Georgia outdoors [Sept. 1962]

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,//,/*, PuUicatbn of the GEORGIA STATE GAME & FISH COMMISSION

LIBRARIES

COMMISSION DEFINES
DOVE BAITING RULES
One of the most confusing: conservation laws to be enforced in recent years is the regulation against shooting: doves
over bait. The puzzling; part of the law has been
the interpretation of exactly what con-
stitutes a "baited field."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last year issued a bulletin giving; an interpretation of baiting: regulations. Hunters
may shoot:
(1) Over grain fields seeded in a normal agricultural manner.
(2) Over standing crops. (3) Over flooded standing crops of grain or other feed, including aquatics. (4) Over grain crops properly shocked on field where grown. (5) Over standing grain or other feed
crops grazed by livestock. An example of this is a hogged down corn field.
(6) Over grain found scattered as the result of normal agricultural harvest.
(7) Over weed fields, pasture lands, wooded or other areas where salt, grain or other feed has not been scattered or
deposited so as to constitute a lure or attraction for such birds.
(8) Over fields where grains or other crops have fallen to the ground from natural causes.
(9) Over burned areas from which crops have been removed, or on which no agricultural grain or seed crops were grown during the current year.
(10) Over farm ponds or other water areas which have not been baited.
The three areas where it is illegal to hunt migratory game birds are:
-- (1) Over bait or by means, aid and -- use of bait or on or over any areas
where grain, salt, or other feed capable of luring or attracting such birds is placed, deposited, distributed or scattered except as the result of a normal agricultural planting or harvesting.
(2) Over feed lots where grain is present as a result of feeding livestock.
(3) Over areas where grain crops have been cut down, dragged down, knocked down, burned over or otherwise manipulated and left on the ground.

DOVE HUNTING DOESN'T BELONG ONLY TO MEN
This Lass Gets Her Share of Action on Opening Day

POLLUTION KILLS TONS OF FISH, LOVELL TELLS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Game and Fish Department Director
Fulton Lovell says immediate action is essential if Georgia hopes to solve its water pollution problems.
Unless monev and muscle are thrown behind a sensible pollution abatement program, Georgia's image as a recrea-
tion area will soon be destroyed, Lovell
said.
In a speech to Georgia county commissioners and others meeting in Atlanta for a one-day conference of water problems, Lovell said that this country "destroys more water areas throueh pollution than all public agencies combined create."
Speaking of laws to control pollution, Lovell said: "we need some stronger laws and some people to administer these laws. If we hold a few feet to the
fire, planning will start taking plaeV
Lovell said during the past five vears,
the Game and Fish Commission h^s in-
vestigated over 100 pollution-caused fish
kills.
"In almost every case, fisherv biologists found that the cause of the kill was industrial or municipal pollution of one form or another," Lovell said.
The Game and Fish Director said the
existence of pollution has a definite bearing upon the future industrial develop-

ment of Georgia.
"We are all for industry . . . for
growth and progress ... for better economic conditions. . . bigger payrolls and more employment," he said.
"But, we are fooling ourselves if we think we can get all this without proper and wise use of our natural resources, with great emphasis on water conserva-
tion."
Lovell cited figures from a recent census made by the Commission on outdoor
recreation in the state.
The survey revealed that one of every three Georgians 12 years-of-age and older hunted, fished or did both during the period covered by the study.
"We need little more to convince us
that Georgians are recreation-minded and depend upon our natural resources for creation," Lovell said.
"I am proud to say that The Game and
Fish Commission has definitely supported all legislation to thwart pollution,"
Lovell added.
"In a number of cases, we have stood alone. Several other times we have
counted our allies on the fingers of one hand."
Lovell praised the County Commissioners for their stand on pollution and called for widespread discussion of pol-
lution problems.

GAME
AND
FISH
By FULTON LOVELL
The mourning dove is the only game bird that breeds in every state in the Union. That is why it is the most popular target in America.
Georgia dove hunters can expect another successful season, despite the fact that small grain crops are not as numerous as they were last year.
The dove season will be split into two sessions. The first gets underway September 15th and closes October 14. Second portion opens Dec. 7 and extends through Jan. 15th. Early dove hunting is best in north Georgia, due to climate and the fact that doves
***** congregate there before moving southward. The second portion of the season is better
for shooting in south Georgia.
Many hunters shoot doves from a blind, but I have found that one is not necessary. Get down in the weeds, against a tree or beside a hill or dam to break your outline.
Of course, a shooter should remain still until ready to shoot, then fire away. As the season progresses, hunters must be more cautious than before about their hiding places, lest they scare doves away. Some hunters use decoys to attract doves. It's perfectly legal, but again unnecessary in Georgia. Birds are usually plentiful enough and decoys are not needed to concentrate them.
But, if you do choose to use them, place them in trees near feeding areas or water holes where you plan to hunt. And, be sure to use the right shot. Best shot size depends on gauge, choke and
shooter's preference. Number 7 Vis, 8s and 9s are all good. Many well versed hunters use number 9s in light skeet loads.
See you in the field September 15.
WILDLIFE NOTES:--Cotton rabbits seldom live deep in forests. They prefer
brushy, woodland areas . . . the red fox eats small amounts of grass regularly and gets some of its needed minerals by eating quantities of clay and gravel . . . one day last spring, fire burned through a woodland border that had long been known as a good
rabbit hunting area. An one-the-spot observer said he'd never seen so many rabbits
come out of a small area. Later, while surveying the damage, he saw three rabbits emerge from groundhog holes and return to the burned out border cutting. All of the actions of the rabbits indicated that they were trying to locate their nests of young in
the charred area.

