NEXT ISSUE

With a few warm blamy days scattered between the tiresome cold and windy ones sportsmen's attention is drifting from thoughts of the past hunting season to the possibilities of the coming fishing season.

The next issue of Outdoor Nebraska, which will be in your hands by middle April, will be devoted entirely to the fishing possibilities that Nebraska will have to offer you in 1946.

With tires and gas again available and Prospects for availability of fishing equipment, many of you will be seeking the old haunts of five and six years ago. We hope you will find the coming fishing issue of assistance in the realization of your hopes and aspirations for the year 'round 1946 season. We hope that you will keep a record of your 1946 eatch along with photographic evidence that we may use in forthcoming issues °* this publication. Unusually large fish should be weighed on tested scales, Measured and affidavits taken as well as a notation as where caught and type °f equipment used. Nebraska has some national records on big fish and there is n° reason why we cannot have more. In addition to this, many of the national porting magazines run contests for w"ich you would be eligible.

ERNEST BIHLER

Mr. Bihler was elected chairman of the Game, Forestation and Parks Commission of the state of Nebraska at the January meeting- of the Commission. Mr. Bihler, who was appointed Game Commissioner in May, 1943 to fill the unexpired term of Arthur C. Storz, is a commercial photographer residing in Omaha. Mr. Bihler is well-known in Omaha sporting circles as an ardent hunter and is prominent in the ranks of top skeet shots in the state. Mr. Bihler has been active in conservation work for over thirty years.

RALPH KRYGER

Mr. Kryger was elected vice-chairman of the Game, Forestation and Parks Commission. Mr. Kryger was appointed to the Commission in 1943 and is an attorney at law residing at Neligh, Nebraska. Mr. Kryger divides his sporting enthusiasm between hunting and fishing and is an ardent dog fancier.

4 Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946

Deer Hunting in Nebraska

By Levi L. Mohler

The deer hunt in the Bessey division of the Nebraska National Forest was a new experience to most of the Nebraskans present, and it had so many interesting angles that it's a bit difficult to pick out the items which ought to be included in this story.

The deer, the forest, the sportsmen, the State Game Department, and the U. S. Forest Service all had a part in bringing big game hunting to Nebraska. The forest itself is really the key to the whole thing. Deer are scattered all over Nebraska and the rest of the country; but large numbers don't occur anywhere excepting in the vicinity of timber — and everybody realizes that Nebraska is mainly a prairie state. Our timber is in spots, but Nebraska National Forest, near Halsey, has about 25,000 acres of timber within its total area of about 90,000 acres.

As a unit, this forest is unique. The trees were all planted by man, the brain child of Dr. Bessey—otherwise the area would just be more grass1and with only a sprinkling of deer as in the rest of the great sandhill area. The forest was started as more or less of an experiment to see whether or not firewood and fenceposts could be grown in this area where native wood is rather scarce. The deer responded to the increase in cover and, with continued protection from hunting, the large herd developed from less than a dozen wild deer which were in the vicinity over 40 years ago.

To a large extent deer ignore grass in their feeding. Instead, they eat leaves and twigs from shrubs and trees and quantities of other rough forage, including weeds. Low-growing woody vegetation isn't particularly abundant in the sandhills and the planted varieties, mostly pine and cedar, aren't especially attractive as deer foods. So, all in all, deer food or "browse" isn't too plentiful in the forest area. In short the herd, with annual increases running into the hundreds in recent years, has been consuming food faster than nature could provide it.

Signs of an approaching food crisis for the Halsey deer have been apparent in one way or another for at least ten years. But the initial hunt couldn't be held before 1945 since, before that year, Nebraska laws prohibited the killing of deer. The 1945 legislature, recognizing the need for a deer harvest and heeding the sad experience of I other states which waited too long to settle their deer troubles, passed! the law permitting deer hunting and I the December! hunt at Halsey was the first resuit.

Applications for permits came from 86 counties, r which shows there is statewide interest in deer hunting.

The First Deer

Many of the December huntersl saw the forest for the first time. Seeing the forest was an eye-opener to many of them, and the chance to bag a Nebraska deer made the setup really attractive to the outdoorsmen, some of whom were taking their I first outing since the war began. So from the time the first hunter checked in, until far into the night, the headquarters checking station, the mess hall, and the barracks were abuzz with hunting talk.

The enthusiasm was contagious—as Frank Walter of Purdum can tell you. Frank has lived near the forest tot years, but he has thought of other states for his big game hunting. He was at the camp the evening before opening   Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946 5 day, and intended to hunt several days ter, but after talking to other hunters, couldn't wait any longer. So he iumped in the car, made the trip to purdum and back yet that night to get His rifle, and was on hand for opening later, but after talking to other hunters, couldn't wait any longer. So he jumped in the car, made the trip to Purdum and back yet that night to get his rifle, and was on hand for opening >>>>>>> 8beece5549d1fb9585cff18742a077f1c29c59f6 day. His 111 pound doe was one of the half-dozen biggest does of the whole season.

The stories that came out 0f the hunt wou1d fill a book. There was Virgil Call, 0f Anselmo, who brought in the first deer. This happy young hunter declared that he connected on the first shot and missed with the second. Young Call's father was along and it was hard to tell who was most pleased, father or son. And James and Mabel Ridenour, husband and wife, of Merna, who have vacationed together on many western deer hunts, brought out two fine bucks on a cold afternoon. Mrs. Ridenour's buck, which dressed out 182 y2 pounds, was one of the four largest taken in the entire hunt.

Then there was Fred Rush of Sargent, who came in late one evening with a dandy buck. Rush left the head in the timber to save handling all the extra weight — he had to drag the deer a mile or more to his car. Checking the deer, he learned that his buck might have a record Went back next December 8th. Third in antler spread was the buck taken by Edgar Banker of Litchfield on opening day. Al Whitely of Nebraska City took the heaviest buck at 198 1/2 pounds dressed. Next largest was the 187 1/2 pounder taken by Joseph Sedlack of Shelby, and Stan Danekas, Thedford rancher who has watched the deer for years, checked in with the third heaviest — a buck which tipped the beam at 184 1/2.

Plenty of Room for Hunters

Hunters' records showed that deer were distributed about the same as in 1944 when the aerial survey was made and very few hunters got into the extreme western and southwes tern parts of the open area. There were probably several sections not touched by hunters during the season. Most of the nimrods on opening day saw fewer than a dozen other hunters in the field and after the first day each person had things pretty much to himself.

Many hunters took the first, and hence the only, live deer they saw. But the average hunter on opening day saw about seven deer altogether, which is another way of showing that deer are plentiful in the forest.

Does were legal too, and many hunters passed up antlered heads to get females, which are generally considered superior to bucks for fine-flavored meat. For practical deer management, it is actually more desirable to permit killing of both sexes than to take only bucks. There are areas in other states in which herd vigor has deteriorated because of continued killing   of mature bucks. Deer experts who helped plan Nebraska's deer hunting agree that the killing of Tboth sexes is the best way to handle the harvest.

