OUTDOOR Nebraska

PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NEBRASKA GAME, FORESTATION AND PARKS COMMISSION Editor: Dick H. Schaffer Managing editor: J. Greg Smith Associate editors: Pete Czura, Mary Brashier Photographer-writer: Gene Hornbeck Artist: Claremont G. Pritchard Circulation: Lillian Meinecke OCTOBER, 1959 Vol. 37, No. 10 35 cents per copy $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 Robert H. Hall, Omaha Keith Kreycik, Valentine Wade Ellis, Alliance LeRoy Bahensky, Palmer 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 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 Leonard Spoering, 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. Ahem, Box 1197, North Loup, phone 89 Robert Ator, 356 East 6, Wahoo Cecil Avey, 519 4th Street, Crawford, phone 228 William P. 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, 7^0 West Avon Road, Lincoln, Phone 8-1165 (SPECIAL OFFICER—PILOT) Ed Greving, 316 West 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 268, 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 6-6°91 Herman O. Schmidt, Jr., 1011 East Fourth, McCook, phone 992 W 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

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA of fhe Air

SUNDAY WOW, Omaha, (590 kc) 7:15 a.m. KXXX, Colby, Kan. (790 kc) 8:15 a.m. KBRL, McCook (1300 kc)10:00 a.m. KMMJ, Grand Isl. (750 kc)10:15 a.m. KODY, N. Platte (1240 kc)10:45 a.m. KOGA, Ogallala (830 kc) 12:45 p.m. KCNI, Broken Bow (1280 kc) 1:15 p.m. K-HUB, Fremont (1340 kc) 4:45 p.m. KFOR, Lincoln (1240 kc) 12:45 p.m. KLMS, Lincoln (1480 kc) 7:15 a.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, Scoitsb'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 11:45 a.m.

KING Ringneck

Boon to prairie hunters, this wily bird took hold where others failed by M. O. Steen

WHEN THE first ringnecks scuttled into cover from a Game Commission crate some 44 years ago, they carried the hopes of many Nebraskans who were greatly concerned over a major decline in upland-game birds. As early as the turn of the century, wing shooting appeared doomed in many spots in the Midwest.

A PHEASANT-HUNTING SPECIAL

The outlook for the upland gunner was discouraging. Intensive farming and new farming practices had changed the flora of Nebraska drastically, and a game bird was needed that could thrive under this new order. Several new species were tested, but only the pheasant successfully met requirements. The ability of the ringneck to exist in goodly numbers in company with agriculture and dense human populations has since been demonstrated in America, as it has for countless years in their Asiatic homeland.

Prior to 1905, there were not more than 500 pheasants introduced into the northern Great Plains, of which our state is a part. Less than 40 years later over 82 million were harvested from the same area— Nebraska and Iowa north to the Canadian border.

In 1915, the Nebraska Game Commission began a limited stocking program, releasing a small number of birds each fall for the next 10 years. Records indicate that probabiy not over 500 pairs made up the parent stock for the millions upon millions of pheasants which have since come and gone in Nebraska.

The first open season on ringnecks was declared in 1927—a three-day hunt in Wheeler and Sherman Counties. The daily bag and possession limit was five cocks. The following year a 10-day season was set in nine counties. From then on the seasons, open areas, and limits increased to an all-time peak in 1944, when the regulations provided for 80-day hunting statewide with a possession limit of 10 cocks.

From the beginning in 1927, pheasants increased, and the harvest climbed rapidly. By 1933, several million ringnecks lived in the coverts of Nebraska, and the harvest totaled about 200,000 pheasants.

In 1934, severe drought came to the Great Plains, and in 1936, rainfall reached a low that seared the prairie lands from Texas to Manitoba. However, the pheasant kept right on increasing—the impact of the drought on the habitat of the ringnecks was offset by extensive new environment provided by vast acreages of idle land. These years of drought came during the "great depression", an era of widespread mortgage foreclosures and major migration from the farm to the cities.

Every cloud has its silver lining—the idle land added vast acreages of the permanent cover that is so essential to high ringneck populations. In addition, the weeds that moved in when the plow went out provided tremendous quantities of high-quality food. When nature farms, the first plants that take over idle plowland are the annuals. Since they reproduce solely by means of seed, annuals fruit heavily, and their seeds are generally of high nutritive value to pheasants. For example, calcium is very important in the diet of the pheasant, and an ounce of ragweed seed (one feeding) contains 10 times as much calcium as an ounce of corn.

In 1937, the drought was partially broken, and by 1938, rainfall was back to normal. It continued near OCTOBER, 1959 3  

  normal for years thereafter, and cover for the pheasant was again abundant throughout Nebraska.

KING RINGNECK continued

Then came World War II. In the years that followed, wartime needs, skyrocketing prices for grains and livestock, and near-normal or above-normal rainfall reversed conditions on the Great Plains. Ultimately, all available acreage went back into full-time use. Pheasant environment was gradually but drastically reduced to low acreage and impaired condition, and pheasants went steadily downhill.

The big blizzard of 1949 did not help matters. Pheasants were highly vulnerable to such a storm in their sparse and limited cover—the rank, dense, and extensive covers needed for protection from abnormal weather were absent. Despite this, mortality was not as great as popular opinion recalls it. In northern and western Nebraska counties, the storm toll went as high as 80 per cent, but in much of the important Nebraska range the pheasant suffered only moderate or light losses. Enough breeding stock survived in much of Nebraska to bring prompt recovery, but this was not to be. The truth is that the pheasants could not recover faster than their impaired environment would permit.

During the ensuing years the ringnecks made only a limited comeback. Farm prices were still good, and the pressure on the land did not abate substantially. In the mid-50's, however, dry weather again appeared, and the farm-price structure became less favorable. This drought was moderate and of short duration, and its impact upon agriculture was limited. Above-normal rainfall came in 1957, 1958, and 1959. Vegetation responded accordingly, and cropping restrictions, through acreage allotments for price-supported crops, led to modification of farming practices and further improvement in pheasant environment. The year-around cover provided by substantial Soil Bank acreages completes the environmental recovery that has enabled the ringnecks to reach the big populations we now have.

Over the years, I have said and now say again, that the gun has had nothing to do with the rise or decline of the pheasant in the northern Great Plains. It was the changing environment, fluctuating over a very wide range, that brought the big changes in pheasant populations we have witnessed.

The history of pheasant hunting in Nebraska provides unique and striking evidence of this truth. This history would be illuminating, even if it were not backed by research findings and other evidence.

As previously stated, pheasant hunting was first permitted in 1927. Beginning with the open season of 1930 and continuing through 1941—for 12 straight years—the pheasant hen was legal game in Nebraska. During the entire period the daily limit was five birds, with one hen and sometimes two, included in this bag limit. During this entire period—when a lot of hens were legally taken—the population climbed and climbed and climbed. By 1942, the ringnecks were at or near the highest level ever reached in Nebraska.

Cocks and hen, captured in full fall dress, bust from cornfield in ever-typical pulsating fashion

Beginning in 1942 and continuing to the present time, only cock birds have been legal game in this state. During this period of maximum restriction, our pheasant populations sank to the lowest level reached since the ringnecks became fully established in Nebraska. This was despite the proven fact that (for game management purposes) a cocks-only season is about as restrictive as a closed season. This is true because the pheasant is highly polygamous, and the harvest of surplus roosters does not interfere with nor reduce reproduction. At no time nor place in the United States has the legal autumn hunting of the pheasant cock reduced his numbers to a level measurably affecting the fertility of the egg the following spring.

If game was really managed through "barbershop biology'', the season would be closed on cocks and opened on hens. That's what superficial observation and evidence say—pheasants increase greatly when hens are shot, and decrease greatly when cocks are shot. This illustrates how unreliable superficial observation is in wildlife management. The truth is that pheasants increased when their environment improved, and decreased when their environment deteriorated, regardless of what was done with the gun.

Actually, all Nebraska's pheasant seasons have been conservative, and so is this fall's. There is no possibility that the species can be over-harvested by the hunters, if they observe current regulations.

There is no point nor profit in under-harvesting; ringnecks can not be stock-piled. The annual turnover of the pheasant is approximately 70 per cent. Hunter harvest, under modern game management, is a substitute for natural mortalities. As hunters, we should "get there first", and should take as much of the annual crop as has been proven safe. In 1958 only about 15 per cent of our ringnecks were harvested; it is known that 40 per cent of a fall population can safely be taken. This can not be accomplished in Nebraska under present conditions and current regulations. There are not enough hunters to do so under the present mode of hunting.

THE END The Game Commission director is an authority on ringnecks with 40 years experience in pheasant management. OCTOBER, 1959 5

Big Bird Bonanza

by Raymond Linder Increased breeding stock plus good hatch turn up 9 million pheasants—half again as many as in '58

HOW MANY pheasants are there in Nebraska? It may surprise you to hear that this figure is in the neighborhood of nine million birds; 40 to 50 per cent more than in 1958. Don't be too shocked, but stop and think about this figure awhile.

A PHEASANT-HUNTING SPECIAL

This pheasant-population estimate wasn't taken from thin air but was based on the number of birds bagged last year and the resulting sex ratio after the season. Following 1958's exceptionally good production came a sharp increase in the spring pheasant breeding population. From this increase in breeding population, and about average production per hen, Nebraska has about half again as many birds as last fall.

Just what type of hunting should be expected with such a tremendous population? First let's take a look at last season. About a third of the cocks in the fall population were shot. This varied considerably across the state. In parts of south-central Nebraska, the winter counts showed about four hens for every cock, while in many other areas the sex ratio was altered very little. To shoot a third of available cocks, 144,100 hunters bagged about eight OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   cocks apiece—between one and two birds per trip. This figure includes trips made by many hunters after work or on short excursions. Any way you look at it, the 1958 season was a good one.

Let's now look at a few figures to see what prospects are for the 1959 hunting season. First, there are an estimated nine million pheasants over the state. In the fall the sex ratio is even or nearly so —one cock for every hen. In that case, there should be about 4 1/2 million cocks.

Now if I may attempt to predict some figures for the coming season, I would say that there will be 200,000 hunters in the field. If these hunters each bag 10 cocks, a substantial increase over 1958, the total harvest would be two million birds. This would again be a very light harvest, representing less than half of the cock population.

Actually, about 90 per cent of the cocks could be harvested and still leave plenty for the spring breeding season. But, to be conservative and harvest 80 per cent, over 3% million birds could be taken.

