Georgia game and fish [Vol. 4, no. 9 (Sept. 1969)]

VOL. 4, NO. 9 I SEPTEMBER, 1969

~GEORGIA
~ GAME&FISH

September 1969 Volume IV

Number 9

CONTENTS

Bonus For Dove Hunters .... Dean Wohlgemuth 1

The Beneficial Bobcat

. Marvin Tye 4

Matern ity Wards For Trout . Dean Wohlgemuth 7

Don't Be A Snakebite Victim

... Marvin Tye 11

Outdoor World

. ..... . .. . . .. .

13

Sportsman's Speak ...... ... .. .

13

Sportsman's Calendar

17

Tide Table

17

Lester G. Maddox Governor
George T. Bag by Director. State Game & Fish Commission

COMMISSIONERS

James Darby Cha irman
Vida lia-1st District William Z. Camp, Sec. Newnan-6th District
Richard Tift Alba ny-2nd District
William E. Sm ith Americus-3rd District Cha rl es L. Davi dson , Jr. Avonda le Estates-4th District

Clyde Dixon Vice Cha irman Cleve land- 9th District Ranki n M. Sm ith Atlanta- 5th District J. B. La ngford Ca lhoun-7th District Judge Ha rley Langdale Valdosta-8th District Leonard Bassford Augusta-lOth District

Jimm ie Willia mson Darien- Coasta I District

TECHNI CAL SERVICES DIVISION
Jack A. Crockford, Assistant Director Leo n Kirkl and , Fisheries Chief
Hubert Han d y, Game Management Chief

LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION Bill Cline
Depu ty State Chi ef, Atla nta David Gould
Depu ty State Chi ef , Brunswick
GEORGIA GAME & FISH STAFF
Ji m Morrison, Ed itor
Dean Wohlgem uth St aff Writer
Marvin Tye, Staff Writer John Cu l ler, Staff Writer
J. Ha ll, Staff Wr iter Ted Borg, Photographer

Georgia Game and Fish is the o fficio/ monthly magazine o f the Georgia Game and Fish Commissi o n, published at the Comm ission 's offices, Trinity ~
Washington Building , 270 Washingt o n St. , A tlanta , Georgia 30334. No adver
#ising accepte d . Subscriptions are S J for one year or $2 .50 for three years. Printed by Stein Pri nting Co mpa ny , A tlanta , Ga . N otification of a ddress change must include both old and new a d dress and ZIP code , with 30 da ys notice. No subscription requests will be accepted without ZIP code. Articles ond photograp hs may be re prin ted. Pro per credit should be given . Co ntribu #ions ore welcome, but the ed itors a ssu me no responsibility or li ability lor loss or d a mag e o f a rticles, photograp hs, or illustrations . Secondcla ss p osta ge paid at Atlanta, Ga.

Georgia Needs ATrout Stamp
For a deep South State, Georgia is fortunate to boast more than 700 miles of cold water mountain trout fishing in the southern end of the Applachian Mountain chain.
But unfortunately for the trout, there are an even larger number of dedicated anglers who would rather fish for this exciting species than eat, at least for a meal or two.
Exactly how many trout fishermen Georgia has is a matter of argument-it's at least 100,000, but the 1961 U. S. Census Bureau Survey of Hunting and Fishing in Georgia indicated that 381 ,681 fishermen try trout fishing at least once a year. That would be 546 fishermen per stream mile, which doesn't seem too far off on the opening day of trout season each spring.
But the significant thing about those figures is that the number of trout fishermen is increasing each year, because of the natural population increase, the 36-hour week, and more money burning a hole in those new fishermen's pockets. At the same time, Georgia's trout streams are being rapidly destroyed by dams that make the water too warm for trout; dredging that wipes out holes where fish feed and rest, along with overhanging vegetation that cools the water; and the construction of new roads that create silt suffocation conditions in trout gravel spawning beds.
Actually, fishing pressure on Georgia's trout streams long ago reached the point that the demand exceeded the supply. Since 1928, it has unfortunately been necessary for the State Game and Fish Commission to raise and stock thousands of trout each year in 159 streams to meet the demand of trout fishermen for continued good fishing, in spite of the onslaught of anglers. Today, the two trout hatcheries of the State Game and Fish Commission at Lake Burton and Summerville are raising every .possible trout they can for stocking, along with most of the production of the federal trout hatchery at Rock Creek above Dahlonega, and surplus fish occasionally brought in from federal hatcheries outside Georgia.
But without construction of a third state trout hatchery or a second federal hatchery in North Georgia in the next few years, the existing facilities will be inadequate to raise enough trout to keep trout fishing tomorrow as good as it is today for a greater number of fishermen.
This is especially the case now that the discovery has been made that trout can be successfully stocked and grown to large sizes in many of Georgia's huge northern hydroelectric reservoirs, like Lake Lanier, Hartwell, Burton, and Blue Ridge. Another such reservoir that will probably be suitable for trout stocking is now being built by the Corps of Engineers near Ellijay on the Coosawattee River, Carters Dam.
In addition, about 25 streams in Northwest Georgia cold enough for trout were recently found by fish biologists.
Regardless of the number of trout that will be needed in the future, Georgia's program of stocking two trout per fisherman in most "open" trout streams and four fish per fis herman in $1.00 a day managed streams is already an expensive proposition. The entire program now for operating
Continued on page 16
ON THE COVER: One of Georgia's most secretive midnight maurauders, the bobcat. Also known as the wildcat, he may be a common visitor in your wooded backyard, along with the amazingly docile copperhead snake. Unless attacked, copperheads seldom make their presence known. This oil painting is the work of native Atlantan Tom Hill, who illustrates Ed Dodd's Mark T rai l Sunday newspa per featu re page. ON THE BACK COVER : The old grist mill on South Chickamauga Creek in Catoosa Co unty has been a landmark since Civil War d ays, when the o ld Genera l t rain ra n by w ithin sight. Today, the m il l is a favorite local f ishi ng and swimmi ng hole. Photo by Richard K. Wood , Graysvi;le. PHOTO CREDITS : Ted Borg 3; Jim Morrison 1, 2; Leonard Lee Rue Ill 4, 6v., 12b; Ji m Tyler 10, 11, 121; Dean Wohlgemuth 7, 8, 9.

One down , and 17 to go this year for Georgia dove hunters! Dove shooters on Redbone Farms Hunting Preserve near Barnesville will get even more for their money this September, with the higher limit on doves this year. But chances are the limit will be lowered in a year or two.
2

With all that fe rvo r ove r th e littl e in hi s bag, at least for this year, he is

gra y birds, it's no wo nder that stat e cau ti o ned to he aware that the limit

conservation agenci es a nd th e U. S. m ost prob ably will be cut down again

Bureau of Sport Fishe ri es a nd Wildli fe in th e nca r fu ture.

Photo by Jim Morrison spend a good deal o f time a nd effo rt

In o rder for th e experiment to he a

studying them.

su ccess, it wi ll require cooperation on

Each ye ar, more is lea rn ed about th e part of a ll hun te rs to stay wi thin

doves and the effects o f hunting pres- th e law, a nd to report on banded birds

sure , but as often is th e case in a ny k illed , a nd a ny oth er requests of the

scientific work, sometimes learnin g stud y co mmittee.

something simply mean s that you've

The hunter stands to be the winner

di scovered there is even mo re yet to be in all these stud ies. In all thi s research ,

learned.

bi o log ists a nd gam e m a n age rs lea rn

Since the dove is a migratory bird, more a nd mo re about how to m ake th e

findings in one state alon e don't show huntin g bett e r for everyone. It 's all a

much. Therefore, sta te s in thi s part of p a rt o f th e co ntinuin g jo h o f lea rnin g

the country got together to conduct th e best way to put a wi ld li fe resource

studies, forming the South eastern Dove to better use for eve ryo ne, putting to

Stud y Committee. States represented wo rk th e doll a rs the spo rt sm an spend s

are included in the E astern Dove Man- for a hunting license, as well as hi s

agement Unit, and studies are made in guns and ammunition . The m ore a

cooperation with th e Bureau of Sport sportsm a n is willin g to coopera te w ith

Fisheries and Wildlife.

thi s conservation agency, the more th at

For several years, the Dove Study can be done for him, to produce more

Committee has kept track of doves and better hunting!

~

through such things as collecting wings

from hunters and checking them for

age of the doves, trapping and banding

doves and releasing them, then check-

ing the bands returned by hunters show-

ing the date and location of the kill;

counting the calls of doves during

/

mating season to estimate breeding

populations, a nd conducting a telephone

survey to ask hunters about their suc-

cess.

Now, the studies are going to go a

step farther this year. In an effort to

determine just how much of a n effect

hunting has on dove populations, sev-

eral states-Georgi a includ ed - in th e

Southeastern Committee will raise their

bag limits thi s yea r, in a cooperati ve

eff o rt auth o rized by th e federa l Bu reau ,

to see how much -if a ny-d ove pop u-

la tion s will be affected as a result .

