the fl attest parts of south Georgia, it's difficult to shoot for

a hundred ya rd s without hitting a tree. Beyond th at di stance,

the bullet falls rapidly to the ground, its trajectory showing the

effect of gravity.

On the other hand, at a hundred yards, even one particle of

buckshot is capable of killing a man. The buckshot shell con-

tai ns 6, 9, 12, 16, 20 or more pellets, depending on the size

and ga uge , and the pellets spread out over a gre ater area th an

a single rifle bullet, thus greatly increasing the chances of acci-

dentally striking another person, especially if the hunter mis-

take s another person for a deer.

Both the rifled slug and the buckshot pellet are relativel y

heavy, slow-moving objects which tend to bore through and

penetrate leaves and brush more than the fast-moving, soft

rifle bullet. which tends to splatter apart and lose momentum

after striking even a small twig. Thus a "sound shot" at a noise

in the bushes could be more deadly with the shotgun than the

rifle. National Rifle Association statistics show that 90 per cent

of the accidents in the past ten years where one hunter mistook

another for game occurred within 100 yards, which is deadly )

range for even a single buckshot pellet. In Georgia, the average

distance of fatal accidents is only 25 yards. Self-inflicted acci-

dents occur much closer.

And undoubtedly, the rifle is the most efficient and accurate

deer hunting weapon at normal deer hunting distances, any-

where from I0 feet to 200 or more yards in the hands of the average hunter. Many competent marksmen would never go

,

deer hunting if they were forced to use the less accurate shot-

gun. We don 't blame them .-J.M.

ON THE COVER: Two pair of ringnecks sweep into a quick landing on a South Georgia pond . The ringneck is one of the most common migratory ducks taken in Southwest Georgia by waterfowl hunters. The Georgia duck season opens November 28. Painting by George Reiney, Jr.

ON THE BACK COVER: 'T ake a boy hunting" might be a famili ar phrase, but it's worth repeating, especially for results like the look of a young boy who has just bagged the first rabbit of hi s hunting career. The ra bbit season opens on November 18. Photo by Lea Lawrence.

MR. GEORGIA DUCK

By Oscar Dewberry Game Biologist

lfhe wood duck (Aix sponsa) is the most common wild duck that is found in Georgia the year round.
There is little doubt that among all waterfowl, the woodie is unsurpassed in beauty and color. The drake is truly a Beau Brummel. As in all birds, the male is more colorful. The drake woodie is recognized by the white band under the chin and the bright green and purple body feathers. The hen is drab or brownish and has lighter iridescent purple feathers, but at the same time has more color than lots of other female waterfowl. In flight the woodie can be recognized by the square tail and the head held higher than the body line.
No other duck has been so persecuted as the woodie. During the period of "fly-tying," the wood duck's feathers were in great demand. Because of their flocking habits in roosting, they have too often been subjected to heavy shooting pressure, and bag limits and legal shooting hours ignored. Wanton slaughter has taken place at wood duck roosts, and still continues because the birds will continue to come in even though they are being shot. The habitat necessary for these birds has been plundered for several decades. Ponds and swamps have been drained at a rapid pace, and trees that afford nesting cavities are being cut. Since the woodie never nests on the

ground, these losses must be compensated.
All these factors combined greatly reduced the wood duck population. In 1918 the shooting season was closed on this gorgeous bird in both the United States and Canada. The season remained closed until 1941. When opened , only one woodie was permitted in the hunter's daily bag. The present limit of two birds began in 1960. Probably with a continued increase in production in the state as well as throughout the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways, there may again be an increase in the daily bag limit.
In order to sustain any wildlife population, a proper habitat must be provided . In too many programs, this habitat has received only secondary interest. Drainage programs as instigated by the Small Watershed Program (Public Law 566) can be very detrimental to wood ducks. Provisions should be included in these programs to compensate for the loss of habitat. These programs have destroyed sloughs, swamps, beaver and woodland ponds as well as marshes which are intricate parts of the woodies' environment in rearing, resting and roosting. Where drainage may not directly effect such surface water areas, it can and probably does reduce or eliminate seasonal flooding which is

Below: Beaver ponds have played an important role in bringing back the once nearly extinct wood duck. The flooded timber in the ponds provides ideal natural nesting and rearing areas, as well as a gaod place to hunt. The wading hunter on the right has bagged a drake and hen wood duck, while his companion holds a hen mallard.

Right: Game biologists making studies of migratory and native wood duck populations use wire traps to catch and band birds.

necessary to sustain wetlands during or following periods of drought. Drainage also reduces the frequency and duration of flooding, as well as lowers the ground water table.
Following drainage, the timber stand is usually changed to a type more adapted to drier soils. In most cases this has been from a hardwood to a pine type or from cypress and tupelo gum, which provide prime wood duck habitat wherever found , to a tree species that does not compensate for the loss with the drier soil conditions.
Clearing land can also harm the wood duck. Since hardwoods are one of the main ingredients in the woodies environment, their removal destroys the potential of an area for providing nest sites and food.
Flood controls in Watershed Programs retard or reduce downstream flooding and reduce the frequency anci duration of water over flood plain hardwood bottoms. After flood controls are initiated, land owners are encouraged to clear these bottoms for agricultural uses. Large reservoirs created by these flood controls destroy the shallow water ponds' original form , thus reducing wood duck habitat.
Pollution is also detrimental to ducks as well as fish. Chemical residue from

industry, municipal sewage, and silt from mining renders streams and ponds unsuitable for rearing waterfowl. Silt and chemical waste kill vegetative and aquatic plants that produce food for ducks. Residue from pesticides and insecticides used in controlling agricultural pests have reached drastic proportions in some localities and streams which are frequented by ducks at various times. Pesticide studies of samples taken from black duck wings at the Patuxent Research Center at Laurel, Maryland, indicate that black ducks are absorbing residues in their vital body organs which may someday be detrimental to this and other waterfowl species.
By knowing that the woodie utilizes various habitat types, we probably have accepted a false sense of security, especi ally when we consider the fact that major habitat changes are occuring and will continue in the future, due to changing industrial and agricultural programs. While statistics are not available for Georgia regarding the numbers of wood ducks or the acres of habitat available, estimates have been made by the Migratory Bird Population Station at Patuxent for both the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways between 1962 and 1964. An average of 2.5 million birds