Some figures from pheasant studies in Michigan might give an idea of how much hunting these birds will stand. In 1941, on some of that state's better range and with a population of almost 300 birds per section, Michigan hunters shot almost 90 per cent of the cocks. It took an equivalent of one man hunting 11 hours every day during a 22-day season on 100 acres to obtain this high harvest. Still this area continues to support a good pheasant population without any artificial propagation.

Numerous techniques are employed during the year to follow the populations and to determine the number of birds available for shooting in Nebraska. One of the most widely used is the rural-mail-carrier counts. Between 650 and 700 rural-mail-carriers, all volunteers, are asked to record all game seen on their routes over a four-day period, three times each year. The information obtained is used as an index to compare the current year's pheasant population level with that of the past years.

A winter count is made during January to determine sex ratio of the population; that is, the number of hens per cock or effects of the hunting season on the population. In 1959, this figure was 64 cocks per 100 hens, indicating a very light harvest.

Spring mail-carrier counts are made to obtain an estimate of the breeding population. These are made during April when green wheat is not tall enough to hide pheasants. This spring's population showed 16.8 birds per 100 miles of driving, a 77 per cent increase over 1958.

Summer mail-carrier counts are used to determine production during the year. The number of young per adult hen are counted. With the use of this figure, the number of young in a brood as well as those hens without broods are taken into consideration. Production for 1959 showed about as many young per hen as the average over the past 10 years but considerably less than in 1958. However, with the increase in breeding population, total production was greater than last year.

As the number of young is the factor that determines success of the hunting season, other methods are used to evaluate production. One of these is sight records by department conservation officers. In this survey, the officers record all pheasants observed during a six-week period beginning July 1. Production can be determined from these figures by use of the number of young counted per hen observed. Other yardsticks for measurement of production include total pheasants counted, average brood size, and per cent of hens without broods. Again these figures showed about average production for each hen.

One more phase of hatching success is obtained through records kept by the department's land management and game divisions. Technicians are asked to flush all birds seen during the summer and to estimate the age of young in weeks. This information tells distribution of the hatch and the average of young in each brood.

A further check on productivity occurs during hunting season. This is carried out through field bag checks and voluntary check stations. From this information, age ratio, hunter success, and amount of hunting pressure are determined. In 1958, field bag checks showed that 78 per cent of the cocks were hatched the same year.

An estimate of total kill over the state is obtained through use of a hunter-success survey. A random sample is taken of licensees, and these individuals are asked questions about the hunting season. Part of these questions are used to determine the harvest of pheasants. Based on this survey, it was determined that 144,100 hunters bagged approximately 1,148,500 pheasants last year.

Unfortunately, Nebraska hunters have not been able to harvest the birds that are available. Let's face it. More hunters are needed, or otherwise much of this bird abundance will be wasted.

THE END The author, an experienced game technician from Fairmont, is assistant project leader for upland-game birds and small game. OCTOBER, 1959 7

It's Spr-r-r-ringer

He's a real pheasant-getter with a built-in spring by Fred Sehnert

THE CLOSE bond between my springer spaniels and me has been most rewarding, not only in the time spent hunting but also in the enjoyment of training and handling them throughout the year. Working together as a team, we've been able to bring many pheasants to bag each season.

A PHEASANT-HUNTING SPECIAL

I've handled springers since 1939, and in my opinion they're tops when it comes to pheasant hunting. A springer works close to the gun, not way out of range. And when he quarters the cover in front of me, he's like a vacuum sweeper cleaning up game.

How do you go about training your springer to get this kind of performance? Let's start when your dog is ready for training. But when is a dog ready? Actually it depends on the dog. My best results have been with one-year-olds. Remember, though, that in training a yearling, you must make these early sessions seem like play. Serious training too early can wreck a potentially good dog.

There are two great faults with over-anxious owner-trainers. They may give too much repetitive training. As a result, the dog ends up listless and dispirited. They hurry the pace to such an extent that the springer does not learn the early obedience drills thoroughly. The other fault occurs when the amateur insists on elite-guard discipline right away. The dog is clobbered for his early mistakes long before he understands what he is supposed to do. Too much of this will make a frustrated animal.

To make a point, let's compare dogs to children. Say three youngsters from the same family are in school. One is mighty sharp, another average, and the third has a tough time understanding his lessons. If you have children you know what I mean. A litter of dogs will be the same. If you happen to get one that is slow on the uptake, be patient and understanding. These extra hours of training will pay off in producing a top-notch hunting companion.

Be careful when you take your young springer afield for his first retrieving lesson. I remember too well what happened on such an occasion to one 8 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   of my best pups, "Queen". While picking up a rooster pheasant, she was raked and scratched in the face by its sharp spurs. From then on she was afraid of all cocks and wouldn't retrieve them. She would bring in a hen slick as a whistle, but the best she could do after this experience was to keep a wounded rooster at bay.

You hear a lot of talk about how a good pointer can lock a pheasant on point. This is questionable. Pheasants are nervous critters, and the minute they sense danger, they're off and running while the pointer remains staunchly on point. Don't misunderstand me. Pointers are fine, but I prefer the springers.

Other sporting breeds can be used on pheasants. Beagles and Labradors can do an excellent job in finding and flushing the big birds. Of the two, beagles work slower and closer to the gun.

When I go afield for pheasants, my dogs work well within gun range. If they wander out too far, I peep my whistle and they stop at once. When I near the waiting dog, I send him on again. This is teamwork.

The minute a springer begins to make game, you can tell it by his tail action. His tail movement becomes more rapid and excited when he latches onto the scent of a bird. This is a sure sign he's near birds.

Once a springer gets wind of a pheasant, the bird hasn't a Chinaman's chance to escape. If the bird tries to outrun the dog, he'll find the dog capable of trailing him, no matter where he goes. In the end, when the bird senses imminent danger from the pursuing dog, he flushes in desperation.

A good springer will sit down the minute the gun barks out at the fleeing bird. He should be able to mark the fall—even if it's a long way out—and make the retrieve to hand.

A springer works well, too, on ducks and rabbits. He's a hunting dog, first, last, and always. If he comes from good bloodlines, he should be gifted with speed, agility, and endurance. A good dog is active, upstanding, strong, and built for endurance (but not to the point of coarseness, or ponderosity). Being of distinct spaniel character, he combines beauty and utility with his ability.

In 1957, I had the pleasure of judging the National Springer Championship at Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge in Illinois. Under adverse weather conditions I observed one of the truly great sporting dogs perform, "Staindrop Breckonhill Chip", a white and liver female. She won the National English Springer Field Trial Championship two years in a row. Chip beat off the challenges of 42 top-notch dogs at the Refuge by performing in a flawless style during five land and two water series.

Unquestionably, the new standard as set forth by the English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association and the American Kennel Club has helped to make the springer more uniform as a breed. This uniformity can be noticed at bench shows and field trials. But since he is such a top sporting dog, he should not be allowed to lose any of the standard characteristics that make him that way.

A springer must possess a deep, well-developed chest, with plenty of heart and lung room, but not too round or wide. Walls of the chest should be deep with well-sprung ribs. The back should be strong, straight, with hips nicely rounded, and thighs welldeveloped and muscular. The hindquarters should have the appearance of great, driving power. Though small, the springer is all heart when it comes to hunting; he gets birds up into the air boldly and without goofing around.

As the Scotsman, Larry McQueen once said, "The name of the dog is Sprrrringer. He is supposed to sprrrring birds into the air. If they wanted another pointing dog they would have called it a pointer; and they already have one of those."

THE END The author, from Lincoln, is considered one of this country's outstanding amateur trainers and handlers of springers. He has judged such top-notch springer field trials as the National Springer Championship. In 1957 he was awarded the Martin Hogan Memorial Award, citing him as the outstanding springer spaniel man of the year in America. OCTOBER, 1959 9

PHEASANT Supreme

Hard-running ringneck offers chef with imagination a variety of fare by Ethel Diedrichsen

THE PHEASANT has leg muscles as firm and sinewy during hunting season as a cougar's. A tremendous runner,he can skedaddle the length of a cornfield before you even clear the fence. He can skim over an open pasture with the speed of the fabled road runner of the Southwest. Neck stretched out in front, and tail streaming behind, this colorful whirlwind can streak out of range in short order.

A PHEASANT-HUNTING SPECIAL

A pheasant truly is a challenging target, so much so that bagging him takes skill. But so does his preparation for the table.

When you fix pheasants for the table, you have a special problem—to cook him so he will be moist and tender.

Your cooking problem is even more intensified if you bring home an older bird. Game Commission personnel tell me there will be plenty of these old fellows around this year, so be prepared to handle them right. Generally, you can identify an old cock by the size of the spurs on his legs. A few young cocks in late fall, though, will have spurs as long as some adults.

The spurs of most young-of-the-year birds are less than 3/4-inch long, while adult spurs may be more than an inch long. The measurement is made from the tip of the spur to the opposite side of the leg. An older bird will be tougher, gamier. He is best stewed. Or, after browning, you can smother him in cream and cook till tender. Cooking your birds this way eliminates any problems of age determination.

Doing this, though, denies you the opportunity of cooking the rest of your pheasants in several taste-tempting methods, so first take the time to age the birds, then vary your recipes to fit each bird.

You simply cannot take enough precautions to keep your wild game in good shape. Draw your bird as quickly as possible and put it under refrigeration at the end of the day's hunt. Be sure that air circulates around it well. Pheasants should be plucked as soon as possible, for the feather quills stiffen into the skin when the bird has cooled, making them difficult to pluck without tearing the skin. If you wish, skin your pheasant. It does not seem to impair the flavor seriously, and is much quicker.

To skin your bird, remove the wings close to the body and the legs at the first joint above the foot. Slit the skin just under the tail, skin back over the legs and up the body toward the neck. Then break the breast away from the back. The entrails will come with the back. Before freezing, wrap the pieces (or the entire bird, depending on cleaning method) in cellophane sheets, tightly sealed. Then wrap them again in paraffin locker paper. This helps stop dehydration of a meat that tends to be a little dry anyway.

And now to recipes:

Broiled Pheasant

If you've skinned your pheasant, you'll have the breast, legs, and thighs intact. Remember, broil only young birds. Straighten out the legs and fasten them 10 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   with a skewer. Fasten strips of salt pork or bacon over the breast which has been seasoned slightly with salt and pepper, and broil over a steady bed of coals or under an oven broiler. Keep the game far enough away from the heat so it will not burn or char. Baste often with drippings of bacon or saltpork fat. Turn often. Cooking time will be about 20 minutes.

This basting with fat is very important. Pheasant meat is similar to chicken, except that it is drier. For this reason some extra fat is always a good bet. This can be supplied by salt pork or strips of bacon across the bird's breast. Keep renewing it throughout the cooking process.

