OUTDOOR Nebraska

PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NEBRASKA GAME, FORESTATION AND PARKS COMMISSION Editor: Dick H. Schaffer Associate editors: Pete C2ura, Mary Brashier Photographer-writer: Gene Hornbeck Artist: Claremont G. Pritchard Circulation: Lillian Meinecke AUGUST, 1959 Vol. 37, No. 8 25 cents per cop? $1.75 for one year $3 for two years Send subscriptions to: OUTDOOR NEBRASKA, State Capitol Lincoln 9 NEBRASKA GAME COMMISSION Leon A. Sprague, Red Cloud, chairman Don F. Robertson, North Platte, vice chairman George Pinkerton, Beatrice DIRECTOR M. O. Steen DIVISION CHIEFS Eugene H. Baker, engineering and operations Glen R. Foster, fisheries Lloyd P. Vance, game Dick H. Schaffer, information and education Willard R. Barbee, land management Jack D. Strain, state parks FEDERAL AID CO-ORDINATOR Phil Agee (Lincoln) PROJECT AND ASSISTANT PROJECT LEADERS Robert H. Hall, Omaha Keith Kreycik, Valentine Wade Ellis, Alliance LeRoy Bahensky, Palmer Orty Orr, fisheries (Lincoln) Bill Bailey, big game (Lincoln) Clarence Newton, land management (Lincoln) Dale Bree, land management (Lincoln) Frank Sleight, operations (Lincoln) Raymond Linder, upland game birds and small game (Fairmont) AREA MANAGERS Melvin Grim, Medicine Creek, Enders, Swanson (McCook) Ralph Craig, McConaughy Reservoir (Ogallala) Carl E. Gettmann, Lewis and Clark Lake (Bloomfield) Richard Wolkow, Cowles Lake (Omaha) Harold Edwards, Plattsmouth Waterfowl Management Area Richard Spady, Sacramento Wildlife Development Project (Wilcox) DISTRICT SUPERVISORS DISTRICT I (Alliance, phone 412) L. J. Cunningham, law enforcement Lem Hewitt, operations John Mathisen, game Harvey Suetsugu, big game Keith Donoho, fisheries Robert L. Schick, land management DISTRICT II (Bassett, phone 334) John Harpham, law enforcement Delmer Dorsey, operations Jack Walstrom, game Bruce McCarraher, fisheries Gerald Chaffin, land management DISTRICT III (Norfolk, phone FRontier 1-4950) Robert Benson, law enforcement Lewis Klein, operations H. O. Compton, big game George Kidd, fisheries Jim Hubert, land management. DISTRICT IV (North Platte, phone LE 2-6225) Samuel Grasmick, law enforcement Don Hunt, operations Robert Thomas, fisheries Chester McClain, land management DISTRICT V (Lincoln, phone 5-2951) Bernard Patton, law enforcement Robert Reynolds, operations George Schildman, game Delvin M. Whiteley, land management. Earl Kendle, fisheries RESEARCH BIOLOGISTS Karl E. Menzel, coturnix quail (Lincoln) Marvin Schwilling, grouse (Burwell) David Lyon, pheasants (Fairmont) James Norman, pheasants (Fairmont) John Sweet, waterfowl (Stuart) AREA CONSERVATION OFFICERS William J. Ahern, Box 1197, North Loup, phone 89 Robert Ator, 3026 Lafayette, Omaha, phone HArney 4043 Cecil Avey, 519 4th Street, Crawford, phone 228 William F. Bonsall, Box 305, Alma, phone 154 H. Lee Bowers, Benkelman, phone 49R Dale Bruha, 1627 No. 28, Lincoln Loron Bunney, Box 675, Ogallala, phone 247 Wayne S. Chord, Lakeview Route, Hay Springs, Phone ME 8-5220 Robert Downing, Box 343, Fremont, phone PA 1-4792 Lowell I. Fleming, Box 269, Lyons, phone Mutual 7-2383 Richard Furley, Box 221, Ponca, phone 56 Raymond Frandsen, P. O. 373, Humboldt, phone 5711 John D. Green, 720 West Avon Road, Lincoln, Phone 8-1165 (SPECIAL OFFICER—PILOT) Ed Greving, 316 South 31st, Kearney, phone 7-2777 H. Burman Guyer, 1212 N. Washington, Lexington, phone Fairview 4-3208 Donald D. Hunt, Box 301, Oshkosh, phone PR 2-3697 Larry Iverson, Box 201, Hartington, phone ALpine 4-3500 Norbert J. Kampsnider, 106 East 18th, Box 1, Grand Island, phone DUpont 2-7006 Jim McCole, Box 269, Gering, ID 6-2686 Jack Morgan, Box 603, Valentine, phone 504 Roy E. Owen, Box 288, Crete, phone 446 Paul C. Phillippe, Syracuse, phone 166W Fred Salak, Box 152, Mullen, phone KI 6-6291 Herman O. Schmidt, Jr., 1011 East Fourth, McCook, phone 992 Jon Schulke, Ponca, Phone 182 Harry A. Spall, 820 Clay Street, O'Neill, phone 637 Joe Ulrich, Box 492, Bridgeport, phone 100 Bruce Wiebe, P. O. Box 383, Hastings, phone 2-8317 Lyman Wilkinson, R. R. 3, Humphrey, phone 2663 Gail Woodside, Box 443, Stromsburg, phone 5841 NEBRASKA FARMER PRINTING CO., LINCOLN, NEBRASKA

IN THIS ISSUE:

THE HALLOWED HEN (M. O. Steen) Page 3 WHAT ABOUT DUCKS (Jim Tische) Page 6 GUNS FOR GALS (Frank Foote) Page 8 VICTORIA SPRINGS (Mary Brashier) Page 10 SAND-HOLE ANGLING (Gene Hornbeck) Page 12 BULLFROG JAMBOREE (Pete Czura) Page 14 ARCHERY WARM-UP (Mary Brashier) Page 18 DE SOTO BEND Page 20 SPEAK UP Page 23 BAIT CASTING Page 24 NOTES ON NEBRASKA FAUNA (Pete Czura) Page 26 SIGHTING-IN A RIFLE Page 28

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA of the Air

SUNDAY WOW, Omaha, (590 kc) 7:15a.m. KXXX, Colby, Kan. (790 kc) 8;15a.m. KBRL, McCook (1300 kc) 10:00a.m. KMMJ, Grand Isl, (750 kc 10;15a.m. KODY, N. Platte (1240 kc) 10:45a.m. KOGA, Ogallala (830 kc) 12;45 p.m. KCNI, Broken Bow (1280 kc) 1:15p.m. K-HUB, Fremont (1340 kc) 4:45p.m. KFOR, Lincoln (1240 kc) 12:45p.m. KLMS, Lincoln (1480 kc) 7:15 p.m. MONDAY KSID, Sidney (1340 kc) 5:30 p.m. TUESDAY KJSK, Columbus (900 kc) 1:30 p.m. THURSDAY KCOW, Alliance (1400 kc) 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY KLMS, Lincoln (1480 kc) 5:15 p.m. SATURDAY KOLT, Scotisb'ff (1320 kc) 12:45 p.m. KCSR, Chadron (1450 kc) 1:30 p.m. KWBE, Beatrice (1450 kc) 5:00 p.m. KHAS, Hastings (1230 kc) .5:45 p.m. KBRX, O'Neill (1350 kc) 5:30 p.m. KRVN, Lexington 11:45a.m.

THE HALLOWED HEN

Longer hunt, bigger bag, including addition of a "sacred hen', may be key to beating Nature to the punch by Mel Sleen Director

IT IS common belief that only the male ring-necked pheasant is a game bird; that the female of the species is somehow hallowed and should never be taken by the hunter.

The hen pheasant is no more hallowed than the female of any game species—no more sacred than a mallard hen, a female quail, or a doe deer. There are good reasons, however, for restricting the take of the pheasant hen. A selective kill by sexes is practical only when the species is polygamous, and the sexes easily distinguished by the hunter.

The ring-necked pheasant is highly polygamous, and the colorful cock is readily distinguished from the drab hen. Actually, the pheasant is the only game bird hunted in AUGUST, 1959 3   Nebraska that can be successfully managed by restricting the legal kill to one sex.

In game management, a "cocks only" season, fully observed by hunters, is the same as no season. Long and intensive research in many states has demonstrated that the cock pheasant can not be reduced by lawful take in a fall season sufficiently to lower the average fertility of pheasant eggs the following spring. In a cocks-only season that is observed we do not interfere with reproduction; we merely take surplus roosters out of our flocks.

It does not follow, however, that the pheasant should be taken in the same way as other game birds—just as they come, without regard to sex.

Experience and research indicate that the hen is more easily taken than the cock. It is also apparent that the average hunter does not take the legal limit consistently. For example, a bag limit of two cocks and one hen may well end up with an average hunter take of one cock and one hen.

On the other hand, a cocks-only season usually leads to considerable waste of game. Some hens are always shot even though the act is illegal. This is especially true when pheasant populations are low and the cocks wild, a situation where we can least afford to kill hens.

In Nebraska, we have an added factor. The impression exists that a hunter who shoots a hen but does not pick it up has done no wrong. Nothing could be more wrong. If there is no open season on the hen, shooting one is just as illegal as the out-of-season killing of any other game. The act of killing is unlawful, and the hunter does not make that act legal by leaving the hen in the field.

When pheasant populations are up, much waste also occurs because nature takes most of the crop. In other words, we give up too much game to natural mortalities.

The average annual turnover of the pheasant in Nebraska is approximately 70 per cent. This turnover occurs on a closed refuge just as it does in territory that is open to hunting. It is not true that pheasants can be stockpiled, and it is not true that legal hunting is the major cause of mortality for a species such as the pheasant.

