Thursday, November 22, 2007
All about big bucks and the rut
Bill Cochran
Recent field reports
Ed Colvin (left) and Don Hunziker with trophy bucks
“The rut just started to heat up last week and several nice bucks have been taken in our area.”
That is the word from Denny Quaiff, an executive of the Virginia Deer Hunters Association, who lives in Richmond. Much the same report is coming from across the state. Although hunting pressure appears to be light in many areas, hunters are enjoying success tagging trophy bucks. Barry Arrington, whose Bedford County apple orchard cooler traditionally holds piles of deer this time of the year, measured one 11-pounter at 206 5/8 under Virginia’s scoring system. “Nice,” Arrington said. Another deer in the cooler is an 8-pointer with a 22-inch spread. Many hunters are reporting bucks chasing does. “We are finding most of our activity in the cutovers, since we have a very poor acorn crop this year,” said Quaiff. BILL TWO VIRGINIANS MAKE BASS CLASSIC … BASS has released the names of the 50 anglers who have qualified for the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, and on the list are two Virginians, both from the Southwest section of the state, which is a first. John Crews of Salem qualified by scoring well in the top-tier Elite Series, a venue that has been successful for him the past several years. New to the prestigious Classic is Jeff Freeman of Max Meadows, who won the recent BASS Federation Nation Championship. The Classis is set for Feb. 22-24 on Lake Hartwell, Greensville, S.C., and it will be the first time I can recall that two anglers have qualified from Southwest Virginia.BILL
…THIRD VIRGINIAN ALMOST MADE IT The past weekend, Mike Hicks of Goochland was fishing for two biggies: a $100,000 top prize and a coveted berth in the 2008 Bassmaster Classic. Hicks was in the lead heading into the fourth day of the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series Championship on Georgia’s Clarks Hill Reservoir. If the name Hicks sounds familiar in pro bass fishing circles, it is. Mike’s father, Thomas, competed in two Classics. At the age 10, Mike had befriended Ray Scott, founder of BASS. Hicks fell short the final day of the Toyota tournament, finishing third with 37.98 pounds. The winner was Jeff Coble of Beaufort, N.C., whose total was 40.99 pounds. Coble won the event in 2005. Had Hicks won, he would have become Virginia’s third entry on the Classic, which would have been a first for the state.BILL
BRINGING BACK THE CHESTNUT -- HOPEFULLY Chestnut trees once adorned the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia, providing a rich and reliable food source for wildlife and durable wood for everything from fences to farm buildings. Then came the crippling blight. Since 1984, the American Chestnut Cooperators Foundation has been selectively breeding all-American chestnuts that show resistance to the blight. The foundation is a joint effort of Virginia Tech and Concord College in West. Va. The effort has progressed to the point that the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests this fall started a forest-wide planting effort, according to Dr. Carol Croy, forest biologist. “To be involved in chestnut restoration in my lifetime is a dream come true for me,” said Croy.BILL
PRESERVING SALTWATER LICENSE FUNDS Anglers should tell Gov. Tim Kaine to keep his hands off Virginia’s saltwater fishing license fees. That’s the message projected by the Coastal Conservation Association of Virginia. The governor has proposed transferring $416,357 from the Virginia Saltwater Recreational Fishing Development Fund into the general fund in order to help cover shortfalls in the state budget. These license funds were designed to be “non-reverting,” meaning they could not be used for anything other than what they were designed for, which is the betterment of saltwater resources, said Frank Kearney, a CCA spokesman. On the governor’s side, the budget bill trumps state code, even if the code says it is a non-reverting fund. CCA is asking anglers to send letters, faxes and emails to the governor. Emails can be sent by using the form on the governor’s Web pageBILL
OUTDOOR BRIEFS>>A 53- pound, 8-ounce golden tilefish caught by Charles Maresh of Norfolk has been certified as a new Virginia state record for the species. It measured 46 inches long.
>The voluntary manslaughter charge against Conservation Officer Robert Ham has been dismissed in Greene County Circuit Court. The charge followed an incident when Ham fatally shot a teenage suspect who had struck him with a vehicle during an arrest attempt.>>If you are new to deer hunting and need instructions on how to field dress a deer, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has a DVD titled “A Professional Guide to Field Dressing, Skinning and Butchering White-Tailed Deer.” It sells for $12 and can be ordered from the agency’s Web site. The professional in the title is Ron Hughes, a DGIF biologist who is so good at the deer dressing task that even experienced hunters can learn from him.
Crew that built the handicapped pier on the Jackson River.
>>A fishing pier for handicapped anglers has been completed on the Jackson River downstream from Gathright Dam, thanks to a crew of 32 volunteer workers, including 21 from Dominion. The power company partnered with the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and Trout Unlimited.
>>Looking for money to add boating and fishing to your school’s physical education classes. Individual grants up to $2,500 are available through the Future Fisherman Foundation. Visit www.futurefisherman.org.
>>The Virginia Marine Resources Commission is in the process of establishing fishing regulations for tautog. Anglers are invited to weigh-in on options concerning seasons and limits as officials attempt to reduce the recreational and commercial catch. Check www.mrc.state.va.us.
>>Eight hunters with disabilities, five of them from Walter Reed Medical Center who are part of the Wounded Warrior Program, will have the opportunity to participate in a deer hunt Saturday in South Boston. The event is sponsored by the Halifax Chapter of the Weelin’ Sportsmen National Wild Turkey Federation.
>>New data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reveals that hunters in the 6 to 15 age group have increased nearly 4 percent since 2001.
BILL
HOOKED FOR LIFE HAS PRODUCTIVE YEAR Hooked for Life, a Roanoke Valley-based ministry that combines faith and fishing has enjoyed what its founder/director Trevor Ruble calls “an incredible year.” A major part of the success is the “Fishin’ with a Mission” program conduced at the Roanoke Rescue Mission. “The class gives us the opportunity to share God’s word as well as a little fishing with the adults in the drug and alcohol recovery program at the mission,” Ruble said. Participants are provided lessons in faith along with fishing equipment that includes rods, tackle boxes and fishing licenses. Hooked for Life ministries have been organized in churches in 17 different states, Ruble said. Check hookedforlife.org.BILL
VIRGINIA SALTWATER TOURNAMENT
Dr. Julie Ball's contest leading bluefish.
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