Volume 17 January, 1958 Number 1 lHE MOURNING DOVE IN IOWA: A WASTED RESOURCE • * * * * * * * * -· ( B y Ra y Beckman NEGLIGENCE TOPS ( ' h lct, Dhi&ion of li'l,h a n d Gam e BOATING FATALITIES Mourning Doves have been re­ garded as game birds from the Operator negligence is appar­ f earliest history of th1s nation. ~ntly the primary contribution to Early settlers recognized them as fatal boating accidents, according being close relatives of Old World to a recent study of 452 mishaps I pigeons. The writers of those f involving small pleasure boats by A times speak of the bird familiarly, the Outboard Boating Club of \ especially as a game b1rd that re­ America. lieved the hardships of pioneer The study, representing the .first life Iowa law recognized the published data on fatal accidents Mourning Dove as a game bird. involving small pleasure boats, Section 109.41 lists: "The Colum­ was made on the basis of news­ bidae: Mourning Doves and wild paper accounts between the penod rock doves only" as game birds. May 1, 1956, and December 31, The present legal status of the 1956. Additional information was Mournmg Dove identifies it as a gleaned from various state records migratory bird protected by both for the same period and from Jan­ state and federal law. An open uary 1, 1956, through April 30, season is provided for by federal 1956. During the period of the law. report, 614 boaters lost their Hves A Game p<'cies as a result of the 452 mishaps. In Iowa Code the dove is not Under the headmg of "Causes" carried on the list of birds for the report states in part: which a season is provided, al­ "I t is apparent that a majority though the bird is carried on the J lnt :;h~rman Photo of the fatalities occurrmg each The Mourning Dove is the nation's most important migratory game bird, sar U. S. list of birds and ammals defined year are caused in the main by Fish and Wildlife officials. Although more doves are killed each y ear thil n a l wat e r· and recognized as game species. fowl combined , no ma t e rial cha nge has been made in dove population in the last 30 simple failure to observe standard years, st udies by the fede ra l age ncy show. Iowa sportsmen a re not pe rmitted to hunt Legislation is necessary to give (Continued on page 6) doves, but help pay for studies of the ga me bird In some 30 st at es that do hunt the m. the State Conservation Commis­ sion authority to open a season Untll such time as the Iowa Legis­ lature grants this authority, no 1958-59 FISHING REGULATIONS SET Iowa dove season is possible. Responsibility for the protec­ and extend through November 30, species, remains in effect. Regulations for the 1958-59 tion, regulation and management Iowa .fishing season have been set 1958. South of Highway 30, a con­ The daily bag and possession tinuous open season will be in ef­ limits of walleye and sauger pike of the Mourning Dove is jointly by the Iowa Conservation Com­ fect. The daily bag and possession in boundary waters is eight and shared by state and federal gov­ mission with a few changes from limits for each species remains at 16. There is a continuous open sea­ ernment. The maximum limita­ these of last year. tions on bag and possession limits five and 10, respectively son on these spec1e~ m boundary Opening dates will vary from North of Highway 30, walleye waters which includes the Missis­ and length of open season are set those of a year ago in keeping and sauger pike seasons for inland sippi and Missouri rivers and in­ annually by a federal agency, the with the Commission's policy of waters will be from May 10 land waters of Lee County. All U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Sat urday openings Regulations through February 15, 1959. South other regulations for boundary The state can further restrict establishing new seasons on five of Highway 30, fishing for these waters are unchanged from those these, but cannot exceed them. species north and south of U. S. species will be permitted from of last year Thus, the federal government acts Highway 30 also will be in force April 12 through February 15, Changes regarding dally catch as a restraining influence on any ' during the 1958-59 season. These 1959. A daily catch limit of five and possession limits of bullheads state which might tend to become over-liberal in its 1·egulations. The are the most important of the new and possessiOn limit