Outdoors in Georgia, 1974 September

lp georgia
September 1974

Outdoors it? gecrgia

September, 1974

Volume Mi

Number 9

FEATURES

Summer's Green

(Photo Essay)

Bob Busby 2

Passenger to Oblivion . . Bill Morehead 4

Cobia

T. Craig Martin 11

Clear-cut

Aaron Pass 14

Under Five Flags

Joe Cullens 21

Well-loved Dove

Aaron Pass 25

Bow Hunting Primer . Gibson Johnston, Jr. 28

DEPARTMENTS

Outdoor World .... I Nx^ ... 31

\ Book Reviews . . y y+^f. . ;\N.

.

.

31

Outdoor Calendar

,, \v.j . . 33

ON THE FRONT COVER: Midsummer's green is one of nature's most
glorious creations. Bob Busby found this example (and the others in his photo essay on pages 2 and 3) near Unicoi in the north Georgia moun-
tains.

ON THE BACK COVER: The Peregrine Falcon. Prints of this dramatic
painting are available, and each purchase will help the Georgia Special Olympics Program. See our editorial on the facing page.

T. Craig Martin Aaron Pass Dick Davis Joe Cullens
Bob Wind

MAGAZINE STAFF

Phone 656-3530

David Cranshaw

Editor-in-Chief

Editor Liz Carmichael Jones . . . Art Director

Wildlife Editor Staff Writer Staff Writer

Jose Vinas . . ^A^. *

Artist

Bob Busby

Photo Editor

.... Jim Couch

Staff Photographer

Staff Writer Cathy Cardarelli . . Staff Photographer

Linda Leggett

.

Circulation Manager
.

Department of Natural Resources

Joe D. Tanner
Commissioner

Jimmy Carter
Governor

George T. Bagby
Deputy Commissioner

George P. Dillard Chairman
-- Decatur 4th District
Donald J. Carter Gainesville-- 9th District
Mary Bailey Izard Atlanta-- 5th District

Leonard E. Foote Vice Chairman
-- Marietta State at Large
Wade H. Coleman
-- Valdosta State at Large
Lloyd L. Summer Rome--7th District

Leo T. Barber, Jr. Secretary
Moultrie-- 2nd District
Dr. Robert A. Collins, Jr.
-- Americus 3rd District
Henry S. Bishop
Alma--8th District

James Darby Vidalia-- 1st District
Leonard Bassford Augusta-- 10th District
Jimmie Williamson Darien-- Coastal District

James A. Mankin
Griffin--6th District
James D. Cone Decatur-- State at Large
A. Calhoun Todd, Jr.
-- Macon State at Large

Division Directors

EARTH AND WATER DIVISION Sam M. Pickering, Jr., Director

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DIVISION
R. S. Howard, Jr., Director

PARKS AND HISTORIC SITES DIVISION

OFFICE OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH

Henry D. Struble, Director

Chuck Parrish, Director

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND INFORMATION SECTION

David Cranshaw, Director; Dick Davis, Assistant Director

GAME AND FISH DIVISION
Jack Crockford, Director
OFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES James H. Pittman, Director

Outdoors in Georgia is the official monthly magazine of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, published at the Department's offices, TrinityWashington Building, 270 Washington Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. No advertising accepted. Subscriptions are $3 for one year or $6 for three years. Printed by Williams Printing Company, Atlanta, Georgia. Notification of address change must include label from a recent magazine, new address and ZIP code, with 60 days notice. No subscription requests will be accepted without ZIP code. Articles and photographs may be reprinted when proper credit given. Contributions are welcome, but the editors assume no responsibility or liability for loss or damage of articles, photographs, or illustrations.
Second-class postage paid at Atlanta, Georgia. 40,000 copies printed at an approximate cost of $14,200.

Special Olympics

*

Going out for a few sets of tennis after work tonight? Or a quick nine holes of golf? Or perhaps tonight is your bowling night, or the eve-
ning you've set aside for handball or basketball or a few laps in the pool.
Many of us more or less regularly fool around
in some mildly competitive sports. Sometimes we
claim we're doing it for our bodies (staying "in shape") ; usually, though, the true reason is a bit more complicated.
We indulge in sports to test ourselves, to try
our skills against our friends' in a situation where the stakes are low. Winning is fine, but
losing doesn't cost us very much. And everyone
gains from the companionship, from the fun of being together.
But many Georgians don't have a chance for
the simple pleasures of this companionable competition. Until very recently, in fact, very few of our retarded citizens could find a coach or a team or a playing field suited to their needs. Not
many of the rest of us realized their need, and
even fewer of us understood their plight enough
to find a solution.
The Georgia Special Olympics program is attempting to change that. Last year more than 16,000 handicapped Georgians (ages 2 to 63) found exciting new challenges in sports pro-
grams organized by the Special Olympics. And
more than 4,500 volunteers began to understand some of the problems faced by our retarded
citizens.
No one loses in Special Olympics programs,
although some win a little more. "Winners" (not

always those displaying the most athletic
prowess) from local and district meets move on
to the annual state meet, and a few of these even go on to the "international" meet held every
four years.
Winning isn't the main idea, though. For most
of the participants, just joining the activity is the
major victory. Finding a place and a way to com-
pete, and a group to compete with, these are winnings enough.
Although the Department of Natural Re-
sources pays many of the Special Olympics' administrative expenses, most of the money for this vital work comes from donations collected
by the Georgia Special Olympics Executive
Committee. And from a telethon conducted by
Atlanta Falcons star Tommy Nobis, a tireless
worker for the Special Olympics.
Because there are a lot of Georgians who need
the chance for Special Olympics activities, the Special Olympics needs your help. They need your time and skill. And, yes, your money.
One relatively painless way to contribute to
the Special Olympics this year is to buy a print of the marvelous peregrine falcon that adorns our back cover. If you order one of these limited
edition signed prints before Jan. 15, 1975, half
the $60 purchase price will go to the Special
Olympics. It's a beautiful print to own or give,
and there can hardly be a better cause.
-- To order your print (or prints Christmas
is drawing near), send your check for $60 made
out to SCORE, Inc., to Score, P.O. Box 89144,
Atlanta, Georgia 30312.

ers reen

ore it) Georgia

epterpber 197

Passenger
to Oblivion

by Bill Morehead

The first bird came in swiftly and soundlessly, heading for the dead white oak at the end of the old field. As it neared the tree it -- -- dipped low almost to the ground and, climbing at the last moment, made a fluttering stall to alight on the highest limb. It stood proudly, with its head and tail forming a straight
line.
Two more of its kind came across the field,
performing the same fluid aerobatics, to join the
first bird. Two more came. Then six. Then a
hundred, two hundred, a thousand.
And still they came. The 10-year-old boy,
watching with one hand holding a just-emptied slop bucket and the other resting on the split rails of the pig pen, moved a short distance and sat on a stump, fascinated. Just last Saturday
(he remembered he and his Paw had hitched the mule and jolted down the mountain in the old wagon to Lafayette to barter some turnips
for salt and sugar) he had heard that the birds were coming back. These were the first he had seen in nearly a year.

