Thursday, January 01, 2009
CWD spreading in West Virginia
Bill Cochran
Recent field reports
Bad news out of West Virginia. Wildlife officials there say they have detected five new cases of Chronic Wasting Disease in deer, which brings the total since 2005 to 27. All have been confined to Hampshire County, which has Virginia officials concerned because it borders Virginia.
Thus far, no deer in Virginia has tested CWD positive, including more than 200 sampled during the firearm’s season.
The five most recent West Virginia cases were of deer killed during the state’s 2008 hunting season. Officials collected samples from 1,355 deer brought to checking stations in Hampshire and Hardy Counties.
Deer that tested positive were a 4.5-year old doe, two 2.5-year old bucks, one 4.5-year old buck and one 1.5-year buck. All the deer were from a CWD containment area West Virginia officials established in Hampshire County.
“The area in Hampshire County appears to continue to expand as one of the most recent infected deer was approximately five miles north of any previous known infected deer location,” a release from the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources stated.
The division says it is continuing to update its management actions designed to control the spread of this disease, which is fatal to deer.
BILL
WOO DAVES IN FISHING HALL OF FAME
When Woo Daves heads to the 2009 Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport, La., this February, he won’t be going as a contender, not as he did in 17 Classics of the past. This time, Daves, who lives in Spring Grove, will be going as an inductee in the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. It is a fitting tribute to a man who has been Virginia’s most visible bass fishing pro for more than 25 years, and a relentless promoter of fishing and outdoor equipment.
He has finished in the top five in six Classics and that includes a win at the 2000 event in Chicago.
Others in the 2009 Hall of Fame Class include:
>Irwin Jacobs, owner of FLW Outdoors and a number of boat companies with sales that exceed $1 billion annually.
>John Powell, a pioneer of professional fishing and champion of shallow-water worm fishing, a technique he introduced to countless anglers.
>Steve Price, prolific author of articles on angling and a frequent contributor to Bassmaster Magazine.
>Tim Tucker, well known for his coverage of BASS tournaments and for his feature articles in Bassmaster Magazine.
Powell and Tucker will be inducted posthumously.
I ran into Daves a couple months ago coming out of a tackle shop on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. He was going flounder fishing. While Daves made his name as a bass fisherman, in recent years he has spent a good bit of time successfully chasing big flounder and red drum on the southern end of the Shore.
When he told me he was going to be inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, he expressed the most pride in the fact that his old friend John Powell was going to be a member of the 2009 class.
“He deserves it,” Daves told me.
“So do you,” I said.
BILL
MISSOURI REPORTS SUCCESS WITH QUAIL
Missouri wildlife officials report that efforts to restore the northern bobwhite quail are paying off in their state. An earlier report lauded success in Scott County. Now comes word of success in Cass County, just south of Kansas City. Results in Cass County have exceeded objectives, officials say.
“When we started, the goal looked large, but as more and more projects were added over the years everyone could see the goal that we all were trying to attain was actually feasible,” said Nick Prough of Quail Unlimited.
The project combines the efforts of state and federal officials along with private landowners and sportsman organizations.
Meanwhile, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has committed to a multimillion dollar quail project which includes a new quail management plan with habitat and other efforts now in the launching stages.
BILL
OUTDOOR BRIEFS
>>Don Corkran, director of the BASS Federation Nation, will be leaving BASS when his contract expires Jan. 16. He will not be replaced, according to BASS sources. The oversight of the federation will reside with the BASS Events Department. BASS cited challenging economic times as a factor in this development.
>>Virginia Wildlife Magazine has new authors for its game cooking column, which is called “Dining In.” Ken and Maria Perrotte have taken over the cooking/writing duties following the death of Joan Cone, who wrote the column for 20 years. The Perrotte’s say they will keep things simple and flexible. They live in King George County. Ken is the outdoor columnist for the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star.
>>Two bills have been prefiled in the 2009 Virginia General Assembly that would allow the director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to permit any organized group of patients residing in or receiving outpatient treatment from a veterans or military hospital to hunt without having to obtain a license on any land of Virginia where hunting is permitted. Current law says that the free licenses are to be issued for fishing on public water.
>>A federal effort to register the nation’s saltwater anglers has been delayed. The registration had been scheduled to take place Jan. 1 through the NOAA Fisheries Service. No reason was given for the delay, but the idea has been controversial in some circles. Registration was to be required of anglers fishing federal ocean water or fishing for anadromous species, such as striped bass.
>>With the economy the way it is, hunters, anglers and boaters should be able to find some great deals the next several months. An example: U.S. Reel, the St. Louis-based manufacturer of fishing tackle, will offer a double bonus for anglers who buy its SuperCaster XL or SX wide-spool spinning reels from participating retailers. Consumers will get a free rod and a $10 rebate on the reel during a Feb. 1-June 21 promotion.
BILL
SALTWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT
Here are the standings in the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament:
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: 13 pounds, 9 ounces, Michael Whittaker, 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, Norfolk, Norfolk Canyon.
YAHOO: 69 pounds, Brian Davis, Virginia Beach, Norfolk Canyon.
MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS
Woodcock season ends in Virginia Jan. 3.
Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Shootout, Jan. 8-10, $100,000 in prizes, fishasa.com.
Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, 7 p.m., Jan. 9, Moneta Community Center, program on fishing with jigs by Frank Skillman and Mike Snead.
Dove season ends in Virginia Jan. 10.
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.
Nation’s Outdoor Sportsmen’s Show, Dulles Expo Center, Jan. 23-25, nationsoutdoorshow.com.
Virginia Boat Show, Jan. 23-25, Richmond, affinityboatshows.com.
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.
Virginia’s quail and squirrel seasons closed Jan. 31.
Smith Mountain Lake Striper Club meeting, Feb. 6, 7 p.m., Moneta Community Center, program on raising stripers by Ken Mitchell, manager of the Vic Thomas Hatchery.
Virginia’s grouse season closes Feb. 14.
Greater Virginia Sports and Big Game Show, Feb. 20-22, Rockingham County, details from vasportsshow.com.
Saltwater Sportsman 2009 National Seminar Series, six hours of fishing instruction from the pros, Feb. 21, Virginia Beach Convention Center, $55, nationalseminarseries.com.
Saltwater Sportsman 2009 National Seminar Series, six hours of fishing instruction from the pros, Feb. 21, Virginia Beach Convention Center, $55, nationalseminarseries.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.
Western Virginia Sports Show, Augusta Expoland, Fisherville, Feb. 27-March 1.
Virginia’s rabbit season closes Feb. 28.
Smith Mountain Striper Club swap meet, March 6, 7 p.m., Moneta Community Center.
National Capital Boat Show, March 13-15, Chantilly.
Tidewater Boat Show, April 3-5, Hampton.
Youth spring turkey hunting day, April 4, 2009.
2009 spring gobbler season, April 11-May 16.
North Carolina State University Sport Fishing School, May 31-June 4, Hatteras, N.C., $1,445, limited to 45 participants.
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.
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