Nebraska Game Commission, 1947

This five-man commission directs the policy of the Game Department, and the decisions it reaches are put into operation by the executive secretary. The Commission sets open and closed seasons on fish and game, and determines bag limits, and other pertinent regulations.

To integrate Commission policies more closely with office and field administration, each of the Commissioners gives special attention to one or more divisions of the department.

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA is now on the air. A weekly 15-minute = transcribed program may be heard on the following stations: WOW, Omaha, KORN, Fremont, KGFW, Kearney, KODY, North Platte, I KHAS, Hastings, WJAG, Norfolk, and KGKY, Scottsbluff. The program deals with fishing and hunting news, with general information on wildlife and frequent interviews with conservation agents and sportsmen. Consult your daily paper for the time the program goes on the air over the station nearest your home. Listeners are encouraged to write in to the Game Commission to tell of their fishing and hunting experiences.

Outdoor Nebraska—1947 3 Vol. 25 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. Unassigned material is editorial.

ROD AMUNDSON Editor COMMISSIONERS Ralph Kryger, Neligh, Chairman Dr. C. H. Silvernail, Bridgeport, Vice-chairman Cloyd Clark, Elwood Clarke Wilson, Lincoln Dr. Herbert B. Kennedy, Omaha

STAFF

PAUL T. GILBERT Executive Secretary SUPERVISORS John S. Burley, Accounts and Supplies Glen R. Foster, Fisheries Division Lloyd P. Vance, Game Division Levi L. Mohler, Pittman-Robertson SUPERINTENDENTS Gerhard Lenz, Gretna Hatchery H. C. Howard, North Platte Hatchery Frank Weiss, Rock Creek Hatchery Jack Mendenhall, Valentine Hatchery S. E. Ling, Norfolk Game Farm Grant McNeel, Arbor Lodge Park D. C. Short, Chadron Park H. E. Jones, Niobrara Park Paul R. Heil, Ponca Park Geo. Markhofer, Stolley Park C. O. Williams, Victoria Springs Park John J. Tooley, Supt. Forestry L. M. Snodgrass, Supt. Construction Paul Todd, Supt. Fish Salvage CONSERVATION OFFICERS William Ahern, Fremont Robert Benson, Unassigned Lee Bowers, Benkelman Loron Bunney, Ogallala Edward M. Cassell, Steele City L. J. Cunningham, Hay Springs *Wm. R. Cunningham, Lincoln A. O. Edmunds, Grand Island H. B. Guyer, Overton Samuel Grasmick, Unassigned Lee Jensen, North Platte Rudy Johnson, So. Sioux City Donald Lidolph, Fairfield A. G. McCarroll, Cody Harold Miner, Allen *Roy E. Owen, Crete * George Rishling, Benkelman Rex Roundtree, Unassigned Ben Schoenrock, Grand Island William G. Schultz, McCook C. W. Shaffer, Columbus George Weidman, Gering * Special Investigators BIOLOGISTS Walter Kiener, Aquatics James Ager, Minden, Restoration Project Leader Edson Fichter, Lincoln, Fur Resources Survey David Damon, Lincoln, Quail Survey John H. Wampole, Grant, Waterfowl and Deer Survey.

SOME NEBRASKA HAWKS

By J. F. McAuliffe Photos Courtesy Chicago Natural History Museum

At this time of the year when the hawks are busily engaged in their daily task of securing food for their young and for themselves it is appropriate that we make the acquaintance of those often seen in this state. Here, as in most other states, the hawk is one of the most persecuted species of birds due either to misinformation or lack of information. It is indeed foolish, but commonplace, for people to reach for their guns at the very sight of a hawk; foolish when one realizes that said hawk is more apt to be one of our beneficial types than one of the harmful variety.

In an agricultural state, such as ours, the friendship of most hawks is desirable and should be encouraged. It is these sentinels of fields and meadows that fight superbly the spread of rodents whose crop damage amounts to staggering proportions. No one can deny the horrible toll of crops taken by rats, mice and other small rodents. This being the case why not be careful when a hawk sails into sight? Stop and identify it before reaching for the shotgun! Let's not condemn all for the outrages of a few. Learn to identify them quickly; welcome the beneficial hawks, destroy the harmful hawks.

We will concern ourselves with the tried and convicted culprits of the hawk family at present; the Cooper's hawk and its smaller counterpart in murder, the sharp-shinned hawk.

The Cooper's hawk, and the sharp-shin, is readily recognized by its characteristic Accipiter flight; that is, several rapid wing strokes, alternating with short periods of swift gliding. Other easily recognizable features of this feathered gangster are the long, narrow tail; and the comparatively short, rounded wings. These two features tend to give this hawk, and the sharpshin, delicate control of its movements so that it can dart about among thickly wooded areas or dodge through the wildest thickets with utmost ease. Diabolically clever, it keeps a fence, tree, house or some other object between itself and its intended victim until it is within easy range of the unsuspecting pigeon, half-grown chicken, duck or young rabbit.

The Cooper's fierceness and boldness has been recorded time after time. They have been known to attack chickens in a chicken yard, apparently oblivious to gunfire from the owner of the yard, until they were either killed or injured severly. With savagery and persistence they will annihilate entire colonies of domestic pigeons unless stopped by an adept application of buckshot.

A record, such as the following, leaves no doubt as to the status of this hawk. Of 261 stomachs examined the remains of poultry were found in 32, quail in 16, pheasants in 10, grouse in 4, and partridge in 1. One can readily see from this report of the Department of Agriculture Circular 370 that Nebraska game birds, pheasants and quail, together with domestic fowl, are included in the preferred diet of this killer. Remember this hawk! Number one on the list of feathered criminals.

