OUR NATURAL RESOURCES

Do you sometimes find time, just a minute or two, to give a passing thought during the hurry and hustle of everyday business life to the enormity of those resources with which the Creator blessed our land for us?

It isn't a sentimental question. It is serious—cold-blooded business if you please. It has to do with the food you eat, your warmth, your comfort; pleasures you enjoy and the actual beauties of Nature which make an environment of happiness for you and your families.

Little fishes in streams. The birds of the air. The trees in woods. Minerals in the earth. Rushing rivers of commerce. Babbling brooks and dells.

None of these things were made by man—they are the blessings to mankind by the Creator, and we look upon and recognize them as the bountiful "Gift of God"

They were given to man to use. Do you find the consent of your mind to approve an injudicious use of them?

Conservation does not mean idleness or non-use. Nature never intended anything it created, on the earth or in it, to be a thing of non-use; a purposeless something. At the same time the abundant creation of none of the resources given to us was to encourage wasteful abuse or extravagant consumption.

 

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA

Official Bulletin Nebraska Game, Forestation and Parks Commission VOL. V JANUARY, 1930 No. 1

Commission Accomplishes Much in First Eight Months

IT was a little more than eight months ago that the Game, Forestation and Parks Commission was created. Yet in that time the Commission has accomplished a great deal.

"However, what we have done is only a beginning," states Governor A. J. Weaver, Chairman of the Commission. We are just now getting started on a big program to provide the people of Nebraska adequate recreation. We are buying suitable lakes and sand-pits just as fast as we can secure suitable ones at fair prices. We want to make it possible within a short time for every citizen of Nebraska to be able to take his family and fish near his home. Then we are getting more game reserves and planting game birds on them. This program is necessary if we are to have game in the future. We are making a statewide survey of our natural resources, building more nurseries to raise fish, getting the necessary equipment to carry on this important work in a businesslike way."

Plant Many Fish

Raising and planting fish is a very important part of the Commission's workan activity that probably interests more people of Nebraska than anything else the Commission does. During the past year a total of 2,154,979 fish were planted through the state. (Attention is invited to the stocking record published elsewhere in this magazine). A total of 1,284,530 fish were rescued or salvaged from places where they would die because of low water or because of being too numerous and planted in suitable water. Over 110 tons of coarse fish were removed from some forty lakes, ponds and sandpits where they were damaging game fish. Most of these fish were sold, bringing over $6,000.00 to the game funds.

Not only were a goodly number of fish planted, but plans were laid to greatly increase future production and the better handling of fish. An up-to-date holding and transfer plant was constructed at Lincoln. This plant has already attracted the attention of game officials in several other states. Here the fish-car can be run into the building, unloaded and released for another trip within thirty minutes. Formerly it required from, two to four hours to fill the car with water. Now this is done in twenty minutes. Fish trucks are stationed at the holding plant and as soon as a load comes in, the fish are moved out in every direction. Here storage facilities are had for seining equipment, etc. Nets are now made up in the state's own shop thus giving state seiners exactly what they want at much less cost.

A number of nurseries have been built, hatcheries at Valentine and Rock Creek improved, and private fish culture has been encouraged.

Game Birds Planted

The program of creating game reserves in every part of Nebraska has been continued. During the past -year partridges and wild turkeys have been planted in the reserves. During the coming spring a shipment of bobwhites, imported from Mexico, is due to arrive and these birds will be planted and studied to see how they thrive. Surveys are being made to ascertain the best places in which to stock birds and to provide

(Continued on Page 9)

Over Million Fish Rescued During Year of 1929

DURING the past year seining crews working under the direction of the Game, Forestation and Parks Commission rescued over a million and a quarter fish. It is the biggest number of fish ever rescued in any one year, according to the records on file.

Rescue work is a very important part of the Commission's activities. Each year there are numerous ponds, lagoons and overflows which dry up during the late summer months. Then there are many ponds, lakes and overflows where the water is shallow and they freeze out in the winter. In many of these places there are numerous fish—usually fish of good size. It is the business of wardens and seining crews to watch these places and remove the fish before they are lost.

The number of fish rescued and transferred during 1929 can be conservatively valued at $25,000.00. If they were to be hatched and reared to adult size in state hatcheries the cost would be around $50,000.00. Therefore, it will be seen that this work is not only highly important to the fisherman in providing more fish, but it is a good investment as well.

The largest number of any one species handled were bullheads. Thousands of bullheads were taken from small ponds and transferred to deeper water. Then thousands more were taken from Sand-Hill lakes where they are too numerous and planted in eastern and southern Nebraska where they could be taken by anglers.

Over a quarter of a million perch were rescued from irrigation ditches when the water was shut off in the fall. These fish were put in deeper water in both the eastern and western parts of the state.

One of the biggest lot of fine crappies was rescued this year that has ever been planted. Over a hundred and thirty thousand were taken from Missouri River and Platte River overflows and planted in sand pits, lakes, ponds, etc., where the water is clear and deep. Crappie fishing should show a marked improvement throughout Nebraska in a year or two.

The exact number of fish and places from where taken follows:

Coon Branch Creek-------------------------- Platte River Mulhlhal's Slough Nemaha River Overflows McPherson County Ponds 100 sunfish 11,500 bullheads 5,210 crappies 28,292 sunfish 28,156 bullheads 5,104 bass 44,735 catfish 17,995 pike 9,000 perch 130 crappies 300 sunfish 3,800 bullheads 24 bass 10 pickerel 200 crappies 1,500 sunfish 4,300 bullheads 2,850 crappies 1,030 sunfish 370,300 bullheads 6,566 bass 1,500 Antelope County Lagoons___________ 11,000 Clark's Lagoon______________________97,485 16,623 54,185 184 Boone County Ponds________________ 16,000 1,100 1,200 Elkhorn River Overflows____________ 3,810 4,850 885 Blue River Overflows _______________ 4,945 1,200 1,550 Republican River Overflows__________ 800 Central City Sand Pits______________ 280 40 Cherry County Lakes and Ponds______ 28,075 94,650 15,285 6,000 Brown County Ponds and Creeks____ 21,000 Stone Lake_________________________ 29,000 Quinnebaugh Lake__________________ 600 300 60 Minatare Lake Overflow____________ 298,350 Platte River (transfer) _____________ 32,480 Grand. Total_____________^1,284,530 perch bullheads crappies sunfish bullheads catfish crappies bullheads catfish crappies sunfish bass crappies bullheads catfish catfish sunfish bass sunfish bullheads bass perch bullheads bullheads crappies catfish pike perch catfish

GAME WARDENS RESPECTED

Game wardens, stationed here to see that the rights of the state and the hunting fraternity in general was preserved during the pheasant hunting season, experienced little trouble with recalicrant hunters.

A few hunters stepped over the bounds of the lav/ and were brought before judge or justice where fines were imposed but their number was small compared to the great many hunters in the field during the open season.

There is no excuse for hunting pheasants at eight o'clock at night with the aid of ear lights. The wardens caught one hunting party doing this but others who carried on the practice in south of Albion eluded the officers. A few prosecutions were for shooting after sundown and others had not gone through the formality of taking out a license.

The uniformed game warden is a different creature from the old type who tried by fair means or foul to inveigle one into breaking the game laws and then make an arrest. For several years the game warden was a pariah, shunned by all hunters and ranchers as well, for the unfair tactics practiced. Today it is different. The warden is respected the same as any peace afficer and the old underhand methods employed to trap innocent unsuspecting folk into breaking the law has no place in his bag of tricks. He enforces the law and through his ministerations much poaching is stopped and a warden's presence in the community has its effect on game law violators.—From the Albion Argus.