The 1958 pheasant season was restricted to cock birds only. We took an average (statewide) of about 28 per cent of our roosters last year. This was about 14 per cent of the total pheasant population. This is true because the sex-ratio each fall approaches an even balance. Bear in mind that some 70 per cent of any fall population are young of that year, also uiat mortality of nesting hens is substantially higher than that of the foot-loose and fancy free cocks. Things tend to balance out. The net result is a preseason sex ratio not far from 50-50.

Since the total harvest is about 70 per cent annually, and the hunters took only 14 per cent of the available birds, it follows that natural mortalities will account for the difference. In other words, our take was 14 per cent, but nature's take is 56 per cent. We are obviously on the losing end.

In modern game management, harvest by man is essentially a substitute for other mortalities—we get there first. The trick is to stop hunter harvest at a point where total harvest (by man and nature) will not go beyond the normal turnover of the species.

It is self-evident that we can take more than 14 per cent from a total potential of 70 per cent. So far as I know, the exact percentage of pheasants that can be taken by hunting has never been accurately determined. But I do know that up to 40 per cent can safely be harvested, because this has been done repeatedly without undue results. This does not occur in Nebraska, for we are a conservative people, and 4 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   hunting pressure in our state is relatively light, far under that of most other states.

Turnover in game species, especially among game birds, is a subject that is not commonly understood. In essence it is the balance between inflow and outflow of the species; it is that point at which reproduction balances the mortalities of the species.

As I have stated, the average annual turnover of the pheasant is about 70 per cent. This turnover is surprisingly constant. And as previously stated, it occurs on a refuge just as it does in territory open to hunting. On the refuge, natural mortalities average 70 per cent annually; in open territory hunter harvest is substituted for some of the natural mortalities.

The key to all this is environment. Actually, environment is the key to the welfare and abundance of all life. Wherever Nebraska pheasant environment is good enough so that mortalities do not exceed 70 per cent annually, the pheasant survives and thrives on that acreage. High or low pheasant populations are normally determined by the amount of "70 per cent environment" we may have in our state. Bear in mind that this acreage can vary widely throughout the year and even from year to year.

To put it another way, it is possible to have 10 acres of such environment per square mile in our state, and it is possible to have 50 acres per square mile. In the latter case, we have five times as much "70 per cent environment" as in the former, hence we will have five times as many pheasants.

It is also possible to have zero acres of "70 per cent environment" per square mile. In such a situation there will be no pheasants—the inflow can not equal the outflow.

Environment is made up of many factors, and where these factors are sufficiently favorable to add up to "70 per cent environment", we have pheasants. Where this is not the case, we have no pheasants. The density of pheasants per square mile is determined by the acreage of adequate environment thereon, and we harvest a part of whatever pheasants that environment supports.

At the present time, adequate environment is much more abundant than was true back in the mid-50's, hence pheasants are also more abundant. This we welcome; this we hope will continue indefinitely. This we know means more and better hunting.

We also know that our average take of the pheasant was well below desirable levels last year. The obvious conclusion therefore is that a longer season and a more liberal bag is indicated for 1959. In truth, the outlook, as this is written, is so encouraging that it appears possible that one hen may be included in this year's daily bag.

The decision will be made early this month, when the full measure of the season's reproduction success has been determined. This decision will be made on the basis of good management, the kind that adequately protects the species without over-protecting it. The pheasant hen is not a sacred bird, but good management demands that it be given much more protection than the pheasant cock. Whatever the decision may be, true sportsmen will carefully observe the regulation that is forthcoming, because they know it is set in their best interests.

THE END AUGUST, 1959 5

WHAT ABOUT DUCKS?

by Jim Tische Associate Editor Northern ducks, prey to drought, will appear in fewer numbers. Local birds, though, hold own

FIRST and foremost, this article is not intended to tell the hunter how many ducks or geese he may bag this year. Or is it intended to give the final outlook on the duck season, good or bad.

Late summer generates tremendous hunter interest. The season on upland game opens in September, and then in October the nimrods get a crack at waterfowl. From the close of one season to the opening of the next, hunters are swapping stories of past years and making plans for the coming season. At this writing, broods have already appeared, and many young ducks are flying.

But all is not bright at this time. Hunters are hearing many disturbing reports concerning the duck breeding grounds to the north—the Dakotas and Canada, where the major part of the fall duck flight originates. The reports from there indicate fewer breeding ducks than in 1958. This lower population coupled with a poor reproduction due to drought conditions in Canada and the Dakotas could mean a considerably smaller flight this year. The number of breeding pairs in any area depends on the availability of suitable habitat—marshes, sloughs, and potholes.

Nebraska is a part of the Central Flyway, and the duck season for this area, including bag limits, is recommended by the Central Flyway Council. This group met at Helena, Montana, July 29 and 30. Recommendations were sent to the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Washington, D. C, and the seasons will be announced the middle of this month. Then and only then will we know the waterfowl conditions in the flyway as a whole. If the picture remains bleak, it could mean a reduced season and bag limits. Last year, Nebraska had an extended 90-day season with a reduced daily bag limit of four. The Game Commission selected this combination over the option of 75 days and five birds.

Game Commission surveys of the Nebraska duck breeding grounds show fewer breeding pairs than in 1958, one of the state's peak years for waterfowl population. These surveys were made in the Sand Hills area.

6 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA  

Last year's survey indicated a breeding population of 176,000, which represented an increase of 14 per cent over 1957. Average of the breeding population from 1945 to 1958 was 137,000. Surveys this year showed a minimum breeding population in the Sand Hills of 100,000 ducks. There are many additional thousands of breeding pairs outside of the Sand Hills proper.

Nebraska is on the southern edge of the Central Flyway duck production area, and flyway officials recognize only the area north of the Platte River as part of the waterfowl factory. But the state does have a fine breeding population in the rain-water basin most years. This population area stretches through south-central Nebraska.

The heavy concentration of potholes and small lakes in the rain-water basin are in York, Fillmore, Clay, and Phelps counties. Most of the lakes are of the shallow-water variety. The water conditions there this year have been excellent because of heavy spring rains. As a result, the basin is carrying one of its best breeding populations in recent years.

Survey area in the Sand Hills starts in the east with Holt and Wheeler counties and continues to the western border of the Sand Hills. This area has a number of large lakes, and, in the spring, numerous potholes and wet meadows. Ducks like the small water bodies near large lakes for breeding grounds. The large lakes are used for brood areas.

The Crescent Lake Refuge in Garden County and the Valentine Migratory Waterfowl Refuge in Cherry County are two of the best duck producing areas in the Sand Hills.

Water and moisture conditions have remained good throughout most of the Sand Hills during spring and early summer. The conditions are almost on par with last year. However, some potholes in the eastern part of the area have dried up rapidly. Much of the northern Sand Hills missed the usual late March snows and early rains necessary for optimum water levels.

Breeding populations are determined by the Game Commission biologists in spring and early summer. Surveys are made by airplane along transects selected at random from the grid formed by the east-west section lines in the region. These surveys are made from a plane flying 100 to 150 feet above the ground at speeds of 80 to 90 miles per hour. More than 2,400 miles were flown on the transects this year.

One observer records all the ducks seen within a strip extending an estimated one-eighth mile on either side of the flight path. The objectives of the survey are to determine the size, trends, and species composition of the duck population. Pairs and lone drakes are counted as the breeding population. It is assumed the hen is on the nest when a lone drake is seen. Ducks seen in groups are counted as non-breeding birds.

Later in the summer, a production survey is conducted. This check includes aerial and ground brood counts along established routes. With information obtained, the biologists can then make an estimate of reproduction success.

Nebraska's breeding population is made up mainly of puddlers, or the surface-feeding ducks. These include the mallard, green-winged and blue-winged teal, shoveller, gadwall, pintail, and baldpate. These ducks like to nest away from water on dry ground. Because of this habit, many nests are destroyed by farming operations.

Blue-winged teal make up the largest part of the state's duck breeding population. These ducks accounted for 50 per cent of the state's breeding population this spring. Mallards, pintails, and shovellers were also in the state in good numbers. Gadwalls, baldpates, redheads, and greenwings were present in lesser numbers. A few canvasbacks, scaup, and ruddy ducks were also recorded.

What does the reduction of the local breeding population mean as far as the state's fall hunting is concerned? No definite conclusions can be drawn. It is known that much of our hunting success depends on ducks from the Dakotas and Canada. But our native population does furnish hunters with considerable early fall shooting.

Nebraska's opening duck shooting occurs on lakes of the Sand Hills and ponds of the rain-water basin. As these lakes freeze, hunting traffic moves to the rivers and large open waters such as reservoirs.

The northern flight which follows, means the big ducks such as mallards. Many hunters wait until this flight is in before taking to the water.

Last year, state hunters bagged 445,252 ducks. Mallards headed the list with 247,115, followed by greenwings, 56,992, and bluewings, 48,057.

How many ducks are gunned this fall by Nebraska shooters is anybody's guess at this stage, but one sure bet is that mallards will again top the list.

THE END AUGUST, 1959 7

GUNS FOR GALS

by Frank Foote

OUR distaff side tends to view any male enthusiasm for guns with unfounded suspicions. When we embark for a day of hunting or trapshooting, with old Betsy carefully cradled in our arms, the ladies are likely to consider the whole thing a conspiracy to avoid cleaning the basement or putting up the storm windows.

Arranging a deer hunt or a day on the target range requires unheard of talents. The diplomacy of a French ambassador or the patience of a family-relations counselor would be clumsy compared to the maneuvers we males must perform to obtain a little shooting time. Mothers, girl friends, wives,* daughters, and daughters-in-law have been known to object violently, and oftentimes successfully, to our taking a little time for our favorite sport.

