nanner- a high' ~ lunit!es • '1 a long ~entt on 1e false 1tat10ns 1e more ew op- e bunt- - lization

DULE Volume 14 NOVEMBER, 1955 Number 11 ilx em I 30Ma.

t 5 ftltt ! ·~" --~ !ti ~.25 5:23 SOME TIPS DEER HU NTING -. 21 --- * * • • t) I * * * * By J ohn l\la.dson I lOW A SPO RTSMEN E d ucation A.,,f~tant I • • 15' When we first thought of writing --u TO BE QUERIED this, we also thought of the Lans­ - - , ' ".. . By Lester F aber ing Strong Man. If ever a poor -5·!0 S to) Jcr in t<' ud ~ ut of Fecl c •·nl A i d deer hunter needed help, he did. 0 :0~ During the first deer season a car 'i •i Early in 1956, some Iowans will bP questioned in a nationwide sur­ wheeled into the drive of the Lans­ vey in an effort to determine just ing deer checking station. Draped how much time, money and effort over its fender was what appeared - -5 01 1s being spent on outdoor recrea­ to be a Guernsey bull with a rock­ -4:i9 tion. ing chair on its head. The husky --4:5~ Last year the International As­ young driver got out and said 4 ,,, "Boys, you can weigh this deer if 4 •• sociation of Game, Fish and Con­ servation Commissioners, pointing you can get it off and put it back; out that little is known of the I'm whipped!" scope of our outdoor a ctivities, Il seems that the hunter had urged the U. S Fish and Wildlife jumped the 240-pound buck in a Service to sponsor a survey of grassy swale back in the Allama­ American sportsmen. The idea was kee Mountains. H e kllled it with adopted by the government and his first shot and then hog-dressed the project was assigned to a pri­ il. He didn't consider dragging the vate firm: Crossley, S-D Surveys deer and somehow hoisted the car­ of New York. This national in­ cass up on his shoulders and lugged vestigation will he financed out of it over the steep htlls for more the federal aid funds normally held than a mile. by the Fish and Wildlife Service Nothing is harder to handle than for administration of the federal a fresh-killed deer; it's just plumb aid program, and will cost $134,000. dead a ll over. With every step the A State Survey buck's heavy head swung and prod­ ded our hunter with 16 antler While information in the nation­ tines. He didn't dare put the deer al survey is of interest to Iowans, down or he'd never have gotten it leaves some questions of stale­ started again, and he carried his Rex Pendry Photo. wide importance unanswered, and This batte red young c: eda r, surro unded by tra mpled sod, Is sure d eer sign. Vet era n hunt· gun by crooking two fingers the Iowa Conservation Commission ers wa tc:h for suc:h c:lu es a nd often ma ke pre-hunt surveys of a n area to dete rm ine where through the trigger guard. By the has requested Crossley Surveys to the de er a re and to lea rn the la y of the la nd. time the young hunter reached the make a concurrent survey for the road he was almost a s dead as the use of Iowa alone. Since the mate­ deer. H e also ran the rtsk of being rial for Iowa's use will be gathered What Is A Good All-Around Shot? shot by another hunter, but he at the same time as the national probably would have welcomed information, the Iowa survey will What constitutes a good all­ He may be a crack shot in the field, that. cost $17,000, far less than normal. around shot? This complimentary but unable to master the clay tar­ A veteran deer hunter might According to the Conservation title has been bestowed on many get sports. It is entirely possible, have turned the animal on its back Commission, our outdoor recreation sportsmen, but too often the term as experience has proved time and and extended the front legs for­ has become big business, involving has been carelessly or unthinking­ again, for him to be one of the ward. Then a stout 3-foot stick millions of dollars and hundreds of ly used. leading shots in small bore rifle could be slipped beneath the head thousands of Iowans of all ages. To qua lify as a really GOOD all­ shooting competition and still lose to support it and keep it from Like any big business, it is neces­ around shot, the gunner must be his composure entirely at the flush flopping. The front legs of the deer sary to know something of the quite versatile in more shooting of a covey of quail or the sight of would be lashed firmly to the stock inventory and the activities departments than the average per­ a running deer. He can rank high stick. The hunter could then back of the customers. son realizes. To be worthy of the with the shotgun and rUle and yet, up to the deer, bend down, and Inventories of stock-our fish distinction which the term GOOD figuratively speaking, be unable to straighten up with a good hold on and game--are already kept by all-around shot implies, the shooter hit a barn door with a hand gun. the carrying stick and walk away, state biologists and conservation must be proficient in the use of all And so he could not qualify as a sliding the deer behind him. If r officers who observe trends in fish types of sporting firearms and in GOOD all-around shot. there were two hunters, one for· 4 • and game populations. But the ac­ all kinds of shooting. So the next time you refer to each end of the short drag stick, I ...