Page 2 OCTOBER, 1956 Toronto Site of Two Conferences The 46th annual meeting of the Inter- Soil Bank Act in those sections involving national Association of Game, Fish and wildlife. Conservation Commissioners was held in Requested equal priority, after domestic Toronto, Canada, September 12, 13 and and livestock use, in water rights ona 14.The 86th annual meeting of the national basis. American FisheriesSociety was held September 10, 11 and 12, the last day Establishedanactivecommittee on being a joint field trip with the Inter- water resources. Printer picked up the wrong slug of national Association. Directed a resolution to the U. S. De- type when making up the Game Season At the International conference, con- partment of Commerce requesting that table in the hunting synopsis and opposite siderable time was spent in discussions in their annual business surveys they the general elk seasons for tag required of (1) fish and wildlife recreational plan- include inventories of hunting and fish- stuck- in "general deer tag" instead of ning for the future in the United States ing expenditures. "general elk tag." Regardless of this, and Canada; (2) the importance of na- Established a committee to study the the law does provide that elk hunters tional and local water policy in relation needs and funds required for acquisition must have an elk tag to hunt elk so a to fish and wildlife resources; and (3) of waterfowl habitat by March 1, 1957. deer tag is no good for elk. the economic values associated with the Urged Congress and appropriate agen- * * * utilization of fish and game resources cies, such as the Corps of Engineers, to in relation to other phases of our eco- recognize the need for acquisition and A herd of 40 elk was seen late this nomic base. retention of reservoir lands for recrea- summer on the east slopes of Broken Some of the more important actions tionalpurposesandmodifyingthe Top MountaininwesternDeschutes taken by the Associantm in form of present federal policy with respect to county. This is the largest herd observed resolutions included: these areas. for sometime in that area. Asked for improvement of the present (Continued on Page 7) * * * administrative policies relating to the Hunters participating in the Lower 1955 NATIONAL HUNTING Imnaha and Upper Imnaha early deer hunts enjoyed a high success ratio. The Oregon State AND FISHING SURVEY 457 hunters in the Lower Imnaha area Game Commission Bulletin Just at press time, release was issued VOLUME XI on the results of the national survey killed 390 deer, a success ratio of 85 OCTOBER, 1956 NUMBER 10 of fishing and hunting in the United per cent. In the Upper Imnaha area the Published Monthly by the States conducted at the direction of the success ratio was 62 per cent with 148 OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the hunters checking out 91 deer. 1634 S.W. Alder StreetP. 0. Box 4136 result of a request by the International * * * Portland 8, Oregon Association of Game, Fish and Conser- Irrigation reservoirs near Klamth Falls MIRIAM KAUTTU, Editor vation Commissioners. recently were stocked with 2,000 year- H. C. SMITH, Staff Artist The survey carried out by Crossley, ling largemouth black bass and about MEMBERS OF COMMISSION S-D Surveys, Inc., of New York, shows Don M. Mitchell, Chairman Taft that 25,000,000 fishermen and hunters 100 large brood bass seined from two Delbert Gildersleeve Baker farm ponds in the Turner area in Marion Kenneth G. Denman Medford spent 3 billion dollars for 500 million county. By cooperative agreements with J. H. Van Winkle Oregon City days of sport and drove their automo- Elmer H. Balsiger Klamath Falls biles private pond owners, the Commission 10.4 billion miles in pursuit of ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF this recreation. uses the ponds as nurseries for bass and P. W. Schneider Director The primary purpose of the survey bluegillsunfish, providing theinitial C. B. Walsh Assistant Director was to obtain nationwide information stock. When numbers of fish have in- W. D. DeCew Controller H. R. Mangold Chief, Supply and Property on the number of persons 12 years old creased sufficiently, pond isdrained, Arthur Higgs Attorney and older who engaged in recreational surplus fish removed and stocked in C. J. Campbell Chief, Basin Investigations fishing or hunting during 1955, the num- R. C. Holloway Chief, Info. and Educ. suitable waters elsewhere. A balanced John McKean Chief of Oper., Game Div. ber of days on which they fished or population of fish is left in the pond for H. J. Rayner Chief of Oper., Fishery Div. hunted and the total amount of money the owner. George Keman Engineer they spent in these recreational pur- * * * REGIONAL SUPERVISORS suits. In more than 250 places, from the In August, seven mountain goats were Leslie Zumwalt, Region I, largest cities to rural areas, including spotted in the Sacajawea Peak area of Route 1, Box 325, Corvallis places in