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

--1RGIA

VOL. 2, NO. 2 I FEBRUARY, 1967

Restrictive gun laws hurt the hunter

The worst attacks on the future of hunting and target

shooting made on the national level, including the infamous

8 ~GEORGIA
:~, -~ GAME &FISH

"Dodd Bill,'' have so far been blocked by the active efforts of conservation-minded national groups, local sportsmen's clubs, game and fish commission's, and state legislatures. But now, efforts are being made on the local and state level to enact similar mistaken restrictions on the purchase and lawful use of firearms. Some of these proposals seem less harmful by concentrating on pistols, but the principles of firearms

controls remain the same.

Based on national average estimates, it seems safe to

FEBRUARY 1967 Volume II Number 2

assume that there are more than one million firearms now in circulation in Georgia alone. Even if all firearms sales of all

Contents

types were immediately halted, it would be impossible to stop the use of firearms in crimes by persons who already have such weapons, who could buy them from someone else,

or who would steal them. Even if firearms were not readily

Early Bird Bass ...

. . . ....... .. .. Herb Wyatt 1

available to such persons, indications are that the majority of crimes would still be committed, using another weapon if

Climb High For Grouse . ... . .. .... . .Scott Fussell 4

a guo is not available. Cavemen killed each other with rocks. Cain killed Abel

Catch Mr. Tasty

. . . Mike Bowling 6

without benefit of a pistol, and Macbeth's Duncan died by the knife. The cause of crime stems from poverty, ignorance,

Pheasants In Your Future?

.Dean Wohlgemuth 8

and many diverse socio-economic problems. It cannot be solved by hitting at one of the symptoms of the disease,

Meet Your Commissioner

. Jim Tyler 11

which will only be replaced by another. The failure of prohibition to achieve its purpose is a notable example. The

Don't Eat That Record .. . . ... . .... Jim Morrison 12

net effect of additional gun regulations beyond those already in effect will merel y be to harass and eventually disarm the honest sportsman and citizen, while leaving guns in the

Earn A Wild Dollar ...

.Jim Tyler 14

hands of the criminal. The only readily apparent solution to the problem without further infringement on the rights of

Pray For These Predators

.. . _. . . Jim Tyler 16

honest sportsmen as gun owners lies in stricter enforcement by law enforcement officials and judicial officials of the exist-

Sportsman's Calendar

17

in !! 20,000 federal , state, and local laws governing the misuse of fire arms in crime.

Few of Georgia's more than a quarter of a million licensed

Lester G. Maddox

hunters realize that new restrictive anti-gun legislation now being proposed on the city, county, state, and federal level

Governor

will seriously cripple Georgia's half-million dollar federal aid game management program if they are adopted.

The net effect of such laws and regulations will be to re-

C O MMISSIONERS

duce the number and percentage of sportsmen who hunt,

Judge Harley Langdale, Chairman

Leonard Bassford, Vice Chairman

especially new hunters. A second effect will be to reduce the sa les of firearms and ammunition.
Both events will result in serious future reductions in the

Valdosta-8th District

Augusta-lOth District

amount and relative percent of federal excise tax money on

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

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

fire arms and ammunition that is returned to Georgia. The amount is based on the number of hunting license holders in each state, as well as the amount collected in taxes on

James Darby Vidalia-1st District
Richard Tift

Rankin M. Smith Atlanta-5th District
J. B. Langford

firearms and ammunition. Funds from this program are responsible for the restora-
tion of once-extinct deer to all 159 Georgia counties. It also pays for three-fourths of the cost of the operation of all 21

Albany-2nd District

Calhoun-7th District

Georgia public hunting and fi shing areas, as well as the

William E. Smith Americus-3rd District

Edgar B. Dunlap Gainesville-9th District

alaries of 14 Georgia game biologists engaged in research programs and for the salaries of 21 refuge managers. None of these programs would exist in their present form today

Jimmie Williamson Darien-Coastal District

without these federal aid funds , which will also be even more sorely needed in the future.
Georgia's game biologists say they can provide good hunt

ROSSER MALONE DIRECTOR

ing for a million Georgia hunters by the year 2000, four times the current quarter of a million figure, based on the current six percent annual increase in licensed hunters. But if

ASSISTANT DIRECTORS

Howard D. Zeller Program Planning

Jack A. Crockford Field Operations

restrictive guo legislation cuts off this increase in hunting license sales and excise taxes on the purchase of arms and ammunition, the full potential of hunting as a wholesome recreational activity in Georgia will never be reached. Thou

COORDINATORS

Leon Kirkland, Fisheries

Charles M. Frisbie,

Hubert Handy, Game

Marine Fisheries

RobertS. Baker, Law Enforcement Jim Morrison, Information and

Education

sands of Georgia youngsters will never enjoy the privilege of going hunting with their fathers and learning conservation and soortsmanshio first hand, rather than spending their time getting into trouble on rhe streets. And Georgia's economy could lose more th an 35 million dollars a year alone by reduction of hunting activity from equipment sales, gasoline.

REGION MANAGERS

lodging, food , etc.- J. M.

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

Wayne W. Thomaston,

David Gould, Brunswick, Coast

Fort Valley, M. Ga.

GEORGIA GAME & FISH STAFF

Jim Morrison, Editor Dean Wohlgemuth,
Managing Editor

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

ON THE COVER: The ruffed grouse surveys his lofty mountain kingdom where few hunters are hardy enough to challenge his swift running and flying abilities. Photo by Dan Keever.
* * *
Georgia Game and Fish is the official monthly magazine of the Georgia Game and Fish Commission, published at the Commission's of
/ices, 401 Stare Capitol , Atlanta, Georgia 30334. No advertising accepted. Subscriptiolls are $1 jar o11e year or $2.50 /or three years. Printed by Stein Prillting Compa11y , Atlanta , Ga. Notification of ad-

dress 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. Cor~t ri butions are welcome, but the editors assume
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Seminole bass stringers need plenty of strength. Catches like this aren't unusual in February, th e best m onth on Seminole.
'" "~ mrn c>t> lays back on a bigmouth . settin g the h hard. This is where th e excitem ent begins.
Sound familiar? You can hardly wait for sp ring and fishing? Want to make this a year to look back on next February with glowing satisfaction? Then fr iend , you are wasting time!
These bluebird days coupled with two-day cold snaps are working together to make February one of the best, and frequently the best month to go to Lake Seminole and catch bass. Every year around February, the largemouth bass in Lake Seminole get the jump on sp ring and provide some of the fastest action for bass fishermen this famous Jake has to offer.
Quite a few people know th is to be a fac t, and you can bet that when they first heard it, they didn't believe it either.
The fisheries people of the Game and Fish Commission didn't know it until 1960. This was the first year of fisheries studies on the Jake. In learning about the fis hery of a lake, a Jot of fis hermen are interviewed. Information fro m these interviews, made on the lake, is recorded and arra nged into a form to fi nd out, among other things, just how good fish ing is.
After a year or two of interviewing thousands of fishermen , this information can tell some fasci nating things. Things like when bass fishing is best.
To prove this point the data from one year's creel census is shown in the

