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December, 1963 Number 12 utlook Iowa 1963

Tom Ba llard >U are one of Iowa's 12,000 shotgun deer hunters, you had better your weapons there is a tecord crop of whitetails to be hunted • ason. pects are \'cry good for another record deer har\'est. Last win­ ~ ost-season deer count was 23 per cent abo\'e that of 1962 and 50 per cent greater than the a\'erage since 1958. means one thing to you deer hunters- an estimated 33,200 deer sue this month. That figure makes a bag limit of "one" dl•cr ~!mple and easy to fill doesn't it? But, let's not kid ourscl\'<'S tsive Iowa whitetail isn't that easy to put in our sights. L gun hunters have found dtiving or still huntmg and stands to 'ductive methods for taldng their hm1t. The bO\\hunlers, and :>hotgunners as well, have been usmg the tree stand to advantage.

La~t Year Be.,t Yet '62 gun season \\'as the best yet wtth 4,281 licensed hunters tak­ . nison home. The total deer kill was 5 703; this includes deer : by all methods gun, bow. licensed hunter and landowner. 1 1962 hunter-success ratio is another encouraging figure : 52 • 1t for licensed farmers and 41 per cent for urban hunters. That's · ~ pretty close to a 50:50 chance for getting into the this winter. Considering the warm weather and lack of snow .!cember, Iowa deer hunters did very well. tty by county populat10n estimates are much the same as last xcepting the general inct ease in herd size. Forty-one counties • ted as having a high deer population and only a dozen arc rcla­ • low.

Top Fin• Counti e~ counties contmue to have the top deer herds: Allamakcc, :>htek and Clayton to the northeast, with P ottawattamie and 1 a on our western border. A total of 1,044 deer were taken from ive counties by hunters last year, nearly 25 per cent of the total 11 the state. • \ I, comprising 25 counties in the northwest to north central ~ s limited to two days of hunting December 14-15. Two days' 111 g pressure 1s deemed necessary to avoid any possibility of over­ , tg t his area of limtted deer range. ~' II counties will be open the 14th, 15th and 16th Nearly onc­ r >f the whitetails taken m 1962 were bagged on the third day, c t put that shotgun away Sunday evening, that old monarch \a,;ttll ' •phy rack may come strolling past your stand Monday. Di.,ea!>e tudy Itl Joperation wtth the Conservation Commtssion, the I owa Veteri­ t l edical Associat10n and the Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit ·king for the deer hunter's help in attempting a study of deer bl s. All you need do is drop the deer heart in the plastic bag that ~ ·ovided with your license, fill out the enclosed tag, tie the bag tll1e tag and take it to the nearest veterinarian withm 24 hour:-. I do the rest. Research, management, and hunter cooperation " een among the essenttals in achieving our past ten successful 11 •asons. ~ t ~orget to send in those report cards. They provtde valua.blc . a t10n that is used in the management programs for hunlmg h!

1 w C bench and nve islands to be con­ Cooperate with Hunters a 0 n s e r vat; 0 n; s t 0 No December 1963 12 stntctcd. I• r om tlw 1()\Ht F a rm Burf>au ~pok t>.., m a n Vol . 22 J\ ppro\'OI was gn•en for t hl• rc­ J I Publ'\h d monthly bv tht' Stl'lte Conservoti.,'l "l'lwasant huntmg Sl 1son ,.,tarts on ~o,embet 9 and th1s pro\ lcasl' ol an l'aSPmenl on a lot Co'Tl'TIIssion E>~st 7th and Court Avenue. Des an exct>llent opporlumty to promote better relationships wtlh Mo l't'S low11 Address oil rr o I (s\Jbscriptions, on Blnl'lt Hnwlt Lake in Sac chonq of odd.J 'l N' beginning Apnl 1 1!161 with other SHERRY R. !=I::>HER, \ C:Jaorm~n- will thmk more highly of you as an individual and farmers as a g101 .Des Mo nt'S areas to C'hargl' 1s before. Cabin SpokuwHm ROBERT E BEEBE ... .. - Sio~.ox City This recent editorial in the points up the long-term tJ N. K KINNEY ldo Grove rates at Pitw Lakl' were estab­ toward good hunter-landowner relatwnships in Iowa. 1-fore and rr LAURENCE N NELSON Bellevue lished n t ~a5 . 