Your State Game, Forestation and Parks Commission is cooperating to the fullest extent in assisting the defense situation in Nebraska. Excess scrap has been delivered to the proper authorities, vehicle mileage has been reduced, and only the most essential operations are being maintained.

The hyper tension of today calls for the most relaxing type of recreation which is, of course, in the form of outdoor sports. Your Game Commission is assisting this program by the stocking of ponds and streams in the immediate vicinity of populated areas as well as the stocking of game birds in such areas in order to facilitate accessibility.

Ours is not only the job of fulfilling the prerequisite for' desirable recreation at present---most important the work of preparing additional facilities which will furnish our boys the utmost in relaxation when the present conflict is over and once again they can seek the peaceful appreciation that we all derive from communion with Mother Nature.

We are working on a complete fish stocking program which will rejuvenate our lakes and streams, and the output of our game farms along with the protected hens this season will assure us of an appropriate seed crop this coming year.

May we assist you in making Nebraska a better place to play for those boys who are now making Nebraska a safe place to live.

Edson Fichter began working for this department October 1, 1942 as project leader of the newly instigated PittmanRobertson project involving the survey of the fur resources of Nebraska. Dr. Fichter is a graduate of the University of Nebraska with his Ph. D. in Zoology. Dr. Fichter is also assistant curator of mammals of the University of Nebraska Museum in Morrill Hall. He has spent many years in the field and has a very thorough knowledge of the fur-bearing mammals of Nebraska. His work will undoubtedly result in a new understanding of the potentialities of bur-bearing animals in Nebraska.

The color cover this month is loaned to us through the courtesy of The National Audubon Society. The male and female mallard reproduction is by Allan Brooks

BE SURE BEFORE YOU SHOOT!!

If the duck hunting season were open in the spring it would not be difficult to know for sure just what bird you are looking at as you sight down the barrel of the old scatter gun. Did you ever knock down a duck and then spend a lot of time wondering what kind of a duck it was? Well, if you did you were not alone. Even professional ornithologists sometimes get into heavy arguments as to the sex and species of ducks in their fall plumage.

In the spring the ducks are decked out in their mating feathers, all the array of color patterns that make them easily identified. But in the fall—Wow! Ducks and drakes alike are clad in drab brown feathers that make them look enough alike to confuse even the expert.

It is not the purpose of this article to tell you how to identify each of the ducks that visit or breed in Nebraska. To do so would require a volume of diagrams, photographs and descriptions. Our purpose here is to at least help you to know how to learn your ducks.

There are two distinct types or kinds of ducks frequenting this state, and to be able to distinguish between the two is to go a long way toward duck identification. The two groups are divided on the basis of differences in habit and in form.

You have noticed that some ducks are partial to shallow water, spending much of their time along the shores of lakes or small ponds, tippling or dunking the fore part of their bodies under water, leaving the hind parts exposed. These are the so-called "Tipplers" or puddle ducks, and include such common species as the mallard, teal, shoveler, gadwall and pintail.

Other ducks habituate deeper water, swimming about on the surface and diving deeply for their food, often remaining under water for unbelievable periods of time. These are commonly called "diving ducks," and include the canvasback, ruddy, redhead, scaup and scoter.

Manner of flight also distinguishes between the two types of ducks. The puddlers rise abruptly from the water at a steep angle, while the divers require a longer run and get up from the water at a low angle.

With birds in hand, one definite physical character serves to separate the puddlers from the divers: Puddle ducks have a small hind toe, with almost no webbing or lobe, while the hind toe of the divers has a large, free hanging web or lobe.

Now, having learned how to decide which group a duck belongs, the matter of naming the bird becomes easier.

The important thing first, last and always in learning your ducks is studyGet a good book on ducks, with color plates if possible, but by all means diagrams and good descriptions. Keep it in your car. When you see a group of birds on the water (out of season, of course—who wants to fool with a book while they're coming into decoy?) stop and look at them. Get their outline and color in mind. Compare them with the illustrations in your handbook.

Watch their behavior. Do they "puddle" along the shallows—dunking their heads and breasts under the water?— Puddlers. Do they dive clear under in deep water, and remain out of sight for what seems minutes?—Divers.

After you return from your hunt with a nice bag of birds, get out your book and study them carefully. Look at the hind toe. It will immediately solve half the problem. Then notice the shape and size of bill, color of eyes, presence or absence of a speculum.

Now, lastly, why is it so important to be sure before you shoot? Federal and state laws impose restrictions on each of the two classes of ducks. The beautiful, rare tree nesting wood duck in the puddler group, and the spectacular redhead and bufflehead of the diver group. The wood duck is easily recognizable by his long, full crest, his brilliant plumage, and the streaked appearance of his head. For the first time in many years hunters in all states are permitted to kill and possess one wood duck.

The redhead is distinguished from the more common canvasback by his rounded profile, with the bill protruding sharply from the curve of the brow. The canvasback's brow slants out toward the tip of the bill in almost a straight line. The bufflehead is a small duck, distinguished by a pronounced white speculum, and loose fluffy feathers on the head. The males have a large triangular white patch from below the eyes to the back of the head.

Let us look at some identifying characters of the other ducks; First, the divers. The Greater Scaup or bluebill may be distinguished by its pure white speculum and an additional white wing stripe when the wing is opened. Males are generally black and white in general color, while the females are brown and white with the face whitish near the bill. The Lesser Scaup or little bluebill greatly resembles its larger cousin except that it has less white on the wings and is a much smaller bird.