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 5

Many Nebraska Lakes and Ponds Stocked With Fish

IN an effort to provide better fishing, the Game, Forestation & Parks Commission made a great effort during 1929 to adequately stock the best fishing waters of the state. A total of 2,154,979 fish were stocked. In view of the fact that' the larger share of these fish were fmgerling and adults, it is believed that the year's work in this work sets a record in Nebraska, taking the total of all fish planted into consideration.

The lakes in northern Nebraska were stocked heavier the past season than ever in their history. It is the belief of the Commission that better results will be obtained in stocking good lakes suitable for bass than by putting out a few bass here and there in smaller ponds and creeks where the water is not as suitable.

The complete record of fish planted, together with water stocked follows:

Acams County Blue River (Ayr)__________ 1,000 Bullheads Sand Pits (Hastings)______ 1,000 Catfish Little Blue River (Hastings) 1,000 Bass 1,000 Catfish Lockwood Sand Pit (Kenesaw) ______________ 300 Bullheads 1,000 Bass 200 Sunfish Antelope County Cedar Creek (Oakdale)____ 5,000 Frogs Neise Lake (Oakdale)______ 500 Bullheads 6,500 Bass 350 Blue Gill Sunfish Mill Pond (Oakdale)_______ 500 Bullheads 400 Bass Evans Lake (Clearwater)— 1,250 Bass 1,000 Bullheads Ice House Lake (Clearwater) 700 Bullheads 200 Pickerel 100 Sunfish Goose Lake (Clearwater)— 2,900 Sunfish 1,200 Bullheads 400 Pickerel Hills Lake (Clearwater)------ 2,000 Bass Lamberts Slough (Neligh)— 9,950 Bass 3,000 Bullheads 350 Crappies Lorenzen Lake (Neligh)------- 500 Crappies Big Springs (Orchard)--------- 2,000 Rainbow Trout Graham Lake (Orchard)____ 300 Bass Club Lake (Plainview)____ 40 Crappies Dikeman Creek (Royal)_____ 2,000 Sunfish Ashburn Lake (Tilden)_____ 1,150 Sunfish 200 Bullfrogs R. Bennett Lake 1,000 Bass (Clearwater)_____________ 1,000 Frogs Boone County Beaver Creek (St. Edwards). 1,000 Catfish 1,000 Bass 6,000 Crappies 200 Bullheads Beaver Creek (Loretta)------ 1,000 Bullheads Pultz Lake (Primrose). 6,000 Crappies 500 Catfish 500 Bullheads Drown County Long Pine Creek (Long Pine) 2,000 Trout (Brook & Rainbow) Nurse Pond (Long Pine)____18,000 Brown Trout Long Lake ________________ 9,000 Bass 50 Perch 500 Sunfish Hofelt Lake (Ainsworth)___ 1,275 Bass Willow Lake (Ainsworth)___ 8,100 Bass Clear Lake (Enderslake)_____ 7,000 Bass Chain Lakes (Enderslake)___ 2,000 Bass Enders Lake (Enderslake)---- 2,000 Bass Moon Lake (Johnstown)_____ 132 Pickerel Boyd County Engelhaupt Lake (Boyd)---- 50 Black Bass Badger Lake (Boyd)________ 2,500 Black Bass Spencer Dam (Boyd)_______ 5,000 Black Bass Buffalo County 300 Rock Bass Blue Hole Canal or Creek (Elm Creek)_____________ 125 Bass 32,115 Catfish 13,317 Pike 9,050 Perch Sand Pit (Elm Creek)_______ 25 Catfish Cotton Mill Lake (Kearney)-. 280 Catfish 449 Crappies 3,013 Bass 41 Bullheads 9,000 Perch 1,000 Sunfish Tom Gass Park (Kearney)— 2,510 Catfish 3,028 Pike 6,000 Sunfish 375 Bullheads 270 Blue Gills 5,000 Pike, Catfish, Crappies 430 Bass Beaver Creek (Ravenna)____ 2,000 Catfish River Dam (Shelton)_______ 500 Bass Lyman Richey Pit (Kearney). 670 Catfish Butler County Sand Pits (Bellwood)________ 700 Catfish City Park (David City)_____ 1,600 Catfish Abbotts Lake (David City)— 1,600 Catfish 1,000 Bass Surprise Lake (Surprise)------ 1,200 Bass Cass County Snyder Lake (Cedar Creek— 4,100 Crappies 1,600 Bullheads 360 Blue Gills 6 Catfish 2,450 Sunfish 2,400 Bullheads 48 Pickerel 220 Catfish Page 11) Louisville Pits (Louisville)__ (Continued on page 11

EDITORIAL

FINANCE

While it is impossible to tell exactly what the 1929 income of the department of game and parks is at this writing, the following estimate will give the reader some idea. Exact figures for the year cannot be had until all the accounts are settled and the state auditor goes over the books. 'The total income to January 10th shows a total income of $197,898.89, with something like five or six thousand dollars more to be collected. Therefore, the 1929 business will run slightly over $200,000.00 which sets a new record for earnings.

The statement follows:

ESTIMATED STATEMENT—1929 BUSINESS (As of January 10, 1930) Resident Hunt and Fish Non-Resident Hunt and Fish Non-Resident Fish Resident Trap Non-Resident Trap Alien Fish $184,545.00 Arbor Lodge State Park, Nebraska City______ 376.25 Chadron State Park_________________________ 1,076.21 Liquidated Damages_______________________ 1,886.00 Game Farmer's Permit—Game Bird__________ 454.00 Game Farmer's Permit—Fur-bearing Animals 759.00 Resident Permit Buy Hides Fur-bearing Animals _____________________________ 1,191.00 Non-Resident Permit Buy Hides Fur-bearing Animals______________________________ 162.00 Permit to Sell Fish_________________________ 66.00 Private Fish Hatchery Permits______________ 210.00 Sale of Fish_______________________________ 6,321.29 Sale of Hides_______________________________ 249.82 Sale of Guns_______________________________ 175.00 Fur-Buyers and Fur-Breeders L'sts__________ 60.28 Sale of Tags_________________________------- 69.70 Miscellaneous______________________________ 297.34 Outstanding Accounts (estimated)---------------- 6,000.00 Total_____________________________$203,898.89 IMPORTANT CHANGES IN BAG LIMITS

Effective next fall, the bag limit on ducks and geese will be materially reduced throughout America. The Secretary of Agriculture at Washington has just issued a proclamation of that effect. This will automatically change the Nebraska law, as the state laws must conform with the federal when in conflict with the same. Beginning September 16, 1930, the bag limits in Nebraska will be as follows:

Ducks Geese Daily limit 15 4 Possession limit 30 5

The new federal regulations allow a possession limit of 8 geese, but the Nebraska state law further limits it to 5, hence the possession limit will be 5 as a state can make more restrictive laws than the federal.

The necessity for this reduction has become apparent from exhaustive field investigation. It has been found that waterfowl have not been holding their own in the past year. The unusual draught that prevailed during the past season and the reclamation of large former breeding grounds in the northwest and in Canada have resulted in cumulative losses of great areas of marsh and water.

This reduction has been vigorously insisted upon by the principal game associations, the Izaak Walton League of America, the Western Association of State Game Commissioners, the Association of North Central States Game and Fish Departments, and several others.

