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MAY 
1950 


Trout  Time  in  Virginia,  pages  14-15 


Volume  XI 
Number  5 


Owen  S.   Penttingill,  Jr.  from    National   Audubon  Society. 


An  American  bittern  balks  at  the  pliotograplier 
while  shielding  her  young. 


ipilii 


Published    by    VIRGINIA    COMMISSION    OF    GAME    AND    INLAND    FISHERIES,    Richmond    13,    Virginia 
A    Monthly    Magazine    for    Higher    Standards    of    Outdoor  Recreation  Through    Wildlife  Conservation 


COMMONWEALTH  OF  VIRGINIA 


JOHN   S.   BATTLE,   Governor 
Commission  of  Game  and  Inland  Fisheries 


C  O  M  M 

1  s 

S  1 

o 

N 

E  R  S 

B. 

W.  STRAS,  Jr 

.,  Ch 

airman. 

Tazewell,   V 

a. 

CHARLES  ANDREWS,  Suffolk, 
FRANK     P.     BURTON,     Stuart, 
Wm.  C.  GLOTH,  Jr.,  Arlington, 
T.  G.  HERRING,  RFD,  Dayton, 

Va. 
Va. 
Va. 
Va. 

Dr 
Dr 
Dr 
T. 

.  E.  C.  NETTLES 
.  Wm.T.  PUGH, 
.    W.    B.    RAINS 
D.    WATKINS, 

V/akefleld,Va. 
Lynchburg,  Va. 
,    Warsaw,  Va. 
Midlothian,  Va. 

I.T.  QUINN,  Eicculivc   Director 
f    O.   Box    1642,   Richmond,   Vo. 


Song 
ond 
ln«ec- 
tivoroui 
Birdt 


Upland 
Gome 
Birds 


Migrotory 
Game 
Birds 


Gome 
Mammals 


Inland 
Fish 


Dog   Law 

En- 
forcement 


Law 

Game 

Fish 

Enforcement 

Division 

Division 

Divisio4i 

Division  Chief 

Division  Chief 

Division  Chief 

C.  F.  Phelps 

G.  W.  Buller 

M.  W.  Kesterson 

Fis 

cal 

Educ 

ation 

Division 

Division 

Division  Chief 

Division  Chief 

Miss  L.  B.  Layne 

i.  J.  Shomon 

Volume  XI 


MAY,  1950 


Number  5 


Jn    ZJkU  3^^ue 

Page 

Editorial:  Love  Your  Farm. 

4 

The  Appalachian  Trail 

5 

Why  Boys  Go  Fishin'    

8 

The  Warv  Warrior 

10-11 

Conservationgram                    

.  .      13 

Trout  Time  in  Virginia 

14-15 

This  Thing  Called  Carrying  Capacity 

16 

Audio-Visual  Aids  in 

Conservation    Education 

18 

Faulkland:  Mecca  for  Wildlife 

21 

Field  Force  Notes .. 

24 

The   Drumming  Log 

25 

School    Page 

..      26 

Covet  Photo 


M.  D.  "Mac"  Hart,  executive  secretary  of  the  Virginia  Game 
Commission,    tells    Marvin    Paddie   of    Madison    how   the   big   one 

almost    got    away.  Photo    by    J.    J.    Shomon 

VIRGINIA  WIIiDLIFE  irratcfully  receives  for  consideration  all  news  items, 
articles,  photographs,  sketches  and  other  materials  which  deal  with  the  use, 
management   and    study    of   Virginia's    interrelated,    renewable    natural    resources: 

WILDLIFE 


SOILS CONSERWE WATER 


FORESTS 

Since  wildlife  is  a  beneficiary  of  the  work  done  by  State  and  Federal  land-use 
agencies  in  Virginia,  editorial  policy  provides  for  recognition  of  their  accomplish- 
ments and  solicitation  of  their  contributions.  Credit  is  given  on  material  published. 
Permission   to   reprint   is  granted   provided   proper   credit   is   given. 

SUBSCRIPTIONS:  One  Year,  $1.00;  two  years,  $1.50;  three  years. 
$2.00.  Remittances  by  check  or  money  order  to  be  made  payable  to 
the  Treasurer  of  Virginia.  Local  game  wardens  will  accept  subscrip- 
tions or  they  may  be  forwarded  direct  to  Commission  of  Game  and 
Inland  Fisheries,  7  North  Second  Street,  P.  O.  Box  1642,  Richmond 
13,  Virginia. 

Entered  as  second  class  mail  matter  November  10,  1947,  at  the  Post  Office  at 
Richmond,   Virginia,  under  the  Act  of  August   24,    1912. 

J.  J.  Shomon — Editor 


Love    1  our  r 


I 


arm 


OVE  your  farm.  Every  farmer  should  not  only 
1  love  his  work  as  the  artist  loves  his  work,  but 
^  in  this  spirit,  too,  every  farmer  should  love  his 
farm  itself  as  he  would  love  a  favorite  horse  or  dog. 
He  should  know  every  rod  of  the  ground,  should 
know  just  what  each  acre  is  best  adapted  to,  should 
have  a  joy  and  pride  in  having  every  hill  and  valley 
look  its  best.  He  should  be  as  ashamed  to  have  a 
field  scarred  with  gullies  as  he  would  be  to  have  a 
beautiful  colt  marked  with  lashes  ...  as  much 
ashamed  to  have  a  piece  of  ground  worn-out  from 
ill  treatment  as  to  have  a  horse  gaunt  and  bony 
from  neglect ...  as  much  hurt  from  seeing  his  acres 
sick  from  wretched  management  as  he  would  be  at 
seeing  his  cows  half-starved  from  the  same  cause. 

LOVE  your  ground  —  that  piece  of  God's 
creation  which  you  hold  in  fee  simple.  Fatten  its 
poorer  parts  as  carefully  as  you  would  an  ailing 
collie.  Heal  the  washed,  torn  places  in  the  hillside 
as  you  would  the  barb  scars  on  your  pony.  Feed 
with  legumes  and  soiling  crops  and  fertilizers  the 
gullied  and  barren  patch  that  needs  special  atten- 
tion; nurse  it  back  to  life  and  beauty  and  fruitful- 
ness.  Make  a  meadow  of  the  bottom  that  is  inclined 
to  wash;  watch  it  and  care  for  it  until  the  kindly 
root-masses  heal  every  gaping  wound,  and  in  one 
unbroken  mass  the  "tides  of  grass  break  into  foam 
of  flowers"  upon  the  outer  edges.  Don't  forget  even 
the  forest  lands.  See  that  every  acre  of  woodland 
has  trees  enough  on  it  to  make  it  profitable;  "a 
good  stand"  of  the  timber  crop  as  well  as  every 
other  crop. 

HAVE  an  eye  to  the  beautiful  in  laying  off  the 
cleared  fields  —  a  tree  here  and  there,  but  no 
wretched  beggar's  coat  mixture  of  little  patches  and 
little  thickets;  rather  broad  fields,  fully  tended  and 
of  as  nearly  uniform  fertility  as  possible,  making  of 
your  growing  crops,  as  it  were,  a  beautiful  garment, 
whole  and  unbroken,  to  clothe  the  fruitful  acres  God 
has  given  to  you  to  keep  and  tend  even  as  He  gave 
the  First  Garden  into  the  keeping  of  our  first 
parents. 

AND  so  again  we  say,  love  your  farm.  Make 
it  a  place  of  beauty,  a  place  of  joyous  fruitfulness, 
an  example  for  your  neighbors,  a  heritage  for  your 
children!  Make  improvements  on  it  that  will  last 
beyond  your  day.  Make  an  ample  yard  about  it 
with  all  the  old-fashioned  flowers  that  our  grand- 
mothers knew,  set  a  fair  orchard  near  it;  bearing 
many  manner  of  fruits;  lay  off  roads  and  walks 
leading  to  it  and  keep  them  up,  plant  evergreen 
hedges  along  the  approaches,  and  flowering  bulbs 
and  shrubs — crepe  myrtle  and  magnolia,  altheas, 
and  roses  —  so  that  your  grandchildren  will  some 


day  speak  of  their  grandsire,  who  cared  enough  for 
the  beautiful  and  loved  the  farm  well  enough  to 
leave  for  them  this  abiding  glory  of  tree  and  shrub 
and  flower. 

NAME  the  farm,  too;  treasure  up  its  history; 
preserve  the  traditions  of  all  the  romance  and 
adventure  and  humor  and  pathos  that  are  in  any 
way  connected  with  it;  and  if  some  of  the  young 
folks  must  leave  it,  let  them  look  back  to  it  with 
happy  memories  of  beauty  and  worthy  ideals  and 
of  well-ordered  industry. 

LOVE  your  farm.  If  you  cannot  be  proud  of  it 
now,  begin  today  to  make  it  a  thing  you  can  be 
proud  of.  Much  dignity  has  come  to  you  in  that 
you  are  owner  and  caretaker  for  a  part  of  God's 
footstool;  show  yourself  worthy  of  that  dignity. 
Watch  earnestly  over  every  acre.  Let  no  day  go 
by  that  you  do  not  add  something  of  comeliness  and 
potential  fertility  to  its  fields.  And  finally,  leave 
some  spot  beneath  the  shade  of  some  giant  tree 
where  at  last  "like  as  a  shock  of  corn  cometh  in 
his  season,"  you  can  lay  down  your  weary  body, 
leaving  the  world  a  little  better  for  your  having 
lived  in  it,  and  having  won  the  approval  of  the 
Great  Father  (who  made  the  care  of  the  fields  and 
gardens  the  first  task  given  man)  :  "Well  done,  thou 
good  and  faithful  servant :  enter  into  the  joy  of  thy 
Lord." 

—  (Extension   Service  News) 


Evditorial  Starr  Cn 


anees 


William  H.  Mullins,  associate  editor  of  Virginia 
Wildlife  for  21  months,  relinquished  his  post  on 
March  31  to  return  to  his  native  Tennessee  and 
enter  the  insurance  field  with  his  dad. 

Bill  first  came  to  work  for  the  Commission  in 
July,  1948  and  has  had  numerous  articles  and  pho- 
tographs published  in  this  magazine.  His  presence 
in  Virginia  and  the  familiar  Mullins  by-line  will  be 
missed  by  his  many  friends.  Tennessee  Bill  has 
always  been  keenly  interested  in  conservation  and 
we  hope  that  his  experience  and  training  here  will 
serve  him  well  in  our  neighboring  state  to  the  west. 

Taking  over  in  Bill's  place  is  Ronald  T.  Speers, 
our  special  services  educational  assistant.  Ron  is 
well  qualified  for  his  new  job  by  virtue  of  his  wild- 
life training  and  keen  eye  for  publicity.  He  has  done 
such  a  remarkable  job  carrying  out  our  special 
services  work  in  Virginia  schools  that  we  are  giving 
him  a  chance  to  head  up  our  Publicity  and  Publi- 
cations staff. 

Ron  has  already  been  introduced  to  the  pages 
of  this  magazine  and  lots  more  will  be  forthcoming 
from  him  in  the  future. 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE 


From  Maine  to  Georgia,  with 
breath-taking  scenerg 

all  the  wag — 
that's  America's  famed 
Appalachian  Trail 


VSCC  photo. 


(4cltia&i£(n 


Bv  ALFRED  PERCY 


IT  WAS  A  CLEAR  DAY  in  early  fall.  S.  K.  Roller, 
artist,  and  Bob  Touzzo,  engraver,  of  the  Natural 
Bridge  Appalachian  Trail  Club  of  Lynchburg 
strolled  leisurely  along  the  level  section  of  trail  on 
Big  Rocky  Row  on  the  Amherst-Rockbridge  line.  The 
AUeghanies  were  limned  out  across  the  valley  of 
Virginia  and  the  sun  flashed  on  the  waters  of  the 
James  where  the  river  snaked  eastward  to  enter  the 
Blue  Ridge  Gorge. 

Roller's  nostrils  twitched.  He  sniffed  a  strong 
scent  that  put  him  in  mind  of  many  summers  spent 
in  the  Maine  Woods. 

They  rounded  a  sharp  bend  and  there  blocking 
all  forward  progress  on  the  trail  was  the  creator  of 
the  scent  —  a  broad  three-hundred  pounds  of  black 
bear. 

For  a  moment  there  was  startled  silence.  Then 
each  of  the  opposing  forces  wheeled  and  set  off  in  a 
new  direction. 

This  is  merely  to  show  that  the  Appalachian  Trail 
in  Virginia  provides  ample  opportunity  for  wildlife 
study  as  well  as  free  courses  on  the  beauties  of  nature. 

This  trail  in  its  entirety  runs  along  the  crest  of 
the  Appalachians  from  Maine  to  Georgia.   There  are 

A\AY,  1950 


a  few  small  breaks  in  this  long  footway  that  necessi- 
tate detours,  but  they  are  being  eliminated  as  quickly 
as  possible.  This  trail  is  sponsored  by  The  Appalachian 
Trail  Conference,  Inc.  The  Conference,  with  head- 
quarters in  Washington,  is  made  up  of  the  various 
member  Trail  Clubs  located  near  the  mountains  over 
which  the  Appalachian  Trail  passes. 

