, L. : IS ;t. : OREGON WILDLIFE Balderdash September 1 977 Volume 32 No. 9 OREGON FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION Mrs. Allen Bateman, Chairman .... Klamath Falls Jack Steiwer, Vice Chairman .............. Fossil John Boyer........................ Bellfountain Allan Kelly .......................... Portland Walter Lofgren ....................... Portland Herbert Lundy..................... Lake Oswego Frank Pozzi .......................... Portland JOHN R. DONALDSON Director Oregon Wildlife is published monthly by the Oregon State Department of Fish and Wildlife. Volumes 1 through 28 were entitled Oregon Game Commission Bulletin. RON E. SHAY, Editor Permission to reprint is granted; credit would be appreciated. Oregon Wildlife is circulated free of charge. Please report change of address promptly giving both new and old addresses and zip codes. Second-clast postage paid at Portland, Oregon. ALI correspondence should be sent to: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife P.O. Box 3503 506 S.W. Mill Portland, Or. 97208 The Cover Bull Prairie Lake. A cooperative development of Kinzua Corporation, the Wildlife Commission, and the U. S. Forest Service. See feature story. Photo by Ron Shay HUNTER EDUCATION PROGRAM INSTRUCTORS APPROVED Month of June 21 Total Active 1,509 II Several months ago we wrote an editorial entitled BALDERDASH! As you may recall, we addressed ourselves to the subject of harassment of wildlife by individuals in aircraft and, more specifically, with the charge that ODFW employes do this before the season. We usually get some sort of response to our comments and we do appreciate people taking time to write and let us know how they feel and what they would like to see in the magazine. However, some of the responses we received as a result of the Balderdash editorial were a bit unexpected. Several readers wrote and called and said they were certain we were wrong. In one case the individual had some facts plus some second-hand information that we followed up on. There really wasn't enough actual information to be able to nail down the incident and indications were that the report was a case of misidentification. In another case an individual asked that his subscription be cancelled because our editorial had destroyed his faith in the credibility of our whole publication. He indicated he was sure he saw an aircraft with the State Police emblem on it harassing game prior to the elk season. Unfortunately, he didn't have the number of the aircraft. The State Police planes do not have their emblem on them and if there was such a plane, it was illegally labeled. It is against Department policy for employes to harass game prior to the seasons. It is against state law for anyone else to use aircraft to harass game or to hunt game from. Additionally, it is illegal to hunt game with the aid of an aircraft or to transmit from an aircraft to a person not in the aircraft information regarding the location of game mammals or game birds. Use of helicopters is restricted in another way. No person may hunt any game mammal within two hours after having been transported by a helicopter to or from any place other than a designated place. What constitutes actual harassment may be open to interpretation. The deep canyons in northeastern Oregon may make it appear that a pilot is flying quite low when he isn't, if you are looking from a ridge or two away. If an aircraft is right overhead, there should be little question about its elevation and it should also be possible to get the identification numbers if it is indeed harassing game. We would like to put the story at rest concerning ODFW use of aircraft for this purpose and the State Police would like to be able to follow up on actions of private aircraft if they have the necessary information. However, such information must be accurate and complete before it is of value. A cornplete description of the aircraft such as number of engines, wing placement, colors, and, most importantly, the numbers on the fuselage or wing, plus the date and time of the incident are needed. If you can get the information to the State Police or Department personnel as soon as possible, the aircraft may still be in the area. But don't pass along rumors, misinformation, stories someone else gives you, or general gossip. Let's have the facts! RES .............. ............... STUDENTS TRAINED Month of June Total to Date ............. 572 ........... 242,241 HUNTING CASUALTIES REPORTED IN 1977 Fatal Nonfatal ........................ ..................... 