GEE commission BEHR]

Vol. III PORTLAND, OREGON, JANUARY, 1948 No. 1

tOreeartec7Veed plageem it Ote9ofetBy WILLIAM E. PITNEY, Field Agent

Within the past two years a serious threat to several Oregon lakes hascome into prominent public notice, the threat of the loss of both recrea-tional and industrial usage of those waters through encroachment ofaquatic vegetation.

The most offending plant species at present is the Brazilian waterweedwhich is abundant in Siltcoos, Tahkenitch, and Triangle Lakes in westernLane and Douglas counties. Another South American form, ParrotFeather, is also found in Triangle Lake as well as in other Oregon water-ways. Native plants that are causing localized trouble include the Americanwaterweed, Coontail, Pondweeds, some of the shoreline species, and algae.These occur in such scattered places as Blue Lake, Multnomah county;Devils Lake, Lincoln county; and Gilchrist Pond, Klamath county.

While some are foreign and were prob-ably introduced by either well-meaningor careless persons, most are nativeplants that have had their natural envi-

('' ronmental balances upset by changingconditions. How the alien species firstcame to the Oregon waters is still an un-answered question. The important pointnow, however, is that they are here andsuitable methods of control must beworked out.

Means of IntroductionThere are several ways in which for-

eign species can be introduced, and con-stant precautions must be taken by every-one to prevent such introductions. One ofthe most frequent means of introductionis through well-meant plantings made bylaymen. Several aquatic nurseries sellplants to the public with the advertis-ment, "Bring Ducks, Fish, and Wildlifeto your Waters." Actually much of theirvegetation has little value or attractionfor wildlife, and to plant such species maycause more harm than good.

Another method of introducing exoticvegetation is through the release of plantspurchased for aquaria and goldfish bowls.Our worst nuisance, the Brazilian water-weed, as well as the Water Hyacinthwhich is so troublesome in the GulfStates, originally came to this countryfor such purposes. From the bowls andponds these plants have found their wayinto open waters where they have becomeserious and expensive pests in some in-stances.

After plants like waterweed have be-come established in an area, their spread

is extremely difficult to control. Besidesproducing flowers and seeds, a commonmethod of reproduction is through regen-eration of the vegetable parts from bro-ken fragments. This takes place much inthe same manner as when a gardenergrows new flowers from slips. Submersedplants are often fragile as their weightis borne by the water, consequently anydisturbance can cause numerous frac-

(Continued on Page 7)

120 Tons Fish ReleasedFish released for the 1947 calendar year

totalled 18,379,856 fish or 251,977 pounds,according to figures just compiled by theliberation department of the Game Com-mission. While this exceeds the 1946 lib-erations by only 1,000,000 fish in actualnumbers, the increase in total poundageruns close to 75 per cent since the 1946poundage was about 144,000.

Bulk of the releases were rainbow troutof which there were 11,769,564. Otherspecies in the order of numbers plantedincluded steelheads, cutthroats, easternbrook, silversides, chinooks, yanks andchums.

The fish ranged in size from one inchto four-year old brood stock which werebeing released because of replacementwith younger brood stock. Winter hold-over fish released in the spring prior tothe angling season totalled 2,300,000.This is twice the number held over in1945-46. About 2,700,000 are now beingheld at the hatcheries for release in thespring of 1948.

Holding fish to a larger size involves aconsiderable amount of fish food and cor-responding increase in cost. During 1947the hatcheries used 2,250,000 pounds offish food costing $184,000.

Releasing trout in the Metolius River. Photo by James E. Brinton

Page 2 JANUARY, 1948

* THIS AND THAT *Several tons of whitefish were trapped

by the Game Commission employees inNovember from Trapper Creek, inlet toOdell Lake, to reduce the excessive num-ber of these fish in the lake where theycompete with rainbow trout for food.

The whitefish removed are being fedto trout in Game Commission hatcheriesas fish food is very hard to obtain andalso very expensive.

Whitefish were declared a game fishin 1941 not for their own protection butto protect the trout that occur in streamsalong with whitefish. Many people form-erly dip-netted whitefish and accidentallytook or injured many stream trout. Com-mercial exploitation was common. Thereis no bag limit now on whitefish but theymay be taken by the general public onlyduring the regular open season for trout.

* *

During the months of October and No-vember, State Police officers made morethan 700 arrests for game law violations.In addition to the arrests, many warningswere also issued.

* *

As the final angling regulations for1948 will not be adopted until toward theend of January, the printed anglingsynopsis cannot be made available fordistribution until approximately the mid-dle of March.

* *

Recently established in Sherman countynear Moro was a 1100-acre seed stockgame refuge for game birds. The area wasselected because it possessed good coverand water. It is surrounded by wheatfields and water behind a soil conserva-tion dam provides excellent resting placefor waterfowl.