 

The sharp-shinned hawk, although smaller than the Cooper's, parallels its murderous relative in habits and behavior; however, since it is smaller, its quarry is restricted generally to small birds, notably finches and warblers. Of 944 stomachs examined 290 contained remains of finches; 43 contained remains of warblers.

Sharp-shins are definitely vicious. One day a male sharp-shin pursued an English sparrow which flew into the densest part of a lilac clump and fluttered in terror. Instantly the hawk, its sharp talons extended, struck the bush with a "thwack" trying to break through to the frightened sparrow. Failing he flew perhaps 100 feet, wheeled, and again drove at the bush like an arrow. Four times he repeated this in rigid succession before deciding it was of no use and continued on his way.

Now, we turn to the marsh hawk, that fellow with the on-the-fence reputation. Major Allen Brooks described this hawk as "the most destructive hawk in all America to our marsh-loving waterfowl for at least three months in the year." But, despite the condemnation, this hawk is rated highly and considered largely beneficial to many because of its persecution of mice, rats and other injurious small mammals. Its preferred habitat is the vicinity of wet meadows, marshlands and sloughs. It can be instantly recognized by its floppy, almost lazy, sort of flight. It might be well to keep a close watch on this hawk before passing judgment. Individual cases may require drastic measures.

The red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks, although they cannot be exonerated entirely, must be freed of the "shoot on sight" attitude generally accorded them. Scientific examination of stomachs of these two species have proved that they are beneficial. It is true, however, that individual birds of either species may develop a taste for barnyard fowl. When this situation arises there is only one course to follow—extermination of the individual hawk; but, be positive of guilt before you kill one of these.

These large hawks may be easily identified by their broad, short tails and broad wings; or by their habits of soaring about in lazy circles, posing tirelessly on a conspicuous perch, and hovering clumsily over a field in search of mice and rats or grasshoppers.

A brief word about that tiny falcon, the sparrow hawk. Here is the most sociable and the smallest of all our hawks. Grasshoppers, crickets and other insects, his

principle food during warm months, are taken in great numbers; but the rest of the year mice are preferred at mealtime. This pretty little fellow should never be confused with any other hawk if only because of its size.

Concerning Swainson's hawk, Bendire said, "I cannot recall a single instance where one of these birds visited a poultry yard. From an economic point of view I consider it by far the most useful and beneficial of all our hawks." To lend emphasis to Bendire's statement we quote the following figures from USDA (U. S. Department of Agriculture) Circular 370: "In 111 stomachs examined remains of only 1 grouse arid 9 small birds were found."

Ground squirrels are particularly palatable to the Swainson but pocket gophers, grasshoppers and crickets are also eaten with great satisfaction.

If you'll only remember that most hawks are beneficial you'll be more particular when you • draw a bead on one. You'll hesitate until proper identification is made and know what type hawk it is. Nebraskans can ill afford a reduction ' in numbers of their most efficient allies in the fight against mice, rats and grasshoppers.

6 Outdoor Nebraska—1947

NOTES on the Long-Billed CURLEW

By Levi L. Mohler (Reprinted from the Nebraska Bird Review)

Field studies of the native grouse in Nebraska, chiefly in Keith and nearby counties, in 1942 and 1943 took me into areas where the Long-Billed Curlew, Numenius americanus) was a common spring and summer resident, and my field notes contain a number of items about this species. Breeding pairs often put on a splendid aerial show as they noisily escort a passing vehicle through the vicinity of their territory, and a ride through curlew country offers the observer many a thrill as the sicklebills circle and swoop.

Nest Observations

A curlew nest, which I found on May 6, 1942, was so placed that further observation was convenient and several visits were made there during the next few weeks. The nest, located in the northwest part of section 16 nearly two miles west of Whitetail Creek, Keith County, was discovered when I was driving through a small sandhill valley or hollow away from the trail. A female curlew flushed directly in front of, and very near the vehicle at 10 A. M. She went to the right or southwest, hovering and fluttering with a wonderful "broken wing" display and much plaintive calling.

I stopped immediately, walked back, and found the nest, unharmed and directly between the wheel tracks. The nest contained three eggs, dark greenish brown, with many dark brownish, irregular markings.

The female which appeared larger and more gray than the male, joined the male not over 100 yards from the nest. The male fluttered near the female, caressed her back with his beak, followed her for several steps, and at one time flew over her hovering and remained only a foot or less above her for a few seconds.

After photographing the nest I moved away about 150 yards and watched the birds with binoculars. Both birds walked back towards the nest, with many stops for loafing, preening and sunning. The day was quite breezy and the temperature 50 degrees F. By 10:20 both birds were about 45 yards from the nest. They half-circled the nest, travelling in a wandering walk, and eventually reached a point about 40 yards east of the nest. They remained 20 yards or more apart during the entire walk following the courting procedure.

At about 10:40, the female walked in a direct line back to the nest and immediately settled down upon the eggs. She   Outdoor Nebraska—1947 7 looked exactly like an old cowchip in the short grass. The male continued to feed on the slope northeast of the nest.

On May 9 the nest contained three eggs and the female flushed from the nest twelve feet from me. The three eggs were still in the nest on May 18 and the female flushed only when closely approached. Her injury feigning was splendid and she appeared very large as she hovered her wings and moved along the ground. She uttered no notes until she was about 50 feet from the nest. When I moved away the female took wing, flew over the nest, doing much screaming, plus a twittering note.