At its annual meeting in December the American Game Conference, attended by representative sportsmen and conservationists from all parts of the continent, adopted resolutions to this end. At its annual meeting in Washington in December, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act Advisory Board, made up of representative sportsmen and game conservationists from all parts of the country, passed a resolution by an almost unanimous vote urging that this action be taken.

Twenty-nine States have passed legislation reducing the bag below the federal standards, and many of them have protested at the holding of federal standards above their state limits because of the difficulties created in enforcement.

FREMONT IKES RAISE BASS

The Fremont Chapter of the Izaak Walton League is blazing the way in the raising of bass. This chapter has gone ahead and established their own nursery which they look after and care for each year. In the fall, when the fmgerling bass are taken out, the chapter turns them over to the state authorities to place in the Fremont Sand Pit Lakes and other nearby places. The Chapter asks nothing of the state but bears all the expense incidental to the raising of the fish themselves.

Mr. G. A. Phelps, Secretary of the Chapter, has just made up the attached report which should prove of interest to all other Izaak Walton League Chapters and others who are interested in raising bass. The state furnished 20,000 fry for this nursery last spring and in the fall of 1929, 3,500 nice fingerling were removed.

  OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 7 The cost of operation, investment, etc., follows: Investment Pump Pipe____________________________$132.00 Strainer ______________________________100.00 Pipe __________________________________104.38 Pump and engine ______________________ 268.38 Cement and lumber____________________ 42.62 Signs _________________________________ 11.50 Wind mill_____________________________ 94.23 Total Investment__________________$753.23 Expenses of Operation for 1929 Gas and oil ___________________________$ 15.68 Repairs _______________________________ 59.79 Lease _________________________________ 25.00 Labor and miscellaneous________________ 37.60 Insurance _____________________________ 6.80 Total operation expense for 1929___$144.87 ACCIDENTS

During the 1929 hunting season in Nebraska nine persons lost their lives and a large number were injured.

It is the duty of every sportsman to help reduce these casualties. It can be done by education.

It is regretable that many sportsmen are criminally careless with firearms. Chances are taken which a moment's thought should convince is foolhardy to say the least.

A good way for the thoughtful sportsman to educate his careless companion is simply to refuse to ride or hunt unless precaution is taken. It is the duty of a man to protect his own life and he has good reason to refuse to be a party to a tragedy. That will bring home to the careless fellow that he must mend his ways.

TELLS HOW TO MAKE A CAT TRAP

Vagrant, unowned house cats are a serious menace to song birds, insectivorous birds, and game birds, to rabbits, squirrels, and other small forms of beneficial wild life, and to poultry, and therefore they should be destroyed, says a leaflet just issued by the U. S. Department of Agriculture on how to make a cat trap.

Stray cats—usually hungry, mangy, and diseased-abound in every city, town, and rural community, and are the most common carnivorous mammals in many places far removed from human habitation, says the leaflet. Usually they have been left unfed by their owners and are forced to get a precarious living by hunting and scavenging. As they are abroad mainly at night they are seldom seen and it is not generally realized that they are as numerous as they actually are. The leaflet says that in 18 months more than 50 stray cats were caught in one trap set in only two locations in a city, and that in one city a humane society put to death nearly a million vagrant cats in four years.

Stray cats can be caught in any well-constructed and baited trap. The one described in the new leaflet, devised by the Bureau of Biological Survey, has proved satisfactory and is easily made. It is merely a box with a drop door that is held up by a projecting wire one end of which is attached to a false floor or treadle. The weight of the cat on the treadle beyond the fulcrum pulls back the wire and releases the door. The leaflet shows, by picture and text, how to make the trap, and it also tells how to bait the trap and how to dispose of the captured cats.

The Leaflet, No. 50-L, "How to Make a Cat Trap," can be obtained free from the Office of Information, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, as long as copies are available for free distribution.

8 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA

Game and Park Activities

IMPROVEMENTS AT VALENTINE

During the past year considerable improvement has been made at the Valentine State Hatchery by Garland Gray, Superintendent.

Six new hatching ponds with an area of about fifteen acres were built. In addition to these, five new holding ponds with cement walls were constructed. A new road nearly a mile long was built through the grounds, six dams previously washed out were replaced, and a thousand feet of pipe laid.

A new garage 30x40 feet, with upper story for storage, was also built. The hatch house, residences, barn, ice house and other small buildings were painted.

SURVEY OF RESOURCES

One of the activities of the Game & Parks Commission, begun late in 1929, is a survey of the natural resources of Nebraska.

The Commission has been hampered in its work by not having definite information available at Lincoln as to the water, swamps, wood areas, etc., to be found in the state of Nebraska.

In order to make it possible to have such data readily accessible, a modern map has been installed in Lincoln and a master map secured. Draftsmen are now at work supplementing the master map with a map, or rather a tracing of each county. These county maps go into detail, showing all the natural resources in that particular county. Later a fieldman will go to each county and check it over to make sure all ponds, lakes, lagoons, wooded areas, swamps, etc., are shown on the map. These maps are so made that blue prints can be made from them at any time at small cost.

Later on it is planned to install still another file in which will be kept a record of every body of water in Nebraska where the state has stocked fish. Each body of water will be numbered and a complete description of the same showing depth, condition of water, kinds of fish best suited for same, etc.

MANY COARSE FISH REMOVED

One of the activities carried on by the Game, Forestation & Parks Commission is the removal of coarse fish from lakes and ponds where they are so numerous as to damage the game fish.

During 1929 the Commission's seining crews made a record in removing over 110 tons of carp, buffalo, gar, suckers and other worthless fish. A total of 220,209 pounds were seined out, most of which were sold. The coarse fish sold brought in a revenue of over $6,000.00 for the game fund.

The lakes and ponds seined are as follows: Champion Mill Ponds, Champion_____________ 6,260 lbs. Crystal Lake, South Sioux City_____________80,075 lbs. Columbus Country Club Ponds, Columbus____ 400 lbs, Bartley Lake, Bartley______________________ 420 lbs. Curtis Lake, Curtis_________________________ 3,000 lbs. No. 8 Sand Pit, Fremont____________________ 60 lbs. Veterans Lake, Fremont_____________________ 230 lbs. Schneiders Pond, Cedar Creek_______________ 746 lbs. Harse Lake, Miller_________________________ 1,347 lbs. Izaak Walton Pond, Meadow________________ 175 lbs. Lake Quinnebaugh, Tekamah________________72,531 lbs.   OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 9 Bunns Lake, Blair__________________________ 9,747 lbs. Whitney Lake, Crawford____________________ 940 lbs. Whitman Lakes, Whitman___________________ 3,950 lbs. Crete Mill Pond, Crete______________________ 3,274 lbs. Country Club Lake Ponds, Genoa____________ 275 lbs. Pawnee Park Pond, Columbus_______________ 100 lbs. Linoma Sand Pits, Ashland__________________ 669 lbs. Sand Pits, Central City_____________________ 260 lbs. Rice Lake, Mitchell_________________________ 1,000 lbs. Smith Lake, Broadwater____________________ 826 lbs. Sullivan's Lake, Meadow Grove_____________ 1,721 lbs. Johnson Lake, Stanton______________________ 1,251 lbs. Mapes Lake, Norfolk_______________________ 472 lbs. Cottonmill Lake, Kearney___________________ 3,445 lbs. Lake Kearney, Kearney_____________________ 923 lbs. Wendts Lake, Battle Creek__________________ 1,644 lbs. Louisville Pits, Louisville____________________ 3,135 lbs. Blue Hole, Kearney________________________ 2,958 lbs. Platte River Slough, Grand Island___________ 2,100 lbs. Jackson Eddy, Jackson_____________________ 1,200 lbs. U. S. Rifle Range, Ashland__________________ 700 lbs. Wilkins Lake, Blair_________________________ 300 lbs. Wiginhorn Slough, Ashland_________________ 2,000 lbs. Clarks Lake, Bellevue_______________________ 9,870 lbs. David City Ponds, David City________________ 325 lbs. Mansfield Lake, St. Edwards________________ 400 lbs. Hoffmans Lake, Melbeta------------------------------ 600 lbs. Fair Ground Lake, Bridgeport_______________ 80 lbs. Lake Osterberg, Scottsbluff__________________ 500 lbs. University Lake, Mitchell__________________ Lewis Lake, Mitchell_______________________ 300 lbs. Total______________________________220,209 lbs. TELLS HOW TO RECOGNIZE WOOD DUCK