* *

Owing to the mild fall thus far there ismuch browse for game animals even inthe higher areas, reports Wesley Batter-son, field agent working in the northcoastal area of Tillamook and Clatsopcounties. Plants have made good growthand furnish much browse to game animalsin both the 1939 and 1945 Tillamook burnareas. Deer seen have been in best ofcondition and have been found feedingmostly on the following: wild blackberry,red huckleberry, new growth of vinemaple, elder and willows; black rasp-berry, false dandelion, plantain, grasses,sword fern, thistles, thimbleberry.

* *

A white muskrat was taken fromPritchard Creek near Durkee in Novem-ber by Joe Jennings, a commercial trap-per residing in Baker. The pelt is beingdisplayed at the Baker Hide and FurCompany. White muskrats are quite ararity in Oregon and few catches are onrecord. True albinos, which are animalswith a complete lack of pigment in theirskin, hair and eyes, are even more rare.This muskrat was not a true albino inthat it had dark eyes and a few darkhairs around its ears.

Washington, Idaho,Oregon Hold JointFisheries Meeting

Representatives of the WashingtonState Game Commission, WashingtonDepartment of Fisheries, Idaho Fish andGame Department, Oregon State GameCommission, Oregon. State Fish Commis-sion, and the fishing industry and sportsfishermen met on December 12, at thePortland office of the Oregon State GameCommission.

Held at the request of the WashingtonGame Commission, the meeting was de-voted chiefly to discussing the possibilityof uniform regulation of the ColumbiaRiver fishery by the various agenciesconcerned. Additional protection for cer-tain steelhead runs, which are classifiedas game fish in Washington but may betaken commercially under Oregon law,was particularly desired by the Washing-ton game department.

After representatives of all interestshad been heard, a resolutions committeewas appointed and the following resolu-tions adopted:

1. It is recommended by representa-(Continued on Page 3)

Oregon State GameCommission BulletinPublished Monthly by the

Oregon State Game Commission1634 S. W. Alder StreetP. 0. Box 4136

Portland 8, Oregon

MIRIAM KAUTTUEditor

Permission to reprint is granted providedproper credit is given.

Members of the CommissionE. E. Wilson, Chairman CorvallisTheodore R. Conn LakeviewKenneth S. Martin Grants PassR. D. McClallen EnterpriseDr. Geo. A. Cathey Portland

Administrative StaffC. A. Lockwood .. State Game SupervisorF. B. Wire SecretaryMiriam Kauttu Director of PublicityF. C. Baker ControllerH. E. Bowers EngineerP. W. Schneider Director of Game

John McKean ..Upland and Big GameA. V. Meyers. Fed. Aid and WaterfowlC. E. Kebbe Forbearers

P. R. Needham . . .. Director of FisheriesR. C. Holloway... Surveys and SalvageE. W. Goff HatcheriesH. R. Mangold Feed and SupplyH. J. Rayner ...Disease and Nutrition

G. E. Howell ..Fishways, Screen, Streamand Lake Improvement

Application for entry as second-classmatter is pending.

December Meeting of theGame Commission

A joint meeting was held with the FishCommission the morning of December 11to discuss procedures to be followed withreference to adoption of salmon anglingregulations. Under the provisions ofChapter 438, Oregon Laws, 1947, regula-tions governing the taking of salmon byhook and line are to be promulgated bythe Fish Commission but the regulationsmust be approved by the Game Commis-sion.

The regular monthly meeting of theGame Commission was held Saturday,December 13.

A report was heard from a delegationheaded by Carl Baker and Mert Folts,representing the Eugene Chamber ofCommerce, Springfield Chamber of Com-merce, McKenzie River Guides Associa-tion, McKenzie River Development Asso-ciation and Eugene Izaak Walton League,reviewing the fishing situation on theMcKenzie River. The report stated thatthere had been a sharp rise in pressure offishing within the past six years becauseof increases in population in the localareas, in the number of fishermen fromoutside areas, and in the number of fishtaken illegally. The report further statedthat a conservative estimate of the num-ber of persons fishing the McKenzie Riverwas 200 persons per day for the 200-dayseason, or 40,000 persons annually, andthat the estimated average catch hadbeen 5 fish per day per person (one-halfof the present bag limit), or a total aver-age of 200,000 fish per year and 1,000,000fish for the past five years. The reportrequested increased fish plantings for theMcKenzie River and its tributaries,increased production at the McKenziehatchery and more enforcement.

The Commission authorized submissionof another proposal to the Eugene WaterBoard with reference to use of land nearthe Leaburg Dam for additional rearingponds for the McKenzie hatchery.

The Supervisor was authorized to re-ceive offers for the purchase of 80 acresof pasture land at the Hermiston gamefarm which were not needed in connec-tion with game bird propagation opera-tions.

After consideration of several parcelsof surplus government lands at CampAdair and Camp White, the Commissioninstructed the Supervisor to file applica-tion with the War Assets Administrationand Federal Land Bank for those areasfelt to be suitable for game managementpurposes

Revision of the post-war budget forcapital outlay was approved as submittedby the budget committee. The budget con-templates use of the unexpended fundsaccumulated during the war years forimprovement at most of the hatcheries,game farms, public shooting grounds andother projects which could not be doneduring the past year

JANUARY, 1948 Page 3

1948 Game LicensesAppear In New Form

The 1948 game licenses have been dis-tributed to the license agents throughoutthe state and sportsmen will note thatthey are being issued an entirely newform of license.

