Georgia game and fish [Vol. 7, no. 2 (Feb. 1972)]

GEORGIA

FEBRUARY, 1972

Jimmy Carter
Go ve r nor
Joe D. Tanner
Director State Game & Fish Department
COMMISSIONERS
James Darby Chairman
Vidalia-1st District
William Z. Camp, Sec. Newnan-6th District
leo T. Barber, Jr. Moultrie-2nd District
Dr. Robert A. Collins, Jr. Americus-3rd District
George P. Dillard Decatur-4th District
Rankin M. Smith Atlanta-5th District
Judge Harley longdale Valdosta-8th District
Clyde Dixon Cleveland-9th District
leonard Bassford Augusta-1Oth District
Jimmie Williamson Darien-Coastal District
TECHNICAL SERVICE DIVISION Jack A. Crockford, Assistant Diredor
leon Kirkland, Fisheries Chief Hubert Handy, Game Management Chief
LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION R. K. Fansler, Colonel
Chief of law Enforcement
Bill Cline, Major Deputy Chief, Northern Region
Calhoun (404) 629-8675
J. D. Atchison, Major Deputy Chief, Southern Region
Metter (912) 685 -2145
David Gould, Major Supervisor of Coastal Fisheries
Brunswick (912) 265-1552

FEATURES

Squirrel HuntingTraditional Style

. Aaron Pass 2

Smokey Bear Complex?

Dean Wohlgemuth 6

Walleye-Winter Bonus .

Marvin Tye 11

Man of the People

Aaron Pass 14

Youth Conservation Corps .

Marvin Tye 16

DEPARTMENTS

Sportsmen Speak

19

Outdoor World

20

Sportsman's Calendar

21

ON THE COVERS
ON THE COVER: While not a spectac ular fighter, the walleye puts up a goad struggle on light tackle, and when served up as table fare, proves a rewarding quarry. For helpful hints on methods of catching this delectable fish in north Georgia waters, see " Wolleye-Winter Bonus " by Marvin Tye, an page 11 . Painting by Mal Singer.
ON THE BACK COVER: It would be difficult Ia find a more traditionally co rrect squirrel weapon than this flintlock muzzle -loader mode by Game and Fish Department Assistant Director Jack Crockford. Making the gun, bagging the squirrels, and making the photograph bring to mind the self-reliance of the frontiersman. See ''Squirrel Hunting-Traditional Style" by Aaron Pa ss on page 2. Photo by Jack Crockford.

~t Oiiiiu ofish

February 1972

Volume VII

Number 2

Georgia Game and Fish is the official monthly magazine of the Georgia Game and Fish Department, publ ished at th e Departmer.t's offices, Trinity-Wash ingto n Bu ildi ng , 270 Washington St., Atlanta, Georgia 30334. No advertising accepted. Subscriptions are $1 for one year or $2.50 for three years. Printed by Wi lliams Printing Company, Atlanta , Ga. Notification of address change must inclu de old address label from a recent magazine, new address and ZIP code, with 30 days notice. No subscription requests will be accepted without ZIP code. Articl es and photographs may be reprinted when proper credit given. Contributions are welcome, but the editors assume no responsibility or liability for los s or dama ge of articles, photographs, or illu strati ons. Second -class postage pa id at Atlan ta, Ga.

PUBLIC RELATION~ STAFF Phone 656-3530

Dean Wohlgemuth, Chief Editor

Sob Wilson Managing Editor

Jim Couch Photographer

Marvin Tye Press Services

Ben Gunn Audio Visuals

Aaron Pass Special Publications

Circulation Margaret Howard

EDITORIAL

Is Wildlife Valuable?

Why get so worked up over conservation? Game animals, birds and fish arc all for fun, aren't they? What real value is there in wildlife? Besides. there has always been wildlife ... the animals have been able to take care of thcmsclves this long. why do they need help now?
That seems to be the attitude of a lot of people. Some won't admit it openly. but when it comes to paying for wildlife conservation. they start dragging their feet.
There arc, of course. very good and very logical answers to all of those questions.
Yes. one of the chief values of wildlife is "for fun." Does that make animal. bird and fish life less valuable? I think not. What a dreary world this would be if we had nothing for pleasure and beauty. Try, mentally. to subtract all the beauty around you ... the trees. rivers, the flowers, beautiful buildings. pretty clothes, and attractive people. These are the obvious things, but not all. How would you like to live without these? Can you put a dollar value on their beauty. and the pleasure they add to your life?
Fun? Of course. We do many things for fun. We watch football games. go visiting friends. take trips,

go to the movies. They cost something. usually. but we consider them worth it. And they arc. Relaxation helps us to rest, and therefore to be happier, and to work harder when we return to our daily tasks.
To say, however, that this is the only value of wildlife is a great mistake. True, we no longer depend on wildlife to provide food, clothing and shelter. Yct there arc many persons in our society today that benefit from the sportsman's business as he enjoys his sport. He buys guns, fishing tackle, sports clothes, gasoline, meals, rents motcl rooms and dozens of other things. He therefore contributes to the overall economy. And in doing so, he pays sales taxes and other taxes which arc used for the good of all mankind. Not much, you think? It is difficult to determine exactly how much, but many states know their wildlife resources bring in several million dollars each year through the sportsman's trade.
The average Georgia deer hunter, for example, spends more than $25 per day and hunts an average of 17 days for every deer he takes. This means that more than $400 is added to the economy of the state for every deer harvested. The 1971 deer harvest was estimated at about 35,000

deer. Therefore. deer huntnig alone added $14 million to Georgia's economy in one year!
Is wildlife valuable? I'd say so! Beyond this, wildlife can produce many other benefits. They often arc indicators of problems in our environment. Discovery of a large number of dead fish is almost always the first sign of water pollution. Clean water is vital to every living being, wild or human. Why conservation? Sure there has always been wildlife. Once. however, there was more. Man's usc of his world has threatened many species. and completely terminated some. True enough, there arc some species more abundant now than ever before, and still others which have increased dramatically in numbers in recent years. It is necessary to realize, however, that those species on the increase are those who have benefitted most from the conservation efforts of the public and of the State Game and Fish Commission. Is wildlife necessary? Is conservation necessary? If not, then tell me please what in this world is necessary or valuable?