The American goldeneye is also a generally black and white bird but is distinguished by a round white spot at the base of the bill (in males) and a bright golden iris. Wing speculum is white in both males and females, but is not accompanied by a white stripe on the wing. The Barrows golden-eye is a larger bird with a crescent shaped white spot at the base of the bill in the males, and the iris golden. The underside of the wings is white. The Barrows's may be distinguished from the American golden eye by its shorter, deeper bill.

The Ruddy is a small diver easily recognized on the water by its sharply upturned tail and its habit of riding low in the water. General color is a rather uniform ruddy-brown and an indistinct dark stripe along a whitish cheek.

The Ring-Necked has a bluish-gray speculum in both the males and females, but the male is identified by a white crescent in front of the wing that is continuous with the white underparts. The females have a white ring around the eye and a white ring back of the black bill tip. Males have a very characteristic brown ring or collar at the base of the neck.

Perhaps the best known of the puddle ducks is the Mallard. The speculum of both the males and females identifies them easily. The purple violet speculum is bordered both front and back with a narrow white strip.

The Black duck is the eastern counterpart of the mallard in size and general color except that the males do not have green heads or the white collar. The speculum, however, is an irridescent green or violet edged with black rather than white as in the case of the mallard.

The Gadwall has a white speculum bordered with black to distinguished it from the other puddlers.

The Bald-pate is often characterized by the white crown on the head, but this does not hold true of both sexes. The best identification mark is the bright green speculum bordered with black.

Similar to the baldplate, the Widgeon has a green wing speculum which is not, however, bordered with black, in the males; the females have a gray speculum.

FARM FUR AND PROFIT

You can see the muskrat dens along the creek that winds through the corner of your farm. The domes of their lodges dot the winter landscape across the marshy flats of your pasture lands. Big gray raccoons have raised a family in the cottonwood that stands below the spring, and on an autumn afternoon you find the tracks of a mink that last night prowled along the winding, muddy creek banks. You have raised a crop of fur on your land—and harvest time is here. But, to paraphrase a wise and ancient adage, if you intend to reap you must be sure to sow. If you are conservation-minded this fall—if you reserve a seed crop, you can raise another, and perhaps bigger take of fur next year. Conservation is crop insurance.

You who practice conservation do not plan to protect and save a natural resource, such as fur, until, through its normal increase it becomes so abundant that it not only goes to waste but actually proves to be detrimental to its own kind and to you. Rather, you plan to control or manage that resource—to USE IT WISELY, so that it may continue to produce for the benefit of yourself and your fellow man. Thus, as in the case of game animals and fish, to conserve fur animals is to CROP fur animals.

Cropping comprises (1) the assurance of seed, (2) preparation of the seed bed, (3) maintenance of the growing product, and (4) the harvest. Just as a farmer must know the procedure necessary to successfully execute each of these phases of producing a maximum crop of wheat or corn on his land, so must the wildlife manager know the technique for accomplishing each phase in order to produce a maximum yield of fur in a given area. Such techniques are developed upon the basis of knowledge of the life histories of the species of animals concerned. Life history studies upon fur animals reveal these essentials, food requirements, shelter requirements, breeding habits, and prime fur periods.

Less is known about the life histories of fur animals and the proper methods of regulating the take than about any other kind of wildlife now considered as economically important. Within recent years, however, more and more attention has been given the administration of this natural resource, but the research needed to establish a basis for the sound management of fur animals is barely begun.

Studies upon the problems of managing fur species in agricultural areas, such as comprises much of the State of Nebraska, must at the outset recognize these two questions: (1) What kinds of mammals furnish the most valuable fur, and (2) will a program of restoration and management of the fur species on a given tract be compatible with other uses of the land?

Of the thirteen species of mammals which may be considered as fur-bearers in Nebraska the muskrat and beaver stand out as the potential top producers. The muskrat, long known to be the leading species in fur producing value, brings the greatest financial return of any single fur-bearer in the United States. The muskrat is prolific, widely distributed, still abundant, and responds quickly to favorable conditions. Management practices can, therefore, produce increased populations in a few years. When handled on the annual crop basis, with careful harvesting at the proper season, a good muskrat marsh can yield a greater net return per acre than nearby farm lands. Since the return from muskrat lies more in the number that can be produced than in

WILDLIFE ON THE FARM PROGRAM

A large percentage of the Nebraska sportsmen are primarily interested in hunting what is commonly known as farm game such as pheasants, rabbits, and squirrels. The relative abundance or scarcity of this game is largely dependent upon the amount and distribution of food and cover within their ranges. Where there is an insufficient supply of food and well-distributed cover, there cannot be much increase in the game population regardless of the amount of time given to other factors such as predator control, law enforcement, etc.

It follows that the farmers have a large amount of control over the abundance of these farm game species by their agricultural practices. In fact, it is really the farmer and not the lawmaker who determines whether or not game may be taken. If the environment, and with it the game, is destroyed no one can take game regardless of the privileges provided by law. If the game is present, the farmer also controls its take as he may permit hunting or he may insist upon observance of the trespass law. It is fortunate that most farmers are truly interested in the welfare of wildlife on their farms. This interest is manifested in many ways such as their desire to control predators, their dislike of destroying pheasant nests by early mowing of fields, and their desire to have their farms restocked from the game farms. These farmers have an appreciation of the aesthetic value of wildlife. They enjoy seeing the pheasants and hearing the cock's call in the Spring. They appreciate the songbirds and realize that Spring would have less meaning without them. They realize that the cheery bobwhite whistle can do much toward

HOW FARM AND SETTLEMENT AFFECTS NEBRASKA'S PRAIRIE CHICKENS

Prairie chickens in 1942 are located chiefly in the part of Nebraska where the farms average from 600 to 1200 acres in size. Such information, made available by the Upland Game Bird Investigation and Survey, makes it possible to better explain the shifts in our prairie chicken population during the past several decades.

