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Dedicated Primarily to Assembling and Disseminating 
Practical Fish-cultural Information. 
FOUR ISSUES PER YEAR................Subscription Price, $1.00 
THOMAS J. RENICK........:.ccccsc0ee. Editor and Publisher 

Bigger and Betfer FCN in the Making 
NE man wrote the editor not long ago/and predicted that 
' within a few months our desk would be piled high with 
articles and stories by those who are interested in seeing more 
and better conservation practices in this country, and espe- 
cially better fishing and hunting. From the looks of our office 
right now, the paper isn’t doing badly, and all signs point to 
the correctness of the particular fellow’s prediction..As the 
paper gains in circulation and makes new friends throughout 
the fish and game raising world, and the hunting and fishing 
world, it seems most logical to think that the paper will be 
_ more interesting and more informative as time goes by. 
We want to thank each of those who have in the least 
_ lent their cooperation in helping find those who are interest- 
ed in such a publication. By no means did all those on our 
, subscription list subscribe for the paper when the subscrip- 
tion price was announced, but a sufficient number did sub- 
scribe to pay all the expenses incurred in printing and mail- 
ing the first two editions of the paper. If succeeding issues 
gain as many new subscribers as the first two, the financial 
end will bé well taken care of insofar as the actual cost of 
printing and mailing are concerned. If the paper does no 
more than gain a fair circulation until the end of the war, it 
will have accomplished what the publisher set out to do. We 
don’t want anyone to get the idea we are printing the paper 
. for financial reward, but rather to try to do our bit in better- 
ing conservation. (What good does it do a man to make money 
anymore?) If we can furnish the fellows out in the country 
with the information necessary to raise fish and game, we 
will consider our efforts well rewarded. We believe that one 
man in the country can do more good for our wildlife than 
several men behind a desk, but we must also have office men 
to carry out the executive end of our efforts. 
To those of you who have subscribed and who have sent 
___ in articles for publication, we thank you most heartily for 
~~ helping in the beginning, when help is needed more than any 
A 
Es other time. We must have friends, or else we fail. If the pa- 
_ per should happen to do what we have had in mind for sev- 
eral years,—slip over into ‘a bi-weekly publication—no doubt 
it would be a welcome visitor to a lot of sportsmen in the 
country. When we have gathered a sufficient number of 
names and addresses, we will conduct a survey, and find out 
whether or not all concerned would be interested in such a 
publication. 
One man wrote the editor and said that the fertilization 
story in the last issue was worth more than ten years’ sub- 
scriptions. There’s just no way to evaluate knowledge. That’s 
what we want to pass along. 
As those of you who received copies of the first two 1s- 
sues know, the primary objective of the paper is to gather 
and disseminate practical information on fish-culture, lake 
operation, game farming, and conservation in general—and 
dedicated to good sportsmen everywhere. We know of no 
better way to really learn how to do anything than to ask the 
people who are ACTUALLY doing the work. In some cases 
we find that it is against the rules for men to write anything 
for publication. We’re. not trying to change things or set the 
world on fire or anything like that, but restrictions which 
prevents a man from passing along knowledge he has gained 
through long years of experience smells to high heaven. 
Now, if you know anything about how to create better 
hunting and fishing and don’t contribute what you know and 
think, it isn’t our fault. The columns are open to anyone with 
knowledge, experience and information to pass along to our 
fellow outdoorsmen,—or to a good hunting or fishing story. 
Now—what do you think about it? 
No i— 




