2 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA

American Legion to Sponsor Arbor Day Celebration April 22nd

By MARCUS L. POTEET

65 th Anniversary of ARBOR DAY in Nebraska

A State-Wide Observance to Be Observed on April 22, 1937

Do Your Share . . . Plant Trees

Help to make up for the great loss of trees suffered during the drought years. Plant a tree for every stump.

Sponsored by the American Legion, Department of Nebraska.

NEBRASKA contributed ARBOR DAY to the holidays of our Nation. This idea of a day for tree planting has spread until half the civilized world observes the practice and custom. It is doubtful if Nebraskans fully appreciate the magnitude of this contribution.

THE AMERICAN LEGION in Nebraska believes that greater importance should be attached to the observance of Arbor Day in the State of its origin. It believes further that by awakening a wider public interest in this Tree Planting day, the ideal which prompted its founding will be more thoroughly achieved, and the dream of the pioneers, who did so much to convert the barren prairie into a more habitable land, will be more fully realized.

Aims of This Campaign

It is the aim of the campaign that the following be undertaken:

(1) To impress on our citizens throughout the State the importance of trees and tree planting by pointing out the necessity of adding to our arboreal vegetation and thus to stimulate planting for the improvement of agriculture, horticulture and arboriculture in general.

(2) To stimulate planting that will beautify our surroundings and engender in the minds of all a greater love of beauty in nature.

(3) To replace the millions of trees that have been lost during the past seven years due to the drought and extensive cutting for wood supply.

(4) To carry on an educational campaign through all our youth organizations and groups, such as the Boy Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, 4-H Clubs, rural schools and high schools to the end that they will become familiar with the use of trees and woody plants in the solution of our great conservation problems. We believe that only as our youth grow into a full appreciation of our needs and the vast amount of work being accomplished by our government through the Forest Service, Soil Conservation Service, Park Service, Nebraska Game, Forestation and Parks Commission, and the educational endeavors of such altruistic organizations as the American Tree Association and the American Forestry Association that we can look forward with any degree of certainty to the permanent restoration and preservation of our natural resources.

Present Need of Tree Planting

During the early years of the recent depression many millions of the planted and natural stands of Nebraska's trees Were cut to supply needed fuel for our citizens. It was fortunate that those who came before us had planted and preserved this timber resource for such a time of extreme emergency. Highway construction and other improvements also have necessitated the removal of many trees. Even though all these tree losses were unavoidable they constitute a loss far greater than the monetary value of the trees themselves. They are needed to aid in the prevention of soil erosion, to give shelter and comfort to our farmsteads and homes, to protect our growing crops from hot winds, to beautify our streets, highways and parks and for cover and habitat for our wildlife.

The past three years constitute the most devastating drought period in the history of the State, during which the staggering losses to our tree life amount to about one-third of that which we had at the beginning of 1934. The situation is still more aggravated by the fact that the survival of new plantings has been very small. However, this drought period will end and we must replace these great losses. The drought has I taught us that there are some trees which will survive the most severe tests of dry years. There was scarcely any loss to I Ponderosa Pine, Red Cedar, Austrian Pine, Hackberry, Burr Oak and a number of other species.

When the pioneers came to the State, trees were found principally along the stream courses. These men immediately began to plant trees for a future supply of wood, for shade and to beautify their surroundings. Our present growth oil trees is an heritage received from these sturdy pioneers. We are now reaping the fruit of their toil. Shall we not hand this heritage from the founders of our State down to coming generations? Should we not show our appreciation for the work of the pioneers by following I their example? To these questions the American Legion answers with an emphatic "yes". Hence it advocates this special observance of Arbor Day.

The use of trees for fire-wood purposes in recent years was an economic necessity, and undoubtedly it has prevented much suffering. There will be future economic disturbances of great severity. Fire-wood will be needed then as much as now. Other droughts will occur. Should the present generation do less for the future than our predecessors have done for us? Should not the trees cut during the emergency be replaced and thousands of new ones added, not only for economic reasons, but also for esthetic purposes? Shall we not replace the losses of the recent drought? A tree is one of the most beautiful things of God's creation.

Historical Background

J. Sterling Morton, eminent civic and political leader, agriculturist, humanitarian, historian and famed Nebraskan, is credited the world over as originator of ARBOR DAY. He thoroughly deserves that great honor. With his cultured bride he set out on his wedding day in 1854 for the new West, coming first to Bellevue on the very edge of the frontier, then the seat of territorial government of what is now Nebraska.

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OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 3

Let's Save Our Channel Cats!

By J. M. MERRITT, Superintendent of Fisheries

THE massed movement or migration of fishes is usually the manifestation of the urge to spawn or to seek seasonal feeding grounds. In the former, this urgent call of nature is climaxed in the spectacular run of salmon in Pacific Coast streams. Literally by millions they ascend the rivers to the spawning grounds in the headwaters. Disregarding injuries, hunger and disease they drive on until their mission is fulfilled.

Less urgent but none the less purposeful is the movement from one feeding area to another, timed with the growth of plankton or of other creatures upon which they feed.

An important migration of fresh water fishes is noted in the movements of the spotted channel catfish "ictalurus punctatus" in streams in the Mississippi River system.

Strictly a warm water fish and most active in water temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, during the winter and in temperatures below 50 degrees they lie in close packed schools in slow, deep water where they will not be disturbed by changing currents or shifting bottom.

This seasonal movement seems to have become more pronounced in later years possibly because of the increasing instability of river levels. Late summer and fall flows are apt to be of insufficient volume to induce the fish to seek winter quarters upstream and repetition of early spring floods and ice gorges which dislodge him from his winter pool may tend to cause instinctive avoidance of the upper river as cold weather approaches.

The migration of this species is especially marked in the rivers of Nebraska and in the Missouri River which forms the eastern boundary. Most of these streams are shallow, with ever-changing bottom due to shifting sand.

Sudden and violent changes in the volume of flow because of the large, denuded and artificially drained watersheds, the storage and diversion of water for power and irrigation tend to make these streams unsuitable as a winter habitat for the catfish.

The upstream movement begins about April 1st or earlier if the season is advanced, and continues with short interruptions due to colder periods, for several weeks, until the run is distributed throughout the branching streams and creeks. This movement cannot be termed strictly a spawning migration, although spawning occurs within the tributaries into which they move. The fish feed freely while ascending and readily enter baited nets but do not deposit spawn until several weeks after the migration is completed.

The down stream or fall run commences in early October when cold days denote the approach of winter. This movement is more leisurely, the schools making frequent stops to feed below riffles, acquiring fat through pleasant Indian summer days against the winter hibernation.

In spawning a sheltered cavity is selected along the shore or below logs and brush. The male vigorously cleans and guards the nest against competitive males or marauding carp and suckers. The eggs are attached by membrane similar to those of the pike-perch but unlike the perch whose eggs are exuded as a membranous ribbon, the eggs of the catfish form a round, tough mass after being deposited. The form of the spawn is roughly circular with depth approximating one-fifth the diameter. They adhere tightly to the surface upon which they are deposited.

It is probable that had the channel catfish been found in limited numbers and been given a more suitable name he would long ago have been accorded the place among game fishes to which he is properly entitled. Certainly as a table fish he is excelled by few and his fighting qualities when taken on light tackle are a surprise to those who have not hooked him in fast water and in this manner.

It is a trait of human nature to be contemptuous of commonplace things. No one believes it necessary to conserve that of which we have plenty. Only when the loss from waste and indifference becomes acute will a concerted effort be made to replace or repair the loss.

The present status of the channel catfish is substantially this: Plentiful and widely distributed, prolific and adaptable to almost any kind of water, easily trapped in nets and always commanding a good market price, this really excellent game fish has been exploited commercially in a shameful manner that is being deplored and criticized by an increasing number of those interested in the conservation of wildlife.

Many of the best catfish streams form state boundaries and the resultant confusion as to state jurisdiction in the application of the few and feeble laws that have been set up to protect the fish in boundary waters make these laws either unenforceable or impotent. The Federal government extends protection to migratory birds and to migratory coastal fish, but ignores the migratory channel catfish. So long as protection of this fish is considered a local matter, a lack of uniformity and enforcement of restrictive laws will prevail.

Not only has the catfish been exploited and neglected, but no concerted effort by states or government has been made to atone for this exploitation by means of artificial propagation and distribution. Enactment and enforcement of identical and suitable laws and a concerted program for establishment of propagating stations by those states within the Missouri River watershed would accomplish much within a short time.

The range of the channel catfish extends from the brackish Mississippi delta a thousand miles upstream to headwater creeks. Beset by market fishermen and poachers, hindered by dams and driven from large areas by foul sewage, he runs a veritable gauntlet of legal and illegal nets and lines. Were it not for a hardihood and adaptability uncommon in game fish of this class the species would be well on the way to extinction.

It is true that no inconsiderable number of men now make their livelihood in marketing the channel catfish and that stringent laws, rigidly enforced, would effect a hardship on them. It is likely that this argument was used by those who defended the marketing of quail, prairie chickens and wild ducks not so many years ago.