of 10, each (Continued on pogl:' 8) regulations. sincerity of the people administer­ ing migratory bird regulations During 1958-59, catfish anglers cannot be questioned Such names may take 16 daily, an increase of IN THIS IS S UE as Ding Darling, Dr Ira Gabriel­ eight over the 1957 daily catch son, Clarence Cottam and Al Day ltmit. The possession limit of 16 'h aron Blu ff, tate P ark _ ------- --- - - ----------- ----- __ Page 2 are synonymous with the finest in remains unchanged with a contin­ Con ... enation A Realit} "hen--------------------------- - _ P.tge 3 :\ur... er} Taking Tree Order-. -- ------------ ·----------- __ Page 3 national conservation effort. uous open season on this species. Hunt i ng-Fi~h i n g Big 1957 Bu~:~iness -- -- ---------------------- P age 3 The abundance of the Mourning North of H ighway 30, the 1958 Ward e n'~ Tu J e~:~ ------- ~ - ------------------------- - - -----P<lge 5 Dove in Iowa is a matter of com­ season on largemouth and small­ Ca~>e of tlw Tangled H eron____ ____ _____ _ ___ ____ Page 5 Io"an and { anadian D uek Banding A Pit•ture ~ t ory _____ ___ _P age 7 mon knowledge. It is one of our mouth black bass will open May commonest birds. 24 for inland waters of the state, (Continued on pn~re 4) Page 2 IOWA CONSERVATIONIST Iowa Conservationist I note that the ground slopes gently - Published M nil . by the westward from the ptcnic area. lOWA CONSERVA TlON COMMISSION The edge of the bluff is the high East 7th and Court OC's Momes Iowa part of the park This seems pe­ (No Rights RosorV£•dl C'uliar, hut 1s understoorl when it HERSCHEL C. LOVELESS, Governor is reali7.ed that this slope is BRUCE STILES, Dm~ctor toward a netghbonng valley. A KEITH SUTHERLAND. Editor similar slope•, toward the Chariton EVELYN BOUCHER A ta Ed r River, was once present where the MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION bluff now ts. GE K• • V 'ECK 1c p -, !.. ~ t.iRS. , ' CRABE. V._ _ .. _. __ a ......... The bedt ock lying below the soil . Jama1ca and subsml in the park area is not Ottu!T'wa CLYDE M. FRUDDEN. .... .. ....Groono visible. The ri\'el ha:; 10t yet cut A. N. HUMISTON ................. Cedar Rap1ds dO\Vn to 1ts level. With time and G. H. MEYER .................................... Elkader l D REYNOLDS .. .. Creston the down-cutting of the stream it will begin to show up. The record CIRCULATION THIS ISSUE . 48,800 of more nncient happenings in this t: P la e lc p... ' :::- Three Ye aTs S 1.00 part of Iowa wtll be disclosed, Entered a :>eco~a attor at tho though- bv. that time the bluff will post off1c_ .n Des M_... , •vw<J, September ha\'e long smce ceased to exist. 22, 1947, under the Act of March 24, 1912. Subscopbons rece1ved at Iowa Conser­ vation CommiSSIOn, East Seventh Street ::md Court Avenue, Dos Moines 9, Iowa. THIS IIMALLARDII Send cash, check or money order. She lter house a t Sharon Bluff St ate Park shows the majestic chimney fashioned from A NON-SWIMMER roek found 1n the area SHARON BLUFFS ering of the grey till changes it to tt·acted the wntcr's attention. The Last month, Howard Ferguson. STATE PARK brov.. ·n. There is much of this rock is a limestone conglomerate a farmer living near Connelsville, \":eathered brown still exposed It can be seen to be made up of Pennsyl\'aDla notified Game Pro­ C. S. Gwynn(' above the gray in the upper part of pieces of gray limestone firmly ce- tector Alex Ziros of a strange in- P •· o l t> ~>I> IH' of (,t• ulo~) the bluff. mented together. Limestone of cident. Conser Io" a ~ t ah• ( ulh•J.:Ic' Th · 1 t d f thts sort occurs as part of the bed- Satd Ferguson, "One e\ cning as ~~/~ Sharon Bluffs State Park is not ere IS a so a grea eal 0 I relaxed ncar one of mu ponds bro\\.'Tl sand probably d pos1'ted bv rock in eastern Iowa, and so may J u it- so large as state parks go, only t f · h e · ha\'e come only a short distance. I watched a mallard hen at the 1 50 acres or so, but it has many wa er rom t e meltmg glacial ice. P c rJJJ,\' Jl"'Jlt Dil{"' edge of the water with what ap- In one place near the base of the , , features of geological interest. peared to :>e a brood of nine duck- First, of course, are the bluffs for bluff there lS a deposit of dark Another large rock out in the lings She coaxed eight of them which the park is named. T hen blue-gray clayey silt. This appears stream channel shows a promment to jump into the pond with her.