Does are smaller than biicks, but eight does dressing over 110 pounds were taken. The top doe, a 134 pound whitetail, went to Miles Lee of Broken Bow. Only two whitetails were taken in the whole season—most of Nebraska's deer are mule deer. The presence of a few whitetails naturally adds to the hunters' interest.

Experienced Deer Hunters

Nebraskans have always gone to other states in the past for deer hunting so it wasn't too surprising to learn that about a third of the hunters at Halsey had hunted deer before, and many of these experienced hunters were quick to acclaim Nebraska hunting as tops. Frank Tesar, of Omaha, who has hunted big game in Canada and California, declared, "I enjoyed this first Nebraska deer hunt the most of any hunting experience that I've ever had. I have never before seen or knew there were so many deer in such an ideal hunting area and accessibility with ideal accommodations."

Meals at Headquarters Camp

Hunters didn't need to bother with cooking and camping. They bunked in the old CCC barracks without charge, and a camp cook served generous meals in the mess hall. As C. J. Thone of Herman writes, "The mess hall with a good Bull Cook on the job is what I call super-deluxe hunting, and really appeals to us older guys."

The camp was a great place in which to get acquainted. Donald Potts, of Grant, expressed it this way after he got home with his buck—"Shooting my first deer was even secondary to the fine fellowship shown by hunters and! conservation authorities."

Hunter Success

Nearly 80 percent of the hunters who checked in succeeded in bagging a deer, and deer hunting states will tell you that is excellent. In Colorado, for instance, in 1944 between 50 and 60 percent of the big game hunters got their animal, and in 1945 the figure was near 60 percent.

Over half of the gunners at Halsey took deer their first day out. Others took from 2 to 6 days to get the job done which is what a deer hunter usu ally expects. This brings to mind the comment of Ralph Hill, formerly supervisor of Nebraska National Forest. Hill I was on hand to help manage the hunt and he remarked that his deer hunting usually required about a week in con trast to the day or two used by most off the Nebraska hunters. Incidentally sportsmen in the Cornhusker state can thank him for helping to make deer hunting a reality.

Sighting in Guns

Many hunters took advantage of the target range for sighting in their guns and the time required was well worth while. In at least one case a hunter who didn't bother to sight in his gun had several shots at deer in the forest and missed them all. Then, he visited the target range—which he should have done before hunting—and found that his sights wouldn't get him onto the deer target. His hunting time was already used up, so he went home with no deer—   Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946 7 but it's my guess he will do some sighting in before he goes deer hunting again.

Nearly all of the hunters used rifles, with 30-30's, 30-06's, and 30-40 Krags making up about two-thirds of the total. Six deer were taken by shotguns using slugs. 107 yards was the longest successful shot by a shotgun hunter.

For this hunt, Nebraska coyote guns became deer guns, which brings up an interesting point. There are thousands of such guns used for coyotes the year around in Nebraska and most outdoorsmen are well acquainted with coyote guns. So, although deer was new game to many of\the hunters, they were already thoroughly familiar with their weapons. Incidentally, there are many areas in the lake states where deer hunters are most numerous in whole counties than they were at Halsey even on opening day. As was mentioned earlier, hunters had plenty of room. Official safety precautions were given all hunters, but actually a safe hunt was expected. The permittees did their part and a safe hunt was the result.

Conservation officers dealt with four violators. Offenses included shooting after closing time, shooting in the restricted area and borrowing a permit. Federal regulations prohibit smoking in Nebraska National Forest and one permit was revoked for violation of this regulation.

Future Deer Hunting in Nebraska?

Now that one season is past, many people are asking, "Will there be another open season?" At present, it seems likely that deer hunting will be possible in future seasons. Field checks of deer will continue as in the past, and any definite plans for future hunting will necessarily be based on the results of such work.

In addition, similar work will be extended to the Pine Ridge area of the northwest, where deer range is more extensive than in the National Forest.

Annual re-checks on deer will become a part of the routine field work of the game department. One game biologist is on the forest area each week this winter to study population changes, the deer food situation, winter losses and related problems.

Deer hunting isn't likely to become a major activity for Nebraskans, simply because the amount of good deer range is limited. But it definitely made a hit with the "first timers" in 1945. As one happy hunter said when he left the checking station, "I wouldn't take a thousand dollars for the Nebraska deer I got." And there were many others who felt the same way.

Much credit for the successful deer hunt goes to the hunters themselves for their fine cooperation during the hunt, and to Superintendent Brandborg and his men of the Park Service who are in charge of the forest area.

SUMMARY OF 1945 DEER SEASON

Permits issued: 500. Permits used: 448. Legal deer checked out by hunters: 350. Other known kills: 11 (Includes illegals, cripples, deer found dead, etc.) TOTAL KILL: 361. Hunter success: 78 percent. Yield: 2.6 deer per section, including both timber and open grassland. Days hunted: 207 persons used 1 day only; 81 persons used 2 days; 44 persons used 3 days; 13 persons used 4 days; 4 persons used 4 days; 1 person used 6 days. Number of deer taken each day Dec. 1-21: 1-109; 2-44; 3-25; 4-26 5-14 11-8 17-3 6-16; 7-14; 8-20; 9-19; 10-15 12-10; 13-8; 14-9; 15-3; 16-6; 18-0; 19-1; 20-6; 21-5.

8 Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946

A NEBRASKA DEER HUNTING EXPERIENCE

By Guy Burrows

Being one of the lucky ones to draw a license for Nebraska's first open season on deer, at the Bessey division of the Nebraska National Forest, I with two hunting companions, Dillo Troyer, and Chet Austin left Ord on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 2, and arrived at the forest headquarters about 4 p. m.

We checked in for the hunt, and as we had about an hour before closing time, we drove out on one of the trails to look over some of the hunting grounds and try and get an idea where we should go Monday morning.

Monday morning we were up early, and had breakfast about 6:30 at the camp mess hall, breakfast of bacon, eggs, pan cakes and plenty of good coffee. We were soon out in the hills several miles and waited in the car until 8 o'clock which was legal hunting time. At 8 o'clock we got out of the car, loaded our rifles, and started hunting in the timber. We started south from the car and hunted about two circled east about a mile, then worked north until we thought we were about a mile or more north of the car, then west and again south until we found the trail' we had left the car on, then followed the trail to the car.

Chet or I hadn't seen a deer, Dillo had gotten a glimpse of a flag as it disappeared in the timber, but no chance for a shot. So about 10:30 we decided to drive to more open country. Taking the car we drove 7 or 8 miles southwest toward the Dismal river where there were patches of thick timber, some scattered timber and a lot of open country. On the way we saw three other hunters who said they had been in there since morning and hadn't seen any deer. Driving c i a couple of miles we came to what looked to us like deer country. We parked the car by the trail, and decided on starting up some ridges to the west and after hunting about two miles we would swing to the right and making a large circle would come back to the starting point from the southeast.

