Outdoors in Georgia [Feb. 1975]

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February 1975

Volume IV

Number 2

FEATURES

The Beach (photo essay) . . Jim Couch 2

.... Day Use Parks

Lonice Barrett 4

.... Topographic Maps

Aaron Pass 1 1

.... Teaching Safety

Joe Cullens 15

West Point Lake

Dick Davis 21

Outdoorsman's Quiz . Sgt. V. J. Garrison 25

Patterning

Aaron Pass 26

DEPARTMENTS

Book Reviews

32

ON THE FRONT COVER: A slightly confused young raccoon who chose
too short a tree in his attempts to evade photographer Jim Couch's camera.
ON THE BACK COVER: A moody, wintry Flint River. Photo by Cathy
Cardarelli.

MAGAZINE STAFF

Phone 656-3530

David Cranshow

Publisher

T. Craig Martin

Editor

Aaron Pass

Wildlife Editor

Dick Davis

Staff Writer

Joe Cullens

Staff Writer

Bill Morehead

Staff Writer

Rebecca N. Marshall . . . Staff Writer

Liz Carmichael Jones . . . Art Director

Jose Vinas

Artist

Bob Busby

Photo Editor

.... Jim Couch

Staff Photographer

Edward Brock . . . Staff Photographer

Linda Leggett . . Circulation Manager

Department of Natural Resources

Joe D. Tanner
Commissioner

George Busbee
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

David Cranshaw, Director; Dick Davis, Assistant Director

GAME AND FISH DIVISION
Jack Crockford, Director
OFFICE 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 $14,500. The Department of Natural Resources is an Equal Opportunity employer.

--

^ /g/if arge

Occasionally, in the course of going forward, it is wise

to lcok back to where you started and to consider

where you have been. There are many values to this.

You can take pride in successes, wisdom from the

failures, but most important you can see if you're really

getting where you wanted to go.

The past eight years loom large for us who work

at the conservation of our precious natural resources

large in terms of success, leavened only sparingly by

defeat. These years have witnessed a drastic change in

the way we perceive our relationship with our environ-

ment. The realization has come to us that we can no

longer take without question, assuming that those re-

We sources which sustain us have no limits.

are aware,

more than ever before, that we must carefully and in-

telligently husband our finite natural resources to insure

their continued existence and contribution to our rich

and prosperous lifestyle.

This husbandry, in the form of protection and man-

agement, is the charge of the Department of Natural

Resources. However, the mere existence of this Depart-

ment and its specialized divisions does not guarantee

conservation of the resource. Effective conservation can

only be accomplished through public support.

Public support comes in many ways, but the most

important by far comes through the people's representa-

tives in the General Assembly. Without understanding

and assistance from the legislature, the efforts of the

Department of Natural Resources (or any other state

agency) arc essentially meaningless.

This has been the real success of conservation in

these eight large years. The public has become aware of

the need to conserve our natural resources and has suc-

cessfully transmitted this concern to its elected rep-

February 1975

resentatives. As a result the Georgia General Assembly
has been supportive and responsive to natural resources conservation legislation.
The purchase of Sapelo Island, the raising of hunting and fishing license fees, the passage of strong air and water quality legislation, the Georgia Heritage Trust Program, strict marshland protection regulations, and many other examples of wise resource conservation required action of the General Assembly to come about. In addition there is the annual need for the appropriations and enabling legislation which allows this Department to function. In all these areas, it is the legislature which makes our (and your) conservation efforts work.
Conservation has become a complex business, far beyond stocking a few fish and creating a park here and there. Deciding what is wise use, or at least the wisest use, is a thorny problem. Our Department is designed for professional investigation, which is eventually perfected into legislative action and this is conserva-
tion progress.
The goal of our Department of Natural Resources is to administer Georgia's wonderful natural resources in such a manner that those of us living can now harvest and enjoy the fruits of these resources; and those generations of Georgians yet unborn can also reap a bountiful harvest from the same resources.
All of our problems are not yet solved, but we are getting there and that's what is important.
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Outdoors it? Georgia

Bay Ose ParHs

bv Lonice Barrett

State park . . . for many of us these two
words bring thoughts of camping, hiking, picnicking, or even a fireside chat in one of over 200 comfortable cottages available
in Georgia's 5 1 parks.
Others cherish vivid memories of leisurely summer afternoons spent in imaginative wonder at the popular dramatic presentations of the last two years.
Still others think of the newly established interpretive naturalist programs while a few remember a "big one" that got away or a wily trout that just never seemed hungry enough to take the lure.
Wildlife lovers are reminded of the marvelous little "critters" that seemed as happy with
people as were the humans who waited in
watchful vigil for a glimpse of nature at work. But did you ever stop to realize that
Georgia has almost 50,000 acres devoted to parks and recreation purposes?
Photo by Cathy Cardarelli
February 1975

