Evening star., 1945-01-19
Bill lseteh

Although the freeze-up of last
week helped shooting on the Poto-
mac, the ice took out a lot of duck
blinds and altogether with the clos
ing of the waterfowling season to-
morrow, most of us run-of the mill
hunters will heave a sigh of relief.
What, with the shell and gasoline
shortage, to say nothing of lack of
opportunity because of the war and
the bluebird weather that has
messed us up most of the season, it
has been tough period for local
duck hunters.
For those of us who cannot Jour-
ney farther south this winter and
take advantage of later closing dates
on quail shooting, there are many
things that we can do to while
away the hours between now and
the opening of the fishing season
In the spring. One particular Job
that all hunters and others can en-
gage in with profit and pleasure
Is the feeding of wildlife for the
balance of the winter.
When deep SHOWS cover the
ground for lengthy periods or when
1t is heavily encrusted, even the
hardest of our wild friends cannot
scratch or break through the sur
face and obtain natural food in the
way OF nuts, seeds, etc. This also Is
true of the waterfowl when the ice
closes in on our ponds, marshes and
rivers, but they, by taking wing,
can md new feeding grounds, while
our earthbound creatures and our
nonmigratory birds are not so fortu-
nate.
AS a result, many of the latter
are weakned and often freeze or
starve. Bobwhite quail particularly
suHer during severe winter weather
and IN the past more than one covey
has been rescued from snowdrifts
by solicitous local sportsmen and
landowners.
4 The promiscuous scattering of
grains and other foods is often viii
ful waste. Local game protectors
and landowners most often know
best where emergency feeding should
be done. II you don't happen to
have pet covey or two that you are
looking after, contact these men, or
join one of the nearby Izaak Walton
League chapters, or other conserva-
ton associations, whose members
keep track of this situation and well
come helping hand in their own
efforts.
!. 1t will pay you big dividends in
health and pleasurable association.
Your boy or girl can join with you in
this worthwhile effort and you'll be
surprised how willingly the good
wife will welcome an hour or two
away from the frying-pan filters.
Fred Allnut, president of the Be-
thesda- Chevy Chase Chapter of the
Izaak Walton League, advises us
that the group will be receiving this
week a number of cottontails from
the State of Maryland for stocking
in Montgomery County. Members of
this chapter are busy lining up plans
for the coming year, which in our
opinion include several very worth
while conservation projects.
One, which is being considered in
conjunction with Boy Scout activi-
ties of the western division, Is the
development of a model woodlot on
their 14-acre clubhouse property,
situated just off the Old Georgetown
road. 1t is hoped this woodlot will
prove an incentive to landowners
nearby in developing their own mar
ginal lands of a similar nature.
At the same time the chapter is
working out a plan whereby it is
hoped the Boy Scout troops OF the
western division viii have available
an adequate overnight camping IA
cility, which Is sadly needed.
The securing action of floods of