We had only gone about a quarter of a mile when Dillo sighted a large buck four or five hundred yards ahead. The buck emerged from some thick timber and started up a long hill. Dillo took one shot and missed. Chet then saw the buck and took a 500 yard shot, placing the 150 gr. 30-06 bullet directly under the deer, a clean miss but close. The buck then went over the ridge, and from my position I could see the buck turn back toward a point where I intended to cross over the ridge.

I hurried over the brow of the ridge, thinking I might meet or at least get a shot al him on the next ridge if he crossed the canyon. I went cautiously up the ridge, but did not get sight of him. Wondering where he disappeared so fast, I went to the spot where he stood when Chet shot at hira and there was a good tracking snoWi picked up his trail and to my surprise followed it right back the way I ha" come. Only the buck stayed farther down the side of the ridge, just out of sight.

About 200 yards down the ridge, We had changed his direction and crossed the canyon. After stopping behind sot jack pine turning around and looki over his back trail, he again changed direction, and went over the next rid By this time I had gotten so far away   Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946 9 from my two hunting companions. There was no use trying to catch up with them so I decided to dog this old fellow's footsteps in the snow until I either got a shot at him, or perhaps I might see another.

As I had never trailed a deer before, I was very much interested in finding oUt what he would do. After trailing him over five ridges, I had found several places where he had gone behind a patch of brush or a small bunch of jack pine, and then turned around to watch his back trail. I suppose he had seen me several times, but I hadn't seen so much as his flag. Following his tracks up the next hill, I stopped as soon as I could see the top of the next ridge, looked it over carefully, then took a couple of steps watching carefully. In a depression of the next ridge this magnificent buck stepped out from behind a small clump of jack pine, exposing the front half of his body. Throwing up his head, he waved a set of horns that really looked big. It was only for an instant, but I will never forget the picture he made standing there.

But that one move was his undoing. I placed a 220 grain hollow point just behind his shoulder. He fell and then immediately got on his feet and started walking away. I was beginning to get tired from the miles I had trailed him, and not wishing to take a chance of losing a wounded deer, I placed another bullet in almost the same spot. It was only a 150 yard shot, and feeling sure I had placed them in a vital spot I hurried across the canyon and up to where he had stood. I found him dead about 40 yards from where I had first shot him. Being too heavy for me to hang up alone, I turned him on his back. Pushing his horns in the sand to hold him, I proceeded to dress him out. When finished I began to wonder where I was and where we had left the car. getting my bearings the best I could, I tied a flag (which was a large rag soaked in blood I had used to wipe the inside of my deer) to the outer end a limb as high as I could reach, on a tree that stood a little away from other trees. I found this a great help in locating the spot when we came back for my deer.

I took as straight a line as I could and Aftp across the hills toward the car. After walking over a mile, I saw Chet Getting his attention I signaled him, and coming on to meet me I told him what I had. Dillo stayed with the car adn Chet and I went back for my deer. Going up on a high point above my deer, we could see Dillo standing on a hill a little over a mile away, as this was as close as he could get with the car. He signaled for us to come. Tieing a piece of rope to the buck's horns and putting a stout stick through loops in the rope about 3 feet from the head, we dragged him to the car. After loading him we drove on two or three miles toward the Dismal river, and as I was not allowed to hunt any more I was glad to sit in the car and rest.

We spotted two deer about 400 yards away. Chet and Dillo went up behind a ridge but failed to get sight of them again. After hunting awhile they returned to the car and we drove on again. Rounding the point of a hill we saw two bucks and a doe come out of the timber, cross a valley and go up a side hill. Nearing the top, one buck stopped behind some jack pine. In a moment he stepped out in sight. Dillo promptly put a 30-03 soft point in his right shoulder. The buck came tumbling down the hill toward us, then lay still. I never saw a fellow take longer steps than Chet did going up over that hill. At the top he picked up the tracks of the other two, trailing them over the ridge, and across a canyon. He sighted them going up a side nill 250 yards away. Near the top they stopped to look back. The buck standing a little quartering to him, Chet quickly leveled the sights of his 30-06 and shot for the shoulder. The bullet entered close behind the shoulder, through the chest, and came out just in front of the other shoulder, a perfect shot.

As the hunt was over we drove in to headquarters and to the checking station. Dillo's buck checked in at 128 pounds, Chefs buck at 133 pounds, and mine at 181 % pounds. All four point bucks, and fine specimens.

To say we were three very happy hunters would be putting it lightly. We found everything at headquarters as the Game Commission had informed us. We had a good place to sleep, plenty of good food, and a swell bunch of wardens and rangers, who checked in our rifles and ammunition, gave us information and forest rules, and were ready to co-operate and do all they could to make our hunt enjoyable and safe as possible. Driving home that night, we agreed it was one of the most pleasant and satisfactory day's hunt we ever had.

The number of points on a deer's antlers does not necessarily give a clue to his age. Yearling bucks may have one or two points, while mature bucks may have three or more. Most mature bucks have four points to a side, but the number varies according to condition or "the nature of the beast."

10 Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946

A DIFFICULT DOE

By Lloyd True

A soft snow was gently falling which should make deer tracking very good and having failed to get my deer my first trip to Halsey Forest, I decided to try it once more.

About 9:00 in the morning I loaded my rifle, shotgun, shells, folding cot, sleeping bag, flashlight, a few sandwiches and a thermos bottle of hot coffee and started out.

The snow continued to fall but number two highway was good and I kept on rolling toward the deer hunting territory. Two or three times I was tempted to stop the car and go after pheasants that disappeared down in the cornfields along side the road east of Broken Bow, but the thrill of hunting deer in Nebraska had eased up the pheasant hunting urge so I continued on my way into camp getting there about 4:00 in the afternoon. Upon my arrival George Weidman, an old friend from Gering, greeted me and volunteered to help skin the coyote that I had shot on the way in a field east of Seward. It was an unusual coyote with a white tipped tail, undoubtedly a hybrid.

About this time Bill Darnell from Broken Bow and a friend of his just returned from deer hunting and indicated that they had seen two deer close to camp on the way in from the forest area. After this exchange of expert ences, Bill and I decided to hunt together early the next morning along with the friend of Bill's, who halfway planned on going along.

In our following conversation about guns, I was offered the loan of a 30-06 instead of my smaller 25-35 which I had borrowed from a rancher, John Dienes living near Royal, Nebraska.

Early the next morning, I slipped five cartridges into the 30-06 with the assurance that Bill's friend had plenty more shells if I needed them.

We started up the snow packed hill leading from camp to the hunting area in Bill's pick up after we had told the "checker-outers" the location in which we intended to hunt.

Bill's friend decided the last minute that he couldn't go with us, so when ^e arrived at the spot where we left the car to go into the forest it dawned on me that I had only five shells with which i0 hunt as Bill's gun was of a differefl' caliber.

