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Fishing report: Sept. 12, 2013
Though the weather has felt more like summer than early autumn over the past few days, fall is creeping up on us and that means fishing should soon start to improve on the region’s lakes and streams. Early fall is an especially good time to hit one of the larger rivers in Western Virginia for a float fishing trip in a canoe or kayak. After a summer of much-higher-than-normal flows
BILL COCHRAN: Wildlife artist Spike Knuth is as generous as he is prolific
Before the Robertson family and Duck Dynasty, there was Spike Knuth. No, Knuth doesn't have a beard, but he shares an interest in ducks and other wild creatures and the habitats where they live. He also is a man of family and faith. If you've ever read a copy of Virginia Wildlife or viewed one of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries birding and wildlife trail guides, read the
FIELD REPORTS: Great squirrel hunting won’t last
Hunters had to make some choices this past Saturday. It was the opening of the urban archery season. It was the first Saturday of the dove and goose seasons. It was opening day of the squirrel season. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of sportsmen who chose squirrel hunting. This activity has been in decline, overshadowed by interest in other species, particularly deer. My old squirrel hunting partner, Billy
Hunting for would-be hunters
It's the kind of opportunity that seemingly would result in an application frenzy. The Virginia Deer Hunters Association is sponsoring a guided deer hunt for youth hunters on September 28, with participants hosted for their overnight whitetail adventure in beautiful log homes situated on thoughtfully managed, privately owned James River bottomland in Botetourt County. The 12- to 15-year-old kids and their parent or guardian get to stay overnight and hunt
The scouting camera
With opening day of Virginia’s archery deer hunting season less than a month away, many hunters are eagerly readying for the season. Preparation includes sighting in bows and, in anticipation of later gun seasons, zeroing in muzzleloaders and rifles. Many hunters are also committed to pre-season scouting, the important reconnaissance that can help determine what hunting areas stand to be fruitful later in the fall. Scouting used to be a
Accessories can make the fall hunting season
Browse the hunting accessories section at your favorite outdoors retailer, or their website, and you’ll find some interesting products. For example, one of the major players offers a Big Game Sport Bucket for $45. A plastic pail covered with camo fabric and with a pad on the lid, the bucket offers a “5-gallon capacity with a bag unit [that] is more than enough to keep your lunch or game fresh.”
Fishing report for Sept. 5, 2013
It's hard to imagine better weather for fishing than what we're seeing this week. At least if you enjoy the fishing part more than the catching part. Bluebird skies typically aren't the best for fishing action. Fortunately, the longer that kind of weather pattern remains entrenched over a region, the more the fishing improves as fish thrown off by sudden weather changes adjust. That bodes well for the coming days.
BILL COCHRAN: Hunters for the hungry bouncing back from tough year
A strange thing happened to Hunters for the Hungry last year. The organization ran short of deer. That's never been a problem since its origin in 1991. Hunters always have lined up with donations of deer. The challenge has been coming up with enough money to process and distribute the venison to needy people. There have been times when there were so many deer and so little money that there
FIELD REPORTS: Hybrids stocked in Carvins Cove
Time was, if you wanted to catch a hybrid striped bass, a hard-fighting cross between a striper and white bass, you had to travel to Tennessee or beyond. Virginia didn't want anything to do with them. So a bunch of us from the Roanoke Valley did just that; we'd leave during the wee hours before daylight and drive to Tennessee to join the crowds of natives casting for this prized
MAILBAG: A doe with antlers?
