Time to Call A Halt!

IT is past time that we sat down and had a serious talk about what is happening to the facilities in our state parks and recreation grounds. The plain fact is this: They are being damaged and destroyed by vandals faster than we can repair and replace them.

Your Game Commission is charged by statutory law with the responsibility of administering the seven state parks and the numerous recreation grounds located throughout Outdoor Nebraska. However, we have begun to entertain serious doubt as to where our responsibility ceases and yours begins.

An example of what we are discussing is a new recreation ground that was established last year. Considerable time, material and funds were expended in the construction and installation of picnic tables and fireplaces to supply the needs of sportsmen and their families as well as all people who enjoy the out-of-doors.

Did this area go on to become a popular recreation spot as we might logically expect? Before the tree planting was completed, the seats and top of one table had been completely destroyed and fireplace grates set in cement had been pried out and thrown aside.

At another area cedar shakes were stripped from the roof of a shelter house, not for fireplace fuel as we might guess, but—because of their peculiar shape someone found they sail well when flipped out across the nearby canyon. Cedar shakes cost thirty-six dollars per square.

We could go on indefinitely citing similar circumstances. Not one of the state parks or recreation grounds has escaped some variety of malicious damage. We hope, however, that the point has been made.

The next logical question might be "Why doesn't the Commission do something about this if it's so bad?" The Game Commission, over the years of its existence, has been striving toward the acquisition of lands for public use. To date it has acquired, in the name of the people, title or long term lease to over 30,000 acres. These lands compose state parks, recreation grounds, refuges, public hunting grounds and public fishing lakes.

With the tremendous leap in popularity that hunting and fishing as outdoor recreation have taken since World War II, these areas have increased in importance. This increase of value to the sportsman is further augmented by the fact that during this same period private lands available to the public have decreased as more land is leased for private use or is posted due to the unaccustomed hunting and fishing pressure on the individual land owner.

The point we are making is this! We have been operating on the theory that as funds become available, more public areas should be acquired to meet the ever increasing pressure. It has become obvious that free recreational use of private lands is following the buffalo and the passenger pigeon.

We have not heretofore deemed it necessary to provide a large staff of caretakers, or policemen if you will, on the public payroll to guard these areas from their owners—the public. Possibly we have been wrong; it would appear so.

For instance, we can construct adequate, attractive, wooden tables at a reasonable cost, but we have learned from hard, bitter experience that we have to bolt table tops and seats to angle iron frames set in concrete at about twice the cost of the standard table to expect them to survive one or two seasons.

The answer to this problem is not more funds or caretakers. It is simple and direct: The people of Nebraska are going to have to take a hand in protecting their own property.

The vandal is a thief. Who among our citizens would sit idly by and watch his car stolen? Not you, surely. Why, then, will you sit with your family at a picnic on a cool spring evening and watch, without a word or a report, some mayhem-minded individual tear the handle out of the pump where you just got water for your lemonade?

We can go on repairing this willful damage or add more caretakers if you say it, but it is going to cost you money and consequently less public areas. The decision is yours.

PROPAGATI0N OF Catfish

NEBRASKA'S oldest hatchery, Gretna, located on highway No. 85 a few miles south of the town of Gretna, is widely known for its propagation of channel and blue catfish. Here thousands and thousands of the whiskered species are hatched and reared annually for distribution in Nebraska fishing waters. Gretna has the distinction of being one of the few, if not the only hatchery in the United States which has successfully propagated blue cats.

Catfish, however, were not the first fish raised at Gretna. As early as 1882, the hatchery—then known as the Santees fisheries—raised trout. White fish were also held at the hatchery in 1883. The propagation of white fish proved unsuccessful and was discontinued in the state. As additional hatcheries were constructed, the task of raising trout was gradually diverted to these as facilities for rearing that cold water species at Gretna were inadequate. Gretna still manages to raise a few trout each year.

Major emphasis, however, is devoted to the difficult propagation of blue and channel catfish, perennial favorites of Nebraska river fishermen. Let's take a look at the process as related by Gerhard Lenz, Gretna hatchery superintendent.

Each year a number of the ponds at Gretna are selected for holding catfish spawners. These ponds are left dry throughout the winter so that they will be cleansed by freezing, sun and wind. Carefully selected brood fish are paired and placed in the ponds. From years of experience it has been learned that fresh-trapped spawners give better results than brood stock held over from the previous year. Those selected are generally smooth, oily looking fish of good health and weighing anywhere from two to ten pounds each.

Catfish normally prefer running water. Consequently, the fish are exercised after release in the ponds. To condition SUMMER ISSUE 3   them for spawning, a current of river water is continually pumped into the ponds.

To prevent the presence of infertile fish among the brooders and to assure an equal number of males and females, it is necessary to inspect each prospective brooder to determine sex and fecundity. This is accomplished by a careful inspection of the reproductive openings.

Steps are immediately taken to prevent future eating of the spawn by the brood fish. They are well fed. Their food consists of one part each of cracked corn, wheat middlings and cooked horse meat. Occasionally, when available, they are fed ground carp, beef livers and melts.

During mating time, the fish carry on a courtship wherein the male remains close to the female. This activity may last for one or two weeks after the spawners are placed in the ponds. Throughout this period the male devotes time to cleaning the nest. The nests are in small nail kegs which were previously placed in the ponds. These kegs are sunken as the result of placing about two inches of cement in each. Sand or gravel is also placed in the kegs. This aids the male in cleaning the sediment from the keg in preparation of the egg deposit.

Occasionally, the male appears to invite the female to inspect the nest. When the female finally approves the cleanliness of the nest, she swims out of the keg, rises lightly to the top of the water, fills herself with air and then returns to the keg. She inhales air in order to exert sufficient pressure during the passage of the eggs.

The male, using his teeth, breaks the gelatin in the reproductive vent of the female. The passage of eggs then begins. As a layer of eggs is deposited, the male pushes the female aside and begins the process of fertilization by depositing sperm over the eggs. This process is continued until all eggs are deposited and fertilized.

This having been completed, the male becomes the sole protector of the nest. He does not even permit the female to re-enter the keg where he is tending the spawn by "fanning" the eggs and circulating the water. Though these eggs would hatch naturally, they are removed and the artificial propagation begins.

The catfish spawn is collected twice daily—at eight in the morning and four in the afternoon. Removal of the eggs is accomplished by raising the keg to the surface by means of a long wire handle—and then releasing the egg mass from the sand by inserting the fingers through the lower side of the keg. The egg mass is transferred into a large pan of water at pond temperature. The transfer must be made with great care so as not to expose the eggs to air and sunlight for any period of time.

The eggs are then placed in troughs known as mechanical nurses where electric motors cause constant agitation of the water. Gretna's hatchery battery consists of two troughs—10 inches wide, 10 inches deep and 16 feet long. These are set six inches apart. River water, the natural water for catfish, is essential to successful hatching and is used exclusively in the entire propagation program.

Paddles, placed 16 inches apart, are found in each mechanical nurse trough. Screen baskets, containing the eggs, are placed between the paddles which oscillate slowly back and forth, fanning the eggs and aerating and circulating the water. This agitation, along with the current of river water constantly running through the troughs, simulates the activities of the male on the nest.

After a period of seven to nine days, the eggs begin hatching. On the third day after hatching, the yolk sac which is the embryo's only source of food—begins to disappear. The young fry are then ready for feed. They are fed twice daily and the unconsumed food on the bottom of the trough is siphoned off once daily. The food consists of beef livers and melts, dried skim milk, white fish meal, cottonseed meal and white flour middlings. This diet is gradually changed from 75 per cent meat and 25 per cent cereal at the fry stage to 25 per cent meat and 75 per cent cereal at the fingerling stage.

A few days after the eggs hatch, the young fry begin to work through the fine mesh of the screen basket into the bottom of the trough. The adhering matrix found in the basket is then disposed of. Any infertile eggs found among the spawn are removed with tweezers. After all fry have escaped through the mesh of the basket, they are transferred to feeding troughs by means of a rubber siphon hose. These troughs—24 of which are used at Gretna are 12 inches wide, 7 inches deep and 6 feet long. They are arranged in step-down fashion.

The No. 1 trough or top trough has a one-inch flow of water running through it constantly. This water runs through the same size pipe into the second trough and finally into and through the last trough.

When the fry reach six weeks of age they are transferred from the hatching troughs to screen holding pens in one of the numerous rearing ponds. These pens are six feet long, four feet wide and six feet deep. The screen is

A CASE OF MISTAKEN BLAME

—Pictured above are two kernels of corn. Close observation will show that the kernel at left is unharmed while the heart or germ of the kernel at right has been removed. The corn was submitted by Warden Art Edmunds of Grand Island who was summoned to a farm to investigate alleged pheasant damage. The owner of the farm had seen several pheasants in his corn field and accused them of causing excessive damage to the corn. Upon checking the corn scattered throughout the field, Edmunds soon learned that this was a case of mistaken blame. Every fallen kernel of corn had the heart eaten out. This indicated that a small rodent was undoubtedly to blame. Further substantiating this belief, Edmunds found small tooth marks on the corn. The farmer was fully convinced the pheasant was not to blame when informed by Edmunds that the ring-necks leave no evidence when they eat corn, swallowing each kernel intact. There in all probability will be further scattered damage from rodents as 13-striped ground squirrels and gray squirrels, in particular, have shown a marked increase in Nebraska.

WHERE TO FISH IN MCCONAUGHY

To successfully fish Nebraska's largest and most widely known body of water—McConaughy reservoir in Keith county—fishermen must know something about where to catch the particular species sought. The lake is 20 miles long and has a slope from west to east of seven feet per mile. In other words, the water averages seven feet more in depth every mile traveled eastward from the shallow west end until the maximum depth of 140 feet is reached at the dam.