Suppose, as an illustration, this marketing had not been made illegal. The market shooter and the birds would both have become extinct. In the same manner, discussions between market fishermen on the one hand, and those interested in conservation of the species on the other, will be very definitely settled within a few years to the distinct loss of all concerned if nothing is done in the matter of interstate and federal protection and artificial propagation.

The Nebraska Game, Forestation and Parks Commission is now sponsoring a law to prohibit marketing of black bass to conform with federal regulations and the laws of other states, and the time seems near when no black bass will be marketed within the Union. In so far as Nebraska and that group of prairie states within the Missouri River watershed is concerned, the channel catfish, from any angle, deserves like protection and consideration.

Some years ago a lack of knowledge

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4 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA

Sh-h! Here Comes the Game Warden!

By KENNETH FULLER LEE

(Editor's Note: This article is reprinted from "Outdoors". It is hoped every reader of "Outdoor Nebraska" will read it.)

One of the most incomprehensible things imaginable is the attitude of distrust and in some cases actual hostility frequently displayed by men who term themselves "sportsmen" toward the game warden.

Your game warden has a hard enough time of it. If he is efficient, he makes plenty of enemies. If inefficient, he is damned for being lazy! He is beset on all sides. If he happens to arrest the wrong man he stands an excellent chance of losing his job through unfair political influence.

And he is the sportsman's best friend! Jackers who slay deer at night after dazzling them with powerful lights, dynamiters who ruin our fishing, poisoners who clean out the fur ahead of the legitimate trapper, seiners who clean out our lakes . . . these classes would quickly put an end to all sport were it not for the game wardens and their efforts.

They protect the interests of the rank and file of real sportsmen everywhere, and do they receive any thanks for it? In the great majority of cases the answer is an emphatic "No!"

Poachers and their friends are leagued together against the forces of the law to such an extent that the warden always labors under a severe handicap. He cannot follow the regular trails and roads, for the telephone notifies everyone of his coming long in advance of his actual arrival.

In many cases, after days of work on a case, the warden presents his hard won evidence, only to have it thrown out of court on some minor technicality by a judge who is not interested in Conservation, and who may perhaps be a friend of the man who was apprehended.

From the warden's point of view, his task is a thankless one, and he is daily faced with obstacles and discouragements placed there by the very men he is doing his utmost to aid.

In many localities it is considered "A good joke on the warden" to bring out one bag limit in plain sight, where it can be checked, and another one well hidden somewhere in the car or canoe.

I remember one incident which occurred at a hunting camp where I happened to be staying. The local warden had dropped in for a friendly chat that night, and was talking with a group of hunters, when one of the guides came in.

This guide probably had a dozen deer hanging up in the woods, killed before Opening Day and awaiting the bids of some of the hunters present. Selling deer to unlucky hunters is a regular practice in many camps.

So I did not laugh when the guide said "Good evening, gentlemen . . . and game wardens!" Nearly everyone else present did, however! The warden's face turned red, yet he kept his temper, and later on he got even for that remark, to my great satisfaction.

If the rank and file of the sportsmen do not recognize the warden as a friend and benefactor . . . the game does. You will rarely find a warden's camp in the wilderness which does not serve as a haven of refuge for the game of the area. Deer feed about his door and eat from his hand, the grouse and rabbits are equally quick to feel the safety of this sanctuary from human enemies.

As our game continues to diminish, due in part to better roads and improved means of transportation, the work of the wardens becomes more and more difficult.

Deer jacking is perhaps the hardest of all illegal acts to prevent, for the jackers drive in their cars to open fields in the woods, throw their lights on the game and pour a load of buckshot into it . . . fling the body into the car and speed away.

Dozens of other cars are using the same road, and it is obviously not possible for the warden to stop every car that comes along. The jackers, too, are notoriously careless about shooting at anything that moves . . . wardens make many of their arrests at considerable personal risk.

A few years ago the Maine legislature passed a law which has done much to discourage poaching in the Pine Tree state. This statute makes it possible for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Game to seize any and all implements used in poaching, and all boats, canoes, cars and other vehicles in which contraband game is found.

Most men will think twice before storing dead game illegally killed in a car or boat which is then automatically subject to seizure and sale by the state.

Outside of the purely legal angle, killing game in closed season is a thoroughly despicable act. If you shoot a deer during the summer, it will not keep long enough to be eaten up; most of it will be wasted anyway. Spring shooting deprives the young of their parents at the time when they are most needed, and one mother grouse, duck or woodcock killed at this time generally means that a dozen or more game birds have been sacrificed needlessly.

As a purely economic proposition, poaching by an individual amounts to sheer, witless stealing from the rest of the great sporting fraternity, stealing which profits no one, and injures everyone, including the poacher himself.

I am speaking, naturally, of intentional poaching, deliberate beating of the laws of the land for personal pleasure or gain or excitement. There is such a thing as justifiable poaching, poaching from necessity.

Men far back in wilderness country who find themselves without food are frequently forced to kill game to preserve life. Game wardens recognize this, and in the majority of cases they either overlook such an infringement altogether, or neglect to even attempt prosecution.

Most wardens are inclined to be very fair, given just half a chance. In the past twenty years I have known dozens of such men, and they were real men, capable of doing efficient work under the most trying circumstances.

Among them were "Big Swede" Jorgensen, known to have done sixty miles in a day on skiis . . . "Dave" Brown, who arrested hundreds of poachers and was finally drowned under mysterious circumstances in the wilderness north of Moosehead Lake . . . Henry Taylor, one of the finest canoemen on the Allegash . . . Baptiste Gilbert, drowned in the whitewater of the Big Black . . . Roland Conners, woodsman and pistol shot extraordinary . . . Levi Dow of Eagle Lake . . . Federal Warden "Bert" Smith, swarthy and athletic, a terror to wrongdoers . . . "Davey" Jackson, in charge of one of Maine's largest game sanctuaries . . . "Bert" Dutil, oldest warden in the Allegash region and a mighty man in the wilderness country.

The list could be lengthened indefinitely, and I count those men as among the finest of my acquaintance. There is absolutely nothing they will not do for you, so long as you play fair with them.

Why not give the wardens a break! By this I do not mean that you should run to them, "tattle-tale style," with every minor infringement that comes to your attention. They will not respect you for it, and they have plenty of duty to attend to without such assistance.

In the interest of fair play, however, do not interfere with any warden in his I attempts to perform his duty. And if

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OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 5

International Program Launched to Save Ducks

DRY-ROT threatens destruction of the continent's greatest wild duck factory, but American sportsmen and Canadian authorities may save its most productive remnants if the first international conservation movement of its kind succeeds.

And upon the success of that movement may well depend the future of duck hunting throughout the United States, according to the More Game Birds Foundation.

The bulk of America's web-footed wildfowl have nested since time immemorial in the great prairie region extending northward from Nebraska to Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Today agriculture, drainage and drought have desiccated most of the water areas in the entire southern two-thirds of the duck factory.

President Roosevelt, in a campaign speech on conservation achievements, reported expenditure of $20,700,000 on federal water and waterfowl restoration projects, mostly in the drought-stricken north-central states. In addition, over a million dollars in "duck stamp" fees have been contributed by the country's wildfowlers for waterfowl refuge establishments.

"Extension of the federal refuge program will help the conservation of wild ducks, but even maximum production on all the breeding grounds in the United States cannot result in a marked increase in the total continental duck crop," the Foundation ascertained in a field survey.

"Only 5 per cent of the prairie-breeding ducks now nest in the United States, it is estimated. Thirteen per cent nest in the southern half of the three Canadian provinces. Eighty-two per cent, however, have been driven still further northward to the last unspoiled limits of the duck factory.

"Geological barriers—the Rockies on the west and the Canadian Shield on the east—come together near the northern border of Alberta. Here the ducks are literally being 'driven to the wall' by the advance of civilization.

"What happens in the Canadian portion of the great duck producing area in the next few years obviously will determine the future of duck hunting throughout the United States," the Foundation declares in announcing a "Ducks Unlimited" movement.

That unique title is the name of a national organization of American duck hunters just incorporated in the District of Columbia as a non-profit foundation. The objective of "Ducks Unlimited" is the preservation and restoration of Canadian duck-breeding grounds.

Cooperation of Premiers William Aberhart of Alberta; W. J. Patterson of Saskatchewan; John Bracken of Manitoba, and other Canadian officials and conservation organizations has been offered in the program. It is proposed to set aside and place under supervision possibly a million acres of Canadian refuges during the next five years.

In the northern part of the duck factory the most important nesting areas are located on public lands. With provincial cooperation, supervision of refuges established there to maintain production can be accomplished at slight cost, according to a plan already developed.

In southern sections of the provinces, the "Ducks Unlimited" program proposes rehabilitation of the best former breeding areas. Simple waterworks would be installed to reflood parched marshes, nesting birds would be protected and other management practices carried out.

"The program calls for the raising of several hundred thousand dollars annually during the next five years," the More Game Birds Foundation estimates. "All of the new capital to repair the duck factory is to be raised among duck hunters of the United States.

"Voluntary 'finance committees' of representative sportsmen already are organizing throughout the country. A few dollars invested now can mean big dividends in the future supply of wild ducks.