"Don't shoot wood ducks" says the lav/, and yet there are thousands of duck hunters everywhere who cannot distinguish a wood duck from any other kind while it is flying toward his blind.

"A hunter who has once had a wood duck pointed out to him while in flight or while rising from the water, can never make a mistake again" says the statement from the Wisconsin Game Commission.

There are four characteristics the wood duck has which no other duck has and after a hunter can once recognize a wood duck, these different characteristics are so pronounced that he will never forget them. These four characteristics are method of flight, coloring, their foolhardiness and the whistle they make when they get off the water.

Wood ducks in flying, have their heads continually in motion, moving constantly from side to side as if peering for something in the marsh below them. No other bird has this characteristic and so if a hunter sees a small duck flying toward him with his head moving from side to side, he knows he cannot shoot it.

Wood ducks are very tame, almost to the point of foolhardiness. They will not rise off the water as quickly as other ducks and in flying they are likely to fly much closer to a hunter than any other kind of a duck.

Wood ducks are brilliantly colored with a white under part of the body which can be easily distinguished while they are flying. Their highly-colored crest, topknot and cheeks are not so apparent while in flight but can be seen better when the birds are resting on the water or on land.

COMMISSION ACCOMPLISHES MUCH IN FIRST EIGHT MONTHS

(Continued from Page 3)

feeding grounds for migratory waterfowl. The pheasants are being carefully studied to ascertain the best method of holding open seasons and the propagating of the same in counties where they are now few. Several large lakes were closed to hunting and made into feeding grounds for ducks.

Get Recreation Grounds

The Commission has worked out a very elaborate plan of providing recreation of the people of Nebraska. This is to be done by buying holdings on important lakes throughout the entire state and the beautification of the same. This policy was begun several years ago and the Commisson hopes to carry it on in a much larger scale. During the past eight months holdings have been secured at Louisville, Merriman, Ainsworth, Scottsbluff, and Kearney. A number of other places are under consideration and will doubtless be acted upon during 1930.

State Parks Under Commission

Under the new laws the state parks are under the management of the Game Commission and ten per cent of the game funds are used for the maintenance of the parks. While the park funds are limited and one of the parks was damaged by floods, headway has been made in this work. Both the Chadron and Stolley parks have been improved during the last year. It will be possible to do more work at the parks during 1930 as more funds will have accumulated.

Make State-wide Survey

The Commission authorized the beginning of a statewide survey of natural resources which will mean much to the future of the state. Up to this time there have been few records available at Lincoln. Game officials have had to go about their work rather blindly, not knowing just what they had in the way of resources. Under the new work being carried on, each county is being surveyed and all water, swamps, wooded areas, etc., placed on maps. Later fieldmen will go to each county and ascertain the conditions of each lake, pond, aand-pit, lagoon, etc. Records will be made of the depth of water, aquatic vegetation, and its suitability for certain species of fish; swamps will be studied as to their value for certain birds; wooded areas will be gone over to see what their value may be to bird life. River overflows will be studied and surveyed. It is believed that, when completed, this survey will be a great help in the work the Commission is doing and that it will also be of great value to the state for future development.

Elsewhere in this magazine the reader will find detailed reports of many of the activities of the Commission.

10 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA

WINTERING QUAIL

"Records in the Game and Fish Department's office show that 22,000 pounds of feed were bought for and distributed to quail last winter. Nor is this supply the entire amount that was furnished. Individual sportsmen and farmers donated feed to augment the scanty natural food resources, for which they made no charges.

This highly commendable and worthy act of sportsmanship on their part encourages the Department to appeal to them for further aid and to urge them to prepare now for the winter feedings and sheltering of bobwhites. Why not have the grain planted now so the birds will know where to look for it in the natural course of events? We would urge farmers to leave some of their grain ungathered. A few shocks of corn left standing can be spread apart at the bottom to provide feeding shelters. By having the bottom open across, vermin cannot enter to do their deadly work.

Bundles of wheat, oats or other grain tied with heads down to trees or fence-posts will provide both exercise and food when it is needed. This method of feeding is prefarable to scattering the grain on the ground or snow. Where food is placed on the ground without cover it is very apt to attract vermin.

Patches of grain of some kinds or even weeds left standing will produce excellent cover. Large entanglements of grapevines and briars furnish splendid feeding places.

A good idea is not to wait until deep snows come to locate the coveys. Establish feeding places for the birds now so they will come to the same spot to feed."

25,000,000 ACRES IN REFUGES

According to the best information available accordding to Seth Gordon, there are now almost 25,000,000 acres set aside in refuges for wild life. Of this figure, 3,500,000 acres are state-owned lands, 10,000,000 acres leased lands, 10,400,000 acres federal lands (exclusive of parks), and almost 700,000 acres which are unclassified. The big difficulty is that the bulk of these refuge lands is not well guarded, and is located in vast stretches of wild country far removed from large centers of population.

Only a few states have launched refuge acquisition programs. California recently decided to set aside one-third of her hunting license income during the next five years for the purchase of refuges, and the first tract containing 3,000 acres of excellent waterfowl territory has been acquired.

The Connecticut Legislature appropriated $50,000 for leasing hunting and fishing rights during the biennium. The plan provides that for the refuge area the rental shall be $1.00 per year, but for the public hunting grounds adjacent the state may pay at the rate of 10 cents per acre annually.

Michigan's Legislature this year passed a wild life refuge act allowing adjustment of owners' interests to wild life development. The Conservation Department plans the development of one refuge unit with public hunting grounds adjacent for every 100,000 acres of wild land in the state. That is a definite goal, a program worth emulating, but it still offers no remedy in the farming sections of the state.

Minnesota launched a definite refuge and public hunting grounds program this year which will involve the expenditure of a sum exceeding $2,000,000.

Pennsylvania continue to expand her well-known refuge and public hunting grounds system by setting aside 75 cents out of each $2.00 hunting license fee, which provides $200,000 annually for this prupose. Many of the refuges there are located on state forest lands, but the Game Commission has acquired 150,000 acres, mostly located in forest areas, at a cost of $516,000, and has 86,000 acres additional under contract. The Keystone State also has under lease almost 95,000 acres in 69 small game refuges scattered throughout the farming regions.