Regular readers of OUTDOOR NEBRASKA, of course, live in well-ordered households and are never troubled with such problems, but you may need to rescue a shooting pal who is beleaguered. Those who have emancipated themselves from anti-shooting petticoat influences have this advice to offer.

The admired technique used by former Confederate soldiers following the Civil War is one of your best tricks. "If you can't lick them, join them" was the maxim. But instead of joining them, arrange for the girls to join you. You need not fear, however, that they will be tagging along every time. Any perceptive male, no matter what his age, knows that more time than not the gals will be previously involved with a bridge club, a baby with the sniffles, or the Ladies' Aid. However, there are times when either a wistful glance or a pugnacious attitude tells us that the lady in our life prefers our company when we, personally, would rather do a little shooting. No thinking diplomat would hesitate to execute the tour de force. Invite the lady to go with you right there and then.

Exercise care in this first co-educational shooting excursion. Odds are that she knows as little about shooting as you do of crocheting. Recognizing this, you must at all costs avoid the know-it-all attitude. Either of these can scotch your campaign at the start. Let her watch you * shoot for a while and then let her try just a bit of it, with proper coaching on safety and shooting techniques. Some suggest that a shooting buddy should be called upon to help in this operation, for human nature makes it very difficult for us poor impatient males to coach a lady near and dear to us with anything resembling tact and understanding.

Three basic rules apply to this first shooting session keep it interesting, keep it short, and make it successful. If it's target shooting, use LARGE targets and get close to them. If it is a bottle-plinking expedition at the city dump use large bottles at close range. Even with shotguns, some people start with stationary targets. Let the lady hit something.

After one or two sorties of this nature, if you are any sort of a salesman and have followed the directions, the gal should have an awakened interest in this shooting business. Now is the time for thinking about equipment. So far the lady marksman has been using a borrowed weapon, which may or may not be right for her. If you haven't already, take a critical look at her dimensions—and not those usually mentioned—so that you can answer three important questions. Does the weapon fit her? Is the weight right for her? Will recoil be a factor?

You may wear a 16-35 shirt and the gal would do best in a 13-29. Remember that standard production models of firearms are made for the mythical Mr. Average Man, so a gun for the lady may need a visit to the gunsmith for some stock reshaping and shortening.

Weight of the weapon is not quite so critical. While no one would expect them to carry a 10-pound cannon all day, remember the ladies pack the groceries, hoist the kids, and swing a steam iron in one hand for hours at a time. Also, the lighter the weapon, the more the recoil, which leads us to the next problem.

Recoil ranks high in the list of gun subjects about which large amounts of uninformed words are written. Within 8 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   reason, recoil effect is a matter of personal tolerance. This tolerance varies from one individual to another with only nominal regard for height and weight.

For example, one gunner was a 175-pound husky with plenty of muscular padding on his shoulders. 'Most any day five shots from a 20-gauge with ordinary loads would reduce him to a shoulder-rubbing flincher. Ear plugs, a good recoil pad, and a padded shooting coat helped him some. Truth was that he just didn't like being pushed on the shoulder. The other extreme was a determined lass who might have weighed 105 pounds dripping wet. This Annie Oakley could stay on the stations at a skeet set-up all afternoon firing a 12 gauge lightweight semiauto and take or give no quarter.

Use common sense. Find out what the lady can absorb cheerfully in the recoil line and stick with it. Avoid the combination of Magnum loads, large gauge and extra-light weapons like the plague. Good recoil pads and some adjustable choke devices reduce recoil or its effect.

Shotgun gauge or rifle caliber also need common sense consideration when a girl selects a gun. No one should expect the ladies to use a 10 gauge in the duck blind or a .375 H & H on the deer trail. Conversely, many female gun toters are unnecessarily handicapped by over-protective senors who insist that "all the little lady can shoot is a .410". A pox on such creatures. They are the reason for the relative scarcity of ladies who shoot. Let the lady buy and use all the gun that trial and error and common sense say she can comfortably shoot.

Proper selection of weapons, adequate coaching in fundamentals, and reasonable opportunities and incentive to practice have made many women competent and even expert at hunting, target and the clay bird games. As an old-time shooter recently related, with just a touch of reluctance in his voice, "We had just as well encourage the women to join this shooting game now, because the truth of the matter is that they are doing it anyway. If men take the lead in inviting them in maybe then in the future we can sell the idea that it was all our idea. That I'd like, because I've always wanted to win at least one skirmish in the battle of the sexes."

Think it over, boys.

THE END If you cant lick them,, join them. So invite the little woman to share some of your hunting trips. The results may amaze you AUGUST, 1959 9

VICTORIA SPRINGS

"IS THERE a water pump near the cabin?" asked the unsuspecting tourist.

"Vic" Leonard, superintendent of Victoria Springs State Park, is old-timer enough at this game to expect such questions. He merely smiles gently, "I think you'll be surprised."

The site of a fizzled-out health resort calculated to blossom into world-wide importance is now the location of a quiet and restful little state park full of surprises. Not the least of these are the fabulous catches coming out of the park lake. The state record would have fallen to a three-pound, five-ounce crappie had the catch been officially weighed.

Another charm of Victoria Springs is its cabin facilities. The visitor who expected a rude hut with outdoor plumbing probably is still talking about the comfortable screened in porch and the refrigerator complete with ice cube trays.

Victoria Springs Park, a secluded 70-acre tract in the eastern edge of the Sand Hills, 30 miles northwest of Broken Bow, is one of the smallest of the state parks. It may be reached by the state spur running seven miles east of Anselmo, or by driving 10 winding miles north out of Merna. The heavily wooded area is 12 miles from good catfishing in Milburn Dam. Admission, as at all other state parks, is free.

Greatest trade in the park is the Sunday picnickers. While Mom sets out the food on the new picnic.table and the kids romp on the playground equipment, Dad usually gets in some fishing in the lake. Besides the overgrown crappie, trout, bullheads, and bass lurk in the green waters. About 2,200 rainbow trout fingerlings were stocked in April. A proud smile and a stringer of fine eating are common sights on the lake shore. If Dad prefers, he can rent one of the rowboats moored at the new boat dock.

According to Leonard, the five-acre lake is in its best condition in many years. A terrific moss problem plagued fishermen until an extensive spraying and seining program was set into motion some years back. Duckweed, commonly called water moss, at times prevented exasperated anglers from dunking their hooks. Old-timers used to say a jack rabbit could run across the lake without even getting his feet wet. But that's all changed now.

The spring-fed lake adds an intangible spice to fish taken from its waters. "Best bullheads I ever ate," says Leonard.

The rental cabins, just steps away from the lake, cater mostly to tourists making a leisurely trek across the state, generally to visit the state parks. Many of those who stop have been in Victoria Springs before and are satisfied enough to return. In the last week of June, Leonard reports, both of the cabins brought in more revenue than the entire park did two years ago.

An estimated 1,000 persons, plus about 100 horses, jammed the park one recent Sunday. An alum picnic, a 4-H club horse show, and regular Sunday visitors created a parking and space problem. Many examined the pioneer 10 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   relic cabin which houses items concerned with Nebraska history. Plows that turned over Sand Hills sod and an old Indian pack saddle are among the displays in the cabin.

Delightful stop-over for cross-state travelers and site of Sunday 'fishnics, this park offers leisure by Mary Brashier Associate Editor

The park's feature historical attractions are two log cabins built in 1874, the home and post office of C. R. Matthews, one of the first settlers in this area. Formerly roofed with sod, the cabins are still in good repair. The original letter-drop and one of Judge Matthew's tables, scarred with years of scratching matches, are present.

C. R. Matthews, 31 years old when he arrived in Nebraska, helped organize a party of settlers to explore the unorganized territory in the Middle Loup territory. There were no roads of any kind.

"Near the mouth of Victoria Creek," he wrote later, "we met some trappers who described the beauties of Victoria Valley, with pure cold springs gushing from its sides here and there."

The travelers spent one night in an apparently deserted Indian wigwam. They must have had a lucky star, for the Indians in the vicinity were unfriendly to white men.

The year the settlers planted their first crop, grasshoppers devoured everything. The next year there was a general uprising of the Sioux Indians who resented the intrusion of whites into the Black Hills. Most of the settlement retreated to Loup City, the nearest town. A few, including Matthews, armed themselves and built a fort of cedar logs. No Indians molested the community, although a hunting party of Sioux camped a few miles north.

In the meantime Matthews had petitioned for and received the mail contract for the area. Being young and ambitious, and possessing a liberal education, he was respected by his neighbors as a leader.

In 1877 the settlers experienced some trouble with ranchers moving in and bringing "a lot of rough men from Texas." Matthews said, "The writer has spent many a long night in keeping cattle out of his cornfields."

Around the turn of the century, Victoria Springs, then called New Helena after Matthews' old Virginia home, capitalized on its natural assets.

An old newspaper states, "The famous springs which are located here, a dozen or so in number, for the past 10 years have been the wonder of all who have visited them. The one peculiarity is that each spring is heavily charged with a different medicinal property."

A health resort company was formed, which built a 600-bath-per-day-capacity bathhouse. The newspaper counted "hundreds of people from abroad" who came to seek relief. A bottling works put out 500 bottles per day of mineral water, ginger ale, pop, champagne, and cider. According to historians, Matthews was still living in his original cabin at that time.

In 1922 the land comprising the park was acquired by the people of Anselmo, Broken Bow, and New Helena, and presented to the state which opened the park in 1925. The area at present is a favorite stop-over of campers and family vacationers.

THE END AUGUST, 1959 11

SAND-HOLE ANGLING

You re missing a bet when you don't try the pits, particularly when many harbor lunkers that yearn for action by Gene Hornbeck Photographer-Writer

DAWN etched the Nebraska skyline as Ben Franklin of Omaha waded into a small sand pit lake near Venice. He snapped a surface plug on his spin rig and powered it across a small cove to the opposite shore line. The lure rocked gently in the splash of its own wavelets. Ben waited until the disturbance subsided, then snapped his rod tip upward. The lure jumped about three inches, emitting a loud gur-lunk.