The bag limit increase th is year will

be 50 per cent , from 12 birds per day

th a t was th e limi t last year, to 18 birds

per day per hunter during this com-

ing season. (The Georgia season this

year wi ll again be split, with the first half opening Sept. 6 through Oct. 4, and the second half from Dec. 6 to J an. 15.)
C hances are, it will require 1\vo seasons to learn enough to make the study

Game biologist Charles Marshall pours out a bag of dove wings onto a huge pile. The wings were collected from hunters all over the Southeast, to help biologists determine what age doves are most susceptible to the gun.

worth wh ile, so it is possible that the

hag limi ts for the 1970 season again

wi ll be more than 12 birds. It is also

quite probable that for the 1971 season,

the bag limit will be greatly reduced-

may. c back to 12 birds per day, maybe

less .

While these hag limit experiments

arc going on, biologists from the vari-

ous states will continue counting calls,

banding, studying wings and making

telephone surveys to keep a finger on

the pulse of dove populations.

\Vhilc the dove hunter gets a bonus

3

By Marvin Tye

Excessive trapping and other control measures have almost eliminated the
bobcat in many sections of the country. In Georgia the wily predator still can be found in some parts of each county. Bobcats are useful in controlling cotton rats and other small rodents,
while helping to prevent an overpopulation of rabbits and the
outbreak of diseases.

One of the most interesting wild creatures to be found in Georgia is the bobcat. It is a symbol of the wild that is disappearing in many sections of the country, but seems to be holding its own in the Peach State.
The bobcat or wildcat as it is sometimes called, gets its name from the short, stubby tail which averages four to six inches in length. The average size of one of these animals is about three feet in length and about two feet high at the shoulder. A large bobcat will weigh 20 pounds or more with exceptional specimens reaching the 40pound mark. The fur is a ydlowish-tan color with black spots over most of the body, including the legs. The underside, chin, inside of the ears and inside of the legs are white. The outside of the ears is black with a large white patch in the center.
Bobcats live for as long as fifteen years. They mate for the first time when they are about one year old. Kittens are born about 63 days after mating in a litter which may number

son . Dr. James H . J enki ns of the U nive rsity of G eo rgia's Sc hool of Fo rest Resources says that the bobcat's main source of food , as far as number of a nimals consumed is conce rned , is the cotton rat. The cottontail rabbit is the next most frequently dined upon species. Although he eats fewer rabbits than rats, the bobcat will consume more rabbit meat than rat meat in a given period because rabbits are large r th an rats. He also eats some birds and other small animals. On ra re occasions, a bobcat might attack and kill a sick or wounded deer, but it could hardl y be classified as a menace to the deer herd. Wild dogs do far more damage each year.
Usually when a bobcat eats a deer, it is one th at has died of natural cau ses and been discovered by the foraging cat. Such carrion is also fed upon by foxes, opossums, and raccoons, yet they are never blamed for killing deer.
According to Dr. Jenkins, biologists in Alabama found that th e best areas for turkey hunting in th at state also

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- ~ -~'/'

from one to fou r. T he kittens weigh about 12 ounces each , and may nurse for two mon ths until completely weaned, then travel fo r the next few months with their mother to learn hunting and other things necessary to their s u r viva l.
The bobcat is most abundant in the rive r swamps of South Georgia and in the North Georgia mountains away from human habitation, although they are f1 und in all 159 counties. They arc shy, wary creatures and are rarely seen by man. Wildcats are found in lesser numbers in rural areas near farms and along the edges of some towns with nearby woodlands or swamps.
Many people have the idea that bobcats are harmful to wild .;arne populations and should be killed for that rea-

contained a large number of bobcats. The bobcats apparently had no ill effects on the turkey population. Control of a game species such as rabbits by a predator like bobcats may be health y. If a great surplus of rabbits results, they may ovcrpopulate an area and be subject to disease and va~t reductions in their numbers.
To the hunter with dogs, the bobcat is a worthy quarry that can lead the dogs on a merry chase before treeing or coming to bay. The cats are savage fighters, and are more than a match for any dog that would try to tackle one of them without the aid of a pack.
Predator callers can also have fine sport with the bobcat. Cats will come to the dying rabbit call that is so effective in luring foxes. The bobcat, however,

Bobcab are an interesting target for the hunter. They will often lead a pack of dogs on a difficult chase before taking refuge in a tree or baying on the ground where they will put up a
ferocious fight. Varmint callers can also lure bobcats into range of their
weapons with a dying rabbit call.

This tranquilized bobcat was equipped with an early model portable radio for tracking purposes, but it was
found to be too bulky and was never really used. Game and Fish
Commission biologist Dan Marshall and Dr. James Jenkins of the University
of Georgia used similar devices m their studies of the range of bobcats
Rad1os m use today are about the size of a quarter in diameter
comes in much more slowly and cautiously than the fox. If he spot<> the hunter. the bobcat will often slink back into the woods and the hunter will not even know that he came near. Bowhunters find the sport of calling bobcats especially challenging-both because of the eat's wariness and because of the small target that he offers to the archer.
These methods of hunting, while not illegaL are not overly encouraged by the Game and Fish Commission because a few outlaws kill deer illegally at nigh t while claiming they are predator calling or hunting cats with dogs.
In addition to being a beautiful animal, an effective predator, and a fine quarry for the hunter, the bobcat is se rving another purpose. Dr. Jenkins and his associates at the University of Georg ia ha. e been studyi ng the effects of 10\ levels ot radia tion on small animals a; d preda to rs that feed on them. It was t iiTld that cotton ra ts could take about !Wi<.. -1'- much radiation as man, with the O lll <I t hcing more se nsitive

to radiation than man. Cotton rats and rabbits absorb radiation from fallout caused by nuclear testing. Because the bobcat is almost totally carnivorous, he concentrates radiation at a rapid rate by feeding upon these animals. Dr. Jenkins reports that nine days after the Red Chinese atomic tests in 1966, rabbits in Georgia were found to have strange isotopes in their bodies. It was evident from this that fallout from these tests had reached Georgia in less than ten days
Excessive radiation in bobcats seems to affect the animal's coordination, and could possibly lead to death in some cases. Bobcats usually have three to four times higher amounts of radioactive accumulation in them than the animals they feed upon.
Cats may range over an area of two to three square miles. They may travel over larger territories in areas where food is not overly abundant or concentrated in one specific location. Radio tracking conducted several years ago by Dan Marshall, now a wildlife biolo-

gist for the Georgia Game and Fish Commission, and Dr. Jenkins showed that where food such as cotton rats and rabbits is abundant, the usual home range of bobcats is only 300 acres. Tracking principles used in these bobcat range studies have been applied by Marshall to the study of deer and other game animals.

Bobcats have been completely wiped out in many midwestern states. Because residents of these areas feared the bobcat as a predator of their chickens. these people have used poison. traps. and bounties to eliminate them. Heavy hunting pressure with dogs can help to wipe out a bobcat population in a hurry.

Fortunately, sufficient amounts of

wi ld land are still found in Georgia

today to support bobcats and many

other species of wildlife. These exist

without causing any excessive dam age

to the other. It would indeed be a

shame if this colorful animal were com-

pletely eliminated.

>.Q

Planted 12 inches deep into the stream bed of Walnut Fork Creek on the Warwoman
Management Area and filled with gravel, this box (left) makes an ideal place for trout to spawn
... if silt can be kept from settling on the eggs. So, upstream
from the box, and on a clear branch, a small reservoir (right)
was built to pipe water to the spawning box. The pipe biological
aide Carlton Nichols is pointing to comes out underneath the
box, bubbling clean water through the gravel, and washing the box free of silt.

Maternity Wards for 'fiout?

By Dean Wohlgemuth
The franchise for building trout streams may be the sole property of The Almighty, but there 's no law in the Good Book, or any other, that says man may not improve on one ... if he can.
Trying to accomplish such a feat, however, is bound to get so me icy stares and haughty snorts from some trout fishermen. It's hard to blame them, too, for much of what mankind ha s done to trout strea ms, in altering them, has been something less than beneficial.
Concede, however, that such previous efforts were not geared to wa rd improving of the stream, trout-wise. And lik ewise concede that the current studies by the Game and Fish Commission on a pair of brooks in Northeast Georgia, were begun after thoughtful planning with an eye toward giving t'le old trout homestead a faeelifting th at wou ld make it more livable.
Now, the trout is a fairly particul a r critte r when it comes to selecting a home. He needs a good, cool, clean, eo m ,.o rtable place to h ide, and a pretty fa ir superm arke t to furn ish his groceries. On top of that , if he is to become ab und ant in numbers, he has to have a suitable matern it y ward.
Fishing pressure from the angling elan keep-; his num bers down , to he sure, hut this is largely because of a lack of enough wa ter and food to sup-

port a good population in th e first place. Consequently, in order to have enough trout to go around for all fi shermen, the Commissio n find s it a necessity to do a great deal of stocking. Something like 85 per cent of these stocked trout find their way to a creel within a short span of time.
This suits many a fisherman just fine, but there are still a few of a fading breed of angler th at would like to believe there's at least some chance of putting a natural-born, strea m-reared " native" trout in hi s spli t bamboo c reel.
Now that's something that requ ires a good deal of doing hy the best minds in th e fish managing business.
First off. in st reams like W al nut Fork and Hoods Creek in \Varwoman management area. where these studies are going on, there's a little matter of not qui te enough water in one place to hold a bunch of trout. There's water there, sure. but a ll too often it's too sw ift and shallow.
A dam? Oh 1 You said a bad word' You don't dam trout streams. You want mnning water. a stream! But instead of just a straight. swift. shallow current. you want an occasional small pool.
How do you get one? Well. this problem wam't too hard to o\'ereome, and has been done to quite an extent in Georgia and quite a lot of other states. You take a nice. hig log and la y it acroo.;s the stream . You cut a notch a

Photos by the author

Top: Now here's a good place (lett) to find a trout ... either 1n the pool on the upstream side of the splash dam, or in the riffle below. At right, a log has been cut and is ready to make another splash dam, as soon as it's set deep enough into the stream bed to make the water back up behind it, flowing over it through the notch.