And still they came. He pulled a couple of
pecans from the pocket of his homespun overalls and cracked them absentmindedly as he watched the white oak become obliterated by the birds. Soon, the oak looked like a tree made
of birds. And the sun, setting right across the tip of McElmore Cove and behind Lookout
Mountain, gently cast its October gold across the chestnut grove on Pigeon Mountain and turned the russet-colored breasts of the birds into a sea of amber.
And still they came. The "kee-kee" sound of the perching birds was answered by the "tret-tret" of those alighting, until what had been a pleasant choir of a hundred voices became the stunning din of ten thousand.
And still they came. The boy's mind whirled
with images ushered in by the swarming birds. Food. Barrels of food. Feathers for new
-- mattresses and pillows. Cash hard money cash
A from the markets of Chattanooga. sandy,

Outdoors \t) Georgia

tough-as-nails, fallow field made rich again by the dung of a hundred thousand feathered
migrants: next spring, boldly thrusting green
shoots of healthy corn and peas would again mask the true barren nature of the field.
And still they came. The bounty called the
Passenger Pigeon returned to its namesake, Pigeon Mountain in northwest Georgia, arriving on that October afternoon in 1874.
They had come again. But they come no more. Pigeon Mountain
stands waiting in 1974, little changed in 100
years, waiting for the birds to come home again.
-- But the birds don't come the passenger
pigeon is extinct.
-- Ectopistes migratorius the passenger -- pigeon was a little larger than a mourning
dove, its tail feathers were longer, the iris of its eye was red and its back was a bluish gray. The breast of the male usually displayed a vivid russet, but could vary from the red of the robin to the pale yellow of the mourning dove. The female, smaller than the male, looked more

like the mourning dove. The legs of both sexes were red.
The "blue meteor" was thought to be the most numerous bird in the world. The Latin name means "migrant wanderer" and refers to the species which composed up to 40% of the total bird population of North America at the time of Columbus. Some 3 to 5 billion of these birds traveled from California to Canada to Georgia, preferring the east and mid-west to the western regions. In contrast, it is estimated that only 6 billion birds of all species inhabit America today. Migrating and nesting flocks were awesome -- sights. Alexander Wilson the founding father
-- of American ornithology visited a breeding
place near Shelbyville, Kentucky, in 1806.
The site was more than 40 miles long and 6 miles wide! Averaging more than 100 nests to each tree, the site had a ground floor strewn with broken limbs and covered with a snow-like

September 1974

guano of ejecta, broken eggs and dead squabs.
-- Impressive enough but only 60 miles away
Wilson noted a similar site.
In 1813, Audubon described a migrating flock so large that "the light of noonday was obscured as by an eclipse." He traveled from
-- Louisville to Hardensburg, Kentucky -- distance of 55 miles and during all that trip
the sky was filled with birds. Three full days passed before the entire flight had passed.
In three hours, Audubon estimated the number
of pigeons passing overhead as one billion, one hundred and fifteen million, one hundred and thirty-six thousand (1,1 15,136,000). Only three hours worth of a three day flight!
From those days of extreme abundance to oblivion? How? The answer is not simple, extinction never is. What hindsight makes clear,
however, is that the survival strategy of the passenger pigeon didn't include the white man's
"taming of a continent." As the pioneers moved inward, they found the pigeons there for the taking; and with millions and billions seen yearly, nobody could hope to discourage their slaughter. Nobody did until it was too late. The slaughter was every bit as awesome as the number of birds: whole towns adjourned to the pigecn roosts during migrations and barrels upon barrels of pigeons were shipped to market.
Indeed, the activity was so common that a
new trade arose, "pigeon netting." Pigeon
netters were the look-alike counterparts of the
"buffalo runner." The dedicated netters
migrated with the birds, telegraphing each other and their markets of the pigeons' whereabouts
and casting their finely woven nets in the roosts at night. They captured unbelievably large numbers of birds, especially the young squabs,
to be shipped to market.

The birds usually were field dressed, salted,
-- and shipped to market in barrels with 44
dozen (528) birds to the barrel. In New York,
the market of 100 barrels a day could hold for weeks without a drop in price. In his book, The Passenger Pigeon (Univ. Okla. Press,
1 973 ) , A. W. Shorger notes prices ranging from
50 cents a dozen in Boston ( 1 834 ) to $3.50
per dozen in New York City for staff-fed
birds (1884).
The kill increased year by year in the 19th Century and, as American society became better organized, so did the pigeon industry. The markets at first came to tolerate wild pigeons,
--then to expect them, and finally to demand them at any price. The most sought after birds were the young squabs, so nesting sites were
the best collecting areas.
But in the mid- 19th Century the destruction of the primeval forests took its toll, for the passenger pigeon demanded tremendous forests
in which to roost, nest, and feed. The mast
(especially beechnut ) that these forests provided was the vital food for the hordes of "blue meteors" that visited seasonally.
Diseases must have played a large part.
No "flocking" animal escapes a periodic
epidemic, and the passenger pigeon was
not happy unless crowded by his own kind.
Birds weakened by anemia or injury provided
-- -- inviting hosts for innumerable diseases. And we now know a seemingly
unimportant aspect of the passenger pigeon's behavior suddenly became critical. All species
produce more young than can survive, and it is this phenomenon that leads to the "survival
of the fittest" biological principle. Survival
strategies, however, may differ. Some birds, like
the eagle, produce few eggs but care for their
Painting by Liz Carmichael Jones

Outdoors ip Georgia

young tenaciously. Others, like the mourning doves, produce a few eggs at a time but stand ready to repeat the process if the young
don't survive.
The passenger pigeon's strategy was unique, but it worked well for millions of years. Indeed, based on numbers, the strategy was the most
-- successful of all until the 19th Century.
Ectopistes migratorius mated only once or twice a year. The nests were flimsy and the mating invariably produced only one white-colored egg, a little larger than a dove's. If the young squab was lost, little attempt was made to repeat
the process that season.
How did they survive? Over the years
-- before man and when living must have been
easier their numbers slowly grew until the billions of birds alive insured that, no matter
how many young were lost in a season, enough would survive to replenish the race. However many were killed or otherwise lost at a given
nesting site, somewhere other pigeons were
successfully rearing their young. An unusual
-- strategy to be sure but astoundingly successful
for millions of years.
Ecologists speak of a "threshold number" the minimal number of a species necessary
to insure its survival from year to year.
We don't know the exact threshold number for
the passenger pigeon, but we know it must have been extremely large as compared to other birds.
When, toward the middle of the 1 9th Century, market hunting and massive destruction of the

forests assaulted the numbers of Ectopistes migratorius, the result was a net loss from year to year in the "standing crop." Sometime in the 1 850-1 870's the threshold number was
breached: this meant that no matter how
successful the nesting season was, fewer birds would be around next year.
From 1870 to 1890 disastrous losses accelerated. Even market hunters realized this: it was during this time that "pigeon netting" as a trade became obsolete; however, people just
couldn't believe that an animal so abundant as the passenger pigeon could become extinct.
But they were wrong. Every reason under the sun was given for the decline of the passenger pigeon: mass drownings of flocks over large bodies of water,
wild diseases, fires, suicide, poisoning, tuberculosis, hot summers, cold winters, all were
blamed for the pigeon's decrease.
Hindsight--that most clear of all viewpoints --tells us that three things caused the
passenger pigeon to become extinct: the heedless slaughter, especially of the young at nesting sites; the mass association or flocking tendencies of the birds, and their slow
rate of reproduction.
In the 1880'sand 1 8 90's passenger pigeons
became extremely rare. The last known capture
in the wild was, according to Shorger, in Pike
County, Ohio, on March 24, 1900.