The 100 mile shoreline is very irregular with many fingers of the lake leading up huge canyons—especially the first 10 miles of the south shore beginning at the dam. The type of soil on practically all of the south shore is hard clay and limestone rock while that on the north side is mostly pure sand. These two extremes create entirely different habitats for the different species of fish.

Water temperature is a factor which cannot be ignored in fishing for some species and is in direct relation to the depth of water, being much more noticeable in spring than later in summer. After a few weeks of warm weather in spring, the west or shallow end will test 20 and even 30 degrees warmer than the east ten miles of the lake where the water averages 100 feet in depth. Consequently, such fish as white bass, crappie, catfish, perch and sunfish will become active in the west end much sooner than the same species in the east or cold end. From all indications to date water temperature has little effect on the activity of large rainbow trout, some being taken even before the ice goes out. Walleye will also strike in water testing a cold 40 degrees.

The intention of this article is not to tell anglers how to catch fish inasmuch as they will get the job done if they know where to fish, and of course, if the weather is favorable. I will, however, attempt to present a few tips gained through almost constant observation and some personal fishing experience as to likely spots where successful fishing for the different species can be expected.

If you want to fish for catfish weighing from 1 to 25 pounds each, select all the west end of the lake where willows and other trees are visible above the water line. With the use of a good boat, place drop lines from the limbs of such trees, using stale minnows (large), crayfish, frogs or your favorite bait. Run and rebait the lines every two hours, preferably at night. Best time to fish for this species is from April through November.

For crappie—and don't expect too many—fish in or near dense brush islands in the west end where water is shallow to 10 feet deep. Live minnows, small in size, are the ideal bait. The experienced fisherman may take them on small flyrod lures. Best fishing time is in early morning or late afternoon during the last half of May and all of June.

Fish for trout—5 to 15 pounders—in the bays from shore 'at the deep end of the lake, starting at either end of the dam and west a few miles. Choice spots are Martin Bay and rocky cliffs at the extreme south end of the dam. Productive baits are minnows, worms and many types of flyrod lures. Good fishing time is during March, April and the first half of May. Smaller trout may be taken in Otter creek, Lonergin creek, and the bays on either side of the lake.

Walleye can be taken in small numbers in all parts of the lake from May until the freeze-up. Choice spots are around a sandy point extending out into the lake just at the drop-off into deep water or just off a rocky shoreline. You can troll from a boat, using a spinner and minnow, going slow with the lure right on the bottom in 10 to 20 feet of water. Artificial lures such as spoons and other wobbly lures will produce. Good fishing for walleyes prevails from May through July and again in September and October. Best hours are during early morning and late evening.

White bass is the fish of which we in Nebraska are really proud. It is a fine food fish and an excellent fighter. It averages about three-fourths of a pound, but some attain a SUMMER ISSUE 5   weight of four pounds. It is believed that white bass have a great future in this state, as they are increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds.

This fish begins striking in spring when the water temperature reaches 60 degrees and continues to strike until late fall. White bass take small minnows freely. More sport can be had by using flyrods and appropriate flyrod lures. This fish travels in schools and is sometimes difficult to locate. We do not know the whole story about the habits of this fish, but to date, it seems to inhabit the waters off a sandy drop-off, comparable to the walleye.

The white bass got its start in the shallow end of the lake but is gradually working to the east and can now be taken all the way to the dam on either side of the lake. However, at present, the best success has been had in the west ten miles of the lake, particularly at Omaha beach and Otter creek bay and as far east as Lemoyne.

Perch, which are not as plentiful as they once were, may be taken about anywhere in the lake. They are usually found in deep water along the shoreline. A boat is necessary. Most common bait is small live minnows and is used in water from 10 to 40 feet deep.

Both smallmouth and largemouth bass occur in the lake but are not in sufficient numbers at the present time to afford good fishing.

Anglers fishing at McConaughy and not equipped for camping can use the facilities of three resorts located on the south shore and four resorts on the north side. Cabins, boats, bait and cafe service are available at these places.

Tularemia Greater In Summer Months

SINCE the occurrence of tularemia—commonly called rabbit fever—is greater during the warmer months of the year, and since hunting regulations now permit the taking of rabbits from May 1 through the remainder of the year, a discussion of this disease is desirable at this time. The intent of this article is not to discourage anyone from rabbit hunting, but rather to decrease the possibilities of hunters' contracting the disease. The chances are slight that you will encounter one of the wild rabbits infected with tularemia, especially during the winter months.

Pasteurella tularemsiss, as it is known scientifically, is a bacteria which infects the blood stream. Tularemia is so called because it was first discovered in ground squirrels in Tulare county, Calif., in 1910, by Public Health Service personnel. Since that time it has been identified in all parts of this country, in Canada, Europe, Asia, and Japan. The disease is carried from animal to animal by ticks, flies, lice, and other bloodsucking insects. Ticks carry it in winter, and the female may pass it on to the next generation by transmission to the egg. Thereby, its continued existence could be possible by passing from generation to generation by ticks. The bacteria may also persist for several months in the water and mud of streams and lakes.

A large portion of human infections are contracted from handling infected rabbits; therefore, the emphasis is placed on rabbits in this article. Natural infections, with fatal results, have also been found in ground squirrels, chipmunks, pocket gophers, prairie dogs, ground hogs, opossum, porcupine, house mouse, barn rat, several species of field mice, skunk, muskrat, beaver, fox, coyote, sharp-tailed grouse, quail, domestic cats, sheep and hogs. Studies have shown that practically all warm-blooded species are susceptible to the disease.

Tularemia has been responsible for some of the epidemics that have killed off rabbits in great numbers locally. Infected rabbits are likely to die in five or six days.

Affected wild rabbits will likely appear sluggish and display evidence of sickness. A rabbit displaying tularemia symptoms should not be handled. The liver and spleen will be spotted with yellowish or whitish flecks. These spots vary in size from pin point to a small letter "o" and are numerous and evenly distributed through the liver and spleen. This spotted condition, denoting tularemia, should not be confused with white glistening spots of dog tapeworm larvae. The tapeworm larval spots are relatively few in number and may vary greatly in size. The tapeworm larvae can be extracted with a knife blade. It is a tough little capsule containing the head of a young tapeworm.

The tularemia spot is a small mass of dead liver cells and white blood cells, with no membrane surrounding the mass as in the case of the tapeworm larvae. The liver may also be somewhat swollen when the animal is infected with tularemia. Your chances of finding an infected rabbit are slight. A high percentage of rabbits are, however, infected with dog tapeworm larvae. They are generally harmless to the rabbit, and since they do not invade the meat the rabbit can be safely eaten. Tularemia can be contracted by man through contact with infected animals; by the bites of ticks or bloodsucking insects carrying the germ; by eating infected meat not thoroughly cooked; or by drinking water contaminated with the infective bacteria.

Tularemia symptoms in man are likely to show first by pain, tenderness and swelling of lymph glands draining the region where the infection has extended; such as those of the elbow or armpit, where infection is through the finger. These symptoms are likely to appear two to five days after infection. An inflamed or painful ulcer may soon develop following an insect bite or at a break in the skin where the infection has entered. This may be followed by sudden occurrence of headache, chills, prostration and fever. Sometimes no external lesions are found, particularly in cases where the infected material is eaten.

Streptomycin, one of the new antibiotics, is very effective in the treatment of tularemia. It has provided many remarkable recoveries with few failures and no harmful effects. One attack of tularemia in man gives lifelong immunity.

Care should be taken to avoid, insofar as possible, the bites of deer flies and ticks, particularly in an area where an epidemic of tularemia is known to exist.

Use rubber gloves when handling or dressing rabbits or other animals that may be infected with the disease. Since infected rabbits generally die within two to five days after infection, and a killing frost renders most insects inactive, the chances of contracting tularemia after the first killing frost are extremely slight. The skin of fur-bearing mammals is not likely to carry live infective organisms after a three- or four-week drying period.

Thoroughly cooked meat no longer can be infective.

Tularemia cases in man are not frequent, so don't worry.

Just be careful, and enjoy your hunting as always.

Identification of Tiger Salamanders Solves Mystery

A FARMER, several sons and sons-in-law lived in northeastern Nebraska where they had a farm pond which provided continued good fishing for the entire family. During one particular winter, however, the weather was quite severe—the snow had blown considerably and left a snow bank 20 feet high on the pond surface. The weather was extremely cold and the pond "froze over," killing all fish.

When the ice melted in early spring, dead fish floated to the surface of the little pond. This family group was somewhat saddened, realizing that good fishing had ended, at least until the pond could again be restocked. A little later, however, their hopes were renewed as they noticed something moving about in the water; but the creatures didn't look too much like fish.

They were determined to learn exactly what the creatures were and proceeded to catch them. None of them had ever seen anything resembling these creatures.

Pressing farm work prevented further investigations—that is until the women demanded immediate action after several encounters with the mysterious creatures. While working in the garden, they would occasionally see one of the ugly things staring at them from underneath a cabbage head. Even while in the basement when getting preserves, they would see the creatures darting about on the shelves.

Finally, the women became so upset that they threatened to take a vacation and leave the men home alone to do their own cooking and household chores unless something was done—and quick. Realizing the seriousness of the plight, the men contacted the Game Commission and a biologist was sent to the farm to investigate.

The biologist quickly recognized the mysterious creatures as tiger salamanders. Those running around in the garden, under rocks and in the basement were lizard-like in appearance. They were dark with scattered, pale yellow spots. Those seen in the pond were in the larval stage. Some, incidentally, remain in this larval stage and are referred to as axolotl.