"As a matter of fact, unless recapitalization of the duck factory is achieved, most of the $100,000,000 invested in duck hunting properties in the United States soon may be 'Gone With the Wind'," the Foundation predicts.

Nebraskans to Help

Arthur C. Storz of Omaha is state chairman of a committee of Nebraska wildfowlers who have volunteered to carry on the program of Ducks Unlimited in the Cornhusker State.

"Nebraska," according to an announcement today from More Game Birds Foundation, "is more widely organized, perhaps, than any of the other states."

The committee which is serving with Mr. Storz to advance the important international restoration program of Ducks Unlimited includes:

H. H. Wheeler of Lincoln and Ernest Bihler of Omaha, vice-chairmen; and Linn P. Campbell, M. I. Dolphin, I. J. Dunn, E. A. Dygert, Daniel J. Cross, Joy M. Hackler, Charles W. Keller, Guy R. Spencer, Dr. W. L. Sucha, J. A. Swanson, Harry A. Tukey and Howard B. Wolff, of Omaha, and Frank B. O'Connell, Charles Stuart and George J. Woods of Lincoln.

The program of Ducks Unlimited, which was recently incorporated, in both the District of Columbia and Ottawa, is a non-profit, membership corporation, which has voluntarily assumed the duty of restoring wild ducks by the preservation and improvement of their most important remaining breeding grounds in Canada's prairie provinces.

Committees of leading wildfowlers already have been organized in 27 states, including California, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Vermont, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Georgia, New York, Maryland and Florida. When the national organization campaign is completed, four outstanding American wildfowlers will be selected to serve with as many Canadian business executives and sportsmen on a non-salaried board of directors which is to administer the program of Ducks Unlimited.

Ducks Unlimited has a dual-purpose program. First, it proposes to raise several hundred thousands of dollars annually for five years. Secondly, it proposes to spend these funds in the establishment of waterfowl refuges in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba—the continental "duck factory". Under agreements already made the provincial governments will lend substantial support to the movement.

DUCKS GO EAST

One of the curious migration movements of ducks takes place when the Red-Heads go directly eastward to the Atlantic coast. Most ducks move toward the southeast or south, but these birds leave Utah and work their way eastward and then turn south.

OVERHEAD CAST

Hold the rod in the right hand with the reel under the grip or handle of the rod, the thumb extended along the upper surface of the grip, and not clasped around it. This position gives better control, and assists the wrist action in getting a greater accuracy and delicacy.

EDITORIAL

Have you purchased your fishing permit? Now is the time to do so as the money is needed to secure the fish and game for your coming year's sport.

Pheasants Come Through

In spite of the lack of food and cover in many counties throughout Nebraska, a survey recently completed by the Game Commission indicates that these hardy birds came through in good shape. However, there are several counties in northeastern Nebraska where there was little food and some loss.

In normal years it is not necessary to feed pheasants —in fact, some state authorities consider it harmful, because it lures birds to highways and barnyards and encourages them to depend too much on man instead of rustling for themselves. During drought years, however, some help must be given them.

Analysis of the food eaten by pheasants during the winter was furnished the Commission by the Nebraska Agricultural College. A number of specimens were sent in from drought areas. The seed of the Russian thistle was the main item of food found in the tracts.

Plant Trees

The Nebraska American Legion is to be commended for its statewide campaign for the planting of more trees.

During the past five years our trees have suffered greatly from two causes: First was the economic depression, which made it necessary to cut thousands of trees for fuel. Secondly was the drought and the subsequent damage by insect life which always thrives during dry years.

It takes many years to mature a tree, and for that reason the work cannot be begun too soon. In fact, we should plant many trees each year so that there will always be groves of different ages and a continual increase. In that way we can build up a reserve so that in times of adversity we will not exhaust our entire supply.

Nebraska is the "Tree Planter's" state and should Lead the prairie states in planting. If each of us who own property will do his share and plant even a few trees each year we can so wipe out those desolate and cruel marks of the depression and drought years.

Ducks - Unlimited

The More Game Birds in America, Inc., a national organization of sportsmen, has set out to purchase large areas of migratory waterfowl nesting grounds in Canada, and to keep them inviolate for such purpose. The movement is called "Ducks Unlimited".

The program laid out is most worthy, though albeit a difficult one. Owing to diplomatic complications that would inevitably result, neither the United States government nor the several states can enter into the plan. In the first place, one government could not very well make purchases of property in another country, and in the second place our government could not very well expend the American taxpayer's money in Canada.

So the success of the plan rests with the individual duck hunters who want to perpetuate the sport. A small contribution made each year for a period of five years is asked, and if even one-tenth of those who hunt ducks will do their share, a great deal can be done. For, after all, he who saves the nest and the young is going a long way to perpetuate the species.

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 7

ARREST RECORD

The following arrests for violation of Nebraska game laws have been made from January 1, 1937, to April 1, 1937:

NAME and ADDRESS REASON FINE COSTS Fred Dunker, North Bend........-.....1 pheasant in possession-----------.....-----------------------------------------------------$25.00 $5.03 Harvey Langan, Platte Center____......Killing 1 pheasant--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25.00 4.00 Ted Borchers, Platte Center___......-----Hunting without a permit------------------............---------------------------------- 5.00 4.00 Jerry Mullins, Humboldt..............__Trapping without a permit--------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.00 3.50 W. E. Fenton, Long Pine________________Trapping muskrats during closed season------------------------------------------------- 25.00 5.00 Arnold Upton, Adams.........__________Hunting without a permit------------------------------------------------------------------__ 1.00 5.00 Art Dolsky, Table Rock________________Hunting without a permit---------------------------------------......______________ 1.00 3.50 Glen Shew, Tecumseh__________________Hunting without a permit--------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.00 4.10 Vollie Lunstion, Waco_____________.....Hunting without a permit---------------------------------------------------------------------- 10.00 5.60 Chas. Christian, Waco____......________Killing 1 pheasant--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25.00 5.60 George Schrader, Marsland_____________Hunting and taking 1 antelope--------------------------------------------------------------100.00 3.59 Ted Hammond, Marsland_______________Hunting and taking 1 antelope--------------------------------------------------------------100.00 3.50 Charles Rubek, 5405 So. 50th, Omaha___Shooting squirrels without a permit------------------------------------------------------- 25.00 6.35 Huston Pepish, 3361 V St., Omaha______No permit and having squirrels in possession___________________________ 25.00 635 Joe Cuba, Columbus............-------------Hunting without a permit---------------------------------------------------------------------(10 days in jail) Walter Cuba, Genoa_________.......-----Hunting without a permit---------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.00 4.00 Kermit Nelsen, Chester_________________Hunting without a permit---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.00 450 Vernon Zager, Falls City__________.....Hunting without a permit--------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.00 6.80 Frank T. Kerns, Milford________________Spearing fish in closed season___________________________________________ 10.00 7.05 H. Milo Cameron, Big Springs-----------------Hunting pheasants in closed season; hunting without permit; hunting game birds with rifle________________________________________________ 25.00 4.75 Joseph Chloupeg, Big Springs. _........-Hunting pheasants in closed season; hunting without a permit; shooting game birds with a rifle______________________________________________ 25.00 4.75 Robt. Cash, Niobrara___________________Possession of 1 pheasant in closed season_______________________________ 25.00 5.65 Jim Pace, Seneca______________________Buying fur without a permit------------------------------------------------------------------ 20.00 4.70 Fred Bozard, Falls City________________Hunting without a permit---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.00 6.83 Archie Cassell, Scottsbluff_______________Shooting 2 ducks and 4 pheasants______________________________________ 25.00 7.00 Clarence C. Klaxberger, Gothenburg-----Shooting at pheasant; hunting without a permit_________________________ 1.00 5.55 Mrs. Victor Morisch, Ogallala___________Killing 1 duck_______________________......____________________________ 25.00 4.00 Wayne Willey, Lemoyne________________Shooting ducks ________________________________________________________ 25.00 4.00 Sammual Rockwell, Scottsbluff_________Having 1 beaver and 1 duck in possession-------------........_______________ 50.00 7.00 Jay Hartshorn, Valentine_______________Hunting without permit___________......______________________________ 1.00 5.00 Jess Hartshorn, Valentine......-------------Hunting without permit.......-------------------------------------------------------------- 1.00 5.00 Lee Potter, Valentine___________________Possession of illegal beaver hides_______________......._________________100.00 8.00 Loron Clark, Broadwater____....._____Illegal possession of 1 beaver___________________________________________ 25.00 2.46 Wm. A. Stewart, Broadwater____________Illegal possession of 1 beaver_________________.....____________________ 25.00 2.46 Clyde Meglemre, Bridgeport-------------------Illegal possession of 1 beaver___________________________________________ 25.00 3.23 Bill Duling, Bridgeport_________________Illegal possession of 1 beaver_____________________......._______________ 25.00 3.23 Clarence Allison, Northport--------------------Illegal possession of 1 beaver___________________________________________ 25.00 2.47 Art Parkening, Yutan___________________Hunting without a permit______________________________________________ 5.00 4.55 John Armkencht, Tecumseh------------------Shooting 1 wild blue goose_____________________________________________ 50.00 7.70 Eugene Ellsworth, Auburn_____________Killing 1 wild blue goose_______________________________________________ 50.00 4.80 Jobb Haithe, Auburn___________________Killing and having in possession 5 wild geese___________________________250.00 4.70 Harvey Jagger, Gothenburg--------------------Shooting a goose----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25.00 6.60 George Miller, Nebraska City___________Killing 1 duck__________________________•_______________________________ 25.00 7.30 Leo Roddy, Union______________________Hunting ducks over decoys; no permit____ ____________________________ 1.00 4.45 Clifford Eaton, Union___________________Hunting ducks over decoys; no permit____.........____________________ 1.00 3.45 Ernest Harding, Union--------------------------Hunting ducks over decoys; no permit_________________________________ 1.00 4.45 Marion F. Shaw, Oshkosh-----------------------Illegal possession of 1 duck__________......____________________________ 25.00 5.50 William Geiselmann, Fremont----------------2 muskrats in possession; trapping on state recreation grounds; trapping without permit _____________________________________________________ 25.00 5.00 Fred E. Wood, Thedford__________......Illegally taking and possessing 1 beaver_________________________________ 25.00 3.70 Clarence Seeley, North Platte.._.........Killing 2 Pintail ducks__________________________________________________ 25.00 5.80 Harly Bean, Sioux Falls, S. D__________Buying fur without a permit------------------------------------------------------------------- 10.00 4.70 Tennyson E. Kelsey, Salem_____________Hunting without a permit---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.00 2.10 Louis Prue, Nebraska City_____________Fishing with Trammel net---------------------------------------------------------------------- 10.00 4.15 Edwin Childers, Nebraska City_________Taking 12 catfish with Trammel net________......______________________ 10.00 4.15 E. C. Groce, Seneca___.....____________Buying 4 beaver hides without stamps; illegal possession 4 unstamped hides 100.00 4.70 Amos C. Cox, Bridgeport_______________Spearing fish without a permit-------------------------------------------------------------- 1.00 5.45 Garold Jewel, Concord_________________Trapping rats in closed season__________________________________________ 2.00 5.25 Robert Shultz, Arnold___________________Hunting geese without a permit-------------------------------------------------------------- 1.00 Winston Churchill, Palisade________.....Shooting ducks ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25.00 4.85 Charlie Enders, Palisade________________Shooting ducks -----------------------------------------....._.....__________________ 25.00 4.85 Walter Enders, Palisade__________.......Accessories -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25.00 4.85 S. C. Callahan, Mariaville______________Illegal possession of 7 b~wer hides_____________________________________175.00 8.50 William Wagman, Blair________.........Possession of 1 cock pheasant_____________......________________________ 25.00 5.00 Dallas Hunt, Route 2, Ashland_________Possession of 2 blue geese_______________________________________________ 25.00 455 Harold L. Wells, Route 2, Ashland_____Shooting 2 blue geese___________________......__________________________ 50.00 4.55 Dick Cain, LaPlatte____________________Hunting ducks without permit______________________....._______________ 1.00 6.60 Lloyd McCarter, Lexington.....________Fishing without permit_________________________.....___________________ 1.00 3.85 Don Madsen, Kearney___________......-Shooting a duck and 1 pheasant_____________.....______________________Gun confiscated Reno Bamford, Kearney.....--------.......Shooting a duck and 1 pheasant________________________________________Gun confiscated Chas. Wood, Kearney___________________Shooting a duck and 1 pheasant____________....._______________________Gun confiscated W. B. Roberts, Lexington...........____Fishing without permit_____......______________.....__________________ 1.00 3J5 Hans Anderson, North Bend--------....... Shooting game birds from public highway; shooting pheasant with rifle; hunting without permit________________________________....._____...- 20.00 5-00 Wm. E. Roesing, 1458 Pinkney, Omaha.. .Hunting ducks and geese out of season; having 21 ducks, 9 geese in possession 250.00 850 Ralph Kohler, Tekamah.....-----.,........Possession of 21 ducks, 9 geese in company with Bill Roesing____........125.00 €J50

