2 Outdoor Nebraska—Fall, 1945

HOME SWEET HOME

The following thought, from a Nebraskan whose job at home was the improvement of the state's fur resources, comes from a mosquito swamp of Panama where he is completing his army service. This bit of poetry expresses the true yearning of a real Nebraskan for his home in outdooor Nebraska and the companionship of those dear to him.

Our great state awaits with open arms our true sons of Nebraska's soil extending to them the many outdoor pleasures with which Nebraska abounds. Our veterans can find no greater peace than the luxury of a prairie sunset after the relaxing experiences of one of Nebraska's own hunting days.

COVER PAGE

The cover page of this issue is taken from a photograph, by the Editor, of a newly acquired English Setter pup now four months old. Talisman. or more affectionately known as "Tal", represents a breed little used in Nebraska but championed by those who find this breed their favorite. The English Setter, one of the most regal of all dogs, makes an understanding friend ever faithful and happy whether in the field or by the fire at home. Highly intelligent and keen of scent, their racey flowing lines furnish one of the greatest of game pictures when on point in the field. Their versatility, though questioned by owners of heavier Labradors and Chesapeakes, is most universal. Quail and grouse is their specialty, but pheasants and water-fowl can be handled expertly by a wellt-rained Setter despite the wiley ways of the cock pheasant. Regardless of breed of dog, no hunter has experienced true hunting enjoyment or practiced true conservation of birds until he has made a canine friend one of the musts on every hunting trip.

MORE NEBRASKA WOMEN SHOULD ENJOY HUNTING PLEASURES

4 Outdoor Nebraska—Fall, 1945

NEBRASKA'S GAME BIRD OUTLOOK

By Levi Mohler

The most extensive field surveys yet attempted by the game department were accomplished during the past six or seven months. And as the hunting season approaches, Nebraskans are even more eager than usual to learn what the prospects are for the various feathered species. Pheasants, bobwhites, ducks, prairie chickens and sharptailed grouse all came under the scrutiny of game department fieldmen at certain periods, and pheasants, bobwhites and ducks will again be legal game in 1945.

Pheasant Inventory

The statewide check on pheasants has been repeated annually since 1941. The detailed parts of this work, in selected areas, are done by game department personnel. In addition, more than 600 mail carriers gave invaluable assistance in 19 4 5 by recording game bird observations along their routes for one week in April and again in late July.

As usual, pheasants are very numerous in a block of counties including Knox, Antelope, Pierce, Boone, Greeley, Valley, Sherman, Kearney, Phelps, Gosper and many other counties.

Although pheasants are more abundant in some areas than in 1944 the check in late July showed lower populations for the state as a whole. Northcentral and eastern areas had their production difficulties but many western, southwestern, south-central and northeastern localities seemed to fare better than in 1944. But the cool, wet June was definitely a handicap to successful nesting.

Wildlife reporters' records from farmers and ranchers showed one important difference in their late summer reports for the two years. Last year those who reported poor nesting success were located in four rather definite areas, and local conditions such as floods, hail storms, etc., apparently defined those areas. But in 1945 those who reported poor nesting success were located in practically all parts of the state. The unusually chilly June seemed to have a statewide effect with little regard to individual localities.

Results of 1944 Quail Season

The second quail season in modern times offers sporty shooting in five counties. Quail hunters last year cooperated with the game department by returning postal card reports of their hunting. These returns showed that hunting was good, but bad weather interfered with the plans of many. Lengthening the season from 10 to 15 days will give sportsmen a better chance to select days of good weather for their field fun.

Quail hunters last year flushed about a covey per hour of hunting time—and that compares favorably with quail hunting in major quail states farther i south and east. Nebras.::•>• kans in 1944 bagged quail at the rate of 1.25 birds per hunting hour, which isn't meet in quail country. bad considering that many were trying the sport for the first time.

Limit kills were common—about half the reporting hunters got their limit of five bobwhites at least once during the season. (By way of comparison, limit kills of pheasants are taken on something like one-fourth of the pheasant hunting trips in good pheasant territory.)

Quail are much more numerous than pheasants in the open quail territory— the cards showed one pheasant bagged for each 34 quail taken during quail season.

About half the quail hunting was done with dogs, and the dogs proved their worth. The dog hunters lost only 4 percent of their birds while the men without dogs lost 14 percent. Probably more dogs will be in evidence in 1945. Bobwhite enthusiasts apparently were careful not to slaughter coveys—the records from 132 coveys showed only 164 birds killed, or a bird or two per covey.

  Outdoor Nebraska—Fall, 1945 5 Bobwhites Plentiful

The 1944 open season didn't lower the spring breeding population for this year. In fact, most farmers in the quail country reported more quail this spring than a year ago. (The mild winter gave the birds a break.) And most of the late summer reports from farm wildlife reporters in 1945 indicate that quail had a good nesting year.

The field survey of bobwhites this year covered a total of 17 counties — the 5 open counties plus a dozen more from Burt county south and Webster countyon east. More quail than a year ago were found in the counties which were checked both years, and good numbers were found in Pawnee, Richardson, Johnson, southern Gage and southern Jefferson counties. Fair populations were found in Nemaha, Otoe and parts of Thayer county. Few quail were found in Lancaster, Saunders, Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, Washington, Burt, Webster and Nuckolls counties. Although 1945 has been a good quail year, most of these counties simply don't have sufficient brush to support many quail.

Climate and cover conditions being what they are it seems that only a few counties are likely to support sufficient quail to provide open seasons for Nebraskans. The game department expects to repeat its quail survey annually in order to properly regulate quail hunting.