Rigging my own outfit, I watched Ben. Ten feet from the shore I saw the ripple of a fish heading for his lure.

"Watch it Ben," I called, "there's action on the way."

"I see it," he answered. "Maybe we're in for some fun."

The lure lay motionless for about a minute, but the fish didn't respond. Ben eased the rod top up, barely moving the plug. Even though I half-hoped to see a strike, I wasn't prepared for the explosion that followed. But Ben was, as he smacked the hook into the largemouth.

The clutch on his spinning reel buzzed angrily as the bass headed for deep water. Holding the rod high it began to sag like a wet noodle from the strong pull of the bass. Suddenly the rod snapped straight out as the lunker raced 12 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   toward the surface. Ben recovered the tension just as old linesides blasted into the air. Once, twice, he came out shaking his head in an attempt to throw the barbs. His next move was toward Ben and he covered 10 feet in nothing flat. Gaining slack line he vaulted into the air again. The plug danced on the end of his nose for a split second and then he spit it out.

A dejected Ben cranked up the line. "Why is it," he moaned, "that the big ones always get away?"

"That fish," I consoled him, "might have hit four pounds. Maybe it's a good thing the big ones do get away once in a while. At least you know he's in there."

"So much for that fish," philosophized Ben. "Let's split up; you work one side of the lake and I'll work the other."

I dropped down over a sand bank and waded out until I was in three feet of water. Ben had advised me this system worked best when fishing the shallows.

"It cuts down your silhouette and if you move cautiously, you won't spook the fish as you would on the bank."

An hour later we'd made the circuit of the five-acre lake. Ben had a pair of foot-long bass and I had the triplet. And I'd lost a two-pounder on the first jump.

"Let's try some deeper-running lures," Ben suggested. "With the sun up the fish will move into deeper water. They get spooky when the sun hits the water."

I chose a deep-running plug. Ben selected a spinnerfly combination.

As we stood at the inlet of the lake, casting along the drop off, we chatted about fishing the sand pits. I learned that Ben had a vast knowledge of the pits in the area and had enjoyed excellent fishing results over the years.

"Last week," he informed me, "I landed a 7-pounder at Ray's Valley Lakes. These sand pit lakes can provide lots of heart-stopping action."

"What about access to these pits," I asked. "Can the public fish here?"

"Many of them are private, but if- a fisherman employs a little courtesy and asks the owner for permission he will find that he can gain access to most of these lakes. Courtesy goes a long way."

There are numerous sand pit lakes between Plattsmouth and Columbus. Many of the pits are seldom fished, so they'll offer lots of fun for those who will take time to find and obtain permission to fish them. The beauty of these pits is that many are less than an hour's drive from both Omaha and Lincoln. (Continued on page 17)

AUGUST, 1959 13

BULLFROG JAMBOREE

Darting lances of light led us to the croakers bailiwick. Then came the showdown—archer versus netter

EASY does it," whispered Dick McCracken and Clifford Snapp to me as we stood stock-still in the warm waters of a small lake west of Lincoln. Cautiously I dipped the front edge of my minnow landing net into the water, just in front of our target—a good-sized bullfrog.

Only the brilliant rays of our flashlights penetrated the jet-black darkness that enveloped us. Nearby crickets were singing a symphony, and from off in the distance boomed the love calls of other bullfrogs. Our dancing light had pinned down one of the amphibians, and gently I began to slip the net nearer the unsuspecting prey.

by Pete Czura Associate Editor

Fortunately for us, the bullfrog had squatted in the open water of a small sand bar where there were no obstructions. With one quick, upward thrust, frog and weeds came spilling into my net. For an instant I thought he'd escaped. Then I felt the reassuring frantic lunging from deep within the net.

"You missed him!" my companions jeered.

But I hadn't; I hauled him out, still squirming and full of fight. My score, via the netting technique, wasn't as hot as the one compiled by my archery friends Dick and Cliff, but I didn't care. We were having one good time.

It was still light when our bullfrog hunting foray got under way that hot July evening. Dick McCracken, a railroad technician, and Cliff Snapp, a painting contractor, two old-timers at this game of bullfrogging, stalked their prey with the cunning of a Cheyenne. Cliff in hip boots, and Dick wearing old shoes, waded along the shore line with bows and arrows on ready. Moving gently, so not to cause any undue noise, they repeatedly slipped upon bullfrogs camping on a marshy bank. One swift arrow usually did the job.

Both had laughed when I offered them the use of my net. That's when they bet their system would pay off in double the catch I'd make with my net, and then the fun began. It was a race to see who would spot the bullfrog first. We both had our good innings.

14 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA  

Using my hand net, I found that it isn't necessary to use a long-handled rig. A short-handled job gives you more control and forces you to come closer to the frog to make your scoop. Also it provides additional power to your scoop whereas a long handle has a tendency to bend and sway just enough for you to lose full control of the sweep.

Netting bullfrogs can be best done at night when the light of a flashlight hypnotizes them into immobility. A swift scoop lands them easily. The use of a fine mesh net prevents any possibility of the frog escaping.

Perhaps some of you may think netting bullfrogs is too tame. If so, you will find other methods that are challenging. You can try your luck with the bow and arrow or pistol shooting with an air gun. Each method is exciting and has its share of supporters.

Cliff and Dick are vets in the archery game. Based on many years of experience, they recommend laminated glass and wood bows with a 50-pound pull. Also, regular woodshafted arrows, they find, work best. They use a reel mounted on a bow that works like a spinning reel, only it peels off line much slower. Their choice of line is nylon, 90-pound-test. This type of line is braided and won't twist, kink, or separate. Regular line, like a chalk line, on the other hand, breaks, warps, and separates the strands, causing many frustrating snarls.

Both men are high on the praise of the field-arrow tip. Broadhead tips, they say, simply tear, cut, and slice the game and allow easy escape after the hit. The field tip, though, penetrates deeply and pins the game down firmly. It can't be beaten when used on frogs.

Many bullfrogging enthusiasts employ boating to advantage. The canoe gets top rating here. It works best when the bow man does the shooting and the stern man does the guiding. To switch shooting positions simply swing the canoe around; the stern man becomes the bow man and he does the shooting.

At this writing, Nebraska's bullfrog season has been in full swing over a month. But don't despair, for you still have about three months—the season began July 1 and continues through October 31—in which to do battle with the croaker.

Nebraska abounds with lakes, ponds, and streams that house the giant bullfrog. If you want some "as big as a chicken leg", try the ponds near Harrison. There are hundreds of good bullfrog ponds in Dawes and Sioux Counties. A little searching will reveal that bullfrogs are scattered in goodly numbers across most of Nebraska with some not too far from your city.

Years ago the bullfrog was threatened with extinction as hunters pursued him relentlessly all year. But now he is a protected species, and limits have been placed on seasons and bags. The daily bag limit is 12, as is the possession limit.

The holder of a fishing permit may take bullfrogs by means of hand, hand net, gig, or hook and line. Hunting permit buyers may take their game only by means of firearms, bow and arrow, hand, or hand net.

Spawning usually occurs in June after the bullfrog has awakened from his winter siesta. Hibernation ends when the home waters reach a temperature of about 55 °F. A AUGUST, 1959 15   female lays between 10,000 and 20,000 eggs. Only a small percentage of the eggs, though, survive to become jumbosized bullfrogs.

From the moment the eggs are exposed, their very existence becomes endangered. And the battle for survival in this watery world is just as fierce as on land. When hatched they assume tadpole proportions and are preyed upon by insects, fish, and birds. It takes three years for a tadpole to become a fully developed bullfrog. Then their enemies include other bullfrogs, birds, snakes, and raccoons.

Speaking of food reminds me of two unusual incidents which display vividly the bullfrog's avoracious appetites. During our hunt, we spotted a king-size bullfrog stuffing bulrushes into his craw. Dick crept up behind him and let go with two arrows. Both missed the bullfrog and merely sent up geysers of water. We thought it was peculiar that he made no attempt to escape this barrage of arrows. But then Dick polished him off with a third arrow and we solved the mystery. Cliff began to pull the bulrushes out of the frog's mouth and in among them was a 15-inch water snake. The frog had been so busy masticating this meal that he paid for it with his own life.

Cecil Avey, conservation officer in Crawford, tells this tale about the bullfrog that attacked a coturnix quail during a recent release of young birds.

"It was sure funny," Cecil said, "but sad, too. We were releasing coturnix near Harrison when this young bird flew straight out onto the middle of a near-by pond. He began making feeble efforts to swim and hadn't been in the water 15 seconds when a lunker bass nailed him and took him under.

"We thought this was the end for the coturnix. But in a few seconds he popped up atop the water, but not for long. A giant bullfrog came along and dragged him down again, this time for about 30 seconds. But again the bird escaped. Now a biologist took compassion on the game fighter and came to his rescue by hauling the bird out of the pond.

"Don't let anyone tell you that bullfrogs won't attack anything bigger than themselves," Cecil insisted. "I know different."

Snagging is another of the means used to harvest bullfrogs, and one of the most avid practitioners of this sport is Mrs. Rudolph Lorenzen of Taylor. Searching local ponds for the booming croakers of the swamps, she uses a long cane pole and a common fish line to which a treble hook with a piece of red cloth is attached.

"We've caught many large bullfrogs with this set-up," she told me. "Some have weighed over a pound and provided delicious meals."

When fried crisp to a golden brown, the bullfrog becomes a choice morsel. Some people make the mistake, though, of preparing only his hind legs. This is wasteful for the balance of his flesh is just as edible.