8 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA

COMMISSION FIELD ACTIVITIES

NEW LAKE

The Nebraska Game Commission is adding another unit to the statewide system of lakes and recreation grounds.

The new lake is known as "Crystal Lake", and is located near Ayr, in southern Adams County. The lake, when filled, will be about thirty acres in size and the grounds will cover about fifty acres.

The site was formerly used for the harvesting of ice, and a goodly water supply is available from a dam in the Little Blue River.

The American Legion Post of Hastings is selling permits to persons who never purchased before in order to help buy and develop the tract. Efforts are also being made to secure federal aid through the WPA. If such aid is given it should be possible to open this lake to limited fishing by July 1st.

CHUKAR PARTRIDGES

Efforts will probably be made during the coming year to stock Chukar partridges in Nebraska. Owing to the price, only a few can be secured, and thess will be placed only on favorable game sanctuaries. Efforts will also be made to raise some.

This bird comes from Asia, and importations made during the past three or four years have been highly successful. The state of California, in particular, has had good luck with them.

In general appearance the Chukar resembles the Hungarian partridge. It is gray in color, but has vertical bars along the sides, and the black band on each side of the head, much like the markings of the killdeer, readily distinguish this bird. It weighs from 22 ounces as egainst 15 ounces for the "Hun".

The Hungarian partridge has not succeeded in Nebraska nearly as well as the Commission had hoped. It is believed the Chukar should do better because of greater adaptability and hardiness.

RECREATION GROUND IMPROVEMENT

Improvement work has already started on a number of Nebraska Recreation grounds. WPA projects are in progress at several.

The sandpit lakes at Fremont, damaged a year ago by an ice gorge in the Platte River, are being repaired and more facilities for picnicking and camping provided.

The old CCC buildings at Camp Duke Alexis (Hayes County) are being worked over, part of them wrecked, and the remaining ones remodeled for use in camping, picnicking and community use.

The Wild Cat Hills Big Game Refuge and Recreation Grounds (Scotts Bluff County) will be opened to the public this spring. These grounds have been under development by a CCC camp during the past year. These grounds overlook the pastures where the big game is seen and is very scenic. It is believed that these grounds will become very popular with Nebraska tourists.

Arbor Lodge State Park is also undergoing some improvements. The mansion is being repainted, and a large number of trees planted to replace those killed by the drought.

Trees are also being planted this spring at Fort Kearney State Park (Kearney County) and other minor improvements made.

Loup City Lake (Sherman County) is scheduled for a WPA project. It is expected to build a headgate where the water is taken from the Loup River, deepen the canal and raise and improve the road through the grounds.

GAME FARM NOTES The Nebraska Game Commission hopes to be able to start a game farm this spring -providing the funds for the same are forthcoming. During the past five or six years 10 per cent of the game funds have been used for maintenance of the parks. Many sportsmen felt this was unjust and appealed to Governor Cochran. The governor believed their complaint was well founded, and in his message and appropriation bill to the legislature, urged that the state parks be taken care of from the general tax fund rather than from the game fund, and that the 10 per cent be used for the propagation of more game birds. At this writing, the legislators have not acted, though it is expected the matter would come before them late in April. Preliminary plans and surveys have already been made, and if the $18,000.00 a year can be used for propagation, the Commission will be able to get into limited game-bird production this summer WE APOLOGIZE

In the Winter Number of Outdoor Nebraska, through error, we stated that Mr. E. E. Augustine of Grand Island had given Stolley State Park a deer and that the fence was furnished by the Superintendent, Mr. Blaise.

Just to keep the records straight, and to give the donor proper credit, we desire to state that Mr. Augustine gave the park two deer and also furnished the fence for an enclosure.

These animals attract considerable attention from visitors and are a splendid contribution. We apologize for our failure to keep the records straight.

ANGLERS SPEND MILLIONS

According to Frank T. Bell, Commissioner of Fisheries, Department of Commerce, the anglers in the United States put into circulation during the past year an estimated total of approximately $500,000,000.

The angler is traveling more and spending more than in 1933 when it was estimated they spent approximately $115, 295,370. He is buying more and better equipment than he did then. The sea craft of the angler, among other things, has improved and there has been a greater interest in salt water and deep sea fish ing, Mr. Bell stated.

The licensed angler in the United States in 1932-33 paid an average of $1.39 for fishing licenses, and in 1934-35, $1.36, according to Commissioner Bell. An average of less than 3 per cent of his total expenditures went for fishing licenses, and 97 per cent plus was shared by the out-door fitters, the transportation companies (rail, air and water), the distributors of gasoline, oil and motor supplies, guides, boat captains, fishing tackle dealers, hotels and innkeepers.

The sportsmen of California spent $63,000,000 in that state in 1936, or an average expenditure of $116.80 by each angler. In Utah the anglers spent $3,000,000 whipping mountain streams of that state. Visiting fishermen and hunters bring into the state of New Hampshire an annual income of approximately $6,000,000, while New York enthusiasts of field and stream spend $47,000,000 annually, and about $2,000,000 is spent annually in that state on fishing tackle alone. Michigan accepts recreation as its third largest industry.

  OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 9 NEW RESEARCH PROJECT INITIATED

The first cooperative research project in the management of fish in the United States has recently been initiated at the University of Michigan by the American Wildlife Institute of Washington, D. C, according to a recent communication from this Institute. This project is under the supervision of Dr. Carl L. Hubbs, curator of Fishes of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, and a member of the Technical committee of the American Wildlife Institute.

Karl F. Lagler, graduate of the University of Rochester, is in charge of the work which will undertake a study of the enemies of fish and their control to permit a greater production of game fish for anglers. This study will devote most of its time to the enemies of trout.

Predation of one wild species on another is a subject of great controversy. The present project is designed to find out positively, in a thoroughly scientific manner, unbiased by prejudice or predilection, just what enemies are serious factors in the lives of trout and what is their effect, for good or bad. Further, where the influence of certain trout enemies is found to be bad, it will attempt to ascertain deterrent measures without resorting to killing.

The funds which enable this study to be undertaken were a donation to the research program of the American Wildlife Institute by the Associated Fishing Tackle Manufacturers. The funds of the Institute will be matched by those of the Michigan Department of Conservation and the University of Michigan. The University will provide supervision, laboratory, and necessary equipment.

This project enlarges and expands the wildlife research program of the American Wildlife Institute which includes a series of projects in land grant colleges in Maine, Connecticut, Virginia, Alabama, Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Utah and Oregon. These projects are cooperatively financed by the Institute and the United States Bureau of Biological Survey, the State Game Commissions of the various states and the land grant colleges.

The striped bass is the subject of another study being undertaken under the American Wildlife Institute's program at Yale University, under the direction of Daniel Merriman. This bass is of great importance as both a commercial and a game fish on the Atlantic coast and on the Pacific where it was introduced from the eastern seaboard many years ago. Uncontrolled take has reduced this fish alarmingly and the present study is being undertaken to determine means of restoring and maintaining this valuable species, in more nearly adequate numbers.

THE PARADISE OF TREES

It is significant that the trees in the Garden of Eden were the arbiters of human fate, as was their fruit in Greek history, and that the tree was chosen in Hebrew imagery and psalmody as the smybol of the righteous man. It is significant, too, that even when the place of ultimate happiness is pictured as a city, in the midst of it there is a tree whose leaves are for the healing of the nations.

At the dawn of history began the adoration of the trees, and the forest still reaches out to draw back to its solitudes and mysteries the creature man whom it helped to fashion and he in turn, with the longing for the forest still in his being, even when obliged to live in the petrified city, keeps the semblance of leaf and tendril in ornament and builds his cathedrals in forest shapes.

In the city I have often found myself half closing my eyes that I might see men as trees walking, as did the blind man at Bethsaida when his eyes were first touched by the Master.

When the English poet longed for a "contiguity of shade", where rumor of oppression and deceit might never reach him more, where he might be free to report of wrong and outrage, the very props and pillars of our planet seemed, he said, to fail. But it is not as places of escape from social evils or physical disasters that one urges such solitudes as our National Forests. It is that they may be kept open for the refreshment of the spirit.

James Lane Allen, in his exquisite story of the Last Christmas Tree, pictured the gradual "snowing under" of the whole earth till nothing was left but a lone fir tree, the emblem of immortality, in whose evergreen top men had set their star of hope and from whose evergreen branches children plucked their gifts. It is one of the saddest of stories, since even this tree followed all living things into their white sleep. But the really hopeful and happy moral is that the last thing to perish on the earth is that for which the tree stands throughout Christendom— the belief in a beneficent purpose and immortal destiny.

A descendant of Huxley, speaking of the prolongation of human life, turned to the tree, as did the Psalmist, for the illustration of his hope. He said that a tree, if sheltered from storms, protected from its natural enemies and reasonably nourished, must be supposed to go on living forever. That is the symbolism of the tree,—the rebirth, the renewal of the spirit in which we have hope of immortality and without which there could be little or no mortal desire for immortality.—Dr. John Finley.

BIG GAME IN NATIONAL FORESTS INCREASED

The big game in the National forests— bear, deer, elk, moose, mountain sheep and goats—are more than holding their own.

"Census" estimates on big game animals released by the Forest Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, show an increase of some 250,000 in population at the start of 1936—a clear gain of 10 per cent over the number recorded January 1, 1935. They number, altogether, 1,523,000.

Antelopes, grizzly bears, deer and mountain goats added appreciably to their numbers this year; elk, moose and mountain sheep dropped off slightly, although of the latter there are some 6 per cent more than in 1933. Despite the rigorous conditions under which they live, and the toll taken upon them annually by predatory animals, mountain goats made a nice comeback from their heavy drop in 1933-34.

Black and brown bears dropped about 1% per cent. These animals are present in the National forests of twenty-five states, although the California National forests are home to more than a fifth of all the black and brown bears. Alaska National forests report some 4,500 of the big Alaska brown bear. The largest number of grizzlies are in Montana and Wyoming forests.

Next to deer, elk are the most widespread big game animals in the National forests. In some cases airplane counts have been used in estimating the numbers present. A flight over the Cache National Forest, in Utah, last year permitted a count of 674 of the animals against the snow-covered backgrounds.

Poachers in Minnesota, and a woodtick disease, are believed to be mainly responsible for the decrease in moose.

Largest counts of each species include Wyoming's 2,200 moose, 3,800 mountain sheep, and 34,500 elk; Alaska's 5,900 mountain goats and 4,500 grizzly bears; California's 271,000 deer and 12,000 brown and black bears; and Arizona's 5,400 antelope.

Estimated big game population of the National forests, by species, as of January 1, 1936, is as follows:

Antelope _______________________ 16,500

Black or brown bear........----- 55,000

Grizzly (including Alaska brown bear) _________________ 5,270

Deer _______......-.............1,291,300

Elk ____________________________ 117,900

Moose __________________________ 6,180

Mountain goats___________.....- 18,500

Mountain sheep................. 12,900

AMERICAN LEGION TO SPONSOR ARBOR DAY

(Continued from page 2)

Why he should have left Detroit, where he was gaining prominence as a journalist, to cast his lot in the new West is not altogether clear. His forebears had been editors, merchants and bankers. He had the advantages of higher education, having received degrees from both the University of Michigan and Union College, Schenectady, New York. His wife had been schooled in music and the arts at one of the leading finishing schools of the East. Apparently there would have been ample opportunities in Michigan, but if the hard life of the prairies ever daunted them, it is not reflected in their lives of usefulness to Nebraska and its people.

They settled on a quarter section of land adjoining Nebraska City. A home was built, and around it they planted as seedlings the gorgeous trees that now grace the beautiful state park known as Arbor Lodge. In the course of time, the first home gave way to a more pretentious one, and later Morton's sons expanded it into the stately mansion now viewed with such interest by thousands of visitors who annually go to Arbor Lodge. After his death both land and home were donated by Morton's heirs to the State of Nebraska and comprise one of the State's most beautiful and historically interesting spots.

He was an ardent member of the State Board of Agriculture, and at its meeting in January of 1872 he introduced a resolution which called for setting apart April 10, 1872, as a day "consecrated for tree planting in the State of Nebraska" to be named "Arbor Day". The resolution called for a $100.00 prize to be awarded to the county agricultural society properly planting the largest number of trees on that day, and for a prize of a "farm library of twenty-five dollars worth of books to that person who, on that day, shall plant properly in Nebraska the greatest number of trees."

The members of the board were in complete accord on everything except the name "Sylvan Day" was proposed as a substitute. Those favoring it said that although "arbor" meant tree to the Romans, to Americans it meant a bower. But Morton contended that "sylvan" applied only to forest trees while the word "arbor" would include trees, hedges and shrubbery. Arbor Day was selected as the name. More than a million trees were planted the first year, and since then many millions have been planted.

Kansas, Tennessee, Minnesota, North Dakota and Ohio soon followed the lead. The celebration in Ohio in 1882 introduced a new note and took a different form. School children participated, and the idea of a school festival combining pleasure, utility and instruction on that day grew rapidly. The National Education Association and the American Forestry Congress endorsed and fostered the Arbor Day movement, and before many years every state in the Union was observing a day for the planting of trees. Some of the countries observing a tree planting day are Great Britain, Canada, Australia, the British West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand, France, Norway, Russia, Japan and China. Nebraska made April 22d, Morton's birthday, a legal holiday in 1885. Due to climatic differences our day cannot be observed as Arbor Day in all the states and nations.

On the beautiful Memorial Monument in Arbor Lodge Park, which was erected by contributions received mostly from those interested in education, and dedicated by former President Grover Cleveland in 1905, there is this inscription from the writings of Morton:

"Other Holidays Repose Upon the Past, Arbor Day Proposes for the Future."

