The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1943-04-22
WITH THE
SPORTSMEN'S CLUB

While contracting for the game re
serve at Ezra Moser's farm a few
weeks ago, Ezra remarked he ha:
little time for hunting, but is in
terested in doing what he can tt
promote this sport in the Blufftor
area. For years he has noticed that
animals and birds frequent his yaro
and has wondered as to the reason
The Pittman-R Robertson Agent, Rob't
Winchell, explained this after seeing
a long privet hedge bordering the
yard around his house. Winchell
says the birds and animals use the
berries from the privet bush as a
source of food, and will travel for
a considerable distance for them.
Ezra one time captured a raccoon
under the hedge with the aid of a
wire hook. On another occasion he
captured an orpossum, and seeing a
large fox squirrel under the bush he
ran it half way across snow cover
ed field and caught it by the tail.
The animal was also feeding on
the black berries of the bush.
Pheasants are often seen feeding
near the bushes and on one occasion
a skunk was seen under the hedge,
but Ezra emphasized he made no
attempt to capture the animal.
The woods which he leased to the
state will be developed soon. Hayden
Steiner, manual training teacher at
the high school has better than a
dozen dens for squirrel constructed
and as soon as Winchell finishes with
the planting of 10000 trees which
he will personally plant during con-
servation month, he plans to spend
a good deal of time developing the
new game reserves of this area.
Trout fishing opened in Ohio
April 15 and will remain open until
Sept. 15. Principal stream in Ohio
for this type of angling is Mad
River and its cold water tributaries.
The stream is located near Bellefon-
taine. Spending a few days seeking
trout from this public stream should
not be waste of time, for the state
restocks the river consistently with
plenty of fish, so there should be
good fishing awaiting all those
fishermen willing to use a number 5
gas coupon for the trip.
Albert Garmatter's 81 years of
raccoon hunting have served good
purpose. This past open season, in
two months time, Albert caught in
the woods near Bluffton enough rae
coon to have made for his wife a
coat of prime fur. The coat, con-
structed of 16 skins of raccoon fur,
is full length and very attractive.
The garment made by w. w. Weav-
er, leading furrier, at Reeding,
Mich, is the second fur piece that
Mrs. Garmatter has received from
her husband in the past two years.
Last year it will be remembered
Albert was successful in capturing a
light raccoon. The fur from this
animal was made into a neck piece
for Mrs. Garmatter.
Grey squirrels are beginning to
travel from the college game refuge
out over the town, apparently in
search for den trees. Mr.. and Mrs.
Harry Shalley had occasion to see
one of the big grey animals in their
back yard last week end. The
squirrel seemed rather tame and
this tameness can be attributed to
the fact that the fox and grey
squirrels on the campus are becom-
ing rapidly accustomed to the people
passing by their feeding stations at
all hours of the day. Students can
quite often pass to within ten feet
of the animals without disrupting
their feeding habits.
MARCH MISTAKES
Fourteen persons were convicted
of violations of Ohio's fish and game
laws during the month of March, re-
sulting in the assessment of 1885 in
fines and $130 in costs, of which $40
in fines was remitted by the justices
of the peace hearing the cases.
The units of trees for the farmers
and for our game reserve at the