On May 20 the three eggs were still in the nest. The male was not seen when I visited the area on May 18 and 20.

The three eggs were still intact at 3 P. M., May 25. The male showed himself again on this date, coming from two or three hundred yards south after the female began to calL

On May 27 I stopped the car about 100 yards from the nest, and noted one adult, apparently the male, running about, also flying some, and giving the alarm note. This was different behavior than I had seen on previous visits to the nest; on the other visits no alarm was given until after the female flushed from the nest. I hurried to the nest and saw that three eggs were still there, and a huge bullsnake was crawling not over two feet from the eggs. I attempted to photograph the snake and nest but the snake crawled away before this could be done. The snake, a five-foot specimen, was subsequently dispatched.

Egg shells, apparently from a successful hatch, remained in the nest when it was next visited on June 3. Since the female was probably incubating the eggs when I first saw the nest on May 6 the eggs were probably incubated at least 21 days, and less than 28 days.

Young curlews probably less than two weeks old were seen at another location in Keith county on June 15, 1942, and others of the same age were seen in northern Garden county during the first week of June, 1943.

Curlew and Prairie Falcon

During early June 1943, in southern Sheridan county and in company with Thomas A. Schroder, I watched an adult curlew chase a Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus). The curlew climbed to a considerable height above the falcon then plummetted down with great speed, nearly, but never actually, striking the falcon. This diving performance was repeated several times and the curlew seemed to be thoroughly aggressive during the whole scene.

NEBRASKA'S TROUT GROW UP!

The Game Commission's Stocking Policy Bears Fruit

When you back up a few trillion barrels of water behind dams and cause lakes to exist where before there were only buffalo grass, soapweed, rattlesnakes, and cactus, you can expect some unusual things to happen.

Nebraska's reservoirs have had a profound effect on the semi-annual flight of waterfowl through the central flyways. Obviously some changes occurred with regard to fishing, especially in the availability of fish. For example, you can catch crappies, bass, walleyes, and northerns where before almost the only fauna were mice and prairie dogs.

Such phenomena are to be expected. But Nebraska's rainbow trout seem to have taken the reservoirs as a chance to revert to the living habits of their salmon relatives.

In past years the Game Commission has stocked adult trout in Nebraska's lakes and streams, with the result that there has been good fishing throughout the "trout" regions of the state. It was believed that most of the adult trout planted were removed from the waters again before they had a very good chance of growing up. Catches of trout weighing over two pounds were rare indeed.

Last fall, when an irrigation canal near North Platte was shut off, local anglers had a field day with big trout caught in a stretch of still water. The browns and rainbows taken from that canal weighed from three to six pounds. The question arose: "Where did those big trout come from? Where had they been living?"

Before the trout season opened last spring, on April 1st, observers had seen big trout heading up Otter and Lonnegrin Creeks in unbelievable numbers. On opening day, and for some time since, trout fishermen began catching trout which were several hundred percent heavier than the pan-sized trout currently stocked. The general run weighed from three to four and one-half pounds, with even bigger ones hitting the scales around five and six pounds.

Where had these handsome fish been hiding out? They certainly hadn't been in the small streams during the winter, fall, and late summer months. Records showed that some trout had been stocked in the reservoirs in years past, and a lot   Outdoor Nebraska^1947 9 of trout put into the clear streams running in. But the largest of these would hardly exceed 13 inches, and a lot of the big trout taken this spring measured 20 to 23 inches.

The answer to this puzzle is thus far only a good guess: Fingerling and adult trout have made their way into the reservoirs from tributarial streams, and have been spending the past few years in the deep water feeding and growing. They came to light this spring when they sought out the tributarial streams to spawn. Otter Creek and Lonergin Creek, both of which run into Lake McConnaughey, seem to have the biggest run this year. But, surprising enough, the big trout have not all gone up the streams. Reports keep coming in of big trout taken in bays and "fingers" along the edges of the reservoirs.

How big these trout will grow, or how many years the successful angling for these trout will last is a matter of destiny. At least it may be said that the Game Commission's trout stocking program has resulted in some big fish and good fishing. And that, after all, is the criterion by which a stocking program may be evaluated.

In response to a number of inquiries, here is a word on the two-line law as enacted by the Unicameral. Section 1 reads: "It shall be unlawful for any person to use in any lake, pond, or reservoir and their inlets and outlets within the State, more than two lines in still fishing or trolling between the hours of 7 A. M. and 7 P. M." Section 2: "Any person violating the provisions of Section 1 of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than five dollars nor more than fifty dollars."

This law allows two lines per person, but does not prohibit the use of a maximum of five hooks per line. The new ruling does not apply to rivers running streams, being effective only on lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Before 7 A. M. and after 7 P. M., the old regulation permitting the use of fifteen hooks is in effect.

The two-line law was enacted to give access to more fishermen along the inlets and outlets of the reservoir system when fishing is at its peak. During the past, early arrivals to good fishing spots were able to monopolize much of the fishing area by setting lines over a wide area.

The new law becomes effective three months after the adjournment of the current session of the unicameral, and will not affect fishing this summer.

What do coyotes eat? In the Game Commission's wildlife laboratory the contents of coyote stomachs are being examined to answer this. Of the first 120 stomachs examined, rabbits made up about two-thirds of the total bulk. Other important items were poultry, horse, cow and pig, and probably much of these latter four items came from areas of good to excellent pheasant population. Pheasant was a decidedly minor item in the stomachs. It is interesting to note that even in years of rabbit scarcity, the coyote still depends mainly upon rabbits.

