VOLUMI: 2 JUN 1: 15 , 1943 NUMBI:R 6 Big Brown Bats 300 Hibernate In Landlocked Iowa Home of Maquoketa Cave Sailboats, Two Sailboat Yacht Clubs By E B SPEAKER Each November the big, brown ------·· bats make their annual pllgnm­ age to the Maquoketa Caves in Four Classes of · Jackson County, where they spend the wmter months in qu1et par­ Boats Race on tial hibernation. The mystery of the1r sudden appearance has baf­ Summer Sundays fled the people of the community for years, since no one sees them arnve. Bats are nocturnal in !I By VERNE PETERSEN habits and apparently enter the Hlf State Boat Inspector cave m hordes at night. Surpris­ Sailboat. The very word is ro­ mgly enough, bats are rare in the mantic. In Iowa more than 300 VIcinity of the park during the sailboats are m use each year, summer. enJoyed by spectators for their The fall migration into the cave grace and beauty almost as much 1s not sporadic, but occurs m a as they are by their owners for smgle night. Prior to that tlme the thrills and relaxation they there are no bats in the cave, and provide during the winter months there Iowa has two sailboat yacht are no additions to the bat col­ clubs, the. Okoboji Yacht Club ony. and the Clear Lake Yacht Club. The departure of these queer. Also there are numerous unaf­ httle creatures is equally phe­ filiated sailors m this state. The nomenal in the spring. Usually clubs use boats of four different they all leave the cave during the A s•ght more beautiful 1s ddncult to p1cture than a sailboat race on one of Iowa s Great classes. same night early in March. This Lakes, where water, sky and tnm little sad1ng craft present a srene dear to the hearts of The smallest boat used in re­ spring, however, old Mother Na­ hundreds of enthus1asts ture played a prank on her little gattas IS the "moth", a flat, pump­ colony of sleepy-heads During kmseed-shaped craft using one an unusually warm period the Ssail the estimated 3,000 bats left the and IS dangerous for the amateur roof of the cave where they had Simple If You Find '~m Feeding to use. been hanging, heads down, since The X class IS a 16-foot craft By WILLIAM F SIGLER • ------early last November. tlon. The bass send minnows usmg two sa1ls, the mamsail and When the bats enter the cave Iowa F1sher•es Research Un1t the jib, the jib bemg the small The average fisherman can skipping across the water in a in the fall they congregate in vain effort to escape, only to find sail ahead of the spar This boat large clusters on the roof of the easily get hts limit of white, or IS faster than the moth and is a silver, bass in Iowa, once he fmds a mouth waiting for them when cave near the center of the up­ they are spent. They rush into very mce family boat, being used per cavern. They do not fly dur­ a feeding school. On several oc­ for satling parties as well as casions I have seen five or six water so shallow their backs are ing the winter months; however, exposed, and not infrequently racmg their hibernation is only partial, fishermen standmg on shore cast­ ing into a school of white bass they cause small fish to leap out The C boat is in a special class for th ey chatter furiously like onto shore in their panic. and is the most popular racing mice when disturbed, but do not and every fisherman would be boat m the Middle West. It IS leave the rocks to which they catching fish. If there 1s a strong inshore wind 20 feet long and has but one sail have attached themselves. Let's look at a few of the the bass are often on that stde of traits peculiar to wh1te bass. They the lake On Spirit Lake last When heeled over the greatest Some of the bats hang singly racing spee-d is attained, and it is from the roof of the cave, but the feed in schools, generally of a year, eight to ten-inch white bass uniform size group, which crUlse were almost invariably along the a real thrill to watch them ma­ vast majority cling to each other neuver. Great saihng skill 1s re­ in clusters contain ing from 300 to along at a rather fast clip. When shore where the waves were quired of the operator, and spills 500 individuals. Where crevices they find a school of young fish coming in. On quiet days, schools {Continued to Page 47 Column 2) there is apt to be quite a commo- {Continued to Page 42, Column 3)

ltGod's in His Heaven; All's Right With the World" stream has a populat10n of mm­ Iowa Conservationist nows or other small fish. Some Published Monthly by of the best white bass fishmg on THE IOWA STATE CONSERVATION Spmt Lake last year was at the COMM ISSION inlet. On several occasions, fol­ lOth & Mulberry-Des Momes, Iowa lowmg a rain, thou::.ands of them JAMES R HARLAN Ed1tor cont'n·gat<: d at th<.