Roast Pheasant a la Bernabo

Here's a recipe prepared by Bernabo, chief chef of the Eppley Hotels system: Stuff a young pheasant with forcemeat. Game forcemeat for pheasants is prepared as follows: Run 6 poultry livers and 1 cup freshly ground pork through the grinder, using a fine blade. Season with salt and pepper, and mix with 2 cups fresh bread crumbs. Moisten with some cold brown sauce. Mix thoroughly and run the entire mixture through the grinder again, using the finest blade.

After the pheasant is stuffed, wrap it with slices of bacon or thin slices of salt pork and roast at 350° F. for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until quite well done. Place the bird in a covered roaster for 30 minutes, then pour on 1 or 2 cups of chicken stock or bouillon. Now add a stalk of chopped celery, 1 medium-sized chopped carrot, and a small chopped white onion. Season with a pinch of mixed spices, and continue to baste every 10 or 15 minutes during the roasting process. Remove the slices of bacon or salt pork about 10 minutes before the cooking of the bird is completed. Increase the oven temperature to 400° F. and baste several times until the bird is nicely browned. Sauce may be made from the remaining contents of the pan.

Roast Pheasant

Sprinkle the pheasant inside and out with salt and pepper. Place 1 bay leaf, 1 clove of garlic, crushed, a few celery leaves, and a slice of lemon in the body cavity. Tie the legs together and turn the wings under. Cover the breast with about 4 strips of bacon and cheesecloth soaked in melted butter. Put in the pan breast-side up. Arrange 1 large onion, sliced, and mushrooms from a 2 to 4-ounce can around the bird. Pour 1 cup of chicken broth over the pheasant, and put into a preheated 350° F. oven, cooking 30 minutes per pound. Baste frequently.

The pheasant is truly one of the finest game birds you will encounter in the field. So don't spoil the fine shooting he gives you by mistreating him in the kitchen. Remember his anatomy—those strong legs—and lack of fat when you fix him.

THE END Miss Diedrichsen is extension specialist in food and nutrition for the University of Nebraska Extension Division. She is in close contact with extension clubs and other women's groups over the state, and assists them in her specialty, cooking. OCTOBER, 1959 11

The Driver's Seat

Key to more birds is to take command. Know the ringneck, and better yet, think like one by Pete Czura

ONE AFTERNOON during last year's pheasant season, lanky Ernie Freese of Lincoln and I headed toward our car after a successful day afield, our game pockets filled with birds. As we neared the car we watched several pheasants amble into a field of heavy cover. Three sides of the field were bounded by tracts of nearly bare land seeded with winter wheat. On the fourth side the cover merged with a brushy wood lot.

A PHEASANT-HUNTING SPECIAL

Just then we spotted three fellows angling across the field toward us. Pointing to the wood lot, Freese, a friendly cuss, called out, "If you want birds, try that wood lot. But you'd better swing around a bit and push the birds out into the open."

The men ignored Ernie's advice and marched boldly into the wood lot side by side. And as we had expected, they didn't get a shot.

"You've just witnessed one of the most common mistakes made by beginning hunters," Ernie growled. Instead of pushing the birds out of the heavy cover toward the sparse wheat field, they reversed the procedure.

"Now if they had swung around like we told them, the birds would have been pushed against the bare field. When forced out into the open then they would have flushed within easy gun range."

A lot of hunters are guilty of such tactics. Every year you'll find them pounding through areas in which no self-respecting pheasant would be caught dead, or ruining plenty of chances to bag birds because they didn't know how to hunt.

It's a shame that these hunters come home skunked, especially when Nebraska has such a topnotch pheasant population. Nebraskans take about a third of the cocks available, a mighty sad state when you consider how many more could be harvested if we all improved our hunting techniques. That's where know-how comes in—know-how of the bird, his habitat, and how best to get shots at him.

A pheasant thrives on pressure and will give you a real run for your money. Look at his zany tactics: At mid-season you'll swear he has lost his ability to fly as he legs it down corn or milo rows. He'll beat you to the end of the row even if you run down hill with a tail wind. And if he doesn't run, he'll flatten out in cover that doesn't appear heavy enough to hide a flea. Yet when he hides—often right in front of your eyes—you won't find him. It is as if he has vanished into thin air.

How about mapping out a plan or doing a bit of common-sense thinking before you hit the fields? Look over the hunting sites. Get to know the pheasant's actions under all sorts of conditions. Remember, you've got to "outslick" the bird.

The most popular pheasant-hunting method employed in Nebraska is the old stand-by—driving. This is good especially when large numbers of hunters converge on a corn, wheat, or milo field.

The cornfield is the most popular. A group may have as many as 20 hunters assemble at a cornfield adjoining heavy cover or feeding stubble. Most of the hunters are assigned as "drivers". The rest are placed at the far end of the field to act as "blockers".

If the field is heavily weeded, the drivers are spaced fairly close together to prevent the birds from doubling back. With the blockers at their stations, the drivers proceed toward them in a straight line, with the outside men about 30 yards in advance. This pattern forms a cup and prevents the birds from escaping at the sides as the drivers advance.

As the drive progresses, many of the birds are flushed, affording shots for drivers. And, as the drive nears the edge of the cover, flushing birds offer additional shooting opportunities for the blockers.

When the drive is into the wind, the smart bird usually flushes into the wind and then, quite frequently, will veer swiftly and wheel down wind back over the drivers. This maneuver makes him a difficult target, for he uses the tail wind to advantage, towering to a considerable height. On these drives most of the shooting is done by the drivers.

12 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   13   THE DRIVER'S SEAT continued Here's a raft of tricks that will result in easier, quicker bag fills

Down wind driving should always be done in short drives, as the ringneck is well aware of the whereabouts of the driver. The bird will quite often take to wing only after the gunner has gone past him. In down wind drives, space the drivers four to six corn rows apart. This gives the birds fewer escape avenues.

In cross-wind shooting, it's a different story. The bird will flush into the wind and then quarter down wind, so it is important to set a driver on the down wind side, 50 to 60 yards ahead of the main line group. This will take care of the birds that try to escape the drivers. It will also deflect them back into the field within easy gun range of the blockers.

You'll find that water holes produce their share of bagged birds. Drainage ditches, brooks, potholes, and farm ponds (especially those which have dense cover nearby) will offer you plenty of action.

Where do you hunt pheasants on windy days? Usually they'll wander out of the cornfields to elude hunters. But the cornstalks clatter and rattle so much that the noise of approaching danger is drowned out. The crafty bird knows this. So on windy days, look for him in slough bottoms and weedy swales.

Around 5 in the evening, head for their roosting areas, and you'll catch them in sweet clover, stubble, and sloughs. Apple orchards, too, contain heavy roosting concentrations.

In the afternoons look for pheasants in their loafing areas — swales, hedge rows, plum thickets, meadow edges, deserted farmyards, or near abandoned buildings.

With so much open range in Nebraska, most sportsmen don't use sporting dogs in hunting this bird. They should. It makes no difference what breed is used. Just pick one that works his ground deliberately; not too "big going" (far ranging) and fairly slow.

Make sure your dog is well-trained. A wild, unmanageable dog is worse than none at all. Brittany and springer spaniels, and German short-haired pointers work swell on pheasants. There has been a trend of late to use the slow-moving but determined beagles to trail the running bird with excellent results being reported by sportsmen who use them.

Veteran hunters will tell you that hens flush while the old cagey roosters sit tight. Usually this is the case. The sly cock will sit and wait until the hunter continues on, but the old hands at this pheasant stratagem "outfox" the sitter by diligently searching the immediate vicinity for him. They know that when a hen fluhes, there's usually a tightsitting rooster nearby, waiting to scurry off when danger has passed.

Try the rabbit-hunting technique in mid-season. Using the leisurely approach, roam along and drift slowly and cautiously into ringneck territory. And don't pass up any patches of cover no matter how small.

An interesting theory offered by my friend Larry Rupert of Lincoln might pay dividends.

"Try the standing cover bit," Larry told me while we were afield one day. "By nature, the pheasant is a nervous bird, and he stays in cover because he feels hidden. Since he is fidgety, he will bust out of cover the moment he suspects he's been discovered.

"Here's where bird psychology pays off. Take four to five steps, moving very slowly, and then stop. The moment the pheasant doesn't hear you moving he begins to worry. Don't move for a couple of minutes and then watch him panic. The slow movement works on him. The halt between moves is more than he can stand. When that happens the big bird usually flushes, and you've got him."

14 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA  

Don't be a fair-weather hunter. You can use bad weather to advantage, offering more shooting opportunities than you ever realized.

Pheasants hate to move on mornings when heavy dew is on the ground. And during light, drizzly rains, or after a light snowfall you'll find they are less likely to run when danger approaches. Under these weather conditions the bird generally squats, and flushing him from his hiding place is a comparatively simple matter.

In the stubble fields, work the area in a manner that will eventually force the bird to flush when he hits an exposed area. This method is especially good when you are driving birds toward water. And if the water area is large, you can be sure that if there are birds ahead, they will flush.

In wheat country, try the method that has proved to be the most successful on pheasants. The veteran hunters make their drives across wheat fields in zig-zag casts. This system covers the field like a blanket and forces the bird to keep ahead of the advancing hunters. When the ringneck hits the end he has nowhere to go but up. And that's when you've got him.

Here's a tip that may come in handy. Ever think of using binoculars when you go after pheasants? This piece of equipment works fine when you're prowling the back roads. Stop the car occasionally and "glass" any spots that look like pheasant areas. You'll be surprised to see how many you'll spot with binoculars that otherwise would have been missed.

Nebraskans are lucky that there is a standard opening date on upland-game birds. This gives all an opportunity to make hunting plans in advance. The season on both pheasant and quail opens the fourth Saturday of October.

In other states hunters have a tough time finding birds by mid-season. For Nebraskans it's the opposite. Lack of gunning pressure throughout the state keeps the birds cocky and moving about normally.

Take the time Jim Tische and I visited Alliance way up in the northwest corner of the state. Stopping at the Game Commission district office, genial Leon Cunningham, district chief, told us where we might find birds.

Four miles outside of Alliance—less than a five minute drive—we stopped the car and headed down a cornfield. As we neared the end of the field we slowed down to almost a funeral pace. Then we advanced toward the edge of an open meadow, believing that there would be birds sunning themselves there. It took us nearly 10 minutes to cover 100 yards. As we hit the end of the cornfield we surprised about 40 birds. With shotguns blazing Jim and I got doubles.