00 a week and a ED WEINHEI MER . Greenfield 10\\.'IWS arc coming to realize that the farmer and the sport~man MIKE F. ZACK Meso'l C tv pricc of 25 C'l•nts a bundle was not in opposition. In tact, we count a great many farmers among CIRCULATION THIS ISSUE 52 ,000 l'Stuhlbhed for lin•woocl to be sold most enthusiastic hunters. Although not required by law, many f m st Ill p. rk!-. COMMISSION ers purcha:;e a hunting licen:;e each year. "I know I don't nel ( Ol Y l \ ( 0" " ' H \ ATIO~ license on my own lund," said one farmer during the recent phe MINUTES \ ( 1 n 1'1 n " opening-, "but, utter all, buying a license is just a part of huntmg \ Grundy C• n y received apprO\'­ me I always hn \'E.' one." D t•.., ' l oine'> nl for th<:> tu•quisttion of th·e acres It 1s mdCl'll commonplace in Iowa to find the farmer and the " OH ' lllbt'r .), 1963 ot land hy 2!)-yc_>al' lt·a~P at an man one and the same. F l ...., H .AXD GA'lE annual C'Ost of .. 1n pc_>r year called Appro\al \\as gi\'en to initiate the Com ad QUIUTY wh1ch will in­ acres of land suhjeC'l to thl' ap­ Animal Superstitio1 clude a one ncn• Jake to be used proval ot tht E ·ecutt\'e Council. condemnation proceedings on a BEAR ten-acre area of the ::vliami Lake for tishing with pil'nicking facili­ <·L"hH \ L Ever heard of a beat hug" stte in Monroe County. til'.S. The Commt swn 1 ppoin tPd six ular fiction has it that whr­ The Chief Fish and Game ga \'e Linn County rl'cci\'ccl appro\'al spcdal pohCl' ofliccn; from the bear attacks. it first seizes ill> a report on lhe status of Triboji fm· tlw :H•qutsilion of 162 acres ot tl ~taft and fmu· SJH'Cial police offi­ tim and squeezes him to death Beach on West Okoboji Lake. land at a total cost of ::;18,750, cei'S among Uw walct safely pa- a "bear hug," then devours The Comm1ssion met wilh Har­ located on the C'<>clat' Ri\·er one trol. But there is no evidencE' to old Kastor of Clear Lake to dis­ mile downstream from the l\ an­ Tra vl' l was a ppl'Ovecl for var- pol'l this at all. Bears ktll cuss lhe law concerning trappin~ hoe Bricl~c on Stale Highway ~o their front paws aided by r in muskrat houses and clarify an 1. This ar<'

IOWA HAS NEW How to Hibernate a Motor FIRE DEPARTMENT ,Ja('}{ Kir.., t <• in Early in Octobet a local farm­ ttboard motors like bears, go ers group of the Sand Cove area hibernation during the cold in Allamakcc County orgamzed the winter months. Unlike whal is to he their own fire de­ ~ s, your motor can do nothmg partment. They appointed Peter ~ •tC'pare itself for the winter Cols<'h as I•'ire \Varden and all ths ahead Before you put signed to help suppress fires in prized pO\\ erhousc to bed un­ the area. •cxt season, make sure it is An afl<>moon of instruction was ·ct ed. held on the Colsch farm by the quick look at ymtl' instru<'llon Ne\\ Albin Fire Chtef, Glen Mey­ ual \\til show thn t l here IS ers Members of the Sand Cove for some pt ime attention Fire Department learned the most to all parts of your motor cffectt\ e ''a)- of using each tool 1ring the past year, at just as well as the most efficient order marina, thirty to forty motors of the tools in on-the-spot con­ · brought in by their owners :=;truction of a fire line for sup­ what they thought was a pression of grass and woods fires. ed tune-up. "I can't get it to Tmclors and machinery were on ,'' they complained. On in­ hand building fire lines to form lion, it was found that mois- fi1·e !:;lops in the plantations. Milo m the air during the previous Peterson, Fire Prevention Fores­ <'r had entered through ex­ ter, and Bill Ritter, District For­ t ports and intake manifolds. ester, rept·esented tht> Conservation hl' motors had not been win­ Commission and helped train the stit ed, this moisture collected on ne\\ fire department. The p01table dN' walls. needle bearings and 150 gallon tank unit with attached iltc.