GEORGIA SEPTEMBER, 1970 ~t fiiiiilo ofish September 1970 Volume V Number9 CONTENTS Dove Retriever . . .Charles M. Marshall 1 Tactics for Whitetails . . Marvin Tye 3 Check That Choke .. . . Bob Wilson 8 Learning About Our World ..... Aaron Pass and Marvin Tye 10 Sportsmen Speak .. . . .. . . 15 Outdoor World ... . 15 Sportsman's Calendar .. 16, 17 Lester G. Maddox Governor George T. Bagby Director , State Game & Fish Commission COMMISSIONERS Clyde Dixon Chairman Cleveland-9th District William Z. Camp, Sec. Newnan-6th District James Darby Vidalia-1st District Dr. Robert A. Collins, Jr. Americus-3rd District Charles L. Davidson, Jr. Avondale Estates-4th District Richard Tift Vice Chairman Albany-2nd District Rankin M. Smith Atlanta- 5th District J. B. langford Calhoun-7th District Judge Harley Langdale Valdosta-8th District Leonard Bassford Augusta-lOth District Jimmie Williamson Darien-Coastal District TECHNICAL SERVICES DIVISION Jack A. Crockford, Assistant Director Leon Kirkland , Fisheries Cl:lief Hubert Handy, Game Management Chief LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION Bill Cline, Major Deputy State Chief, Atlanta J. D. Atchison, Major Deputy State Chief, Metter David Gould, Major Supervisor of Coastal Fisheries Brunswick GEORGIA GAME & FISH STAFF Dean Wohlgemuth Editor Staff Writers Marvin Tye John Culler Bob Wilson Aaron Pass Ted Borg, Photo Editor Georg ia Game and Fish is the olficiol monthly magazine of the Georgia Game and Fish Commission, published at the Commission's ollices, Trinity. Wosningfon lui/cling , 270 Wosningfon Sf., Affonfo, Georg io 30334. No oclvor tising accepted. Subscriptions ore $1 lor one year or $2 .50 for three year~ . 'rintecl by Stein Printing Company, Atlanta, Ga . Notification ol address cnonge musf inducle bofn ofcl oncl new oclclreu oncl liP cocle, w if n 30 cloys notice. No subscription requests will be accepted without ZIP code . Articles and photographs may be reprinted. Proper credit should be given. Contributions ore welcome, but the editors assume no responsibility or liability lor loss or damage ol articles, photographs, or illustrations. Second-class postage poicl of Atlonlo, Go. ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD This seems to be the year of conservation. Conservation is a popular subject, and conservationist is a popular title. It is the crusade of the decade and theme of a dawning era. Lo, many are the voices raised in behalf of The Cause. Everyone connected with the use of our natural resources is defining himself as a conservationist A basic problem lies in this definition, however, for the word conservation seems to cover a multiplicity of goals. The time honored use of the word conservationist means someone engaged in the conservation of our natural resources. This general definition is in most cases valid , however, the question of which resources are to be conserved and by what methods is where the path separates for the men who call themselves conservationists. For each will, according to his point of view, outline which set of conservation practices will result in a high quality environment fo r mankind, and once again the problem of definition arises. Due to the diverse needs of individuals, that which constitutes a high quality lifestyle for one could be a vision of Hell for another. A meeting on land use planning for rural areas was recently held at the University of Georgia consisting of representatives of the conservation-oriented agencies of this area. At this meeting there was a panel discussion on priorities of land use, with the panel made up of authorities in the various uses of rural land. Agriculture, industry, fores try, transportation and wildlife were all represented. Each member was asked to present a "pure" concept of his organization's land managing system, with no thought to other needs or to compromise. These pipe dreams of good management and conservation were in most cases entirely different and often contradictory. Several of the speakers began by introducing themselves as conservationists, and the difference in their views serves to point out their different definitions of conservation. What constitutes good conservation practices? To one it is a good practice to drain a swamp, and make more land available for man's own uses. To another good conservation means acres of intensively cultivated cropland with clean borders, and no brush or idle land to mar the continui ty. Yet another would conserve by devoting large tracts of land to a monoculture of fast growing pines, creating an ecological desert incapable of supporting any other life. Finally a last view is an area of cropland interspersed with brushy and fallow areas to provide game cover, streams with trees on their banks to keep the water cool enough for fish , and woodland with both areas of pines and hardwoods which would produce both timber and game. There are as many definitions of conservation as there are agencies which bear the name; all of them conserve but they conserve different things. The modern sportsman should take a critical look at the conservation scene and find out where the wild game he hunts, and the fish he catches rank on the priorities of land use list He should then make his individual and collective voice heard to in- Continued on page 15 ON THE COVER: It's time to turn to school books and from fishin g poles for the youngsters, finds Jamie Brown, 7, of Cochran, and his dog. It isn't an easy thing to do .. . he had to make a stop by the pond on the way to school. Photo by Ted Borg ON THE BACK COVER: If you see a man or a group of men peering suspiciously over brush such as this, gun in hand , this month, don 't worrY about whether there's an invasion. There is . .. but it's on doves. Dove season ushers in this year's hunting. Read Charles Marshall 's storY, "Dove Retriever," Page 1. Hunting seasons are listed in Sportsman's Calendar, Pages 16-17. Photo by Dean Wohlgemuth Dove Retriever By