graph on the opposite page, giving the comparative catch of bass for each month of the year.
This kind ot information should convince most anybody that the chances of catching a bass, or even a bunch of bass during February are pretty good.
Now just why does this happen? Bass are warm water fish, and the water temperatures during February are sti ll hovering between 55 and 60 degrees, even in Lake Seminole. According to almost everybody, this is simpl y too cold for bass to be the most active. But in Lake Seminole they seem to rouse out a little earlier in the year. The reasons for this sli ghtly unusual behavior are not entirel y understood , but by watching the actions of the bass and knowing something of their habi ts, it appears they are reacting to the uni versal urge.
Bass form eggs during the summer and fa ll. By winter these eggs are developed. This is good, because during the wi nter food is scarce and a bass that didn 't already have eggs formed would be hard put to get the nutrition necessary for the job. So the bass have been waitin g all wi nter for the warm spring sun to bring the water temperatures up to where eggs can survive. When this happens, the male will bu ild a nest, or as they say in South Georgia, fan a bed, and the female wi ll lay the eggs in it. All this is triggered by the warming water.
In Lake Seminole country, February can have some days running when you think summer has set in witho ut the preliminaries. These are the days when the weedy shallows surrou nding the sprawl in g Spring Creek, Fishpond Drain, and Saunders Slough arms of the lake will rapidly wa rm up.
A bass that has been waiting all winter to spawn can be excused for lettin g these first warm days drive him into a frenzy of acti vity. It must appear necessary to hur ry to the shallows and find a good place to fan out a nest. While cruisi ng around enjoying the warm water or taking up a station at a favored nesting site, they flush out the minnows and small fis h that reside in the weeds. Bass eat very little during the cold winter and must be ravenous when the warming trend sti mul ates them to activity again , for they go on a feeding spree. This also probably is necessary to finish the development of the eggs and to prepare both sexes for the demands of spaw ning.
For whatever the reasons, the bass are in the shallow water, coming alive after some weeks of cold legarthy. The warming water and acti vity make them frisky and hungry.
Maybe over the winter they have forgotten to be so careful, or maybe si nce

food has been so scarce anything looks good. Maybe it is because they are so concentrated or because competition is now so keen for every mouthful of minnow that they blindly charge a bait. Maybe for all these reasons and more besides, while the bass are lying about in the warm February sun , they BITE!
This satisfying situation would prevail only for a few days under normal circumstances. The water would go ahead and warm up, the bass would start to bed and guard their young and refuse almost any lure thrown.
But on Lake Seminole, a February cold spell will move in, the shallow water will cool off and so will the bass. They move back out to the now warmer deep waters and the shallows are deserted. High winds and cold rains lash the weedy fl ats, mixing cold water in the most protected cove.
However, February cold waves on this southern edge of Georgia only last fo r two or three days . Spring is pushing up from the Gulf and quickl y edges back the arctic air. The sun shines, the air is warm , and in two or three days the bass again stir from the deep holes, draw n back onto the edges and flats to repeat the activity of a few days before.
This cycle of warm days and cold snaps can go on for six weeks or longer, and because bass follow instinct instead of a calendar, they continue to reac t in the same pattern with each cycle.
This means that they are on the edge to establish nesting terri tories and feeding not once or twice, but maybe for six or eight times before the water stays warm enough to stimulate spawning. The longer the bass stay on the edge before fanning a bed, the longer they are on the spring feed ing spree, concentrated in an area easy to find and fish .
Maybe this works in a small way on other lakes, but it appears to work better in Lake Seminole than anywhere else we've heard of.
The foregoing is not meant to infer that for a month or so around February the bass in Lake Seminole act absolutely foo lish. A bass could lose half his mind and still be a lot smarter than most any other fish. So you will need to continue to exercise your deep knowledge of bass fishing lore and remember that in shallow water any fi sh is spooky. Fish with as much care as any other time and you will likely enjoy more fo r your efforts than any other time. Let your technique become sloppy and it would be hard to catch bass in a hatchery pond.
As to the lures to use, only one statement can be made with absolute certai nty. Don't use deep running plugs

or bottom bumping plugs. Obviously you are fishing the shallow, weedy edges. so use something that runs shallow on top or is weedless. If you are one of ~hose fishermen who think a top water plug is the only wa y to catch bas . you will have some fine action . Jf you are one who thinks topwaters are be t unless they are biting something else better, you will probably catch more fish. Most of the time the ba will tear it up on top, but on the other hand they are still a bit sluggish at ti mes and are occasionally slow to take to the top. In such instances the opportunist will have weighted spinner, poon, plastic worm or some shallow runni ng plug ready to offer.
Feb ruary or not, the bass still try to act like bass and many times seem to hit better in the fleeting moments of dusk, especially in the reall y shallow
water. When the setting sun slants shadows
through the water and the shallows become murky, the bass will move into the ve ry shallow water and swim around with onl y two or three inches of water over their backs, leaving wakes to cast to and mudd y swirls as they chase a minnow or engage in brief duels over a disputed territory. This happens only at sunset, leaving 10 or I 5 minutes of casting time before da rk. But the few minutes of having a top water plug slammed on every cast by a Seminole bass is worth waiting all day for. Put this action in a etting of nippy air, whistling wood ducks darting through the gaunt, bleached dead cypress, water turning wine red from the sun 's last reflection off a ba nk of clouds. and it's worth waiting all year for.
The most important point in fishing Lake Seminole in the early spring is tim ing. If you catch a few warm days, then look out! But if you bring a cold pell south with you, it's back to dredging the bottom for your bass. So check the weather maps in the papers and on TV . Call your local weatherman . If he is a fish erman he might even appreciate knowing wh y you ask. lf he isn't, bring hi m a big Seminole bass if he give you the straight dope. A weatherman would be a good friend to have in Februa ry.
There are plenty of fishing camps

and lodging facilities around Lake Seminole, with some serving really excellent food. The major fish camps include Dunn's Landing, Reynold's Landing, Toole's Landing, and Wingate's Fishing Lodge.
The Corps of Engineers also maintains some camping grounds complete with water. February and March are good months to camp in this area.
Maps of the lake area can be obtained from any office of the Game and Fish Commission. The most up-todate information is available from the Reservoir Manager's Office, Corps of Engineers, Chattahoochee, Fla. Firstclass guide service is available from some of the fishing camps and lodges.
Information on fishing and water conditions can be obtained by contacting Wildlife Rangers Gordon Wilkin, Colquitt, or Harvey Pace, Donaldsonvi lle. Additionally, an y of the camp operators can be relied on to give you good information . These people want to see you catch fish , it's good for their business.
Of course February is still February, and it has its share of early spring rain , wind and cold weather. But before deciding the weather is too uncertain to risk the trip, remember that scores of other fi shermen are thinking the same thing and won't be going. Hundreds of others would never dream of trying for bass in February in the first place. One reason why this early season fishing is so good is that only the more avid minority of spring-hungry fishermen venture out. So go ahead and on some balmy day you will have so much

lake to yourself that your plug will

probably be the first one some Junker

bass has seen since 'way back last Oc-

tober .



So get the jump on spring and the

fair weather legion and ease the frustrations of a passing hunting season.

If you are on the lake in February or early March and it turns cold, you a re likely to encounter a fisheries biologist or two stubbornly casting a top water plug to a weedy bank. He knows better, but there just might be a bass or two still on the edge; it might warm up tomorrow, and besides, it's February on Lake Seminole, and thi s February, I'm going . .. that's a promise!
Jan.
Feb. Mar.
Apr. May Jun. Jul.
..Aug.
Sep. Oct. Nov.
111111111 IJIIIIill 1111 II I II
1M 2M 3M = Bass in Thousands I0 spaces = 1,ooo bass
I space I00 bass

Bill Stembridge of East Point admires a five pound Seminole

Skill, cunning, strength, speed, grace - these are the qualities that place the ruffed grouse high in the esteem of Georgia hunters as an unexcelled game bird.
climb

.~f0 r

Hunter and dog invade the thick north G eorgia mountain woods, native home of the ruffed grouse. Dot, th e pointer, has a bird nailed down for her master, Arthur Truelove of Gain esville, one of Georgia's best grouse hunters.
grouse By Scott Fussell Game Biologist

You can't separate th e two in flight very easily, but Tru elove points out the difference between the band on th e tail of th e male and female grouse. He points to the broken band on th e female.