> with "old man rust" tak- pump and hose was demonstrated by personnel from the Yellow r t\•nr. ft<'en to twenty motors also River State Forest Smokey the Bear attended to endorse the pro­ · in with problems in the Jnck Klr l<.'ln Photo. twater assembly. Of these, Wa yne Miller of Des Moines, an out board mo tor sp ecia list w ith a local ma rina, sees gram. many a boa te r with' expensive repa ir b ills due t o Improper wint er st ora!Je of his moto r. The Sand Cove fire crew con­ was the major damage, but sists of these volunteers: Fire ome water left in the rear regular mixture and, after a few gasoline in a tank, line, or car­ had frozen while the motor Warden Peter Colsch, Edwin L. mmutes, shut off 01 disconnect buretor will leave a gummy sludge \Vy m i 11 e r, Lawrence Mitchell, stored outside, and the alu­ your fuel lines. When the motm· that means trouble if not removed James Mitchell, Walter Hammell, •m castings had burst from starts to miss, indicatmg that all Gas tanks should be left empty, expanding pressure of ice. Raymond Zoll, James P. Moore, gas has been drawn through the m· if yours is a remote tank, at Jesse Garrett, Robert Colsch, Les­ 1~'- P t' n .., i\ e N <•glig<'nce lines and the carburetor, feed in least be sure it is completely filled. ter C. Fink, Charles E. King, Clem moving this rust after it this new mixture. Flood the en­ The half-full or nearly empty tank Colsch, Earl J. 1\Ioore and Gerald s sometimes causes additional gine with the new mixture by is the big offender. Colsch 1ge. In the case of rust on choking until it stalls. This will These men have a real interest der walls, the rings will stick spread the heavy oil mixture T he Lo\\er Unit in fire prevention and protection he walls as though welded. evenly over the internal parts of Drain the oil from your lower :Much of the Sand Cove area pre­ n broken loose, the rings may the motor. Run this mixture unit. Many times. sand or moss vious to 1957 ,., as made worthless It and score the cyhnder \\'alis. through about five or len min­ will enter this unit and hold by moving sand that formed regu­ motor is run wtth rust of last utes before flooding. moisture through the ·winter. A.t lar sand dunes. Since then more er on needle bearings, the Now pay parllcular attention to times it will clog the tiny drain than 65,000 trees have been 1g of the crankshaft on the the gas lank. If it is an integt·ai holes in the underwater assembly planted. The Sand Cove area with mgs will necessitate the re­ part of the motor, drain il en­ and if enough water is left, any 1ts trees, most of which have been ·ment of the bearings, if not tirely. Winter evaporation of the (Coni inuC'd on pa~~ 94) (Continued on pnge 93) ·rankshaft as well. On a small 11' of five horsepower or less, would mean a repair bill of or more. On the big motors xty horsepower or more, the 'or all bearings and the lower casting could run as htgh as as it did on one this year. . what do we do to make sure we won't have a big repair lext year? ke time, rtght now, to do a preventive mamtenance. Winterizing Your :\lotor rst, provtde yourself with a harrel or tank of water in h to run your motor. A 11 should never be run dry, causes its own kind of re­ hills. nmt the motor on the tank, - ---=-- he tank with water and use allowing steps to prevent' rust. ------11 ----- epare a mixture of about a ---- t of gasoline adding to this - · ast a half pint of your stand­ ;,>ll, Start tne m otor on your IOWA CONSE RVATI ONIST Page 92 IC STATE FIRE LOSS { ar AT 10-YEAR H IGH r Milo P eter...,on Firt> P rt>,t-ntlnn rort>,tt•r Iowa has suffered 1ts wot·st fire 'I I loss in O\'l't' ten years. A total M 6i tires have blackened nearly n 2 000 acres of cropland. pasture pr) led and timber in the state since Jan­ ,. th gr uary 1. Hl63. I ard Until recent rains Iowa joitwd p a be other states in ex pet iencing one a man~· of the driest falls on record. The th IT n numbet of forest fires in the United States is running about ~5 pet cent higher than in recent years. ~1ost unusual for Iowa was the large size of se,·eral tires this year. Fires of 50 acres arc not usually common in Iowa. but this year many fires have reached 100 acres with the largest burning ap­ Careless d~bn s burning proximalelv 300 acres. Iowa wild fir ~~ cause S 165,000 damage to crops, past ure and wo odl.lnd th i~ past year -.. e ttin~ out hn·. H all) person ncr set out m St.ct.ons ~on .. 