Georgia game and fish [Vol. 2, no. 12 (Dec. 1967)]

GEORGIA

VOL. 2, NO. 12 I DECEMBER, 1967

~GEORGIA
~ GAME&FISH

December 1967 Volume II Number 12

Contents

December Doves Sporting Christmas Heap Big Hunting Ground Deer and Their Habits Meet Jones What Are You Looking At? Build a Box The Outdoor World Sportsmen Speak . . . Sportsman's Calendar

Dan Keever 1 . Dean Wohlgemuth 3
... Jim Tyler 4 Lindy Copelan 6
.. .J. Hall 8 ..... J. Hall 9 .. J. David Almand 12
. Staff 15 ... .. ...... Readers 16
17

Lester G. Maddox Governor

George T. Bagby Director, State Game & Fish Commission

CO MMISSIO NER S

J udge Harley Langdale,
Chairman Valdosta-~th D istrict William Z. Camp , Sec.
Newnan- 6th D istrict James D arby
Vidalia-1st District R ichard Tift
Albany-2nd District William E . Smith
Americus- 3rd D istrict

R anls:.in M. Smith,
Vice Chairman Atlanta-5th District Charles L. D avidson, Jr. Avondale Estates-4th District
Leonard Bassford Augusta-lOth District
J . B. Langford Calhoun- 7th District
Clyde D ixon Cleveland-9th District

J immie Williamson D arien-Coastal D istrict

TECHNICAL SERVICES DIVISION

Jack A. Crockford, Assistant D irector Leon Kirkland, Fisheries Chief
Hubert Handy, 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
D eputy State Chief, Brunswick

GEORGIA GAME & FISH

STAFF

Jim Morrison, Editor

Jim Tyler, Staff Writer

Dean Wohlgemuth,

J. Hall, Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Ted Borg, Photographer

PHOTO CREDITS: D avid Almand 13, 14 t.&b. ; Ted Borg 3,4,6,7,8,11,15 t.; J. Hall 9,10; D an Keever 1,2; Julian Price, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 12, 14 t. & b.r.
Georgia Game and Fish is the official monthly magazine of the Georgia Game and Fish Commission , published at the Commission's offices, 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 ore 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.

Pollution ''accidents" don't just happen
Georgia's present water pollution control laws are a vast improvement over previous legislation, but two gaps still remain that should be filled by the General Assembly this January.
The present law specifies that industrial and municipal water users must obtain a permit from the State Water Quality Control Board to _continue using water, a nd th at a permit will not be issued untli adequ ate treatment facilities are constructed and placed into operation to prevent harmful pollution of the stream. If this is not _done or the facilities are not properly operated, the Water Quality Control Board can revoke the permit to discharge wast_es of t~e water user-a severe penalty that might be used agatnst an tndustry, but th at scarcely seems possible for a municipality.
The present law makes no provision for the industry or town that constructs a treatment facility, but allows some "accident" to occur _in whi~h the facility does not operate properly for a ~hort penod ?f t1me . Regardless of the length of time the facility IS not operating, great dam age can be done to the water quality of the stream, killing fish , killing micro-organisms that are in the fish's food chain, and making long-lasting harmful changes in the stream.
When such a n "accident " is allowed to occur because of carelessness, the facilit y is frequentl y back into proper operation by the til!'e _an investigation of the pollution can take place, so there IS little grounds to take the severe action of revoking the industry's permit to discharge wastes. The law makes no provision for invoking a fine of many thousands of dollars on the company, especially to serve as a deterrent to future "mistakes".
And on top of this, there is no provision in the law to recover damages from companies who kill thousands of doll ars worth of valuable sport fish. In streams where fish have been completely killed out, restocking is often necessary, at great expense to the people of the State of Georgia, yet the polluter is not required to pay anything for the fish he has killed .
This situation was illustrated by two severe fish kills that occurred this ye_ar in Georgia, one on Muckalee Creek in Sumter County, the other nearby on Gum Creek in Crisp County.
The Muckalee Creek fish kill, the worst of the entire year in Georgia, occurred after a fertilizer plant at Americus washed out several tanks that had contained hydrofluoric acid into the creek over a three to four day period, in violation of the regulations of the Water Quality Control Board. The resulting slug of acid moving down the creek killed every visible sign of life in the stream for 15 miles-including bass, crappie, bream, catfish, bowfin, gar, and even crayfish, mussels, and insects.
Exactly how much the fish killed in Muckalee were worth is difficult to determine, but the 15 ,000 largemouth bass fingerlings that the Game and Fish Commission restocked in the creek cost over three thousand doll ars alone. Additional stocking of bluegill bream, shellcracker, and ch annel catfish will be necessary at additional cost , and there will be no fishing in the creek for at least a year or more.
The other major fish kill occurred this fall in the Commission's Harry P. Willi ams public fishing lake, adjacent to the Cordele Fish Hatchery. More than 12,000 pounds of fish valued at over $10,000 were killed in the lake after an unsecured barrel of insecticide fell off of a flatbed truck in Cordele and city firemen washed the deadly chemical down an open ditch in:o Gum Creek , the major tributary of the lake. If high water conditions had occurred at that moment in the creek, the poison could have washed into the spring which serves as the wa~er supply of 800,000 channel catfish in the hatchery.
In both cases, carelessness, indifference, negligence, or ignorance were the culprits. If the laws of Georgia had provided that the companies involved could be penalized several thousand dollars by the Water Quality Control Board for negligence and requ ired to pay the Game and Fish Commission for the va lue of the fish that they killed and the expense of restocking, neither "accident" would have been as likely to have occurred. The mere presence of such a law would serve as an effective deterrent that would seldom have to be used-J. M.
ON THE COVER: The wild turkey is one of the most elusive of all Georgia game birds or a nimals . The wily old gobbler or hen is a beautiful sight that is seldom seen by most hunters. The birds are very shy, with considerable aversion to people. The turkey season opens this month in 16 southeast Georgia counties, and remains open in 14 other southwest Georgia counties where the season opened in November.
ON THE BACK COVER: Christmas is one of the finest times of the year, especially for a boy who's just been given his first gun. There's no finer way th at we can think of to bring up a boy and keep him out of trouble than to take him hunting or fishing with his father. Naturally, with the gift of a gun goes an obligation by the father to teach his son the fundamentals of safe gun handling, sportmanship, respect of private property, and conservation . Pictured are Claude Robinson and his son, Claude, of Lithonia.

Think that 11 years old is too young to take a boy hunting? Then you haven't seen Monty Montgomery of Rome in action on late season

Photographed by Dan Keever

Perhaps the 11-year-old has an advantage over his elder hunting companions. He fits into a hygear

field perfectly and is nearly invisible in his camouflage clothing.

,

1. Five birds in the hand of 11-year-old Monty Montgomery of Rome are worth eight fired 20 gauge shells. That's not a bad average for any hunter. 2. Ranger Ferrell Barton says Monty and his father, Jack Montgomery, are two of the finest sportsmen in Floyd County. Barton is holding Monty's 20 gauge pump which has a special short stock. 3. Like any good sportsman, Monty asks permission of neighbor B. C. Morgan before hunting on Morgan's field. B. C. hunts from a wheelchair ever since a farming accident-and he still bags his limit. Monty learned a lot about shooting from him. 4. The gun swings with the eye, gets dead on the bird and blam! The dove plummets to the ground. One more for the bag, rounding out a good day's shooting.
2

John Q. Sportsman is trying his best to get the message across that this is just the gun he needs to fill out his arsenal, and Christmas would be a wonderful time to take care of it. The salesman is in favor of the idea, too. But the Missus? She's indifferent, maybe even cold to the plan. To her, it seems much more urgent that a sufficient amount of powder gets put exactly in the right place.

