a Page 2 FEBRUARY, 1955 NATIONAL WILDLIFE JANUARY MEETING OF THE WEEK DATES SET GAME COMMISSION National Wildlife Week has been set At its January meeting, the Oregon for March 20 to 26 and has for its theme State Game Commission elected Del- "Save America's Wetlands!" Goal of bert Gildersleeve of Baker as chairman Wildlife Week, sponsored by the Na- for the 1955 calendar year. He suc- tional Wildlife Federation, is twofold: ceeds J. H. Van Winkle of Oregon City. (1) to disabuse the public of the com- This is Mr. Gildersleeve's second term mon but erroneous idea that every as chairman. marsh or swamp is a nuisance area that Routine matters acted upon by the An index of the 1954 Game Commis- ought to be drained, and (2) to set in Game Commission at its meetings on sion Bulletins has been prepared and motion a series of constructive actions January 14 and 28 included the follow- copies are available upon request. designed to preserve or restore our liv- ing: *** ing wetlands. The new issue-of wildlife conservation Capital outlay expenditures author- Sauvie Island Management Area sta- stamps may be purchased from the Na- ized: $358 for wire pen to protect At- tistics show that during the past hunting tional Wildlife Federation, 232 Carroll lantic brood stock at Klamath hatchery; season 9,972 hunters killed 15,431 ducks, Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. $3,000 for new fish racks at Spencer 290 geese and 897 pheasants. The year Creek in Klamath county; $1,000 for before 9,774 hunters took 9,518 ducks, Printed copies of the official synopsis pheasant brood coops at E. E. Wilson 212 geese and 973 pheasants. of the 1955 angling regulations will be Management Area; $300 for wide angle *** available for distribution around the lens and field tape recorder for informa- The 1953-54 biennial report of the first of March. tion and education division and $500 for Game Commission has been prepared water ditch at Camp White area. for the current session of the legislature. Oregon State It was decided to file a provisional Others interested in having copies may protestagainsttheLincoln county obtain them by writing to the Commis- Game Commission Bulletin P.U.D. application on Drift Creek, trib- sion office in Portland. VOLUME X February, 1955 NUMBER 2 utary of Alsea river. Published Monthly by the *** OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION A contribution of $266 was authorized A simultaneous count of waterfowl 1634 S.W. Alder StreetP. 0. Box 4136 toward the repair of the Oak Island was made during the first week of Jan- Portland 8, Oregon bridge owned by the drainage district in uary throughout the Pacific Flyway. MIRIAM KAUTTU, Editor order to provide for increase in capacity Each year under the direction of the U. H. C. SMITH, Staff Artist to 15 tons. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an effort is MEMBERS OF COMMISSION Consideration was given to report made to tabulate all of the waterfowl in Delbert Gildersleeve, Chairman Baker prepared by the Water Resources Com- Kenneth G. Denman Medford the flyway. Federal and state game man- Don Mitchell Taft mittee for the legislature. Director was agement agencies cooperate and in Ore- J. H. Van Winkle Oregon City instructed to present the Game Com- gon field men and officers of the Game Elmer H. Balsiger_ Klamath Falls mission's reactions and comments to ap- Commission, State Police and Fish and ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF propriate agencies and committees. Wildlife Service participated. Canadian P. W. Schneider_ Director C. B. Walsh _________ Assistant Director Contract for construction of a fence provinces of the Pacific Flyway also took W. D. DeCew Acting Controller for the big horn sheep pen at Hart part. H. R. Mangold _Chief, Supply and Property Mountain was awarded to Robinson *** Arthur Higgs _ Attorney and Robinson, Caldwell, Idaho, who A banded valley quail released in C. J. Campbell ___ Chief, Basin Investigations R. C. Holloway Chief, Info. and Educ. submitted the low bid of $12,652. Ten March, 1953 near Grass Valley was killed John McKean Chief of Oper., Game Div. other bids ranged from $15,180to this past season across the Deschutes H. J. Rayner__ Chief of Oper., Fishery Div. $39,900. river, some 15 miles from the liberation George Kernan . Engineer Expenditure of $1,964 was approved site. REGIONAL SUPERVISORS *** Leslie Zumwalt, Region I, for grading of the abandoned ferry slip Route 1, Box 325, Corvallis at Sauvie Island to provide fishing Hunting success varied for the three J. W. Vaughn, Region IIBox 977, Roseburg access. controlled elk hunts held this fall. In L. M. Mathisen, Region III____ 222 E. 3rd, Bend Option for access property at Depoe the North Fork of John Day area, the W. H. Brown, Region IV__Box 742, La Grande 302 hunters who participated, bagged W. C. Lightfoot, Region V Box 8, Hines. Bay was not taken up. Proposed access Entered as second-class matter September 30, project at Yaquina Bay was tabled. 