Quoting from Nebraska Conservation Bulletin, No. 24, June, 1942, written by George E. Hudson, former instructor in zoology at the University of Nebraska:

"Eggs of the tiger salamander may be readily found by carefully examining the bottoms of shallow ponds during March and April. They are laid singly or in small clusters and are usually attached to leaves, twigs or other submerged objects. Each egg is a small round mass of jelly about one-fourth inch in diameter with the small black embryo embedded in the center.

"About two weeks after the eggs are laid, the larvae are advanced sufficiently to break out of the jelly and begin life on their own. At first the food consists of minute crustaceans, but later they eat each other and small insect larvae. Adults are said to eat earthworms, insects, fishes, frogs and toads.

"Usually the larvae transform into the adult condition during the summer and thereafter spend much of their time on land; however, in some cases, apparently determined by local conditions, larvae may continue to grow and finally reproduce without transforming. Such neotenic individuals may remain permanently in the larval condition and are called 'axolotls

"Adults often wander far from water and are frequently found in cellars and ditches. The average person calls them 'lizards/ which of course they are not. Lizards have a dry skin covered with scales'

In Nebraska

FOCUS THE PICTURE

FOLLOWING are characteristics of a fish found in Nebraska. How many of these descriptive and informative sentences must you read before you can bring the picture into focus. The name and picture of the fish appear on page 17.

1. This fish is considered by some authorities as the missing link between the bass and panfish clans.

2. It is a schooling fish and comparatively easy to catch. It has wide popularity because of its readiness to voraciously gobble up most any lure which comes its way, whether it be artificial or natural.

3. This species is very prolific and can quickly overpopulate a lake or pond if not caught in substantial numbers or controlled by natural conditions.

4. It has an overly-large bass-like mouth, but it still seems inadequate because of its hearty appetite.

5. The back of this fish is olive green to blackish which gradually becomes lighter until it blends with yellowish tinges on the side. Its belly is yellowish white.

6. In lakes and ponds it is inclined to school around stumps, pilings, submerged logs and pond lilies.

7. Under favorable conditions this fish may reach as much as two pounds in weight. Generally, however, the average weight is about one-half pound.

8. This fish has a continuous dorsal (top) fin.

9. A black mark is usually visible on its 'gill cover.

10. It has dark patches of scales which give it a mottle effect on each side.

11. This fish nas an ever-present dash of red in its eye.

12. Colloquial names are goggle-eye, redeye, sunfish bass, frogmouth perch and sun perch.

12. There is no size limit on this fish in Nebraska. Bag and possession on this member of the sunfish family is 15.

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OUTDOOR NEBRASKA QUIZ

THE illustrations at right and left represent six species of fish found in Nebraska. Below are two characteristics of each. Match the characteristics with the illustrations. Score one point for each correct matching. A score of 12 is excellent, 10 is good, 8 is fair and 7 or below is poor. Answers below.

1. This species is a relic of a large group of primitive fishes. (........)

2. The ear bones of this fish are considered prized "lucky stones." (........)

3. There is very little evidence of natural reproduction of this species in Nebraska fishing waters. (........)

4. This fish—notoriously predaciousthrives in waters unsuited for more desirable species. It is difficult to catch and isn't considered too good to eat Most anglers stick the head of this fish into the sand to kill it. (........)

5. This species is equipped with a poison gland, which—though not dangerous—can be painful to an angler if stung by it. (........)

6. This fish is a member of the sunfish family. (........)

7. This species is known for its courageous protection of nests and is considered one of the "gamest" fishes in the United States. (........)

8. This fish—a croaker—can produce sound either above or below water. It is sometimes called the "Thunder Pumper." (........)

9. A prolific spawner, this fish has large whitish, glassy eyes and strong canine teeth. (........)

10. The original shipment of this species in 1883 came from a Von Behr of the German Fisheries Society. (........)

11. This fish is a member of the perch family. (........)

12. This fish—with its smooth, scaleless body—is sought by many bank line fishermen. (........)

SALAMANDER

The tiger salamander is the only species of salamander found in Nebraska.

The farmer was a bit concerned. He wanted to know if he could ever get rid of the salamanders. The biologist explained that once the pond was again restocked that the salamanders would never again multiply in such numbers unless, of course, the pond "froze over." The eggs of the salamander are a part of the food utilized by growing fish. Without any fish to eat these eggs, the salamanders multiply in number. The farmer was also assured, that the "freezing over" of the pond, and not the salamanders, was responsible for the kill of the fish.

HOW TO REMOVE A FISHHOOK

SO you've caught a fishhook in your finger! What are you going to do about it? Chances are the first thing you'll want to do is to stick the bleeding finger into your mouth. Well, don't! The mouth, filled with virulent microorganisms, is the worst possible place for a fresh wound. If you are out on the water or wading in a stream, simply stick your hand in the water, whether the wound is bleeding or not. Cold water will wash the wound and eventually stop the bleeding, and the water is cleaner than your mouth.

Let's say that you merely have a puncture wound from the sharp end of the hook which didn't remain in the wound. After your hand has been washed in the lake or stream water, wrap a clean handkerchief around it until your hand dries. By that time a crust of serum will have hardened in the wound, and it won't become dirty. Then the bandage may be removed.

Later, if your finger is sore, red, and warm and is beginning to throb, infection is surely setting in. If such is the case, soak the whole hand in hot soapy water, as hot as you can stand, for at least an hour. Look up a doctor if one is available.

Once again, almost all the simple punctures will stop bleeding and will seal themselves without infection if you'll wash them in water, cover them, and keep your fingers out of your mouth. I have stuck myself dozens of times and never had an infection by observing these simple procedures.

If a hook penetrates anywhere else on your body, treat it the same way. Chances are that you'll be hooked either on one of your hands or on your face since these are the commonly exposed areas of your body. However, during the hot summer months many anglers fish in brief attire in the hopes of soaking up a little Vitamin D, but between overexposure to fishhooks and the sun, this practice is not advisable.

The most dangerous and disastrous place you can be hooked is in the eye. Anyone hooked there had better make tracks to the nearest medical doctor or an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) if one is handy. There is no use dwelling on this further, for I don't advise ANY self-treatment or ANY first aid on the eye. But by all means, see a doctor immediately.

Let's say you've been unfortunate and have had a hook imbedded deeply with the entire barb buried. Here's where common sense is important. If the hook is a small one, it may be better to pull the hook out directly, even if the barb tears the flesh and more bleeding occurs. However, if the hook is large, it is better to force the point out through another area of the skin, cut off the shank of the hook with pliers, and then grasp the point with the pliers and "thread" the curved part of the hook on through the wound (see diagram). This is a painful maneuver, but will cause less loss of tissue and less scarring as the wound heals.

Infection is always indicated by the signs of inflammation—local warmth and redness of the infected part, plus pain and swelling. When you get an infected finger, rest your hand as much as possible and don't squeeze the infected portions.

When you pull a hook out of a wound, always examine the hook carefully and see if it is all there. This may be of importance later on, since foreign material almost always causes infection. Buried material down in the wound will usually be extruded during the healing. If not, have your doctor remove it.

You can help yourself by soaking the infected part in any hot solution that is properly prepared. I have mentioned only hot, soapy water—merely because it is easily available, and no one can go wrong in its preparation. Besides, a better cleansing agent than plain old-fashioned soap has never been found. This holds true in the wilderness as well as in a university hospital.

A warm salt solution will also do the job. A doctor refers to this as a "normal saline." To prepare saline, dissolve one level teaspoonful of table salt in one pint of freshly boiled water; this solution closely approaches the composition of body fluids and if sterile could be used to bathe or soak any wound.

After soaking your finger or hand in the solution, wrap it in a clean cloth and leave it alone. Use a sling if you can. As long as the inflammation persists, immerse the hand for an hour in hot saline or suds four times a day and continue to rest it. In this manner, one can successfully heal all except the most severe cases.

You'll notice that we've cared for these situations without any drugs or medical supplies whatsoever. It's better that you learn how to do it that way. The proper supplies are seldom available when needed anyway, and you can really get along without them if the few rules of cleanliness are followed. I don't advise self-medication at ANY time without the proper directions, and simply pouring some antiseptic, or alcohol, or whisky on a wound never has been found to be beneficial.

Concerning first-aid kits, I've seen them grossly abused more often than correctly used. Most of the time, the wounded individual merely breaks out his antiseptic, pours it into the dirty wound and then wraps the wounded part in a bulky bandage that he soils as he puts it on. Just use a little common sense! If that antiseptic is strong enough to kill bacteria it might also kill delicate tissue cells, so use the antiseptic sparingly and only AFTER you've washed the wound. Then put on a light, loosely fitting, clean bandage.

How do you know your treatment has failed and a dangerous inflammation exists? The signs of severe, advancing formation of pus can be present as early as the end of the second day after the initial injury. Tell-tale red streaks (lymphangitis) may be seen ascending the hand or arm closest to the injury. Loss of function always occurs—movement of the finger or hand is extremely painful. The back of the hand is swollen, and fever is present. If ANY of these symptoms or signs occur, you'd better terminate your fishing trip and plan to see a physician as soon as possible. A deep-seated abscess is probably forming which should be incised and drained. Don't do this yourself!

Just when are you most likely to be hooked? I've seen it happen most often while disengaging a plug from a fish's mouth after he is hauled aboard. You are just asking for it when you stick your bare fingers down the mouths of any of the toothed fishes such as walleyes and pike. Oddly enough, these are also the species which swallow a lure a good distance. Sets of triple-gauge hooks in the mouths of these fish are treacherous. It's more sensible to use pliers than fingers.

In a boat, that guy with the wild side-arm cast is the most dangerous, so keep away from him. A side-arm caster is a lazy sort of rookie anyway. If he can't learn the simple over-the-shoulder accurate flip, then don't fish with him. Make him fish alone till he learns.

