Thursday, April 09, 2009
Elk restoration a step closer in Virginia
Bill Cochran
Recent field reports
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries heard positive things about elk this week, and the agency’s board directed its staff to prepare a report on the potential of a restoration program for the big animals in the southwest toe of the state.
Elk advocates David Ledford and Doug Hensley, appeared at a department board meeting in Richmond Tuesday, at the board’s request, and fielded questions on the elk program in Kentucky. Ledford represents the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Hensley is an official with the Kentucky wildlife department.
The exchange was prompted by Charles Yates, board member from far Southwest Virginia, who believes the state needs to take a fresh look at what an elk herd might offer in his section of the state.
While a herd has been building in Kentucky, Virginia wildlife officials have suppressed such development out of fear the animals could introduce disease in the deer population and cause damage to crops and property.
Ledford and Hensley gave Virginia officials an overview of the Kentucky program, including lessons the state has learned in its building of a heard.
BILL
DON’T LET TURKEY STATISTICS SCARE YOU
Spring gobbler season opens Saturday and if you measure the season’s potential on facts rather than enthusiasm you will be in trouble.
The facts aren’t pretty. For example, the bulk of the toms that will skirmish with hunters are from hatches of recent years, particularly of 2006 and 2007. Those hatches have been pretty dismal, with wildlife officials putting the blame on unfavorable weather conditions during the spring nesting season.
Virginia measures the well being of a hatch by the hen-to-juvenile ratio in the fall flocks. A decent ration is three or more juvenile birds per hen. The long-term average is 3.1.
In 2006 it was 1.8, and in 2007 it was 1.7. It gets no better when you look on either side of those key years. For example, 2005 was 1.9 and 2008 was 1.8.
But when you leave the stats behind and head for the mountains or swamps there appear to be plenty of turkeys, and some of the toms have been vocal during recent mornings.
So what does all this say about the spring gobbler season which runs April 11-May 16?
It is going to be an average season, with a kill around 15,000 birds, which has been close to the five-year average. If the season is blessed with good weather, that will boost the tally.
Regardless of the hatches, the weather or whatever, success will come to hunters who climb out of bed well before the last owl has hooted and work at their sport morning after morning, during good weather and bad.
BILL
OUTDOOR BRIEFS
- Walleye restoration work on the New River has earned the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries an award from the American Fisheries Society. The project, which is a team effort with Virginia Tech, has involved the propagation of a genetically selected brood fish to enhance the walleye population in a 74-mile section of the river above Claytor Lake.
- Windy conditions hampered Saturday’s Smith Mountain Striper Club tournament which was won by team All for Fun, headed by guide and marina operator Dewayne Lamb. The team’s catch included an impressive 37 3/4-inch striper that weighed 21.34 pounds. Next up in striper competition is the April 11 Smith Mountain Lake Striper-Fest Open Tournament. Sponsors say as many as 50 teams are expected. Lamb, by the way, is one of the directors of this new event. Check smlfishingguide.com.
- The Roanoke Valley Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation attracted just over 150 people to its banquet, a huge difference from last time when fewer than 30 showed up for what appeared to be the deathblow of the chapter. While many outdoor orientated fund raising events are stressing family and kids, and are void of alcohol, the Roanoke banquet took a different approach. It was held in a downtown night spot and the ticket price included four drinks.
- Brett Saunders has been named Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Conservation Police Officer of the Year. He has served the agency with distinction for 23 years and currently works the Lake Chesdin, Sandy River Reservoir and Briery Creek Lake region.
- West Virginia authorities say four men in possession of 67 native brook trout from a stream in Randolph County substantially depressed the stream’s brook trout population. Their fines, court costs and replacement costs tallied nearly $1,500.
- The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is moving toward establishing a new headquarters on VDOT property in Hanover County north of Richmond across from Greentop Sporting Goods. Agency headquarter currently located in Richmond on North Broad Street are said to be in such bad repair it would cost more to repair them than to build on a new location.
- Virginia’s Rick Morris finished 12th in the Bassmaster Elite tournament on Wheeler Lake, Ala., posting a catch of 15 bass that weighed 40 pounds, 11 ounces. He pocketed $10,500. The winner was Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla. who took home $100,000 for his 50 pound, 13 ounce tournament catch.
- The Idaho Senate has voted in favor of legislation to require all boats, motorized or not, to carry a sticker selling for $5 to $20 to help fund the fight against invasive species such as zebra mussels.
- The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has nominated Charles Yates of Cleveland as chairman of the board and James Hazel of Oakton as vice chairman.
BILL
MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS
2009 spring gobbler season, April 11-May 16.
Smith Mountain Lake Striper Fest team tournament, April 11, $100 entry fee for teams of up to six anglers, $25 optional big fish bonus, sponsored by Glenda McDaniel of Long and Foster Real Estate, tournament director Angie Behan, $1,000 first place prize, headquarters Captain’s Quarters, information from smlstriperfest@yahoo.com.
Ninth Virginia Fly Fishing Festival, April 18 and 19, on the banks of the South River in Waynesboro, $15.
Bassmaster Blue Ridge Brawl, Smith Mountain Lake, April 23-26, Parkway Marina, Huddleston.
Smith Mountain Striper Club annual lake report meeting, May 1, 7 p.m., Moneta Community Center, program by Department of Game and Inland Fisheries biologist Dan Wilson.
Cave Spring Optimist Club fishing tournament on Smith Mountain Lake, May 1-3, $15,000 offered in categories for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, crappie, muskie and catfish, Tickets -- $40 plus 50-cents shipping -- from the Optimist Club of Cave Spring, P.O. Box 1276, Salem, Va. 24153. Outlets in lake area are contest headquarters Foxport Marina, Crazy Horse Marina, Virginia Outdoorsman, Captain’s Quarters and Franklin Outdoors. In Roanoke, they can be purchased at Metro Heavy Duty Distributors, 913 McDowell Ave. (next to the Regional Trash Transfer Station).
Fifth annual Bill Cochran Youth Fishing Tournament, May 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in conjunction with the Cave Spring Optimist Club tournament. Open to youngsters 12 and under, no entry fee as long as contestants are accompanied by an adult entered in the Optimist tournament. Competition for the largest carp and sunfish. Prizes will include saving bonds.
Joe Malat’s Outer Banks Surf Fishing School, May 7-10, Comfort Inn South in Nags Head N.C.,
North Carolina State University Sport Fishing School, May 31-June 4, Hatteras, N.C., $1,445, limited to 45 participants.
Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, June 1, Moneta Community Center, program on wildlife artistry by taxidermist Dale Carson.
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.
Hunters for the Hungry banquet, Sept. 12, 5:30 p.m., Roanoke Moose Lodge #284, 3233 Catawba Valley Drive, Roanoke County, $20 single, $35 couple, children under 12 free, tickets from Dave Sarmadi Mitsubishi, Jeff Fletcher, 540-985-6523 or Fred and Phyllis Wells, 540-992-3874.
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