NARRATIVE REPORT WERTHEIM NATIONAL WILll.IFE REFUGE

JANUARY - DECEMBER, 1972

REFUGE PERSONNEL

George E. Gnge •••••••••••••••••••••••• Refuge Manager-in-Charge Frederick C. Schmid ••••••••••••••••••• Asst. Refuge Manager (Morton) George F. O'Shea ••••••••••••••••••• , ••• Asst. Refuge Manager (Temp.) Michele F. Sleva •••••• , •••••••••••••••• Clerk-Typist

The Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge was established on June 7, 1947, and is administered through the Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge, Huntington, New York, which is located approximately 30 miles to the northwest. This narrative covers only the 148 acres of Bureau-purchased lands adjoining the large Wertheim holdings (currently under life-use reservation).

UNITED STATES DEPARTMEITT OF THE INTERIOR FISH & WILtt.IFE SERVICE

BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES & WILll.IFE SUFFOLK COUNTY, BROOKHAVEN, NEW YORK

•

TABLE OF CONrENTS

CCNERAL............................ 1

WILtJ..IFE. • ••••••••••• ,. ••••••••••••• l

REFUCC DEVELOPMENT ••••••••••••••••• 4

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4

FI.ELD INVESTIGATIONS ••••••••••••••• ~

PUBLIC RELATIONS ••••••••••••••••••• 5

arHER ITEIS •• ,. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 6

•

• NARRATIVE REPORT WERTHEIM NATIONAL wnm.IFE REFUGE

JANUARY - DEcaeER, 1972

I. GENERAL

A. W1atb1r eoncl1t1ont.

No atte111pt was .. dt to record weather data on thit refuge which Hes 30 Idles frm the nearest maMed station.

Thie area received above average rainfall as did most of Long l slancl.

B. Habitat Concl1t1ona,

1. Wat1r. Th• refuge consists primarily of tidal .. rshland along Bellport Bay and the carman1 Riv1r. Tidal 1torms and aonthl y t1de1 inunclat1 much of the area through a network of mosquito control ditch••· Several coastal 1torma produced extr... tidal inundation into the mer1hlands but no noticeable 111 effect1 were noted. In the past, such 1torms have been known to litter the refuge shore with bank1 of eelgrats and floating debris.

2. Foocl and Cover. lttlch of the refuge is vegetated with Spart1na •PP•• and no change in condition was noted. Becau11 of tht excellent rain• this year, good production of marsh foods resulted, along with a lu1h growth of c~n threeaquare and cattail along the upland edge of the •r1h, where a more fresh­water situation exists from localized upland run-off.

II. Wil.D.IFE

A. Migraton Birds,

l. Waterfpl. No attempt wa• made to formally record waterfowl use on thi1 unmanned station. A peak of 75 black duckt were fluthed froa tht tidal ditches in October. Mallards, widgeon and teal also frequented the refuge .. rahlands.

Waterfowl populations in the Carmant River and offthore in

1

•

Bellport Bay present a much better picturo. Of fahore rafts of up to several thousand ecaup were reported during the winter months. Six Whistling swans and a peak of 120 mute IWSns were observed in Jr.nuary. Other waterfowl recorded included two gndwall, 25 Shoveler, 20 redhead, 600 canvasback, 50 cOlllJIOn goldeneye, 60 buffleboad and eight ruddy ducks. other species present were coim>n and red­breasted mergansers, oldsquaw, white-winged and surf scoters.

2. Marsh ans! Water Birds. A ccmnon egret, two snowy egrets, up to eight great blue herons, two American bitterns, seven green borons and ten black-crowned night herons were observed during cursory visits.