SQUIRREL HUNTING

Photo by Ted Borg
2

By Aaron Pass
In the early days of this country hunting was more than just a simple recreational pastime, it was a way of life. The wild meat harvested by the pioneer huntsman was an important supplement to the meager living early settlers were able to scratch from the land. A s a food provider the hunting rifle was equally important to the plow in those early years. Even so, the d ays spent replenishing the family larder were probably welcome respite from the laborious hand clearing of the fields , one stump at a time.
Squirrels were undoubtedly numerous in the virgin hardwood forest of early America, and the thrifty pioneers were not prone to overlook an abundant, accessible food supply. As the larger, warier game species were forced to. retreat before advancing civilization, the adaptable squirrel remained numerous and became the primary target of the backswood huntsman. The squirrel's small size made for some extremely sporty shooting and squirrel hunting became a popular form of recreation as well as a necessary food gathering activity.
In the hill country of the southern Appalachians quirrel shooting had its greatest following and it was honed to a high level of sport. A good squirrel shooter was a man of significant social standing and an accurate rifle was a prized possession. It was at this period of history that the mountaineers' legendary shooting prowess was e tabli hed and the hillbilly squirrel hunter with his long rifle became an institutional figure in cultural folklore.
The rifles were of the Pennsylvania-Kentucky type, originally developed and built in Pennsylvania, and made famous in Kentucky by D. Boone and Company. Eventually these flintlock , and later percussion, rifles were made at blacksmith shops and forges all over the Appalachians and were quite accurate despite the seeming crudeness of their manufacture. The deadly effect of those long-barrelled rifles made folk heroes of the buckskin-clad backwoodsmen that stood behind the cotton bales at the town of New Orleans.
The legendary shooting abilities of these front iersmen are often just that-legendary. Since no story ever got worse by the retelling, it can be safely assumed that some of those implausible feats were well embroidered before reaching modern ears. The typical frontier rifle shoot did require excellent marksmanship

TRADITIONAL STYLE
Photo by Horry Hottel
Th e squirrel's small size makes him a good tl'st of the hunter's marksmanship as well as his hunting abilities. Wh en using a large caliber rifle it is best to try for head shots to moid extensive m eat damage . Such shooting requires an extrem ely accurate rifle and lots of luck.
3

Photo by Jim Couch

and included such co ntest as tack driving a nd candle nuffing (in which a cand le flame was exti ngui shed by the close pa age of the rifle ball, leavin g the candle and wick intact). Squirre l hunting too was often the ubject of such rivalrie , and quirrel shooting contests were a popular pa time. Concerning the art of " ba rking" squirrel by shoot ing the rifle ball into the tree right under the sq uirrel and killing or stunning the a nim a l by concu sio n, it eems th at feat was actu ally performed by the best ma rksmen mainly as a stunt to impress gullib le flatland tourists.
While most modern hunters don't bark squirrel , D. Boone's twentieth century cou nterpart till think highly of thi game ani ma l. The squ irre l i the number one game ough t in terms of number of hunters anc.l time spent hunting. Thi popularity is ea ily under tood when one thinks of today's c rowded hunting areas. Good. uncrowded quirrcl hunting is available to the ave rage hunter with a good deal le s fus and expense than a trip after one of the glamorous species.
Actually, squ irrel huntin g h as a pretty glamo rous tradition in itself, a nd i very porting, e pec ia lly when done with the sa me type of weapon our forefathers u cd to keep the family in vitt les. Mu zzle load ing ri fle s and shotgun have recently enjoyed a rc urgence of intere t by modern spo rt men cek ing ways to get more enjoyment from their port. Shooting the c blackpowder replicas of the gu n of a bygone e ra has caught o n with many hunters and led to the e ta bli shment of a number 'of primitive weapon deer hunt for muzzle loade rs and a rchery tack le on ly. N aturally the members of thi s grow ing black powder culr seeking more hunting op portunitic th a n are provided by the relatively hort deer hunts arc turning to other game specie . What could be more apt th an th e squirrel, th e traditional target of the long rifle? Squirrels a re numerou , with generous season a nd bag limi t , and th ey are exceptionally sporting for the mu zzle loader hunter.
E cntia ll y, quirrel hunting with a mu zzle loade r is little different from hunting them with a nything else, except for the single hot limitation. Th e hunter should look for a ha rd wood grove, preferably nc a r a creek or rive r, where aco rn s and hickory nuts are plentiful. Fragment of nut she ll s scatte red about under trees and o n top of tump and log indicate the presence of quirrel . A hunte r dre cd in dark clothes, moving slowly a nd quietly through such an area sho uld have plenty of opportunitic for hi s old fashioned quirrcl rifle.
u tom and tradition dictate that the cl as ic quirrel gu n hould be a graceful Pe nn sylva ni a-style flintlock b tween .32 and .40 caliber. The digre sion to a percuss io n lock is permissible since many flintlock were converted to this mo re re li ab le ignitio n ys te m once it beca me ava il ab le. Acutally the la rge r deer hunting calibe r from .44 through .50 a rc uitablc if the rifle is sufficie ntl y accurate . This mea n the rille, shot from
A ~mall hardwood ~r01e near a creek or riPer bottom is a likely spot fur the squirrel hunter. quirrels tend to concentrate in th ese areas . feedin g on the amilaMe mast and seeking the protection of th e den trees in th e area.

the bench, hould group into not much over an inch at 20 to 30 yards. Squirrels are a mall target, demandina a good deal from both the hooter and the rifle.
"The u e of a large caliber rifle on squirrels will rt: ult in orne meat loss unlc s a head shot is m ade. Thi is even more exacting and requires the utmost in .quirrelmanship. Of cour e when the head- hot only limitation gets too easy, you can emulate the great quirrel hunter of the past and "bark" them out of the trees.
Th ese acom cuttings indicate that squirrels hme been actile in this area. The cuuings are usually found 011 top of stumps, logs ami other elerated positions that squirrels prefer as feedillg
~llltiOIIS.
Wil en a mu~z/e-/oader goes off, it giles off 1'isib le as well as audihle e1"ide11 ce 11ith a cloud of ~mof..e. In still, damp weather the .\moke cloud will ha11g i11 the air, jorci11g the shooter to duck aro1111d it to see if he has scored.

