Thursday, October 16, 2008
Turkey population shows promise
Bill Cochran
Recent field reports
Wild turkeys are more abundant this year than last according to the observations of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ staff. There are significant increases in turkey numbers in the South Piedmont and Southwest sections of Virginia, according to Gary Norman, DGIF biologist.
More broods have been reported and there are more poults per female adult bird.
“The bottom line is that there appeared to be more hens with poults this year rather than more poults per female, Norman said.
BILL
BIG FISH, BIG FUN WHILE “YAK” FISHING
Big red drum are being taken in the Sandbridge area of Virginia Beach, but few catches are more memorable than one made by Damien Hall of Chesapeake. Hall caught and released a 46-inch drum while fishing from a kayak.
Fishing from kayaks, or “Yak” fishing as its advocates call it, is enjoying tremendous growth, particularly in saltwater areas. The best of the kayak angling season is yet to come, according to Ric Burnley, a Virginia Beach angler who has a new book on the sport, titled “The Complete Kayak Fisherman.”
In the fall and early winter, Burnley loves to go after giant striped bass at Kiptopeke and trophy red drum off the barrier islands of Eastern Shore. It is then that fishing becomes a bit like hand-to-hand combat.
BILL
OUTDOOR BRIEFS
>>Some of the money sportsmen provide to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission through purchase of saltwater fishing licenses is being earmarked for the General Fund to deal with the state’s budget shortfall.
>>The level of the lake in Hungry Mother State Park in Smyth County is scheduled to be lowered 12 feet by the Department of Conservation and Recreation for removal of sediment. The project is expected to be completed in March 2009.
>>A public meeting on changes in the master plan of Douthat State Park near Covington has been set for 7 p.m. Oct. 23 by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The public meeting will be held at the park restaurant.
>>The NRA’s endorsement of John McCain and Sarah Palin has been discredited by the American Hunters and Shooters Association and the Brady Campaign. The NRA calls the hunters and shooters association “a phony front” and the Brady Campaign “the leading antigun lobby in the country.”
>>Mountain lion update: Louisiana officials have confirmed that trail camera pictures sent to them by private citizens were of mountain lions. Meanwhile, officials in Pennsylvania are investigating a report that a man was attacked by an animal described as a mountain lion.
>>Fishing deep-water offshore, a method called deep-dropping, is gaining in popularity and producing record caches of little-known species. A recent trip aboard the Rudee Angler out of Virginia Beach produced two potential barrelfish world records, the biggest, weighing 20 pounds, 15 ounces, caught by Andre Franklin of Baltimore, Md.
BILL
SALTWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT
The first swordfish of the season has been entered in the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament and in the tuna category a 305-pound fish is the new leader. 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: 19 pounds, 9 ounces, Sidney Long, Jr., Branchville, Norfolk Canyon.
COBIA: 94 pounds, 6 ounces, Wesley Smith, Virginia Beach, Bluefish Rock.
CROAKER: 4 pounds, 14 ounces, B.W. Wild, Virginia Beach, Lynnhaven Inlet. DOLPHIN: 66 pounds, Todd Conner, Midlothian, Norfolk Canyon.
FLOUNDER: 13 pounds, 9 ounces, Christopher Mounie, Suffolk, Third Island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
GRAY TRIGERFISH: 5 pounds, 8 ounces, Nick Wright, Virginia Beach, inshore waters of Virginia Beach.
GRAY TROUT: 9 pounds, 8 ounces, Joseph Hudgins, Jr., Chesapeake, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (4th island).
KING MACKEREL, 62 pounds, 3 ounces, James McDonald, Virginia Beach, Sandbridge Pier.
KINGFISH: 2 pounds, 3 ounces, Bill Pope, Norfolk, Sandbridge Surf.
POMPANO: 2 pounds, 8 ounces, Ron Pennington, Annandale, Kiptopeak Pier.
SEA BASS: 7 pounds, 8 ounces, Reggie Myrick, Portsmouth, wreck off Virginia Beach.
SHEEPSHEAD: 14 pounds, 5 ounces, Kay Alley, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. .
SPADEFISH: 14 pounds, 1 ounce, Josh Durvin, Dunnsville, The Cell.
SPANISH MACKEREL: 6 pounds, Alfred Simpson, Virginia Beach, Sandbridge Pier.
SPECKLED TROUT: 9 pounds, 15 ounces, David Hester, Chesapeake, Elizabeth River.
SPOT: 1 pound, 8 ounces, Michael Whittaker, Chesapeake, 664 Bridge-Tunnel.
STRIPED BASS: 73 pounds, state record, Frederick Barnes, Chesapeake, off Virginia Beach.
SWORDFISH: 190 pounds, Aaron Peckham, Virginia Beach, Norfolk Canyon.
TAUTOG: 20 pounds, 6 ounces, Michael Shreve, Glen Burnie, Md., Monroe Wreck.
TUNA, BLUEFIN: 226 pounds, Kim Schwallenberg, Edgewater, Md., off Wachapreague.
TUNA: 305 pounds, Rick Wyatt, Nofolk, Norfolk Canyon.
YAHOO: 68 pounds, Ron Fair, Cheriton, off Wachapreague.
MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS
October 18 youth fall turkey hunting day for kids15 and under.
Roanoke Valley Friends of NRA banquet, Oct. 18, Salem Civic Center, tickets--$40 for singles, $70 for couples-- can be purchased from Mike Kessler, 540-884-2917, Harvey Bulaski, 540-343-9040 and Al Milton, 540-797-7777.
Basic trapper training course, Oct. 18, Good Farm, Monterey. Information from Scot Painter.
Fall turkey hunting season opens Oct. 25.
Grouse hunting season October 25-February 14.
Early muzzleloading season Nov. 1-14.
Quail hunting season, Nov. 1-Feb. 28.
Crappie USA fishing tournament on Smith Mountain Lake, information from crappieusa.com. Nov. 15.
General firearm’s deer season opens Nov. 17.
Virginia Outdoor Sportsmen’s Classic, Roanoke Civic Center, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2009, vaoutdoorsportsmensclassic.com.
Youth spring turkey hunting day, April 4, 2009.
2009 spring gobbler season, April 11-May 16.
Got an event? Let us know: xtrails@earthlink.net.
