Bill Cochran is a Roanoke Times outdoors columnist.

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There were plenty of records but few people at the 71st annual Virginia Big Game Trophy Show in Harrisonburg Saturday and Sunday.

The event elevated three heads to the state record book, even though the number of entries was disappointingly low, and so was the turn-out of show attendees.

The widely publicized 22-point buck killed with a bow in Botetourt County by John Feazell of Clifton Forge was the top deer in the show (See Bill Cochran Column). Under Virginia’s measuring system, it scored 264-4/16, making it the state’s all-time highest scoring bow-killed buck. It also is destined to be the highest scoring Virginia bow-killed buck in the national Pope and Young records once Feazell gets the paperwork finished. That score was 221-2/8.

A 10-point buck killed in Pulaski County by Kevin Tabor of Pearisburg set an all time record in the 9, 10 and 11 point black-powder category with a score of 228-5/16. It was the top black-powder buck in the contest.

An 8-point Southampton deer taken by Delaine Babb set a record for gun/crossbow 7- and 8-point class with a score of 199.

Susan Dickenson's deer head was so heavy that her husband, Darrel, had to help support it when Mark Taylor of The Roanoke Times took a picture.

Susan Dickerson of Floyd placed first in the black powder 12-point and above class with a 13-point Montgomery County buck that scored 205- 8/16.

Only 218 heads were entered in competition, a low number accented by display boards that held nothing but white background paper.

John Ritenour, a long-time officer of the show sponsor, the Rockingham-Harrisonburg Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, blamed the sparse number of entries and attendance on the fragile economy.

“I had a lot of people call who said they just couldn’t afford to make the drive,” he said. “Even though our numbers are down, I believe this is the best quality deer I’ve ever seen. It is amazing to go through here and see those racks.”

While the Harrisonburg numbers were low, that wasn’t the case for the show’s counterpart in Eastern Virginia, where the Virginia Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association sponsored the eastern portion of the show.

“The number of deer and people were the same as it has been, and we were up against the [NASCAR] race in Richmond, said Kenneth Pickin, president of the association.

The Virginia Deer Hunters Association Show in Richmond in August drew a record 421 heads, almost twice the Harrisonburg show. You have to wonder why the economy didn’t impact it.

Feazell’s buck created as much publicity as any buck since the 31-point Warren County trophy killed by James Smith of Front Royal. It scored 296 in the 1993 contest, and no one has come close to unseating it as Virginia’s all-time trophy buck.

The top modern firearm-killed buck in this year’s contest was a 22-point Prince George trophy taken by Jack Nunnally, Jr. It scored 233- 3/16.

George Frenzel’s 530-pound black bear killed with a crossbow in Clarke County was the top bear, scoring 29 12/16. The top turkey was an Isle of Wight County bird killed by Ben Edwards. Its score 79 14/16 which places it near the top of the all-time turkey records.

COCHRAN Q/A: COURSEY SPRINGS

Virginia’s fall trout stocking program is expected to get a major boost from Coursey Spring Hatchery which is back on line following a major revamping. The Bath County facility went from raceways to circular tanks and is enclosed to protect against predators. All this should mean more and better trout for anglers when fall stocking starts Oct. 1.

I asked Ron Southwick, assistant fish chief, for an update on Coursey Springs:

Q. I understand that fingerling trout placed in the stainless steel tanks at Coursey Springs in February are now stocking size. Isn’t that amazing growth?

A. Yes, some of the fish stocked in the tanks back in February will be ready for stocking in October. It certainly is good growth, but not unusual. Growth rate depends on water quality, feed and fish density in the tanks. Being a new facility, there was plenty of room to spread the fish out which allows less competition and faster growth. When all the tanks are completely filled with fishy, we will get a better idea of how fast fish can be grown at the facility.

Q. Is the day-to-day operation of the revamped hatchery meeting expectations?

A. The new hatchery is operating as we had hoped. All the systems seem to be working as designed.

Q. One of the reasons for revamping Coursey was to deal with predators that ranged from blue herons to raccoons. Has this been successful?