165,000 Lo...,., record of hemg careful WILh .n 8008 inclusive, and to the same in Iowa. Only about 3 per cent of '' .t Illy, or without using proper The dollat loss Is estimated at caution. :-;ct fire to and burn, or tent saYe as to double damag the fires were reported as being S165,000 and includes the Joss of cause to be burned. any pmiric or The 1963 fire season has l caused hy this group. It is ngrced crops, pasture. timber, bmldin~s, timberluncl, o1· any inclosed or cul­ to a close. It was a bad y<>ar f that hunters and fishermen are a materials. and planted pine stands. tivated field, ot' any road. by which fire Joss. but thanks to man~· u l great help in sometimes suppress­ The loss in acres included 153 acres the property of another is injured di\·iduals and fire departments 111 ing small fires or reporting them of cropland. 484 acres of pasture, or destroyed, he shall be fined not did a fine job in fire p1 event! at once to the nearest farmer. and 920 acres of timber and pine exceeding five hundred dollars. or and suppression. the loss was r Ditch hank burning and brush plantations All rural fires ex­ imprisoned in the county jail not duced compared with the \lang• burning have bel'n done for years. cept those confined to houses and more than one year. or be both so present in the spring and full 11 howeve1 it is during a dry year barns, are reported to the State fined and imprisoned in the discre­ seasons. like 1963 that the average Iowa Forester m the Conservation Com­ tion of the court. Another year and another fi ~ miSSIOn Fires occurring in Iowa landO\' ncr gets in trouble. Burn­ ing conditions reach a point where Allo\\ ing Fin• to L"<'U)H'. If any season are only a few months a\1 11 are reported to the regional office and the lessons learned in lfif of the U S Forest Service at Mil­ the ground fuel is explosive and person between thl.. ltrst day of should sen·e as a preYention gl.ll' waukee, \Vtsconsin Fire reports in fires that norm11lly creep along September in any )'l'ar and the in the new year. Iowa are sent the State Forester the ground suddenly race across first day of ~!uy following, set by most rural fire departments as field, through pastures and tim­ fire to, burn. or <'fillSC to be burned well as Commission employees. berlands. The Conservation Com­ any prairi<' or timberland, and al­ low such fire to l'Scnpc from his The number one cause of n1ral mission through news releases. control, he shall be imprisoned Did You Know? fires was debris burning which in­ radio and televisiOn programs and in the county jail not more than The kangaroo rat is neither cludes brush burning. weeds and poster projects alerts the public thirty days, or bl' fined not ex­ rat nor a kangaroo. It is a cle crop field debris. Thirty-nine of to tlw cxislmg dangl'l' of large art>n ceeding one hundred do1lars. nau,·e American that is m. the 67 fires were caused by such rura 1 t1res lhetr Iowa state parks and forests closelY allied with the pock I burning Smokers accounted for DanH\g£•.., h~ I'ire '\n\ corpora­ thai were not spared. In 1963 a total mouse au the next highest total. tion ope1 ating ,1 rail\\ a~ shall be of 14 of lhe 69 fires occun ed on liable f01 all damages sustained Other causes included hunters Although a young cotton! I units under control of the Con­ by any person on account of loss 0~~ and fishermen , campers, railroads, has only one f the servation Commission or injmy lo his properly occa­ chan<'~ J woods workers, machinery, light­ twenty of reaching its first b1rf I bl sioned by flre sel out or caused by ning and miscellaneous or un­ Iowa Fire La\\..., day, it is one of our most comm lay: known. Iowa has three fire laws which the operation of such railway. 