2 Outdoor Nebraska—1946

NEBRASKA

Nebraska Some folks have a state where the coyotes wail That they want to be deep in the heart of. While others keep singing, "Oh, carry me back . . ." To a state that I'd have no part of. Some other lost soul keeps sayin' he's goin' Right back where he started from. But he couldn't have liked those parts very well Or else he wouldn't have come. Me, I'll take a state where, on every hand, There's samples of all the rest. So, though I'm no poet and darned well know it, Here's what I'd get off my chest: From the bluffs of the old Missouri Where oak tree sentinels stand, To the pine ridge hills of the rolling plain, It's a wonderous fertile land. Add the golden waves of the ripening wheat To the crackle of stalwart corn. Here, the creed of the West, which is creed of the best, In each prairie heart is born. The sons of the son of the pioneer Who called this state his own Are kin to traditions of the heritage That makes Nebraska home. —Paul thygeson gilbert.

Outdoor Nebraska—1946 3 Vol. 24 No. 2

Published quarterly at Lincoln, Nebraska, by the Game, Forestation, and Parks Commission, State of Nebraska. Subscription price 25c a year; $1.00 for 5 years.

THE ACORN PRESS LINCOLN NEBRASKA STAFF Editor PAUL T. GILBERT Ass't Editor ROALD AMUNDSON COMMISSIONERS Ernest Bihler, Chairman Ralph Kryger, Vice-Chairman Dr. C. H. Silvernail Cloyd Clark Clarke Wilson

CONTENTS

"Nebraska"—Paul T. Gilbert ..P. 2 "Tough Assignments"— Levi L. Mohler P. 4 "Let's Get Together"— Rod Amundson P. 9 "Catfishing Tricks"— R. A. Jenkins P. 11 Center Spread—Nebraska Fishing P. 12 "Don't Let the Big Ones Get Away"—Ralph Velich P. 14 "Nebraska Can Have More Quail Hunting"—David Damon P. 16 "Visual Instruction in Wildlife Conservation" P. 20 "In The Mail Bag" P. 22 A Scene from One of Nebraska's Beauty Spots Cover

WHO'S WHO IN THIS ISSUE

In "Tough Assignments" Levi Mohler sums up some of the problems that have confronted research and game management workers of the Game Commission over a period of years. Mohler began working for the Commission in the summer of 1941 after completing a course in Game Management at Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa, where he received an MS degree in Zoology.

Now residing in Lincoln, Mohler is coordinator of research under the Pittman-Robertson program, but spends a great deal of time out-state tackling game problems.

With more or less of an editorial slant, "Let's Get Together" analyzes the farmer-sportsman relationship which is due for plenty of discussion with the vastly increasing number of nimrods and anglers taking to the fields. Rod Amundson returned from nearly three years service with the Army Engineer Corps, having spent two years in North Africa, Italy, with a couple of weeks on the French Riviera thrown in for good measure.

Ralph Velich, who wrote the lucid article on mounting fish completed work on a bachelor's degree at Nebraska U. this spring and is at present studying at Iowa University. Velich earned his way through college by working as a taxidermist for the University, having become interested in taxidermy as a hobby several years ago. Velich has mounted a number of specimens for Game Commission exhibits, and his services will be welcomed again on his return from Iowa.

David Damon has been working on quail problems in Nebraska since 1941 with an enforced interruption to serve with the U. S. Navy. Dave was in Okinawa on V. J. day. In his article on the possibilities of more quail shooting in the state, Damon has used information that he has obtained and evaluated over a period of years. Dave spends a little time in Lincoln at the Game Commission laboratories near the state fair grounds, but mostly he can be found where there are quail and things to be learned about quail.

4 Outdoor Nebraska—1946

TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS

By Levi L. Mohler Nebraska's Game Biologists Have Come Up With the Answers to Some Tough Problems. Here Are Some of the Problems and How They Were Solved.

Game birds, fish, deer and fur-bearers have great appeal for many Nebraskans, and in 1945 nearly a quarter of a million people bought permits entitling them to take one or more kinds of game, fish, or fur. A quarter of a million is a lot of people, and it takes a lot of fish and game to satisfy this "army" of men and women who love outdoor recreation.

Year in and year out, Nebraskans take more game and fish than people in many other states which could be singled out, and providing the populace with hunting, fishing and trapping of worthwhile proportions is a king-size job with the state Game Commission.' A job that big can't be well handled by guesswork, so wildlife research men, or game biologists, are given the task of getting the facts upon which to base the management of game species. Nebraska's game research work was given a big boost by the use of money made available by the Pittman-Robertson act. Fisheries research, which is badly needed in the state, hasn't kept pace with game research largely because of the lack of a Federal Aid setup for work with fish.

What's the Answer? The shotgun-toter is interested particularly in such things as opening dates, closing dates, bag limits, etc., not to mention a good source of shells in these times! But the game department must take into consideration the game supply before the regulations are set up for each season.

Many interesting letters, usually helpful, and almost always sent in by well-meaning citizens, are received each yearby the game department. If all the suggestions in these letters could be followed the regulations would read something like this: Close the state to pheasant shooting. Open the state to year-around pheasant shooting. Lower the bag limit to 3 birds a day. Raise the limit to 10 birds a day. Open the entire Platte river to duck shooting. Close the entire Platte river to duck shooting. Kill off all the pheasants—they aren't good to eat and don't provide sporty gunning. (Honest, somebody really said that in a letter!) Open the pheasant season for December only. Open the pheasant season in August, etc., etc., etc. Obviously, regulations can't include such suggestions, but a thorough knowledge of what's happening in the wild gives the Game Commission the working basis for game management which will be generally satisfactory with most fair-minded people.