This matter of farm size is important because in most areas where farms contain 600 to 1200 acres there are enough cultivated crops to provide winter food and enough grassland to meet the roosting, breeding, and nesting requirements of this species. A limited amount of cultivation furnishes winter food and carries prairie chickens with it into areas previously unoccupied, but when agriculture destroys too much of the grassland, the prairie chickens disappear. When we go east from the present prairie chicken counties, we get into farming territory which has too little native grassland to accommodate prairie chickens; when we go west, we get into the area where cultivated foods are scarce or lacking, or into areas where shorter grasses provide unsatisfactory cover.

When more than one-third of a large natural grassland area becomes cultivated, the area loses its ability to support prairie chickens. This is because the prairie chicken requires large tracts of practically undisturbed grassland for breeding and nesting. Field research in 1942 in Keith County showed that booming grounds, or mating grounds, were distributed at the rate of one such place in each 3,600 acres of grassland.

Before 1900, the eastern and southeastern counties of Nebraska were important chicken range. The records show that 300,000 prairie chickens were shipped from southeastern Nebraska in 1874.

With market hunting stopped, and finally all shooting of chickens prohibited, many game enthusiasts were surprised that chickens did not come back to their previous numbers. These people forget that the State was undergoing such rapid and far-reaching changes in its land use that the remaining prairie chickens were having difficulty in getting established, and the best range moved west and northwest year after year.

Farming and settlement in the sandhill counties, and destruction of grassland in other counties, has been greatly influenced by three happenings over a period of several decades. These were the Kinkaid Act, World War 1, and the drought of the middle '30's. The recent history of the prairie chicken has also been closely related to these three events.

The Kinkaid Act permitted the settlers to claim sandhill acreages which we now realize were too small to be economically practicable over a period of years. By 1910, following such settlement, the typical sandhill farms averaged less than 800 acres. Many of these farms grew corn where none is raised today, and prairie chickens consequently lived in places which today are very poor wintering areas.

But while conditions for chickens were improving in the typical sandhill counties, the situation was growing steadily worse in the sandhill border counties. In these counties, which are the best prairie chicken range in 1942, settlement by 1910 had continued to the extent that farms averaged less than 500 acres— too small for good prairie chicken population.

By 1925, conditions had again changed the prairie chicken outlook. Many of the sandhill settlers had left their claims and sandhill farms now average over 1,000 acres. As a result of this increase in farm size and consequent drop in corn-growing, prairie chickens now decreased in much of the sandhill area. At the same time, the demand for grain during the first World War had caused the remaining grassland areas outside the sandhills to become cultivated, there-by destroying that part of our chicken range. To make more difficult the adjustment of the prairie chicken at this period it was hit by the low point of the population cycle. This cycle decimates members of this family of birds at periodic intervals. This occurred in Nebraska in 1927.

During the middle thirties, when the last low point of the cycle was reached, many people feared the prairie chicken was doomed to extinction—but along came the drought, an angel in disguise! The drought made it perilously difficult

WEIGHTS OF COMMON GAME BIRDS

Good Hunting

SHOULD I SHOOT THAT HAWK?

Hunters often ask, "How can I tell which hawks are protected and which are not?" Knowing that identification may be troublesome to some sportsmen, the following bit of information may be helpful. During' the period from August ||f 21 to early October, 1942, a record kept of all hawks I have seen in the field shows that less thanone percent of all hawks seen were the harmful or unprotected hawks. Thus it appears that in western Nebraska random shooting of hawks would kill over 99 protected hawks to 1 harmful or unprotected hawk.

In the period mentioned the record showed a total of 366 hawks observed and only three of these were not on the protected list. The only hawks seen in important numbers were 229 sparrow hawks, 94 marsh hawks, and 25 Swainson's hawks. These are highly beneficial hawks, the first feeding largely upon grasshoppers and the latter two upon mice, ground squirrels, gophers, , and other rodents. In early fall considerable numbers of sparrow hawks and Swainson's hawks are commonly seen I in migration.

The beneficial (and therefore protected) "^m hawks are characterized by perching in the open and soaring over fields and pastures. The three hawks not protected by law usually stay in or near timber, showing themselves very rarely except when actually making a quick dash into the open after prey. Since the three harmful hawks, only two of which are common in Nebraska, are usually in or near timber, they are not so likely to be seen by sportsmen who hunt the open fields.

RATS!

That fact that certain small people who are making themselves obnoxious in the Pacific are commonly referred to as rats only bears out the common knowledge that rats are one of man's worst enemies. Since the dawn of history the ordinary barnyard variety of rat has followed man in his migration over the world and has helped to make life more difficult.

If food helped to win the last war, food will certainly help to win this war and the peace that will follow. Our government has warned us of food shortages, yet every year in this country alone rats destroy two hundred million dollars worth of food! We have been urged to produce more food. We are constantly reminded to conserve the food we already have. Is it not our duty to help conserve this food by eliminating the things that may menace our food supply?

Too often we tolerate rats around the premises until they become so obnoxious that drastic measures have to be taken. But the total damage done by rats in the country is done by ALL of the rats, whether a local scattering of only a few or a concentration of hundreds.