Sporting Christmas

by Dean Wohlgemuth

'Twas a month before Christmas, and all through the sportsman's lodge, members were sitting around with v1s1ons running through their heads, hodge podge.
Alternately, they saw Christmas trees, one moment decorated with shotgun shells, shooting gloves, hunting socks, fishing rods, lures, tackle boxes ... and the next moment, the tree hung heavy with weird neckties, shirts the wrong size, dress socks the wrong color, and ... well, I could go on and on.
As the visions alternated , so did the expressions on their faces. First, there would be dreamy smiles. Then you'd hear groans, as frowns pushed the smiles away.
"Man, I sure wish I could find a way to get it across to the Little Lady that I need some new hunting clothes for Christmas," one of the fellows said.
"Yeah," said another. "And my wife's folks, too. They always come up with these weird sport shirts. I NEVER wear sportshirts like those. And I'd love to have a new set of duck decoys."
"Well , we've got to come up with some sort of answer to this problem ," a third member said , "or else we'll just have to resign ourselves to another gloomy Christmas."
"Hey, Dude," one of them shouted. "You got that new 20 gauge pump you wanted for Christmas last year. How'd you swing that?"
Dude grinned slyly. "Well , you see, I convinced my wife that the reason I can't take her along is because I don't have an extra gun for her to use. And for good measure, I pointed out that our young son would be old enough in a few years to need a gun of his own. And to top that off, I reminded her that there's no way to be sure we'd have the right to buy guns much longer, the way these senators and all are messing around trying to change gun laws."

Dude paused. "So she bought you one?" asked
Charlie. "No," Dude replied. "I bought HER
one!" It was only a couple of seconds after
the laughter died down, that someone asked, "Dude, how'd that work out?"
The smile on Dude's face subsided. "Well , now that you mention it, it could've turned out better. I've got to take her hunting now. But that's not the bad part. When I want to use it myself, I have to ask her permission!"
A general groan filled the room. "Well, we gotta do something better than that," Charlie reasoned. "I got it!" shouted Bill. 'What? What?" joined in the others. "Well," Bill started, "Let's get together a list of suggestions of gifts for sportsmen , and get it publishe.d in Georgia Game and Fish Magazine!"
"Great!" exclaimed the others. "And let's go one farther," Dude suggested. "Let's categorize the gift ideas, so the wife of a fisherman , or bird hunter, or whatever, will have better ideas." "And then, we'll all be sure and leave the magazine laying around, open to that page where the wife will see it," Charlie chimed in. The motion carried easily, and they set to work to compile the list. And here it is, fellows: Bass Fisherman: barometer, lures, tackle boxes, reels - spinning, casting, spincasting, rods-same as reels, fishing line - monofilament or braided - check preference, weight test, landing net, fishing boat, outboard motor (portable), electric outboard motor, depth finder & gift certificate from taxidermist
Trout Fish erman: fly rod , fly reelsingle action or automatic, spinning rod and reel, spinners, dry flies and wet flies , fishing vest, hip boots or chest high waders, innertube float rig, fly box & leader box

Fishing-General, Panfish, etc.: fishing jacket, rainsuit, rods and reels- spinning, fly fishing , spincasting, life preservers, fishing boat, outboard motor, anchor & boat lights
Bird Hunter: hunting pants, shirt, socks, shotgun shells (light loads, check gauge of his gun; No. 71h or 8 shot for quail and doves) , hunting boots, shotgun shell vest, shotgun (check his preference, 12 or 20 gauge, pump , automatic, double barrel) , hunting cap & bird dog
Deer Hunter: portable tree stand, rifle, camouflage suit, electric socks, hand warmer, hunting gloves, insulated underwear, telescopic rifle sight and mounts, ammunition (check rifle caliber) , deer silhouette targets & gift certificate from taxidermist
Small Game Hunter: shotgun (12, 16 or 20 gauge, single, double, over-under, auto, pump), ammunition, hunting pants, jacket, shirt, socks, boots, cap, shell vest with game pocket, rabbit dog, gun cleaning kit, .22 rifle & varmint rifle
Campers: tent, camp cots, sleeping bags, tent heater, camp stove, camp ice box, cooking kit, freeze-dried camp and trail foods , hiking boots, camp sneakers, canoe, outdoor clothing, lantern & compass
Archers: hunting bow and arrows, archery arm guard, finger tab or glove, deer silhouette target, camouflage hunting clothes, camouflage bow cover, camouflage head net, deer lure, broadbead sharpening kit, bowfishing reel and arrow, quiver & bow string
* A note to the wives is, we hope, suf-
ficient: Go to a reputable sporting goods dealer, and if y ou need to, don't be afraid to ask questions. And don't fail to pump your husband for necessary information about sizes, styles, types, gauges, calibers, so forth. He'll be glad to oblige, and usually won't catch on. And if all else fails, try gift certificates. He'll be glad you did. ~

3

I . ()rear D~wberry. coastal region ~:ami! hiolo~?ist, ha.\ made dar track COII/II studies in th~ area and sayt deer hunting should br
f?OOd.

2. The new lumtlllf? area n~ar Jesup has .wme fine squirrel hunting. especially along

_.. .

the A ltamalw Riler. Dan Slwptrine. wild-

life rcmgrr for Wavne County. has a look at

squirrel\ l>m:t:ed 111 the San1mil/a Tract l>y

LeRo1 Adam of Brtllllll'ick.

3.
Heap big Hunting Ground
by Jim Tyler

3. Se1eral 5ection.r throughout the paper company arta ha1e betn clear-cut, furrowed, and replanttd in pine tree!, prmidinf: good quail lumtim: tpacer until the tree. get too high for shooting.

A new public hunting area, 40,500 acres in size, is now available to all Georgia hunters. Located near the coastal city of Brunswick, the Brunswick Pulp and Paper Area, provided by

the State Game and Fish Commission's public hunting program, offers both deer and small game hunting.
Actually, the Area consists of five separate land tracts leased from the Brun wic k Pulp and Paper Company. Let's take a look at each of them.
The Lampa Doshi a Tract, 6,200 acres, is located southwest of Brunswick. An arm of the Satilla River forms its north boundary, the marsh its south . Oscar Dewberry, coastal region supervisor of game for the State G ame and Fish Commission, says deer hunting will be good and there will be good squirrel hunting in the hammocks and along small branches flowing through the tract. Not many open areas are found in the Lampd Doshia, so not much quail hunting is available.
The Harrington Tract sits northwest of Brunswick and has its southern border at Bladen where the Seaboard and

Atl antic Coastline Rai lroads intersect. Chalk up 6,000 acres in the H arrington Tract. Oscar says hunters will find more of a squirrel and deer hunting area on this tract, and not much quail
hunting. North of Harrington Tract and some
distance removed, is Tyler T ract, some 9,000 acres. Good squirrel and deer hunting can be found there. Driving along one of the many sandy roads fo und throughout the new Area, you begin to see why Oscar says quail hunting wi ll be good in the northern three tracts-T yler, Sansavilla, and Atkinson. Much of the land is open, free of tall trees-the result of timber clear-cuttingand in various stages of growing back up. Islands of cypress hammocks spot the open areas. In the open areas you can find new vegetation ranging from eight inches on up to several feet high on different sections depending on how long it has been since the clear-cutting operation . Oscar says it will be rather hard going when quail huntin g the planted cut-over plots. The soi l on all these individual areas has been plowed and manipulated to form rid ges on whic h sma ll pine seed lings have been planted. It looks like a giant comb has been racked through the soil leavi ng a pattern of fur rows and ridges. A short leg and long leg would be fine for quail hunters using these areas, Oscar says joki ngly.
About a mile from the northern boundary of the T yler Tract, U.S. Highway 25 cuts its way from Jesup down to Brunswick. Hi ghway 25 forms the south border for the fo urth tract of the Area, the Sansavilla Tract. The Altamaha Ri ver is the north border. The river, with its hardwoods and hardwood swamps, provides good squirrel hunting habit at.
The Sansavilla has two compartments, A and B. Compartment A will have probabl y the best quail hunting. Oscar ays there is a good deer population on the entire tract. Sansav illa is the bi ggest tract wi th I 6,000 acres.
Southeast of and adjoining the Sansavill a, is the Atkinson Tract with 3,300 acres. 1t also has the Altam aha River as its north border. Squirrel hunting along the ri ve r continues good and deer hunting will be good throughout the tract. Quail hunting on the pine seedling areas will be good until the growth , as it will on all such areas, gets too high .
Deer Hunts The Commission opens and regulates public hunting areas to provide area where any Georgian can come to hunt. And, on each of these areas, the Commission sets regulations they believe are best suited to the animals living there and the hunters that will hunt them. On the Brunswick Pulp and Paper Area, deer season , this year, is October