-'j !I (I __.. tions of the customers- Iowa hunt­ A man may be a top-flight clay some friend as "a GOOD all­ the deer could be easily skidded for· ...... ~ltl· ers and anglers~are somewhat target shooter, both at the traps around shot" it might be well to miles, especially on snow e~~urir.; hazy and a re not accurately re- and skeet, but pretty much of a take another look-see or qualify But all of this come.s later in the tContinued on page 184) dud with a target rUle in his bands. (Continued on pa~e 183) 1 Continued on paze 182) Page 178 IOWA CONSERVATIONIST

Iowa Conservationist goose calling champion at Missour1 -

P b 1shed H ontn 1 by the Valley on October 2. lOW A CONSERVATION COMMISSION Clarence Faulk, 52, of L ake East 7th and Court -Des Moines, Iowa C'harles, Louisiana, has hunted (No R1ghts Reserved) ducks and geese since he was 8, LEO A. HOEGH, Governor of Iowa and h1s experience was apparent in BRUCE STILES, Director his goose calling Faulk, a duck JOHN M ADSON. Editor and goose call manufacturer, is the EVELYN b U HER Ass lOt"' Ed1 r father of the thu·d place contest MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION winner, Paul "Dud" Faulk, who Gt:OkGF M Fl.. STl :n l a 1 n a .Ott mwa JOE ST AN :'ON, V1CL U a.1m::m .De.. Momes won the international duck calling MRS. JOHN CRABB ...... Jammca contest last year at Crowley, Lou­ GEORGE V. JECK...... Spmt Lake FLOYD S. PEARSON ...... Decorah isiana J. D. REYNOLDS ...... Creston An esllmated crowd of 7,000 E G TROST Fort Dodge watched Faulk take the crown from the 1954 champion, Frank CIRCULATION THIS ISSUE 52,500 Heidelbauer of Ankeny. The senior Sub ;cnpt n rate. 40c per year Faulk rece1ved a $1,000 U. S. Sav­ Th ree Ye ars Sl.OO Entered a ;ec• >nd cia matter at the mgs Bond and the Jimmy Robmson post off ice m De Momt . I •wa September T1ophy for h1s feat Upon receiv­ 22, 1947, under the Act of March 24, 1912 Subscriptions received at Conservahon mg h1s trophy, Faulk commented CommiSSIOn, East Seventh and Court "DO\>.'n home we pride ourselves on Avenue, Des Moines 9, Iowa. Send cash, ch('ck or money order. om southern hospitality, but it's no warmer than the courtesy and friend::;hip that we've been shown here in Iowa." DEER HUNTING An Iowa n placed second in the REGULATIONS contest with Don Drustrup of MIS­ souri Valley calling his way to a OPEN SEASON For shotgun trophy and a 14-foot aluminum w1th r1fled slugs only, from boat Third place winner was Aot December 3 through Decem­ "Dud" Faulk, son of the champion, dilc ber 5. who received a trophy and an auto­ • loading shotgun DAILY SHOOTING HOURS : Othe1 winners were: For gun hunting, from 9 · 00 Top fi e ld a nd be n(; h honors w ere t a ken in the championship coon hunt by " Ba wlle", a a.m. to 4 :00 p.m. Walke r hound owned by 24-year-old J ames Merchant of Grandchain, Ill inois. 4 Ralph Kohler, Tekamah, Ne­ • * ~ * braska LI MIT: Dally bag hmit one ( 1) NEW WORLD'S CHAMPIONS 5. Harold Alger, Missouri Val­ deer; possession limit one (1) CROWNED IN lOWA ley, Iowa deer; season lim1t one ( 1) 6 Eugene Demko. Columbus, bel deer Last month saw two new cham­ winner was Rock, a redbone male Nebraska heJ WEAPONS· 10-12-16-20 gauge pionships set in Iowa and, Iromcal­ hound belonging to W. P (Billy) 7 Sam Strain, Logan, Iowa pia shotguns with rifled slugs ly, neither went to an Iowan Meriwether of Jackson, Tennessee 8 Calvin Collms, L ogan, Iowa. thE only On October 10 the Hawkeye Other winners were 9 George Ray, Boone, Iowa State played host to the World's Prt a ll) , a treeing Walker female COUNTIES OPEN · All Iowa Championship Wild Coon Hunt at 10. Joe Christensen, Omaha. Ne­ thi owned by Glenn B1xlet of Co1 ning, braska counties open to deer hunting. Bloomfield, and on October 2 to the Wil Iowa. World's Champ10nsh1p Goose Call­ 11 Vmcent Reis Laurens, Iowa. lSI) SEX OF DEER Deer of any and) , a black and tan male the age or sex may be taken ing Contest at Missoun Valley. 12 Charles Frye, Independence, Dogs from 25 stales were p res­ owned by Duane Ruckman of Co­ MI SSOUl'i. gt'( lumbia City, Indiana, and lied w1th hki LICENSE NUMBER AND IN­ ent at the champiOnship coon hunt, Judgmg of the contest was based WiJ SIGNIA · All hunters reqmred according to J ohn Kyl of Bloom­ peel<, a treeing Walker male on general excellence of calling. to purchase licenses must pos­ field. Kyl writes that the buntmg owned by W. R. Hazel of Hodgen­ lack of false notes, volume and 1 sess a 1955 oeer license and competition took place during three ville, Kentucky. clanty. No public address system Pie a 1 wear a red license number nights, for four-hour limed hunts Kyl reports that all breeds were was used. and mstgnia provided when each night. represented, with several Plott Judges were Mllfred Smith, fed­ llllt hunting deer. The 'coon huntmg contest was hounds and several blueticks scor­ eral refuge manager from Burt. fro tur swept by Bawlie, a Walker hound ing high. Iowa: Vern Jacobsen of St. Paul, LICENSE NOT REQUIRED: owned by James Merchant of This was the first year, accord­ Nebraska, a member of the N e­ we Owners or len..