Oklahoma has 192,000 acres under lease for refuges, but Texas has the most ambitioust. refuge and hunting grounds leasing plan of all the states. The Lone Star State has 3,000,000 acres under lease for ten year periods, and may pay up to 25 cents per acre to secure the hunting rights.

These are just a few examples of what the states are doing. The trend is in the right direction, but the whole program must be pushed much more vigorously.

While the government has launched a refuge program, the states should follow California's example. They must not wait for the government, and since the refuges established under the Norbeck-Anderson Act provide no hunting grounds it will be up to the states to supply the public hunting grounds around them.

WISE RULES

The New York State Conservation Department has made eleven wise rules from the prevention of hunting accidents.

As men take to the field and wood, these rules deserve wide circulation. They are sensible. All hunters, in every part of the country, would do well to follow them. We print them herewith:

"Never carry loaded guns in automobiles or other vehicles.

"When in a field hunting birds, keep abreast of and know the exact location of your companion.

"In loading never point a gun in the direction of your companion.

"In climbing over stone walls and fences, first break or unload your gun.

"A bird quartering to the right in the vicinity of your hunting companions should never be fired on by a hunter on the extreme left and vice versa.

"Never leave a loaded gun standing against a tree or lying on the ground where a dog may get at it.

"Always keep your gun pointed away from your companions when you stop to talk.

"In handing a gun to a person for inspection, be sure it is unloaded.

"Never shoot in the direction of your companions because you consider yourself a good marksman. You are taking a dangerous chance.

"Carry a gun pointed down to left. If you shoot left handed walk at the extreme right of the party. "At all times be careful."