In  Virginia,  the  Potomac  Appalachian  Trail  Club 
of  Washington  has  charge  of  the  northern  section 
of  the  Main  Trail  along  the  Blue  Ridge  from  the 
Potomac  to  Rockfish  Gap  at  the  southern  end  of  the 
Shenandoah  National  Park.  The  middle  section  from 
Rockfish  Gap  southwest,  through  the  George  Wash- 
ington National  Forest,  across  the  James  and  on 
through  the  Thomas  Jefferson  National  Forest  to  Black 
Horse  Tavern  Gap  near  Roanoke,  is  handled  by  the 
Natural  Bridge  Appalachian  Trail  Club  of  Lynchburg. 
Incidentally,  the  name  of  the  club  came  from  the  old 
Natural  Bridge  National  Forest.  The  Roanoke  Ap- 
palachian Trail  Club  takes  over  at  Black  Horse  Tavern 
Gap  but  for  contrast  at  this  point  veers  away  from 
The  Blue  Ridge  Parkway  down  to  Wilson's  Creek. 
This  section  carries  on  to  U.  S.  Route  58,  well  south 
of  Roanoke.    From  this  point  to  the  North  Carolina 


Hemmer    photo. 

line,  there  being  no  trail  club,  this  section  is  generally 
under  the  eye  of  the  Conference.  As  the  Trail  here 
parallels  the  Blue  Ridge  Parkway  much  of  the  distance, 
plans  are  being  made  to  reroute  the  Main  Trail  to  more 
interesting  and  unusual  areas  of  the  Thomas  Jefferson 
National  Forest. 

Most  members  of  the  Appalachian  Trail  Clubs  arc 
interested  in  various  forms  of  outdoor  and  wildlife. 
Many  specialize  in  birds,  others  are  interested  in  wild 
flowers,  in  geological  formations.  Artists  are  attracted 
by  the  everchanging  colors  and  cloud  shadows.  The 
membership  includes  most  every  profession,  trade  or 
calling. 

Some  find  it  surprising  that  many  hunters  and 
fishermen  are  members  of  trail  organizations.  It  is  no 
surprise  to  us  for  mountain  hiking  trips  provide  a 
means  of  keeping  sportsmen  fit  during  the  closed 
season  at  the  same  time  increasing  their  knowledge  of 
the  mountains  —  possible  areas  for  grouse  hunting, 
the  trout  pools,  and  mental  mapping  of  mountain 
roads,  paths,  and  landmarks.  At  least  some  woods'  lore, 
that  was  vitally  essential  to  the  old-time  woodsmen,  is 
needed  now  by  part-time  sportsmen. 

The  continued  improvement  of  the  Virginia  high- 
ways since  1925,  the  creation  of  the  Appalachian  Trail 
from  around  1928,  the  building  of  the  Sky  Line  Drive, 
and  later  the  Blue  Ridge  Parkway,  have  provided  a 
system  for  opening  up  the  Blue  Ridge.  Thus  we  have 
the  footways,  the  highways  and  parkways  all  linked 
together  to  provide  the  means  for  enjoying  heretofore 
difficult-of-access  sections  of  our  mountains. 


The  trail  in  Virginia  parallels  much  of  the  Blue 

Ridge  Parkway.    Overlooks  and  rest 

places  are  many  and  scenic. 

Today  the  Appalachian  Trail  touches  at  gaps 
where  two  centuries  ago  there  were  very  old  foot- 
paths —  paths  of  the  buffaloes,  taken  over  by  the 
Indians,  followed  by  the  early  hunters,  trappers  and 
traders.  The  word  trail  was  unknown  when  John 
Findlay  and  Allen  Tye  trod  back  and  forth  over  these 
Blue  Ridge  paths,  in  what  is  now  Amherst,  Nelson, 
Rockbridge  and  Augusta,  some  years  before  they  are 
said  to  have  guided  Dr.  Thomas  Walker,  Boone  and 
others  west  of  the  Alleghanies. 

Before  the  building  of  the  Blue  Ridge  Parkway, 
the  Appalachian  Trail  in  the  Peaks  of  Otter  area  of 
Bedford  ran  where  freight  wagons,  during  the  Revo- 
lution, hauled  lead  bars  eastward  to  go  into  the  shot 
towers  of  the  young  nation. 

The  building  of  the  Blue  Ridge  Parkway  in 
central  Virginia  Blue  Ridge  swamped  a  good  many 
sections  of  the  Appalachian  Trail.  This  created  the 
necessity  for  planning  a  new  trail  through  most  of  the 
area.  The  problem  was  whether  to  take  the  easy  way 
out  and  just  parallel  the  Parkway,  or  relocate  the  trail 
in  areas  away  from  this  mountain  autobahn.  If  the 
trail  was  constructed  beside  the  Parkway  the  only 
added  enjoyment  to  the  hiker  would  be  the  exercise. 

After  thorough  study  the  Main  Trail  was  rerouted 
over  many  of  the  higher  mountains  antJ,  in  order  to 
get  a  more  complete  contrast,  down  beside  lovely, 
hemlock-bordered  mountain  streams.  This  contrast 
provides  many  advantages,  especially  in  a  wide  variety 
of  scenery  and  wildlife  study.  In  some  areas  the  Blue 
Ridge  are  a  broad  jumble  of  mountains.  Here  the 
trail  passes  over  terrain  where  you  are  unable  to  drive 
a  car,  yet  in  the  gaps  between  the  mountains  there 
is  usually  a  trail  or  a  Forest  Service  feeder  road  that 
leads  to  the  Parkway  or  a  highway.  Thus  there  are 
some  parts  of  our  mountains  left  where  one  is  unable 
to  hear  the  rumble  of  a  motor  or  the  braying  of  a 
horn. 

For  those  interested  in  wildlife  this  plan  of  keep- 
ing the  Main  Trail  at  least  a  little  distance  from  the 
Parkway  will  prove  all  the  more  efficient  and  useful 
when  the  shelter  system  is  finally  continued  south  from 
The  Shenandoah  National  Park. 

These  shelters  are  to  be  placed  at  intervals  along 
the  Trail,  near  water,  but  well  back  from  any  main 
highway.  As  everyone  knows  there  are  those  among 
our  public  who  have  no  respect  for  either  public  or 
private  property.  There  will  be  less  people  willing  to 
walk  to  enjoy  a  camp  site,  and  that  will  in  turn  auto- 
matically reduce  the  number  of  people  who  spoil  these 
places  of  convenience  for  the  groups  who  follow  them. 

These  are  to  be  the  Adirondack  type  of  shelter, 
with  the  roof  slanting  down  to  the  back  wall  from 
the  open  front.  Around  1700,  in  the  Virginia  Pied- 
mont and  Blue  Ridge  they  were  known  as  hunting 
shacks  or  half-faced  cabins.    The  original  shacks  used 


huge  fallen  tree  trunks  as  their  back  walls.  Modern 
shelters  are  sturdily  constructed  and  will  have  in  front 
a  double  fireplace  —  the  outer  for  cooking  and  inner 
for  heating. 

The  Main  Appalachian  Trail  is  blazed  at  regular 
intervals  and  pointed  with  white  paint.  Metal  trail 
markers  are  also  nailed  to  the  trees.  Two  blazes,  one 
above  the  other,  denote  definite  trail  changes  in  direc- 
tion at  forks,  etc.  White  paint  is  used  because  even 
at  night  the  blazes  are  visible.  If  you  have  ever  been 
lost  in  the  mountains  you  will  find  them  a  great  aid. 

This  can  happen  at  night  even  to  mountain  people. 
One  man  refused  to  allow  us  to  run  the  Main  Trail 
across  his  property.  Later  he  told  us  he  had  changed 
his  mind  and  we  could  run  the  trail  through  his  house 
if  we  wanted.  He  was  lost  in  the  mountains  one  night 
and  finally  stumbled  on  the  Main  Trail  and  followed 
the  blazes  until  he  came  to  familiar  ground. 

It  must  be  stated  here  that  not  all  sections  of  our 
Main  Trail  in  Virginia  are  kept  in  perfect  condition. 
Where  clubs  have  a  relatively  small  membership  it  is 
very  difficult  to  control  the  fast-growing,  summer 
weeds  over  many  miles  of  trail,  some  of  which  are 
not  frequently  used.  In  the  areas  of  the  National 
Forests  and  Parks  they  are  generally  in  better  shape. 
However,  the  government  services  are  limited  regard- 
ing appropriations  that  can  be  applied  to  trail 
maintenance. 

This  also  explains  the  ten-mile  gap  in  Main  Trail 
in  Nelson  County  between  the  Head  of  the  Priest, 
down  across  Tye  River  and  up  to  Three  Ridges.  The 
War  came  along  before  the  CCC  could  rebuild  this 
section  in  the  relocation  plan  made  necessary  by  the 
building  of  the  Parkway. 

Many  people  otherwise  interested  in  the  moun- 
tains and  outdoor  life  are  afraid  to  join  a  trail  club 
because  they  think  they  will  be  taken  out  by  a  bunch  of 
hiking  nuts  who  will  speed  up  and  leave  them  behind 


to  the  mercy  of  the  bears  and  the  rattlesnakes.  In  the 
first  place,  regular  hiking  trips  are  in  charge  of  trip 
leaders,  who  set  a  pace  suitable  to  everyone.  There- 
fore, walkathons  do  not  materialize.  Trail  club  mem- 
bers who  want  to  set  speed  records  can  go  out  any 
time  they  desire  on  their  own  trips.  This  also  applies 
to  those  people  who  do  not  like  to  hike  in  larger 
groups. 

Most  people  like  to  hike  at  a  reasonable  cruising 
speed  as  they  are  interested  in  watching  the  color 
changes,  the  light  and  shadow,  and  the  continuous 
shifting  of  the  mountain  views.  They  like  to  stop  and 
examine,  for  instance,  the  slave-built,  dry-rock  walls 
that  curl  up  over  Cold  and  Tarjacket  Mountains  of 
Amherst  County,  and  again  on  Humpback  Mountain 
in  the  Augusta-Nelson  Area.  The  walls  vie  in  interest 
with  the  unusually  fine  views  from  these  mountains. 

Then  too,  while  you  stand  enjoying  the  blazing 
loveliness  of  the  rhododendron  on  Apple  Orchard 
Mountain  in  Bedford-Rockbridge  the  bird  scout  reports 
he  has  discovered  juncos  nesting  in  the  rocks  nearby. 
Soon  several  hikers  are  quietly  watching  the  rather 
rare  sight  of  the  fearless  mother  snowbird  on  her  nest 
in  a  rock  niche  while  a  big,  tough  looking  guy  talks 
baby  talk  to  her. 

The  hunter  notes  with  pleasure  a  mother  grouse 
and  her  young  as  he  emerges  from  a  bit  of  virgin 
forest  into  an  old  abandoned  field.  The  fisherman 
sees  many  springs  bubbling  up  through  the  black 
earth  between  the  roots  of  ancient  hemlocks,  wanders 
down  a  little  way  to  where  the  waters  gradually  merge 
into  one  stream  and  dash  over  the  lip  of  this  head- 
water cove.  He  is  already  estimating  how  far  down  it 
is  to  where  the  pools  are  large  enough  for  trout.  Here 
and  there  trillium  carpet  the  forest  floor,  or  yellow 
ladyslippers  nod  beside  the  trail. 

No,  you  cannot  see,  feel  and  enjoy  all  of  this  and 
gallop  over  a  mountain  trail. 


Typical  open  shelter  for 
hikers  on  the  Appala- 
chian Trail  in  Virginia. 
This  one  is  in  the  Shen- 
andoah National  Park, 
and  can  accommodate  a 
party  of  hikers. 


National    Park  Service   photo 


'■'^w.^m'ji^^. 


Why  Boys  Go  Fishin' 

By  PAUL  P.  HARRIS 

What  is  it  that  impels  the  barefoot 

youngster  to  seek  the  quiet  solitude 

of  a  mountain  brook  or  pool?    What  makes 
him  hungry  for  the  open  road? 


(This  article  is  reprinted  with  permission  from  the  ROTARIAN) 


Dementi     Studio. 


Mm!^ 


IBilili  imIi 


WHEN  I  WAS  a  child,  Father,  yielding  to  my 
importunities,  took  me  trout  fishing  one  day,  with 

the  result  that  the  virus  got  into  my  blood.  From 
that  day  on,  every  mountain  brook  has  had  its  fascina- 
tion for  me. 

Every  likely  pool  beneath  rock,  log,  or  overhang- 
ing bank  has  been  a  challenge  and  I  have  yet  to  see 
a  more  thrilling  sight  than  that  of  a  trembling,  bend- 
ing rod  and  glistening  trout  as  it  emerges  from  its 
cold,  dark  lair,  dances  aloft  for  a  moment  in  the 
sunlight,  and  then  falls  upon  rock  or  bank  my  captive. 

I  have  yet  to  see  any  more  beautiful  living  creature 
than  a  brook  trout.  Note  the  perfect  symmetry  of 
outline  and  the  delicacy  and  variety  of  its  colors.  Its 
mottled  back  varies  in  accordance  with  the  color  of 
the  bottom  of  the  stream  and  the  water  in  which  he 
has  made  his  home;  the  darker  his  surroundings,  the 
darker  he  is  and  therefore  less  easily  seen  by  his 
enemies. 