2

3

Author Oscar D ewberry examines an immature hen wood duck that he trapped this summer on Butler Tsland. The bird was banded on the leg and released unharm ed.
were listed for each year. During the s~me period, bunters bagged 393 ,000 birds each year. It should be remembered that the bag limit is two birds and a 40 day season. Therefore, the question is how much habitat is required for 2.5 million wood ducks, and is the shrink.ing wetland problem decreasing at a proportioned rate that will offset the apparent indication that wood duck production is up from the past decade when 40 million acres were available in these flyways.
Although timber producers, some farmers, and other land owners have conflicting opinions regarding the economic importance of the beaver, he must be credited as being one stimulus to production of wood ducks in Georgia. By the mid-fifties beaver had spread over Georgia from the fall line south into sections of the Upper Piedmont and Limestone Valley sections. By his engineering ability, small impoundments had been created on creeks and other streams which were conducive to the wood duck's nesting habits. Timber flooded for indefinite periods soon dies, thus creating openings as well as tree cavities for nest sites, and providing roost areas and winter ponds, where most of the better wood duck hunting takes place.
The wood duck is one of the early spring nesters of the bird world, probably preceded only by the mourning dove in Georgia. Records indicate that a number of broods have been observed in March, however the earliest observation by this writer was a brood of four ducklings on the Altamaba Waterfowl Area at Darien on March 18 this year. By attributing a period of 10 to 15 days for laying four eggs in the clutch, and the 28 to 31 days for incubation, this would indicate Mama Woodie has to begin preparing her nest in January. By hatching in a hollow tree or manmade box, the elements probably are not as detrimental to nesting at this time of year as would be expected if the nest was exposed on the ground or on the limb of a tree.
4

Soon after hatching, the young ducklings flutter down from their nest home and join the mother. Nestings do not always take place over water. Broods of very young birds have been observed n;oving overland, possibly going to either a pond or stream. The mortality rate among young ducklings is extremely high because turtles, large bass, and other predators have appetites for young ducklings.
The survivors grow rapidly and are able to fly when they are about six weeks old. The small groups of three to seven birds occasionally observed ?ur.ing the summer and early fall usually md1cate a family unit.
By late summer or early fall, these groups begin to congregate at roost sites, forming large flocks. The ingredients necessary to make a good wood duck roost are not known , because the same cover, water depth, and other habitat conditions do not hold the same attraction from one locality to another. Usually the requirements are shallow water over a portion of the site ~Ius logs, fallen timber, or woody debns that the birds can sit on or use as resting perches.
The birds begin moving to these selected roost sites just before sunset and continue until dark and afterwards. On moonlight nights and during years when there is a heavy mast crop of acorns, nuts, etc., the birds are constantly moving during the night and carry on a continuous whistling or gabble of conversation. One of the favorite night feeding Sites are nearby corn fields that have been harvested with mechanical pickers where shelled grain remains in the field. The p~riod of leaving the roost begins early Ill the morning, just as it began the previ ous afternoon, with small groups beginning to leave long before daylight. By sunrise the roost is completel y vacated , although several hundred or even thousands of ducks may have spent the night in the area. It is under the conditions of roosting and leaving the site that most of the woodies are killed. However, since this duck is not easy to decoy or call, most bunters think they are justified by shooting under these conditions, and it is legal to do so if the legal shooting hours and bag limits are observed.
In conclusion, the Beau Brummel of all waterfowl has made a remarkable recovery in population numbers since the Roaring 20's when the season was closed because the species was threatened with extinction. The present and future status of Mr. Duck in Georgia depends upon you and me, the sportsman, land owner, industrialist, birdwatcher or simply someone who appreciates natural
beauty and the bird's ability to recover when the odds are against him. ~

About The Au thor

OSCAR DEWBERRY

It would be easy to envy Oscar Dew-
berry. What better life could a man have, when he loves waterfowl hunting, than to live in the midst of the best waterfowl hunting area in the

state?

But then that area, so easily ac-
cessible to him in distance (or lack of it) is the very thing that keeps him
from spending more time at his favorite sport. Oscar is the man who since 1965, has operated the Butler Island Managed Duck Hunting Area for the Game and Fish Commission.

,When the area. is open to shooting, he s busy checking hunters in and out, collecting kill data and similar information which will help in the management program, and a host of other chores to keep the hunters happy.

Even so, living right on Butler Island is a very advantageous location
for him. A large part of the work he carries. on eac~ year is right there on the 1sland w1th him.

Bu~ the ma~ag.ed duck hunting area IS not all h1s JOb. In addition to that, and handling the Altamaha publiC waterfowl area which surrounds Butler Island, he's game supervisor for the 22-county Coastal Region for
the Game and Fish Commission. His off1ce IS at Brunswick .

But .oscar loves his work. He's
been w1th. the Commission 10 years n~w. sta.rtm~ shortly after receiving h1s BS In biology from Jacksonville
State University, Alabama , in 1957.

His first assignment was at Metter, wh~re he was assistant project leader In a farm game habitat restoration project. Then he went to Bainbridge, near Lake Seminole, in 1959, and there the native of Tallapoosa, Ga., began the Lake Seminole Waterfowl Development Project. Also, he was project leader of the Fire
An.t Control Investigation Project. Th1s was a three-year study on the eff~cts .of insecticides on quail populations In Southwest Georgia.

He has represented the Commission for the past two years at the Atlant1c Flyway Council meeting in the Washington, D.C., area.

In add.ition to hunting ducks, Dew-
berry .enJoys hu.nting all small game, espec1ally qua1l. He likes fishing in saltwater for channel bass and sea trout, and freshwater angling for bream . He couldn't ask for a better location for all his favorite pastimes.

Completing the full picture for Os-

car is his family, including his wife

Bobbie, of Goodwater, Ala., and three

daughters, Janet, 13, Deborah 11

and Jennifer, 20 months.

'

By Jim Tyler

It's a big, rambling, tricky game of hide and eek. T he quail are hiding. Wildlife biologist Ron Simpson is seek ing.
This man-bird game covers 1400 acres of Dougherty and Baker Counties in quail rich southwest Georgia plantation lands. On this area there must be l 7 zillion blades of grass, thousands of tree , bushes, and acres of croplands to help the quail be the winner. And when Ron starts for home at night after a day searching for quail and he is tired, sweaty, carrying the rattles from a recently killed rattlesnake, and making the umpteenth swat at eye-loving gnats, you know it is no game. You know it is work. Research work. Ron is quail project leader for the State Game and Fish Commission. He is poking and ferreting out some of the unknown facts about that little brown bird that stampedes thousands of Georgia hunters' hearts.
Research , you know, is the key to continued hunting success. And Georgia quail have not felt the keen eye of research since the late 1920's when Herbert L. Stoddard conducted his now