Below: What's behind the big door (left)? Th "sidewinder," which keeps most of the water in the
stream, but allows a small flow (right) to go th1 a man made cut across a bend 1n Hoods Creek, so sr
trout can spawn, unmolested by bigger fish. Noi spawning box just behind the

WhiP. 'hd ow trelches of H vds Creel

r 1rr wed and thus deeper,ed by such 1

J

rfuuble w ng deflectors" (left),

r ug1e wtng deflecto rs",

logs .Jr loose boulders 1

~m ,,, rorks .~hich

('f v( jfPr thr""~o;I-J WQr

did the work, along with biologist Rich to trout streams. Got to do something

Fatora who heads up the project, as a about th at, too. So we'll put up a n-

"splash dam."

o ther obstructi o n across th ese branches

The next method looks very similar, but it earned the monicker "digge r." This log isn't notched at all. and the water doesn't go over it . . . it digs its way underneath the log. Result: virtually the same.
Now, let's try a ''double wing deflector" in another spot. Here, the water's a little spread out and shallow. If we could concentrate it into the middle of the stream, it might work just fine. So, we build a couple of walllike structures of logs from both edges of the stream, in a sort of a V shape right down the middle of the stream.

that carry a lot of silt during high water periods. T he wate r seeps underneath the obstru cti on, through a heavy wire which catches a mess of leaves, which filters the silt out. Success again! H ey, we're making progress! Th is wo rks especiall y well where tin y bra nches flow o ve r a road at high water , washing awa y some of th e road and muddying the water for quite some tim e.
Things are looking up at this point, but things have gone o ur way so well , why should we stop now? A fter all , there are a lot of youn g, s mall trout that arc harra ssed by th eir big brothers

Voila! The water is concentrated into wh en they pick one of the prime spawnthe middle, and it's deeper. Not only ing spots.

that, the water swirls back up behind the walls. More trout habitat. just like nature builds swirls with boulders, fallen logs, and so on.

So let's find a way to put in a spawning box where the water is a little too shall o w fo r the bigger boys (and girls), but jmt right for the newly-weds.

Okay, now we have plenty of habitat. What else do we need? Well, it would help to have some trout. Sure, there are some here, but not enough to go around. Stock them ? Wait a minute, you forget we said we're trying to produce native trout.

Here's a bend in the creek th at has a nice, deep pool and plenty of water. Suppose we cut the corner a bit , making a sm all branch of our own taking water from upstream of the bend , th en returning it back to th e mai n stream just below the bend.

Heavy rains bring high water in the tiny branches that teed trout streams, and the water flows over the road when the cut vert IS full, causing erosion (top) on Hoods Creek. To keep the silt from gettmg into Hoods Creek, wire silt trap (above) WJ/1 trap leaves and strain the silt from the water before it reaches the main stream.
couple inches deep on the top side, ma ybe half or two thirds as long as the stream is wide. Through thi s notch flows running water, same as always, but the water is a bit deeper upstrea m from the log a nd the riffi e created as the water spl ashes over, etches out a small er but pe rhaps even better pool, a jimdand y abode fo r a homeless trout. All he h as to do is sit in hi s din ing roo m a nd wa it for a meal to spl ash over the log.
There a re other ways of producing simil a r results. Th is first method is known to biological aide Ca rlton Ni ch-

Well, then, we'll just have to build that maternity ward. Only the boys at Warwoman use more business-like language. They like to call them "spawning boxes."
You take four boards. about an inch thick and I 2 inches wide. Two of them are around three feet long. the others twice that length. Nail th em together and you have a rectangle, which is al most completel y buried in the bottom of a swift, shallow run. Then, fill it up with small rocks, pebbles , gravel . . . the kind of stuff th at makes a nice(?) bed for mam a trout, a wo nderfu l place to raise a famil y.
There's o nl y o ne thin g wro ng wi th thi s, and th at is th e silt th at comes down the strea m from so il e rosion and coats the gravel, sm oth ering th e eggs.
Well, th en we'll h ave to find a way to wash th e silt ou t. There's a tin y branch ent e ring th e strea m j11st a bove th e spawning box, so we' ll bui ld a tin y d am .. . oops! reservoir ( sorry 'bout th at) on the branch , and run a o ne-inch p ipe underground, and to the bottom of the spawnin g box . Th a t pro vides a small ro w up throu gh th e gravel, washi ng away that silt .
Will it wo rk ? W ell. as Nichols and Houck poi nt ed out , th ree of six such boxes on \Valnut F ork and Hood-; creeks defini tely p roduced a hatch of trout this wint er, and th e o ther three showed sig ns of being used.

Not too mu ch water now, so we'll put in a "sidewin de r," a stru ctu re th at keeps most of th e wate r go ing down th e main ch ann el, but , thro ugh a small openm g in th e !Jo tto m , a llo ws a sm all po rti o n to fl ow th ro ugh our ma n-m ade branch. And in th at branch , we'll put o ne of th ose -;pawning boxes.
A nd afte r the babies hatch , a nd mama and papa return to the bigger strea m, the you ngsters will have a nice playg round where big t rout ca n't ge t in to eat up the fami ly. When the young ones get too big for the shallow wat er. they will be big enough to take ca re of themselves in the bigge r world of the main creek.
We've do ne it all , now. except provide more food. The difficult we did pro mptl y. but the impossible may take us awhil e.
We've go t ideas, th ough . We're con,ideri ng rigg in g an appa ra tu -; upstrea m that would trick le fe rtili ze r into th e water and flow dow n, gra du all y fer tili zing the whole stream and thus increasin g the food su p ply.
If this wo rks, we should have acco mplished everyt hing we se t ou t to do.
Bo y. doesn' t all thi s sound fine? Sure does. a nd we reall y believe it will work. But just to be on the safe side, we're no t makin g any promi ses for a couple of yea rs. to sec how things go.
r-.f aybe you a nd I can go up there abo ut 197 1 and catch a nice string of

ols and his sid ekick JefT Houck , who

\Vc menti o ned si lt. H ere's a real bane na tive'> . . . huh?

)o<b

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The dove hunter or the fisherman who ve ntures afield during earl y September is likely to encounter a species of wildlife that he would rather not even see at all-snakes.
These widely feared and basically misunderstood creatures are usually abundant during this period of the year, and can be found in heavy brush along the edges of open field s and along the banks of lakes and streams.
Many outdoorsmen will immediately kill an y snake within sight. Actuall y, these men are sometimes doing themselves a disservice by destroying one of th e most effective controllers of rats a nd other pests. Only a small number of snakes found in the wild are actually dangerous to man. These can usually be avoided by the cautious sportsman .
The deadly snakes native to Georgia are the rattlesnake, copperhead. cottonmouth or water moccasin, and the coral snake. Species of rattlesnakes found in Georgia are the eastern diamond back. the timber rattler, the pigmy rattler. and the canebrake rattler.
The diamondback is the largest. and one of the most dangerous of the rattlesnakes. It ranks among the world's deadliest snakes. Average size of adults is 33 inches to six feet in length. The largest on record measured eight feet in length and weighed 23 pounds. The body of this snake is dark olive, olive brown or almost black. marked with a chain of symmetrical. pale-edged, blackish diamond-shaped markings with light centers. This coloration blends with the lights and shadows of the debris on the ground in the South Georgia regions of scrub palmetto, low brush and dry pine woods where it is frequently found, often close to water. It will swim through salt-water to offshore islands such as Blackbeard and Sapelo off the Georgia coast. It is most frequently encountered by man where farmland is scattered among strips of woodland.
Jn the wooded mountainous regions of North Georgia. the timber rattler can be found in second growth timber where small rodents arc plentiful. Average length is three to four feet , although the largest specimen on record measured six feet and two inches. Sometimes it is found around farmland , especially when crops arc being harvested. Its color is usually yellow, brown or gra y with chevron-shaped cross bands of black or dark brown. Some specimens may be entirel y black, but thi" color phase is more common in the north eastern states than in Georgia . The canebrake rattlesnake. a ve ry similar species. repl aces the timber rattler alon g the coastal plains.
The pygm y rattler muall y measures 15 to 22 inches, with a record of 3 1 inches. It thrives in the vicinit y of lakes. ri ver flood pl ains, swamps and

ABOVE: The diamondback rattlesnake of South Georgia is one of the largest and deadliest snakes in the United States. The arrcwhead shaped head of this snake. wider than ti-Je rest of the bodv. is a common characteri"t'c 0f the pit vtper family to .vhtrh all v~"n' r'1ous snakes in Genrgia exc Ppt the cl ral snake be!crJg.
LEFT: Po' 'lnot ,nakes Ike rattler'
fOr)<
Don't flea Snakebite
V i e t i m By Marvin Tye