considerable study, it seems that 
a fish pond can be made not only 

grasses, $4 per acre. 
You can easily see what this 
program amounts to from the 
viewpoint, of building fish ponds. 
_ If you have a suitable pondsite, 
here is the grandest opportunity 
that ever came along. You not only 
will receive pay for building your 
dam, but also for terracing and 
sodding around it. 
For the most part, however, 
only a few of the ponds which 
so,far have been built will be of 
much consequence as fish ponds, 
due to the fact that they are less 
than an acre in size. Too, the 
builders are doing no more than 
merely’ throwing up 4 dam. No 
drainage systems are being con- 
structed. A drainage system is, 
we believe, just about as im- 
portant as building the dam itself, 
if the pond is to be utilized to the 
greatest extent. 
Commercial Prospects Look Good 
After having given this program 
to provide food and recreation, 
but also can be made to be a 
source of additional farm income. 
We have received reports that 
some farmers ponds have earned 
upwards of $500 per year. This is 
done by placing a charge on fish- 
ing privileges. One man in Indiana 
who owns a lake and sells fishing 
permits for $1 per family, made a 
little more than $500 in 1943. 
If you want to make your lake, 
here’s a suggestion: 
First, write your own state 
game and fish commission (at the 
state capitol) and find out exactly 
what the requirements are for you 
to raise fish and sell them on the 
market ... just as you would cat- 
tle. Stock your lake with the 
fish you raise yourself, or buy 
your stocking fish from a commer- 
cial hatchery. When the fish are 
‘large enough to catch, open your 
lake for fishing. Put a limit on 
the number allowed any one per- 
son. Charge a certain amount per 
THE FISH-CULTURIST NEWS 
A Whopper? 
This is one we picked up at the 
wildlife meeting held in Durant, 
Jan. 29, when the compact com- 
mission of Oklahoma and Texas 
met to discuss plans for operation 
of The Great Lake of the South- 
west, which is now forming above 
the 50 million dollar dam on Red 
river. 
Marion Toole, Texas state biolo- 
gist reported that a man placed 
60 channel catfish in a one-acre 
pond. There was nothing in this 
pond in the way of other fish. At 
the end of a two-year period 56 of 
the fish were recovered and they 
all weighed more than ten pounds. 
The poundage of fish grown per 
acre figures out all right—280 per 
year—but we have never heard of 
that small a number of fish put- 
ting on that much weight so fast. 
Marion said he had been able to 
get more poundage faster on chan- 
nels than any other specie. He said 
he had tried bass in ponds and 
then followed up with channels, 
and that the figures always showed 
the channels outgrew the bass. 
That sounds good to us because we 
‘have long been a booster for the 
channels because of their, game- 
ness and their eating quality. 
Can anybody top this story on 
production ? 
er 
cumbia Wid cs 2 eben 
person. If your lake provides good 
fishing, you won’t have to worry 
about customers. They'll be there. 
If u haven’t had experience 
in pulling dams we have a dandy 
little book which sells for $1 that 
will enlighten you considerably on 
dam building and fish raising. 
Also read Mr. Boone’s article in 
another column of this paper, and 
write to the Federal Wildlife Serv- 
ice, Chicago, Ill. 
Owing to the fact that a drain- 
age unit built into the dam makes 
for easier and better management, 
be sure to \\yilt. the system if at 
all possible, 3/ ~ \ 5 
If you have stock to water, 
place a fence around the entire 
lake, including the dam,’ and pro- 
vide a watering trough below the’ 
dam, and run a pipe from the lake 
to the watering trough. By using 
a floater-cutoff apparatus, you 
can have a full trough of water at 
all times for your, stock. The fence 
will prevent the cattle from climb- 
ing up and down the dam, and also 
keep them out of the lake, which 
is a good thing for your fish, es- 
pecially during spawning season. 
Use commercial fertilizer for 
feeding your fish. 
If you should have a suitable 
ravine( or can tap an everlasting 
stream of water and turn a por- 
tion of its water into your lake), 
and if you have room for more 
than one lake, we suggest that 
you build the first pond under this 
government lake building pro- 
gram. The revenue’ derived from 
the first lake can be used to build 
other ponds later, in case the gov- 
ernment decides to discontinue its 
present lake-building program. 
Fishermen’s Opportunity 
It seems that this could also be 
an opportunity for fishermen liv- 
ing in town. If you know a land 
owner who has a lake-site,\ and 
‘who doesn’t intend to build a lake, 
certaily it would do no harm for a 
group of fishermen to persuade 
the landowner to build the lake. 
The fishermen also could lend a 
hand in building the*dam, terrac- | 
ing and sodding. 
To give you a rough idea just 
how large a dam 5,000 cubic yards 
of earth will make, we point out 
these figures: Averaged, the dam 
would be 200 yards long, or 600 
feet; six yards or 18 feet thick; 
4 yards or 12 feet high. Now, 
that’s a pretty big dam. There are 
lots of locations where this 
amount of earth put into a dyke 
will make a good lake. During the 
course of a conservation with a 
fellow citizen relative to such a 
dam, he stated that he believed 
he knew one place where it would 
make a lake above 200 acres. 
Surely there must be many more 
over the country. 
Owing to the fact that fish 
grow in proportion to the tempera- 
ture of the water and the amount 
of food they can get, this program 
will not be the incentive in the 