famous studies in the Thomasville area. The 1967 project started when plan-
tation owners in southwest Georgia noticed something wrong with their quail populations. Having something wrong with the quail population in southwest Georgia is indeed reason to boom the cannon of concern. For the plantation lands are managed quite extensively for quail. He is king down there. Several thousand acres of land have been rearranged to look like and be a quail banquet. All that a quail needs to flourish is provided. This land is where quail hunters "commence to get nervous if they don 't see a covey every 10 minutes," says Francis Frazier, biological aid on the project. Before starting to work for the Commission, Francis was a professional bird dog trainer for some 30 years. He knows the quail of southwest Georgia. He has worked with them , watched them , kept track of them. By using bird dogs, he has found quail densities as high as 1.9 quail per acre on plantation lands. Quail'land not specifically managed for quail will have about one quail for every four acres.
It takes much effort and money .to

manage land to hold such high numbers of quail. Therefore, many of the plantation owners keep a close watch on their coveted quail. Lately, instead of finding the usual 70-80 % ratio of juvenile to adult birds among quail shot during hunting season, they found the ratio had dropped to around 50-60 % juvenile . Here is a problem , they thought. Something is happening to our quail.
If you have a problem, call an expert. The State Game and Fish Commission was called. And a research project was tarted in southwest Georgia.
"The plantation people think they have a problem ," Ron says. "We just do not know. We need to find out. If there is a problem, now is the time to find it out before the bottom drops out." Besides answering some pertinent questions about quail-managed plantation lands, the results may have far reaching implications. Ron says, "For the purpose of this study we needed a small area with a lot of quail so we could observe several quail." More needs to be learned about how a dense quail population gets along. "For an average quail
5

How many quail nests have you seen? Not many, we bet. Th ey are hard to find. Some of th e concealing vegetation was cleared from th e entrance of this quail nest so a picture could be taken.
On e of th e few successful quail nests. M any are destroyed before th e eggs hatch . Yo ung quail get out from th e inside of th eir egg by "pipping" out an escape hatch (egg in foreground).

R on Simpson, wildlife biologist for th e State Game and Fish Commission and quail project leader, tags captured quail with a leg band. When th e tagged bird is recaptured or shot, his movements can be traced and his life span calculated.
6

area we would need so much manpower to cover the area, we just couldn't do it," Ron says. " For example, when I was stud ying at the University of Georgia I had a 780 acre area and didn't find the first nest on it. " Thi s past nesting season he found about 500 nests on the research area.
He also has past studies such as Stoddard's to help him evaluate the findings of his resea rch .
Ron says, "when the data from this study are completed and analyzed , and the situation of a low ratio of juvenile to adult birds comes up again, we will be able to tell the landowners what is wrong. "
One phase of the stud y will be a collection and evaluation of wings taken from qu ail killed during the hunting season. Biologists can find quail age and sex by looking at their wings. Wings will be collected from birds shot on plantation lands and from birds shot in the surrounding countryside. This
will give Ron a comparison of the quail picture on 'plantation quail country' and 'average quail country'. If we find

50-60 % of the birds shot on average quail country are juvenile, we wi ll know we have a problem not limited to just hi ghl y managed areas," Ron says. "We do not know the present condition of the quail population in surrounding nonmanaged land , because we have no previous records . obody kept them."
Let's look at some of the nesting facts Ron has come up with so far. As mentioned, close to 500 nests within the 1400 acre stud y area have been found thi past nesting season. Nesting success is important and is a big part of the research projt:ct. Ron and Francis spent many a hot grueling day looking for the almost-impossible-to-spot nests. Quail are clever nest hiders.
Quail start nesting in April and continue on into October. Ron found the peak ne ting activity to be around June 15 . By Jul y 1, 257 nests had been lo-
cated. Eighty-four of them (88.4 % )
had been destroyed by various causes. Three nests (3. 2 % ) were deserted. And
8 nests ( 8.4 % ) were successful. Hatch-
ing success stayed at about 8 % before Jul y 1, then jumped to 28 % . Even this

..

is below normal. "The exact predator re ponsib1e for
destroying a nest cannot always be determined, as no visible evidence may be left or several different predators may have visited the destroyed nest si te," writes Ron in hi s annual report. Definite evidence was found (by Jul y 1) in 68 nests. Skunks destroyed 24; opossum, 13 ; rats a nd mice, 11 ; snakes, 10; fox , 6; hou ecat, 1; and dog, 1.
If a quail nest with eggs is destroyed, the parents will build another nest and try again and again and again until they bring off at least one youngster, or autumn closes in. On two occasions Ron has found where a hen was dragged off the nest and killed right in front of the pile of eggs. The male came back, from wherever he might have been, and took up the egg incubation even though blood and feathers were strewn all around the front of the nest. Another time Ron found a nest with five eggs in it. Evidently the parents sauntered off somewhere to feed and while they were gone a predator, probably a snake, made off with two eggs. The parents returned and the hen continued to sit on the re-

mammg three eggs. Putting it mildly Ron say , "quail have strong parental instinct. "
They have a strong something, that is for sure. Maybe the low hatching succe s is just the way it is and always has been with an abundance of qu ai l living amid ideal conditions. But it is too earl y to make concrete statement . Ron has gathered only a portion of his data. This is a two year project. He will observe many, man y other quail traits. What is the difference in quail brood size of early and late hatches? And what is the difference in size of quail broods of young a nd old hens, for example?
It is like a jigsaw puzzle. Biologists need all the pieces before they can clearly see the whole picture.
The season after yo u successfully pull that shotgun in line with a fast vanishing bobwhite or even next summer when the bobwhite whistle warms your day, think how plucky the little bird is.
Think how much we want the quail. And remember- research is the key that
opens the door for continued high quail
populations. ..-

Top right: R on baits quail traps with cracked corn. Quail feed Oil corn scallered outside th e trap, continue eating aloll g a trail of com leadin g inside, and pass through a small opening into th e inside. On ce inside, th e trap is rigged so th e quail cannot come back out th e entrance. T op left: Francis Fraver, biological aid on th e quail project, stands thigh deep ill t wisting concealm ent lookin g for anoth er bobwhite nest. R on and Francis located about 500 nests on th e 1400 acre research area this past ll esting season.
7

...or sad memories

Instead of resulting in trophies, 12 incidents in Georgia last year during hunting season resulted in unhappy memories for someone. But some of the persons involved are no longer around to remember.
Gun accidents during the 1966-67 hunting season, from September of last year through February of this year, resulted in five deaths and seven injuries.
Three of the five fatalities involved shotguns. The other tw9 involved a high powered rifle and a .22 rifle. Shotguns a lso figured in three non-fatal accidents, while the big rifles were involved in two non-fatal mishaps. Two non-fatal accidents involved .22 rifles .
Two of the deaths resulted from bunters stumbling. The one big bore rifle death fell into this category, when the hunter fell and shot another hunter. The .22 rifle fatality was self-inflicted. One of the three shotgun deaths occurred when a hunter shot a deer, ran after it, stumbled and was shot through the head with his own gun.

