The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1943-05-27
WITH THE
SP0RTSMEN'S CLUB

time to time and recently three
young squirrels were seen playing
near the den tree. Roger keeps the
squirrel family supplied with hickory
nuts and ear corn.
The installation of artificial dens
| in suitable trees throughout the COM
munity is plan sponsored by the
club. Squirrels will move from the
game refuge at the campus as the
reserve becomes overstocked. If den
boxes are installed at suitable loca-
tions and feeding platforms erected
nearby, the squirrels can be induced
to stay in the city limits.
Albert Benroth has agreed to con-
struct dens and feeding platforms
for any of the residents interested in
the proposition. The dens are con-
structed from poplar wood and built
on pattern approved by the State
Department of Conservation. A den
and feeder platform will be furnish
ed for S1.50 by Benroth.
Howard Stager reports den plac-
ed in the Oak tree in his front yard
has been taken over by a fox squir-
rel family. The adult squirrels can
often be seen feeding on a platform
constructed on the trunk of the tree.
Additional dens have been ordered
| by Armin Hauenstein and Howard
! Stager.
Elmer Romey seems to have his
share of luck this season when it
comes to fishing. Not long ago
Elmer snagged II nice blue gills in
the Buckeye one evening. The next
night he was just as lucky for he
caught 13 more. The blue gills were
of nice size and were all around T
inches long. 1t will be remembered
the club stocked the quarry last Oct.
with 3 to 5 inch blue gills. Plenty
of food causes these fish to grow
rapidly and there is no doubt sew
eral inches have been added to the
fish since last fall. The State De-
| partment of Conservation has ruled
there shall be no legal length on
blue gills this year, but the bag
limit still remains at 20 per day.
Jesse Mangus landed nice 2
pound crappie at the Buckeye last
Sunday afternoon. The water, still
| high from the recent rains and over
the edge in many places in the
quarry, will not be in a good fishing
state until the later part of this
week. Not many catches were re-
ported over the weekend as q result
of this high water condition. The
valve at the smallest end of the
quarry is open and a large volume
of the high water has drained away
| into the creek. The water should
have been sufficiently lowered by
Sunday, but large accumulation of
debris washed into the quarry by
the rains has plugged up the screen
covering the valve hindering the
| flow of the water.
| Sam Hauenstein, chairman of the
squirrel restocking committee, re-
ceived a letter from the Sandhill
Game Farms in Babcock, Wisconsin
stating that the squirrel shipments
for our club this year have been
completed.
Since last October the club has
purchased total of 33 fox squirrels
and Sc grey squirrels. The total
cost of the squirrels amounted to
| $138.1O.
The directors are pleased with the
game purchased for in nearly every
instance it was in good condition
when received at Bluffton. The fox
and grey squirrels on the campus
game reserve are rearing young in
the dens placed in the trees and
present indications are the reserve
will be very successful in production
of game for the restocking of the
woods in the Bluffton hunting area.
When the reserve houses a surplus
of these animals the club directors,
with permission from the Conserva-
tion Department at Columbus, plans
to live trap the surplus from the
reserve for release in woods sur
rounding Bluffton.
The heavy rains of the past few
weeks have without doubt drowned a
vast number of young rabbits in
| northwestern Ohio. Howard Lang
staff supervisor of District No. l.
with headquarters at Ottawa, re-
ports that the entire northwestern
part of Ohio was one-fourth under
water. The intimidation drowned
many quail chicks, pheasant chicks
and since many rabbits were still in
the nest, the young rabbits We're
drowned without a chance to escape
Many of the young in the Blufftor
hunting area were not far enough
along to even have their eyes open.
The game committee consisting
of Ralph Reichenbach as chairman
Myslb,,r N;cr-.rdar .rJ Iorco Manras