• tootOI Idge to F. T. SCHWOB D rector feed on th<. mmnows and othe1· (No R1ghts Reserved) small ftsh swept down in the cut r<.nt from Loon Lake, l\Ilnn. MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION Durmg the tu st year of life E B GAUNITZ Lans1rg, "' a m white bass feed on small ani,nals J D LOWE .. Algon ' such as watl'l' fleas and a JUCitic F W MATTES Odebol1 msects. In their second year they MRS ADDISON PARKER Des Mo1ne contmue feedmg on these small F J. POYNEER Cedar Rapd animals along With larg ... r ones R. E STEWART Ottumw. such as crayfish and some of the A S. WORKMAN Glenwoo[ small f1sh. Adults also fE:ed on CIRCULATION THIS SSlJE - 20,000 thC'SC' small animals, but they Subscription Rate 40c per ~ea may fped predommantly on small Subscnpt1ons rece1ved at Conservat1or f1sh If thL'SP are abundant. Comm1ss on, lOth and Mu berry Des r.t.omes Wh1le whit<.' ba~s do not be­ lo~o 1 ::, d er" n• m e der come large they are exceedmgly Conservation Commission gam<.'y. Thl' mature f1sh range Militan erv1ce Honor Roll m weight from two to three pounds The largest ones will measure about 17 mchcs m length. ThP younger fish, more numerous uutl red Jga1r st a rroonllt sk), the gracefu •s uf o 1e of Iowa s 300 sa boats pre * A-nANOO ED * SJOSTJICM :lAY and more likely to be taken m * A~E.>Ar'>Of:C. CP. * 5LYE EDWARD sents a PICturE' of E'ncrant rg beauty the daytime, range from seven * i!>EO. :tV P.EE M * STAil.:l. F'~AN"i * &JOP.tl501, >< * STE~. .'PEL ~LDEN boats of the ocean. time of the starting gun has a de- to 12 inches in length and from * VI.t.&EAM,O Races arc held every Saturday Cided ad\·antage over the other one-half to three-fourths pounds * COLe>Y lll..i?>[~T * SwEt.,.EY RO&T. racers. in weight. * COOPt:R II.OP,T * W~-ER, L£ST£P. * N LSON DON the season ending on Labor Day. the class C race. On0 rninutP distributed throughout Iowa. * fiNK. u\VEP.N * YOUNO&~OOO. M Cups arc awarded to the winners later another shot starts the X They arc not, however, abundant * >LI'-" NOEll. NJ and moth class races oVN the enough in many parts of the state * G£ £, P.ICijAP.D in each class for the season, and I * GP.AVES, LEROY I cups for special I'aces such as the same course , to afford good fishmg. The origi­ * GP.AESING, 1-l Fourth of July and Labor Day are When all craft are under way. nal habitat probably included the AP.VEY WALT * .. also awarded. their white sails shming, wavc·s Mississippi and Missouri nvers * ..HU05E..JNO sparklmg, cloud-fleeced biUl' sky and some of their adjacent drain­ * JFI'MAN, 0 It IS customary to hold inter­ ovPrhead, spectators and racers age. At present, the best white * • IF'f'MAN '-..\ lakes regattas each ypar between * ~IJOHES,OAVID the \Vest OkoboJi and Clear Lake alike are taken away from thL' ba5s fishing in IO\'.'a !S in the * IJOI-l~5 DON worries of war with the feelmg GrN1t Lakes regwn. particularly * ,.uSTON TAY~ clubs. There is an mte1-lakes cup "God's in his heaven. all's right Sp1nt Lake. This area was at * GO EAfi.L awarded each year to the wmncr,• * >ss1on for the following year White Bass are fairly abundant in Clear * MO€"' ...MO 5 I * RrC.TOil. .JAS 1 The clubs have adopted the Cort LJed lm P.1ge 41 Lak(>, in Cerro Gordo County, * SEvt:ll.SO"l. & rules of racing of tlw Inland . . along with their near relative, the * 511\'ENSON.I-I Yachting AssociatiOn, and they tra\'elmg JUSt at the surface can y£'llboating This is one sport whE"re th<'re is dall s Beach on Spi!'lt LakL· on a ncm· .Manchester have good popu­ CCont111ued from Pag 41) no ''you first, Madam" m~ofar as quiet. evemng last stunnwr. latwns at present. Quite a num­ or caps1zings occur at almost ev­ racing is concerned. The best White bass frequent sand, IJLr of artificial lakes and city . ery meet. sailor, boy or· girl, with the best gravel or rock more often t.han resl•rvoirs in southern Iowa have The E class IS of the same de­ ')Oat win;. mud bottom. On calm.. bnght been stocked at one time or an­ . . . days the fish stay out m deep sign as the C but is 28 feet long othei·. The chance of taking a and has two sails, the mainsail, CompetitiOn Is keen betw:en water About 30 minutes bdon· the operators before and dunng dark they usually mo\'e mto few white bass along with other which is larger than the one used fish in some of these lakes 1s fair­ on the C, and the jib, or sail a sche~ulcd race, and to. the spec- shore and remam in until dark. ta~or It seems m.1poss1ble that After that they may mo\'e out ly good. ahead of the spar. Thts boat is It is not necessary to ha\·e ex­ not very popular in Iowa because spills and l'ollls10ns ean be again or stay in for several hours averted. They may also be close to shore penSIVe or special equipment to of its high cost. There are only catch white bass. They can be a few us<>d, and consequently they Just befon• thL• assembly gun just at daybreak Sandy shon•s is fired (two shots), the judges rock reefs or the\ .c1mty of vege­ taken by still fishing with a live are not \'Pry important in racing minnow, by fly fishing or with a competitiOn in this state. announce the triangular course to tation grown up to or above the be sailed. Tlw crews trim their surface of the water, are thP bait casting outfit. The fishmg The queen of all Is the A class, may be don<.> either along shore which Js the lar~est sailing boat craft so that everything 1s in nlaces to do night fishing. readiness fo1· th€' starting gun. White bass. like other preda­ or from a boat. The best daytime in Iowa There are only three of fishing is the first two or three this type in thl' state, and these The activity at the time before cious fish. congregate where th<.>rc the starting gun IS a thrilling Is an abundance of young fish. At w<.