1n another shotgun death, a hunter mistook another hunter for game, and in the remaining shotgun case, a hunter was removing a loaded gun from a car and shot another person.
Two of the non-fatal accidents were blamed on mistaking a hunter for game, in addition to the fatality in this category.
As usual, the leading causes of hunting accidents accounted for most of Georgia's mishaps for the year, including mistaking another person for game, taking a loaded gun from a car and stumbling.
These figures do, however, represent a big decrease over the previous year. During the 1965-66 season, there were 25 hunting accidents, 12 of which were fatal.
Here's a brief rundown of the nonfatal accidents of last year :
D A boy, squirrel hunting, got lost and
fired a shot as a signal. The bullet ricocheted, hitting him.

D A hunter was shot in the thumb with
a .22 rifle by another hunter.
D A man was hit in the lip and arm
with buckshot at a distance of about 100 feet.
D A deer hunter mistook another
hunter for a deer and shot him with a rifle at a distance of less than 50 yards.
D A hunter shot himself in the foot .
trying to put the wrong size shell in his shotgun.
D A deer hunter with a rifle shot an-
other deer hunter, mistaking him for game. The victim was dressed in brown, and had a white bandage on his arm . The shooter mistook the white for a deer's white tail.
D A hunter stumbled on a wire fence
and shot himself in the wrist.
That's how it happens. Be alert. Be sure of your target. Don't become a statistic this year. ,.....

1957
1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 Tota ls %of Totals

10 Year Record
Georgia Hunting Accidents
(With details on type of f irearm used. Total non-fatal and fatal accidents are listed first. The number of fatalities included in that figure is shown in parenthesis. Compiled by the State Game and Fish Commission from accident reports filed by wildlife rangers.)

Guns-68

To tal Ac ci dents
9 (4)
3 (0) 5 (3) 1 (0) No Reports 4 (2) 12 (6)
13(7)
16 (6) 12 (5) 75 (33) (44%) (91%)

Shotguns
5 (1) 3 (0) 2 (1) 1 (0) No Reports 4 (2) 7 (2) 9 (5) 11 (4) 6 (3) 48 (18) 71% (62%)

.22 Rifles 2 (1)
0 2 (1)
0 No Reports
0 2 (2) 1 (1) 4 (1) 3 (1) 14 (7) 21% (24%)

Hi-Powe red Rifle s
0
0 1 (1)
0 No Reports
0 0 1 (1) 1 (1) 3 (1) 6 (4) 8% (14%)

Average Fatal Range
10 ya rds
50 yards 10 yards 30 yards No Reports 30 yards 10 yards 30 yards 25 yards 25 yards 25 yds. avg.

(Totals do not match on number of accidents, fa talities, and types of weapons used because seven accidents incl uded d id not involve firearms: falling from t rees, drowning, bow and arrow, e tc.)
9

The cold mist hanging over the slough was slowly creeping into m y down filled jacket. This was blamed for the occasional shiver, but anticipation was probably a much the cause.
After several weeks of talking and planning, a long drive in the middle of the night, the cold boat ride up the lake, the final adjustment of camouflage in the blind- we could almost hear the whistling wings and see the downstretched heads look ing things over. Almost.
The blackness eased into various s hades of g ra y. A pair of brown thra hers started scolding in the thickets. A towhee started its morning search for food in the dead leaves under the sweet gum trees. I still wonder how such a small bird can make so much racket wi thout hurting itself.
The grays were cha nging into colors. The ducks were overdue. We had hoped for a few mallards or bl cks, but felt sure a flock of woodies would come by.
The sun was hitting the tree tops across the slough and the towhee was joined by a companion that must have had a foot the size of a snowshoe. The mi st was starting to burn off and the woodland had settl ed down to the day's business. The ducks weren't coming.
Just as we were starti ng to climb out of the blind, a crow drifted by, cawing a greeting to friends somewhere up the slough. Perhaps the day wouldn 't be a complete bust after all. I started slapping pockets and rummaging through my gear. Both calls were finally located in the pocket of my rain jacket; one call with a deep bell tone and the other with a higher rasping tone.
M y partner looked at the calls, made a "what-the-heck, why-not?" sort of gesture, screwed his pol y-choke to improved cylinder, and nodded . I shi fted the model 12 to my right hand and held the deep toned call between thumb and fore finger of my left hand. This way I could still hold the call and operate the slide of the shotgun at the same time. More important, I could resume calling immediately afte r shooting. Reloading could be done right handed whi le still calling.
I started making noi ses like I thought
10

By Joe Kight Game Biologist

a crow wou ld make when it sees an owl trying to hide for a morning's snooze. Before we expected, a scout crow came diving over the trees with its wings half folded, headed straight towards us. Bill snapped a shot, missed. The crow back pedaled an d climbed , but folded just as it topped the trees, when the second shot centered him. I had been calling all the time and now increased the tempo to a more frenzied pitch. A flock of crows came boiling over the trees, twisting, diving, circling the blind, looking for the cau e of the trouble. I folded one, missed, dropped another. Bill was shooting in the opposite direction and I couldn't ee how he was doing, but he was getting plenty of shots. I fumbled a shell trying to reload, calling all the time. Finally getting reloaded, I stood up in time to catch one coming in ac ross the water. He hit so close to the blind that muddy water spattered in. The rest of the crows were beating their way over the tree line, objecting loudly to the whole proceedings. I looked at Bill and held up three fingers. He grinned, held up five.
We retrieved the dead crow next to the blind, reloaded, and got ready for more ac tion . The crows had regrouped , called in more help, and were telling the world of their displeasure.
I started a f rantic squ all on the higher pitched call. The crows couldn 't stand it. They came over en masse. It was obvious that these crows had not been called any time recently. They came in so close-diving, twisting, turning, flaring-that most of the shooting was point-blank. However, it didn't take long for them to realize they were being had.
Crows are among the smartest of birds. Although their curiosity has often led to their downfall , it is est imated that there are more crows today than there were when the Pilgrims were shooting them out of their maize fi elds. Granted , a crow is fo nd of grains and has on occasion give n fa rmers a hard time. But considering present farming techniques in which about as much is lost as once was produced , the crow is a minor agricultural problem in this section o f the country.