The next day we hunted the same field with the same results. In less than 10 minutes of hunting time we bagged eight birds. Our success afield was no fluke. We merely exercised caution, planned our moves, and came up with some birds. You can do the same.

Too many sportsmen have become tail-flickers, hitting the big bird as it zooms away. Remember, you've got to swing your gun past the tail, aim at his head, swing past it, and then pull the trigger but continue your swing. Don't stop. And by golly you'll be hiking it on the double to pick up your bagged bird. Need any more be said?

THE END The author is an associate editor of OUTDOOR NEBRASKA. OCTOBER, 1959 15

Mr. "Bob"

by Greg Smith Environment and not shooting determines his numbers in state

THEY WERE strung out, single file, working their way along the hedgerow. Their, shadows stretched out jerkily behind them, the late March sun just beginning to arc the sky. They weren't quiet, nor were they cautious, and the pace set by the leader kept the remaining 14 moving forward.

Then as one, they were still, approaching a break in the hedge with caution. Before stepping out into the clearing, stretching to the north and south in varied cropland, they studied the situation. Safe, they moved forward again, spreading out over the field.

A battleground situation in World War II? Not at all; a covey of bob white quail that had gone to the harvested cornfield to feed. Throughout much of the state—the northern fringe of bobwhite habitat —other coveys had left their roosts in search of food.

Winter hadn't been severe, one reason why there were more coveys at this time of the year. Utilizing the cover that remained, and their own age-old method of circling together, they had been able to keep warm. But there had been losses. They were to be expected, for the birds' average life span is from six months to a year.

A QUAIL-HUNTING SPECIAL

Still there were enough for brood stock, and by April, the coveys began to change as individual birds moved on to other coveys. This "spring shuffle" broke up family groups, leaving the coveys well mixed until the end of the month when each bird went its own way in search of a mate.

Across the fields, along the hedges, in the draws, and along the now-thawed streams, the cheery whistling ah bob white traveled the brisk April air as cocks let their presence known to the preening hens. At times, to further impress the hens, two cocks would make a great show at doing battle. And, as is often the case when pairing is completed, there were those cocks whose calls were left unanswered, dooming them to bachelorhood. You could hear the bachelors' calls throughout May. Other birds were busy tending their nests and the 14 small, white eggs that had been layed.

Flushed from cover male bob whites (bottom) and hen (top) climb sky. Commission-stocked coturnix joins them at right

Not all of the paired birds would be able to bring off their hatches. The wheat, oats, and hay that provided cover for the birds also produced income for the farmers, and haying and combine operations took their toll. Whirring combine blades caught slow-escaping hens. Tractor wheels crushed eggs. Often a hen would become so harassed by such operations that she deserted her nest to try again in another, quieter place. The result: hatches coming off throughout the summer and fall months.

Heavy rainfall also took its toll, and of course there were always those that eyed both nest and bird as choice morsels. Some pairs tried nesting as much as three times, their hatches finally coming off as late as September. Hunters bagging these birds later might have thought that the quail were the second brood of the year.

During the incubation period the hen—pushing with her feet, rolling her body, and nudging with her beak and head—had turned the eggs several times. On the 21st day the eggs were pipped near the large end, and by the 23rd day each chick, using its egg tooth, had chipped a hole large enough to come through. None of the chicks were any bigger than a hulled walnut. Once hatched, they slipped in under their mother's warming breast and wings. A little later the hen led her family into thicker cover at the edge of the field. In two weeks they grew to the size of tailless English sparrows and found it difficult to find a place beneath their parents.

By September the chicks had grown to almost the size of their parents. Adult plumage began to show when they were 10 weeks old. The black color markings of the young cocks distinguished them from the buff-colored hens. By October, the smokey colored juvenal growth around the head and neck of the cocks was rapidly being replaced by the definite black and white markings of the adult male. By 16 weeks the hatch acted and looked like their parents.

The adult bobwhites are larger than the coturnix quail, introduced by the Game Commission in 1957. And the coturnix does not have the distinct markings of the colorful native quail.

Fully grown, weighing from six to seven ounces and ten inches long, the bobwhites became part of the smoothly functioning covey unit. Then in late October and November, the "fall shuffle" between coveys began, the end result, as winter set in, being that the coveys were mixed well. The shuffle once completed, the birds settled into coveys of 15 to 20 quail each.

And what of hunting? Because of the great turnover in quail populations and their short life span, the many birds produced this year can logically be harvested. It would be impossible to stock-pile the birds for later seasons. As in all cases, habitat is the key to quail numbers.

Next spring the cheery whistling will sing across Nebraska's farm-lands. Coveys will form, shuffle, and break up as their year-long cycle is repeated once again.

THE END The author is managing editor of OUTDOOR NEBRASKA. OCTOBER, 1959 17

BOOM state

Bobwhites have jetted to population high—but are short for this earth. Let's take them while we have them by Karl Menzel

QUAIL hunters can mark 1959 as the year of the most liberal seasons and best hunting prospects in several decades. The 1958 populations were the highest on Game Commission records. This year, however, the population zoomed to even greater numbers—an all-time high—well above last year's peak.

A PHEASANT, QUAIL-HUNTING SPECIAL

Bobwhites are being seen in large numbers in their normal range. They have also spread to many areas which are seldom occupied. A combination of mild winters, favorable food and cover, and other factors have produced populations exceeding even the wildest expectations.

A discussion of last year's season, and a knowledge of the large increases this year will show us what Nebraskans have in store this fall.

Last year 58,389 hunters took 350,334 quail, the greatest harvest ever recorded here. The average bag for the season was six birds per hunter. The number of hunters is an increase of 97 per cent over the previous year, and a 137 per cent greater kill. Actually, the larger turnout of hunters in 1958 was due to two causes: Greater interest put more hunters afield for "bobs"; also, the wide distribution of birds enabled hunters to take many quail incidental to pheasant and duck hunting.

Commission personnel contact a select group of hunters each year to obtain additional information on hunting success. In 1958, the season's bag by this group was almost twice as great as in 1957, and the average daily bag increased by almost a bird. For the first time since comparable records have been maintained, the average hunting time required to flush a covey was less than one hour, which is nothing short of tremendous.

This year's season and liberal bag limits have been geared to take advantage of our large population. Barring unforeseen catastrophes, the 1959 hunt will go down as the best quail season in Nebraska, and the kill will rank high in the nation.

How are population levels and population curves determined? Basically, time-tested surveys based upon the birds' habits are used. Each year population levels are determined through the joint efforts of various Game Commission personnel. Early morning counts are made of whistling males on established routes throughout the state. Stops are made at mile intervals along a 20-mile route. The number of quail heard whistling at each stop is recorded.

18 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA  

Counts are made during July after most of the bobwhites have found their mates. The cocks that are heard calling are the lonely bachelors that are unmated, so the entire population is not measured. However, a comparison of the number of whistlers from year to year is indicative of trends in the bob-white population.

Through the years there has been a strong correlation between whistle counts and hunter success during the fall. So the Game Commission is confident that its survey provides a reliable picture of what to expect for the fall's hunt.

This year, although a few individual routes showed decreases in birds, there was an increase in all major areas. In the southeast, the state's best quail country, there was a 30 to 40 per cent climb over last year. All other areas showed increases, but not of the magnitude of the southeast.

In addition to a greater number of calls per stop, there were considerably more stops at which birds were heard. The southeast showed about 12 per cent increase in the distribution of bobwhite. About 25 per cent more areas were occupied in the Platte and Republican River Valleys, while distribution in the northeast and north-central portions of the state increased 10 per cent.

What is the significance of this greater distribution? Birds will first occupy the most favorable coverts, and as these areas become saturated with expanding populations, the birds are pushed into less favorable areas. These marginal areas do not provide all the requirements necessary for maintaining a bobwhite population. Consequently these populations are highly vulnerable and more subject to various decimating factors. This is the situation as it is today. There are many birds in such marginal areas.

Nebraska cannot expect to hold its present population. Located on the northwest extremity of the bobwhite's range, population fluctuations are more severe in this state than in the heart of the range. Climatic conditions during winter are often severe and are capable of drastically reducing populations. However, game-bird populations, and favorable environmental conditions allow rapid build-ups as those witnessed during the past five years.

The average life of a bobwhite is considerably less than a year. Even with favorable environmental conditions, as much as 80 per cent of the population can be lost. Quail cannot be stock-piled to produce even greater populations the following year. These losses occur regardless of hunting, and the shooters' harvest serves merely as a substitute for nature's annual harvest.

Therefore, Nebraska should take full benefit of its birds while it has them. Liberal hunting seasons will substitute for natural mortality and will permit use of a fine resource which would otherwise be wasted.

In addition to bobwhites, hunters have the possibility of bagging coturnix quail. From 1957 through 1959, the Game Commission has stocked 76,500 banded coturnix in an attempt to establish the species in Nebraska.

Coturnix are the only game birds in this country which produce young during the same year they are hatched. Those planted, as well as those that have been reared in the field, will provide additional targets for quail hunters this year.

To help obtain necessary information on the species, hunters are requested to advise the Game Commission of any coturnix taken. Send the band, together with information on the date and location taken and your name. For unbanded birds, one wing should be included. This provides a verification of identity for Nebraska Game Commission records, and also enables determination of the age of the coturnix.

Bobwhites, naturally, will be the big bird in your bag this year. They're plentiful and should be harvested. Don't miss the opportunity of enjoying what could be the finest season ever for Nebraska quail hunters.

THE END. The author, a Game Commission coturnix quail research biologist, has carried out extensive work toward establishing the coturnix as a game bird in Nebraska and is well qualified to write on it and the bobwhite. OCTOBER, 1959 19

We Get There First

Natures harvest takes 80 per cent of Nebraska's quail. Hunting prevents this waste, offering top sport afield by Mel Steen

FROM Massachusetts to Missouri, from Kansas to Texas, and in all states to the south and east of that line, the bobwhite is a favorite upland-game bird. To the north and west of this vast area, all along its periphery, the species exists in more or less marginal range. In this area quail give way to the pheasant in the affection and hunting of upland gunners. Altogether, the bobwhite is legal game in 33 states.

A QUAIL-HUNTING SPECIAL

While Nebraska must be classed as one of the periphery states, it is the best bobwhite range within this marginal area. Under favorable conditions, Nebraska has high potential for quail, as is demonstrated by the whopping bobwhite population of 1959.

What can be the reason for this big population in a state where the bobwhite was either scarce or unknown a quarter-century ago? That, we can truthfully say, is a good question.

One widespread belief is that inbreeding is responsible for the decline of quail. The theory holds that shooting tends to scatter the birds so that they re-group in new coveys; hence subsequent matings of unrelated pairs eliminates inbreeding and restores quail.