Parks are scattered throughout Georgia and, for the most part, serve specialized purposes. Some, located on large impoundments, serve primarily as water access points with a few
picnic tables for those who come to launch their
boats for fishing, skiing, or pleasure riding.
Many areas are worthy of preservation, but
due to restraints in soil suitability, size, slope, and other hydrological and geological
considerations are not suited for "stay-use"
facilities.
Two good examples are Providence Canyon
in Stewart County and Panola Mountain in Rockdale County.
Both of these parks are being developed to enhance as fully as possible an outstanding natural feature that might be destroyed by
concentrated human use.
Another example might be Chattooga Lakes, a public fishing area in northwest Georgia
that offers excellent fishing primarily to residents
of the Summerville and LaFayette areas. All of these are "day-use" parks, and, like
many others, were developed simply because a

significant natural resource close to an urban
community needed to be made accessible. In many instances federal land has been
made available for recreational development.
With the current economic condition and petroleum prices being what they are, Georgia's state parks offer a pleasant alternative to
vacations in other states.
Outdoors ip Georgia

February 1975

Outdoors ii? Georgia

.

Day Use Parks

1 Bainbridge: Within city limits of Bainbridge in the southwest corner of Georgia. Picnicking, boating, fishing.
2 Chattahoochee River: Off U.S. 41 in north Atlanta. Hiking, canoeing, rafting.
3 Chattooga Lakes: On Marble Springs Road, 3
miles southeast of Summerville. Picnicking, fish-
ing.
4 Fairchild: 14 miles south of Donalsonville, off Ga. 39. Picnicking, boating, fishing, skiing.
5 Jefferson Davis Memorial: On state road about 1 mile north of Irwinville. Picnicking, museum.
6 Lake Chatuge: 2 miles north of Young Harris on U.S. 76. Picnicking, pond fishing.
7 Lincoln: Just west of Millen city limits on Ga. 1 7. Swimming, fishing, picnicking, ball field.
8 Nancy Hart: 10 miles southeast of Elberton off Ga. 1 7 and Broad River Road. Picnicking, recon-
structed Revolutionary War cabin.
9 Panola Mountain: 18 miles southeast of Atlanta off Ga. 155.
10 Providence Canyon: On Ga. Conn. 39, 8 miles
west of Lumpkin. Picnicking, hiking, sightsee-
ing.
11 Reynoldsville: On Ga. 253, 16 miles west of
Bainbridge. Picnicking, fishing, boat ramp.
12 Santa Maria: On Ga. 40 Spur, V2 mile north of
junction of Kings Bay Road. Picnicking, tabby ruins of old sugar mill.
13 Yam Grandy: Off U.S. 1 within the city limits of
Swainsboro. Swimming, picnicking, reserved
shelter.

Public Fishing Areas
Ml Arrowhead: Off Ga. 27, near Armuchee. Pic-
nicking, pond fishing.

I

2

Baldwin
I

State

Forest:

4

miles

south

of

Milledge-

ville, off U.S. 441. Pond fishing.

McDuffie: Off U.S. 278 near Dearing. Picnicking, pond fishing.

Historic Sites
Chehaw Indian Monument: Memorial to a
friendly Indian town, Ga. 195, 3 miles north of Leesburg. Confederate Naval Museum: 4th Street just west of U.S. 27 in Columbus. Dahlonega Courthouse Gold Museum: U.S. 19 in Dahlonega. Eagle Tavern: Stagecoach stop, store, and tavern, U.S. 129, U.S. 441 at Watkinsville.

Etowah Mounds Archaeological Area: Indian ceremonial center, west of U.S. 441 and U.S. 41
at Cartersville.
Fort King George: In 1721 the southernmost English outpost; prior to that the site of a Spanish
Mission. On the Altamaha River, east of U.S. 17
at Darien.
Fort Jackson Maritime Museum: 3 miles east of Savannah on the river.
Fort McAllister: Confederate fort for defense of Savannah, 10 miles east of U.S. 17 at Richmond
Hill.
Fort Morris: Revolutionary Fort, at Sunbury.
Crawford W. Long Medical Museum: Honoring the first doctor to use ether as an anesthetic (in 1842), U.S. 129 at Jefferson. Mackay House: Revolutionary shrine, 1822
Broad Street in Augusta.
Midway Museum: Memorial to founders of
Georgia's "Cradle of Liberty," U.S. 17 at Midway.
New Echota: Last eastern capital of the Chero-
kee Nation, north of Calhoun, or! Ga. 225, 2
miles east of U.S. 41
New Hope Church Monument: Important battle
site of the Civil War, Ga. 92, 4 miles northeast of U.S. 278 at Dallas.
Historic Traveler's Rest: Pioneer home and inn,
U.S. 123, 6 miles east of Toccoa.
Troup Home: Restored tomb of Georgia's origi-
nal "State's Righter" who defied a President, 8
miles west of Soperton off Ga. 46.
Vann House: Restored finest home in the Chero-
kee Nation, Ga. 225, U.S. 76 at Spring Place.
Washington-Wilkes Historical Museum: Confederate Museum and ante-bellum home, U.S. 78, U.S. 378 in Washington.
Waynesboro Historical Museum: U.S. 25,
Waynesboro.
Under Development
20] Jarrell Farm: Preserved farm complex, located in Jones County.
2? Lapham-Patterson House: Victorian era house, located in Thomasville.
Robert Toombs House: Home of Civil War digni-
tary, located in Washington.
2? Wormsloe: In Chatham County, a beautiful his-
torical site dating back to pre-Revolutionary
War era. Tabby ruins in existence.