Trout-fishing  boys  and  men  admire  the  rich  red 
of  the  belly  fins,  but  far  exceeding  all  in  beauty  is  the 
delicate  coloration  of  the  flanks  of  the  creature  with  its 
crimson  spots  encircled  with  rings  of  azure  blue.  No 
artist,  painting  on  Dresden  china,  could  equal  the 
shading  of  the  multicolored  sides  of  this  creature  of 
the  cold  sparkling  streams  of  the  New  England 
mountains. 

When  I  called  at  the  public  library  one  day  to 
ask  for  books  on  fishing,  the  librarian  surprised  me  by 
asking,  "Which  do  you  want,  philosophical  or  prac- 
tical?" The  question  amused  me  so  that  at  first  I 
laughed  outright,  but  eventually  when  I  had  thought 
the  matter  through,  I  answered,  "I  expect  the  book  I 
am  looking  for  is  what  you  would  designate  as 
philosophical." 

I  had  figured  it  out  right.  The  practical  fisherman 
is  one  who  is  interested  primarily  in  "the  kill."  To  the 
philosophical  fisherman,  the  catch  is  only  a  part  of  the 
story,  a  very  small  part  likely.  He  is  interested  in  the 
great  outdoors;  he  places  first  the  opportunity  to  com- 
mune with  Nature  and  to  partake  of  its  healing  power. 
He  can  follow  a  stream  or  sit  in  a  boat,  as  the  case 
may  be,  without  the  slightest  sense  of  loneliness;  he 
is  the  philosophical  fisherman. 

VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE 


Izaak  Walton  was  one.  He  taught  the  rehgion  of 
the  outdoors  and  did  more  to  popularize  fishing  than 
any  other  man  in  history.  What  delightful  vistas  of 
thought  he  opened  up  to  the  delectation  of  his  own 
generation  and  generations  yet  to  come.  Professor 
Henry  Drummond  was  a  philosophical  fisherman.  Oh, 
yes,  in  a  humble  way,  that's  the  kind  of  fisherman  I 
have  been. 

The  brook  trout  are  not  only  the  most  beautiful 
of  creatures,  they  are  the  most  shy  and  intelligent  of 
fish.  Men  love  to  match  wits  with  them,  and  a 
sophisticated  brook  trout  wins  against  all  except  the 
most  experienced. 

In  the  business  of  outwitting  brook  trout  when 
I  was  a  boy  back  in  Vermont,  long-bearded  Ed  Sabin, 
the  tinner,  and  "Peg-leg"  Pratt,  the  coffin  maker,  knew 
no  superiors.  They  were  individualists  pure  and  simple 
and  while  their  technique  varied  greatly,  the  results 
were  the  same — they  caught  the  trout.  Ed  placed  his 
catch  in  a  creel,  while  "Peg-leg"  would  cut  a  crotched 
stick  from  the  underbrush,  cutting  one  side  close  to 
the  crotch  and  leaving  the  other  side  long  enough  to 
accommodate  the  expected  catch  when  strung  through 
their  gills.  "Peg-leg"  ordinarily  was  slow  in  his  move- 
ments, but  his  return  from  Roaring  Brook  was  always 
a  march  of  triumph;  his  head  was  held  high  and  his 
peg  leg  played  a  staccato  tattoo  on  the  board  walks 
of  the  village.  As  a  rejuvenator,  trout  fishing  takes 
high  rank. 

As  was  the  case  with  berrypicking,  my  fishing 
excursions  began  before  the  light  of  day.  What 
mysticism  there  was  in  those  early  morning  hours; 
all  the  world  was  mine.  Even  Grandfather,  early  riser 
though  he  was,  had  not  thought  of  stirring.  I  used  to 
make  my  way  quietly  down  the  cellar  stairs  to  the 
swinging  shelf,  on  which  I  would  generally  find  a 
platter  of  brook  trout,  the  result  of  a  previous  day's 


fishing.  They  had  been  rolled  in  corn  meal  and  fried 
in  butter  and  even  though  they  were  cold,  they  con- 
stituted a  fine  breakfast. 

Then  I  would  take  the  chunk  of  dried  beef  which 
always  hung  in  the  cellarway  and  from  it  cut  several 
sizable  slices,  my  only  provision  for  lunch.  I  abhorred 
impeciiments  and  early  discovered  that  a  tiny  package 
of  dried  beef,  washed  down  by  cold  water  from  the 
brook,  supplied  the  necessary  nourishment. 

I'm  a  merry  mountain  broo\ 
Hiding  in  some  shady  noo\ 
Babbling,  laughing  all  day  long 
Running,  dancing  with  a  song. 

I'm  as  free  as  winds  that  blow 
Little  care  I  where  I  go 
Only  let  me  have  a  run 
Splashing,  tumbling  all  in  fun. 

An  obstruction  in  my  path 
Simply  makes  me  swirl  and  laugh 
Nothing  stops  me  as  I  flow 
Over  roc\s  to  pools  below. 

— BIRNEY   C.   BATCHELLER. 

Child's  Brook  was  my  favorite;  its  source  was  a 
spring  well  up  in  the  hills  at  the  foot  of  While  Rocks. 
The  water  near  the  spring,  being  protected  from  the 
summer  sun  by  huge  boulders,  trees,  and  bushes, 
remained  frozen  the  year  round  and  was  locally  known 
as  the  "ice  bed."  Within  half  a  mile  of  the  "ice  bed," 
I  could  begin  fishing  the  icy  water  of  Cli^ld's  Brook. 
Creeping  through  the  undergrowth  in  the  wooded 
stretches  and  through  the  long  grass  bordering  the 
brook  in  the  pastureland,  I  would  let  my  bait  float 
down  into  promising  holes. 

(Continued  on  page  23) 


Every  likely  pool  be- 
neath rock,  log,  or  over- 
hanging bank  may  har- 
bor the  wily  trout — the 
prize  game  fish  of  all 
fishermen,  be  he  a  bare- 
foot boy  with  an  alder 
stick,  or  a  modern 
Waltonian  with  an 
expensive  rod. 


.^•^y  .  .  •'^ 


VSCC   photo 


MAY,  1950 


'A  thrust  of  sharp  spurs  caught  the  old  Gobbler  in  his  exposed  breast . . ." 


.10 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE 


T 


HE  WARY 
WARRIOR  ruf- 
fled his  bronze 
feathers,  dragged  his 
chestnut  colored 
wings,  and  spread 
his  broad  fanUke  tail 
as  he  regally  prom- 
enaded. Deep  throat- 
ed gobbles  called  his 
mates  to  the  early 
morning  trysts. 
Spring  and  the  mat- 
ing season  made  the 
old    gobbler    quite 

pleased  with  the  world.  The  sun  glistened  on  the  dew 
and  fascinated  the  Warrior.  Attracted  by  these  color- 
ful jewels,  he  would  pause  after  each  call  to  peck  at 
a  dew  drop.  Like  a  crystal  ball,  each  drop  seemed  to 
reflect  deeds  of  his  past.  Perhaps  the  Warrior  was 
remembering  the  days  of  his  poulthood,  or  perhaps 
the  struggles  of  his  wild  existence  passed  in  review 
before  his  eyes. 

Let  us  look  into  these  crystal-like  dewdrops  with 
the  Wary  Warrior  as  he  unfolds  his  life's  story: 

In  early  Spring,  several  years  ago,  a  turkey  hen 
carefully  laid  twelve  eggs  in  a  secluded  nest  in  the 
forest.  Each  egg  had  been  fertilized  by  the  hen's  daily 
contact  with  a  handsome  gobbler.  This  hen  was  my 
mother.  The  gobbler,  whom  I  never  saw,  was  my 
father. 

The  nest  had  been  wisely  placed  under  the 
branches  of  a  fallen  tree.  Here  my  brothers,  sisters, 
and  I  hatched  out  of  the  eggs  and  dried  our  damp, 
downy  feathers.  During  rainy  days  we  remained  under 
mother's  wings,  sheltered  from  damp  and  cold.  It 
wasn't  until  our  downy  feathers  were  replaced  with 
pin  feathers  that  we  were  permitted  to  venture  forth 
into  the  early  morning  dew. 

For  the  first  four  weeks  we  followed  mother  very 
carefully  and  would  "freeze"  into  the  surrounding 
vegetation  at  a  moment's  warning.  Mother  was  quite 
expert  at  leading  enemies  away  from  us.  Once  when 
a  gray  fox  crept  stealthily  into  the  clearing,  mother's 
warning  hid  us  completely  in  clumps  of  hay-scented 
ferns.  Then  feigning  a  broken  wing,  mother  clucked 
frantically  and  dragged  her  left 
wing   as   though   she   couldn't  ^ 

fly.  Thus  she  led  the  fox  away 
from  our  hiding  place.  When 
the  fox  thought  he  had  almost 
caught  his  crippled  victim,  she 
her  way  into  the  air. 

When  we  were  four  weeks 
old  we  could  fly  a  little  and  left 
the  ground  to  roost  in  trees  at 
night.  Mother  had  a  time  get- 
ting her  brood  of  twelve  under 

MAY,  1950 


The  Wary  Warrior 

By  W.  W.  RUBER 

The  Warrior  was  aware  that   his 
opponent  knew   turkey  philosophy: 

"he  who  fights  and  runs  away,  will 
live  to  fight  another  day." 


wingetl 


her  wings.  Many  of 
us  fell  off  our  perch, 
fighting  to  get  next 
to  mother's  warm 
protection.  Soon  two 
mishaps  reduced  our 
number.  One  night 
one  of  my  brothers 
fell  from  the  roost 
into  the  waiting  jaws 
of  a  large  red  fox 
and  was  soon  eaten. 
We  all  made  quite  a 
fuss  over  this,  but 
could  do  little  else. 
Later,  two  of  my  sisters  fell  into  an  old  well  near  an 
abandoned  farm  house  and  disappeared  forever. 
Mother  reared  the  rest,  schooling  us  to  be  always  alert 
to  danger,  quick  to  take  wing  when  she  gave  the 
alarm. 

Our  diet  was  by  choice  quite  varied,  and  we  found 
abundant  food  during  the  summer  and  fall.  We  ate 
various  insects,  seeds  and  plants  and  grasses,  centipedes, 
bulbs,  buds,  leaves,  fruits,  spiders,  grapes,  snails  and 
berries.  In  the  winter  months  we  concentrated  more 
on  buds,  acorns,  beechnuts,  and  seeds  of  shrubs  and 
trees,  such  as  dogwoods,  gums  and  poplars.  Even 
hickory  nuts  were  eaten,  although  we  found  it  neces- 
sary to  get  a  crop  full  of  fresh  gravel  before  grinding 
these  tough  nuts. 

Mother  was  very  clean  in  her  habits.  She  made 
us  dust  ourselves  frequently.  This  was  necessary  to 
keep  down  lice  and  to  clean  from  skin  and  feathers 
various  alien  matter  that  accumulated  due  to  our  active 
lives. 

In  January  mother  decided  that  we  were  old 
enough  to  take  care  of  ourselves  and  left  us.  My 
brothers  and  I  stayed  together  that  spring  but  gradu- 
ally separated  until,  by  summer,  each  was  going  his 
own  way. 

When  I  was  three  years  old  and  quite  proud  of 
my  bronze  body  feathers,  fan-like  tail  and  six-inch 
beard,  I  earned  the  name  of  the  Wary  Warrior. 
Strutting  and  gobbling  to  attract  the  fairer  sex,  I 
was  walking  stately  along  the  edge  of  a  clearing  when 
I  noticed  a  large  Tom  strutting  along  the  far  side  of 
the  field.  Apparently  I  was  intruding  on  this  fellow's 
domain.  Making  a  pretense  of  not  noticing  the  other 

gobbler,  I  slowly  walked  into 
the  shadowy  woods  nearby. 
.  >.-  Then  I  quickly  ran  to  the  edge 

of  the  field  where  the  would- 
be-king  was  puffing,  blowing, 
and  pompously  gobbling  his 
rnating  call.  I  made  a  quick 
attack.  It  was  soon  all  over  for 
that  old  turkey.  A  thrust  of 
sharp  spurs  caught  the  old 
gobbler  in  his  exposed  breast. 


n 


and  the  force  of  the  charge  knocked  him  off  his  feet. 
My  flashing  spurs  sank  deeply  into  the  old  fellow's 
unprotected  side.  Repulsing  his  efforts,  I  continued  to 
strike  with  telling  blows  until  he  ran  from  the  field. 
No  doubt  he  used  the  wise  turkey  philosophy  that, 
"He  who  fights  and  runs  away,  will  live  to  fight 
another  day." 

The  defeat  of  this  old  warrior  gave  me  complete 
charge  of  his  domain.  Five  beautiful  members  of  his 
harem  now  belonged  to  me.  Each  morning  at  the 
break  of  day  I  took  a  stroll  about  the  clearing  in  the 
woods,  and  one  by  one  the  hens  would  answer  my 
calls.  After  a  short  interlude  with  me,  the  hens  would 
quietly  slip  back  to  their  nests  in  the  woods.  The 
business  of  egg  laying  and  raising  the  family  was 
theirs,  not  mine. 

Later  that  summer  I  became  friendly  with  two 
other  family  gobblers  about  my  age.  One  was  known 
as  Redface,  and  the  other  Bluebeard.  Bluebeard  had 
an  unusually  long  beard  of  a  bluish 
tinge.  When  frightened,  Blue- 
beard's head  would  turn  a  purplish 
blue  and  his  beard  would  bristle 
straight  out. 