f Db? at 7 
FEBRUARY, 1944 

|'What Is Conservation?’ Here's a Sequel 
fo Mr. Osborn’s Story in Last Issue of FCN 
From F. Lee Kirby, FCN received a sequel to Mr. Os- 
born’s article in the last issue, “What Is Conservation?”. 
Mr. Kirby is supervisor of Tonto National Forest, in 
Arizona, It is one of the best articles received by this publi- 
cation, and maybe you will have something to say along this 
line. The article: 
I have just read with a great deal of interest and satisfac- 
tion the excellent article entitled, “What Is Conservation?” 
by Livingston E. Osborne, in the December issue of your pa- 
per. The article was of particular interest to me because con- 
servation is my work. : 
Game and fish restoration is | a highly important part of the gen- 
one of the important elements | eral game conservation set-up. We 
of it. During my years in this | ave not interested in raising game 
endeavor it has been my impres- for predators. Without such con- 
sion that there has been too much trol the main percentage of the 
of a tendency to go “all-out” for| same birds and animals would be 
some element of the problem; such, | taken by them. 
for example, as restriction of The last of the combination is 
hunting. It seems to me‘ that the | the influence of an adequate cover 
pest gains have been made where of protective vegetation’ on the 
a combination of corrective treat- ground. And here is where the land 
ment factors were applied. These Ij owners or the land managing agen- 
would say are composed of: cies can contribute most to an 
as F . abundance of game and fish. The 
ms Pattee vegetation—all of it, whether it be 
(3) predatory animal control; weeds, grass, shrubs or trees— 
furnishes food to sustain the game, 
and last, but by no means least,|.,q natural sheltering places for 
(4) adequate vegetative ground| the ‘breeding and rearing of the 
cover. young. More has happened to our 
Public sentiment is developed] lands than many people realize. 
and guided through the game pro-! The loss or deterioration through 
tective associations, wildlife fed-| weakened plant vitality, reduced 
erations, and other similar organi-| density of ground cover and loss of 
zations whose membership give] fertile top-soil through water and 
thought and study to the subject, | wind erosion has been tremendous. 
who do a great deal of helpful edu- | Some things are much more easily 
cational work, and through whose | noticed than others. For example, 
efforts the state game depart-| the losses of immense herds of 
ments are supported and assisted. | buffalo that in early days could 
It is these sportsmen, expressing] be seen by the thousands; or ‘the 
themelves through their organiza-| homing pigeon which once thrived 
tion, that make the demand for|in many millions in this country 
game. conservation. and which once moved in such num- 
Legislation has probably been bers as to darken the sky; also 
depended upon teo much, particu- losses of antelope, deer, quail, turd 
larly in earlier game control en- key and many other animals an 
deavors. It is not a cure-all; yet birds are easy to visualize. There 
legislation does have a proper and) are people still living within whose 
important place in regulating and| memory some of these. changes 
limiting the hunting effort, and in| have occurred, But the very slow, 
providig a basic set-up under which gradual loss in vigor, quantity and 
the state game departments and qualtiy of plant cover along with 
other branches concerned with, the disappearance of fertile top- 
wildlife can operate. soil are not so easily seen. 
Control of predatory animals is These changes were not noted 
ee because they were spread over 50, 
Northern tier of states that it will 75, or 100 years or more. No one 
be in the Southern, but if the peo- could detect much difference from 
ple as a whole will go into this | one year to another. Always there 
thing, much good will come of it. | is a response in growth when rains 
Irrigation Angle Important come after dry periods and many 
There is another phase which | of us have thought the ranges 
might be well to consider. That is “come back as good as ever’; but 
the irrigation prospects. A fine the effects are accumulative and 
garden can be grown below the finally the resulting depletion be- 
dam. comes serious. Too much of our 
We have seen several years | wild, hilly, mountainous lands have 
when only one or two floodings | been abusively used so that there 
or sprinklings would have meant | is now less live grass sod to put 
the difference between growing a | growth onto when rains occur— 
bumper vegetable crop and total | and what is left has been greatly 
failure. reduced in strength. There is more 
One or two good soakings of the | bare ground, much of the natural 
soil at the proper time will, in | protective cover of dead vegetation 
most instances, put vegetables-on | is gone, more of the rainfall is lost 
the table which is something that | through quick run-off, and evapo- 
cannot be overlooked when food | ration is greater from bare ground. 
production is as vital as it is mow. | It is impossible to reestablish 
Go to the Triple-A office in | game on lands that have been de- 
your county, and learn all the 
details of this lake-building pro- 
gram. 
pleted and impoverished through 
wasteful use until that condition is 
corrected. At the time white men 
Thinks it COVEN Pays. 
work on that dam. 
————— 
No. 2— 
tracted for at the above prices by 
groups of organized sportsmen of 
the Arizona Game Protective As- 
sociation, civic clubs, individuals, 
etc. 
. and go to|¢irst discovered and explored this 
country, game was abundantly 
plentiful. But the ground cover 
conditions were also ideal then. 
Upon investigation of areas where 
greatest headway has been made 
in reestablishing the game supply, 
it will almost invariably be found 
that the vegetation also has either 
been maintained or restored. 
So, Buffalo Bill would have his| I hope that sportsmen will give 
chance in Arizona. Perhaps he| more and more attention to ground 
wouldn’t be altogether satisfied | Cover conditions, along with their 
with the control exerted over his| other good efforts in the interest 
buffalo hunting because he would! of game conservation. 
only be allowed to kill one animal. 
But, if he stopped to consider he 
would realize buffalo hunting is 
possible today, because there are 
sportsmen in the true sense of the} The editor wishes to thank the 
word left in this world, and that Tllinois Dept. of Conservation for 
wildlife is administered for the|use of the duck illustration and 
benefit of all the people by the|the cut used with “Keeping ’em 
Avizona Game & Fish Commission, | for Prosperity.’ Also, thanks to 
wayt down there in the Southwest- the Arizona G&FC for the deer, 
ern part of the United States. hatchery, and buffalo pictures. 
PICTURES IN THIS ISSUE 

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