~.nts of land and Grandchain, Illinois, who look top ing to Kyl, that the contest has braska State Game Commission: 1'h their children living on said un hunting and bench honors. Runner­ ever been held west of the MiSSIS­ and W. H. "Bill" Lemburg of land may hunt, kill and pos­ up was Drum, a black and tan sippi. It was held last year in Boelus, Nebraska, a commercial hUt sess one deer w1thout a deer male owned by Bernard Hole of J ackson, Tennessee, and th1s year's breeder of ducks and geese. std license provtded, it is not re­ Darlington, Indiana Th1 rd-place con tes tan ts reported southern dts moved from said land, whole "' .. Iowa's 'coon country as some of E arth and fish worms have no \\i or in part, unless tagged with the finest they had ever hunted. special senses such as that of seal affixed to ammal. These The hounds were judged by lheu· heanng or sight, but they do re­ tags are a vallable from all ab1hty to strike tlail and tree the spond to mechamcal stimulus. A local con sen ation officers. raccoons. and whethe1 or not they peculiarity of this response to me­ LOCKING SEAL A metal completed the hunt or· returned to chanical stimulus is that they will lockmg seal bearing license their handlers prematurely Dogs move away from it 1f it is inter­ number of licensee and year were severely penalized for molest­ mittent, but 1f the stim ulus is of of issuance must be affixed to mg livestock or trailing other a contmuous nature they will leave the carcass of each deer be­ game. No raccoons are taken 01 their burrows and actually try to tween the tendon and bone of killed in these major tnals. seek out the source of the dis­ hind leg before carcass can be Judges for the championship turbance The reasons that so many transported hunt were local hunters who spent worms are seen about during or s1x months studying rules and all after ram storms is that the gentle DOGS, ETC · The use of dogs, 1 ule situations. Guides were local vtbrations set up in the soil by the domestic animals, automo­ farmers. patter of the rain on the earth biles, aircraft, or any me­ surface altracts the worms from chanical conveyance, salt, or A deadly duet Is pla yed by the world's A weather-beaten Louisiana their lairs rather than by drown­ goose calling champion, Cl a re nce Fa ulk, ba1l is proh1b1ted and his son Paul The younger Faulk p laced hunter came up from the deep ing them out as is commonly be­ third In the goose calling contest . south to become the new world's lieved. FI H . - IOWA CONSERVATIONIST Page 179 issoun calcium, phosphorus and other I About the time the leaves begin minerals which make delicious eat- to fall, the velvet withers and Lake ing for mice and other animals. cracks at the tip of the anller. bunted Too, an antler is m ore porous and Then a little rubbing by the buck was s. perhaps easier to gnaw; it's a kmd husks it off. Velvet peels off qutck­ rent in of mineral cafeteria for small ani- ly, sometimes within 24 hours, and 1 duck mals that quickly chew it away. slips off except for shreds clinging ts the Mr. Skeptic would find dropped to the roughest parts. It's quite a :ontest antlers 1f he got there before the s ight to see a buck stripping velvet :, who rodents. I from his antlers. calling When the antler begins growing I Bucks continue to rub their ant­ Lou- It pulses with blood and feels soft lers against springy young trees and rubbery. Later the growing durmg the mating season. Hunters 7,000 bene hardens, first at the base and who know this look for skinned crown then upward toward the tip so that saplings to locate the range of • Frank each section is harder than the sec- their trophy deer, arguing that the sen1• tion above. The tip remains soft bucks are still rubbing off velvet; ,, Sav­ and eas1ly broken as long as it others say they are sharpening binson g rows. These growing antlers must antlers. A glance at an antler will receiv­ be sensitive, because bucks use show you that both ideas are nented great care to protect them at this wrong. ves on Lime. You'll find flat pla ces worn on ut it's How they maneuver their tender the base of each antler by the in­ ;y and racks through the tough under- cessant rubbing which is done long ~h ow n brush is a puzzle. There's e" idence after the velvet is gone. You'll also that some of them do have t rouble. find the antler smoothed by rub­ m the You'll find clues: a growing antler bing- not sharpened. When the Jf Mis· will repair a greenstick fracture velvet is first shed, points on the · to a or cuts and bruises, but the hard- antler are actually dapper-sharp. ninum - - J im !