SOIL CONSERVATION AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

The Soil Conservation partment of Agriculture effort to conserve the farm lands. Through th trolled Soil Conservation tiated a voluntary progr; vation practices and wis:fe management nservation Service of the U. S. DeLgriculture has been a leader in the ;erve the natural resources of our trough the formation of farm-conmservation Districts, they have ini;ary progratoi of establishing conser1 and wise! land-use policies on the farms of our country. This program is not only beneficial to farm lands, but is an important factor in the production and maintenance of desirable wildlife on those farms.

The farmstead windbreak is a decided benefit to the farmyard and by using proper trees and shrubs can provide fruits for use by the farmer as well as wildlife. Game birds will use such windbreaks in winter weather.

Grass buffer strips are usually used in connection with strip cropping on sloping fields. They retard the erosive force or run-off water and produce large amounts of hay. Their value to Wildlife is that of nesting cover and travel lanes through farm fields, facilitating the movement of the birds.

The value of farm ponds is self-evident to the farmer.

These ponds when fenced for protection against livestock afford abundant cover for wildlife close to a supply of open water during drought periods. Waterfowl will use farm ponds frequently.

Field windbreaks are one of the best means of controlling wind erosion and conserving moisture in unprotected fields. They make the farm a better place to live and work.Wildlife receives the direct benefit of the large amount of cover available in these windbreaks which are usually in cropland affording abundant winter food.

Grassed drainage ways provide a means for run-off water to leave the lands without cutting severe gullies. They also produce a good crop of hay each year. Here again large nesting areas and travel lanes are made available to wildlife.

Old Game Warden

Once again may I say "howdy," folks, and may your old friend the game warden hope that you're havin' a lot of fun stalkin' the elusive honker and the wily pheasant. In fact, me and my friends are wishin' you the best of hunting pleasure.

You know, folks, I've heard some people, who aren't too well acquainted with the facts, say that the game wardens in Nebraska have a pretty easy time of it. But I'd like to visit with you just a bit and mention just a few experiences that some of my friends have had in trailing some of the chronic violators that I hate to admit we have in our own neighborhood.

I remember well one night when one of our wardens, and a pretty husky chap, tried to arrest a no-good bum who was baiting fish. This warden, as is the case with all our wardens, approached the violator in a gentlemanly fashion and asked to check the fishing paraphernalia of the culprit. Bein' a sort of a dark night, our friend, the warden, didn't notice that the culprit had in his hand a large quart jar of rotten cheese, and so help me, before I could say your name, the culprit smashed the glass jar of rotten cheese smack in the face of our unsuspectin' warden. Now, my friends, if you have ever been smashed in the face with a quart jar, you know that it ain't a particularly pleasant sensation. But you take a quart jar of rotten cheese oozing from one's eyes and nostrils, mingled with blood dripping from glassmade gashes, and you are not in a very happy situation. However, in spite of it all, our warden wiped the cheese from his eyes, caught the culprit and naturally conviction followed.

Reminds me of another warden who was knocked over the head with the butt-end of a rifle, still another one walking into the menacing mouth of a loaded shotgun, and still another warden pinned against submerged limbs of a fallen tree by his overturned boat in the midst of a treacherous whirl pool.

These are not the stories that the average fisherman or hunter knows in his contacts with the friendly wardens who check his permit. You know I'm sorta proud of these brother wardens of mine because they are not only man enough to come out the victor in such experiences as I have just mentioned, but I have seen these same wardens help little freckle-nosed kids when they are having trouble with fishing. I sorta hope that you can get acquainted with the game warden in your district, (you know, we call them conservation officers because it represents the type of man they really are), and in order that you may do so, I have enclosed a map showing the districts of my friends in the state. They will help you with your game problems and will appreciate any pointers that you can give them which will assist them in ridding your district of violators who would intentionally reduce the hunting and fishing pleasures that you should know in this good old state of ours.

Well, I'll be seein' you around, friends, and until then, happy huntin'!

RATS

Here are a few ways in which rats may be controlled

1. Poisoning: This is probably the cheapest way of killing rats, but it may be dangerous to other animals, and is often considered inhumane.

2. Trapping: Dozens of devices are or were on the market for trapping rats. Ordinary steel jaw-traps are successful. Live traps, box traps, and water traps are commonly used with good results.

3. Shooting: Many a hunter has filled in closed season time by going out to rubbish dumps to shoot rats. The method is somewhat expensive and not too efficient. Current ammunition shortages will prevent this method of rat-ridding at least for the duration.

DEPUTY CONSERVATION OFFICERS

Loron Bunney, Box No. 175, Fremont, Nebraska; V. C. Conover, 1431 E. 2nd St., North Platte, Nebraska; L. J. Cunningham, Hay Springs, Nebraska; Dewey Grace, Valentine, Nebraska; W. O. flVIonnette, South Sioux City, Nebraska; H. S. Tucker, Box No. 357, Ogallala, Nebraska; C. C. Herling, Box No. 237, Scottsbluff, Nebraska; B. H. Lashmett, 409 Hastings Ave., Norfolk, Nebraska; A. O. Edmunds, Box No. 388, Grand Island, Nebraska; Roy Owen, Box No. 288, Crete, Nebraska; C. W. Shaffer, Box No. 202, Columbus, Nebraska; C. R. Fick, 908 E. 2nd St., MoCook, Nebraska; Lee Jensen, General Delivery, O'Neill, Nebraska; George Weidman, 202 E. 27th St., Kearney, Nebraska.

LAKE SURVEYS AND THEIR APPLICATION

In the mind of the general public lake surveys have come to be the general cure all for all fish problems. The fish biologist realizes however, that the lake survey is simply the first step which must be made before we can intelligently manage our lakes for maximum fish production. The lake survey is simply an inventory of all factors effecting the production of fish in a given body of water, and it is with the information that is gained from the survey that the biologist is able to diagnose lake problems. Once we know what the productive capacity of a lake or stream is, then only will we be able to take corrective steps to improve fishing.