10 Outdoor Nebraska—1947

WILDLIFE NOTES

On Pheasants, Quail, Doves and Deer THE PHEASANT HATCH:

What will a late spring do to the pheasant hatch? In the light of past experience it appears that a late spring can be beneficial by delaying the beginning of early nests which are vulnerable to bad weather conditions. Over a period of years the month of June has proven to be the main hatching period. The weather in late May and most of June is an important factor in determining the success of the annual hatch. Good weather during that period usually means good pheasant production, while cold, wet weather during that period can be highly destructive to newly hatched pheasant chicks.

Nebraska pheasant hunters apparently realize the importance of protecting hen pheasants. Hunter's report cards" for the past season carried this question, "Do you favor protection of hen pheasants in your home county?" Of 1,181 hunters who answered the question, 81 percent answered yes.

Although some hunters had trouble getting cock pheasants in some areas last season, there were still plenty of cocks left for breeding purposes. In mid-winter Nebraska mail carriers kept game bird records on over 186,000 miles of driving and they reported 88 cocks per 100 hens for the state as a whole, and no district showed a ratio lower than about 65 cocks per 100 hens.

Pheasants are polygamous—one male will mate with many females. Actual checking of individual hens has shown that fertile eggs can be produced as much as three weeks after a single mating. Since most clutches of eggs contain somewhere near a dozen eggs, there is scant chance of a female actually laying a clutch of infertile eggs.

When the mercury dropped to 28 below zero in January a lot of people wondered how the quail were faring. David Damon, Game Biologist, who has handled the quail investigation for the Game Commission, spent several days in the quail country immediately following the severe weather and learned that the coveys were still in good shape. The intense cold was of rather short duration and the food situation was good, so quail came through in good condition. Damon reports that the destruction of hedgerows, which is occurring in some of the quail country this spring, is much more detrimental to quail than was the winter weather.

  Outdoor Nebraska—1947 11

Contrary to popular belief, Nebraska quail are slightly larger than quail in the southeastern states. Quail weights, taken during the open season, show that we really have big husky quail. It seems to be characteristic of quail to be slightly larger in the parts of quail range which have more severe winters—which of course includes all of Nebraska. Perhaps only the stronger birds can "take it" when the winter weather gets tough. Quail weighed during the 1946 season averaged just under 7 ounces, and the heaviest birds were over 8 ounces. That still looks small in comparison with a 3 pound pheasant, but it is well above the 6'/2 ounces or less which is common in southeastern states.

Just how poor, or how good, was pheasant hunting in 1946? Hunter's reports cards furnish an answer as follows: 6,218 days of hunting, which ought to be a big enough sample to mean something, were used in bagging 12,773 pheasants, an average of 2.05 pheasants per day. The average daily bag in 1943 was 2.3 pheasants and it was also 2.3 in 1944.

If you had "pheasant trouble" in the 1946 season it probably was the result of the lower production of young. The ratio of young to adult birds was very low in central and south central areas, but better in the northeast and west. This was true on summer field checks and it was also true in hunter's bags during the season. It is practically a hunter's rule that unless young birds outnumber the old by at least 2 or 3 to 1, that hunting is likely to be poor. In 1946 some areas had only a 1 to 1 ratio of young to old.

Many hunters mentioned wildness in pheasants last season, even in early season. Examination of tagged birds over a period of several years has shown that young birds make up a greater part of the take in early season than later on. Hence, the wildness noticed by some hunters in 1946, could have been due to the relatively larger part which old birds made up in the 1946 population.

DEER FOOD STUDY:

A study of deer browse plots in the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey, has now been in progress for one year. Game Biologist John Wampole, of Grant, reports that redroot, a low-growing shrub, is an important summer food of deer. Foods comprising a major item of deer diet at other times of the year include buckbrush, juniper and wild rose.

Future checking of the deer food plots will determine the trend of range conditions in relation to deer populations. The aim of deer management is to keep the herd within the carrying capacity of the forest. Such management will result in maintaining good range conditions and a strong, healthy deer herd.

Deer food conditions in the Nebraska National Forest were not satisfactory before the 1945 season, but the 1945 deer harvest enabled the range to make a nice comeback.

Deer feed largely upon woody vegetation—stems, buds, fruits and tender shoots. Grass ranks low as an item in the deer diet.

Year after year, hunters report between two and three shells were used in taking 12,773 pheasants in 1946, according to hunter's report cards. This is an average of 2.1 shells per bird bagged, and the figure has remained about the same for several years.

  State Fair WILDLIFE EXHIBIT   1. Waterfowl and Game Food Display 2. Part of University Museum's Natural History Display 3. Information Booth on Left, Marsh Scene on Right 4. Fish Exhibit Building and New Natural History Building 5. Entrance to Exhibit Depicted Outdoor Nebraska 6. Mounted Fish, Right Foreground, Furbearers in Background 7. Marsh Habitat Scene was Center of Attraction. 8. Aquatic Plants, Center, Non-Protected Birds at Right.

14 Outdoor Nebraska—1947

DUCK SCOREBOARD REPORT

By Albert M. Day Chief. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

How many ducks did the waterfowlers bring to bag last fall? How many cripples did they lose? How did the shooting compare with that of other years? What are some of the principal gripes and comments of the boys who hunkered down in wet, cold blinds waiting for the quackers to whistle by within range?