Photo by Aaron Pass
~~----......r"""T""'

DO FOREST MANAGERS

By Dean Wohlgemuth

"He can smell a fire, before it starts to flame,
That's why they call him Smokey,
That's how he got his name."
This song has been on the lips of countless youngsters, very probably your own. The lovable fellow idolized in the melodious verse has accomplished a very important task ... he's done much to prevent careless forest fires, and thus saved thousands of acres of woodlands.
But has Smokey done too well, perhaps? He just might have oversold his product.
Certainly, uncontrolled wildfire is undesirable, no matter where you get it or how you slice it. Yet, man has coine a long way from making fire by rubbing two sticks together. He now knows how to control fire, when he wants to. And by controlling it, he can make it work for him.
Fire .could work, much more than it has the opportunity to do so, for managers of forests and forest game ... if it were to be given the chance.
Why doesn't fire get the chance? Because Smokey teiis folks not to burn the woods . . . and they believe him!
But don't blame Smokey, It's really not his fault. He was given a job to do, and he did it admirably. His job was to prevent wildfire, not to stop everyone from using fire for good purposes. It's just that he did his job so well that folks just won't touch a match to the woods when they need to.
Now we're not advocating complete annihilation of ail woodlands. We're not out to hurt the forests, but to help them. As with all other things, there is good usage and bad usage.
Properly used, a controlled burning program is among the very finest methods of managing forest lands for

forest game, according to Hubert Handy, Chief of Game Management for the Georgia Game and Fish Department.
"The public has gotten a Smokey Bear Complex," says Handy, "because the Smokey Bear campaign has been too successful. The public is overeducated about the use of fire, to the point where people are afraid to use it where it would be of great benefit.
"When used properly," said Handy, "fire is perhaps the best tool for wildlife management that we have."
Controiled burning does not mean touching a match to a forest and burning it to the ground. Controlled burning is using fire to burn off heavy ground cover, brush and weeds at the base of trees, in small blocks of land. It's the best way for man to sweep the forest floor.
Why does the forest floor need deaning? Because there is not much growing where the leaves and duff are thick on the ground.
Yes, there is some growth there . . . old, tough brush, so tough that it is useless as food for game and so thick that it draws nutrients from the soil and even prevents rainfall from reaching the soil. Studies have shown that in forest areas where undergrowth and duff is heavy and thick, a full inch of rainfall may be required before any of the moisture even reaches the soil!
Each year, leaves, needles, twigs and some of the old growth dies and graduaily rots, putting nutrients back into the soil. But this is an extremely slow procses, taking years ... while in the meantime trees and shrubs are trying to draw their food from that soil. When burned, the duff is more quickly converted back into nutrients for the soil. At the same time, even a light rain provides ground moisture.
Then, before long, fresh green growth cames through on the clean

forest floor. Here is food for wildlife.
"My grandparents used to tell me that many years ago in the north Georgia mountains, that the forests were carpeted with native bluestem grass that stayed green most of the year," said Handy. "As a matter of fact, there are still at least two places where there are small patches of native bluestem still in existence. There are patches of perhaps an acre or two in size, at Frying Pan Gap and Winding Stair Gap, on the Blue Ridge area. And true enough, they stay green most of the year."
These remnants of yesteryear are all that are left to show us what the forests in Georgia were like when the first white settlers came to this country. Handy pointed out that the Indians did considerable burning, and white men, too, used to burn off forest lands. True enough, there were many indiscriminate wildfires, started by both white and red men. Either they were careless and let the fire get away, or they simply burned off the heavy undergrowth in order to get the chestnuts.
In so doing, they left a park-like forest, with clean, even grass underneath. Nuts were easy for the Indians to find, and more than that, nuts, acorns, fresh young berries and succulent green leaves and grass, buds and all sorts of new growth was there to provide food for wildlife.
Because of this situation, wild turkeys were abundant in Georgia during pre-colonial times. This is the ideal situation for these birds. Controlled burning would most probably provide much of the state with the kind of habitat needed to bring this species back in good number, coupled with a stocking program. The Game and Fish Department is embarking on a long-range turkey stocking program that should gain momentum in a few years, thanks to the Sapelo Island Refuge program. The program

6

HAVE A
SMOKEY BEAR COMPLEX?
"He can smell a fire, before it starts to flame, That's why they call him Smokey, That's how he got his name."
7

Ragin{! out of contro l, th e forest fire 0 11 th e left is do ing 'h o usands of dollars of damage to forest lands and destroying all forest gam e and 11ildlife habitat i11 its path. This is th e kind of fire Sm o key Bear seeks to prevent. Controlled !>urn i11g, as shOll'll aboe, ca11 be h elpful, and can help to pre en t such UII COIItrolled ll'ild/ires. Use of firebreaks along ll' ith carefu l handling by m en equipped to prevent Ullll'ant ed spread of fire, allos forestlands to be burned oO remo ing undesirab le bmsh y regetation.

could be greatl y enh a nced if mo re area of th e state we re to unde rgo controlled burnin g fo r wildlife p urpo es.
"At prese nt," sa id H andy, " less than o ne-third of the state ever sees any controlled burning. Thi s is basically in the coasta l regio n where. lo ngleaf pines a re predo mina nt. Burning is a nece sity fo r lo ngleaf pine prod uctio n ."
Handy added th at much of the Piedmo nt secti o n of the state a nd the foothills of the no rth G eo rgia mo untain could be burned. At least half of the state's fo rests co uld be co ntrolburned, he be lieves.
Contro ll ed burnin g would produce a n amazing a mo unt o f additio nal food for wildlife , as we ll as pro mo te better fo re t ma nage me nt in certain area , Ha ndy as erts. However, he a.dded that since it h as bee n so lo ng . mcc any burning has bee n do ne it would take o rne ve ry ca reful h andli ng of fire to achieve the de ired rc ults. He pointed o ut th at steep lopes co uld not be burn ed . Th is is bccau e Aa mcs wo uld Ia h upwa rd o n trees, burnin g no t onl y th e g ro und cove r but the tree lim bs a we ll. A lso, uch areas, whe n burned o ve r, would be subject to oil eros io n.
"When a no rm al ra in fa ll occur in fore ts which haven't bee n cl eaned

for many, many yea rs, li ttle if any ra infa ll ever touches the ground ," sa id H andy . " It evaporates before it ca n oak thro ugh leaves , grass and fo liage."
After the woods are burned, annu al such as weeds and legumes .. . a ll sorts of pla nts , begin growing, produc in g " mo re feed than game manage rs cou ld possibly upply to wildlife in a ny o ther manner. Our foo d plots th at we p lan t wo uld n't scra tc h the sur face of produc ing that ki nd of wild life food ," Handy poi nted o ut.
The G eorgia fo re t as it was whe n the fi r t wh ite settlers ar rived was the res ult of freq ue nt bu rn ing by the In dia ns, H andy said. Furthe r, white men co ntin ued to bu rn forests freq uently. A lso, natura l causes , such as lightning, occas io nall y started fore t fi res .
l11ese fi rses, of cou rse, were not co ntro lled. M a ny covered thousands a nd thousa nds of acres. This is the kind of fi re Smokey Bear wants to prevent. A nd he re, too , contro lled bu rning ca n be a h igh ly important factor. If dense ground cover is regularly re moved it great ly decreases th e li kelih ood of widesp read wildfires. since there is less fu el to keep suc h a fire go ing. "Without controlled burning, we're ett ing ourselves up

for a real disa ter," says Handy, recalling a fire in the a rea of Helen in the Geo rgia mou ntai ns which burned ma ny thou sa nds of acres of forest in the early 1950s.
All of this brin gs to mind the question , if unde rbru sh a nd trash burns so hot and rapidly, how can it be burned off without damaging the forest? A good question . . . and there is a good answer.
Several important steps are taken to prevent the fire from getting out of control. Use of firebreaks is among the most impo rtant. Woodlands to be burned should be laid off in blocks of about 40 or 50 acres, with firebreaks between , laying off the forest in a huge checke rboa rd . Every other 40-50 acre patch ... or half of the fores t . . . should be burned each year, with th e a lternate blocks being burned the following years. Thus any given block is burned once every two years. and each block that is burned i surrounded by a block th at was burn ed the previou s year, leaving littl e indeed to spread the fire. Of course , the initial burning would require extreme caution.
Other steps are necessa ry, especiall y during the initial burning. B efore atte mpting any burning, contact the State Fore try Commiss ion for information regarding the humidity and