Outdoors it? Georgia



September 1974

Drawing by Mel Wolfe

Drawing by Mel Wolfe

It is truely an ill wind that blows no good: the decline of the waterfowl of North America, the near-extinction of the buffalo, and the complete extermination of the passenger pigeon provided the impetus needed to establish state
game and fish departments and resurrected the
old Biological Survey of the federal government.
And it assured the passage of the migratory
bird act, a bill to enforce conservation of our wildlife heritage. Quite simply, that is the
reason we have the wildlife we have today. The birds never came back to Pigeon
Mountain after that October day in 1874. Oh, a few were sighted for a couple of years afterward, but times were hard and the young boy bought a farm in Shinbone Valley. The soil there was better and he grew hard and strong raising strawberries and peaches and a little
cotton now and then. He had a boy who followed
after him, farming the same strawberry fields, and working red-necked in the summer's sun tending the peach orchard, and hunting the quail that lived on the chert ridges.
The first boy died and the second boy grew old and his daughter married a guy of questionable means and gave him a grandson and this boy now is a 10-year-old listening to the tales of his great-grandfather as told by
his grandfather. And this young boy resents
terribly never having a chance to see the likes of the "blue meteor" as it swarmed over Pigeon
A Mountain. thousand miles away, on a green
bluff where the Mississippi River accepts the
Wisconsin River, stands a monument. The monument reads
Dedicated
I o the Last Wisconsin
1 assenger 1 igeon
Shot At Bakcock, Sept. 1899 1 his Species Became extinct
I li rough the Avarice and 1 houghtlessness or Alan
In 1974, in the year of the energy and
natural resource crisis, is it possible there's a lesson here?

10

Outdoors ii) Georgia

Cobia

by T. Craig Martin
Photos by Jim Couch
Getting to offshore fishing drops is a pain in the posterior. Right?
It's anywhere from half an hour to three or four hours of tedium, particularly for the small
boat man who doesn't have a mate to take over
the helm while the captain sleeps or rigs bait or untangles his last guest's "overrun."
Even when the Spanish mackerel are running just outside the sea buoy (as they probably
are right now. . .), there's about an hour of dead time between them and most Georgia
anglers. An hour of wear and tear on the boat
and motor, on the wallet (should you not have noticed, gas prices ain't what they used to be), and on the aforementioned posterior. All in all, it's the worst aspect of an engaging sport.
But it need not be, friends. It need not be. For lurking out there between you and the trolling

grounds or bottom drops is a brown and white hunk of muscle and speed ready to test your
skill, your muscles, and your tackle. And if you
can subdue this bruiser, you'll have a chance at some of the finest fillets ever slipped into a
broiler.
To pervert a phrase, "there's cobia under them there buoys." On most days from mid-
-- April til mid-September particularly at the -- peak of high tide there's apt to be a cobia or
two under each of those cans you pass on the
way out. And if you return by way of another
inlet, there'll be a second set of cans and another chance to hook one of these awesome critters.
The cobia are loafing in the shade of the
buoys, not really feeding, perhaps, but always
ready to take a tempting morsel. They can be found along the weed line or under other off-

12

Outdoors ip Georgia

shore debris; however, that's of concern only after you've gotten out there.
Fishing the cans can be quite simple if everything is right: pull within casting distance, toss
out a nice big shrimp, then hang on. An in-
shore "popping" outfit is fine; the 8-foot rod lets you cast reasonable distances, the baitcasting reel and 30-pound line usually will be tough enough, and the bright bobber will drift the shrimp at the proper 5-8 foot depth.
Everything seldom is right, however. If the tide is moving, the helmsman will have terrible time trying to keep the boat a reasonable dis-
tance away from the buoy. If there's much wind or chop, casting will be difficut. Under these con-
ditions, the best solution often is to cast with the wind, then let the boat drift with the tide.
Which works fine for one angler, but creates incredible confusion if two or three lines are
out.
About the time the confusion reaches its
A most absurd high, of course, there's a strike.
cobia doesn't mess around; he grabs the dang-
ling shrimp and takes off to munch it quietly
-- near the bottom. Any distraction such as a -- hcok being set only sends him on his way
much faster.

Since he's big (anywhere from 5 to more than 50 pounds in our area) and very, very strong, his struggle to reach bottom can have disastrous effects on tackle: lines pop, rods snap, reels screech. Some anglers are lucky, of course the cobia scrapes their line across the buoy chain, thus saving them more serious losses.
The trick is to strike very hard, then turn the initial run away from the buoy chain. After that, it's just sweat and prayer.
Often there will be two fish near a can, and one will investigate the damage being done to the other, thus bringing himself into the range of an opportunistic angler. It's equally likely, though, that both will be scared away until another day.
There are folks who talk ecstatically of cobia
fillets, ranking them above mackerel, dolphin,
and speckled trout. It may not be necessary to go quite that far: when you're talking in that
fancy crowd, rank hardly matters.
A stop at the buoys on the way offshore can
be a great treat, a chance for high excitement
-- and the exercise of daring skill. As an added
and not uninviting attraction, it rests that portion of the anatomy so sorely tried by long
cruises to offshore fishing grounds.