The lake survey consists of a quantitative and qualitative analysis of all conditions affecting fish, determination of the productive and carrying capacity in terms of fertility and ultimate food and fish. Fish, the crop in which the angler is interested, represent the end of a long cycle which the elements of fertility pass through from raw substances in the water and lake bottoms, to the higher forms of fish life. The abundance and growth of fishes is dependent on many factors but one of the most basic is the fertility of the water. The fertility of the water is reflected in greater amounts of food for the game fish, and in more or faster growing fish. Therefore in a lake survey we measure the kinds and amount of each of the important plant nutrients which occur in the water which we are surveying.

A second important consideration in the production of fish in a lake is the occurrence of suitable spawning grounds for the species involved. We check each lake or areas that are suitable for each species and along with these we check to see whether or not there is suitable cover for the smaller fish to hide from the larger predatory fish.

The temperature of the water at the surface and at different depths is recorded, for the temperature has a very important part in fish production. Its importance is twofold in that first the temperature of the water governs to a considerable degree the rate at which the plants upon which the fish depend for food grow. The more important part temperature plays in lake production is the limitation it puts on the amount of the lake available to fish in the warm summer months. As the lake warms up in the summer we have a temperature stratification appear which separates the upper surface water from the deeper cold water. This thermocline, as it is known, is very stable and no mixing of the two waters occurs. In this cooler bottom water, and in deep lakes it is usually all of the water below 15 feet in depth, the decaying vegetation in the bottom soon uses up all of the oxygen and as soon as the oxygen is gone fish are no longer able to make use of the greater portion of the lake. Although many of the lakes of Nebraska are not deep enough to develop thermoclines, it is probable that most of the reservoir lakes are affected by stratification.

A third important check to make on all lakes is an examination of the plant and animal life present in the lake. Samples of the smaller forms occurring in the water are captured in plankton nets and examined to determine what species and how many are present. Bottom samples are dredged out and the amount and kinds of species determined. In this way we are able to determine the amount of food present for the fish.

Finally we get samples of the fish themselves and check to see the different species present and relative numbers of each. Also by taking samples of their scales we can determine their age and calculate the rate at which they are growing.

When all of the above information has been collected then will we be able to tell what the lake is producing, what it could be producing and what it will be necessary to do to reach maximum productivity.

Dogs

TRIGGER

"Trigger's" history only covers the short span of three years but in that three years he has been a constant companion, friend and helper. His training has been experience—experience which started when he was so small he could barely push his way through the weeds at my heels. This was during pheasant season 1939 when he learned the thrill of flushing a bird and the meaning of a blasting shotgun. During that season, he was more interested in rabbits and squirrels than anything else, but is wasn't long before he realized that only those animals which were dropped by the gun were of any interest to me. We hunted together throughout the winter of 1939-40, pheasant, squirrel, and rabbit. By the end of the season I began to wonder if the pup would ever become a hunting dog.

Through the spring and summer of 1940, there was a 'lazy season' for "Trigger". All he did was eat, sleep, and grow. By S e p t e mb er, he he tipped the scales at 47 pounds and gave all the appearance of being a dog. Once again we went into training as we now felt it was time for a little retrieving (other than a ball or stick). I had been told that pigeons were just the thing for this, so I proceeded to get some. Much to my regret, "Trigger" did not like pigeons. I tried and tried but always the same results—smell of them, turn around and come back. The next attempt was with a wooden dummy covered with pheasant feathers. Success! Everything was fine, so back to pigeons but—"nothing doing". So we tried crows. Wonder of wonders! It was the perfect thing as long as he knew they were dropped in the field by a gun.

Pheasant season of 1940 was considerably better for me. "Trigger'' was beginning to shoulder part of the work of hunting and retrieving. Weak in some points at the beginning, he grew better through the season and by the last few days was ranging back and forth like a veteran. He flushed many a bird and retrieved fairly well, but it all seemed accidental. He didn't seem to appreciate or trust the ability of his "nose"—maybe he was still regulated to "crow scent". It seemed that he was just plain tramping them out, rather

THE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA

Program of Wild Life Conservation in Nebraska Adopted in State Meeting Held at Lincoln, October 12, 1942 DR. G. E. CONDRA, President

The Nebraska Division of the Izaak Walton League is composed of public spirited citizens organized to further the development and conservation of the state's natural resources such as soil, water, and the wild life. However, its major objectives are to develop and sustain the fish and game population, recreation areas, public parks, good fishing and hunting, and true sportsmanship in Nebraska. The League pledges support to the following agencies and program :

1. State Game, Forestation and Parks Commission activities relating to fish, game, fur-bearing animals, recreation areas and parks.

2. Conservation and Survey Division of the University in its survey and reports on the soil, streams, lakes, groundwater, prairie, forest, and wild life of the state, whereby factual data are made available for use in state development.

3. State Soil Conservation Committee and the U. S. Soil Conservation Service, which agencies recognize the vegetative cover and wildlife as factors in land use.

4. Agricultural Extension Service of the College of Agriculture for furthering wildlife development and conservation on farms and for its wildlife educational program in the 4-H clubs and other organizations.

5. State Museum of the University for the preparation and display of species of wildlife.

6. All agencies engaged in disseminating information regarding our soils, lakes, streams, groundwater, native grasses, wild flowers, wild fruits, shrubs, trees, fish, birds, reptiles and mammals.