9

Thick brush o f this type cho kes out gro11th of youn g, succulent plants. Th e Iough, llllpa /atable scrub brush is worthless as wildlife food, and ro bs nut rients from the soil fr om desired tim be r and reduces drastically th e an/01 1111 of rainfall that reach es the soil. It also const itutes a lw ~a rd fo r wildfire.
Once burn ed off, fresh green gro wlh produces far m ore food !han wildlife manage rs could e1er ho pe to produ ce ll'ith feed patches. The forest land is now in much beller condition for b01h wildlife and foresters.

moistu re content of the forest. If it is

too dry, fi res wou ld be d angerous.

And of course, if too wet , fi res would

not burn . B urning should always be

do ne where there is very little wind,

prefe rabl y 5 or 6 mph , to prevent

t he fire fro m stand ing straight up .

" fn the old days , when fo rests were

bu rned frequently, lush grass p ro-

vided food for livestock," said H andy.

" Farme rs ra n their cattle , sheep and

hogs o n free range. Under the forest

canopy, the grass carpet stayed green

nearly all wi nter. so there was plenty

of food.

"There was also plenty of food fo r

wi ldli fe," he added. "Bears, squi rrels

and tu rkeys were abund ant . There

were more rabbits , quail and sim ilar

ga me in this type of habitat. At this

stage in hi story, deer stayed in edge

habi tat, and were not very prevalent

in th e deeper parts of the forest."

He emph as ized that tiine of year

for burning was hi ghl y important,

too, fo r seve ral reasons. Burning du r-

ing the months the fo rest is growing

co uld cause ex tensive damage to

trees and wil dli fe alike. Burning early

in the winter would cause a loss of

food for wildlife .

However, at the very end of win-

te r when wil dlife numbers are at a

low ebb, and before nesting begins,

burning will not hurt wildlife, if done

in a checkerboa rd fashion. Wildlife

ca n easily cross the firebreaks to

safety and heavy cover. There will be

no young wildlife in a nest, left to be

burned. Tender yo ung growth on

trees and desirable vegetation wi ll not

be damaged by the heat.

T his, then, is the time of year to

burn off woodl and s, in Febru ary and

March. Exact time would va ry from

one end of the state to the other,

si nce spring comes earlier in south

Geo rgia.

Actually then, controlled bu rning

is not at all contrary to what Smokey

Bear preaches . . . indeed, it helps

him in hi s effort to elimin ate ind is-

crimin ate, wanton waste of woodl and

re o urces through wild , uncontrolled

fi res. An d on top of protecting these

woods fro m destruction, it p roduces

more foo d and mo isture not only for

the trees but for wildlife .

It might amaze the people of G eor-

gia just how much wildli fe co uld be

prod uced naturally, in o ur G eorgia

woods, without extra effort and ex-

pense by man.

-

10

WALLEYE WINTER BONUS

By Marvin Tye

The walleye is rated by many fishermen as the best tasting fish caught in fresh water. Having tried most American species including walleye, I am inclined to agree.
A lot of people don't seem to be aware of the fact, but these excellent fish can be caught right here in Georgia. My experience with walleyes might be typical of that of the average angler. Although I have lived most of my life in the South and have done most of my fishing here, I caught my first walleye some 500 miles north of the Montana-Saskat-

chewan border in a remote lake nestled in the Pre-Cambrian Shield. This was during the last week of June, 1967. The weather was similar to what we experience in Georgia in December or January. My wife, Mary Elizabeth; outdoor writer Herb Williams; a Cree Indian guide named Henry and I cast small weighted jigs along the shoreline of Lake Niemeben and hooked up with walleyes on practically every cast.
The walleyes were as abundant there as bream in a Georgia farm pond and hit just as eagerly. Soon

we had more than 40 of the delectable fish in our boat. Such activity can be had in some Georgia reservoirs during the winter months, but walleyes are more frequently encountered in singles while fishing for other species. The major exception to this rule is the spawning run up tributary streams. At this time some anglers seek out the walleye and occasionally good strings are reported.
According to Game and Fish Department Fisheries Chief Leon Kirkland, the water temperature must be about 45 degrees before the fish will

11

------~--= - -------
. !:~"''''"' --.....

-- ... ,- _:::~:::::::---._,.,,

In addition to its value as a game fish, the walleye is an effective predator which feeds on yellow perch and prevents overcrowding of this species. It was introduced into some Georgia lakes primarily to keep the perch population in balance.

spawn. This usually occurs after the water has reached a lower temperature and then warmed up to 45 degrees. Walleyes will sometimes spawn on gravel bars in reservoirs and not make a spawning run upstream.
Only lakes in the northern portion of the state contain the coldwater species. Kirkland rates Lake Blue Ridge as the best spot for walleye fishing. Next best is Lake Burton, followed by Lake Hartwell. Lakes Chatuge and Lanier also contain good walleye populations. Lakes Nottely, Allatoona and Clark Hill also offer walleye fishing but not as good as that found in the other lakes, Kirkland says.
The Georgia Game and Fish Department started a walleye stocking program in 1959 and continued it for about 10 years. Some walleye fingerlings were stocked in various north Georgia lakes during that period. The eggs were obtained from New York and hatched in the Lake Burton Fish Hatchery. The walleyes were t-hen raised to fingerling size and released into the large reservoirs. After walleyes were established in Georgia, eggs were obtained from

specimens and then hatched. fn addition to providing a fine
game fish, the fisheries biologists were interested in stocking a predator that would relieve a problem with yellow perch. The yellow perch is the walleye's nearest relative and also his favorite food. Many lakes had an overabundance of these fish and the average size was quite small. The walleye has reduced the perch population and as a result, some large perch are now being caught in these lakes.
Leon Kirkland reports that walleyes are no longer being stocked in Georgia's reservoirs because a spawning population has been established. He indicated that stocking might be resumed at a later date if it is deemed necessary.
Although called a walleyed pike by many, the walleye is actually a member of the perch family and as such, is a delicacy. In many northern states and Canadian provinces walleye for breakfast is a traditional meal. Although more abundant in the northern states, some of the largest specimens on record have been caught in the South. The world's rec-

