Bill Cochran is a Roanoke Times outdoors columnist.

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Bill Cochran's Outdoors

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• Drum fishing on Virginia’s Coast comes in two colors
• Elk advocate finally gets his day
• Turkeys are plentiful, so why are hunting regulations so tight fisted?
• Anglers say closure of the point of Cape Hatteras is for the birds
• Column archive

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• Putting down a bear cub brings complaint
• Recommendations for Virginia’s Wild Turkey Management Plan
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• A. Willis Robertson great name for new DGIF headquarters
• Big striper smashes Optimist tournament record
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There is no shortage of deer coming into the Hunters for the Hungry program, but the same can’t be said of money to process those deer. “We are behind about $70,000,” said Gary Arrington, special projects coordinator for the program.

In an effort to catch up, Hunters for the Hungry has created a fund-raising “Holiday Raffle” which offer prizes that include a gun, bow, treestand, print and cash.

Arrington said the program expects to receive 6,500 deer this season. The goal is to distribute 325,000 pounds of venison to the needed. It will take $227,000 to get the job done, he said.

Information on raffle tickets or contributing deer or money can be obtained by calling 800-352-4868.

GOT GAME? SURE DO!

I had the opportunity to use the new Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ “Got Game” method of checking a deer by telephone. I’m sold on it.

I killed a deer late in the day, and hiked out to get my partner to help drag it to a spot where we could load it into my pickup. Before reaching the truck, we had to carry it across a creek where there was deep, soppy mud on both banks, the result of it being a cow crossing. When I started across, my boots became bogged down in the mud and I fell backwards into cold, mucky water that quickly ate through my clothes to my skin. My partner had to help me out of the gooey mess, laughing all the while.

Covered with mud, I couldn’t ride in the cab of the truck, so I climbed into the bed and traveled with the deer. At home, a hose was used to wash as much mud off me as possible. I only can imagine the looks I would have gotten had I stopped to check the deer at a traditional big game station. I simply called 866-GOTGAME and checked the deer. It took about 4.5 minutes.

GIVE THE MONEY BACK

Gov. Mark Warner and other state officials have been discussing how to spend a projected revenue surplus of about $900 million. Here’s my suggestion:

Pay back the more than $10 million that was pilfered from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries during the recent budget crisis. Much of what was taken came from the state’s watercraft sales and use tax, resulting in the slashing of boating programs. Hit hard have been construction and repairs of boat ramps, game warden boating patrols and boating education programs.

The money should be returned, and whatever is necessary should be done to make certain that the raid on funding provided by outdoor sportsmen never occurs again.

WARM WEATHER SLOWS DUCK HUNTING

Mild weather since the reopening of the duck season Nov. 20 has resulted in less than ideal waterfowl hunting conditions. This could be another season when a slow migration of ducks leaves hunters looking at empty blue skies.

Some of the waterfowl breeding areas remain warm and free of snow, giving ducks and geese little incentive to wing southward to spots like Virginia.

“We need a good cold front on the prairies to push a big migration farther south,” said Ken Babcock, director of Ducks Unlimited Southern Region Office. “Without snow and ice on the prairies, those birds aren’t moving anywhere fast.”

Hunting in Virginia continues through Dec. 4, then takes a brief rest and reopens Dec. 11-Jan. 29.

Once ducks reach Virginia, they should find favorable habitat, thanks to a wet season.

COASTAL STRIPER RUNNING SMALL

Lots of small striped bass are available in the Chesapeake Bay, with a few being caught that are pushing 40 inches. “More trophy fish should be in the area soon,” said Capt. Ferrell McLain of Bayfish Charters. Ferrell said chumming on the Northern Neck Reef has been providing plenty of action. Trolling also is producing stripers, including an occasional citation-size catch.

Stripers also are available along the structures of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and at Cape Henry where plenty of anglers are expected to gather for the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend.

What is needed is some cold weather to jumpstart the big fish.

OUTDOOR BRIEFS

>Daren Wood, well known as a trophy deer hunter through magazine articles, seminars and a guide service, has been charged with spotlighting and shooting from a roadway. He was stopped with an impressive 11-point buck in his pickup. Authorities said Wood, from Buena Vista, made a statement that he spotlighted the buck in Amherst County.

>Terry Bradbery has been promoted to the rank of colonel in the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries law enforcement ranks. He is a native of Wytheville and has been a warden since 1987. He is well known for his hunter education work.

>A group of hunters who lease property from MeadWestvaco in Botetourt County watched in awe last week as seven coyotes chased a cub bear.

>The Humane Society of the United States plans to merge with the Fund for Animals, forming a new advocacy organization and lobbying arm that will take on hunters. The Washington, D.C., based organization will have roughly 350 workers and a budget of $95 million next year.

>Want to see some pictures of trophy deer taken by hunters in Virginia? Check roanoke.com/outdoors and click on 2004-05 Deer Gallery.

>More than 50 executives from the outdoor industry and conservation organizations along with scores of state legislators are preparing to launch the first meeting of the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses in Texas, Dec. 4-6. Hosted by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, with major funding from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the meeting will focus on building a partnership between industry, conservation organizations and pro-sportsmen legislators.