Finding out what's happening in the wild is the main job of the research men, and a few examples of how they go about their work will suggest the complexities   which are related to wildlife management. Since the pheasant is king of Nebraska's game species, several of the examples will include pheasant problems.

Too Many Cocks, or Not Enough? In the fall it seems that there are pheasants everywhere, and pheasant hunting takes over. But it's a matter of genuine concern that breeding stock must be held over if a good crop is to be raised next year. The game biologists have kept careful records of the pheasants they see in the field at all times, and several years of such record keeping point to this conclusion: The supply of cock pheasants is somewhat reduced by long seasons, but the remaining number of cocks has always been more than ample to take care of the reproductive requirements of the following breeding season.

But someone says, "Yeah, but your records are no good because it's easier to see the roosters than the hens". That statement points to a problem which has taken quite a lot of time to figure out, and the game biologists agree that the hens don't show up as the roosters do at most seasons. But some areas have been combed by hand, so to speak, and while a third or more of the hens usually escape general observations, they can be located by thorough field work. Walking counts, sometimes aided by a good bird dog, counts from horseback, and crew counts have all given similar answers—plenty of cocks no matter whether the checking is done before the season or after.

Pheasant Counts on Coyote Hunts Jim Kimball, who was stationed at Pierce in 1943-44, organized crews in winter coyote hunts for counting pheasants in Pierce and Wayne counties. At these affairs, where hunters flushed practically every bird, the number of cocks and hens was nearly equal, although in Wayne county where pheasant hunting pressure is always very heavy, the coyote hunters found about 3 roosters for each 5 hens. (Since pheasants are polygamous 3 cocks could easily provide ample fertilization for 30 or more hens.) These coyote hunt counts also showed that good pheasant range in northeast Nebraska seemed to have a spring population of about 100 pheasants to the section, and that following a 70-day open season!

Fall and winter counts by the writer in 1942-43 in Keith and Perkins counties showed an observed ratio of about 8 cocks to 5 hens when the season opened and nearly equal numbers of the two sexes when the season ended.

21,241 Roosters and 15,849 Hens In order to get an extensive view of the pheasant situation the game division in January, 1945 asked all rural mail carriers to count the pheasants seen on their routes for one week. Nearly 700 carriers reported, and they saw 21,241 roosters and 15,849 hens— no shortage of breeding males there! In January, 1946 this count was repeated. Totals were smaller as was expected, but the ratio was about 1 cock to 1 hen, and this, following the heavy kill of another 80-day season.

What Happened on the Refuge? From 1941 to 1944 Biologist H. Elliott McClure spent a day or two out of each week on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge in Cherry county studying pheasants. Some people may have wondered why the Game Commission was so interested in the pheasants on a refuge where you can't shoot pheasants even during open season. The chief purpose of this study was to find out what happened to pheasants in an area free from shooting. Such information might show how to arrange refuges in other parts of the state. McClure kept records of all pheasants seen; he banded and released wild-trapped pheasants, and followed population trends closely. His studies showed that severe, late, winter weather can reduce pheasant populations far more drastically than ordinary open season shooting. Protection from shooting quite obviously won't keep the pheasant   population up Unless satisfactory breeding populations can be carried through the winters.

Pheasants in the Road Most everybody has noticed that pheasants like to come out into roads and other openings in morning and evening, so it was natural that game workers should devise what is commonly called the roadside count. Driving at low speeds in the hour or so following sunrise, in late July, game department employees each year since 1941 have conducted such a count. These counts, checked against hunters report cards which are returned each year by permit buyers, enable the department to predict in a generally satisfactory way what fall hunting success will be like in areas checked.

Any layman can use a similar check locally, (if he wants to get up before sunrise in July!), and here is about what the counts will mean in terms of hunting: Average of % to 1 pheasant seen per mile means fair hunting. Average of 1 to 2 pheasants per mile means good hunting. Anything over 2 pheasants per mile means excellent hunting. Less than % pheasant per mile indicates that pheasants are rather scarce and aren't likely to provide very satisfactory hunting except at picked spots.

This roadside count is more accurate if used over great mileage. Biologists have checked and re-checked its use many times and it works quite well in Nebraska and neighboring states. Such checking in Nebraska has been done annually on over 1,000 miles of driving for the past several years.

Bobwhites, Deer and Muskrats Too Tired of pheasant stories? Then turn to deer, bobwhites, muskrats and other forms of wildlife. While pheasants have taken most of the field time to date they haven't monopolized the research program entirely. Bobwhites, deer, prairie chickens, beaver, muskrats and waterfowl have also come in for investigation.

The bobwhite seasons of the last two years followed the recommendations of David Damon who spent most of his time in Pawnee county in 1941-42 investigating the quail situation. One of his big jobs was done with the help of a bird dog. He covered a large area systematically, flushing and counting the coveys, and keeping detailed records. Quail were fairly plentiful in 1941 and showed a big increase in 1942. With mild winters in recent years the bobwhites have done well and the restricted open seasons have been aimed toward harvesting the surplus which is present in the fall in good years.

It was good news to Nebraskans to learn that quail could stand a harvest in some counties, but sometimes the fact-finding men have to turn in reports which aren't good news. For example, take prairie chickens. When the research work began, prairie chickens were staging a nice comeback. There was even some talk of opening the season. But the field investigation showed that Nebraska had far more hunters than prairie chickens, and hence the season remained closed.

Just how do you go about taking a game bird survey? Any game bird enthusiast can tell you that each kind of bird has peculiar habits which are characteristic of that species, so the research men make use of these bird habits in planning their field work. Quail form fall and winter coveys, so the covey flush is important in quail investigations, as was indicated earlier.