• J for t r e ~ ' Wet A P.ot her 16 s r Iii, tJil!, lloh her' tell( Por1 be 1 Fa rm forest er Alla n Allyn t ries his hand a t t he Pa int Creek sawmill. Pa rt of the fa rm Milo Peterson (left), Yellow Riv er Foreste r, and Carl Anderson, Burlington Ordnan~e '!' foreste r's job Is a dvising farmers how to get the most marketable or usable lum ber out Pla nt Forester, s ~al e a fresh plank. They had already e stimated total board feet in the by of a log, tree, and measured finished lumber to see If they were right. They were. "itt IOWA CONSERVATIONIST Page 181

: Year, nails out of the frame. After land­ the mouths and eyes of most crea­ Uld go ing on the porch the bird couldn't BRE'R TOAD'S SECRET tures including man. We can't feel :award ltJ~ ].alll.~ .. find its way out because the screen WEAPON its effects on our skin, but don't ng out S!1op Talk from the Field had fallen back against the frame. ever pick a toad up in your mouth! e had Becker was notified, and found J ohn l\ladson This poison, contained in the Education \."!ooh.ta n t largest quantity in the big paro­ Late last summer, long before that the bird had only a few Wife scratches around its head. He An old hop toad isn't a very toid glands just behind the head, the pheasant season took off, Con- can cause temporary blindness in asked. servation Officers Ben Davis and caught the pheasant, released it on mean customer. He doesn't have to get the outskirts of Independence, and much in the way of muscles, al­ the eyes of man and animal. But ly an- Guy Krall were patrolling an area restored peace to the Titsworth most nothing in the tooth and claw it can't cause warts. Warts are in northern Iowa. correlated with many conditions, household. line, and isn't very bright. Except When they heard a gunshot in a ~- for being the ugliest thing in sight, including dietary deficiencies, but i done * * nearby section of land, they drove * he doesn't bother anything but never with a toad's skin. 1et the over to investigate, and found a Our most common toad, the Am­ I, and bugs. car parked in a hayfield. The of­ erican toad or Buto americanus} is vthing ficers parked their car beside the He never looks for trouble, but when it comes he has several ways of fairly small size and has only a those vehicle and walked ahead to con­ small amount of this poison at its ISband of handling it. One: he can puff sult the shooter, who was seen in up with air in order to prevent command. Even so, a garden toad said. the distance returning to his car. can cause a small dog or other lad to being swallowed by certain toad­ Although the man vehemently eating snakes. But this doesn't al­ animal to froth at the mouth or his he even vomit. Down Mexico way should denied that he was pheasant hunt­ ways help much, since some rep­ ing, Davis had a hunch that he had tiles like the hog-nosed snakes have there is a giant toad, Bufo marinus, seen the gunner drop something special teeth that can prick Bre'r that may measure 8lh inches from . he stem to stern, and it's poison. It dyna· beside a distant fenceline. Just to Toad's balloon and deflate him to be certain the officer hiked down swallowing size. has been known to kill and para­ the fenceline and eventually found lyze dogs. Even men handle it with H e can also feign death, playing ~son great care. a freshly-killed pheasant. possum with the best of them. t that In the meantime the hunter, The venom of this enormous toad e only This isn't so good either, for many has been used for centuries by cleared of all but the faintest sus­ critters like dead things to eat, ~- for picion, had sprinted to his car. The South American Indians as poison cha including dead toads. Or, the toad for arrow tips. Two Johns Hopkins engine roared to life as the hunter Ashby re ported that some of t he st ones In may eject urine, but some of the University scientists in 1912 knew wheeled his car in a circle and the beave r d a m weighed over 20 pounds. mammals that are supposed to be ,smen, headed for the road and escape. At * * .. • * of this deadliness as arrow poison, o has offended don't really mind much. but were even more interested in that exact moment the car ran out Wes Ashby, Conservation Officer So, when things look blackest • For of gas. at Fayette, writes: various drug properties of the toad claim and everything else fails, he still venom. When Davis and Krall reached "In this game of conservation, has his secret weapon in the warts eleven the car the violator was slumped we are continually learning some­ Toad skins have long been used arried that stud his back and sides. by the Chinese for various diseases, over the wheel, almost in tears. thing new about the habits and These warts are actually small ~rungs Moral: Next to being honest} activities of the creatures of the 9-nd as long ago as 1672 powdered :with poison glands. When a toad's in toad was recommended by Eu­ having plenty of gas is the best wild, and frequently some of the trouble he can contract the muscle policy. things they do and the resourceful- ropean druggists for nosebleeds, p and fibres in these small glands and dropsy and other ailments. * * * * ness they display borders on hu- exude a milky venom that is liquid ife is man ranges of intelligence. The two Johns Hopkins scien­ cook. fire to the mucus membranes of