>eks after the season opens on are used commercially. This boat May 15. Later in the season the is 38 feet long, of the same type sight, s a i 1 b o a t s everywhere, night. look for young fish driven crews calling to each other for into the shallow water along better fishing is at night, par­ as the C and E, having two sails. ticularly for the large ones The mamsail is much larger than buoy room or clearance. This is shore if you want to know the mainsail used on the E. and what is known as jockeying for whether or not there arP any Daytim<.' fishmg with a live the jib is in proportionate size to position and is oftentimes as ex- large ones nearbv. ThP june­ minnow can be made more ef­ the mainsail. These are the fast­ citing as the race itself. Position tion of a stream flowing into a fective by a type of still fishing est sailing boats in the world, is impm tant becausC' the boat lake is a good place to catch known as puddling. This can be faster even than the racing sail- nearest thE' starting line at the white bass, particularly if th0 CCont nued to Page 47 Columr 1: PAGE FORTY-THREE ------~I~O~W~J~l ~C~O~N~SERVATIONIST pheasants out of a ca1 his sister Conservation Officer Keeps was driving. The Sister became WARDENs· so excited when questioned that she couldn't think of her name The hunter was prosecuted. . Record of Family of Cardinals ·:· TALES·:· i\tore than a year later the two By LOUIS A STROHMAN .------officers came out of the hot r ver SHOP TALK , bottoms to a farm home to !;et a One of the satisfying thmgs drmk of water . Rector stopped about the work of the conscrva­ FROM THE FIELD in the yard to talk to an old gen­ toin offiCer in the state parks is the constant presence of wildlife tlema n who said t hat h:s boy '"as then in the ser vice tmt sure•y in its nallve state. ThP followmg Qu1te often sportsmen forget to liked to hunt and had shot 74 .wtations arc from Mrs. Stroh­ carry thetr licenses when hunt­ man's and my r ecoi d of bird ob­ pheasants before he left, season ing or fishing or use the excuse or no season. The lady inside scrvatwns on a pan· of cardmals of having left them at home when meantime was tellmg Peterson t?at nested m the shrubbery be­ app:ehended for hunting and about her experience with a cou­ Side the porch of the custodian's f1shmg without a license. It is ple of game wardens mor ~ than a home at P ammel State Park: the policy to require sportsmen to year before. '"hen Harry stepped The birds started to build their mail the license the nex t day to the door for a drink, ~he _ad y nest Sunday morning. July 2, and with a self-addressed stamped en­ immediately re c o~ niz ed him and continued to build early every velope to the examinmg off1ce1 said, "There is the dirty devil, morning for se,·cral hours. The If dates a nd serial numbers prove and by heck, } ou are ,he o~he r presence of people possibly kept the h cense was purchased pno1 them from building at other time.:; g uy! Get out of here or I will to the request for examination throw this bucket of water on of the day. The nest was com­ everythmg is okay Most ofte~ you!" pleted J uly 8. th1s 1s the case; however. the fol­ --WT-- The first egg was la1d July 9. lowmg letters are not unusual: the second J uly 10. and there Dear Sir. Conset \'atwn Officets Charlie were two on the 11th and two on Adamson and Dan N1chols while In regard to my fishing license Sitting m their car. parked the 12th. Although I have raised I haven't got no license and the Mrs. Wren takes lime out from her busy among a group of other automo­ poultry for many years. I have I I life to sit at the front door of her home and reason why lied to you was biles along the river front at Dav­ never yet observed <1 chicken lay had promised the boss that I f 11 tl:e a r with music. enport, were watchmg through two eggs m one day. It could be would be home at a certam time poss1blc that some oth<.'r cardinal bmoculars two fishermen illegally laid the extra egg on the 11th and on the 29th a nd the rest on the and I k new if I went with you I dipping fish. The officers were could n't keep my promise. If 12th, but I do not think that this 30th, although I thought them too aware of the close scrutiny of a you will drop me a card and tell was the case immature. The old birds were couple m a nearby parked car. me what I have got to do. Soon the fishermen left the river The femalE' started setting on anxious to get the young to l eav~ Respectfully ---- the six eggs J uly 14, and the f1rst the. nest,. probably because they with a well-f11led sack, got m egg was hatched the morning of believed 1ts location too close to Dear Sn·. their own car, and rapidly drove the 21st. Three other eggs so many people who passed with- Enclosed please find hunting away They were O\ ertaken by hatched during the day, making m three feet many times a day. and fishing licenses wh1ch you re­ the conservation officers. The il­ four in all Two did not hatch The result was that a short time quested me to send to you Friday legal fish, mcluding 12 large wall­ !he young birds developed rap- after the first fledglmg left the evenmg. Am sorry that I m1s- eyes, were seized, the violators 1dly. The mother bird stayed on n.est on the 29th I found him sit- I r~ p resented J?YSelf