On Arbor Day this year, April 22, 1937, a bust of J. Sterling Morton will be unveiled, dedicated and placed in the Congressional Library, Washington, D. C. The sculptor, Rudolph Evans, was also the sculptor for the Memorial Monument at Arbor Lodge. The ceremonies will be attended by statesmen and prominent citizens from every part of the Nation. It is fitting that the people of Nebraska should enter not only into the spirit of these dedicatorial ceremonies, but that they on this day should pledge their lives to the work of tree planting and conservation which our great citizen and statesman so nobly began. As we place in the Congressional Library this bronze likeness of J. Sterling Morton, let us become the incarnate, living descendants of this great apostle of conservation and thus perpetuate the ideals to which he devoted so full a portion of his life.

LET'S SAVE OUR CHANNEL CATS!

(Continued from page 3)

of practical methods for artificial propagation of channel catfish may have constituted a valid excuse for neglect. It can be an excuse no longer. A few states with meager funds for the purpose have begun this work. The Game, Forestation and Parks Commission of Nebraska has propagated an increasing number for several years. In 1936 more than 300,000 were hatched with comparatively small outlay of funds. The fry are hardy, may be shipped long distances, and will thrive in lakes and ponds where natural propagation is impossible. The I percentage of hatch at the Gretna Station I is 80 to 90 per cent of the eggs incubated. I The fry take food as readily as trout fry and many were grown until October when they were considerably larger than the fingerlings grown under natural conditions in the adjacent Platte River.

Present-day discussions and activities of sportsmen and those interested in the conservation of our natural resources could well be directed to, and find a worthy subject in, the sorry plight of "ictalurus punctatus".

SH-H! HERE COMES THE GAME WARDEN!

(Continued from page 4)

you know where netting, dynamiting or jacking is going on, the warden can be quietly tipped off without your showing in the picture at all.

If our game is to be protected, every true sportsman should assume a part of the responsibility for its protection . . . in his own interests and those of his law-abiding, sport-loving brothers.

Back up your local game warden; he is the barrier against law-breakers, the fence around your private game preserve . . .

Paste this article in one of your scrapbooks and read it once in a while!

WILDLIFE RESEARCH AT NINE COLLEGES

Cooperative wildlife research and management projects—under supervision of the Biological Survey—at land grant colleges in Alabama, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Ohio will be directed by Leo K. Couch, biologist of the survey, the U. S. Department of Agriculture announced recently. He will be an assistant in the Section of Wildlife Surveys of the Bureau's Division of Wildlife Research.

During the past year Mr. Couch assisted in the investigation and inspection of eastern national forests in relation to wildlife, and as a liaison officer between the Biological Survey and the Forest Service he helped develop plans for efficient management of wildlife on federal forest areas now being improved under the Emergency Conservation Work program.

At these nine colleges investigations are under way to learn how to increase, maintain and manage wildlife resources. Demonstration areas also are maintained there to show how facts found in research can be applied in a practical manner, Also in cooperative work with several Forest Service experiment stations, Mr. Couch will direct the Survey's research on the relationships of wildlife to forestry.

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 11

• The Fishes of Nebraska • Conservation Supplement of Outdoor Nebraska

Published by THE NEBRASKA GAME, FORESTATION AND PARKS COMMISSION, LINCOLN, NEB. "Let's go fishing."

Doesn't that have a magic sound to those of you who like the outdoors?

Fishing is great sport for most of us, but it is even more than that. Here is what James Oliver Curwood, the well-known author, says about fishing:

"The world loves the man who loves to fish. You don't find him in jail. You don't find him in the hospital. You don't find him dying young. He is the man who sees God forever in the blue skies, in the forests, in the glimmer of the stars, and the rising of the moon—in everything that is a part of his beloved streams and lakes. Fishing is not only a pastime which man has created for himself. It is the greatest character building activity under the sun for human hearts and souls. It is the man who loves to fish who helps to keep the world at its best, who is the greatest fighter for its beauties, and its ideals, and all because he has come to realize and understand that glorious thrill of that intimate contact with nature which one finds when he has a rod in his hand."

There are a number of ways that fishing can be made more enjoyable and educational. First you should get acquainted with the fish and know something about their habits. Then you should find out the different ways that fish are caught, what kind of bait is best, how to return small fish to the water, how to help conserve part of our supply of fish so that we can have them in the future. While Nebraska is not a state that can boast of large lakes or deep rivers, we can have considerable fishing in our sandhill lakes, sandpits, rivers and ponds if we will take care of them and help our state authorities to keep them stocked and protected. Our game laws provide certain open seasons and certain limits in size of fish taken. This is necessary in order to preserve breeding stock and to stop over-fishing. Conservation of fish and preservation of our lakes and ponds and streams is one of the great problems of today and a matter vital to every boy and girl in Nebraska.

How Fish Are Caught

Our state laws provide that fish (except in the Missouri River) may be taken only with hook and line, or by what is known as "Angling". Where a special permit is secured, certain nets may be used in the Missouri River, but no other place in the state. Angling is done in three ways—and here is where the real fun and thrill comes.

First, there is "bait casting". This requires the use of a good, short rod, reel, long line, and certain artificial bait called "plugs," "spinners," etc. These are merely manufactured bait made to resemble minnows, frogs, mice, etc., which certain fish like to feed upon. Bass, pickerel and pike are the principal fish taken in this manner.

Next comes "fly fishing". This requires a very light-weight rod of some length, reel and line to which is attached small artificial bait made to resemble small flies, insects and larvae upon which certain fish feed. Trout, sunfish, crappies, black bass, rock bass and sometimes perch are caught in this manner.

Last, but by no means least, comes "pole and set-line fishing". Nearly everyone is familiar with this method. It is usually done with a long cane pole and a short line, with a bobber, sinker and hook attached. Set lines are similar but no pole is needed, the line being fastened to the bank and left alone for an hour or two. The bait for such fishing is usually worms, frogs, minnows, grasshoppers and other insects. Perch, crappies, sunfish and bullheads are taken with poles. Catfish, and in some cases pike, are taken with the set lines.

When to Catch Fish

There are certain seasons of the year when fish should not be caught. These are known as "closed seasons". Our laws provide penalties for taking fish during these closed seasons. These closed seasons are necessary to protect fish during their spawning, as well as during such months when they are inactive. Most of the Nebraska fishes are taken during the summer months, though perch can be taken through the ice in the winter. The trout season opens in the spring and continues to fall; the bass season begins late in June and continues until late fall; crappies, sunfish, bullheads, catfish, etc., can be taken most of the summer.

The Nebraska Game, Forestation and Parks Commission published a chart showing just when to take each kind of fish. You can obtain a copy free by writing for same.

Kinds of Nebraska Fishes

In Nebraska we have what are known as "Game Fish," "Coarse Fish" and "Bait Fish."

Game Fishes are those good to eat and, generally speaking, those that afford a gamey fight when caught on a hook. Such fishes found in our state are the trouts, black basses, rock bass, the pikes, sunfish, crappies, perch, bullheads and catfish.

The so-called Coarse Fishes are in general all the larger fishes found in Nebraska not included in the above list of Game Fishes. The more notable of these are carp, buffalo fishes, shad, quillback, gar and suckers. These fishes are boney in structure, and are rather harmful to other good fishes, due to their abundance in some waters and their bad habit of   12 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA feeding on the eggs or little members of the Game Fish family. There is no limit in Nebraska in the number or size of these fish that may be taken. However, all must be caught with a hook and line, or by spear during certain months, except in the Missouri River where they may be taken with nets.

Bait Fishes are the many minnows found in Nebraska which are used for bait. No fishes except certain minnows can be used for this purpose. Many people confuse the baby fish of the larger species and call them minnows. The true minnows never get large. The more important of these are Shiners, Chubs and Darters.

How to Conserve Fish

Unless a fish is a certain length, it has small food value. In fishing you should never waste, but combine the taking of food with pleasure. For that reason small fish must be returned to the waters from where taken. In doing this use great care in handling the fish. Always wet your hands before touching, and remove the hook with as little injury as possible. It is necessary to wet the hands because fish are covered with a slimy substance. Dry hands break or tear this coating, causing skin diseases which to fish are deadly.

Watch out for ponds that are drying up during the hot weather. Report such places to the state game authorities. If a very small place and about dry, remove the fish yourself, placing in the nearest deep water.

Observe all the game laws. These are for your future welfare. Get a copy of the laws from the state authorities.

Get acquainted with the conservation officer who is in your part of the state. He will help you to be a good citizen and get a greater enjoyment out of the outdoors.

The Trouts

1. BROOK TROUT, salvelinus fontinalis. This trout has a number of names, being known as the brook trout, speckled trout, native trout and square - tailed trout. Wherever it is found, it is the favorite of the angler. Our few remaining brooks and small streams which are well shaded, do not flood badly, and are spring-fed, should be reserved for this species alone. Reach an average length of 6 to 12 inches when grown and spawn in the late autumn. Notice the marbled back, the red spots, and the bright-edged fins.

2. RAINBOW TROUT, salmo irideus.There are two families of the rainbow trout, the "Shasta" and the "Steelhead". The true "Steelhead" is abundant in many western streams. Reaches 15 to 20 inches in length; color generally more dull and silvery. The head of this fish is usually shorter and more pointed. In the "Shasta" family, the average length reached is from 10 to 15 inches; colors are brighter and less silvery. This is the fish generally found in Nebraska. It spawns in the late autumn.