TOP : Wildlife RangPr Arthur Abernathy cc..ptures rattlesnakes for wild/" e
e h~bits throughout the e;tate. Extreme care '1oulri be taken by Jnyone handl1ng
Sndkf'c: Thc sport m1n un cJVOJd sn:Jkebite by keeptTJg h1c, hJrds out vf
ho >'v logs bv ~t,;;ng out of th1r k brush Jnd be1ng vcry c.Jrefut wt,ere
he steps
ABOVE. {1-e rc operheJd c, Jf fn fc,und Jr' 1;nd rr r hob h'' " r et1mes
\' t1'1 y fYJ Jt; rt ,pv, ,ble for J 1rge u ber t c,r Jk. ctlfe<. 1'> mJn y ,~ 17'J Gf' rg. l 'If' Yf'c..r {IJ) lP f tne F-o V>/ere fcJtJI.
marshes. It is usuall y slate-colored or gra yis h brown with widely separated, rounded black blotches along the middle of the back with smaller markings on the side and a reddish band between the markings on the back.
All rattlesnakes as well as copperhead~ and cottonmouths are pi t vipers and can be distinguished from other types of snakes by several characteri-.tics. Each has a depression or pit between the eye and the nostril and the hea ds of these sna kes arc broader than the hod} and usually appea r when viewed fro m above to be ~hapcd roughly like the point of an arrow. The pupils of the eyes of the pit vipers arc elongated \\ 1th a eat's eye type pupil , while other snakes have roun d pupils. The pi t

vipers have a single row of segmented plates below the anal opening. Other snakes have a double row of divided plates below the anal opening.
A copperhead can be identified by the red, copper-colored head from which it gets its name, and the reddishbrown hourglass markings on the sides of its body. It is rarely more than three feet long. Its tail ends in a point like the rattler, but, of course, has no rattles. They may be found in mountains, wooded hillsides, rock piles. rock quarries, sawd ust piles and in lowlands or near streams all over Georgia. Copperheads may he found within city limits. A large number of people are bitten hy this snake each year. In 1959, 2,920 people were bitten in the United States by copperheads. with 170 of these in Georgia. None of those cases in Georgia were fatal.
The largest cottonmouth on record measured six feet and two inches in length. This South Georgia snake's hody is usually brown or olive-colored with darker blotches on the back and sides. Larger specimens may be nearly black with little trace of markings.
The name cottonmouth is taken from the white mouth which is revealed when the snakes strike or threaten to stri ke. Curiouslv. they are not generally found above the fall line north of Augusta. Macon. or Columbus, except on streams that flow into Alabama. such as the Coosa River.
T he coral snake, the only poisonous <>ncc ies in Georgia which is not a pit viper. can he identified hy its coloration. This small snake has broad rings of sca rlet and black separated hy narrow rings of yellow. To distinguish the coral snake from other simil arly-colored non-poisonous snakes. you might remember the old saying. " Red touch black , good for Jack. Red touch yellow. kill a fellow." It is only found in South Georgia.
Just how likel y is the average sportsman to he bitten? If he is cautious, he probably has little to worry about. Statistics from the State Health Department show that 65 people died of snakebite in Georgia during the 31-year period from 193 8 through 1968. That's an average of less than three per year. There were no reported death s in 1967 or I 949. Seven people were killed by snakes in 1940. an unusually bad year. Thirty-o ne of the fatalities we re caused hy rattlesnakes. while 32 were attributed to uniden tified species. Less than one person in I0 million dies from snakebite in the United States each year.
There were an es tim ated 530 poisono us snakebites in Georgia in 1959. Only three of the victims died. Though potentially fatal, poisonous snakebites rarely arc, for several reasons. Man y of

the snakes which bite people are small, and inject only a small amount of venom into their victim. Even a very large snake can strike and fail to inject any venom or can inject only a small amount. Heavy clothing or shoes may prevent full penetration of the fangs into human flesh.
Prompt first aid treatment and medical care are important factors in keeping the mortality rate low. Billy Newsome. Southeastern Regional Director of Safety Programs for the Red Cross, recommends the following first aid procedure:
Keep the victim still. Elevate the wounded part of the body. Apply a constricting band between the bite and the heart, if the bite is on the arm or leg. Use a sterilized instrument to make single one-quarter inch long cross cuts on each fang mark, being careful not to cut deeply enough to injure nerves, veins and arteries. Don't make cross cuts on the same fang mark.
Suction, preferably with suction cups provided in first aid kits, should he administered for an hour or more or until the blood returns to its normal color and loses the oily look that indicates its contains poison. The victim should be rushed to the hospital as soon as possible, with suction being applied on the way. Never give alcoholic beverages, stimulants, or antihistamines to a snakebi te victim.
Prompt treatment can usually prevent serious effects from snakebite. Gangrene, amputation of injured limbs, and even death can result if treatment is not admi nistered promptly.
What can you do to prevent being bitten? Stay out of thick brush whenever possible. Step on a fallen log or similar object before stepping over it. Look before you put your foot down. Don't reach into hollow logs, gopher holes or other places that might hold snakes.
Coral snakes are relatively rare. Their mouths and fangs are small. so they cannot bite as easily as rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, or copperheads. The coral snake must grab its victim and literally chew its way into his flesh. A finger or bare toe is a prime target for this snake. Coral snake bites have heen reported as far north as Hawkinsville. although these snakes arc usually found only in the southern part of the state. If you don 't go barefoot and don't pick these snakes up. chances are you won't be bitten by one of them.
Use common sense when you go afield. Wear protective clothing such a-; leather hoots and leggings if you plan to hunt in areas where there are heavy populations of poisonous snakes. If you're careful. poisonous snakes -,houldn 't be too much of a problem.)oQ

the outdoor world
Hicke l Turns Down Georgia-Pacific
Refuge Timber Deal
Interior Secretary Walter J. Hickel has written the Georgia-Pacific Corporation that he will not authorize any special privileges for the company to lease or exchange timber lands in Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge.
In his letter to G-P vice president H. S. J\Tersereau, Hickel said " after reviewing the timber harvesting management practices of Piedmont ... we have concluded that the interests of the United States and the local economy .. . are best served hy the current system of competitive bidding for timber harvesting rights on the refuge."
Efforts of Georgia-Pacific to obtain an exclusive timber lease on the refuge o r to exchange lands in it for company la nds to he included in the new California Redwoods National Park aroused a storm of opposition from Georgia con servationists, including the Georgia Sporhmen's Federation. the Georgia Conservancy. ami State Game and Fish Commi ssion Director George T. Bagby.
Piedmont National has the large<>t stand of hardwood timber not located in a river swamp in middle Georgia. Timber harvesting there is limited to the cutting of surplus timber only, except \\h en wildlife habitat would he improved hy careful cutting of marked timber.
The refuge is regarded as the most productive deer hunting area in Geo rgia because of its extensive hardwood'\. and is the onl y area in Middle Geo rgia where wild turke ys are relativel y ;l. hundant. Thousands of G eorgians hunt o n the refuge each yea r, es peciall y from the Atlanta and Maco n areas.
- Jim Aforrison
WATCH "G EORG IA OU TDOOR S" WITH J. HALL, SUND AYS ON CHANN EL 11, WQ XI-TELEV ISION , ATLA NTA.

Editor's Note: The July issue of
Game and Fish Jl.fagazine on channeli~ation and its effects resulted in th e greatest outpo11ring of letters el'er re-
ceil'ed hy the pllhlication. Only a .\lliUpling of letters colllplilllenting the
Game and Fish Commission statu! can he printed here. Curiously, there were
no unfavorahle letters recei1ed hy th e
editor by the ti111e this month's maga-
~ ine went to press.
CHANNELIZATION
NO TED ECOLOGIST CRITICIZES CHANNE LI ZATION wan t to compliment you on the July iss ue of Georgia Gam e an d Fish which deals with t he channelization controversy. I think it is very important that all of us as citizens question al l of the large engineering proj ects that are proposed by our powerful government organizations such as the Corps of Engineers. As a citizen, as well as an ecologist, I feel that these federal organi zations should be subjected to "citizens review and control" just as much as the military. In the case of channelization, the Soil Conservation Service violates its own research findings which show that more erosion can occur in a f ew days after vegetation is removed and soil laid here than would occur naturally in many years. I would like very much to use a couple of the pictures in your July issue in my revised edition of my textbook, Fundamentals of Ecology. I would particularly like to have a 4 x 7 or 8 x 10 glossy print of the picture at the top of page 3 and also th e picture at th e top of page 5. These two, I believe, would contrast the before and after situation. I might also use th e picture at th e lefthand top of page 4 if an enlarge ment has sufficient clarity for reproduction .
Eu gene P. Odum Direc tor Institute of Ecology University of Georgia Ath ens, Georgia Dr. Odum regarded in scientific circles as one of the most distinguished ecologists in the world. His text book is widely used in college classes. In addition to his duties at t he University, Dr. Odum frequently serves as a consultant to governmental agencies, including the Atomic Energy Commission. Copies of the photographs are available on request to any interested publication.
Plea se allow me to cong ratulat e you and yo ur st aff on the bo ld, gutty presen tat ion of t he July i ssue of Geo rgia Game and Fish on t he U.S. Soi l Conserva ti on Service's st upid, costly and inju r ious practices on the nation's sma ll wat ersheds.
Di rector Geo rge Bagby, Co mm i ssion Chairman James Dar by and th e res t of the Commission deserve th e admiration and praise of th e public-a t-la rge for daring to speak out so stron g ly on what ha s become a nati ona l crisis. It has been ignored all too long by all of us.
But, we must not let this effort on your parts and the past efforts L f others stand as sa lves to our conservation-minded consciences. We must, and I know we shall,