On our evening's outing near Lincoln, Cliff, Dick, and I found that one-half hour after sunset is an ideal time to hit their stamping grounds. Other things we learned: work in two-man teams or more. As you probe the inky darkness, keep your light moving at a flat angle so your light can cover more ground. The minute you spot the beady eyes of a bullfrog, let one man handle both lights and concentrate them on the frog's eyes. Then the other fellow, using either a dip net or some other weapon can make the catch or kill, swift and sure. No matter how you hunt him, remember you have to sort of ooze up to him and then nail him when his alert defenses drop momentarily. Frogs are known to have extra-sensitive hearing and will leap into the water at the first sound of a footstep.

Are you wondering about the outcome of our wager? I wasn't skunked but next to it. The bowmen nailed 17 while I came up with three. Don't misunderstand me, the net used skillfully will take as many as any method, but I played host and handled the lights most of the time.

Remember the old saying: "A winner never quits and a quitter never wins"? I'm no quitter, so I've challenged Dick and Cliff to another bullfrog "whing ding" This time they'll hold their own lights, and I'll use a short-handled dip net.

THE END 16 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA

SAND-HOLE ANGLING

(Continued from page 13)

We circled the lake again, using deep-runners, and I caught three fish that averaged about a pound.

Fishing the sand pits, I found, is little different than lake or pond fishing. Most pits have an abrupt drop off into deeper water, and it's usually here that the fish lounge. This area offers depth, comfortable temperatures, and sufficient oxygen.

Ben's experience in sand pits has proven that bass hit better in early morning or late evening. The water in most of these lakes is crystal-clear, and fish will spook quickly if they see anything moving along the shore. And if anyone knows about fish habitat and fish, it's Ben.

Tall and lean, Ben is a youngish 35. But don't let his youthful appearance fool you. Through the years he has accumulated a large amount of fishing lore which makes him a wizard at catching fish. Daytimes he toils at an Omaha sporting-goods store, but when evening rolls around you'll usually find him at the near-by sand pits coping with bass and improving his angling technique.

Without question the best time to hit the sand pits is late spring, early summer, and in the fall. One reason for the lack of fishing success in summer could be failure of anglers to fish the twilight hours. Another factor is that in midsummer these small lakes develop a thermocline which is usually located 8 to 12 feet below the surface.

Thermocline consists of a layer of water which establishes itself at a given depth due to an abrupt change in water temperature. For example, if the temperature drops a degree for each three feet of water and then suddenly drops a degree in one foot, a thermocline has been established.

The water below the thermocline usually lacks sufficient oxygen to sustain the normal activities of fish. Fish may enter this area for a short period of time, usually in pursuit of food, but will not stay there. Keep this fact in mind in midsummer; thermoclines are usually established in small lakes by mid-June, and fishermen will enjoy better success if they fished them accordingly.

Where will we find fish? Most sand pits are pumped fairly deep in the center and are shaped like an inverted bell. And the majority of them have a sharp drop off in relation to the shore line. Because of this sudden drop-off, the bottom area above the thermocline is fairly limited. But it is a well-known fact that most of the larger fish will loaf on the bottom instead of living suspended in open water. With this in mind it is best to fish the shore lines down to a depth of about 10 feet. Fishing deeper will pay few dividends. Weed beds, logs, or other debris will offer extra protection to the fish, and these spots should be hit often.

Where and how to find these sand pits can be quite a problem to those not familar with the areas. Generally speaking, the pits are located along our major river systems. The Platte has more pits than the other rivers, with the Columbus area having the largest concentration.

Other good fishing pits can be found around Taylor, Burwell, and Brewster along the North Loup. The Platte, in the Grand Island area, boasts of an incalcuable amount of pits. Atkinson and O'Neill have many of these sand pits along the Elkhorn River. There are many pits all the way from Columbus downstream to Plattsmouth; Fremont, Venice, South Bend, and Louisville are the hot spots. Western Nebraska has its share in the Oshkosh-Bridgeport area along the North Platte.

Sand-pit lakes fall into three categories as far as access is concerned. Some are strictly private, others are open to the public upon asking permission, and some are pay-as-fish pits.

State lakes such as Fremont, Hord Lake at Central City, Louisville, and Bridgeport offer fair bass fishing.

Pay lakes predominate in the eastern part of the state. Bliss and Thomsens lakes, both near North Bend, and Ray's Valley, Hartford, and Pleasure lakes, all near Valley, are good fishing areas as are Linoma Beach, five miles north of Ashland, and Venice and Platteview lakes, both at Venice.

Private lakes, but open to the public, offer fishing opportunities across the state. These lakes will continue to be open as long as anglers leave the areas clean and undamaged. The following is a small sampling of the numerous pits open to fishing.

Palisade pit at Palisade; Overton pit, five miles south of Overton; Kirkpatrick pit, southeast of Lexington; Luther pits, south of river at Lexington; Weber sand pit, one mile east of Cozad; and Gothenburg pits, north side of river at Cozad.

Weisner pits, one-fourth mile west of North Platte; City pits, two miles east of North Platte; County pits, 1/2 miles south of Hershey; Sawyer pits, five miles south of Elm Creek; Five-Mile pit, four miles west of Stuart; Jones pit, 15 miles south of O'Neill; Cedar Creek pit, one-half mile west of Cedar Creek; Murphy's pits, Fremont; Lillie's pit, one-fourth mile west of Scottsbluff; Kolt pit, 1 1/2 miles west of Scottsbluff; Lewellen pit, Lewellen; and Oshkosh pits, one mile south of Oshkosh.

Many of the rod and gun clubs of the state have leased sand pit lakes that are restricted to members only. It would be to a fisherman's advantage to investigate his local club's activities and join not only to enjoy the recreational activities but to work in promoting better conservation in general.

THE END

ARCHERY WARM-UP

Stalking game is a tricky business, so the bowman must be like an animal and sharpen techniques the year-around by Mary Brashier Associate Editor

SUNSHINE glanced off the limb of the bow, and the buck, instantly alert, inspected the clearing before him nervously. Sighting the flash of light again, he bounded away, his white flag tail bobbing an alarm.

The man lowered his bow in disappointment. Because he hadn't practiced stealth in nocking his arrow, he was without a trophy head.

"Be like an animal," Carl DeVaney of the Prairie Bowmen of Lincoln advises deer bow-hunters. "Think what they would think, walk through the woods like they would walk, and even smell like them with boughten deer scent, if necessary. Above all, practice your hunting technique the year around."

"Anybody that hunts should never put the bow down," continues DeVaney, who trains during the summer on gophers and jack rabbits. "We bow-hunters have to practice more than the average rifle-hunter, because we have handicapped ourselves with such a primitive weapon."

Dick Koch, also of the Prairie Bowmen of Lincoln, practices for deer season all year. He finds the club shooting range, approved by the National Field Archery Association, about on a par with the terrain in which deer would be found here in Nebraska. He practices shooting over and through gullies, between trees, and up and down hills at short range, at long range, in kneeling, squatting, and standing positions. A deer outline, either fixed or mounted 18 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   on a rope and pulley arrangement, simulates actual shooting conditions. He also may practice on balloons staked on the ground. Although coming upon a deer in the woods is generally a surprise to both hunter and prey, Koch plans to be prepared for the encounter.

Koch, who recently brought home a trophy from the state field meet in North Platte, and DeVaney, who also has trophies and a bulging scrapbook of his exploits with a bow, are both members of a well-known Lincoln archery exhibition team.

"Little walking—much looking" is the maxim of successful archers. Novices should find a game trail and wait in a concealed place beside it, says DeVaney. After securing the permission of the landowner, both he and Koch reconnoiter their hunting territories before the season starts, study the habits of the deer, find their feeding places, and map likely shooting positions. They know they may get only one or two chances a season to sight antlers over their arrows, so they zealously study supercraft stalking, camouflage, concealment, and game ways.

Koch tells of a party of hunters he saw stampeding through the woods last fall, apparently from their noisy driving, hunting pheasants or jack rabbits. They were complaining because they weren't getting any good shots away at deer. "They were seeing them," Koch laughed, "but far off. They couldn't have hit them with a Gatling gun."

In contrast, a doe and her fawn came browsing up to within 12 feet of DeVaney, who gets as much fun out of watching the deer as he does hurting. When he moved, the two scrambled behind a bush. Then they gently tip-toed off, still eyeing him suspiciously.

DeVaney steals through the woods like a deer itself. He takes a few steps, sits down for 15 minutes, and then takes a few more steps, as would a browsing deer. This way he becomes merely another wild animal to his quarry.

A deer knows a man's in the woods for no good. Hence DeVaney and Koch resolutely try to fit themselves into the surrounding area. Both use camouflage clothing and, occasionally, tan and green face make-up. Koch slips a khaki-mottled sleeve on the limbs of his bow, keeping the sun from reflecting off the laminated glass of the bow. Motionless in full hunting garb, Koch can disappear at 200 yards from even a man using binoculars.

Concealment is one of the hardest crafts to master. A hunter is concealed best in thick cover, fine for a rifleman, but useless for a bow-hunter. Bowmen must pick a spot for a clean shot; even the slightest cover deflects an arrow off its course. Best sites for a bow-hunter to locate are at the edges of clearings along deer trails. An advantage of such a position, adds DeVaney, is that you'll make sure of what you're shooting at before you release the string. Such caution insures clean shots and saves pulling an arrow out of your hunting partner's neck.

Successful archers eliminate all unnecessary motion. A deer's eyes are in the sides of his head, put there so he can detect movement in practically any direction. His vision is poor on still objects, but he sees movement instantly. His peripheral vision lets him see in practically a 360° circle. Thus he can (Continued on page 22)

AUGUST, 1959 19

DeSoto BEND

Unique refuge plays dual role—sanctuary for waterfowl and a recreation spot for a half-million people by Howard S. Huenecke Fish and Wildlife Service

ACQUISITION and development of the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, located on the Missouri River in the L state of Nebraska and Iowa, is now well under way. When completed this refuge will represent the culmination of many months of work by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Nebraska Game Commission, the National Park Service, Iowa Conservation Department, and sportsmen's groups.