There is no scientific proof that inbreeding occurs among wild quail, or any other American wildlife. Moreover, inbreeding is not necessarily detrimental if it does occur. It is true that inbreeding accentuates the characteristics of the parent stock, but if this stock is good, inbreeding will develop better progeny. Our best strains of domestic animals have been developed by inbreeding or "line-breeding".

At this point, it is necessary to explode another common but erroneous concept. Quail do not live to a ripe old age because shooting is prohibited. The bobwhite has high reproduction capability and high natural mortality. Eight out of every 10 quail present in early fall are the young of that year; only two are older birds. This is true every year. The annual turnover in the bobwhite is approximately 80 per cent, and this turnover occurs during a closed season, or on a refuge. Predators, weather, disease, and other natural mortalities are not stopped by laws and refuge signs. Total harvest is not reduced because man's take is restricted. Under modern game management, harvest by the gun is a "replacement" mortality. In few and pointed words, we get there first. The hunter's take is a substitute for—not an addition to—natural drain. To the professional game manager this is a well-known and scientifically-proven fact. Regulations are set to hold harvest to safe limits.

The truth, therefore, is that there is a continuous mortality among quail whether the birds are hunted or not, hence the mixing of families occurs under either circumstance. The inbreeding theory provides a plausible argument for quail shooting but not a factual one. Inbreeding is not the reason quail decline.

It is deterioration in quail environment that leads to the decline of quail. It is improved environment that brings bigger populations. In truth, environment is the key to the welfare and abundance of all life, be it man or microbe. The $64 question is—what makes quail environment go up or down in Nebraska?

To simplify we may say that weather makes quail environment. In brief, climate determines soil types; weather and soil determine environment for plant life; and weather and plant life determine environment for animal life, including quail. This is a general statement which applies to geographical areas of the earth, and to both long and short periods of time. Agriculture is essentially a manipulation of environment—it modifies nature's handiwork and hence wildlife environment.

Aside from the many things man does in growing plants for food and fiber, weather is the major factor that controls and modifies plant life. Weather also affects animal life directly. It follows, therefore, that weather can affect quail in two ways—directly and indirectly; directly, as in the case of a blizzard which kills quail, or indirectly as in the case where weather modifies the home in which quail must live. Like the tide, these changes come and go; like the seashore, they have an ordained range.

The next and logical question is what makes weather change, and does it stay within an ordained range? We do know that weather stays within an ordained range geographically. We are not certain why it fluctuates. Here is one theory, however: weather is determined by sunspots (solar radiations) which are cyclic. Since weather comes and goes in cycles, plant life does likewise, and animal life, being affected by both weather and plant life, is also cyclic.

20 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   OCTOBER, 1959   WE GET THERE FIRST continued Inquiring nose of good dog is best bet going

When we consider this theory in relation to wildlife, we must bear in mind that the impact upon wildlife is modified, and sometimes completely masked, by man's manipulation of environment for agricultural purposes. Depending on what he grows, and how, man may impair or improve environment for any given species. This modification apparently does not occur in such areas as the "bush country" of Canada where agriculture (environmental manipulation) is absent. The well-known cycle of the Canada lynx shows up regularly in fur records of the Hudson Bay Company dating as far back as 100 years and more—regularly enough so most of us accept them as valid evidence of cyclic phenomena.

C. G. Abbot, research associate of the Smithsonian Institute, is probably the nation's chief exponent of the sunspot theory. According to Abbot, variations in solar radiation occur in a periodic series of short cycles within longer ones, but the principal sunspot cycle is one of 11% years, with a master period of twice that time, or 22 plus years. This, I find most interesting, because there is considerable evidence that some wildlife species rise and fall over 10 or 11 year cycles, with highs and lows being reached each 22 years (approximate). Quail and pheasant are among those species.

In Nebraska, when we go back 22 years (to 1937), we find that we were in the early stages of an upswing in upland game, just as we are today. This trend led to the tremendous pheasant populations of the late 30's and early 40's, and to the first quail season in modern times.

If we drop back another 22 years (to 1915), we find that the pheasant was not yet well established, and that quail were at a low ebb. However, we also find that quail had been severely reduced by abnormal blizzards, and that there was great pressure on the land because of World War I (1914-1918). That was the era during which we "plowed up everything", and eventually ended up with the "dust bowl". In other words, this particular cycle may have been drastically modified by man's manipulation of environment for agricultural purposes.

If we drop back still another 22 years (to 1893) we again find evidence of an upswing that led to very high populations of upland-game birds, especially quail.

But whether we choose to accept Abbot's sunspot theories or not, it is abundantly clear that quail come and go in very wide fluctuations in Nebraska's range. If our quail are in the first half of a periodic upswing at present, we will likely have good populations for several years to come. Let us not forget, however, that our range will always be hazardous for the bobwhite. We are near the northern limit of the range wherein the bobwhite is able to survive winter weather, and big build-ups in quail are possible only during periods when we do have relatively mild winters. A Nebraska blizzard will be disastrous whenever it strikes with typical force and fury.

In view of this, and of the high turnover that occurs in the bobwhite, it is very evident that we should harvest our quail fully while we have them.

I will not be honest if I do not point out that we have no chance of taking a full harvest of our quail under present conditions. Quail hunting is new to most of us; we are not sufficiently experienced nor equipped to adequately harvest our quail. Moreover most of us pursue bigger game. The bobwhite is now so high in Nebraska that the limited numbers who hunt quail could not harvest this year's crop even if experienced and with proper equipment.

Perhaps a dog should not be classed as equipment, but a good pointing dog is the most important of all tools for the hunting of quail. The old-time quail hunter would rather hunt quail with a bow and arrow than without his dog.

Most old-timers use a brace of dogs—my favorite brace is a pointer and a setter. The pointer is widerranging and a better "covey dog"; the setter tends 22 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   to hunt closer in and do well on "singles". Naturally there are exceptions. Some setters are "big-going" dogs; some pointers "hunt the gun".

My favorite quail gun is a 20 gauge, Model 12 Winchester, with special boring that is about halfway between improved cylinder and modified choke. I like its light weight, perfect balance, and high reliability. But each man to his choice, so long as the choice is a quail gun.

An open barrel is a must in quail hunting, and small shot are essential in the quail load. No. 8 or 9 shot are standard. I never use shot bigger than 1 1/2 on the bobwhite. Most quail are killed inside 30 yards, hence a dense pattern is needed for short range. Fullchoke barrels and large shot may be right for pheasants and ducks. They're wrong for quail.

You may not have a quail dog available for your hunts, but you can use the right bore gun and the right size shot. If your shotgun is equipped with a variable choke, just open it up to improved cylinder, and use quail loads. If you have no variable choke, have one installed, or buy an open barrel for your gun. Or better yet, get a lightweight gun, with open bore for quail shooting.

Finally, don't hunt quail with duck or pheasant loads. It can be done, of course, but it's like using buckshot to shoot teal. If you are hunting pheasants and flush quail, you have to use what you have, but when you go out for quail, leave your pheasant loads and full-choke gun behind.

The scenting of quail by dogs has been the subject of endless arguments since hunting of the bobwhite began. In bygone quail-hunting days, I did considerable research on this subject. To put it in a nutshell, I found that scenting conditions were best when temperatures were either mild or downright cool, humidity high, and a very light breeze blowing. High winds, hot weather, and low humidity can make quail hunting quite discouraging; those are good days for you and your dog to stay home.

The daily movements of the bobwhite also affect scenting conditions and dog work. When quail are moving about they will throw off a lot of scent, but when hiding or sitting their scent is sharply reduced. In general it is best to hunt quail during those periods of the day when the birds are active and moving.

Quail, normally feed in the forenoon, on fields or other relatively open ground, seek fairly heavy cover (especially woody cover) to loaf in midday, return to feed again in the afternoon, and go to roost near sundown. These daily movements will be modified by weather, especially wet weather, and by the season of the year. During cold days quail generally linger on their roost and return to it earlier. They may skip the midday loafing entirely in cold weather, feeding only once. Heavy cover, especially woody cover, will be used more and more as winter approaches. Heavy grass or weed cover, vine tangles, and brier patches are also favorite haunts when protection is sought by the covey. Learn the habits of quail and hunt them accordingly. You will find that it pays to look for them in the right places. This is especially true if you do not have a quail dog.

There are few game birds that can provide as much and as colorful gunning as the bobwhite. They are worthy game; they will try your marksmanship and gunning skill. Even "straightaways" are tricky targets. Walk in on the wrong side of a covey, and it will explode in your face to whip right back over your head—you stand between them and where they want to go. You will be a very busy man—empty shotgun shells will doubtless be all you have in hand when it's all over.

Every hunter has his favorite sport. It has been my good fortune to enjoy many types of upland gunning across America over many years. All things considered, I place quail hunting at the very top of the list. It is a wonderful outdoor sport. It requires hunting skill and good marksmanship, and it takes you afield on foot during beautiful autumn days. Add the thrill of the "find" and the point, plus that indescribable pleasure that comes only from the companionship of a beloved dog, and you have the combination that has led so many to crown the bobwhite "king of American game birds".

THE END Director Steen has, through his many years in the wildlife management field, gained a thorough knowledge in the techniques of managing and hunting quail. OCTOBER, 1959 23

QUAIL Getters

YOU'LL HAVE to go a long way to top the thrill of seeing a bold, hard-working pointer break his running stride to freeze into a solid point on quail. His field-proven ability to range out far and to work into areas blocked to the hunter has made the pointer, in my estimation, the best bird dog afield.

A QUAIL-HUNTING SPECIAL

Some will argue that the pointer is too "big going"—that he makes big swings or reaches way out in covering ground when he searches for game. This is silly. A pointer is adaptable to any kind of hunting you wish to use him for.

The American pointer can quarter and work before the gun as well as any flusher type of gun dog with proper training. He can't be beat on quail. The tricky pheasant may "hightail" it, leaving the pointer locked on point, but quail will, as a rule, sit tight when he latches onto them. And the pointer will hold bobwhites there until the gunner flushes the birds.

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA  

There are two distinct types of ground-covering pointers—the "quarterer" and the "straight runner". The quarterer works a field in a zig-zag cast into the wind, covering the ground in a systematic manner as he hunts bird cover.

Quartering is a natural instinct, but training emphasizes it. This is the way all pointing breeds, except the field-trial type, should work. Occasionally a quarterer will be big going. More often, they are slower and easily followed on foot as they work their ground in a thorough manner.

