Bill Cochran is a Roanoke Times outdoors columnist.

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A moratorium on shooting elk in Virginia has been proposed by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in an effort to allow the herd to build in far Southwest Virginia. It is uncertain when the ban will become law. That is to be determined following a final vote on the proposal scheduled for Oct. 22.

Under current regulations, elk are a legal target during any season open for deer hunting, which means they pretty much can be hunted from early October through early January. Even with this liberal regulation, only seven kills have been reported in the past five years, according to Bob Ellis, DGIF wildlife department chief.

The proposed ban on elk hunting reflects a change of heart among board members and DGIF staff, from seeing elk as a potential threat to embracing them as an attribute. The staff currently is in the process of drafting an elk operational plan that includes soliciting opinions from residents and resource managers in coalfield counties where a herd has formed following stockings in nearby Kentucky where the big animals number more then 10,000.

“The board expressed that they very much want the public to understand that this change is intended to protect the herd that we have as department wildlife biologists in partnership with stakeholders develop our elk plan for how to manage and to restore the population in Virginia,” said Julia Dixon, DGIF media relations coordinator.

The big issue is when the ban will begin if it is approved in October. If it begins immediately after the vote in October, it would be outside the normal hunting regulation cycle, and wildlife biologists are reluctant to break that trend. Also, elk hunting already would be under way, with the bow/crossbow season beginning in early October.

There also is the matter of funding for the elk project, said Bob Duncan, executive director of the DGIF. These are tough economic times and already DGIF is committed to spending millions on a quail plan.

Some funds could come from private organizations, Duncan said. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has expressed interested in offsetting costs; in fact, the Blue Ridge Chapter is holding a fundraising banquet August 22 at the Salem Civic Center (See Meetings/Events/Seasons below).

DATES SET FOR WHAT SHOULD BE GOOD DUCK SEASON

The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has set dates for the waterfowl season, which holds promises of offering good action for duck hunters. The duck season comes down this way:

Oct. 8-12

Oct. 24: Youth Hunting Day

Nov. 21-Dec. 5

Dec. 12-Jan 30

The Jan. 30 ending is the latest in memory, six days past last season’s closure. This puts duck hunters afield during what traditionally are some of the coldest days of winter, which should enhance hunting success.

The basic duck bag limit is five per day.

While the number of waterfowl hunters have remained stable, the duck kill has been increasing, a trend that should continue this season thanks to favorable nesting conditions. Federal officials report that the duck population is up 13 percent. Mallards, the most popular species in Virginia, are up 10 percent. Two troubled species, canvasbacks and pintails, have seen significant increases this year -- canvasbacks up 35 percent and pintails up 23 percent.

The one downside in the waterfowl outlook: migratory Canada geese have seen poor production this year; however, there should be plenty of resident geese. The hunting dates for the resident geese are:

Sept. 1-25

Nov. 21-Dec. 5

Dec. 12-Feb. 27.

Check HuntFishVA.com for other goose hunting regulations and for more details on the duck season.

NRA FRIENDS BANQUET HAS COME A LONG WAY

For a time, the first fundraising banquet of the Roanoke Valley Friends of NRA had the makings of being the banquet from hell. Four days prior to the May, 1993 event only 32 tickets had been sold. That wouldn’t cover the banquet fee at the Tanglewood Holiday Inn.

The Friends banquet was a new concept and the hard part was convincing people what it was all about. One thing it wasn’t about was raising funds for the NRA. The money would go for shooting ranges and youth shooting programs, many of them right in the Roanoke area.

By banquet time, 98 tickets had been sold, and that first event grossed $12,500 and netted a modest $2,300. It was a start.

Last year, the banquet netted 10 times the amount of the first one, according to Mike Kessler, the chairman. It was the second largest NRA Friends banquet in the state, finishing just behind one in Fairfax.

The banquet effort across Virginia last year distributed more than $116,000 in grants to promote shooting sports.

This year’s Roanoke Valley banquet is set for Aug. 29 at the Salem Civic Center. Tickets are free for kids 10 and under; ages 18 to 10 pay $25; single adults, $40 and couples, $75. These prices include a buffet meal and a chance at a grand door prize gun. Tickets and information are available from Kessler, 540-884-2917 mkessler@gala-industries or Al Milton, 540-797-7777 jamilton@cox.net.

Additional information is on roanokefnra.weebly.com

A YEAR TO REMEMBER AT LAKE ANNA

Jim Hemby, who operates a guide service at Lake Anna, jimhemby.com, reports that the striped bass fishing this year has been the best he’s experienced in 20 years on the lake.

A mild spring and summer has kept fish in cool-weather patterns longer than normal, making them more available to anglers. It still is possible to locate schools of breaking fish throughout the lake.

Hemby has had success locating deeper fish with his depth finder and dropping large gizzard shad to them.

“I am locating an average of five large schools a morning on my Lowrance and using downlines and freelines to catch the stripers. We are still catching up to 50 a morning before the fish shut down, usually about 9 a.m.”

TOUGH ELITE YEAR FOR VIRGINIANS

Virginia anglers didn’t exactly dominate the 2009 Bassmaster Elite Series, which helps determines the BASS Angler of the Year and qualifies 37 anglers for the 2010 Bassmaster Classic.

The top Virginian in the standings was Rick Morris of Virginia Beach, who placed 52nd with 1,422 points.