The bird gets its name from the ruff of dark feathers on its neck. The familiar drumming of the male in the spring is a sound that is well known to people who live within the range of the ruffed grouse.
The range of the ruffed grouse is quite extensive in North America, yet is limited mostly to the northernmost portion of the continent. The ruffed grouse is found in most of the northeastern states, portions of the northwest, and in the majority of Canada. In the east the range extends southward along the Appalach ian section into northern Georgia.
In Georgia the grouse range is limited to the north central and northeastern part of the state. To be more specific, hunting efforts should be confined to an area enclosed by an imaginary line from Toccoa westward through Dahlonega to Jasper then northwestward through Chatsworth to the state line. A large percentage of the land in this area is Forest Service land and is open to the public for bunting during season. Union , Towns, and Rabun counties are popular among grouse hunters.
The best way to locate grouse is to do some pre-season scouting in August or September. An area where logging operations have been conducted is an ideal place for grouse. The cutover area not only provides brushtop cover for grouse but the openings promote the growth of numerous plant species which grouse feed on.
Before starting out, it would be wise to obtain a map that will show roads and streams not ordinarily found on a regul ar road map. Old logging roads and abandoned house sites are areas where grouse may be found. Grouse usually feed in the mornings and after-

The peaceful, scenic solitude of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is one of the big attractions to Truelove
and to many grouse hunters. Add that to the challenge of the bird and the habitat to come up
with a real sporting combination.
After a fine shot, Dot brings the bird to bag with a faul tless retrieve, in spite of the thick tangles which
not only make it hard to carry th e bird back but make it anyth.mg but easy to find th e downed ' bird.

noons and are found hidden in laurel thickets along streams during midday.
A knowledge of the food habits of grouse will be helpful in knowing where to find them. In the fall their diet is comprised mainly of seeds, late-ripened fruits such as apple, hawthorn, dogwood, greenbriar, and viburnum. The mast of nut-bearing plants such as acorns and beechnuts also make up a large part of the grouse diet. Winter food is made up of hardwood browse in the form of buds, bark, and twigs. Herbaceous materials such as the green leafy vegetation found along streams also make up a good portion of the winter diet.
Now that we have some idea as to where grouse are found let us determine how they should be hunted. Grouse bunters prefer using a larger gauge shotgun such as a 12 or 16 gauge. Although you don't often get a second shot at a grouse if you miss the first, it would be wise to have a double barrel, pump, or automatic in case you flush more than one bird. A 26- or 28incb modified or improved cylinder barrel is used more often with grouse hunters. Number 6 or 7% shot seems to be about average with hunters while one experienced grouse hunter has had good success with high powered number 9 shot.
Remember that most shots will be in thick cover and 20 to 30 yards away; therefore one needs to use the gun and shot size that will give him the best pattern under these conditions. Grouse hunting will prove more successful if a good grouse dog is used. The Springer Spaniel, although not too well known in this area, would be ideal as a grouse dog. The widely known pointer and setter have been trained sue-

cessfully as grouse dogs in some cases. In order to have a good grouse dog, he should be trained to hunt grouse only.
Grouse hunters should limit their parties to two persons since grouse are wily and often flush out of gun range. The less noise made the better. When the dog points a grouse, try to get there as quickly as possible without the grouse seeing yo u until you are within a good shotgun range.
In the early part of the season grouse can usually be found in groups of three to seven. Later in the season they are usually found in singles or pairs.
When several birds are flushed it will not pay to try and find the remaining singles unless their exact location was noted when they settled again.
In most cases grouse are found at high elevations near the headwaters of streams in the early part of the hunting season and at lower elevations in the latter part of the season. Grouse appear to bold better in cold weather. One successful bunter I know prefers hunting in 5 to 15 degree weather.
One method of hunting is to walk up a stream and back down the other side staying about ten or twenty yards from the center of the stream. With some knowledge of the terrain one might plan a continuous walk from one road
over to another; thereby bunting in an
area least hunted by others. In this
case a good map will come in handy.
Like any other sport, successful
grouse hunting can only be accom-
plished by experience. It is an extreme-
ly tiring and trying sport because one
may walk several miles through rough
country or up steep ridges and never get a shot.
5

By Mike Bowling
Fisheries Biologist
Catch Mr. Tasty
Wadin g for walleye in th e rocky Tugalo R iver below Y onah Dam . Th e far bank is in South Carolina, but th e river bed belongs to G eorgia.

' The walleye, a member of the perch family, is a recent addition to Georgia lakes. He is perhaps the tastiest freshwater fish in Georgia, 'i highly prized for his eating qualities.
Walleye are similar in appearance to yellow perch except that they 1 have teeth and the two fins on their back are clearly separated. They .), are usually gold or brassy olive buff in color, with large "wall" eyes. ~ The walleye is not a particularly difficult fish to catch if fished for , at the right time. The best time for walleye fishing is late winter and .. ea1ly spring when the spawning run is on. The walleye moves uplo stream to spawn when the water temperature reaches forty-jive to . fifty degrees. If there is a dam or shoals or other obstruction to limit
travel upstream, the walleye will concentrate below this and fishing .. will be excellent. The spawning run usually occurs in North Georgia
in late February or early March.
White and yellow half-ounce jigs are the most productive spawning-run walleye lure when bounced slowly along the bottom rocks. Be sure and take plenty of extra lures.
7

The largest spawning run takes place in the Tugaloo River with fish moving Up from Lake Hartwell to Yonah Dam, where they concentrate in the tail race.
Lake Burton walleye also make a spawning run at this time. However, there is no dam on the Tallulah River to obstruct progress and concentrate them. Hence, the fish are more difficult to locate at Lake Burton since they are scattered up and down the stream at spawning time.
Another popular walleye spawning run occurs in northwest Georgia in the Coosa River system in late January, February and early March. The best places to catch the walleye are the old lock and dam at Rome and below the new Carter's Island Dam south of Chatsworth.
Other streams in this area which have a spring spawning run are Cedar Creek near Cedartown, and the Etowah River up to Allatoona Dam.
The Etowah walleye run should be much better with the planned clearing of silt pollution from industrial strip mmmg operations below Allatoona Dam. This should greatly enhance the stream for fishing in general and the walleye and white bass fishing in particular. Walleye and white bass are expecially sensitive to silt pollution. When this is cleared up, the Etowah should be one of the finest white bass and walleye streams in Georgia.
Walleye on the spawning run may be caught by bank casting or wading in shallow water or from a boat in deeper secti o n s.
Although walleye fishing is best during the spring spawning run , these fish can be caught at other times. The walleye is a night time predator, feeding primaril y at night and resting in dark places during the day. Topwater fishing is effective at night, but a deep running plug is essential during the day.
The most effective lure for walleye during the spawning run is the "dollfly" or lead headed jig. The large (at least % oz.) jig is necessary to break the current found in these streams and get to the bottom. White is the preferred color, but yellow is also very popular.
The jig should be cast out into deep holes, and worked back slowly with a series of jerks or sweeps of the rod. The rod should be jerked or swept back quickly, picking the jig up from the bottom. The lure should then be allowed to sink back to the bottom while the slack in the line is reeled up . This motion should be continued until the lure is returned to the bank.
This method is also most effective for walleye when fishing in a lake.
Lake Blue Ridge has a good population of walleye, and fishing is quite

Below: Walleye are concentrated in th eir run up stream from Lake Hartwell
to spawn by Y onah Dam . Fishing is best on the weekend when generators are
not operating and the water flow is low, allowing wading and easier boat operation as well.
Below: Not all walleye fishermen are this lucky, but stringers can be lon ger than this if conditions are right for a good walleye run .
good during the winter months in water twent y to thirty feet deep. Walleye can be caught in Blue Ridge during January and February around rocky points.
Daytime fishing in the summer is fairly productive trolling along steep rocky banks which afford dark hiding places for the nocturnal walleye. A variety of lures seem to be effective if they run deep enough to get down to the walleye's lair. Heavy jigs with flashing spinners are quite good. As strange as it may seem, mid-morning till mid-afternoon seems to be the best hours to fish for walleye in the daytime.
Jig fishing for walleye can be quite expensive, since many lures will be lost on snags and rocks on the bottom. However, it is quite easy to mold your own jigs and tie them with white hair from deer tails. Jigs made this way cost about five cents each compared with "store boughten" jigs which cost fifty to seventy-five cents apiece.
Walleye fishing can be fun and successful if one is willing to open the fishing season early and brave the cold to fish the spring runs.