The straight runner on the other hand is trained to meet conditions such as wide open and unrestricted areas where coveys of game birds are large but far apart. This straight runner is definitely the creation of American field trialers who bred the big rugged dog to obtain the highest possible qualities: ambition, courage, stamina, speed, style, dash, intelligence, smelling sense, potent bloodlines, and conformation that will enable him to run fast with the least possible exertion.

Hunting will be like falling off log, if you use bird dogs by Randolph Horsley

The straight runner will outdistance the quarterer in areas suitable to his style and will often find more birds in one hour than the quarterer will all day. The difference is as obvious as day and night when you compare these two types in action.

A great deal more is demanded of the dog that points his game than of the dog that flushes it. Unlike flushing—which is a form of springing, or jumping on game—pointing is not a natural inclination. The point itself is a kind of suspended motion for it breaks the dog in the middle of his fast-moving stride and holds him, locked there as if rooted to the ground when he hits the scent of hiding birds. Long ago, before these dogs acquired the knack of pointing, they stalked their game. The point has become the product of long, arduous training. The dog's ability to perform along these accepted lines depends entirely on the amount of correct training he gets.

The American pointer as a rule, doesn't retrieve as well as the flusher, or any of the retriever breeds. It's not that he can't. You'll find that many outdoorsmen object to having a pointer trained to retrieve because they feel it tends to make some dogs break to shot and wing, while others may develop into "potterers". Pottering is a bad trait, and shows that the dog is not sure of the scent.

The "nonslip" retrieving pointer was developed to avoid turning out dogs that were potterers. The nonslip dog will remain at heel until the bird is dropped and then, upon command, will go out and find the dead or crippled bird for the retrieve.

I wouldn't be fair if I didn't mention the other capable pointing breeds that could help a sportsman to be a better hunter. Among the most popular pointing breeds are the English, Irish, and Gordon setters, Brittanies (the only spaniel that points his game), wire-hair griffons, German short-hairs, and Wiemaraners. Many new breeds are also being seen in the state: Hungarian vizla, drahtaar, German wire-hair, Swedish pointer, and the German long hair pointer.

The Irish setter—often called "the Irishman"—is on the comeback trail. Bench-show people nearly ruined the species when they began to breed him for show purposes only. Fortunately, a group of men are working to bring the breed back to its former heights as a hunter. A cross between the spaniel pointer and spaniel, the handsome mahogany-colored dog was considered by professional meat-hunters in Ireland as the best "choke-bored nose" dog going—a term used when speaking of a dog whose scenting powers are exceptionally keen—when it came to finding game.

The English setter is a beautiful dog, only outrivalled by the handsome Irishman. His long hair has the appearance of satin smoothness. But underneath this silky exterior lies the ruggedness of a do capable of absorbing terrific punishment from rough going in the brambles. This dog will find plenty of birds for you if it has been trained properly and comes from good field-trial stock.

Among the dogs mentioned, there should be one that can prove to be the dog you've been searching for. Why not pay a visit to the training grounds of the Husker Bird Dog Club at Raymond if you want to see some of these breeds during a working session. Drop around any Saturday or Sunday morning, and you'll find a congenial group of dog lovers who will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the breed that interests you.

THE END

The author—a nationally-known trainer of pointers—is the president of the Husker Bird Dog Club and secretary treasurer of the Nebraska Field Trial Association. OCTOBER, 1959 25

Bobwhite Brunch

Capture all of the quail's delicate flavor with these tempting recipes by Kathryn Cooley

MOST WIVES experience some frustration when the mighty hunter comes home carrying a full game bag. He dumps it on the back porch, says gleefully, "Guess you can cook up some good food tonight," and hurries off to wash up and settle down with the sports page.

A QUAIL-HUNTING SPECIAL

It's an appalling situation. The wife opens the bag timidly, half expecting a snarling lion inside. But all she sees are limp birds with ruffled feathers. The initial crisis is passed, but still she must prepare a delicious meal out of an unfamiliar meat. Stew she's a whiz at; hamburgers she can whip out with her eyes closed; and steaks are her specialty. But here is a strange game bird. What recipe should she use? How can she reduce that wild taste?

But consider this. Where do you find the town's best angler on Sunday afternoons? Most likely, he's out in the road, making long casts into a circled target. He's practicing. Where's the hunter during closed season? He's out on the blue-rock range, banging away at sailing saucers. Practicing again. So, too, must the sportsman's wife practice if she wants to turn out a well-prepared game meal. Fortunately, if her husband's a quail hunter, she can practice— on Cornish hens.

The little Rock Cornish hens which have come onto the market lately are about the size and plumpness of a bobwhite quail. The woman who regularly tries quail recipes on this domestic bird will be prepared for her husband's success in the field.

Quail have a delicate flavor, and the white meat is greatly fancied by epicures. The wild taste encountered with many birds comes from improper handling in the field. Game birds should be dressed and gutted immediately.

Some experts advise that hunters dry pick their quail, never scalding or skinning them. They suggest leaving the entrails in the bird until after picking. This means dressing them the same day they are killed. Then the tainted or wild taste will be kept at a minimum. Further, they say that you should singe the bird lightly over a light blaze, just enough to barely burn off the down fuzz before removing the entrails, and then finish the dressing.

26 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA

Quail Recipes

Fried Quail

You can fry quail in much the same manner as you fry chicken. But don't use a lightweight frying pan; it dissipates the heat too rapidly. An oldtime cast-iron skillet in the hands of a skilled cook becomes a magic carpet to blissful eating. Use real butter for frying; it lends a flavor no shortening, lard, or imitation butter can. After the pan is sizzling hot and the birds are liberally dusted with flour, drop them in, salt to taste, and add a grain or two of black pepper. Most people never add onion or garlic. Quail taste is delicate, and can be masked by strong seasoning. Fry in the open skillet about 15 minutes. Then turn the birds, and cover with heavy lid, and cut down on the heat. After another 15 minutes of moderate frying, turn the birds again and lower the heat. This finishing heat should be just enough to let the birds simmer; 15 or 20 minutes of this is enough.

After you have lifted your birds onto a heated platter, you have left in the pan the makings of the best quail gravy you ever tasted. Return to heat, add water, and stir. Then pour the gravy over the quail on the platter.

For side dishes, add hot biscuits, strawberry jam, and a big pot of coffee.

Quail on Toast

The classic quail recipe is broiled quail on toast. Halve the birds and place them on a well-greased broiler, inner side down. When they are a nice brown, dust with salt and pepper, and brush the birds with vegetable oil or liquid shortening. Serve on toast.

Brunch Quails

If your imagination matches your taste, you can add some extras: Sprinkle 4 whole quail with salt, pepper and flour. Melt Vi cup butter in your heavy skillet, add the quail, and brown. When they're nearly tender, add V2 cup water and 6 small sliced mushrooms. Cover and cook over a low heat 10 minutes. Serve on toast with mushroom sauce.

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Or you can do the following to your four quail. After preparing and browning them in the same manner, cook them for 15 minutes. Then instead of the mushrooms and water, add 1/2 cup seedless grapes. Cook an additional 3 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Quick and easy to prepare, birds served this way make a wonderful Sunday-morning breakfast.

Stewed Quail

Here's another recipe, not too fancy, but with tasty results. Salt and pepper your quail well, put them in a skillet about 3/4 full of water. Cook covered until tender. Pour the water off, add butter, and brown well. The meat does not dry out this way.

If you can practice on domestic hens during the rest of the year, the quail your husband brings home will not be so terrifying when it comes to cooking. Have that skillet ready when he comes into the kitchen, and maybe the Cornish hens you practiced on will have whetted his apetite so that he'll spare you cleaning the birds.

THE END

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Go to Them

by Bill Bailey Choose your bird mecca with care, then live it up

COME this fall and practically wherever you wander, you'll find pheasants and quail galore. The wily ringneck abounds wherever suitable cover exists, and good hunting should prevail. The bobwhites are home along practically all stream courses, not only in their primary range but also further west and north.

Granted, lots of birds pretty well blanket the state. Still, you should choose your hunting area with some care. Even with the relatively heavy hunting pressure some of the more popular areas maintain, they can still absorb more sportsmen. And there are other portions of the state that have as good or better bird populations. These areas, because of less accessibility or publicity, are only lightly used. These are the hunting mecca you're after. Head west to the wheat country in Red Willow, Hayes, Perkins, and surrounding counties. You may have to drive farther, but the more birds you are allowed in the western portion of the state should make the trip worthwhile.

A QUAIL-HUNTING SPECIAL

Pheasants are found regularly in agricultural areas having good fertile soils. They are more numerous where good farming areas are interspersed with patches of undeveloped land. Where two-thirds of the land is under cultivation, pheasants usually find adequate food and nesting cover as well as winter protection.

High pheasant populations are generally restricted in parts of the state where most or all of the land is cropped. The reason is lack of nesting cover. Lack of winter food and cover probably 28 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   limits them from the open areas suitable for extensive grazing. Consider these points before you route your trip.

Where to go? Take a look at the accompanying map. It shows, for example, a blanket distribution of 5 to 10 birds observed per 100 miles in the Sand Hills. Naturally you wouldn't expect to find ringnecks in a sandy blowout. But you can find pheasants concentrated around marshes, or in shelter belts around farmsteads, or in weedy or herbaceous covers.

The pheasant density map, incidentally, is based upon birds observed per 100 miles by rural-mail carriers, land-use capability classes, and known land use practices which affect the abundance of pheasants. Actually, your best guide to better hunting is the hunting regulations. Limits are more liberal in the western part of the state, and there is where the birds are to be found. That's also where the fewest hunters will go because of the greater distances involved.

Note on the map the pocket of exceptional pheasant-hunting possibilities in Box Butte, Dawes, and Sheridan Counties. Conveniently located for sportsmen from Scottsbluff, Crawford, Chadron, Alliance, Hay Springs, Rushville, and Gordon, the area regularly supplies a good crop of birds for shotgunners and just as regularly has plenty of stock to carry over and produce another good population each spring. The areas is well hunted but not overharvested.

The greatest hunting pressure occurs in eastern south-central Nebraska. There are enough pheasants there for even greater gunning, but the region is at the base of a funnel directing hunters from the major population centers. Counties there can support substantially more pheasants and hunters.

Practically all portions of the state are underharvested; the birds are only going to waste. The reason for this is the high population turnover, and the sure death that is bound to occur anyway. On an average, 70 per cent of the pheasants and 80 per cent of the quail will die before next spring.

Bobwhite hunters this fall can take birds in parts of the state not considered typical quail range. Generally the quail is pictured as thriving in picturesque, small, diversified units of cover with connecting hedges and brushy fence rows. But the steep hills and canyon country in other parts of Nebraska are supporting some excellent populations. The general periphery of the bobwhite's range probably hasn't expanded greatly; quail are simply filling into more areas within their general range.

