Bill Cochran is a Roanoke Times outdoors columnist.

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Bill Cochran's Outdoors

Recent columns

• 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

Bill's Mailbag

• Putting down a bear cub brings complaint
• Recommendations for Virginia’s Wild Turkey Management Plan
• Mail archive

Bill's Field Reports

• A. Willis Robertson great name for new DGIF headquarters
• Big striper smashes Optimist tournament record
• Field reports archive

Resources

• Trout stocking schedule

There is no “silver bullet” solution for improving trout fishing in the Smith River in Henry County, but adjustments to the downstream releases at Philpott Dam and stream habitat improvements can make a difference.

That is the findings voiced in a nearly 300-page long “final report” of a study made by Virginia Tech and funded by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries at a $500,000 price tag.

“The most successful path toward improving the tailwater will reflect numerous tradeoffs to balance environmental, economic and recreational goals,” the report stated.

TURKEY HUNTING SAFER

Turkey hunting is becoming a safer sport, according to the National Wild Turkey Hunting Safety Task Force. In 1991, when the task force first met, the accident rate was 8.1 injuries per 100,000 hunters. Today the rate has fallen to 2.95 injuries per 100,000 hunters.

Members of the task force include Bill Woodfin, executive director of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

The key to the decline in accidents is hunter education and training, said Rob Keck, CEO of the turkey federation. A new safety curriculum was unveiled at the meeting.

The safest way to hunt, the task force said, is to use a shotgun, not a rifle, loaded with Size 4 or smaller shot and to shoot for the turkey’s head or neck at 40 yards or less.

NRA vs. OWAA

Shots were fired at the recent Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas. At the show, the National Rifle Association announced that it is withdrawing as a supporting member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. The NRA has implied that the OWAA does not support hunting.

Not so, said OWAA officials, who had members present to reaffirm the group’s strong ties to hunting and shooting spots.

“OWAA’s welcome mat is out to hunting writers and shooting spots industries, and that includes NRA,” said Ted Upgren, OWAA chairman of the board.

The rift between the one-time allies exploded during the OWAA’s June convention when the agency chastised NRA President Kayne Robinson for what it called harsh criticism of the Sierra Club, another OWAA supporting member. The battle between guns and green has split the writer’s group, which is scheduled to hold its 2007 convention at Hotel Roanoke.

HOOKED FOR LIFE

“Hooked for Life,” an organization that uses angling to promote Christianity, has scheduled a fund-raising silent-auction March 5, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Colonial Avenue Baptist Church in Roanoke. Auction items include a two-night stay at Smith Mountain Lake, a night at the Homestead, fishing equipment, art and other items, said Trevor Ruble, founder and executive director. Information can be found on hookedforlife.org.

OUTDOOR BRIEFS

>The Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway will turn into a huge hunting, fishing, hiking and archery expo when the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s American Outdoor Experience returns May 13-15. The initial expo was held last year. Information is available at americanoutdoorexperience.com.

>Veteran angler Peter Thliveros of Jacksonville, Fla. won the CITGO Bassmaster Tournament on Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida. His 69-pound, 5-ounce catch was worth $100,000. Second was Jim Bitter of Fruitland Park, Fla., 67 pounds, 10 ounces, $40,000.

MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS

Catch and Release Symposium, Feb. 12, Virginia Beach Resort and Conference Center, 10:20 a.m.-3 p.m., no charge, contact Jon Lucy at VIMS: lucy@vims.edu.

Mid-Atlantic Sport & Boat Show, through Feb.13, The Pavilion, Virginia Beach, 757-446-2655.

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

Washington Boat Show, Feb. 9-13, Convention Center, Washington, D.C., 301-468-6701.

Meeting of the Procurement Review Committee of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to discuss the agency’s methods of purchasing, Feb. 10, 10 a.m., department headquarters, 400 West Broad Street, Richmond.

National Striped Bass Association Aztec Rentals Claytor Lake Striped Bass Tournament, Feb. 12, information from Ron Clifford, 540-320-8672.

Southwest Virginia Boat Show, Feb. 25-27, Roanoke Civic Center.

Appalachian Highlands Chapter Ruffed Grouse Society Banquet, March 5, Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites, Bristol Convention Center, Bristol, Va., information from B.G. Young, 423-534-6542.

Tidewater Fresh & Saltwater Fishing Show, March 11-13, Virginia Beach Pavilion, information from 575-437-7616.

Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, 7 p.m., March 4, Moneta Community Center.

National Capitol Boat Show, March 10-13, Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly, Va. 804-425-6556.

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.

The 2005 Virginia Ducks Unlimited State Convention and Banquet, March 18 and 19 at the Kingsmill Marriott in Williamsburg.

Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, 7 p.m., April 1, Moneta Community Center.

Tidewater Boat Show, April 1-3, Hampton Roads Convention Center, Hampton, Va. 804-425-6556.

Youth day spring gobbler hunt, April 2.

Cave Spring Optimist Club Tournament, Aprils 29, 30 and May 1, Smith Mountain Lake.

Spring gobbler season, April 9-May 14.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s American Outdoor Experience, Bristol Motor Speedway, May 13-15, information from americanoutdoorexperience.com.

Got an event? Let us know: xtrails@earthlink.net.