Nebraska Produces Ducks

Although Canada and Alaska produce most of this continent's ducks, Nebraska and several other north-central states are actually important duck breeding areas. Nebraska has well over a million acres of prime duck nesting territory, and good water levels in the sandhill lakes held large numbers of breeders in 1945.

Not less than 10 species nest regularly here and the heavy rains this year permitted excellent nesting conditions even in the southern and eastern part of the state. Blue-winged teal, mallards, and pintails nested in both southern and eastern counties.

Nebraskans shoot ducks from two major flyways or migration routes, so they get lots of ducks which were reared further north in addition to those that were hatched in the state. Hunters' report cards show that bags are quite uniform in western Nebraska year after year, while in the eastern part of the state hunter success varies considera b 1 y from year to year. In 1942 the easterners weren't so lucky, but in 1943 and 1944 they had excellent shooting. Of course, every man who ever sat in a blind knows that the vagaries of weather play an important part in determining where the ducks will be at a given time, but year after year Nebraska is a good spot for a duck hunter.

Native Grouse

Our two native grouse — the pinnated grouse or prairie chicken, and the sharptailed grouse — are common in much of our central, western and northern localities. Both are on the protected list but they are still an important part of the state's wildlife resources.

Spring field work, in about 20 counties, showed that both species were common in the central sandhills counties. Further west the sharptail is more common than the chicken, but in the eastern sandhills the outnumbers the sharptail. a good nesting year for species, according to wildlife inventory These birds are chicken far 1945 was not either of these farmer and rancher cards recently received, cyclic and the present low is the second such slump suffered since 1927.

6 Outdoor Nebraska—-Fall, 1945

RIFLE SHOOTING IS FUN

By Clarke Wilson

So you like to shoot! Or you think you might like shooting! In that case you probably have a 22 rifle. That's what most of us start out with; and rightly so. The 22 Long Rifle cartridge is very accurate and some of the world's most accurate rifles shoot it. In ordinary times you can buy one from "three bucks" to a hundred and fifty simoleons. Ammunition companies have spent more money perfecting the 22 Long Rifle cartridge than any other.

We will just try to touch a few of the "high points" in what we hope will help keep you going along the road to a lot of enjoyment in rifle shooting. There is no end to the progress you can make and the fun you can have with just a 22.

Most of the elder shooters started out with single shot 22's, they were cheap and they shot well. We did not have much money and had to make every shot count. Of the single shots, there are falling block, bolt and lever action. The repeaters include pump, bolt and lever action models. Your best choice is probably the one that suits your fancy and fits you best. All have their devotees. You can start an argument on this subject wherever you get a bunch of shooters together. You may like the automatics best, but be wary, don't turn up your nose at the old single shots. You may think they are out-of-date, but those old single shot actions, especially in the larger sizes, are being re-barreled by top-flight gunsmiths and some of them will outshoot the best standard rifles usually stocked in stores.

Since World War I, the bolt actions have been highly favored. Most of the snipers and "gun nuts" agree that the old 30 '06 Springfield is more accurate than the semi-automatic Garand and no one claims much accuracy for the full automatics; the Thompson, the "grease gun" and the "burp gun".

But, we wander away from the 22's. Most 22's are chambered for the Long Rifle cartridge and it is the best of the lot. Shorts can be used in many rifles, but their continued use will, in time, affect the accuracy of the gun. Some erosion and the accumulation of powder residue in the chamber ahead of the short shell, is not conducive to accuracy. As for the 22 Long; it is less accurate than either of the others. Why it is still manufactured is a mystery. Perhaps it will be discontinued. We hope so.

Maybe you have trouble hitting those tin cans and bottles. Perhaps you held right on the mark and squeezed the trigger off slow and easy, just like it says in the book—and still you missed. That can happen. Quite often the answer lies in the sights. Common rear sights are, open buckhorn, flattopped and peep. Of the three, the buc k h o r n is the poorest and the peep the best. Quite often someone says, "I see too much through the rear peep. I can see the whole hillside." This is the p r i nciple of the rear peep sight. Your eye automatically looks through the center of the peep hole. Just look through the rear peep naturally and concentrate on holding the front bead on the mark. That is the advantage of the peep sight, especially in shooting at moving objects. You can follow through easier.

Even though the sights may be good, they still may not be properly adjusted. To check this, find a comfortable seat, preferably with an elbow rest and use a rolled blanket or sandbag rest for the hand and forearm. Put up a target with the center bullseye as small as can conveniently be seen at from 40 to 65 yards. Get a good steady position and shoot several shots. If they group closely together, even though not on the bullseye, you have an accurate rifle and all it needs is proper sight setting. Moving the rear sight up makes the gun shoot higher. Exactly opposite results are obtained by moving the front   Outdoor Nebraska—Fall, 1945 7 sight in the same manner. After you change the sights, shoot another group. Repeat this procedure until the gun shoots where you want it to hit. If you can't get good groups, possibly the barrel is worn, or pitted, or the action is loose, or the ammunition poor, or the trigger pulls too hard. If none of these things apply, then maybe you don't shoot right. Leave the sights as they are and get someone else to shoot a few groups. If they get good groups with the gun, probably you just need more practice—or possibly you need glasses.

Take a firm, but not too tight grip on the gun. Face the target at about a 45 degree angle. Pull the trigger with a steady, gradually increasing- pressure   8 Outdoor Nebraska—Fall, 1945 until it lets go. Of course the front sight weaves back and forth. It does for everyone. The trick is to pull the trigger at just the right fraction of a second when the bead is right where you want it. There is no substitute for practice. Here is one trick that may help though. Lay a penny crosswise on top of the barrel and practice snapping an empty gun, holding it so that the penny doesn't fall off. Practice with an empty gun is O. K. But don't forget and leave it loaded and then point it at the cupboard where the best china is parked.