each of the 48 states, some 300 J. W. Vaughn, Region II, Box 977, Roseburg interviewers obtained a representative the Wallowa Mountain by the pilot who L. M. Mathisen, Region III, 222 E. 3rd, Bend usually flies the field agent on big game cross section of American households W. H. Brown, Region IV, Box 742, La Grande and individuals.About 20,000 homes surveys. W. C. Lightfoot, Region V Box 8, Hines Entered as second-class matter September 30, were contacted, yielding interviews with 1947, at the post office at Portland, Oregon, 6,220 individuals who fished in 1955 and COVER under the act of August 24, 1912. Please report promptly any change of ad- 3,108 who hunted. "Let's try the water."Canadian dress. Send in both the old and new address geese photographed by William L. with notice of change. In a forthcoming issue of the Bulletin, Finley. At the present time the Bulletin is circulated we shall present in more detail an free of charge to anyone forwarding a written request. analysis of the results of this survey. By Chester E. Kebbe, Chief Biologist, Waterfowl October 13 marks the opening date of an- other Oregon waterfowl season with prospects of good hunting as bright as in any year since the war. Forecasts indicate the size of waterfowl flights this fall will approximate those of 1955 when most hunters enjoyed better than average success. Such forecasts by the U. S. Fish and Wild- life federal department charged with the administration of this resource, are based upon the interpretation of facts gathered throughout the year and over the entire con- tinent by federal, state, provincial, and private agencies. Information is obtained and recorded by hundreds of trained observers of migra- tions,mortality from hunting seasons and disease,winteringbirds,breeding ground conditions and nesting success. With this large amount of factual data available, an accurate prediction of fall waterfowl abundance can be made. Hunting regulations are then enacted to allow the harvest of the available crop. Migratory birds may cross several inter- national boundaries and a number of state and provincial lines in their annual southern trek from breeding to wintering grounds. Each province and state along the migration routes desires as long a season with as large a bag limit as the resource will support. By inter- national treaty no migratory bird season can commence prior to September 1 nor terminate after March 10in Alaska, Canada or the FALL WATERFOWL United States. In the United States the Fish and Wildlife Service prescribes that no duck MIGRATION ROUTES and goose season can commence prior to Oc- tober 1 nor terminate later than January 15. 0 - 0 0 Mallards Usually waterfowl wintering areas are ad- jacent to or on private land and since most XXX XX Snow and Lesser Canada Goose waterfowl are primarily seed eaters, they often ipp Snow and Cackling Goose cause considerable damage to grain crops. Black Brant (Continued on Page 4) (These are the major routes followed by six species of waterfowl through Oregon) ((!R Page 4 OCTOBER, 1956 birds are found only along the coast and are hunted primarily in Tillamook, Netarts, Yaquina, and Coos Bay. This specialized type of hunting is on a win- tering population of approximately 3,000 brant, the main migration having passed the Oregon coast in November for their winter quarters along the coasts of Cali- fornia and Mexico. At this time of year waterfowl hunters maybebusilyconstructingblinds around their marsh, wishing they had planted some duck food around their lake last spring or planning a trip to some far away marsh for the opening week end. For the latter, which includes the majority of hunters, some knowledge of waterfowl flights into Oregon is of value.The"oldtimer"undoubtedly knows where and when to go for his shooting, but for the many thousands of new hunters who take up the sport each year and have no idea where most of the birds will be found, a check of the Waterfowl using restingsiteon Oak Island, segment ofthe Sauvies Island Management area migration patterns and dates of migra- near Portland. tions will be rewarding. From the foregoing review of hunting WATERFOWL TODAY states. With most production figures com- parable with 1955, the season lengths seasons and production forecasts, the (Continued from Page 3) and bag limits on most species are not Oregon hunter can expect good hunting Early flights of pintails raid crops along changed. providing he is in the right place at the the entire flyway while the later arriv- In Yamhill, Polk, Benton, Linn, and right time and the weather is cooperative. ing ducks and geese cause a variety of Lane counties the Canada goose season Between the opening date and the damage from cropping winter wheat in terminates on December 15 and the bag middle of November the best hunting the north to raiding lettuce fields in the limit reduced to two a day and in pos- will be had in the large marsh areas of Imperial Valley.