14 through January 2, 1968 . These are the same deer hunting date as the inclusive counties: Wayne, Glynn , and Camden. Lampa Do hi a, H arrin gton , and Atkinson Tracts and part of the Tyler T ract wi ll be open fo r still-deer hunting only, Mondays through Saturda ys. No permit req uired . State deer hunting regulations wi ll apply.
Part of the Tyler Tract (compartment C) and both A and B compartments of Sansavill a Tract will be open for dog-deer hunting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays during the season . Only one hunt party per week, however, limited to 25 hunters, wi ll be allowed on each of the three dog-deer compartments for a day hun t. For example, if Sansavilla compartment A is dog hunted on a Monday, there will not be a dog hunt in that compartment until the following week. Which compartment will be hun ted which day during any given week will be decided by the
Co mmi s~i on.
Dog-deer hunters, one per party, must appl y for a permit to the Brunswick office of the State Game and Fish Commission either in person or by mail at least three days in advance of the desired date. There is no fee for the permit. Applications must list all hunters' names and addresses.
Still hunting for deer and small game will be allowed on the specified dog-deer areas on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. No hunting is allowed anywhere on the Brunswick Pulp and Paper Area on Sundays.
During dog hunts, firearms are restricted to shotguns with buckshot or slugs. P arties cannot switch compartments . A detailed list of regulations and a more detailed map is available from the Brunswick office of the Game and Fish Commission.
Small Game Hunts Small game hunting will be allowed on all tracts in accordance to state regulations, with the exception of compartment C of T yler Tract and A and B of Sansavilla being closed to small game hunting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays during deer season. No fee or permit is necessary for the small game hunter . The five tracts have yellow boundary signs, and the same signs are located along roads as they enter the tracts. There are sections of private land inside the Harrington, T yler, and Sansaville Tracts posted with boundary signs. So, tack on these 40,500 acres to the lands you can hunt, regardless of connections. Give them a try. >.Q

5

DEER
And their habits
by Lindy Copelan
Greene County 4-H Club Member

Did you get your buck last year? If not, don 't give up hope. There's probably a much better chance you'll bag your venison this year.
For several years now, Georgia's deer hunting trend has been one of improvement. Each year the state's deer herd gets larger and chances are better for a hunter to get his game.
Before I go any further, I would like to explain why I am writing this article. 1 have been in the 4-H Club for 5 years. During my second year I decided I would like to take wildlife as one of my projects, which was a new 4-H project at that time. I knew I could get some help on completing this project because my father is the wildlife ranger for Greene and Oconee counties. When the time of year came for all 4-H'ers to prepare demonstrations on their projects, I decided I wanted to give a demonstration on deer. With the help of Mr. M. H . Shurling, my county agent, and my father, I got up a demonstration en-

LEFT Lindy Copelan of Greensboro used this collection of deer antlers and jawbones to illustrate his talk and paper 011 deer a11d their habits which won the first State 4-H Wildlife Project award this year.
CENTER Lindy look.1 at the remaim of two bucks who locked their antlers in mortal combat during the ruttin.Ci season . More them 12.000 boys and girls like Li11dy are enrolled in the new 4-H Wildlife Project .
RIGHT Lindy is the son of Greene Cow1ty wildlife ranger Charles Copelan , who is admirin.Ci the shotgun given Lindy hy the GeOrf!ia Power Company, sponsor of the 4-H Wildlife Project.

6

titled " Deer and Their H abits." I gave this demonstration at Rock
Eagle 4-H Club Center and placed fir t among Northeast District Cloverleaf 4H 'ers . I did this for the next three years, using my original demonstration as a guide. H owever, this last year has meant the most to me because it gave me the opportunity to attend the State 4-H Congress in Atlanta, where I was named State Wildlife Winner and awarded an automatic shotgun by the sponsor of the 4-H Wildlife ProjectThe Georgia Power Company.
Here is a summary of my demon tration.
In Greene County 80 percent of the land is in forest. This makes it an ideal habi tat for deer. Deer are classified as "browsers". This means they are animals which feed on honeysuckle, leaves, twigs, and acorns. In some cases deer will damage gardens, pea and potato patches.
There are two reasons why we have so many deer in our county- because of strictly enforced hunting regulations and the fact that in 1955 the State Game and Fish Commission released approximately 150 deer in Greene County.
During the first deer season in 1962 there were 49 deer reported killed in Greene County. In 1966 there were approximately 250 deer reported killed in our county.
By having strictly enforced regulations, our deer population has been pro-

tected from poachers; but our worst enemy of deer is dogs. A pack of wild dogs can kill a doe heavy with fawn or kill the young fawn after birth. Another enemy of deer is the old abando ned well. Sometimes deer will fall into these wells and die.
Hunters spend many, many hours trying to get a buck with a prize rack. Racks are of no real monetary value to the hunter, but are a treasured trophy to be hung over a fireplace or in a den.
Many people believe the age of deer can be determined by the number of points on the antlers. However, for decades man has known how to judge the age of domestic livestock by the replacement and wear of teeth. Wildlife biologists have found that deer can be "aged" the same way.
The way to tell the age of a deer is by its teeth. In determining the age, the 3rd pre-molar, third molar, and wear on dentine line are important. If the 3rd pre-molar is three-rooted the deer is less than 18 months old. When the 3rd premolar becomes 2-rooted and wear begins to show on the 3rd molar and. dentine line, the deer is over 18 months old. There are very few deer killed in our area that are over 3Y2 years old.
The size and number of points on a rack is deter mined by the amount and kind of food a deer eats. For instance, a deer that doesn't get enough of the right minerals during the time of year his antlers grow, may have a small, deformed rack.
Each year in February, bucks u ually shed their antlers, and around May 15, start for ming new ones. The velvet on the antlers will become hardened arou nd September l st and will come off when rubbed on small trees and bushes. When thi s happens, scarred pl aces can be found on trees and bushes. A good hunter wi ll look for this type of sign when hunting a place to hunt deer. This kind of sign is known as homing or "hooking. "
The an tlers are of no value to the deer except to help protect them during the mating season. A few years ago on Cedar Creek Wildlife Refuge a pair of locked antlers wa found. The probable story behind this was that two bucks had been fighting during the mating season and had managed , while in combat, to lock their antlers together. They couldn't get them apart, so they died of starvation. Their keletons and antlers were the only rem ai ns of a once violent battle.
One of the main reaso ns you do not find too man y antlers in the woods after deer shed them is becau e rodents such as rats and squirrels eat them for calcium.
If you come to Greene County during deer hunting season, I hope you are fortunate enough to bag a buck. ~

The 4-H Wildlife Project The 4-H Club Wi ldlife Project is one of the newest additions to the over-all 4-H Club program. The project is so designed that urban members can compete on an equal basis with rural members. There are opportunities to study all phases of wildlife ; for instance, some may wish to study a certain wildlife species or group while others may wish to learn more about management practices for various game and fish species, to make plaster casts of animal tracks, to raise birds, animals or fish baits, to stuff birds or animals or to build birdhouse or feeders. There is a wide selection from which to choose. The 4-H Club program gives our youth from the fifth through the twelfth grade a chance to learn by doing. Presently there are over 12,000 boys and girls over the state enrolled in the wildlife project, and its popularity is rapidly increasing. The project is divided in to three age categories; cloverleaf, junior, and senior. Each year, the 4-H'ers compete on a county and district basis. The se ni ors, however, go on to compete on a state, and in some cases, a national basis. More information on the 4-H Club Wildlife Project can be obtained from your county extension office.
7

-

Meet Jones byJ.Hall
.
Patrolling Lake Lanier is just one of the many jobs of Ranger George Jones of Flowery Branch, named "Ranger of the Year" by the State Game and Fish Commission.

..

As a train ed SCUBA diver, Jon es is often called on for rescue operations and in the search and recovery of drowning victims in

Lake Lanier and other lakes patrolled by wildlife rangers in an effort to prevent accidents.