Thanks to the scorecards carried through courtesy of OUTDOOR NEBRASKA and other outdoor publications; thanks to personal interviews by game agents in the field and to hunters who reported directly to state conservation departments, we now have a fairly clear picture of what happened during the 45-day open season last fall. Reports from 44,000 duck hunters obtained through these various sources helped us work out the following breakdown:

Number of waterfowl bagged 19,000,000 Crippled and lost 5,000,000 Total 24,000,000

Where were most of the duck stamps sold, and how did this stack up with numbers of birds killed? It's all boiled down in this next table:

Ducks and Stamps Geese Region Sold Bagged Atlantic Fly way 14% 9% Mississippi Flyway___ 42% 37% Central Flyway 25% 29% Pacific Flyway 19% 25%

While the Mississippi and Central Flywdys had by far the greatest hunting pressure and killed the largest numbers of waterfowl, hunting success per gun was generally best on the Pacific Coast and became progressively poorer all the way across the United States to the Atlantic. Scoreboard reports said so in no uncertain terms. Here's a few random samples: Worst in ten years." "Worst since duck depression,". "Lousy." "It's time to get tough." So said many east coast gunners.

From the west came comments like this: "Duck shooting has been excellent." "Pacific Flyway is entirely separate from the others." "Great many ducks on all the duck clubs." "As many birds as last year, but season too early." "If other sections have few ducks why penalize the west coast?" "Vexing to go along with present limits." (This from a man who reported bagging 56 ducks and 16 geese.) Other westerners were not so lucky. "Gun clubs killing all the ducks," they wrote. "Clubs have all the best areas." "Local ducks only."

In spite of a few good spots, most of them west of the Mississippi, the average man in the blind trudged home on the last day of the season firmly convinced that another sharp drop in ducks and geese had taken place during the year. He said there were fewer ducks, more hunters. He was inclined to blame some of those other hunters for his bad luck. He said the marshes were lined with Johnny Highshots, Moon Shooters, Bar Walkers, Sky Busters; that some Moron would be almost sure to cut loose if a duck came within a quarter of a mile. As a result, he said that crippling losses were worst in history.

Seventy percent of all ducks hunters who reported said they shot on places open to the public, twenty-five percent gunned in privately owned areas, and five percent patronized commercial clubs. Most of them demanded more public shooting marshes, and practically all of them recommended the use of retrievers to cut down crippling losses. Some of the "scorecarders" wrote long, interesting letters. Judges, doctors, bankers, farmers, major league ball players, old timers. You could tell they were discussing a subject very dear to them; that they were willing to abide by any and all reasonable restrictions—even closed season, if necessary—to preserve their favorite outdoor sport.

There were those who hurled brickbats. One man accused me of doing my duck hunting, if any, from a swivel chair. That I would say was a bit unfair because shotgunning has been my best loved recreation ever since I could carry a shotgun.

Others invited me to go hunting with them; to join their clubs. An old timer from Kansas even offered me a membership in what must be the most exclusive organization in the world — the Saline County Elephant Hunters Association. All I had to do was shoot an elephant in Kansas.

It was a real education to read the scorecards. They were frank, informative and helpful. We were disappointed that more hunters did not send theirs in, and hope that next year's returns will be much better.

Preliminary tabulations indicate that buyers of the combination fishing and hunting permits bag considerably more pheasants and ducks than do buyers of straight hunting permits. This suggests that the combination permit may be an even bigger "Bargain" than the name indicates:

Outdoor Nebraska—1947 15

New Wad Revolutionizes Shotshell

The "impossible" job of preventing the leakage of powder gas ahead of the round lead pellets in a shotshell has just been accomplished in order to give hunters a radically new clean-killing ammunition.

The secret of the new shotshell is a disc of greased cardboard shaped like an umbrella which is inverted over the powder and behind the shot pellets. When the shell is fired the expanding cup wad is forced up the bore of the gun and seals the expanding gas behind it like the leather cup-washer on the plunger of a pump.

The new shell produces remarkable uniform shot patterns and shot strings. A "pattern" is the side-to-side distribution of the on-coming pellets as they strike a target, and a "string" is their lengthwise distribution.

Announcement of this revolutionary development was made by John M. Olin, president of Olin Industries, Inc., who said it has been adopted as standard in both Winchester and Western Cartridge Company loads. Limited quantities already have been produced, and all shotshells manufactured by these firms will incorporate the new expanding wad, as well as a . folding crimp in the nose of the shell, as soon as new loading machines are available.

It is claimed that the uniform concentration of shot thrown by the new shell eliminates many crippled birds which would otherwise get away to be lost.

CLASSROOM FISHERMEN

When most of us went to high school we were more or less content to follow the prescribed course of study, and to participate in such extra-curricular activities as football, basketball, baseball, track, music and debate. We little dreamed that some day high school students would be getting training in how to handle a flyrod, or how to put a bass plug in the exact spot where a bass came up for a bug.

That is actually what is going on in Lincoln High. Coach Ralph Beechner realizes the benefit to be derived from the training and development of young bodies through organized athletics. But Beechner can look beyond graduation day, when most high school athletes say goodbye forever to competitive sport. Realizing that a great many more young people will hunt or fish or both after leaving high school, than will play football or basketball in later years, Beechner decided that these budding sportsmen might like to get a little training in the technique of fishing and hunting.

The results of this idea thus far are encouraging, even stimulating. At the present writing more than 100 youngsters, both boys and girls, have signed up to take training in fishing and hunting. The class led off with pep-talks by Game Commission workers, and demonstrations on fishing rod handling by local sportsmen. From then on it was a matter of getting practice in the art of casting with competent advisors to straighten out kinks and backlashes.