3. Sbor!birdt• Gills and Terns. Several tidal pools and the refuge shore along Bellport Bay attract some shorebirds during spring and fall •igrations. Highest populations were observed in August with up to 4!> spotted sandpipers, 20 ••1-palMBted plovers, 20 underlings, two black-bellied plovers and one ruddy turnstone. A peak of l~ herring gulls, 75 great black­baclced gulls and lesser .n\Jllbera of ring-billed and laughing gulls were recorded. Both least and c~ terns feed offshore ln Bellport Bay and rest along the refuge shore. Peaks of ~ least terns and 10 comnon terns wen observed. Double-crested cormorants are cClllDOn offshore vlaitor1 in Septlllber and are frequently seen loafing atop c0111ercial fishing traps.

4. Other Miqraton Birdt. Mourning doves are comon throughout the yeer .along the upland edge of the •rah. Up to 30 were observed and several nests were found in June. In April, two cOlmOn snipe were recorded. Woodcock and clapper rails are known to use the mershes but were not observed during this period.

B, Uplend GeM Birds.

()Jalified observers state that bobwhite quail and ring-necked phuunta use the upland edge of the refuge. However, no observa­tion• were .. de during this period by refuge personnel.

C. Big Ga!f An1 .. 11.

White-tailed dffr use the refuge extensively. Trackt were Ob1erved throughout the wi 1nter and again in the fall. A doe with one fawn wa1 ob1erved near the refuge during a late Mey visit •

2

D. Fur Animals, Predators, Rodents and Other Mannal1.

Several muskrat houaes were located on the northern part of the refuge. Fox tracks were observed throughout the refuge. One fox wae found in a steel trap just north of the refuge boundary where this handsome predator had fallen prey to a Sayville trapper. Small rodent populations appear sufficient to support wintering and migratory raptors.

E. Hawks, Eaglet, Osprey, Owls, Crows, Ravens and Magpies.

The marshlands of Fireplace Neck provide excellent habitat for migratory and wintering hawks. Up to ten marsh hawks, ten rough­lagged hawks and two sparrow hawks were recorded. One peregrine falcon was observed while posting tracts lla and 14 on the east bank of the carmans River during October. A lone osprey was observed fishing in the Carmans River during a cursory visit in April and one pair of ospreys nested in the Wertheim estate's woodlands on the east side of the river. One young was fledged. For the second consecutive year, this was recorded 11 the western 110st osprey nesting on Long Island. Up to 16 crows frequented the refuge.

F. Qther Bird••

Mr. Dennis Puleston, a noted, local environmentaliat, has conducted a banding station along the northern end of the refuge for several years. This year, 1,718 birds were banded, representing 80 species, His banding list is appended.

G. Fish,

Several species of minnows may be found in the tidal ditches. Some conrnerchl fishing and clamming 1operatlon1 are conducted adjacent to the refuge in Bellport Bay. The carman1 River continues to be a local center for eel fishing and blue-claw crabbing.

H. Reptiln,

Diamondback terrapins used the tidal ditches. Up to 20 were observed in August. Some were quite large.

I. Qit!!tt,

None reported during thit period. The duck farm at the head of the

3

•

Carmant River continued to receive critici .. as the stat• began to illpo1e 110re severe controls over Long Island duck farm operatlone. SOiie botuu .. was reported in eouth ehore ponds but not from the Carman• River's drainage area.

III. REFUGE IEVELCJ>MENT AND MAINTENANCE

A. Physical Ptvelop!!!nt.

1. Poatina. Tracts Ila and 14 on the east side of the Carmena River were surveyed and posted in mid-OCtober. Th••• SID8ll tracts adjoining the large Wertheim holdings were posted to identify Bureau-owned lands for a group of local hunters who purchased a 160-foot wide corridor in the marshlands, See violations section and appended news articles.

2. !!p1gulto Control• Field crewt of the Suffolk County Mosquito Control Commission conducted ditch .. 1ntenance in April and periodic field investigations throughout the llOtquito breeding 1eason. A total of 288 gallons of Flit 11.0 wa1 applied. llalthton and Abate 4E had been approved for use but were not required.

B. Plantinqt. None.

C. Collections •ncl Receipts. None.

D. eontrol of Vegetation, None.

E. PlaMed Burning. None.

f, Fires. None.