Fifty per cent of Nebraska's quail hunters harvest their birds in the southeastern corner of the state, certainly the best range of the bird. Nebraska is located on the northwestern edge of the bobwhite's primary range in continental United States. From the extreme southeastern tip of the state, Nebraska's major quail range pushes finger-like westward along the large river systems. Unless very unfavorable environmental conditions interfere, a shootable population of quail may be found consistently year after year along these systems. In other areas bobwhites may be harvested by sportsmen only in years of good populations. The state has had such years lately.

One basic axiom will lead you to quail: quail cover determines quail hunting. Due to favorable environmental conditions, Nebraska's quail cover is on the increase. Nowadays, almost any brushy area near a good food source has at least one bobwhite calling from its shadowy depths. Quail seem to love thorns, briers, and burrs. The more neglected a rundown farm, the more they think it is paradise. You'll also find quail easily in well-managed farming regions where landowners have provided a hedge leading from a brushy area to a good food source such as milo or corn.

I cannot direct you to small areas. Local farming practices differ enough to affect bird populations drastically. But just as birds will move across the road from the cleanly-plowed rows of one farm into a deserted farmstead, they have spread out and away from more permanent range. As the cover has become more plentiful, more pheasants have populated the southwestern parts of the state, and the quail are coveying along the streams north and west of their primary range. They won't stay there forever —freezing weather this winter, or snow covers over their food, will knock them out. Most of the birds you fail to harvest this year will not be available next fall. That's your cue to load up your shotgun and tramp into the field this fall.

THE END The author is the project leader of the Commission's Game Division. His report on quail and pheasant density in the state is based on first hand reports from the field. OCTOBER, 1959 29

Have gun... Will hunt

Nebraska paladins can learn plenty from top shotgun expert by AL MART

YOUR CHOICE of gun is like one acquaintance of mine ably described it: "Picking a gun is like picking a wife. Select one that fits the arm just right and snugs up to your cheek and shoulder without effort."

Where can a hunter get a proper-fitting gun? A competent dealer or gunsmith is the only answer. These men know guns and how to fit them. They don't just put the gun in the crook of the arm and say the "pull" is just right for you. Fit is essential to bagging birds; as important as selection of the right gun, ammunition, mental attitude, and smooth gun handling.

A PHEASANT, QUAIL-HUNTING SPECIAL

In fit, "drop" and "pitch" have an important bearing on impact of the shot. Drop regulates the point at which the head is held when pointing the gun at a target. The pitch of the butt governs the point of impact. Field and skeet guns have more "pitch down" than do waterfowl and trap guns because the latter usually are used on rising targets.

Personally I like moderately little pitch down on upland game. First, many of the birds are rising, and with the elevated muzzle of the higher-pitched gun, I have a built-in lead on the rising target. Secondly, I prefer to see the target I am shooting at. With this type pitch I actually use a 6 o'clock sight picture just as I do in rifle shooting. There are, of course, many rising targets on which this "over shooting" will prove insufficient, and you still must allow more lead than is built in.

The best way to tell if your gun has acceptable or normal pitch is to pick a target. Then, keeping your eyes on the target, bring the gun to your shoulder—don't go to the gun. It fits if it will line with the target without moving the gun on your shoulder. A slight forward tilt of the head is all that is needed to align the eye with the sight and the target. If your gun has too much pitch down the receiver will blot out the barrel and you'll have to compensate for this by sliding the butt down on your shoulder. The more barrel you see, the higher the gun will shoot; the less you see, the lower it will shoot (see illustration).

Mental attitude is another key to consistent success. Many shooters have the tense "bird in the pot" attitude. Determination has its place in shooting, but don't let it work against you. Watch your target and concentrate on its flight angle and speed for "swing" and "follow through". Don't focus your eyes on the sighting plane of the shotgun barrel. Focus instead on the bird. Once you've accomplished this you'll notice that sighting becomes secondary to following your target. If by any chance you have become gun shy, you should use lighter loads or a smaller gauge. This is just another added mental block that can affect your shooting.

The right stance is just as important in shooting a gun as it is in hitting a baseball. The shooter 30 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   should get in the habit of instantly stepping into good shooting stance. Your feet should be somewhat spread. Lean slightly into the gun with the center of balance on the left leg (if you're a right-handed shooter). The gun normally crosses over the left toe which should be pointed on an angle a little to the right of the spot where you are going to place your shot. The angle of your shoulder in relation to the gun should be between 30 and 45 degrees, depending on which position is comfortable. Practice stance and shoulder positions until they become natural.

Some shooters believe that there is one gun, one choke, and one shot size that will do a job on all upland-game birds. Actually the hunter that limits himself to one choke size and one shot size is under a big handicap because of the flushing habits of each species. The gun of your choice,-* whether it be a double, pump, or autoloader, should have the choke to fit the game at hand. A double for quail regardless of gauge will give you the best service if it's bored, improved, and modified. This same boring is fine for pheasants but, if you hunt the wily ringneck more than quail, then I would suggest a modified and a full.

A pump or autoloader-bored modified will offer the average gunner a good all-around gun. A choke device will further the diversity of your scatter-gun. A wide selection of these chokes are available.

The gauge of the gun depends on your tolerance to recoil, and how good a shot you are. Some hunters have changed to the smaller-bored guns such as the 20 gauge. This is fine for the practiced gunner. For the casual shooting it will present a little handicap in that the pattern, although consistent in size with the larger gauges, will not have as many pellets in it.

Pattern density and penetration are the two factors in choosing a shot size—in other words, your shot must have the penetrating power for the game you are shooting and should pattern with enough density to place two to six shot in the bird. A graphic example would be the use of No. 7% shot on quail. The quail is, of course, a lightly feathered bird and the light shot will penetrate well. The pattern density holds up well to 25 yards when fired from an improved-cylinder gun. From there on out it thins and although it will still kill cleanly if it hits a vital spot, it will also cripple. If you take 12, 16, and 20 gauge guns all bored, improved cylinders, and shooting the same shell, your killing power and pattern will be the same, except for shot density. Twelve and 16 gauge guns, then, are better for the week-end shooter. Although you have 35 per cent of your shot in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards with a smaller gauge such as 20, you do not have the density because of the fewer number of shot. The standard number of pellets in a maximum load of No. 6 is 279 for the 12, 251 for the 16, and 223 for the 20.

I prefer No. IV2 or 8 shot for quail and No. 6 shot for pheasant. I use the super-trap loads exclusively and find they have plenty of killing power out to the 35-yard mark. Your use of these low brass shells on pheasant should be determined by your ability to get on target and to drop the bird within the load range. Don't feel that you shouldn't stick to high velocity shells if they are your choice. It's better to have too much power than too little.

The use of the vertical-clock system in determining the apparent direction of the target will help many gunners. The direction of the target can be seen as a "2 o'clock," or "10 o'clock" shot, by flashing a mental picture of a clock with the center immediately over the muzzle. Estimate the angle of flight on your target, using the clock system, swing the muzzle from the imaginary center of the clock along its flight path and touch off the shot as your swing passes it.

You'll improve your hunting ability if you concentrate on selecting the right gun, the right choke, and the right shot size. And don't wait until the first day of season to fire your gun. Beg, borrow, or steal a hand trap and some blue rocks and fire a couple or three boxes of shells before the season opens.

Owning and shooting a good shotgun is as rich in tradition as America itself. If you have a love for guns and a scatter-gun in particular, you will take the time to become proficient in its use, because somewhere within the breast of modern man there still lies the age-old call of the hunt.

THE END Al Mart is a well known Lincoln gunsmith who has over the years collected over 1000 trophies in handgun competition. Al knows the art of gun handling both as an ardent hunter and a gunsmith. OCTOBER, 1959 31

BED OR BEDROLL

If you don't mind a frosty nose in the a.m., camp out on your hunting trip—guests of the state. Hotels and motels offer the added comfort by Mary Brashier

EVEN THOUGH Nebraska is a mighty big state, it is bursting at the boundaries with birds. Birds are everywhere—grouse in the Sand Hills, quail in the southeast and along stream courses, and pheasants well scattered but concentrated in the southwest. Many hunters will travel to different parts of the state for their game. And they'll spend more than one day hunting, staying either at a motel or hotel, usually at hunter's rates, or pick a site and camp out under the stars.