The training will not end with the spring semester. Next fall the course will concentrate on gun handling, both from the point of view of safety in handling firearms in the field and marksmanship. A shooting gallery is under construction. Here youngsters will learn how to zero-in a .22 caliber rifle, and how to get the bullets into the X-ring of the target. Outdoor activity will consist of practice shooting at clay pigeons to teach steady young hands how to follow through on moving targets such as pheasants, ducks, and quail.

The conservation aspects of this high school training are almost unlimited. From a direct standpoint, game will be saved through a higher percentage of clean kills and fewer cripples left to die in the fields. People with training in safe gun handling are not the people who cause fatal accidents with firearms.

As far as is known, Beechner's idea is a new one. It would be safe to predict that it is an idea which will take root here in Nebraska's schools and spread throughout the country. If you have any doubt as to the interest the youngsters have in this outdoor training, just talk to one of them. You will be convinced.

Outdoor Nebraska—1947 17

Fence-Row and Briar Patch

By GERALD V. HUMBERT

As a boy on a central Nebraska farm a quarter century or more ago, I reveled in the bits of wilderness still to be found about me. That joy in the wild, inherited from my homesteading grandparents, was one of the pleasures of my boyhood. Unfortunately, it is a pleasure which I must often forego now that I am an adult. Worse, it is a pleasure that the boys and girls of this generation are denied.

Twenty-five years ago every fencerow had its plum thicket or chokecherry patch. Mulberry trees and occasional cottonwoods and willows sprang up along the borders of the fields. The roadsides were wide strips of native grass and flowers. These were things that made for abundant wildlife. Song birds, and quail, and prairie chickens found shelter in the thickets. After a winter snowfall, the hunter found rabbits in the plum bushes and along the fencerows. The farm boy eked out his slender resources with a trap line which netted him a harvest of skunk, civet, weasel, coon, and muskrat pelts! Farmers tolerated the trees and thickets; the roadsides provided pasture for cattle before the regular pastures, and often served to finish the season after other grassland was over-grazed. Often the boys were the herdsmen—exploring the thickets and grass strips for bird nests and gopher holes. Actually their effect on the wildlife was small, but their interest in it was of great importance.

Now all this is changed. The coming of the automobile demanded all-weather roads. The elevator grader destroyed the grass strips and the roadside thickets. The desire for more crop land caused the farmer to grub out the trees on his land. He plowed up the hay meadows because the tractor lessened the quantity of hay he needed for feed. Livestock meant extra work and tractor farming demanded large fields and immense acreages.

The quail and the prairie chickens vanished with the disappearance of the thickets and the grasslands. The breaking up of the haylands and the sod pockets destroyed the dens of the small furbearers. The rabbit population, too, suffered from loss of cover.

Along with this loss of grass and trees came a loss of soil resources. The wind storms of the middle 30's and the drought years, followed by periods of wet weather, took their toll of the top soil. Now we are becoming concerned about this loss of soil. To stop its loss, we are advocating the planting of trees and grass. In effect we are now seeking to replace that which we have spent three generations destroying.

To see the effect of the planted fencerow and grass plot, not only upon wildlife, but upon the scenic beauty of the country side as well, we need only to look at those states whose thickets and grasslands have not been destroyed. The trees and thickets along the roadside add to the attractiveness of the landscape, if not to ,its utilitarian value. In some respects, at least, wildlife has remained fairly stable when the cover was undisturbed The increasing of cover should increase wildlife, and if the pleasure of hunting, fishing, and studying nature are to be pleasures for future generations to enjoy, wildlife must increase rather than decrease.

As a part of our conservation program, we need to bring back the pockets of native grass and trees, the plum thickets and the chokecherry bushes, hedgerows and . the bits of wilderness of a former day. When we do, we will lose a few acres of unproductive land, a few bushels of wheat and corn, but we will gain a bird song at dawn, a cheery Bob White' 'at evening tide, and a wealth of beauty and sport for all.

HOMES FOR WILDLIFE

After several years delay due to wartime shortages of manpower, equipment and materials, the Nebraska Game Commission has resumed its program of planting trees and shrubs for game cover.

Two crews of workers, equipped with tractors, cultivating machinery, mechanized posthole diggers, and other tools, are planting trees in two sections of the state. After the trees are put in the ground the workers build fences around the planted areas.

In northeastern Nebraska, eight counties are benefiting from game cover plantings. These are: Wayne, Pierce, Knox, Cedar, Dixon, Dakota and Thurston and Cuming. In south-central Nebraska four counties, Phelps, Kearney, Harlan and Franklin, are being developed for game cover.

You have only to make a trip through the state at this time of the year to appreciate the need for game cover. Cornfields and wheat stubble, which provided some protection for game during the winter, are now under cultivation as new crops are being planted. High-priced crops have induced land operators to plow up every available inch of the soil, so that fencerows are naked of game cover.

The ground is either bare, or what little cover there is cannot allow the birds to hide. If you will observe the relationship between the number of pheasants and the amount of natural cover such as trees, and brush, you will soon be convinced that where there are weed patches, brush and trees, pheasants are numerous in the surrounding fields. But where there is almost no natural cover, pheasants are scarce indeed. It is this pheasant-cover relationship that has pointed out to the Game Commission the need for planting trees and shrubs to provide homes to wildlife.

Present Game Commission plans call for an outlay of approximately $50,000 per year for game habitat development. Three-fourths of this annual expenditure is derived from Federal funds under the Pittman-Robertson act, and one-fourth comes from game funds.

The program started before the war in southeastern Nebraska, when wildlife habitat areas were developed in what is now a quail-hunter's paradise. Trees and shrubs were planted for quail cover in Johnson, Nemaha, Pawnee and Richardson counties. An indication of the success of this planting project lies in the fact that Nebraska now has had three quail shooting seasons in this area, with more to follow.