After a little huddle, Bill decided t0. hunt on the right ridge running v?eS;. and I took the left ridge parallel to BiU' with the idea in mind that we could look   Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946 11 across and see a deer that might jump up in front of us. At frequent intervals, Je would wave at each other to check the location and progress the other was making.

About ten o'clock, I saw some fresh tracks which looked as though a buck was sneaking out ahead of me. I angled toward the top of the ridge so as to be able to see better, and sure enough a nice sized buck was running up a small ravine which cut across the ridge ahead 0n which I was hunting. The buck's head could be seen only at the top of each jump so that the only possible shot was to guess where the head would come up at the top of the next bound. A quick calculation was made, but the bullet and the deer's head didn't come together.

One shell gone, four to go.

Bill hurried across the valley from the other ridge when he heard the shot and we both took up the trail in the fresh snow. We trailed him for about a half mile and again jumped him near the top of a ridge toward which Mr. Deer headed in high gear. Each hunter got a quick shot at the buck's rump as it disappeared over the ridge. We both missed.

Two of my five bullets were now gone.

The snow signs showed no blood so we again took up the trail with quickened steps in hope of seeing our buck over the next ridge. After tracking a little further, Bill said, "look at those two does over there," and sure enough across the ravine on the next row of hills were two does looking at us. Bill said, "that's 500 yards, shall we try a shot?" To which I responded "I am afraid we will never get any closer," so we squatted down in the snow and squeezed off two shots at a signal from Bill.

Three of my shells were now gone.

One of the does was hit and started coming down hill with a peculiar running motion whereas the other one disappeared over the top of the ridge at full speed. We hurried down the hill to the spot where the wounded doe was on tifeen' Sure enough> there was blood on the trail and the tracks were pretty well mixed up which indicated that a leg had been broken. With a couple of whoops of joy we took up the chase and after following her for about a half hour it was 11:30 by now. We came to a spot where she had bedded down and obviously lost considerable blood. We of course expected to see her in the next valley where we would get our finishing shot, but hills and valleys and the forest itself were soon left far behind as we trailed the doe on and on, hour after hour. She was as elusive as a fox and had the stamina of a team of mules.

About 5:30 in the evening, her tracks came to the automobile trail over which we had come into the area. She headed up this trail leaving no tracks. At this point Bill said he was giving up the chase and thought he would go back down the trail and bring the car up to the spot where the doe's tracks left the roadway. I told Bill that I thought I would trail her as long as I could put one foot ahead of the other or until darkness make it impossible for me to see her tracks. A wounded deer should never be left to suffer and then, too, I felt as though she should be just over the next rise of ground.

About a mile from the road I caught a glimpse of her as she darted from a small batch of timber where I got in another quick snap shot which slowed her up considerably.

Four of my shells were now gone.

At this point I broke into a trot in spite of the fact that I thought I would drop in my tracks from exhaustion a few minutes before. The sight of the quarry put new life in my carcass to such a degree that I soon saw her again and so drawing a bead I pulled the trigger which should have been the mortal shot. But just as I fired she gave a lunge and the shot hit her in the groin but did not kill her.

Five shells gone, none left.

She was now down but not dead. I was desperate so I grabbed up a limb off a fallen tree and cracked her over the head with it. But the tree was rotten breaking into many pieces. The doe bellowed and went after me with hoofs flying. The final fight was now on. In order to keep the doe from lashing me with her sharp hoofs I held her off with the remaining part of the broken tree.

By now the moon was coming up and it looked as though this might go on far into the night. So, I decided I would try and finish her off by hitting her over the head with the barrel of my rifle. So after getting a tree between the doe and myself, I hit her a terrific blow with the gun barrel. The blow splintered the stock of the gun but seemed to have little effect upon the maddened doe who continued to viciously attack.

The next day Bill and I went out and got Bill's doe for him and everyone was most happy with the assurance that venison would be on the family menus for weeks to come' and Bill and I are already looking forward to the n«"-'t Nebraska open season on deer.

Some Fawn

  Nebraska's First Deer Hunt 1. A. B. Nebelsick (left), and B. J. Smith both of Lincoln 2. Mrs. Esther Cornelius, Ashland. 3. A familiar landmark, the fire tower. 4. Harry Nincehelser (left), Peru, and Everett Heywood, Peru. 5. Richard Drake (left), Western, and visiting friend Me. Fox, Kansas City. 6. Dr. F. J. Svoboda, Cozad. 7. Al F. Whiteley, Nebraska City. 8. Arthur Ballmer, Cozad.

SKUNK

The skunk needs no introduction. Probably no mammal in North America is better known, less loved, and the subject of more uncomplimentary jokes. And all because Mother Nature equipped it with a pair of scent glands that produce a malodorous fluid and the ability to discharge that fluid with swift and alarming accuracy. This convincing and unpleasant method of defense is found in all of the North American skunks, of which there are three general kinds— the little spotted skunk or "civet," the hog-nosed skunk of the arid southwest, and the large striped skunk. Probably the best known of these is the large striped skunk.

Striped skunks are medium sized mammals, weighing up to about ten pounds, with long, black hair over most of the body. A broad white stripe marks the back of the neck or the center of the head to the shoulders, and continues back as a lateral stripe on either side of the body to the base of the tail. A narrow, white stripe usually marks the center of the face, and the tail is black and white in varying proportions. The amount of white in the skunk's color pattern is subject to much variation; the white may be very extensive, and at other times show only a stripe on the head and back of the neck. These variations have given rise to the trappers' and fur-buyers' terms of "broad stripe," "narrow stripe," and "black" skunks. The black pelts bring the best prices.

Two species of striped skunks occur in Nebraska—the Northern Plains Skunk and the Long-tailed Texas Skunk. These two animals look very much alike, but differ most noticeably in the length of their tails. The Northern Plains Skunk has a tail 10-12 inches long, while that of the Lon-tailed Texas Skunk measures 14-16 inches. The exact ranges of these two species within the state of Nebraska are not well known, but in general it can be said that the skunk of the northern and northwestern part of the state is the Northern Plains Skunk, while the other and commoner form occupies the rest of the state.

The large striped skunks range over much of North America, inhabiting all varieties of country except deep forests and waterless plains. They are most common in areas of mixed woodland and fields, especially pastures, in valley bottoms, along the brushy borders of creeks and in thickets of gulches and rocky canyons. One of their unpleasant habits is a fondness for the vicinity of man. They frequently visit his premises, taking up quarters beneath outbuildings or even under the house. Any convenient shelter seems to satisfy them for a home, and they will occupy the deserted burrows of other animals, small cavities among rocks, a hollow log, or a hole dug by themselves. Old hay and straw stacks often contain skunk dens.

