Thursday, June 11, 2009
Landowners to be asked about elk
Bill Cochran
Recent field reports
Should an elk herd be given the opportunity to expand in far Southwest Virginia? That question will be put to landowners in seven Southwest Virginia counties.
The idea is “to get a sense of how our citizens in that part of the state view elk and elk management,” said Bob Ellis, chief of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ wildlife division.
The DGIF board has initiated a fresh look at elk management in an effort to determine what role a herd might play in the southwest toe of the state where the big animals cross the border from highly successful stockings in Kentucky.
Up to this point, DGIF wildlife officials have all but put up signs along the border saying “Elk not welcome.” The policy has been to consider them as deer and allow them to be shot anytime a deer season is open.
“There was an interest from the board to see if we can come up with some proposals as to what we want to do,” said Ellis.
Board member Charles Yates, who lives in the region, advanced the idea of allowing a small herd to develop with an eye toward gaining some revenue for the region and adding to the diversity of Virginia’s big game population. Yates now is chairman of the board.
A survey of 4,000 landowners is in the works. Half of the participants will be selected from residents in Buchanan, Dickenson and Wise counties, where most of Virginia’s elk reside, and half will be residents of the nearby counties of Lee, Russell, Tazewell and Scott. In addition, cooperate and public resource landowners also will be questioned.
The board is scheduled to critique the survey form on July 14. The initial mailing will be Aug. 24 and the results will be made available Oct. 22.
BILL
DATES SET FOR BIG GAME EVENTS
If you killed a trophy deer, bear or turkey, then it is time to put the dates of the annual Virginia Big Game Show on your calendar.
The competition for game killed west of the Blue Ridge Mountains is set for Sept. 12 and 13 at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds in Harrisonburg. The contact is John Ritenour, 540-434-8028.
The eastern event and state competition is scheduled Sept. 26 and 27 at Southampton County Fairgrounds in Franklin. The contact is Kenneth Pickin, 757-229-0490.
Full information on the events can be found on vpsa.org.
BILL
OUTDOOR BRIEFS
- It’s official. The 102 pound, 4 ounce blue catfish caught in the James River at Richmond by Tim Wilson of Natural Bridge is a Virginia record.
- It will be awhile before the tally of the recent spring gobbler season is completed, but it can be reported that the phone/Internet count is up 18 percent from the previous year. Hunters checked 8,241 turkeys electronically as compared to 6,987 in 2008. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the final tally will be up 18 percent. Some of the current gain could be the result of increased use of the electronic method. Next spring, all turkeys will have to be checked electronically.
- Walter Ingram, treasurer of the National Wild Turkey Federation, was sentenced to 10 months in prison and $5,000 in fines after being charged with stealing nearly $73,000 from the federation reportedly to cover gambling debts.
- Genmar Holdings, Inc., the GM of boating, is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The filing covers the 13 boating brands that comprise Genmar’s boat building business: Ranger, Champion, Triumph, Seaswirl, Hydra-Sports, Stratos, FinCraft, Larson, Wellcraft, Marquis, Windsor Craft, Carver Yachts, Glastron and Four Wins. Sales have plummeted in the wake of the recession and high gasoline prices.
- If you operate your boat under the influence of alcohol, there is a good chance you are going to be caught the weekend of June 26-28. That’s when boating law enforcement officers plan to crack down on drunk driving during what is being called “Operation Dry Water.”
- Members of the Virginia Bear Hunters Association have called on the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to make adjustments to the bear kill permit system in order to keep it from being used by people out to simply kill a trophy bear. The system is designed to allow people to kill nuisance bears. A suggested solution is to prohibit permit holders from keeping any bears killed on a damage permit.
- Rick Morris of Virginia Beach finished fifth in the Bassmaster Elite Series event on Kentucky Lake, landing a four-day catch of 88.6 pounds of bass good for $14,000. The winner was Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla. whose 97.09-pound catch was worth $100,000.
BILL
VIRGINIA SALTWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT
The Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament has registered its first black drum, spadefish and wahoo catches of the season in the keep category and there is a new leader in the croaker division. Here are the standings:
BLACK DRUM: 84 pounds, 12 ounces, William Brown, Hampton, Inner Middle Ground; C-13
BLUELINE TILEFISH: 20 pounds, 4 ounces, David Akridge, Jr. Norfolk, caught at Norfolk Canyon.
CROAKER: 3 pounds, 10 ounces, Philip Scott, Suffolk, Nansemond River.
DOLPHIN: 39 pounds, Robert Manus, Ark, Triple Zero’s.
FLOUNDER: 10 pounds, 9 ounce, James Breen, Newport News, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
GRAY TRIGGERFISH: 4 pounds, 4 ounces, Julie Ball, Virginia Beach, wreck off Virginia Beach.
SEA BASS: 8 pounds, 4 ounces, Rob Collins, Norfolk, wreck off Virginia Beach.
SHEEPHEAD: 11 pounds, 6 ounces, tie between Michael Hurst, Gloucester, York River and Wendell Sparrer, Seaford, York River.
SPADEFISH: 9 pounds, 1 ounce, Shawn Burr, Portsmouth, Chesapeake Light Tower.
SPECKLED TROUT: 13 pounds, 14 ounces, Michael Whittaker, Chesapeake, Elizabeth River.
SPOT: 1 pound, 2 ounces, Chris Brooks, Virginia Beach, Elizabeth River.
STRIPED BASS: 66 pounds, 8 ounces, Pete Johnson, Hampton, Smith Island.
TAUTOG: 21 pounds, 13 ounces, Skip Feller, Virginia Beach, wreck off Virginia Beach.
TUNA (BLUEFIN): 119 pounds, Ryan Masters, Ellicott City, Md., Cigar.
WAHOO: 51 pounds, Steven Carter, Heathsville, Norfolk Canyon.
MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS
Smith River Trout Unlimited cookout and fishing outing, June 20, meet at the Mirror Factor along Smith River at 8:30 a.m. for fishing and 3:30 p.m. for the cookout. The event is open to the public. Club members will act as fishing guides for guests. Check smithrivertu.com for details.
Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, July 10, 7 p.m., program on fly fishing for stripers, Moneta Community Center.
South Holston Fly Fishing Fest, July 18, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on South Holston River near Bristol, Tenn., anglers, artists, activities, vendors, $5 entry fee.
Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, North Carolina Outer Banks, Aug. 10 and 11, information form Kevin Crum.
Triangle Bowhunters of Montgomery County 3D tournament Aug. 16, check vfaa.org for for details or contact Jim Overfelt.
Roanoke Valley Friends of NRA banquet, Aug. 29, Salem Civic Center. Address questions or ticket purchase to Mike Kessler or Al Milton.
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.
Triangle Bowhunters of Montgomery County 3D tournament Sept. 13, check vfaa.org for details or contact Jim Overfelt.
Got an event? Let us know: xtrails@earthlink.net.