George M. Jones, 33, Hall County wildlife ranger, has been named "Ranger of the Year" for 1967 by the State Game and Fish Commission.
In the ceremony commending him for loyalty and meritous service, Jones was awarded the recognition at the Southeastern Conference of Game and Fish Commissioners held in New O rleans, La. He was selected from the more tha n I 30 Rangers of the Georgia Game and Fish Commission.
George is certainly well suited for his job as a wi ldlife ranger. He has spent most of his life outdoors. As a youngster in Cherokee County, he spent most of his time hunting, fis hing, and trapping. He laughingly says he almost didn't graduate from high school because he spent more time in the woods than he did in class. Later, he made his living by trapping, commercial fishing, and occasional farming. George says his
8

greatest ambition is to go to Alaska and become a trapper.
In the five years since he was first commissioned as a ranger, George has served in the Calhoun District, and on the Lake Russell game management area, and as manager of the Warwoman game management area at Clayton, Ga. He was assigned to the Hall County area in 1964.
George is no stranger to commendation awards. In 1964, not long after his assignment to Hall County, he was presented a certificate of commendation from the Game and Fish Commission for saving the lives of two teenagers on Lake Lanier.
While on routine boat patrol, George spotted several youngsters swi mming across a channel from one island to another. Then he heard a call for help. One of the swimmers, a young girl , had become exhausted and sa nk, pulling her

male companion under with her. Jones was able to maneuver the patrol boat within range and pull the girl and boy from the water. Witnesses stated they would surely have drowned without his quick action.
As a not-so-pleasant part of his rescue work, however, George is frequently called on to recover bodies of drowning victims around the state. He is one of two rangers who are presently qualified as SCUBA divers, and has assisted rescue teams and law enforcement agencies in search and recovery of numerous bodies in Lake Lanier and other areas.
Ranger Jones attended Cherokee County High School, then known as Canton High. He and his wife Mildred, whom he met and married in Rabun County when he worked on the Warwoman management area, live at Flowery Branch , where Mi ldred is a secretary
,_ at the Georgia Shoe Manufacturing Co.

hat are you lool(ing at?
by J. Hall

The first step in conservation of resources begins at th e grass roots level. SCS technician Julian Dupree explains the conservation plan developed for th e Joe Weath erington farm , an outstanding co-oper ator of the A lapaha Soil & Water Conserva tion District. Th e men kept looking hungrily at that lake, constructed according to SCS land use recomm endations, and well stocked with bass and bluegill.

We stood on the edge of the highway, a woebegone-looking group dressed in an oddly assorted collection of rain gear and makeshift cover, while rain drops slowly trickJed down our noses . We were looki ng at the roadbank.
That's right, the roadbank. Just a plain cu t where the roadway h ad been graded. There are thousands of miles of cut ban k just like that one in Georgia.
As we stood there, a farmer, driving an old pickup truck, approached at high speed. He swerved, twisting his head back to stare at us, an expression of asto nishment on his face . Then he slammed on brakes and skidded to a stop, fe nders flapping wildly. I walked over to the window.

"What y'all doin' over there?" "We're just looking at the roadbank." He snorted in disgust and wrenched the truck into gear. Just before he roared away in a cloud of oil smoke, I heard him muttering. "Dern fools! Standin' out there in the rain lookin ' at a roadbank! See one roadbank, you see 'em all!" We had thought so too. But suddenly, standi ng there in the drizzling rain , we were looking at something we had never really seen before. For in the vari-col-. ored soil of that very ordinary roadbank was a cross section of some forty million yea rs of Georgia history. And that's the way it went. During three of the busiest weeks any of us had

pent in a long time, we began to see our state, instead of just looking at it. We were students in the Natural Resources Institute, held each summer at Valdosta State College and Shorter College in Rome, Georgia.
It all began soon after I started to work for the Game and Fish Commission in July of this year. Jim Morrison, Chief of Information and Education and our "Fearless Leader," decided that since I had experience as a teacher, I would serve as instructor and coordinator of the Commission's segment of the Institute. And the best way to find out about the Institute was to attend as a student-observer.
That was O.K. with me. In fact, it

9

popul atio ns and conflictions in conser-

va tion.

From him , and game and fi heri e bi-

ologist of the G ame and Fish Comm is-

sion , we learned that wildlife must be

thought of in term of "populations" or

total numbers, rather than indi vi du all y.

And just as a crop is harvested or a

garden is thinned to make room for ne w

..

growth, so must our wild life crop be an-

nu all y "harvested" in order to survive

in a rapidl y dwindling habitat a our

urban areas expand.

We learned about recreation , and

here, certainly, I thought I was home.

Then we were told that recreation is no

longer a question of leisurely loafing,

but becoming a vital ind ustry within our

nation . The demand for recreat ion al

lands and facilities is growing greater

with each year in an expanding popula-

tion with more and more lei su re time on

its hands. o wonder it has become nec-

essary to create governmenta l agencies

to regulate and develop resource for

thi mounting problem of our society.

During each new segment of the

course, we students were taken on field

trip to act uall y see what our instructors

were talking about. Here, we oon learn-

ed that any attempts to be dainty or

styli sh were to be forgo tten. Rough tog

were the order of the da y, and sturdy

Teachers teaching teachers to reach! Sounds confusing, but that's juJt what goe~ 011 at the Resources Institute . Empha.1is is placed 011 helping teachers develop ideas a11d teachiiiQ aids for classroom instruction. Dr. Ernie Pro1ost, about to skin a hamster, .1hows teacherstudents how to prepare a slllffed animal mount. (Nobody f?OI sick')

shoes an absolute must. After the first day in the field , I in ves ted in a pair of boots, and proud I was to have them. I began to think I also needed a rai n sui t, fo r those "sunn y" afternoons 1 h ad

sounded like a vacation . How abo ut our state has been submerged beneath drea med about were few and far be-

that! Here I had just started to work the sea. Following the segment on ge- t.veen. Valdosta was apparently in the

and I was going to get three whole ology, we we re next introduced to the throes of an annua l monsoon sea on

weeks all to myself! I blissfull y envi- oil upon which we live, and upon which whi le we were there.

sioned a couple of hours in class each all life depends. We were told that more But fast a the pace, rough a the

morning and then endle s sunn y after- than a thousand years are required to going was, I quickl y realized I wasn't

noons of fishing and loafing. Boy, was build only a mere inch of precious top- going to hear any complaints. Every one

I in for a shock!

soil , and that ma y be lost in a matter of of tho e sweet and tender "school

The action began with the first da y. seconds because of poor land manage- marms" was so fasc inated by the new

After registration, we reported to cl ass. ment . This part of the course is con- worlds th at were unfolding right be-

A short orientation talk by Dr. Cl yde ducted by the U.S. Soil Conservation neath our feet that they wouldn't have

Connell, Chairman of the Department Service.

dreamed of grumbling. And as for us

I.

of Biology and head of the Resources Institute at Valdosta State College, and incidentally, a reall y inspiring man , and then a lecture on geology by Mr. Wayne Faircloth, professor of biology at Valdosta, started off the course and set the pace to come. And a fast-moving pace it was.
Each "segment" of the course was instructed by a different state organization dealing with an aspect of Georgia's natural resources. Each new subject that was introduced was developed from the preceding one, and laid the foundation for the next to come.
The pieces fit together like a wellcontrived jigsaw puzzle. We began with geology, and the understanding of how the physical basis of our state was form-

From the soil, it was but a short step to acq uain tanceship with what grows upon it, and certainly what Georgia has become noted for . . . our forests . 1nstead of "Peach State," we might well be called the "Pine Tree State," for we l~arned from the Forestry Commission that Georgia leads the world in production of naval stores and forest products. Our timber lands boost Georgia's economy by more than a billion dollars annually!
The days flew by, and fact was heaped
upon new fact. Through the stud y of
water, air, and the increasing problem
of pollution which we must face. On to wildlife, and here, at last, I thought I
was on safe ground until Dr. Ernie Pro-

men. even if we hadn 't been absorbed in what we were learning, we certainl y had the ladies to set us an example.
The Resources Institute is a course set up for teachers, and we had all types, from elementary to secondary school. Most of the teachers at the Valdosta Institute were specialists in some field of science, but the course is not confined to science teachers alone. In fact , it would be ideal for history, social st udies and even English teachers, for there is a world of theme materi al to be gained from the information.
Students in the course m ay receive three and a half semester hours or five quarter hours of undergraduate or graduate credit toward a Master of Education Degree. Students desiring graduate

ed. We were surprised to learn that at vost of the University of Georgia began credit must apply for admission to the

some period in history, every part of talking about wildlife ecology, game graduate program. A $10.00 admission

-

fee is required, which must be paid by

the student. If a student is already admitted to a graduate program at another

public relations agency. He served as executive director of two Georgia Cham-

university, he may take the course at

Valdosta or Shorter and have the credits

transferred , with the approval of his

parent institution and either of those

'

colleges.