Most hunters are familiar with bearded turkey hens, which aren't that uncommon. How about female deer with antlers? Can it happen? That is the question I received from Dick Taylor of Fincastle. "My wife saw a really strange sight about a week ago," he said. "She spied a six-point buck in full velvet and right behind it was two small, spotted fawns following closely. She hollered for me, but all
Big does can earn a prize too
I am not a strong man. Yes, I have pretty good endurance. But when it comes to things like push-ups, pull-ups or dragging a deer through the woods, it is ugly. A moment during a late-season archery hunt in rural Roanoke County two seasons ago was a particular low light. I had been hunting from the ground with a crossbow, wearing a homemade ghillie suit that concealed me well as
Stocking again: Releasing hatchery-raised fish into Carvins Cove reservoir
For the first time in nearly two decades, the reservoir at Carvins Cove has gotten an extra dose of fish. Tuesday, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries stocked approximately 5,000 hybrid striped bass into the 630-acre lake. The agency and the Western Virginia Water Authority hope that in a couple of years the fish will grow into feisty, hungry fighters, enhancing the recreational fishery at the lake, which not
Fishing report for August 29, 2013
This weekend marks a transition from summer to fall, at least in terms of recreation. It will be a big weekend for recreational boating activity on lakes and rivers. Of course the weather can affect that. The current forecast is for warm days with chances for thunderstorms, which means things will be busy except during squalls. The good news for fishermen is that weather conditions stand to be pretty consistent
BILL COCHRAN: The early bird gets the game
September is the kickoff of the fall hunting seasons, and for the most part the game looks promising. Here's a glance at the various early season hunting opportunities with some personal comments: DOVES Season: Early dates, Sept. 2-Oct. 14 Daily bag limit: 15 Outlook: Fair Cochran's comments: One of the best places to launch an early season dove hunt is in a freshly harvested agriculture field where there is bare
FIELD REPORTS: Salem's John Crews headed to Classic
It is back to the Bassmaster Classic for John Crews. The Salem resident finished 23rd in the final Bassmaster Elite Series tournament in Michigan this past weekend and that gave him a very respectful seventh place finish in the Angler of the Year standings, his best ever ranking. Finishing first in the prestigious Angler of the Year race was Aaron Martin of Leeds, Ala. It was his second such title,
A more realistic take on antler scores
As deer season looms on the horizon, many hunters are feverishly poring through scouting camera pictures to see what kinds of big bucks are roaming their hunting grounds. Many will find shots of impressive specimens, which will prompt plenty of speculation about antler scores. “I’ve got one 10-pointer that’s 160 to 170 class, easy,” some will say. We will hear of non-typicals that will “easily top the 200-inch” mark, prompting
First shot: Virginia small game fall preview
Squirrel Dates: Sept. 7 through Feb. 28 (gray and red squirrels); Sept. 7 - Jan. 31 (fox squirrels) Bag limit: Six squirrels daily Department of Game and Inland Fish small game biologist Marc Puckett is upbeat about squirrel populations. "I believe squirrel numbers should be excellent," said Puckett, who works out of the agency's Farmville office. The tree-scampering rodents are among the critters benefitting from wet weather, which has led
Virginia duck hunting dates finalized
The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has finalized all hunting dates for the upcoming season. With a vote Thursday, the agency's board of directors approved migratory waterfowl hunting season dates. Those seasons are always the last ones to be finalized because the agency must wait for guidance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which provides a framework to which state agencies must adhere. As usual, the duck season
Fishing report for August 22, 2013
There are a couple of ways to target muskellunge. One approach is to arm yourself with a burly fishing rod and reel and a bunch of lures the size of your neighbor’s pet ferret. Then you wear your body out casting those monstrosities all day long, making sure to execute a perfect figure eight at the end of every cast because, if you don’t, that’s the cast that will produce
BILL COCHRAN: There are fewer deer, and that's not all bad
I don't know about you, but I am seeing fewer deer this summer. I probably said the same thing this time last year. There are exceptions, but the general cry is this: "Where have all the deer gone?" Matt Knox., the top deer biologist for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, says he fielded that questions last fall "more than any year I can remember." It didn't surprise
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2. Roanoke resource officer's quick action saved young girl
3. One person injured in Friday night shooting in Roanoke
4. East Carolina poses new challenge for Virginia Tech football
5. Captive in Roanoke County describes harrowing time with angry friend
6. Lowe's tapes may hold clues to Roanoke woman's death
7. William Byrd stuns Salem in football win
8. Roanoke County electrical short quiets 5 Wheeler radio stations
9. History says this one will matter for Virginia Tech
10. Concert review: Timeless Willie Nelson plays to appreciative crowd
THE ROANOKE TIMES