In the two areas under development this year, about 70,000 trees and shrubs will be set out by the planting crews. Early plantings were retarded by cold, wet weather, but most of the planting will be completed by the end of May. When the planting season has ended the development crews will build fences around the areas to prevent destruction of trees and natural cover by grazing.

Here is how the program operates: Under   the direction of Biologist Jim Ager, of Minden, farmers interested in wildlife habitat restoration are contacted, and the benefits of the program are explained to them. An agreement between the farmer and the Game Commission is set up, whereby the farmer sets aside a plot of waste ground for habitat development. This plot, usually an erroded gully or a farm pond, becomes a permanent sanctuary where game may rest and breed. The farm on which the sanctuary is located becomes a game management area. Signs are posted around the farm which direct hunters to obtain permission from the operator before going on the land. This gives the farmer the alternative of permitting hunting or prohibiting it, depending on the abundance or scarcity of game.

Once the agreement between the farmer and the Game Commission has been signed, plans are laid out for planting trees and shrubs in the sanctuary and fencing it off from grazing. Both nursery stock for planting and materials for fencing the sanctuary are furnished by the Game Commission.

The Game Commission's Homes for Wildlife program will, of course, require years of effort to develop habitat areas throughout the entire state. Present development is going on in regions where there is intensive agriculture and a scarcity of natural game cover. The ultimate goal of the program is a "Homes for Wildlife" plot on every Nebraska farm. When that goal has been attained most of the problems involving an abundance of game will have been solved.

20 Outdoor Nebraska—1947

POACHER, BEWARE!

Nebraska poachers, game law violators, and sundry characters who have been disregarding the principles of true sportsmanship, can mark down the odds on getting by with game rule infractions. The Game Commission is going scientific on apprehending violators.

In former days, a poacher who watched the highways carefully, and who got out in the hills away from roads, stood a pretty good chance of getting by with taking an illegal pheasant or a duck. But not any more. He may get away from the highway, but he had better be on the lookout for airplanes. Likely as not, the small plane he sees buzzing over his head contains a conservation officer.

Of course, a small plane can land in most any cow pasture, but that necessity is eliminated by a new technique in violator apprehension. The warden in the plane has only to pick up his short-wave radio and announce to the nearest patrolling officer the position and behavior of the violator. If necessary, two or three auto-borne officers can be called to the scene.

The walke-talkie radio is a war-time development which proved highly successful in tactical operations in combat. As soon as surplus sets were available after the war, the Commission put in an order for several. Their value in law enforcement cannot be over-emphasized, both from the immediate results attained from apprehending violators, and the far-reaching psychological effect on would be poachers.

The spring flight of waterfowl was heavy, in this state at least, but oddly enough there were very few violations or arrests. Could it be that air-borne officers with two-way radios had something to do with this?

ANNUAL FUR AND GUN SALE

Nebraska's game fund is $3,827.60 richer through the sale of confiscated guns and furs. The annual sale of confiscated property was held this year in the 4-H building show ring at the State Fair grounds. Although the weather was bad, an estimated crowd of 750 people attended the sale of guns at 2:00 P. M. The top bid of $114.00 was made on a Winchester Pump Magnum. A total of 66 shotguns and rifles were auctioned off as fast as Conservation Officer Roy Owen, of Crete, could cry the sale.

Muskrat pelts made up most of the furs sold earlier in the day, although there were lots of mink, skunk, raccoon and beaver pelts. The furs were auctioned off to fur dealers who came to Lincoln for the occasion.

Whether or not game law violators like it, or realize it, they make a sizeable contribution to the game and school funds of Nebraska. When a game law violator is haled into court, conviction usually results in his digging down for a contribution to the school funds of the county in which he was arrested and tried. Fines may range from $5.00 up, depending on the seriousness of the offense. Maximum and minimum fines are fixed by law, and the exact amount of the fine is determined by the magistrate presiding at the case.

The contributions from offenders do not necessarily end with an outlay of cash. In certain offenses, such as exceeding the game bag limit, shooting out of season, or resisting arrest, the weapon used in committing the offense may be added for good measure. Where infractions of game rules involve the use of a firearm, the arresting officer may seize the gun as evidence. At the trial, or hearing, this gun is presented as evidence of guilt. Then, if the presiding judge deems confiscation of the offending weapon advisable, he confiscates it. Thus, it becomes the property of the State, in the custody of the Game Commission.

Trappers come in for their share of contributions. Persons caught with illegally taken furs become subject to fine, and in every case the illegally possessed furs are confiscated by the court. Most frequent fur law violation is trapping without a permit. Some cases arise from the purchase of furs without a fur-buyer's permit.

Hunters who lose their guns through game law violations get a chance to buy them back. But they must do so in competition to other sportsmen. The Game Commission is required by law to hold public auctions to dispose of confiscated property.

22 Outdoor Nebraska—1947

The People Who Serve You

By PAUL T. GILBERT

A healthy sign in any business organization is the number of so-called "old faithfuls" who have been with the concern for a long period of years.Such records of tenure indicate, not only satisfactory achievement on the part of the individual, but also, the necessary interest and affection for the work. . This Department is proud of those individuals who mnny years ago started on the bottom rungs of the conservation ladder and now have climbed to the uppermost categories of the Department, directing the major activities as well as pointing the way for the young recruits who are now starting their climb toward the commendation so deserving of those who have devoted many years to making outdoor Nebraska a better place to live, not only for the present day Nebraskans but for the Nebraskan of tomorrow.