For many years the need for a refuge in this general vicinity had been recognized, but areas that would lend themselves to practical development were lacking. In 1956, interested sportsmen from Missouri Valley and Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha and Blair, Nebraska suggested a national wildlife refuge and recreational area be established at the DeSoto-Bertrand Bend of the Missouri River, where the Corps of Engineers was planning a channel straightening project.

After preliminary inspections, public hearings were conducted at Blair and Missouri Valley to obtain an expression of local opinion on the proposed development. While some opposition arose from individuals owning land within the proposed refuge boundary, the proponents of the project were overwhelming in their support.

U. S. Highway 30 between Blair and Missouri Valley bounds the area on the north. Approximately 7,170 acres of land are included in the refuge area (see map), of which 4,600 acres are located in Nebraska and 2,570 acres in Iowa. In addition, there will be, at maximum lake level, about 900 acres of water in the old river channel which will be cut off by the channelization project. It is tentatively planned that all of the area within the bend will remain closed to hunting, while portions of the lands acquired outside the bend will be available for public hunting.

A waterfowl refuge in this locality is important in the over-all national migratory waterfowl management program, specifically in the management of the eastern prairie flock of Canada geese. The DeSoto Refuge will be one unit in a chain of national wildlife refuges that provide resting, feeding, and sanctuary areas for waterfowl moving through the Central and Mississippi Flyways.

20 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA  

It is expected that the sanctuary provided by the refuge will permit a more natural fall migration and a healthier condition for the flock. Too, it will provide public hunting opportunities now lacking in the area and afford hunters a chance to harvest a reasonable number of Canada geese and other waterfowl. It will also provide a feeding and resting area for the tremendous numbers of snow and blue geese that migrate northward through this area each spring. These spring concentrations of as many as 300,000 to 400,000 geese occasionally cause damage to farm crops. A portion of the waterfowl food produced on the agricultural lands within the refuge will be available for the spring migrants and will help to forestall crop damage on private lands.

The DeSoto Refuge will also provide habitat for up-land-game birds, deer, and other animals. Migrant birds other than waterfowl will also use the refuge and will be of interest to ornithologists, naturalists, and others.

The water supply for the oxbow lake created by the channel cut-off will be the Missouri River. The tentative proposals involve taking water from the river through a small diameter intake structure in the dike at the upper end of the oxbow, and releasing water through a 54-inch-diameter outlet structure in the dike at the downstream end. The water supply will also be augmented by flow from the 14.5-square-mile drainage area to the east and north of the project.

Clean water for the refuge lake will be a necessity, especially in view of the anticipated high recreational use for swimming and other water sports. One problem will be to keep silt deposition in the lake at an absolute minimum. Intake of water into the lake will, therefore, be co-ordinated with the periods when the silt load in the Missouri River is low. Serious consideration must also be given to reducing the heavy discharge of wastes into the Missouri River.

The National Park Service is co-operating with the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife in laying the groundwork for recreational use. This will be pointed primarily to day-use by local and near-by residents, rather AUGUST, 1959 21   than to overnight and extended-use. The recreational planning includes facilities for picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing, water skiing, and installation of boat dock, beaches, bathhouses, concession buildings, public water supply, public toilets, and other small structures.

Recreational use will be permitted from about May 1 to October 1. During other seasons, the public will be restricted to prevent disturbance to waterfowl. After a substantial number of birds have established a tradition of use of the project area, public hunting may be permitted during regular seasons on refuge lands designated for this purpose on the outside of the river oxbow.

Although the DeSoto Refuge will be managed by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, co-operating agreements are proposed with the Nebraska and Iowa Game Commissions to provide for state operation of the public shooting which eventually will be permitted on the lands around the periphery of the refuge. Provisions will be included in these agreements to close the entire area being used by the waterfowl from the refuge in the event the kill on both public and private land reaches the limit of the desired harvest.

Agricultural lands within the refuge, which are vitally important in the management of Canada geese, will be farmed as much as possible by former owners or neighboring farmers under co-operative agreements with the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. The farming will be done on a share basis, with the Bureau's share left in the fields for feed for waterfowl and other wildlife. In establishing the farming program, former landowners and tenants of former landowners will be given priority.

The assistance of the Soil Conservation Service and agricultural experiment stations will be requested in making soil-capability surveys and land-use plans, establishment of sound soil-conservation practices and use of crop varieties best suited to the area and of most value to waterfowl.

The Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife assigned a refuge manager to the area in July. Eventually an assistant manager, a clerk, and a maintenance man will be added. Temporary help will be employed when needed for development and maintenance work. A standard refuge headquarters will also be developed.

Work will begin this summer, and the cut-off channel and diversion of the Missouri River will be completed by the summer or early fall of 1960. Construction of the main dikes and levees for the refuge will probably be started late in 1959 and will be completed as soon as possible to prevent excessive silting of the oxbow lake when diversion of water begins. Present forecasts point to 1962 as the first year of public recreational use of the refuge.

The DeSoto Refuge will be unique in that it will provide an important feeding and sanctuary area for waterfowl and also provide recreational facilities for upward of 400,000 Nebraskans and Iowans. It is important that the public realize that waterfowl management is the basic reason for establishment of this refuge. For this reason, recreational use must be subordinate to the needs of waterfowl during the months when waterfowl are present in significant numbers. With proper control and management, and with the co-operation of the public, the DeSoto Refuge will become an outstanding waterfowl management area and will provide excellent outdoor recreational opportunities.

THE END

ARCHERY WARM-UP

(Continued from, page 19)

detect movement directly behind his rump when heading away. Bow-hunters must be able to draw their bows correctly, quickly, and with the least possible movement of the body. If a bow-hunter is in good deer stand, he has his bow "on ready position", an arrow on the string. He is ready to draw the string as he raises the bow, keeping his eye on the target.

Because a good archer knows what muscle fatigue can do to his marksmanship, he practices sitting cramped in one position for 20 to 30 minutes. Thus he is able to release an arrow instantly and accurately from many awkward positions.

Few bow-hunters are able to pick a spot and sink an arrow into it. Koch aims for the heart area if the deer is broadside to him. Directly behind the foreleg and about four inches up from the belly, it is the most quickly fatal spot in the body. The lungs are another good shot, because of the large chest area available and of little resistance to entry to the shaft. A deer's hindquarters are vulnerable I and full of large blood vessels which bleed heavily and leave a good trail. Shots in the head, spine, or high in or behind the shoulder are poor because of the bony opposition to penetration, or small target area. Razor sharp edges on the arrows are a must. Broadheads that will cut paper without pressure will penetrate the target deeper.

Bow-hunters must have equipment that fits their personal qualifications. The best bows are laminated with glass on the facing and backing to give stronger bows of lighter weight. They are five to six feet long, have 40 to 75 pounds strength at full draw, and utilize arrows of 26 to 30 inches length. The weight and spine, or stiffness, of the arrows must be matched to the bow.

DeVaney and Koch both use re-curved bows, although they admit these are trickier to shoot than the ordinary straight bow. Although they are more sensitive to handle, these bows give a faster and flatter trajectory. An arrow from a re-curved bow can be aimed directly at a target 60 yards away, whereas an arrow on a straight bow would have to be aimed considerably above the target.

Both men use nocking guides, a knot or extra piece of string wound around the string of the bow against which the arrow rests. They recommend shooting gloves and arm guards.

Most deer bow-hunters prefer bow quivers, devices which carry three or four arrows directly on the bow and which eliminate catching a quiver mounted on the hunter's back in the brush and unnecessary movement when reaching for arrows. Koch advocates only bow quivers which have the points of the arrows covered. In carrying the bow at your side, he says, the heads are likely to hit your legs. Since they're sharp enough to kill a deer, they're sharp enough to cut you seriously, should you fall.

Plus the regular equipment any hunter carries, Koch and DeVaney add a skinning knife, a short length of rope to either hang the deer up or to drag it out of the woods, a stone and file to sharpen their broadheads, an extra bow string, a piece of cloth to keep dirt out of the wound in the deer, and a whistle to summon aid, if necessary.

Nebraska archers ranked third in the nation last year in hunter success, a position to which they vaulted from twelfth the previous year. While the national hunter success ratio was only four per cent, our state bowmen turned in a whopping 19.4 per cent.

Some time this fall the man at the beginning of our story is going to come upon a fine deer again. If he hasn't practiced any of the arts of the bowman outlined here between seasons, pure luck will be the only thing guiding his arrow. Happy hunting.

THE END 22 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA

SPEAK UP

Send your questions to "Speak Up/' OUTDOOR NEBRASKA, Stale Capitol, Lincoln 9, Nebraska Hawk in Trouble

"I was working in the field when I noticed an object flopping a short distance away. Upon investigating I found a hawk with a large snake which I assumed was a bull snake wrapped around its body. The hawk was gasping for breath and would have been dead before much longer.

"I killed the snake and had a hard time unwinding him. The hawk lay on the ground for a while and finally flew away. I've seen hawks flying with snakes in their claws before, but never in this predicament.

"Some of my friends tell me I killed the wrong animal. What do you say? We enjoy your radio programs."—Arnold Mischke, Croflon.

Not knowing the type of hawk you set free, or that the snake was a hull snake, it is hard to say which is more beneficial to us. Both of them do help control the rodent population. Bull snakes are probably the bigger predators on cottontail rabbits and pheasant and quail broods, which are much more defenseless than a scampering mouse. In the same situation, we probably would do what you did.—Editor.