Prairie chickens form large winter flocks or packs, and in the spring they gather at well-defined spots for mating. The males there go through a spectacular courting and "show off" performance and accompany their display by a sound known as "booming". This sound carries well; in fact it can be heard for two miles or more. By listening for this sound, it is rather easy to locate the booming grounds and make counts of breeding birds. These counts, together with counts of winter flocks in certain areas, form the basis for prairie chicken population studies.

 

Sharp-tailed grouse also perforin similarly but they are less noisy at their dancing grounds than prairie chickens on the booming grounds. Birds have been counted on nearly a hundred different grounds for these two species in recent years in over 20 counties.

Important Prairie Chicken Area Why are prairie chickens and sharptailed grouse being investigated if we aren't permitted to shoot them? This is a question which sportsmen sometimes ask, and it's a logical question too. The answer is that the two birds, and especially the prairie chicken, have been crowded out of much of their original range and if they are ever to become abundant enough to provide hunting they will need every benefit of good management. Prairie chickens are found chiefly in central and northern counties, and the total area used by prairie chickens in Nebraska today probably equals or exceeds the area used by them in any other state. While immediate open seasons aren't being suggested it isn't outside the realm of possibility to expect limited hunting sometime in the future.

Ducks As this is being written the Game Commission is making plans to expand the research program to include more waterfowl work. The new lakes have brought on new problems for sportsmen and ducks alike, and intelligent management of duck shooting needs more "dope" on the ducks themselves than has been available so far.

Deer Before Nebraska's deer hunting became a reality many people didn't realize how deer could be poorly fed in good grassland, so the research staff in the past few years has looked into about eighty deer stomachs to find out more about deer foods, and grass occupies a minor place at most seasons. In fact, grass made up less than two percent of contents of stomachs examined during the deer season. Buckbrush, jackpine, hardwoods, sunflowers and wild rose made up over 86 percent of the stomach contents. Items like soapweed, poison ivy and cactus were used some too. Looking into the stomachs isn't always a pleasant job; sometimes it's a downright smelly job, but it is about the best way to learn what the animals in question have been eating. Similar examinations have been made of pheasant, quail and duck crops and gizards. Coupled with field studies, such work gives a pretty clear picture of foods important to our game species.

One biologist now spends a part of his time the year around keeping tab on the plants which the deer are using at the different seasons, or checking the deer range. It's pretty difficult to check actual numbers of live, wild deer, butrepeated examinations show to what extent the deer are using available foods. Deer management, which includes open seasons, will likely be based largely upon range studies in the future. The objective in harvesting will be to keep the deer herd within the carrying capacity of the deer range. Cattlemen have managed ranches similarly for years, the chief difference being that with deer the woody forage is the key while with cattle the grass is the main item.

Muskrats and Beaver Many trappers crop their fur-bearers so as to leave ample breeding stock, but information on breeding seasons isn't too plentiful and such data is necessary in order to make certain improvements in opening and closing dates for trapping the various fur-bearers. Examination of reproductive organs of adults before, during and after the usual trapping seasons is planned in order to iron out the related trapping problems. Conservation officers have been forwarding carcasses of pregnant muskrat and beaver females to the department laboratory and a better understanding of breeding seasons will be the result.

Tough Assignments The preceding information merely suggests a few of the many activities which take up a wildlife biologist's time. Many of the jobs have to be repeated annually, because a new set of conditions is on hand each year. Certain jobs, now that field methods are fairly well established, can be done with a minimum of time. Others are long-time propositions which can't be settled over night.

While the research men are delving into the work, aiming to bring better hunting and fishing to Nebraskans, it might be a good time to look at some of the results which permit buyers have enjoyed in recent years. Research, of course, hasn't been responsible for trends in fish or game populations, but it has resulted in a better understanding of conditions, and that in turn has "paid   8 Outdoor Nebraska—1946 off" in terms of game in the field and, what's more to the point, in the bag as well. Here are some of the results:

(1) Long pheasant seasons have given more recreation through hunting. (The long seasons are based upon the realization that we have surplus cocks which might as well be harvested, and upon the further realization that a person's total bag isn't necessarily proportional to the length of the season.) (2) More pheasants in the bag. With hens protected, and with longer seasons, hunters report cards show that the average bag of pheasants increased from 8 birds in 1941 to about 20 birds in 1945. (Research in many states, including Nebraska, indicates that the key to pheasant management is rigid protection of hens. Even with present day hunting pressure it is next thing to impossible to shoot enough roosters to interfere with next year's reproduction. All of which is good news to the hordes who like to hunt pheasants.) (3) Big game hunting. (The state has always had deer, but the big game investigation revealed that some deer should be harvested for the future good of both the range and the deer.) (4) Bobwhite seasons in some counties. (While bobwhites aren't plentiful in most of the state they are the major upland game bird in a few counties. With a little help in providing brushy cover some quail hunting can probably be had in most years. Here again, annual checking in the field will show whether or not a season is advisable.)

The game department is interested particularly in maintaining good hunting and fishing, and research efforts are constantly directed toward achieving those ends. As someone has so aptly said, "Research is merely the scientific approach to practical problems."

FIELD NOTES

The State University Museum at last has an official specimen of the rare black-footed ferret. The university sent out a call for a specimen to the Game Commission and got results. Officer George Weidman, Gering, saw what he believed to be a ferret running along the road. Weidman gave chase and caught it alive and unhurt. The mounted specimen is now on display at the University Museum.

The Game Commission is planning field studies of the Red Fox, both from the standpoint of its importance as a predator and its value as a furbearer. The studies will be conducted in the Eastern part of the state, and land owners are urged to send in the location of dens so that workers can get the lowdown on the animals. Henry Sather, a recent graduate of Nebraska University, will work on the fox studies this summer before going to Iowa State College to take further study in Game Management.