We moved on down the slough and stopped about a mile away from the duck blind for one more try. A small flock came in with as much enthusiasm as the first bunch. After a flurry of shooting, a single crow drifted over almost out of range. Bill led him, touched off the shot. The crow shuddered, slowly flapped on. He had obviously been hit hard. The crow's wing beats grew shallow and then stopped altogether. With wings outstretched, it started into a gradually steepening spiral and finally crashed into a clump of willows at the edge of the slough.
The sun was high now and it was time to head for home. Besides, we were out of shells! No meat for the pot, but then no birds to clean either. Just a morning of fast shooting with no seasons or bag limits to worry about.
The hunt a failure? A confirmed dyed in the wool duck hunter might agree.
We didn't think so. ~

A bo1e: Calling crows is the secret of the game. E lectronic callers are fine if you can afford them, but the o ld-fashioned mouth call is inexpensive, easy to carry, and not too difficult to use.
Top Right: There's no season or bag limit 0 11 crows, but a hunting license is required, and shotguns must be plugged to limit their capacity to three shells.
Bottom Right: Head for cover! When they're under the gun, crows make a challenging target.

11

J

By the numbers ...
Georgia's Game Management Areas are a good place to Hunt
By Dean Wohlgemuth

The largest trophy rack bagged by any hunter on a State management area in last year's hunts was taken by Rurel Waldrop of LaGrange, who felled this magnificent 11-pointer on the opening day at Piedmont Experiment Station near Eatonton. The rack had a spread of 241/2 inches. Field-dressed, the animal weighed 186 pounds.

As the morning sun gradually peeps over the ridge and melts away the frost on a crisp November morn, time melts away, and if you'll think back to last year, it's a safe bet that the deer season disappeared before your very eyes, as it were, almost without your really being aware of it.
Trying to grasp back at it was like trying to see that deer again through the woods that seemed to evaporate instantly while you were straining to see if it wore a proud set of antlers, before putting your sights on him.
Why worry about it after it's gone? Well , if you could just recall all the details, you could see what you did right, and what you did wrong, so that next time you'd wind up with venison in the freezer instead of egg on your face.
It's a new day now. The sun is not quite up yet on the majority of Georgia's deer management season. It doesn't matter so much whether you scored last year or not. A new day is dawning, a new chance, a new experience.
Forget the past now, wipe the slate clean. Well , almost. But call on your experience to help you to success this time.
And chances are again better this year for you to get your deer on a management hunt. There are more deer just about everywhere in Georgia, on the management areas and off. And there are more management areas open for deer hunting this season.
But before plunging into the new season, let's cast an eye behind us to last year, and look over the results. Maybe it's like reading a box score after

the ball game is over. But by looking at the percentages, maybe it will help to find where chances are the best for scoring this time.
Just about one of every 10 Georgia hunters do at least part of their deer hunting on a management area. It's estimated that 125,000 persons sought to bri ng down a whitetail deer in Georgia last year. Management areas registered 12,787 hunters in all managed hunts combined.
Why are the managed hunts so popular? Because deer populations are carefully managed and controlled, so it's a sure thing that there are deer around you. The odds are swung in your favor. Proof of that is shown in that 1,195 deer were taken last year in the many hunts offered.
Overall, this is a success ratio of 8.5 per cent. That is, of every 100 persons hunting, 8'h got their deer.
These figures can be misleading, however, since included are everythini from one-day either-sex and antlerless hunts, to week-long buck-only hunts.
So let's break it down a little. Archers numbered 815, getting 27 deer. In primitive weapons hunts, 196 bunters took 26 deer. These two are on opposite ends of the success ratio. Archers got only 3.3 deer per hundred hunters while muzzle loaders took 13.3 per cent.
In the regular modern firearms hunts, again lumping buck-only, either-sex and antlerless hunts together, the success ratio was 9.5 per cent. This category was the largest , embracing 11 ,7 56 hunters, and 1,099 deer killed.
Now, let's take a look at each area:

Archery Hunts

Area
John's Mountain Lake Russell Blue Ridge Clark Hill Su wanoochee Chickasawhatchee
Totals

No. Hunters
91 223 71 237 105 88 815

Deer % Hunter Killed Success

1

1.1

6 2.7

2 3.0

17

7.1

1 0.9

0 0

27

3.3

Primitive Weapons

Area
Wa rw oman Lake Russell Chickasawhatchee
Totals

No. Hunters
94 74 28 196

Deer % Hunter Killed Success

9 9.6

17 23.0

0

0

26 13.3

Firearms Hunts (Both Sexes)

No.

Area

Hunters

Allatoona Blue Ridge Chattahoochee Chestatee John's Mountain Lake Burton Lake Russell Warwoman Cedar Creek Clark Hill Piedmont Exp. Sta. Suwanoochee
Ch ickasawhatchee

446 2,006
896 629 1,000 716 1,492 381 1,901 599 287 911 520

Deer % Hunter Killed Success

75 16.8

163

8.1

lll 12.3

64 10.2

46

4.6

97 13.6

128

8.6

48 12.5

170 6.0

99 16.5

24

8.4

13

1.4

61 11.7

13

the outdoor world
Rock Creek Bonanza-Big trout don't surprise wildlife ranger H. C. (Herbie) Cruce much anymore. The manager of the Blue Ridge Management area, Cruce is proud of fishermen on his area like Charlie Herndon , (c.) who has caught so many lunkers out of Rock Creek and the nearby Toccoa River that he needs a hand from his son and daughter to show them all. Cruce says that Charlie is "a real fisherman." His secret of success? "Fish for the big ones like they bite slow and easy." Cruce says that Herndon will be glad to pass on tips about catching the big ones to any fisherman at his store on Cooper's Creek at Ga. 60.

A Record Hog? Ben Franklin, Jr. , right , of Rt. 2, Millen, Ga., shows off his huge hog which he killed Sept. 10 on Henry Berol's DiLane Plantation in Burke County. Wildlife Ranger E . f. Davis of Millen takes a look at the hog, too. The monster, which Franklin killed with his trusty bow, weighed in at 540 pounds. "This is the one I have been after, over three years," said Franklin. "How about let's start a record book on these hogs!" Officials of the State Game and Fish Commission say they haven't heard of a bigger one.

Some of the other big fish landed in Georgia's most popular management area stream, Rock Creek, include this five pound, three ounce rainbow caught by W. E. Purcell Jr. (b.) of Marietta, measuring 23 lh inches. Two larger rainbows were landed in Rock Creek this summer, an eight pound, 10 ounce 27 incher that fell victim to a night crawler fished by George Bartlett of Smyrna, and a six and a quarter pound 23 inch rainbow landed by Boyd King of Cumming. A three pound, three ounce 171h inch brook trout was also caught in Rock Creek, by R . M. Penland, Jr. of Decatur.
A management area stream, Rock Creek closed Labor Day weekend, and will open again for fishing next May. Anybody interested?

