Thursday, June 12, 2008
Turkey, grouse sound promising
Bill Cochran
Recent field reports
More grouse and turkey were heard during spring surveys this year than during recent seasons, according to Gary Norman, a Department of Game and Inland Fisheries biologist.
“Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we’ll have a good hatch, too,” he said. “The rains in late May and early June were heavy in some locations, but the temperatures were mild.”
Both grouse and turkey production has been down in recent years, and harsh, spring weather often gets some of the credit for that.
BILL
HAVE FUN HELPING HUNTERS FOR THE HUNGRY
What to do when hard times hit?
Hunters for the Hungry has decided to have some fun dealing with a challenging situation by sponsoring a sporting clays benefit shoot. It is set for June 21-22 at Edmunds Farms Sporting Clays in Halifax.
High gasoline prices and an abundant deer population have been cutting into the Hunters for the Hungry funding, according to Gary Arrington, the agency’s project coordinator.
“We can truly say we have really felt the crunch more than ever,” he said.
Arrington is recommending that shooters do some car pooling to attend the event and have fun helping boost funding to feed the needy.
“You do not need to be a professional shooter, just someone who enjoys the smell of gun powder and the challenge of hitting some wild flying clays,” he said. “You've got to shoot it to appreciate it.”
Cost per shooter is $45, which includes lunch, water, soft drinks and 100 clays.
This is the fifth annual benefit shoot at Edmund Farms, which has two courses.
“We have two [shooting] times offered each day, 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., with slots available for up to 14 people,” Arrington said.
To register, contact Clarence Morris, 434-572-6986 ext. 268 or 434-575-5493.
BILL
OUTDOOR BRIEFS
>>The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has mailed a survey to 5,000 landowners to assess their cooperation in its Quail Action Plan. A draft of the plan is underway and is expected to be presented to the DGIF board in July.
>>Hunters in West Virginia reported killing 9,893 turkeys during the recent spring gobbler season, 70 fewer than the year before. Wildlife officials had predicted a slightly higher take, based on better than average brood reports the past two years, but cold, wet weather, particularly opening week of the season, reduced gobbling activity, officials said.
>>If you have done much off-road driving along the beaches of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, chances are you’ve used Ramp 44, known as the Cape Point. The ramp has been closed temporarily because of the presence of endangered piping plovers. Park officials said some other sections of the beach that had been closed earlier have been reopened.
>>The Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William and Mary and The Nature Conservancy in Virginia successfully used a state of the art, 9.5 gram satellite transmitter to track a whimbrel bird from Virginia to the MacKenzie River near Alaska. Travel time for the 3,200-mile trip was 146 hours.
>>Many states stock catfish, but West Virginia has a slightly different twist on the procedure. It is stocking 2,600 of catchable size in 13 lakes across the state.
>>Catching that first fish is a big deal, so big that West Virginia is issuing a First Fish Certificate to young anglers to commemorate their feat. The certificates are available online.
BILL
SALTWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT
The first cobia and gray trout of the season have shown up on the leader board of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament. Here are the standings:
BLACK DRUM: 87 pounds, 3 ounces, Paul Elliott, Surry, Latimer Shoals (C-2 Buoy).
BLUEFISH: 19 pounds, 4 ounces, Richard Brown, Richmond, off Virginia Beach.
BLUEFIN TILEFISH: 18 pounds, 12 ounces, Dr. Julie Ball, Virginia Beach, Norfolk Canyon.
COBIA: 64 pounds, Linda Wight, Seaford, York Spit.
CROAKER: 3 pounds, 5 ounces, David Richards, Williamsburg, lower York River.
DOLPHIN: 49 pounds, 7 ounces, Edward Pickett, Portsmouth, Norfolk Canyon.
FLOUNDER: 10 pounds, 8 ounces, Thomas Horsley, Gloucester, off Cape Charles.
GRAY TROUT: 9 pounds, 8 ounces, Joseph Hudgins, Jr., Chesapeake, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (4th island).
KINGFISH: 1 pound, 9 ounces, David Davis, Portsmouth, Sandbridge surf.
SEA BASS: 7 pounds, 8 ounces, Reggie Myrick, Portsmouth, off Virginia Beach.
SPADEFISH: 10 pounds, Rob Collins, Norfolk, Chesapeake Light Tower.
SPECKLED TROUT: 9 pounds, 15 ounces, David Hester, Chesapeake, Elizabeth River.
STRIPED BASS: 73 pounds, state record, Frederick Barnes, Chesapeake, off Virginia Beach.
TAUTOG: 20 pounds, 6 ounces, Michael Shreve, Glen Burnie, Md., Monroe Wreck. .
MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS
Twenty-fifth annual Bluefish Derby, June 13 & 14, Reedville, information from Jett’s Hardware, 804-453-5325.
Hunters for the Hungry 5th annual sporting clays benefit shoot at Edmund Farms in Halifax, June 21-22, information form Clarence Morris, 434-572-6986, ext. 268 or 434-575-5493.
Triangle Archers 3D tournament, June 22, Blacksburg, fee $12 or $25 per family, information from James Overfelt.
Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, 7 p.m., July 11, Moneta Center, Jeff Meeks on trolling tactics.
Shenandoah River Rodeo, July 19, Bentonville’s Low Water Bridge Campground, $40, to benefit Shenandoah Riverkeepers, pig roast, bluegrass, fishing, canoeing, camping information from Shenandoah Riverkeepers, P.O. Box 405, Boyce, Va. 22620.
Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, 7 p.m., Aug. 1, Moneta Center, presentation by Ken Mitchell, manager of the Brookneal striper hatchery.
Triangle Archer’s 3D tournament, Aug. 17, Blacksburg, fee $12 or $25 per family, information from Triangle Archers 3D tournament, June 22, Blacksburg, fee $12 or $25 per family, information from James Overfelt.
Eastern Regional Big Game Championship, Sept. 13 and 14, Southampton County Fairgrounds, Franklin, sponsored by the Virginia Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association, more information from Kenneth Pickin, P.O. Box 1860, Williamsburg, Va. 23187-1860; 757-229-0490. This is the contest for deer, bear and turkey killed east of the Blue Ridge. Additional information from vpsa.org.
Triangle Archer’s 3D tournament, Sept 14, Blacksburg, fee $12 or $25 per family, information from James Overfelt.
Third annual WSLS 10 Hunters for the Hungry banquet, 6 p.m. Sept. 27, Dave Sarmadi Mitsubishi, Salem, tickets $20 singles; $35 couples, kids 12 and under free, to benefit the organization’s feed-the-needy program, tickets from Jeff Fletcher, 540-985-6523 or Fred and Phyllis Wells, 540-992-3874 or may be purchased at Dave Sarmadi Mitsubishi, additional information from hunt4hungry@cs.com.
Western Regional and State Big Game Championship, for deer, bear and turkey killed west of the Blue Ridge or advanced from the Eastern Championship, Sept. 27 & 28, Rockingham County Fairgrounds, Harrisonburg, more information from Jon Ritenour, 2041 Spaders Church Road, Harrisonburg, Va. 22801, 540-434-8028. Additional information from vpsa.org.
Fall Optimist Club of Cave Springs Fishing Tournament, Oct. 3-5, Smith Mountain Lake.
Saltwater striped bass tournament opens Oct. 4.
Roanoke Valley Friends of NRA banquet, Oct. 18.
Got an event? Let us know: xtrails@earthlink.net.