Charles M. Marshall PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR Lady and her master, George B. Sturgis wait in the shade tor some action. Retrieving doves for my Dad was a great thrill during the early thirties. It was quite common back then to have a "pick-up" boy who performed dual tasks of carrying a half case of shells in the original wooden box, which was used as a seat, and to retrieve all the doves killed by the guo mao. You don't see this much anymore. Shells come in cardboard cases and school teachers nowadays think youngsters should be in class instead of hiding behind a clump of broom sedge waiting for a dove to hit the ground. I guess I'll get accustomed to cardboard cases, and I agree with the educators, but this still leaves the hunter without an extra pair of legs at his disposal. There are ways of getting around having your own flesh and blood retriever miss school. Ironically, it was a 'former teacher who showed me a method he has used for many years. George Sturgis, a science consultant for the State Department of Education, invited me to a dove hunt in Emanuel County to educate me in this regard. I had met t}eorge at the Georgia Natural Resources Institute two summers ago when I was teaching ecology and game management. He told me about his favorite dog, a ten-year-old English setter which would retrieve doves, tree squirrels, trail 'possums, and point quail , as well as rabbits and woodcock. Well now, when a fellow brags this much about a dog, you can't help but call his hand . Since dove season was scheduled for the following month, he suggested that I come and see his dream dog, Lady, in action. The temptation was too much , so I agreed to accompany him. George arranged for us to shoot a narrow peanut field snuggled between a patch of woods and a large corn field. To make certain I could see all the ac- tion and get a few shots myself, I chose a stand by a hill-top hedgerow which paralleled a rusty hog wire fence. We settled down to w~it for the first birds to arrive. Lady sat obediently at her master's side awaiting instructions. It didn't take long before we had some action. A lone dove came drifting into the opposite side of the field and beaded directly toward George. He dusted this one off with his full choked Model 12 Winchester. The bird crumpled and fell in a nearby briar patch. I had been so interested in looking for other birds that I forgot to watch Lady's reactions until she came out of the brush with the dove held carefully in her mouth. Her owner took the bird, patted her lovingly on the head, and gave me a gloating smile. Big deal. She retrieved a bird. So what? In the next three hours or so, I found out what he had been boasting about. That little dog made one amazing retrieve after another. As I sat there under a small sassafras and watched George get his limit while never losing a wounded bird, I wondered why more people don't use dogs for dove retrievers. They would certainly cut down on the crippling loss, as 1 well as aid in finding stone dead birds which fall in high grass. One of the things that impressed me most was that George could shoot a bird out of a flock and then proceed to draw a bead on another while Lady bee lined it to the first kill. He would mark the second location, and send her to it after completing the first portion of her assigned duty. After the hunt was over, George and Lady demonstrated another advantage of a good retriever. This was to find lost birds killed by other hunters during the afternoon. On one such occasion, the year before this, she disappeared under some honeysuckle and came trotting back with an even dozen freshly killed do_ves, neatly packaged in a plastic bag! After that trick, a nearby hunter vanished into the woods and was last seen driving a fast car just ahead of a cloud of dust. Retrievers that pick up birds killed by other hunters may be a little unpopular, but it sure does up your kill per shell ratio (some of us could use some improvement in this department). Most of the time, any ruffled feathers can be smoothed by informing your hunting neighbor that you have his birds and will hand them over whenever he wants them. Of course, everyone can't use canine retrievers at the same time, due to possible confusion caused by some dogs snitching other hunter's doves or getting into fights over dead birds, but why wait until they beat you to the draw? Try one before everyone else does. Before releasing this article, I dis- "Good shot, now watch me." " You could have handled this one yourself," Lady said. 2 cussed with several State Game and Fish Commission representatives possi- ble law enforcement problems that might be caused by using dogs during the first season's hunt when nothing else is open. Director George T. Bagby in- forms me that if hunters choose to use retrievers, they should be very careful not to hunt quail or any other game ex- cept doves. If you plan to use a bird dog as a retriever and are concerned about the possibility of getting fined for hunting quail out of season, then confine your canine retrieving to the second sea- son when practically everything is open. After having picked up for yourself in September, it will make you better ap- preciate man's best friend during the December season. It is my understanding that dogs are easily trained to perform this task, and that it doesn't take a high priced hunt- ing dog to be successful. A common mutt, handled by a capable master, can perform this task as well as a high bred dog. I hope to have a pup trained by this December dove season. So if you see a brown and white Heinz streaking toward a downed bird with retrieving on his mind, look close, because I may be in the next hollow reloading my Par- ker and watching for another feathered missile. - Tactics for Whitetails By Marvin Tye According to statistics gathered by the State Game and Fish Commission, one of the most popular game animals in Georgia is the whitetail