One  night  the  three  of  us  were 
roosting  in  our  favorite  white  pine 
tree  and  were  sleeping  comfortably 
when  I  heard  a  scream.  When  I 
awoke,  Bluebeard  was  on  the 
ground  valiantly  fighting  off  a 
large  great-horned  owl.  A  flash  of 
feathers  and  a  click  of  the  owl's 
beak,  and  Bluebeard  was  .dead. 
Back  to  the  roost  came  the  owl, 
and  before  Redface  could  move,  the 
owl  struck  him  a  paralyzing  blow 
that  knocked  him  to  the  ground.  Again  the  owl 
attacked  his  prey,  but  I  didn't  wait  to  see  any  more. 
Blindly  beating  my  way  into  the  night,  I  winged  away 
through  the  trees.  The  next  morning,  getting  up 
courage,  I  returned  to  the  scene  of  the  attack  and  found 
the  bodies  of  my  friends.  The  owl  had  eaten  a  little  out 
of  the  throats  of  both  and  then  continued  his  night 
foray.  A  sadistic,  cold-blooded  killer,  he  killed  more 
to  satisfy  a  blood  lust  than   to  appease  his  hunger. 

Safety  meant  more  to  me  than  love  of  my  com- 
munity, so  that  day  I  traveled  many  miles  from  my 
favorite  habitat  on  the  headwaters  of  the  St.  Mary's 
River.  Crossing  the  divide,  I  took  up  a  new  residence 
in  a  wildlife  management  unit  deep  in  the  national 
forest.  Here  the  Resident  Wildlife  Manager  was  doing 
a  good  job  of  providing  protection  for  wildlife.  He 
was  improving  game  habitat  and  cover,  as  well  as 
planting  vegetation  that  would  provide  food.  The  loss 
of  the  chestnut,  due  to  the  deadly  chestnut  blight,  has 
affected  our  food  to  some  extent  and  the  grasses  and 
shrubs  being  planted  by  the  wildlife  manager  will  be 

12 


of  great  help.  These  include  the  wild  raisin,  Asiatic 
chestnut  and  hawthorn,  as  well  as  clumps  of  conifers 
for  roosting  and  protection. 

Clearings  being  made  to  provide  grassy  openings 
in  the  forest  soon  have  numerous  insects  which,  of 
course,  are  enjoyed.  The  low-growing  herbaceous 
cover  on  these  areas  dries  off  quickly  following  rains, 
and  many  enjoyable  hours  are  spent  here  while  the 
adjoining  forest  is  drying. 

The  following  April  found  me  very  nicely  settled 
in  my  new  home.  I  roosted  in  a  pitch  pine  tree  with 
dense  branches  that  gave  protection  from  evil  birds  of 
prey.  My  daily  route  of  travel  was  a  fairly  safe  one 
and  rich  in  food.  The  clearings  in  the  forest  were 
abuntlant  with  grass  seeds  and  insects.  The  woods  still 
had  nuts  and  acorns,  and  I  filled  my  crop  with  these. 
I  was  even  fortunate  enough  to  attract  another  group 
of  hens  to  my  domain.  Two  of  these  had  been  released 
from  a  wild  turkey  propagation  farm  and  were  slow  in 
acquiring  the  ways  of  the  wild. 
However,  I  am  sure  our  offspring 
will  be  quite  able  to  forage  for 
themselves.  It  takes  a  lot  of  wild 
blood  to  nourish  the  keen  instincts 
so  necessary  if  a  turkey  is  to  survive 
the  rugged  life  of  the  forest.  Even 
some  of  the  wariest  of  birds  get  it 
in  the  neck,  so  to  speak. 

It  took  me  a  little  time  to  get 
wise  to  these  new-fangled  turkey 
calls  hunters  use.  I  am  ashamed  to 
admit  it,  but  if  one  of  those  propa- 
gated gobblers  hadn't  beat  me  to 
the  call  of  a  hunter  last  fall,  I 
would  have  left  the  woods  hanging 
over  that  hunter's  shoulder.  Fortunately,  my  wary 
nature  made  me  slip  up  behind  the  spot  from  which 
the  call  came  and  this  slipping-around  maneuver 
saved  my  life.  The  hunter  had  taken  a  stand  in  a 
clump  of  pines,  and  his  call  sounded  like  a  real 
turkey's  call.  The  hatchery-reared  gobbler  dashed  out 
into  the  opening,  uninhibited  by  any  ideas  of  caution. 
The  roar  of  the  gun  and  the  flutter  of  the  gobbler *s 
wings  broke  the  stillness  of  the  glade,  and  stealthily 
keeping  tree  trunks  between  the  hunter  and  myself,  I 
left  that  place.  I  am  a  wiser  bird  now,  and  the  calls 
invented  by  humans  go  unanswered. 

Such  is  life.  We  live  and  learn.  Usually  a  turkey 
is  allowed  but  one  mistake  and  that's  his  last.  Our 
numbers  are  increasing  here  in  Virginia.  The  aid 
given  to  us  by  the  Game  and  Inland  Fisheries  Com- 
mission and  local  sportsmen  is  greatly  appreciated. 

One  trouble  that  is  not  fully  eliminated  is  the 
damage  done  to  our  nests,  eggs,  and  young,  by  devas- 
tating forest  fires.  A  wise  turkey-management  program 
must  take  into  account  the  prevention  of  forest  fires, 
especially  in  the  spring  of  the  year  when  the  damage 
to  our  race  is  so  severe.  I  ask  your  help  because  only 
you  folks  can  prevent  forest  fires. 

VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE 


J—  V. 

VIRGINIA   WILDLIFE 

Late  Wildlife  News  ...  At  A  Glance  ^ 

THE  SUCCESSFUL  OPENING  of  Virginia's  trout  season  can  be  attributed  in  a  large  measure  to  the  unceasing 
efforts  of  the  game  wardens  in  the  trout  stream  areas.  All-night  patrols  were  set  up  and  maintained  on 
the  streams  just  liefore  opening  day,  in  order  to  prevent  any  jumping  of  the  gun  by  unscrupulous  anglers 
eager  to  take   advantage  of  the  well  stocked  streams. 

Out  of  state  fishermen  were  not  as  mucli  in  evidence  on  opening  day  this  year.  Apparently  the  abolish- 
ment by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  old  two-day  one-dollar  nonresident  license  and  substitution  of  the 
$10  nonresident  season  license  had  some  effect  in  cutting  down  the  early  season  pressure  from  the  out  of 
state  anglers. 

THE  COMMISSION  of  Game  and  Inland  Fisheries  is  much  concerned  over  the  estalilished  custom  of  the  people 
of  making  a  field  day  of  the  opening  of  the  trout  season  every  year  and  catching  out  a  large  percentao^e 
of  the  recently-stocked  hatchery  trout  before  these  fish  have  a  chance  to  become  acclimated.  Efforts  are 
being  made  to  work  out  some  equitable  system  whereby  what  is  in  reality  a  marvelous  trout  program 
can  be  kept  from  being  so  greatly  nullified  by  the  heavy  catches  with  natural  baits  in  the  first  few  days 
of  the   open   season. 

Forty-one  of  71  bills  in  the  last  General  Assembly  affecting  the  operations  of  this  Commission  were  enacted 
into  law.    Fortunately,  none   of  these  measures  affect  wildlife  adversely  to  any  great  extent,  but  they  com- 
plicate  administration.    Of  the  41  bills  passed,   35  were  of  local  application  and  six  were   general. 
The  41  new  pieces  of  legislation  may.  be  broken   down  as  follows: 

3   affected  certain  licenses,   1  of  which  was  local  and  2  general. 

5    pertained    to   squirrel   seasons    in    33    counties,  all  of  which  were   local  in  application. 

Of  8  miscellaneous  acts,  5  were  of  local  application  and  3  general. 

Of  11  bills  relating  to  fishing,  all  were  local  in   application. 

Of  6  l)ills  relating  to  hunting,  all  were  local. 

Of  7  acts  pertaining  to  dogs,  6  were  local  and  1    general. 

One    trapping   measure    was    local   in    application. 

All  of  these  measures  have  to  be  written  into  the  hunting  and  fishing,  the  trapping  and  the  do"^  regula- 
tions, adding  complications  to  an  already  complex  system  of  rules  for  the  sportsman. 

THE  GREATEST  PLANTING  program  for  game  in  the  history  of  the  State  is  in  progress  this  sprint.  The 
number  of  plants  of  the  perennials  will  double  and  the  amounts  of  seeds  of  the  annuals  will  be  oreatlv 
increased  over  the  supplies  furnished  free  by  the  Commission  last  year.  These  plants  and  seeds  are  «o\\\a 
to  all  sections  of  the  State   and  to  large  numbers  of  individuals  in   each  subdivision. 

Not  only  is  the  Commission  furnishing  these  and  other  materials  free,  but  expert  technical  advice  and 
assistance  is  being  given  in  seeing  that  maximum  results  may  be  obtained.  The  plantings  which  are  bein^ 
made  for  game  are  of  material  assistance  in  the  program  of  the  Soil  Conservation  Districts  in  their  efforts 
to  prevent  soil  erosion   and  these   two  land-use  agencies  are  working  in  closest  cooperation. 

THE  OUTLOOK  for  Congressional  passage  of  the  Dingell  Bill,  HR  6533,  to  allot  the  excise  taxes  on  fishino 
equipment  to  fish  restoration  work  appears  more  promising,  now  that  Treasury  Secretary  John  Snyder  has 
indicated  that  his  department  will  no  longer  oppose  the  move.  Administration  approval  of  the  bill  was 
indicated  by  this   about-face   on   the   part   of    the   Treasiuy   Department. 

The  bill  still  has  a  long  way  to  go,  however.  Action  on  the  floor  of  the  House,  the  Senate  Committee  and 
in  the  Senate  itself  must  still  be  gone  through  before  the  nation's  fishermen  enjoy  the  type  of  aid  that  the 
Pittman-Robertson  Act  provides  for  hunters. 

ALBERT  DAY,  Chief  of  the  U.  S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service,  in  a  hearing  before  the  Senate  Sub-committee  on 
Expenditures  stated  that  over  8,000,000  ducks  were  killed  illegally  last  season.  The  committee  was  told 
that  only  71  federal  wardens  are  employed  to  protect  the  nation's  migratory  birds,  and  if  the  illeoal  kill 
is  to  be  stopped,  finids  must  be  forthcoming  to  enable  the  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service  to  maintain  at  least 
160  wardens. 

MAY,  1950  ,13 


Legal  size  trout  are  seined  from  the  hatchery  pool  for 

stocking  in  Virginia's  mountain  waters;  most 

of  these  are  two-year-olds. 


Tank    truck    crews    and    hatchery    workers    load     the 
wriggling  trout  for  the  trip  to  the  stream. 


TROU 

IN     VI 


(Photos    by    Kesieloo,   ^ 


wr- 


«   .        •>:• 


*^y 


No  real  fisherman  needs  a  caption  for  this  picture. 
and  the  big  smile  on  the  face  of  the  fisherms 

it's  opening  da  v.! 


Fish  by  the  washtub  full!    Man  size  trout  on  their  way 
to  battle   Virginia's  fishermen. 


All  streams  aren't  as  easily  stocked  as  this  one!    ' 
Sometimes  miles  of  hiking  are  necessary  to       I 
put  the  fish  in  the  right  water. 


TIME 

GINIA 


mj- 


knomon,   and    Flournoy) 


Trout  water  anywhere  I   Tve  Kiver,   \\hite  Top   Laurel, 

or  Calf  Pasture  in  western  Virginia;  white  water 

and  still  pools  are  trout  habitat. 


B)ent  rod,  the  outstretched  net,  the  hghting  rainbow 
!  their  own  story.  Just  for  the  record,  however, 
^hitetop  Laurel. 


Clean  your  fish  when  you  catch  them.  There's  less  chance 
of  spoilage  and  loss  of  flavor. 


End  of  the  line!  Fish  go  into  a  Blue  Ridge  stream 

that  will  draw  its  quota  of  anglers  throughout 

the  long  trout  season. 


Opening  day  catch  on  one  of  Virginia's  trout  streams. 

Twelve  beauties  to  delight  the  heart  of  any  fisherman. 

Smaller  ones  are  brooks,  the  larger,  rainbows. 


T-m 


This  Thing  Called  carrying  copadfy 


By  J.  J.  SHOMON 


^^'J.  ^, 


^-aaiSjiifer-  - 


The  ancients  had  a  word  for  it: 

**one  hill  will  not  carry  two  tigers,'' 


WE  HEAR  A  LOT  OF  TALK  nowadays  about  the 
productivity  of  the  land,  what  it  will  or  will  not 
grow  or  support.  Farmers  like  to  speak  of  their 
pastures  as  being  able  to  support  so  much  beef  or  so 
many  head  of  sheep.  Wildlife  experts,  too,  like  to 
think  in  similar  terms,  because  they  realize  that 
basically  it  is  what  we  do  with  the  land  that  affects 
wildlife.  In  recent  years  the  term  carrying  capacity 
has  been  used  frequently  and  it  will  not  harm  any 
of  us  to  look  into  this  term,  and  its  meaning,  a  little 
more   closely. 