to you by de­ given a summons to appear later the nest nights up to July 27. tmg m the middle of the pubhc hberately lymg. I was in town m court After that date the young were road which runs past the house Saturday evenmg looking for you While the game officers were left to warm each other, even I brought him back to the nest. to try a nd square myself So again still exa mining the fish, a city though it rained the night of the They all left the nest on July 30, I say I am very sorry and will police car rolled to a stop . The 28th. and I again found one m the road make sure I have licenses from uniformed officer q uer!ed, "\Vere J udgmg from the color of the where it had been killed by the here on. Hoping you will be as you on the river front looking feathers of the young there were traffic durmg the day. The rest lcment as possible, through binoculars?" three males and one female crossed the road to the bushes As ever yours --- --WT- hatched. I on the river bank about 120 feet Dear Sir, "Yes," was the repl). "We are The first fledgling left the nest from the nest. My fishing licenses is enclosed with a stamp and I am thanking officers on off1c1al duty " ?'ou very much for not taking me " Oh, yes, I see. You are game ln. wardens. I was on the corner, Yours truly and a man and a la dy very much - WT-- excited gave me your car license A conservation officer saw two and said that you were lookin g· I youn ~ boys and their much at the government dam and loclcs One of the sal1s smaller little brother, about six, in a n area where camer as and fymg thmgs about the out hunting·. The officet· saw binoculars are prohibited." work of lhe conserva them shooting at pheasants and, The complammg gentleman. ~~ I t•on officer is the op as the season was closed he Kurt M Fischel (name used by portunily to study crossed in a head of the two l~unt - consent). kno\'\S what sabotage ers. The little tyke had fallen can be. He is now an American Nildl ife m 1ts native quite some distance bt>hind. Up- citizen but has expel ienced the ;tate," writes Lou s on questioning the older boys, hell ot a Gt•rman concentration Strohman. Here a they declared they were huntin.c? camp . • mother sparrow feeds rabbits only and produced tw~ --WT- one of hl!r fledglings, ~hat they had shot. At this point Two conservation officers were m the questioning little Johnnv working a stretch of r·ver to­ a spring sight common 1 arrived on the scene, very muci1 gether, one in a boat, :he second n Iowa s state parks. out of breath, exclaiming, "Thev in an automo'Jile. A t a designated c~ n ' t hit the darned things. Every me c t in~ place the officer in U1e time they shoot they just keep on car found one colored gentleman flying." fishing, almost as l ee~ in the shade --WT- of a large trre. A second col- Conservation Officers Milo Pe- ored gentleman was h ur ried\ y ,' tcrson and Harry Rector appre- hidin~ a sack. The officer asked hended a hunter for shooting 1 (Cont.nued to P 1ge 44 r •I.Jmn 11 r · E FORTY-F-OUR I OWA CONSERVATIONIST------15-22, inclusive, in Palo Alto It Pays to Ask the Farmer Before You ~unt County. A daily bag limit of five birds, of which two might be hens, WILD LIFE a 10-b•rd possession hmit, and shooting from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m., RESEARCH were the chief regulations of the spring season in 11 north-central counties. The season was opened particularly to decrease the sur­ plus of pheasants m the hope of avoiding later damage to young By C.fJRGE 0 HEt.OR Cl< 0 corn plants. WARD E' STE:VE:f'v') Briefly the result of the eignt­ ProJECt No 470 Pn tu cold, With strong wmcb, rain and speak With th · farmC'rs out of - snow flurries. It is believed th.1 doors. At 120 farms -;omE'one in Generally, farrr.. _ ter relat1onsh1ps were or a co operat1ve bas1s, a though some com- the hunt this :;pt mg just a Lout pia rt ;•,as made that hunters fa1led to get perm ss10n to hunt on farms. chargc>, m most cases the- oper­ ------made up for the lack of huntmg ator, was inten'Iewed. Eighty­ time there was too much work mg increase or decrease of hunt­ last fall, so that the ovet-all take ctght of the farmers owned their to be done to permit theu· hunt­ mg pressure. Forty-seven, or 59 was about normal 01 a httle land and the 1 emamder were mg fot there ,.,·as a shortage of per cent, of the farmers reported heavier than normal m that renters The average holding of harvest labot·, those farmers less hunting in 1942 than m 1941, county. The remainmg meedmg t•ach class was 165 acres and 156 stated. Also some had dtfficulty 19 per cent more huntmg and 22 stock is still sufficient to prov1de acres, respecti n·ly. in obtaining ammunition. per cent no appreciable change a good fall population of birds. Durmg rl'ecnt years one-third About 30 per cent of the land The season was seven days long At the Winnebago County of the farmers intentiOnally had operators posted their farms in Story County and three weeks pheasant research area, 10 farm· fed or provided spE'cial shelter agamst hunting. But about one­ m Hardm, H amilton and other ers reported to Hendnckson that for the birds once or oftener dur­ half of the farmers on posted north counties. The interviews 20 hunters took 