deer. The number of hunters seeking this challenging trophy is growing each year. Hunting the whitetail is in most cases a job that takes skill and a thorough knowledge of the animal's habits and habitat. Most new hunters do not have this skill or knowledge. Until they The moment we all dream about ... that big beautiful buck, and here we are, all set to make it our prize, with a nice rack for the mantle, and venison for the freezer. To realize this situation, however, means some advance planning and preparation. Photo by Ted Borg Photo by Ted Borg acquire it, their hunting will be mostly a series of unproductive trips afield, as far as meat on the table is concerned. They can learn by experience, but a bit of reading before the hunting season begins could help to shorten the learning time and help them to bag that buck sooner. For example, let's say that you have hunted small game such as rabbits or squirrels. If you are already proficient with a small caliber rifle, you are one step ahead of the man who bas never hunted before. If you don't have a suitable firearm for deer hunting, your next step is to purchase one. Georgia regulations limit deer bunting guns to 20 gauge or larger shotguns loaded with slugs or buckshot, muzzle-loading rifles .40 caliber or above, and rifles using any center fire cartridge with expanding bullet .22 caliber or larger with the following exceptions which are illegal for deer hunting: .25-20, .32-20, .30 Arm y Carbine, .22 hornet, .218 Bee, .22 Remington Jet Magnum, .221 Remington Fireball, .256 Winchester Magnum, and .38 special. All .22 caliber rimfire cartridges are illegal. The .30-.30 and the .3 0-06 are the two most popular cartridges for deer hunting. Either is adequate but the .3006 is the most powerful and is recommended for its greater killing power, es- 4 To increase your chances of getting a real trophy like this one, hunt in areas that have produced large racks regularly in the past. Joe Page looks at this one taken by his brother Jerry near the State Game & Fish Commission's Walton Hatchery. Oaky Woods Game Management Area is a good spot to find good sized deer. That's where Newan Moore found prime deer habitat that yielded this nine-pointer. Photo by Ted Borg pecially if a bad hit is made. Another point to consider is that the .30-06 is powerful enough to use on practically any North American big game. If you should someday get a chance to hunt Canada, Alaska, or some of our Rocky Mountain States, this gun could be used while the .30-30 would not be recommended . Unlike quail or dove hunting, you cannot expect to shoot just at the deer and expect to bring it down . The shot must be pl aced in the vital area to kill the animal quickly and humanely. To do thi s most effectively, you should aim for the rib cage where most of the deer's vital organs are located. The shot shou ld be placed low in the chest immedi ately behind the front leg to strike the heart. If your shot should be a bit high, it will strike the lungs or perhaps the spine, which is a good hit. Towards the rear of the rib cage are the kidney and liver, a bit in either one will also put an animal down in short order. If you don 't have a chance to hit either of these organs, it is usually best to pass up the shot and wait for something better. A hit in the deer's mid-section, a socalled "gut shot" will probably kill the animal eventually but even the most powerful cartridge made will not kill it instantly and it is likely to escape and not be recovered . If an artery in any portion of the deer's body is struck, it will die quickly. A larger diameter bullet gives the hunter a better chance of striking an artery should his hit be too far back. One of the best shots possible for the rifleman is the quartering away shot in which the deer is facing away from the hunter and is standing off to one side. This is the situation in which the deer has passed the point at which he would be standing broadside to the hunter. In that position, the deer should not be hit just behind the shoulder but just a little farther back. A good rule of thumb here is to aim through the chest at the leg or shoulder on the far side of the deer, being careful not to hit behind the last rib. A shot in the head or neck can be fatal , but unless placed just right such a hit can also wound the deer and should be avoided if a chest shot can be obtained. A head-on shot into the chest can be effective providing that you are using a cartridge powerful enough to smash through the shoulder bones into the vital organs. In a way, I have put the cart before the horse in explaining shot placement before giving tips on how to locate the deer, but I believe that information of this sort is valuable and should be stressed. No amount of knowledge of deer habits will do you any good if you do not place your shots properly. Deer are found in hardwood forests where they feed upon acorns, .leaves of brushy plants, twigs, shrubs, weeds and some fruits. Honeysuckle, rye grass and fescue also attract deer if placed near a fore t border. They feed primarily late in the afternoon, at night and in the early morning hours. In order to get a shot at a deer the hunter is most likely to be successful if he takes a stand near a known feeding area. He should go on stand before daylight and stay until mid-morning and then return in midafternoon and stay until the end of legal shooting hours. Obviously, a stand just anywhere in the woods will not pay off. Pre-season scouting is the best way to locate a good position for a stand. Look not only for food which the deer would use, but also for tracks, droppings and other indications that deer are in the area. A trail leading from feeding to bedding areas is a good location for a stand . Deer usually bed down in thick cover during the middle of the day. When selecting a stand near a deer trail, be sure to get downwind so that the deer cannot get your scent. Don't wa lk in or too near the trail si nce hum an scent can be detected several hours afte r you have passed by. D eer are extremely wary creatures and will flee as soon as they get your scent or hear any unnatural noises or see any sudden movement. By hiding behind brush you can eliminate the posibility of being seen, but still have to be careful about scent and movement. An elevated tree stand helps to eliminate nearly all of these problems. You have more freedom of movement, are less likely to make noise and your scent is well above ground level. Sneaking up on a bedded deer is a!