The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1946-03-21
CONSERVATION AFFAIRS
Happenings Affecting Woods, Waters and Widlife

catches at all three of Buttons
quarries. Croppies are beginning to
hit and Buckeye anglers have hooked
some hig ones the past week.
Bus Faulk from Mt. Cory snagged
two good sized crappies at the Buck
eye last Thursday. One measured
II inches. Other fishermen have re-
ported rises from crappies the past
few days.
Bass fishermen have had good bit
of luck on sunshiny days. r. v. Kirt-
land caught bass the past week all
on worms at the Buckeye. Three of
them We're hooked in one day and all
z were of legal size ranging. to IA
inches.
Kirkland had some real spo4 when
he hooked 7 pound carp on his fly
rod at the same quarry.
Mcdonald and his fishing friend
James from Ada snagged bass at
the quarry also one day recently.
At the Water Works quarry Roddy
Balmer hooked a 13 inch crappie
while fishing tight line. Howie Trip
plehorn also had big crappie hook
ed and surfaced, but the fish got
away before he could land it.
Poor weather most of the week
kept fishermen away from the quar-
ries, but few warm days with ris-
ing temperatures will find a good
many anglers plying their skill.
Commercial fishermen were ready
for the opening of the season at Lake
Erie on March Is. This means the
club will get their four loads of fish
for restocking earlier than in pre-
vious seasons. First catches of fresh
fish were expected last Monday at
the lake.
Declare War On Crows
Russell Montgomery, director of
predatory control for the sportsmen's
club submits some timely information
that will help our hunting activity in
the field this fall.
Russ says that every crow bumped
off now will save no less than 80
game bird eggs, for these black ras-
Gals destroy countless thousands of
eggs during the nesting season. An
other point to remember, crows will
be nesting soon, so a little wing
shooting at this time will eliminate a
lot of fedglings as we'll as the old
birds. Crows have increased tremend-
uously during the war when ammu-
milton was scarce and fewer hunters
were in the field.
Russ also says the opossum's fond
ness for eggs is believed to be a fac
tor in the scarcity of pheasants, quail
and other ground nesting birds.
The club offers a bounty on crows,
foxes and hawks as in previous years.
Members of the predator committee
are Wilbur Niswander, Jess Manages,
and Harold Montgomery.
Last Chance to Order Trees
Apply for your wildlife food and
cover trees before March "a. This
time limit is necessary because there
are limited supplies of the planting
units available, and there is heavy
seasonal demand for them, according
to game management officials.
The pine trees, lespedeza and wild
rose plants are offered free of charge
to any who apply for them through
their local game protectors, or Con-
servation District headquarters.
Sportsmen's club directors WSlford
Geiger and Harry Barnes will also
handle the applications.
This tree planting program has
been in operation for several years as
a part of the 15-point program of
the Division of Conservation and Ma
tural Resources. Thousands of tree
units have been distributed and
planted. They are designed not only
to aid wildlife but to aid the farm
ers in checking erosion and restoring
surface cover.
The units are available to owners
and operators of farms, organization
leaders and youth groups who agree
to plant the trees and shrubs outside
city limits where they will be of
greatest benefit to wildlife and to