JV, RESOURCE MANACBEN'I"

A. Grazing. None.

B. Haying. None.

c. Fur Harv11t, None on refuge lands.

D. Ii!lb!r R!!!Oval. None,

E, C..rcial fishing, None on refuge lands.

P, Other Utes. None,

4

•

V. FIELD INVESTIGATIONS

None this period.

VI. PUBLIC RELATIONS

A. Recreational Use.

None recorded. It was learned, however, that in past years biology classes from Bellport High School, under the leadership of Mr. Arthur Cooley, teacher and active environmentalist, have used the refuge marshlands for a variety of biological studies. Access to the refuge is gained by boat or walking the shoreline and jumping mosquito control ditches.

B. Refuge Visitors.

Random visits were made by refuge personnel and U. s. Game Management Agents. Personnel from the Suffolk County Mosquito Control Conmission made frequent visits into the property.

c. Refuge Participation.

Frequent contacts were maintained with Russel Murdock, supervisor of the Wertheim estate. Manager Gage attended a variance hearing in Patchogue on November 9 regarding adjoining lands on the east side of the refuge in the Shirley development. Contacts were made with several individuals regarding potential land acquisition in the vicinity of the refuge. Three parcels of marshlands were available for purchase during the year. Manager Gage also met with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation personnel to discuss land acquisition coordination in the vicinity of the refuge under the state's Environmental Quality Bond Act of 1972.

D. Hunting.

The refuge is closed to hunting and no reports of violations were recorded. In the past, some hunter trespass has occurred, but the return of a u. S. Game Management Agent, Roger Priest, to Long Island and ln residence in close proximity to the refuge may have contributed to the decline of such activities.

E. Violations.

None were recorded on refuge property but a great deal of contro­versy erupted with the purchase of a narrow strip of land within the Wertheim holdings by the Nacomac G.Jn Club, a group of five waterfowl hunters whom established two blinds and hunted the marsh

5

I

throughout the waterfowl season. It was reported that the hunters took 40 black ducks during the first week of the season. The appended news articles depict only a portion of the situation. The Bureau has only technical title over Mrs. Wertheim'& lands and she still holds the deeds to other interior tracts which she has planned to will to the goverru19nt upon her death. The estate is operated as a licensed hunting preserve with very restricted hunting operations, being hunted only on certain days of the week by a select clientel and only during certain daylight hours. The operations of the Nacomac Gun Club were not so limited end con­flicted with the Wertheim'& hunting activities. Furthermore, the publicity did neither the Bureau nor Mrs. Wertheim any good. The Associated Press releases, television conmentary and radio puns by such raucous disc jockeys as "Imus in the Morning" (WNBC) cast the Bureau in a bad light. Every attempt should be made to negotiate or condemn, if necessary, this tract of land end bring a contiguous property under the Bureau's control for management of the resource.

Target Rock's Boston Whaler was based at the Squassex Landing Marina during the early part of the waterfowl season. On November 26t it was stolen from the lighted and policed facility, taken down the Carmans River and stripped of its 65 horsepower Johnson motor and controls. Another boat was similarly stripped on the sarae night. All normal contacts were made but no leads developed in this theft.

F. Safety. Not applicable.

Vll. OTHER ITEMS

A. Items of Interest.

1.

2.

3.

Befyge Reyenye §baring. Refuge Manager Schmid (Morton) pre­sented the Suffolk County Treasurer with a check which included the amount of $625.99 for thi.s refuge's share of funds under the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act.

Plannihq. The refuge's Objective Statement and Planning Data Summary Guide were revised and approved during the year.

Complaints. Several telephone calls were received at the Target Rock office along with two letters regarding skeet shooting along Mott Lane. Apparently the Brookhaven town range was closed during the summer and local enthusi.asts were forced out to isolated areas to enjoy their shooting on evenings and weekends. The disturbance to residents along Mott Lane was

6

•

considerable, and, thus, we were contacted when all else failed. Since the skeet shooters are a quarter of a mile from the nearest refuge boundary, thia situation ia completely out of our jurisdiction. The problem will prob~bly be re­lieved when Brookhaven's new range is opened in 1973.