1 Such damages may be recovered animals. Ill ~lure's Il is interesting to note that our arc included in the Code of Iowa. by the party injured in the man- feathen hunters and fishermen have a good They are as follows During the summer the roos ~ fed. , pheasant, his harem. with th t !loth d chicks, remain in a relative!) srn area-usually less than 80 acrt> I flnt: I ~n· n• Owls have zygodactyl feet ~ 1 ~ce toes forward, 2 back) with ~ area rear toe reversible. • ha\ 1 f ~~ \Vhile pursuing prey, a ~at I re twist. tum and dodge Ill l lhas flight, with much greater agil 'l I than almost any bird llS, fire :ny di,G Rats are the most prolifi~.- t>f :alters mammals and. if living conditi • stol are suitable, a female "111 br .reb b throughout the year. e ~ firern Pheasants were first brought ~ :d t 1 the United States and released lllll ts 1 ( --­ the wild in 1881 when 26 r~gnet 1 ~~s fr '------. 1 imported directly from As1a. 11 the fir1 released in Oregon. 1\'~t "You l~ft your snowshoes where?" I O W A CONSERVATION I ST Page 93 IOWA'S WINTER OWLS Carol Bucluuann a1 e equipped '''ith soft. fluffy plum­ ., nter winds whistled plain- age makmg their shadowy flight ' across the frozen tundra notseless and serving as insula­ . ing the silence of the blind­ tion agamst sub-zero temperatures . now. An Arctic horned owl (It's little wonder Indians called .;ilently like a passing shadow them hush wing." 1 All winter swooped. unheard, searching- owls are feathered ft•om head to • ts prey. Its quest for food toe except the gt cal homed owls proved useless and hunger which lack feathers on the bot· · the great bird reluctantly toms of their powerful feet ''ard. Snowy owls arc fully feathered; ,•a becomes the "inter rc- even their claws arc concealed m of many great notlhern ov-:ls wh1tc fluff. These sno\\ y hun lcr.s their natural food. including are about the size of great horned lemmings (mouse-like ro- owls but don't have such powerful ) and han•s. becomes scarce. legs. They vary from pm e whtte ::tic and western homed owls to wh1te with hea\'\', soft bro\\ n Iowa only in winter. Both barred plumage. These rare, beau­ far northern birds resem­ tiful bn·ds arc easy targets to •Ut' native great horned owl trigget happy shooters unfamliar ne much lighter colored to with these winter visitors. These more closely with their bar­ \'aluable mousers are fully pro­ \rctic homes. Arctic horned tected by law and there is no ex­ the palest of the three, arc cuse for shooting them. with gray bars. The west- The lemming population, a fa­ 10rned owls fit bet ween the ,·orite snowy owl food, is subject two, being lighter than the to fluctuation. Although there arc horned, but not as light as reports of snowy owls each win­ \.rctic. ter. about every eight years I he three of these bloodthirsty lemming population reaches a low s of the air" are large, ebb and these great birds find the birds reaching a two-foot going tough. It's then they spread ~ and a ~n~-pound weight. their 60-inch wings and migrate · owls seek larger prey in­ south in greater numbers tg small mammals (even Accustomed to daytime hunting cs and civet cats), birds and J lm SbcrmiUI Photo. on the northern barrens, "snowys" Th is t iny saw·whet owl is seen during w inte r In some Iowa c:onlfe r st a nds. ently become a menace to hunt here in the open where they • "Y· A skunk's only real en­ are often seen in fields, on fence natives of northern Canada while and Canada, ''here they return to is the great horned owl who posts and even downtown perched grays come from southern Canada nest in February and March. This 1 't seem to mind the skunk's on buildings. Snowys, like other and northern Mmnesota. Both are gentlest of owls is easy to photo­ over-\.. intering owls, migrate only yellow-eyed, daytime titers with graph and Jack Musgro\'e, Cura­ , to their fondness for poul­ as far south as necessary depend­ heavily barred plumage. Great tor of the Slate Historical Build­ Y.' ~arne birds and animals, the ing on the food abundance. gray owls seem larger than even ing, reports coming to within 18 : t horneds" have the distinc­ All these birds have yellow eyes the great horned owls. but only mchcs of a wide-awake saw whet. no of being the only ov.:ls not except the brown-eyed barn owls because of their fluffy plumage, as