dam, securing their masonry with ....cl'- f.<( - mud and sticks for mortar. Some •'' of the limestone rocks used must weigh 20 to 30 pounds and are placed two feet above the stream A clear ease of housebreaking, but Office r bed. J im Beeker tur~d the culprit loose. • • * "I have seen dozens of beaver Jim Becker, Conservation Officer dams before but have never seen for Buchanan and Delaware coun­ or heard of rocks being used in the ties, was called 10 recently on a construction. The stone slabs in weird case of housebreaking. this dam were in plentiful supply An Independence housewife, Mrs. in the river bed, but some certainly Robert Titsworth, heard noises in had to be moved several feet. Local her home like something banging residents have smce told me that against a wall. they have seen s1milar dams in AS I( Several trips to the basement this area." THE.. failed to reveal anything, but each FARM C.~ time she returned upstairs the The fcod of the crayfish consists noises began again. Then one of mostly of the flesh of dead ani­ her children ran downstairs and mals lying on the bottom. In ad­ reported a "pigeon on the sleeping dition they prey upon any live porch." That pigeon turned out to animal that they can catch and be a hen pheasant. hold. These may include snails, The bird had entered the porch tadpoles, insects, and even small by flying into a screen window fish. Neither are they adverse to with such force that it pulled the eating one another.-H.H. - lll lch l~ Dept. o( Con.ael"r.ltlOD. Page 182 IOWA CONSERVATIONIST - gray, a leg, an antler tine, or the Ideer will have a lightning effect, curve of a hunch. Somethmg but a wound in the paunch may like sqmrrel hunting, when you 'just spur the animal to greater may watch for a fluff of orange effort. Aim at a specific spot in tat! or two ears and the lop of a the deer's chest region and not just head Hunt wtth mfinite care and al lhe entire animal.

don't be misled by opmions that If you do wound the deer, take 1t Iowa deer are as tame as calves easy and wait at least 15 minutes They aren't. Not durmg the hunt- before tr·atling him If not pressed mg season. . too closely, the dee1 will usually Deer often ctrcle when Jumped, he down and stiffen up. On snow and rarely. hold t~ a slratght the tt-ail will be eas1ly followed but course. Whtle trackmg a deer 10 thts may be tough on bare ground. snow, some_ experience~ hunte~s Some expert deer hunters say that ad~tse kee~mg . to o~e stde of bts if you lose the trail of a wounded tratl. huntmg ID wtde . loops and deer, and that if everything else cuttmg back to the tratl to see tf fatls, wait a while and then head you're sbll following it. By hunt- fot lhe nearest water. There's a mg such a parallel course a bun- chance that the deer did too. dred yards or so to the side of the Handling Your Deer deer trail and stopping to look ahead, to the sides, and bellmd you, It tsn't necessary to "stick" a you may beat the deer at hts own deer and bleed it if you plan to game. You may even catch him field-dress the animal. To hog­ doubling back. dress a deer you can either turn , Trailing deer is an art. and can it ovel' on its back bead up-hill. 01 only be learned by long experience hang it in a tree with one of those We don't know much about It, ex­ httle block and tackles made for AcCI cept that it's not good to wall{ the purpose. Make an mctston from hanc dtrectly in a fresh trail Even a the back of the breastbone to the running deer will halt to check crotch. Be careful not to cut into hts back trail, and can easily see a the innards With the belly opened, AI hunter followmg htm carefully free the stomach and cut The hooting it off at both ends. Some hunters yo~ I completely cut out the anus in the shd If you never have before, check field; others do it later. Lungs may your shotgun's performance Wtth be removed by cutting the trachea, w:u rifled slugs before going bunting slitting the diaphragm, and pulling 11 Do il on paper, firing at least a the lungs out of the chest cavity. wet H4·x Pt-nclry Photo Prompt fi eld dressing ea n mean the diffe re nce between prime venison and t ainted deer dozen rounds to see how your gun Always remove the genitals of a tut1 meat . Onee ope ned , the body cavity of a d eer should be eooled quickly , a nd a eareass handles this unusual fodder. Your buck deer as soon as possible. sho s hould neve r ride on a e ar fe nder near a hot engine. • whole bunt will binge on yoUt· ene Save the liver and heart; fresh SPQ posstble, v1s 1t the area a few limes weapon's performance, so know Deer Hunting . . . cteet hver ts deliciOus. tha before the season lo gel lhe lay of what it's going to do and how it Two hunters camped nea1 Mc­ f<'ontunH·I prospective deer hunting area. If Tra.ilin~ rrips Rift~ Sr "' The actual hunt should be one of great caution and pattence. Deer can detect a moving man far easier le c 01 than a man can see a movmg deer I lla Good deerhunlers often slill-hunt; I sometimes sitting for hours until p"~ deet are slated up by movmg Sj hunters who never see lhem Tty I ) ~ it. Take a vantage point where LUN(l-S--H""'T" 'I' you control the terrain and just but stay put, constantly vtgtlant. H EAR T_l,L..,.~ The experts claim thal while COl walk-hunting, you should move and slo•vly and hunt deliberately. Some no "' old Indian once said (we presume \\'it it was an old Indian) lhal "If you move at all, you go too fast." Walk gOoi do111 with painful slowness, slopping fre­ quently and fot long periods to tnt. Peri Rc>< l'cn