The Institute will also fulfill require-

ments of additional hours for teacher

certification. The dates for the 1968

Institutes, beginning June 10 through

bers of Commerce, and exhibits coordinator for the Florida Development Commission . J. also taught high school Eng-
lish in Jacksonville, Florida, and was later appointed chairman of the Depart-
ment of Exceptional Child Education, working with mentally retarded and physically handicapped children.
J. is a graduate of the University of Georgia with an A B degree in journalism and a minor in English and creative

28 at Shorter, June 17 through July 5

at Valdosta, have been set in order that

r'

students may enroll for an additional

course during the second summer ses-

About the Author
At 32, J. Hall has had a wide range

writing. He attended the University of Georgia School of Law, the University of Florida, studying animal husbandry, and
began working toward a master of science degree at Florida State University

sion at Shorter or another college if they desire. Valdosta does not have a split summer program.
The total cost of the course, including tuition, food , and lodging for three weeks, is $150.00. If they wish , students may apply for a grant-in-aid through their local school system to the State

of experiences, from working on a cat-
tle ranch breaking Brahma bulls, to driving ambulances. He served aboard
a submarine while in the Navy, later enlisted in the Army as a military policeman, and has written numerous stories and articles based on his encounters.
Before becoming radio-television editor for the Game and Fish Commission, J. was an engineering and design drafts-

in 1966. J. is an avid fisherman and outdoors-
man. As a water safety instructor, he has taught swimming, life saving, and acquatic survival techniques. He enjoys shooting as a sport, and began competitive target shooting at the age of eight.
Later, he won in Unit competitions in the Army, and was a letterman on the varsity rifle team at the University of

Department of Education. If accepted, the student pays the fee and is later reimbursed by the state.
A few scholarships are available through the various state organizations

man for several years. He worked in radio and television, and has written for several newspapers and magazines. He was information specialist for the U. S. Soil Conservation Service in Athens, and later owned an advertising and

Georgia. J. and his wife, Jackie, have three
children, Sue, 12; Johnny, 9; and Mary Frances, 2. Jackie is a graduate of Jack-
sonville University, and teaches third grade.

which participate in the course. These

scholarships are made possible by the

contributions of supporting community

groups, such as Soil Conservation Dis-

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS TO

tricts, sportsmen's clubs, women's clubs, GEORGIA NATURAL RESOURCE EDUCATION INSTITUTES-1966 & 1967

garden clubs and other organizations which make the Institute an annual civic project. Applications for scholarships should be addressed to: Mr. Jim Morrison, Chairman, Georgia N atural Rewurce Education Council % State Game and Fish Commission, 401 State Capitol, Atlanta, 30334.
Any way you look at it, it was an experience to remember. Our group, which started as an assemblage of strangers, ended as a closely knit company of friends who had shared a few hardships and many fascinating impressions. There was so much to be learned, so much that we realized we should already have known but just really hadn't taken the time or the interest to think or wonder about it, that sometimes it seemed we couldn't take everything in. But as we thought about it later, giving the impressions time to sink in , we all had a much better understanding of what a tremendously wonderful and complex thing this old world of ours is.
And we all left the campus in a fervor to tell what we had learned. In the words of Mrs. Jeanette Sullivan, a tenth grade biology teacher at Bainbridge, "There is so much our children need to know .. . have to know, if they're going to be able to manage in a world of so many increasing problems and growing demands. I only hope I can bring these experiences back to them so they can see our world as we have been taught to look at it." ~

CONTRIBUTORS OF 1 OR MORE SCHOLARSHIPS OF $150 EACH

(The figure in parenthesis indicates the number of years the organization has contributed to the program.)
Businesses: Sears-Roebuck (2) Georgia Power Company (2) Southern Bell Tel . & Tel. Co .
Garden Clubs: Ga . Federation Garden Clubs Garden Club of Georgia, Inc.
Soil & Water Conservation Districts: Atlanta Soil & Water Conservation
District Coosa River Soil & Water
Conservation District Pine Mountain Soil & Water
Conservation District Ohoopee Soil & Water Conservation
District Torn~~~~~t Soil & Water Conservation
Upper Chattahoochee River Soil & Water Conservation District
Middle Georgia Soil & Water Conservation District

Coastal Soil Conservation District Satilla River Soil & Water
Conservation District Coosa River Soil & Water Conservation
District Alapaha Soil & Water Conservation
District Middle S. Georgia Soil & Water
Conservation District
Sportsmen's Clubs: Georgia Sportsmen ' s Federation (2) Bartow County Sportsmen's Club Bulloch County Sportsman's Club Laurens County Sportsman's Club Upson County Sportsmen 's Club Cherokee Sportsmen's Club North Georgia Sportsmen's Club Floyd County Wildlife Association Macon Motor Boat Club
Women's Clubs: Lesche Woman's Club
Others: Society of American Foresters (2) Kiwanis Club of Sandy Springs

PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Businesses: Gainesville National Bank Cordele Sash, Door & Lumber Co. Mathis Lumber Company Planter's Bank
Garden Clubs:
~~ifd~n~~~~r 0Jo~~~~~~~~~cDistricts:
Lower Chattahoochee River Soil & Water Conservation District
Upper Ocmulgee River Soil & Water Conservation District (2)
Georgia Soil Conservation District Auxiliary
Sportsmen's Clubs: Echols County Sportsmen's Club Creek Sportsman's Club SW Georgia Sportsman's Club Stewart Co. Sportsmen's Club lzaak Walton League East Point Sportsmen's Club
Women's Clubs: Augusta Junior Women's Club Second District Georgia Federation
Women's Clubs

Georgia Federation Women's Clubs4th District
Dalton Junior Woman's Club Macon Junior Woman's Club Smyrna Junior Woman's Club LaVista Woman's Club Northside Junior Woman's Club Cochran Woman's Club Marietta Junior Woman's Club Jeffersonville Woman's Club Moultrie Junior Woman's Club Moultrie Woman's Federated Guild Lerura Judd Woman's Club LaVista Junior Woman's Club Warner Robins Junior Woman's Club Sandersville Woman's Club Uncle Remus Woman's Club Columbus Junior Woman's Club Thomasville Junior Woman's Club Cairo Woman's Club Tunnel Hill Junior Woman's Club Bainbridge Woman's Club Stone Mountain Woman's Club Sandy Springs Junior Woman's Club
Others: Don Shedd Virginia Shiflett

11

CJJuild a CJJox

By J. David Almand Wildlife Specialist
Cooperative Extension Service University of Georgia

"HOO-EEK, HOO-EEK"

If you've ever been ambling along a

wooded stream or pond and saw a bird

about the size of a crow uttering this

strange cry, you've probably just run

up on one of our most beautiful water-

fowl-the wood duck.

The male "woodie" is admired by all

who see him. He is easily recognized by

his white throat and chin strap and

bright green and purple feathers. The

female , like most lady ducks, is brown-

ish in color. She has a white throat

patch and a prominent white eye ring.

Both male and fe male have well-defined

head crests and long, dark, square tails

that can be used as a mark of identifica-

tion in flight.

Wood ducks are very good to eat, and

may be prepared in a number of ways.

For information on cooking wood ducks

and other game, refer to Extension Bul-

letin 648, "Cooking Wild Game", avail-

able from Georgia county agents. Wood

ducks, especially the male, also make

excellent trophies, and the feathers are

highl y prized for tying artificial fishing

flies .

Although wood ducks regularly nest

in Georgia, our greatest populations oc-

cur in December and January. This is

due to an influx of birds from the north-

ern portion of the country during this

time of year.