They are such sound sleepers, · ted by law. These night and bluish-brown-eyed barred owls. their bodies are smaller. though, they can be captured rs aren't all bad. though, as which are year 'round residents. Long and short-eared owls come without being awakened. of their diet consists of mice Th~ir large, external ears hidden to Iowa from northern Minnesota The only owl that can be con­ a1ther harmful rodents. beneath the face feathers, make and southern Canada but some re­ fused with the saw whet is the all winter owls are night 1t possible for them to hunt \\ tth main all year. The ornamental screech O\\ I, a permanent Iowa 1 rs The short-eared, great both ears and eyes. The ear open­ head tufts known as "ears" dts­ resident. This O\\ 1 is a httle larger snowy and hawk owls dis­ ings are back of the eyes. ~arsh tingUJsh these two birds. Short­ and has ear tufts which are lack­ d the age-old fallacy that hawks are the only other birds cared owls have short, inconspicu­ ing in the saw whet. \U are blind in daylight and hunt with such an arrangement. Other ous tufts, while the darker, long­ , daytime. birds have very small external eared owls have two-inch tufts. Burrowing owls also migrate, nature's scheme, the role of ear openings. From fall to spring, short-eared but prefer a warmer climate than '1 feathered hunters was well On rare occasions, great gray owls can be seen in fields and Iowa offers. The freeze interferes 0 w ith their bunowing habits, and ' lered. To approach their and hawk owls are seen in Iowa marshes where field mice are both day and night hunters during the winter . Hawk owls are abundant. With bat-like flight, burrowing owls migrate south, re­ they swoop down, flapping their turning for the summer. These n . FIRE DEPT.- can attack the fire while it is wings and flying low, searching medmm-sized birds have bare legs CContinued from page 91) small. A few men can suppress a the marsh for mice in the after­ enabling them to dig in the earth where they feast on insects. "d since 1959, is fast bccom­ small fire but much eqUipment noon and evening. !1 m area of gram cropping. and many men are needed later. Long-eared owls prefer thickets Owls have been m1stmderstood I rees have helped to stop the These rural volunteer groups use but are sometimes seen in marshes. and mistakenly feared for cen­ h of sand. Grass now grows their farm machinery supple­ Both owls spend most of the day­ turies The1r uncanny expression where. mented by a cache of hand tools light hours roosting in windbreaks gives them a staring, menacing a has several similar fire furnished by the Forestry Section in the same vicinity from day to look while their night hunting tzations. The fire wardens of t he State Conservation Com­ day. habits, hootings. gobblings and ese fire departments repre­ mission. These tool caches cons1st Although the diets of both the screams have assoctated them with many different occupations­ of back pack pumps, shovels, swat­ long and short-eared owls is 98 sorcerers, \\itches. ghosts and gob­ emakers, buttermakers. gar­ ters, rakes, axes, and the hke. The per cent mice giving them the lins. Only recently has their Yalue nen, storekeepers, president hand tools also serve a useful pur­ shared Litle of ·world Champion in controlling mice and rodents t 1urch brotherhood, farmers, pose helping prevent fire from Mouser, the gentle little saw whet been fully reahzed 1 ' rhe firemen are mostly land­ escaping if someone is going to does its fair share. It is known to A wmter sunset would not be ~s and farmers. These fire burn intentionally. In fact, some consume 60 to 80 mice per week as beautiful without the sight of tmen ts usually are ten or of the caches of tools have not a lot of mice for a little, 8-inch a short-eared owl swooping in a miles from the rural truck been used for actual fire suppres­ owl. late evening hunt, nor would a ,.1'),,.,.,1 town fire depart ment. They sion but have been used many This smallest of the owls is moonlight night be complete with­ >e the first line of attack in limes where controlled burnmg never very common. They also out the plaintive "hoo-hoo-hoo" )f woods or grass fires. They was to take place. migrate from nor thern Minnesota of a great horned owl. Page 9-1 IOWA CONSE R VAT I ONIST