ord is a 25-pound walleye caught in Old Hickory Lake, Tennessee, on August 3, 1960, by Mabry Harper. The Georgia record is an 11-pound specimen taken by Steven Kenny of Atlanta on April 13, 1963, at Lake Burton. Any angler who catches a Georgia walleye weighing five pounds or more will be awarded a master angler's certificate if he enters the Georgia Big Fish Contest sponsored by the Georgia Sportmen's Federation and Georgia GAME & FISH Magazine.
Perhaps the best method of catching walleyes on most major reservoirs is trolling. The most popular rig is a bladed spinner with a single hook covered with night crawlers. Another popular combination is a deep-diving bomber-type plug with a small jig attached. The plug takes the rig to the bottom and the walleye usually hits the smaller jig.
A number of walleye are taken by night fishermen using live shad or other minnows for white bass. Trout fishermen also take a large number of walleyes in our reservoirs. Jointed plugs and spoons are effective lures for this species. The first walleye I

12

aw taken from Hartwell was hooked on a sinking plug that imitated a
large minnow. The spawning run from Lake Hart-
well to Yonah Dam on the Tugaloo River is the large t in the state. It is also the one that offers the angler hi be t chance to catch walleyes because the fi sh are concentrated below the dam. Dams and shoals in tributary treams. are prime spots for action with any fi h on spawning runs.
The walleyes making spawning run from Lake Burton are more difficult to locate because there is no dam on the Tallulah River to concentrate them. They may be at any point along the river upstream from the lake.
Norhtwest Georgia anglers can get orne walleye action during spawning runs up the Coo a River to the old lock and dam at Rome and on the Coosawattee below the Carter's Island Dam outh of Chatsworth. Similar action can be had on Cedar Creek near Cedartown and the Etowah River below Allatoona Dam.
Of course, there are spawning runs up tributary trcams leading into all the impoundments where walleyes have been stocked. Both the Chattahoochee and Chestatee above Lake Lanier have spring or late winter pawning runs.
Many walleye fishermen cast from the bank or wade the hallows when the fi h are on spawning runs. This

can be a very effective way of fishing, but a boat is necessary in some of the bigger streams or rivers.
The best Jure to u e during spawning run is the jig. One-half ounce or large r sizes are preferred because these sink more ea ily in a strong current. White and yellow seem to be the most popular and most effective color . The jig hould be cast into deep hole and allowed to sink to the bottom. The angler should then take up the slack line and move the lure with sharp jerks of the rod tip, allowing the jig to sink to the bottom after each jerk. He should reel in slack after the jig settles to the bottom and then repeat the proce s until he ha completely retrieved the lure.
Walleyes can be caught at night on su rface or shallow running lures in our large re ervoir . During the heat of the day, especially during the summertime, a deep running lure is requi red . The walleye is best adapted to night feeding. He pends much of the daylight hours in deep holes where bright light will not bother his sensitive eyes. Good walleye fishing can sometimes be found during the winter months by fishing in 20 or 30 foot deep water. Rocky points and high banks that provide shady areas are good pots to find walleyes .
Mid- morning to mid- afternoon eems to be the be t time during the day to fish for walleyes. Early in the

year, they may be caught in the waters where you find bass or trout. Later in the spring and summer you will have to troll deep along steep banks which provide shade or in extremely deep water where the light will not penetrate and the water is relatively cool.
This sort of fishing will result in a number of hook-ups on the bottom, so it's a good idea to carry a lure retrieving device to salvage those expensive lures. The e retrievers are usually little more than a weight on a line that can be lowered to grab the Jure and free it. Another solution to this problem is to use lures with light wire hooks that can be straightened with a hard pull on the fishing line. Homemade jigs are less expensive than commercially manufactured ones and can be lost without draining the budget.
The walleye lias been largely neglected by a majority of Georgia fishermen. He is not a flashy fighter, but a large walleye can put up a struggle. In addition, it is one of the best food fishes in the world.
The fisherman who has discovered th e walleye knows a good thing when he sees it. A number of them don't revea l their catche so that they will have thi s fin e fishing all to themselves. Any fisherman who is willing to brave the cold to fi h the spawning runs will be able to see what he has been missing.

Photo by Don Pfitzer

Th e angler who catches a string of walleye such as this will have th e makings of a fine fish dinner. The walleye is prized as a food fish and is considered by many fishermen to be one of the best tasting fish in America. Th ey are most abundant in northern states
bw grow to larger sizes in the South.

Ranger of the Year Jack Hardage
MAN OF THE PEOPLE
14

Director Joe D. Ta1111er collgratulates Wild-

life Ra11ger Jack Hardage on bei11g selected

tiS Ra11ger of th e Yea~ by tl~ e I~1 1V ellforce-

~t1aet1e1.t

chiefs of the vanous d1stn The selectio11 is made on

cts th e

over the basis of

im/ilidual m erit a11 d demo11strated e!Jec-

tilelless of wildlife regu/atio11s en forcem ent

01,er the yea r. Hardage fee ls that knowi11g and u11derstandi11g the people he deals wit h

is the key to his outsta11di11g performance.

By Aaron Pass
Photos by J im Co uch
Jack Hardage, Georgia's Wildlife Ranger of the Y~ar for 1971 , can justly be called a Man of the People, at least by the people of Macon County where he lives and works . Hardage was born and raised in the co unty, and after becoming a wildlife ranger in 1966 , he served for a short time in anothe r part of the state . When the position in Macon County came o pen , Jack asked for a transfer, received it and came back home.
Man y of his fellow rangers told him that working a mong his friends and relatives would be tough but Ja ck hasn't found this to be entirely true . " At first so me did expect a little special len iency, but I had made up my mind to be as impartial as possible," Ja ck relates . He adds that such impartiality is importa nt to any law enforcement officer, but that it is do ubly essential when dealing with people you know. Ja ck has also found that some people may be deterred from violating the law because of the embarrassment of being appreherded by someone that knows them personally.
Hardage was selected as Ranger of the Year by the Captai ns of the several law enforcement d istricts over the sta te . He received his award, citing him for loyal a nd meritorius service at the Conference of the Southea ster n Association of Game and Fish Commissioners

meeting in Charleston, S. C., last September. When

asked the secret of his success, Jack replied, "Steady

work, long hours, and an understanding wife."

Even with his busy schedule, Jack does find time

to go on family outings and camping t ri ps w ith his

wife, Kay, and their three children, Gene, 10, Angela,

9, and John, 4 . Jack also enjoys deer and dove hunt-

ing, and fishing, particularly bass fishing in the small

ponds in Macon County.