Septerpber 1974

13

Photo by Aaron Pass
CLEAR-CO^

by Aaron Pass
14

Ask any conservationist, environmentalist,
ecologist, or even a garden variety nature enthusiast and the odds are excellent that you can
get a definite opinion on clear-cutting. You are
apt to get it quickly too, because clear-cutting has been a major conservation issue for several
years; minds have been made up and lines have
-- been drawn. Opinions usually are extreme
oftimes bitter and leave no doubt on which
side of the "clear-cut" line the opinion-giver stands.
Outdoors ip Georgia

"All age management in even aged blocks," is the terminology preferred by those who favor the practice. They describe it as ". . . one of several scientific tree harvesting methods used to manage forests as a continuously renewable
resource."
Their opponents call the practice "a sin against nature," and claim it is ". . . an environmental atrocity. (It) destroys the forest, speeds
soil erosion, increases siltation of rivers, threat-
ens wildlife and destroys recreation potential." But while the topic generates extraordinary
quantities of heat, it offers relatively little light
to those on the battle's sidelines. Outdoors in Georgia herein highlights a few points that might help an innocent bystander.
Basically, clear-cutting and its variations involve removing all the trees in a given area. Both commercially usable and nonusable trees are
cut, leaving a cleared area which then may be
left to regenerate itself naturally or be prepared
for seeding or planting. Beyond efficiency, ad-
herents of clear-cutting claim several benefits from this method: a) the quality of the forest is enhanced by allowing the growth of several tree species which require direct sunlight; b) the forest is kept in a productive stage by the removal of mature, slow-growing stands of trees, and c) wildlife is helped by stimulated food
plants on newly cleared sites and by the growth of protective cover on older sites.
The detractors argue that this system promotes an unnatural, artificialized "forest" dedicated primarily to high timber yield, and monocultures of fast growing pines. They claim it
results in a relatively efficient "tree farm" at the expense of wildlife habitat, recreation, beauty and other values of the natural forest condition.
"Wildlife values" seem to have been caught in the middle of this controversy, for both sides use wildlife habitat needs to support conflicting
claims. One side shouts that clear-cutting bene-
fits wildlife, while the other yells that it destroys
habitat.
Unfortunately, both sides are right. Clearcutting, as it currently is practiced, varies so
much in technique, habitat, and attendant activi-
ties that no general yes or no can be uttered. Not surprisingly, two different harvest sites might both be called clear-cuts, but differ significantly in physical appearance; and appear-

ance alone does not take into account the many
natural variables which can determine whether a particular clear-cut has "good" or "bad" effects on wildlife habitat. In short, the effect of clearcutting on wildlife almost wholly depends on the unique situation of each habitat.
Professional wildlife managers may disagree
over the "good" or "bad" qualities of various types of clear-cuts. They generally agree that clear-cutting, practiced with certain qualifications and limitations, is an excellent tool of wildlife management and provides definite benefits for forest wildlife. These same wildlife professionals also agree that, with no consideration for wildlife, clear-cutting can be extraordinarily damaging.
It may not, however, be apparent that forestdwelling wildlife can be helped by cutting down a sizeable portion of its home. The answer lies
in the demands an animal makes upon its habitat. Relatively few species, even the forest-dwellers, can best fulfill their needs for food and cover in a continuous, mature forest.
Diversity (or variety) of tree and plant species and age-groups is desirable for most animals; thus the old axiom of wildlife management: "to increase the diversity of wildlife
species, increase the diversity of vegetative types
within the habitat." Of course some creatures re-
$

September 1974

15

A controlled fire helps both the forest and its wildlife. It clears the fire-prone carpet of pine needles, eliminating a hazard to the forest and allowing food plants to grow
for the wildlife.

16

Outdoors ii> Georgia

rr> V t '*:>
5 ^ati ;? ' *;
V'-''
. r

^1

;

,*

|;

.. Photo by T. Craig Martin
September 1974

quire more diversity than others, but almost all benefit from diverse habitat.
Another critical factor is "interspersion," or the distance between the different plants and age groups of plants which create diversity. Most animals are not great wanderers (except migratory species, of course) and tend to remain in a rather limited area called "home range." If an area is to be adequate for a given species, all the necessities for that species' habitat must be
located within that animal's normal home range. For maximum wildlife benefit (all species) a
diversity of plant species and age classes should be found in a relatively small area.
An example of this is the transitional zone
between an old field and a mature forest. There one finds all stages of plant succession (diversity) very close together (interspersion). This is the so called "edge effect" that is so desirable
for many wildlife species.
It is by providing diversity and interspersion in the forest that clear-cutting can be beneficial
to wildlife. Clear-cutting, that is, carefully
planned to yield wildlife benefits as well as timber. Such a system must acknowledge wildlife needs as an important aspect of the overall man-
agement program. Some facets of an "ideal"
wildlife clear-cut system have emerged:
A) perhaps most important, the individual
cuts should be small. An opening of about 50 acres is about the practical maximum for effi-
cient use by wildlife (in mountainous areas 40 acres is the upper limit for watershed protec-
tion);
B ) the cuts are most beneficial when they are irregular in shape, providing a maximum of edge
(diversity);
C) the cut areas should be well scattered through the forest (interspersion), and not cut
"back to back";
D ) springheads, creek bottoms and other wet
areas should not be cut and should be left in mature hardwoods for diversity and watershed
protection;
E) in extensive upland stands where pine is
favored, occasional patches of mast-bearing
hardwoods should be encouraged;
17

^m i /$ it l /#,/ *

JJ

Photo by Cathy Cardarelli

NWR This stand at the Piedmont

has been thinned

(for pttlpwood) and burned. This lush growth of

ground plants followed.

F ) some areas should not be cut at all. These
include steep slopes and unique natural and
A scenic areas. truly sophisticated multiple-use
plan also identifies and protects areas used by endangered or threatened wildlife.
Many landowners and industrial foresters feel
that wildlife management is too expensive a fancy to be indulged on commercial timber land. It would be, except that most of the wildlife practices mentioned are standard methods used to establish and maintain a timber crop. Wildlife and timber management are not mutually exclu-
sive and, with planning, can be complementary.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Piedmont Wildlife Refuge at Round Oak is a good exam-
ple of this system at work. This area has been developed using sound forestry practices, but it also includes consideration of wildlife and esthetics: in other words, true multiple-use planning.

The Refuge includes 36,000 acres of typical

middle Georgia terrain. Acquired by the Reset-

tlement Administration in 1939, the area was

"cottoned-out" farmland growing mostly scrub brush and red clay gullies. Initial efforts at management included reforestation to provide wild-

life cover and control erosion. The overall plan at Piedmont today seeks to
promote a healthy, vigorous forest (just what

every forester wants) which also is good wildlife

habitat and a pleasant environment for outdoor

activities.

For management purposes, the refuge is divided into 36 compartments of 800-1000 acres

each. These compartment are further subdivided

into units of 20-80 acres to roughly correspond

to the age of groups of trees in each unit. Each compartment is managed as a separate entity, with specific management practices prescribed

for each small stand unit.
The upland pine stands are harvested on an

80 year rotation, which means that the final harvest on any stand occurs when the trees in

that stand are 80 years old. This final harvest

could be called a "clear cut" because all of the

mature trees are removed.

Before this final harvest cut, however, each

stand has already provided four harvests of tim-

ber on a selective cutting basis. These "thin-

nings" accomplish several goals of management

for both timber and wildlife: the reduced density

of the stand removes competition and allows

better growth of the remaining trees, and those

trees which would be lost naturally in a maturing

stand are taken while still profitable. Since a

dense young pine forest shades out ground

plants, little wild food is produced. The thinning

lets in sunlight to stimulate the growth of food

plants in the understory. These open stands also

promote the growth of young trees, so by the

final harvest 3 to 5 foot pines already are started.