Watch this business of fishing three in a boat, especially if all are casting. If this is going to be the situation, you'd better all be overhead casters and have a pre-arranged pattern. Everybody should toss to a consistent side, so the back-flip will not snare the man behind you.

If your fishing colleague is using a fly rod, stay to the side or in front of him. It's amazing how far the back-flip of the line (and hook) will sometimes go and the fly caster is never looking behind him. Hooks from flies are small, sharp, and will bury deep! Of course, it is possible to hook yourself, too.

Why all this detail and caution over a trivial fishhook wound? Besides the pain suffered by the hookee, and the embarrassment suffered by the hooker, a serious hook infection can cut short a long-planned trip, and you can bet it will happen when the fish are really biting. And brother—that's a catastrophe!

Carp Canning.

Are you one of the many people who frown when you catch a carp on a hook baited for game fish? Well, let me tell you a few things about carp and a way of preserving them which should make your mouth water!

First, the flesh or meat of carp is no different than that of any other fish. The bones then are the chief objection. Therefore, it would appear that if carp could be prepared in such a manner so as to dissolve or soften the bones as in canned salmon, then that might be the answer. We decided to give it a try.

The process of preserving carp as used by us is a tried and proven one, so we are passing it on in hope that you, too, may benefit from it.

After the fish have been caught, keep them alive if possible until they are ready to be cleaned and skinned. Soak the skinned carp in cold salt water for 20 or 30 minutes. Remove from brine, drain well and cut into pieces. Pack closely into pint jars to within one-half inch of the top. Do not fill jars with boiling water.

Place open jars into cooker having one inch of water in it. Place on fire and allow steam to flow around containers until fish is thoroughly heated and juice forms in bottom of jars. Remove from fire, seal jars, return to cooker, place lid on cooker and process 85 minutes at 15 pounds of pressure.

We have made a carp fish casserole, carp fish salad, carp fish sandwiches and many people think they taste better than tuna. Needless to say, it is cheaper and a lot of sport for the guy or gal who catches them.

Many anglers, after they are confirmed carp fishermen, will hardly fish for anything else. Worms and dough balls are the most common baits.

So come on, let's try our luck and you'll agree it's time the lowly carp is given his due place in the fish world.

There are numerous other ways of preparing carp in addition to the canning procedure described above by Ed Cassell. Following are a few methods which have proven successful. If you have any favorite fish recipes or preparations, send them to OUTDOOR NEBRASKA.

Fish Tackle Maintenance

IN subsequent paragraphs appear a few helpful tips regarding the care of fishing equipment which, if followed, may extend the life and value of the tackle to the fisherman. These tips are given by the Game Commission's legal advisor, Carl H. Peterson, an ardent fisherman and long-time amateur tackle builder.

FLY RODS: For a great many years, most of the good fly rods have been made |*>om the tough outer strips of bamboo cane. Recently, however, new materials such as plastic and glass fiber have begun replacing bamboo in the construction of such rods. Because bamboo rods are becoming more scarce, let's take care of those we have until the newer rods become more plentiful.

The greatest hazards of the bamboo rod are moisture and accident. Any oldtimer can tell you that you may fish all day in the rain with a varnished rod and no injury will result. But, if you lay the same rod away in a moist condition, mildew will soon form and your rod will be ruined. Bamboo rods should be broken down as soon as you leave the stream or lake. Dry them off—away from the heat—and place in the case or in an out-of-the-way place.

Accidents cause the ruination of many rods—and in many instances, these accidents can be avoided. If Junior shuts the door on your favorite fly rod, let's blame the angler who placed the rod in such a position that it could be broken. Should such an event happen while on a trip, there are two or three methods of repair which can be made to permit continued fishing. First, if the break is near a ferrule or joint, the ferrule may be reset by scraping off a little varnish with the blade of a pocket knife or safety razor blade. Then, with or without waterproof glue or rod cement, reset the ferrule on the shortened section of the rod and use until the rod can be more permanently repaired at home.

If the rod has been merely weakened instead of broken, you may be able to repair it by re-gluing the section and wrapping with string until the glue has a chance to dry and harden. Then remove the string and wrap the rod with silk or nylon wrapping such as used in attaching> guides.

Many anglers have trouble in disassembling their fly rods. They just don't seem to be able to pull the rod apart at the joints. This can be eliminated by putting a trace of oil on the joints. Be careful, however, not to put too much oil on the joint. If this is done, the oil will cause the joint to set and it is then just as difficult to pull apart as is the rod without lightly oiled joints.

CASTING REELS: A casting reel is built like a watch to a certain degree and consequently should receive similar care. First and foremost, it is free from sand or dust when you unwrap it, and while you cannot keep it in its new condition forever, a little care will add years to its life.

Here are a few don'ts: (1) Don't lay your reel in the sand—this is asking for trouble; (2) Don't dunk it in the bottom of a leaky boat; (3) Don't leave it out in the weather when you are through fishing, and (4) Don't throw it in the back of the car after the season is over.

Depending upon the amount of use it gets, a casting or multiple reel will require some oil. A watchmaker oils a watch or clock with a small wire which places a trace of oil on a bearing. This is also a fine way to oil a reel. The way to spoil it in a hurry is to pour a lot of oil in the reel from an oil can. This causes oil to run over the entire reel where it does absolutely no good at all —and collects menacing dust and sand which damage the bearings and gears.

The average reel should be cleaned at least once a year. Take off the sides or ends of the reel and clean the gears with gasoline or lighter fluid. A partly worn tooth brush is a handy tool for cleaning small parts of a reel. After the old oil and accumulation of grit has been removed, the parts should be replaced and a very little oil applied to each moving gear as described before.

CASTING RODS: These rods are made of steel, plastic, glass fiber, tubing, bamboo and solid woods. These rods are far more sturdy and obviously require less care than fly rods. They will, however, give extended use if given reasonable care.

If a guide should loosen on a steel rod, it can be repaired with silk or nylon wrapping in the same manner in which guides are placed on fly rods. A better and far more permanent wrap is made by using fine copper wire for the wrap and placing a little solder over the wire to bind it. Dress the wrap with a flat file and the job will look professional.

A damaged tip can be replaced in much the same fashion. A cork handle can be replaced by unscrewing the locking nut and replacing a section fashioned from a chunk of cork.

Don't store the rods in a bent or forced position.

FLY LINES: Most of these lines are enameled or weighted with some substance that will enable them to slip easily along the guides and have sufficient weight to lend distance to the cast. Because the enamel finish can crack or check, it should not be wound or used on a small diameter reel, and of course, an enameled fly line is useless on a casting rod.

After hard use, the finish on an enameled line should be dressed with regular line dressing. There are several brands on the market. An ordinary shoe paste or floor wax will do almost as well if it dries within reasonable time. One of the better ways to apply dressing on a line is to take a piece of sheep's wool or a small dab of cotton and apply the dressing by running the line through the wool. Then let the line lie on a newspaper for a couple of hours while the dressing has a chance to dry.

Starting from one end, polish the line with a soft cloth in the same way in which you would polish your shoes until all stickiness has disappeared. Having done this, wrap the line around a tube of paper so it forms a coil. Leave it in this coil until you are ready to use it.

WILDLIFE IN ONE REEL

Apartment Hunting For Wildlife

The selection of a site for an "apartment house" for wildlife may well be compared with the selection of a site for an apartment house in the city. No potential apartment house owner would think of building in a place where his tenants could not get to it. Nor would he consider building in a place where there was not a grocery store available.

He might very well put a canopy over the walk so the residents could reach their streets without exposing themselves. The location would be in a "good" neighborhood where his tenants would not be exposed to outside, dangers. Chances are he would not build an apartment house next door to another one but more likely he would find a location which needed an apartment and did not have one. It would have to be accessible to the landlord so he could take care of its maintenance problems and it would have to be fit into the pattern of the surrounding area so that it did not conflict with other interests of that area.

Now let us transpose, point by point, an apartment house for wildlife on the city dwelling we have just discussed.

First, it must be accessible to its tenants. Upland game birds for example, will not move into a cover area if it means crossing a very wide area of habitat different from their needs. So in selecting a site, it is necessary that it be as close to the natural habitat of the species to be using it as possible. This ties in very closely with the next point and that is availability of a grocery store. The grocery store of our pheasants and quail are the cornfields, small grain fields and weed patches. Small game, other than ducks, are not capable of traveling long distances from winter cover to food, so it is very important that the site be, if possible, immediately adjacent to cropland.

Wildlife have travel lanes which serve as their streets. These lanes lead from cover to food as do our streets. During times of severe weather our upland game birds' chances of survival are greatly increased if they have a "canopy" over them while leaving their cover to eat. Again, this argues for locating as close to feeding grounds as possible so that the "canopy" can be reduced to a minimum.

Location in relation to the farmstead is important. Since this area will also be used by the birds in raising their families, it is well not to expose the young to additional outside dangers which might come from a farmstead. Cats will be more apt to frequent it if it is near the buildings. There is always a chance of disease from domestic poultry if they frequent the area. So such an area should be located at least Vs mile from the farmstead if possible. By the same token, it is well to keep the site away from the road where possible, to help prevent the road hunter and poacher from being tempted too far.

In building an apartment for wildlife, it would be foolish to build it next door to a patch of existing cover. If the birds have an adjacent home on your farm, it is better that the new one be at least a half mile away in order to give a different group of homeless birds a place to set up housekeeping. Most of 16 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   our creeks and rivers have fair cover on them. There are still some large plum thickets and windbreaks which are providing cover and need no further planting near them.

The site should be accessible to the farmer and his machinery as it is going to require cultivation for two or three years.