The Macon County. a rea Hardage patrols cons ists

mostly of rural farmland and the river swamps along

the Flint River. Since most of this land is privately

owned, there isn 't much friction between local sports-

men and outof-county people. Hardage says he does

have some trouble with wild dogs and illegal fishing

on the river and its tributaries . Most of t he ou tdoors-

men in the county are good sportsmen , especia lly a

number of Mennonites who res ide the re. Hardag e says

he has never seen a more scrupulously law ab iding

group of people.

Always having liked the outdoo rs, Ha rdage figu red

being a wildlife ranger would be right down hi s alley .

Now that he has had a chance to find out, Jack says,

" I enjoy it, you have to like this job to stay wi th it ."

He emphasized the importance of taking time to talk.

to the sportsmen he encounters in the field . " It makes the person feel that you are inte rested i ~ helping him

instead of just trying to catch him do ing wrong ,"

Jack said . This personal touch is reflected in a ranger's

county by more cooperative cit ize ns and officials. Jack

summed it up by saying , " Knowing and understand -

ing the people is my key to successful game law

enforcement."

~

15

YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS
By Marv in Tye
Pho tos by Do n Pfitzer

Working six hours a day haul ing rocks, cutting up fallen logs and pl anting seed to prevent erosion m ay not sound. like the ideal way to spend a summer vacation. Mix in a lot of rainy day , pesky in sects and sleeping in les th an luxury accommod ations and you get a more nearly complete picture of what 25 Bibb County boys endured during the summer of 1971 . They loved it and would like to come back next summer for more.
These yo ung lads were attending the first Youth Conse rvation Corps camp held on Piedmont N ational Wildlife R efuge. This program was brought into effect on August 13 1970, when Pres ident Nixon signed Public Law 91-378 authorizing up to $3 .5 million annu ally to establish it

16

within the Department of the Interior

~tndwathedeDiegpnaerdtmasenat tohfreAe-gyr~iacrultpuirloe.t

project with. th.e camp at Piedmont

National Wildlife R efuge to be the only one e tablished at this ti~e in

Georgia . Other camps on National

Wildl ife Refuges in the southeast

were at Wheeler National Wildlife

R fuge in Alabama and Noxubee

ational Wildlife R efuge in Missis-

ippi. The National P ark Service

pon ored three camps and the Na-

tional Forest Service sponsored five

camp in other southeastern states.

The boys were selected from the

local chool district in Bibb County.

In th e past uch projects have been

aimed at the lower income groups.

In th is case criteria used were inter-

c t in conse rvation , desire to attend

the camp and grades. The boys did

not have to be A students, but they

had to have at least a passing average.

They were elected from all racial

and economic classes to provide a

broad ba e of interest and back-

ground. It was required that partici-

pants in the camp be high school stu-

dents ranging in age from 15 to 18

years.

Besides being a way that the boys

could ea rn extra money during the

ummer months, the program gave

the boys an opportunity to see if they

would really like to pursue a career

in con ervation work. They were

given the chance to work on refuge

projects under the supervision of

refuge personnel and studi ed such

ubject a general con servation, for-

e t manage ment, harvesting, u e of

herbicides, farm pond m anagement

and others. Among other things, the

boy saw demonstrations of fire-fight-

ing tech nique , wilderness survival,

and bird-banding. An extensive con-

ervation library and other educa-

tion al materials were ava ilable at the

camp for their use.

According to guidelines, the si tes

for Youth Con ervation Corps Camps

were to be elected on the basis of

three major considerations. These

w re (I) the ava il ability of ex isti ng

but unoccupied federal facilities th at

can be readied for occupancy w ith

a min imu m expenditure of time, work

and money (2) the potential for es-

tabl ishing worthwhi le youth conser-

vation wo rk projects at or near the

YCC ca mpsite; and (3) proximity of

the ite to areas of high population

- .-

17

den sity to mmtmtze transportation for Corpsmen.
The Pi edmont National Wildl ife Refu ge, administered by the D epartment of Interior's Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, met all these requirement . It was near an area of high population density Macon. Tent camps could be set up with a min imum of work and expense. There was plenty of work to be done on the refuge and faciliti es and personnel were available for educational programs.
Among the more difficult jobs th at the boys performed were constructing a rip rap to prevent erosion, roadway clea ring, and preading mulch along the roadside. The rip rap consisted of a number of large stones placed on the downhill side of the roadban k to stop erosion. The boys picked up and carried all of the rocks by hand .
The boys lived in ten ts and ate in a large mess tent. Corpsmen were selected on the basis of grades and interest in th e project. Seedin g road banks is hot, hard work. Som etim e.\ conservation work may not be very interesting, hut it must he don e, as th e boys found.
18

They also cut trees and moved the
Jogs by hand. Monte Dodson of the Division of
Wildlife, San Antonio, Texas, was the camp director. Bibb County School System personnel assisting in the program were Curtis Hardnett, Grady Bray, John Graham, Jerome Guy and Jack Wheeler. The refuge manager, Travis McDaniel, also participated extensively in the program.
The staff worked in shifts to provide 24 hour supervision and counseling. In addition to the work and classroom sessions, the boys enjoyed supervised recreation such as football, baseball, fishing and hiking.
In addition to learning conservation skills, the boys got the chance to test their abilities and inclinations relative to conservation work. They also learned valuable lessons in teamwork and behavior. It was a revelation for the boys from an affluent background to meet those less fortunate and actually live with them for a period of two months. They were surprised to learn that some of these boys actually considered the somewhat primitive living facilities as an improvement over their normal standard of living.
From all indications the camp was a success. Many of the boys said that they would like to repeat the experience again the next year. They were paid a net amount of $360 for their eight weeks in camp. It was financially rewarding as well as educationally beneficial.
Boys interviewed by Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife personnel stated that the camp was very worthwhile in their opinion. In most cases the highlight of the camp was the presentations made by visiting specialists such as biologists and enforcement personnel who explained fish, wildlife and environmental management problems and programs to them.
As stated previously, this is a pilot project and will be conducted on a three-year test basis to determine if it should be continued. There are some 50 or 60 other Youth Conservation Corps Camps perticipating in the program in 36 states. If all of them are as well received as the one at Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, the program has a really good chance of being adopted as a permanent operation.

