Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Controlled shooting of game birds, as evidenced by recently established preserves in the Southeast, is rapidly increasing in popularity. With a view toward appraising this type of hunting and its role in wildlife management, 100 ringnecked pheasants were released in seven lots on a l20-acre peninsula, Allatoona Lake, Georgia, November 24-27, 1955. Hunting began 30 minutes after the initial release of 24 birds and was sustained for four days, during which 25 hunters, divided into parties of from three to seven guns each, exerted a total gunning pressure of 33 man-days. Each of the seven hunts averaged about three hours in duration. Eighty pheasants were bagged, approximately 2.4 birds per man-day, at a cost of $3.30 per bird, exclusive of ammunition, dogs, transportation and equipment.

The greatest concentrations of fishermen on Kentucky's state-owned lakes have been observed to occur during the first week following the opening of these lakes to fishing. To measure the impact of this surge of fishermen on an unsuspecting fish population, an opening week creel census and tagging study was conducted on 3 dissimilar state-owned lakes. In each lake bass were caught by angling and tagged. Tag returns were remarkably similar: 27%, 30.9%, and 27.5%. Evidence seemed to indicate strap jaw tags adversely affected the growth of tagged bass. In the creel census 70% of the largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, caught in the first week from the 3 lakes were taken in the first 30 hours. The data indicates largemouth bass have a capacity for learning. The bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus, catch was small. A different opening date is recommended.

Plans for a fall and winter drawdown (1955-56) were carried out on Nimrod, a turbid, flood control lake. The surface acreage was reduced from approximately 3,600 acres to 700 acres. Commercial fishermen removed over 200,000 pounds of rough fish most of which were smallmouth buffalo. Following the drawdown and subsequent filling, the water cleared up and remained clear. An increase in the number and size of young black bass and white bass was recorded with a resultant decrease in the number of young channel catfish, carp, drum and buffalo. Larger numbers of young sunfish and minnows were noted. The fish population, as tabulated by weight, showed a marked change in that the edible forage species (buffalo, drum, etc.) were reduced approximately one-half and the non edible forage species (shad, minnows, etc.) were increased approximately three times. Boat dock operators reported improved sport fishing, especially for small white crappie.