February 1975

10

Outdoors ip Georgia

MAPS

by Aaron Pass Photos by Bob Busby

Almost everyone who, due to job or hobby, has occasion to venture out into the boondocks
-- shares a common concern getting back. Out-
door pastimes are supposed to be the basis of pleasant memories, and stumbling through darkening woods wondering where in the devil you are hardly qualifies as pleasant.
In Georgia there are few places where being disoriented (lost) is a deadly serious matter; but for personal comfort and self-esteem, getting back to truck and toilet tissue on time has obvious merit.
There are many options and theories on land navigation. Among outdoorsy types, the tradi-
tional north star, mossy tree, etc., approach has considerable following. These methods, passed from Indian to frontiersman, served our hardy
ancestors well enough. An old-time trapper who
plied his trade in the wild and remote Rockies
during the 1830s was asked how he avoided
getting lost. "Lost!? Lost from what?" he replied. Directional needs have changed from moun-
tain to modern man. If all you want to find is
February 1975

Wyoming, a mossy tree probably is adequate;
but pinpointing a certain spot (like your vehicle
or campsite) requires a bit more sophistication. Today, professional and serious hobby out-
doorsmen advocate the virtues of map and com-
pass. With knowledge, a good map, and a true north one can cut the brush with a bold stroke, certain of his relative position and ability to
return.
Beyond keeping you on the right track, good maps are an invaluable aid to most forms of outdoor recreation. Hunters and fishermen use them to locate good spots to try their luck. In these economy-minded days, maps often can show "hidden" spots nearby that you have passed daily and never suspected.
Hikers and canoeists profit from the use of
maps, for area maps may show interesting spots
that are worth a look but are not covered by the "strip" maps normally used on rivers and trails.
On the professional side, good maps are es-
sential. Natural scientists, engineers, and planners would be lost, both literally and figurative-
11

--.

ORDER MARS PT NAMES PRINEEO in BLACK AND Br SERIES DESIGNATION
ALL MAPS SHOWN ON THIS INDEX ARE DISTRIBUTED BY THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

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12

Outdoors ip Georgia

ly, without maps. Biological, geological, and hydrological surveys are based on maps; as are highways, reservoirs, and numerous other construction projects. Land-use planning and environmental impact assessments also use maps
as a basis for their projections.
Many different types of maps are used in
these occupations, but one type stands out as
the workhorse. The topographic map, or "tope sheet," is the most useful to professional and
sportsman alike. The topographic map is a rep-
resentation of the earth's surface showing cities, roads, rivers, etc., just as any other map; but it also depicts the land's contour. Hills and valleys are represented as are bottoms and swamps; flatland and mountains are identifiable and the elevation of each is given.
The most common topographic map is the IV2 minute quadrangle. Drawn to a scale of one inch to 2,000 feet, this map is large enough
to show small watersheds, subtle land form changes and even individual houses.
The advantages of this type of map to either
sportsman or professional land manager are
The map on p. 12 indicates portions of the state
already surveyed for topographic maps. The individual
sections (or "quadrangles") are named, and the maps
are ordered by these names.

obvious, and a program to map the whole state is now underway.
The Earth and Water Division of the Department of Natural Resources is coordinating the statewide mapping program, which began in 1971 and will last six years. All Georgia quadrangles will be available by the end of 1977.
The complete IVi minute system will consist of 1,019 separate quadrangles. Anyone who
wants to tape all these together into a complete
state map had better have high ceilings: the map
would stand approximately 120 feet tall.
These maps will show the land contour, lakes, swamps, railroads, highways, and cities. Every house and barn (except in urban areas) and the land use (woodland or cleared) also will be depicted. According to Sam Pickering, director of
the Earth and Water Division, "We want to pro-
vide good, useful maps, accurately representing the surface of the land as it is now."
Other mapping also is coming out of this program. Derivative maps, or maps particularly de-
signed for special needs, are being developed

Each United States Senator and Repre-
sentative may ask the USGS to send a limited number of these maps to his constitu-
ents free of charge. To reques \ free maps, write to your Congressman at the address
below, indicating in your letter the name of the quadrangle you want (from the Index on
p. 12). Be sure to provide an accurate return address, including your ZIP code.
Representatives:
Thp Hon. U. S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20510
Senators:
Thp Hon. U. S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20515