5 Page2 O COMMISSION MEETING The Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet on Saturday, September 24, starting at 9 a.m. to receive proposals on the 1978 sport angling regulations. The meeting will be held at the Lloyd Center Auditorium located on the lower level of the shopping center. Written suggestions concerning the rules should be sent to the Commission prior to the meeting. The final rules will be adopted at a meeting in October. SEPTEMBER 1977 '. A Good Neighbor Kinzua Corporation by Glen F. Ward District Wildlife Biologist, Heppner The old adage "you don't get something for nothing" is not necessarily true. The case in point is what one corporation is accomplishing, mostly at its own expense, to enhance all of its potential natural resources with a deep concern for the welfare of the The company is the Kinzua Corporation, a timber corporation. Management goals as stated by Allen Nistad, general manager, are "to provide a perpetual supply of usable wood fibre while striking a compatible balance with other resource values such as grazing, wildlife, water- J ;.. s 'i - r shed, and recreation" and the statement is backed up by action. ¿ - j- I; History Kinzua Tree Farm, founded in Grant, Morrow, Gilliam, and Umatilla Counties in northeastern Oregon. Presently the -' -r 1909, owns land in 4 ;Ç-jà:. ' . - ' . corporation owns or manages 240,000 acres of timber-producing land and purchases additional timber from the national forest and other adjacent landowners. Company-owned sawmills are located at Spray, Kinzua (a company town), and Heppner. Also, a newly completed plywood plant is in operation at Heppner. Total employment is nearly 600 workers with an annual payroll of $7,000,000. Lake Development Newly logged areas on Kinzua lands are seeded to slow water runoff and also to provide forage, protective cover, and habitat for wildlife. OREGON WILDLIFE Bull Prairie Lake, 24 acres in size, located in the northwest corner of Grant County, was developed after 20 acres of land were donated by Kinzua Corporation in cooperation with the U. S. Forest Service and Oregon Wildlife Commission. No lakes existed in a large surrounding area prior to the construction of the impoundment in 1961 and since that time 600,000 public visits have been recorded. Fish stocking on an annual Page 3 basis is carried out by the Department. The U. S. Forest Service con- structed and maintains the camping facilities. The lake area is also used by the sixth grade outdoor school from a three-county area as a classroom each fall and a large number of deer and elk hunters camp there during the hunting season. The fisheries management of Wineland Lake, located near Kinzua in Wheeler County, was obtained for public use through a cooperative agreement between Kinzua Corporation and the Oregon Wildlife Commission. The lake had been constructed for a log storage pond, was disbanded, and was being managed as a private fisheries prior to this agreement. The year-round use on this small 6-acre pond has reached 12,500 man-days of recreation annually. Annual stocking of trout takes place and a bass fishery is being estab- -0 Ice fishing ¡s a popular sport at some of the jointly developed lakes. lished. Range Reseeding All of Kinzua lands are valuable for the production and survival of many species of wildlife found in the eastern Oregon area. In order to increase production and survival of these wild species of mammals and birds, a cooperative range reseeding project has been planned and carried out on an annual basis between the Kinzua Corporation and the Department. After the slash is removed from the logged areas, grass is seeded to the disturbed soil to slow water runoff. New forage production provides valuable food for domestic livestock and habitat, food, and protective cover for wildlife species. w Two of the parks developed on donated lands are popular with summer tourists and are used in the fall by deer and elk hunters. Page 4 SEPTEMBER 1977 Grass mixtures include interme- Logging Practices cliate and crested wheat, orchard and It was no accident that two of Kin- timothy grasses purchased by the company, and yellow blossom sweet clover, sainfoin and ladac, nomad and rhizoma alfalfa purchased by the Department. These grass mixtures are then flown on the soil by helicopter at 8 pounds per acre at a cost of $4 per acre. Kinzua Corporation outlay for seed and flying time some years exceeds $30,000. In the past years, depending on weather, soil, and growing conditions, these seeding projects have produced up to 600 pounds of forage, dry weight, per year. Not only are these reseeded areas being used by livestock and big game animals but they serve as a haven for upland game birds and many nongame birds and mammals. In addition, the company plants 30,000 tree seedlings each year which provide additional wildlife cover after the vegetation has been established. zua