A. This part has been very successful. We have had an occasional varmint visit the buildings, but it is very minor and not a problem.

Q. When will Spring Run, which flows downstream from the hatchery, be open to fishing?

A. Spring Run has been renovated and will be open to fishing under special regulations beginning Jan. 1. Biologist Larry Mohn and his staff did an excellent job with the project. They rehabbed and replanted vegetation on the banks, put natural cover structures in the steam and created pool habitat for trout.

14-year old Jessica McCay killed this 6-point buck in Henrico County on youth day while hunting with her father, Michael.

Saturday’s youth deer day was a tough one for many kids -- hot, dry and the deer were scattered by an abundant acorn crop. Some 657 deer were checked electronically, about a 30-percent drop from the 951 of the previous year which was the first annual youth deer hunt. Yet to be tallied are deer checked at big game stations. Last year’s total topped 1,800. This year’s could be 500 below that.

This could be an omen for the season’s to come. Without question, there is a heavy mast crop in many areas of the state. Deer no longer are being seen in fields like they were some months ago. They have hit the woods to feed on acorns. This favors experienced hunters willing to put some work into their hunts, but it also could cut into the total take.

As for youth day, it really comes too early for the best hunting conditions, and that needs to be given some attention.

OUTDOOR BRIEFS

• Expect to dig a little deeper into your pocket next year when you buy your saltwater fishing license. By an 8-0 vote, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission approved a rate increase of $5 for individual licenses and $10 for a boat license. The extra money will fund a new National Saltwater Angler Registry.
• A busy meeting is shaping up for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Oct. 5 when the agency will take final action on a proposed ban on elk hunting and proposed fishing regulations. The agency also is expected to discuss fee increases.
• Marlin fishing has been red hot out of Virginia and North Carolina. Capt Harvey Shiflet and his crew on the Cacique out of Virginia Beach set a one-day record of 42 white marline catches and releases. In order to reach those kinds of numbers, crews have been spending the night on the marlin grounds, giving them an early start and a later finish. With some marlin season yet to go, the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament has registered over 1,000 white marline releases, more citations than for any other species.
• Peter Jenkins, author of “A Walk Across America,” will be the kickoff speaker at the Blue Ridge Parkway Symposium at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg Oct. 13. A dinner address will be given by Richard Louv, author of the best seller “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.” Check for other details.
• The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will decide whether to increase the commercial quota for striped bass at its meeting in Charleston, S.C. Nov. 7-11. The Coastal Conservation Association of Virginia is asking its members to oppose the increase in light of the declining coastal population of striped bass.
• The Center for Biological Diversity -- some anglers call it the Center for Biological Absurdity -- has petitioned the National Marine Fisheries Service to list the Atlantic bluefin tuna as an endangered species. That would mean no fishing for them. The Service has started an official review of the request. The Center is behind a recent effort to ban the use of lead in fishing tackle.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that 4.3 million acres of farmland has been accepted in the Conservation Reserve Program this year, the first new enrollment since 2006. The program pays farmers to temporarily retire crops in order to create wildlife habitat and improve water quality.

SALTWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT

Nearly 10 months into the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, finally the first kingfish and pompano have been registered. Here are the contest standings:

BLACK DRUM: 90 pounds, James Johnson, Jr., Gloucester, Mobjack Bay Reef.

BLUEFISH: 16 pounds, 5 ounces, Pete Kelley, Virginia Beach, Cigar.

BLUELINE TILEFISH: 21 pounds, 12 ounces, Pete Knott, Virginia Beach, Norfolk Canyon.

COBIA: 107 pounds, 6 ounces, David Otts, Elizabeth City, N.C., Fourth Island Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

CROAKER: 3 pounds, 14 ounce, Michael Whitaker, Chesapeake, Elizabeth River.

DOPLHIN: 43 pounds, Robert Foley, Virginia Beach, Triple Zero’s.