Every  landowner  knows  that  each  piece  of  land 
he  has  will  support  just  so  much  animal  life,  be  it 
white-faced  cattle,  or  goats.  This  is  what  he  means  by 
"carrying  capacity."  This  capacity  of  an  area  to  sup- 
port animals,  be  they  domestic  or  wild,  is  not  a  static 
thing.  For  example,  the  carrying  capacity  of  a  field 
of  clover  changes  with  each  grazing.  Similarly  we  can 
see  how  the  carrying  capacity  for  quail  can  be  reduced 
on  a  farm  by  the  plowing  under  of  a  soybean  field. 

Wildlife  experts  feel  that  a  full  understanding  of 
this  term  is  important  because  it  is  a  natural  principle 
of  good  land  use. 


The  ancient  people  had  a  good  definition  for 
carrying  capacity:  ".  .  .  one  hill  will  not  carry  two 
tigers."  This  is  as  true  today  as  ever  before.  Every 
field,  every  range,  every  piece  of  woods  has  a  limit 
to  what  it  will  support  in  certain  forms  of  animal  life. 
Just  as  the  farmer  is  well  aware  that  his  green  fields 
will  graze  so  many  cattle,  so  the  poultryman  is  aware 
that  his  domestic  geese  need  so  much  grass  land  upon 
which  to  graze. 

The  landowner  who  wants  more  quail  on  his  land 
or  rabbits  around  his  premises  would  do  well  to  look 
into  the  carrying  capacity  of  his  land  for  wildlife 
before  he  begins  worrying  how  to  "get  more  game  to 
the  acre."  His  carrying  capacity  may  be  fine  during 
summer  and  fall  months,  but  unless  he  has  land  that 
can  support  game  during  critical  winter  months  also, 
there  won't  be  much  point  in  striving  for  higher 
populations. 

Many  people  who  are  wildlife  conscious  and  who 
understand  something  of  wildlife  abundance  are  not 
clear  on  two  very  basic  properties  of  game  population. 
One  is  carrying  capacity,  and  the  other,  a  more  tech- 
nical term,  is  saturation  point.   The  latter  means  that 


Farmers  know  a  given  piece  of  land  supports  only  so  much  animal  life — be  it  domestic,  stock  or  wildlife. 


'imMJUi. 


16 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE 


iC"s^«m). 


.^"^ 


-.      i 


^^ii/e**>*** 


-,, -^     -n 


There  is  no  magic  formula  for  wildlife  abundance.  However  if   we   :K(|iiiie  a   practical    knowledge  of 
land  management  we  should  be  in  a  better  position  to  appreciate  what  the  land  will  do  for  us. 


in  most  species,  there  is  a  population  limit  beyond 
which  mature  wildlife  of  that  particular  species,  even 
under  the  most  favorable  environmental  conditions, 
will  not  increase,  provided  conditions  are  uniform  over 
a  wide  area. 

Not  every  form  of  wildlife  is  known  to  have  a 
saturation  point.  Most  biologists  seem  to  agree  that 
the  quail  has,  and  that  it  is  one  quail  to  the  acre. 
Rabbits  seem  to  have  it,  and  hold  to  about  3  to  4 
per  acre.  Our  deer  may  have  it  also,  around  one  to 
12.5  acres,  but  the  problem  here  is  mostly  the  carry- 
ing capacity  of  the  range. 

How  frequently  have  you  heard  the  expression 
"they've  eaten  themselves  out  of  house  and  home." 
What  actually  happens  in  such  cases  is  that  the  deer 
have  outstripped  their  food  supply,  outstripped  the 
carrying  capacity  of  the  land.  And  when  this  happens 
there  is  trouble.  Today  many  states  are  experiencing 
difficulties  with  deer  where  the  populations  have  been 
allowed  to  get  too  large — too  many  deer  and  not 
enough  food.  The  result:  starvation,  undernourish- 
ment, poor  development. 

The  big  lesson  to  be  learned  from  what  has  hap- 
pened in  the  past  is  that  we  should  not  permit  our 
wildlife  to  over-run  the  carrying  capacity  of  the  land, 
and  that  the  land  we  manage  be  made  to  produce 
more  abundantly  for  wildlife,  especially  during  critical 
periods  of  the  year. 

There  is  no  magic  formula  for  wildlife  abundance. 
The  problems  are  too  complex.  Yet  if  we  can  acquire 
a  practical  knowledge  of  land-management  methods 
we  should  be  in  a  better  position  to  appreciate  what 
the  land  will  do. 

AAAY,  1950 


One  of  the  best  explanations  of  carrying  capacity 
was  given  by  the  noted  biologist,  Errington,  who  drew 
an  analogy  of  winter  carrying  capacity  of  quail  to 
chickens  in  a  henhouse.    Said  he: 

"Winter  carrying  capacity  of  quail  environment 
may  be  crudely  compared  to  the  capacity  of  a  farm 
chicken  coop.  A  chicken  coop  has  room  for  only  about 
so  many  birds,  and  if  a  poultryman  has  more  chickens 
than  his  coop  can  accommodate,  obviously  he  cannot 
get  them  all  in.  If  the  extra  chickens  leave  the  premises 
and  find  security  in  some  other  poultryman's  coop, 
which  doesn't  happen  to  be  filled  up,  it  may  make 
little  difference  to  them.  In  the  event  of  visits  by 
predators,  the  chickens  exposed  outside  will  suffer,  not 
the  ones  secure  in  coops.  Depredations  may  continue 
until  all  of  the  chickens  outside  of  the  coops  have 
been  killed  or  driven  away;  those  properly  housed, 
however,  will  still  be  reasonably  safe. 

"To  be  sure,  a  quail  wintering  territory  has  not 
as  sharply  defined  boundaries  as  a  chicken  coop,  but 
the  analogy  is  not  far  fetched.  A  quail  covey  range 
or  territory  has  a  combination  of  food  resources  and 
escape  cover  suitable  for  an  approximately  constant 
number  of  birds.  As  chicken  coops  are  built  in  differ- 
ent sizes,  so  covey  territories  occur  with  different  carry- 
ing capacities.  .  .  ." 

Errington  then  goes  on  to  say,  that  carrying 
capacity  in  its  simplest  form  may  denote  the  upper 
limit  of  survival  which  is  possible  in  a  given  covey 
territory  as  it  exists  under  the  most  favorable  condi- 
tions. Carrying  capacity,  he  says  finally,  appears  to  be 
relatively  constant  from  year  to  year  for  a  specific 
territory  or  group  of  territories,  but  not  the  same  for 
all  territories  or  groups  of  territories. 

17 


Audio- Visual  Aids  in  Conservation  Education 


By  DR.  EDGAR  M.  JOHNSON 

Associate  Professor  of  Education,  Longwood  College. 


^K^. 


'^^I^^h^ 


(Photos    by    Kesteloo) 

rHOSE  OF  US  INTERESTED  in  Virginia  wild- 
life do  not  require  proof  of  the  great  need  for 
conservation.  We  have  had  that  need  demon- 
strated over  and  over  as  we  tramp  the  woods  and  the 
fields,  wade  the  streams,  or  cross  the  rivers.  Look  at 
that  muddy  water;  no  good  for  fishing.  Oysters  too 
high  to  eat?  Yes,  we  have  polluted  rivers  and  too 
much  silting.  No  birds?  No,  they  have  no  cover. 
No  deer  or  even  rabbits?  No,  we  have  burned  out 
forests  and  eroded  fields.  There  is  an  ever  present 
problem  of  maintaining  adequate  food  supply,  breed- 
ing place,  natural  range  or  cover,  satisfactory  water 
and  protection  from  predators  for  our  wild  game  and 
fish. 

The  problem  involves  much  more  than  the  trans- 
planting of  game  to  depleted  territory.  It  involves  good 
farming  with  conservation  of  the  soil,  rotation  of  crops, 
care  of  wood  lots  and  forests,  good  land  use  and 
management  of  live  stock.  It  involves  water  control 
measures  on  areas  larger  than  the  individual  farm,  and 


such  things  as  dams,  meadow  strips,  terracing,  con- 
touring, cover  crops  and  farm  ponds.  It  involves 
industrial  wastes  and  city  sewage  which  sometimes 
pollute  our  streams  and  rivers.  It  involves  the  direct 
protection  of  game  from  over  hunting,  extremes  in 
weather,  and  predatory  animals  which  may  develop  all 
out  of  proportion  to  their  need  in  a  balanced  program 
of  conservation.  It  involves  forest  fires,  reforestation, 
fire  wardens,  game  wardens,  all  kinds  of  governmental 
regulations.  Certainly  not  least  among  all  the  things 
involved  is  education. 

We  depend  a  lot  on  education  and  have  an  implicit 
faith  in  its  ability  to  help  us  solve  our  problems.  How 
else  can  we  get  at  the  total  picture  of  a  problem  so 
large  as  the  one  under  consideration?  It  takes  years 
of  study  and  experience  in  a  wide  variety  of  areas  to 
see  and  understand  the  implications  and  the  relation- 
ships existing  between  the  various  factors  mentioned 
above.  We  still  are  not  fully  conscious  of  all  the  real 
problems,  and  certainly  are  still  divided  as  to  the  best 


Many  graphic  materials 
including  charts,  graphs, 
maps  and  cartoons,  are 
used  to  illustrate  the  pro- 
gressive steps  in  land 
use  or  the  status  of  our 
natural  resources  in 
relationship  to  human 
need  and  interests. 


18 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE 


The  most  recent  developments  in  the  use  of  Audio- 
Visual  materials  for  teaching  conservation  are  found 
in  the  use  of  motion  pictures  and  film  strips  or  slides. 

solutions  of  the  problems  of  which  we  are  conscious. 
The  public  school  is  not  our  only  educational  agency. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  has  learned  much  from  the 
motion  picture  industry,  radio  broadcasting,  news- 
papers, civic  clubs,  churches,  and  various  governmental 
agencies  such  as  the  Virginia  Commission  of  Game 
and   Inland  Fisheries. 

One  of  the  important  techniques  of  education 
which  is  rapidly  developing  in  the  program  of  our 
schools,  as  well  as  in  that  of  other  educational  agencies, 
is  the  use  of  audio-visual  materials  and  equipment. 
We  have  found  that  all  learning  does  not  come  from 
a  book.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  all  we  get  from  a  book 
must  be  based  on  more  concrete  experiences  we  have 
had  with  actual  objects  or  events.  We  have  many 
text  books  on  conservation  and  many  text  books  that 
deal  with  some  phase  of  conservation.  We  once  heard 
a  teacher  read  a  very  fine  description  of  erosion  to  a 
small  town  high  school  class.  It  was  dry  stuff  to  those 
youngsters  who  had  little  actual  experience  with 
erosion,  its  causes  and  results.  Just  out  the  window 
there  was  an  open  field  which  was  badly  eroded.  Just 
looking  out  the  window,  in  this  case,  could  have 
greatly  increased  an  understanding  of  the  significance 
of  what  was  read.  A  short  walk  out  of  town  would 
have  shown  many  more  extensive  examples  of  erosion. 

One  of  the  most  useful  aids  the  school  uses  in 
teaching  conservation  is  the  field  trip.  In  most  sections 
of  our  state  a  class  doesn't  have  to  go  far  to  see  what 
constitutes  good  cover  for  wildlife,  how  it  is  estab- 
lished and  maintained,  and  how  it  is  related  to  agri- 
cultural, social  and  economic  problems.  The  field  trip 
is  a  self  evident  aid  to  learning  which  is  being  used 
to  considerable  advantage  in  teaching  conservation. 
There  are  other  aids  which  are  less  well  known  but 
none  the  less  effective  in  dealing  with  the  many  factors 
related  to  conservation.  Objects  and  models  and  pre- 
pared dis{)lays  have  been  found  useful.  Paper  pulp 
relief  maps  and  sand  tables  are  used  to  illustrate  con- 
touring, terracing,  fire  control,  water  control,  forest 
management,  etc.   Models  of  fire  towers,  conservation 

MAY,  1950 


•^ 


A  good  school  library  well-stocked  with  niaga/>ines, 

periodicals,  books,  etc.,  is  a  big  help  to  the  school 

pupil  in  grasping  conservation  fundamentals. 

equipment,  wildlife,  and  built  up  dioramas  depicting 
scenes  as  they  occur  in  nature,  when  constructed  by 
students,  stimulate  a  great  deal  of  research  which  leads 
to  greater  understanding  of  significant  relationships. 

Many  graphic  materials  including  charts,  graphs, 
maps  and  cartoons  are  used  to  illustrate  the  progressive 
or  regressive  steps  in  land  use  or  the  status  of  our 
natural  resources,  in  relationship  to  human  need  and 
interests.  These  help  the  children  see  at  a  glance  things 
which  would  take  many  pages  to  describe  or  many  dry 
statistics  to  demonstrate. 

Many  pictures  are  now  used  in  our  classrooms  to 
help  make  more  real  and  meaningful  the  problem  of 
conservation.  There  are  commercial  sets  of  pictures 
available,  as  well  as  pictures  from  magazines  anu  j.  ho- 
tographs  which  may  be  taken  by  students  or  borrowed 
from  others.  These  pictures  are  used  effectively  lo 
show  contrasts  and  comparisons  of  large  conservation 
projects  which  could  not  well  be  shown  on  a  field  trip 
or  seen  in  nature  at  the  same  time. 