Corporation logging contractors received statewide recognition and awards for outstanding performance. This is a result of hiring well-trained, experienced, and dedicated personnel and the insistance of the administrative people to do a good job. Don Hardwick, Kinzua, received the State Board of Forestry Award for the Eastern Oregon Forest Practices Operator of the Year in 1975 and 1976. He was commended for the following practices: access roads planned to stay out of the canyon bottoms, stream bank cover maintamed and skid trails kept away from the streams, an overall effort to minimize water runoff problems which foul fish-bearing streams with sediment and debris. Buffer strips were left to screen operations from passing traffic, thus preserving the aesthetic value of the area. Consideration is also given to snags that are being used by cavity-nesting birds. A road closure program has been instituted to cut down on wildlife harassment and to prevent or alleviate soil erosion. Unused roads are seeded back to grasses to produce additonal cover and forage. Another Kinzua contractor, Nor- Public Access In order to properly harvest a wildlife resource and to prevent deterjoration of habitat from overutilization by animals, it is necessary to have a proper harvest. This can be accomplished through hunting regulations but public access is needed to get the desired harvest results. Kinzua's policy has been to allow free public access during the entire year. There are a few exceptions whereby lands leased to livestock permittees are regulated by the permittee. Many outdoor enthusiasts take advantage of this generosity by using company lands for hunting, angling, camping, picnicking, snowmobiling, rock hunting, sight-seeing, bird watching, swimming, and golf. Users are cautioned to be careful with fire and firearms, pack out litter, and respect company property as well as obey the game laws. Nevertheless, fires and vandalism have occurred and the company continues to be tolerant, knowing that most of the people using their lands appreciate the opportunity to do so. man Patterson, received a merit award for excellence in slash disposal from the Eastern Oregon Regional Forest Practices Committee in 1974 and 1975. A new concept of timber and other resource management has been initiated by Kinzua Corporation whereby the company will lease private timber lands and provide technical assistance and carry out a management program with guaranteed financial payments on an annual basis. Present day financial costs are prohibitive for most private landowners to establish an economical resource program. Included in this plan is total resource management: soil, water, forage, and watershed with emphasis on producing timber on what is now stagnate timber growing areas. OREGON WILDLIFE Several thousand acres of small and scattered tracts of timbered lands are now being exchanged between the national forest and Kinzua which will incorporate lands in larger blocks and make management in a more productive manner possible. This will also pertain to a better wildlife management plan. For example, if a road closure plan was needed to provide quality hunting and to prevent wildlife harassment, it could be expedited more effectively and efficiently. Parks Three overnight camping parks have become a reality because of Kinzua's actions. Parcels of land were donated by the company for each park site. Shelton Park is located in Wheeler County along State Highway 19 and is maintained by the State Highway Division. Anson Wright Park is located along State Highway 207 in Morrow County and is maintained by Morrow County Park System. Both parks are very popular and heavily used by summer tourists and elk and deer hunters in the fall. Bear Hollow Park, located south of the town of Fossil, has been more recently completed. Kinzua donated 19 acres for this development. Also, Kinzua Golf Course, located near the towns of Fossil and Kinzua, was constructed, developed, and is maintained by the corporation. This recreation center is open to the public although it was originally constructed for the employes. Various golf tournaments are held in competition with neighboring communities. In addition to all the other worthwhile programs carried out by Kinzua Corporation, employes have installed nest boxes for nongame birds arid they have an active wild turkey rearing program. Adult birds have been released in the wild and it is hoped that they will be successful nesters and produce additional turkeys. A few wild turkeys have been held in captivity so that the propagation program can be continued. All in all, "Big K" fits the role of a good neighbor to Oregon recreationists. EI Page 5 The problem. An improperly placed road