Back to the Good Old Days! Georgia's Governor, Lester Maddox, gets some coaching on how to use the bow and arrow. Ben Pearson, one of the more prominent bowmakers in the world, provides the instruction. Pearson recently presented one of his bows and a set of arrows to the Governor.
14

Sportsmenl \
Speak... ~

GUN REGISTRATION
In reply to Representative Egan in the September 1967 issue of Georgia Game and Fish, Sportsmen Speak, I would like to say he shou ld be more familiar with his subject before promoting gun registration to finance law enforcement. Undoubtedly Mr. Egan has never heard of the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson Act) and the Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Act (Dingeii-Johnson Act) 1937 and 1950 respectively. Under the Pittsman-Robertson program returns from the 11 percent manufacturer's tax on sporting firearms and ammunition are held in the Treasury until appropriated by Congress for disbursement to the states for wildlife restoration purposes. Dingeii-Johnson fund s come from a similar 10 percent tax on fishing tackle .
It is worthy of note th at wildlife law enforcement is financed almost entirely by those who own and use f irearms for the purpose of harvesting the wildlife surplus. In other words, it is the very people who desire to harvest wildlife fo r sport and recreation who put up the money to insure that the harvest will be adequately regulated so that no damage is done to the resource. In 1965 more than 90 million dollars were immediately and directly attributable to the hunter- the firearms user. Pittman-Robertson rece ipts contrib1 ted some 15 million dollars, and the sale of hunting licenses, tags, and permits exceeded 75 mill ion dollars.
It is obvious that any firearms legislation which tends to interfere with or place unnecessary burdens on the person using a sporting firearm for recreational purpose could have a profound effect on the conservation and management of our wildlife resources.
Registration laws make it more difficult for the honest citizen to obtain arms for recreation and personal defense. They do not appreciably increase the difficulties encountered by a crimina l in obtaini ng a weapon . Such laws do discourage the ownership of f irearms by reputable citizens by imposing inconveniences, extra taxes and contacts with the police which the average person prefers to avoid.
Thomas J. Harshbarger
Tifton
MANAGEMENT HUNTS
We sell game licenses in our hardware store, and several sportsmen have asked if " Game and Fish" was going to feature an article on the results of individual management area deer hunts of last season . If it hasn't been planned, we think it would be good subject matter.
Also please send us a supply of managed hunt schedules as soon as completed .
Stan Maples
Cohutta See page 13 of this issue.
RECORD TURTLE?
Enclosed you will find a picture of five loggerhead turtles that I and Tommie Holliman called you about. The second from the left is the one that you have.
They were caught May 20 and 21, 1967 on trotline and limb hooks, using a No. 3-0 eagle claw hooks, while fishing for

Channel Catfish . We were fishing five miles below Newton , Georgia on the Fl int River. They were caught by James W. McDonald , left in picture, and Bert Helms, right in picture, both of Thomaston, Georgia.
The largest weighed 85 pounds, the next 84 pounds, two weighed 55 pounds each, and one weighed 71 pounds. Total weight was 350 pounds.
James W. McDonald
Th o m a s t o n
The turtles pictures above are actually alligator snapping turtles, sometimes called loggerheads. They are found in most Georgia streams below the fall line, even though they are seldom seen by the average fisherman. A few turtles almost this large have been reported to the Game and Fish Commission, but the 85 pounder shown here is believed to be the largest ever taken in Georgia.
CONFISCATED CARS
In Vol. 2, No. 4 I April, 1967, I read
the article about "Thieves in The Night. " I enjoyed it very much.
I would like to inquire about the con fiscated goods, in hopes that I might be able to get some good deals. I am mainly interested in how I can buy a jeep or some other vehicle.
Bill Elphingstone
East Poin t
It probably would be difficult for you to obtain one of these vehicles, because they are sold by the sheriffs of the county in which they are confiscated after being advertised for 20 days in advance in the local county newspaper.
Some jeeps and other vehicles are occasionally declared surplus by the various state departments including Game and Fish and are sold through the State Purchasing Department. If you would like to be on the bidder's list for these vehicles, I would suggest that you write either Mr. Clayton Turner, Director, or Mr. T. B. McDorman, Purchasing Agent, State Purchasing Department, 100 State Capitol, Atlanta, Ga. 30334, and request that you be advised of any future sales.
VIETNAM READER
I have just finished reading the August issue of the Game and Fish, and I would like to commend the staff for publishing an interesting book. Although stationed in Vietnam, I long to return to Georgia, and hunt and fish once again. Being a small boat owner, I thoroughly agree with you that all boats should be registered , and hope that the General Assembly adopts a bill , that will bring about safer boating.
PFC William G. Mitchell 4th Engineer Batalion
APO San Francisco 96262
RED BUGS
Your publication Georgia Game and Fish is one of the most well presented of its kind that I have had the pleasure of reading .
I am in hopes that you can help me obtain some information that I have not been able to obtain elsewhere. I spend qu ite a bit of my leisure t ime in woodlands hunting or just exploring, and I am one of those unfortunates that cannot

tolerate "redbug" bites. They leave

whelps, festers and scars that sometimes

last for six weeks. I don't know the proper

name for this pest, but perhaps you can

identify it by the name I have given. It is

so small until you have to use a magnify-

ing glass or other type of visual aid to

even see it.

I would like to know what method your

wildlife protectors use and what do you

recommend to hunters to prevent infesta-

t ion by these little rascals or if you have

some recommended remedy to remove

them after an exposure.

Any help you can offer will be appre-

cia ted.

T. W. Erickson

Savannah

We are glad you enjoy our magazine and
hope we can help you some with your redbug problem.