31 pheasants dur­ ing penods of adverse weather. land said they allowed their did not mdicate that the longer ing the spring, 1943, season. At Many mentioned that the birds that rate an estimated 80 sports­ friends to hunt 01 extended the season mcreased hunting pres­ came to feed with the yarded privilege to strangers who asked sure m 1942, but admittedly con­ men took 124 pheasants on the livestock and roosted in the farm­ permissiOn and looked respon­ ditions were not normal Most entire area of 12 sections, prob­ stead shelt<'r groves in bad win­ sible. The reasons for allowmg of the farmers ascribed the- de­ ably five per cent of the popula­ ter weather. The winter, 1942-43, no hunting by anyone were sev­ crease m hunting to tire and gaso­ tion None of the farmers of this had been so open that llttle feed­ eral Some had highly valuable line shortages area had requested a sprmg sea­ ing had been done up to the time livestock wh1ch they did not For the most part the fat mer­ son and none encouraged hunters of the inquiry. Only 7 of the 120 want disturbed and others had hunter relationships were on a to come to the area farms had both excellent shelter friendly a nd cooperat1ve basis. The Winnebago research ai ea IS cover and adjacent standing field standing corn or soybeans which The most common complaints SIX miles north of Thompson and food, usually corn, available to might be shattered by bands of hunters. Only two farmers re­ were that hunters did not ask the concrete highway. The area pheasants in prolonged periods of permission to hunt and that they has no open drainage ditches and the worst winter weather condi­ ported the unfortunate experience of livestock shootmg by hunters walked through npe corn and soy­ most of the fields are relatively tions. in recent years, and none \\'as bean fields thereby knockmg off large. The operators of this area It wa<; concluded that 59. per willing to estimate shattering loss ears of corn and shellmg out the are of the opinion that the- pheas­ cent of the 120 farms lacked ~at­ m crops traversed by sportsmen beans. Hunters often failed to ant does no appreciable damage isfactory field supply of emer­ Several farms we1 e refuges on thank the farmers for their part to the new corn plants. After gency winter food and 53 per which pheasants had been stocked in the rearing of the pheasants. the season from 7 a. m. to 9 a cent lacked sufficient winter in the past year by the Conserva A few farmers deplored the m ., March 30, pheasants flushed cover for adequate protection of poaching and other infractions of ahead of the observer in hay­ b1rds in most severe weather. tJon Commission and a local club and hence they could not be game laws by a small number of fi elds, sloughs, lightly grazed Only about 6 per c0nt of the farms hunted A f0w farmers were op­ hunters. pastures and cornfields at the were almost totally barren of posed to hunting of any kind. rate of 45 an hour, which indi­ food and shelter At least one No farmer thought he had sus­ Pheasants were shot on 101 out cates an abundant breeding member of each of 57 farm fami­ tamed any damage from the birds of the 120 farms m the fall sea­ stock lies hunt0d pheasants in 1942. In though a number expected notice­ son, 1942, when only three cocks able damage to young corn plants W tthin a mile of each side of previous years about one-fourth were permitted in the daily bag Thompson is a drainage ditch and more of the farmc>rs had shot m spring, 1943. Most of the farm and the possession limtt was six add1t1onal environment highly ph(•asants but wen• not able to operators thought the pheasants cocks It was reported that 299 favorable to the pheasant. Ten do so in 1942. As thP hunting sea­ beneficial to their interests and town and farm folk took 570 liked to see the birds around the farmers tilling 1,920 acres within son came during ('01 n picking birds, an average of 1 9 birds per place None wanted the pheas­ two miles of the town, and whos(' hunter-day At that rate an ad­ ant exterminated About one­ farms border the concrete high­ Wardens' Tales ditional 120 hunters, for whom half of the farmers in the area way, reported that 62 hunters t e 4 ~. dail} bags were not reported, north of Ames thought that there took 84 birds in the sprmg se-a­ the sleepy colored man. "What is took about 228 birds. The total were at present too many birds son, probably 10 per cent of the your partner's big hurry on such take on 120 farms then was ap­ and some suggested that they be population. Several of these op­ a hot day?" proximately 798 cock pheasants, allowed to take a few to decrease erators were firm in the opin­ He replied "See dat boat com­ probably a low estimate the population before spring. IOn that pheasants had pulled in' down dP ribbN? Well, dat That portion of Story County South of Ames the land operators corn in past years, but littlE' or am d<' law!'' south of highway 30 was open to were generally satisfied with none in 1942, when the corn carne He " as right, and his partner hunting for the first time in 1942 present numbers of pheasants, a up rapidly in favorable weather. had reason to hurry, for investi­ At the north 80 farms, in a re­ few wanting more. Was the 1943 spring pheasant g'l.Pon proved the sack contained gion which was hunted in the Stevens made observations in shootmg season successful? A numerou"i undersized catfish. past, data were collected concern- the open pheasant season, March (Continued to Page 45, Column !) IOWA CONSERVATION IS I PAGE FORTY F-iVE

