Thursday, October 01, 2009
Trophies, stories plentiful at Big Game Show
Bill Cochran
Recent field reports
The number of bucks entered in the Virginia Big Game Trophy Show has declined since it set a record of 360 in 2004, but it bounced back slightly this year. Deer heads entered at the 70th show held in Franklin the past weekend numbered 207. That was a gain of 20 from the last time the event was held in the eastern part of the state in 2007.
The downward trend of the past 5 years probably can be credited to a multitude of factors, including a decline in hunting, the economy, maybe even competition from other shows, especially the Virginia Deer Hunters Association event.
But it doesn’t appear to result from the lack of really big deer available to hunters. The top deer in the contest this year was a massive 19-point buck killed in Rockbridge County by Sean Huffman of Buena Vista. As far as I can determine, it ranks No. 10 among the all-time trophies recorded in the state. Under the Virginia system, it scored 252 6/16 (See Cochran Column).
But that wasn’t the only story at the contest:
Jeffery Grubb, a 12-year old from Wythe County, entered the top turkey in the state youth category. Its score of 75 10/16 was impressive enough to rank it fifth among all turkey entries for the year.
That’s not all. Grubb, who hunts with his grandfather, Rassie Wright, entered a second turkey that placed fifth in the youth category. It scored 66 4/16.
That’s still not all. Last year, Grubb was second in the youth competition.
- Joshua Smith of Pearisburg entered the all-time top deer in the youth category. The 12-point Giles County buck scored 194 0/16. The best bear in the youth category was a 388-pound Botetourt County kill by Patrick Thommavong that scored 27 8/16.
- James Jones of Windsor killed the contest’s top muzzleloading buck, a 21-point Isle of Wight trophy that scored 224 4/16. The best bow-killed buck was a 12-point Warren County trophy entered by Shane Wines of Front Royal. It scored 203 9/16.
- You normally don’t think of Pulaski County as big bear territory, but that’s the origin of the top black bear of the past season. The 468-pound trophy was taken by Terry Hale, Jr. of Dublin. It scored 28 14/16.
- Robert Taylor of Smithville reported having long and arduous competition with an Isle of Wight County gobbler, finally getting the upper hand on the giant bird near the close of the spring season. It was the best tom of the contest, scoring 78 9/16. Taylor said he had encountered the gobbler eight or 10 times while scouting and another four or five occasions when hunting.
BILL
MORE NRA ENDORSEMENTS
The NRA has endorsed Bill Bolling for Virginia lieutenant governor and Ken Cuccinelli for attorney general. Earlier the organization endorsed Bob McDonnell for governor over Creigh Deeds. McDonnell, Bolling and Cuccinelli all are Republicans.
In the House of Delegates races, the NRA has endorsed the following:
Terry Kilgore, R, District 1
Bud Phillips, D, District 2
Joseph Johnson, D, District 4
Bill Carrico, R, District 5
Anne Crockett-Stark, R, District 6
Dave Nutter, R, District 7
Morgan Griffith, R, District 8
Charles Poindexter, R. District 9
Ward Armstrong, D, District 10
Onzlee Ware, D. District 11
Bob Marshall, R, District 13
Danny Marshall, R, District 14
C. Todd Gilbert, R, District 15
Donald Merricks, R, District 16
Bill Cleaveland, R, District 17
Clay Athey, R, District 18
Lacey Putney, I, District 19
Ron Villanueva, R, District 21
Kathey Byron, R, District 22
T. Scott Garrett, R, District 23
Benjamin Cline, R, District 24
Steve Landes, R, District 25
Matt Lohr, R, District 26
Sam Nixon, R, District 27
William Howell, R, District 28
Beverly Sherwood, R, District 29
Edward Scott, R, District 30
L. Scott Lingamfelter, R, District 31
Tag Greason, R, District 32
Timothy Hugo, R, District 40
Jackson Miller, R, District 50
Bobby Orrock, R, District 54
John Cox, R, District 55
Bill Janis, R, District 56
Rob Bell, R, District 58
Watkins Abbitt, I, District 59
James Edmunds, R, District 60
Thomas Wright, R, District 61
Riley Ingram, R, District 62
Stan Clark, R, District 64
R. Lee Ware, R, District 65
Kirk Cox, R, District 66
G. Manoli Loupassi, R, District 68
Jimmie Massie, R, District 72
John O’Bannon, R, District 73
S. Chris Jones, R, District 76
John Cosgrove, R, District 78
Johnny Joannou, D, District 79
Barry Knight, R, District 81
Salvatore Iaquinto, R, District 84
Mark Cole, R, District 88
Kennety Alexander, D, District 89
Tom Gear, R, District 91
G. Glenn Oder, R, District 94
Brenda Pogge, R, District 96
Christopher Peace, R, District 97
Harvey Morgan, R, District 98
Albert Pollard, D, District 99
STRIPED BASS STOCK NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED
Commercial fishermen who target striped bass are given catch quotas. When they exceed them, the excess must be paid back the next year via a smaller allotment. But if they fall short of the quota, which happens more often than an over harvest, there is nothing that says they can pick up the under-harvest the next year.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is wondering if that should be changed, and the Coastal Conservation Association of Virginia is saying, “No.”