!louse hunllllf! i.~ an el/1\'

Bill Julian, refuge manager of Pied- job for a hen wood duck

mont National Wildlife Refuge near Round Oak, Ga., says that 1,040 wood ducks have been banded on that refuge since 1960.
Band returns and recoveries from

, ith a nesting hox like thi1 t<round to pick /rom Lack of ood natural nt.\lim: .1ite1 i tJ/lt' of the primary reasom 11 ood duck,. art'll't mon nunu.'N/11.1,

ducks banded in Georgia have revealed

that our wintering wood ducks come

from a number of other states, includ-

ing Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi ,

Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana,

)

New York, Maine, Massachusetts, New

Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. A

few of our banded "woodies" have also

been recovered in the Canadian prov-

inces of Ontario, Quebec, and Mani-

toba, indicating that we do, indeed , play LEfT

host to an international resource.
Not only is the wood duck the only species that regularly nests in our state, but it is also one of the few ducks that nests in hollow trees. In fact, it may spend considerable time perched in trees

~Vatching a wood duck UJIII<
r for a landing i1 l'lrouglr to
1111.\l'ttle any landluhher\ 111. n, .I
/)ash in~ up at hrea/..net k
spad, tire hird w:i/1'11' /and.1
011 tire narrow perch , he/ore damhering i/1.\idt the

during the breeding season.

.111rpri.1inglv .1mal/ entnmn lwle .

Wood ducks begin nesting in Georgia as early as February. Studies conducted on the Piedmont National Refuge, however, revealed that nesting does not reach its peak until April.
Size of the cavity makes no difference so long as it is large enough for the female to nest. The depth may range from five inches to five feet, and the height might range from five to seventy or more feet above the ground.
In searching for a place to nest, both the male and female fly through a wooded area until they spot a likely looking tree cavity. Or they may decide to alight on a limb and look until they find a cavity. As soon as the female sights a likely one, she flies off to inspect it. If the cavity is suitable, she will set up housekeeping.
The female does not bring any nest material to the cavity. Instead, she uses decayed wood, leaves or other loose material in the bottom of the cavity. She normally lays one egg per day, usually in the early morning. Each time she leaves the nest she covers the eggs with the loose nest material. About the time she lays her seventh egg, she plucks a small amount of down from her breast and adds it to the nest. She adds more down each day until she has finished laying.
Wood duck eggs look a great deal like chicken eggs, except they are slightly smaller and dull white in color. The number per nest may range from 5 to 19. The average nest has 10 or 12.
When more than one female lays in the nest, the number of eggs may be much larger. Such nests are called "dump" nests, and may contain up to 40 eggs. Because the females are unable to incubate this many eggs properly, it is unlikely that any will hatch . These nests are often deserted by the females.
The eggs hatch in about 30 days. The newly hatched ducklings remain in the nest for about 24 hours. This allows their down to dry completely. When the female is convinced that they can get out of the nest safely, she calls them from the ground or from a nearby limb. With webbed feet outspread and tiny wings beating, the ducklings jump, unafraid of the distance to the ground. They have been known to jump from nests 70 feet high. After all ducklings are accounted for, the female leads them to the nearest water where they stay until they can fly. This is about eight weeks later.
Ideal wood duck rearing habitat consists of water, abundant vegetative

growth and low hanging bushes. This combination provides the greatest abundance of insects, spiders and vegetable matter which make up the diet of these birds at this time of year. Beaver ponds are an excellent example of this type habitat. In fact, the growing number of beaver ponds has been an important factor in increasing wood ducks in our state.
The peak wood duck hatching period in Georgia is during May. A smaller peak also occurs in June due to re-nesting by females whose earlier nests were destroyed or deserted as a result of predator activity.
Shortly before the eggs hatch , the male leaves his mate and joins other males on secluded woodland ponds or swamps. Here they lose their flight feathers (primaries) and grow new ones. During this period, the males cannot fl y. Thus, they are open to attack by predators. Because of this , they are very secretive during this molting period.
Wood duck nests are preyed upon by a variety of animals. The eggs may be eaten by raccoons, snakes, and oppossums. The egg shells may be punctured by starlings and woodpeckers or cracked by squirrels. A nest is usually deserted when one or more eggs have been cracked or punctured. Sometimes the female may be trapped and killed inside the nest by a raccoon. In one instance in an eastern state, raccoons destroyed eggs in 20 out of 24 nests and killed an incubating wood duck on one of the four remaining nests.
A number of animals and reptiles also eat young wood ducks while they are growing up. These include snakes, mink, raccoons, snapping turtles, large frogs , large bass, and, to a lesser extent, hawks and owls. Many baby wood ducks are also lost during bad weather. Studies have shown that only about half of the young wood ducks that make it to the rearing area Jive to reach flying age.
Erecting wood duck nesting boxes is not a new idea. Attempts to increase wood duck numbers by putting up nest boxes dates back to the 1930's. Since then , many thousands of boxes have been put up by various conservation agencies and groups.
Boxes have been made of both wood and metal. Wooden nail kegs, wooden ammunition boxes, and metal grease drums have been tried with varying degrees of success. Wooden boxes are better for use in Georgia. ~

Belller ponds are ideal wood duck hahitat, both for nesting and for feedinf!. They make good places to install wood duck nest boxes.

13

Top: After hatching, wood ducklings show no fear of heights, sometimes jumping from nests as high as 70 fe et to the water or ground below.
Small left photo: The average wood duck clutch contains about 10 to 12 eggs that are

dull white in color and slightly smaller than a chicken egg.
Raccoons and snakes are the greatest predators of wood duck eggs. The snake leaving the nesting box is a black rat snake.

Cypress, redwood, or treated pine boxes will last 5 to 10 years or longer. For more information on wood ducks and nest boxes, see your county agent and request a copy of Extension Bulletin 649, "WANTED: More Wood Ducks In Georgia."
A number of individuals and groups in Georgia have already erected nest boxes for wood ducks. In fact, several sportsmen's clubs including those in Laurens, Bulloch, and Troup Counties have undertaken this as a club project. Cleon Tankersley at Ocilla, Georgia, provides an outstanding example of individual success. Three nesting seasons ago he erected 14 nest boxes in a small pond. Three were used by wood ducks. The following season he increased the number of boxes to 29, seven of which were used. He really hit the jackpot this last nesting season. Recently, he informed me that according to his records, his boxes harbored at least 15 nests this season.
Cleon is really enthused about his project and understandably so. Today, he is busily expanding his successful operation and is even going so far as to provide a special rearing pond for the baby ducks. Cleon's efforts show what can be done with a little effort.
With the increased drainage of creeks and swamps and general destruction of wood duck habitat, nesting boxes can help make up for the loss of natural habitat. Although nest sites are only one requirement in managing wood ducks, natural cavities are so scarce that nest boxes are an important and logical way to contribute to the welfare of this important bird.
The possibilities for increasing the wood duck population in Georgia are unlimited. With increased numbers, wood ducks can absorb a greater portion of the rising hunting pressure. There is little doubt that these ducks will play a significant part in adding to the local economy through income from hunters and nature lovers.
It should be remembered that wood duck nest boxes may do more harm than good under certain conditions. For instance, unless protected by predator guards, the boxes may become a death trap for the female. Only through a sound, well-planned program will nest boxes be of any value.
Here's hoping that we will hear the "hoo-eek" sound ringing over our wooded lakes and streams for a long time to come and that you , too, will thrill to the sound and sight of these beautiful birds.'
~

14

the outdoor world

Handgun Tax for Ranges,

Gun Safety?

A bi ll has been introduced in Con-

gress by RepresentatiVe John Dingell of

Handy

M orrison

Michigan to allocate the 10 per cent

G and F Men Elected

Three staff members of the State recentl y named a member of the board

Capitol office of the Game and F ish of directors of the American Associa-

Commission were elected to offices in tio;~ for Conservation Inform ation , and

professional organizations this fa ll .

wa just re-elected chairman of the

Hubert Handy, game management Georgia Nat ural Resource Education

chief of the Commission, was elected Counci l, which sponsors two um mer

chairman of the forest game committee courses in conservation for Georgia

of the Southeastern Section of the Wild- teac hers. (See article on page nine.)

li fe Society, meeting in conjunction with

Dean Wohlgemuth , Carne and Fish

the Southeastern Game and F ish Com- staff writer and an inform ation officer

missioners at New Orleans, La.

of the Commi sion, was elected secre-

At the same meeting, Jim Morrison, tary-treasurer of the Southeastern Out-

coordinator of information and educa- door Press A sociation at their meeting

tion for the Commission and ed itor of at ags H ead , .C. Wohlgemuth has

Georgia Game and Fish , was elected also been named cha irman of the an-

president of the Information and E du- nual convention of the Outdoor Writers

cation Section of the Southeastern G ame Associatio n of America, to be held at

and Fish Commissioners. Morrison was Ca llaway Gardens June 23-29 , 1968.

excise tax on pistol and revolvers to the states for target ranges and firearms safety training programs, and fo r wi ld life re toration.
Under the present law, the tax on hand guns goes into general revenue funds and does nothing for sportsmen or gun owners. By contrast, the I l per cent tax on sporting rifles, shotgu ns, and factory ammunition goes into the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Act ( Pittman-Robertson Act) and is given back to the State game and fi sh agencies, including Georgia for wi ldl ife restoration , development, and research project .
In 1966, the tax on handguns collected more tha n $3 ,300,000 and is expected to go even higher in 1967. In the last ten years, the tax coll ected more than 25 million dollars tha n went into

the general tax treasury of the federa l

government.