culvert with a 16-inch drop blocked upstream fish passage. Large logs were placed in trenches dug in the banks and stream bed. Each log forms a small dam or weir plus a resting pool. -a-- Fish Get '. A Hand Fish will find life a little easier in a section of Deardorf Creek, thanks to the efforts of the Lake Creek Youth Conservation Corps. Working in cooperation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the YCC group constructed a fish on the creek, a tributary of the John Day River east of Prairie City. The structure was designed to correct a 16-inch waterfall at the lower end of the culvert, thus allowing the upstream movement of native Dolly Varden, cutthroat, and steelhead. Under the direction of Errol Claire, district fisheries biologist for the Department, four log weirs were built by hand to stairstep the culvert approach. Logs were anchored four feet into each bank and heavily riprapped to prevent washout during high spring flows. In combination with the riprap, pools up to three feet deep dug between the weirs will produce excellent rearing habitat for native trout. The resulting utilization of an additional two miles of Deardorf Creek above the culvert will enhance the fisheries value of the stream already estimated at $16,000 annually. During the project the young people not only acquired practical skills while working closely with Department personnel but also gained valuable insights into fisheries management concepts and techniques. V .-. # .. s At. p, - s... 4. . - . Photos by Julie Black Page 6 i . - S z,. : :. Several stages of construction are shown. In all, four logs were placed to form the ladder permitting passage to upstream areas. Close-up of the completed result. Each of the four logs raised the creek slightlv, permitting upstream passage. Also, the pools formed provide excellent rearing habitat for resident trout. The project allowed migrating fish to reach two miles of spawning area above the previous block at the culvert. SEPTEMBER 1977 1977 Legislation by Rouie Rousseau Executive Assistant to the Director The 1977 legislative session was the first for the recently merged Department of Fish and Wildlife. Nearly 80 measures were introduced that either directly affected the Department's programs or closely related natural resource matters. Making the bobcat a furbearer and the classification of certain fish and wildlife violations as Class "C" felonies are two important bills that did receive approval by the 1977 Legislature. Some of the more important of the 22 measures passed are discussed here. In recent years the legislature has been reluctant to protect the bobcat because of the concern that increased numbers would create problems with ,l__' livestock production or that legitimate harvest by some users would be eliminated. However, because of soaring fur prices, up to $300 per pelt, bobcat populations have become dangerously low in some sections of the state. The legislature, recognizing that a management program was needed to provide protection to bobcats, passed the enabling act. The law becomes effective October 4, at which time the Commission will adopt seaSons. The illegal taking during closed season of all big game animals or game fish with a value of $200 or more was made a Class "C" felony. This legislation grew from repeated blatant violations of some fish and wildlife laws. Particularly concerning to the legislature was the increase in illegal netting of salmon. Poachers can harvest several thousand dollars worth of fish in a very short time. The new law makes out of season violations on big game animals a felony charge only upon a second conviction of a similar violation. A Class "C" felony carries maximum penalties of OREGON WILDLIFE $2,500 fine and a five-year jail sentence which is served in the State Penitentiary. It is hoped that these more severe penalties will reduce the illegal harvest of Oregon's fish and wildlife resources. Several minor license fee adjustments were made. One authorizes free licenses for certain foster chilthen and other persons under jurisdiction of Children's Services Division and a special $2.50 Columbia River gillnet license was created. The legislature also authorized the Department to prescribe fees up to $250 per year for falconry licenses. The Commission recently approved a falconry program for Oregon and the appropriate rules are now being considered. The Department may now charge a small application fee for controlled hunt permits with passage of HB 2098. The revenue obtained from this new fee (probably $1 charge per application) will allow the Department to offset the rapidly increasing administrative costs associated with an expanded permit hunting program. Several bills were passed