4. Credits. This report was written by Assistant Refuge Manager George O'Shea who also receives credit for the photography. The report was edited by Refuge Manager George Gage and typed and assembled by Clerk-Typist Michele Sleva.

B. Narrative Forms. Appended.

C. News Article1. Appended.

D. Photographs. Appended.

Reviewed bya Submitted bya

Signature Date ~c.E.~

Sgnature 1e,a, 7Date

NRs Checked in R.O. by•--------------

7

3-l~-12) (9/6Jfll' Bureau of Sport Fish~s and Wildlife

ANNUAL REPORI' OF PESTICIDE APPLICATION

INSTRUCTIONS: Wildlife Refuges Yia.nual, secs. 3252d, 33~b and 3395

De.tes of Applica­tion

1

'J/12/72 5/19/J2 ~/~2 6 - 2

·.~. -~·. 6,~20 2 7/J 2 7/2.11/1 2 8/1/7.2 8/15/!2 8/'8/J2 9/12/12 9/:0/1.2

List of Target Pests(s)

2

Location of Area Treated

Total Acres

Treated

•1gu1toH1 ! utbelll Addi tlon, I HO A:!ff west 1of C.rmn1 =clttn•• Rivera portions of

Atclt1 c1nt1tw, tncta !~, !JOa ,and Qalg nWin. ~1 • . :Saltmnh and

woodland bemter.

Chemical(s) Used

Fllt

e Refuge

Wertbeill ;•

Proposal Number TR•72-4

Total Amount of

Chemical Applied

10 8 ~ 55 l'J 30 3)

~ ,25 l'J ''J

10

a

Application Rate

e Reporting Year

1972

Carrier and

Rate

Method Of

Applica­tion

Toplul ground spray.

10. Summazy of results (continue on reverse side, if necessaryr-VJ :Dreedlng tldl seeeon l"ftqVlred 1•.xtena. lve spraying. Abate 4£ and •hthion w:re q>proved for uae but '•re not required. .Actlvit!.es of the Suffolk County llo1qulto Control Q)ml11lon ·were not checked by refuge peJ"aonnel. It 1·s 1repol'ted that the high 1nulltJer 1of appUcatl.one stelllled from appUcatlona on various sections of the refuge. All :spraying operations .at~ ·froa approvad chlmlcal control prciposala and ._. authorized ion :~clal Use P.mnit - ?R•72-4. 'Under the tene of tb'l• pem.tt. no llOZ'e tban 6 appUcatlon1, 'tpaced at leaet three ·weeks apart1, .ere to be ,made. From the .reported data 1t ls b1po1slble to dttmdne tbe 9J)eelf.lc d1tcbes and 1pond1 ·controlled on lndlvlduala dates. We will request better rword ,keeping during future see sons.

NR-, 2 Ci'RF-::> I 7 0

BIRDS BAND3D DURIUG TH~ PERIOD SEPT. 2 - DEC. 18, 1972

Sparrow hawk Bobwhite• Nighthawk Flicker Hairy woodpecker Downy woodpecker Crested flycatcher Phoebe

4 1 1 7 5

21 1

Yellow-bellied f'lycatcher Traill's flycatcher

8 1 4

Least flycatcher Wood peewee Blue jay Black-capped chickadee Tu:fted titmouse Brovm creeper House wren Winter wren Long-billed marsh wren Mockingbird Catbird Brown thrasher Robin Wood thrush Hermit th.rush Swainson•s thrush Veery Golden-crowned kinglet Ruby-crowned kinglet Cedar wa.xwing Bed-eyed vireo Philadelphi.a vireo Black & white warbler Nashville warbler Parula warbler Yellow warbler Magnolia warbler