effect, 1 may reater pot in nt ju~t

::ake it mutes r~sed ·ually snow ~but round. that unded 5 else head re's a

ck" a an to hog­ . turn .. . , Jim Shennan Pho tu Jill, or Multiflora rose h1ps are a fin e w1ldllfe food In winter, a time when other foods may b e scarce. The stockproof hedges also furnish wildlife cover and escape from weather and those e ne mies. le for Jim ~hermon Photo. "' * t from According to the survey, a man can't qualify as a good all-around shot unless he can handle the short gun. With his revolver score of 91, Conservation Officer Lloyd Huff group expressed itself as willing to GROWING YOUR :o the qua lifie s. doff their hats and call him a tinto * GOOD all-around shot. OWN FARM FENCE At quail ...... 50', >ened, The fellow who rates this classi­ All-Around Shot • • • At pheasant!; ...... 70"r P a ul Lt>a\'erton td cut I Continued from pa~e 17i 1 At grouse . . . • ....•... 35' < fication is a really versatile gunner. mters At woodcock ...... 50'i- "ul}erinh•ude ut of G:Hne your remarks by adding with a At ducks ton pa!!s ot· over He is not hkely to win many target in the shotgun and/or rifle, elc., if you tall timber) . shooting championships, except Because of the many advantages s may want to be absolutely correcl. (over decoys or jump perhaps in the Class title events over ordinary wire fences, multi­ shooting J 75'1 1chea, Recently a number of sportsmen and when the hot shots fall down. flora rose for living farm fence is ,ulling were interviewed on what consti­ No effort was made to arrive at But he will have no need to be growing in popularity among Iowa :avity. tutes a really GOOD all-around percentages in woodchuck, other ashamed of his shooting in any farmers. R ose seedlings, when of a shot. These men had wide experi­ varmint or deer shooting. It was company, will be able to make it planted 6 to 8 inches apart, grow to e. ence in every phase of the shooting believed that the rifle shooter who interesting for the best of them, become a dense, thorny hedge fence fresh sports, and it was surprising to find could qualify as outlined above and it's a safe bet that he'll get his 6 to 8 feet tall and impervious to that several did not consider them­ could get his share of both small fatr s hare of game in the field. livestock. r ;\fc· selves capable of meeting the re­ and large four-footed game. If the Rate yourself and see if you stack ~ost of these fences have been gunner could qualify with the up as a GOOD all-around shot­ started from seedlings purchased 1 slice quirements they themselves sug­ r kill· gested as qualifications for the above scores a nd percentages, this Remington A rms Company. from the State Forest Nursery; slice term. Known deficiency in at least ':' ...... • .,. * small plants that were started from * seed gathered from established !Y ate one phase of shooting caused them ~---:---~------~------r-----.---- · g and to eliminate themselves from con- farm fences and planted in October tnsing sideration, yet all were pretty well or November. other m accord when it came to outlin­ Since multiflora rose fences are ing what constitutes a GOOD all­ well established and growing in around shot. every county, it's an easy matter to The consensus of opmion of this gather a few seeds for your own living farm fence. group was that if a man can con­ sistently make the followmg scores, Multiflora rose frmt turns red a round the first of October. Each he is well qualified to be called a I red berry, or hip, contains about a GOOD all-around shot at targets: dozen seeds and a few handsful of 'J'raps (16 yards)...... 4Gx 50 these berries may produce several Skeel (all bore, 12, 16 and 20) .. 46x 50 Skeet (28 or 410 gauge) . ·12x 50 thousand seeds. A gallon of hips may yield up to a pound of seed, Riflr : Small bore !Dewar course, )lronl', and there are 70,000 seeds in a 20 shots at 50 yards, 20 shot,; pound. at 100 yards.. . •. a!IOx~OO There are several methods of 30 Caliber: Off hand at 200 yards ...... ·llx 50 separating seeds from pulp. If only Rapid fire at 200 yards l standing a few seeds are required you can I to sitting 1 • • •••••••••• -l6x 50 rub them out on a screen. The best I P istol : Slow fire at 50 yards ...... lHxlOO way to extract the seeds is to soak T1me fire at 25 yards ...... 92xl00 the berries in water for about 24 // RllJ)id fire at 25 yards. . . . . 