Adult muskrats are being collected by Commission workers for examination to determine the breeding periods throughout the state. There is known to be considerable time-spread in the breeding seasons between the eastern and western parts of the state. Information gained will help to determine the best time to open and close seasons and also give some indication of the breeding potential as an aid in prober harvesting of furs.

The outcome of ihis year's pheasant hatch is still in doubt, but conditions seem to be right for a good crop this year. Road counts by rural mail carriers will determine whether this year's hatch can justify a long season and a liberal bag limit.

Lucius P. Brown, Jr., of Minden in a recent letter requesting information on fishing at Hackberry Lake, Cherry County, incidentally mentioned an observation on coyotes taking pheasants. Brown reported seeing coyotes carrying newly killed pheasants on 12 occasions last winter. The Browns, Junior and Senior, killed 26 coyotes last winter.

LET'S GET TOGETHER!

By Rod Amundson

If the trend toward an increase in the number of hunters going out in the field after small game following World War H is anything like that following the first world war, there will be more hunters this fall than ever before. Any increase in hunting pressure is going to bring up the old problem of Farmer-Hunter relationships, only it will be more serious than it has ever been in the past. Sad but true, the difficulties arising between farmers and hunters is one which should have never existed in the first place. It won't be solved overnight or during the next hunting season. But a little serious thinking on the part of both parties concerned will do much to make the situation less acute.

How it all started is not easy to say. To determine who started it would be as easy as to decide which came first, the hen or the egg. Nevertheless, the problem must be faced. Sportsmen contend that there is not enough land on which they can get permission to hunt. Farmers contend that sportsmen are a nuisance. And so it goes. Back in the pioneer days there was enough game and enough free range to allow anyone who desired to do so to go out and shoot anything at any time. But as more land was homesteaded and purchased there became less free range. Hunters, in the habit of going where they pleased, encroached on the property rights of the landowners. Landowners resented trespass on their land, and it was as a result of this that trespass laws were enacted for the protection of the landowner and to the dismay of the sportsman. That is about how the situation was created, and time has served only to aggravate it. So it all simmers down to the fact that farmers resent the presence of sportsmen on their land, and sportsmen are resentful of the lack of hunting range. The solution is not only simple, but practicable—just a matter of getting together. That sounds easy, but how to get together?

The matter necessarily rests with the hunter for initial action. Many hunters have been barred from a lot of good shooting through the misbehavior of only a few. Damaged fences, gates left open, livestock killed or injured, bullets flying over the barn or snapping twigs off around the house—these have left the farmer in a very unreceptive mood. And the landowner is just as much justified in jealously guarding his property as the business man is. The business man can lock his doors on Sunday and rely on police protection to see that his property is undisturbed while he goes out on a hunting trip. The farmer, however, is protected only by the fences surrounding his fields. Yet the rights of both are equal, and the need of property protection for either is the same. It seems only logical, then, that since the farmer is at a disadvantage, it will be up to the sportsman to take the initiative in getting a better understanding with the land operator. There are two ways of doing this.

First, sportsmen must discontinue going on farm lands without the owner's permission. Secondly, they must, when on the land, conduct themselves in a manner which will assure them of permission to return again for more hunting. Difficulty in getting permission to hunt will continue until sportsmen in   general have proven to landowners that they can be depended upon to show that they really are sportsmen who are willing to play according to the rules of good sportsmanship.

During the past decade farmers have become more game-conscious than ever before. They are interested in seeing that the game populations on their farms are perpetuated. Actually, this is but another sound reason why a farmer should know who is on his land and why. He is in a position to know whether there is enough game on the land to permit a harvest, and also to know when hunting should be discontinued in order to insure a breeding stock of game for the next year.

In a recent trip out over the state both farmers and sportsmen were contacted on the subject. A farmer near Crawford has had trout stocked in a stream running through his farm, with the understanding that the stream would be open to the public. Everything went along fine until someone left a gate open. He spent two days rounding up his horses and some purebred short-horns which by that time were mated to other, unknown breeds of cattle. No wonder that farmer has posted his land with "No Fishing" signs. Scottsbluff sportsmon—it is the real sportsmen who complain—are finding it increasingly difficult to get out on the land, mostly because hunters and fishermen have angered landowners to the point where more and more farms are being posted with "Keep Out" signs. In one instance a fisherman asked for and was granted permission to fish on a farm stream. He conducted himself as a sportsman should, and was told that he would be welcome to return at any time. A few days later, however, he brought out two car loads of friends. They took down a fence, nailed it to the bottom of the posts, drove into the fields, fished, and went away. They left the fence down and a herd of cattle trampled a valuable sugar beet crop. Is it any wonder that that farmer refuses permission to other sportsmen?

Throughout the state the story is the same. Sportsmen complain of lack of hunting and fishing areas, and land operators complain of nuisance and damage. It appears that only a few thoughtless persons are responsible for lousing up the detail for hunters and fishermen who habitually conduct themselves as sportsmen should.

There is another problem cropping up which gains in significance each year. Much of the best hunting territory in the state, particularly in duck and goose shooting areas, is being leased by private interests for a monopoly on duck and goose shooting. This practice is closing out shooting grounds to anyone but the man of means who has leased the property and keeps it for himself and a few select friends. It is granted that the property owner has a right to lease his property to anyone whom he might choose. In a few isolated cases such a trend might not have a great amount of effect on shooting in general. But on a large scale—and the trend is fast becoming serious—most of the best shooting grounds will be closed to the public. The answer to this problem is not an easy one. Landowners who live along rivers and lakes where there is a concentration of waterfowl in the fall should remember that the game in the state belongs to all the people. Even though they are in control of the land, they must remember that the ownership of it is temporary—their span of life at most, and that all of the land in this country of ours is the heritage given all of us by our forefathers which must be passed on for the welfare and enjoyment of future generations. We have seen the utilization of hunting grounds in other countries pass from the common man to a few privileged individuals. This must not happen here. Our constitution gives us the right to own property and operate it as we please. Extreme selfishness in this right as it applies to the privileges of others will only tend toward the destruction of that right for all of us. The landowner should give this fact a little thought before selling the rightful heritage of all for a few dollars in cash.