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 11

MANY NEBRASKA LAKES AND PONDS STOCKED WITH FISH

(Continued from Page 5) 31 Bass State Pits (Louisville)______ 41,525 Bullheads 10,500 Black Bass 200 Rock Bass 8,336 Catfish 16,200 Sunfish 1,620 Blue Gills 2,500 Perch 8,000 Tadpoles 6,655 Crappies 4,600 Bullheads Sand Pit (Louisville)________ 4,500 Crappies 1,200 Bullheads 480 Blue Gills League Sand Pit (Meadow)__ 3,985 Crappies 3,280 Bullheads 1,055 Blue Gills 14 Catfish Meadow Sand Pits (Meadow) 6,430 Crappies 3,340 Bullheads 1,253 Blue Gills 19 Catfish Chase County Frenchman River (Champion) 2,200 Rainbow and Brown Trout Champion Lake (Champion). 6,500 Black Bass Noland Lake (Imperial)_____ 5,800 Bass Frenchman River (Imperial) 2,000 Rainbow and Lochlaven Trout Arterburn Lake (Lamar)___ 1,100 Perch 2,000 Bass Cherry County Duck Lake (Brownlee)______ 4,000 Perch Gardner Lake (Cody)_______ 4,000 Bass 500 Crappies 500 Frogs 605 Blue Gills Steele Lake (Cody)_________ 1,000 Bass 500 Sunfish Cody (N) (Cody)___________ 3,000 Bass 750 Crappies Cody (S) (Cody)___________ 250 Perch 200 Sunfish Moon Lake________________ 6,000 Bass 10,000 Frogs Nelson Lake________________ 3,000 Bass 4,000 Frogs Pelican Lake (Simeon)______ 3,100 Black Bass 250 Crappies Gay Lake (Eli)_____________ 7,300 Bass 1,300 Crappies 4,000 Frogs Goodrich Lake (Elsmere)____ 3,000 Bass 750 Crappies Homestead Lake (Elsmere)__ 80 Sunfish Willow Lake (Elsmere)______ 5,000 Bass Belskey Lake (Merriman)___12,000 Frogs Byersdorf Lake (Merriman)_ 1,000 Frogs Gardner Lake (Merriman)---- 605 Blue Gills Park Reserve Lake 6,400 Bullheads (Merriman)______________ 800 Blue Gills 1,620 Bullheads Merriman Park (Merriman)__ 840 Blue Gills Schade Lake (Merriman)------ 4,500 Bullheads 750 Blue Gills Pesten Lake (Mullen) 1,200 Bass 2,500 Sunfish 1,000 Frogs Couts Lake (Simeon) 2,250 Bass 184 Crappies Dewey Lake (Simeon) 4,550 Bass Dads Lake (Valentine)- 60 Pickerel 370 Crappies 5,000 Black Bass Hackberry Lake (Valentine)_ 1,000 Black Bass 1,000 Rock Bass 5,000 Crappies Mill Pond (Valentine) 11,500 Perch 11,500 Bullheads 400 Catfish Beaver Lake (Valentine)------ 5,000 Black Bass Trout Lake (Wood Lake)___ 5,000 Bass Marsh Lake (Wood Lake)---- 5,000 Black Bass Cheyenne County ' Lawrence Fork (Sidney) 1,650 Rainbow and Lodgepole Creek (Potter)___ Colfax County Mentzers Sand Pit (Schuyler) Sand Pit Lake (Schuyler) _ Clay County Surprise Lake (Edgar)___ Nursery Pond (Deweese)___ Sutton Club Pond (Sutton)__ Cuming County Pospishel Lake (West Point) Kane Lake (Wisner)------------ Brown Trout 1,000 Rainbow and Brown Trout 11,925 Bullheads 1,000 Sunfish 2,985 Blue Gills 890 Catfish 950 Crappies 1,000 Black Bass 800 Black Bass 2,500 Black Bass 2,000 Crappies and Blue Gills 1,000 Catfish 200 Bullheads 900 Bullheads 120 Sunfish Custer County Mason City________________ Dakota County Crystal Lake (So, Sioux City) Dawes County Bohemia Creek (Chadron) _ Bordeau Creek (Chadron)__ Clausen Dam (Chadron)__ Chadron Lake___________ 150 Frogs 12,380 Bullheads 2,230 Crappies 900 Blue Gills 1,000 Sunfish 6,015 Bass 33 Pike 500 Bass 200 Crappies 2,000 Brook-Rainbow Trout 500 Crappies 100 Perch 500 Bullheads   12 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA Chadron Creek (Chadron)— 1,000 Bass 500 Crappies Earnest Lake (Chadron)____ 1,000 Bass 500 Crappies Nurse Pond (Chadron)______10,000 Brook Trout Private Pond (Chadron)------- 500 Perch Spring Creek (Chadron)_____ 500 Perch Crawford__________________ 200 Bass Niobrara River (Marsland)— 2,000 Rainbow and Brown Trout Dawson County Gothenburg Lake (Gothenburg)______.=_____ 2,000 Bass 1,000 Sunfish Sand Pit (Lexington)_______ 1,000 Bass Sand Pit (Overton)_________ 17 Sunfish Dodge County Boy Scouts Lake (Fremont)- 200 Crappies 110 Blue Gills 40 Rock Bass 75 Bullheads State Pit No. 1 (Fremont)___ 3,500 Bass Hromas Lake (North Bend)__ 2,600 Bullheads I 1,860 Sunfish State Lakes (Fremont)______ 6,000 Black Bass 5,000 Bullheads Douglas County Carter Lake (Omaha)_______ 30,550 Bullheads 45,760 Crappies 3,495 Blue Gills 300 Sunfish 54 Catfish 5,000 Bass Sand Pit (Valley)__________ 2,000 Black Bass Dundy County Sand Pit (Benkelman)______ 1,500 Bullheads Huey Pond (Haigler)_______ 500 Bullheads Buffalo Creek______________ 25,000 Rainbow Trout Rock Creek________________ 25,000 Rainbow Trout 380 Brown Trout Rock Creek (Benkelman)____ 7,000 Rainbow and Brown Trout Sand Pit (Benkelman)______ 1,500 Perch 1,000 Bass 800 Sunfish Buffalo Creek (Haigler)------- 4,800 Rainbow and Brown Trout Fillmore County Blue River (Little) (Shickley) 2,600 Perch Turkey Creek (Geneva)_____ 1,000 Bullheads Franklin County Creek (Bloomington)_______ 200 Catfish Republican River (Franklin)- 200 Catfish Creek (Riverton)___________ 10,000 Brown Trout Nurse Pond (Riverton)--------- 5,000 Rainbow Trout 8,000 Brown Trout Republican River (Riverton)- 200 Catfish Frontier County Maywood Lake (Maywood)— 12,000 Bass 1,500 Perch 800 Bullheads Furnas County Cambridge Mill (Cambridge) 8,000 Bass Sand Pits (Oxford)_________ 300 Catfish Gage County Bear Creek (Beatrice)---------- 2,825 Catfish 1,660 Bullheads 2,000 Perch 1,000 Sunfish Blue River (Beatrice)______ 4,200 Perch 2,000 Bullheads 2,000 Black Bass Pothast Pond (Pickrell)_____ 200 Blue Gills 500 Bullheads Spencer Lake (Wymore)_____ 200 Catfish Sand Pits (Wymore)_______ 300 Catfish Garden County Plum Creek (Lewellen)_____ 5,800 Rainbow Trout Clear and Blue Creeks (Oshkosh)_______________16,600 Rainbow Trout Alkali Lake________________ 186 Blue Gills Garfield County N. Loup & Calamas River (Burwell) _______________ 5,000 Perch 800 Bass 100 Frogs 150 Sunfish Grant County Hyannis___________________ 600 Bass 500 Perch 500 Sunfish Greeley County Spalding Lake (Greeley). Hall County Sand Pit (Grand Is'and). Sehimmer Lake (Grand Island)_______ 1,200 Bass 1,200 Perch 5,400 Perch 1,900 Bullheads 1,200 Crappies 3,160 Blue Gills and Sunfish 1,346 Black Bass 1,500 Catfish 9,000 Perch Scotts Pier Pit (Grand Island)- ______ 1,260 Bullheads 1,100 Bluegills 112 Black Bass 660 Crappies 61 Catfish Spring Lake (Grand Island)- 2,000 Bullheads Thomas Sand Pit (Grand Island)___________ 1,200 Perch Hamilton County Combs Pond (Aurora)---------- 1,000 Bullheads Harlan County Republican River (Republican City)________ 200 Catfish (Ragan) ------------------------- 100 Rainbow and Brown Trout Hitchcock County Frenchman Slough (Culbertson)---------------------- 500 Bullheads   OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 13 Sand Pits (Trenton) 2,000 Perch 750 Sunfish 700 Bullheads Hall Sand Pit (Stratton)____ 800 Rainbow and Brown Trout Holt County Swan Lake (Amelia) 2,000 Bass 1,800 Bullheads 1,000 Sunfish 1,000 Crappies Long Lake (Amelia) 100 Bullheads 400 Crappies 200 Sunfish 600 Bass Atkinson Lake (Atkinson)__ 10,000 Trout Browns Lake (Atkinson)____ 3,250 Bass 1,000 Crappies Hofelt Lake (Atkinson) 1,275 Bass Nurse Pond (Atkinson) 20,000 Rainbow Troi Wrights Lake (Atkinson)____ 6,000 Perch Chain Lake (Inman) 1,000 Black Bass 1,000 Sunfish River Sloughs (O'Neill) __ 2,000 Bass Schotts Lake (O'Neill) _ 440 Bass Antelope Slough (Orchard)__ 150 Sunfish 300 Crappies Page Lake_________ 10,000 Trout Howard County- Boy Scout Pond (Cushing)__ 150 Bass 150 Perch Jefferson County Izaak Walton League (Alexandria Blue River (Fairbury)- Willemoe (Fairbury)_. Johnson County Walton Lake (Tekamah). Kearney County Orcutt Lake (Minden)____ Keith County Otter Creek (Lewellen)___ Peterson Lake (Lemoyne)- Keya Paha County Barton Lake____ Kimball County Nurse Pond (Kimball)______ Knox County Cressman Lake (Creighton)- Bazile Creek (Creighton)___ Bazile Creek (Verdigre)___ Bazile Creek (Niobrara)____ Bazile Creek (Wausa)_____ 1,500 Crappies 1,200 Catfish 600 Bullheads 800 Catfish 500 Bullheads 3,000 Bullheads 900 Black Bass 20,000 Loch Laven Trout 1,000 Bass 1,000 Perch 800 Sunfish 3,000 Bullheads 21,500 Brown Trout 2,000 Bass 500 Bullheads 5,000 Bullheads 1,000 Bullheads 1,000 Bullheads 250 Bullheads Bullheads Bullheads Bullheads Bullheads Perch & Crappies Blue Gills Sunfish Bullheads Black Bass Perch Bullheads Bullheads Bullheads Bullheads Lancaster County Private Pond (Havelock)------ 500 Edgren Ponds (Lincoln)_____ 200 Pioneer Park Ponds (Lincoln) 500 Salt Creek (Lincoln)________ 4,300 1,300 75 2,000 Sheet Pond (Lincoln)_______ 1,000 Shrine Pond (Lincoln)_______ 500 500 200 State Pen Pond (Lincoln)___ 5,130 Stuart Pond (Lincoln)_______ 200 Deer Creek (Wood Lawn)---- 400 Loup County North Loup River (Taylor)__ 3,000 Perch 800 Bass 150 Sunfish Madison County Rooney Lake (Battle Creek)_ 1,500 Bullheads 700 Bass Wendts Lake (Battle Creek)_ 2,000 Bullheads 600 Bass Union Creek (Madison)_____ 650 Bullheads Sullivan Lake (Meadow Grove)--------------- 2,000 Bullheads 1,300 Bass Shell Creek in City Park (Newman's Grove)------------ 4,000 Crappies 100 Catfish 400 Bullheads Nuhlhules Slough (Norfolk), 24 Black Bass 130 Crappies 3,800 Bullheads 300 Sunfish 16 Pickerel No. Fork Elkhorn (Norfolk). 