Skunks are mainly active at night, but commonly leave their dens early in the evening and are often seen abroad before dark and after daylight. They eat many items of food, but the largest part of their diet seems to consist of grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, and other insects and insect larvae which they catch in the grass or dig out from under decayed vegetation or rotten logs. They eat some mice, ground-nesting birds and their eggs, reptiles, frogs and toads, fish, and numerous fruits. They are great hunters and despite their short legs often travel long distances in search of food. In the fall they become very fat, and usually with the first snows, they "den up" for a winter's sleep of two to four months. Frequently many individuals are found in the same den and they are usually thought to be the mother and her offspring of the previous spring which have attained full size by mid-winter. When the season of hibernation ends the family scatters and mating begins.

A litter of four to ten blind and naked young are born in April or May. About the size of full-grown mice, they plainly show the adult color pattern. Whe about six weeks old the youngsters into the open and by midsummer be following their mother in her nightly forays.

Now and then a striped skunk visit a farmer's chicken yard with sue See SKUNK on Page Twenty

Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946 15

NEBRASKA "Wolf" Hunt

By J. W. Kimball, Wildlife Biologist

The sign over the door read, "H. E. tfaberman, Dentist." I stamped the snow off my feet and went in. Before I could get the door closed a big voice bellowed, "Hello, Screw-ball!" From the greeting I knew Doc was in. I knew he had no customers at the moment. And I was reasonably sure I would find him up to his elbows in plaster of Paris in the back room. I also knew that until a customer came we would be talking over some phase of hunting.

I had lived in the little town of Pierce, Nebraska, only a short time so Doc and I had not known each other long, but you did not have to know Doc long to know him well. He was a big man with a big voice and a big heart and he was darned proud of his Russian ancestry. Everyone knew him as a good dentist, as a great sportsman, and the guy who always told you exactly what was on his mind.

As I rounded the corner into Doc's backroom he looked up from the pair of false teeth he was folding and said, You going to the wolf hunt Sunday ?"

"I may ba a greenhorn I replied, "but I know you don't have any wolves, and don't try the snipe hunt gag either."

Doc did the talking for the next fifteen minutes. As usual, he started out by cussing me for calling myself a wilde biologist and not knowing what kind of game we had, etc. But by the time Whgot through I had a pretty good idea at a Nebraska wolf hunt was.

Usually, the hunt is organized to include an area six miles square. Line captains are chosen and the hunt is advertised with hand bills and notices in the local newspapers. This usually results in a turnout of from two hundred to four hundred armed hunters plus an unpredictable number of spectators.

It didn't take Doc long to convince me that my education would be sorely neglected if I didn't participate in a few wolf hunts. I had done some coyote hunting with a rifle and insisted that these organized mass hunts sounded like a crazy way to hunt anything, but at two o'clock sharp the following Sunday we arrived at the center of the east line to take part in the hunt. We had to be on the east line because there was an east wind and Doc had concocted the theory that when the coyotes found themselves surrounded they would always try to smell their way out aaginst the wind. Doc had another theory too. He always had theories. He said it was best to start in the middle of a line rather than at a corner because as the roundup was approached the hunters would crowd up at the corners and the coyotes would try to break through the center of a line where the hunters were spaced a little farther apart. I suspect Doc's knowledge of geometry was responsible for the second theory. It doesn't take much knowledge of geometry to figure out that the distance to walk to the center of a square from the center of a side is shorter than it is if you start at the corner. Doc is a little on the heavy side and every step counts.

Each side of the square had a line captain and as usual the men at the corners of the square were instructed to   start fifteen minutes early to compensate for the greater distance they had to walk. Being in the center of the side we started at two o'clock and from the time that Doc stepped over the first fence no one again heard from the line captain. Doc took over and shouted him into oblivion. His almost continuous bellowing went on about as follows:

"Hey, you guys to the south! Keep moving! This line is as crooked as a stump rancher's fence. . . . Jim, close up that gap between you and the bird with the red hat. A moose could run through there and not know the hunt was on. . . . Slow down, you fellows to the north. You can't run a wolf down . . . Etc. . . . etc."

Now, you might think that all this shouting would be an annoyance, but not so. In fact, after the first hunt I was always careful to get in the line close to Doc. In the first place, Doc did keep a straight line and in the second place, a hunt without his constant roaring would have something lacking. It would be like a 'coon hunt without a baying hound.

Now the shooting started. What, you say, coyotes already? No, coyotes are seldom seen in the first mile, but the rabbit shooting had begun and the firing tempo increased from here on until it finally became almost a continuous roar.

Both black-tail and white-tail jack rabbits are plentiful in Nebraska, and at this moment a large white-tail offered me a bounding thirty mile per hour crossing shot. I missed and Doc hollered something about a biologist who couldn't hit a bull with a scoop shovel. Then he missed the same rabbit and was advised to go back to tooth grinding.

But not all of the rabbits were missed, At first, they would often flush wild and run straight away from the line, but they were forced farther and farther from their home range they would skirt the line and try to break through, Occasionally one would be successful but more often he would end his destructive career in a long roll. The successful shooter was then obliged to carry him to the next section line road where he would be picked up by following trucks and hauled to the final roundup.

As pheasants were my major research problem at the time, I was much interested in their behavior during these hunts. In fact, before the winter was over I had up to forty hunters cooperating with me on a pheasant survey. Each man wore a white handkerchief on his hat and recorded the birds which passed out of the circle between him and the next man with a white handkerchief to his right. From these records it was determined that we had a winter pheasant population of about one hundred birds per square mile and a 50-50 sex ratio. It was also interesting to note that as the center of the roundup was approached, many cock pheasants would become so exhausted that they could be caught by hand. It was not uncommon to see a hunter pick up a cock and toss him into the air to give him a start, Once, I saw a cock take flight only to fold up in the air from sheer exhaustion as if he were shot. After that he ran bewilderedly among the crowd of hunters like a domestic chicken. I never saw a hen pheasant get herself into such a predicament. Either the hen has greater endurance or she hides out before being driven into the center of the ring.

But to get back to the story of my first wolf hunt. The big thrill came as we topped the crest of a knoll and saw the first coyote racing across the field ahead. Had I been a farmer who had lost the profit from my poultry flock to the depredations of coyotes, I would probably have viewed this animal with a mad lust for revenge. But, I am not   Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946 17 a farmer and, devil that this animal may have been to the poultry raisers, I found myself admiring his grace of movement and the amazing speed with which his slender legs and dainty feet pushed field after field out behind him.

The circle of advancing hunters had narrowed to little more than a mile in diameter now and, at the sight of the prey, there was a deafening din of shouts. Jackrabbits were forgotten for the moment and everyone was following Doc's practice of shouting directions to the other fellow. As the coyote went over a hill toward the south line there was a roar of shotgun fire but we could not see the results. Now another coyote started straight toward us, but before he got within range someone fired a shot and he turned. We stewed about the fellow who had made the untimely shot but later learned that some keen-eyed hunter had spotted a coyote hiding under a Russian thistle a few feet away and had practically put the muzzle of his gun in the animal's ear and fired.

As we approached the white flag which marked the center of the roundup, everyone stopped and fired at the luckless rabbits or coyotes which tried to leave the ring. When the shooting seemed to be over someone shouted, "Unload!" The shout was taken up around the line and the clanking of pump guns was heard from all sides as all the guns were emptied.