February 1975

13

along with the IV2 minute quadrangles. Special
maps are being designed for the mountains and
coast because of their environmental fragility and the rapid increase in development there.
Until 1970, Georgia was poorly mapped. Only about 35 percent of the state was covered
by quadrangles and many of these were completely out of date. The correction and updating of these maps now is complete and some new maps already have been added. These maps now
are available through both the Earth and Water Division and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The maps can be purchased directly or ordered by mail from the following addresses:
Earth and Water Division Department of Natural Resources 19 Hunter Street, S.W. Atlanta, Ga. 30334
(Direct purchase, no mail orders)
Distribution Section U.S. Geological Survey
1200 South Eads Street
Arlington, VA 22202

14

Outdoors ip Georgia

teaching
safety

by Joe Cullens
February 1975

A young man quietly slips into the woods
from a dirt road mottled by frozen mud. The crunch of his boots fractures the early morning stillness as he stealthily makes his way to the tree stand he put up the day before. Thought of a trophy buck brings comforting warmth to the
pre-dawn chill.
As he prepares to make the 15-foot climb to
his perch in the pair of close-growing oaks, he realizes that climbing a tree with a rifle is no
easy feat. He softly curses himself for not in-
vesting in a sling.
With his first shell chambered, he ties a short piece of twine to the trigger guard and attaches the other end to his belt. Moments later, the twine snaps and the rifle tumbles toward the ground.
The 1 8-year-old was found late that afternoon slumped in the crevice of the two trees, a victim of his own carelessness.
A grisly scene indeed, but this fictional ac-
cident need not have occurred. In fact, aside
Continued on page 19
15

16

Outdoors ii? Georgia

February 1975

If you wear your fluorescent orange and manage not to shoot yourself, chances are you'll
get through Georgia's deer season alive.
At least that's what Department of Natural Resources statistics gathered over the past two years (the first two deer seasons since the "orange law" went into effect) seem to indicate.
While the total number of accidents hasn't
been falling very dramatically (34 in 1972-73 season, 30 in 73-74, and 28 as of Jan. 8 this
year), the number of fatalities involving deer hunters has dropped from 10 in 72-73 to 4 as of mid-January this year when most deer seasons had closed.
The total fatalities figure hasn't dropped
much: hunters after other game seem all too
eager to take up the slack left by more cautious
or better protected deer hunters. Self-inflicted
fatalities have jumped frighteningly both in absolute numbers and as a percentage of total deaths: 1 of 13 in 72-73, 5 of 10 in 73-74, and
8 of 1 1 so far this year.
So the guy that wears orange is safer. Does he also stand as good a chance to get his deer? Although the figures aren't final yet, there seems to be no drop in the number of deer killed since the law went into effect.
Dr. Larry Marchington, professor of wildlife biology at the University of Georgia, says the best current guess is that deer are color blind. But he adds that fluorescent orange can be
brighter than other colors, and, therefore, may
stand out a bit more to an alert deer.
On the other hand, he cautions, movement
probably makes a lot more difference to a deer
than the hunter's clothing. DNR biologists agree,
and say that a quiet hunter, whatever he wears, is less likely to spook deer than the most som-
berly dressed fidgeter.
Whatever he looks like to a deer, the orangeclad hunter stands out to humans: over the past eight years, about 20 percent of the shooters in
hunting accidents claimed they mistook the victim for game,- so far this year that's only been claimed once.
17

18

Outdoors ip Georgia

--

from a few freak cases, most fatal hunting ac-
cidents are the result of sheer carelessness.
On the theory that carelessness often begins
in ignorance, a serious hunter education pro-
gram began in 197! in an attempt to do some-
thing about the alarming rate of fatal hunting accidents in our state.
The logical starting point was the school sys-
tem, since a majority of fatal accidents involved youths in the 10 to 19 age group.
Georgia was not the first state to begin a hunter education program: there are 21 states with mandatory training programs. But Georgia's program is viewed as one of the best and is accepted by all of these states.
The primary emphasis is "muzzle control."
-- These two words -if properly applied could
reduce the number of fatal hunting accidents drastically. The youngsters are cautioned time and time again to treat every gun as if it were
February 1975

loaded and never to point a weapon at anything they do not intend to shoot.
Adults also are admitted to hunter education
classes but are not placed with youngsters. The course materials do not differ, but the method of instruction and vocabulary are altered to match the pupils' age.
The course presently includes six classroom hours, followed by two hours at a firing range. The program began as a four-hour course but
has expanded to eight hours. And it may grow
to ten.
Both rifles and shotguns are covered, and live firing of both is required. There is no stress on marksmanship, for safe handling of firearms is the primary goal.
Hunter education instructors must successfully complete the eight-hour certification course and then undergo an additional fourteen hours
of training.
19