When the last legislature authorizedthe issuance of a deer tag separate fromthe hunting license, it enabled the GameCommission to devise a new type of gamelicense which is expected to save a con-siderable amount of time and expense inhandling.

Heretofore license agents have beencompelled to handle eight different formsof licenses, including resident angling,resident hunting, resident combination,juvenile hunting, juvenile angling, non-resident hunting, non-resident anglingand vacation angling. Now only one formof license is being provided on which theagent will write in information as to typeof license being issued, the amount paid,and name, address and description ofpurchaser. The licenses are printed onsafety paper and come in manifold formwith three carbons. The original licenseis torn out of the book and given to thepurchaser, one carbon is forwarded withremittance to the Game Commission of-fice, one carbon is kept by the agent in hisfiles and one carbon remains locked inthe book in such manner that it cannot

The book with the lockedcarbons is used by the auditor in checking

/0"- out each agent's account.Deer tags will be issued in a similar

form to the general license and will costresidents of the state fifty cents. Thesetags however will not be on sale untilafter the first of July by the licenseagents. It will be necessary to presentthe regular hunting license or combina-tion license in order to secure a separatedeer tag.

The separate deer tag is being used forone purpose: to secure factual informa-tion regarding the annual kill of deer ona statewide scale from whict, when sup-plemented with year-round field data nowbeing secured, the department can basesound management.

Oregon is one of the few states whichhas refrained from using the separatedeer tag in order to secure managementdata. Heretofore we have secured mostkill statistics by statewide field checks.However, with the increasing demand forgame resources, it has become evidentthat a more precise measurement of an-nual harvest is essential if we are tomaintain our deer herds in the face ofan unprecedented demand. In order to dothis, it is necessary that all deer hunt-ers cooperate completely and promptlyby filling out and mailing their returnreport cards following their deer hunt.The information requested on these cardswill make it possible to determine severalpertinent facts regarding the deer killwhich is necessary for future regulation.

New form of hunting and/or angling license. It is designed to fold with name on outside and to a sizethat will conveniently fit wallet or pocket.

STATE OF OREGON

No.THIS ES

St. &

C.

iResidentComb'n

1:1"u'it L stgot;::...i.,,1 .1$25.00 i Nemlet.Wetter I A.

IS A

USER TAe, I

Hero This In Your Potsession When Hunting

PUNCH HOLES TO INDICATE MONTH AND DA( OF KU,

ON AND ATTACH TO CARCASS AS SOON AS muse

flu. IN AND MAIL ATTACHED CARD AT ONCE.

Stratum

SRA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0000Ott. 0 0 0 0 000No.. 0 CD 0 0 48 CS 000

Oeted TVs

IISSION

stes-ire.

NOTE*Ittieliceose dote not permit gnu timpess 0,4privet* property

FOR GOODUNTING AND

FiSHiNG

KEEP `-

OREGON

GREEN

HUNTERS ONLY

Poste

Migratory Bird

Hunting Stamp

Here

LICENSE--ZO 194,

Front side of deer tog and report card to be returned by hunters.

Your Game Commission is endeavoringto manage the deer on a herd-range basis,thus providing an opportunity to main-tain a continuoqs and accurate picture ofeach deer herd. The year around field datagathered by the department's field agentsplus the information on annual harvestwill provide many of the necessary pointsof knowledge which will permit a soundmanagement program for maintainingour deer resources.

The new non-resident license feespassed by the last legislature become ef-fective in 1948. Non-residents will haveto pay $25 for a hunting license, $2.50for acleer tag, $10 for an angling license,and $5 for a 10-day angling license.

Joint Fisheries Meeting(Continued from Page 2)

tives of the Washington FisheriesDepartment, Washington Game De-partment, Idaho Fish and GameDepartment and Oregon Game De-partment, and members of the fish-ing industry and sportsmen as-sembled in Portland on this 12th dayof December, 1947, that the Honor-able Body of the Oregon Legislature

in their next regular session grantto the Oregon Fish Commissionpower to regulate the commercialfishery on the Columbia River andits tributaries in the same manneras granted by the WashingtonLegislature to the Director of Fish-eries and the Game Commission ofthat state.

2. Whereas the representatives of theIdaho- Fish and Game Department,Washington Game Department,Oregon State Game Department, thecommercial fishing industry andsportsmen have commonly agreedthat consideration should be givento regulations of the type of gear,particularly mesh sizes of nets, forthe purpose of permitting a betterspawning escapement of steelheadduring the winter months;Now, therefore, the said represen-tatives do petition the Oregon StateFish Commission and Director ofFisheries of the State of Washing-ton to consider regulations whichwill achieve this purpose.

The ancestors of our present-day gold-fish were originally green in color.