Was the hunt now over? No, the most interesting part was just to begin. While the officials of the hunt were collecting all of the rabbits and coyotes in a big red truck, old friends met and farmers discussed the price of corn and which brand of hybrid seed had been the most successful, and they related memorized paragraphs from letters from their sons overseas.

Now the game had all been collected and the three hundred hunters and a hundred spectators gathered around the big red truck. It was time for the auction arid someone climbed up on the truck and called for an auctioneer. There is always one or more auctioneers among several hundred farmers and before long a well known one climbed onto the truck. Before starting the babble which is understood only by those who have attended a number of auctions, he explained that, as usual, all of the revenue from the hunt would be divided between the U. S. O. and the Red Cross.

Four coyotes and 350 rabbits were in the truck, and when I got into position to take a picture of the day's kill, there, sure enough, was Doc standing on the truck holding a coyote by the hind legs and grinning into the camera. The rascal hadn't fired a shot at a coyote and how he got hold of that one I never learned.

The first coyote was held up and, after lively bidding, the auctioneer shouted, "Sold to Charlie Chilvers for ten dollars!"

Charlie shouted back, "Sell it again!"

Charlie didn't want the coyote but it was one way of donating ten dollars to a worthy cause. And Charlie wasn't the only one. Some of the coyotes sold three or four times each.

The rabbits were all bought by one man for ten cents each. He may have skinned them and sold the skins at a good profit, or he may have figured the animals were worth that much as hog food. Mink ranchers also bid on the rabbits.

Now the hunt was officially over and the U. S. O. and the Red Cross benefited by a donation of nearly one hundred dollars. Three hundred physically tired but mentally rejuvenated men returned to businesses or farms for another week of long hours and nerve straining war work. Because Doc says what most people just think, I know how most of these men feel about a wolf hunt. When he dropped his heavy frame into the front seat of the car, he groaned that this was his last wolf hunt for this year. Most of the way home he went on proving to me that a man was a fool to wear himself out on the darned things because a fellow doesn't have more than one chance in fifty to get a shot at a coyote. I was too tired to argue and knew that next Sunday morning Doc would call me.. I knew too that he would have clippings from the local newspaper and handbills describing the time and location of the next hunt. And I knew, too, that he would have it all figured out just how we could get in on the kill this time.

Though I have never heard of anyone getting hurt on one, you would expect the Nebraska wolf hunt to be a most dangerous sport. And, if it were not for the good judgment and gun sense of American sportsmen, it surely would be. It is really amazing that so many men carrying loaded shotguns and firing at wild running rabbits and coyotes can get together without shooting each other. If a future Hitler or Hirohito ever plans an American conquest, it would be well to take him out on a wolf hunt. He would soon realize that the wild game of this country has been responsible for training and equipping the finest potential underground army in the world. Every house has from one to a dozen guns and every gun has an owner who is a marksman.

Proposed antelope group and setting. PROGRESSIVE . . .

By The Editor

WHEN progressive steps are taken by any agency in the education of the public along conservation lines such activities are always appreciated by the Game Commission. Local wild life groups, state and national conservation clubs as well as the Soil Conservation Service, the Conservation and Survey Division and the Extension Division of the University have all been active along with the Commission in such educational programs. It is most gratifying to note further emphasis being given the program by the Nebraska State Teachers Association and especially the University of Nebraska.

Dr. C. B. Schultz, director of the University of Nebraska State Museum, has recently developed a new plan which when completed will be one of the finest educational display units in the country pertinent to wild life. This exhibit calls for a permanent installation of natural habitat groups showing mounted specimens of Nebraska's various kinds of native birds and mammals as one would find them in their native suroundings over the state. Each group will be developed in a natural setting depicting the type of surroundings existing in Nebraska as frequented by the various species. Painted backgrounds with actual natural foregrounds will set off beautifully the animals themselves which will be mounted by use of the newest museum techniques. Actual artist cor ceptions of a few of the habitat group are presented accompanying this articl as drawn by the museum staff artis Mr. N. L. Mohler. Sixteen differer localities in Nebraska will be reproduce in the new educational exhibits, dozen of birds and small mammals common to Nebraska will be displayed in the various natural habitat groups in addition to the large habitat groups of the antelope, deer and other larger game animals.

The wildlife exhibits in the hall wil be financed by donations made to th University of Nebraska Foundation foi this purpose. Any individual organizec group can make gifts to the foundatioi for the benefit of the University of Nebraska State Museum with full assurance that the money will be carefully husbanded and its use administered in accordance with the desires of the donor A hall of Nebraska's birds and animals is one of Nebraska's important needs today. An exhibit of this type will show the representative wildlife of the state in natural habitat groups. Nebraska is a large and beautiful state but few people realize the extent of its beauty. The habitat exhibit will be exact reproductions of the animals with their natural surroundings. A visitor in the purposed display, therefore, could get a good conception of the varied wild life and types of landscapes to be found in Nebraska. The State Izaak Walton League is planning on sponsoring certain of these groups. Private sportsmen in various parts of the state have already indicated their desire to cooperate with this project. Such groups and individuals are to be congratulated for their foresightedness in cooperating with Dr. Schultz in the furthering of such projects pertinent to wild life conservation and education in the State of Nebraska.

Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946 19

Conserving Nebraska History

By Merrill J. Mattes, Acting Regional Historian, Region Two, National Park Service

In the United States and Alaska there are today over 100 national monuments, established on the basis of the so-called Antiquities Act of June 8, 1906, by which the Congress authorized the President to set aside, by public proclamation, lands owned or controlled by the United States containing historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest. Two of these national monuments— Scotts Bluff and Homestead — are located in the State of Nebraska.

Scotts Bluff National Monument, containing one of the great landmarks of the old Oregon-California Trail, was created in 1919 and is situated on the south bank of the North Platte River near the cities of Gering and Scottsbluff in Scotts Bluff County at the extreme western end of the state. Homestead National Monument of America, the site of the first claim filed under the Homestead Act of 1862, was established in 1939, just 20 years after Scotts Bluff, and is to be found near Beatrice in Gage County, near the southeast corner of the state. Both areas are administered by the National Park Service of the U. S. Department of the Interior. The Region Two headquarters of this agency is located in Omaha.

The story told at Scotts Bluff National Monument is that of the mass migrations of the mid-nineteenth century across the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. Prom 1843, the year of the first large-scale expedition, to 1869, when the Union Pacific Railroad was completed, countless thousands of Easterners and Europeans followed up the treeless mirage-like valley of the Platte in their ox-drawn covered wagons, destined for settlement in Oregon, Utah and California. Braving the hardships of the trail—Indian attack, cholera, treacherous quicksand and stream crossings, the blinding glare of the sun and choking clouds of dust—they carried the banner of Democracy westward and extended the boundaries of the United States "from sea to shining sea."