108 elks (10 bulls, 73 cows and 25 calves). 1947. at the post office at Portland, Oregon, This was a success ratio of 36 per cent. under the act of August 24, 1912. The Commission went on record as In the Walla Walla area, 302 hunters Please report promptly any change of not objecting to application filed with address. Send in both the old and new address the Hydroelectric Commission by the killed 163 elk (12 bulls, 99 cows, 52 with notice of change. calves) , making a success ratio of 34 per At the present time the Bulletin is circulated Western Craft Company mill for a free of charge to anyone forwarding a written proposed paper mill near Albany, if cent. For both of these areas 400 permits request. had been issued. In the Promise area of certain conditions were met. Wallowa county, 153 of the 225 permit- COVER The next meeting is scheduled for tees checked in. They took only 33 elk Trying to hook and land the wily steelhead March 11 at Corvallis. This is in ac- (1 bull, 22 cows and 10 calves), a suc- is favorite pastime of the winter angler. cordance with policy to hold a meeting These two are trying their luck on Salmon there every other year for the benefit cess ratio of 22 per cent. Heavy hunting river in Lincoln county. (Photo by R. C. pressure during the general season scat- Holloway) of the Department of Fish and Game tered the animals. Management students. 1955 ANGLIN REGULAT By F. E. LOCKE, Chief, Stream and Lake Management CHRISTMAStrees and twinkling Let us pass on to another angler who is drastic in protecting the cutthroat be- lights are but a memory, and the long also interested in determining an open- fore they have gone the way of the dodo winter nights ahead afford the angler ing day for the coming season. He is bird. Innumerable requests are con- an opportunity to reminisce of past sea- behind a desk piled high with recom- cerned with a uniform opening date. The sons' catches. The tackle box is brought mendations both from sportsmen and concentration of anglers resulting from down and plugs, spoons, flies, and reels fishery agents in the field. These recom- a split opening not only puts undue examined. There are fond recollections mendations cover all phases of fishery stress on favorite streams but makes as the rod is flexed, and an imaginary fly regulations. There is no time to dream fishing difficult for all, and many anglers is dropped into the crystal pool beneath of favorite trout streams, as all requests will have no part of it, indicating so in an alder shaded bank. Yes, the salmon have to be carefully read, evaluated, and letters to the Commission. angler too has strung his rod and placed if possible, integrated in a preliminary What's to be done about these diverse his thumb on the spool, leaned back in set of regulations. Let us sort through requests? First of all, let us examine the the chair, and is all set to haul back and this huge pile of recommendations and resource with which this regulation is let go with "Fish On!" There is great see what is suggested for the opening concerned. Studies indicate that the cut- anticipation as the clan of Izaak Walton date for the summer trout season. Yes, throat is not as plentiful as it once was, begins to think of the coming season. here is the letter from our fishing bud- and that it should receive some protec- Perhaps the calendar is examined and dies along with similar requests from tion from excessive angling. It is logical a week-end visualized as the perfect several sportsmen's clubs on the coast. to assume that this species should be spot for an opening day. We see letters from sportsmen in eastern harvested in greatest numbers when Fishing buddies discuss the previous and central Oregon requesting an open- they come into the streams from the season opening and agree that they ing along about the 1st of May. They ocean in prime condition, rather than would have a better cliance of taking indicate that even at that date some of at a time when they are returning to the coastal cutthroat if the season had start- the roads are impassable and a few rain- sea to recover from spawning. Small ed a few weeks earlier. Further discus- bow trout will just be recovering from downstream migrating steelhead re- spawning. Fishery agents who have moved from the stream by the angler sion reveals that they have the privilege worked on the coast and observed previ- of either attending the Game Commis- enjoying an earlier trout season will ous openings indicate in their recom- certainly not return to the stream as an sion hearings which are held in January mendations that a May 1 date is pre- and expressing their views to the Com- 8 to 10 pound adult a few years hence.