State Hospital
Gets Illegal Fish
Milledgeville State Hospital received
more than eleven thousand pounds of illegally possessed shrimp to feed its patients during 1961, the State Game and Fish Commission said today.
Commission Director Fulton Lovell said his department delivered 11,100 pounds of edible shrimp to the hospita' in compliance with a Georgia law requiring that all confiscated game and fish be donated to charitable institutions.
"The shrimp were taken from individuals who either had caught them illegally or possessed them illegally,"
Lovell said.
Charges were filed against the violators in each case and most of the defendants pleaded guilty and paid fines, Lovell
said.
Department records show that a total of 12,755 pounds of shrimp were confiiscated and given to institutions during
1961.
The Salvation Army received several
hundred pounds for use in its missions and and Boys Estate, near Darien, was given shrimp on several occasions.
Others that received donations were Goodwill Home, Brunswick, and Cohen
Home for the aged in Savannah.
COMMISSION HAS NEW BOOK
The State Game and Fish Commission has published a new informational book-
let on beaver and muskrat control.
The publication, entitled BEAVER AND MUSKRAT CONTROL, contains
information and diagrams on the essentials of trapping nuisance beavers and muskrats.
Copies of the booklet may be obtained
from the Information-Education Divi-
sion, Georgia Game and Fish Commis-
sion, 401 State Capitol Building, Atlanta, Georgia.

Small Game Hunting
Slated For Areas

HUNTING SEASONS SET, QUAIL OPENS NOV. 20

Georgia's wildlife refuge management

areas will open for small game hunts on

Fridays and Saturdays December 7

through December 29, the State Game

and Fish Commission has reported.

v

Deer hunting on all management areas will be on November 19, 20, and November 22 through 24. Bag limit will be one
buck deer with visible antlers.
An "any deer" hunt is scheduled for
the Blue Ridge, Chattahoochee, Chestatee, Lake Burton, Clark Hill and Cedar
Creek (old Piedmont Area) game management areas on November 26.
Due to the small size of the Clark Hill area, permits will be limited to 150, and
will be available on a "first come, first
served" basis.

The 1962-63 hunting seasons have been
established by the Georgia Game and
Fish Commission.
A split season is scheduled doves. The
first season is September 15 through October 14. Second season opens December 15 and closes January 15. Bag limit is 12 daily and the possession limit is 24. Hunting is allowed from noon until
sunset.
Quail hunters get their first chance
November 20, and the season will be open through February 28. Bag limit 12 daily and 30 weekly.
Other hunting seasons are:
Woodcock: Dec. 7-Jan. 15, bag limit and possession limit is eight. Shooting hours from sunrise to sunset.

Marsh hen: Sept. 15-Nov. 23 with daily limit of 15 and possession limit of 30. Hunting hours from sunrise until
sunset.
Wilson's snipe: Dec. 17-Jan. 15, bag and possession limit eight.
Rabbit: Nov. 20-Feb. 28, daily limits five in some counties, 10 in others.
O'Possum: Oct. 15-Jan. 31, no bag
limit.
Raccoon: Oct. 15-Jan. 31, no bag limit. Ruffed grouse: Oct. 15-Jan. 31, bag
limit of three daily. Squirrel: Nov. l-.Jan. 5 in South Geor-
gia, Oct. 15-Jan 5 in North Georgia, bag
limit of 10 daily.
There is no open season on alligators, sea turtles and sea turtle eggs.

grade them according to size often so that they can mature with fish of their own weight and length."
Next time you slide stealthily over a rock and drop a fly into a swirling' pool to awit the strike of a trout, just remember that the one you latch onto probably was reared in the luxury of the Lake Burton trout hatchery.
"Some folks don't like the idea of catching a hatchery reared trout," Henderson sajd, "but, believe me, after a few days in the stream even the best angler can't tell the difference between a hatchery trout and a native one."
"If it wasn't for our hatchery here and
the hundreds of thousands of fish we
plant in trout streams each year, there would be little trout fishing in Georgia," Henderson said, throwing another handful of fish food to the occupants of his watery nursery.