"At what distance should I sight in in a rifle?" is a question frequently asked. In general, we would suggest, for the longer distances at which you wish to shoot, not the extreme range, but certainly not too short a distance. Extreme range for a 22 is usually 75 to 100 yards. Personally, we like a 22 sighted in for 65 yards here in Nebraska. Then at 35 yards you hold under about an inch; at 100 yards you hold over a little more than 3 inches and at 125 yards a little over 8 inches. In contrast, if the rifle is sighted in for 25 yards, you will have to hold over 6 inches at 100 yards and 12 inches at 125 yards. These figures are for high speed ammunition and may vary according to brand of ammunition and bullet weight.

We suppose you know, that if you dropped a bullet the same weight as the one you shoot, at the same time that the bullet leaves the barrel, with the gun held parallel to the ground, that both bullets would hit the ground at the same time; one straight down and the other several hundred feet away. A fellow by the name of Newton gets credit for that one. Gravity works 24 hours a day.

After you shoot a while, if you have a really accurate rifle, you discover that the gun will shoot closer than you can hold, aim and pull. Then you get a yen for a telescope sight; and that will cost you some more money, but it's worth it. They cost all the way from a few dollars up, and we mean WAY UP. Also the mount for the scope costs money. The best rule we know in choosing a scope, is to buy as good a scope as you can afford for the gun. The scope reticule, or sight, comes in crosshair, flat-topped post, pointed post, suspended dot, and many combinations and variations. This selection too is mostly a matter of choice and personal preference. Wherever riflemen gather you will hear arguments. All are partly right. Lee dots and cross-hairs are more generally accepted in Nebraska where we usually have good light for shooting. (We do not use either, but will not quarrel with you on that score.)

Except for the strictly target gun, field of view is probably more important than magnification. For all-around shooting in Nebraska, 4X is the highest magnification one is likely to need. A 2%X or 21/£X is probably a better choice than 4X unless the scope is one of the larger models For shooting running game the field of view should be at least 30 feet at 100 yards.

At first you may have trouble locating the object with a scope, especially if it is a running animal. When you get used to it however you will probably find you can do better shooting than with any other kind of sight. The exceptions are, in cornfields, brush, heavy rain, thick fog or fast-falling snow— and who can do good shooting then anyway? In early morning and late evening the scope will clarify an object many times when you could not identify it with the naked eye.

On the box which contains 22's you may read, "Dangerous within one mile." No foolin' the 22 is just that. It is little, but it is powerful. Shoot a hollow point, high speed Long Rifle into a cake of laundry soap (if you can get the soap) and see what happens.

"If the 22 is so powerful, why did the Game Commission rule it out for the Halsey Forest deer hunt?" you may ask. We know it will kill deer. Nevertheless its indiscriminate use would wound many deer which would escape to die a lingering death. Therefore bigger guns are recommended. Of course, even though you did not kill a neighbor, or a friend, or a child, you would not want to wound one; so Be Careful. Beware the "unloaded gun". All too often it is the "unloaded" gun which causes accidents. Treat them all as though they were loaded. Don't point at people or domestic animals. Use care in going through fences and in getting in and out of cars and buildings. Leave the safety ON until you get ready to shoot.

Gun cleaning, as a tiresome chore, has largely disappeared since non-corrosive primers are used, but that does not eliminate moisture from the air, or rain, or sweaty hands. A little cleaning solvent and good gun oil will do no harm and may do some good. A clean gun always works better.

For game or vermin shooting, hollow point bullets are usually superior to solid bullets. This is not true for strictly target shooting, but "hollow points" are probably more accurate than most of us can shoot, off-hand at least. What really is likely to happen to you in this rifle shooting business is that you may become a real "gun nut." You start out with a 22, plinking tin cans, bottles, paper targets and shooting small game and jack rabbits. Then you   Outdoor Nebraska—Fall, 1945 9 want better sights, better scopes and better guns. When you get them you find you can shoot, and hit, at longer range. Next thing you know you get a yearning to increase the range. That leads to bigger guns and still better sights or scopes. If you follow on through you lead right up to the superduper guns, and hand-loads and minuteof-angle scope sight settings. You may even graduate up to a 40, or 50, or 60 year-old Winchester, Stevens, Ballard, or Sharps single-action with a custom made barrel that will hit a dime at 100 yards or the crown of your hat at 300 yards. But that is another chapter in this interesting study of rifle shooting.

In the meantime, enjoy the good companionship of your friends who like to shoot. It will steady your nerves. The fresh air and sunshine will promote good health and you will have a lot of fun. You can also help the Game Commission, the farmers and the sportsmen of the state by shooting such things as rats, crows, foxes, coyotes, weasles and gophers. You can hunt these all the year 'round.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

May we make a suggestion. Since Christmas is only a skip and a jump away, may we suggest a gift that will be appreciated by every outdoor Nebraskan who loves to hunt and fish or enjoys any other outdoor recreation. Send this department $1.00 with the name of the individual you would like to have receive this publication and just before the holidays we will send her or him an attractive Christmas card stating that you are sending him a five year subscription to Nebraska's own outdoor magazine, OUTDOOR NEBRASKA.

10 Outdoor Nebraska—Fall, 1945

HUNTING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

In the interest of more enjoyable hunting, the following questions and answers are submitted for your study, as being representative of the many inquiries received from the public each year just previous to the hunting season. Laws and restrictions are always an imposition on carefree hunting; but in order to protect and conserve enough game for future hunts, such regulation is necessary. The following questions and answers may clear up a few points on hunting procedures and, therefore, make your hunting more enjoyable.

If a husband and wife are hunting, each carrying their own permits, may the husband help kill the limit for both ?