8

THE EXOTICS ARE COMING

By Dean Wohlgemuth

Even though there's plenty of good hunting near home in Georgia, rare is the sportsman who doesn't dream of taking a trip to a far-off country in search of game he's heard a lot about, and always wanted to try.
Few veteran sportsmen will argue that the best place to go hunting or fishing is at home, where you know the terrain and know your quarry and its habits.
Yet there is a wanderlust in all of us. We're adventuresome souls or we wouldn't be the sportsmen we are. This is natural, and hardly could be called a bad trait.
High on the list of game sought by hunters who dream of long trips is the pheasant. And no wonder! He's a wily, tricky, gamy bird with plenty to offer. He's bright colored, a beautiful bird for the bag or for a mount in the den. And on the dinner table, there is nothing to beat him. At times, he'll outsmart you completely. Then again, he makes a mistake and bang! He's in your bag. You may walk a long, long way without seeing one, then suddenly find yourself surrounded by dozens, filling the air with their hoarse crowing and loud wingbeats. When he takes off, he catches you by surprise everytime, and scares you out of your boots with the loud whirring of his wings.
Wouldn't it be nice, you say, if Georgia only had a good pheasant population and there was good hunting for this bird right here at home?
This is a dream of biologists of the Game and Fish Commission. And when these experts have such a dream , they go to work.

Not only pheasants are included in the dream. Experiments have b e e n under way for several years now to find various kinds of exotic game birds which will provide new sport, and more important, fill gaps left by native game.
Just how feasible is it to try to bring in a game bird that is not native to the state? There is always criticism of such efforts. Some comment that if nature wanted these birds here, they would have been here naturally. It just won 't work, they say.
Hold on a minute. You've heard of the very fine pheasant hunting in other states. Were those birds native to these regions? Of course not. They were brought from China originally, but took hold and flourished in a new home.
At present there are two types of exotic game birds in existence in Georgia's wilds. However, at the moment, populations amount only to a few birds that were stocked by the Commission to determine whether the birds can adapt to Georgia climate and habitat, and reproduce. The two species already stocked are pheasants and junglefowl.
The jungle cock is similar to the pheasant in that its colors are quite gaudy. He's just about the same size, and looks much the same as a bantam rooster. But he likes a different type habitat, and appears to be very suited to climates and conditions in Middle and South Georgia.
First release of junglefowl in Georgia was in October of 1963, when 15 birds were released. Another release of 30 birds was made in December, 1964.

Both these releases were made in the vicinity of the Bowen Mill Game Farm. Birds have been noted as far as six miles away from the farm.
Since these initial stockings, two other areas were used for releases. Two groups of 50 birds each were planted near Lake Seminole, the first in 1963 and the second in 1965. At Clark Hill, birds were released in 1963 and 1964.
Releases were made in the fall to help the birds become more accustomed to conditions in the wild before the coldest part of the winter.
Since it appears that there is little hope the Chinese ringneck pheasant can adapt to Georgia, the bird stocked here is a cross between this bird and the Iranian blackneck pheasant. Indications so far are that this bird may eventually become established but it will still take some time.
The junglefowl has so far given even more hope to the biologists than has the pheasant. There's good evidence that this species has adapted himself well enough to reproduce and apparently will take hold. When there is proof positive, stockings of both junglefowls and pheasants will be more widespread.
In the case of both birds, experimental stockings were made over a period of three or four years. A few hundred birds at a time were released each year. These birds were watched carefully as possible by the biologists. They sought evidence that the birds were surviving and reproducing.
They depended more on ears than eyes for this evidence. It is good news when a bird, especially with a brood of

This pheasant is just about to enter a new world -a world that the Game and Fish Commission hopes will provide a good home for him and thus provide a new game bird for Georgia hunters. Biologist Scott Fussell holds the bird by its wings as he takes it from the cage and prepares to release it.
9

young, is sighted. When there are you ngsters, that is proof positive that there is at least some reproduction, that the birds survived the transition to life in the wild long enough and well enough to have offspring.
But eyes cannot see as much as ears can hear. These wary birds aren't the type to allow themselves to be seen injudiciously. Yet, especially in the early morning, a pheasant has to crow occasionally. His loud, raspy unmusical call can be heard for quite a distance on a clear, quiet morning! So biologists station themselves in the open , waiting, listening and counting each call they hear, as evidence that the birds are still there. Spring is the best time to count the calls. This is the season when these birds , like all other species of nature, begin to blossom out, and make their presence known.
Pheasant stocking experiments were made in northwest Georgia, where habitat appeared to be more suitable than in other areas of the state. The first group of pheasants were released in 1963 in Gordon County near Calhoun. Since that time, four groups were put out, bringing the total released to more than 1,000 birds.
Of course, the period after a stocking sees a decline in the number of birds. Wild birds cannot be transported very far. They will soon die in captivity. So eggs must be hatched and birds pen raised to produce more eggs. Then the pen raised birds are stocked.
Mortality is high among the stocked birds since they are unaccustomed to having to support themselves. They have to learn to find their own food and how to hide from predators. But those that do survive produce young, and these young that survive are the birds that will begin to bring about a wild population. Eventually, the birds
Th e jungle fowl looks like a bantam chicken and is about the same size and coloration. Th ey ha ve been most successful in th e Ocmulgee River swamp near Fit zgerald.

Gam e Biologist Joe Kight and Fit zgerald gam e farm manager, H . J. Sewell, examine a Tinamou , new gam e bird im ported from Argentina, which th e Commission hopes will take hold in G eorgia and fill a gap occurring now in fallin g quail populations in th e state.

get stronger, wilder and wiser. Then the species is on its way to becoming establ ished .
The jungle fowl stor y is simi lar. The habitat that appeared best for them is that around Bowen Mill Fish Hatchery in South Georgia . Like the pheasants, they must be pen raised birds, and must evolve into a wild strai n again.
Call counts and sightings indicate jungle fowl are doing very well in this area.
Graduall y, after becoming established, populations are certain to flourish and the birds will spread out over a larger area. Already, pheasants have been found 15 miles from the point where they were stocked. But if it were necessary to wait until the birds spread naturally to new areas, you'd never have any hope of getting to hunt them in your lifetime.
So, once it appears certain a particular species can successfull y take hold , more pen raised birds will be stocked in other areas, and gradually new areas will have birds. All thi s, however, is of course no overnight project. It may sti ll be several years until there is an open season in Georgia for exotic birds of these types.
Further, there are places in the state where neither pheasa nts nor junglefowl will be able to live and reproduce successfull y. And there are gaps in such places wh ich need to be filled. So the Commission , aided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, continues to research new species and new possibilities.
Dr. Gardiner Bump of the Fish and Wildlife Service, has the job of traveling arou nd the world for the Service, investigating new species, and comparing their native habitat with similar habitat in this country that is in need of new game birds.
In his travels, Bump found a bird

in Argentina that has a horne similar to much Georgia area. Actually, the bird is divided into eight subspecies, two of which appear to be of the type that can live successfully in this state. These are the Tinarnou ( pronounced tin-amew).
The two species in which Georgia is interested are the grassland and brushland species. A few of these birds were sent here just this past year, and are being raised at the state's game farm . If enough eggs can be obtained and hatched out, initial test stockings can be made to see if these birds can survive in the Peach State.
Biologists encountered an unusual si tuation with the Tinarnou. They found that si nce the birds are natives of Argentina, where the country is enjoying spring while this hemisphere is having fall , the birds naturally laid eggs in the fall here. It will take some years for the birds to become accustomed to the change in the climatic seasons, and lay their eggs in the spri ng.
The Tinarnou , it is hoped , will fill the niche in nature that is being vacated in many a reas by bobwhite quail.
In many areas, land is converting to pasture land , not providing enough food and cover for quail. This is where it is hoped the grassland strain of Tinarnou can be introduced. On the other hand , land that was once farmed now is standing in trees, again crowding out the bobwhite. Here's where the brushland species may be able to fill the bill.
Perhaps the Tinamou is the answer to both problems, or maybe to only one. Then again, there is no assurance yet that this bird can or will ever become a Georgia game bird.
Whether it is or not, research will continue, as the Commission will do its best to assure Georgia sportsmen of the best a nd most diversified hunting possible.