Another compatible wildlife/timber manage-

NWR ment tool used at Piedmont

As is fire.

shocking as it sounds, controlled use of fire bene-
fits both wildlife and timber. No matter how
much a stand is thinned, few if any useful

wildlife foods will be produced if the ground is

covered by six inches of pine needles. Burning

removes this ground litter and allows the growth

of valuable food plants under a thinned pine

stand. These same pine needles also are highly

Outdoors ii> Georgia

flammable during dry weather. Controlled burn-
ing removes the litter when conditions allow a "cool" fire which does not damage the trees.
Several "rules of thumb" which directly benefit wildlife govern the Piedmont management program. Hardwood trees, which produce highly nutritious nuts and fruit called "mast," are left to grow in suitable locations. Hardwoods normally grow best in moist, fertile areas so creek bottoms, hillside coves and northeast slopes are prime areas. Mast-producing and hollow "den trees" also are left scattered through the upland
pine areas to increase diversity for wildlife needs.
Diversity is the key word in the Piedmont wildlife/forest management program. The final harvest sites are well scattered, and no more than
10% of any 1,000 acre compartment is har-
vested in any eight year cycle. The protection of mature hardwoods along creek bottoms and on suitable upland sites promotes interspersion. To further increase diversity, all logging roads
A typical planted pine stand produces an area virtually
barren of wildlife. The constant shade of the closed canopy and a carpet of pine needles stops the growth of necessary food plants.

and log loading areas are closed and seeded after
use and 5% of each 1,000 acre compartment is
kept permanently open. This well balanced program has led to re-
markable productivity of both wildlife and timber. Over the past six years an average of 645 deer have been harvested annually. The current deer population is estimated at one animal per 1 1 acres. The area also has good population of squirrel, wild turkey, rabbit and quail. All native and normal migrant songbirds are abundant, and one endangered species, the red-cockaded woodpecker, is found here.
A ten year average shows timber receipts at
more than $350,000 per year, or approximately $ 1 per acre each year.
Have wildlife values been totally lost in an effective forest management system? One of the
highest deer densities in the state suggests other-
wise. Has efficient forestry been unduly hampered by wildlife management modifications?
Photo by Aaron Pass

September 1974

19

Timber earnings of $10 per acre do not indicate this. This land-use program amply demonstrates that effective wildlife and timber management can effectively co-exist and indeed are quite
compatible.
Unfortunately, not all forestry programs are this concerned with wildlife values; some operations ignore them completely. These programs
create the large cleared tracts with "World War
11" land-scaping and extensive row crops of pine that are very poor habitat for wildlife. Such
practices are, in part, responsible for the outcry against clear-cutting.
A well-balanced program takes planning and A effort, not just lip-service and tokenism. few
miniscule "nature reserves" and wildlife sanctuaries tacked on after the harvest are not the
answer. A responsible management plan which
acknowledges the many values of a forest eco-
system is needed. In theory clear-cutting is neither good nor bad
for wildlife, but in practice it almost always is one or the other. Simplistic statements such as, "Clear-cutting is good (or bad) for wildlife," uttered by both sides of the controversy do not adequately reflect the real situation. Clear-cutting in one area might improve wildlife habitat, while a slight difference in natural conditions, timber species, or cutting technique only a few
miles away might have exactly the opposite effect. The main difference is planning that recognizes both wildlife and timber as valuable
forest resources.
Who knows? With leased hunting land now
going for as much as $1.50-$2.00 per acre per year, perhaps wildlife might one day be more
profitable than trees . . .

20

Outdoors ip Georgia

St. Simons
Under Five Flags
by Joe Cullens
Photos by Bob Busby
The tiny vessel tossed through another
interminable night, a seemingly less-than-seaworthy speck pitching about on the fluorescent sea. But just as the tense and
battered crew began to wonder if the five month voyage was the beginning of an eternal damnation, salvation sounded in the single
cry: "land."
uM P'Wtti

Christ C hurch was founded in February of 1736 as a mission of the Church of England under the Reverend Charles Wesley. The current structure was built on
the original site in 1S84.

The ruins of Retreat hospital. Retreat Plantation's medical facility for its slaves. The Sea Island Golf Club
now is located on the plantation's lands.

22

Outdoors it? Georgia

The Spanish discovery of Georgia's coastal islands is believed to predate Ponce de Leon's arrival by almost ten years, for navigational charts from the early 1 500's plot
several of the islands as part of the Province of Guale, in northern Florida.
Some four hundred years later, Georgia's Golden Isles are charted as one of the Atlantic
Coast's most beautiful resort areas.
For many years the coastal islands (Cum-
berland, Sapelo, Jekyll, Saint Catherine's,
Ossabaw and Saint Simons) were known as 'The Golden Isles of Guale" (pronounced
"Wallie" ) in honor of Chief Guale, an Indian befriended by Pedro Menendez de Avilles. Avilles, the founder of Saint Augustine,
Florida, established the first of many
Spanish settlements on the Georgia coast. The period of Spanish missions lasted more than 100 years until about 1686.
-- Four other flags those of France, England,
the Confederacy, and the United Stateshave waved in the sea breeze over the islands in the last 400 years, but Saint Simons' early
history indicates that Indian tribes
inhabited the area long before the coming
A of white settlers. large Indian village is
believed to have existed on what is now the island's airport. More than 80 burial
sites found there contain pottery and stonework dating to well before 1 500. Since this pottery can be divided into two distinct types, it is believed that at least two different groups (probably the prehistoric Timucuan and Hichiti tribes) inhabited the area.
The first "civilized" settlement was the Spanish Mission of San Buenaventura. Remnants of this mission were found by British
settlers in 1733.
Under British rule after the founding of the Colony of Georgia in 1733, the coastal islands were settled by General Oglethorpe as a
buffer against the Spanish settlements in
Florida. Fort Frederica was built on Saint Simons and garrisoned with British soldiers. The Battle of Bloody Marsh in 1 742, a turning point in American colonial history, led to cession of Spain's Florida holdings to Great Britain in 1763 and thus removed the

"Spanish threat," ending the need for military presence on the Georgia coast.
Saint Simons became the home for many of the soldiers who fought during the war with Spain. Land grants were made, and the fertile
soil of the island reverted to the quiet of
agriculture until the Revolutionary War began. Many island homes were destroyed by the
British fleet's bombardments and the town of Frederica was obliterated. Today's fragmentary remains are mute tribute to this colorful
period in Saint Simons' long past.
Unlike many of the coastal islands. Saint
Simons never was controlled by any one family or corporation. The greatest consolidation came after the Revolution when large plantations
like Hampton Point, Cannon's Point, West
Point, Harrington and Retreat were created
by entrepreneur owners. The "Old South" is perhaps best represented by life as it was on these plantations in the time when cotton was the leading cash crop and Sea Island cotton was
especially prized for its quality. But the Civil
War ruined the grandeur of the old south and
the 19,000 cultivated acres on Saint Simons did not escape. The once great planter families
fell destitute.
Development of the island as a resort began scon after the war. In 1881 a boat line began to provide passenger service on a regular schedule between Brunswick and Saint Simons. Six years later a pier was erected on the southern end of the island, and construction began on the Saint Simons Hotel. It was completed in 1888, but burned nine years later and was not replaced until 1910.
The extension of U.S. Highway 17 over the Altamaha River in 1921 opened the Brunswick area to more tourists, and their enthusiasm for Saint Simons forced the building of a causeway
to the island in 1924. Two years later, Howard
Coffin, the developer of the Sea Island resort community, bought his first land on Saint Simons. His famous Cloister Hotel was finished in 1928.
Many private hemes have been built on the
island, but in the past few years development has switched to vacation and second-home
communities. Condominium and apartment
complexes are rapidly being built.