I am very much impressed with your July, 1969 issue of Georgia Game and Fish Magazine, which reviews the damaging f eatures of the 566 program, and th e effect s of ch an nelin g in Corp s and S.C.S . project s. Th is is a matter with which all of us are co ncern ed, and you have done an out standing j ob in presenting some of th e fa ct s and results of project s of thi s type.
If possibl e, I would like t o obtain 25 copies of your July issue. I would like to send copi es to th e members of th e Southeastern Water Use Committee, and also place a f ew copi es in Arkansas. There is an insufficient public awareness of th e damages resultin g from many wat er developments, and I hope th at your artic le is widely distributed.
In keeping with th e objectives of your July publicat ion, I thou ght you might be in terested in the report, Stream Preservation in Arkansas, which I prepared for the State Planning Commission. I am mailin g you two copies of this report, under separate cover, for your information.
Keep up th e good work.
Harold E. Alexa nder Resource-Rec rea ti on Speciali st Arkansas Planning Commissio n Little Rock , Arkan sas
While they last, extra copies of the July issue will be mailed to any person requesting them, free of charge.
Congratulations on carryin g suc h a fo rth ri ght articl e as " Ou r Ru i ned Rivers" by George Bagby.
I ha ve, from tim e t o tim e, w ri tten expressing concern over so me of t he act io ns of the Soi l Conservat io n Service. It is my belief th at thi s orga nizat ion needs to be checked t o keep th ei r act ivi ti es i n li ne wi t h soun d , broad conservation object ives.
I passed copies of your magazin e to some Oh io outdoo r writers who plan to do a story on t his topic.
Keep up t he good work.
Si ncererl y, Merrill Gil f illan Administr3tive Services Dept. of Natural Resources Columbu s, Ohio
The Athens Chapter of th e Georgia Conservancy has adopted the Sandy Creek Swamp, Clark County as one of it s projects. We would like to see this beautiful natural area protected and used for recrea t iona l and educat iona I purposes.
We applaud your stand against th e channeliza tion practices of th e SCS an d in particular your recent issue of th e Georgia Game an d Fi sh (IV:7).
As Sandy Creek is threatened by thi s SCS program, we feel that di stributi on of your magazine to local land owners and politicians would be helpful. Could you spare abou t twen ty extra copies? Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Sincerely, Ri cha rd S. Murlless Chairman, Sandy Creek Project Department of Zoology University of Georgia Athens, Georgia
1":!

Certainly want to congratulate you on the fine job you did concerning the SCS stream channelization program. Is there any possibility of obtaining a few extra copies of the magazine for that month?
When you come through Tennessee, be sure and stop to see us.
Sincerely, Michael R. Pelton Knoxville, Tennessee
A friend showed me your July issue of the Georgia Game and Fish magazine with its coverage of resource vandalism by the SCS. This is the most courageous indictment I have yet seen of this bureaucratic monster.
We have had similar grief in Tennessee. In fact, the illustration you used in Beaver Dam Creek, Johnson City, Tennessee , brought painful memories. This project channelized the only cranberry bogs in the state and tore the heart out of the beautiful 2800 foot Shady Valley, highest in Tennessee. I personally went to Washington and hounded them about this project. I visited a phalanx of Soil Conservation officials in the Agriculture Department who passed the buck without even comprehending what or why they were destroying, and so I was unable to stop them.
Enclosed is $2 for subscription to your fine journal. Could I possibly get six (6) copies of this July issue, Vol. 4, No. 7, 1969?
Keep up the good work.
Mark S. Prichard Parks Naturalist Tennessee Dept. of Conservation Nashville, Tennessee
At the moment, the two hot spots in this PL-566 fight seem to be North Dakota and Georgia. They are a long ways apart, but seem to share the same ailment-the SCS.
John B. Madson, Assistant Director
of Conservation Winchester-Western East Alton , Illinois
I just received your July issue of Georgia Game and Fish.
Congratulations. You 've got a lot of guts.
Charl es Dickey Director, National Shooting
Sports Foundation, Inc. Riverside, Connecticut
Very pleased with your July issue, particularly the cover photograph.
Could you send me an extra 10 or 15 copies for distribution to associates? Thank you.
Tom Jackson Wildlife Education
Representative North Carolina Wildlife
Resources Commission Raleigh , North Carolina
I had the good luck to pick up Vol. 4, No. . 7 (July) last weekend while in Stephen Foster park to canoe the Okefenokee. Congratulations for an outstanding magazine. Both outside covers horrify me. You make your point well.
Ken Watson Gainesvil le, Florida
'Bout tim e some of Game .and Fish folks ga ve channelization all it deserves. All the biologists here, especially the fi shery boys, are really circulating the magazine. We are just now beginning to fight them in NE Arkansas.
We got a new director, our former chief of fisheries, and he is most enthused over

the July i~sue . If possible, he'd like 50 extra copies and let me know if there's a charge. We'd also like to borrow, beg, or steal, if possible, the separations on the front cover of the sterile ditch.
Jay Kaffka Assistant Chief, Information
and Education Arkansas Game and Fish
Commiss ior. Little Rock, Arkansas
I read your article "Our Ruined Rivers" in the July edition of Georgia Game and Fish.
1 was very interested in your report of Soil Conservation Service activities in Georgia. Your article has implications within Maryland due to the 556 program in this state.
I would like to have two copies of the July edition of Georgia Game and Fish "for future reference and use within the Department. Thank you.
Jay O'Dell Biologist Maryland Department of
Chesapeake Bay Affairs
ALCOVY LANDOWNER
I would like to take this opportunity to give my full support to the articles written by your ma gazine in opposition to the channeling of the Alcovy River Swamp. The Flat Creek area in connection with the projects happens to be within a mile distance of my farm. We have been led to believe that from th is project my neighbors and I will benefit but I have firsthand knowledge that this is not the case.
Three years ago while attending college, I had a chance to work for the S.C.S. During the summer I was involved in work of various kinds in Gwinnett County. The channeling of c reeks in that area began to arouse my doubts of the true nature of the purpose of an institution supposedly protecting soil and water. It was here that I saw and took part in destroying wildlife of various kinds by destroying their home. What was once swamp filled with duck, snipe, fish, etc. is now just another ditch which muddy water ran down .
Now in my own county this stupid, ignorant government project is at work again this time not just a creek but in my opinion the Okefenokee of North and Middle Georgia.
Deer, ducks, fish . . . you name it it's there; abounding Why? Because this is protection from man. This is the way God made it and this may be the last chance for the people here to realize that there is more to life than making money.
It becomes crystal clear that this project will help only a few while the future generation will not have the pl easure to do as I do now; shoot ducks and hunt deer in an area that should be protected by whatever it takes to keep it as is.
As an employee of the city, as a land holder in the area, I am suppose to benefit but will th is be worth it? I am all for the lakes but why drain the swamp? They didn 't drain all the swamps in all the areas I know thi s for a fact.
By writing thi s letter I am going to be criticized but I couldn't sleep knowing that no longer would the deer run across my lands, no ducks dive in the many natural lakes and more important no generation later could see it like it is.
Has it come to the time when man will sel l out to anyone simply because he thinks he can make an extra dollar or two? In my heart I think not. In a time when the air is polluted, streams turned into sewers, one wonders if man is not really destroying what may well be the only thing he has left

from the beginning of time-his environment. Excuse the length of this but please if it is possible to print this in your magazine in (some of its true meaning) so maybe people can see it like it is.
William R. Allen Jr. 115 Felkes Street Monroe, Georgia 30655
Mr. Allen's letter is one of the most moving appeals for the right of wildlife to share the face of the globe with man that we have ever read.
LAKE JACKSON RESIDENT
I wish to express my views on the proposed ruining of the Alcovy River above Lake Jackson and also the ruin of fishing in the lake for seven years if this so-called Flood Control is allowed to be carried out as planned.
The sportsmen and all others who love the outdoors seem to be on the losing end of this project.
Being 62 years of age myself, I don't have many more years left to enjoy what's left of our beautiful rivers after the SCS gets through messing them up. As my part, I have written Robert G. Stephens, Jr. and Herman E. Talmadge.
As I live here on the lake, I am very much concerned about this. Not only will fishing be cut back, but property values will decrease as well. This would truly put things in the red.
I fail to see where cutting of the trees on both banks of a stream, and dredging out the middle would control any flood water. If the Alcovy River is dug out in this way, the flood will be poured into Lake Jackson -a flood of mud and dead fish.
I'm not against the building of dams and lakes to create more places for people to en joy and for holding back much needed water supplies, but why do they have to ruin our rivers below the dams?
Do they have to drain swamps and destroy our woods and wildlife?
Why does the farmer need more land when he can 't plant what he's got, unless he is told to do so by the government?
Governor Maddox says he wants to help the little People. Now is the time for him to get at it.
Sincerely, L. J. Winburn Monticello, Georgia
Under existing Georgia law, approval of SCS Watershed Projects on the state level is left up to the State Soil Conservation Committee, instead of the Governor. The Committee is composed of five supervisors of soil and water conservation districts appointed by the Governor in the middle of his term for consecutive four-year terms that end in the middle of the next Governor's term.
P. l. 566 AMENDMENTS
Congratulations on your issue No. 7, Vol ume 4, of Georgia Game & Fish magazine for July, 1969. May we offer our sincere congratulations on your factua I story and excellent pictures showing the effect on wildlife of the "development" of our natural resources.
We hope you produ ced many extra copies of this particular issue. It should receive the widest possible distribution throughout the Southeast, in Washington, and probably throughout the remainder of our country. If they are available, we need a dozen copies of thi s issue, and could profitably use twice that many if you can spare them .
The only hope we have of preservi ng some of our streams from the "benefits" of "agricultural development" is to have Public Law 566 (and similar laws) extensivel y