that streamline procedures for processing and sale of illegal gillnets. These changes, among other things, will prevent "unusable" nets from re-entering illegal fishing channels. Numerous bills were considered and several passed that related to fish and wildlife habitat. Senate Bill 570, which amends the controversial land use planning law, did, among other things, provide that a state agency can appeal a county or city planning decision if the local decision is inconsistent with the Land Conservation and Development Commission's statewide planning goals. With the enacted change, the Department became the first state agency to ap- peal to LCDC a local planning decision when it filed action involving the platting of several recreational subdivisions in Deschutes County. Oregon's fill and removal law was amended to require that small stream channel changes require a permit from the Division of State Lands. Also, for the purposes of requiring a fill and removal permit for channel alteration activities, the legislature defined "a constantly flowing stream" to include intermittent streams which contain game and food fish. Both of these amendments close loopholes that had been used to circumvent the aquatic resource protection stipulations that regulate fill and removal activities on state waterways. Although most of the 22 conservation bills that passed will assist our management program, several key bills did not receive favorable consideration from the legislature. Passage of the controversial "Kelpie" coyote bill and the high legislative interest in two Governor appointments to the Fish and Wildlife Commission created enough political controversy to kill the bills allowing Idaho into the Columbia River Compact and the change from a poundage fee to an ad valorem tax on commercial fish landings. Along with the two Department bills, a third bill sponsored by sportsmen groups requiring an angling license for all fish, including nongame marine fish, failed to receive necessary committee action. Although we were diappointed that several key bills died in the last days of the session, most of the 22 conservation bills that the 1977 Legislature enacted will make a positive contribution to the state's fish and wildlife management program. J Page 7 READING THE OUT DOORS Ç(4M OR -1OW TO BE A DETECTIVE WHILE OUT HUNTING -- p I, . y '* :zo- - 4' : . 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A recent study by Cornell University revealed that more than half the mountain lakes at altitudes over 2,000 feet in New York State are highly acidic and 90 percent of these have suffered severe losses of fish life. Some scientists fear that acid rain may eventually destroy entire aquatic ecosystems. Fish and Wildlife News * Idiot Knifes Sturgeon Some human acts simpiy can't be explained. Dan Barrett, foreman at the Department's Bonneville Fish Hatchery, reports someone apparent'y practiced his commando tactics on a captive sturgeon one night earlier this summer. Workers found the 9-foot sturgeon in the hatchery's display pond one morning suffering a severe cut. Someone apparently had taken a knife and slashed the helpless fish, inflicting a wound about 8 inches across and 2 inches deep. The hatchery crew treated the fish and then put it back into the Columbia River, feeling it would be able to recover better there than in the pond. * Arabia On Ice Parched Saudi Arabians are planning to haul an 85-million-ton iceberg 5,000 miles from Antarctica at a cost of $90 million. As the iceberg melts, according to the plan, the fresh water can be used for drinking and irrigation at approximately half the cost of desalination. International Wildlife "Bitter" Mousetrap One day, while patrolling in the Vantage area along the Columbia River, I was flagged down by a disabled motorist on Interstate 90. As is so often the case, unsightly litter was scattered about along the roadside. While I was radioing for assistance, we noticed that one beer bottle lying nearby was moving on its own power. A close check revealed the two tiny eyes and furry brown nose of a field mouse peeking out from within the bottle. It seems he couldn't get enough leverage inside the smooth bottle neck to force himself back out. A hard rap on the bottle set him free and sent him wobbling on his way, looking a little worse for wear and probably nursing a hangover. I don't suppose he appreciated having his world cluttered up with litter any more than we do. Mike Bireley Washington Wildlife A * Can Bass See Colors? From the variety of colors available in fishing lures, it would seem that question had been conclusively decided long ago but not so. An - experimental psychologist at the University of Kentucky recently conducted tests with