Evening star., 1960-12-27
Sc Hunters Build Shelters for Wild Life
Some Animals
Need More Aid;
Rabbits Scarce
BY CHARLES COVELL
outdoor Editor =

is so complex the average
man gets awed by it. There
are high-level conferences
on water pollution, insecti-
cideS, peSticideS, wetlandS
acquisition and so forth. With
all the threats to wildlife you
wonder there Is any left.
Beyond writing to his Con-
gresham. contributing q few
dollars, to some worthwhile
movement and joining an Ike
Walton or similar organiza-
tion. Mr.. Average Man often
wonders what he can do
about II.
Rest assured. there Is plenty,
given . little time and ambi-
tion. Lately the SHOWS have
been heavy. The ponds are
closed by ice. It's a tough time
Of year for all wildlife.
The Virginia Commission OF
Game and Inland Fisheries
Richmond IS, has q fine folder
illustrating some easy methods
by which you can provide feed
ing stations, nesting boxes and
cover for squirrels. song birds,
rabbits, wild turkeys and the
like.
Some Need More Help
Some species need more help
than others. so far, this season,
quail seem to have been fairly
plentiful. For the last couple
Of seasons rabbits have not.
Those who own any acreage
can help Q great deal in this
regard. Simplest step right now
would be to cut down some
brush and leave it. An occa-
tional brush pile in an out-of-
the-way place, especially near
Q field seeded to any small
grain, provides an ideal place
for rabbits to multiply unmo-
Tested by their many enemies.
Use q few big stones, a log,
stump or an old oil drum as a
base.
In the spring don't burn over
your farmlandS. It cuts heavily
into wildlife populations. # 1t
Is done early, it reduces the
areas where birds and animals
have dens or nests. Later, in
May or June. nests, eggs and
young birds may be destroyed.
Burning is out Of date and as
bad for soil fertility as
straight-furrow plowing in hill
country.
Don't Clear Fence Lines
Don't clear your fence lines.
It offers neither food nor cover
for rabbits and other wildlife.
Furnishing no obstruction for
winds or rains, 1t paveS the way
for erosion. Multifiora rose
makes Q cheap stock fence, ex-
cellent windbreak and ideal
cover for bunnies.
Contact the game commits
sion for advice and help In
planting cover crops. Borders
Of shrub and serices leSpedezas
along the edge Of q woodland
provide good cover for rabbits
and birds. The paintings also
prevent erosion Of field edges.
Well-managed bitches seeded
to grasses and legumes furnish
effective drainage for nearby
fields and shelter for wildlife.
Odd areas which normally
produce no crop can be made
to support rabbits. These in
clude small eroded spots in
fields, bare knobs, sinkholes,
gullieS, abandoned roads and
railroad rights-of-way. gravel
pits or bits Of good land cut
OF by stream, ditch or gully.
Allow Vines to Grow
Allow. the honeysuckle, Vir-
ginia creeper and blackberry
to grow. Add to the existing
cover plants. Planting an un-
used area in Norway spruce
provides shelter for rabbits as
well as giving the owner some
income from Christmas trees.
Every now and then we'll
meaning persons criticize the
hunter. This Is particularly
true Of deer. Deer are such
pretty creatures"
So they are. but did you ever
see q deer starving In an over
browsed woodland? Many die
each year and Game Commits
sion photographs are pitiful
evidence.
That is the reason for the
open seasons and bag limits,
carefully thought out and set
by the Game Commissions. It
is the only way to keep the
herds within balance.
Same is true of rabbits. The
Delaware Game Commission
found that 'in q few small
exceptional situations, hunting
cut the supply of rabbits; on q
Statewide basis, it did not.
Effect Of Hunting Tested
Carefully planned expert
ments conducted In several
parts Of the country tested the
effects Of hunting on rabbits" i"
the commission said. "The con-
clusionS were that hunting, re-
gardless Of intensity. had little
or no effect on the following
years supply. Rabbits survive
the most persistent hunters.
They are capable Of reproduc-
ing an ample supply of young
rabbits: more. in fact, than
their surroundings can support
in the fall. winter and spring. ("
A major enemy is the high
way hunter. He doesn't do 1t on
purpose but he bags more than
his share Of game. You see 1t
every day In the carcaSses of
deer. rabbits, squirrels and
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