- PHOTO BY JIM MORRISON It's always a thrill to see deer in the woods, but these doe deer don't present targets .. . unless it's either sex day or archery season. And a running shot is a mighty tough one for archers. most impossible because of the deer's keen senses of smell and hearing and alertness for sudden movement. A good woodsman can sometimes accomplish this task when a light rain is falling because the sound of the rain muffles any noises that he might make and makes it harder for the deer to see or smell him. Also, the rain makes the deer uncomfortable and it is more likely to get up and wander around during the middle of the day. Obtaining permission to hunt on privately-owned land is difficult unless you have friends who own or lease large tracts of timber land. Public hunting areas such as the national forest lands and wildlife management areas administered by the State Game and Fish Commission are the best bets for the hunter without connections. If you want to bag a buck big enough to make the record books, you might be in for a big disappointment. Of the 25,000 or so deer taken in the state each season only one or two qualify for listing in the Boone and Crockett reco rd book. Scoring is done by a relatively complex measuring system in which the antl ers are rated by a signing points for size and symmetry of the rack. It takes a minimum of 170 points to qualify. If you have your heart set upon such a troph y, the best method to prepare for it is to hunt the area that has produced the largest number of trophy racks in the past and to pass up shots at smaller bucks until that dream animal walks near your stand . Jt is an interesting point to notice that each of the hunters who killed prize-wi nning deer in the first two years of Georgia's big buck contest had never before bagged another. They struck it rich with their first successful deer hunt. All of these dee r were taken in the central Georgia Piedmont region. The Oconee National For- est, Cedar Creek Wildlife Management Area, Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge and Oaky Woods Wildlife Management Area seem to produce some of the best trophy racks of any lands open to the general public. The Clark Hill Wildlife Management Area is in the same geographical region as these areas but it does not produce the same high-quality racks, perhaps because of low-quality food. Management programs now underway should improve the situation in the near future. Although deer are common in the north Georgia mountains and in the outhern part of the state, they are generally smaller and have smaller antlers than their cousins in the Piedmont region. The large t typical whitetail deer on the Boone & Crockett Club's record book for which the details of the kill are known was a monsterous buck bagged near Peoria , 111. by Mel Johnson. His weapon was a bow and arrow. The largest non-typical buck in the book for which details of the kill a re known was also killed by a bow hunter. Del Austin killed this monster whitetail near Hastings, Neb. with a 45-lb. bow. Johnson used a 70-pound weapon to bag his record breaker. From these stati tics, it might appear that the archers have the best chance of bagging big deer. As in a lot of other cases, things a re not exactly as they appear. In G eorgia, bow-hunters usually have a pre-seaso n, getting to hunt deer during most of the month of October. In most parts of the state, the firearms season starts in November. The archers usually get the fir t crack at the deer. If an ind iv idual archer is a skilled shot as well as an expert woodsman and experienced hunter he would have a better chance of bagging that large buck th an a fellow a rcher who was not as well 5 Whether you hunt with gun or bow or both, it's best to get in as much preseason target practice as possible, such as these archers are doing. It you're a beginner, an expert can help. Charlie Petty, left, and Bill Brasher, right, show a group of novice archers how to score on simulated animal targets . Photo by Marvin Tye trained for the job. Still, that archer would not be in as good a position to score as he himself would be if he were hunting with a rifle. The reasons for this are obvious to anyone who has tried hunting with both weapons . The rifle can be fired from any position and with little motion required. The archer must mak~ considerable motion to shout at a deer. The rifleman can shoot from cramped quarters while the archer must have room to move his bow without striking overhanging branches or other obstructions. The smallest twig in its path will deflect an arrow and cause an otherwise perfect shot to miss its mark. A skilled rifleman can hit a deer 50 to 100 yards away with little problem. Not onl y is it diffi cult for an archer to hit a deer at that distance, but he would have to aim above the animal to allow for the drop in the arrow's trajectory at that distance. Such shooting would be almost impossible in our thick forests. Bow hunting is advanced hunting. It takes considerably more skill and patience to kill a deer with a bow and arrow than with either a rifle or shotgun. The archer must turn down chancy shots at long distance or through screening brush and wait until the deer is within rock-tossing range before making his shot. Then he must move quietly and slowl y-but not too slowly and shoot straight into the deer's vital area. If the deer hears, sees or smells the