Each individual is permitted to kill only the legal bag limit in one day. In helping his wife get her limit he is killing over his daily bag limit.

What are the cold storage regulations on game?

You may place your legal limit of game in a commercial cold storage locker provided it is tagged with a Game Department tag furnished to all cold storage dealers. If others store game in your locker, identification of ownership must appear on the cold storage tag and the individual packages. All game except deer must be used within ninety days after the close of the season. No one may legally hunt if he has the possession limit of similar game killed in this state, in cold storage.

The law states, "No shooting from a public highway at game." How far does the highway extend?

Actually the highway extends from fence line to fence line. This also holds for secondary roads. Remember, if you enter a farmer's land without his permission, you are trespassing.

Is it legal to shoot squirrels with a rifle?

It is, but it necessarily requires caution shooting a rifle anywhere; as the bullet carries often farther than your field of vision. There may be some picnickers or a farmer close by.

Since it is illegal to carry a loaded shotgun in a car, what is considered a loaded gun?

A shotgun is loaded when the shell is in the chamber of the gun. It is not loaded when the shell is in the magazine.

If the limit of birds from another state is brought into Nebraska, what will be the status of this game?

Game legally taken in other states and obviously marked or identified as such, may be used or stored in numbers and for dates permitted by the state from which the game is taken.

Can a cafe operator cook and sell meals prepared from game?

Except for the flesh of coon, or meat legally imported from other states, no game meat may be bought, sold or bartered in any form unless obtained from a legal game breeder, in which cases documentary proof shall be available.

Can game legally taken be shipped to friends or relatives in the state or out of the state?

No game can be shipped anywhere unless consigned to and accompanied on the same common carrier by the shipper.

Can one hunter returning from a hunt, bring back his friend's birds as well as his own?

A hunter may have his legal limit of birds with him, but no more.

Is it illegal to hunt on unposted land?

It is unlawful for anyone to hunt upon any private lands without permission of the owner or tenant.

Can a hunter drift down a stream hunting without trespassing?

So long as the hunter does not touch the banks or bed of the stream, he is not trespassing. However it is much simpler to get the farmer's permission and cease to worry about trespassing.

Is it legal to use ferrets in hunting squirrels and rabbits?

It is illegal to hunt with ferrets or even have them near any place where there might possibly be game of any kind.

Can a dog be trained in the field before the open season on game birds? Is a permit required?

No game can be molested from April 1 to August 1. After this period, dogs may be trained in the field, if under control by the handlers and if only blank ammunition is used; except in legal approved field trials using birds obtained from a licensed game breeder. No permit is required for training individual dogs as above described. However, a written permit is required for field trials by organizations or groups using purchased game.

The law says not to shoot hens, what should be done with one if killed accidentally?

In order to increase the pheasant population, a strict no-hen law is in effect. When one accident was permitted, everyone seemed to have hens in possession. By requiring the hens to be left where they fall, onlv a small percentage of hens are killed compared with previous practices. This means more live incubators for next year. A good sportsman doesn't shoot if there is a question as to sex. Remember one   Outdoor Nebraska—Fall, 1945 11 cock pheasant will service six hens easily. We still have an almost one to one ratio in Nebraska.

Does the shotgun have to be plugged for pheasant hunting?

Shotguns need be plugged for ducks only. However, since pheasant season runs concurrently with duck season, a pheasant hunter is very apt to see some ducks or geese while out pheasant hunting. Better have your gun plugged to hold only a total of three shells.

What can be done in the case of a bird killed outside of a refuge but falling inside the refuge area?

Once in a great while hunters near a refuge will kill or cripple a bird that is able to fly far enough that it falls in the refuge proper. In the instance, the hunter may enter the refuge area and pick up the bird, providing he leaves his gun and dog outside the refuge area.

Does a boy under sixteen years of age have to have a federal duck stamp?

Any boy or girl under sixteen years of age does not have to have either a hunting permit or a duck stamp to hunt. They must, however, follow the legal limits and other general hunting laws and regulations. Anyone under sixteen must have a trapper's permit, if they plan on doing any trapping.

What is the minimum age at which children are permitted to hunt?

There is no minimum age limit. If a youngster knows how to point and handle a gun, he can hunt. However, the mere presence of a minor does not permit an adult to kill his limit for him. Incidentally, some of our best law abiders are the kids. Nothing is more desirable than a dad and his boy hunting together.

Can a man be arrested for shooting a hawk while out hunting?

All birds are protected by law except English sparrow, blue jay, crow, Cooper's hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, goshawk, European starling, bronzed grackle and magpie. The two hawks are narrow-winged, fast-flying, darting hawks. All others are protected as well as beneficial.

Can a hunter still purchase the old hunting script for use when hunting on a farmer's land?

The old hunting script law was abolished in the last session of the legislature.

Can a service man or discharged veteran hunt without a permit?

Nebraskans still in the service, but home on furlough, may hunt without a permit. Service men from other states, but stationed in Nebraska, may hunt on a resident permit while still in the service. Veterans in either group, permanently discharged from the service, will need a regular resident or nonresident permit.

HUNTERS REPORT CARD

Each year, at the end of the season, 5,000 report cards are sent to buyers of hunting permits. An equal percentage of all hunting permit buyers are contacted in all counties. The 5,000 names are taken at random from the county files showing permit sales for the year, and hence any one person is not likely to receive cards in two consecutive years.

For the past three years an average of over one thousand of these cards has been returned, and it is from these reports that the game department gets its best information concerning the statewide kill of game.