***** Doughball Ingredients

"Please give me the ingredients for doughballs."—Jim Pospichal, Omaha.

Doughballs are a bait usually made from a mixture of flour, corn meal, water, and some kind of sweetening such as sugar, honey, molasses, or corn syrup. Sometimes oatmeal or potatoes are added to the flour or corn meal. The ingredients are generally mixed into a dough and molded into balls, then cooked in boiling water for 15 or 20 minutes. Used on a hook, they attract carp, buffalo, and catfish.—Editor.

***** Minnow Tank Suffers

"I am having trouble keeping minnows alive in an eight-foot stock tank where my children keep minnows for fishing. I keep water flowing in through a small hole about the size of the lead in a pencil which really bubbles the water. I feed them corn meal and bread."—Walter Kopf, Lexington.

Oxygen evidently is not limiting, if fresh water under pressure is being added to the tank. However, if you are feeding too much meal and bread, and bacteria are produced in sufficient numbers, oxygen will be reduced to a level that may be lethal to minnows. Chemically treated city water may also be affecting the fish. Or the water in your tank may be much cooler than that from which the minnows come. Sudden changes in temperature will kill fish. If none of these suggestions seem pertinent, you could contact your district fishery biologists at North Platte for help.—Editor.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Rates for classified advertising: 10 cents a word: minimum order $2.50 Extra large African night crawlers, very popular bait for large fish. 100—$2.50 Postpaid. Dealers write for prices. Instructions if wanted. Phil's Bait Supply, Ericson, Nebraska. Wanted: For cash or trade for my personal collection any old or odd shotgun shells, .22 caliber shell boxes or other old cartridges. Bill Felton, Box 894, Sioux City, Iowa. ROCK POLISHING Have the pretty rocks you found on your vacation trip cut and polished or made into jewelry. Inquire Rock-Cut Shop, 6225 Judson Street, Lincoln 7, Nebraska, Phone 6-7289. MISSING DOGS $100 reward for information leading to the return of two male golden labrador retreivers, ages 4 years and 5 months, believed to have been stolen May 27. The older dog has the tip of his right ear missing and the younger dog a scar on his left hind leg. Emry Mauch, Farmers Lumber & Supply Co., Bassett, Nebraska. Phone 333. Dispute Settled?

"I'm having an argument with a friend of mine I wish you would settle for us. He says snagging is legal for game fish. I think he's wrong. Also, is it legal to close a fishing stream for fishing? —Henry S. Hass, Scoltsbluff.

Sorry you're wrong. It is legal to snag fish with a hook and line only. Limits still apply as they do with bait on hook and line fishing. In ponds, lakes, or reservoirs you may not use more than two lines with not more than two hooks on each line. As for your second question, it is legal for the Nebraska Game Commission to close off any- stream or lake from fishing by regulation. Any landowner has the right to keep people from crossing his land to reach a fish-laden stream which crosses his property.—Editor.

***** You're So Right!

"In the April OUTDOOR NEBRASKA, the article on Alexandria mentioned silver maple trees. I wonder if these might not instead be white poplar?"—Fred A. Merriman, Lincoln.

You are right. The trees are white poplar. E. H. Benson of the University of Nebraska Forest Extension division says that the white poplar is often confused with the silver maple.—Editor.

***** Lauds Our Magazine

"The May issue of OUTDOOR NEBRASKA was outstanding and stands as a model of its type. May I suggest that you keep a number of copies of this issue for use in display and demonstrations at future meetings, conventions, etc. A truly fine piece of work." —Bill Ward,

Editor, Wildlife Review, Vancouver, B. C, Canada. Thank you Bill. We accept brickbats as well as compliments. —Editor.

***** Any Bigger In The State?

"Recently I potted a 14-pound bigmouth Buffalo with bow and arrow. I don't expect this to be a record but I am wondering how this compares with other bow-and-arrow fish catches. Do you get reports of this kind? I sure enjoy OUTDOOR NEBRASKA and especially the SPEAK UP page." —Daniel W. Hoffman, Norfolk.

Congratulations on bagging this whopper. We don't know if this is a record, but hope some of the other fish archers will forward information of their catches for future reference and a comparison study. —Editor.

***** Choice for Coyotes

"Which rifle would be better and more accurate for knocking down coyotes at ranges up to 400 yards, the .222 Remington, .220 Swift, or the .243 Winchester?"—Wayne Mollhoff, Tilden.

Because of its better wind-bucking qualities and higher knockdown power, you will probably have better success with the .243. Shooting an 80-grain soft bullet, the .243 has a muzzle velocity of 3,500 feet per second, and a velocity at 300 yards of 2,410 feet per second, in comparison to a .220's muzzle velocity of 4,110 and 2,440 at 300 yards with a 48-grain pointed soft-point. The big difference is in energy delivered. The .243 has 2,780 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle and 1,030 at 300 yards, while a .220 has only 1800 foot-pounds at the muzzle and 635 at 300 yards. The .222 comes in a poor third with a muzzle energy of 1,140 foot-pounds and 340 at 300 yards, shooting a 50-grain soft-point. The .222 loses velocity fastest of the three, slowing from 3,200 feet per second at the muzzle to 1750 at 300 yards.—Editor.

AUGUST, 1959 23

BAIT CASTING

Stiff rod, heavy line, and large lure cut through weed cover to the really big fish

REMEMBER the story about the old colored gentleman fishing on the bank of a stream? When asked how many fish he had caught, the aged angler replied thoughtfully, "If I catch this here one I'm after, and two more, I'll have three."

Regarding our fishing as dispassionately as this old cane-poler, we might well consider the proper tackle for the particular fish we're after.

Spinning has taken the fishing world by storm. Fly fishing is holding its own, but bait casting is slowly declining to the point that the future fishermen may consider the sport outmoded.

Bait casting is perhaps more popular in Nebraska than in many other states, because it is one successful way of taking catfish. The stiff rod and reel laden with heavy line is a must when fishing with large bait and heavy sinkers to bring up the bottom-feeding cats.

Bait casting originated in this country, and has remained basically the same through the years. It should make a comeback as more people find that spinning or fly-fishing will not do the job all the time. The situations encountered in fishing that require the use of the old "coffee grinder" and a rod with plenty of backbone occur just as often as the ones that demand the deft touch of the fly rod.

Many anglers in Nebraska are familiar with the heavy weed and moss cover of the Sand Hills lakes. Bass abound in many of these, but once heavy growth develops, most fishermen give up. The basic trouble is, of course, weeds fouling on the bait or lure; the second hurdle is landing the hooked fish. The bait-casting outfit comes into its own under conditions such as these. Even though these waters are choked with weedy cover, there are still enough open pockets to work a lure. Surface lures and the well-known weedless spoons are about the only ones the angler can use.

The stiff casting rod with heavy line puts the angler in position to power the lure through a heavy patch of weeds on the retrieve. Accuracy with bait-casting equipment is 24 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   much better than with the other types, enabling the fisherman to drop a lure into a small open-water pocket. Once a fish is hooked, bait-casting equipment has the power to pull the fish through the weeds to the net.

An angler lacking bait-casting experience may believe small spinning lures are the only ones that will take fish. A good number of old-timers scratch their heads at the tiny offerings used in spinning. When they see a lonely fisherman still flinging a battered pike minnow with the casting outfit, they feel there is hope for the angling fraternity.

The bait-casting outfit handles the large lures with ease, and it's a proven fact the largest fish come to the large lures. Northern pike, bass, and walleye in the lunker class are very seldom enticed by the tiny morsels on a spinning rig.

The casting rigs were made for trolling. During the midsummer months fish are sometimes hard to come by, and trolling the deep water is often the only way to fill the stringer. A five-foot medium-to-heavy-action rod and 12 to 15-pound test line will handle the sinker and lure used for deep-water fishing.

To catch fish with bait-casting tackle is just as easy as it is with other types. One of the big drawbacks of light tackle is the lack of power in the rod to set a hook in the bony mouth of a large fish. If you can't set the hook, you can't catch the fish.

If you have some of the weedless-type lures, and have lost a fish on the first jump with your spinning rig, chances are you never drove the hook past the barb. These weedless lures are made with a heavy hook, and it's nearly impossible to drive the barb home with a light, limber rod.

Casting rods vary in length and action. The most popular lengths are five to six-footers. Light, medium, and heavy action cover the different weights of lures that fishermen plan to use. Putting the two together in buying a rod, the fisherman should keep in mind the type of fishing that he usually does.

A short, heavy-action rod is fine for trolling and catfishing. A 5 1/2-foot medium-action rod would make a good all-around unit for casting plugs in the one-half to 1-ounce sizes. The 5 1/2 to 6-foot light-action rods are fine for handling lures from one-fourth to one-half ounce. The latter are practically in the same class as the heavier-action spin rods and serve to no advantage in handling tough fishing problems.

There has been a vast improvement in the level-wind reel in the past decade, some of it perhaps brought on by the explosive popularity of the spinning reel. To compete with the operational ease of spinning outfits, manufacturers have successfully created revolving-spool reels nearly free of the old backlash troubles.

Innovations such as centrifugal brakes of either the magnetic or friction type have made these reels trouble free, even for the beginner. Other refinements such as star drags and various spool sizes add to the level-wind reel performance.

Reels vary little in design, and the basic principle is the same. The big difference in these units is price. A $5 reel will be entirely satisfactory for catfishing where the reel is used very little for casting. If most of your fishing is for northern, bass, and walleye, buy as fine a reel as your pocketbook will stand. Reels such as the Shakespeare President, Pflueger Supreme, and Gracia Ambasseur will give the angler a lifetime of fine service.