7. Close study and the solution of the wildlife problems of the state.

8. Increased planting and proper maintenance of shrubs and trees for roadside improvement, shelterbelts, windbreaks, erosion control, and on lawns, school grounds, church yards, at cemeteries, and for economic use. A program of greater production of fish for stocking purposes; more complete rescue of fish from declining streams and lakes; closer regulation of commercial fishing on the Missouri River; and the control of fish in the reservoirs and canals of the irrigation and power projects.

10. Rehabilitation of the Bobwhite quail, grouse, prairie chickens, curlew, beaver, raccoon, muskrat, antelope and deer, and better maintenance of the game sanctuaries.

11. Improvement and maintenance of wildlife habitat on private and publicly owned areas.

12. Conservation of song birds.

13. Use of retrievers in the recovery of crippled and lost birds, and the raising and training of bird dogs for this purpose.

14. Control of reptiles, rodents, and predators on a factual basis, whereby certain kinds of animals of these groups are to be destroyed and some are not to be molested.

15. Strict and impartial enforcement of the laws relating to fishing, hunting and trapping.

16. Cooperation with farmers in the ^^ production and protection of wildlife and the development of good sportsmanship.

17. Roadside improvement and landscape improvement.

18. Protection and conservation of the wild flowers and wild fruits of the state.

19. A program of flood control for the protection of the resources of the state including wild life.

20. Flood water storage for irrigation and power development, but the non-irrigation use of lake developed primarily for recreational purposes.

21. Building of dams for stock water storage and the favorable relation to wildlife.

22. Extension of pump irrigation and gravity irrigation where possible and economically feasible.

23. Elimination of controllable pollution of streams, lakes, and groundwater.

Sportsmans Widow

How to Keep Harmony in a Sportsman's Family

1. Don't forget that your husband is just a little boy at heart and likes to drown the cares and worries of a troubled day with a little hunting and fishing.

2. Don't expect your husband to constantly trade in his hunting togs for a tuxedo.

3. Don't forget to praise the scrawny old fish or the dilapidated duck he so proudly brings home. It is only the caveman bringing back the wild game.

4. Don't forget to try to show interterest in listening to his hunting stories even if there is a little polished repetition. Don't question the veracity of a well planned hunting or fishing story.

5. Don't be afraid to cook the unappetizing culinary impossibilities he may bring home. If he caught it or shot it, it will probably taste good to him regardless.

6. Lastly, don't turn down a chance to get outdoors with him if you get it.

Now for the men:

1. Don't disrupt all her plans with a continued series of unexpected fishing and hunting trips.

2. Don't ask her to clean and prepare your game for cooking. That's a man's job.

3. Don't forget to take off those muddy boots before barging into the parlor to display your hunting prowess. It only dirties the rug.

4. Don't dominate the field of chatter at a social function with too many weird tales of your hunting abilities or disabilities.

5. Don't forget to come home with a smile and a good word for everyone even though the take has been small.

6. Don't forget to take the little lady fishing or hunting. It pays dividends.

Place bird in earthen bowl and cover with water to which a small handful of salt and a cup of vinegar have been added.

In morning drain off salty water and cover with fresh water. Hour later drain bird.

May parboil with onion about 20 minutes if wild taste is not desired. Remove bird and rub with salt; stuff with bread and onion dressing to which a tart apple has been added. Onion, apple or lemon around bird for roasting counteracts oily, gamey taste.

An hours roasting at 400° is all most all wild fowl requires.

Here is something different in preparing trout (or any other medium sized fish.) First catch the fish, of course, then remove the head, entrails, scales, etc. Roll the fish in a clean white cloth and immerse it in boiling water for about twenty minutes, or until it is cooked tender. Serve while steaming hot seasoned with salt, pepper and melted butter. White sauce or various other fish sauces may add to the savor of the fish.

Skin and draw the bird. Remove bones by cutting from each side breast. Remove leg bones, removing tendons with a pliers. Roll in flour and dip in slightly beaten egg. Roll in equal parts of bread crumbs and cracker crumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Place pieces separately on waxed paper and let stand in the refrigerator for several hours. Fry in deep fat for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve on a platter garnished with sprays of mint or parsley and sliced lemon.

FARM AND FUR PROFIT

the value of the individual, they can be expected to yield a profit only where sufficient quantities of their natural foods exist.

Small streams in Nebraska often support considerable populations of muskrats. One trapper, living in Lincoln, took $90 worth of muskrats from two or three miles of Salt Creek during a recent fur season. The carrying capacity of such streams can probably be increased with management practices based upon study of these problems as found in Nebraska.

The beaver has been much maligned in Nebraska as "the worst enemy of trees"* which we have in the state. Such criticism has not been founded upon thorough and scientific investigation, nor does it recognize the many desirable relationships of beaver to other forms of wildlife. In certain areas of the United States where beavers have become nuisances near cultivated lands, they have been captured alive and moved to headwaters of streams having plenty of natural food. Here they are not only harmless but prove to be actually beneficial. Beaver dams tend to regulate the flow of water in small streams, help control soil erosion, and in cool areas create admirable troutrearing pools. Their ponds attract many ducks during the fall and winter. There is need for a vast amount of work on the beaver and muskrat in Nebraska, and if this work were carried out to its utmost possibility, returns from these two species might become a permanent source of income in many communities.

Smart trappers know that the maximum value of a fur program can be realized by their adherence to stated trapping seasons. The highest cash receipts come from those pelts which are taken during the prime season. Trapping too late in the spring results in the taking of pregnant females and the loss of many potential pelts of the following winter. Limits of breeding seasons are determined by anatomical studies.