hunter at thi s range, it will be gone before he has a chance to score. If an arrow strikes the proper spot, it will kill as humanel y and almost as quickl y as a well-placed bullet. A bullet or arrow in a non-vital area will produce a wound that may heal or may allow the deer to escape onl y to die later and be unclaimed. The hunter, rifleman , or archer, owes it to himself and to the deer to pass up any shot that he is not reasona bl y sure will hit a vital organ . If your deer does not fall when you shoot, be sure you missed it before moving on . If you are bow hunting. find your arrow. Look for hair or blood on the haft. Follow the direction of the animal's flight for some di stance looking for blood or hair on the trail , sure signs of a hit. A well-placed bullet will di slodge a lot of hair and you can tell from this and the color of the blood where the deer was hit. The lightest hair comes from the deer's underside and legs. The hair is slightly darker on the side and darker still on the back. Bright red blood comes from arterial bleeding and darker blood from veinous bleeding. Bubbles in the blood signify a hit in the lungs. Green matter indicates a hit in the paunch. It is best , in most circumstances to wait a half hour or more before trailing a wounded deer. If it is gut-shot, you should wait at least four hours, preferably longer. Move slowly and be ready for a finishing shot if it is required. Gut-shot animals leave little blood trail and are not easy to locate. If pushed, they will run and be much more difficult to find than they would be if left alone for several hours. Then they will either be dead or too weak to move. If a deer is hit in a vital area and does not fall immedi atel y, it will usuall y travel onl y a hort distance before falling. In most cases a heav y blood trail will lead the hunter right to it. If you hould have difficulty locating your game, don 't give up easil y. Keep circling ahead of the last sign and try to pick up the trail or locate the downed anim al. If you have a hunting buddy or two nearby get them to help you , and be sure to give such assi tance if you are asked. A heavier weight bow provides deeper penetration than a lighter weight weapon and in the case of a poor hit, could be the difference between wounding and killing a deer. A 40-pound bow will kill a deer if the shot is placed 6 'PHOTO BY DAN KEEVER effectively. Weight, in this case, refers to the pressure necessary to draw the bowstring 28 inches, the length of most hunting arrows. One of the most important aspects to consider when bowhunting is that the point of the arrow, the broadhead, should be sharp enough to shave hair from your arm. If it is not, you should never shoot it at a deer. There is a saying among archers that "he who shoots a dull head has two". A really sharp broadhead will sever arteries, veins and capillaries and bring death quickly, even when the deer is hit in a less desirable spot than the chest cavity. A three or four-edged point makes a bigger hole th an a two-edged point and is thus more likel y to hit an artery if the shot is placed outside the chest cavity. The first year archery licenses were sold in Georgia, 157 hunters bought them. That was in 1960. During 1969, 18,956 archery licenses were sold. Another sport that is gaining in popularity is the hunting of deer with primitive weapons. This is usually interpreted to mean muzzle-loading rifles. These weapons are capable of killing a deer if the shot is well placed. A challenge is added to this sport because the hunter has only one shot and must be able to make it count. Special primitive weapons only deer hunts are held each y.ea r on a number of Georgia's wildlife management areas. Choices for the deer hunter are many, as indicated by some of the various types , of ammunition displayed here. Of these, only one can really get a hearty recommendation. That's the .30I 06 cartridge on the left. Next to it is a .222 Remington, which is legal, but could not be considered desirable for Georgia deer hunting. The remaining cartridges are illegal for deer. They are, in order from left, .30 caliber M-1 carbine, .218 Bee and .22 Hornet. If you take an outstanding whitetail, why not enter it into the Game & Fish Magazine contest? Bring it by the Game & Fish Commission's office and have it officially measured. Jack Crockford, Commission assistant director, measures this rack for a lucky hunter. Details of the contest will be announced in this magazine next month. In certain southeastern Georgia counties, deer are hunted with dogs. While this can be an exciting experience, it does not require the knowledge of deer habits nor the shooting skill required by still hunting. Usually, a large number of hunters take stands at intervals along the banks of a river or other natural barrier while their companions release dogs to drive deer by these slanders. The hunters use shotguns loaded with buckshot. At close range, buckshot can be extremely effective; however, studies indicate that more deer are crippled by buckshot than any other weapon. At ranges over 30 yards or in really dense brush at closer range the deer may never receive enough of the buckshot pattern to be fatally injured. There is a tendency for the inexperienced marksman to aim at the entire deer, thus causing hits in non-vital areas. Buckshot is not allowed on wildlife management areas because of the high crippling losses it produces when compared to other weapons. How do you bag that buck this fall? To sum it up as briefly as possible, you should hunt with a weapon you are familiar with, get in as much practice as possible under actual hunting conditions, study deer habits and movements in your cho en hunting area, pick your stand and hunting area with care, and hope for a large dose of hunter's luck. >Goo Photo by Marvin Tye 7 . ) Photo by Aaron Pass Hitting what you aim at with regularity is no accident. To assure more and better hits, patterning will tell