The  most  recent  developments  in  the  use  of  Audio- 
Visual  materials  for  teaching  conservation  are  found 
in  the  use  of  motion  pictures  and  film  strips  or  slides. 
Film  strips  and  2x2  film  slides,  both  in  black  and 
white  and  in  color,  are  available  in  large  numbers. 
Many  are  commercially  made  and  sold  to  educational 
institutions.  Well  over  half  of  the  school  divisions  in 
Virginia  have  a  library  of  film  strips  or  slides  for  use 
in  their  schools.  Many  of  these  deal  with  conservation. 
An  example  of  some  of  the  more  recent  productions 
of  this  nature  is  the  series  of  four  film  strips  in  full 
color  by  the  Popular  Science  Publishing  Company.  The 
title  "Conservation  is  Everybody's  Business,"  indicates 
the  nature  of  the  content.  They  deal  with  the  con- 
servation of  soil,  forests,  and  water  as  related  to  the 
conservation  of  our  most  important  natural  resource, 
people.  Then  there  are  many  sets  of  film  slides  pro- 
duced by  the  agriculture  colleges  and  other  govern- 
mental agencies  which  are  available  for  school  use  on 
occasion. 

The  sounci  motion  picture  in  color  is  perhaps  the 

19 


most  impressive  of  the  materials  used  in  teaching 
conservation.  Several  such  films  have  been  produced 
by  the  Film  Production  Service  in  the  State  Department 
of  Education.  These  films,  such  as  "The  Oyster  and 
Virginia,"  are  available  to  the  public  schools  of  Vir- 
ginia through  the  Bureau  of  Teaching  Materials  and 
the  Regional  film  libraries.  An  example  of  recent 
commercially  produced  films  in  color  is  the  LIVING 
EARTH  series,  dealing  with  ARTERIES  OF  LIFE, 
BIRTH  OF  SOIL,  SEEDS  OF  DESTRUCTION  and 
THIS  VITAL  EARTH,  distributed  by  Encyclopedia 
Britannica  Films  Incorporated.  There  are  many  other 
conservation  films  in  black  and  white,  a  recent  example 
being  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  soil 
conservation  series,  TOPSOIL,  WATER,  EROSION 
and  SOIL,  and  WATER.  There  are  listed  in  the  state 
catalogue,  "Educational  Motion  Pictures  for  Virginia 
Public  Schools,"  nearly  two  hundred  films  on  conser- 
vation. They  deal  with  eight  areas  of  conservation, 
Man's  Relationship  to  His  Resources,  Man's  Use  of 
Land,  Man's  Use  of  Water,  Man's  Use  of  Forests, 
Man's   Use  of  Minerals,   Man's   Use  of  Recreational 


Areas,  Man's  Relation  to  Wildlife,  and  Man's  Use  of 
Salt  Water  Fisheries.  These  films  are  booked  heavily 
by  the  public  schools,  with  many  requests  which  can- 
not be  filled.  This  alone  indicates  the  effectiveness  of 
using  motion  pictures  to  teach  conservation.  The 
motion  picture  is  particularly  effective  in  developing 
proper  attitudes  which  lead  to  effective  action  in 
conservation  practices. 

For  those  of  us  interested  in  wildlife  conservation, 
this  is  a  hopeful  sign.  We  are  beginning  to  under- 
stand more  clearly  the  relationship  between  wildlife 
conservation  and  other  kinds  of  conservation.  We  have 
devised  new  techniques  and  developed  new  materials 
of  teaching,  so  that  even  our  youth  are  becoming 
conscious  of  these  conservation  problems.  The  use  of 
these  new  techniques  and  materials  does  more  than 
transmit  the  knowledge  that  has  accumulated.  It  also 
develops  the  attitudes  that  should  accompany  the 
knowledge,  which  in  turn  stimulates  action.  We  have 
every  reason  to  believe  that  the  effective  use  of  Audio- 
Visual  materials  in  schools  will  help  us  more  quickly 
solve  some  of  our  pressing  problems  in  conservation. 


SPORTSMANSHIP 


Webb  Midyette,  Supervising  Game  Warden, 
recently  told  us  of  an  incident  which  typifies  principles 
of   true  sportsmanship. 

Three  men,  Judge  Burnett  Miller,  Jr.  of  Culpeper, 
Stuart  Robertson,  former  Commonwealth's  Attorney  of 
Orange  County,  and  Judge  Plunkett  Bierne,  Trial 
Justice  of  Orange  County  came  to  an  agreement  at  the 
beginning  of  the  past  hunting  season.  They  agreed  that 
on  the  last  bird  hunt  of  the  year  when  their  dogs  made 
the  final  stand  of  the  day  no  one  would  fire  a  shot. 

On  January  20,  the  three  sportsmen  went  on  their 
last  hunt  of  the  season.  I'lieir  dogs  hunted  hard  but 
very  few  quail  were  found  all  day.  By  late  afternoon 
the  men  had  only  a  meager  number  of  birds  and  their 
dogs  were  becoming  discouraged  from  finding  so  little 
game. 

Everyone's  morale  rose,  however,  when  the  dogs 
produced  a  nice  covey.  The  birds  burst  from  cover 
and  winged  into  the  sunset.  The  hunters'  bags  were 
still  far  short  of  the  limit  as  the  singles  dropped  out  of 
sight  in  some  tall  grass  about  300  yards  away — just 
right  for  singles  shooting.  But  the  sun  had  already 
disappeared   from  sight.    There  were  only   a  few  more 


minutes  of  shooting  time  left,  then  quail  hunting  would 
be  over  'til  next  year. 

The  dogs,  their  spirits  revived  by  the  covey  find, 
whipped  the  grass  in  search  of  the  singles.  At  last  there 
would  be  shooting  to  make  up  for  the  rest  of  the  day. 
One  dog  flashed  into  a  stylish  point  and  tensely  awaited 
the  kill.  Two  of  the  hunters.  Miller  and  Roljertson, 
stepped  in  for  the  flush.  Plunkett  moved  to  the  side, 
his  camera  focused  on  the  scene. 

The  next  instant  a  quail  burst  from  under  foot. 
The  dog  stood  taut,  waiting  for  guns  to  boom  and 
bring  the  bird  down.  But  Miller  and  Robertson  didn't 
raise  their  guns.  This  was  the  last  bird  of  the  season 
and  the  agreement  was  being  kept.  Judge  Plunkett's 
camera  recorded   the  action. 

The  dog  was  greatly  disappointed,  but  not  so  with 
the  sportsmen.  They  had  enjoyed  a  season  of  sport 
and  companionship  in  the  outdoors.  One  or  several 
more  birds  in  the  day's  bag  meant  little  to  them..  But 
the  execution  of  that  pact  gave  them  a  deep  satis- 
faction— one  that  would  remind  them  of  good  principles 
of  sportsmanship  in  future  hunting  seasons. 


20 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE 


American   Museum   Natural   History  photo. 


Deer  are  plentiful  at  Faulkland  and  keep  increasing. 


FAULKLAND:      Mecca  for  Wildlife 


Bv  THOMAS  S.  LOVELACE 


THE  PHILOSOPHERS  and  t.achers  of  ethics  tell 
us  that  man  naturally,  throu!.'li  normal  behavior 
and  action,  chooses  the  greatest  a:  ount  of  pleasure 
over  pain.  Now  this  is  very  true,  but  we  don't  have 
to  become  educated  with  the  philosophers  to  realize 
that  in  life  the  best  actions  are  those  of  pleasure  and 
happiness.  We  all  seek  the  bluebird  and  we  do  so  in 
many  and  various  ways.  One  person  will  crave  to  bury 
his  mind  in  a  fifth,  another  will  follow  the  action  of 
the  gridiron;  some  seek  enjoyment  in  the  movie 
houses,  opera,  and  such,  while  many  make  themselves 
content  with  the  material  pleasures  of  life.  Each  and 
every  one  seeks  his  pleasure,  his  escape  —  the  object 
being  to  get  his  mind  off  himself  and  momentarily 
forget  his  burdens  and  relax.  Some  of  our  pleasures 
are  of  lasting  value  and  are  permanent,  others  are 
short  and  go  with  the  passing  act.  Since  I  believe 
that  perhaps  each  of  us  strives  in  our  goal  for  per- 
fection or  the  utmost  happiness  in  our  pleasure  seek- 
ing, I  would  like  to  relate  an  experience  which  I 
consider  to  be  my  greatest  pleasure  in  a  lifetime  of 
hunting  and  communion  with  nature. 

MAY,  1950 


On  Saturday  of  Thanksgiving  weekend,  nineteen 
hundred  and  forty-nine,  I  received  a  call  from  friends 
in  a  county  in  south  central  Virginia.  I  was  asked 
to  come  immediately  to  enjoy  a  day  of  deer  hunting. 
I  arrived  a  little  late  for  the  start  of  the  hunt,  but  just 
in  time  for  the  second  drive.  After  being  placed  on  a 
stand  it  was  only  a  short  time  before  there  lay  at  my 
feet  a  line  buck,  and  three  empty  shells  which  I  had 
fired  at  a  large  gobbler.  The  first  drive  was  over  and 
as  far  as  I  was  concerned  the  hunt  was  over  too,  for 
I  had  my  share  and  could  only  look  forward  to  being 
a  spectator  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  But  little  did  I 
know  the  enjoyment  which  lay  before  me.  After  our 
group  had  assembled  and  were  making  ready  for  the 
next  drive,  we  found  that  many  deer  had  been  seen 
by  all,  and  some  were  fortunate  enough  to  show  their 
proof. 

As  many  as  twenty  deer  were  counted  on  a  single 
stand;  both  turkey  and  foxes  were  seen,  and  one  of 
each  was  taken  for  the  bag.  During  the  day  we  were 
placed  on  several  other  stands  and  each  time  deer  were 
taken  and  again  many  exciting  stories  of  game  seen 
were  told. 


21 


In  the  afternoon  it  was  decided  that  one  more 
drive  would  be  the  end.  I  was  last  man  to  be  placed 
on  stand,  which  was  a  great  distance  down  on  the 
river  lowland.  My  stand  was  a  place  of  natural  beauty. 
Water  sweeps  had  been  left  in  the  low  places  between 
the  tall  oaks  and  pines  because  of  heavy  rains  several 
days  before.  The  borders  of  these  tiny  little  ponds  were 
contrasted  by  the  green  winter  grass  finding  its  way 
through  the  fallen  leaves.  The  sun  fell  on  this  carpet 
in  heavy  streaks  which  found  their  way  through  the 
shaded  evergreens  .and  woods.  Nature  was  putting  on 
her  best  display  and  it  didn't  take  a  poet's  soul  to 
enjoy  it. 

The  signal  was  sounded  and  the  drive  began;  it 
was  only  a  matter  of  minutes  before  the  woods  rang 
with  the  voice  of  the  hounds.  Two  doe  deer  passed 
as  though  they  had  been  loosed  from  Hell's  gates. 
Effortlessly  they  went  by,  as  a  swift  breeze  passes  over 
winter  leaves.  They  had  not  gone  very  long  before 
a  buck  appeared  deep  in  the  woods  from  me.  Slowly 
and  quietly  he  worked  his  way  cautiously  within 
range  of  my  twelve  gauge.  He  stopped  at  one  of  the 
water  streaks  ahead  of  me  to  drink,  so  I  raised  my 
gun  quietly  to  my  shoulder  and  sighted  down  the 
barrel  at  his  golden-brown,  graceful  figure.  I  had  no 
intention  of  killing  him,  but  I  enjoyed  the  huntsman's 
sensation  of  sighting  on  him.  It  seemed  but  a  minute 
that  he  remained  there  before  he  moved  off  in  the 
same  manner  in  which  he  had  appeared. 

The  hounds  sounded  closer  and  suddenly  a  beau- 
tiful turkey  gobbler  soared  over  the  treetops  like  a 
bomber.  He  was  traveling  in  a  straight  line  and  his 
wings  seemed  frozen  in  their  most  out-stretched  posi- 
tion. His  breast  shone  in  the  sun  like  a  rainbow  after 
a  morning  shower.  I  watched  him  as  he  found  his 
roost  in  a  tree  a  long  way  down  the  river.  When  I 
turned  around,  my  eye  caught  another  old  Tom  in 
the  air,  but  this  time  a  great  distance  off  on  my  right. 


This  one  banked  in  a  long  rhythmical  curve  and  came 
in  for  a  landing  only  forty  feet  behind  me.  I  had  no 
time  for  a  shot  however,  because  when  the  turkey  hit 
the  ground  it  only  lowered  its  landing  gear  and  took 
off  like  an  All-Amcrican  fullback  on  the  loose. 
Another  turkey  appeared  on  my  left,  flying  fast  and 
low,  and  was  soon  lost  to  sight  in  the  trees.  A  group 
of  eight  black  mallard  ducks  passed  at  high  altitude 
glittering  in  all  their  beauty  and  fashion  in  the  after- 
noon sun.  This  was  too  much — nature  was  on  parade, 
and  I  thought  I  had  already  seen  the  grand  finale.  I 
thought  to  myself  that  I  had  seen  all  the  game  that 
could  be  seen  in  that  county  except  quail.  Now,  just 
as  if  I  were  the  master  himself  and  had  ordered  the 
event,  one  of  the  far-ranging  hounds  on  the  drive 
came  up  in  front  of  my  stand  and  stepped  right  in 
the  middle  of  a  covey.  The  birds  exploded  and  tried 
to  fly  all  over  me  as  they  dispersed  down  the  wooded 
cut.  The  drive  was  over  and  the  hunt  had  ended.  I 
hadn't  shot  a  gun  on  this  last  stand,  but  I  had  enjoyed 
it  twice  as  much  as  the  earlier  stand  where  the  meat 
was  taken. 