3 1 4

41 2 l

18 5

23 2

134 7

18 1

20 4 4

32 40 1 7 1 2.. l 2 6 4 1

warbler6 Cape l'..!ay warbler Black-throated blue Myrtle warbler Black-thr. green warbler Chestnut-sided warbler Bay-breasted warbler Blackpoll warbler Pine warbler Prairie warbler Palm warbler ~ellow palm warbler Ovenbird Northern water thrush Mourning warbler

105 3 l 1 3 l 1

19 4 7 9 1

Yellowthroat Yellow-breasted chat Hooded warbler Wilson's warbler Canada warbler Reds tart Common grackle Cowbird Cardinal. Rose-breasted grosbeak Indigo bun:ting Purple finch House finch Goldfinch Rufous-sided towhee Savannah sparrow Grasshopper sparrow Sharp-tailed sparrow Vesper sparrow Slate-colored junco Tree sparrow Clay-colored sparrow Field sparrow White-crowned snarrow White-throated sparrow Pox sparrow Lincoln's sparrow Swamp sparrow Song sparrow

Species total Indi Vi duals total

Dennie Puleston Meadow Lane Brookhaven N. Y. 11719

,-

158 5.

· 1 1 1

35 1 7 8 1 1 4

28 69 11 65

1 6 2 9

2b 1

10 3

25 2

10 399 298

80 1718

..... --

I ~

I ... ,.

., ... c.. ... C

'

"" ..r

G.I ...c -- .,, (

l

;. . "" .

Let the Ducks Fall Where They May

~ ... ·~\' Pnuh• 11\· ~~. 1n \\'t-..bon

Dick Pfeifle seated in a blind

By Ed Lowe Brookhaven-The "NacoriMo;," a grouµ of Pat­

ctmgue duck huntcri-:. ~pent 12 hours ~·eMPrclay watch­ing for ducks. 'Oleir attorney, Leonard Wexler, sat shivering in a wel duck blind for 12 houri:, watching two federal game wardens. Two federal game wardens spent 12 hours in an open boat on Fish Creek he~. wa¢dling \Vex!~, I.he Nacomao-; and the ducks. And all but two of about 1,000 ducks walchPd everybofly watdi..ing e\Nybociy else.

The two ducks that weren't \\ald1in~ got shot. • It was a da:v for ama1..ement. Wexler was aman'Cf

"at anvbodv who wnuld sit out here in this miserahle wind and wet, just to shoot a dttl·k. These guys nre nuts," he said. "And those guys, the feds, they gotta be c:-azy. too." Dit·k PfE>:fle. lrotler of the Naool'D6Ct', was am1t2ed af his two hunting collt>airoec;, Jim ~ nnd To1n Wright, each of whom clrop1>«'d his target within 10 f Pet or hi" blind, a £our-by-E>ight foot <:amouflaged hideout, when what !hey wanted to do was have the birri;; fall on f<·dernl prof1f"l'ly. And J?alTl<' warden Rog­er Priest !*lit! l;JfPr 1k1t he wa" surpriw'(f to l«lm thet tJw men wantc>d th(' i:arne to fall on ft·ileral prop<>rty

Taken in .-;mall doses, lliP day was only modt>rately <'onfu . ..;inl?. Tht> Naeom:ic.s own a 160-foot-by-2,000·fool st.rip or land in the middle or the Wertheim Shootinit Pre:-.erve un Carmar{" River, an 1,800-aC're trnct of \VcUandc: !hat will he d<>eclPd to lhi> U.8. ~ovc>rnnlE'nt nftpr the ck;11h uf Mr-; <.'<·c-ilP B. Wertheim, widow >f Wf'Rlthy bankt~r .;por1rn1an Mauric-e Wertheim. Aft('r :'.\lrs. Werthf'im':-: d1•ath the lracl ic: lo lx·comr a ft'dt>ral wildlife prl,~TVl'. lfosc•d to hunting of 1111y kind. Undl'f a uniC)ue HM7 ::irrang<•ment, nil the land cxcl'Jll ror threC' !':trip~ j,; now opc>n lo hunting only by person-. invit('n by M ~, \\'nthl'irn.