Septerpber 1974

23

Environmentalists have fought attempts to develop Saint Simons into a commercial resort, but increased cooperation between developers, government officials and individual property owners has eased the tension somewhat. Several lawsuits, however, have been filed to prevent further development of beachfront properties held by developers.
A great deal is at stake in the development
of Saint Simons. For years, the island lay dormant, but in the 1960's development almost outstripped control. While the arguments over present and future development continue, perhaps Aldo Leopold offers an indication of

Saint Simons' true value to man: "It is a century now since Darwin gave us the first glimpse of
the origin of the species. We know now what
was unknown to all the preceding caravan of generations: that men are only fellow-voyagers
with other creatures in the odyssey of evolution.
Our ability to perceive quality in nature begins,
as in art, with the pretty. It expands through
successive stages of the beautiful to values as yet
uncapture by language." The beauty of Saint Simons remains its ultimate value, a resource available to all. The "Golden Isles of Guale" have faded into history, but with caution we can preserve a monument to this once
glorious past.

24

Outdoors ii? Georgia

tOell-loveb jboxe

*** ******************************************* **************++4L
Dove season again is split into two segments and divided into north/south regions (see the
map for the dividing line).

North: Sept. 7 through Oct. 26 Dec. 1 4 through Jan. 2

South: Sept. 28 through Oct. 26 Nov. 30 through Jan. 9

Shooting hours are from noon until sunset. The bag limit is 12, the possession limit 24

by Aaron Pass
Art by Liz Carmichael Jones
The speedy mourning dove is Georgia's fa-
vorite gamebird, even surpassing the bobwhite
quail. Many factors account for this esteem,
and mostly they are unique to doves and dove
hunting.
Certainly, one of the most important factors in the dove's popularity is the early opportunity for hunting. Legal dove shooting normally begins long before other small game seasons open. This, added to the dove's statewide abundance, generally assures a good turn-out on opening
day.
According to Game and Fish Division sta-
tistics, more Georgia hunters harvested more doves in 1972-1973 than any other small game. The first half of the season saw 1 2 1 ,727 hunters
harvesting 2,204,869 doves. Tn contrast, quail
drew 118,093 hunters who bagged 2,672,194
birds. During the entire season the statewide harvest was 3,590,338 doves.
Dove shooting is unique among American styles of hunting. It's much less physically demanding than most other forms. There's no need to rise from a warm bed in pre-morning
blackness or stumble around in sub-freezing
Septerpber 1974

temperatures. By law dove shooting is limited
to the afternoon and the season usually opens during September's "Indian Summer." In most hunting, the shooter must wander about in search of his quarry. Not so with the obliging
dove; the hunter merely sits down and waits for the dove to come to him.
Another interesting feature of dove hunting is its social aspect. Solitude normally is a prerequisite for a successful hunt, but in most dove shooting it is a disadvantage. If a lone hunter approaches doves feeding in a large field, they usually fly to the other end and resume lunch. If he goes to that end, the doves will just fly
back. Thus many hunters are needed to keep the
doves moving. Another aspect of this is that
-- dove hunting demands little woodscraft it's
pretty hard to get lost on a crowded field. Dove shoots normally occur near freshly
harvested fields where the birds come to feed on the waste grain and seed left by modern har-
vesting equipment. This points out another major dissimilarity between the mourning dove
and other small game. As the economic necessities of modern agri-business and forestry de-
25

nand more production on less space, the tradiional brushy coverts for rabbit and quail are
rapidly disappearing. Replacing these are large, efficient field crop and pine tree monocultures which tolerate no "wasted" space along fencerows and field borders. Doves apparently can utilize this non-habitat better than other species and are not declining with the cover.
If, so far, dove shooting sounds ridiculously easy, don't be misled. Probably more doves are
"mis-led" than all other small game combined. The national average indicates that for every
dove brought to bag, the average shooter fires
five shells. The dove's speed and well-known

dodging tactics make him a real test of the
wing-shooter's prowess. Drifting in against an
open sky, doves may appear to be loafing along
--while actually cruising at 30 to 40 m.p.h.! At
the first shot, the dove can turn on a burst of additional speed and go into a series of evasive maneuvers that leave all but the best shooters with an empty gun and an equally empty bag.
Doves are abundant, available statewide, and are relatively easy to hunt. They furnish sporty shooting and generous bag limits. As if all these attributes weren't sufficient, doves are tasty as well. Little wonder they are the state's most popular gamebird.

Tennessee

North Carolina

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26

Outdoors ir> Georgia

BOCD

pRfraeR

NOCK

TIP

by Gibson Johnston, Jr.
Art by Jose Vinas
So you'd like to be a bow hunter? You know
the odds are stacked against you: you'll helplessly watch deer that any self respecting gun hunter could easily bag, you can't shoot long ranges or through brush, you'll ache in muscles of which you were unaware.
But don't be discouraged, for, despite its in-
conveniences, bow hunting probably is the most satisfying and sporting form of hunting. And
once you try it you'll be hopelessly hooked.
To get started properly, find a good sporting
goods store, one that specializes in archery gear.
Among the personnel will be folks who know archery and probably a bow hunter or two. Ask for advice and take it. Many stores sell archery
equipment, but most do not have an employee
who is an archer. Gear is cheaper in these stores,
but this is false economy, since there usually is little recourse should something go wrong.
Selecting a bow can be a frustrating experience, for they come in all sizes, colors, and
prices. Basically, there are four types of bow: the straight bow, the recurved bow, the com-
pound bow, and the cross bow. Compound and
cross bows are illegal for hunting in Georgia. The best choice for hunting is the recurve
bow. Although this bow comes in many con-
figurations, all involve limbs whose tips curve toward the target when strung (or "braced").
28

UPPER LIMB BACK
ARROW RESTHANDLE (GRIP)

