The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1940-07-18
WOODCOCKS ARE IN
PRECARIOUS POSITION

FROM Maine, M. AL
dous, leader of the Maine Coop
| erative Wildilfe Research unit,
reports that a check in the
heart of the woodcock nesting
areas showed the number of oc-
cupied singing grounds this year
to be 37k per cent less than the
number used last year. In Penn
sylvania, DR.. Logan j. Bennett,
leader of the Pennsylvania Coop
erative Wildlife Research unit,
who has been investigating the
woodcock nesting area near the
Pennsylvania State college, OBJ
served a decrease of 40 per cent
in the number of occupied sing
ing grounds.
Observers from other sections
of the country reported similar
decreases in the woodcock pop
ulations during the spring mi
grations this year. Six observ-
ers found slight increases. how
ever, showing the situation to
be spotty.
From the Maritime provinces,
Harold L. Peters, Atlantic Fly
way biologist of the Fish and
Wildlife service, found conflict
ing evidence, reporting no chan
ges IN some areas, slight de-
creases in others, and marked
decreases in still other areas.
He was of the opinion that the
woodcock population is below
normal.
Reports Conflict: Outlook
Poor
Officials of the Fish and
Wildlife service frankly admit
that there is much to be learned
about the woodcock. Efforts to
study the life history and sta
tus of the bird have been made
difficult by the fact that the
woodcock is not easily banded.
However, developments in band
ing techniques at the Maine
and Pennsylvania Cooperative
Wildlife Research units during
the past few years have been
successful and more informa-
ton on the bird is now being
gathered.
The cooperative research
units are financially supported
by the University of Maine, the
Maine Commission of Inland
Fisheries and Game, the Penn
sylvania State college, the PENN
Sylvania Game commission the
American Wildlife institute, and
the Fish and Wildlife service.
Though preliminary reports
on the woodcock population,
based on observations of spring
migrations and nesting areas,
are conflicting, Fish and Wild
life service officials are inclined
to believe that the number of
birds this year is less than the
1889 population. This opinion
is based on the numerous OBJ
servations of reductions on the
singing grounds and on the
fact that an unusual number of
woodcocks were killed in the
South last winter.
Thousands Killed in Winter
Available information unques-
tionably shows that the major
1ty of the woodcocks in the
country winter in the Louisiana
swamps, and officials of the
Fish and Wildlife service esti-
mate that thousands of birds
were destroyed there during the
cold spell.
It will be recalled that last
winter Louisiana and other
southern states suffered a Sc
we're freeze = up. Considerable
numbers of Woodcocks were
found starving on the southern
end of their normal wintering
grounds. According to reliable
sources, many individuals daily
shot full bag limits of these
birds that were too weak to fly
out of range of the hunters
guns. Usually many hunters do
not get full bag limits daily.
Want Shorter Season
E.. A. MacIlheny, well known
conservationist and bird bander
of Avery Island, La, asserts
that following the freeze-up he
counted 1,011 dying woodcocks
within an hour and a half. 9th
er investigators IN the south
reported substantially the same
condition.
Since the woodcock is the
mystery bird of the Atlantic
seaboard and is a popular spe-
cies among sportsmen, many in
dividuals are of the opinion
that the Federal authorities
should play safe" by recon-
mending a shorter season and
thus assuring protection for the
breeding stock.
What action will be taken,
however, to protect this years
supply of woodcocks from be-
coming depleted will not be
known until the 1910 migratory
hunting regulations are an
nounced late in July.