A ratio of one instructor to each twelve stu-
dents in the classroom and one instructor to each six students on the range is maintained to in-
sure close interaction and maximum benefit
from the course. Everything required for teaching the course
is provided by the Game and Fish Division's
Special Services Section. Transportation is not provided, however, and instructors usually teach
classes in their own communities.
While younger students are not discouraged from taking the course, only those over 12 are certified. It is felt that younger children are not quite mature enough to fully understand the importance of the course.
The course is supported by funds from the
Pittman-Robertson Act which levies an 11%
federal excise tax on guns and ammunition. Incidentally, a proposal currently before Congress would place a similar tax on reloading compo-
20

Hunter safety classes are included in the physical education curriculum in several high schools and
colleges around the state.
nents. These funds would be partially devoted to hunter education programs.
Since Georgia's program began in earnest, about 50,000 students have taken the course.
To date not one has been involved in a hunting-
related shooting.
From all indications, Georgia's hunter education program has been imminently successful. While there is no mandatory requirement for
hunter education in Georgia yet, it is hoped
parents will see to it that their youngsters are well versed in the safe handling of guns.
Outdoors ip Georgia

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A L A B AVM A
HARDLEY CREEK PUBL

LANET 1
GENERAL

HA R R I S
DEVELOPMENT
SCALE IN M'LES

PLAN

SEPT MAR
REVISEO MARCH

by Dick Davis
Photos by the Author
Fishing, boating, and water sports enthusiasts
in west Georgia and eastern Alabama soon will have a new outdoor playground where the Chattahoochee River straddles the Georgia-Alabama border near West Point and LaGrange.
West Point Lake, impounded behind a 896-
foot-long, 97-foot-high dam three miles north of
the Troup County city for which it is named, reaches north of Franklin in Heard County and extends into Chambers and Randolph Counties in Alabama. It should be filled during this winter and early spring.
The 25,900-acre reservoir and its 525 miles
of shoreline ultimately will offer 43 recreation areas, including 1 1 parks, 26 access areas, a public overlook, and four marina-resort commercial facilities. In the first stage of development, 25 recreation areas are being constructed.
West Point Dam and Lake will be the fifth
unit in a seven-reservoir Corps of Engineers plan to serve the Chattahoochee-Appalachicola River system.
The dam will impound waters of both the
Chattahoochee drainage basin and the Appalachicola basin. Together, the drainage areas of these basins encompass 27,820 square miles, with 3,440 square miles above the dam.
West Point Lake is expected to draw a million visitors the first year after filling and ultimately
to attract five million visitors a year.
While the lake is held at 617 feet above sea
level, taller trees are being topped; then the lake will be filled to the 635-foot level.
February 1975

Game and Fish Division officials expect the
lake to provide excellent fishing for largemouth bass, channel catfish, bream, crappie, and sunfish. Excellent existing fish populations in the Chattahoochee and other tributaries above the
dam are expected to make stocking unnecessary.
There will be two Georgia state parks, one
Alabama state park, three county parks, three
municipal parks and two public beach areas with changing houses. The two beaches will be
in the Earl Cook Recreation Area (on the Georgia side about equidistant from LaGrange and West Point) and Rocky Point (on the Alabama
shore near Fredonia). Sand is being brought in
for the beaches.
There will be 46 concrete boat launching ramps, 1 ,500 picnic sites and 600 camping sites. Electrical and water hookups will be provided at
A a third of the camping sites. 70-mile system
of paved roads will serve the recreational areas, boat ramps, and campsites.
Other planned facilities include 10 baseball fields; wading pools; two amphitheaters, each with a seating capacity of 300; two beach pavilions; playground facilities; two upstream fishing piers; a small bore rifle and pistol range; and more than 20 miles of nature and hiking trails.
A Conservation-Education Center is planned
for use in outdoor classroom programs. The center will include classrooms, living facilities, and
support facilities.
Special provisions have been made for the
handicapped, and two day-use areas are being
developed especially for them. One fishing pier
will be designed for their use.
A $5 million recreational development. Burnt
Village, is underway on the Alabama side, sponsored by Chambers County, Alabama. The 375acre area will have 200 campsites, a marina, res-
taurant, and golf course.
The Game and Fish Division has established
a 5,200-acre Wildlife Management Area along the upper reaches of the lake in Heard and Troup Counties. The area now offers managed bow and firearms deer hunting and small game
hunting. Wild turkey are being stocked for the
future.
23

Six duck ponds of 10-12 acres each and two fry-raising fish ponds of 4 to 5 acres each will be
constructed by the Corps and the Game and
Fish Division.
The two Georgia state parks, to be developed when funds are appropriated by the General
Assembly, will be at Dixie Creek, northwest of
LaGrange, and at Maple Creek, north of West
Point.
Pyne Road Park is being developed by Troup County on the lake's shoreline almost due west of LaGrange on Ga. 701. The 400-acre
park will include a beach, a bathhouse and recreation center, a par-three golf course, camping sites, picnic areas, and children's playgrounds.
Municipal parks will be developed on the shoreline by LaGrange at Beech Creek and Jackson Creek, and by Hogansville at Cater Creek.
24

A special facility for the observation and
study of water birds is planned for the historical
Young's Mill location near LaGrange. The remains of the grist mill and sawmill are being
preserved and the dam level will be raised to
provide for duck management and waterfowl
study.
Water quality has been given major consider-
ation in the design of the dam and the lake site.
A multiple-level intake was designed to draw
water from the upper strata of the lake to provide water releases with high concentration of
oxygen at minimum flows. Thirteen water moni-
toring stations were established in the Chattahoochee, extending from West Point to the upper limits of the reservoir at Franklin. They have provided a good assessment of current water quality in the Chattahoochee and a look at what might be expected in the future.
Outdoors \t) Georgia

.