Lastly, and of great importance, the site must fit in with its surroundings and not conflict with other "business." A landlord would be foolish to build an apartment house on a property if he could realize a greater income by building a theater. Also, a farmer would be foolish to plant a cover area on a piece of ground on which he could raise eighty bushels of corn. And the chances are that if he did it would soon be plowed out and certainly would if the farm changed hands.

Briefly summarizing the above requirements, we find that the area selected should be adjacent to or very close to cropland. It should be away from the farmstead and roads, yet accessible to the farmer and his machinery. To prevent duplication, it should be at least Vz mile from existing woody cover.

So far we have discussed the general requirements for the location of a desirable habitat area.

Now we will get into specific types of sites. There are many potential sites on most of Nebraska's farms. Any piece of waste land is a possible home for wildlife.

The most common area is around the farm pond. The advantages of this type, as well as the others, are many as was explained in the previous issue. Many hundreds of farm ponds are being constructed in Nebraska each year, and if each of them were fenced and planted, our battle would be practically won.

Focus the Picture - - - Rock Bass

Gullies need attention, and one of the best methods of control is by the planting of trees and shrubs. When properly done, each is capable of housing a great deal of game.

Too many of our hillsides are now exposing the subsoil. They are no longer producing crops and need to be in permanent cover. This cover can be a canopy of trees and shrubs, which not only holds the soil with its roots, but each fall spreads on a protective layer of leaves and humus.

In many parts of the state rocks prevent the farming of certain hilltops and slopes, but they will support a good growth of bird cover.

There is also a large group of potential areas made up of small pieces of ground which have been cut off from the farm by roads, railroads, streams or contour farming. They are too small to farm profitably but could furnish excellent wildlife cover.

Then, of course, there are the sites where rosa multiflora plantings can be made. Rosa multiflora can be used as a fence wherever a fence is needed. This includes its use as a control for livestock, a line fence, or any boundary fence. It can be used as permanent living snow fence or to mark permanent contour lines in a field. It is excellent as a contour fence as the maintenance is nil.

There are certain requirements as to size of these areas. In order to furnish the necessary cover during blizzard conditions, we have learned that we must have no less than 180 feet depth in each direction. This prevents drifting all the way across the area in severe storms. About IVz to ZVz acres of ground for planting is fine if the 180 feet minimum depth is observed. They may of course be larger, but the Commission will furnish trees for no more than four acres. Your area may be of any shape, and it will be a rare one that has a regular shape.

As we told you in the last issue, we will furnish the planting stock for any area we feel will meet the needs of wildlife. In order to insure the success of the trees and shrubs, it will be necessary that the farmer concerned guarantee that livestock will not have access to the area. This may mean fencing is necessary, or it may merely mean that livestock may be kept out of that field until the rosa multiflora is capable of acting as a fence.

THE HAWK--- Friend or Foe

IF you were asked to evaluate the hawks with respect to their beneficial or harmful habits, how would you reply? Would you say that they are predators, boldly robbing poultry yards, greedily harvesting the game species, viciously destroying the smaller and more colorful song birds, and in general, devouring their way toward an ultimate meeting with a charge of shot from some irate farmer's or hunter's gun? Or would you say that no blanket evaluation, good or bad, can describe fairly the habits of the many species of hawks, that most species are mildly beneficial, or at least not immoderately harmful, and that only a few species are definitely detrimental? Surprisingly, the former unfavorable opinion is still held by many average Nebraskans although there is a large supply of impartial, scientifically gathered information that supports the latter, more favorable description.

All hawks are, of course, predators; they live by killing and eating the insects, mammals, reptiles, and birds that make up their diet. Condemnation by man on this basis cannot be justified-at least not until man himself becomes a vegetarian—for many other living creatures, favored and protected by man, have similar feeding habits. For example, shrikes eat insects and small birds, jays eat eggs and baby birds, cats eat mice and birds, many large fish eat smaller fish, etc. The five bird-eating species of hawks described below may require control measures in specific instances where it can be demonstrated that their feeding habits are grossly harmful, but, since the average person is usually not equipped to distinguish between the harmful and beneficial species of hawks, such measures should be taken only by properly trained officials and not by individual farmers, hunters, or others. Careless slaughtering of beneficial hawks may in time do more damage to farm and game birds than that presently attributed to the bird-eating hawks, for diminishing the number of hawks in any locality may permit uncontrolled and undesirable increases in insect and rodent populations.

Almost everyone is familiar with the sight of the larger hawks leisurely soaring and wheeling about high above the earth; yet, there are only a few of us, even among those of us who spend a great deal of time out-of-doors, who can identify readily the species of hawks discussed in this article. Fewer still in number are those who can identify the various hawks, and describe impartially and without prejudice the food habits of the various species. Admittedly, it is rather difficult to distinguish readily between a few of the various species, but it is a relatively simple matter to identify most of the hawks commonly seen in Nebraska.

The principal physical features used in the field identification of hawks are the color of various body parts, the shape and relative size of body, wings and tail, and the presence or absence of specific markings on various parts of the head, body, and wings. In addition, habitual patterns of flight, or the nature of the habitat in which the bird is found, may be distinctive. Thus, Sparrow Hawks, Ospreys, and American Rough-legged Hawks are frequently seen hovering over one spot, whereas other hawks rarely hover. Woodland hawks are not normally seen on the 18 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   prairies and vice versa. It should be remembered, however, that some hawks (like men) show a great deal of individual variation, the principal deviations from normal being in darkening or lightening of the bird's characteristic color. Thus, dark, almost black (melanistic) and pale, almost white (albinistic) individuals may be seen, particularly in our Great Plains region. Immature birds (usually about one year old or less, but sometimes older) may lack the distinctive features of the adult. These confusing variants are best left unidentified until the observer has had considerable field experience.

For ease of comparison the hawks may be divided into several smaller groups in which members share some common characteristics. The groups to be considered here are the Accipters (Short-winged Hawks), Buteos (Buzzard Hawks), Eagles, Harriers, Ospreys, and Falcons. Melanistic or albinistic variations are most common in the Buteo group.

The Accipters are long-tailed hawks with short, rounded wings. These are woodland birds that are not frequently seen in open country. Species common in Nebraska are the Sharp-shinned Hawk and Cooper's Hawk; less common is the winter visitor, the Goshawk. Both Cooper's Hawk and the Sharpshinned Hawk are small hawks with blue-gray backs and reddish, barred breasts. The Cooper's Hawk is the larger of the two (a little smaller than a Crow) and has a rounded tail, whereas the smaller Sharp-shin has a square or notched tail. The Goshawk is much larger than the other two Accipters with a pale gray breast and a blue-gray back. It has a white stripe over the eye. These three hawks are the only species which may be legally killed in Nebraska.

The Buteos are large, chunky hawks with broad wings and broad rounded tails. These hawks are commonly seen soaring in wide circles high in the air. The hawks of this group found in Nebraska include the Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, American Rough-legged Hawk, and Ferruginous Rough-legged Hawk. The Red-tail is probably the most common Buteo in Nebraska. It is most readily identified by the bright rufous (or reddish) color of the upper surface of the tail, which may be seen as the hawk veers in its soaring. The underparts of this hawk vary from light at the chest to darker across the belly. The Red-shouldered Hawk is not particularly common in Nebraska. It has pale red underparts and alternate narrow white and wide dark bands across both the upper and lower surfaces of the tail. It has red shoulders but these are seen only rarely. The Broad-winged Hawk appears in Nebraska in large numbers only during migration (usually in late April or early May). It is smaller than the other Buteos (about the size of a Crow) and has a banded tail, but unlike the Redshoulder the white and dark bands in this species are of approximately the same' width. Swainson's Hawk is truly a prairie hawk and is not found much farther east than eastern Nebraska. This hawk is best identified by the wide chestnut brown band across the breast. The rest of the underparts are whitish and the upper surface of the tail is gray. The American Rough-leg is generally found over open country and is one of the few hawks that hover on beating wings without visible lateral motion. This large hawk can be identified by its dark belly and by a broad black band at the end of its white tail (visible also from below); however, it should not be confused with other hawks (e.g., Swainson's Hawk and the Red-tailed Hawk) which may show white at the base of the tail when seen from above.

The Eagles are easily recognized by their great size and long wings. Superficially they resemble the Buteos but will rarely be mistaken for them. The Bald Eagle has a snow white head and tail and can hardly be mistaken. The Golden Eagle is an almost uniformly dark bird with a variable amount of white at the base of the tail (particularly visible from above).

Nebraska's only Harrier is the Marsh Hawk, which has a slim, trim appearance with rather narrow, long, rounded wings and a long tail. Male Marsh Hawks are pale gray; females are brown. Both show white patches at the base of the tail from above. This hawk is ordinarily seen gliding low over the prairies and marshes and is one of the most common hawks in Nebraska. Because of its low altitude flying at a comparatively low speed, the Marsh Hawk presents an attractive target and many of this species are needlessly and illegally shot each year.

The Osprey (or Fish Hawk) is a large eagle-like hawk, generally found over or near water. It is dark above and clear white below, and its white head bears a broad black stripe through the cheeks. The bird flies with wings characteristically kinked.

The Falcons are characterized by long, pointed wings and long, narrow tails. They rarely soar. The Prairie Falcon SUMMER ISSUE 19   is a bird of the Great Plains and is not found to the east. It is about the size of a Crow with a rather pallid, sandy appearance, which coupled with its falcon shape is usually enough to identify it. The Duck Hawk is about the same size as the Prairie Falcon, but it has a slate-gray back, a finely barred belly, and heavy, dark "mustaches" or "tears" on its cheeks below the eyes. The smaller Pigeon Hawk looks like a small Duck Hawk without the "mustaches." It is blue-gray above and light below. The familiar little Sparrow Hawk (commonly seen perched on a telephone pole or hovering in one spot over the meadow) is about the size of the Pigeon Hawk but is not easily mistaken for it. Both male and female Sparrow Hawks have red (or rufous) tails. The male has bluegray wings and a red back; the female has red wings and back. Both have a characteristic black and white face pattern.