We  returned  to  the  spacious  hunting  lodge  on  the 
reservation  for  dinner,  and  after  the  many  experiences 
of  the  day's  hunt  had  been  long  discussed,  we  arranged 
ourselves  around  a  table  that  fairly  groaned  under  the 
bounty  of  the  land.  The  dining  room  faced  the  front 
and  a  view  of  grand  oaks  and  far  reaching  acres  of 
new  born  wheat.  The  green  wheat,  the  clouds,  the 
setting  sun,  and  the  mighty  oaks  afforded  much  color, 
and  while  we  were  seated  around  the  table  feasting 
on  venison,  wild  turkey,  ham,  vegetables  of  all  sorts 
and  most  anything  else  you  might  ask  for,  there 
appeared  on  the  wheat  field  five  deer  that  came  out 
to  graze  the  fresh  green.  My  soul  was  touched  and  I 
sincerely  believe  that  any  human  being  with  any 
natural  appreciation  within  him  would  also  have  at 
least  stopped  to  apply  some  thought  of   thanks  and 


Deer  hunters  take  to  the  woods  at  Faulkland. 

Hundreds  of  deer  were  taken   here 

last  season. 


Two   wild    turkeys   race   through    the   woods    at 

Faulkland.  The  photographer  got  these  pictures 

by  hiding  behind  a  tree. 


22 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE 


gratefulness  for  such  enjoyment.  Not  being  a  religious 
person,  I  did  not  ask  my  associates  to  bow  in  thanks- 
giving, but  the  words  were  so  strong  in  my  heart  I 
had  to  say  to  all,  "Truly,  this  is  a  land  of  milk  and 
honey." 

The  hunt  which  I  have  described  was  to  me,  as 
probably  to  you,  very  unusual.  However,  it  is  not 
unusual  to  the  folks  at  Faulkland  in  Halifax  County, 
because  the  scene  recurs  every  time  there  are  hunts  in 
this  tract  of  land.  However,  such  an  abundance  of 
game  and  such  wonderful  hunting  didn't  "just  hap- 
pen." The  only  reason  that  there  is  such  an  abundance 
of  wildlife  in  Faulkland  is  because  someone  has  gone 
to  the  great  difficulty  of  letting  nature  have  its  own 
wav    in    this    now    man-made    world.    Someone    has 


applied  all  available  time,  effort  and  money  to  the 
extensive  use  of  conservation  methods  as  prescribed  by 
our  Commonwealth.  Because  somebody  saw  to  it  that 
a  field  of  corn  was  planted  for  nature,  and  not  reaped 
and  sold  at  market,  that  habitat  improvement  both 
as  to  food  and  cover  was  considered;  the  area  is  now 
in  ideal  condition  for  the  propagation  of  wildlife.  It 
just  shows  that  if  old  mother  nature  is  given  the  right 
chance  and  a  little  help,  she  can  still  produce. 

I  had  experienced  a  wonderful  hunt,  and  it  was 
more  than  appreciated  from  a  standpoint  of  natural 
beauty.  Yet,  with  just  a  little  effort  and  cooperation 
on  everyone's  part,  that  same  type  of  hunting  could 
be  found  not  only  in  Faulkland  or  in  Halifax,  but 
could   be   had    everywhere  in    the   state   of  Virginia. 


WHY  BOYS  GO  FISHIN' 

(Continued  from  page   9) 

Sometimes  the  results  were  disappointing;  in  spite 
of  my  efforts  to  conceal  myself  from  the  vision  of  the 
trout,  the  shy  creatures  had  seen  me.  All  I  had  seen 
was  a  flash  upstream  or  downstream  like  a  streak  of 
light,  a  slight  muddying  of  the  water  where  the  belly 
fins,  serving  as  feelers,  had  stirred  up  the  bottom  of 
the  stream. 

Then  again  hungry  trout  would  rise  to  my  bait 
one  after  the  other,  several  perhaps  from  t-he  same 
hole.  I  can  still  feel  the  thrill  of  it;  the  desperate  last 
second  of  resistance  and  then  the  catch. 

It  was  my  custom  to  fill  the  capacious  pockets  of 
my  jacket  with  ferns  and  mint  gathereil  along  the 
brook  and  to  bury  each  captured  trout  in  my  thus 
improvised  crypt,  there  to  remain  until  I  arrived  home 
when  I  would  cast  the  entire  conglomeration  into  a 
trough  of  crystal  spring  water,  and  proceed  to  separate 
the  trout  from  their  clinging  shrouds,  preparatory  for 
cleaning,  gloating  the  while  at  each  prize  and  recalling 
the  very  hole  from  which  it  had  savagely  risen  to  strike 
the  bait. 

When  the  sun  had  risen  to  a  position  directly 
overhead,  I  woukl  rest  and,  in  the  shatle  of  spreading 
friendly  beech  tree,  enjoy  my  simple  luncheon  while 
luxuriating  in  the  view  of  the  valley,  the  music  of 
the  brook,  the  aromatic  fragrance  of  the  mint,  the 
soft  breezes  from  the  mountains,  an  occasional  butter- 
fly of  gorgeous  colors  flitting  without  apparent  pur- 
pose from  place  to  place,  honeybees  gathering  sweet 
nectar  from  the  wild  flowers  of  the  mountainside,  and 
the  rustle  of  the   long   grass   bending  in    the   wind. 

What  sweeter  music  than  the  song  of  the  brook? 
A  friend  of  mine,  whose  photographs  in  "The  National 
Geographic  Magazine"  have  brought  joy  to  millions 
of  readers  all  over  the  world,  told  me  that  once  while 
travelling  in  the  mountains  with  the  two  great  natural- 
ists John  Burroughs  and  John  Muir,  he  came  upon 
Burroughs  lying  on  his  side  on  the  floor  of  an  old  and 


seldom  usecf  bridge.  "What  are  you  doing?"  my  friend 
inquired. 

"Listening  through  tjiis  knothole  to  the  music  of 
the  brook,"  the  grantl  old  man  replied. 

Some  hear  sounds  to  which  others  are  deaf.  Few 
indeed  enjoy  to  the  fullest  the  senses  of  sight,  hearing, 
smelling,  and  feeling.  What  a  privilege  the  compan- 
ionship of  these  two  men,  who  styled  themselves  "the 
two  Johnnies — Johnnie  of  the  birds  and  Johnnie  of  the 
mountains." 

After  lunch,  with  knees  planted  on  convenient 
rocks  and  hands  on  others,  I  wouki  let  myself  down 
and  drink  from  the  icy  water.  The  brook  increased 
in  size  as  it  continued  its  course  down  the  hillside, 
through  the  meadow  and  into  Otter  Creek.  The  trout 
increased  both  in  size  and  sophistication  as  they  entered 
the  broader  waters.  Neither  brook  nor  creek  was  famed 
for  large  trout,  even  half-pounders  being  exceptions. 
The  two  largest  I  recall  having  been  taken  from  the 
streams  in  our  neighborhood  were  two-pounders.  I 
saw    one    of   them    and    greatly    envied    the    captor. 

I  became  fairly  proficient  in  the  art  of  angling 
as  time  advanced,  but  never  to  compare  with  Mr.  Ed 
Sabin  or  Mr.  "Peg-leg"  Pratt;  they  could  catch  trout 
in  any  brook  however  bad  its  reputation  might  be. 
No  brook  was  ever  fished  out  to  them  and  they  always 
fished  alone. 

I  usually  finished  my  sport  late  in  the  afternoon 
and  returned  to  the  village,  a  tried  but  happy  boy 
after  my  adventure  in  solitude.  If  there  were  sick 
folks  in  the  village,  my  catch  was  shared  with  them; 
Grandmother  would  have  the  trout  crisply  cooked 
and  done  up  in  a  snowy  napkin  and  I  was  never  too 
tired  to   make  deliveries. 

Grandmother  had  her  other  charities  as  well,  and 
in  those  I  was  her  willing  messenger.  Many  a  basket 
and  many  a  pail  of  delicacies  I  have  taken  at  her 
behest  to  the  sick  and  needy.  Two  aged  sisters,  one 
of  them  stone  blind,  both  serene  in  their  afflictions, 
were  regular  recipients  of  Grandmother's  bounty  and 
they  always  greeted  me  with  a  smile  and  sent  their 
messages  of  love  and  gratitude  to  Grandmother. 


AAAY,  1950 


23 


^9i^ 


flying  Warden  Fired  on  by  Duck  Trappers 

Flying  warden  Bill  Caton  is  certainly  earning  his 
pay  these  clays.  Some  time  ago  he  was  seriously  injured 
by  an  unknown  assailant  who  struck  him  down  while 
he  was  checking  on  night  fish  trapping  operations.  His 
latest  occupation  seems  to  be  that  of  dodging  bullets 
fired  at  him  by  duck  trappers  on  Eastern  Shore, 
Virginia. 

Some  weeks  ago  Caton  was  in  his  plane  patrolling 
the  Gargotha  marshes  on  Eastern  Shore.  Upon  spotting 
several  duck  traps  and  a  man  in  the  process  of  baiting 
the  traps  with  corn,  he  set  the  plane  down  nearby.  The 
duck  trapper  made  for  shore  and  fled  through  the 
marsh  on    foot. 

Caton  scrambled  from  his  plane  and  started  in 
pursuit,  only  to  be  stopped  by  a  hail  of  bvillets  which 
began  kicking  up  mud  all  around  him.  The  warden 
determined  that  the  shots  were  coming  from  a  bouse 
some  distance  away.  Being  unarmed,  he  returned  to 
the  plane  and  rendezvoused  with  the  Eastern  Shore 
warden's   power  boat. 

Accompanied  by  three  other  wardens,  Caton 
returned  to  the  site  and  found  five  duck  traps  which 
they  destroyed.    The  poachers  escaped. 

This  represents  an  unpleasant  incident  which  game 
wardens  frequently  encounter  in  their  efforts  to  pro- 
tect game  and  fish  from  those  who  would  steal  from 
their  fellow  Virginians.  They  deserve  a  lot  of  credit  for 
placing  their  lives  in  jeopardy  to  protect  the  game  and 
fish  resources  from  those  who  would  take   it  illegally. 

Warden  Dobyns — An  Outstanding 
VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE  Salesman 

Sam  T.  Dobyns,  newly  appointed  game  warden  of 
Patrick  County,  has  turned  in  106  subscriptions  to 
Virginia  Wildlife  in  the  past  two  months.  This  initia- 
tive on  the  part  of  Warden  Dobyns  in  his  intensified 
effort  to  spread  conservation  throughout  bis  county  is 
highly   commended. 

Falling  Spring  Junior  Wildlife  Club  Teaches 
Youngsters  Conservation 

In  October,  1949,  R.  M.  Loving,  Jr.,  principal  of 
the  Falling  Spring  School  in  Falling  Spring,  Virginia, 
organized  a  junior  wildlife  club.  Its  purpose  was  to 
teach  wildlife  conservation  to  the  boys  of  that  rural 
school.  Since  tlvat  time  a  great  deal  has  been  accom- 
plished towards  instilling  sound  ideas  in  the  future 
adult  citizens  of  Falling  Spring. 

The  club's  objectives  are  as  follows:  To  learn  more 
about  our  wildlife,  their  habits  and  habitat;  to  improve 
wibllifc  habitat  wherever  possible;   to  endeavor   to   re- 


stock and  properly  manage  depleted  areas;  to  study  the 
correlation  of  land  use  and  wildlife;  to  study  game 
laws,   abide  by  tliem  and  urge  others  to  do  the  same. 

Sportsman's  Club  Releases  Jack  Rabbits 

The  latest  endeavor  of  the  Outdoorsman  Rod  and 
Gun  Club  of  Aldie,  Virginia,  is  the  releasing  of  jack 
rabbits  in  Loudoun  and  Prince  William  Counties. 
According  to  James  O.  Campbell,  president  of  the  club, 
these  rabbits  have  a  speed  of  45  miles  per  hour  and  can 
clear   a  seven-foot  fence. 


Outdoorsmen  Rod  and  Gun  Club  members 
release  rabbits. 

This  club  is  eight  years  old  and  has  conscientiously 
tried  to  build  up  the  supply  of  game  in  the  above 
counties.  Members  are  conservation-minded  and  adhere 
to  rules  of  good  sportsmanship.  They  cooperate  in  every 
way  possible  with  their  county  game  wardens  and  with 
the  landowners.  Campbell  stated  that  he  hoped  hunting 
and  fishing  in  that  section  of  Virginia  would  be  con- 
tinuously bettered  through  their  club's   activities. 