Outdoorsman's

(Editor's note: To sharpen our readers' knowl-
edge of Georgia's conservation laws, Outdoors in Georgia will run an occasional set of questions dealing with some aspect of those laws. The answers are at the bottom of the page.)

1 All hawks and owls are protected by Geor-
gia and Federal Laws. T F

2. Fish baskets are not permitted in any of

Georgia's flowing fresh water streams.

TF

A 3.

hunting license is required to gig frogs.

TF

4. The size limit on rockfish is 15 inches.
TF

5. Rough fish may be taken by bow and
arrow. T F

6. Migratory bird hunting stamps ("duck

stamps") must be validated with the hunt-

T er's signature in ink across the face.

F

7. Rifles for varmint hunting are restricted to

the same calibers as those that are legal for
small game. T F

8. The creel limit on saltwater trout is 8.
TF

9. Conibear traps are not legal for trapping

beaver. T F

A 10.

person who fails to salvage his sunken

boat within 12 months forfeits all rights to
ownership. T F

I

1.

Boats are restricted to no wake speed lim-

its in the vicinity of all fishing activity.
TF

1 2. Commercial fishermen may keep game fish

taken incidental to commercial fishing.
TF

February 1975

Quiz
by Sgt. V. J. Garrison

13. Boats registered in another state may be operated in Georgia. T F
14. Saltwater sportsfishermen may not use nets
in excess of 10' for taking bait shrimp.
TF
1 5. The only fish that may be taken by gig is
the saltwater flounder. T F

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by Aaron Pass Photos by Bob Busby

Talk shooting to any bird hunter long enough and sooner or later he'll get around to telling about his past wingshooting experiences, par-
ticularly his successes. (Two to four minutes is
about normal for a rank stranger; old friends
don't take as long.)
Spectacular shots and great days afield are recounted, and shotguns, long since sold, swapped, or stolen, are remembered as "good shootin' guns." The inexplicable misses and those days
that nothing went right appear much later in the conversation, if they appear at all. The guns
mentioned in association with the disasters are those that the shooter never "got the hang of."
These later statements usually are discounted
by the listener, and maybe secretly by the
hunter himself, as excuses for poor shooting.
This undoubtedly is true in many cases, but there might be more than a grain of truth in the
words "the gun was shooting off."

Very few hunters have more than the vaguest idea about where their shotgun centers its pattern, and whether that pattern is consistent with the choke designation of the barrel. It is paradoxical that the same hunter who painstakingly
sights in a deer rifle usually hunts with a shot-
gun that he only assumes is shooting true, or has subjected to only a crude test.
The time honored method of checking shotgun performance is the "tin can" test. Set up a tin can, step off some indeterminate distance and
take a shot at it. If the can is pretty well perforated it is assumed that the gun shoots well enough.
This test has served generations of shotgunners, but, although it is better than nothing, it has its limitations. While it does indicate
whether a gun is throwing its pattern somewhere near where it is pointed, it tells nothing about the degree of error if the gun isn't shooting quite

February 1975

27

A true. riddled can doesn't tell much about the
effective choke of the gun either; only patterning can do that.
There is no way to determine the true choke
of a shotgun barrel without actually shooting it to determine what percentage of the shot load it
places in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards. Forget about dimes and twelve gauge muzzles, measuring bore diameters, or any mystical formulae: such methods just do not work. The gun makers' choke designations also digress from absolute
truth. It is not at all unusual to find a barrel
marked modified that actually shoots full choke
patterns or vice-versa.
To compound an already complex problem, the use of plastic shot sleeves in modern shells has altered many correctly designated shotgun
barrels. These barrels were choked to throw the correct percentages of unprotected shot, and the use of shot protectors often adds about one degree of choke. Shotgun barrels are pretty individualistic about choke and even shoot different percentages with different sizes of shot or powder charges. In order to be sure of the choke you
28

must pattern the barrel with the load and shot sizes you use.
Patterning is a fairly simple process, and doesn't require a great deal of specialized mate-
A rial. target frame built out of scrap lumber,
patterning paper, string, and a felt-tip marker are about all you'll need. Since the paper must be big enough to catch the whole shot charge at 40 yards, 4 feet square probably is a minimum.
Draw or paste an aiming point on the paper,
back off 40 yards and you're ready to begin
shooting.
After a shot has been fired, the relation of the center of impact to the aiming point quickly tells
you if the gun is shooting true. Now comes the
tedious part, determining the percentage of shot in the patterning circle.
Using a pencil on a 15-inch piece of string, draw a 30-inch circle around the densest portion of the pattern (disregard the aiming point) and count the number of shot holes inside the circle. It is easier if you divide the circle in quadrants and mark each hole as it is counted to keep from
losing count.
Outdoors \ty Georgia