14

amended. It will be done only when great numbers of the American people demand it. Is it the responsibility of the Southeastern to prepare acceptable amendments?
J. H. Cornell, Chief Division of Inland Fisheries N.C. Wildlife Resources Com. Raleigh, N. C.
ALABAMA BIOLOGIST have just received a copy of Volume IV, No. VII of your Georgia Game and Fish magazin e. I would like to comm end you and your organization for the contents of thi s magazine and I certainly f ee l that pub licity such as this is bad ly needed to prevent furth er exploitation of this great resource in the United States.
Walter M. Tatum District Fishery Biologist GAME AND FISH DIVISION Alabama Conservation Department Montgom ery, Alabama
KENTUCKY BIOLOGIST Th e July issue of your fine magazine prese nted one of the best pictorial and written ex planations of what watershed projects are doi'lg to our nation's rivers and streams. As you well know, Kentucky is having th e same probl ems as your state. If you can spare about six copi es of this issue, I could certainly use them in helping to spread the "gospel". If there is any charge for these issu es I would be happy to forward the mon ey upon request.
Joe Bruna Principal Game Biologist Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources Frankfort, Kentucky
N. C. BIOLOGIST Would you please send us two dozen co pies of the July 1969, Vol. 4, No. 7 issue of GEORGIA GAME & FISH MAGAZINE. CONGRATUL ATIONS! Mr. Bagby and Mr. Morrison for this excellent publication. We are in compl ete agreement with your article. We f ee l that this will be of value in our effort s to control similar operations in this State.
Jim Brown Resea rch and Development Section Division of Commercial and
Sports Fish eries N.C. Departm ent of Conservation
and Development Mo rehead City, N.C.
OUTDOOR WRITER Co ngratul ation on th e July issu e of Game & Fish. Thi s frank statement will be effect ive in informin g th e public of adverse ef fects of certain pu blic works project s. Di recto r Bagby and you are to be commended f~ r you r energetic and out spoken oppo sition t o damaged wildlife and scenic resou rces t ha t have occ ured under public law 566. . T.hese . at rocit ies will be met wit h pu blic 1nd 1gnat 1on t hat in evi tably wi ll resu lt from your pub lica t io n.
Si ncerely, Joel Arri ngt on Presiden t , South eastern Outdoor Press
Assoc iati on Raleig h, N. C.
FISHING MAGAZINE? How abou t so!T' ethin g on hunting for a c ha nge. Yo ur magazi ne i s exce ll en t but only for peopl e t ha t f ish.
Bi ll y Burdell Augusta, Geo rgia
There is a sayin g about Methodist preach ers that if you don 't like the one you have,

just be patient, and you'll soon have another! It's the same way with our magazine. In the fall and winter, we concentrate on seasonal hunting or game management items, and vice-versa in the spring and summer on fish.
NATIONAL TIMBER FIREWORKS
Your editorial in th e July issu e of Georgia Game and Fish is so typical of unknowing laymen and pseudo-intellectuals being heard from today. Your article is loaded with erroneous statements and catch phrases, because like so many, you are not telling it like it is. You should get your facts strai ght before shooting off your mouth like you have in this article. Your utterances smack of the non-thinking persons from which you attempt to disassociate yourself. Without the forest products industry and the "proper reforestation and timber management" instituted by this industry, many years ago, you wouldn't even have a job, for without the sound intensive management practiced by this vast industry, there wouldn't be enough timber left today to make paper for th e next issue of your magazine.
It is apparently stylish today for laymen, (i.e., those not belonging to a particular profession) to criticize anyone who cuts down tree s for whatever purpose, or who is associated with what is popularly classified as "wanton destruction of our timber resource".
The layman, self-styled preservationist, does not understand nor even try to understand th e sophisticated management process involved- all he care:> to see or read about i s "rampant destruction of our forest". To date many acres of the National Forests are sadly in need of harvesting, many thousands of trees are simply dying on the stump, a great wast e of our resoures. A "thinking perso n" as you apparently call yourse lf, should be abl e to understand that NOT cuttin g and allowing this timber to rot is as much mismanage ment as throwing away public mon ey, or nearly as bad as the cut out and get out practices of the past. I think you should go back and read the May '69 issue of "Outdoor Life" , which simply states "Sound forest mana gem ent is sound wildlife management" .
Foresters and forest industries are no more intent on destroying th e f orest th an th e medi cal profess ion is on destroying peopl e. On th e contrary, th e primary moti vati on is to preserv e, sustain, in c rease and co nse rve th e resource throu gh WISE USE. No ne of us ex pect s deer and q uai l to eat pine co nes, but you had better examin e th e published facts t ha t prove gam e can be raised in prope rl y managed pin e fo rests. Have you ever seen a dee r eat t he top out of a 60 foo t mat ure oak, and remember t his, that littl e oaks WILL NOT grow from acorns un less th e big oaks and oth er overtoppin g hardwood s are removed.
You of a ll peo ple should kn ow th e val ue of Geo rgia 's f orest products and wh at f orestry co ntributes t o th e Geo rgia peopl e, as we ll as th e enti re nat io n. Ha ve you looked lately on th e Clark Hill Gam e Management area ? Th ere th e ga me peo ple are clear cuttin g, yes CLEAR CU TTI NG large areas-wi ll th ey l'eco me desert s t oo? The pot ca ll ing t he ke,t le bl ac k? ?? ?
Why don't you te ll it like it is? Isn't the story t ha t Cong ress i s wanting to set up a prog ram so that a po rt ion of the funds can be re t urn ed to th e pa rticular forest areas, so t ha t more forest ers ca n be hired to do a be tt er j ob of ma nagement ? I suggest that you co ntact Mr. Robert Stevens and see wha t he has to say about another Federal Agency t hat is doing an out~tanding job of resource management-and under a system

si milar t o t he one Con gress wants t o put in effect on t he Nat iona l Forest. It mi ght surpri se yo u t o see th at it is bein g done.
So why don 't yo u t ell it like it is Jim ?
Sin ce rely yours, Harold V. Barn ett RF 501 Au gust a, Georgia
Since you did not see fit to i dentify your affiliation with the forest industry other than the fact that you are a registered forester, we are in the dark as to whose viewpoint you are supposed to represent, but that might be embarrasing to them.
While the editor is neither a registered forester or a game biologist, the State Game and Fish Commission is fortunate to have a fine staff of men with training in both fields, which apparently you do not have. Our article was written from information they supplied, and any information we present to the public is carefully checked out with them first.
Before you start "telling it like it is," we suggest that you take time to get :-cquainted with the other side of the picture as we have in recent months, both from the viewpoint of the timber industry, the Forest Service, and wildlife biologists of state, federal, and private conservation agencies.
As for clear cutting on the Clark Hill Area, two small patches of three acres were experimentally cut at our request, one in a pine area, one in a hardwood area, to see what comes back, both inside and out of a deer browse enclosure.
While little oaks may not grow under a 60 foot mature oak, the deer and squirrels don't go hungry eating the acorns in the winter. How many gray squirrels have you seen in a "properly managed pine forest
Our editorial did not advocate not harvesting surplus timber on public lands, and did not oppose maximt.m timber management on private lands. It did not deny the economic value of the timber industry or efforts of public spirited companies like Georgia Kraft to provide public hunting.
We do not feel that timber harv estin g practices on military property in Georgia which you vaguely alluded to in your letter should be the same on National Forest land s that are heavily used for recreation al pu rposes.
The State Game and Fish Commi ssi on in Georgia feels that earmarkin g t im ber sa l e funds from National Forests for tim ber management purposes alon e with no provisions for fundin g other National Forest pu rposes is not in the spirit of th e Multiple UseSu stained Yiel d Act of 1960.
The Multip le Use Ac t was not even menti on ed in th e first ve rsion s of th e pro posed bills thrown into t he hoppe r labeled "N at ion al Timb er Supply Act : ra th er t han "Nat ional Forest Timb er Su pply Act," H. R. 10961 and 10344. Th ese bill s were th e subje ct of our editoria l, which had to be writte n du rin g May and turne d ov er to th e print er th e first of June for inclu si on in our July issue. The sec ond versio n bill s were in tro duced Ju ne 10, too lat e fo r comment in t hat issue.
Aft er exam inin g th e seco nd versi on, H. R. 12440, we still fe el th at it me rely give s lip se rvice t o mul t iple use whi le violatin g it in spirit and f ac t by ea rm arkin g f unds for only one of th e five mu ltipl e uses of Nat iona l Forest lands.
Section 7, para graph on e the bill is an example of th e pre f erential positi on tha t would be given ti mber manageme nt over t he ot her for est resources: "deve lop into optimum timb er productivity as soon as possib l e the natio nal fo re st commercia l timberlands."