Public comment on the matter is being received through Oct. 8. It should be addressed to Nichola Meserve.
CCA is urging recreational anglers to choose Option 1, which is no change in the current regulation.
“Recent declines in striped bass abundance make any additional harvest of adult striped bass more of a problem,” CCA said. “It is abundantly clear that striped bass harvest from the southern and northern extremes of the range is declining, a strong signal the population is shrinking.”
BILL
OUTDOOR BRIEFS
- Virginia’s first youth deer hunt day Saturday was marred by rainy weather in many areas of the state; still, the kids did well. Nearly 1,000 deer were checked electronically. The tally will go well above that since deer also could be checked at big game stations. The next youth event is an Oct. 17 youth turkey hunting day.
- Kenny Short won the Smith Mountain Striper Club open tournament Saturday at Smith Mountain Lake. His two-fish limit weighed 21.9 pounds. Second was Mackey May with two stripers that weighed 19.68. Third was a single-catch fish that weighed 17.32 pounds entered by James Gray. Many in the field of 39 competitors reported catching impressive numbers of small stripers in the 6-pound range.
- Drivers in West Virginia have a one-in-39 chance of hitting a deer the next 12 months, according to State Farm Insurance. That is the likeliest chance in the United States, according to the company. Virginia also is classified as a high risk state, ranking 10th in the potential collision figures.
- Bob McDonnel, who earlier was endorsed by the pro-gun, pro-hunting NRA, also has been endorsed by the Humane Society Legislative Fund, an arm of the anti-hunting Humane Society of the United States. Most of the praise from the animal rights organization was over McDonnel’s efforts to abate dog and cock fighting.
BILL
VIRGINIA SALTWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT
There is a new leader in the spot category of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament. 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, 8 ounces, Wes Blow, Newport News, lower Chesapeake Bay.
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, 7 ounces, James Eisenhower, Norfolk, Fourth Island of Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
KING MACKEREL: 33 pounds, 1 ounce, Ed Cromwell Jr., Virginia Beach, inshore waters off Virginia Beach.
KINGFISH: 1 pound, 12 ounces, Bill Pope, Norfolk, Sandbridge Pier.
SEA BASS: 8 pounds, 4 ounces, Wei Zhohg Zheng, Saranac, N.Y., Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
SHEEPHEAD: 17 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, 4 ounces, Matthew Hill, Cobbs Creek, off Gwynn’s Island.
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: 72 pounds, 4 ounce, Lonnie Brock, Virginia Beach, 100 Fathom off Virginia Beach.
MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS
Early bowhunting/crossbow season, Oct 3-Nov. 13 statewide
Virginia Marine Resources Commission hearing 6 p.m., Oct. 7 on gray trout (weakfish) at commission headquarters, 2600 Washington Ave, Newport News
Snipe hunting season, Oct. 8-12; Oct. 21-Jan. 30
Tri-County (Botetourt, Craig, Roanoke) Wildlife and Forestry Association dinner meeting, Oct. 12, Hunter’s Den on 311, 4 miles south of New Castle, 6 p.m., program on deer by Matt Knox, Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ deer project coordinator, guests welcome, $10, reservations required, call Hunter’s Den, 540-864-6701.
Annual Virginia Deer Hunters Association banquet, Oct 22, Kroger Center, Richmond, information from virginiadeerhunters.org.
Youth turkey hunting day, Oct. 17
Grouse season Oct. 24-Feb. 13
Early muzzleloading season, Oct. 31-Nov. 13
Rabbit season, Oct. 31-Feb. 27
Quail and pheasant season, Nov. 7-Jan. 30
Woodcock hunting season, Nov. 7-21; Dec. 26-Jan. 9, three per day.
Firearm’s deer season November 14.
Youth spring turkey hunt day, April 3, 2010.
Spring gobbler season, April 10-May 15, 2010.
BASS Elite Blue Ridge Brawl, April 15-18, Smith Mountain Lake.
Got an event? Let us know: xtrails@earthlink.net.