SIGHT WINDOW

LOWER LIMB
E CU R V E
parcts of a bouj

Outdoors it? Georgia

NOCK - <

30

COCK FEATHER

the porzts of cxn arzrzouo

This bow imparts greater speed to the arrow
and provides better overall performance.
Bows are constructed from metal, wood of all
sorts, plastics, fiberglass, or combinations of
A these. laminated bow, usually made of fiber-
glass and wood, will cast an arrow consistently and is less subject to fatigue than bows of other
materials.
Another consideration is the bow's length.
Here too, there are many variations, ranging
from 45 to 72 inches in standard factory models. Short bows are easier to carry in the field, can be handled easily in brush, and will cast the arrow faster, so they normally are selected for hunting. However, to add to the confusion, longer bows are easier and more stable to draw, are smoother on the release, and are more accurate. The size range for these two general classifications is arbitrarily set at 45 to 60 inches for short bows and 60 to 72 inches for long bows.
Still another factor to consider in selecting
a hunting bow is "draw weight," or, simply, "weight." This has nothing to do with how much the bow weighs, but refers to the amount of force
necessary to pull the string a given distance, usually 28 inches. It's a serious mistake to try
to prove your manliness by owning a 75 or 80

lb. bow. These are for the experienced archer
and then only for special purposes: cape buffalo and elephant have been killed by arrows from
bows of 70 lb. weight. A good average hunting
bow has a draw weight of about 45 lbs. (40 lbs. is the minimum legal weight for hunting in
Georgia.)
A good choice for hunting is a laminated
recurved bow about 60" long with a 40-50 lb.
draw weight. It can cost anywhere from $35 to
$250.
A bow without arrows is useful only as a club.
Therefore, as much care should be exercised in
selecting arrows as in choosing the bow. Arrows
are available for $.50 each at many stores, but this is more false economy.
Arrow shafts are made of wood, fiberglass, and aluminum in various qualities. Top grade wooden arrows are cedar. Fiberglass and aluminum arrows should be tubular.
"Spine" describes the characteristic of the
arrow that allows it to curve around the bow and recover to fly straight, or, more simply, stiffness. Spine (expressed in pounds) is recommended for each corresponding bow weight. Proper spine
is crucial for accuracy; and since spine is a function of weight, all your arrows should be of the same weight.

hunting points
September 1974

\f
snaRO
point

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peLo
point

\fi*
BLtint
point

w
tarzget point
29

Arrow length is measured in inches from the <: to the base of the point, and proper length
-- , aries with the archer. To determine the length,
draw your bow using a 40" dowel for an arrow
-until your ''anchor point" (where the string comes to rest against your face) is consistent and
feels comfortable. Then draw fully, and have a friend mark the arrow at the farthest point on the bow. The distance from the end to the mark
is the proper arrow length for you.
"Fletching" is the feathers of an arrow. The
general arrangement is three feathers or vanes set at 120 degree intervals near the end of the shaft, although four vanes sometimes are seen. The "index vane" or "cock feather" is set at right angles to the nock, and usually is colored
differently from the others. Vanes are made of
turkey feathers or plastic.

arzmgua&o

Points or broadheads come in a fantastic ar-

ray. They may be spiraled, 2-bladed, 3-bladed,

or 4-bladed, reversed or blunt; but the choice is a

matter of individual preference. The 4-bladed

probably is most popular. Most arrows are avail-

able with adapters that allow interchanging

field points of the same weight for practice. This

is an important consideration, since it allows

practice with the same arrows that will be used in

the hunt. Hunting points must be razor sharp.

Good arrows with hunting points in cedar

cost about $1.50 and in fiberglass or aluminum

about $3.00. You'll need at least six.
Now you're ready to hunt, right? No! There

are a few other necessities to be bought:

A 1 )

shooting glove or tab. This device pro-

tects the fingertips when drawing the bow, and

costs from $1.50 to $5.

30

2 ) An armguard. It protects the forearm of the bow hand from the string, which moves at

great speed and can inflict a painful slap. Arm-

guards cost $2 to $5.

A 3 )

quiver. It holds extra arrows. Some

stand on the ground, some are worn on the belt

or back and others attach to the bow. The latter

is most popular among hunters and costs $3

to $20.

So, for less than $100, you're ready to hunt.

But one thing that money cannot buy is skill.

Practice shooting at all ranges in all positions.
Do it daily until you develop confidence in your

skill with the bow.

One hour spent with a good teacher will do

more for your ability than ten hours of solo
practice. You cannot recognize your own bad habits easily; another bowman can. Proper instruction and practice can make a bowman a

respectable marksman; then he is ready to try his

luck as a bow hunter.

Soon you'll know your weapon's capabilities

and limitations . . . and your own. Experience

will improve both. Sooner or later that trophy

buck will present himself when all the conditions are right. It may take a while, but by then you'll

be hooked . . .

BOCO QCIIOSR
Outdoors ip Georgia

Outdoor
World
CONDITIONING
YOUR DOG
The signals are clear; autumn is approaching. For millions of American sportsmen,
the signals also have another meaning. Hunting seasons are coming.
You probably are not alone
in sensing the change in the air; your dog needs no calendar to tell him what time of year it is, his nose already is sifting out old familiar messages from the
freshening breezes.
Hunting with a dog can be a double blessing since it can enhance both your enjoyment of the sport and your success as well. But, before you put your four-footed game finder back
in action, it is only fair to give
him the preseason tune-up he
deserves for top performance. For example, a dog that has
been confined to the kennel or
a limited run for a number of months should have the opportunity to unlimber his summersoft muscles and develop his
stamina before being asked for a hard day's hunt.
Starting at least a full month
before actual hunting begins, if possible, he should be given a run of 15 to 20 minutes a day, stretched out to an hour or two on weekends. This really is all he needs to get in shape and it will also harden up his pads for the tougher trekking ahead.
This also is the best time to re-establish his quick response
to basic obedience commands.

No more than ten minutes a day

need be devoted to this phase of

his preparation, but it is im-

A portant.

dog that won't re-

spond properly afield can be

more of a hindrance than a

help.