A PHEASANT, QUAIL-HUNTING SPECIAL 32 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   NAME LOCATION HIGHWAY 29. Big Alkali Luke___ 57. Alexandria Lake* 12 mi. S. 4 ml. W Valentine U. S. 83. Nebr. 483 4 mi. E. Alexandria U. S. 81. 77 or Nebr. 4 34. Arnold Lake 1 mi. S. Arnold Nebr. 20 or 92 90. Atkinson Lake »,i mi. W. Atkinson U. S. 20 or Nebr. 88. Arbor Lodge State Park Nebraska City U. S. 73. 75 or Nebr. 2 5. Bridgeport Bridgeport U.S. 28 17. Benkelman Hatchery 1>4 mi. N. E. Benkelman U.S. 6 89. Burchard Lake 3>.i mi. N. E. Burchard Nebr. 85 22. Box Elder Canyon 14 mi. S. E. North Platte U. S. 30 28. Ballards Marsh 20 mi. S. Valentine U.S. 83 98. Blue River 5 mi. N. Dorchester U.S. 8 47. Bowman Lake 2 ml. W. Loup City Nebr. 92 or 10 4. Chadron State Park 9 mi. S. Chadron U. S. 20 or Nebr. 19 10. Cottonwood Lake 1 mi. E. Merriman U.S. 20 13. Champion Lake 21. Cottonwood Canyon Vt ml. W. Champion U. S. 6 or Nebr. 48 8 mi. S. Maxwell U. S. 30 or Nebr. 107 44. Cottonmill Lake 3 mi. W. >/a mi. N. Kearney U. S. 30, 6 or Nebr. 44 84. Crystal Lake 3 mi. W. So. Sioux City U.S. 20 98. Crystal Lake 1 mi. N. Ayr U. S 281 or Nebr. 74 81. Dead Timber 1 mi. E.. Vt ml. S. Crowell U. S. 275 14. Enders Reservoir 8 mi. S. E. Imperial U. S. 6 or Nebr. 61 3. Ft. Robinson Park Facility 2 mi. W. Crawford U.S. 20 43. Fort Kearny State Park 4 ml. S., 4 ml. E. Kearney U.S. 30, 6 or Nebr. 44 80. Fremont Lakes 3 mi. W. Fremont U.S. 30 62. Gavins Point 4 ml. W. Yankton. S. P. U.S. 81 1. Gilbert-Baker 4Va mi. N. Harrison U.S. 20 37. Gallagher Canyon 9 mi. S. Cozad U.S. 30 93. Grove Lake 2 ml. N. RoyaT U.S. 20 49. Goose Lake 29 mi. S. O'Neill U S.181 88. Gretna Hatchery 42. Harlan County Reservoir____Alma 9 mi. S. Gretna Nebr. 89 Nebr. 3 X 19. Hayes Center 12 ml. N. E. Hayes Center U. S. 6 or Nebr: 17 91. Hull Lake 3 mi. S . 2 mi. W. Butte U. S. 281 or Nebr. 11 94. HordLake 1 ml. S., 3 ml. E. Central City U. S. 30 40. Johnson Reservoir 7 mi. S. W. Lexington U. S. 30 or Nebr. 283 31. Long Lake 12. Longerin Lake' 29 ml. S. W. Ainsworth________Nebr. 7 18 mi. E. Lcwellen U. S. 28 48. Litchfield 8 mi. N. W. Hazard Nebr. 2 87. Louisville Lakes Vs mi. N. W. Louisville 8. Metcalf 32. Milburn Dam 7 ml. N. Hay Springs U. S. 6. 34 or Nebr. 90 U.S. 20 20 ml. N. Broken Bow Nebr. 2 23. Maloney (inlet) I ml. S. North Platte U.S. 30 38. Midway 5 mi. S. W. Cozad U.S. 30 39. Medicine Creek Reservoir 2 ml. W., 7 m. N. Cambridge U S 6 or 34 99. Memphis Lake Memphis U. S. 6. 77 or Nebr. 83 24. North Platte Hatchery 2 ml. S. North Platte U.S. 183 92. Niobrara State Park »i mi. S., 1 mi. W. Niobrara Nebr. 12 111. Otter Creek 18 mi. E. Lcwellen U.S. 28 138. Plum Creek 19 mi. S. Cozad U.S. 30 183 Plattsmouth Waterfowl Management Area Vs ml. N. Plattsmouth U. S. 73-78 48. Plbel Lake 12 ml. N. W. Spalding U.S. 281 135. Pressy 8 mi. N. Oconto Nebr. 2. 40 or 21 S3 Ponca State Park 2 mi. N. Ponca Nebr. 9 |18. Rock Creek Lake_____ IS. Rock Creek Hatchery 28. Rat 8c Beaver Lakes 8 mi. N. Parks U.S. 34 7 ml. N. W. Parks U.S. 6 » ml. 5. W. Valentine U.S. 83 48. Ravenna 1 mi. S. E. Ravenna Nebr 2 8. Smith Lake 9. Shell Lake 23 ml. S. Rush villa 14 mi. N. E. Gordon U.S. 20 U.S. 20 28. Sutherland 6 ml. S. W. Sutherland U.S. 30 41. Sacramento 58. Stolley State Park 2V» ml. W Wilcox Grand Island U.S. 8. Nebr. 183 or U.S. 30, 34 or Nebr. 2 18. Swanson Reservoir 30. Valentine Hatchery 3 ml. W Trenton ____ 4 mi. N. E. Valentine X X X X XXX XXX Being Developed X X US. 34 Nebr. 7 33. Victoria Springs State Park 7 ml. N. Merna N'br. 2 or 80 70. VerdonLake 2. Wildcat Hills 7. Walgren Lake 1 ml. W. Verdon 10 mi. S. Gering U.S. 73 Nebr. 29 9 ml. S. E. Hay Springs U.S. 20 20. Wellfleet Lake 27. Willow Lake Wellfleet U.S. S3 or Nebr. 23 20 ml. S. Valentine U.S. 83

If the hunter just plain likes the outdoors enough to spend several more nights out before winter comes, he can take advantage of state recreation areas. They offer camping facilities during the fall as well as during the rush tourist seasons. And he'll be able to hunt birds in many of these choice areas (see chart for areas where hunting is permitted). Camping spots, water, and sanitary facilities are free at most of these areas which are well distributed over the state. Particularly blessed with camping spots are south-central and southwestern parts of the state, spots which are also jam-packed with pheasants. The accompanying map shows the locations of the areas. Combined, they total over 18,000 recreation-packed ares. Every acre is maintained for the benefit of the hunter as well as the vacationer.

With light, warm sleeping bags and quickly raised tents, or just the floor of a station-wagon for a bed, and camping locations within easy access, today's pheasant or quail hunter can spend a wonderful weekend in the field.

THE END OCTOBER, 1959 33

Point of Return

Year-round friendship between country and city drops barriers

THE FALL wind had a freshness to it that made a man feel good—the man standing near the gate, and the other two men, obviously bird hunters, just getting out of their car.

Friendly, but right to the point, they asked the farmer if they could hunt pheasants on his farm. They had last year. He, as quick to answer, made it clear that they wouldn't this year. "Nor any other hunters."

"Why?" they asked as they drove on to the next farm. Why had they, and maybe another 30 hunters who would ask permission, been denied the opportunity to hunt on the farmer's 480 acres?

The answer was actually pretty basic, and disturbing. "One hunter . . . crushed my crops ... a messy camp . . . and neither a how-do or thank you."

One hunter, ignoring the law, and more important, disregarding the rights and property of others, had closed these lands to hunting. How long? No one knew.

An isolated instance? No. It happens every year. Just another chapter in "The Book of Lost Hunting Opportunities"—a book that is becoming more expensive with each season, ultimately threatening our tradition of public hunting.

Nebraskans, and all those in states where most of the land is in private ownership, depend on landowners for most of their hunting opportunities. (Over 96 per cent of Nebraska's private and public land is being used for crops and grazing.) Hunting on these lands, then, is a privilege, not an inherent or vested right.

You might ask why Nebraska farmers and ranchers, because there is nothing that says that they have to, keep their lands open to hunting. There are a lot of ways of answering that one. Most rural landowners are hunters themselves and can understand the city man's urge to hunt. But there's a better answer: their desire to be "good neighbors".

The majority of Nebraska hunters show through their actions that they appreciate the privilege extended to them by the state's landowners. But there are those that don't. And it is because of this minority of hunters that additional private acres are being lost to public hunting.

WHAT CAN HUNTERS DO to assure future hunting opportunities on private land?

Recognize first, when hunting on private lands that you are doing so because the landowner has extended you the privilege, and act accordingly:

(a) ask permission (It is against Nebraska law to hunt, fish, or trap on the lands of another [or that of his agent] without his permission. Posting has no legal status in Nebraska. All private property is posted by law.) (b) offer to share game (c) be careful with fire and firearms (d) leave a clean camp (e) avoid damage to crops and livestock (f) insist on the finest kind of conduct from other hunters afield

In other words, treat the landowner's property in the same manner that you would expect if he came on your land. Sound landowner-sportsman relations go farther than personal contacts during the hunting season. Too many of us are "fair weather" or "hunting season only" friends. Work with the landowner before, during, and after hunting seasons.

34 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA  

Some may say, "So what? There are state and federal lands. And if we can't get on them, we'll lease a place of our own." Not a very logical solution. The Game Commission now owns, for recreation, only 1/10 of one per cent of Nebraska's total land area. It hopes to obtain two per cent and would like more (the desirable level for such acreage is four per cent). But even this would be only a drop in the bucket when compared to the private land that is and can be open through sound, personal relations between hunters and landowners.

Other lands? Generally not very productive from a recreation standpoint.

What about leased lands? First, this isn't public hunting. Second, price wise, it would be prohibitive to the majority of hunters.

No. There is only one answer: the personal relationship between two men — you and the landowner. It is a relationship that cannot be created by laws, regulations, or other governmental action. If you, and the rest of Nebraska's hunters are to continue to enjoy public sports afield, you, and they, must develop such a relationship. Its future rests square in your lap.

Be a good neighbor. Show that you appreciate the privilege extended by acting as a true sportsman should. Further, insist that other hunters in the field do the same.

Do's and don'ts—rules and regulations—can become mighty "harpy" to most of us, especially when we go afield. One reason we get out in the open is to escape, for a moment at least, the restrictive atmosphere of the city. But as trying as this "Golden Rule" business becomes, it must be accepted.

There's only one thing to remember: the man who is permitting you to hunt on his lands is doing so because he wants to be a good neighbor. Why not do likewise? There's everything to gain—a heritage to lose.

THE END

Rules of the Game

PHEASANT and quail hunting in Nebraska this year should be nothing short of tremendous. Both the pheasant and quail populations have shown spectacular increases over 1958.

This year's seasons reflect this abundance. Bag and possession limits are up in most instances, and hunters will be able to enjoy more days afield. Both pheasant and quail seasons open Saturday, October 24. Pheasant hunting closes December 27 while quail shooting ends December 13 in the Southern area and November 29 in the Northern area (see map).

The state has been divided into two pheasant zones. Each has a different bag and possession limit—3 cocks and 9 cocks respectively in Zone One; 4 cocks and 12 cocks respectively in Zone Two (see map). Shooting hours for all upland-game birds are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Quail also will be hunted in two separate areas, with varying bag and possession limits and season length (see map). A 10-bird bag and 20-bird possession is in store for Southern area hunters. The Northern area is set at a 7-bird bag and a 14-bird possession.

In addition to the limits and seasons that have been set, hunters should keep in mind other regulations.

Don't forget that by law you must ask permission to hunt on private property. This is only a common courtesy, regardless of laws. And when you are hunting on private land, treat it with the highest degree of respect. If you're 16 years old or older you'll need a state Upland Game Bird Stamp affixed to your validated hunting permit. Without either, you're in trouble.

Here are some other things to remember: It's unlawful to hunt game birds from any vehicle; carry a loaded shotgun in a vehicle on a public road; hunt birds with anything but a shotgun, and it must not be capable of holding more than three shells in the chamber and magazine combined; hunt birds with a spotlight; and to bait game birds to your gun.

You can keep your pheasant or quail 90 days after season's close, no longer. And, of course, the number that you have in your freezer will be determined by this year's possession limits.

Game laws are rules for the benefit of the public. Seasons, bag and possession limits, and other laws and regulations pertinent to bird hunting are set to assure you the chance of taking game this season and in years to come. THE END

OCTOBER, 1959 35

Upland Gunners' FIELD-CARE GUIDE

A fast draw assures tasty birds for the table 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 BULK RATE U. S. POSTAGE PAID Lincoln, Nebr. Permit No. 694 Upland Gunners'