We talked to some landowners along the Platte River where some of the best duck and goose shooting in the world is found. These farmers have leased their property to individuals and firms for hunting privileges, and their reasons for doing so have merit. In the first place, hunting rights were sold during the depression when cattle were bringing seven cents a pound, corn sold for two bits a bushel, and wheat was equally undervalued. A little extra cash came in pretty handy about that time. Another advantage—to the farmer—was that a very limited number of people were using the land, and these did not make a nuisance of themselves because they were under agreement. They were also responsible for the conduct of guests on the shooting grounds.

With farm prices at all-time high levels, the need for cash is less, and for that reason commercialization of shooting and fishing grounds is unnecessary. The matter of gaining access to these shooting grounds will remain to be worked out between the sportsmen and the farmer.

If all of us put a little effort into the Farmer-Hunter relationship problem it will soon cease to exist. Hunters must remember that agricultural land is privately owned; that the owner or operator has the right to determine who shall go on the property and how much game shall be taken. Farmers must bear in mind that it is only a few thoughtless hunters and fishermen who have caused damage and hard feelings, and that the average hunter and fisherman is a sportsman in the true sense of the word. It is just a matter of getting together. Let's GET together!

Outdoor Nebraska—1946 11

CATFISHING TRICKS

R. A. Jenkins, Outdoor Writer and Publisher of The Catfish Bible, Gives Out With a Few Kinks in Catfish Catching.

A pair of tinsnips or pruning shears make a handy tool for trimming off heads and fins when cleaning catfish.

Can catfish smell? Some experts say "No." These authorities have never done much catfishing as any oldtime catfisherman knows who uses chicken blood or stink bait and has watched catfish come to it like a hound on a trail. It is extremely doubtful whether a cat can see bait in muddy water on a dark night, but many catfish are caught under those conditions. The writer has proven to many doubtful "experts" that it is easy to attract catfish from long distances by the use of a lure scent alone and no bait at all.

Catfishermen use many weights and sizes of sinkers and change them as often as fishing conditions, depth of water and swiftness of currents demand. One of the handiest sinkers for these changing conditions is a small roll of solder wire. It can be cut off any size or weight desired.

Where weeds are encountered and you are casting for channel cats, you can make your hook weedless with a long, stiff hairpin. I always carry a few in my tackle kit for this purpose. To make a weedless hook squeeze the top of the hairpin together and cross the ends. Push the top of the pin through the eye of the hook and bend it over. Then bind the pin to the shank of the hook just below the eye with fine wire. Bend the two points of the pin so they extend one on each side of the hook point to act as a weed guard.

The next time you fry a mess of catfish, instead of using flour or cornmeal, which may be scarce, try rolling them in crushed corn flakes.

Catfish, especially the old "grandpas" often shy away from white or light colored lines. Light lines can be dyed a natural "Missouri River brown" by the following method: Into a gallon of water put two quarts of walnut shucks. Boil until half the water remains, or about two quarts. Remove from the fire and strain out the shucks. Stir in % cup of salt and % cup of vinegar. The latter two ingredients are to set the color in the line. When the salt has dissolved, place the loosely coiled line in the solution and let it stand over night. Next day remove the line from the solution and let it dry away from the sun or heat. This method will result in a line with a natural muddy water color that wiH not scare away the oldtimers.

    1. Northern Pike from Johnson Lake. 2. Inlet to North Platte Reservoir. 3. Mrs. Ben Schoenrock, Grand Island; Creek. 4. Brooke Gepford, Holdrege; 30-in., 20-lb. Northern; Lake. 5. His first fish. Kids' Fishing Day. 6. Paul Todd and a nice Walleye. 7. A Johnson Lake Northern. 8. Walleye produced in Nebraska—North Platte reservoir. 9. Three ex-G. I.'s with limit of Crappies. 10. Fishermen at North Platte reservoir. 11. A Bass and a Northern from North Platte. 12. Crappies from Johnson Lake. 13. Nebraska kids learn young. 14. A channel cat from Tri-counties canal.

Don't Let The BIG ONES Get Away!

When You Get That 5-Pounder This Summer, Mount It for a Trophy. Here's How. -By RALPH VELICH Illustrated by Nathan Mohler

The seemingly exorbitant fees charged by the ichtherdimist or the ignorance on the sportsmen's part of the methods of fish taxidermy may be the reason why more mounted trophies are not found in sportsmen's homes. If the following directions are carefully followed there is no reason why the reader with initiative and a fair degree of dexterity should not do a creditable job of mounting a fish.

Preparing the Skin A bass, perch, crappie, or sunfish will make an ideal mounting subject. It is best to go to work on the fish as soon as it is caught, rather than let it lie around for a day or two. A fish will begin to spoil a few hours after it is caught, especially in hot weather. If it is impossible to work on the fish for a few days it is better to skin it out, salt it liberally, and dry the skin, or place the skin in a saturated salt solution. If the skin is dried it may later be relaxed by soaking it for a few hours in water.

Before skinning the fish, make an outline sketch of it on a piece of wrapping paper by tracing around it with a pencil. Measure the width of the„body from side to side in several places. Mark these measurements in corresponding positions on the sketch. Take special note of the colors of the specimen, the color patterns, and how they are arranged; take notes as to the colors in the eye. These notes will be important later.