Research ·------~------· 1t, the outdoor wnter begins con­ cealing the common clay of his newspapers These writers are widely So it is natural for the rod and door column 1s in addition to best friend, so why not stop in manifold other chores he has to and pick up that license now? known for what they write, and we know gun ed1tor to begin thinkmg of that you w1ll enjoy these bnefs of what himself as an authority He may do fm h1s newspaper. If Iowa While we're on this subject of and who they are. even become a pompous chit and had 10,000 lakes, like Minnesota, licenses, a very neat movement pose as a big shot among the or half of 1ts area were in forest 1s gainmg popularity throughout home town sportsmen. But he lands, loaded w1th game, like the nation, the "buy a license By GIB KNUDSON, Jr knov,·s he isn't Like you, he has Pennsylvania's. there would be even 1f you don't use 1t" tdea Al­ Fort Dodge Mess~:nger the usual leveling influences, a many more of us. most everyone knows about the The f1shermen and hunters of wife. a creditor, or possibly a We have had an mordinate remarkable progress made in Iowa who read the rod and gun crony from boyhood who greets fondness for hunting and gun restoration of our wildhfe by na­ columns in then· daily newspa- any unseemly aspirations with dogs C'ver smce a doting but tional, state, and local orgamza­ pers may never have suspected it, maddening guffaws. stern grandfather took us along tions. Today many sportsmen but the men who write those col- Or it may be one of his readers on a duck trip with his rat-tailed are serving in our armed forces, umns are a queer breed of birds, who tells him off and puts him spaniel, Spike, to old Cairo Lake and war work will prevent many this one in particular. in his place. For instance, the nearly 30 years ago. As for fish­ others from hunting or fishing. We who write on fishing and time 12 years or so ago when we ing, who doesn't like fishing? But restoration activities must hunting are the luckiest guys printed 10 our column a letter we Our incurable weakness for continue, if fishing and hunting working for the newspapers, rC'celVed from a farmer who had these things has spoiled us, as it are to be preserved, and this especially when we get paid for his hackles up. He called us an pt·obably has you, too, for all takes money. Licenses help to it, which, unhappily, isn't always "insignificant pup" and all of our other pursuits. We find our­ carry the load. Buy a license, and the case. Our bosses. like all friends read it in the paper. Do sci ves scheming, mcessantly, for urge your friends to do so. It bosses, have their sour days you think they have forgotten 1t a chance to hunt or fish, regard­ will help to take up the shortage when it is painful for them to let after more than a decade? They less of our financial reserve at the in revenue caused by our lads us go on some huntmg or fishing have not! moment, the w1sh~s of the family being absent on the important jaunt on office time while they Thls farmer's wrath is only a or the reason of common horse busmess of taking care of Hitler, themselves must remain at a . sense Htrohito and their playmates.­ sample of what an outdoor edt- desk. tor can get himself into, and in- We will bust a tug to spend a The Nomad, Davenport Demo­ That kind of mood can be pn·tty nocently. Our reader was hot week on West Okoboji in August crat. awful, my friend, if you find your under the collar because \\'e had when we hke to take a boat and boss in one of them a day or two advised farmers to scatter a little drift along the northwest shore­ Write to the State Conservation before the bass or duck season corn around for pheasants during line, tossing a fly into the shad­ Commission for a map showing opens and you are twitching to a hard winter He argued it was ows under the banks. If we're lucky, there will be no wind and the location of all trout streams. get away. our turn, not h1s, to dish out the The outdoor writer is a que:r corn, and maybe he was right. the sun will be gomg down, a The information has been care­ duck, part~y . because the ve.ty L t h relented but not m print blaze of red and orange, flooding fully prepared for your benefit. nature of hts JOb helps make htm a er e • . the thm strip of hardwoods along that way. There's somethmg: A bout or two l.ike this w11.1 I?ut the beach and spouting yellow In 1941 there was a phenomenal about the printed word that car- · anybody who. wntes for a ltvmg streamers all over the western ries authority, no matter who the o? the defensive, as well ~s teach sky. hatch of yellow bass in Clear author is or what he writes h1m he had hetter keep h1s dukes It is then the calicos and the Lake. These fish will be large about. Which means the very up bluegills feed on top, making ex­ enough to catch in three years. day one of our columns shows up Almost before he is aware of CContinued to Page 46 