Line for your casting outfit should be matched to the rod and lure weight. For example, a catfishing outfit that heaves a 1-ounce sinker and 1/4 -pound bait is rigged with heavy line and a stiff rod to properly handle the chore. On the other hand, a 12 or 15-pound test line will cast well on a medium-action rod and half-ounce lure. For extremely light bait casting, a 9 to 12-pound test line should be used on a light-action limber rod with lures in the one-eighth to three-eighth-ounce class.

Fundamentally, bait casting is a little more difficult to learn than spinning. Thumbing the spool to control its speed is the secret, which can be learned only by practice. When the spool is revolving during the cast, the thumb should still be in contact with it, and pressure should be applied as needed.

The basic cast is the overhead or vertical cast. The rod is held firmly, index finger on trigger, thumb on spool, and the rod tilted inward so that the reel handle is up. The angler should aim the rod tip at the target, then snap the rod upward, bending the elbow and moving the shoulder slightly backward. The backcast should stop at 12 o'clock with the weight of the lure carrying the tip backwards for casting power. Without stopping, the wrist and forearm are snapped downward, the lure is released at 2 o'clock position as pressure of the thumb is eased. Thumbing controls the speed of the unwinding spool. Follow through after the release by dropping the tip to the starting position. Stop the spool as the lure hits the water.

Casting different weights of lures will present a problem. A good rule of thumb is: the lighter the lure, the farther it should hang from the tip before casting. Thus, a one-half-ounce lure is held an inch from the tip. The ultra light lure for casting, such as a one-eighth-ounce, will cast better if you drop it down about six inches.

There are two schools of thought on the position of the hand in retrieving. The manufacturers seem to believe the rod should be held by the grip in the left hand and cranked with the right. Many anglers prefer to grip the rod ahead of the reel since it balances much better. When playing a big fish for any length of time, it is almost a necessity to use this grip and push the butt of the rod into your belt for leverage. It's a wonder that the tackle companies haven't brought out a rod with a larger foregrip or at least one that is more comfortable than the present ones.

If you're after those cats lurking in the deep water, whip your bait casting technique into shape. Although you may be regarded as an outcast at first, real fishermen will welcome you into their clan.

THE END

Notes on Nebraska Fauna

MARSH HAWK

by Pete Czura, Associate Editor The marsh hawk, unjustly condemned, is one of our most beneficial birds. He is the farmer's best mouse catcher. His aerial courtship tactics are amazing exhibitions of unsurpassed grace and beauty.

PARADING in the sky, as he quarters back and forth across a field with the precision of a well-trained hunting dog, the marsh hawk presents a thrilling spectacle. His scientific name is Circus hudsonius.

The marsh hawk is the only representative of his species classed as harriers in North America. Although closely related to the harriers of Europe and Asia, J. L. Peters considers our bird a subspecies of the European hen harrier.

Among the bird's common names are mouse hawk, bog-trotter, bog hawk, rabbit hawk, mole hawk, and white-rumped hawk. Wearing a face encircled with an imperfect ruff, somewhat like an owl, he stretches out his wings to a powerful 52-inch sweep.

The marsh hawk ranges far across the state, and is usually found in nearly all open localities. On his harrier hunts for food, not a square yard of ground is overlooked. When he spots his intended victim, his forward flight is slammed into a back-breaking somersault, as though he had run into an invisible wall. Zigzagging low over wet marshes and swamps, he almost never mounts high in the sky to circle or sail like the redtail or red-shoulder hawks. On silent wings his swift breath-stopping plunge on an unsuspecting quarry means instant death from his sharp beak and powerful talons. When caught the prey is devoured on the spot.

A male marsh hawk in perfect feather has head, neck, breast, and upper parts of pale light gray; the rest of the under parts are pure white with a few drop-shaped rusty spots. The five outer primaries are blackish and the upper tail-coverts pure white. His length may be from 17 to 20 inches, with a wing spread extending from 43 to 54 inches. The adult female is brown above and brightest on the shoulders, lighter and somewhat streaked brown below; and her tail is plainly barred with dark brown and a buffy or creamy color.

Marsh hawks range through North America, the West Indies, and northern South America. Their breeding grounds are found in Alaska, northern Canada, south to northern lower California, the southwestern United States and Prince Edward Island. They spend their winters in southern British Columbia, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, the Ohio Valley, and occasionally migrate as far south as the Columbia. They have been known to return northward as early as February.

26 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA  

They are unquestionably one of the most beneficial of hawks, and their presence and increase should be encouraged in every way posible. Wrongfully accused of marauding, they have considerable esthetic value, and our Game Commission, realizing the importance and economic value of these birds, has placed them on the protected list.

The marsh hawk is probably the most active and determined foe of meadow mice and ground squirrels. An average pair of marsh hawks rearing their young could destroy around 1,000 field mice during the nesting season. If a conservative estimate of two cents was placed on every mouse, the quantity would be worth $20; when multiplied by several hundred hawks the amount runs into a considerable total. This fact alone entitles the marsh hawk to protection, even if it destroyed no other injurious animals.

The courting maneuvers of the male above the female are fantastic to observers. Sweeping in great semi-circles gradually lessening in diameter, he stops suddenly on the peak of a high swoop, closes his wings, drops, turns head over tail, drops again, turns over and swings upward from the last somersault, just barely clear of the ground, on another ecstatic performance. These wild movements are usually executed in unbroken silence except for the eerie sound of rushing wings. The performer dives as though possessed of a wild frenzy.

Rarely do marsh hawks alight anywhere except on the ground. They prefer an earth mound, or tussocks, or haystacks which they use as vantage lookouts from any danger. Marsh hawks have a variety of calls, the voice of the female shriller and higher-pitched. The usual notes are a shrill scream or prolonged shriek, variously described as: quee, quee, quee; a dry cackling kep, kep, kep; complaining screams cac, cac, cac, cac, or geg, geg, geg.

Nests are built on the ground in a tangle of weeds, or grassy hummocks, and are very neatly constructed of fine, dried marsh grass. Many of them are bulky in size and range a foot or more in diameter. The eggs are dull white and faintly tinged with a greenish or bluish shade. They possess no characteristic spots, but are often blotched with a very pale brown and other neutral-colored tints. They lay 2 to 9 eggs, but the usual amount is 4 to 6 per clutch. Incubation occurs between 21 to 28 days.

Both parents take part in rearing the young and are very courageous in defending their home from intruders. In the spring, only the parents are seen, but after the young are able to fly they generally hunt in family parties. Later in the season four to five individuals will flock together.

Two prominent bird authorities, W. J. Breckenridge and Mrs. Frances S. Davidson report seeing marsh hawks picking up in their claws the globular grass nests of meadow mice, shaking and dropping them in the hope of finding the owner at home, or better still, a litter of juicy young. Such a trick displays an interesting mental process akin to that of certain gulls when they drop clams from a height to break the shells.

Their aerial antics once seen are never forgotten. Once a male harrier was observed with something clutched in his talons. Approaching a bushy marsh, it hovered near the middle, and somehow signalled his female who flew up to meet him. When she was a little below her mate, he dropped the mouse. Turning over slightly, she quickly seized it in mid-air, returning to the nest below. It was an adroit and clever act which anyone may witness by watching for a time a nest with young hawks. The male is not only the purveyor for the family but may assist in building the nest and incubating the eggs.

An adult bird has long, narrow wings and a long squarish tail. Its conspicuous white rump, facial disc, and its characteristic low coursing flight make the marsh hawk one of our most easily recognized hawks. It floats about with an appearance of laziness and indifference which is very deceptive, as it slowly flaps its long wings a few times and glides for long distances easily.

Spring and fall, loose flocks of marsh hawks, often in considerable numbers, migrate through our state, giving the impression of abundance. These birds belong to the vast territory north of us, and are gathered here only briefly during their passage across the state. Great assemblages of hawks serve to stimulate and apparently justify the wrongful killing of these birds. All too often the killers do not realize that many of these hawks are among the best friends of the agriculturist and horticulturist.

The diet of the marsh hawk is quite varied. J. J. Audubon says this species eats insects, mice, crickets, small lizards, frogs, snakes, and will attack partridges and even green-winged teal when urged by excessive hunger. When hard-pressed it may feed upon offal and carrion and occasionally preys upon dead or wounded ducks left by careless hunters.

In spite of the many evils charged up against the marsh hawk, he definitely plays an important role in our wildlife picture. Balancing the good, and bad, the advantage lies in his favor. Let's hope he will remain a part of Nebraska's outdoor scenery for a long time.

END

OLD MAGAZINES WANTED The Game Commission solicits your help in filling in voids in its file copies of OUTDOOR NEBRASKA magazine. If you have any of the following issues of the magazine and would be kind enough to part with them, please send to OUTDOOR NEBRASKA, State Capitol, Lincoln 9. 1934—Summer, Winter, Fall 1935—Summer, Winter, Fall 1936—All four issues 1937—Winter, Spring 1939—Summer 1940—Winter 1942—Summer AUGUST, 1959

SIGHTING IN RIFLE

1. The most common sight combination is the bead front sight and open rear sight. For a correct sight picture, the top of the bead on the front sight should be held directly at the bottom of the target's bull's-eye.

2. The receiver aperture sight increases visual sight efficiency greatly. Sight picture is the same as for open sights.

3. Using telescope sight, crossed hairs are held on spot the bullet is to strike.

4. Bore sighting. Remove bolt. Place gun in vise. Then looking through barrel, adjust so the bull's-eye is in center of bore. Now check sights for correct alignment on target.

5. Target showing what could happen by not sighting in rifle.

6. Results of proper sighting assures the hunter killed game, not a cripple.

Postmaster: If undeliverable FOR ANY REASON, notify sender, stating reason, on FORM 3547, postage for which is guaranteed. FORWARDING POSTAGE GUARANTEED OUTDOOR NEBRASKA STATE HOUSE Lincoln, Nebraska