Sportsman  Has  His  License  and  Then  Some 

During  this  past  hunting  season  Charles  Hunter, 
game  warden  of  Surry  County,  came  upon  a  bwnter, 
Mr.  W.  W.  Baugh,  and  made  a  routine  check  of  his 
hunting  license.  Mr.  Baugh  obligingly  produced  his 
current  license.  The  warden  looked  it  over — everything 
was  in  order,  but  he  thought  he  was  seeing  things  when 
Baugh  pulled  about  30  more  licenses  from  his  pockets. 

As  it  turned  out,  Mr.  Baugh,  a  sportsman  and  con- 
servationist of  the  old  school,  had  in  his  possession 
practically  every  license  issued  since  1918.  Warden 
Hunter  stated  that  all  these  years  this  sportsman  had 
been  active  in  conservation  work.  In  the  late  winter 
he  would  often  help  the  retired  Surry  County  warden 
feed  game  during  heavv  snows. 


24 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE 


VIRGINIA    SOCIETY    OF 

ORNITHOLOGY  TO  MEET 

IN  HARRISONBURG 

The  Virginia  Society  of  Ornithol- 
ogy will  meet  in  Harrisonburg,  Vir- 
ginia at  2:30  p.m.  in  the  Main  Street 
School  on  May  5th.  The  meeting  will 
carry  through  the  following  day.  All 
interested  persons  are  cordially  in- 
vited to  attend. 

The  Virginia  Society  of  Ornithol- 
ogy was  founded  in  1929,  by  men 
having  a  deep  interest  in  all  aspects 
of  bird  life  in  Virginia,  with  chief 
emphasis  on  field  study.  The  Society 
now  has  approximately  two  hundred 
and  fifty  members,  the  majority  liv- 
ing within  the  boundaries  of  the 
state. 

Since  the  Society  was  founded  its 
members  have  made  many  contribu- 
tions in  its  field.  The  ornithological 
history  of  Virginia  has  been  com- 
piled and  clarified,  special  studies 
have  been  made  of  specific  counties 
and  areas,  and  a  great  deal  of  in- 
formation has  been  added  on  such 
matters  as  bird  migration,  distribu- 
tion, and  economic  values.  Sponsor- 
ship has  been  given  to  legislation 
aimed  toward  conservation  of  birds 
and  of  wild  life  in  general.  Members 
have  cooperated  with  state  and  fed- 
eral conservation  agencies  to  obtain 
more  complete  information  on  prob- 
lems such  as  the  migration  of  water- 
fowl and  hawks.  In  1949  they  assisted 
in  a  study  of  doves  within  the  State 
in  order  to  assure  a  hunting  season 
adjusted  to  local  conditions. 

The  Society  holds  an  annual  meet- 
ing, with  informative  talks  and  mo- 
tion pictures  on  birds  and  a  field 
trip  to  interesting  local  areas.  There 
are  also  annual  winter  field  trips  of 
one  day,  usually  for  observation  of 
waterfowl,  while  local  groups  get  to- 
gether frequently  for  walks  and  field 
work. 


Further  information  about  the 
Society  may  be  obtained  by  writing 
to  Miss  Gertrude  Prioi%  Briar  Hill, 
Sweet  Briar,  Virginia. 

PHOTOGRAPHER  L.  G.  KESTELOO 
COMES  WITH  COMMISSION 

L.  G.  Kesteloo  has  assumed  his 
(hities  as  wildlife  photographer  for 
the  Game  Commission.  He  replaced 
Mr.  Crawford  who  was  temporarily 
employed  prior  to  going  into  private 
work  here  in  Richmond. 

Mr.  Kesteloo  has  had  considerable 
experience  in  free  lance  photography 
for  newspapers  and  magazines.  He 
also   graduated   from   the   Army  Air 


L.  G.  Kesteloo 

Force  School  of  Aerial  Photography. 
For  four  years  before  coming  with 
the  Commission  he  was  employed  by 
the  G.  L.  Hall  Optical  Company,  and 
served  in  both  Richmond  and  Nor- 
folk as  supervisor  of  the  photo  finish- 
ing plants. 

His  experience  will  be  of  great 
value  in  operating  the  Commission's 
newly  constructed  darkroom  and  in 
obtaining   photographs    for   Virginia 

WiLDUFE. 


E.  M.   KARGER  SUPERVISOR  OF 

GEORGE    WASHINGTON 

NATIONAL   FOREST 

Ernest  M.  Karger  is  now  serving 
as  supervisor  of  the  George  Wash- 
ington National  Forest.  He  was  ap- 
pointed to  succeed  R.  F.  Hemingway 
who  recently  retired. 

Mr.  Karger  is  a  graduate  of  Penn 
State  and  began  his  forestry  career 
in  1933  on  the  Allegheny  National 
Forest  in  Pennsylvania.  He  has  served 
nine  years  in  Virginia  on  the  Jeffer- 
son National  Forest  where  he  at- 
tained the  rank  of  assistant  super- 
visor. For  the  past  five  years  he  has 
been  assigned  to  the  Northeastern 
Regional  office  of  the  U.  S.  Forest 
Service  at  Philadelphia. 

Conservationists  will  be  interested 
to  note  that  Karger  was  one  of  the 
national  forest  rangers  selected  13 
years  ago  to  help  in  the  inauguration 
of  the  successful  and  now  nationally 
famous  state-federal  "Virginia  Plan" 
for  joint  wildlife  management  on 
national  forest  areas. 

WATERSHED    PROTECTION   MAY 
HAVE    SAVED  NEW  YORK 

The  foresight  of  New  York's  early 
conservationists  may  be  all  that 
separates  discomfort  from  disaster  in 
the  current  water  shortage,  according 
to  the  Wildlife  Management  Institute. 

Thanks  to  some  of  the  best  pro- 
tected watersheds  in  the  East,  the 
reservoirs  which  supply  New  York 
City  with  water  are  almost  com- 
pletely free  of  silt.  This  is  in  marked 
contrast  to  those  of  more  than  one- 
third  of  the  municipalities  across  the 
nation  which  are  filling  with  sedi- 
ment so  rapidly  that  much  of  the 
usefulness  of  many  will  be  lost  by 
1975.  It  is  estimated  that  many  more 
will  be  filled  in  less  than  100  years 
unless  something  is  done  to  stop  the 
present  rate   of  siltation. 


AAAY,  1950 


25 


I 

Hom  ft 


for 

Students 

Teachers 

Parents 


Lesson  No.  3 
FACTS   ABOUT   SOIL 

Do  you  know  that  it  takes  Mother 
Nature  1,000  years  to  make  an  inch 
of  topsoil?  And  that  man  through 
bad  farming  practices  and  careless 
forest  fires,  can  remove  the  result  of 
ten  centuries  of  work  inside  of  a 
single  year!  When  we  look  at  it  that 
way  we  begin  to  realize  why  pre- 
venting soil  erosion  is  important. 

Now  the  question  arises,  how  does 
nature  make  soil?  And  the  answer, 
of  course,  is  through  the  weatiiering, 
breaking  down  and  wearing  away  of 
rocks,  and  by  the  absorption  into 
the  eartli  of  decayed  animal  and 
vegetable  matter.  Each  rainstorm 
that  beats  against  a  cliff  face,  each 
breeze  carrying  tiny  particles  of 
abrasive  sand,  all  play  a  part  in  the 
rock  wearing  process.  Every  plant 
and  animal  eventually  becomes  part 
of  the  soil  when  it  dies. 

Soil  varies  in  different  areas  ac- 
cording to  the  rocks  that  decomposed 
to  make  it.  Thus  we  have  sands,  clays, 
sandy  loams  and  clay  loams,  podsols 
and  many  others. 

All  living  things  depend  on  the  soil 
directly  or  indirectly  for  their  exist- 
ence. Agricultural  crops,  living  things 
themselves,  provide  food  and  shelter 
for  animal  life.  The  soil  itself  is 
home  to  many  forms  of  life  from  the 
single  celled  mold  to  the  burrowing 
groinid  squirrel.  Animals  that  dig  in 
the  earth  like  the  ground  squirrel, 
field  mice,  moles,  shrews,  and  even 
earth  worms,  perforin  an  important 
function  in  the  care  of  the  soil.  By 
running  numberless  tiny  passages 
through  the  soil  they  aerate  it  and 
bclj)  provide  a  means  whereby  sur- 
face water  can  drain  off. 

Next  montli  we  will  consider  the 
relationsliip  between  forests  and  soil. 

Before  we  can  practice  conserva- 
tion we  must  iniderstand  how  the 
soil  gives  life  to  plants  and  how 
plants  finally  get  to  ]:>e  a  forest  com- 
munity. 

26 


BIRD  OF  THE  MONTH 
Mockingbird 

Have  you  ever 
rushed  to  the 
window  to  see 
the  thrush  wbo 
was  calling  in 
the  honey- 
suckle,  or  the 
bobolink  sing- 
ing merrily  in  the  mimosa,  only  to 
find  instead  a  rather  plainly  dressed 
little  bird  with  a  gray  back,  white 
breast  and  some  white  stripes  on  each 
wing  ? 

Undoubtedly  you  recognized  the 
mockingbird  at  once  for  he  is  a 
familiar  part  of  Virginia's  wildlife 
picture.  The  season  of  the  year  makes 
little  difference  to  him,  winter,  sum- 
mer, spring  or  fall;  Virginia  is  his 
home,  and  every  hedgerow  and  wood- 
lot  seems  to  have  its  quota  of  mock- 
ingbird families. 

The  mockingbird  is  the  opera 
star  of  the  bird  world  and  may  know 
a  score  or  more  of  different  bird 
songs  which  he  apparently  never  tires 
of  repeating  over  and  over  again.  In 
fact  he  appears  to  be  so  taken  with 
the  sound  of  his  own  voice  that  he 
is  often  likely  to  sing  not  only  all 
through  the  day  but  halfway  through 
the  night  as  well! 

His  scientific  name,  MiTiiiis  poly- 
glottos  polyglottos,  is  based  on  bis 
whistling  ability.  Mimiis,  of  course, 
is  from  the  same  stem  as  our  English 
word  mimic  or  imitator.  Polyglottos 
is  from  the  Greek — poly:  many,  and 
glotta:  tongue  or  speaking  many 
languages.  Thus  the  mockingbird's 
name  simply  says  that  he  imitates 
many  tongues. 

His  nesting  habits  are  as  carefree  as 
his  many  songs.  Nests  are  often  con- 
structed in  low  blackberries  or  cat 
briers,  or  high  in  tangled  honeysuckle 
growth.  A  layer  of  twigs  surrounds 
tbe  rootlets  and  grasses  witli  which 
the   nest  is  lined,  and  tbree  to  four 


eggs  are  laid  usually  between  the  last 
week  in  April  and  the  second  week 
in  May. 

He  is  the  farmer's  friend  in  eating 
large  numbers  of  harmful  insects, 
])oth  adults  and  larvae.  Any  farm 
with  mockingbirds  in  its  cedars  and 
fence  rows  can  count  their  work  as 
that  of  an  extra  hired  hand. 

CLASSROOM  SUGGESTIONS 

Teachers,  have  you  ever  considered 
a  nature  walk  with  your  class?  Now, 
in  the  spring,  with  all  of  Virginia 
newly  alive,  is  the  time  to  undertake 
such  a  project.  You'd  be  amazed  at 
what  a  supplement  to  general  science 
or  biology  an  afternoon  in  the  out- 
of-doors  can  be!  The  same  boy  who 
nods  throvigh  a  lecture  and  recitation 
period  may  prove  to  be  the  most 
eager  searcher  for  the  nest  with 
young  birds  in  it,  or  may  hang  on 
every  word  when  the  oxygen — CO^ 
cycle  is  explained  to  him  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  tree  that  is  performing  the 
function  at  that  very  moment. 

In  addition  to  actual  lab  work,  a 
nature  walk  serves  the  very  important 
purpose  of  breaking  up  the  ordinary, 
everyday  routine  of  classwork.  Get- 
ting out  for  an  afternoon  together 
makes  both  teacher  and  class  a  little 
])it  more  hinnan  to  each  other.  Miss 
Jones  is  no  longer  just  "teacher"  but 
a  "good  sport"  as  well.  The  class  is 
no  longer  just  a  group  of  faces,  but 
individuals  now,  each  with  distinc- 
tive likes  and  dislikes  on  these  field 
trips. 

If  possible,  more  than  one  trip 
should  I)e  planned  with  special  em- 
phasis placed  on  a  different  phase  of 
nature  each  time.  For  example,  con- 
servation of  natural  resources  could 
])e  used  as  the  overall  theme  with 
wildlife  and  its  role  in  natine  con- 
sidered on  one  trip,  plants  and  trees 
and  their  place  in  the  scheme  on 
another,  soil,  water,  and  erosion  on 
yet  another.  Such  trips  teach  far 
more   than  textbooks  ever  can. 

VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE 


Sportsmen! 

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of  This  Offer  Yet? 

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THE     SCREECH    OWL     IS 
ONLY      9    INCHES     LONG 


MARSHES     ARE     FAVORIT 
HUNTING     GROUNDS     FOR 
THE    SHORT-EARED    OWL 


GREAT  HORNED  OWLS  ARE 
ABOUT  TWO  FEET  LONG-- 
LARGEST     OF  "EARED"   OWLS 


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OPEN-COUNTRY     BIRD 


LONG-EARED    OWLS     USE 

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TO    PROTECT    THEIR    YOUNG