150 Frogs I. W. League Park (Norfolk) 350 Bullheads 100 Sunfish Norfolk Creek (Norfolk)____ 250 Sunfish Norfolk River (Norfolk)------ 50 Sunfish 650 Bullheads Muskrat River (Norfolk)____ 250 Bullheads Lehmaur (Norfolk)------------- 50 Sunfish 800 Bullheads 10 Gold Fish Enables Slough (Norfolk)---- 50 Bullheads Union Creek (Norfolk)______ 900 Bullheads Pofhals Lake (Norfolk)_____ 50 Sunfish 700 Bullheads 500 Frogs Tilden Creek (Norfolk)______ 1,000 Bullheads Dick Hulsey Pond (Norfolk). 1,000 Bullheads M^Pherson County Diamond Bar Lake (Flats)— 100 Black Bass 14,300 Bullheads Dailey's Lake (Flats)_______ 1,500 Bullheads Ed. Dailey's Lake (Flats)— 500 Crappies 97,000 Bullheads 1,500 Perch Large Lake on Diamond Bar (Flats)__________________ 550 Black Bass 1,500 Bullheads   14 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA Reid's Lake (Plat's)________ 5,116 Black Bass 1,550 Crappies 550 Sunfish 240,000 Bullheads 800 Bass 480 Blue Gills Three Mile Lake (Plats)____ 6,000 Bullheads White Water Lake (Flats)— 10,000 Bullheads 800 Crappies Walkers Lake (Plainview)__ Willow Lake Slough (Plainview) ____________ Merrick County Burlington Sand Pits (Central City)_____ North U. P. Pits Central City) — Circle Lake (Central City) — Eiverside Park (Cen. City)_. Sand Pit Lakes (Cen. City). Silver Creek Sand Pit (Silver Creek)_____ U. P. Sand Pits (Cen. City)_ 280 Blue Gills 5,000 Bullheads 30 Gold Fish 247 Black Bass 3,238 Catfish 207 Pike 400 Black Bass 40 Bass 1,600 Crappies and Blue Gills 2,100 Black Bass 1,500 Perch 92 Catfish 2,000 Bullheads 335 Black Bass 280 Sunfish 200 Crappies 800 Sunfish 200 Black Bass 560 Bullheads 150 Crappies South C. B. & Q. Pit (Central City) ___________ 10 Black Bass 360 Pike 2,265 Catfish Morrill County Creeks (Bayard)____________ 16,000 Brown Trout Redwillow Creek (Bayard)__ 12,000 Rainbow Trout Nurse Pond (Bayard)_______ 5,000 Brown Trout Nurse Pond and Creeks (Bridgeport)_____________ 28,000 Rainbow Trout Sand Pit Lake (Bridgeport)-. 300 Black Bass (Broadwater) ____________ 3,900 Perch Nance County Sand Pit (Genoa)___________ 1,000 Black Bass 1,000 Crappies and Mill Pond (Fullerton)_______ Blue Gills 1,000 Perch Nuckolls County 1,000 Black Bass Sand Pits (Nelson)_________ Pawnee County 200 Catfish Turkey Creek (Pawnee City) Pierce County 2,500 Bullheads Booth Lake (Plainview)_____ 200 Bullheads Elkhorn River (Plainview)__ 400 Bullheads Golf Club Lake (Plainview)^ 110 Sunfish 400 Bullheads Hanel Lake (Plainview)------ 300 Bullheads North Fork Elkhorn River (Plainview)______________ 400 Bullheads Plainview Dutcher Lake (Plainview)__________------ 400 Bullheads North Fork Elkhorn River (Pierce and Plainview)_____ Platte County Goods Park Lake (Columbus) Sand Pit Lake (Columbus)__ Burlington Pond (Columbus) _ Pawnee Park (Columbus)___ Shell Creek (Platte Center)__ Red Willow County Red Willow Pond (McCook)_ 200 Bullheads 300 Bullheads 50 Sunfish 1,000 Bullheads 300 Bullheads 1,000 Perch 1,000 Black Bass 300 Bullheads 1,120 Catfish 3,280 Bullheads 420 Bullheads 400 Rainbow and Brown Trout Richardson County Nemaha River (Falls City)— 4,000 Bullheads Private Pond (Falls City)—_ 300 Catfish Sandrock Lake (Falls City)__ 200 Crappies 300 Bullheads 1,500 Sunfish (Humboldt)________________ 500 Bullheads Rock County Hornberger Lake (Duff)_____ 450 Bass 500 Sunfish 50 Perch Buell Pond (Duff)___________ 500 Black Bass Smith Lake (Hammond)_____ 1,000 Sunfish 600 Crappies Mill Pond (Long Pine)______ 1,000 Sunfish 1,100 Bass 80 Perch Sand Creek (Newport)______ 70 Perch 100 Sunfish 100 Bullheads Saline County Blue River (Crete)__________ 2,650 Catfish 2,300 Bullheads 4,200 Perch 1,000 Black Bass 4,945 Crappies Circle Lake (Crete)________ 1,800 Black Bass Horkey's Park Pond (Crete). 1,000 Perch 1,200 Black Bass 1,000 Bullheads Turkey Creek (Friend)______ 825 Catfish Swan Creek (DeWitt)______ 500 Catfish 50 Bullheads Turkey Creek (DeWitt)_____ 575 Catfish 100 Bullheads Blue River (Dorchester)_____ 1,000 Black Bass 1,000 Perch Big Blue (Wilber)__________ 676 Catfish 400 Bullheads 1,000 Black Bass Mill Pond (Dorchester)________ 825 Catfish Turkey Creek (Dorchester) __ 825 Catfish Sarpy County Linoma Lake (Ashland)------- 3,000 Black Bass 1,000 Bullheads   OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 15 Linoma Lake (Gretna)___ I. W. Lake (Meadow)____ Saunders County 75 Gold Fish 17,800 Black Bass 150 Perch 250 Bullheads 2,000 Crappies Ashland Sand Pits (Ashland) 1,000 Bullheads Swift Lake (Ashland)_______ 5,800 Crappies 6,300 Bullheads 200 Blue Gills 29 Catfish Rifle Range Pond (Ashland). 6,300 Bullheads 1,000 Perch 500 Black Bass Linoma Beach (Ashland)------ 940 Bullheads 162 Crappies 420 Pickerel 2,130 Blue Gills Private Pond (Valparaiso)-. 500 Bullheads 200 Black Bass 100 Blue Gills Oak Creek (Valparaiso)_____ 500 Bullheads Wahoo Creek (Wahoo and , Tj 11• i Ashland) ________________ 1,200 Bullheads Horse Shoe Lake (Wahoo)__ 300 Bullheads I. W. Lake (Wahoo)________ 2,000 Bullheads Scotts Bluff County Nurse Pond (Henry)________ 8,000 Rainbow Trout Jones Lake (Henry)________ 72 Gold Fish Hoffman Lake (Melbeta)____12,500 Perch State Nurse Pond (Minatare) 48,000 Brown Trout Lake Minatare (Minatare)—220,400 Perch 1,200 Brown Trout Minatare Drain (Minatare)— 600 Brown Trout Nine Mile Creek (Minatare). 10,000 Rainbow Trout Sheep and Nigger Creek (Morrill) ________________21,600 Rainbow Trout (Mitchell) _______________ 2,000 Bass Sheeps Creek (Henry)______ 800 Rainbow and Katzer Lake and Henry Brown Trout Lakes (Henry)____________ 1,365 Bass Wild Horse (Mitchell)______ 1,400 Rainbow and Brown Trout Morrill Lakes (Morrll)_____ 2,000 Bass Seward County Blue River (Milford)_______ 2,200 Catfish 1,280 Bullheads 4,200 Perch Blue River (Seward)_______ 6,000 Perch 1,100 Catfish 2,580 Bullheads Blue River (Staplehurst)____ 550 Catfish Lincoln Creek (Utica)______ 550 Catfish Sheridan County Brecht Lake (Chadron)_____ 500 Bullheads O Renfro Lake (Chadron)___ 100 Bass Spring Creek (Chadron)____ 500 Sunfish Wahlgren Lake (Hay Springs)___________ 5,280 Bullheads Flack Lake (Hay Springs)— 500 Bass 500 Sunfish Alkali Lake (Hay Springs)- 380 Blue Gills 3,850 Bullheads 5,000 Bass (Hay Springs)___________ 3,850 Bullheads Nurse Ponds (Gordon)_____ 2,500 Bass Versaw Lake (Gordon)_____ 3,500 Trout Dam on Antelope Creek (Gordon) ________________ 2,000 Bass 200 Crappies 3,000 Frogs Niobrara River (Gordon)___ 3,600 Bass Clifford and Gordon Creek 8,500 Brown Trout (Rushville) ______________ 3,000 Bass Shell Lake (Rushville)______ 500 Crappies D. Hooper Lake (Rushville) 1,000 Frogs Sherman County Muddy Creek (Litchfield) „__ 500 Bullheads Clear Creek (Litchfield)____ 500 Perch Loup River Bayou (Rockville) ______________ 500 Bass Sioux County Agate Lake (Agate)________ 140 Sunfish 480 Bullheads 2,200 Bass Holtz Pond (Harrison)______ 1,000 Bass ; ; 500 Sunfish 250 Crappies 2,000 Frogs Ring Dam (Harrison)______ 1,000 Bass 500 Sunfish Thomas, North Dam (Harrison) ______________ 1,000 Sunfish 150 Perch Neil Lake (Harrison)_______ 2,000 Bass 200 Sunfish 250 Crappies Cross Dam (Harrison)______ 500 Sunfish 75 Perch Niobrara River (Harrison)__ 800 Brown Trout Niobrara River (Agate)____ 1,600 Rainbow and Brown Trout Stanton County Winters Hole (Norfolk)_____ 1,520 Crappies 160 Bass Giles Creek (Tilden)________ 2,500 Sunfish 500 Crappies Hulsey Slough (Tilden)____ 75 Bass 550 Crappies Utley Slough (Tilden)______ 350 Crappies 160 Bass Thayer County Big Sandy Creek (Alexandria) ____________ 3,000 Bullheads 1,200 Perch Blue River (Hebron)________ 3,000 Bullheads Sand Pits (Hebron)_________ 200 Catfish Walton Pond (Hebron)______ 1,500 Crappies Republican River (Superior) 800 Catfish Valley County Loup River (North Loup)___ 1,000 Perch 100 Bass Washington County Bunn's Lake (Blair)_______ Pond (Blair)______________ ;,900 Bullheads 800 Blue Gills 500 Crappies   16 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA Webster County Elm Creek (Cowles)________ 1,000 Crappies Nurse Pond (Cowles)_______15,000 Rainbow Trout Carp Creek (Guide Bock)___ 1,500 Catfish Wheeler County Ericson Lake (Ericson)_____ 5,000 Black Bass 3,000 Perch York County Lincoln Creek (Benedict)___11,500 Bullheads 100 Sunfish Blue River (Henderson)____ 3,000 Bullheads I. W. Pond (McCool Jet.)___ 3,000 Bullheads Beaver Creek (York)_______ 1,000 Bullheads Blue River (York)__________ 1,000 Catfish 1,200 Perch Mill Dam Lincoln Creek (Thayer) ________________ 1,000 Bullheads Total Bass Stocked __________________ 314,384 Total Perch Stocked _________________ 349,675 Total Catfish Stocked ________________ 85,244 Total Bullheads Stocked ______________ 687,141 Total Crappies Stocked ______________ 141,174 Total Sunfish Stocked _______________. 89,256 Total Pickerel Stocked _______________ 1,276 Total Trout Stocked__________________ 415,230 Total Pike Stocked___________________ 17,999 Total Frogs Stocked _________________ 53,600 Grand Total__________________2,154,979