The small mite that can cause so much discomfort has several names. Most com-
mon are redbug, chigger, and harvest mite. Only the young ch igger, the larval stage, attaches to man. Chiggers feed on fecal droppings of insects and other small
creatures and dead organic matter. Apparently, however, the young chigger requires the blood or lymph of a living host.
Usually the larval chigger gets on a per-
son around the ankle area and works its way upward. Sitting down in chigger cou ntry just gives t he rascals less of a run to the upper body. Once on the flesh, the chigger runs about for several hours before it begins to feed. Therefore, one of the best precautions is to take a hot bath
as soon as you get home, washing the chiggers off before they dig in. They do not burrow into the skin but insert their mo uthparts and inject an anti-blood coagulant. This injection causes the swelling. Sometimes the chigger gets in hair
follicles and as the skin swells up around the feeding chigger, it becomes covered. It can not be buried very deep or else it will suffocate from lack of air. A common remedy here, is to apply something, like
fingernail polish, to cut off the chigger's air supply.
Once the chigger is on a person and feeding, household ammonia, rubbing
alcohol, camphor, carbolized vasoline, chlorof orm, or iodine can be dabbed on ind ividual welts to relieve irritation and destroy the chigger. For preventive measures commercial insect sprays and chemical dusts, such as sulphur, can be ap-
plied to clothing before entering the woods.
CONGRATULATIONS

I would like to take th is opportunity to thank you and your staff for the wonderful work you are doing with your magazine to preserve Georgia's wild life and inform ing the public about Georgia's sporting parad ise. Keep up the good work.
Allen J. Grezda

Attached is my entry for a Master Anglers Certificate.
I would like to thank you for the superb job you are doing with the Georgia Game and Fish Magazine. My friends and I look forward to it each month.
H . T. Davis
Toccoa

15

Sportsman's Calendar

SEASONS CLOSING THIS MONTH
MARSH HENS (Gallinules & Rails) Season--Sept. 2 through Nov. 10, 1967. Bag Limit-,-15 D aily, possession limit 30.
SEASONS NOW OPEN
GUN DEER SEASON Season A: Southeast Georgia Season-Oct. 14, 1967 through J an 2, 1968, in the following counties:
Brantley, Bryan, Bullock, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch County north 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, 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. 14, 1967, through Feb. 29, 1968. Bag Limit-3 Daily, possession limit 6.
OPOSSUM Season-Oct. 14, 1967 through Feb. 29, 1968. Exception: Coweta County opens Sept. 30, 1967 through Jan. 20, 1968. No Bag Limit.
RACCOON N. Ga. Season-Oct. 14, 1967 through Feb. 29, 1968, in Floyd, Bartow, Cherokee, Forsyth, Hall, Banks, Franklin, and Hart counties and all counties north of these counties. N. Ga. Bag Limit-One ( 1) per night per person. S. Ga . Season-No closed season. S. Ga.-No Bag Limit.
SQUIRREL Season-Oct. 14, 1967 through Feb. 29, 1968. Bag Limit-10 Daily.
SEASONS OPENING THIS MONTH
BEAR Season-Nov. 4, 1967 through Jan. 2, 1968 in the counties of Brantley, Charlton, Clinch, Echols and Ware. The remainder of the State is closed. Bag limit-( 1) one per person per season.
DEER Season B: Southwest Ga. Season-Nov. 4, 1967 through Jan. 2, 1968 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 that portion of Worth County south of U. S. 82 where the bag limit is one ( 1) buck. On the last day of the regular season, Jan. 2, 1968, Chattahoochee and Marion counties will be open for either-sex deer bunting. Hunting with dogs is allowed, except in Chattahoochee, Muscogee, and Worth where hunting deer with dogs is prohibited.
Season C : N orth and Middle Ga. Season -Nov. 4, 1967 through Nov. 27, 1967 in the following counties:
Baldwin, Banks, Butts, Columbia, Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Greene, Habersham, Hancock, Henry, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Lincoln, Lumpkin, McDuffie, Monroe Morgan, Murray, Newton, Oglethorpe, Putnam, Rabun, Richmond, Rockdale, Schley, Stephens, Talbot, Taliaferro, Towns, Union, Walton, Warren, White, Wilkes, Wilkinson. Bag Limit-Two (2) Bucks, except that in order to harvest a bumper crop of deer, Baldwin, Greene, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, McDuffie, Monroe, Newton, Putnam, and Talbot counties will be open for eithersex deer hunting on the last day of the regular season, Nov. 27, 1967, with a bag limit of no more than one ( I ) doe deer. The regular season bag limits will also apply during this period, provided that no gun hunter during the entire year may take more than two (2) bucks or one (1) buck and one ( 1) doe by any method or methods. Deer huntin g with dogs is prohibited in all of the above listed counties, and it is illegal to run, chase, or pursue deer with dogs in any of these counties. Season D: Counties open-Nov. 4 thru Nov. 18, 1967 in the following counties :
Appling, Atkinson, Berrien, Bleckley, Crawford, Harris, Houston, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens north of U.S. Highway 80, Macon, Montgomery, Spalding, Taylor, Tift east of Interstate Highway 75, Toombs, Twiggs, Upson and Wheeler counties. Bag Limit-Two (2) Bucks. Hunting with dogs in the above counties is prohibited

except in that portion of Atkinson County lying so uth of Atlantic Coastline Railroad and east of U.S. Hwy. 221 and that portion of Berrien County lying east of U.S. 129, south of the Alapaha River, north of State Highway 76 and west of State Highway 135. These sections of Atkinson and Berrien counties will be open for deer huntin g with dogs on Nov. 16, 17, and 18, 1967 only. Season E: Counties open-Nov. 4, 1967 through Nov. 11, 1967 in the following counties :
Bartow, Catoosa, Chatooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Dade, Elbert, Floyd, Franklin, Gordon, Haralson, Jackson, Madison, Oconee, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, and Walker. Bag Limit-Two (2) Bucks. Hunting with dogs is prohibited.
DUCKS Season-Nov. 28, 1967 through J an. 6, 1968. Sh ooting Hours: One ha1f hour before sunrise until sunset. Consult the nearest office of the U. S. Weather Bureau for the exact time. Bag Limit-Four ( 4) per day, including no more than two wood ducks, one canvasback, and two black ducks. In addition, hunters may take five mergansers daily, including no more than four American and red-breasted mergansers and one hooded merga nser. In Chatham, Brya n, Gl ynn, Libert y, Mcintosh, and C amden counties, east of the Intracoastal Water, hunters may take two additional bonus scaup ducks per day. Possession Limit-Eight ducks, to include no more th an four wood ducks, one canvasback, and four black ducks . Possession limit for mergansers is 10, to include no more than two hooded mergansers.
GEESE AND BRANT Season-Nov. 4, 1967 through Jan. 12, 1968, except in Liberty and Mcintosh Counties, where the season is closed. Sh ooting Hours-One half hour before sunrise to su nset. Bag Limit-(Geese) Two per day. Possession limit is four. There is no open season on snow geese. Bag Limit-(Brant) Six per day. Possession limit is six.