The following list contains hunting information obtained from these reports:

Pheasant Hunting 1942 1943 1944 Days in season 31 70 80 Percent of reporting permittees who hunted pheasants 94.5% 90% Days used for pheasant hunting (av.) 4.24 8.07 6.8 Days used for pheasant hunting (median) 5.38 5.07 Av. daily bag per pheasant hunter 2.33 2.38 Av. Season bag per pheasant hunter 11.08 18.8 16.1 Number of shells per pheasant bagged 2.05 2.18 Av. number shells used on pheasants 38.8 35.4 Av. number cripples lost per pheasant hunter 2.42 3.56 3.13 Cripples lost (as percent of birds hit) 15% 16% Potential bag (birds bagged plus cripples lost) 22.36 19.2 Cocks found crippled by previous hunters 0.36 0.8 0.63 Hens found crippled by previous hunters 0.12 0.32 0.26 Dead cock pheasants found (lost by previous hunters) 0.44 0.8 0.73 Dead hen pheasants found (lost by previous hunters) 0.33 0.6 0.57 Dogs used for pheasants (percent of days hunted) 24% 19% Percent hunting in home county only 39% 37.5% 46.1% Percent hunting some in adjoining counties 20% 39.5% 26.4% Percent hunting some in distant counties 41% 23% 27.5% Percent favoring protection of hen pheasants 71.5% Percent opposing protection of hen pheasants 28.5%

Nebraska's king of the day. SIR COCK PHEASANT

 

14 Outdoor Nebraska—Fall, 1945

AROUND THE CALENDAR WITH PHEASANTS

By Levi Mohler

Tramping the weed patches, cornfields, shelterbelts and ditch banks in pursuit of game takes up parts of a half dozen days or so for many Nebraska sportsmen. And they get pretty well acquainted with the big flashy pheasants during that time. But the pheasants are also busy during the remainder of the year.

The months slip by, and the pheasants' routine habits gradually change as one season of the year follows another. Records kept by fieldmen for the game department give an interesting picture of the year-round activities of pheasants — and game department policies concerning pheasant managem e n t are based largely upon the backlog of inf orma t i o n pro v i d e d by these day-to-day records taken from Neb r a s k a's fields.

The Hunting Season

For many years hunting has opened in October in Nebraska. Most of the young pheasants are well grown by late October. In early October, however, it is common to flush flocks of parti ally developed young. Growth is rapid through the month but it tapers off considerably after that.

Pheasants normally reach peak weights in December and tend to lose weight through the winter. Hundreds of cock pheasants have been weighed systematically during recent seasons and average weights are slightly above two and a half pounds. Anything over three pounds is Big, and of several hundred weighed in 1942 and 1943, the top bird tipped the scales at three pounds nine ounces. (I've heard hunters boast about bagging five-pounders but actual bagweights discredit such statements.)

Pheasants in the fall seem to like the company of other pheasants and flocks commonly increase in size through the fall until large numbers are found at favorable locations in late fall and winter.

Cock pheasants outnumber hens when the season opens. The hens are vulnerable to many losses which don't affect the cocks during the nesting and rearing seasons, which is another reason for giving hens protection during the hunting season. The hunting harvest in most areas leaves about equal numbers of cocks and hens and it is doubtful if more than half of the cocks are killed by hunting even in the counties where hunting pressure is heaviest.

Some sportsmen have observed that good - sized flocks in late fall and winter often consist mostly of hens. This agrees with the findings of the game workers—the drab hens show a greater tendency toward flocking while the gaudy cocks are more inclined to fend for themselves or seek the company of smaller numbers.

Winter

Winter can be mighty rough on pheasants. In areas of good food and cover they can stand about anything   nature has to offer in early winter. But later on, when they've lost some weight and when food is less plentiful, the bad storms can take a heavy toll. In late winter of 1943—especially in March and April—snow and ice storms caused heavy losses to northern Nebraska pheasants after many humans thought winter was past history.

In counties where good cover is well distributed the pheasants don't need to move much to prepare for winter. But in the western part of the state, where old tree claims and similar kinds of cover occur on only an occasional section of land, pheasants come from some distance to reach a good spot for weathering a storm. On January 19, 1943, I counted over 1,100 pheasants at eight such locations in a three-hour drive in Keith and Perkins counties. That particular drive—at mid-day following a 20-below zero night—revealed that at many of these areas the pheasant count was over twice what it had been on visits during the previous ten weeks.

March in most years is still part of winter—this in spite of the fact that many Nebraskans didn't need much furnace fire in March of 1945! On warm March days pheasants may stroll out as in later months but the stormy days still find plenty of birds hanging around the good winter spots.

Spring

Everybody knows what spring does to a young man's fancy—and spring has a profound effect upon game birds too. When the warm days of early spring arrive pheasants disperse from wintering areas and within a rather short time the birds are well distributed through the fields, meadows and pastures.

Association of individual cocks with one or more hens takes an upswing in April and becomes even more noticeable in May, the peak breeding month.

My field records for 1942, mostly in Keith and adjoining counties, show the trend of cock-hen associations as spring progresses. In March very few of the females seen were with cocks. In April about two-fifths of the hens had male escorts and this jumped to over three-fourths for May and June. Few hens were seen in June excepting when they left their nests for the feeding period. In July—with most of the nesting already finished—only about one-eighth of the hens were with cocks.

Occasionally people write to us mentioning the "infertile" eggs they have found. We have examined quite a few of these and usually found fertile eggs whose embryos had been killed by chilling or some other factor. An egg that doesn't hatch isn't necessarily infertile. As a matter of fact, fertility is very high in the wild and perfect hatches are quite common.

Cocks begin crowing regularly in late March and the countryside resounds with pheasant calling through April, May and part of June. Crowing is practically over for the year by late July. It would be quite accurate to say that April is the main courting or getacquainted month, May is most important for breeding and egg-laying, and June is the chief hatching period.