'\I OTOR~- .,Fuzztails" ' ( • n mucd from JIBJ{C !II) Good Year for Too! free?.ing temperatures can be Dc•m n HPhdc•r peeled to bm·st that unit. • When you are certain that t1 "\Vith phl lsat t and quail st~a­ moisture has been eliminated sons runnmg right t hl·ongh mid­ till the lower umt with frC'sh winter. who is going to tnke time Int•tdentally, if you are not to go rabbit hunting.'' one fl'IIO\\' do-it-yout·self bull' or fo1 oth remarkt•d aftl'l' seeing till' hunting 1·easons want to han~ the wmt regulations for this fall. izing done at your local rep Chnnces an' a lot ot hunters will shop, the oil they use is cal take time for This \\'Us n good production yeat· for them, "fogging oil" and contains a r clal 1 usl inhibitor. It is not a\ JUSt as it was for pheasant ancl nhle oyer the {'otmtcr 111 n• quail. and Uwy should be rcnlfily s a.s yet. n·ailabll'. "hetht'r m· twt rabbits enjoy ! ~o spccia I preparations a .. ..,.._ .. the I favored position among fowa ---... · 1 the following season small game, the fact rcmams that - put n properly prepared mot the cottontail is extn•mdy popu­ back in use. Filling the tank lar With the hunting set this linw .... : -:J- - :-..;;..~ • fre;;h gas and checking for f ,_;::- ..... ~"!!"-!: ' ~ ., .. oil quantities is all that is no> of vcar. \Yith our good popula­ ~...... sary. The excess oil is q111rl tions. thl'Y should be offcl'lng :-;ome fine shooting burned out of the engme you're ready for another sumn ( ;nniOuld mdt right into the should draw the rabbit immedi­ cover and not be seen. ately whether you skin it or not .ay \Veather conditions. too are im­ to remove damaged intestines ll portant for the rabbit hunters. that will affect the taste of the In cold weather rabbits will "sit meat ~ tight" and it will take some work \VIth a hunting kntfe, make an lch to kick them from the <'over. inus10n beginning between the When weather is fair and sunny, hind legs cutting all the \\ay to rabbits will usually come from tht.• the lower rib cage Rcach into cov<•r into the warm sunlight. thc body cavity and work the in­ This is especially noticeable thP testine::; loose, pulling l hem and first warm day aftet· a cold snap. the organs from the bony. Then \.nother angle adding to your stuff snow or grass in the cavity rabbit hunting pleasure is the use to help absorb the body heat. The Iowa's 1963 Deer Population Density. IOWA CONSERVATIONIST Page 95 HORNS and ANTLERS Da' id H . Thomp.., on by the hull . the bull or A gt•ea t many large gr

Christmas can be more than just a once a year affair! A Christmas subscription to the IOWA CONSERVATIONIST brings yuletide greetings every month I'"~ 23 for two years. Your order to us by December 18 will start ~63 your gift subscription with the January, 1964, issue . The recipient will be notified of your gift. of the CONSERVATIONIST are a bargain for $1.00 :!lldin~ Onlytis ... J the I e p f r

.,the as~ :\IOTOR ..,__ test have your marine equipment all parent when :-he has hiddtn ean ready for the lirst wmtry blasts. Animal Superstitions fawn and temporarily left to f (Continued fmm JHII{(' !11 J eSU; worthwhile. Repainting saves you your boat will be r<>ady fur its "''{ ( ~ I{S or explore the area. Them~ money in future repairs. Tra1ler captain next yca1· when the bears f ' There is a quaint old belit'f that There is the belief that ll} tires should be checked for proper come out into the sunshine and skunks lind assurance and a bal- give off no odor and are the1et th ma inflation, especially 1f the boat is your motm· ends its winter sleep. anced diet in the skunk cabbage not pursued by predators. ThiS t two f to remain on the trailer through plant. Skunks do not eat this plant not completely true but it ' lO the winter. Now is also the time nor do they take up residence in rect to say that lying quiet JlOllnds. to t·epack the bearings in trailer (Cuntinm·cl from )lagt• !l5 l such patches. The name is de- without movement, a fnwn ,.. 