88x100 ( hours. Drain off most of the water This is a pretty good-sized order, and mash the fruits with a blunt but then we are talking about a stick until most of the seeds have GOOD all-around shot, at targets. separated from the pulp. Add more When It comes to upland game water and dram off the top. The and waterfowl shooting, there is good seeds settle to the bottom of no definite yardstick for scoring. the container and may then be re­ With the exception of duck and moved, dried and planted in the goose shooting, the gunner is sel­ fall. The seeds must over-winter in dom set and every shot is differ­ the ground in order to insure prop­ ent. However, this group of ex­ er germination. perienced field shooters were in The SPNl Bed general agreement on the following For each thousand seeds. prepare percentages for the GOOD all­ If you don't measure up to win g-shooting requirements, sharpen your shooting eye on a bed 3 feet wide and 10 feet long. around field shot: crows-tough, smart, tricky targets. I Continued on pa J~: c I !'4 ) Page 184 IOWA CONSERVATIONIST

Questions ... Deer Hunting . . . (Continued f rom page 177) (Continued from page 1821 fleeted in license sales alone. The I body cavity open to cool it and n< Iowa part of the survey is being experienced hunter will transpor conducted to find out, statis tically, a fresh carcass on a car fendet just what our sportsmen are doing next to the bot engine. Putting With such information available the deer into a car trunk 1sn't bac the Conservation Commission can in cold weather, but a cartop car· better evaluate its programs and rier is best of all. Cover the car keep the customers happier. cass with a tarp to keep it clean The survey will cover the calen- I Most hunters also agree that vem- dar year of 1955 and will probably I son should be hung for several day ~ be taken from n e xt J a nuary before it is frozen or processed through April or May. The final I and that it is not at its best when results should be analyzed, tabulat­ fresh. It may be hung in a closed ed and ready for release by June. garage, away from kids a nd pets \ Que tioning or in any cool, protected place Questions will be asked of ran­ (And speaking of processing-if . domly-selected I owans and esti- 1 you have your deer handled in a mates will be made of our total locker, try getting some of the 1 hunting, fishing and outdoor activi­ venison chipped and cured, like - Jim Shennan Photo. chipped beef It's out of thls ties. These questions may cover One of our ugliest animals, the common toad is also one of the most harmless and be nefi · sums spent on equipment, what cial. Will be recruited in man's fight against disease? world) species of fi sh and game were pur­ * One other mino1 point. We'r e aim of deer hunting regulations S W told that the boys m the traditiOnal sued, and where and bow . is to keep the herd small enough ecret ea pon . . . Husbands won't be put on the to keep it well-fed. (Continued f rom page 181) dee1 states follow a defimte custom spot during the survey since they Some bunters, in their zest for tists, John Abel and David Macht, in claiming O\\.'llersbip of a deer won't be queried in the presence of trophies, judge their deer hunt a began working with excretions of The law of the woods in these areas their wives. The specific questions complete failure if a wise buck es- the giant toad and isolated two im­ is that the last man to put a slug to be used will be held confidential capes them. Well, a mounted head portant principles. One was a drug in a deer, regat·dless of who jumped 0 by the company and will not be­ does make a proud trophy, yet a si mil~r to those once used to stop it and shot first, is the man who · come public until results are pub­ big buck gives the woods a glam- bleedmg a?d tre.a:. shock. The claims the deer Even though it OJ may be a wounded deer that som e­ mi lished. our and mystery which is lost when other was 'bu!ag m , a ~u~stanc e Crossley Surveys b as already he is gone. Let him go and there's I whose pr~p~rt t es were s1mllar to one is trailing. the man who finally :al 01 held test sampling on a national always the promise of another those of ~1g1t ah s, a drug long us~d drops it IS the m an who keeps 1t. basis and is "very gratified" at the hunt· another set of a ntlers will for treatmg heart and other dis- Right or wrong, that's the way ::la they do it in many localities. Wil res ults. Nationally, the survey is begin' to grow next spring; the new orders. 1 me expected to be within 5 per cent trophy may be even larger.