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Show Fell Dead Snags We speak often and actively of ways and means to prevent man-caused man-caused Iires, but we are usually content to admit that little can be done to prevent that "act of God," namely, lightning. Lightning is a discharge of static electricity between be-tween the clouds and the ground. It is characterized by the thunder I which follows each bolt. Thunder is the noise made by the air as it slaps back together after it has been momentarily split by a bolt of lightning. The enormous force of the bolt produces intense heat upon contact with the ground. If this heat is in contact with inflammable material, a fire is almost sure to result. Thus, whenever a thunderstorm rolls across a dry forest some fire will almost surely result. In the Black Hills these strikes often occur on nigh inaccessible ridges where suppression sup-pression is very difficult. Lightning normally strikes a tree in a forested area but has been observed ob-served to strike rock outcrops or even bare ground. Thus by striking a tree the inflammable material is present and is in contact with the heat. However, we note that it is extremely seldom that a lightning strike will ignite a live, green tree. This is undoubtedly due to the high concentration of moisture in the sapwood. Usually the green tree it shattered by the strike or the strike may run the length of the tree and ignite the litter at the base. It logically logic-ally follows that when lightning strikes a dry snag (dead tree,) a fire usually is ignited. This snag normally smoulders for several hours to several days before burning burn-ing to the base where it ignites the litter and is free to spread from there. Obviously, there is absolutely nothing which we can do to prevent these "acts of God" from occurring. occur-ring. We can, however, prevent the lightning strikes from igniting many fires. This can be done by removing all dead snags, and lightning fires would be reduced to a small fraction of their present incidence. While the removal of 100 per cent of all existing snags is somewhat idealistic, we are find- ing means to get this important work done. In Custer state park one stipulation in all logging contracts con-tracts is that the operator must fell all dead snags. This is solving the problem in areas which are being or will be logged. In other areas post cutters are permitted to take pitch posts in specified areas with the provision that all dead snags be felled whether suitable for postsor not. AAA New Lures This new series of fishing lures, employing the "glowing" material Gantron are Bill Whyte offerings. These lures are distinguished by the weird and peculiar glow that emanates eman-ates from the Gantron floss. AAA u u u Workable Plan Here is good news if it continues to work, because it may help to do something about that rapidly growing grow-ing bugaboo bad relations between sportsmen and farmers. For the past two years, the Wayne county (Michigan) sportsman's sports-man's club has supplied members with a card. It asks permission to hunt and fish and states that the club will be responsible up to $100 -for any damage the bearer may cause. And not a single claim against the club has been filed yet! And the club has more than 9,000 members. mem-bers. Farmer-sportsmen relations have constantly grown worse until the posted land movement has reached alarming stages. This type plan may be the only method by which responsible sportsmen can offset, or slow up, the posted-land movement. move-ment. This plan encourages landowners' landown-ers' cooperation, checks possible carelessness on the part of some club members, and dignifies the hunter's position as a sportsman when he asks a farmer for permission permis-sion to hunt on his land. AAA Bald Eagle j The American bald eagle was ohosen as the national emblem for .ts grace and power not, certainly, certain-ly, for its eating habits. It is mainly main-ly a fish scavenger and, accordingly, according-ly, is found in the vicinity of large bodies of water. Tnese eagles nest in spring, usually usual-ly on a cliff or in the top of a tall tree, and produce from one to four dull white eggs which in due course become wildly screaming hungry eaglets. I |