OCR Text |
Show Conservation officers study upland game brood size to determine seasons Iron County has a highly varied number of small game, including pheasants, turkeys, forest grouse, sage grouse, cottontail rabbits, and a small number of quail and chuker partridge. The broods of those species are now fully hatched, and Conservation Officers of the Division of Wildlife Resources are busy trying to determine their brood size. This information inform-ation is valuable in determining determin-ing the nesting success, in establishing hunting seasons, and in harvesting surplusses. It should be remembered that young chicks of upland game birds are extremely vulnerable at this time, and pet owners should keep their domestic dogs and cats from roaming freely through the firlds. Provisions of the new Wildlife Code hold persons responsible for the deprad-ation deprad-ation of their pets. Conservation officers are also concerned, at this time, with the problem of well-meaning well-meaning individuals finding young wild animals, particularly partic-ularly fawn deer, alone in the wilds and, after erroneously assuming they are orphans, bringing them home. When a young wild animal is found alone, the person finding it should take care.not to handle it because the presence of human scent may cause the mother to reject her offspring. The apparent "orphan" should be left where it is to await the return of its mother, who is probably foraging for food nearby. Persons who are looking for an unusual pet should note that it is unlawful to hold protected wildlife in captivity, and that wild animals an-imals usually make poor pets. In the long run, it is more humane to the animal to leave it in the wild state where it belongs. |