COAST BECKONS
Your 11 Backyard Bonanza'' article in the December issue was most interesting as this type of fishing is similar to my almost weekly fishing trips in New Orleans.
Fishing for specs and redflsh is my favorite and I have missed this sport since moving here two yeare ago.
I'm most interested in getting a list of places to go to or names of camps I can contact. After reading your article, I plan to make a trip to the coast in preparation before actually pulling my boat over. So I would appreciate any information you can furnish. Going to the coast af Georgia would be much more feasible than going back to louisiana to get specs and reds.
0. G. Garrett Decatur
Quite a few persons wrote similar comments about this article. It was aimed at those Georgia anglers who would take advantage of the great potential of the Georgia coast if they knew what was available and how they might enjoy it.
GAME & FISH Magazine is attempting to collect an up-to-date listing of fish camps and similar facilities on the coast, for distribution to the public. We hope to have a brochure published soon containing this and other information about coastal fishing. Keep watching this magazine for an announcement when the brochure is published.
Note, too, the useful Tide Table for the entire year, published in the December issue- .. it'll help you find the right time to visit the coast.
NOTICED COLOR
This is just a short note to tell you how much I am enjoying GAME & FISH. It has always been a fine publication, but of late you have really added new sparkle to it with more color and a wider range of features.
My congratulations to the staff of GAME &. FISH for having such a quality publication.
William D. Berry Editor, DElTA DIGEST
PAGES MISSING
I have been waiting a long time for an article on saltwater fishing on the Georgia coast.
Your December issue arrived with pages 9 through 16 missing. On page 17 was the last portion of the story I had been waiting for. Please send a duplicate copy of the December issue.
G. R. Freeman Atlanta
A fresh copy has been sent. We regret that in publishing such a large volume of magazines, an occasional copy may contain a few blank pages. If this happens, let us know and we'll be happy to send you a new one.
SPEEDY WOODCOCK?
This is to correct the statement concerning the woodcock on the back of the front cover (December, 1971 ), where you stated, "many hunters pass up what can be rewarding hours spent

hunting the woodcock; erratic, swift and unpredictable of flight." The word "swift" gives a false impression of the bird since he is the slowest flying of our game birds. This however does not take away any of the bird'c assets as being a tricky target since he is so erratic and unpredictable and hard to stay with.
The editorial of the December, 1971 issue was great; we need more facts like these to get more public backing.
Avery Beall, Jr. Avondale Estates
The author of the woodcock article comments that he intended to say that the woodcock is swift in dodging around obstacles and not particularly swift in flight. We agree that the woodcock flying from a given point to another point is slow in reaching his destination, but awfully hard to hit.
MEMORIES OF THE BUFFALO!
Thanks for the fine article, "Hunting The Buffalo" by Marcus B. Moorehead. No doubt he wrote from experience. The write-up sure brings up fond memories of my boyhood much of which was spent on Buffalo Creek and its swamp. It used to be quite a recreation area for us farm boys. The ole washhole refreshed our bodies after a hard day's work in the fields. We fished its banks and hunted frogs in the spring and summer. Hunting the big buck rabbits was quite a sport for me and my dog. Squirrel hunting also used to be good. Back on those days, 1930-40's, there were no deer nor beavers and of course the buffalo, like the Indians, have been gone many, many moons. In addition to rabbits and squirrels it was teeming with muskrats, coons, waterfowl and non-game wildlife. And now there are also the deer and beavers.
I know channelization of our streams is a controversial subject and any subject that has its pros and cons is interesting. Needless to say I am not sold on channeling our streams. To me this is just a good way to speed our fresh water along with our top soil out of our state. We who have farmed the hills know the reason for farming contour fashion. Have you ever seen what happens when a terrace breaks after a big rain? Naturally, the water emulsified soli seeks its lowest level leaving some areas bare down to the hard clay. Why is bottom land prized by farmers? It could be that is where the fertile soil and a stable water level lies.
I just can't believe beavers and channelization will be compatible. What will be in store for them? Will our tax money be spent to eradicate them? Might be interesting to take note and see what happens ~ few years from now.
For the hunters who hate to go home empty handed-if it happens to be one of those daysif you are interested in Indian history there are artifacts to be found along the edges of the swamp. I have picked up quite a few arrowheads, pieces of pottery, etc.
Elbert N. Wood lithia Springs
You can be sure that Bill Moorehead does indeed write about Buffalo Swamp from experience. He lives and works only a few minutes travel from the swamp and spends many an early morning hour there before going to work.
Needless ta say, like you, we are not said on channeling our streams. You are certainly correct in observing that beavers and channelization are seldom compatible. Not too many years ago the beaver was almost extinct in Georgia. Now however, after a brief period of protection, they are now in sufficient numbers to no longer require protection and have indeed made pests of themselves in many areas.

19

the
OUTDOOR WORLD

R egulation s, maps, and listings of public hunting opportunities on wildlife management areas throughout the state are ava ilable each fall fro m the Public R elations Office of the Georgia G ame and Fish Department, 270 Washington Street, S.W. , Atlanta, Georgia 30334; and regional offices of the D epartment.
-Bob Wilson

BOATING CLASSES BEGIN The U. S. Powe r Squadron will
conduct two boating safety courses in the Atl a nta area t hi s month. The course will be offered free as a public se rvice by the Power Squadron to promote "Safer boating th rough education ."
Th e course is called Bas ic Piloting and lasts approx im ately 12 weeks. It will cover uch topics as: boat handling, safe ty, rule of the road, and a ids to navigation .
The co urse begin s at 7 :00 p. m . on Febru ary 14, 1972 , at D ykes High School at 43 60 Powers Ferry Road, and at 7:00 p .m. at R owland E lementary School at 13 17 S. Indi an Creek Dri ve, Stone Mounta in . For more inform ation, contact Fed Thomas at 627-2605.
-A aron Pass
SHAD DERBY DATES SET Th e third annu al Atlanti c Cham-
pi onship Shad D erby to be held on the Ogeechee Ri ver has been schedul ed for March 2 3, 24 , 25 and 26, 1972 by the rul es committee. This event is a fi shing contest sponsored jointly by the State Game and Fi sh Department and the Savannah Area Ch amber of Commerce.
Th e shad is a n anadromous speci es th at li ves in th e ocea n and ascends fresh-water ri vers to spawn. Th e Ogeechee Ri ve r shad is known throughout th e country for its fin e taste and fi ghting ability. Wh en good water co nditi ons and spring spawning runs coincide, the fi shing ca n be extremely producti ve . A fo ur day contest gives the fi herman a better chance to have a ll th e factors in hi s favor. Last yea r, th e contest covered a period of three days .
In th e past, merchandi se pri zes have been awa rded to the fi shermen tak ing th e top ca tches, with the bi gge t fi sh brin ging in th e most valua ble pri zes. T op pri ze in the 1971 co n ~est was a boat, motor and trailer