There is a paved road to the summit of Scotts Bluff from where the visitor can obtain a bird's-eye view of the North Platte Valley migration corridor. At the Monument headquarters area at the foot of this road where it intersects with State Highway 86 is a museum building. The main wing features dioramas, water color drawings and historical relics which graphically portray the evolution of the Frontier. Another wing contains exhibits related to the geology and paleontology of Scotts Bluff. "Authenic remains of the old Oregon Trail can be seen paralleling the trans-Monument highway, in historical Mitchell Pass west of headquarters, and along the western slope of the bluff. The Monument Custodian and his staff offer interpretive talks at the summit area and in the museum, and conduct hikes over the old Oregon Trail. All facilities are free except for a fee of 25 cents for an annual automobile permit on the Summit Road.

Homestead National Monument is a   20 Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946 relatively new area and there has not yet been a similar opportunity for the development of administrative and interpretive facilities. However, it is planned after the war to erect a museum building and other facilities which will tell the story of "homesteading" in Western America, a movement of tremendous political, economic and social consequences. Here, at the site of the 160 acres selected by Daniel Freeman of the Union Army as the "First Homestead," will be another shrine of history.

Here there will be an opportunity to depict the evolution of American land policy from colonial times, culminating in President Lincoln's signature on the Homestead Act and the great sweep of settlement westward after the Civil War; the administration, the benefits and abuses of the Homestead Act; the agricultural revolution; the drouth, blizzards, grasshoppers, poverty, and other hardships of the homesteaders; their resourcefulness, determination, thriftiness, courage and vision; their social, religious and educational activities; their tools, implements, weapons, furniture; their food, clothing and shelter; and finally, the profound effect of the homestead movement on Twentieth Century economy and Twentieth Century thinking.

After the War when Americans take up their old custom of traveling far and wide throughout their vast, colorful and dynamic land, they will once again renew their acquaintance with the nation's historic sites, excellent places, incidentally, to find out "what we have been fighting for." Once more Scotts Bluff on the Oregon Trail and the First Homestead, at opposite ends of Nebraska, will loom large on the horizon of history.

SKUNK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

disastrous results that the farmer thereafter wishes to kill all skunks on sight. Before wholesale retribution is levied against the black-and-white offender, it should be remembered that their insect and rodent-destroying habits render them of some value to agriculture. The occasional chicken-thieving individual can usually be dealt with by the farmer to the satisfaction of both himself and the game authorities. One of the skunks' truly bad traits is their destructiveness to breeding upland game birds and breeding waterfowl. Trapping will probably maintain their numbers at a generally non-injurious level.

Although skunks move with the deliberation of one without fear of personal violence, they are subject to attaci, by coyotes, badgers, foxes and great horned owls. The big owls seem k show a special fondness for skunk meat these birds often carrying with then' undeniable evidence of recent encounters

As a skunk ambles slowly along, its tail is carried slightly elevated. When suspicious of attack, it raises the bushy plume aloft, warning all who behold to "git goin'." If the disturber refuses to take a hint, so unmistakable to the in. itiated, the skunk promptly presents a rear view plus a discharge that puts most enemies to sad but wiser flight. It is sometimes thought that the musli of the skunk is scattered by the long hairs of the tail. Actually the spray is ejected from two little tubes connected with the scent sacs on either side of the anus. The evil-smelling fluid has nothing to do with the skunk's urine, but is a secretion of anal glands, a clear, amber or greenish colored and rapidly evaporating liquid. Chemically it is a mixture of sulphur-containing substances and is highly acid. It is very irritating to tender tissues such as the eye, but has been found to be noninjurious.

The striped skunk is the most important upland fur animal in Nebraska. It ranks second only to' the muskrat in numbers taken and, during the past several years, in total cash receipts. Fur takers reports show that the average trapper took ten skunks in the 1944-45 season. In the 1941-42 season the average take was twenty-one skunks. This decline is probably in part due to price-ceilings, but is also thought to be a result of decreased numbers of skunks to be taken.

Ranchers in Cherry county have a delicate way of removing skunks from beneath dwellings without indelicate after-effects. An ordinary steel trap is set in the hole or runway, but instead of being staked on the spot it is fastened to a chain or wire about fifteen feet long. Care should be taken to ascertain that the trapped animal can't get under the building. When the smellcat is caught, the trapper approaches the outer end of the chain and leads him away without arousing his aroma. At a safe distance (in the lee of prevailing winds) the culprit can be executed and the house saved from lingering memories of the striped inhabitant. This idea is based on the fact that skunks, when trapped, do not often expell their muslf until approached by humans. The secret of success in this method is approaching the outer end of the chain without greatly exciting the skunk, and leading, him away as cautiously as possible.

Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946 21

Kearney Wildlife Club Sets Precedent

Congratulations are in order for the members of the Fort Kearney Wildlife Club at Kearney, Nebraska. This Wildlife Club of long standing is not only an active cooperating agency with the Game Commission but is also a working example of the desirability of developmg Junior Wildlife Clubs and Ladies Auxiliaries over the state. The members of the club, under Frank C. Guenther, president, have a junior membersnip of 52 boys and a Ladies Auxiliary of nearly 200. The boy's organization is only six months old while the Ladies Auxiliary has been in existence nearly two years.

Other clubs in the state might be invested in a summary of the articles of filiation of the Junior Fort Kearney Midlife Club.

The purpose of the club: The general purpose of this club shall be to assist in Preservation, restoration and propagation of wild life both local, state and fed nal; to c00Perate with the state and aeral game forestation and park comssions in protecting, caring for and evePagating fish' game and wild life rvwhere and especially in the vicinity of South Central Nebraska; to promote and support legislation beneficial to said objects and the sportsmen of said territory; to promote education and study of all wild life including birds, animals, fish, plants and trees, the proper skill, application and use of firearms, fishing tackle, boating and safety measures in the use, application and participation in all outdoor sports incident thereto and to accept gifts and donations and carry on other activities pertaining to or helpful to the things and objects herein stated and for the purpose of carrying out and promoting the objects of the Senior organization namely Fort Kearney Wildlife Club.

Membership fees are fifty cents per person with sixteen the maximum age limit. Any member may be suspended by three-fourths vote for a game violation. There are seven directors and the president is ex-officio chairman of the executive council of the board of directors.

These boys have regular monthly meetings not at the same time as the adult club but under the immediate supervision of the adult club.

Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946 22

Negative and Positive Factors IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

By Paul T. Gilbert

One of the assigned duties of the Game Commission is the protection and jurisdiction over the wildlife of this state. As a result of this assignment there has come into being our present game code and division of law enforcement through the medium of fourteen conservation officers stationed over the entire state. The birth of the game code follows closely that of other laws in the Nebraska statutes.