To skin the fish, make an incision the full length of one side, from the tail to the joint in the shoulder girdle. A pair of scissors will work nicely for this. The skin may be easily separated from the body by peeling and careful use of a knife. Cuts in the skin are almost impossible to conceal in the finished mount, so work slowly, being careful not to let the knife slip. The skin will separate easily on each side of the incision until the back is reached. Cut through the base of the fins with a tinners shears.

Peel the tail fin free and cut from the spinal column. It is best to leave a little of the fin bone roots attached to the fins. Proceed to separate the body from the skin, being careful not to bend the skin edgewise; the skin should rest on the work table and the body maneuvered out of it.

Throughout the skinning operation the skin and fins should be kept wet at all times. Any scales that come loose should be set aside and later replaced with glue when the mount is dry.

Treatment of the Head The eyes are removed from the outside with a wire hook. Cut out the gills carefully and throw them away. The skin should be separated from the head as far forward as possible, and all flesh and fat removed from the head. Dig into the brain cavity and remove the brain. Cheek flesh may be removed through the eye sockets by careful manipulation of a small knife. Scrape the skull bones clean. Cut the jaw muscles and unless the fish is to be mounted with the mouth open, cut out the tongue. Leave the roof of the mouth intact.

Spread the wet skin out on a flat surface and carefully scrape off all fat and tissue. Work from the tail toward the head. A bent hack-saw blade makes a useful scraper. Be careful not to destroy the pearly lining next to the skin. Remove all meat from the fin butts. Now, again, go over the skull and make sure that all fat and flesh have been removed. Successful mounting depends to a great extent on how well the skin has been prepared. When the skin has been completely cleaned, let it soak for several hours in white gasoline, or, better still, carbon tetrachloride. Soaking in gasoline or carbon tetrachloride removes grease from the   skin. The yellow and discolored surface one sees on many mounted fish proves that the skin was not degreased before mounting. After degreasing, the skin is washed in warm, soapy water and is ready for mounting. At this stage it can be salted and dried for future mounting.

Mounting the Fish There are many methods of mounting a fish, but the one described here is in most common use. To moth-proof the skin it may be soaked for several hours in a supersaturated solution of borax made by pouring into a little hot water all the borax that will go into solution. Allow the liquid to cool before immersing the skin. To make a manikin to fit inside the skin, secure a piece of clear white pine and cut to the general size and shape of the fish, but considerably smaller. Around this wooden core wrap wood wool or tow, binding it with wire until the manikin is about the size of the natural body of the fish. The manikin should be a little longer so that it will fit into the head cavity. Consult the sketches for measurements, or, better still, have the fish body handy as a guide. It is better to make the manikin a little smaller than the original size of the fish than to have it too large. Do a smooth job, with no lumps. Sprinkle the inside of the skull with a little powdered borax. If the skin has been properly prepared, no other preservative is necessary. A thin layer of papier mache' or wet potter's clay is spread over the manikin. Small portions of papier mache' or potters clay are placed around the fin butts and skull cavity, and the covered manikin is carefully fitted into the skin. Press the skin into contact with the manikin, making sure that there are no lumps or depressions or air bubbles. The fin butts are fitted into the manikin and carefully molded in shape. Sew up the incision with waxed linen thread, beginning at the tail. Fill out the cheek pockets by inserting mache' or clay through the eye sockets. If the mouth is to be left open, prop it open with a ball of excelsior or a piece of wood, and finish it when dry. The fins are spread and fixed into position by clamping them between two pieces of cardboard cut to the size and shape of the fins. Paper clips will be useful to keep the cardboard pieces in place. When the fish is dry, remove the cardboards and give the whole mount two or three coats of thin, clear varnish or shellac. Any scales that have come out during the operation may now be glued back in place. Broken fins may be repaired by gluing a piece of cardboard on the back and filling in missing parts with beeswax. Scotch tape works nicely in repairing split fins.

Glass eyes may be obtained from a taxidermy supply house. Serviceable ones may be easily made by breaking an electric light bulb and selecting pieces with the right curvature. Grind these down to size on a power emery wheel. With tube oil paints, paint the iris and pupil on the inside of the eye. Note that the eye of a fish is rather flat, and that the pupil is not round but pear-shaped. Fill the eye sockets with papier mache' or clay and set in the eyes.

Tube oil colors, linseed oil and turpentine are used to restore the colors and color patterns to the mounted fish. Use good colored illustrations for a guide, or, better still, a live fish or one that has been recently caught.

Pearl essence in liquid celluloid may be used to give the fish a pearly color. When this has dried, add a final coat of varnish or shellac. The finished mount may be fastened to a shield or other device by driving two screws through the back of the shield and into the wooden core of the manikin.

The most difficult part of fish taxidermy is not the mechanics of mounting, but in restoring the original colors to the dried mounted specimen so as to recreate the beautiful hues and tints found in the living specimen.

 

Basically, quail management can and should be a part of proper land use as determined by the Soil Conservation Service, Agricultural Adjustment Administration and the Game Commission. For the most part, wildlife habitats can be developed through proper soil and water conservation practices. These practices include the protection of the habitat from fire and grazing; also contour farming, cover crops, grasses drainage ways, managed contour hedges, wind breaks, and gully plantings. Obviously, special details of a quail management program would have to be worked out for each separate farm. The important thing to remember is that wildlife, too, suffers from a housing shortage. If suitable "homes" are provided for quail where the climate is satisfactory, the birds will move in. More "homes" mean more quail.