The general principl es of the Dingell

bill have been endorsed by the National

Wildlife Federation , Wildlife Manage-

ment I nstitute, ational Rifle A socia-

tion, and the National Shooting Sports

Foundation.

Georgi a Game and Fish Commis ion

Director George T. Bagby and Assistan t

Director Jack Crockford have written

letters of support for the bi ll to Con-

gressman Dingell , but they urged th at

the entire excise tax on handguns be

used solel y for target ranges and fire-

ar ms safety training programs. Their

letters pointed out that the need in

Georgia is now greatest in these two

A Whale of a Tale
Georgians wi tnessed a rare, unexplainable event of the sea as a whale floundered in shallow waters and beached itself on Jek yll Island Oct. 20. The

coll ectors drove the 130 miles from the marine attraction to Jekyll Island , Game an d Fish Commission biological personnel toiled at their task of mercy. Di gging a large hole around the whale, they bucketed water up the beach to keep it

area , and the relative amounts of money that the states would each eventuall y receive for wi ldlife restoration wo uld not be significant, compared with the exist ing feder al program which gives Georgia alone almost $400,000 a year for wi ldli fe projects.

animal, a pyg my sperm whale, is only wet. Meanwhile a crane moved into Congre sman Dingell is best known

the th ird on record to strand in Georgi a and the first in the Jek yll Island area.
Officials of the 1ekyll Island Authority i sued a call to the Georgia Game and Fi sh Commission and the state agency notified Marineland of Florid a when it

po ition to hoist the animal. Unfortunatel y, the whale hemo rrhaged
and died ju t before the truck arrived .
Marineland 's curator, D ave Caldwell , said that the mammal was a male and

for his co-sponsorship of the DingellJohn on F ederal Aid in Fisheries Act, through whi ch Georgia receives close to $100.000 an nuall y from the federal government for fi she ries projects.
Sportsmen, target shooters. and gun

became appare nt the creature would be- mea ured ten feet, four inches. R ecords owners who a re interested in the Bill ,

come stranded.

of sightin gs and strandings of whales H .R . 11190, are urged to contact their

Whil e marine biologists and a crew of are maintained internationally, he said . congressmen and senato rs in its support.

15

Sportsmenl \ Speak... ~

LAKE JACKSON

Most of the spare time I have off is

spent on Jackson Lake or in a private

pond. I have a lot of spare time off, be-

cause I don't believe in letting " my work

interfere with my fishing. " (Ha. Ha .).

My first love besid.es .my fam1/y IS fish-

ing, bass and trout f1shmg, th.at 1s. There

is nothing any more rewarding than to

latch into a nice bass or trout.

1 would like to express my appreciatio_n

and that of hundreds of other people 1n

this area that I have talked to for the

wonderful job the Game and Fish Com-

mission did and is doing when you stocked

Jackson Lake with shad. The fishing fo_r

! all species has improved 75 per cent 1n
the last year and a half. have fi?hed the

Lake since I was about e1ght or nme years

old and never before can I remember

fishing as good as it has been in the last

one and a half years.

.

A couple of my friends and I go to dif-

ferent reservoirs every spring and fall to

fish for bass. But now, we can stay at

home and fish " Old Faithful," thanks to

what you and the Commission have done.

Also 1 would like to commend yo u and

the Commission for the fine job you are

doing in Georgia GAME and FISH . This

is an outstanding magazine.

.

1 am sending a picture of a strmg of

bass my buddy and I caught one afternoon

back in the spring.

Stanley Edwards

Covington, Ga .

ANTLERS AND QUAIL

I enjoy reading the GAME af!d FISH Magazine each month. I really enJoyed the October issue article on "How to Have Horns" by Art Rilling. I learned a lot
about bucks and their antlers. In one of this fall's issues, I would like
for you to explain the life of a quail. I am a quail hunter and a deer hunter.
Charles L. Wh id/y Haddock, Ga.

See the article on quail in the November
issue "Hide and Seek," by Jim Tyler. Game and Fish plans future articles on the life histories of Georgia's most common wildlife species and fish. If any reader has a suggestion for a good story or would like to write one himself, we 're all eyes and ears.

CUSHION ERROR?

I would like to call your attention to a couple of errors in the June '67 issue of Georgia Game and Fish.

On page seven you sta.ted the boat to the right always has the nght of way. Th1s only holds true ~hen b?th are under power and neither 1s a s.a1/ boat. A sa1/ boat always has the right of way over one under power.
On page nine you have out some false in formation on how to put on a seat cushion type life preserver. Your head goes through one strap and one leg through the other. Th is leaves both arms and both legs free to swim or help someone.
This type of information could cost someone their life . I think you need to send your writer to a power squadron class to learn the rules of the road. And ask the manufacturer how to wear a life preserver.
Those were the only two articles in the book 1 read. I didn't care to fin ish.
1 think you owe it to the public to print co rre c t ions .
Earl Bacon, Jr. Atlanta

Apparently Mr. Bacon is referring to the

caption under the photograph on page

seven of the July Issue, " Next Time ...

Will There Be Another?" by Dean Wohlge-

muth. It is true that sailboats have t~e

right-of-way over power boats, but t~e pic-

ture in question does not show a sall~oa.t,

only two power boats ... therefore 1t 1s

illogical to deduct t~at the ca_Ption of the

photograph is refernng to .sailboats,. If a

sailboat had been shown m the p1cture

with a powerboat, then the caption would

have been in error. As it was used, the

caption is correct and Mr. Bacon is in

error.

.

As far as the proper method of weanng

a seat cushion type of life preserver goes,

the method shown of placing the cushion

on the chest with the arms through the

loops is the method accepted and advo-

cated by the American Red Cross in their

excellent water safety courses, which Mr.

Bacon might consider taking himself. The

method he mentions of putting one arm

(not the head) and one leg through the

loops was once misguidedly advocat~d by

some cushion manufacturers who Illus-

trated their packages with that m~thod.

Unfortunately, it tended to result m the

wearer's head ending up lower than his

feet-well under water, especially if he

is accidentally knocked unconscious. In

apedrdsiotinoni~

it is nearly the water to

impossible for a put a cushion on

over one leg and one arm. On _the oth~r

hand he can easily pull a cush1on to h1s

chest and stretch his arms through the

loops. Of course, a life vest is much more

desirable than a cushion for a life pre-

server, if a boater will wear it.

Incidentally, writer Dean Wohlgemuth

has twice successfully completed the U.S.

Power Squadron's Piloting and Smallboat

Handling Course. He is a small boat own-

er himself.

,

It's regrettable that Mr. Bacon didn t

even get around to reading the article

with the two short photograph captions

that met with his disfavor, since by read-

ing it with a more open mind, ~e could

have picked up some valuable mforma-

tion on how to save lives on the water.