10

By Jim Tyler

James A. Williamson ("all my friends call me Jimmie") is a mover. He is always on the go. Overflowing with nervous energ y, he rushes from job to job, cou nty to county, and thought to thought. His mind seems never at rest, and he physically propels his body at the same pace. With this trait and a cigar ever present in his mouth or held between finger , his distinctive Georgia coast dialect, his humor, and read y mile, he bustles about and has broken into that rare category called "an individ ual."
The "Georgia Boy," a nickname he picked up wh ile in the services, was appoi nted game and fish commissioner by Governor Ernest Vandiver in 1962 to represent Georgia's six coastal countie . Being a commissioner for the coastal area is somewhat different from the other inland game and fish commi sioners. Besides the sportsmen , he represe nts commercial fi shermen who support a 25 million dollar coastal industry. Shri mp , crab, oysters, fi sh, you name it, Georgia has it.
This i no small industry, and it is no small job for the Commissioner. Jimmie does the job ad mirably. He represents the fishermen with firm conviction. These men are hi s friends and do not hesitate bringing their problems to him. As their commi sioner he

doesn't hesitate to try to find a solution.
While he has been on the Commission, the state of Georgia has started significant new scientific investigations of its salt waters. The Game and Fish Department now has a fine marine biology taff. These biologists are scientifically taking a look at the shrimp, crab, clam, and oyste r situ ation . This will certainly help the fishermen and , actuall y, everyone in Georgi a.
Jimmie also does well by the sportsmen. He has taken an active interest in the establishment of duck hunts on Butler Island . And he is pushing to make the Altamaha Waterfowl Management Area an all around recreation area. In about two years a 300 acre freshwater fi shing lake on Champney Island will hopefull y be ready for the public.
Today at 47, Commissioner Willi amson is self employed as a successful timber dealer. He buys standing
timber. After purch asing the timber he
then , with hi s own employees or through
sub-contractors, goes in and reduces
the trees to even cut six-foot sections
th at are shipped off to pulp mills. His
total volume is about 600 cords a week.
Between college and today, Jimmie saw action in World War IT as a gun-
ner in the Air Force. With rightfu l
pride he wi ll tell of his 53 missions

over enemy territory. He was mayor of Darien for three consecutive terms. As a legislative aid to Governor Ernest Vandiver, he traveled the globe. And he was sergeant-of-arms for Georgia's caucus to the convention when John F . Kenned y was nominated for the presidency.
Within the gun and rod world, Commissi oner Willi amson will brag about sport fishi ng along the coast, but like a true Georgian , he feels a good quail hunt is hard to top . He has been known to drive a goodl y distance for the opportunity of a dove shoot, and he enjoys deer hunting.
ln the small community of Darien, Jimmie's office fro nts the main street. Down the street, around the corner and at the fa r corner of the same block, he resides in a white house of many windows with his wife Elizabeth (he calls her Lib) , daughter Susan, and daughter Sandra when she is home from the Uni ve rsity of Georgia. And just two stone throws away, the Altamaha Ri ver flows by and near by empties into the Atlantic Ocean. This is how close Jimmie is to the men who pl y the salt water.
The coastal counties are lucky to have him as a Commissioner. Surely, as long as he is able, Jimmie will be a concerned, active commissioner. And , movi ng right along, he will cut trees, enjo y life, and be an individual.

Commissioner Jimmie Williamson of Darien is an early riser, especially wh en hunting is th e reason.

Deep in a solllh Georgia for est, Jimmie supervised
one of his crews as th ey section fallen trees to
be sh ipped to th e pulp miffs.
1 1

Nickie Rich of Marietta caught the second largest Georgia bass out of Chastain's lake near Marietta
while fishin g in the rain with spring lizards. His fish took first prize in the Field & Stream contest for 1965.

DON'T Eat That Record!

By Jim Morrison

"I brung the fish home 'n cleaned 'n eat 'm. I didn't know I had a record. If I'd a knowed that was hit, why I might o' weighed him somewheres or another, I guess."
Do those horrifying words sound familiar to you? If so, chances are you just looked at a man who will never get credit for what might have been a world's record, or at least state record fish.
It's not as impossible as it may sound. Even di sregarding the usual collection of fish stories, there are a good number of Georgians around who have either knowingly or unknowingly seen such fis h on their way to the frying pan, unheralded by the waiting world.
Ending up in the frying pan isn't as ignominious as it may seem at first, since both of Georgia's two world's record fish ended up that way, along with many of the state record fish. The important thing about these catches was that in most instances they were properly weighed in the presence of witnesses, measurements and photographs taken, and the information notarized before the big banquet.
That something like that could actually happen seems impossible to hundreds of fishermen like myself who have carried a washed-out copy of the entry form for a national fishing contest in their tackle box for the last five or six years, complete with ballpoint pen.
Who knows how many other world's record fish have been caught in Georgia and were eaten without fanfare? One such instance occurred last spring to an employee of the Game and Fish Commission who was fishing in a small private pond just south of Atlanta, when he came across a fisherman who had a huge crappie on his stringer, the largest he had ever seen.
"It weighed five pounds if it weighed

an ounce," declared the observer. "I told the man that it might be the
world's record crappie, but he didn't seem to be too impressed by it. When I checked the next day and found that the record was just a little over five pounds, I went back to see him right away. He seemed a little disturbed at first when I told him he might have the prize fish, but after a minute or so he didn't seem to be bothered much by the i.dea. He told me he gave it to his brother-in-law to cook that night. He didn't weigh it or make any photographs or measurements."
Other instances are reported by wildlife rangers and fishery biologists. One Georgia game biologist caught a two and three-quarter pound bluegill bream himself, taking it home and eating it, only to find later that he could have placed third last year in a national outdoor magazine's fishing contest with his fish!
Needless to say, you need to catch your fish on a rod and reel by legally accepted sporting methods if you expect to win any loot in the national contests, although your catch might be interesting biologically. This can sometimes be heart-breaking, as in the case of a Georgia fish biologist and his biological aid who were engaged in surveying the bass population in a large reservoir when they captured a 17 pound bass. Besides there being no possible way to enter the fish in any contest (a sure winner), the pair saw disaster strike a second time when the monster bass escaped their live basket through a gaping hole in its side before they could show it to anyone!
Another very serious problem concerns the proper identification of the fish. It's often hard for the layman or the expert to tell the exact species, especially if a photograph or a description is all there is to prove the species.

The Georgia record rainbow trout weighing 12 pounds and four ounces was caught in the Coosawattee River near Ellijay last year by John Wh itaker, using a 10 pound test lin e and chicken liver for bait.

1 ?.