you what your gun is doing. After shooting onto a sheet of plain paper at the proper distance, draw a circle around the greatest number of holes, then start counting. CHECK THAT CHOKE . Jf you are satisfied with the number of doves or quail you managed to get last sea on read no further. This article i for those of us who would like to do better than four or five doves per box of shells, and perhaps one quail per covey. To get full enjoyment out of your hunting time and expense, and to enjoy orne great eating, you have to be able to bring home the game. A little effort and a very small investment in late summer or early fall will produce results in the bird sea on in the form of a heavier game bag. When tho e doves come si nging in , you must get your hot off in one smooth, quick motion , knowing you hould get a hit, before the si lver-grey birds flit off in a new direction and out of range. If you fail to regularly get at least one quail out of each covey rise, there is something wrong with either your shotgun or your shooting form. It takes little effort to make sure that there is nothing wro ng with yo ur shotgun ; but it wi ll take some effort to tune up your shooting form. In this article we will concen- 8 By Bob Wilson trate on the shotgun itself, and save the work on shooting form for later. The average shotgun owner just does not know what hi gun will do. Oh he knows it is a Lefever of sixteen gauge using an y 234 " load , and stamped right on the barrel it says it has improved cylinder and modified chokes. So far so good , but Mr. Average still has no idea as to exactly what his gun can and cannot do. He knows that for his usual five boxes of shells a year he can count on gett ing a numbe r of rabbits, ma ybe ten or twelve doves, and about a dozen quail. He also knows that his gun will fi ll a n oil can fu ll of holes at what he beli eves is 35 feet. The first thing Mr. Average needs to do is get a good look at just what his shot looks li ke where it hopefully meets the target. Just what do improved cylinder and modified chokes mean? Supposedly, a full choke will deliver at least 70 % of the shot in a 30 inch circle at 40 yards; a modified choke should put 60 % of the shot in a 30 inch circle at 40 yards; and an improved cyl- inder choke is supposed to place 45 % of the shot in a 30 inch circle at 40 yards. What were all those words like "suppo edly" and "should" doing in there when we were talking about patterns? Well, the old saying about not everything you read being true certainly applies to the choke markings stamped on shotgun barrel . Frequently, the choke indicated is at least one step removed from the way the gun really shoots. Two guns from the same maker and marked a having the same choke may vary considerably. Ammunition makes a considerable difference too, with a onehalf to one step var.iation in effective choke being possible with different brand and types of shells. So how do you find out exactly what kind of effective choke your particular gun gives with the type of ammunition you use? Patterning is the only way. Patterning? Pattern ing! All you need is a place to shoot, your gun, some ammunition , and a roll of wrapping paper. All you need to do is to cut several one yard squares from the roll of wrapping paper, mark the app roximate center, bang it on a fence or tree, measure off 40 yards, and fire away. It is important to use the same ammunition that you expect to use later on during the hunting season. For example, if you normally use number 8 shot on dove, number 7 \h on quail, and number 6 on rabbit, it is necessary to test the patterns for each shot size Changes in powder charge can also affect the effective pattern, even if the same size shot is used. Thus, to be of any practical use, patterning must be done with exactly the sa me ammunition you wi ll use in the field. It is necessary, of course to change the target paper after each shot. Five to ten shots are required to determine the average performance of any weapon. Using a piece of string 15 inches long, with one end fixed at the most dense portion of the pattern, and the other end attached to a pen, a 30 inch diameter circle should be drawn. After a rather tedious session counting shot boles, the percentage of hits in the circle can be computed and the effective choke determined. What about a variable choke? Well , let me relate the sad but true tale of one gun in particular. The gun was a nice Winchester Model 50 in 12 gauge. Photo by Ted Borg / Photo by Aaron Pass With the number of shot holes determined, the patterning percentage is figured by using the number of shot as listed in various loads . Such listings can be obtained from major ammunition manufacturers. Here are the kind of dividends you can realize from patterning-a good day in the field, with a good number of birds in the bag. Since it was to be a multi-purpose gun , the owner decided to install a popular collet-type choke. With good reason, he then decided to pattern the gun on the various settings. On the "improved cyl- inder" setting the choke produced a 45 % pattern, a bare minimum, and the shot pattern was centered eight inches high . Set on the "modified" position it gave a 53 % pattern, somewhat below standard , ten inches to the right. At what was supposed to be "full" choke, the pattern produced was 58 %, cen- tered twelve inches low, not even an effective modi fied. Needless to say, he was disgusted with these results. Replacing the collet- type adjustable choke with a tube-type adjustable choke, he tried again. The re- sults were much better, with the center of the patterns with various chokes re- maining on the center of the target. However, while the previous device had failed to produce tight enough patterns, the second device produced patterns tighter than indicated. The new adjust- able choke gave patterns of 52 % on im- proved cylinder, 74 % on modified (effectively a full choke) , and an ex- tremely tight 93 % on