3. BROWN TROUT, salmo fario. This fine member of the trout group is another European immigrant which has made good in the United States. It is known as the brown trout, German brown trout and Loch Leven trout. The brown trout grows bigger on less available food than do the other kinds of trout, and will also withstand warmer waters and severe floods much better. The brown trout when put into American waters drive out the brook trout. It reaches a length of about 10 to 14 inches and spawns in the early winter. Notice the larger and less definite black spots of the brown trout and their absence on the tail fin. Also the red spots are stronger colored and eyed with bluish or purple.

The Sunfish

1. BLUEGILL, heleoperca incisor. An excellent fish to eat and to catch either on a pole or in fly fishing. Found in certain of the larger lakes and in sandpits. These fishes tend to remain in schools. They bite readily on various kinds of bait and small artificial flies. They feed on insects, snails and other small creatures having bodies enclosed in shells, Reach 3 to 8 inches and spawn in May, in shallow nests scooped in the bottom. Body is flat on the sides and bulges up sharply. They are readily identified by the flap of the gill cover which is black with no white margin or spots; body greenish above with suggestions of darker vertical bars; reddish yellow below.

2. PUMPKINSEED, enpomotis gibbosm. These are active little fish that snap vigorously at a hook. Found in the smaller streams and shallow lakes. Their food consists of snails, insects and creatures in shells. Reach a size of 4 to 6 inches, and spawn in May and June. Nests are worked out in the mud or sand of the bottom by action of fins. Body is flat on the sides and back and belly is greatly bulged. There is a bright red spot on the flap of the gill cover in the males and a much paler one in the females.

The Black Basses

1. SMALL - MOUTHED BASS, microi terus dolomieti. One of the best American game fish. Distributed from Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River, Ontario, Minnesota, south to the Ozarks, Mississippi and South Carolina, everywhere preferring swift, clear streams with gravel and rock bottoms. Also found in gravelly and sand-bottomed lakes where depth gives coolness to the water. Reaches a weight of 3 pounds in 6 years. Spawns in May and June. Males build nest and guard young as in other sunfishes. A   OUTDOOR NEBRASKA 13 clean, bold feeder upon smaller fish, crawfish, larger insects, etc.

Field marks: mouth moderate, the upper jaw never extending beyond the eye, usually a little short of back of the eye socket; scales on cheek small, in 17 rows; young more or less spotted and barred but never with a black lateral band.

2. LARGE-MOUTHED BLACK BASS, aplites salmodies. Locally called Oswego Bass, green bass, Bayou Bass, Jumper, Welshman, Cow Bass, Green Trout, Mud Bass, Southern Chub, Speckled Hen, Straw Bass, and a host of other names. Always welcomes any sort of bait and especially likes a bass fly. Will live in more sluggish and warmer water than the Small-mouth. The bayous formed by impounding our rivers over the cornbelt make a good home for this species. Male is fond of rush and cattail roots upon which to make its nest. An 8 pound fish is a large one for Nebraska, the average fish in the most waters being 3 pounds. They spawn in May and June. The young bass reach 6 inches during their first summer.

Field marks: mouth very large, upper jaw extending back of eye in adult; scales on cheek in 10 or 11 rows; young with a distinct black lateral band.

The Catfishes

1. BULLHEAD, ameiurus melas. The most important fish in Nebraska, because it is easy to catch, good eating and can live in all parts of the state, under all sorts of conditions. They are found in great abundance in our sandhill lakes, creeks and ponds. They reach a length of from 6 to 12 inches. They feed on worms, insects, snails and other animal matter. They spawn in May and June. These fishes are the best parents of all Nebraska fish, the eggs and little fish being guarded by both the male and female. After the small fish hatch they swim about in compact schools, somewhat resembling a swarm of bees as they move about near the surface. Bullheads belong to the Catfish family and are easily identified because of their whiskers, the brownish or greenish back and sides and the yellowish hue of the belly.

2. BLUE CAT, ictalurus furcatus. Called the Fulton Cat and the Mississippi Catfish. Adult fish are very dark above, being smoke-hued or bluish-black in color, with the belly lighter, at times silvery-white. Prefers fairly clear rivers and larger streams. Found in the main channel of the large rivers and in the deep holes of the smaller. A clean feeder on crawfish and many smaller fishes. Travels into smaller streams to spawn during May and June, where it is often trapped during low water periods. Spawns in deep holes under sunken logs, overhanging ledges, and holes or pockets in the stream bank. Reaches a size of 100 pounds.

3. CHANNEL CATFISH, ictalurus punctatm. Observe the narrow head, deeply forked caudal fin, and the spotted, lustrous sides of this trim, neat-appearing catfish. The eye is high, nearer upper than lower surface of the head. Barbels (whiskers) longer than in bullheads. The best food fish among the catfish tribe. A clean feeder. Rarely gets larger than 5 pounds. Spawns in May. An active fish preferring clear, rapid-flowing water. Takes minnows readily, and at times the artificial fly.

4. YELLOW CAT, pilodicth limosus. Called also Goujon, Morgan Cat, Flathead, Mud Cat, Flat-belly and Niggerbelly. Note its flattened head; strongly projecting lower jaw; fatty fin unusually large. Anal fin with 12 to 15 rays. Reaches 100 pounds in weight. Primarily feeds on fish near bottom. Hickory Shad is a good bait for it. Also crawfish. A good table cat. A strong, vigorous, roving fish but seems to prefer sluggish water, over-flow ponds and bayous. Often found in submerged hollow logs.

The Perches

1. YELLOW PERCH, petca fUvescens. Really a lake fish, but found in clear, pebbly streams and rivers. Reaches a foot in length and a pound in weight. Varies greatly in size, proportion and color in different waters. An active feeder on shrimp, crawfish, other fishes, snails, etc. Somewhat of a spawn eater. Spawns in April and May. Eggs are laid in long, flat ribbons over sticks, logs and water weeds. The flesh is firm and of good flavor.

2. PERCH OR WALL-EYED PIKE, stizostedion vitreum. A member of the true perch family and relative of the yellow perch. A game fish of the highest quality and a table fish to please the most exacting. Is found from the Great Lakes and Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. May reach the weight of 25 pounds. Average is less than 10 pounds. Requires a clean, hard bottom. The pike eat other fish of all species, and responds to the minnow, spoon and baited hook alike.

The Crappies

1. BLACK CRAPPIE OR CALICO BASS, pomoxis sparoides. A handsome, valuable fish to eat and can be caught with a pole and line. Reaches 3 pounds in weight. A hardy fish, endures heat and cold, and foul water. Prefers ponds, bayous, lagoons to the swift currents of the main stream. Good baits are small minnows, grasshoppers and crickets, crawfish, bits of meat, and worms; in clear water flies and spinners. Spawns in June.

To distinguish this fish from the white crappie: Notice its dark mottled pattern over a silver ground color; deep compressed body; big back and rear belly fins about equally mottled; back spines usually seven or eight; snubby-nosed profile; dark back mottlings, not grouped in rings.

The Rock Bass

1. ROCK BASS; RED EYE, ambloplites rupestris. Found from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast. Best recognized by the 6 spines of its rear belly fin. The brassy   OUTDOOR NEBRASKA lustre of its cheeks and the rich amber brown and olive mottlings of its sides makes the rock bass a handsome little fish. Extreme size—a foot and a half. Extreme weight—a pound and a half. Lives in rather cool, clear waters— usually the smaller rivers and medium-sized creeks. Disappointing as a game fish unless fished on fly tackle.

The Pickerel Group

These are slim, cannibal, fast-swimming fish which are hearty feeders and quite gamey. Their flesh is of good flavor. All members of this group spawn in pairs and like overflow areas for egg depositing. They feed more by night than by day. Few smaller fish escape their swift, arrowy rush. The Southern Cornbelt members of this piratical group are the Little Pickerel and the Great Northern Pike or Pickerel.

1. GRASS PIKE OR LITTLE PICKEREL, esox vermiculatus. Length 12 inches at fullest growth. Fins without black spots. Has both cheeks and gill covers entirely scaled. Prefers quiet grassy pools and streams.

2. PICKEREL OR GREAT NORTHERN PIKE, esox lucius. Length 3 feet at greatest growth. Fins spotted with black. All of cheek and only upper half of gill cover scaled.

Ten Things You Can Do to Help in The Conservation Program

1. Learn to know the fish of Nebraska.

2. Study the game laws and learn how big a fish should be to keep, and how many to take.

3. Remember to always wet your hands before touching fish that are too small to keep. Handle them carefully.

4. Lessen erosion and barnyard pollution.

5. Plant more shade on the stream banks.

6. Return all the large rocks and boulders you can find to the stream bed. Place them in fast water.

7. Build up all shallow, food-producing ripples by adding rocks to them. Lay these pavement style, but not in a regular manner, and pound or wedge into the stream bed.

8. Hold shifting sand by staking in brush to make permanent sandbars on the low banked, and shadeless or exposed side of the stream.