Ranger Russell Honea displays th e largest white bass caught last year in Georgia and the second largest ever caught in Georgia. Dr. H . L. Taylor of Gainesville landed th e whopper on a Little Cleo in the upper end of Lake Lanier.
A record bass? Nobody will ever know after the body was baked and eaten. And identification of the species is difficult from a photograph, even without a body.
Th e th ird largest G eorgia bass was landed in Lake Lanier by Emory Dunahoo of Gainesville, using a dee p-diving wh ite Waterdog plug. The monster tipped th e scales ar 17 pounds and 9 ounces.

A case in point about mistaken identity that occurred a few years ago happened to a new trout fisherman who was fishing with " friends" in the Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam for trout. Some of his companions managed to fasten a saltwater spanish mackerel to his hook, convincing him that he had caught the record! Only after the embarrassed fisherman had brought the fish to a biologist of the Game and Fish Commission did his pals reveal their prank.
On the more honest side, Georgia fish biologists frequently settle heated arguments over the identity of the supposed new world's record "smallmouth bass" by pronouncing it to be a warmwater spotted bass, which has a small mouth but has markings like a largemouth bass.
Many of the current state and national records could easily be beaten, if more anglers would properly record their catches and see that the information is passed on to the proper authorities. For instance, the world's record bowfin or mudfish is probably swimming around somewhere in the Okefenokee Swamp right now. Who knows, the world's record largemouth bass might be in there with him , even though this Georgia record has stood longer than any other. Several close approaches to the world's record white bass of five pounds, two ounces have already been made, and bluegill bream, crappie, and spotted bass records are in reach of Georgia anglers. In many categories, no records have even been recorded , so your catch might be the state record , at least for a few weeks until something bigger comes along.
In order to help encourage anglers to report their record or near record catches, Georgia Came and Fish Magazine wi ll issue a master angler's certificate suitable for framing to fishermen reporting catches which exceed the minimum weights listed for each Georgia freshwater specie . Certificates will be issued on fish which break the state record or which might be the nat ional winner of the year onl y in cases where the fish is weighed, measured, and photographed in the presence of two witnesses and the information notarized.
Arrangements are now being made for a fishing contest for Georgia complete with prizes for the largest fish of the year of the more common species. We'll have more information on the contest in the March is ue of Cam e and Fish . In the meantime, to keep you thinking about the big one that didn't get away, here's a li t of the current state records on file with the State Game and Fish Commi sion, along with the minimum certificate weight and the world's records:

Minimum Weight for
Certificate

State Records

World's Record

10 lbs.

BASS, LARGEMOUTH
22 lbs., 4 oz. George Perry, Bruns wick, Montgomery Lake, Ga., June 2, 1932. World's Record

Same

Second 17 lbs ., 14 oz. Nickle Rich, Marietta, Chastain's Lake, April 27, 1965
Third 17 lbs., 9 oz. Emory Duna hoo, Gainesville, Lake Lanier, De cember 19, 1965

5 lbs. BASS, SMALLMOUTH No Official State Record

11 lbs ., 15 oz.

5 lbs .

BASS, SPOTTED

8 lbs ., AI Craver, Atlanta, Upper

Chattahoochee River,

June, 1960

No Record

2 lbs. BASS, REDEYE (COOSA) No Official State Record

No Record

5 lbs. BASS. FLINT RIVER SMALLMOUTH

No Official State Record

No Record

3 lbs.

BASS, WHITE

4 lbs. , 14 oz. Albert Pittman,

Gainesville, Lake Lanier,

Jan. 11 , 1966

5 lbs., 2 oz.

1Y2 lbs. BLUEGILL No Official State Record

4 lbs., 12 oz.

10 lbs. BOWFIN No Official State Record

No Record

20 lbs . CARP No Official State Record

55 lbs., 5 oz.

20 lbs. CHANNEL CATFISH No Official State Record

57 lbs.

3 lbs. CRAPPIE, BLACK 4 lbs. (Unofficial) Jack Boutelle, Decatur, Lake Sinclair, 1961

5 lbs.

3 lbs. CRAPPIE . WHITE No Official State Record

5 lbs., 3 oz.

15 lbs . GAR, LONGNOSE No Official State Record

50 lbs., 5 oz.

Any weight

MUSKELLUNGE

38 lbs. Rube Golden, Atlanta, Blue

Ridge Lake, June , 1957

69 lbs. , 15 oz.

2 lbs . YELLOW PERCH No Official State Record

4 lbs. , 3Y oz.

5 lbs.
1Y2 lbs.

PICKEREL, CHAIN (JACKFISH) 9 lbs ., 6 oz. Baxley McQuaig, Jr.
Homerville, February, 1961 World's Record

Same

SUNFISH, REDBREAST No Official Record

No Record

2 lbs. 4 lbs.

SUNFISH, REDEAR (SHELLCRACKER)

No Official State Record

No Record

SAUGER No Official State Record

8 lbs ., 5 oz.

15" or TROUT, BROOK 5 lbs. No Official State Record

14 lbs. , a oz.

18" or 5 lbs.

TROUT, BROWN

12 lbs. , 8 oz. Terrell Gragg, Rabun

County, Seed Lake, 1960

39 lbs., 8 oz.

241' or 6 lbs.
5 lbs.

TROUT, RAINBOW

12 lbs., 4 oz.

John Whitaker

Ellijay, Coosawattee River, Maj

31 , 1966

WALLEYE No Official State Record

37 lbs. 25 lbs.

13

When a 15-year-old goes after th at all elusive doll a r he will , after puttin g the squ eeze on hi s old m an, m aybe look around for a part time job. And if he reall y wants one, he will find it. C ha nce a re he wo n't be overly happy about it what with girl , football , hunting, and such. But he needs the extra green.
Surprisingly, th ere a re several jobs waiting just on the outskirts of most any to wn. lt's outside work. With Georgia's rich supply of rivers, streams, creeks, marshes, and ponds, there is money to be had . .. trapping.
Now the fur business isn't exactl y in a he yday, but there is money roaming around , and proba bl y more important, a chance for a boy or for that ma tter, a nyo ne, to be in the midst of
a ture, to sharpen hi s wits against the a nim als of the wild , and to enjoy it as a sport.
Some boy have made the di scovery. Kenny, for example. Kenn y Frasard of Lithonia is a trapper. He is fifteen. And he is lucky. His brother, Chuck, traps too. Chuck, for the past two years, has been bringing hi s kid brother up the trapping learning ladder. Now they don' t live in the wilds, nor do they trap wild country. Some of their traps sit waiting under the very concrete bridges which hold the load of an interstate highway's constant sw ish-swishing traffic. Some are et under and near decadent wooden bridges along dirt roads - stream and river bridges a re on right-of-way that a re open to the public. And they have tra ps set along rivers a nd stream s where la ndowners will let them . Trappers should be careful here. They have to have written permission. Kenny, with disbelief, will even tell of a landowner with a beautiful house overlooking a farmpond , who ac tu all y offe red to pay him to tra p the growing numbers of musk rat. "Heck," K enny says, "I just wanted the muskrats I tra pped."
They don't make much. Last year $60 for Kenn y, $ 150 for Chuck. The two Fra ards will not deny that the money is nice, but they do it more for the sport. Surel y the more they learn, the more they will earn.
Let's fo llow K enn y a nd Chuck a nd see how they got started in tra pping. Chuck moved to Georgia two years ago to join hi family who had been in Lithonia for a year. He tarted out with a n advantage a nd a di sadva ntage. He had trapping experience, but he didn 't kno w the country or the la ndowners.
That was two years ago. ow he has a n establi shed line spread over quite a distance. H e flit from creek to river in a Volkswagen in the da rk mo rning hours before he sta rts his eight to five job. Ken ny joins him on weekends and