full choke. All right, so you determine just what kind of effective choke your gun has and just what it does, will you be able to put more game in the bag? Well , if you don't you can't blame your shotgun any longer. ~ 9 SUMMER IS FOR LEARNING ABOUT Photo by Aaron Pass 10 Photo by Aaron Pass OUR WORLD By Marvin Tye and Aaron Pass Learning...FOR SAFER FUN Photo by Ted Borg Each year since 1952 an average of 2,500 boys have gathered at Camp Safety Patrol on the shore of Lake Blackshear to learn first aid , traffic and pedestrian safety, water safety and related ski lls. The program is ad ministered by Lt. Floyd Hartsfield of the Georgia Highway Patrol. At a cost of $15 per week per person , the boys sta y in eight brick barracks on a 25-acre plot of land on the east shore of the scenic lake . adjacent to the Veteran Memorial State Park. This su mmer, for the first time, State Game and Fish Commission Rangers have been instructing the boys in water sa fety. Two different rangers each week are assigned to conduct the classes. They stress the importance of weari ng life preservers and inspect the safety equipment of each young ter before he is allowed to board a boat. Proper hand ling of the boat is demonstrated as well as safety rules such as yielding right of way and avoiding swimmers. After a short boat ride, the boys return to the shore. From this vantage point they watch the rangers demonstrate what to do in case a boat capsizes. One important point that they stressed was staying near the boat. The rangers joined hands over the boat to show that they could float in that position. They then picked up floating items such as water coolers, gas cans and cush ions and demonstrated how these could be used to stay afloat. The rangers then turned the boat upright and crawled inside to show that although it was almost filled with water, the craft would still float if the two men would lie flat and distribute their weight evenly. As soon as this session was completed the boys hopped in the water and tried the various flotation devices themselves. Not only has the school proved beneficial for the young students, but residents of the area have noted that the boys always wear life preservers and have become more awa re of this safety device themselves. It's a proven fact that public education on boating safety reduces the number of accidents on the water. It seems logical to assu me that the more boys who atte nd this course, the better our chances of having safe water recreation areas when these youngste rs are old enou gh to own their own boats. In 1964 there were 146 "water deaths" recorded in Georgia . These were from various causes including drownings while swimming. Fifty-six of these were caused by boating accidents. The next year strict The rangers demonstrated that an overturned boat would support their weight if they could lock their hands over it. Sgt. James Sherling of Sylvester explains the procedure to the youths. Photo by Ted Borg enforcement of water safety regulations and public education programs reduced the total number of water deaths to 99 and the total number of deaths caused by boating deaths to 31. During the first seven and a half months of 1970 the State Game and Fish Commission re- ceived reports of 81 drownings in Geor- gia. Many of these were drownings in small farm ponds. Some were related to boating accidents while others were caused by swi mming in areas beyond the abilities of the swimmers. A number of these boating accidents, if not all of them , could have been prevented if the victim had worn a life preserver. Training of the sort offered at Camp Safety Patrol can save lives by impress- ing the you ngsters with the dangers to be found on the water and the need for adequate precautions. ~ -Marvin Tye 11 Learning ... Photo by Ted Borg The Associate Wildlife Management course offers practical field instruction in techniques used in wildlife biology. Here students Jearn from instructor Charles Marshall to take a lake sample by using a net. Many college students are talking about the mess that the world's environment is in these days. Too often though, talk is about as far as it gets ; high sounding words and phrases are tossed around, but no one does anything. This being the case it is both refreshing and rewarding to see a group of students preparing themselves for a career in which they can actively do something to aid in the conservation of our natural resources. One such group of students is enrolled in a new course of study being offered at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The course lasts two years, and grants the graduate an Associate Degree in Wildlife Management. This degree qualifies a graduate to work as a biological aide assisting wildlife biologists in field and laboratory work. The courses which make up the program are designed to insure that a graduate can competently perform the duties that such a job calls for. The program is headed up by Charles Marshall , a former biologist with the State Game and Fish Commission and former Assistant Director of the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease 12 FORA PROFESSION Part of the summer program includes instruction on various facets of work in conservation agencies. Here Bob Baker from the Game & Fish Commission lectures on Law Enforcement. Photo by Ted Borg Study. With this experience he knows what a biologist requires in a good aide. According to Marshall the program is tech nology oriented toward the specific techniques required of a biological aide. The practical aspects of the job are stressed rather than pure theory. Some of the "How-To-D o-It" instruction includes age determination in game animals, bow to look for parasites, bow to operate vehicles and eq uipment, and ma ny of the other functions of which an aide must be capable. Though on ly in its second yea r, the program seems to be meeting a need as evidenced by its expandi ng enrollment T he idea was origin