Of th" Um·~ !'trip~ of lanrl that c·ut. aero,;...; thP Wertht•im Sh001 in~ Pn·St>r.t>, thr- widest bt·long!' to !he NaL·orna~. who bou~ht it :;.'1ld.\' for du<'k huntinj!. Tlw ntJii:r l\\u ::-l ri}l:", t•itC:h of lhfll! nhout 60 rt>t•t wifl<'. haH•

The Seaaon Opens, Dave Knickerbocker's Cohunn on Page 61

bePrl purchased by the federal govPrnmffit, and have been classified as federal wildlue pre;erws. Yet.terday, Prie.;t and hi.~ boas, John Waters. New York State ol­ficer for the U.S. Fish apd Wildlife Bureau, sat, under orders from the offi<'e cl U.S. A!Xomey Robert Morse, making i-ure that nobody stepped on t1W' forbjdden ;.trips of federal property.

But Waters admitted that he could only protect the hird::; that flew OVt'r, or fell onto. ont> of the lwo narrow strips ol federal land. "We have no jurisdiction <M>r Mrs. Wertheim's property," hf> sairi. ":\nd we ob­viously llRve no jurisdiction mer the Nnmma(':;.' prop­erly." 1be Nacomao;, meanwhile. WPre tryini: 10 1~1 a pair of federal laws that would mak1· it illPgal for them to retrieve a bird that fell on fetlf'rnl land ' tres­passing). and equally iJles:al for lh<'m not to rrtrieve the :;.'lme bird {wan~n-wask prov1i<ion of the Migra­tory Bird T~ty Act).

Brit no bird felJ on federal land. .Jim C'as.c:t•l dropped a duck almOhl in his kip at llw Wt'i'lt>m ,.O<f •lf the Nnoomaa:.' properly, and Tom Wrii:ht ,:hnt a black duck from a blind on the <:oulh<'a~tf'Tn t•nd. It landed JU fret from Wright's blind, alm~t in rl•<' middle of the Nacomacs' strip of ,.·wamp. '01P hunters waiting in thP. blind in the middle of the propt>rl\' had to be satis­fied with the intrigue'. !\fo"t intriguini.: wn:-> th<' helicop­l "'r that C:relro thP ward.."f\S and the l.ivee Nacocnea;' dw~k blindfl at about 2 P~. It was marked "Police," ~11L the Suffolk County, N11ssau County, State Police, P.1rkway Police and SI.ate Conservation Dt>partment r-ould not say where it came from. Priest, the fedeoral wrirrkn, said too, "I don't know where it came from."

j

•25 LONG ISLAND PRESS, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1972

All hunters survive

duck season opener Duck s:::-i,on upenul on Long hland yesterday and all

rt•pnrtcclly W•!lit wel) for the hunters - if not the ducks. rnc :.ca~on runs 1kough Jan. ~ except for a special

broad bill Sl'asnn which runs until Jan. 24. Lac:t \H•ek. the 1t'lleral ~ovemment warned seven Suf·

rolk rC'r.ithw1, that ti cy m:,:• b · m violation elf the law Jf thry ,., .. (' a duck huntinJ blind bctwe:cn Cann:m's ri\'er 3nd Big Fish Creek in the hamlet o! Brookhaven.

The 60-ti~ -t.{)00-foot strip of privately owned property hordl'rs tnl' Wcrthdni fl'di:r:i.l Preserve.

ArcMding to Roger Priest, a game management agent for the l' ~ Fish and Wildlife Service, no violations were cited )"l'stcrday and duck season opening went ~mooth::..

l" S. Attorney Robut l\lorsc warned that if ducks wu.:> shot aml fell onlo preserve land or if tlhe men enter\.'<l ('lrto f!!C·:;erve Jami lo pick up the kill, they would be liabl•· tu prosc~ut1on t11vlcr lhe Mi~ratory Bird Treaty c•f th•• \Jational Wildlife Refuge Administration A~.