All of the fur animals in Nebraska can be classed as farm-land species. Much of the fur taken each year in Nebraska, such as muskrat, skunk, raccoon, red fox, opossum, mink, and weasel are taken by members of farm families. Production will be greatly increased by attention to management.

There is much to learn about a farmfur animal program. It is now clear that flexible laws, proper management practices, and an active public interest in producing greater numbers of important fur bearers are the principle stepping stones toward reaping the most valuable harvests from Nebraska's fur resources.

THE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA

24. Location and development of rural and municipal well water supplies on ground free from pollution.

25. Administration of the State and Federal departments engaged directly or indirectly in the development and conservation of the wildlife resources of Nebraska should be placed on a non-partisan basis, free from political clearance, and employment in these departments should be based on qualification and efficient service.

26. Indiscriminate burning of the vegetative cover along public roads and highways, fence lines, and in ravines and on marsh land should be discouraged, and a program of education should be carried on to show the error of indiscriminate burning.

27. Publicly owned lakes which formerly produced fish, but declined during the years of drouth and are now restored to normal depth due to increased rainfall, should be planted to aquatic plants by the Pish and Game Commission in order to make these lakes suitable for stocking with fish as early as possible.

28. The Legislative Committee of the Nebraska Division of the League is selected and authorized to further such state legislation as may be needed to develop and conserve the state's resources, especially the soil, water supply, prairie, forest, and wildlife, and to further the development and maintenance of recreation areas, public parks, road-side improvement, general landscape improvement, and good sportsmanship, and to cooperate with the National officers of the League in securing the enactment of Federal legislation along these lines

Junior Conservationist

THE SCHOOL AQUARIUM

Well, I suppose that most of you young folks are well into the first semester of another year of school and undoubtedly most of you are studying science or have some classes in which nature study plays a part.

In order to fully appreciate some of the many stories we read about animals, we must see the animal and study it as it moves about from place to place. Most of your nature study teachers will be asking you to bring in some of your pets in order that you may watch them in your class room.

I am just wondering how you would like to have some native fish of Nebraska in your room so that you can study how they live and grow, and perhaps reach a better understanding of their many interesting habits. Your Game Commission here at Lincoln has available a number of baby catfish, bullheads, bass, and sunfish. They make themselves right at home in a glass jar or aquarium. Now if you will do something for me, I will see to it that you receive some of these fish.

The thing I would like you to do for me is to find a large glass jar or aquarium. It is better if this jar or aquarium will hold a gallon or more of water. A six or seven gallon aquarium is ideal. However, we will see that the number of fish sent you is the correct number for the size of your aquarium.

After you have your aquarium jar clean and shining, cover the bottom with an inch of soil and then cover the soil with about half an inch to an inch of coarse sand or gravel. Then place a sheet of paper over the sand and gently pour water over the paper until your jar is filled to within a half an inch of the top. The paper will enable you to add the water without disturbing the layers of gravel and soil. After filling, the paper will be removed, as it will float to the surface of the jar.

Now, place your aquarium in the window where it will receive direct sunlight a few hours of the day, and you are ready to receive your fish and moss. Most of the water in the state has been treated with chlorine. However, the sunlight will drive this gas from the water so that it will not injure the fish.

After you have finished this work, if you will drop the editor a card or letter telling what you have done and how large an aquarium you have, I will see to it that you receive the correct number of fish for your aquarium and enough plants to make oxygen for the fish.

When you receive the specimens, push the roots of the plants into the soil and gravel, disturbing the water and gravel as little as possible. If the water has not been disturbed and is not too cloudy, the fish may be added. If your aquarium is properly planted, within a day or two you should see small bubbles rising from the plants during the time that the sun is shining through upon the aquarium.

An envelope of feed will be sent with your fish. However, they will accept bread crumbs, small bits of meat, and even pulverized dog food. The fish do not need a lot of feed, and if you overfeed them you will notice a cloudiness in the water which will eventually sour the water in your aquarium and kill the fish.

After a period of time if you notice a green slime growing on the inside of your aquarium glass, do not be disturbed as this is a sign of a healthy aquarium. This is a very simple type of plant growth and may be scraped off the glass or reduced by cutting down on the amount of light in your aquarium. Place a piece of glass over the top of your aquarium to prevent evaporation of the water.

If you have enough plants in the aquarium, they will produce enough oxygen to purify the water and it will be unnecessary for you to clean the aquarium.

It is well to add one or two snails to your aquarium clean and free from green algae.

Measure your fish carefully, watch them grow, and study their habits.

If you have trouble with your aquarium or your fish, write this department and we will try to help you correct your problems regarding the newly organized aquarium. Don't forget to send us your letters telling us of the work your school is doing to help the birds and animals that live near us.

BE SURE BEFORE YOU SHOOT!!

The Pintail gets its name from the long, spike-like tail feathers of both sexes, the males having the longer tail of the two. The long sharp tails and the long necks of the species should make them easily identified.

The Green winged teal is one of the smallest ducks, with a bright greenishbrown speculum. The Blue winged teal is about the same size as the green wing, but is easily distinguished by the sky blue patch on the wings of both sexes. The Cinnamon teal is also a small bird with cobalt blue wing coverts in both sexes. The females may resemble the female blue wing, but is more spotted with brighter colors.

The Shoveller can always be identified by the large flat shovel-shaped bill which seems out of proportion to the size of the bird.

The above characters alone will not enable you to become an expert at naming the ducks, but should be very helpful in building up your knowledge of duck identification.