Column 1) PAGE FORTY-SIX ---- IOWA CONSERVATIO N 1ST Columnist A Lot of Good Eating In This String Tiny Chigger ,c frol'l Page 45J citmg dimples all ai ound the Can Be Mighty uoat, and you can catch them on yoUI flyrod. sometimes as many as you want, enm with the busy Unpleasant Guest resort life buzzing all about you. Ch•ggc:.r m1tes or chiggers are From the corner of your eye. the larval forms of vanous species as you lar sented m lh1s beau American chigger and a closely some youngsters in for a late t {ul catch of buil­ related form found m the north­ ern part of the MISSissippi Valley. plung<·. sonwbody else shouting l eads from one of The chigger or larvae of the over Uw song of an outboai d A lov.a s many well pair of longbirds is usually quar­ common North American species relmg in the cro\Vn of a wide­ stocked streams. is oval, bught red, and possesses branching elm over on shore, and Bullheads and cat­ three pairs of legs It Is scarcely as far away as the blacktop road fish are Important to visible to the naked e} e Thl· legs and surface of the body are we have heard thC' tmklC' of a the anglers and are bell and a farml'!' callmg hts milk­ con~red with numerous feathered becom ng more of a el s home. hairs. The mouth parts consist of A little lall•r, after lw sun has factor 1n the food a pair of hooked. fmger-like man­ gone down and the fu st stars are p cture th1s year dibles and two five-jointed palp1, breakmg through m the east, an each of which is provided with a ev(;ning C'Oolness will d11ft over two-prong claw. the lake. Fa1· to the southeast the The adult is a large, red, hairy lights will begm bhnkmg on the mile and, unlike the larval form, Amolds Park waterfro'1t and. if it It is not parasitic but is a scaven­ IS the nght week in August, the ger, livmg largely on fecal mat­ first thin shcl' of the harvest ter of anthropods and on decaying moon will be cradled over the woody substances. oats field beyond the> lwach gro­ fresh from the garden or canned, The eggs are laid in the ground, cery. Carp a Food Source stringing a row of kernels on the ~nd chiggers hatch in the spring Tlwn \\'t' wlll rcmem ber we are hook. soon after warm weather begms, hunrsry and WP will swing the As the carp has a small mouth, and they may be encountered boat around and head for the cot­ Often Overlooked a 1elatively small hook is recom from the latte1 part of April till I tage on Manhattan where a batch Pointing out that t:Vl'l y source mended-size s1x to etght f01 most the last of October, depending of golden bantam should be on of food must be carefully counted i1shmg The baited hook should upon conditions of temperature t the fire• and probably already in the war against the Axis. the be pet mitted to lie on the bottom and moisture. In Iowa they sel­ s conung to a bo1l. Conservation CommissiOn today of the stream or lake, as carp are dom appear before the early part Trigger, the English setter pup, called the attention of Missouri bottom feeders. of June. will be getting hungry, too. Com­ anglers to the carp, which,, next E. P W1se, of Kansas C1ty, has Chiggers attach themselves to ing out of her nap on the ribs of to the ubiquitous cat11sh, 1s the caught several Ia1ge carp weigh­ the surface of the skin by means s th<• boat, she will go into an ele­ most widely d1stnbutcd tood fish mg from 18 to 30 pounds this of their mouth part and feed • gant stJ·etch, carefully examine m the ~l1ddle West season from Lake Lotawana in much as do ticks. It is belie\·ed th<• fish or two she may find laid The carp, a nnt1ve of China, was Jackson County using dough­ they feed upon the epidet mal tis­ a\vay, and then perch on a dime introdun.d mto Amencan waters balls on a size 17 Cmcinnati sues, liquified by a secretion in the bow, stretch her neck out by way of Europl' in 1877. Fmd- bass hook with steel kader, a long which they themselves inject into ovpr the lake and sniff the fra­ mg conditiOns to its liking in the cane pole. and 100-pound test the skin. \\'hen they become fully grant night air. New World, the carp spread rap- line. A No 17 Cmcinnati bass engorged, they drop off. Likewise, we will go to any idly, partiCularly in tlw muddy hook corresponds in size to a No Because of theil size, chiggers length for an evening's fishing streams, lakes, sloughs and bay- 2 0 hook in othe1 makes. arc unable to enter the pores of for srnallmouth bass on the upper ous of the Mississippi Valil•y. Wise descnbes hiS dough-ball the skin, but they frequently at­ Des MomPs dul"ing the hot A v<•gctarian in food hab1ts and bait recipe as follows: "One cup tach at the mouth of hair follicles. months, and we will not be de­ prefc>ITing slugg1sh streams and \Vhite flour, two teaspoons vamlla Contrary to popular behef, chig­ nic•d our ~nnual mallard and blue­ 1)ottoms, the carp has been ac- extract, two to four saccharine gNs do not burrow into the skm bill shoot with Frank Marnettc cu~t>d of many crimes, includmg tablets, and white, long-fiber cot and imb<>d then· entire body. at Spit·it Lake. FUl thermorc. the the despoliation of watPr for bet- Lon. The cotton IS worked Into If it is known that there has point Tt·ig made ond held on a ter sp~c•cies and destructiOn ot thl Lhe dough, and