In studying the feeding habits of hawks it is always advisable to proceed carefully and to sift facts from hearsay, rumor, and prejudice. Studies conducted over the past fifty years by various impartial observers have shown that in only five species of hawks (Goshawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Duck Hawk, and Pigeon Hawk) does the average diet consist largely of poultry and wild birds. In all other species the principal sources of food are small mammals (like mice, rats, rabbits, squirrels, etc.), insects (like grasshoppers, crickets, and dragonflies), frogs, lizards, and snakes, creatures frequently considered to be pests. Three species (Swainson's Hawk, American Roughlegged Hawk, and Sparrow Hawk) have been found to be almost entirely beneficial in their choice of food.

Frequently a whole species of hawks is condemned on the basis of the actions of a single, degenerate individual. The following discussion refers to the normal feeding habits of the various hawks. Occasionally, but rarely, a few individuals will deviate from normal and take game birds, poultry, or highly desired mammals. At the present time there is not enough evidence to indicate exactly why these deviations occur but it has been noted that immature and diseased or parasite-ridden hawks are the more frequent offenders. Older and healthier biMs apparently are strong enough and experienced enough to secure their normal food; whereas the inexperienced or weakened hawks are forced to seek food where they can find it. It is agreed by even the most conservation-minded groups that such degenerate individuals frequently must be destroyed, but no hawk should be summarily executed unless the evidence (not conjecture) plainly indicates the necessity for so doing. Furthermore, the control measures, however severe, should be handled by qualified and authorized persons, such as state or federal game wardens, and should never be allowed in the hands of the general public.

The following brief summaries of food habits were obtained by compiling the data reported by twelve different individuals or groups, sponsored by state, federal, and other interested organizations. The data were collected by examining the stomach contents of large numbers of each species.

The Accipters are very probably the least beneficial and most harmful group of hawks. The Goshawk is fierce, bold, and equipped with a particularly effective set of talons. About half of its food is made up of poultry and game birds, although to a lesser extent this hawk will take squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, and mice. The Sharp-shinned Hawk rarely takes poultry or game birds unless these are young or immature: however, it does feed largely on the smaller species of birds, including sparrows, warblers, thrushes, and blackbirds. In addition this species occasionally preys on mice, grasshoppers, and other non-avian creatures. The Cooper's Hawk, being larger than the Sharp-shin, takes a somewhat larger toll of poultry and game birds, but feeds principally on the smaller birds, such as the sparrows, woodpeckers, thrushes, and blackbirds. Meade ; , chipmunks, squirrels, and grasshoppers are also taken. Little can be said in praise of the feeding habits of this group. However, most of the Accipters are comparatively uncommon in Nebraska and appear to be slowly decreasing in abundance, so control measures on these species should be tempered with caution lest these beautiful, if avaricious, birds join the other species already made extinct by man (Passenger Pigeon, Great Auk, Labrador Duck, Heath Hen, Eskimo Curlew). These Hawks, although frequently guilty of preying on farm and game birds, are not often called to account for their actions. By habit they perch deep within the cover of trees and rarely appear in the open except when in pursuit of an intended victim. Since they are not frequently seen, their depredations are generally attributed to the more visible but less harmful Buteos and other hawks. Furthermore, because of their elusive nature these hawks are not familiar to most inexperienced persons and large numbers of innocent hawks have been shot upon being mistaken for a member of the Accipter group.

As a class, the Buteos are our most beneficial hawks. Thus, the most harmful of the Buteos, the Red-tailed Hawk, feeds largely on squirrels, rabbits, shrews, mice, pocket gophers, ground squirrels, rats and grasshoppers. It has been estimated that only about one out of twelve meals includes poultry and only one out of fifty includes game birds. The Red-shouldered Hawk eats principally shrews, meadow mice, frogs, lizards, rats, snakes, and grasshoppers, and only one out of forty meals includes poultry or game birds. The two Rough-legged Hawks apparently have similar feeding habits, largely restricted to taking meadow mice, rabbits, ground squirrels, and shrews. The Rough-legs rarely, if ever, take birds. The little Broad-winged Hawk feeds largely on shrews, pine and meadow mice, snakes, toads, frogs, grasshoppers, and caterpillars. Not a single instance of the taking of poultry by this species was reported, and only one game bird was found in the stomachs from four hundred hawks. The principal food of the Swainson's Hawk consists of ground squirrels, pocket gophers, meadow mice, snakes, grasshoppers, and crickets; of one hundred and fifty birds examined only two had taken poultry or game birds. From the above summary it is obvious that, as a class, the Buteos feed largely on creatures normally considered pests and thus act as a control on the spread and increase in population of these creatures. Only a few 20 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   birds are taken (largely by the Redtail) and these in such small numbers that the destruction of Buteos as a preventive procedure can hardly be justified.

Normally the Golden Eagle feeds on rabbits or carrion but, because of its size, it can take almost anything it wants up to medium sized animals. Prairie dogs, gophers, rats, mice, snakes, and many other creatures are listed among the occasional items of diet, and game birds and poultry have been taken. The Bald Eagle apparently has a preference for fish such as perch, suckers, flounders, eels, salmon, cod, etc. Many of these are obtained only as carrion. Occasionally small mammals (prairie dogs, rats, mice) are taken and only rarely birds. The eagles appear to be largely beneficial and in view of their alarmingly decreased numbers should be protected from further persecution.

The Marsh Hawk feeds largely on rabbits, mice, rats, pocket gophers, ground squirrels, snakes, frogs, and grasshoppers, but will take birds also. The principal avian prey is taken from the sparrow family although shorebirds (snipe, sandpipers, plover), meadowlarks, and robins are occasionally taken. Only about one in forty meals consists of poultry or game birds. The good and bad done by this species seem to be about evenly balanced.

The Osprey's diet is restricted almost entirely to fish, consisting principally of suckers, catfish, and a few other species. As a rule the fish hawk does not take important game or commercial fish.

As far as bird-eating habits are concerned the Falcons, as a group, have both good and bad representatives. The Duck Hawk, as its name implies, does take an occasional duck, but its diet consists principally of shorebirds (sandpipers and plovers), sparrows, and other species. This fast flying hawk can take almost any bird it pleases and usually does. The smaller Pigeon Hawk rarely takes pigeons but does feed largely on birds, principally the warblers, sparrows, thrushes, and swallows. To a lesser extent it will take insects (dragonflies, butterflies, crickets, and grasshoppers). The much maligned little Sparrow Hawk would be better named, the Grasshopper Hawk, for its chief source of food is grasshoppers, although other insects such as crickets, beetles, caterpillars, and dragonflies are taken in large numbers. Small mammals such as meadow mice, whitefooted mice, and pocket mice, lizards, and snakes are taken and only rarely will a sparrow or warbler be captured. The Prairie Falcon is so restricted in its breeding range and is now so rare that the effects of its feeding habits are negligible. Its diet seems balanced between the birds and mammals, including grouse, quail, horned larks, sparrows, meadow mice, and ground squirrels. The worst offenders among the Falcons, the Duck and Pigeon Hawks, are quite rare in Nebraska and on this basis should probably be spared unless their depredations become excessive.

In reckoning the overall value of the hawks in our highly complex world, a number of factors must be considered: 1) the low relative abundance of the bird-eating hawks (estimated to be about ten per cent of all hawks); 2) the relatively minor role of game birds and poultry in the diet of hawks (estimated to make up no more than five per cent of the food taken by all hawks); 3) the importance of natural control on insects, rodents, and other potential pests; and 4) the esthetic value of a beautifully and uniquely formed family of birds (where beauty need not be defined as mere prettiness). The first two factors surely indicate that the damage done by all hawks is relatively minor; thus, only those individuals guilty of major and repeated offenses need be dealt with. The second factor should require no emphasis; the importance of maintaining the natural systems of checks and balances wherever possible is being increasingly appreciated. As for the last factor, there will probably always be the distinct conflict between cold practical values and any implied worth attributed to the intangible beauty of form or performance. Few can deny, however, that the hawks have been elegantly devised for their niche in nature, perfectly adapted for their role as a natural check on their normal prey. The eyesight of the hawks and eagles is reputed to be among the best in the world. The hawks are found in all manner of flight forms from designs built for gliding and soaring to rapid, twisting, turning pursuit through shrubbery and underbrush. Few living creatures can surpass the speed of the Duck Hawk. The color and markings of the Sparrow Hawk are comparable with that of any other bird or mammal. The steadily increasing number of men and women who seek their pleasure and relaxation in the intangibles of the out-of-doors will undoubtedly want to see these magnificent (and occasionally majestic) creatures preserved (under proper control) for the enjoyment of themselves, their friends, and their future descendants.

PROPAGATION

one-eighth inch mesh. The current of river water runs constantly through each of the pens.

The feeding at this age is carried on in the same manner as in the troughs. When the fish advance to 10 weeks of age, they are taken from the pens and released in the rearing ponds. By holding the catfish from fry to fingerling stage in the troughs and pens, they are given protection until they are capable of defending themselves. As catfish spawn later than most other species, the young are threatened more seriously than at any other time because the enemies—crayfish, turtles, snakes, water tiger beetles and dragon flies are most active.

Throughout the entire propagation process, careful examinations of the fish are made to guard against disease. Catfish appear to be more susceptible than any other fish to a disease commonly called white spot and gill disease. By the use of river water, the hatchery has had little trouble with this disease.

They young catfish are most generally kept in the rearing ponds until they reach adult size. They are then transferred and stocked in suitable waters throughout the state. Preparations then begin for the following year's program of catfish propagation.