Here are some books that would be of great value in further study of ducks:

Birds of America, Garden City Publishing Co., Garden City, N. Y.

Roberts: Birds of Minnesota, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minn.

The Book of Birds, National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C.

The Nebraska Game Commission has on hand several hundred copies of a booklet entitled "Wild Ducks" which has color plates of ducks, their descriptions, range and distribution. The booklet is published by the American Wildlife Institute, Washington, D. C, and sells for 25c per copy. Write for your copy today.

WILDLIFE ON THE FARM PROGRAM

lifting the gloom from a winter's day, and they will rest from their work for I a minute to see the farm dog outrun by a jackrabbit or outwitted by a cottontail. These are the things that add color to farm life and, though some farmers may complain loudly about the damage done by pheasants in the Spring, he would be reluctant to see them gone.

A few farmers realize that wildlife can also be of real economic value. Though it is difficult to show this value behind a dollar sign, it is nevertheless real. Game furnishes many farm families with recreation and a variety in the table menu, and insectivorous birds keep crop destroyers in check. It has been estimated by W. L. McAtee, technical advisor for the Pish and Wildlife Service, that the value of wildlife in the destruction of insects amounts to 22.6 cents per acre in the eastern United States and 13.3 cents per acre in the western United States.

There is not space to discuss in detail the many ways known to increase wildlife populations by simple alterations in farm environments. It may be said that in most instances inadequate cover is the controlling factor in this State. We have learned much about improving wildlife environment on the farm by studying what has been accomplished in other states. We cannot accept in its entirety any program which has been developed elsewhere. Existing conditions in Nebraska differ from those in other states and the wildlife program must be made to fit the conditions. On the other hand, it would be foolish to ignore the experiences of others in wildlife management.

In short, with the present cooperation between the men in the field learning the answers and improving wildlife environment and the men on the game farms producing the birds, we are going to put one fellow on the spot. This fellow is the old timer who likes to tell the young fry about hunting when he was a boy. By improving wildlife environment on the farm a little and stocking it with birds from our game farm, Nebraska's upland game can be much more plentiful than it ever has been in the past and the "good old days" will be small stuff compared to the "good new days" of upland bird shooting on the farm.

HOW FARM AND SETTLEMENT AFFECTS NEBRASKA'S PRAIRIE CHICKENS

for the remaining prairie chickens to find satisfactory nesting cover, and perhaps food, during the low of the cycle, but it was a lifesaver to the prairie chicken by causing an adjustment in farming practices which restored many sandhill border counties to good chicken habitat.

Important points in this restoration were the improved grazing and range management practices, and consequent restoration of the grass, which accompanied the increase in farm sizes. The acreages of farms in our present best chicken range jumped from less than 500 to about 750. The interior sandhill counties had by 1940 increased an average farm size of about 2,500 acres. Consequently, excepting for localized areas, the interior of the sandhills has a rather low chicken population.

Barring future sweeping changes in . land use, it seems likely that most of Nebraska's prairie chicken population in the coming years will be confined to a southwest-to-north-central belt of sandhill borderland which is less than 50 miles in width in the southwest and about 100 miles wide in the northcentral part. From the upland game standpoint, Nebraska is fortunate in having a vast grassland area which r provides conditions which are lacking in most of the rest of the State.

RATS

The University of Nebraska in cooperation with the U. S. Department of Agriculture suggests the following method of rat raiding: Using scraps of lumber, build a convenient-sized box with several openings large enough to admit rats, but too small to admit cats or dogs. Place attractive poison in the box and set it wherever rats will find it. The boxes or "rat cafeterias," as they are called, should be visited at least once a week to replenish the bait supply or remove the carcasses of rats that may die in the box.

Here is a good poison to use, inexpensive and easily obtained. Add one part barium carbonate to five parts of any of the following: peanut butter, oatmeal, cornmeal, fish meal, dried milk, dog food, etc. Be sure that the poison is well mixed with the bait.

One precaution should be taken. Barium carbonate is poisonous to birds, animals and humans. Treat it with respect.

TRIGGER

than locating by nose and flushing. I knew this to be a bad fault but didn't know what could be done, so I just conceded that he couldn't smell anything but food and never would.

A year later, the 1941 season, was the biggest and best of all, both from the standpoint of hunting and for the dog. Cover was so heavy that many fields were nearly impassable on foot, let alone flushing birds. Many were the hunters who "gave it up" or returned empty handed and not because of lack of birds. "Trigger" was the only dog in our party of four hunters; he hunted ahead and hunted around, up and down and back. If we had killed half of the birds that were flushed, we could have retired early. He made mistakes, but most of them were not his fault. You can't blame a dog because he can't tell a hen from a rooster and attempts to retrieve it even if it isn't killed and flies down the slough for a quartermile; even if he does scare up a dozen birds or so, to him a pheasant is a pheasant and one is no better than the other. "Trigger" pulled that trick a couple of times and made us "curse" at losing the shots, but later in the day he completely exonerated himself.

My partner and I crippled a rooster which disappeared on the fly over the crest of a hill. We immediately gave chase with "Trigger" leading. The three of us looked and looked, but no pheasant. My partner and I finally gave it up and started out downhill across a pasture in pursuit of other birds, completely ignoring the dog. Upon reaching the bottom, we turned to look for him—he was following us with the bird in his mouth; proud as a prince and twice as happy for he knew he had done a good job.

"Trigger" has undoubtedly found out what his nose was for. Later in the season, he put it to good use in smelling out and catching three birds on the ground when they did not flush.

If a dog will work like that, he can chase all the hen pheasants he likes whenever he likes.