the mixture is been an exposure to chiggers, it roost<·r pheasant last fall is only spawn of oth<•t· fishPs Whc>the'· kneaded until very tough Balls is advantageous to apply as soon a startl•t·, according to our plans guilly or not. the fact 1emains arc then made about one-inch m as poss1ble a thick lather of soap. Eve1 y fisherman and every that thC' carp is j)J'<'Sf'nt in hu·gc diameter. These arc dtopped m­ allowiP.g it to remain for 10 min­ hunter has his cache of memories, numbers, is an inexpensiv<· mar- to bollmg water and left there utes ot· more before washing off a scm·lpt sunrise on Kakagi Lake ket fi-;h, is rclativc>ly c•asy to take until they float, usually about 10 Even though the larva may bt' the day the storm flattened your on hook and lmt', and 1s l11ghly minutes They are remo\·ed and removed or killed soon after at­ tent. the night when the bigmouth pnzPd by many as food. ~dlowed to dry m the sun. When tachment, usually enough secre­ wc>re gomg crazy, the afternoon Althou~•h scorning hvc• baits these are placed on the hook the tion has been introduced into the when you doubl<>d twice on and artificial lures. carp bite point shou_ld be slight_ly expose~." skin to cause characteristic itch­ grPC'nheads, the long retneve by read!!) on such baits as worms, -_-I\IIssoun ConservatiOn Commis­ ing, and for this there IS no known 1 specific remedy. The itching may the Cht'Sapeake. Rusty, or a thou­ dough-Lalls, and ~oaked corn ker- s10n sand and one other ht tle slices of nels. Some rod and line fisher­ b<> temporarily relieved however ltfe from your hours spent afiPld men successfully take carp on The Federal F1she1 ies CoOI·dina­ by strong salt water. ammonia, 01 We on the papers are lucky be­ wl1o l<'-"'t·ain .;wet• I corn. Pit her tor has asked IO\\·a to produce as a calomel piH'nol lotion. cnu..;l' Wf' get to write about thPse many commercial speciC.s of fish There are 17 state fish hatch­ things. And when Wl do, we arl:' a small way, wc feel we may as possible for the duration of trying to givl' fishing, hunting hav<> lwPn of some sen·ice to our the war. This serves the two­ cries in Iowa. five leased rearmg and cono;crvatlon the importance fPllO\\ sportsnwn. As for being fold purpose of suppl} ing much ponds, eight co-operative sports­ tht>y dPscn•e in a state more quePr, wt> were• born that way needed food and Impt oving the men's ponds, and two Mississippi widely kno\\'Il fot its pork and You'll jus1 have to bea1· along waters for the more desirable River rescue and collectiOn sta­ corn. \Vhcn we succeed, even in with us, that's all. game species. tiOns. I 0 W A C 0 N S E R VAT I 0 N IS T PAGE FORTY-SE /EN ------~------I ------White Bass stilled m many youngsters. It is U S"d D Gamey and Tasty t1 ue that blood-sucking bats, often p I e ownsy ctivc of these baits ions but are usually not noticed Is the> \ lute bucktall fly and ~Y the casual observer because mckel spmner using a 10-inch gut of their nocturnal habtts. The old leader, and a one-fourth to three­ adage "bhnd as a bat" 1s poorly eighths ounce '''eight attached to founded and not true. On the con­ the upper end of the leaner. The trary, they have highly developed spinner may be either the Idaho \'ision \Vhich enables them to see:~------' or w1llov. leaf shape in the No 3 smallest casting rod size, may be easy to catch a white bass on used in the all copper fmish, all eYery cast, but remember 1f you ruckel finish, red with white average one ftsh per hour for the stnpes, or black w1th white entire season, you can be classed stripes. For best results attach a with the better fishermen No 2 single hook white bucktail to the spoon. These four baits are also quite effective for takmg Brown Bats some of the other game fish, par­ winds, and It IS advisable to Posts Unique "No place them in the lee of a hedge or other dense vegetative growth, Drinking" Sign but not too close to either Seeds can also be placed on areas slop­ One of the problems of the mg sharply to the northeast or Conservation Commtsston has JUSt below a rotting log or heavy beln the amusement structures at stones. Any condition which will the entrance to state parks These contnbute toward a fairly con­ structures and the use thereof are stant supply of mOisture IS desir­ of course beyond the control of clblc, but Simply prOVIding OVCI'­ the Comn11ss10n For the most hcad shade IS insufficient. part the operators of these pn­ Sctdhngs should not be trans­ vate concessions have co-operated planted until they are well devel­ with the Commtsston m keeping oped, and then only under very good order favorable soil and atmosphenc As an example, at the entrance conditions A large percentage of to the roller skatmg rmk near the seedlings of wild flowers grow Preparation Canyon in Monona very slowly, and apparently County, the following notice 1s crowdmg IS less obJectionable posted: than disturbance NOTICE Careful study of natural lolomes of wild flowers have •nd1cated that only a very small percentage of the seeds ever deveolp nto plants After a stand of seedlings is ob­ Stop, look and hsten, and if you tamed or placed m a permanent can't read that s ) our mtsfortune * * * * ~:: ~:: •:: •:: •:: ~:: •:: •:: ::: •:: •:: :::