Nebraskans Have Variety-- How Come?

There it was in print, plain as anything—pheasants, squirrels and rabbits. That was it—nine years ago, for most upland hunters. Then something happened. Quail in 1944, deer in 1945, grouse in 1950. Present-day outdoorsmen, to whom fall, and its upland hunting, are as important as wheels to a car, are enjoying seasons on a greater variety of upland game than for many years. And the reasons for this are to be found in the generous help of mother nature, plus the planning and investigation which go with bringing outdoor enjoyment to large numbers of people.

In what we call "the good old days," mother nature didn't get much conscious help, but she delivered the goods, and those who loved the smell of autumn leaves, camp smoke and gunpowder reaped their harvest. But in these days of fast cars, jet planes, improved guns and enough leisure to permit most anybody to get in a few days of hunting, wildlife affairs just don't manage themselves. The increased variety in legal game, rather than a decrease, shows that wildlife management in a modern world isn't entirely hopeless.

Now, let's get back to deer, grouse and quail. They were all legal game in 1951, and right now it looks like they will continue to be in that class. What happened to bring about such a situation can't all be described here, but a few basic points, which were important in the past and will continue to be in the future, are worth pasting in our hats, so to speak, if we want to put venison in the locker or quail and grouse in the game pockets of future years.

In taking a good look at the state's game possibilities, which the Game Commission did in a serious way with the aid of Pittman-Robertson funds, several things immediately became apparent. One of them was the great variety in soil, topography, climate and vegetation, which is rolled up (or spread out, to be more accurate) in this big state. After an overall look at the way wildlife fits into these varied surroundings, local investigations began to shape up to get the basic information necessary not only to keep the game species in the picture, but actually to bring them along to the point where they would provide a harvestable surplus.

The local pieces of game range which were under careful observation in many parts of the state, coupled with general state-wide surveys which were run at the same time, soon pin-pointed certain facts which led to management recommendations. That these recommendations included open seasons on long-protected species came as a surprise to some. However, it should be mentioned again that harvesting any surplus over what is needed for breeding stock makes good sense whether the animals in question are cattle, hogs, game birds or deer. So practical methods of making population checks were tried out, changed to meet local problems, and then put into routine use by field personnel.

A few of the findings from the wildlife survey and investigation work will serve to illustrate the direct connection between such work and the hunting which has followed.

First, take quail. The early work with quail brought out two very important things. One was that while quail were found in most, perhaps all, of Nebraska's ninety-three counties, the birds were abundant locally only where good woody cover was located adjacent to good winter food. This brush-plus-food combination was common on farms in the southeast but uncommon in much of the rest of the state. So the quail work became centered in that area.

Quail populations improved in the early forties, and it was only natural to make a check on populations and compare the results with those in other states. Right there is where the second important point showed up. The bobwhite population in the southeast was very similar to that which was already providing good shooting in other states. And Nebraska's 1944 season followed logically. This was a case where the wildlife resource was there but it took actual field checking to provide a safe basis for action.

Eight consecutive bobwhite hunting seasons have now become history and the 1951 population was greater than that in any of the previous ten years. Summer quail checking, now operated as a routine activity of conservation officers, is linked with a simple quail hunter report by hunting cooperators during the season to show how hunting success lines up compared to the pre-season information. 22 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   This has worked very well and recent quail seasons have been shortened or lengthened according to the results of the pre-season survey.

A moderate harvest of quail has practically no effect upon the next year's population since shooting merely removes a part of the population which would be eliminated by a variety of natural causes before spring anyway. In fact, in Nebraska, bobwhite numbers have declined in the poor years and gained in the good years, both in the counties which were closed and in those which were open. Most of the quail, of course, have been in the open territory. That's why the southeast was opened in the first place —the quail were there.

The quail-producing potential of southern and eastern Nebraska—and in states southeast of Nebraska—is high. But the same area doesn't seem to suit pheasants so well. This is a matter of natural requirements, and not likely to change much. So the southeastern residents who maintain their hedges and other brush with quail in mind are likely to be rewarded by good quail numbers. But it doesn't seem to be in nature's schedule to do as well by pheasants down there.

For the state as a whole the pheasant story is well known and needn't be dealt with here at any length. However, because of its state-wide importance, the pheasant has received major attention in the game investigations of the past 11 years. One point in particular is worth mention before we move on to grouse. It is simply this while pheasants have had their ups and downs, no season in the past ten years has taken a very heavy cut into the total supply of cock pheasants. Our chances of having a good supply in the future are good if we continue to give hens protection and maintain an agricultural pattern which provides abundant cover for these long-tailed dandies. But in some parts of the state, other game birds are likely to succeed even better than pheasants.

This brings us to grouse. Although there are three kinds of grouse in the state, only two of them are likely to be important in Nebraska's hunting scene. The sage grouse is found only in extreme northwestern areas where sagebrush, the kind found in Wyoming and other western states, occurs. The sharp-tailed grouse is a common resident in most of the sand hills area and in much of the panhandle. Its eastern relative, the prairie chicken, is found chiefly in the sand hills and adjacent grasslands. Both of these latter two breed in most sand hills counties, but prairie chicken range in the state includes quite a block of land across the middle of the state just a bit further to the southeast than that used by sharptails.

These hardy natives require extensive grassland, with the chicken needing the taller grasses. Both can look the weather man in the eye without getting excited. It really took the blizzard of 1949 to show how weatherproof these birds really are. They showed up in good numbers, after that terrific winter, in areas where pheasants were badly depleted. The reason was simple—grouse can burrow or tunnel into snow and escape the freezing winds. Pheasants commonly try to get by on the surface and when howling sub-zero winds come along, storm-killed pheasants often decorate the snowdrifts by the time the storm passes. The pheasant can get by if he can take refuge behind a protective thicket or other good cover, but the snow itself provides cover which grouse can use.

The spring grouse investigation often reveals good breeding populations of grouse in areas where pheasants are completely absent or nearly so. And by fall, grouse are often abundant in the same places while pheasants are still scarce. Wishing for pheasants to shoot isn't going to bring a hunter in such an area much comfort, but going out for grouse, which are there in numbers, is now providing good hunting in areas where the pheasant has his winter troubles. The grouse country is big and the birds can make long flights. So a person trained on the rather easy-to-get field-border pheasant will find he has a job on his hands to bring back a bag of grouse. The wide open spaces, the absence of roads or even trails, the rough country—these combine to separate the men from the boys in grouse hunting. And the grouse hunter often hears the sharptail's own "horse-laugh" as he cackles away on his flight to over-yonder beyond the next canyon or hill.

Recent grouse seasons have kept much of the main prairie chicken area closed, since this bird's range has been much reduced by cornbelt farming. But the sharp-tailed grouse range in Nebraska is continuous with that in at least seven or eight other states, plus Canada, so it seems ready to provide hunting for a long time to come. Seasons can be liberalized in the good years and tightened in the poorer years, but the grouse are here to stay. The 1952 breeding population survey was still in progress when this was written, but the results to date indicate a very good breeding population of both species in the grassland counties this year.

So much for the birds. Now let's shift over to deer. Deer have come to the fore in recent years and can provide SUMMER ISSUE 23   a lot more hunting than Nebraskans have enjoyed in the first four deer seasons. The deer checking stations and range inspection have supplied facts which were eyeopeners in deer management circles.

A deer population can double in three or four years, and the condition of the main deer food plants on the range at the end of the past winter indicates that many parts of our mule deer range already have about as many deer as can be carried through the winter. Greatly increased numbers would only result in damage to the deer carrying capacity of the range. And with such a condition, increased damage to ranch and farm interests can be expected. The only practical solution to handling the state's deer herd is to manage annual hunting so that (1) The breeding herd can be kept as high as is compatible with other land use, and (2) Within that limit, provide as much recreation (and venison!) as the annual surplus deer will provide.

Western deer hunting—mostly of mule deer—is well on the way to practical management. The first four seasons have shown the land operators and the hunters that deer hunting can be operated to the general satisfaction of both. The eastern part of the state, however, faces an entirely different problem. Here the white-tailed deer is now common, and its increase is even more rapid than that of mule deer. It is common for yearling whitetails to bear young, while mule deer normally drop their first fawns when the does are two years old. Pregnant fawns have already been found in the Nebraska whitetails.

Although Nebraska is not generally considered an important deer state, the fact remains that there are now deer in every county in the state and the problems that go with deer are increasing in the same way that a deer runs by leaps and bounds.

So, with pheasants predominant in much of the state, but with grouse and quail taking the limelight in their respective areas, it looks like the deer hunter will get into the picture in increasing numbers in the future. Hunters in Missouri take deer of either sex, and in several states, including neighbors Wyoming and Colorado, hunters are allowed two deer in many areas. And Nebraska will soon be getting ready for its fifth season. But to have said, even ten years ago, that Nebraska would soon be having deer seasons, would have brought forth a laugh most anywhere.

And so it goes. They say hindsight is better than foresight—but if hindsight is any help, it looks like there is still some hunting ahead for Nebraskans. It is the job of game management to manage the resources to the best interests of all.

Let's Get Acquainted With... Warden A G. McCarroll

BACK on duty again after a serious accident last January is District No. 3's conservation officer, A. G. McCarroll, a strapping 6-footer who carries 220 well distributed pounds on his massive frame. Mac, as he is called by his associates and countless friends, presides over Hooker and Thomas counties and the eastern two-thirds of Cherry county. His headquarters are at Cody.

Mac is just winding into shape after recuperating from a severe mishap which started out as an act of mercy. It was during the month of January as snow covered the ground throughout the sprawling sand hills when a rancher-sportsman requested Mac to feed some pheasants reportedly short of natural food.