Favorable weather in June almost automatically insures a good hatch, while cold, wet weather at hatching time can cut down the annual production of young. Nebraska hasn't had really good hatching conditions since 1942, but late hatching always brings up the total so that the hunter doesn't usually notice much change in the bird supply.

Re-Nesting

If pheasant nests are destroyed before incubation is too far advanced the female will sometimes renest. This renesting characteristic is apparently the reason why fall populations are usually good in spite of poor weather in June— but if the peak hatch in June hits a weather snag the fall population is likely to be down a bit despite the help from late hatches. Individual hens raise but one brood a year and renestings contain fewer eggs than original clutches.

Incidentally, a hen which hasn't seen a cock for some time can still lay fertile, or hatchable, eggs. Through controlled breeding experiments, using wild birds, Michigan found that pheasant hens laid   fertile eggs in a period averaging 20 days after the last mating—and in extreme cases the period of fertility was even longer.

Summer

Although June is the main hatching time very few young pheasants are seen before July. The chicks don't show themselves very much until they are two or three weeks old. In 1945 game commission fieldmen kept records of the early broods. Only two of the men saw young pheasants before June 1 and none of them saw as many as ten different broods before the Fourth of July. 130 broods (the first ten seen by each of thirteen men) averaged 6.2 young per brood. 55 percent of these broods had four, five, six or seven young per brood and only 15 recorded broods had more than 10 young.

The average of 6.2 young per brood isn't much lower than the usual July average—but it shows rather clearly that broods of 10 or more young are the exception rather than the rule. Losses are high among chicks in the first few days or weeks after hatching. The ordinary nest contains somewhere around a dozen eggs—and it's probably a good thing. If only half that number were laid it would be difficult to rear enough young to replace the adult breeding stock!

During June, when the hens are nesting or the chicks are small, cocks are much more in evidence to the observer than are hens. But in July the situation begins to change—the hens, tending their broods, are seen everywhere and the cocks begin to lose their glamour (and their long tails!) and by August most of the adult cocks are rough looking and stay pretty well hidden during the moulting period.

Every year we get letters in August in which the writers express concern at the small numbers of cocks, but before the hunting season opens the cocks are in their splendor of new feathers and are again conspicuous and plentiful. The late July census, an annual event during the past five years, always shows more adult cocks than hens and the young crop is about evenly divided, although it's part of nature's system to produce a slight excess of males.

Of course, not all of the young alive in July reach maturity. Later losses occur but not in such magnitude as right after hatching. In August, 1945, game biologist John Wampole recorded 87 broods, and 394 young which he flushed averaged 5.3 young per brood. Only 5 of 74 flushed broods contained more than 10 young and broods of four, five and six young were much more common than either smaller or larger broods. 79 percent of his August broods were half-grown or larger, indicating the importance of June hatched birds.

Outdoor Nebraska—Fall, 1945 17

HAUNTING HEADLINES — WATCH IT FELLOWS!

  18 Outdoor Nebraska—Fall, 1945 Good Hunting

Outdoor Nebraska—Fall, 1945 19

Some Questions and Answers on Nebraska Quail

1. Why are quail numerous in the southeast and scarce in the rest of the state?

Answer: The southeast has woody or brushy cover on almost every quarter section or less, and quail require this type of cover to give them protection from their natural enemies and from winter storms. The lack of brushy cover, coupled with severe winters, limits quail in most of the state.

2. Why are quail more numerous now than about 6 or 8 years ago?

Answer: The severe winter of 1936 practically wiped out Nebraska's quail. The few remaining quail increased slowly for several years after 1936. During the last 3 or 4 years the population has again reached good levels. With generally favorable nesting and rearing conditions the quail population in many areas has gone about as high as can be expected without further improvement of the land for quail. Quail numbers can be expected to continue at satisfactory levels until a hard winter again cuts the population down.

3. How can I get more quail on my farm?

Answer: The best way to encourage an increase of quail on an individual farm is to provide the living conditions there which quail need. This means, in most cases, (a) to plant and protect shrubs which provide heavy cover, (b) to protect grassy nesting areas from over-grazing, and (c) to see that some winter food is available near the brush or hedges. A few rows or shocks of unhusked corn will come in handy for quail in winter when the going is tough. Remember, a quail cannot travel a long distance to feed as larger game birds do. Farm wildlife reporters' records show that the soil conserving practice of returning some fields to grass has been helpful to quail nesting.

Stocking pen-reared quail is a costly process and cannot be generally recommended as a means of increasing the wild population. Releases of pen-reared quail have been made in Nebraska, but farmers soon found that stocking wasn't necessary because native quail moved in and occupied suitable areas without waiting for man to supply pen-reared birds. As a matter of fact, neither wild birds nor game-farm birds can succeed in an area which lacks basic quail requirements. Hence, development of habitat is all-important.

4. Is a covey the same as a family?

Answer: No. A covey is merely a group of quail, the members of which are not necessarily related. After the young are about full-grown quail go through what is called the "fall shuffle". That is, birds tend to leave their summer broods (which were family groupings) and recombine in groups for the winter covey. These coveys disperse or scatter in the spring, hence mating is not likely to occur within the covey and matings within the original family group are even less likely to occur.

5. Are Nebraska quail smaller now than in former years?

Answer: Although many people believe our present day quail are smaller, this is probably caused by comparing the quail to the pheasant which is really a huge bird by comparison. Quail ordinarily weight from 5% to 7 ounces, with northern and western quail being larger than quail in southeastern states. The only accurate weight information which the Game Commission has on wild Nebraska quail concerns a covey trapped in Chase county in December, 19^1. The 5 birds averaged nearly 7 ounces in weight.