February I9y>

When the holes are all counted, take the total
and divide it into the number of shot in the shell you are using. Most companies publish tables indicating the number of shot per ounce for each shot size in their catalogs, or you can count the pellets in one of the shells you are using to pattern. For the most accurate results, it is best to fire three to five patterning targets and average
them. If your gun put 74 percent of the shot into
the circle, you have a ///// choke barrel since 70
percent or better is the standard for a full choke.
Modified choke is 60 percent or better and 40 percent and above is improved cylinder. The
Plastic shot sleeves are used by most major manufacturers now, and they'll probably produce a more compact pattern than "OP BetsyY'maker originally intended.
29

--
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A lace-on cheek piece may save you the expense of custom stock work by moving
(for a right hand shooter) your point of impact to the left. It might also raise your eye a bit, thus moving the point of impact up a little.

range from 30-40 percent indicates a sheet choke and under 30 percent, a cylinder bore.
A barrel can be over-choked, and this occurs
most frequently in older guns designed for unprotected shot. Since a shotgun's choke works
much like the nozzle on a water hose, an overchoked shot charge behaves the way water does when the optimum constriction on the nozzle is exceeded. The shot scatters wildly and irregu-
larly at short range.
The solution in this case is to go back to unprotected shot loads or to ream out some of the
constriction in the choke. Any degree of choke
can be opened up by this inexpensive process, but don't overdo it. Since various arms makers use different lengths and shapes of constriction to achieve the choke, you can't saw off a barrel to the desired degree of choke. Usually you either mess up the choke configuration and get lousy patterns or saw off all the choke.
Adding choke to a barrel is more difficult. The simplest method is to install a variable choke device which provides more constriction.

Another alternative is a new barrel in the de-
sired choke. If neither of these is the answer, the
only thing left is jug choking. This method often is employed on guns which have suffered the amputation of several inches of barrel at the
muzzle, leaving a straight cylinder bore. In the jug choking process a cavity slightly
larger than the bore diameter is reamed into the barrel several inches back from the muzzle. The shot charge expands in the cavity and is constricted when it again encounters the original bore diameter. This method can be employed only when the barrel walls are thick, and it is a tricky job. The cost is likely to be pretty steep
-- if a gunsmith can be found to undertake it and
probably won't achieve much more than a modi-
fied choke at best.
A gun which patterns well enough but does
not place the shot charge where the gun is aimed also is a problem.
The wide spread of the shot pattern at effective shooting ranges often will disguise a minor
error in shot charge centering. In fact, the

30

Outdoors ii? Georgia

shooter often will instinctively correct for these
insignificant errors as he grows accustomed to
A the gun. or "gets the hang of it." larger margin
of error in the relationship of the shot charge to the point of aim is a definite handicap and should be corrected.
A shotgun's point of impact can be changed
just like a rifle's by moving the rear sight in the direction you want to move the shot charge. The
only difference is that with a shotgun the shooting eye is the rear sight. Since the eye is positioned by the cheek resting against the stock's
comb, an alteration of the comb will change the
position of the eye. In a gun which shoots too
low, the comb should be raised with some adhesive padding. The addition of a lace-on cheek piece will move the eye, and point of impact, to
the left (of a right-handed shooter). Thinning
or lowering the comb will move the point of
impact to the right or lower it, respectively. These last two operations involve removing
wood and should be done cautiously. The next
step from an esthetic point of view would be to
have a new stock made up from the altered

specifications. This can get expensive if a cus-
tom stock maker is employed, but a home handy man with some woodworking experience and
a pre-inletted stock could do a creditable job. Of course, if you are scoring consistently with
your pet scattergun it's best to leave well enough alone, lest a patterning discrepancy undermine
your confidence. On the other hand, if you're
missing birds that you appear to be on, some patterning for center of impact and pattern density might be in order.
In these days of short gunning seasons and decreasing bag limits, even the upland hunter walks a lot of steps for comparatively few shots at game. It seems a shame to lose any of those hard-earned opportunities to poor gun
performance when the problems could be diagnosed and solved.
Recoil pads aren't really the last refuge of cowards:
they can make your stock fit better and make you a better shot by adding more comfort
to your shooting.