bass in 30-gallon tanks. The bass were trained to strike a clear, circular target to obtain food. The target colors were changed during the tests and bass were timed on making strikes at the targets. The researcher concluded that bass can see colors and that they can use colors in learning. If an undersized bass was caught several times on, say, a red plastic worm, he might eventually learn to avoid red lures. Missouri Conservationist Page 10 PCB's Will Travel In Air Until recently, the industrial chemical Polychlorinated Biphenyl, known as PCB, was not known to travel by air. It was believed the main pathway of PCB's into the environment was through water. But recent research has located PCB's in snow and penquin eggs at the South Pole and researchers condude the only way the chemical could have arrived there was by air. PCB's have been found in sizable amounts in the Great Lakes and are a suspected danger to human health. Michigan anglers have been warned to consume only moderate amounts of Great Lakes fish because of this. Michigan Natural Resources magazine Xerox Cuffed For Wildlife Distortions For a second time the Montana Department of Fish and Game has cuffed Xerox Education Publications of Middletown, Connecticut for an "attempt to present misleading and biased information for consumption by young and unsuspecting minds". The Department got on Xerox for reportedly misinforming young readers about bighorn sheep in the company's publication, Weekly Reader Eye, which is made available for use in school systems. The Department said a recent issue of the publication stated, "Vast herds of bighorn once roamed the U. S." and "Today only a few small herds remain." The article reportedly went on to cite "uncontrolled hunting" as a reason for the bighorn decline. The Department informed Xerox that "Vast herds of bighorns did not roam the U. S. as you state. As a matter of fact, bighorns were histori-. cally restricted to the western U. E You might be interested in the fact that in Montana bighorns occupied an estimated 3,553 square miles in 1975, as compared with approximately 2,183 square miles in 1942. In other words, in 35 years of management by this department management supported by hunters occupied mountain sheep habitat has increased at least 58 percent. Another fact is that in 1941 bighorns occupied 15 locations, as compared to 25 to 30 - - areas in 1971." A Xerox employe, as a result of an earlier letter from the Department, replied, "I'm continually amazed and pleased at the number of non-fifth grade readers we have." This time Montana responded, "Hopefully, you will again be ' . . . amazed and pleased . . , that some parents take extreme interest in what their children are subjected to in the schools. It's unfortunate that more don't do so, because if they did, it would certainly help ensure that publications such as yours do, in fact ' . . . present newr in as factual and objective manner as. possible.'." Wildlife Management Institute . SEPTEMBER 1977 1977 GAME BIRD SEASONS Daily BagPossession Limit Limit Open Season (all dates inclusive) Blue & Ruffed Grouse Chukar & Hungarian Partridge Sept. 1-Sept. 30 Sept. 17-Nov. 6 Oct. 1-Dec. 31 Oct. 15-Nov. 20 Cock Pheasant 9 am. Oct. 15-Nov. 20 9 a.m. Oct. 15-Nov. 20 Sept. 17-Nov. 20 Valley and Mountain Quail Turkey Mourning Dove Band-Tailed Pigeon Duck Open Area Eastern Oregon 3 3 Western Oregon Eastern Oregon Western Oregon and Klamath County Western Oregon 6 6 6 12 4 8 2 4 2 8 Eastern Oregon am. 10 Western Oregon 10 Eastern Oregon No fall season. Controlled gobbler season April 15 through April 23. 9 Oct. 15-Dec. 31 Sept. 1-Sept. 30 Sept. 1-Sept. 30 15-Jan. 15-Jan. 15-Jan. 15-Jan. Oct. 15-Jan. Oct. 15-Jan. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Coot Merganser Goose 15 22 15 15 15 15 Entire State Entire State Entire State Columbia Basin Counties Entire State Entire State Western Oregon Eastern Oregon Black Brant Common Snipe Nov. 19-Feb. 19 Oct. 15-Jan. 15 New Regulations For Managment Of Wild Horses And Burros The U. S. Department of AgriCulture has adopted new regulations which allow for the use of helicopters and other motorized vehicles in the management of wild horses and burros on the national forest system. To ensure humane treatment of the animals, helicopters will be used only for inventory, observation, surveillance, and in capture operations where they can assist ground crews in locating and moving animals, transporting personnel and equipment. Fixed-wing aircraft may be used for inventory, observation, surveillance; however, they are prohibited in capture operations. Motor vehides, which must be carefully operated and maintained, may be used to transport captured wild horses and burros, but