Page 4 JANUARY, 1948

1947 Elk SeasonsDuring 1947, elk hunting in Oregon was

limited to the taking of bull elk havingthree or more points per antler. The gen-eral season was held from October 25 toNovember 2 in western Oregon and fromOctober 25 to November 16 in easternOregon.

Approximately 6,000 return cards havebeen received by the Game Commission todate. Since the law requires every elkhunter to return a card whether succesfulor not, it is urged that all reports be madeas soon as possible. This will facilitate thecompilation of data urgently needed inthe management of Oregon's elk herds.

Of the return cards which have beenreceived 1,543 reported success. Ratio ofsuccess is expected to be considerablyless among those who have failed to re-port so far for past experience shows thatthe successful hunter is apt to be the mostprompt in mailing his return card.

Success ratio for the year as a wholeis expected to be lower than last yearsince the general season was not open onantlerless elk and the bull kill was lim-ited to the more mature animals.

Information obtained from the 1946 elkreturn cards indicated that 37 per cent ofall bulls. killed were spikes. This heavyselection of the immature bulls was feltto be detrimental to the stability of thebreeding herd. By removing such a highpercentage of young males,breeding bulls to cows in subsequent yearswould be critically widespread. The three_point regulation during 1947 was a mea-sure designed to insure the future wel-fare of Oregon's elk herds. A similar mea-sure applied in western Oregon in 1945proved effective as a managementcontrol.

A total of 228 elk were removed dur-ing the Baker post-season hunt. Thisnumber included 45 bulls, 108 cows and75 calves. An estimated 3,500 hunters par-ticipated in this season.

The purpose of this hunt was to removeor scatter elk involved in serious depre-dations on haystacks and crops in theBaker section. This was the second yearin which special hunts have been appliedto this problem area. As a means of re-ducing damage, these seasons have proveneffective. In addition to removing manyof the offending elk, other animals havebeen forced onto adjacent ranges whichare suitable as wintering areas.

A total of 87 permit holders partici-pated in the special season held at Ukiahbetween December 13th and 16th. Thesehunters bagged 69 elk for a success ratioof 80 per cent. This is considered to bevery satisfactory from the hunter's stand-point, as well as reducing damage in acritical area.

In proportion to its size, a firefly pro-duces more light than the most powerfulof man-made dynamos.

What Is the Answer?By F. B. Wire

There has been much furore of late inthe press and otherwise regarding thewanton kill of game left to rot in "thewoods, brought to a head particularly bythe recent illegal kill of deer by elk hunt-ers in Baker county. These kills were thework of trigger happy hunters who shootat anything in sight and who forgot thatthey would be penalized during the :textyear's deer hunting season, by finding thatthe deer were less in numbers.

While there is no disputing the loss ofgame, reports as to actual numbers areexaggerated for as the stories travel, thenumbers of dead animals seen increase.We are reminded of the special deer sea-son held in the Murderer's Creek area anumber of years ago when reports camein that thousands of deer had been killedand left lying in the woods. It being thetime that the CCC camps were operating,the Commission obtained the services ofa crew of about 100 CCC boys and withthe help of its own personnel and the StatePolice, made an intensive combing of thearea immediately after the season withthe result that not more than 50 carcasseswere found.

However, this problem of crippled andillegal kill of game is not ours alone. Go-ing through a report recently issued bythe Fish and Wildlife Service entitled"Deer Mortality from Gunshot Wounds,"we find a series of figures covering inves-tigations in other states over a period ofyears. Sanders of Wisconsin is quoted asstating that in 1937 during the deer sea-son on the Chewuamegon National Foresta survey showed that 68 wounded or dead,legal and illegal, bucks, does and fawnswere left in the woods for each 100 legalbucks removed.

Leopold in 1933 said that replies to aquestionnaire sent to a list of New Mexicohunters indicated a loss of deer left in thewoods of 21 per cent of the legal kill buthe goes further and states that he be-lieved the loss as at least 30 per cent fornot all replies indicated a willingness toreport. Colorado research studies byHunter (1945) revealed that an additional15 per cent of the deer and elk legallykilled died of gunshot wounds or were leftin the field. After a special hunt in TwelveMile Canyon area in Utah in 1937, Costleyfound a loss of 30 per cent on the legalremoval.

After reading the foregoing account of(Continued on Page 5)

HUNTING ACCIDENTS IN 1947Hunting accidents during the 1947 small and large game seasons totalled 22, of

which 7 resulted in fatalities. The number included 12 deer, 1 elk, 1 bear and 8 smallgame hunters.

Careless handling of firearms resulting in accidental discharge caused 10 accidents.Nine persons were hit by other hunters, either being mistaken for game, standing inline of fire or being struck by ricocheting bullets. One duck hunter was drowned, onedeer hunter killed when he fell off a cliff and cause of accident is unknown for one.