1'' ~tmu wheels. number of points on a deer's ant­ rived from the 1ank "skunk like" less scent than when Ill ' 1 n :Stifte Any routine wear ts best cor­ len; do not tell 1ts age. Beginnmg odo1 that arises \\ ht.n the stalks about The musk\ sct.nt of t1 -llUsman rected now. Points, condensers. with a pair of simple "spikes" in and roots arc broken or bmised adult deet is not produced b} ti illard l coils, gaskets. water pumps, fuel its hrst year, the number increases The leaves resemble cabbage young but some ot the moth ence systems, and plugs need special untll the fifth }eat \\tlh up to leaves. body scent st1.ys \\ ith th • f '''11 ~o allention, and it is easier now to twelve pomts With advancmg In ru1·a1 areas sometimes there 1\'ith BATS J nes• g make the repait·s when the motor age, fe\\ e1 and fe\\ cr points de­ 1s the belief that skunks m barns Pe is not in use. velop unlll an old buck may have presen l a fire hazard It's be- One of the most pt.:rsist nt 5 ter li~ Some mamtenance manuals sug­ only simple sptkes agam. heved that a spark of electricity persl1l10ns is that bat~ gd lll 111 Yanl gest that a plug be removed and Mounted heads of animals with fl·om the ful' of a skunk will ignite women's hait \Yh<>n th1s hn)JP~ caught 1 oil poured in while the motot 1s unusually large, symmct11cal horns gases always present m barns the unfortunate ,,·oman IR ,u cranked by hand This will sumce or antlers are the prized posses­ Needless to say, there is no dan- posed to die within a year or on some engines, but to be safe, sions of big game hunters One gcr in sparks generated from a smgle and in love, he1 romance 1 running the· heavy 011 m1xture as of the most coveted trophtes is skunk's fm not any more than supposed to end abtupth ~ 'l we suggested above will reach the bighorn ram w1th h1s mass1ve from the hair oi a man who would course, the bat would llt mu k PI Rl\ many areas such as needle bear­ curling horns The shovel-like have more teason to he in a bau1 more distressed and fnghten 1 lh five ings on \\ nst pms, rod bear ings, anllers of a record moose have a The only mftammable gases in a than the \\oman if tanglt>d '11 )J e teet and main bearings that mtght be spread of SIX feet or more and barn would usually be inside a tresses. An animal, like lh" bl P., er" m1ssed in the slowet turning by weigh over sixty pounds The cx­ drum of fuel oil able to wing tls way through P 1 ~c records; hand. tmct Irish elk had the largest ant­ black caves and th1ck !Ol't sb t Stan Lubricate all control linl that can dians made hunting bows from the spring What really happens is from danget A bat's watchfuln• l Yaps1 1 best be done now. that the doc becomes suspicious by night is implied 111 the tr:Hilll, idd!tJon t bighorn, garden tools from elk 1 Hcmemher to put a good cover antlers, and spear points from of the neat·by presence of hu­ that 1f a bat is ca1 1ied thn•c tt~ L fish for nat "1 over the boat and trailer if it dccl'. Powder horns for muzzle­ mans from the scent on het , oung around the house and then lS are and remains in hiding for a while. · d ,. 1t a• has to remain outside through the loading guns came from cows and head down over the wu1 O\ 'f 1 Soil) cold and snow, 01 at ll•ast leave the ancient shofar, or 1 am's hOI n, \Vhen the danger appears to be as a charm to ward o.ff e:ll: < ~lh e~ all small boats upside down, and is still blown m Jewish rehgious past, the sti·ong maternal feeling IS still done in certa111 h.IIJO~ t lllt with a fresh <:oat of paint Mo­ l'ltes. In the wild, shed antlers prompts her to t·ct urn to her countries and bats are occasbu hou d0 d I ., ( I 1 t 0 1 tors should b<• stor<>d upnght .,"P soon eaten by gnawing mice fawn ally seen hung head "' ~ Slle ;.d 0 never on their side. an 1thcr rodents Cook Gountv People gE't the mistaken idea the l'ntrance of barns to ,,a !be fj I If you follow these points and Jt'(JI t 1 P rosert'( Dist riel. that fawns arc deserted by the evil. ~ st