In the early days the law was primarily in the hands of the individual and as a result lynchings and shootings were common in the instance of cattle rustlers, horse thieves and the like. It was likewise during this period that the game of the state was dependent entirely upon the integrity of the individual and its protectors were far out-numbered by those who ruthlessly depleted the existing game populations by wanton slaughter. As game populations decreased conscientious sportsmen demanded that a law enforcement agency be established to regulate and protect the remaining game populations. Prom this has emerged our present game code.

It is indeed unfortunate that the conscientious hunter and fisherman must have carefree recreation inhibited by the necessity of familiarizing himself with pages of laws and regulations pertinent to his pleasures. Such restrictions of necessity were placed upon masses as a whole because of the commercializing and selfish meat hunting tendencies and habits of a few.

With the advent of the Game Warden arose certain public visualizations also, ascribed to other law enforcement groups such as rangers, highway patrolmen, sheriffs and internal revenue officers. Such officers were visualized as rough, tough individuals of questionable intelligence hiding in the bushes viciously awaiting the prey, who, of course, was Mr. Average Citizen, to commit a minor violation in order that arrest could be made and accompanying costs and expenses gobbled up by the arresting officer. Such attitudes have practically dissolved into the past as all branches of law enforcement have proven their value through the use of high type intelligent public relation officers, schooled in cooperation, education and protection of Mr. Average Citizen from the inroads of the violating minority. Law enforcement is but a small part of a conservation officer's activities. It is this officer's desire and assigned duty to assist hunters and fishermen in the field, pointing out newer and more sportsmanlike methods of talc. ing game, assisting the outdoor youth ij becoming acquainted with methods of outdoor procedure and the issuing 0f other practical information pertinent to the use and application of the state's natural resources. In some instances where education and warning fail, the arrest is left as the only alternative, a relative few can be educated only through the channels of fines and confiscations. Such arresting procedure is for the most part however a negative influence. The arresting officer receives no personal gratification from the making of arrests except in severe chronic cases and the violator is usually left with a feeling of antagonism. Far more wholesome law enforcement results, as far as the minor violator is concerned, are to be derived from a cooperative educational campaign. Conscientious sportsmen over the entire state can do as much or more in reducing the violations in their area by friendly criticise! of the individual in question than in any other procedure. A good example of this is shown in this year's coyote hunts. In some areas, participants in coyote hunts have failed to realize that the game birds caught within the boundaries of the narrowing ring of hunters are the incubator and the golden egg of next season's hunting, with the result that the birds were killed, thereby reducing prospects for fall hunting populations, It has been of extreme interest to note that in areas where local conscientious sportsmen participated in these hunts their personal criticism of any offenders has resulted in cleaner future hunts with no personal continued antagonism from the violator as compared to cases where arrests were made. It appears that a friendly word of criticism sinks deeper with more cooperative results than the actual arresting of such an individualIn obstinate cases arrests are being made, and will continue to be made in a gentlemanly manner, in spite of any local opposition such as occurred on one hunt, where a few individuals physically interferred with such an arrest. individuals directly connected were arrested and fined $50.00 each for interfering with the normal procedure justice. In the majority of cases ho ever, friendly cooperation with the coservation officer and neighborly criticism of minor violators personally instigated through conservation understanding, as personified in all local wild groups, will be the keynote of go hunting and fishing practices in future.

23 Outdoor Nebraska—Spring, 1946

BOUNTIES DON'T DO THE JOB

Whenever coyotes reach peak numbers there is always a great surge of enthusiasm bent towards coyote contr0l. And no wonder—for the longtailed "pan-handlers" annually cause untold headaches to poultry growers and stockmen.

During the winter of 1946 the talk of coyote control has been a popular point for discussion, and the "wolf hunts" which have been so popular in many counties have yielded hundreds—perhaps thousands—of flesh-and-fur specimens aS evidence that these dogs-of-the-prairies are abundant this year.

Almost invariably the talk of what to do about coyotes ends up in some highsounding and ambitious claims for bigger and better bounties. So it is certainly an appropriate time to consider the pros and cons of bounties.

Bounties on coyotes, wolves, foxes, bobcats and other predators have actually had a thorough trial in many states and under a variety of local conditions. A study of the happenings of the past leads to the one conclusion—that bounties cost a lot of money without producing any important control upon the bountied animals.

Michigan, for example, has had over 100 years of experience—not to mention the million-and-a-half dollars spent—on bounties and predators. And their conclusions are typical of bounty studies. Michigan says, "During this period the various predators have passed through the phases of their natural cycle, now up, now down, just about as they would have done had no bounties ever been paid."

The theory behind a bounty is that People seeking the bounty will kill enough coyotes (or wolves or bobcats, as the case may be) to cut down the Population. But it doesn't work out that Way. In the first place, the people who hunt for bounty are already hunting MUite a lot without the bounty. Hence 1 bounty becomes a sort of reward to nose already taking predators rather r5an stimulating an increased total take ot Predators,

Then, if the bounty payment is boosted higher, bounty trapping becomes so profitable that trappers aren't interested in reducing populations. Instead, they resort to all manner of ways to hold the breeding population high-—such tr Pelting only males and releasing trapped females to bear more young. (There are many cases on record of federal trappers catching large numbers peg-legged females in bounty areas— females who were released from traps by bounty hunters. And in sheep areas, it is common knowledge that peg-legged females are among the worst killers.) The federal coyote control men even go so far as to state that it is futile to attempt to operate an organized hunter system in conjunction with a highly remunerative bounty.

During 1944, according to records of county clerks, about 9,638 coyotes were bountied in Nebraska—but trappers' reports showed that coyotes weren't necessarily bountied in the areas where coyotes were most numerous. In fact, county records show that many border counties may have had considerable traffic in coyotes-for-bounty not only across county lines but state lines as well. Of course, such traffic isn't legal, under the bounty law, but the record indicates that it happens nevertheless.

Combining trappers' reports and county records, it appears that counties which pay no bounty still do their share of coyote trapping and save themselves the bounty fee. Other counties actually waste the bounty fees without noticeable reduction in coyote numbers. In fact, recent complaints in bounty-paying areas indicate that coyotes have actually increased.

Feeding habits of meat-eating animals in any range depend upon the availability of various foods within the range. When rabbits and rodents are numerous there are relatively few complaints against coyotes. Not only in the midwestern states, but in Canada as well, complaints against coyotes are numerous when rabbits are scarce. The complaints, of course, are directly in line with food trends. Coyotes in farming country turn to foods such as poultry and domestic animals when other foods are scarce.

It is common knowledge that rabbits were scarce in practically all of Nebraska a year ago. And man's activities in rabbit killing may have forced the coyotes to turn more and more to poultry during the rabbit shortage. The person who said, "The coyote is a trader —you take the rabbit and he'll take a chicken"—may have been right after all!

Memory will tell us that a good rabbit crop or two will be much more effective than bounties in lowering the damage to domestic animals by coyotes. In the meantime—if past experience and hard cash mean anything—let's not go off the deep end in wishful thinking and fancy bounty plans. For the records show that: 1. Bounties cost a lot of money. 2. Bounties don't control predators effectively.