6. Is inbreeding in the wild likely to cause our native quail to deteriorate?

Answer: No. Quail have existed for at least a few thousand years and there has never been any known evidence of deterioration because of inbreeding. There are two reasons for this: (1) There is only a remote chance of anything approaching intensive inbreeding among wild quail because of the natural mixing of the coveys for breeding. (2) Even if it were to occur, inbreeding is not known to have any bad effects provided the initial breeding stock is sound. And it would be difficult to ever get unsound stock in nature since the centuries subject every species to the supreme test of life in the wild.

7. How does the Game Commission get its field information on quail?

Answer: The Game Commission for several years has employed game biologists who gather field information concerning Nebraska's wildlife. One of these men, David Damon, was assigned to quail investigations and spent most of 1941 and 1942 in Pawnee and neighboring counties. During the last four years farmers who act as wildlife reporters have also reported on local conditions each spring and fall. Farmers' records have shown that quail have made a decided comeback in the past four years, but they are abundant over county-wide areas only in the southeast. A special field check in 1944 and 19^5 showed satisfactory results in this

  20 Outdoor Nebraska—Fall' 1945

8. Will an open season on quail endanger our breeding stock?

Answer: A restricted open season, such as Nebraska will have in 19if5, will not endanger the future of Nebraska quail. There are several reasons for this, but perhaps of primary importance is the known fact that quail are usually more numerous in the fall than in the previous spring, and by the following spring the numbers are again down somewhat due to winter losses. A restricted open season is designed merely to harvest some of the fall surplus which would not reach the next breeding season anyway.

Records from our farm wildlife reporters often show about the same numbers of bobwhites present at the end of winter for several years in succession. This is true in spite of the fact that some years are much better for nesting and rearing than other years. A thicket, or other winter area, can successfully shelter only a limited number of quail. That is, the number of quail which can get through the winter at one piece of winter cover cannot go above this number even though a much larger number may be present in the fall.

Taking a game crop—and maintaining a breeding population—may be compared to handling a herd of cattle. If a farmer wishes to maintain a herd at a certain size he knows that he can market annually a number about equal to the calf crop. He expects a high survival, but he also expects occasional losses. His annual marketable surplus is high but his breeding herd is not reduced merely because he sells some cattle each year. In game harvests the objective in a species like quail is to be conservative with the harvest so that sufficient breeding stock will still be in the field for producing the next year's crop.

The daily bag and possession limit of 5 birds is designed to limit the kill. Missouri, Iowa, and Kansas have all found that harvesting of reasonable numbers of quail does not interfere with the succeeding year's production.

9. Is it true that scattering the coveys by shooting helps quail production?

Answer: No. This was an old argument advanced by hunters who wish to justify their own hunting—but it failed to take into account the basic facts concerning quail life and habits. Quail persisted for centuries before the days of guns and they do not require any artificial mixing or scattering since nature has taken care of mixing by natural dispersal and mating of birds from different coveys. The fact that quail did well where shooting occurred was merely evidence that quail were reproducing at a rate sufficient to provide good hunting.

AIDS COMMISSION

DEER HUNTING

The Game Commission has completed arrangements for barracks available without cost for deer hunters during the deer season at Bessey National Forest. The Commission has further made arrangements for a competent chef to prepare the best of dinners for the hunters. The following is the cost and the menu:

Breakfast—75c Fruit or Fruit juice Hot or Cold Cereal Wheat Cakes Eggs Coffee, Tea or Milk Luncheon or Dinner—$1.25 Soup Entrees Sirloin or Tenderloin Steak y2 Fried Chicken with Country Gravy Pot Roast of Beef with Noodles Roast Young Tom Turkey Dressing Fried Catfish Whole 1 lb. each or Other Kind Chopped Beef Steak with Vegetables Beef Goulash with Spatzels Vegetables Potatoes Bread and Butter or Jelly Coffee, Tea or Milk

Outdoor Nebraska—Fall, 1945 21

Sportsmans Widow

Broiled Game Birds

Take a pair of game shears or a very sharp knife and remove backs, wings and neck from a bird which previously has been thoroughly cleaned, and soak out for 3 or 4 hours in cold salt water. This leaves only the breast, legs and thighs intact. The legs can be straightened and fastened with a skewer. Fasten strips of salt pork or bacon over the breast which has been seasoned slightly with salt and pepper and broil over a steady bed of coals or under a 550° oven broiler. Keep your game far enough away from your hot broiling fire so it will not burn or char. Baste often with drippings of bacon or salt pork fat. Turn often so they will cook evenly. Be sure to broil only birds that you are sure are young birds. Older birds should be slow roasted or stewed or braised.

Approximate time for broiling is as follows:

Pheasant, 20 minutes Wild duck (large), 20 minutes Wild duck (small), or teal, 15 minutes Hungarian partridge, 15 minutes Quail, 10 minutes Grouse or prairie chicken, 20 min. Ruffed grouse, 15 to 20 minutes Canadian goose, 1 hour.

Baste often and turn often so that birds will be evenly cooked. Serve with hot biscuits, currant jelly and wild rice as a side dish.

Braised Rabbit

Cut rabbit in pieces as for frying and soak in salt water 3 hours or over-night. Drain and wipe dry. Season with salt and pepper. Brown in hot fat. Place in a "dutch oven" or heavy, covered kettle and add remaining ingredients:

6 pepper corns 4 cloves 3 bay leaves 1 sliced carrot 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 cup water.

Simmer 1% hours or until tender. Watch carefully so that pan does not go dry. If necessary, add more water.