Obviously, optimum timber productivity is not multiple use, although cutting of surpl us timber would be. Also, there presently is no such thing as "national forest commercial timberlands." While some acreages are set aside from timber harvest as wilderness areas, critical watershed areas, recreation areas, or scenic buffer zones around roads or streams, the rest of the National Forest lands are simply "general management lands" where all of the five multiple uses supposedly would receive equal consideration dependent on the nature of the area. These are the main areas on which wildlife, as well as trees, are found, and accelerated timber management there without adequate consideration for wildlife will be damaging to this resource which is already so important in the South . As our population grows with more leisure time and the area available for hunting, fishing, and wildlife remains stable or declines, these public lands will be needed for uses in addition to timber even more than now, even as our needs for timber increase and are partially or completely met by increased production, both on public and private forest lands. Certainly the public lands offer a much greater potential for recreation and wildlife than intensively managed private timber lands.
In addition to the general objectionable provisions of Section 7, Section 6 contains a provision for earmarking timber sales from one particular forest back to the same forest for management purposes. This is not the way to properly administer a national resource, since areas needing the most work naturally would be those that already have a low timber sale volume. The Forest Service should have adequate funds to do the job nationally and be given the freedom to determine where the need is greatest, both for timber management, wildlife, and other activities. H. R. 12006, the substitute bill proposed by the Forest Service, eliminates several of these objections.
Our contention that even this third version further compounds an inequitable amount of attention devoted to timber in comparison to other important multiple uses is strengthened by an examination of the chart of figures showing the relative amounts of money already spent on timber management in Region Eight (R8) of the Forest Service in the Southeastern United States compared to other multiple uses. For instance, timber management gets more t han .54 cents per acre, and recreation gets .28 cents, while only .02 cents per acre i s spent on wildlife management , alth ough 31 per cent of the recreationa l visitors t o southeastern forests come there for hunting and fishing.
Wild li fe bi ologists are notoriously absent from five of fifteen southern National Forests and Re gio n 8 has only fift~>en wildlife m en compared t o 675 foresters. Is this a fa i r divisi on ?
In addition, an examination of timber sal es receipts as com pared to present appropriations f or timber management indicates t hat 75 per cent of the timber sales amount s wo ul d potentiall y earmark almost two and a half t im es the present large amounts for timber managem ent exclusively, while not provid ing a single penny for rec reation, watershed protection, range, or wildlife, even tho ugh inc reased timbe r management acti vity, especia lly heavier logging, would ha ve a mu ch greate r impa ct on the other resou rc es.
Instead of earmarking all of th is vast am ount for timber management alone, why not devote 50 per cent or less to timb er, 25 per cent or more to recreat ion , wate rsheds, range:, and wildlife, and 25 percent to l ocal counties wh ere the timber is cut i n lieu of

property taxes, which is now practiced? Such a program would receive the vigorous support of both timber, wildlife and recreation interests, and would be of much more benefit to the ~~n~ralll_l:l_blic._

RECREATION VISITOR DAYS TO ALL NATIONAL FORESTS

TOTAL HUNTIN G & FISHING

150,000,000 27,206,000 18%

RECREATION VISITOR DAYS ON NATIONAL FORESTS IN THE SOUTHEAST (Region 8)

TOTAL HUNTING & FISHING

16,404,200 4,956,000

31%

RECREATION VISITOR DAYS TO

NATIONAL FORESTS IN GEORGIA

TOTAL

1,331,900

HUNTING & FISHING

351,000 26%

FOREST SERVICE APPROPRIATIONS IN

THE SOUTHEAST

(Region 8, Fiscal Year 1969)

(12,000,000 Acres)

Total Per Acre

TI MBER

$6,572,000 .547

RECREATION

3,366,580 .28

WAT ERSHED

373,000 .031

RAN G E

127,300 .01

WILDLIFE

249,800 .02

FOREST SERVICE APPROPRIATIONS

FOR GEORGIA

(Fiscal Year 1970)

(800,000 Acres)

Per Acre

Wildli fe:

$18,250 .025

Nat ional Timber Appropriations Versus Receipts

Nat ional Timber

Manage men t

Recei pts

$208,603,58 5 Fi sca l Year 67

Nat iona l- Timber

Manage ment

Appropria tions

$ 60 ,664 ,000 Fisca l Year 70

Sou t heas t ern Timb er Appropri ation Versus Re ce ipts

Regio n 8 Timber Man agemen t

Rece ipts

$ 24, 000 ,818 Fisca l Ye ar 67

Reg ion & Timbe r Ma nagemen t

Appr opria t ions

$ 6,572 ,000 Fisca l Year 69

So uth east Forest Servi ce Perso nnel

Fisca l Yea r 69 Fores t s with pr ofess ionaI
f ish erie s and wi ldlife biologists , 9 675 Fores t ers Fores t s with out pro fessio nal fi sheries and wildli f e biologis t s: 5 15 Wildlifers

Reg ion 8

FISHING GUIDE

We have been cognizant of your fin e mag-

az ine f or so me tim e. We always pore over

it t o not e it ems of special i nterest, improve-

men t s, new programs and impetus . We

were pa rti c ularly interes t ed in your f eature

on Fishi ng i n Georgia , in the Jun e issue.

The exce ptionally fin e color fish photos

and interes tin g trea tm ent of fishin g infor-

mation caugh t our undiv ided attention.

Sam L. Vandevender Biologist West Virginia Dept. of Natural Resources Charleston, W. Va.
TROUT
Continued from inside fron t cover

th e two state hatche ri es, fi ve stocking tru cks. and nine hatchery employees cost $ 175.000 a yea r. not includin g sal ari es a nd expe nses o f two biologists and two bio log ica l ai des e ngaged in trout research wo rk .
C o n-; idc ri ng th at a pp rox im atel y 700.000 catchab le size trout arc stocked each year. such trout co~ t approx im atel y 25 cents each. Since the o nl y fi shin g license now req uired fo r res ident s costs on ly $2.25 . a nd onl y $ 2.00 o f thi s goes to th e State Game and Fish Commi s~ion ( e ve nt uall y), it's easy m ath to figure th at a fi sherm an who catches hi s limit o f eigh t trout in o ne da y has used up his share o f th e mo ney for the enti re \ Cason!
But if he's an av id trou t fis herm an. he p ro bably wo n't be sa ti sfied wi th fi shin g o nl y on e da y. so he'll go hac k th e

next da y, a nd m ay be the nex t weekend , and the next. Who's paying for his extra fi sh? M a ybe the fellow who doesn't catch hi s limit , but the most common answer is a South Georgia bass fi sherman o n Lake Blackshea r, or maybe a catfisherman on the A!tam aha Ri ve r. neither of which is getting hi s two dollar's worth of trout.
What is the answer to providin g more trout and a third trout hatchery for stocking strea ms in North Georgia, including new streams in the Northwestern portion. while giving the South G eorgia fi sherman a program th at he'll ge t hi s money's worth out of?
There is a simple an swer for both problems: a trout stamp.
By paying a $2 .00 fee , fi~h e rme n who want to catch trout could add this sta mp to their regular $2.25 yearl y resident fishing licen se, and in sure con tinued good trout fi shing in "put and take" streams of North Georgia. while providing fund s to construct a nd operate a new trout hatchery. At th e sam e time, fi shermen in other pa rts o f the -; ta te who did no t fi sh for tro ut would not have to suppo rt a program wh ich docs not imp rove their fi shin g.
G eorgia is no t alone in it s need for more fund s for trout st ocking. Most of th e states of thi s country th at h ave t rout fi shin g alread y have such a special t rout li ce nse or stamp. includ ing o ur no rthern neighbor T ennessee.
In fact. a bill to require trout fi sherm en to purch ase a $2 .00 trout <,t amp was approved at this year's sessio n of th e Ge ne ral A sse mbly b y the H ouse G am e and F is h C o mmitt ee. a nd rema in s alive until th e sess ion next yea r. Known as House Bill 833 (H.B. R3 3 ) . it is recei vin g se riou s considerati o n [ ~o m the speci al interim H ouse G am e and Fish Revenue Stud y C omm itt ee. chaired hy Representative Howard Raine y of Cordele.
Appea rin g before the Committee. the Directo r of the State G ame and Fi sh C ommiss ion . G eo rge T . Bagby, asked the co mmitt ee to seriously conside r en actment of the trout stamp into law in 1969 . Bagby told the committee th at if the trout stamp is enacted. he will recommend at the same time dropping th e $ 1.00 pe r da y fe e collected by th e Commi ssio n on m anaged tro ut strea m s. si nce hu yin g th e perm it each day is a n add ed inconvenience to t rou t fi-; hcrmen th at o nl y rai ses $ 17.000 a yea r and costs $ 16.000 to coll ect. Onl y 500 annua l $ 10.00 pe rmit s for m anaged strea ms arc sold each year.
At a ti me wh en Georgia's trou t ~ l oc k ing prog ram has reached its limits o n the e xi sting fun ds. Bagby's reco m menda tio ns shoul d receive full su pport fro m C\'cry trout fi-;herm an and legislator who wa nt s to sec h is state move forwa rd .- J .A/ .

