Thursday, November 27, 2008
Deer organization defends hound study
Bill Cochran
Recent field reports
The Virginia Deer Hunters Association took some hits recently during the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries hound study. Some critics claimed that the association had sided with DGIF in an effort to outlaw running deer with hounds.
That is “utterly ridiculous,” said Don Shumaker, a founding member of the 23-year old organization and staff writer for its magazine, "Whitetail Times."
“The way I see it, this entire controversy has been brought about by several very small minorities -- the overbearing, sometimes outlaw houndsman, the selfish, whining landowner or a few still hunters,” Shumaker wrote in his November-December issue.
One of the positive things coming out of the study, said Shumaker, is “quite a few respectable houndsmen have realized that a few bad apples really can bring ruin to the whole barrel. I think all of this controversy will promote better hunter/landowner relations. I also think all of this turmoil will be in some way responsible for good houndsmen putting pressure on bad houndsmen. This is what we have needed all along.”
What isn’t needed is a bunch of new laws; rather, courts must be willing to swiftly and severely punish those who trespass, poach or create problems while hunting, Shumaker said.
There also is a need to educate hunters and landowners. Hunters should obey the law and be more thoughtful of one another, he said.
BILL
FOR $2 MILLION YOU CAN BE THE FLOUNDER KING
“Where are the flounder biting?”
No telling how many times Capt. Z. Randy Lewis has heard that question. For many years, Lewis has operated Zed’s Bait and Tackle in Wachapreague. This village, located on the seaside of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, once displayed a huge billboard declaring itself: “The Flounder Capitol of the World.”
Whether or not it merited that distinction could depend on how good the fishing happened to be at the time, but no questions thousands of anglers have flocked to this setting and many have relied on Lewis for bait, boat and basic information.
Lewis often starts with a hand-drawn map, using a yellow highlighter to mark the fishing hot spots. Anglers leave his shoebox-size shop confident that he has done them a personal favor.
Lewis is ready to put all this behind him. Zed’s Bait and Tackle is for sale, along with the adjoining Island House Restaurant and 17 boat slips, not to mention some great views of the water leading to the remote barrier islands.
The listed price is $1,950,000. Lewis says he’ll even hang around to help the new owner if asked.
More details from davegriffith.com.
Wachapreague has been hosting anglers and others for more than a century. In 1902, Hotel Wachapreague, large and ornate, was built in the village. Its guests list through the years included Herbert Hoover, Thomas Edison and Walter Chrysler. Lewis bought it in 1977 only to see it heavily damaged by fire a month later. Costing too much for him to repair, the building was demolished.
In recent years it hasn’t been fire but federal regulations that have troubled Lewis. He has little love for the increasingly restrictive size and catch limits being forced on flounder anglers by the feds.
As for the future of Wachapreague, it won’t be the same without Lewis playing host at Zed’s.
BILL
OUTDOOR BRIEFS
>>Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, big striped bass have arrived in the lower Chesapeake Bay. A 54-pounder caught off Kiptopeke was weighed at Chris’ Bait and Tackle on Eastern Shore. The shop also has weighed stripers in the 43- to 45-pound range.
>>Tom Gray and Macky May dominated the annual big fish competition for Smith Mountain Striper Club members. Gray won first place for a 33-pound fish. May was second with a 27-pound, 12-ounce trophy. Third place also went to May for a 26-pound, 9-ounce catch. Gray followed with a 25-pound, 3-ounce forth place winner. This not only speaks well of the skills of Gray and May, but also underscores a return of big fish in the lake.
>>Hunters who kill an exceptional buck sometimes ask me where they can take it to have it scored Boone and Crockett. The answer hasn’t been easy. I usually end up sending them to some overworked state wildlife biologist. Now I can tell them to take it to the nearest Bass Pro Shop. In cooperation with Boone and Crockett, Bass Pro Shops now have a trained scorer on staff. There Virginia stores in Richmond and Hampton.
>>Ducks Unlimited is urging its members to contribute money to purchase conservation easements on 300,000 acres of prime waterfowl nesting habitat. Rising global food demands and federal mandates threaten to turn millions of acres of native-prairie nesting grounds into cropland, DU said. There are 650 landowners willing to sell easement at an average cost of $360 per acre. Mossy Oak, a camouflage clothing manufacturer, is matching contributions dollar for dollar.
>>The National Shooting Sports Foundation has lauded the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for its development of an electronic method to record the transactions of firearms sales required when a person buys a gun from a licensed dealer.
BILL
SALTWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT
The Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament has about 625 fewer entries than for the same time period last year. Here are the contest standings:
BLACK DRUM: 87 pounds, 3 ounces, Paul Elliott, Surry, Latimer Shoals (C-2 Buoy).
BLUEFISH: 21 pounds, 8 ounces, Charles Southall, Poquoson, Triangle Wrecks.
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, 10 ounces, Kenneth Godsey, Norfolk, Sandbridge Pier.
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: 10 pounds, F.H. Ashberry, Poquoson, Fort Monroe.
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, Norfolk, Norfolk Canyon.
YAHOO: 69 pounds, Brian Davis, Virginia Beach, Norfolk Canyon.
MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS
Kiptopeke Rockfish Tournament, to benefit Northampton County Toy Closet, Nov. 28-30, sponsored by Chris’ Bait and Tackle, Capeville, 757-331-3000.
George Washington National Forest workshop on vegetation management, Dec. 3, 6:30-9 p.m., Rockbridge High School, Lexington, wildlife habitat improvement, timber harvest, prescribed fire will be discussed.
Smith River Trout Unlimited meeting, Dec. 4, 6 p.m., Rania’s Restaurant, Martinsville, meal can be ordered, additional information from B.J. Walker.
Rabbit hunting workshop for youth ages 7 to 17, Dec. 6 Bedford County, information from Jimmy Mootz.
Fifteenth annual Benefit Rockfish Tournament, Dec. 6. sponsored by Coastal Conservation Association, Norview Marine, Deltaville, $225 per boat entry fee, top prize $5,000, tournament forms and rules from ccavirginia.org.
Virginia Beach National (Striped Bass) Tournament, Dec. 13, fishasa.com.
Bay Creek Resort Contender Cub (striped bass), Dec. 30, Cape Charles, 757-650-4509.
Matthews Rotary Rockfish Tournament, Dec. 31, dnfitch@wildblue.net.
Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Shootout, Jan. 8-10, $100,000 in prizes, fishasa.com.
Fishing Expo, Jan. 16-18, Richmond Raceway, featured pros include Kevin Van Dam, richmondfishingexpo.com.
George Washington National Forest workshop on the forest plan, Jan. 20, 6:30-9 p.m., Augusta County Government Center, Verona.
George Washington National Forest workshop on the forest plan, Jan. 29, 6:30-9 p.m., Rockbridge County High School, Lexington.
Virginia Outdoor Sportsmen’s Classic, Roanoke Civic Center, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2009, vaoutdoorsportsmensclassic.com.
Board meeting of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to consider hunting/trapping regulations, 9 a.m., Feb. 26, DGIF headquarters, 4000 West Broad St., Richmond.
Youth spring turkey hunting day, April 4, 2009.
2009 spring gobbler season, April 11-May 16.
Board meeting of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to finalize hunting/trapping regulations, 9 a.m., June 2, DGIF headquarters, 4000 West Broad St., Richmond.
Got an event? Let us know: xtrails@earthlink.net.