John Crews of Salem was the only other Virginian in the top 100. He finished 74th with 1,236 points. This means no Virginian qualified for the Bassmaster Classic through the Elite Series. The Classic is set for Feb. 19-21 on Lay Lake out of Birmingham, Ala.

Skeet Reese was first in the Elite Series standings. The Californian had 2043 points, 10 ahead of Kevin VanDam, from Michigan.

OUTDOOR BRIEFS

• C.T. Hill of Midlothian, who asked to step down as board member of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, has been replaced by Scott Reed. Reed was Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources in the Warner Administration. No word yet from the governor on board members Sherry Crumley of Buchanan and Thomas Stroup of Fairfax whose terms expired June 30.
• A 14-pound, 13-ounce tautog caught off Virginia Beach March 22 by Dr. Julie Ball of Virginia Beach has been certified as a woman’s 16-pound line class world record by the International Game Fish Association. On the same trip, Capt. Skip Feller landed a 21-pound, 13-ounce tog that has led the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament most of the year.
• A recent survey by HunterSurvey.com and TargetShootingSurvey.com revealed that 78 percent of the respondents said they did not have a membership in a shooting club or shooting range. The major reasons included a lack of interest, the availability of a free public range, the expense and the travel time.

VIRGINIA SALTWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT

Citations in the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament are running about 500 behind last year for the same time period. Here are the standings:

BLACK DRUM: 84 pounds, 12 ounces, William Brown, Hampton, Inner Middle Ground; C-13

BLUELINE TILEFISH: 20 pounds, 10 ounces, Kenneth Bowe, Chester, Norfolk Canyon.

COBIA: 105 pounds, 2 ounces, Keith Cole, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

CROAKER: 5 pounds, 3 ounces, Nathan Clendenin, Richmond, lower York River. .

DOLPHIN: 39 pounds, Robert Manus, Ark, Triple Zero’s.

FLOUNDER: 12 pounds, 12 ounce, Mike Perron, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

GRAY TRIGGERFISH: 4 pounds, 4 ounces, Julie Ball, Virginia Beach, wreck off Virginia Beach.

KINGFISH: 1 pound, 12 ounces, Bill Pope, Norfolk, Sandbridge Pier.

SEA BASS: 8 pounds, 4 ounces, Rob Collins, Norfolk, wreck off Virginia Beach.

SHEEPHEAD: 14 pounds, 4 ounces, Lesley Inge, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake Bay.

SPADEFISH: 14 pounds, 14 ounces, state record, Roland Murphy, Fredericksburg, the Cell.

SPANISH MACKEREL: 6 pounds, 7 ounces, Michael Bell, Lynchburg, 26 Mile Hill.

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): 168 pounds, Paulette Johnson, Uniontown, Ohio, 100 Fathom off Virginia Beach.

TUNA: 230 pounds, Jeff Creekmore, Chesapeake, Norfolk Canyon.

WAHOO: 62 pounds, 1 ounce, K.W. Flowers, Richmond, The Fingers.

MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS

Blue Ridge Chapter of Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation banquet, Aug. 22, 5 p.m., Salem Civic Center, ticket information from Brandy and Pete Vassar, 540-556-6998.

Kayak instructions, Holiday Lake, near Appomattox, Aug. 22, $16 fee, register holidaylake@dcr.virginia.gov.

Next Generation Weekend, Aug. 22-23, Bass Pro Shop, Hampton, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., seminars, games and fun for youngsters interested in hunting.

Roanoke Valley Friends of NRA banquet, Aug. 29, Salem Civic Center. Address questions or ticket purchase to Mike Kessler or Al Milton.

September goose hunting season, Sept. 1-25, 10 per day.

Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, Sept. 4, program by Captains Spike and Kathy Franceschini, 7 p.m., Moneta Community Center.

Eastern Shore Bird and Wildlife Festival, Sept. 17-20, headquartered at Cape Charles, info@esvachamber.org.

Special youth deer hunting day, Sept. 26.

Dove hunting season, Sept. 5-26; Oct. 7-Nov. 7 and Dec. 25-Jan. 9. Bag limit 15 daily.

Rail hunting season, Sept. 8-Oct. 3; Oct. 5-Nov. 17.

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.

Virginia Big Game Western Regional Contest, Sept. 12 and 13, Rockingham County Fairground, Harrisonburg, information from vpsa.org or John Ritenour, 540-434-8028.

Triangle Bowhunters of Montgomery County 3D tournament Sept. 13, check vfaa.org for details or contact Jim Overfelt.

H.C. Edwards Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society, 20th annual Sportsmen’s Banquet, Sept 19, 6 p.m., Augusta Expoland, Fisherville, ticket information from Kenny Wilkinson, 540-337-1298.

September teal hunting season, Sept 21-30, east of I-95 only, four daily.

Virginia Big Game Eastern Regional and State Championship, Sept. 26 and 27, Southampton County Fairground, Franklin, information from vpsa.org or Kenneth Pickin 757-229-0409.

Hunters for the Hungry Sporting Clays Benefit Shoot, Sept. 27, Flying Rabbit Sporting Clays, Mount Crawford, $50 per shooter, prizes and lunch provided, information from 540-574-2529.

Snipe hunting season, Oct. 8-12; Oct. 21-Jan. 30.

Woodcock hunting season, Nov. 7-21; Dec. 26-Jan. 9, three per day.

BASS Elite Blue Ridge Brawl, April 15-18, Smith Mountain Lake.

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