16

QUAIL, BOBWHITE Season-Nov. 18, 1967 through Feb. 29, 1968. Bag Limit-12 Daily, possession limit 36.
RABBITS Season-Nov. 18, 1967 through Feb. 29, 1968. N. Ga. Bag Limit-5 Daily. S. Ga. Bag Limit-10 Daily.
North Georgia includes the counties of H arris, Talbot, Upso n, Monroe, Jones, Baldwin, Hancock, Warren, McDuffie, Columbia, and all counties north of those listed. All counties south of those listed above on the fall line are considered part of South Georgia.
MOVING?
Be sure that you notify Game & Fish when you change your address, so that you won't miss a single issue. 30 days before you move, send your new address and your old address or mailing label, complete with zip code, to Georgia Game & Fish Magazine, 401 State Capitol, Atlanta, Ga. 30334.
SNIPE, WILSON'S Season-Nov. 27 through Jan. 15, 1968. Bag Limit-S Daily, possession limit 16.
WILD TURKEY-Fall Season West Central Ca .-Season-Nov. 4, 1967, through Ja n. 2, 1968 in the counties of Chattahoochee, Marion, Muscogee and Stewart. Bag Limit-One ( 1) per season. Talbot County-Nov. 4, 1967 through Nov. 28, 1967. Bag Limit-One (I) per season. Southwest Ga. Season-Nov. 20, 1967 through Feb. 29, 1968, in the counties of Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell , Seminole, and Thomas. Bag Limit-Two (2) per season.
WOODCOCK Season-Nov. 28 through Jan. 31 , 1968. Bag Limit-5 D aily, possession limit 10.
STATE MANAGEMENT AREA HUNTS NOW OPEN
All small game in season-Aitamaha (Except Butler Island, which is open only for waterfowl on Tuesdays and Saturdays

during regul ar duck season), Lake Seminole, Whitesburg, Allatoona. No permits required for small game hunting. Bucks only in season-Altamaha, Seminole, and Brunswick Pulp and Paper.
STATE MANAGEMENT AREA HUNTS OPENING THIS MONTH
(For a-copy of the complete hunt schedule and detailed regulations, write the State Game & Fish Commission, 401 State Capitol, Atl anta, Ga. 30334.) Deer-Archery Only. Either Sex.-Nov. 611-Biue Ridge. $5.00 permit required for the hunt. D eer-A rchery Only, Either Sex-Nov. 27Dec. 9--Suwanoochee. J;lunters are required to pick up a free permit at the checking station. The bag limit on all archery hunts is one deer of either sex. Deer-Bucks Only-Nov. 20-21-22-AIIatoona. Quota hunt limited to 400 hunters. Applications must be made by mail between Nov. 6 and Nov. II , 1967. All letters of application must include the $5.00 permit fee for each applicant up to five perso ns, and must be mailed to the State Game and Fish Commission 401 State Capitol, Atlanta, Ga. 30334. Deer - Bucks Only -Nov. 20-25 -Blue Ridge, Bullard Creek, Cedar Creek, Clark Hill, Chattahoochee, Chestatee, Coleman River, Johns Mountain, Lake Burton, Lake Russell, Oaky Woods, Piedmont Experiment Station, Swallow Creek, Warwoman. $5.00 permit required per hunt. No limit on the number of permits. Deer-Either Sex-Nov. 27 Oiily-Chestatee, Lake Russell. Each hunt is limited to 500 hunters selected by drawing Nov. 15. Applications must be made by mail between Nov. 6 a nd Nov. 11 , 1967. All applications must include the $5.00 permit fee for each applicant up to five persons, and must be mailed to the State Game and Fish Commission, 401 State Capitol, Atlanta, Ga. 30334. Deer-Primitive Weasons Only-Nov. 2225-Chickasawhatchee. $5.00 permit required . No limit on number of permits. Small game in season-Nov. 29-Dec. 23 , Wednesdays and Saturdays Only-Cedar Creek, Clark Hill (Quail, squirrel , rabbit, doves, ducks in season) $1.00 daily permit required. Small game in season-Nov. 29, 1967Jan. 31 , 1968, Wednesdays and Saturdays only - Piedmont Experiment Station, Oaky Woods (Squirrel , rabbits, quail, and doves in season) $1 permit per day required.
FEDERAL REFUGE HUNTS OPENING THIS MONTH
Deer-Archery Only-Nov. 20-25 , 1967Blackbeard Nation al Refuge. Deer of eith-

er sex. No limit on number of permits. Applications for free permits must be received by Nov. 14, 1967 at the Refuge Manager's Office, Savannah National Wildlife Refu ge, Rt. 1, Hardeeville, S. C. 29927.
SEASONS OPENING NEXT MONTH
DOVES Season-Dec. 6, 1967 through Jan. 15, 1968. See federal regulations available at U. S. Post Office. Bag Limit-12 daily, possession limit 24. See federal regulations, especially for baiting restrictions. Migratory bird stamp not required.
WILD TURKEY-FALL SEASON Southeast Ga. Season - Dec. 2, 1967 through January 2, 1968 in the counties of Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Liberty, Long, Mcintosh, Pierce, Screven, T attnall, and Wayne. Bag Limit-Two (2) per person.
GAME MANAGEMENT AREAS OPEN NEXT MONTH
D eer-Buck only-Dec. 8-9, 15-16, 29-30Chickasawhatchee (Limited quota hunts, 300 hunters each two-day hunt. ) Letters of application must be made by mai l between Nov. 6 and Nov. II , 1967 . All applications must include the $5.00 permit fee for each applicant up to five perso ns, and must be mailed to the State Game and Fish Commission 401 State Capitol, Atlanta, Ga. 30334. D eer-buck only-Dec. 11-16-Waycross State Forest. $5 permit required. D eer-buck only-Dec. 18-30--Suwanoochee (permit required, no fee). Small game (quail, squirrel, rabbit, doves, duck (in season ) -Dec. 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23-Cedar Creek, Clark Hill. $1 permit required per day. Small game (grouse, squirrel, rabbit)Dec. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23-Biue Ridge, Chattahoochee. $1 permit per day. Small game (quail, squirrel, rabbit)-Dec. 4-9-Bullard Creek. $1 per day. Small gam e (grouse, squirrel, rabbit)Dec. 4-16--Swallow Creek, Coleman River. No permit required.
GAME MANAGEMENT AREAS OPEN IN JANUARY
Deer- A ntlerless only-1 a n I, 1968-Ciark Hill (Limited quota hunt, 300 hunters. Letters of application must be made by mail between Nov. 6 and Nov. II , 1967. All applications must include the $5.00 permit fee for each applicant up to five persons, and must be mailed to the State Game and Fish Commission 40 I State Capitol , Atl anta, Ga. 30334.
MEETINGS NEXT MONTH Annual Convention, Georgia Sportsman's Federation. Dempsey Hotel, Macon. Dec. 2 and 3, 1967.