GUN POLL
At approximately 8:00 p.m ., Tuesday, September 26, I received a telephone call

from a friend who informed me of a poll being taken by WMAL-TV (Channel 7, Wa shington, D.C.) . The polling apparently had started with the news broadcas t at 7:00p.m. and continued until 10:00 p.m .
At the close of each sch eduled program between these hours, the question : " Should Congress enact a strict gun con trol law? " was projected for approximately one minute. Two telephone numbers one for a "yes" vote, and one for a " no"were provided for each political subdivision- District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia .
No comment, editorial or otherwise, except for an oral repe tition of the question was made by the announcer, although the scheduled " N.Y.P.D." police drama program at 9:30, apparently through coincidence, had a theme that could be construed as being strongly antifirearms.
Upon calling the number listed for Maryland for the registering of a " no" vo te the recorded voice replied: " Thank you for voting no in the WMAL -TV listeners' poll" or words to that effect. Votes were tallied electronically.
The results of the poll, announced at 11 :30 p.m. and confirmed by a telephone call to the station were:
No: 62% Yes : 38% Total number of calls completed: 4,282 In addition, there were 7,447 calls made during the polling period that resulted in busy signals. The combined percentage totals for Maryland and Virgin ia alone showed 66% " No" and 34% " Yes."
James B. Trefethen Wildlife ManaRement Institute Washington, D. C.
Is Your
SUBSCRIPTION EXPIRING?
If you were one of the 15,000 subscribers to Georgia Game
and Fish who subscribed last
year by February 1, 1967, your
subscription may be about to
expire. Check the date on your
mailing label to see what month
you will receive your last issue
if you do not renew in time. To
make sure that you don't miss
a single issue of Game and Fis"',
send in your renewal subscription now in the postage-pa id en-
velope attached to this issue. A
minimum of 30 days notice is
requ ired to renew your subscrip-
t ion . Beat the rush! And this
t ime, why not subscribe for three
years and save half a dollar! Three years-$2.50
One year-$1.00
Send your name, address, and
zip code with your chec k made
payable to the State Game and
Fish Commission, 401 State Capi tol, Atlanta , Ga. 30334.
DO IT NOW!

16

Sportsman's

1968, except in Liberty and Mcintosh required.

Counties, where the season is closed.

WILD TURKEY-FALL SEASON

Calendar

Shooting Hours-One half hour before sunrise to sunset. Bag Limit-(Geese) Two per day. Pos-

Southeast Ga. Season- Dec. 2, 1967 through January 2, 1968 in the counties of Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Charl-

SEASONS NOW OPEN

session limit is four . There is no open ton, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Glynn,

season on snow geese.

Liberty, Long, Mcintosh, Pierce, Screven,

BEAR

Bag Limit-(Brant) Six per day. Posses- Tattnall, and Wayne.

Season-Nov. 4, 1967 through Jan. 2, sion limit is six.

Bag Limit-Two (2) per person.

1968 in the counties of Brantley, Charl-

GROUSE, RUFFED

GAME MANAGEMENT AREAS

ton, Clinch, Echols and Ware. The re- Season-Oct. 14, 1967, through Feb. 29,

OPEN THTS MONTH

mainder of the State is closed.

1968.

(For a copy of the complete hunt sched-

Bag limit-( 1) one per person per sea- Bag Limit-3 Daily, possession limit 6.

ule and detailed regulations, write the

son. GUN DEER SEASON
Season A: Southeast Georgia Season-Oct. 14, 1967 through Jan 2, 1968, in the following counties:
Brantley, Bryan, BuJiock, Burke, Cam den, 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,

OPOSSUM Season-Oct. 14, 1967 through Feb. 29, 1968. Exception : Coweta County opens Sept. 30, 1967 through Jan. 20, 1968. No Bag Limit.
QUAIL, BOBWHITE Season-Nov. 18, 1967 through Feb. 29, 1968. Bag Limit-12 D aily, possession limit 36.
RABBITS

State Game & Fish Commission, 401 State Capitol, Atlanta, Ga. 30334.) A II small game in season-A ltamaha (Except Butler Island, which is open only for waterfowl on Tuesdays and Saturdays during regular duck season) , Lake Seminole, Whitesburg, Allatoona. No permits required for small game hunting. Bucks only in season-Altamaha, Seminole, and Brunswick Pulp and Paper. Deer-Archery Only , Either Sex-Nov. 27-

Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Glynn, Jef ferson, Jenkins, Liberty, Long, Mcintosh, Pierce County south of U. S. 82 and east of Ga. 121, Screven, Tattnall, Washington, and Wayne counties.

Season-Nov. 18, 1967 through Feb. 29, 1968. N. Ga. Bag Limit-S Daily. S. Ga. Bag Limit-10 Daily.
North Georgia includes the counties of

Dec. 9--Suwanoochee. Hunters 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.

Bag Limit-Two (2) Bucks. Hunting with dogs is allowed in all of the above counties.
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, TerreJI, 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 (I) buck. On the last day of the regular season, Jan. 2, 1968, Chattahoochee and Marion counties will be open for either-sex deer hunting.
Hunting with dogs is allowed, except in Chattahoochee, Muscogee, and Worth

Harris, Talbot, Upson, 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.
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 perso n.
S. Ga. Season-No closed season. S. Ga .-No Bag Limit.
SQUIRREL
Season-Oct. 14, 1967 through Feb. 29, 1968. Bag Limit-10 Daily.

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. Deer-buck only-Dec. 11-16-Waycross State Forest. Permit required . No Charge. 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-Blue Ridge, Chattahoochee. $1 permit per day. Small game (quail, squirrel, rabbit)-Dec. 4-9-Bullard Creek. $1 per day. Small game (grouse, squirrel, rabbit)Dec. 4-16--Swallow Creek, Coleman River. No permit required.

where hunting deer with dogs is prohibited.
DUCKS

SNIPE, WILSON'S
Season-Nov. 27 through Jan. 15, 1968. Bag Limit-8 Daily, possession limit 16.

FEDERAL REFUGE HUNTS OPENING THIS MONTH
Deer-Archery Only-Dec. 27-30, 1967-

Season-Nov. 28, 1967 through Jan. 6,

WILD TURKEY-FaJI Season

Blackbeard National Refuge. Deer of eith-

1968.

West Central Ga .-Season-Nov. 4, 1967, er sex. No limit on number of permits.

Shooting Hours: One half hour before sun- through Jan. 2, 1968 in the counties of Applications for free permits must be re-

rise until sunset. Consult the nearest office Chattahoochee, Marion, Muscogee and ceived by Dec. 21 , 1967 at the Refuge

of the U. S. Weather Bureau for the ex- Stewart.

Manager's Office, Savannah National

act time.

Bag Limit-One ( 1) per season.

Wildlife Refuge, Rt. 1, Hardeeville, S. C.

Bag Limit-Four (4) per day, including Southwest Ga. Season-Nov. 20, 1967 29927.

no more than two wood ducks, one can- through Feb. 29, 1968, in the counties of

GAME MANAGEMENT AREAS

vasback, and two black ducks. In addition, Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Dougherty, Ear-

OPEN NEXT MONTH

hunters may take five mergansers daily, ly, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, and Small Game (quail, rabbit, squirrel)-Jan .

including no more than four American Thomas.

1-6, 1968--Suwanoochee. No permit re-

and red-breasted mergansers and one Bag Limit-Two (2) per season.

quired.

-

hooded merganser. In Chatham, Bryan, Glynn, Liberty, Mcintosh, and Camden counties, east of the Intracoastal Water, hunters may take two additional bonu~ scaup ducks per day.

WOODCOCK Season-Nov. 28 through Jan. 31, 1968. Bag Limit-S Daily, possession limit 10.
SEASONS OPENING THIS MONTH

Small Game (grouse , rabbit, squirrel)-Jan. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27, 1968-Blue Ridge. $1.00 permit required per day.
Small Game (quail, rabbit, squirrel)-Jan . 8-13, 1968-Bullard Creek. $ 1.00 permit

Possession Limit-Eight ducks, to include

DOVES

required per day.

no more than four wood ducks, one canvasback, and four black ducks. Possession limit for mergansers is 10, to include no more than two hooded mergansers.

Season-Dec. 6, 1967 through Jan. 15, 1968. See federal regulations available at U. S. Post Office. Bag Limit-12 daily, possession limit 24.

Small Gam e (q uail, rabbit, squirrel)-Jan. 8-20, 1968-Waycross State Forest. No permit required.
Small Game (quail, rabbit, squirrel)-Jan.

GEESE AND BRANT

See federal regulations, especially for bait- 22-27, 1968-Arabia Bay. No permit re-

Season-Nov. 4, 1967 through Jan. 12, ing restrictions. Migratory bird stamp not quired.