He consented and set out to the particular area with the rancher. The mission completed, the two gentlemen climbed into a truck and started for Cody. The return was delayed, however, as the truck—driven by the. rancher — was struck by a speeding train at a blind crossing. Mac suffered three breaks in his left leg. The rancher was badly shaken up. The leg has now mended and Mac has returned to his assignment as law enforcement officer for the Game Commission in the heart of the sand hills.

Mac fits the sand hills assignment "like a glove." It is only on rare occasions that an officer can so efficiently carry out such a role because of the terrain and remoteness of the area. Mac combines outstanding personality with great efficiency. Law Enforcement Supervisor Bill Cunningham describes Mac as "having the wisdom of a fox and the patience of an elephant."

Officer McCarroll probably travels farther enroute from one place to another than any other warden in the state. It is not at all unusual for Mac to spend the night away from home to reach a place but 60 or 75 miles distant And—he has spent many a night out in the open due to motor trouble or getting caught in bad weather. Travel on paved or all-weather roads is a novelty for Mac after driving almost exclusively on unmarked sand hills trails.

Mac began working for the Game Commission on April 15, 1946. Though he has spent most of his life in Nebraska, he is not a native of this state. He was born in Grant, Va., being one of nine children. Soon after his birth, the McCarroll family moved to Madison county where Mac received his education.

What's Happening to the Minnows

The minnows in Nebraska waters are a part of the natural resources of the state. Only insofar as fishing is concerned, are they of direct benefit to man, namely when they are used as bait to catch larger fish. The minnows as a group, however, are a product of nature, to serve as a link in the chain of food actions, which produce the harvestable fish which are of direct benefit to man. Many of the Nebraska streams have been despoiled of their waters for the benefit of man and in so doing have made it impossible for game fish to inhabit the streams as formerly. A stream or pond, however, that is not fit to harbor game fish, may be still good enough to support rich minnow populations. There are many streams and ponds in Nebraska that now support only minnow populations, often times rich in numbers. If there are no game fish, this minnow crop is lost and with it a link of the natural resources is wasted, unless—fishermen and bait vendors would seine only this kind of waters to obtain their necessary supply of minnows for fishing trade.

On the other hand, man has created many reservoirs over the state for utilitarian purposes which has increased fishing activities enormously, thereby also creating an almost insatiable demand for minnows to be used for bait. Particularly during the height of the fishing season the available supply of minnows in certain localities gets too low to satisfy the demand. Much disappointment and resulting discontent has followed such shortages, particularly when the shortage was used to extract high prices.

Since the increase in fishing opportunities came about gradually or sporadically, the supply in minnows followed the same trend, and there never was an attempt to organize the minnow supply. Many fishermen seine for their own supply, but most rely on some minnow vendor for their needs.

Up to this day, some men, or groups of men, or whole families, have developed a steady trade of minnow sales. Many of these do their own seining, and have developed considerable knowledge of minnow handling. They conduct their business on a sound basis of sustaining conservation of perpetual production. These dealers are, often detrimentally, handicapped by competitors who are only interested in exploiting temporarily and destructively a resource without regard of future supply of breeding stock. There have been known cases where individuals without adequate equipment to keep minnows alive, without any knowledge of fish handling, and without any conscience, have radically depleted whole minnow populations, including some small game fish—only to let most of them die uselessly for lack of proper equipment. In general it is the wildcat seiners who often commit fish vandalism, or otherwise harm the availability of minnows to the game fish, which when failing to grow for lack of food, injure the fishermen's interest.

The State Game Commission has for some time anxiously watched this minnow situation. The Commission does not want to foreclose the income resource to the many vendors, and the pleasure of so many fishermen to seine for their own need of minnows, but it must carefully weigh the detrimental effect which the reckless seining of minnows-an important natural food—may have on the population of game fish.

The trend of development in this minnow situation seems to lie (a) in the protection of the legitimate and professional dealer, (b) by prohibiting wildcat seining, or indeed all commercial seining, and (c) by giving every possible help to people who want to raise their own minnows for sale. Protection can be given to the legitimate dealer by raising the state fee for seining and vending minnows to exclude the seasonal competition of the wildcatter. If the wildcatter can be controlled or eliminated, or further if all commercial seining is prohibited, then the legitimate dealer will raise his own supply of those minnows most desired. This would also do away with chance introduction of carp into public fishing waters. The cost of the minnows to the fisherman may become slightly higher, but he will get better minnows. The wild minnows will be left undisturbed in the natural waters and will contribute to a better fish crop. The Commission would be interested in making private production as effective as possible to hold the prices as low as possible. Indeed, it would seem that with private production of minnows protected from the inroads of wildcat seiners, dealers or producers could invest capital to specialize in minnow production to the end of a better, more reliable, and relatively cheaper supply of minnows.

The State Game Commission has not as yet made any decisions, but is listening and reading, and carefully weighing, to choose that which is best for the greatest good of most fishermen.

NOTES ON NEBRASKA FAUNA

This is the tenth of a series of articles and drawings depicting Nebraska's small and big game animals, fur-bearing animals, upland game birds, waterfowl and game fish. The FALL ISSUE of OUTDOOR NEBRASKA will feature the handsome mallard duck.

MAY 21, 1944 isn't of particular significance to most sportsmen of the state, but to the Nebraska Game Commission it is a date that will long be remembered and cherished, for it represents the beginning of the state's fabulous "white bass" story. It is a day a minor stocking of that species was made in McConaughy reservoir. Not one person could possibly have envisioned the great fishing which was to follow.

On that red-lettered day eight years ago, the Nebraska Game Commission received a load of fish from the federal fish hatchery at Gutenberg, Iowa. Included in the shipment were 39 white bass which averaged about one pound each. The bass were released that same day in McConaughy, the state's most suitable water. The stocking—to say the least —was but a "drop in the bucket" when compared to the thousands of other fish released in other plantings.

Not one of the silvery-colored fish was reported taken that year. In the subsequent year, however, a small number of white bass were hauled ashore. And—as the white bass was a newcomer to Nebraska waters—few anglers knew what kind of fish they had landed. Most of the first bass caught were sent to the Game Commission's laboratory in Lincoln for identification.

A larger number of white bass were hooked during the following year. The tempo of white bass fishing gained momentum year after year. In 1950, the fishing for that species was outstanding. The year 1951, however, was the greatest of all to date with white bass filling thousands of anglers' creels. The taking of two and even three bass at the same time on one line was not uncommon. Conservation Officer Loron Bunney described the productive white bass fishing at McConaughy as the "best since the wonderful crappie fishing of '46."

The amazing chapter of the "white bass" story deals with the fact that the thousands of white bass taken in McConaughy can all be traced back to the original stocking of 39 fish in 1944. Not one other white bass has ever been released in that impoundment. It appears that the fantastic multiplication of white bass is just a story of perfect adaptation to the McConaughy reservoir environment. Whether or not the productiveness of white bass fishing continues at its present peak, climbs or decreases, remains to be seen in coming years. Regardless, however, of the ultimate fishing, we can safely say that the "white bass" story will go down in Nebraska fishing annals as the most amazing fishing story ever told in this state.

Since the McConaughy release, additional white bass were obtained by the Game Commission and planted in Johnson lake, Jeffrey Canyon reservoir, new Medicine Creek reservoir and Carter lake at Omaha. And today, some of the white bass have moved from the waters originally stocked and now inhabit all reservoirs in the Platte river system.

The Commission has been experimenting with stocking the prolific species in a small number of sand pits. If the results are favorable, eastern Nebraska anglers can look forward to white bass fishing in the near future—right in their own vicinity where sand pits are plentiful and good fishing negligible.

The popular and splendid white bass is a member of the bass family. It is readily differentiated from similar appearing species of the sunfish family by its two dorsal (top) fins. One continuous dorsal fin is peculiar to the sunfish family. No trouble should be had in telling a white bass from a perch, inasmuch as the bass has three spines in its anal (lower) fin while perch have only one or two spines in this fin.

The white bass, a panfish, is a close relative to the.salt water striped bass. It is a beautiful clean-cut fish, having an over-all color of silver tinged with yellow below. Narrow dark lines run laterally along the sides from the gill cover to the tail. Its body is sort of a happy medium between that of a crappie and largemouth bass. It is compressed and deep. Its back is elevated while the head is rather conical and scaly. Its mouth is distinctly bass-like with a pronounced protrusion of the lower jaw. The gillrakers are long and slender. Teeth are found at the base of its tongue.

This fish is a spring spawner, utilizing the open shores of lakes or streams. After the eggs are deposited and fertilized, they are deserted. The eggs are quite small and hatch extremely fast. With a water temperature of about 60 degrees, but two days are required for hatching. This is very brief compared to trout eggs which hatch anywhere from 25 to 30 days after being deposited.

White bass prefer the swifter, cleaner waters in streams, particularly below dams. It is found most often in open water in lakes. White bass feed in constantly moving massive schools. Schools of minnows skipping across the surface are signs of feeding bass. The feeding is usually shortly before dusk until mid-morning.

Anglers cherish hitting a school of white bass while feeding. The creel is quick to fill in such an instance. Almost all methods of fishing are successful. Favorite methods are light bait casting, still-fishing, fly-casting, trolling and spinning.

White bass feed on minnows, small fish, worms, insects, larvae, mollusks, crayfish and Crustacea. Because of their preference for clean and deep waters, their flavor is delicious. The flesh is firm.

This fish is reported to weigh as much as four and five pounds. The average runs from one to two pounds. Tom Bradley of North Platte holds Nebraska's present record, taking a 3-pound, 4-ouncer from Otter creek in 1950.

Its fighting ability, abundance and delicious flavor have established the white bass as one of Nebraska's fishing favorites. If you have the opportunity, fish for this species and you will agree it's a game fish worthy of respect and a boom to Nebraska fishing.