Thicken gravy, add 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet, if desired, and strain. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Baked Coot (or Mud Hen)

With a sharp knife remove the breast and legs only of a mud hen. Skin them out and soak in a strong solution of salt water for 4 or 5 hours. Remove and dry, and place in a covered dish. Add salt and pepper to your birds and % bottle of good dry wine and 1 sliced onion and place in a covered dish in the refrigerator over night. When ready for cooking put the breasts and legs in a roasting pan. Brown the onions that were soaking in a little butter and add to the roasting pan. Also add % cup tomato sauce, salt and pepper, 1 cup consomme and bake in a 350° oven for one and one-half hours, being sure to turn each piece of Mud Hen every 15 minutes. Add 2 jiggers of sherry at the end of 45 minutes, place in the oven again for about 30 minutes. By this time the bird should be well done and tender. Serve with wild rice and make a sauce of what is left in the roaster.

POSSUM

Good only in cold, freezing weather. Never skin a possum. In dressing, dip in scalding hot water and pull out the hairs (like feathers from a chicken). Another way to do is to singe the hairs over a bed of hot coals and then thoroughly wash and scrub off in several waters.

Remove excess fat, soak 3 hours or over-night in cold, salt water. Wash again in fresh water and parboil until quite tender, season with salt and plenty of pepper and dredge thoroughly in flour. Place in roaster. Have ready 8 or 10 sweet potatoes which have been boiled and peeled. Slice in 1% inch rounds and place around the possum. Cover entire possum and sweet potatoes with strips of salt pork or bacon slices. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and add more when necessary, to keep from getting dry. Roast until brown and tender, remove and make thickened pan gravy. Serve with favorite green salad and hot corn bread.

Note: Both coon and possum can also be barbecued.

These recipes are taken from a new recipe book published by Arthur C. Storz, Storz Brewing Company, Omaha, Neb.

22 Outdoor Nebraska—Fall 1945

NEBRASKA 1945-1946 TRAPPING LAWS AND REGULATIONS

RACCOON AND OPOSSUM

Open season, October 25 to February 1, inclusive.

Area open, entire state except federal and state sanctuaries and refuges and state-owned lakes.

Hours open each day, all hours.

Daily bag limit, no limit.

Possession at any time, no limit.

MUSKBATS, BADGER, MINK, SKUNK AND CIVET

Open season, December 1 to March. 1, inclusive.

Area open, entire state except federal and state sanctuaries and refuges and state-owned lakes.

Hours open each day, all hours.

Daily bag limit, no limit.

Possession at any time, no limit.

BEAVER

Open season, December 1 to March 1 unless sooner terminated in some or all counties due to over-trapping as determined by Commission records.

Area open, all of the following counties except federal and state sanctuaries, refuges and stateowned lakes within said counties: Antelope, Blaine, Boone, Box Butte, Boyd, Brown, Buffalo, Butler, Cedar, Chase, Cherry, Colfax, Custer, Dawes, Dawson, Dodge, Douglas, Dundy, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Garden, Garfield, Gosper, Greeley, Hall, Hamilton, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Holt, Howard, Kearney, Keith, Keya Paha, Knox, Lincoln, Logan, Loup, Merrick, Morrill, Nance, Nuckolls, Phelps, Platte, Polk, Redwillow, Rock, Saunders, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Sherman, Sioux, Thomas, Valley, Washington, Webster, and Wheeler. Any county may be closed at any time during the legal open season by the Commission's declining issuance of any additional permits in overtrapped areas, as determined by Commission records.

Permits. Each permit issued shall allow the taking of 5 beaver by licensee in open counties. A fee of $5.00 per permit shall be mailed to the office of the Game, Forestation and Parks Commission, Lincoln, Nebraska, in applying for each permit. No more than 2 additional permits, or a total of 3, may be obtained by the same individual provided further trapping is indicated as being advisable according to Commission records.

Trespass permit slips attached to each permit shall be signed by the landowner or lessee for each beaver taken on said landowner's property. Slips are not to be detached from permit until removed by the Conservation Officer who will keep said slips. All beaver shall be sealed with permanent state beaver seals by a State Conservation Officer at sealing stations to be designated at a later date. A fee of $2.00 each shall be charged for each seal. Any and all beaver taken above the number allowed by the individual's permit shall be considered illegal beaver and become the property of the State to be turned over to the Conservation Officer at the time of sealing legal beaver.

FOXES AND COYOTES

No closed season. No limit.

GENERAL REGULATIONS

All individuals desiring to trap must have a trapping permit regardless of age.

Individuals wishing to take coon with dogs shall have a trapper's permit.

Fee for resident trapper's permit shall be two dollars and fifty cents, except for beaver permits. Non-residents taking one thousand or less fur-bearing animals shall pay a permit fee in the amount of one hundred dollars and five dollars additional for each additional one hundred or part of one hundred fur-bearing animals.

Any individual buying raw fur must have a fur-buyer's permit and keep records in the fur book furnished by the Game Department.

No beaver may be trapped on a regular trapping permit. Special beaver permits must be first obtained from the Game Department. All beaver legally taken must be sealed by State Conservation Officers.

All fur must be disposed of before ten days after the close of the season.

All game shipped directly out of the state must be tagged by a tag available at any place of purchase of permits. Half of the tag is to be filled out in full and mailed to the Game Department at the time of shipping. Additional tags may be obtained by writing to the Game Department.

It is unlawful to trap on the lands of another without his consent.

It is unlawful to mutilate or destroy the house or den of any fur-bearing animals except where causing obvious damage.

It is unlawful to use spears, explosives, chemicals or smokers in taking fur-bearing animals, or to drive them from out of holes, dens or houses.

It is unlawful to use ferrets.

It is unlawful to throw carcasses of fur-bearing animals into waters of the state.

It is unlawful to molest muskrat traps set upon cultivated lands of another unless first procuring consent.

Anyone in possession of live game or fur-bearing animals must have a furfarmer's permit from the State Game Department.