FLOUNDER: 12 pounds, 10 ounces, Pete Knott, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

GRAY TRIGGERFISH: 4 pounds, 8 ounces, Bill Perron, Virginia Beach, First Island Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

GRAY TROUT: 9 pounds, 8 ounces, Eric Cafini, Suffolk, Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

KING MACKEREL: 38 pounds, Ed Boekestyn, Jasper, Canada, Dump Site Buoy off Virginia Beach.

KINGFISH: 2 pounds, Devin Kanusek, Dinwiddie, Virginia Beach Pier.

POMPANO: 1 pound, 10 ounces, Theodore Rau, Erie, Pa., Virginia Beach Pier.

SEA BASS: 5 pounds, 9 ounces, Byron Farlow, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

SHEEPSHEAD: 14 pounds, 8 ounces, Edward Toto, Chesapeake, Seagull Pier, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

SPADEFISH: 11 pounds, 12 ounces, Joshua Proffitt, Manassas, Chesapeake Light Tower.

SPANISH MACKEREL: 5 pounds, 8 ounce, Buddy Sylvia, Reedville, Windmill Point.

SPECKLED TROUT: 12 pounds, 6 ounces, Michael Whittaker, Chesapeake, Elizabeth River.

SPOT: 1 pound, 2 ounces, John Guthrie, Sutherland, lower York River.

STRIPED BASS: 64 pounds, Michael Collier, Sandston, off Sandbridge.

TAUTOG: 16 pounds, 14 ounces, Alexander Thompson, Deale, Md., Chesapeake Light Tower.

TUNA (bluefin): 196 pounds, Brian Davis, Virginia Beach, Cigar.

TUNA (other): 220 pounds, Henk Vandergiessen, Virginia Beach, Norfolk Canyon.

WAHOO: 70 pounds, 3 ounces, Jeffrey Spurgeon, Virginia Beach, Norfolk Canyon.

MEETINGS, SEASONS AND EVENTS

Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, Oct. 1, 7 p.m., Moneta Community Center, fall swap meet and chili cook-off.

Virginia Hunter Skills Weekend, Oct. 1-3, Holiday Lake 4-H Center, Appomattox, sponsors include Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, weekend of instruction on a variety of outdoor skills, $100 includes meals, lodging and instruction, register at holidaylake4h.com or 434-248-5444.

H.C. Edwards Chapter Conservation and Sportsmen’s Banquet in behalf of Ruffed Grouse Society, Oct. 2, Augusta Expoland, Fisherville, dinner 7:30, tickets $55 each; $80 for families of two, information from Kenny Wilkinson, 46 Pine Trail, Stuarts Draft, Va. 24477, 540-337-1298, rkjpinetrail@verizon.net.

Department of Game and Inland Fisheries board meeting, 9 a.m. October 5 at the agency’s headquarters, 4000 W. Broad St., Richmond.

Early duck season in Virginia, Oct. 7-11

Common snipe hunting season Oct. 7-11 and Oct. 22-Jan. 31.

The Eastern Shore of Virginia Birding and Wildlife Festival, Oct. 7-10, headquartered at Cape Charles, information from esvafestivals.org

“Woman On Target” event to teach women to shoot and hunt, Oct. 9, Ridge Rifle Club, Botetourt County, 9 a.m., for all ages, safety class, lunch, guns and ammo provided, $20, Bob Bendl, 540-366-5341, riderifle.com.

Youth waterfowl hunting day, Oct. 23

Woodcock season Oct. 30-Nov. 13 and Dec. 27-Jan. 10.

Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, Nov. 5, 7 p.m., elections, Moneta Community Center.

Nov. 20-Dec. 4 mid portion of Virginia’s duck season

Smith Mountain Striper Club awards banquet, Trinity Church, 7 p.m.

Dec. 11-Jan. 29 late portion of Virginia’s duck season.

Got an event? Let us know: xtrails@earthlink.net.