Complete tabulation of the accidents follows:GameHunted CauseDeer Accidental discharge of partner's rifle 1

In line of fireAccidental discharge of gunAnother party's bullet hit box car and ricocheted

hitting victimGun discharged while victim was crossing fenceNo witnesses and no knowledge of how accident

occurredGun discharged after slipping out of victim's hand

while trying to shake sand out of barrelAccidental discharge of gun while getting out of

carMistaken for bearFell from cliffBoat capsized, victim drownedAccidentally shot by person in same areaMistaken for deerVictim accidentally shot by father who had mis-

taken dog for deerAccidentally shot by member of partyAccidental discharge of gunMistaken for deerGun discharged after droppingAccidental discharge of partner's gunAccidentally inflictedAccidental discharge of gun while victim was re-

moving it from carBullet fired by partner ricocheted from elk horns

and struck leg

Fatality Non-Fatality

DeerRabbitsSquirrels

SquirrelsUpland

GamePheasants

Geese

BearDeerDuckDeer.DeerDeer

DeerDeerDeerDeerDeerDeerProbablyPheasantsElk

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

11

111

111

1

JANUARY, 1948 Page 5

What is the Answer?(Continued from Page 4)

experiences in other states, it brings usto the conclusion that hunters are prettymuch the same all over the country andthat all sections have both kinds, theright kind and the wrong kind. What isthe answer ? Some would say better lawenforcement. Yes, that might help somebut only a little. How many officers itwould take to stop the vicious practice ofpromiscuous and wasteful shooting isproblematical. During the special elkhunt in the Baker area, where reports ofdead deer seen ran as high as 500 al-though verified reports were considerablyless, there were about 15 State Police of-ficers and Game Commission personnel inthis limited area, which is only about1/500 part of the entire state. On thisbasis we would need 7,500 officers tocover the state and then the problemwould not be settled. Unless a hunter isapprehended in the act of violation, it isimpossible for a law enforcement officerto make an arrest or obtain a conviction.

The only solution, as we see it, is the in-dividual responsibility of the hunter. Thegame belongs to him and the rest of thepeople of the state and if he wastes it, hischances for the future are cut to that ex-tent. If he helps conserve, then he, him-self, will benefit as well as those whofollow him.

Issues Warning ToDoe Killers(Reprinted from The Missouri Conservation-

ist." October, 1947)Taney County sportsmen and farmers,

aroused by the illegal slaughter of doesduring the 1945 deer season banded to-gether last year in an effort to prevent arecurrence of such violations during the1946 shooting period. So successful weretheir efforts toward holding illegal killsat a minimum, the group has decided tocontinue the campaign this year.

The following resolution was passed bythe Taneycomo Sportsmen's Club and bycooperating farmers and land owners inTaney County:

"Whereas, during past seasons a largenumber of doe deer were killed by care-less and unsportsman-like hunters, and

"Whereas, such wanton killing of doedeer is a threat to the program of the Mis-souri State Conservation Commission forthe restoration of deer to all of Missouri,therefore:

"Be it resolved by the farmers, stock-men and sportsmen of Taney County, thatwe as a group and as individuals, herebypledge our support of and cooperationwith the Conservation Commission of Mis-souri in assisting in the prevention of arepetition of this needless slaughter ofdoe deer in the coming deer season; thatwe will report such violations to the pro-per officials and, if necessary, offer evi-dence in court and testify in the prosecu-tion of such violations."

AN OPEN LETTER TO OREGON SPORTSMENFrom FRED E. LANZER, President, Eastern Oregon Sportsmen's Council

During the past two years field agents of the Oregon State Game Commission havebecome alarmed over the increase in the number of deer and elk that have been shotand allowed to lie in the big-game areas throughout the state. These findings are con=tinually being substantiated by many irate sportsmen who come across this needlesswaste committed by other non-thinking individuals.

Apparently some hunters do not know the difference between an elk or deer, forduring the deer season bull elk are shot for deer, and buck deer are shot for elk duringthe elk season. When one finds five anterless deer, all lying within a 100-yard radius,and on an open slope, then careless hunters have been in the area.

What are we going to do with so many trigger-happy gun toters who feel that ahunting license gives them authority to destroy what is also their priceless heritage ?

If the true hunter-sportsmen themselves do not become angry about these prob-lems with which they are faced, it will be only a matter of a few years until many ofthe best big-game hunting areas will have to be closed to all hunting in order to pro-tect what will be the nuclei of low breeding herds.

The Game Commission and State Police cannot cope with this problem alone. It isup to us sportsmen, who want good hunting to continue for us and our children, to rollup our sleeves and pitch in to help clean up this disgraceful turn of events.

Many sportsmen are enthusiastically in favor of game laws if the game laws donot apply to themselves. Like other laws, the success of their enforcement depends onfull public support. Perhaps there are too many of our citizens who look upon ourgame laws as unjust interference with their constitutional rights. Game law violationsthere will always be, but our goal in this field should be to keep them at a minimum.

Although a few additions in some of our game regulations are necessary to closeexisting loopholes, a few new game laws are needed. What we need most is betterenforcement of the ones now on the statutes, and when a hunter is found guilty, givehim a good substantial fine which is close to or the maximum of $500.00, coupled withthe forfeit of his gun. If he is a law violator repeater, then also have his hunting andfishing privileges suspended for a year. A $25.00, $50.00, or $100.00 fine on a big-gameviolation is cheap, because the violator can take a chance on that amount in obtainingmore illegal meat, which would be cheap at any of those prices.