February 1975

31

--

BooH Reviews
OUTDOOR LIFE'S DEER HUNTING BOOK
Outdoor Life/Harper and Row, 269 pp., $7.95 (hardbound).
Now that deer hunting again
is many months away and plans
for next season still are vague
thoughts, many of us turn to re-
flecting on our success (or lack of success) last season in an attempt to figure out what would have helped. Reading about the methods of others can help.
This is a collection of articles
from Outdoor Life (plus a few new chapters ) . There are chapters by such well known writers as Archibald Rutledge, Charles Elliott, Jack O'Conner, Ben East, Erwin Bauer, and Byron Dalrymple on every possible phase of deer hunting, from weapon and.cartridge selection to mounting your trophy.
The chapters on guns and
cartridges are especially good, and include discussions of various guns, the characteristics of
each, and ballistics of some of
the most common bullets.

There also is described a method of sighting in your rifle, without firing ten dollars worth of shells, for use with both scopes and iron sights.
If you're not a "two-trophybuck-a-year-man," you'll be in-
terested in some of the varied hints on tracking, scouting, hunting, and dressing the kill and even the most experienced hunter probably can find a thing or two he didn't know.
The book is filled with good
common sense ideas that we all
tend to overlook, new methods of hunting, good recipes, and
good stories. And it is an excel-
lent way to get an evening or two away from the TV.
JGJ
BOBWHITE QUAIL HUNTING
by Charley Dickey. Oxmoor
House (Southern Living), 1 12 pp., $2.95 (paperbound).
One of Charley's Laws states, "A cheap dog brings big trou-
ble." Oftimes reviewers have similar sentiments about cheap books of the paperback, compiled, "all you ever wanted to
know" persuasions. Such publications often are warmed over
versions of other written ac-
counts with most of the inter-
esting detail edited out.
Bobwhite Quail Hunting by Charley Dickey is an excep-

tion. It is a short, simple, and very well written quail hunting primer. It is not the end of all quail books, nor is it intended to be: "big books frighten people" (Charley's Law). Cover-
ing the basics of the sport thoroughly, it is a starting place
for beginners and a refresher course for veterans.
Bobwhite quail and the hunt-
ing thereof are among the most
popular subjects in sporting literature. It is, therefore, impossible for any comprehensive
quail book not to parrot the generally accepted "Quail Truisms." Bobwhite Quail Hunting
does this but also offers many
original tidbits of practical
hunting information. Author Dickey was, is, and will be a quail hunter, and he shares
much of his experience in his
book.
He also does a creditable job
of myth-busting, taking on such old timers as Mexican quail, quail stocking, and predator
control in a sensible fashion. His chapter, "Life History of the
Bobwhite Quail" should be of
particular interest to hunters. In just six pages he pretty well covers the important aspects of
Gentleman Bob's lifestyle, with-
out boring the reader to tears.
The hunting chapters and those on dogs and guns are equally concise. They give basic information and avoid
extraneous detail. Two topics,
new to quail books but of
-- vital interest to quail hunters,
are well covered poisonous snakes and quail hunting ve-
hicles.

32

Outdoors ip Georgia

--

Throughout the book author Dickey holds fast to the concept of talking about quail hunting today, in the 1970s, not 40 years ago. This accounts for the generous supplement of
original information.
The book is regional, speaking mostly of the southeast and that area of the southeast most favored by quail. This bias is
natural since the lowlands south generally is conceded to be best for quail hunting.
However, constant reference to palmettos and cruising (driving) through open woodlands consigns the Appalachian- or Piedmont-bound hunter to a twilight existence on the edge
of quail purgatory.
Dickey also claims to represent the average quail hunter not stone broke (until after quail season), but not about to
make the down payment on a 20,000 acre plantation. Most
of the information is geared to-
ward this end. We must wonder,
though, if Dickey is beating the
same brush we are. He states,

"If the average pair of hunters can put up ten coveys of quail in a day, they should be hap-
py." We would require sedation.
AFP
BOATING COOKBOOK
by Jonnie Vatter, Oxmoor
House (Southern Living), 112 pp., $1.95 (paperbound).
This isn't a cookbook for hardnosed "vyannas and beanie-weanie" boaters, although even those spartan folks could benefit from reading it. It's aimed more at the social
boaters, those who take to the sea in a more gentle way. And
it has a lot of recipes that will enhance the dockside boater's reputation, if not his sailing
skill.
It's a good cookbook, although there's less in it geared
specifically to small boaters
than I would have liked. There are a few culinary tips for boaters in the beginning, and a closing section on boating safety

that is, I think, wildly out of
place. Anyone who owns a boat should know more than is in-
cluded in this section, and if he
or she doesn't there are better
places to find it. If, on the other hand, this section is included to bring the "mates" up to snuff on the subject, then the endeavor smacks of the worst kind of male chauvinism.
In fact, the whole thing is marred by cutesy references to mates and skippers and "tours of duty" and such, perhaps the work of the author, perhaps to
be blamed on the editors. Who-
ever is at fault, this conscious
sort of "women's view" stuff is sad and irritating.
Despite all that, I think anyone interested in cooking might enjoy the book, and that boaters interested in cooking will
find some useful tips in it. There's no need for a crackersn-beer regimen, even on one-
day fishing jaunts. And there's
nothing soft or unmanly about serving or eating good food.
TCM

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