"CHINKS"

By William Moore

Give me a day in October, a cool damp morning, a good dog, a gun and turn me lose in a stubble field with plenty of cover. I ask for no more. Financial worries disappear, like mist before the sun, and the wolf that has been howling at my front door changes into a lamb. For am I not king for a day enjoying the sport of kings —seeking the elusive China pheasants? The dog gets busy right away, a tingle runs through my system as I follow the trail. Here, there, now back, no, not that way, this way we are getting- closer; a point, a stiffening of every muscle, a few steps forward—the bird is on the move—another stop; get ready now, there he goes, a beautiful rooster, a fast shot, a clean hit, the dog has him, a prize worth having. On again we go, the dog and I' understanding each other by our own secret signs. Along that ditch bank in that tall grass is a likely place. The dog soon gets a scent. Now he is slowing down a perfect point, looks like a marble statue. He sure has one now. I have my doubts about this one, pretty sure it's a hen. The female of the China family is very much like our own gentler sex, shy and retiring. T walk in front of the dog and flush the object of his endeavors and find my conclusions are correct. Never shoot a hen, our future hunting depends on them.

Working on through some weeds, we kick out a cackler—generally an old boy who has been dusted with No. 6s before, telling you to go chase yourself. The first shot only to bring another cackle, the second shot gets the same. On he goes—miles a minute. No need to get sore if you kill them too fast your fun will be over too soon. Look at that bunch running across that open place. Must be a dozen. Doggone that old bird, almost scared me to death, flew right up in my face; bet I missed him a mile, shot too quick. Now he straightens out, a steady aim, a deliberate shot, and he skids on his chest. The next one is in fair range but somehow I don't hit him square. A slow fluttering down and then a real chase begins; speed, those birds cetainly have it. The dog disappears in the brush to return shortly with another choice bit of food.

Nine o'clock, three birds, one more to go. Several get up, mostly hens, then the field gives out. Across the fence a brushy pasture looks like a good place for old Mr. China to stay. Half way through the fence a barbed wire catches my coat I try frantically to get loose, as I hear the birds getting up ahead. Once free, I take a long shot and the day is over.

Back to the city which was made for the toilers. I return to face again the cares of the day. The lamb changes back to the wolf, my title of king vanishes— I am only a slave again. But still I have the pleasant memories of a wonderful day, that no money can buy, and a desire to go again. And perhaps I will.

"FISH" OR "FISHES"

"I'll take three of those little butterfishes."

No sooner was the sentence spoken than I realized that it was not correct English, said Ida Miller, fish expert, of the New York acquarium, in the American Game Protective association news service, but the fish dealer knew not the difference; and if one were to say to the proprietor of a pet shope, "I'll take three of those goldfish," he, in all likelihood, would not know the difference, either.

Even those of us who are devoting our lives to the study of fishes, find it difficult to remember how to designate them correctly in the plural.

For the table we have "fish", but when living specimens or specimens used for scientific study are meant, "fishes" is the right word. And so, while we may say correctly, "one smelt, two smelts," a dozen smelts in the pan are "fish," while a dozen smelts swimming in the Pacifis are "fishes."

As anglers, we journey homeward (if luck has been with us) with a bag of fish"; but as collectors, we return with "fishes". There is another nice distinction: we say, "This is a tank of brown trout", (or black bass, or yellow mackerel); but "We have two or more species or trouts" (or basses, or mackerel).

Then there is the problem of the compound words ending in—fish—goldfish, toadfish, angel-fish, buffalofish, etc. Dictionaries avoid indicating plurals, but the proper plural "fishes" when live specimens are indicated.

In referring to more than one ale-kife or puddingwife, we say "alewives" or "pudding-wives".

"Trapping the Wary Chink," a story dealing with the trapping of 10,000 pheasants, by Frank B. O'Connell, Nebraska game warden, has been accepted by the Saturday Evening Post. Mr. O'Connell has long been a writer and a number of his stories have appeared in other magazines. This latest is not of the fiction type but deals with his experiences ' in catching Nebraska pheasants.—From Nebraska State Journal.