Like all good things, good sportsmanship begins in the home. It is then developedin our schools and sports. In other words, education is the basic foundation on whichgood sportsmanship is built and developed. In twenty or thirty years, our present boysand girls will have authority and control over the state's natural resources. What theydo with those resources will depend a great deal on how we spread the gospel of conser-vation to them today. One seldom makes a good sportsman out of a man who is arrestedand fined. Most of them just become smarter, more cautious and more expensive tocatch the next time. If the game law violator had been taught during his youth why itwas not to his best interest and welfare to kill out of season, or to take more than hislimit, etc., we might have made a good sportsman out of him instead of a tophandviolator.

In this same vein, all sportsmen should be kept up to date as to present and futureplans for fish and game management activities. An informed sportsman is the best allythat our State governing bodies can have.

The most important problem that has faced conservationists in the past has beenthat of protecting the rights of the many against the greed and non-thinking selfish-ness of the few. This is also their present and future problem.

Members of the Eastern Oregon Sportsmen's Clubs recognize these problems asparamount. We ask all who read this letter to preach the gospel of good sportsmanship,which is best exemplified in the Golden Rule "Do unto others as you would have themdo unto you." Then perhaps good hunting and good fishing will continue, and will notbe something of the past about which to tell our grandchildren.

Page 6 JANUARY, 1948

atersheds of Oregon.

1947 TROUT LIBERATIONS

Predator ControlIncidental kill of predators by Game

Commission employees while carrying ontheir regular duties resulted in the de-struction of 2,143 birds and animals dur-ing the four-month period of July 1 toOctober 31. Species killed are shown inthe following table:

W Total 2,143

Species TotalCoyotes 52Bobcats 3Raven 32Crow 384Magpie 209Hawks 259Owls 68Skunks 24Weasel 17Jays 25Rats 198Kingfishers 684Cats 24,Grey diggers 28Mergansers 37Miscellaneous 126

Water-shed

Cut-throat

Steel-head

Silver-side

ChumSalmon Rainbow

EasternBrook Yanks Chinook Totals

1 486,27610,913

284,3893,490

282,20088

52,54016

1,105,40514,507

2 157,035 2,465,286 342,887 2,965,2084,229 37,610 2,032 43,871

3 27,550 340,329 107,522 475,401370 10,314 578 11,263 -Th

4 138,787 57,680 196,4677,267 286 7,553

5 2,723,889 866,260 100,000 3,690,14940,693 13,647 104 54,444

6 15,120 269,325 47,600 332,045378 3,254 112 3,744

7 30,300 112,170 15,300 157,770120 4,701 30 4,851

8 19,648 564,926 90,570 180,800 855,94416 5,514 179 56 5,765

9 205,385 50,880 256,2651,507 96 1,603

10 4,400 4,400200 200

11 46,550 46,5501,025 1,025

12 61,700 27,720 89,420774 90 864

13 139,593 5,000 144,5933,655 200 3,855

14 412,322 68,920 481,24213,332 174 13,506

15 84,840 497,690 341,623 464,569 50,960 243,600 1,683,282490 1,417 9,508 18,409 560 609 30,993

16 43,207 698,965 3,815,333 4,557,5051,591 2,535 7,676 11,802 -Th

17 356,744 356,7446,039 6,039

18 350,636 625,831 5,000 981,46721,854 13,984 250 36,088

TOTALS 1,525,936 2,152,295 623,823 52,540 11,769,564 1,731,299 180,800 343,600 18,379,85645,502 21,924 9,596 16 156,183 17,985 56 713 251,977

NOTE: Figures in black indicate poundage.

JANUARY, 1948 Page 7

Aquatic Weed ProblemIn Oregon

(Continued from Page 1)tures and scatter the pieces. Such brokenparts can be transplanted to other waterson pleasure boats, outboard motors, fish-ing tackle, and on logs going to mills.

It is difficult to explain why certain na-tive plants sometimes start producingabundant and troublesome growths aftermany years of moderate existence. It islikely that they have cyclic periods ofgrowth or for various unknown reasonsthe biological balance of the waters inwhich they occur may be upset causingaccelerated growth.

Methods of ControlThere are several methods employed in

controlling undesirable aquatic plants,their use depending upon the type ofwater and the species involved. Mechan-ical means, such as cutting, dredging,and chain dragging produce varying de-grees of success. At best, these methodsoffer only temporary relief in most cases,as many plants or roots are left undis-turbed. Too, mechanical methods are us-ually more costly as they require a greatdeal of manual labor and expensive equip-ment. Most of the plant pests in the wat-ers of this state do not readily yield tomechanical control. As previously stated,many forms are broken and scattered tomore areas when disturbed as they wouldbe by this type of operation.