Within the area indicated as climatically favorable for quail in Nebraska are three general land types: the east loess hills in Nemaha, Cass, Sarpy, east Otoe and east Richardson county; the loess plains of Thayer, Fillmore, northern  

  Saline and most of Seward county; and the loess drift hills occupying the remainder of the area. According to our quail censuses and reports by quail hunters, the loess-drift hills support the heaviest quail populations and the loess plains have the lowest populations. It is logical to expect that a quail management program will show best results on the hill types for the reason that more of the land must necessarily remain in permanent cover. Small fruits and berry plantings for hedges and uncultivatable areas make the finest sort of woody cover for quail and will at the same time provide the farmer's family with plenty of jams, jellies and preserves.

We may then conclude that quail management projects coupled with sound agricultural practices will yield a shootable surplus of quail for hunters in the following counties: Jefferson, Gage, Pawnee, Richardson, Johnson, Nemaha, Lancaster, Cass, Otoe and southern Saline.

Yes, quail hunting can be extended to at least four more counties in southeastern Nebraska through a sound quail management program.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT UPLAND GAME BIRDS

Q. I always have about 20 quail on my farm. Why don't they increase?

A. The chances are that you have a "20-quail farm". Increases of game birds are not likely to exceed the carrying capacity of the land. Additional thickets would raise the carrying capacity of most farms for quail.

Q. Why is quail shooting confined to southeast Nebraska?

A. Surveys covering several years show that only a few southeastern areas have sufficient quail to provide a sizeable shootable surplus. There are some quail in most Nebraska counties, but the distribution and total population is good only in the southeast.

Q. How did the pheasant kill in 1945 compare with previous years?

A. The 1945 pheasant kill was the greatest in recent years and probably the greatest in history. According to hunter's report cards the average bag in 1945 was around 20 pheasants. It was 16 in 1944, 18 in 1943, 11 in 1942 and 8 in 1941.

Q. How many young pheasants are reared per brood?

A. Field records on hundreds of broods indicate that the average is probably somewhere around 5 young per brood. Losses are heavy during the few days after hatching since nearly twice that many are hatched per nest.

Q. Does a hen pheasant raise two broods per year?

A. No. Small pheasants seen in late summer are the result of late nesting, usually by hens whose earlier nests were destroyed.

Q. I didn't see any young pheasants in May and it has me worried. What's wrong?

A. Game Commission fieldmen have kept records on hundreds of pheasant broods and very few broods are ever seen in May. They begin to show up well by late June and in July they are always common. July is the best single month in which to see broods of young pheasants.

20 Outdoor Nebraska—1946

Visual Instruction In Wildlife Conservation

The Game Commission uses films and displays to teach game conversation.

It is not easy to appreciate the value in dollars and cents of a planned program of public education in the conservation and use of wildlife. Direct, immediate results in the form of more abundant game and fish do not appear instantly, yet on a long-time basis such a program will bear fruit.

Just what has public education—the molding of public opinion — accomplished '! Not many years ago women were subject to a severe penalty for wearing the plumage of certain birds as adornment for hats. Only by outlawing the taking and wearing of the plumage of such birds as the egret was it possible to keep these rare birds from becoming extinct. As a result, public opinion encouraged the enforcement of laws which have kept these and other species under protection to the present time. At one time the deer population of the country was so low that stringent laws protected them from shooting. The public became so conscious of the deer problem that it was actually difficult to begin harvesting deer when they again became plentiful enough to be hunted. There are many cases on record where deer starved to death because public opinion exerted so much pressure on game management agents that it was impossible to utilize excess deer for sport and food.

The forming of public opinion is a slow process, but once the ideas take hold, the pressure is tremendous. The field of education in wildlife management is vast in proportion, and is still virtually untouched.

During the war the armed services realized the value of visual aids in training troops for service and combat. Moving pictures were given intensive use, and such devices as posters, displays, and photographs were widely used.

Appreciating the ultimate value of such aids in wildlife education the Game   Outdoor Nebraska—1946 Commission has used moving pictures for several years. The war curtailed film for civilian use, and it is still difficult to get good films for distribution. One of the most popular and educational films ever used by this department was the old 16mm sound technicolor film entitled "Outdoor Nebraska". Over a hundred-thousand people in the state saw that film, and although it is worn beyond further use, there are still frequent requests for it. The Commission now hopes to produce another similar film, using about the same subject matter but bringing it up to the most recent trends in game management.

Another film that has been given widespread distribution is "The Making of a Shooter", a 20 minute sound-color film on safety in the use of firearms. This film has been loaned to the Commission on a permanent basis by a group of sporting arms manufacturers. The film has been given enthusiastic reception wherever shown, and there has been no slump in popularity. Schools and sportsmens groups alike can get the film and, when available, a machine and operator, by contacting the office in Lincoln.

The Soil Conservation Service has loaned films to the Game Commission for use. Two new films, "The Heritage We Guard" and "The Realm of the Wild" have caused a great amount of favorable comment wherever shown, and leave the audience with something to think about.

Realizing that before any program of conservation or game management can be effective, people must have a working knowledge of the species concerned, the Game Commission has begun a program of educating the public to the recognition of important game species. For a number of years there has been a small but highly popular exhibit of fish and some game at the State Fair. The enthusiasm with which this exhibit has been received has resulted with the State Fair Board, The University of Nebraska Museum, and the Game Commission getting together to construct a new building on the fair grounds for the purpose of setting up a really comprehensive display of wildlife. During the fair thousands of visitors will be instructed in the identification of game species, and will see instructive movies on wildlife.

At the Omaha Sports and Vacation show thousands of visitors viewed a display of waterfowl, furbearers, and fish in an exhibit set up by the Commission. A feature of this exhibit was a realistic marsh habitat showing a number of wild creatures in their native habitat—and pointing out the value of marsh areas along our lakes and streams to wildlife. Formal displays of ducks, fish, and fur bearing animals were labeled as to identity of species, and helped to settle more than one argument as to the proper name for a certain bird or fish.