-Mis- Modern workers with the Na- Well, this has been a sort of accurate and to within 10 per cent skimpy treatment, but we hope jre sonri Conservationist. tional H eart Institute have con- tra accurate on a stat e level. The vari­ tinued these old investigations of it's of som e help. Don't forget the ation in accuracy is due to the toad venom with newer and bet- checking stations; the biologists e n~ larger sample in the national s ur­ Farm Fenc e ... bo (Continued from page 183) ter equipment. A ccording to Dr. would like to check your deer's age vey. There are 1,000 seeds in a level I Charles Bogert, Curator of Reptiles and weight for their records. Wear " Di For the first time, a full-scale tablespoonful. a nd Amphibians of the American plenty of red, ask the farmer first, ?.ill attempt is being m ade to learn Plant in rows 9 inches apart and Museum of Natural History, these and be careful of those rifled slugs something of the activities and ex­ Good lwntinq. att about 40 seeds per foot. Cover new investigations have uncovered mm penditures of sportsmen, and the with 11, -inch of soil or ~ -inch of still another valuable substance in san1 results may be staggering. Hawk­ It sand. sand does not pack or bake. toad venom. is a s ubstance iden- Greater Love . . . tea eye sportsmen are urged to give Add 6 inches of straw mulch, which tical to serotonin, a material only (Conlinut•d from pnge 180) um careful, considered answers, and to will prevent the seeds from coming recently found to be in human I a t 3 :30 or 4 :00 in the mormng. 'I1 be completely honest even when the up too early in the spring and pro- blood. Jim was a bit afraid that maybe questions get around to fishing suc­ basi teet them from a late f reeze. This substance is evidently in- it should all be kept qUi et that cess. pota Next spring, lift the straw mulch valved in the mechanism that con­ if something were said about his Ill en occasionally. As soon as young trois bleeding in the human body good fortune it might upset the gam Trophy ... plants begin pushing through the Before discovering the material in arrangement. ion (Continued from page 179) soil remove most of the mulch, toad venom, only tiny quantities of "No," said the others, "That ~ga would cook up so tough you lea ving only a thin layer that the serotonin had been isolated from woman should be given some :0 d plants can penetrate without hundreds of tons of beef blood. credit . . . you can't hardly find couldn't s tick a fork in the gravy. ..~e tr Who believes tender venison is the smothering. K eep the plants free IB ogert states that "in human them no more." pr main object of a deer hunt nowa­ from weeds all summer. beings it is held captive in the So, fellows, you might clip this the t little a r ticle out and take it home days? Allow them to remain in the seed colorless discs in the blood called SU!n( with you . . . just to prove that W e need to make a point h ere. bed all winter, and the following 'platelets', but when injury rup­ m o~ While it's generally true that older spring trans plant them to a perma- tures the platelets this serotonin such a thing can happen and does happen right here m Chero­ Th bucks g row larger antlers, it's also nent site. is released in minute quantities the g true that bette?·-fed bucks g row In transplanting, cut the tops and causes the walls of the blood kee. Cherokee Courier. ~eat larger antlers. back 4 inches above the ground and vessels to contract." Th~ y fertilize with a complete fertilizer For the firs t time, serotonm is The ideal v.'inter storage location By now you've guessed that the arne at the rate of 300 pounds per acre bemg made available in large quan- 1f or your boat is a well-ventilated number of points on an antler does ent not tell a buck's age. In fact, we Protect the young fence from tities from venom of the giant garage or other shelter. If you nt c know that young bucks commonly weeds and livestock for two years. toad, and is being used with radio- I store in a too-dry place, damage 11 Of By the third year the fence should act1ve substances to determine if can result. grow 6 to 8 poi;ots on their first set ilnd a of antlers, and a few even produce turn back livestock and within 5 it is involved in body processes Never store a boat in a confined t rea~ 10 or 12. Dean Murphy, Missouri years it will be well estabhshed that are upset when human disease furnace room or in your basement gOOd Conservation C'ommiss10n biologist, Local conservation officers and occurs. close to the furnace. If the base- soil conservationists can dtrect you In s pite of his ugliness, the toad ment .seems your best bet, pick :a~lly exammed the records from deer­ .Ace checking stations and came up to rose fences in your area from has a lways been an ally in man's out the best ventilated spot with garne wtth the evidence that 63 per cen t which you can obtain seed. This fight against msects But it's the least dryness or dampness and method of growing your own multi- starthng to consider that his milky store away from any heat or wa ter ~urcJ of yearling deer have three pomts l{)ns ~ flora ro~e fence may take a llttle venom the A-Bomb of the toad sources.- Thc Fisherma11. or more on the1r first set of ant­ a lc lers. time but it's worth it. It will beau- world may someday be used in ce re. Young animals grow excellent tify your farm, prO\'ide protection -nan's fight against disease. \Valves may have as many as 12 young at a time, while it."i I p.q~ antler:;, and this means more and nesting cover for song birds Ch ) trophy deer for hunters so long and game and serve as an efficient I Crayfish are more active at smaller cousin, the coyotes, often as the deer are well-fed So one fence. night than during daylight - B .H. has 14 young at one birth.-H.B .