sets six or so traps close by his house (he walks across a golf course to reach water) during the school week.
Fran, the brothers' father, trapped in his youth and started Chuck on his way with a couple of books on trappi ng. Since then experience has been his teacher, along with trapping maga-
zines. Their Georgia trapping career start-
ed last year when Kenny caught a muskrat in a box trap set for rabbit. They didn't even know, at the time, there were animals to trap in Georgia. Chuck dug out his gear. Kenny had a piece of luck, he bought 18 traps for two dollars from a neighbor.
In a shed next to their trailer house, they skin and stretch their pelts on homemade stretchers. Muskrats are their main trappings. And proudly, Chuck recently caught his first mink
for this season. Last year only 407 Georgians bought
trapping licenses. So, competition houldn't be keen for a newcomer. The kee nness will be in the individual's effort to trap his quarry.
Some people, of course, spend more time trapping than others. Many seasoned trappers do quite well, but of those who reported to the Game and Fish Department last year, the highest amount reported by one man was a little better than $2000. A check with Atlanta fur dealer Quince Plott will show that a few made 4, 5, and $6,000 last year. He tells of one college student and his partner who made close to $15,000 in one season. But these are exceptional trappers.
Georgia's trapping season this year started on November 19, 1966, and ends February 28 , 1967. There is no closed season for beaver. Fox, mink, muskrat, opossum, otter, raccoon, and skunk are regulated by season. A trapping license costs $4.25 for those 16 years old and older.
Equipment-wise, traps are naturally the firs t consideration. A number 1 long spring trap is used for mink and muskrat and sells for $.65 apiece. A heavier trap, a number I %, is used for mi nk and muskrat- it sells for $1 apiece. Number 2 is quite good for fox and sells for $1.25 apiece. For the larger animals, beaver and otter, a number 4 can be used and sells for about $2.50 apiece. Check with a hardware store or a fur dealer for traps. Or better yet check around and see if a neighbor has some that have been lying around. He might sell them for a low price. By law, each trap has to have the owner's name either stamped legibly upon the trap or on an attached tag.
You can buy muskrat frames to tretch pelts. They cost about $.50 apiece. Or you can make them . For bigger ani mals a simple homemade frame

Always learning from his brother,

Gingerly, K enny lifts a muskrat. Traps are set so K enny watches as Chuck checks a

muskrats quickly drown .

trap.

R eturning to th e car after checking a series of three traps, Chuck has a tail hold on a muskrat and a opposum. The opposum was released unharmed- th eir pelts, at present, bring less than a dollar.

It only takes five minutes for K enny to skin a muskrat.

does the job. Among other essentials are hip boots,
knife, and something to dispose of live animals, a hand axe for example. Traps are set so trapped animals will quickl y drown. However, fox and opossum will probabl y be found alive in the trap. Georgia law requires all set traps are to be inspected at least every 36 hours.
Bait ( perhaps apple) and commercially bottled scent material (H awbaker for example) can be used to lure animals to the trap.
Pelt prices are as bouncy as stock market prices. To avoid disappointment, fur prices should be followed and

pelts sold when prices are the highest. Chuck follows the magazine Fur, Fish, and Game as a guide.
Trapping is a lot like trying out for the basketball team . The one who gets up early to practice, who watches his opponents with a keen eye (finds out how they think and act), keeps his equipment in good shape, and practices, practices, practices - this is the boy who will make it. Sure, there is work involved, but work always comes before enjoyment.
Get permission and try the nearest creek or pond. The job and the sport a re there for the taking.

Pray For These Predators
Known for its ability as a destroyer of rodents, fe w people realize the important roles owls and hawks play i11 keeping small game populations healthy. They help eliminate diseased and weak animals.
By Jim Tyler
Disturbed , the owl sleepil y flew to another tree just a short distance away. Keeping his hulking image in my eye, I lowl y walked close enough to be in range for a sure shot. The sunlight was brilliant. I made a good shot. Down he came, wings flapping vaguely ... 1 was a dumb kid.
Shooting a n owl or a hawk is a stupid thing. Reall y. And it can't all be blamed on dumb kids. There are always those who shoot everything that trembles, yet many, m any adults are guilty for the plain fact that they do not know or do not believe that an owl or a hawk is actually necessary for a wild population of quail or rabbits (or any small game animal) to remain health y.
Sure, they swoop down on some game birds and a nimals. But among six of the more common specie of hawks wit h varying diets, only I % to 16% of their total diet con i ts of rabbits, squirrels, a nd game birds, according to the atio nal Audubon Society (rodents, m all birds , and insects are high on "feathered mousetrap" menus). Among these game birds a nd a nim als taken, man y are the weak, diseased, and unfit. They capture easier. By eliminating the unhea lth y of cherished game species the overall stock is improved in a

hereditary way. You know, eliminate an imals that would pass weaknesses on to their offsprings. So this de truction in most insta nces is not nearl y as bad as some people claim.
eed specific proof? Okay, let's get pecific.
Jn South Carolina, members of a beagle club established a trail ground on a 25 to 30 acre tract of abandoned farm land. They fenced it with rabbit proof fencing and in two and a half yea rs put 542 rabbits inside. The rabbits had been box trapped in the surrounding counties, except 24 imported from Missouri.
All thi s time predators were carefully watched and kept out. Few bunnies were taken by them. Then , after two and one half years of accumulation, this bunny heaven developed trouble. Rabbits started d ying.
The Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study people at the University of Georgia were called to the scene. Dr. John W. Foster, A sociate Professor of Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, supervised a tudy that showed the disease tularemia was present.
ow, if this would have been a normal situation when the disease was first introduced to this population, hawks and owls a nd other pred ators would have killed the diseased, sick animals quite quickly. Here, however, the sick bunnies were not bothered, lingered before they died, and further spread the disease. Although an unnatural situation, this surely illustrates what can ha ppen when predation is eliminated.
When the beagle club was informed of the source of their problem, they discontinued their efforts to keep predators away. It wasn't long before tularemia disappeared.
Fitting into the scheme of natural li fe , ha wks and owls daily work a 24 hour shift, hawks by day, owls by

night. They hunt without cruelty or pleasure ; kill ing is as much their way of life as our simple uncalculated breathing of air.
There are over a hundred different kinds of hawks and owls throughout North America, and Georgia has its share. They are found everywhere. And everywhere they are diminishing In numbers.
In 1963 the General Assembly of Georgia passed a law protecting all birds except the crow, English sparrow, and starling. Regretfully, it hasn't been taken seriously. Guns continue to take a terrible toll of hawks and owls.
But there might be a more efficient killer than a man with a gun . Scientists a re wondering if pesticides might eventually eliminate hawks and owls. Since they have relativel y long li ves in comparison to other birds, they tend to accumulate pesticides within their bodies. They keep on storing, scientists have found , and the percentage of lethal chemicals increases and increases. The result? Loss of reproduction and in some cases, death . Like pesticides, air pollution and radioactive fallout are also potential eradicators suspected to affect birds.
In Georgia, reproduction of common species such as the Cooper's hawk, marsh hawk, broadwinged hawk, and the red-tailed hawk, has fa llen off dra tically. The finger of guilt points to these invisible destroyers. To say the least, a problem that will grow in magnitude.
The future for hawks and owls is dismal. Man in his blundering way, blunders greatly and always against
ature. He chops, paves, dumps, builds, destro ys, and goes right alo ng. He could chop our feathered mousetraps right out of the scene. He had better expect more trouble with small game populations a nd stockpile his mousetraps .. . among other things. Or else he had better wi e up.

Behold the mighty hunter!! Giving th e hunter his due, he probably didn't know that hawks and owls help th e hunter and are actually his friend. And, surely , he didn't know that it is against th e law to kill them .