Chemical treatments have producedsatisfactory control of many aquaticspecies under certain conditions. Sodiumarsenite is the old stand-by that has beenused for many years on both land andwater plants. As arsenic salts are highlytoxic, extreme caution must be exercisedwhen they are used. Treatments withsuch compounds usually do not producelasting effects so several reapplicationsare generally necessary to afford the de-sired control. Some of the chlorinatedhydrocarbons have been employed suc-cessfully in controlling aquatic vegetationin irrigation ditches and small ponds, buttreatment of large lakes is difficult andvery expensive.

During the past few years the Chem-ical Warfare Service and the 'UnitedStates Department of the Interior havejointly conducted many experiments withnew herbicides. That program includedextensive work with the phenoxyaceticcompounds, or hormone-type weed killerssuch as 2,4-D. In the laboratory some ofthose chemicals have shown great pro-mise against many aquatic plants, butconclusive field trials are still lacking.If the laboratory results can becated in open waters, it is anticipatedthat satisfactory control of many aquaticpests may be carried out at a fraction ofthe cost of most chemical means.

There is no guarantee that the Brazil-ian waterweed will succumb to any of theknown types of chemical treatments. As

Left: Showing density of weeds in untreated section of Siltcoos Lake. Right: Weeds taken in test areaafter experimental treatment with copper sulphate.

the species is a comparatively recent in-vader of the continent, no record has beenfound of any work directed towards itsstudy or control. It can only be hopedthat it may yield to treatment in a man-

American cousin has been found to do insome experiments.

In attempting to control undesirablegrowths, the purpose is not to kill allvegetation existing in a body of water.Most plants are beneficial to fish life, andespecially so to waterfowl. Care mustthen be exercised to protect the desirablespecies while trying to eradicate the pests.The welfare of the fish, as well as otheranimals and birds, must also be consid-ered. Many herbicides are poisonous tofish life, so during control operationsprecautions must be taken to afford themthe most possible protection. Fish foodorganisms are also susceptible to somechemicals, and if those forms are de-stroyed, fish populations cannot be main-tained. Another factor that cannot beoverlooked is that large masses of decay-ing organic material can result if exten-sive, heavily-infested areas are treated.As the decomposition progresses, the dis-solved oxygen that is so essential for themaintenance of fish life will be removedfrom the water. This is one of the great-est hazards encountered when usingmany of the chemical treatments.

Some fish mortality must be expectedwhen doing any aquatic weed controlwork. That mortality, however, should beheld to the minimum that prevailing con-ditions will permit. One method of pro-tecting the fish is to divide the infestedareas into small plots and treat only afew, well-scattered sections at a time.Such a procedure will leave large, unaf-

fected areas where the fish can escapethe effects of the chemicals. Also, as thatprocedure can only kill relatively smallamounts of vegetation at any one time,no serious depletion of the oxygen supply

tical in all cases, and some bodies of watermight have to be treated in their entiretyat one time.

Control Work in OregonAt their last session, the State Legis-

lature appropriated $25,000.00 to be usedfor aquatic weed control work. Thatmoney became available during July,1947, and is being administered by theState Game Commission. As the Brazil-ian waterweed is presently creating themost acute problem, most of the effortsare being directed toward its control.

Before any general eradication pro-gram can be carried out, some experimen-tation is necessary to determine the mostefficient and practical means of accom-plishing that work. A project headquart-ers was established on Siltcoos Lake inAugust of this year, and a crew employedto conduct the various tests required.While that team was in the field beforethe end of the summer, its work will prob-ably not be completed until another yearhas passed. Plants are more susceptibleto treatment early in their growing sea-son, and to gather complete information,observations must be made through atleast one complete growing cycle. There-fore, any work that could be done in thelast two months of one season would onlybe a start on any productive program.Some interesting information has beenbrought to light in the time the work hasprogressed, however, and several coursesfor possible future action have been de-

(Continued on Page 8)

Oregon State GameCommission Bulletin1634 S. W. ALDER STREET

P. O. BOX 4136PORTLAND 8. OREGON

Sec. 562. P. L. & R.

U. S. POSTAGE

1 c PAIDPortland 8, Oregon

Permit No. 536

Aerial Coyote HuntingThe airplanes have again been dis-

patched in pursuit of the coyote. At theend of the first half of the 1947 water-fowl hunting season they were assignedto the major waterfowl hunting areas tokeep the predators as low as possible.During the hunting season thousands ofbirds are crippled and lost by the hunters.A surprisingly high percentage of thesecripples will recover if given protection.

Coyotes seem to have a "sixth sense"which tells them in what areas crippledbirds can be found, as they congregateto some extent even before the huntingseason closes. Consequently the flyersfind their best hunting in or around themarshes of eastern Oregon.

The Tilse-Bowman Flying Service ofBend has hunted 34 hours in Jefferson,Deschutes, Klamath and Lake countiesand have taken 129 coyotes mostly aroundSummer Lake and Goose Lake or in theChewaucan and Warner Valley Marshes.

Oscar Davis of Burns has taken 88coyotes in 25 hours in Grant, Harney andMalheur counties.