20 YEARS OR MORE: L. J. Cunningham, Conservation Officer Loron Bunney, Conservation Officers S. E. Ling, Superintendent Norfolk Game Farm Frank Weiss, Superintendent Rock Creek Hatchery 10 YEARS OR MORE: Elvin Bray, Fish Culturist Ashley Conger, Caretaker Recreation Grounds A. O. Edmunds, Conservation Officer Glen Foster, Supervisor of Fisheries Jim Gray, Fish Culturist Burman Guyer, Conservation Officer Gerhard Lenz, Superintendent Gretna Hatchery Louise Lucas, Accounting Clerk Paul Todd, Superintendent of Salvage Crew John Tooley, Superintendent of Forestry C. O. Williams, Caretaker Victoria Springs State Park Lloyd Winkelman, Foreman, Salvage Crew 5 YEARS OR MORE: Rod Amundson, Superintendent Conservation Education Ruth Bassett, Accounting Clerk William R. Cunningham, Special Investigator David Damon, Biologist Paul T. Gilbert, Executive Secretary H. C. Howard, Superintendent North Platte Hatchery Lee Jensen, Conservation Officer H. E. Jones, Superintendent of Niobrara Park Grant McNeel, Superintendent Arbor Lodge Park Jack Mendenhall, Superintendent Valentine Hatchery Levi Mohler, Supervisor Pittman-Robertson Roy E. Owen, Special Investigator C. W. Shaffer, Conservation Officer D. C. Short, Superintendent Chadron State Park Vernell Stockholm, Fish Culturist Lloyd Vance, Supervisor of Game George Weidman, Conservation Officer 3 YEARS OR MORE: John Burley, Supervisor Accounts and Supplies Edson Fichter, Biologist Paul Heil, Superintendent Ponca State Park John Herron, Fish Culturist Rudolph Johnson, Conservation Officer Walter Kiener, Biologist George Markhofer, Superintendent Stolley State Park B. J. Miller, Skilled Construction Harold. Miner, Conservation Officer Claus Poppe, Caretaker Dead Timber Rec. Grounds George Rishling, Special Investigator Ben Schoenrock, Conservation Officer L. H. Snodgrass, Superintendent of Construction Ella Nora Wallace, Stenographer LESS THAN 3 YEARS: Jim Ager, Biologist William Ahern, Conservation Officer Orden Allen, Game Farm Foreman Bernice Bartels, Stenographers Robert Bellamy, Assistant Fish Culturist Robert Benson, Conservation Officer Mary Jane Blackburn, Stenographer Charles Blank, Fish Culturist H. Lee Bowers, Conservation Officer Herbert Bucknell, Foreman, Construction William Busekist, Apprentice Fish Culturist Ed Cassell, Conservation Officer Ralph Chapman, Caretaker Joyce Cornett, Stenographer Louis Deisley, Junior Biologist Gilbert Dell, Fish Culturist Mary Kay Delong, Stenographer B. H. Ellis, Apprentice Fish Culturist Don Frye, Apprentice Fish Culturist Kenneth Gatz, Apprentice Fish Culturist Orville Gillham, Apprentice Forester Samuel Grasmick, Conservation Officer Ernest Hanson, Laborer Nita Heuser, Stenographer Dale Jones, Noibrara Park Attendant Richard Larson, Caretaker Donald Lidolph, Conservation Officer Allen Lowell, Laborer Victor Matousek, Apprentice Fish Culturist Allen McCarroll, Conservation Officer Kenneth Meyer, Foreman Emil Nieman, Apprentice Fish Culturist Lucille Overton, Stenographer Cecil Owen, Apprentice Fish Culturist Alfred Pattison, Caretaker Bernard Patton, Laborer Betty Pederson, Stenographer Earl Peterson, Caretaker Rex Rountree, Conservation Officer William Schultz, Conservation Officer Frank Sleight, Apprentice Fish Culturist Charles Stenstron, Laboror, Junior Biologist Forrest Stricklin, Caretaker Jack Stuart, Foreman John Wampole, Biologist   SUMMARY OF 1946 GAME LAW CASES Offense Cases Loaded shotgun in vehicle Ill Shooting pheasants out of season 53 Fishing without a permit 46 Over the bag limit of fish 39 Non-resident on resident permits 19 Illegal possession of hen pheasants 17 Hunting without a permit 17 Possession of pheasants out of season 14 Shooting ducks out of season 13 Snagging fish 10 Possession of illegal beaver 9 Hand fishing 8 Over the bag limit of pheasants 7 Obstructing an officer and resisting arrest 6 Using too many hooks for line fishing 5 Giving false information 5 Trapping without a permit 4 Transferring permits 4 Trapping out of season 4 Oil pollution 4 Possession of short fish 4 Shooting mourning doves 4 Seining game fish 3 Cold storage of pheasants illegally 3 Possession of game animals out of season 3 Offense Cases Illegal possession of grouse 3 Attempting to take geese out of season 2 Illegal possession and use of hoop nets 2 Selling game fish without proper permit 2 Shooting game birds from the highway 2 Illegally dressed game birds 2 Taking muskrats in closed season 2 Incomplete fur records 1 Trapping without permission 2 Trapping geese Shooting geese out of season Killing a game animal out of season Spearing game fish Attempting to kill ducks out of season Illegal possession of deer Shooting pheasants from a vehicle Shooting pheasants after legal hours Taking beaver without a permit Attempting' to take beaver illegally Illegal transportation of fur Hunting on a state refuge Total 46 442