Sportsman's Calendar
SEASONS OPEN THIS MONTH
DOVES Early Season-Sept. 6, 1969 through Oct. 4, 1969. Bag Limit-18 Daily, possession limit 36.
OPOSSUM Early Season-Sept. 27, 1969 through Jan. 24, 1970 in Coweta County only. Bag Limit- None.
RAILS Season-Sept. 20, 1969 through Nov. 28, 1969. Bag Limit- 7 D aily, possession limit 14.
MOUNTAIN TROUT Open Stream Season-April 5, 1969 through Oct. 4, 1969. Creel Limit-Eight trout of all species per day. Possession limit eight trout.

Fishing Hours-30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset on all open trout streams.
SQUIRREL Early Season-Aug. 16, 1969 through Sept. 6, 1969 in the following counties only: Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Habersham, Lumpkin, Murray, Rabun, Towns, Union, and Wh ite.
Bag Limit-!0 dai ly.
SEASONS OPENING NEXT MONTH
DEER Archery Season-Oct. I, !969 through Oct. 25, 1969 in a county or a portion of a county which has an open gun season for deer hunting in the 1969-70 season.
Bag Limit-Two (2) bucks, or one (1) buck and one ( I ) doe or antlerless deer.
OPOSSUM Season-Oct. 18, 1969 through Feb. 28, 1970.
Bag Limit-None.
RACCOON N . Ga. Season-Oct. 18, 1969 through Feb. 28, 1970.
Bag Limit-One ( 1) per person per night.
SQUIRREL Season- Oct. 15, 1969 through Feb. 28, 1970.

Bag Limit-10 Daily.
PIEDMONT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Deer-A rchery-October 1 thru 12. No refuge permit required. Bag limit as per State regulations.
Deer-Gun-Bucks only: November 3 and 4. Bag limit 2 deer. Either sex. December 6. Bag limit 1 deer. Refuge permit required. Applications must be in R efuge office by 4:30 PM October 1, 1969.
Camping-The camping area will be open one day before and one day after each of the above dates.
Scouting- Dayli ght hours September 27 and 28 and October 25 and 26.
All State laws apply and there are additional Federal Refuge regulations. Applications for hunts and regulations may be obtained by writing Refuge Manager, Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, Round Oak, Georgia 31080.
BLACKBEARD NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Archery hunt for deer; either sex ; bag limit-2 deer: Oct. 22-25, 1969; Nov. 26-29, 1969; Dec. 30, 1969-January 2, 1970. Raccoons may also be taken on the above hunt periods. Applications for the Oct. hunt must be made by Oct. 15, for the Nov. hunt by Nov. 19, and for the Dec. hunt by Dec. 22. Write to the Refuge Manager, Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, Rt. 1, Hardeeville, S. C. 29927.

TIDE TABLE

SEPTEMBER 1969

SEPTEMBER -OCTOBER 1969

OCTOBER, 1969

HIGH WATER

LOW WATER

Day A.M. HT. P.M. HT. A.M. P.M.

1. Mon. 11 :36 7.6 11:54 6.6 5:24 5:54

2. Tues.

. . 12:24 7.2 6:06 6:42

3. Wed . 12:36 6.1 1:12 6.9 7:00 7:42

4. Thurs. 1:30 5.7 2:06 6.7 7:54 8:42

5. Fri. 2:30 5.5 3:06 6.7 8:54 9:48

6. Sat. 3:36 5.5 4:06 6.7 9:48 10:36

7. Sun. 4:42 5.7 5:06 6.9 10:42 11:24

8. Mon. 5:36 6.0 5:54 7.2 11:36

9. Tues. 6:18 6.4 6:36 7.5 12:12 12 :18

10. Wed. 7:00 6.8 7:12 7.6 12:54 1:06

11. Thurs. 7:30 7.2 7:42 7.7 1:30 1:42

12. Fri. 8:06 7.4 8:18 7.7 2:06 2:24

13. Sat. 8:36 7.7 8:48 7.6 2:42 3:06

14. Sun . 9:12 7.8 9:24 7.4 3:12 3:42

15. Mon . 9:54 7. 8 10:06 7.2 3:48 4:24

16. Tues. 10:42 7.8 10:54 6.9 4:30 5:12

17. Wed . 11 :30 7.6 11:48 6.6 5:12 6:06

18. Thurs.

12:36 7.4 6:06 7:12

19. Fri. 12:48 6.3 1:42 7.3 7:18 8:30

20. Sat. 2:00 6.2 3:00 7.3 8:36 9:36

21. Sun. 3:18 6.4 4:18 7.5 9:48 10:42

22. Mon . 4:36 6.8 5:24 7.9 10:54 11:36

23. Tues . 5:42 7.4 6:18 8.2 11:54

24. Wed . 6:36 8.0 7:06 8.4 12:30 12 :48

25. Thurs . 7:24 8.5 7:54 8.4 1:18 1:36

26. Fri. 8:12 8.7 8:36 8.2 2:00 2:24

27. Sat. 8:48 8.6 9:12 7.9 2:48 3:12

28. Sun. 9:30 8.4 9:54 7.4 3:24 3:54 29. 'Mon . 10:12 8.1 10:30 6.9 4:06 4:36 30. Tu es. 10:54 7.7 11:12 6.5 4:48 5:18

GEORGIA COASTAL WATERS

HOW TO USE THESE TABLES

The calculation s are for the outer bar. Find the readin g for the desi red tide . In th e table below f ind the number of minutes to add to correct for t he place yo u are going to fis h or swim . The outer bar calculation, plus this correc tion , g ive s the correct readin g for the point des i red .

Adjust For Day ltght Savmg Ttme By A ddtng One Hour

CORRECTION TABLE

The times given are for Savannah River

entrance (Tybee) .

Hrs . Min .

Savannah High Savannah (Low) . . Hilton Head, S. C. . Thunderbolt . Isle of Hope . Warsaw Sound
Ossabaw Sound Vernon View Coffee Bluff . . . . . . Ogeechee River Brid ge St. Catherine Sound Sapelo Sound Brunswick Bar St. Simon Pier Frederica Bridge McKay Bridge . . . . .
Brunswick East River . Turtle River Brid ge . Turtle River, Crispen Is.
Humpback Bridge

0 44 * 57 0 10 0 20 0 40 0 00 0 05 0 35 0 55 3 50 0 25 0 00 0 00 0 25 0 50 0 50 0 50 0 55 1 10
1 00

Jek y ll Point

0 30

Jointer Island

55

Hampton River Vi l lage Creek Ent.

0 20

Vil lage Fishing Camp . .

0 45

Ta ylor Fi s hin ~ Camp

1 00

Altamaha Fishing Park , Everett , Ga .

4 00

Two-Way Fishing Camp , S. Altamaha 2 00

Last New

First

Full

Quarter Moon Quarter Moon

HIGH WATER

LOW WATER

Day A.M. HT. P.M HT. A.M. P.M.

1. Wed . 11:42 7.4

.. 5:30 6:06

2. Thurs. 12:00 6.1 12:30 7.0 6:18 7:00

3. Fri. 12:48 5.8 1:24 6.8 7:12 8:00

4. Sat. 1:48 5.6 2:18 6.7 8:12 9:06

5. Sun. 2:54 5.7 3:18 6.7 9:18 10:00

6. Mon. 4:00 5.9 4:18 6.9 10:12 10:48

7. Tues. 4:45 6.3 5:12 7.1 11:00 11:30

8. Wed . 5:42 6.8 5:54 7.4 11:48 . ..

9. Thurs . 6:24 7.3 6:36 7.6 12:12 12:30

10. Fri. 7:00 7.7 7:12 7.7 12:48 1:18

11. Sat. 7:36 8.1 7:48 7.7 1:24 2:00

12. Sun. 8:12 8.3 8:24 7.6 2:06 2:42

13. Mon . 8:54 8.4 9:06 7.4 2:42 3:24

14. Tues. 9:36 8.3 9:48 7.1 3:24 4:12

15. Wed. 10:24 8.1 10:36 6.8 4:12 5:00

16. Thurs. 11 :18 7.8 11:36 6.5 5:00 5:54

17 . Fri.

..

12:24 7.5 6:00 7:06

18. Sat. 12:42 6.4 1:36 7.3 7:12 8:12

19. Sun. 2:00 6.4 2:54 7.3 8:30 9:24

20. Mon . 3:18 6.7 4:06 7.4 9:42 10:18

21. Tues. 4:30 7.2 5:06 7.6 10:42 11:12
22. Wed. 5:30 7.7 6:00 7.8 11:30 . . ..

23. Thurs. 6:18 8.2 6:48 7.9 12:00 12:30

24. Fri. 7:06 8.5 7:30 7.8 12:48 1:18

25 . Sat. 7:48 8.6 8:06 7.6 1:30 2:06

26. Sun . 8:24 8.6 8:42 7.3 2:18 2:48

27. Mon. 9:00 8.3 9:18 6.9 2:54 3:30

28. Tues. 9:42 8.0 10:00 6.5 3:36 4:12

29. Wed. 10:24 7.6 10:42 6.2 4:18 4 :54

30. Thurs. 11:06 7.3 11:24 5.9 4:54 5:36
31. Fri. 11:48 7.0 . . .. .. 5:42 6:24

SEPT.

4

12

19

26

OCT.

4

12

19

26

To report violat ions or if you need assistan ce in th e Coastal Area- Call - State Game & Fish Comm iss ion , Brunsw ick, Georgia ,

P. 0 . Box 1097, Phon e 265-1552, Savannah 233-2383 , Richmond Hill 756-3679 .

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