Roe Davis of Burns took 88 coyotes in12 hours, mostly around the MalheurWaterfowl Refuge, or in the Silvies Val-ley hunting areas.

During January and February the coy-otes will be forced down by heavy snowsand will congregate in the wintering deerherds and livestock feed lots where theflyers can take 3 or 4 per hour and therebyjustify the $13.50 per hour cost.

Many of the isolated and rugged win-tering ranges that cannot be hunted byplane will be covered with poison sta-tions disseminated by plane.

Before the State Game Commission em-ployed these hunters this season, HarneyCounty employed the Davis Brothers tohunt the winter ranges, meadows, etc.Oscar Davis took 118 coyotes in 32 hoursand Roe Davis took 156 in 43 hours oncounty funds during September and Oc-tober.

The flyers are using the Piper Cruisers(J-5) or trainers (J-3) equipped with"souped_up" engines and low pitched pro-pellers for the hazardous type flying.The planes carry a gunner besides thepilot, who shoots out the left window fromthe rear tandem seat. A 12-gauge shotgunwith "BB" or No. 4 buckshot is used.Although they have to lead behind therunning coyote as the plane is going fast-er than the animal, the experienced gun-ners miss very few shots.

Weed Problem Control(Continued from Page 7)

termined. Some of the data so far gath-ered is herewith presented.

Sodium arsenite and the chlorinatedhydrocarbons appear to have little effecton dense stands of Brazilian waterweedwhen treatment is made late in the grow-ing season. Some burning of the upper-most plant parts resulted in several tests,and perhaps the affected individuals sankto the bottom for the winter sooner thanthose in untreated areas. Very closechecks must be made of all treated sec-tions next spring in an attempt to deter-mine whether or not the stands have beenpermanently injured or thinned out. Also,treatments should be made early in thegrowing season to discover how effectivea kill may be produced at that time.

The various forms of 2,4-D so far usedhave yet to show any results in controllingwaterweed, even when very heavy con-centrations are used. Several possible fac-tors may have influenced the treatments,of which the lateness of the growing sea-son is presently considered one of thegreatest. Very definite abnormalities didoccur in both coontail and water shieldthat were treated with that chemical, andparrot feather appears to be extremelysusceptible to even the lightest applica-tions. Further work is necessary to deter-mine the minimum amounts necessary tokill those plants under varying conditions.

Experiments were made using sodiumchloride or common salt, but heavy rainsand raises in the lake's water level justsubsequent to the treatments destroyedthe concentrations applied. It is believedthat there is a possibility that that mate-rial may offer some benefits, however, asBrazilian waterweed is not known to ex-ist in even brackish water and it has beennoted that when high tides flood infestedareas for a brief time, an apparent killingresults.

Copper sulphate (blue vitriol) is theone chemical used so far that has shownmarked effects on waterweed. It is tooearly to say that its use produces a killto all treated plants, but in sections whereit has been used, a definite reaction oc-curred. Even in the most dense stands, allwaterweed became discolored and settledto the bottom within two weeks. Even bet-ter results were obtained on coontail, yetmany of the desirable aquatic species ap-parently suffered no ill effects. Game fishwere frequently observed in the areasduring and after application and no dis-

tress of kill was noticed although somenon-game species were injured. Beforeany conclusive statements regarding theuse of copper sulphate can be made,further observations and experimentsmust be conducted and the effectivenessof the root kill determined.

ConclusionsInasmuch as no treatments or observa-

tions on the results of treatments havebeen made during the spring growing sea-son or for an entire growing period, nodefinite conclusions can be drawn at thistime. More work must be done using othermethods and materials before any onechemical can be selected as the propersubstance to be used for this type of aqua-tic weed control.

It is felt that since the weeds alreadyexist in such a high percentage of thelake areas, any treatment that would ef-fectively reach all of the plants must in-clude application of a soluble compoundin sufficient quantity to build up a killingconcentration in all of the water at onetime. This treatment should be made asearly in the spring as conditions will per-mit when there is a minimum of plantgrowth. The concentration should bemaintained in the water for as long aspracticable, perhaps for several weeks toinsure the greatest possible kill.

At least one entire growing cycle mustbe used for further experimentations andobservations before any specific recom-mendations can be made for a practical,effective method of controlling Brazilianwaterweed in the waters of Oregon.

The polar bear is such a good swimmerthat they have been seen over 200 milesfrom land in the open ocean.

The heart of an insect is a slender tubesuspended along the midline of the back,close to the dorsal wall of the body.

JANUARY CALENDARSalmon and Steelhead

over 20" Entire yearJack Salmon under 20" Entire yearSpiny-rayed fish Entire yearDucks and Geese Dec. 23-Jan. 5Pheasants (Summer Lake

Valley) Dec. 23-Jan.Mink, Muskrat,

Otter, Raccoon Nov. 15-Feb. 15Bear Entire yearPredatory Animals Entire year

Note: For exceptions, consult officialhunting or angling synopsis for 1947.