Several years ago work was begun in setting up a series of portable displays which could be sent out over the state to schools, clubs, and wildlife organizations. Two of these, containingwaterfowl, are shown in the accompanying illustration. Wartime curtailment of materials brought the program to a halt, but it is planned to resume the collection

  22 Outdoor Nebraska—1946 and mounting of specimens so that the display will be complete.

This magazine has carried numerous articles illustrating the identification of fish, birds, and animals. One of the most popular circulars put out by the Commission shows how to identify species of game fish.

Through the medium of visual aids the program of conservation-education can really get under way and accomplish concrete results in more abundant wildlife. Charts are under construction to show graphically the results of good game management. They will depict the results of game census work, what happens during open seasons on game, and many other subjects which will have a direct bearing on conservation of game on a state-wide basis.

IN THE MAIL BAG

A large part of the mail received by the Game Commission includes questions concerning various aspects of game management. Here are some of the more frequent questions asked, and the answers to them:

Q. Is it legal to spear carp and buffalo? If so, when? A. Prom April 1 to December 1 in all except state-owned or restricted waters. Q. How can I get my farm pond stocked with fish? A. By making application to the Game Commission with the condition that the pond will be open to public fishing. If closed by applying to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chicago, 54, Illinois. Q. Can I purchase fish from the state ? A. No. There are no surplus fish for sale. All state-produced fish are used for stocking public waters. Q Are reservoirs such as the Tri-Counties project state-owned? A. No. Rules applying to state-owned waters do not apply to these. Q. Does a Nebraska resident need a peddler's license to sell game fish purchased from commercial fishermen in another state? A. No. He must, however, be able to show proof of purchase from a licensed fish breader. Q. Is the use of anise oil in fish bait legal? A. Yes. This is commonly used for catfish bait. Q. Are dipnets legal in Nebraska? A. No. Q. How many hooks may a person use ? A. Four, two per line in state-owned waters; fifteen in total with not more than five per line in other waters. Q. Is it illegal to fish for carp using oat bundles for baiting? A. No. Q. Is there a law prohibiting the killing of snakes, frogs, or turtles? A. No. Q. Is fishing through the ice illegal? A. No. Same rules apply to ice fishing as apply to other fishing. Q. Can a landowner keep people from fishing in a stream flowing through his land? A. Yes, by refusing permission to go on his property. He cannot, however, prevent persons from fishing his stream from a boat if the boat is not tied up to the shore or grounded on a bar. Q. Can the owner of a private pond fish any time of the year, and does he need a permit to fish in his lake ? A. He must abide by all regulations in effect for public waters, i. e., he needs a permit and must observe   Outdoor Nebraska—1946 23 open and closed seasons, bag limits, etc. Q. Is it legal to use bottles or floats with hooks attached? A. It is legal in all except state-owned lakes. Q. If a fish is caught legally, can it be tied to line with a float on it to show where the school of fish is located ? A. Yes, as long as the fish was taken legally. Q. If the state stocks a privately owned lake, can the owner keep out anyone he wishes from fishing? A. No. The owner has agreed to keep his pond or lake open to the public. Persons making themselves obnoxious through misconduct may be evicted, however. Q. If the owner of a private pond or lake gets fish stock from the federal government, can he keep out anyone he wishes from fishing? A. Yes. The federal government will stock private waters without requiring an agreement to keep these waters open to the public. Q. Can a person get a permit to seine fish from streams or lakes for the purpose of stocking private or public waters? A. No. Q. Can a person get a permit to own a seine of any kind? A. Minnow seine only. Q. Where are trout stocked in Nebraska? A. In the western and northern part of the state. Q. Why are not trout stocked in the southeastern part of the state? A. Water temperatures are too high in the summer, streams contain too much silt. Q. Why were trout streams closed to minnow seining and spearing this year? A. Minnows provide natural food for trout; too many trout have been taken in minnow seines. Trout were too frequently speared in attempts to get carp or buffalo.

Facts About GUNS AND AMMUNITION

The total energy of an ordinary 22 caliber rimfire cartridge will lift a 150-pound man one foot, according to Jack Frost, technical advisor of Western Cartridge Company. While the tiny bullet is picking up speed down the gun barrel, it develops energy at the rate of 180 horsepower, approximately twice that of an automobile.

The fastest factory-made bullet in the world is the .220 Swift. Actually only a 22, and with its bullet weighing little more than the 22 long rifle bullet, the Swift has a speed at the muzzle (muzzle velocity) of 4,140 feet per second against 1,395 for the 22 high power long rifle and 2,800 for the standard military service cartridge which you may also call a 30-06.

One of the greatest trap shooting records ever made was shot by the late Mrs. Elizabeth Toepperwein of Winchester who broke 1,952 out of 2,000 clay targets in three hours and fifteen minutes of actual shooting time. The greatest record ever made anywhere in the world at aerial targets was made with a 22 rifle by Mrs. Toepperwein's husband, Ad, who is now 76 years old. In twelve days of shooting, Toepperwein broke 72,491 out of 72,500 targets. He had only nine misses in twelve days!

G. I.'s should beware of souvenir weapons. No American ammunition is made for Jap arms. Many other foreign weapons are not safe for use with the generally more powerful similar American ammunition. The German semiautomatic Gewehr 41M particularly is a potential postwar booby trap. Unless its bolt is securely locked into position, it will fly back and tear into a shooter's face.

The Nazis had a good junior marksmanship training plan, according to Walter H. B. Smith's Manual of Military Small Arms, a best-seller you have probably never heard about, but which sold a quarter of a million copies last year. The Germans made a military model air rifle and a 22 exactly like their regular service rifle and graduated their juvenile supermen from one rifle to another.