under no circumstances can they be used to chase animals during capture operations. Conservation News * Baker & Malheur Counties Wasco, Sherman, Gihiam, Morrow & Umatilla Counties Entire State Entire State 5 5 7 7 14 25 25 5 10 2 6 2 6 14 drk/3 snow) 2 2 6 6 (3 drk/3 snow) 4 8 8 16 Landscape Bulletin Available Copies of "The American Landscape: 1776-1976, Two Centuries of Change" are available from the Wildlife Management Institute. The publication documents in photographs and text the dynamic nature of America's landscape as it has been molded by nature and humans during the past 200 years. Part I of the 96-page bulletin provides a historical overview of the new nation created in 1776, the century of change that followed, the gasoline revolution (1877-1926), the explosive change between 1927 and 1952, and the environmental age that has developed since 1953. Part II is a pictorial history of landscape changes. It shows then and now photographs, many taken more than loo years apart, of various effects on specific land areas. It includes color illustrations of changes resulting from both nature's forces and man's activities. Copies of the bulletin are available from the Institute, 709 Wire Building, Washington, D. C. 20005 for $2.50 each (lower prices for quantities). * OREGON WILDLIFE 20 10 (3 Oct. 15-Dec. 25 Oct. 15-Jan. 22 20 20 Endangered Feces Afire For the last year the National Park Service has been trying to put out a fire in a 25,000-year pile of Shasta sloth dung in a remote Grand Canyon cave. The prehistoric pile, apparently ignited by hikers, has been a treasure trove for paleobiologists and botanists since Rampart Cave and its contents were discovered in the 1930s. The arid Arizona climate has preserved the dung intact, along with other remains of the giant Shasta sloth which became extinct 12,000 years ago. Last summer Park Service and Interior Department officials pumped the cave full of carbon monoxide and dioxide gases and sealed it, hoping the fire would die out. But when the cave was reopened last January it was found to be full of smoke, the dung smoldering like a peat fire. The frustrated officials are considering other expensive alternatives like filling the cave with firefighting foam or hiring crews to shovel out the burning dung and to shore up the cave's roof, which has been weakened by the fire. To date, the dung is still smoldering. Colorado Outdoors * Some Skunk! Giant skunks as large as German shepherds, and reputed to be able to climb trees, have been reported living in the jungles of north central Java, where authorities theorize the animais had survived from prehistoric times. Colorado Outdoors * Page 11 NATIONAL HUNTING & FISHING SEPTEMBER DAY L There are 796 species of birds in A Only 74 are hunted. All benefit from sportsmen-financed conservation p -. 24, 1977 JOIN WITHSPORTSMEN IN SUPPORTING CONSERVATION None of the 101 animals on the official Endangered Species List are hunted, according to the Office of Endangered Species, U.S. Department of the Interior. Ducks Unlimited, just one of many private sportsmanfinanced organizations, has raised over $50 million to finance some 2,000,000 acres of prime waterfowl nesting habitat There are 914 species of mammals ¡n North America. Only 35 are hunted in the United States. None of these is in any real sense endangered. lt was sportsmer) who were behind the organization and development of nearly all major conservation groups. Sportsmen continue to back the National Wildlife Federation, lzaak eague FIU many others. Even John VVdILOfl James Audubon, patron saint of bird lovers, was an enthusiastic hunter. lt was the of this nation, afield in outdoor recreation, t1j/'portsmen ..,,_ ,., . Fishermen have provided about $240 million for fisheries research through a special tax on their equipment and annually swell that total by about $20 million. ravages expanding civilization had brought to our forests, fields and streams, and it is the sportsman who continues to serve as the major guardian of our natural resources. Thanks to sportsman-supported management programs: There are now some 15 million deer in the United States. There were only 500,000 in 1900. There are about 1,000,000 elk in the nation today Compared to only 42,000 in the early 1900's. There are over half a million pronghorn antelope today compared to 12,000 only 50 years ago. Turkeys numbered less than 100,000 as recently as 1952, now total well over 1,250,000. OREGON Fish & Wildlife 506 SW. MILL STREET P.O. BOX 3503 PORTLAND. OREGON 97208 Through a self-imposed tax on sporting arms and ammunition, hunters and shooters have provided over $700 million for wildlife management in the last 40 years and continue to add over $60 million annually.