Ur0<1khavcn Councilman Robert L. Hughes was one of 111'· ~even Suffolk huntr·rs to receive the warning.

[)ll' 1 S!'>asr•n sen·cs ns' a me:'lns of harvestin~ the "X· cess tl!.lt k population, according lo the U.S. Fish and Wil<liift• Scrvic-e.

18 Even 1 ~o JoJrr it v. """"I""· r.~1 N r..,. ~ber 15, 1972 r ----- l

'

~~i tti" g Uucks' .:-lreu · t. Rli 11d To 11le ta 1r ~EW yO,{I\ 1 AP I - 11

$Pemrd lsKe 1h" 11.l<•al lorat1on for a'· 1 :.. hi111d - a ton~ s1nr ol 111ni! l01·1Md smaC'k in •'11 I m1ddlr of tl1P \\'erth••1m :-;a. I lton;il \\ 1lrl :re Rdu~r •

So ""''''" Lor • .: I 1:1nd s1 '011" Jl,rn l'L·ll ha,,c·d th• l.OJO X

6U-fOOl ;>trip. but!! a bl ml ann I sat h:il'!; 111 .mtinp<illon of glo­n· 10 ··~ 1ic 'd1rn the s1•a,,on oprns \loral,,y.

LS. Atty. Robert A. Morse said yest•'rcla:v lhe mr.n will I lace up lo SI\ n,on'hs 10 jail , and a 5500 I Ille' 11 dl1) ctuck !ht\' shoot O\'Pr their narrow I Sk\; fall~ in 'h" "elu~e.

\!Jr t'H'l th"' 1 <'lrte\'c o rluc k from lhl' 11 ft.c:e. either hy thPm-.rlve:. or by clog. Thal is aiso a <'rtme.

"ThP~e ~uys are sitting ducks,'' Morse said.

' 1 I

L~n~i~~, )'°\\c~. TBE STATE JOURNAL Tuff., Nov. 21, 1912 A..s

Hunters' Go Armed For 'Feds'

BROOKHAVEN. N.Y. (AP) -Arm e d with shotguns to bring down the bmis and a I a w y e r to hold back the "feds." s e v e n Long Island sportsmen have opened the duck hunting season inside a federal game sanctuary.

The seven recently bought a 1.000-foot sliver of land 6ur· rounded b~· the sanrtuary for a rl11rk h I i n d. But they were warn~ the\' t-ould be arre:iled if lhe~· shot a duck that fell on federal land.

U' THEY retrievcrl a fallen bird from tile sanctuary they would be violating tht' federal trespassing law and 1f they left il !h1•v W1>1.dcl be \ ll'~nting the M1i;ral11r~ Hird 1 real)' Act, they were told.

When the hunter.i ~howed up at their blind Oil the Carmans River north ol Great South Ray on Monday, they had their t.wyer In tow with a lellcr he had drafted asking for permia· sion to pick up such birds.

Tracts lla and 14 were surveyed and posted during 1972. The Nncomac Gun Club hunted a narrow corridor of land upon which this photographer stood in October. Note the eelgrass which had washed up along the shore of the Carrnans River.

A section property. beyond it

O'Shea, TR-72-R33-8

of the Big Fish Creek along the Nacomac Gun Club The Carmans River is seen in the background and

our Fireplace Neck property. O'Shea, TR-72-R33- 12

•

Target Rock's Boston Whaler was stolen from a nearby marina on the night of November 26 and stripped of Sl,100. 00 worth of motor and accessories. 0 1 Shea, TR-72- R34- 22

A cold evening in February on the Fireplace Neck section of the refuge. We use this sunset as an ending in some of our environmental slide shows . O'Shea, TR-72-R7-15