BURTON HATCHERY TURNS OUT TROUT FOR ANGLERS
North Georgia Facility Handles Almost 500, 000 Annually

Anglers Who Doubt Trout

Find Treat At Burton Hatchery

If you have a hard time luring' a wily trout to attack your bait, a trip to the Lake Burton Hatchery will probably renew your hopes.
"Trout, especially the hatchery variety, eat almost everything," explains
Burton superintendent Ed Henderson, throwing a handful of raw liver into a raceway full of rainbows to prove his point. "Trout in the Burton Hatcherv are reared on a diet of raw meat, fish meal, cotton seed meal, wheat flour, dried skim milk, cod liver oil, salt, and even an occasional dab of dried brewers yeast," Henderson explains.
The Burton Fish Hatchery is located on picturesque Lake Burton, just a few
miles north of Clarkesville. It is a rearing station for rainbow, brook, and
brown trout, operated by the Georgia
Game and Fish Commission.
"Our purpose here is to raise fingerling fish, those about the size of your little
finger, to- catchable sized trout for release in Georgia streams," Henderson informed.
"The bulk of the trout here are rainbows, but we also grow brook and browns for use in trout streams all over north
Georgia. We produce close to 200,000
trout here every year," he said.
What are some of the problems in
raising fish, particularly such fickle ones as trout?
"Quite a few," Henderson admits. "Diseases are one, feeding another. You must raise trout as conscientiously and as carefully as you raise newborn

babies."

There are probably few trout any-

where that eat as regular or as well as

those at Burton.

They received two meals a day in

amounts that vary with water tempera-

ture and weight of the fish.

"We keep a close inventory of their

weights," Henderson explained, "and, if

they fall below normal for their age we

increase the amount of food. Fish are

-- like people,

some grow faster than

others and for this reason, we must

THESE FISH SOON TO BE RELEASED
In Streams of north Georgia Mountains

| jgjfc

FISHERY BIOLOGISTS GRADE FISH FOR STOCKING
Size, Weight very Important to future growth

SHRIMP BOATS MAY SCAM SHARKS FROM BEACHES
Game, Fish Director Lovell thinks so, anyway

Shark Attack Problems Unsolved,

But Wise Swimmers Avoid Them

One of the biggest mysteries the past 2,000 years has been what to do about unprovoked shark attacks.
So far, scientists have been unable to
find a way to repel all kinds of sharks all
the time.
Although some are good, shark repellants are not sure-fire ways to keep sharks awav, according to a report by the Shark Research Panel of the Ameri-
can Institute of Biological Sciences.
-- -- Only one repellant nigrosine dye is
effective for any length of time and even it is not much protection during sharks' "feeding frenzy."
Bathers and skin divers seem to be at the mercv of the shark and their knowledge of how to avoid them.
State Game and Fish Director Fulton Lovell, a member of AIBS, feels that
shrimp boat activity along Georgia's coast cuts down on the number of unprovoked shark attacks.
"We have had very few attacks in

areas where commercial boats trawl nets," Lovell said. "I believe that this
activity serves as a natural way to repel sharks and gives them plenty of food so
they won't have to look elsewhere." But even though Lovell feels strongly
about his theory on boats, he suggests
that swimmers and skin divers know how
to take care of themselves in shark-infested waters.
Lovell advises:
"Swim with a companion always. Don't become a lone target for attack by swimming away from the general area occupied by a group of swimmers and
bathers.
"If sharks are known to be in the area, dangerous ones, that is, stay out of the water. And, always be sure never to enter the water with a bloody wound, since sharks are attracted by blood.
"Avoid swimming in extremely turbid or dirty water where underwater visibility is poor. These few precautions will

guard against unprovoked shark attacks. "Of course," Lovell added, "If you set
out to provoke a shark, whether it's hungry or not, it will likely bite or attack you."
Scuba or skin divers appear safer from sharks than swimmers because records compiled by the Shark Panel show that most attacks occur within five feet of the surface and within 300 yards from shore.
However, Lovell has some pointers for skin and scuba divers, too.
"Divers should always submerge with a companion," Lovell said, "for the same reason a swimmer should swim with a companion.
"Also, to spear, ride or otherwise provoke a shark, even a small one, is invit-
ing danger. One often forgotten, yet important thing, is to be sure to remove all speared fish from your person. These fish attract sharks and could result in an attack upon the diver," Lovell said.
Lovell said a swimmer or diver should
not panic at the sight of a shark because unnecessary action or vibration in the water attracts them.
"Many potential shark attacks have
been thwarted simply because the person under attack has had the courage and sense to remain calm and calmly proceed to shore rather than leave in a frenzy," he said.
Lovell says there's one sure-fire method of avoiding a shark.
"If you ever see one circling you, get out of the water as quickly and as
quietly as possible, he said. "When one is circling you, he's ready to move in."

State Game & Fish
Commission
4D1 STATE CAPITOL ATLANTA, GEORGIA

SFC. 34.66. P. L. S R.
U S. POSTAGE
PAID
ATLANTA. GA PERMIT NO. 155

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Athens, Ga. 2 Copies

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