/

16

Sportsman's

~Calendar

SEASONS NOW OPEN
QUAIL, BOBWHITE Season- Nov . 19, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967. Bag Limit-12 Dai ly, possession limit 36.
GROUSE, RUFFED
Season-Oct. 15, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967. Bag Limit-3 Daily, pos ession limit 6.
SQUIRREL
Season-Oct. 15, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967. Bag Limit-10 Dail y.
OPOSSUM
Season-Oct. 29, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967. Exception: Coweta County opens Oct. I, 1966 through Jan. 21 , 1967.
o Bag Limit.
RACCOON
N. Ga. Season-Oct. 29, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967. Bag Limit-One (I) per night per person. S. Ga. Season- No closed season. No Bag Limit.
R ABBITS
Season- Nov. 19, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967. N. Ga. Bag Limit-S D ail y. S. Ga. Bag Limit- 10 D ai ly.
WILD TURKEY Southwest Ga. Season-N ov. 19, 1966 through Feb. 28, 1967 in the counties of Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell , Seminole, and Thomas. Bag Limit-Two (2) per season.
In Memoriam
John R. Moore, Chauncey, G a., wildlife ranger in Dodge County, died ~ct. 9, 1966. Mr. Moore was a ranger nme years, joini ng the Commission July 1, 1957.
E. H ughes Pitts, Lexington, Ga., ~ildlife ranger in Oglethorpe Cou nty, d1ed Dec. 29, 1966. Mr. Pitts served as a ranger for I 6 years, beginning with the Commission in July, 1950.

GEORGIA OUTDOORS
The Radio Voice of The Game and Fish Commission
Many readers of Georgia Game and Fish may not be aware of the weekly radio program produced by the Game and Fish Commission. The progra m is centered a round the hunting and fishing activities of Georgia and its sportsmen, and is heard at various times of the week on radio stations throughout the state. If you enjoy reading Game and Fish, you are sure to enjoy GEORGIA OUTDOORS on the following stations:

Adel Albany Alma Americus Americus Athens Athens Atlanta Blackshear Blakely Bremen Brunswick Cairo Calhoun Cartersville Cartersville Cedartown Claxton Cleveland Cochran Commerce Cordele Cornelia Covington Cumming Dalton Decatur Decatur Douglas Douglas Dublin East Point Fitzgerald Gainesville Gainesville Glenville Griffin Griffin Hartwell Hazelhurst Hinesville Jesup Lafayette LaGrange Louisville Macon
Macon Madison Metter Milledgeville Millen Montezuma Moultri e Nashvi lle Newnan Qu itman Rome Rome Rossville Savannah Savannah Savannah Statesboro Summerville Swainsboro Sylvester Thomaston Thomasville Thomasville Thomson Tifton Tifton Toccoa Toccoa Valdosta Valdosta
Vidalia Warner Robins Washington Waycross Waynesboro

WAAG WLBY WCQS WDEC WISK WGAU WRFC WPLO WBSG WBBK
wwcc
WGIG WGRA WCGA WBHF WKRW WGAA WCLA WRWH WVMG WJJC WMJM WCON WGFS WSNE WBU WAVO WGUN WDMG WOKA WXLI WTJH WBHB WGUN WLBA WKIG WGRI WHIE WKLY WVDH WGML WLOP WLFA WLAG WPEH WCRY
WMAZ WYTH WMAC WMVG WGSR WMNZ WMGA WNGA WCOH WSFB WRGA WLAQ WRIP WEAS WSGA WTOC WWNS WGTA WJAT WOGA
ws"
WLOR WPAX WTWA WWGS WTIF WLET WNEG WGAF WJEM
WVOP WRBN WLOV WAYX WBRO

1000 kc 1250 kc 1400 kc 1280 kc 1380 kc 1340 kc 960 kc 590 kc 1350 kc 1260 kc 1440 kc 1440 kc 790 kc 900 kc 1450 kc 1270 kc 1340 kc 1470 kc 1350 kc 1440 kc 1270 kc 1490 kc 1450 kc 1430 kc 1410 kc 1230 kc 1420 kc 1010 kc 860 kc 1310 kc 1230 kc 1260 kc 1240 kc 1240 kc 1580 kc 1580 kc 1410 kc 1320 kc 980 kc 920 kc 990 kc 1370 kc 1590 kc 1240 kc 1420 kc 900 kc
940 kc 1250 kc 1360 kc 1450 kc 1570 kc 1050 kc 1400 kc 1600 kc 1400 kc 1490 kc 1470 kc 1410 kc
980 kc 900 kc 1400 kc 1290 kc 1240 kc 950 kc 800 kc 1540 kc 1220 kc 730 kc 1240 kc 1240 kc 1430 kc 1340 kc 1420 kc 630 kc 910 kc 1150 kc
970 kc 1600 kc 1370 kc 1230 kc 1310 kc

Saturday

3:30P.M.

Saturday

8:15A.M.

Monday

7:45A.M.

Sunday

8:1 5 A. M.

Sunday

7:00A.M.

Saturday

5:45A.M .

Sunday

6:30P.M.

Sunday

7:30A.M.

Saturday

5 : 0 0 P. M .

Saturday

8:1 5A.M.

Saturday

8:15A.M.

Daily

6:15P.M.

Monday

2:30P.M.

Tuesday

3: 15 P. M .

Saturday

10:45 A.M.

Saturday

6 : 0 0 A. M.

Saturday

12:00 Noon

Wednesday

6:45A.M .

Friday

1:00 P.M .

Saturday

1:15 P.M .

Saturday

1:00 P.M.

Thursday

7:15P.M.

Saturday

1:15 P.M.

Tuesday

2:45P.M.

Monday

1:40 P.M.

Fr iday

6 : 1 5 P. M .

Friday

5:15P.M.

Saturday

8: 0 0 A. M.

Sunday

7:15P.M.

Saturday

5:15P.M.

Saturday

12:30 P.M.

Saturday

5:30A.M.

Sunday

6:15P.M.

Saturday

1:15 P.M .

F ri d a y

10:05 P.M.

Saturday

7:30A.M .

Monday

5:15P.M.

Saturday

5:00P.M.

Saturday

9:45A.M.

Thursday

6:45P.M.

Friday

12:15 P.M.

Monday

1:00 P.M.

Wednesday

11 :45 A.M.

Saturday

12:45 P.M.

Wednesday

10:40 A.M.

Saturday

7:45A.M.

or 15 m i nutes

after sign-on

Saturday

5: 4 0 A . M .

Saturday

5:00P.M.

Monday

7:15A.M.

Saturday

5:30P.M.

Monday

3:45P.M.

Friday

12:30 P.M .

Saturday

10:00 A.M.

Sunday

6:30A.M.

Monday

12:30 P.M.

Saturday

9:30A.M.

Saturday

5:45A.M.

Saturday

6:00A.M.

Sunday

6: 1 5 A. M .

Saturday

7:15A.M.

Friday

6:30A.M.

Friday

7:45P.M .

Saturday

1:45 P.M.

Tuesday

5:30A.M.

Thursday

6:45P.M .

Saturday

12:30 P.M .

Sundal

12:45 P.M.

Thurs ay

9:30A.M.

Saturday

7:45A.M .

Saturday

11:15 A.M .

Wednesday

6:45P.M.

Saturday

6:30 F.M .

Thursday

4:45P.M.

Friday

5:30P.M.

Monday

12:30 P.M .

Monday, Wednesday,

Friday

6:15A.M.

Tuesday

6:00A.M .

Sunday

8:45A.M .

Tuesday

1:15 P.M.

Monday

12:30 P.M.

Sunday

2:00P.M.

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You can't get away from it. Intelligent sportsmen everywhere are reading GAME AND FISH. Are you among those who've discovered the inside scoop on Georgia hunting areas, learned what makes a good wildlife ranger and gotten acquainted with the abundant fishing facilities off Georgia's coast?
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