>Thirty radio-equipped black ducks can be followed on ducks.org.

>”America’s Wildest Places” is the title of a DVD that gives an armchair tour of eight National Wildlife Refuges. It can be ordered through www.fws.gov.

>The American Sportsman TV season premiers on ESPN Nov. 28 and will showcase celebrities enjoying sought-after hunting and fishing destinations. It airs Sundays at 11:30 a.m.

>Bill Woodfin, director of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, received a Virginia Tourism Corporation award for his support of the film “The New World.” A portion of the movie was filmed on the DGIF’s Chickahominy Wildlife Management Area.

>Look for a run on YUM Vibra King Tube lures. Tim Horton used the worm to win last weekend’s 2004 CITGO Bassmaster Southern Open on Lake Okeechobee Florida. It is the second major BASS tournament he has won on the lure. “It’s just phenomenal,” Horton said. John Crews of Salem finished 9th in the tournament, earning a berth in the Bassmaster Open Championship.

>Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia put 60 hours into snowmaking with plans to open its skiing season Nov. 24, but mild weather has delayed that.

>BASS announced its 2005 Federation Championship will be held on two lakes at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida April 27-30. The Championship will feature an elimination format for the first time. The top 55 Federation anglers will compete two days on Lake Tohopekaliga, then the top 15 will advance for two final days on Bay Lake. Both lakes harbor big bass.

VIRGINIA SALTWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT

The citation count in the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament is 6,748. Here are the standings:

BLACK DRUM: 95 pounds, Joseph Roub, Baltimore, Md., Hog Island Bay.

COBIA: 103 pounds, 8 ounces, Vince Ainsley, Aylett, lower-western Chesapeake Bay.

CROAKER: 5 pounds, Jarvis Taylor, Richmond, lower York River.

DOLPHIN: 50 pounds, Jereme Wilson, Chesapeake, off Virginia Beach.

FLOUNDER: 14 pounds, 4 ounces, Betty Smith, Chesapeake, lower-eastern Chesapeake Bay.

GRAY TRIGGERFISH: 5 pounds, Mike Barboza, Virginia Beach, off Virginia Beach.

GRAY TROUT: 12 pounds, 12 ounces, Greg Thayer, Gloucester, upper-eastern Chesapeake Bay.

KING MACKEREL: 52 pounds, Cecil Smith, Virginia Beach, off Virginia Beach.

KINGFISH: 1 pound, 14 ounce, Bobby Smith, Portsmouth, lower-western Chesapeake Bay.

POMPANO: 3 pounds, 6 ounces, Arlon Stith, Petersburg, lower James River.

SEA BASS: 6 pounds, 14 ounces, Mark Fueller, Rio Grande, N.J., off Virginia Beach.

SHEEPHEAD: 19 pounds, 3 ounces state record, Jeff Hutton, Virginia Beach, lower eastern Chesapeake Bay.

SPADEFISH: 13 pounds, 10 ounces, Jake Mapp, Franktown, upper-eastern Chesapeake Bay.

SPANISH MACKEREL: 6 pounds, 6 ounces, Patrick Quisenberry, Mechanicsville, upper-western Chesapeake Bay.

SPECKLED TROUT: 13 pounds, 12 ounces, Walter Kellum, Hayes, Mobajack Bay.

SPOT: 1 pound, 10 ounces, Wilson Haynes, Wake, lower Rappahannock River.

STRIPED BASS: 63 pound state record, Carolyn Brown, Virginia Beach, off the Virginia Coast.

TAUTOG: 22 pounds, 9 ounces, Julie Ball, Virginia Beach, off Virginia Beach.

TUNA (BLUEFIN): 180 pounds, 4 ounces, Okey Bolling, Pasadena, Md. off Eastern Shore.

TUNA (OTHER): 241 pounds, Mike Wolf, Sterling, off Virginia Beach.

WAHOO: 107 pounds, Chris Miles, Virginia Beach, off Virginia Beach.

MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS

Virginia Ducks Unlimited Rockfish Tournament, Dec. 4, Bluewater Yacht Sales on Sunset Creek in Hampton, rules and other information from vadurockfishshootout.site-101.com.

SaltWater Sportsman Magazine National Seminar Series, Virginia Beach, Jan 15, 6 hours of instruction at Virginia Beach Convention Center, nationalseminarseries.com.

Bassmaster University, where pros instruction anglers on bass fishing, Jan. 22-23, Wyndhan Hotel Richmond Airport, Richmond, instructors include Kevin VanDam, Denny Brauer, Shaw Grigsby, Woo Daves, Zell Roland, Mike Auten. Information from 866-732-BASS.

Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show, 50th anniversary, Feb. 5-13, State Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, Pa., features angler Jimmy Houston and hunter Chuck Adams. Reported to be the largest consumer show of its kind, easternsportshow.com.

Wilderness First Aid Class, March 12-13, Blacksburg, 18 hours of hands-on instruction and study that results in a two-year certificate, coast $160, visit wfa.net.

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