While you don't want a fat

field dog, remember to adjust

his diet to his increased activity.
A good hunting dog should be

slim but not starved. Colder

weather alone will increase his
fuel requirements. You can

help meet this need by adding a

tablespoon or two of lard to his
daily winter ration. But, if he's
picked up some summer suet of his own, let him run this off
before upping his feed. Finally, remember to match
the demands on your dog to his age. Veteran dogs are much like veteran hunters. They still have the desire and enthusiasm, abetted by a treasure of ac-
quired experience. But their work should be paced out more carefully, with judicious resting
periods in between. Work him
right and his savvy will substitute for his staying power.
Clark Webster,
Manager Remington Farms

BcoH Reviews
WATER: A PRIMER
by Luna B. Leopold, W. H. Freeman Co., 172 pp., $4.95
(hardbound), $2.95 (paperbound).
"In the Middle Ages people believed that the water in the rivers flowed magically from
the center of the earth," says
Luna B. Leopold in this new
book. Considering the fact that
water is something we daily fish in, swim through, boat on,
look at, nap by, pray for, or day-dream about, most people
haven't come a very long way
since the Middle Ages.
The thought now is 1 ) water
comes from a faucet, or 2) comes from around the bend upstream, or 3) surface water
is part of the hydrologic cycle.
If you have believed either of the first two theories, you need to get this book right away before your kids start asking you embarrassing questions. If you believe the third, you should
read it to discover you're right for a change.
It's one of those books that most people probably never would pick up, because, really,
who wants to read a book about
water when there's a good TV
show on? That's too bad. be-
cause:
Do you know how to look at a river and tell how often a
set of riffles and pools will occur (where the fish are)? or
How many gallons of water
you use every time you take a shower or flush the toilet (

Septerpber 1974

31

good statistic to have on hand when there is a lull in the con-
versation)? or
What really causes rain and snow (all of us think we do un-
til asked to explain it)? or
Why do some soils erode
faster than others (you know
they do, but I dare you to tell
me why)? Water: A Primer lets you in
on all that.
Maybe you won't read it all
(even though it's only about
170 pages long). Maybe you
won't understand it all. But wouldn't it be nice to read something that's really worth your while for a change?
Jim Wilson Resource Planning Section
PRACTICAL FISHING KNOTS
by Lefty Kreh and Mark Sosin, Crown Publishers, Inc., 160
pp., $5.95 (hardboard). In the great horde of "sports-
men's" books vomiting off the presses these days, very few really are worth reading, and even fewer worth owning. Yet
each member of the multi-
colored horde claims to be the book "every sportsman should own."
And that makes it hard to
describe a book like this one. It is a book every serious fisher-
man should have. Really.

It's a model of lucid and economical explanation. Kreh and Sosin say what they need to, il-
lustrate the point clearly, then
move on. They don't need the "me and Joe in the Yucatan"
examples that less confident writers rely on, and they don't waste the reader's time with "impressive" esoterica.
The book is, above all, practical. The writers present knots that any serious fisherman should know, not all the knots he might someday want to know. It is reasonable to argue,
of course, that all fishermen should be competent marlinespike seamen; but that's outside
the scope of this book. The au-
thors provide a few obvious knots for boaters, but only as an
afterthought.
Most freshwater fishermen will be surprised at Kreh and Sosin's emphasis on the Bimini Twist. They call it "the most important knot you can learn," an opinion probably not shared
by many bass and trout fisher-
men. Although this complex and somewhat exotic creation has unchallengeable value in saltwater and in heavy freshwater fishing, most Georgia anglers probably can survive with a good clinch or palomar
knot.
Each of the latter approach 1 00 percent of the line strength, and either of them is easier to
master than the Bimini Twist. But there is no question that the
Twist should be among the
knots that serious anglers know.
The illustrations are superb! It's a shame that the photographer remains unnamed, for his
work adds about 60% to the
book's value. The sketches are

good, but the backlit photogra-

phy illustrates tying much more

clearly than any other tech-

nique. There's just no room for

confusion in this careful com-

bination of words and pictures.

All in all, then, this is a clear-

ly written, practical book that

sets a limited goal and achieves

it almost perfectly. It is a model

of its kind.
And it's a book serious fish-

ermen should own.

TCM

DUCKS, GEESE AND
SWANS
by Oscar J. Merne, St. Marten's Press, 160 pp., $6.95 (hardbound).
As an avid duck hunter, I thought I was up on waterfowl. I was wrong. After reading this book I realize that I understand
the waterfowl of the world about half as well as the aver-
age Arab understands Hebrew.
My first impression said this
book wasn't worth its price.
What shaped my opinion was
the elegance usually associated with waterfowling tomes. But
the more I looked into it the more I realized that Merne's work is a great little book, well worth the price of a restaurant steak and just as meaty.
Did you know that a whole family of South American ducks

32

Outdoors \t) Georgia

(Torrents) live exclusively in
torrential streams and swim underwater for their food? Did you know that mallards in the Philippines are red heads? Did you know that some waterfowl
-- migrate not from arctic or
anarctic areas to temperate
-- climes but from high moun-
tains to coastal lowlands? Neither did I.
I still believe our male wood
duck to be the most beautiful
duckjn the world. What I didn't realize until now is the stiff
competition the woodie has
beaten to earn that title. The European shelduck and Chile's torrent duck run our woodie a
very close race on beauty. This tight little book has
something to say about each of the world's 151 species of wa-
Outdoor
Calendar

And terfowl.

the little distribu-

tion maps showing breeding

and winter ranges provide use-

ful information. The color il-

lustrations are adequate.

There's some humor and sad-

ness in the book, too. Not on

purpose, of course, which

makes it all the more poignant.
You can tell a non-American

waterfowler wrote the text, es-

pecially on page 25 where it

says that "decoys" are used to

imitate the call of ducks and

geese over "lifelike floating

models" near the "fowler's

hide." The Irish use some of the same words as we, but dif-

ferent meanings: our call is

their decoy, our decoy their

model and our blind is their

hide.

Still, most of the words have

the same meaning. In these

meanings is the sadness. Merne

notes that, "There are many people who still depend on wild-

life as their main source of
protein, or who make their liv-

ing as professional wildfowl-

ers

" Really? In 1974?

Visions of grimly efficient mar-

ket hunters in South America,

Asia and Siberia ominously

going about their business can

mean only one result for the

waterfowl on those continents.

Punt guns are, according to

Merne, rare but still in use.

These contraptions (shotgun

cannons mounted on flat skiffs

or punts) can wipe out whole

flocks of waterfowl. Outlawed

here for 60 years, we still can

feel their effects in diminished

duck populations.

Humor, sadness, informa-

tion. This little book surprised
me with its completeness. If
you like waterfowl but don't want to blow a few hundred

bucks on a definitive study of
the world's waterfowl ( and who does?) I'd recommend this lit-

tle book.

Bill Moorehead

Environmental Education

Coordinator

SEASONS OPENING:

-- deer (archery)

Sept. 28

through Oct. 26 in Game Zones

I, la, II, III, and IV. Sept. 28

through Oct. 14 in Game Zones

V and VI.
-- dove (first season)

Sept. 17

through Oct. 26 in the northern

zone, Sept. 28 through Oct. 26

-- in the southern zone.
rails Sept. 14 through Nov.

22.

SEASONS CLOSING:
-- squirrel (early season)
Sept. 7 in Harris, Talbot, Upson, Monroe, Jones, Baldwin, Hancock, Warren, McDuffie, Columbia and all counties north
of these.

Outdoors
ii> georgia

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9/74

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GIFT SUBSCRIPTION Show recipient's name and address in form, indicate gift signature and mail with pay-
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Sign Gift Card 1 year $3.00

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2 years $5.00

3 years $6.00

please allow 60 days for change of address or renewal

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National Wildlife Art Exchange, Inc. 1974

C 1974