ally con ceived by Ve rnon Yow, H ead of the ABAC Forestry Depar tment and has been initiall y successful. The program is still growing and further expansion is li kely. This program is a part of ABAC's total rural development plan, in whi ch outdoor recreation has a large share. T he concept was ex plained by J . Clyde D riggers, P resident of the college. "It is essenti al to preserve and propagate ou r outdoo r resources by sound wildlife development and manage ment to meet an in creased demand for th is rural type of resource base. This requires well trained, qu alified people. I feel that our college is in an excellent positi on to provide this type of training." The course consists of two years and o ne summer. The first year is much like the first yea r of any course of stud y, bas ic E ngli sh, m ath , and science. The second year is well packed with courses whi ch directl y relate to the conservation work the student will do after graduatio n. These include wildlife biology, forest surveying, and forest rec reation. The summer quarter is used for practical application of the cl ass room work. The activ ities consist of two field trips, and two wo rking camps. At the ca mps the tudents wi ll get the chance to li ve and work fo r a week both on a game management area and at a fish hatchery or lake, givi ng them the chance to decide which type of work is Photo by Ted Borg These students are conducting various water tests on one of the ponds near the ABAC campus; much the same as they will later do as biologist aides. Coed Hilda Haskins is the only girl in the Associate Wild Life Management Course. Raised to enjoy the outdoors, she is looking forward to a career in conservation work. Photo by Aaron Pass most individually suited to them. There are about 35 students enrolled in the Wildlife Associate Program, and they seem to really enjoy their studies. They have a high regard for both the course titude work that ias ndintchreeasininsgtrluyctorrasr~ an atthese days. Steve Plymale, one of the stu- dents, pretty well summed up the feel- ing of the group. "The material is pract- ical in nature, and we are shown how to do it. Mr. Marshall takes the time to ex- plain why we do something, and that makes it more interesting." On the distaff side there is Hilda Haskins, one of the fairer members of the fairer sex, and the only coed in the Wildlife Associate course. When asked why she chose such a predominantly masculine field, she replied , "I've al- ways loved the oudoors. What my father wanted was a boy, and what he got was two girls. so he raised me to be a tomboy and I guess it stuck." The guys agree that Hilda is not only nice to have around, but that she pu lls her end of the group work load. One of them said, "Hi lda is just like one of the boys - Uh, with certain obviou differences of course." ~ - Aaron Pass 13 Photo by Bob Wilson Learning... TO PLAN LAND USE "We no longer have land to waste" was the dominant thought at the Land Use Planning Symposium held this summer at the University of Georgia. Representatives of the various planning and conservation agencies met to discuss the need for better land use planning in the rural and non-urban areas of Georgi a. Long range planning for "rural" land is a relatively new concept in land planning. Up to now mo t planning effort has been directed toward the urban centers of population because this type of land wa generally considered more valuable than the open land outside the city. However, an increasing popul ation is causing an increasing demand on this open land to the point where it is clea r that orne type of orderl y planning must be done if we are to continue enjoying the benefit of this land and its resource . The urgency of such planning was emphasized by both the speakers and the topics presented during the course of the Symposium. The speakers represented the different organizations and group concerned with planning for and managing land of a rural character. Topics such as agriculture, forestry, industry, transportation , and wildlife conservation were all discussed by experts in the various fields in regard to the future needs of a growing population. There were conflicting points of view due to the wide cross section of interests represented. J. D . Strange, retired from the U .S Forest Service pointed out that 14 the modern world now realizes that natural re ources a re limited, and a a result there will be growing competition for those resources which remai n. This competition further points out the need for an organized planning process by which land will be put to its best and mo t practical use. The Symposium began by establishing a ca e for rural land u e pl anning. This type of planning would provide for the max imum utilization of rural resources, and allow for an orderl y transition from a rural to urban setting. One da y was devoted to a panel type discussion on e tablishing prioritie on the uses of undeveloped land space. The panel consisted of authorities in the various field which directly compete for the use of undeveloped land . Each panel member was given the opportunity to speak on his particular organization's land use practices, and out- line the projected needs of the future in light of those practices. The conflicting points of view soon become apparent, and they served to illu trate that a planning system will be necessary to resolve these conflicts and provide the benefits of all the functions to the population. The planning would provide a framework for development through which all of the needs of the population might be met. These needs are as varied and complex as the popul ation itself, including both the economic and the esthetic, the productive and the pleasant. The modern world has reached a point at which it must carefull y husband its reources or they could be lost forever. There is a growing realization that a high quality life style will depend upon the totalit y of man 's environment. )