won by Mrs. Sylvia Driggers of Sava nnah with a 6 lb. 3 oz. shad .
Pri zes to be awarded in thi s year's contes t and detailed regulations will be announced at a later date.
-Marvin Tye
OUTDOOR WORLD-37 WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS
T he Georgia Game and F ish D epartment now operates 37 Wildlife Management Areas throughout the state. Hunters can now find places to hunt in every major area of G eorgia, and if th ey take the time to check out several of the areas they can find productive small game areas as well as good spots to hunt deer.
D ee r, wild hog, wild turkey, ducks, qu ail , rabbit, squirrel, grouse, racc;oon , doves, and woodcock can all be found and hunted on management areas open to the public at specified times. In fact, a few areas could yield most of th e species li sted above if a hunter were lucky enough and regul ati ons permitted.
M anagement areas are generally more productive of game and wildlife th an othe r simil ar plots due to intensive management and rigid protection. Speci al Wildlife M anagement Area R egul ati ons mu st be followed in addition to the general hunting regul ations in hunting on these areas. Wh en not open fo r managed hunts, the areas are cl osed to the public in order to maintain a wild and natural setting as fa r as poss ible which allows wi ldLife to reproduce and rema in .wild .
Additional land s for public hunting areas are continu all y being investigated and leased. Some 340,000 acres of Nation al F orest land in Geo rgia is now under cooperative ga me manage ment programs. The tate's large forest indu stries also fo rm a major partner in providing land fo r the o peration o f Wildlife M anagement Areas.

W.B.B.S. MEETS IN GEORGIA The sixth annu al meeting of the
Woodcock Boscage Benevolent Society was recently held at the R ock Eagle 4-H Center near E atonton to hunt and pay homage to their namesake bird, the American woodcock. The Society was fo unded in 1965 by a group of woodcock hunting addicts and the annual meeting h as been held at va riou s spots within the bird's eastern range. Although the woodcock shooting was a bit meager, the
group enjoyed their trip south and some northern hunters were introduced to Georgia quail in river bottom swamps.
The group is composed of member from all over the U.S . with some in attend ance from Michigan and New York . W.B .B.S. is dedicated to the conservation of the American woodcock, and other conservation matters, a nd a nn u a II y presents ach ievement awards to deserving members. The Society's Woodcock Scientific Achievement pl aque went to W. H . Turcotte, Chief of Mi ssissippi G ame and Fisheries, for hi s outstanding achievement in the field of woodcock research. Trucotte prese nted a film to the group showing hi s department's work in identifying

20

woodcock areas in Mississippi.
Another annual award was earned by a deserving :V.B.B.S. ~?ember for outstanding achievement m the field of woodcock shooting. The Boone Woodcock Trophy is presented annually to the member with the poorest shooting record at the annual meeting. This outstanding example of the wood carver's art created by noted chiseler, Jarvis Boone, is a coveted award and this year the competition was stiff.
-Aaron Pass
OUTBOARDS ARE TO FISH WITH
The Evinrude Motors Public Relations Department (Outboard Marine Corporation, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) has reconfirmed in its Boating News and Features (Vol. 16, No. 6) that the overwhelming majority of people buying outboard motors use them for fishing. The latest survey by the Evinrude News Service, indeed, showed that 87 per cent of all boaters will go fishing at least some of the time with their outboard motors.
In contrast to the high percentage of those who wish to use their motors for fishing, those who do so most of the time for hunting purposes constitute only 2 per cent of outboard buyers. Those who buy motors for pleasure boating add up to 27 per cent, while only 20 per cent of all boaters use their motors for water skiing.
While 87 per cent fish with their outboards some of the time, 57 per cent of owners plan to fish the great majority of the time with their motor. The remaining 30 per cent said they would fish only part of the time.
All of the motors are used for fishing, no matter what horsepower they have. While the smaller motors are generally used for fishing on inland waters, many of the larger ones are frequently used for deep sea fishing.
However, as the horsepower rises, the percentage of use for fishing decreases. Of those motors with horsepower of 9Vz or less, 80 per cent are used mostly for fishing. On the other hand, of motors with horsepower of 75 or over, only 31 per cent are used for fishing.
-Sport Fishing Institute

Book Review
HOME GUNSMITHING DIGEST By Tommy L. Bish Digest Books, Inc., Northfield, III. 320 pages, $4.95.
Anyone who enjoys working with guns, or thinks they would like to try it-correctly-owes it to themselves to read this book. If you don't find several of the 46 chapters on gunsmithing techniques and projects interesting, either you are already a proficient gunsmith or you would probably find some escape literature more to your liking.
Clear descriptions and step-by-step photographs keep the amateur from going astray, and even the experienced gunsmith will be likely to find helpful tips. Gun accessories such as custom cases complete with tool kits, powder horns, and hunting knives are also covered. A very valuable section of the book is a listing of gunsmith suppliers for those hard-to-find tools and supplies.
Sporterizing military rifles, installing stights, glass bedding, installing recoil pads, stock repairs and refinishing, emergency field repairs, and many other topics are covered in detail. The HoME GuNSMITHING DIGEST is one of those books that you won't be able to borrow from a friend who has a copy-and you won't want to loan yours out either!
-B.W.

Sportsman's
Calendar
RACCOON: (1) Oct. 16, 1971, through Feb. 29, 1972, in Carroll, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Barrow, Jackson, Madison, El. bert, and all counties north of those listed. Bag limit one (1) per night per person.
(2) All counties south of the above named counties are open year round for the taking of raccoons. No bag limit.
SQUIRREL: Statewide season is Oct. 16, 1971, through Feb. 29, 1972. Bag limit ten (10) daily.
QUAIL: November 20, 1971, through February 29, 1972. Statewide season. Bag limit twelve (12) daily; possession limit thirty-six (36).
RABBIT: (1) November 20, 1971, through 1anuary 31, 1972, in the counties of Carroll, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Hall, Habersham, and all counties north of those listed will be open for rabit hunting. Bag limit five (5) daily.
(2) November 20, 1971, through February 29, 1972, in all counties south of the above listed counties. Bag limit ten (10) daily.
COMMON (WILSON'S) SNIPE: December 1I, 1971, through February 13, 1972. The daily bag limit shall be eight (8) with a possession limit of sixteen (16). Shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise until sunset.

Oiiiliu ofish

Send check or money order to: Georgia GAME & FISH Magazine 270 Washington St., S.W., Atlanta, Ga. 30334

Check one
0 RENEWAL
Paste your last magazine address label into space indicated and mail with payment.
0 CHANGE OF ADDRESS
Paste recent magazine label into space indicated, show change on form and mail.
0 NEW SUBSCRIPTION
Fill out form at right and mail with payment.
0 GIFT SUBSCRIPTION
Show recipient's name and address in form, indicate gift signature and mail with payment.

Name Address City Sign Gift Card

State

CHECK ONE: 0 1 year $1.00

Zip Code
D 3 years $2.50