9. Throw brush in shallow ends of ponds or sandpits to keep land animals and large fish away and provide a spawning bed and feeding ground for little fish.

10. Always remember to leave breeding stock and to provide food for fish, and to always keep alert while fishing. If you do this much woodland lore will be yours. Perhaps you will get a glimpse of the muskrat or the manshy mink; perhaps you will see the great Blue Heron spear its scaly supper, or the nimble frog fall prey to the quicker water snake; perhaps you can see a brood of wild ducks around the river bend. The warp and woof of the lives of the many denizens of our woods and streams will be yours to touch upon.

REFERENCES

Fishes of Nebraska, George Bennett.

Fishes of South Dakota, Edward P. Churchill and William H. Over.

Furs, Fins and Feathers, Successful Farming Publishing Company.

Game Fish of the Middleiuest, J. Clarks Salyer.

Outdoor Nebraska, Game, Forestation and Parks Commission, Lincoln.

Nebraska Game Laws, Game, Forestation and Parks Commission, Lincoln.

Editor's Note: This paper was prepared by Frank B. O'Connell, secretary of the Nebraska Game, Forestation and Parks Commission.)

FLY FISHING

This scientific method of angling, while found most effective and exhilerating in fishing for the members of the trout and salmon family ever since the days of Izaak Walton, is becoming more and more popular in fishing for other species, such as the black bass, the crappie, bluegill and other sunfishes. In fact, the list of species that can be enticed to strike a combination of hook, feather and tinsel is quite long and daily growing longer.

In fly fishing the rod is longer, lighter and more limber than in bait casting. For trout and bass the popular lengths are from 7V2 to 9% feet, with the shorter rods becoming more and more popular, especially, with the dry fly angler on small streams. The rod for dry fly fishing should be a little stiffer than for wet fly fishing, although the same rod can be used, and is used for both; weight is a matter of preference, and runs from 2 to 7 ounces, generally. A 4-ounce rod makes a good trout rod in a length of about 8V2 feet. A good rod for handling artificial bugs in black bass fishing is 9 or 9x/2 feet, with a weight of 5Vz to 6 ounces.

The reel is of no consequence excepting as a line holder, and is not used to any great extent in hooking or playing or landing the fish.

With the possible exception of the rod, the line is the most important part of the fly fisherman's equipment. Generally the tapered line (the caliber being smaller at the ends than in the middle) is the most popular and, likewise, the most expensive. However, a level enameled line can be obtained at more moderate cost, and will serve the angler well. The line should be of a dark color, such as brown or green, and the size should be in accordance with the weight and size of the rod, since a light rod will not properly handle a heavy line. Leaders are from 6 to 9 feet or more. Your tackle dealer can advise you on all of these matters.

The flies, wet or dry, can be obtained at various prices in about 300 patterns, such as Royal Coachman, Brown and other hackles, Professor, Silver Doctor, Montreal, Parmachenee Bell, Black Gnat, the Duns, White Miller, March Brown, Grizzly King and Cahill, and generally will be found effective in most waters.

Handy Reference of Nebraska Hunting and Fishing Regulations Season 1937

A hunting and fishing permit is required for every person having arrived at his sixteenth birthday. Said permits shall be carried in a button furnished for the permit, said button to be worn in plain sight on breast or hat of holder. The permit, together with the button, shall be on the person of the holder at all times while he is hunting, trapping or fishing, and shall be shown immediately upon demand to any officer or person whose duty it is to enforce the provisions of this act, and any person hunting, fishing or trapping in this state without such permit and button actually on or about his person, as above required, shall be deemed to be without such permit and button.

RESIDENT PERMIT FEE

Hunting and Fishing Permit______________$1.10

Trapping Permit (All persons regardless of age must have a trapping permit)_______$2.10

Unless holding a permit as required, it shall be unlawful for any person to trap or otherwise take any furbearing animals, or for any person sixteen years or older to hunt for, kill, shoot at, pursue, take or possess any kind of game, or take, angle for or attempt to take any kind of fish from the waters of this state or possess same.

It shall also be unlawful for anyone to do or attempt to do any other thing for which a permit is provided, without first obtaining such permit and paying the fee therefor. Any violation of this provision shall constitute a misdemeanor and subject the offender to fine of not to exceed $100.00 except for trapping in violation of this section for which the punishment shall be a fine of from $5.00 to $500.00 or imprisonment not exceeding six months or both fine and imprisonment.

GENERAL REGULATIONS REGARDING GAME BIRDS AND FISH IN NEBRASKA

It is unlawful to buy, sell or barter game birds, animals or fish protected by the game laws of this state: Provided, however, catfish 13 inches in length or over, legally taken from the Missouri River on permit issued by the Game Commission.

All game birds and fish shipped must be tagged in accordance with the law.

It is unlawful to hunt on private lands without permission of owner.

It is unlawful for anyone to trap fur-bearing animals upon land of another without his consent.

It is unlawful to destroy house or den of fur-bearing animals.

It is unlawful to use spear or any like device in hunting or taking fur-bearing animals or use explosives, chemicals or smokers.

It is unlawful to use ferrets.

It is unlawful to run bird dogs or other dogs in fields where game birds are found between the first day of April and the sixteenth day of September.

It is unlawful to run dogs on forest reserves.

It is unlawful to explode dynamite, powder or use poison, lime, etc., in the taking of fish.

It is unlawful to pollute the waters of the state.

It is unlawful to place carcasses in waters of the state.

It is unlawful to disturb private fish ponds or damage private property of another.

It is unlawful to take beaver without a special permit from the Chief Conservation Officer.

It is unlawful to place game and fish in cold storage or ship the same unless same are properly tagged.

It is unlawful to hold fur after the close of the season without special authority from the Game Commission.

IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL:

(a) To shoot from any public highway at any bird or animal protected by this act;

(b) To hunt for any of such birds or animals with a spotlight or other artificial light;

(c) To hunt or kill or attempt to hunt or kill any waterfowl from any boat or water craft propelled by sails or electric, gas or steam power or from an aeroplane or hydroplane;

(d) To use any rifle or swivel-gun or shotgun larger than ten gauge in hunting any game birds, or to trap, snare, net, or attempt to trap, snare or net any game bird or birds;

(e) To take or needlessly destroy the nests or eggs of any game bird or birds;

(f) To hunt or kill or attempt to hunt or kill any game bird or birds earlier than one-half hour before sunrise or later than sunset.

Method of Taking Fish—Snagging Prohibited

It is hereby declared unlawful to take, catch, kill, destroy or attempt to take or catch any game fish by any means other than angling with hook and line. Fishing with a line having more than five hooks thereon, or with artificial bait having thereon more than three triple-gang hooks, or by snagging fish externally with hook and line, is declared unlawful. Provided that, carp, suckers or other non-game fish may be taken by spearing between sunrise and sunset from April 1st to December 1st.

Fishing in Missouri River

Seines, trammel nets and hoop nets, the meshes of which are two inches or larger, may be used in the Missouri River, south and west of the middle of the channel of said river and not less than 300 yards in any direction from the mouth of any stream emptying into said river upon procuring from the Secretary of the Game, Forestation and Parks Commission an annual permit for the use of same. Fees, $5.00 for each 500 lineal feet of seine or fraction thereof; $2.50 for each 500 feet of trammel net or fraction thereof; 50 cents for each hoop net. Each net and seine must have metal ta3 attached thereto having permit number stamped thereon. Cost of tag, 10 cents. Before any such permit is issued to non-residents of the state, bond for $200.00 with two sureties must be furnished.

GAME, FORESTATION & PARKS COMMISSION LINCOLN, NEBRASKA

A Personal Message from the Nebraska Game Commission to All Permit Buyers---

You, as a purchaser of a hunting, fishing or trapping permit, are entitled to know what the Nebraska Game Commission does with the fee you pay. This message will give you some facts about your Commission and its activities. Read it carefully.

The Nebraska Game, Forestation and Parks Commission does not cost the property taxpayers anything at the present time, as all its expenses are met by money collected from the sale of permits to hunt, fish and trap.

Here are some of the things your dollar is used for:

Conservation officers to protect our wildlife.

Fish hatcheries to raise fish to stock our rivers, lakes and ponds.

Game management, sanctuaries and resting grounds for birds.

State recreation grounds for fishing, picnicking and camping.

State parks for picnics and vacations.

Fish reserve work and distribution.

Research—Investigation of diseases, food, cover, etc.

Education—Motion pictures for schools and clubs.

Publications—Game laws, Outdoor Nebraska, maps, etc.

Purchase of permits, badges, supplies, etc., for administration.

Cooperation with Federal authorities in migratory waterfowl management.

Cooperation with 4-H clubs and summer conservation camp.

Exhibits at state fair, county fairs, etc.

Building up and conserving our natural outdoor resources.

More than a half million men, women and children in Nebraska enjoy the privileges of fishing, hunting and camping, and nearly everyone in the state benefits either directly or indirectly as a result of the conservation of our natural resources.

DO YOUR SHARE! Remember that Conservation today means More for tomorrow GAME, FORESTATION & PARKS COMMISSION State of Nebraska LINCOLN