Thursday, July 19, 2007
More on woodcock, poaching
Bill Cochran
Recent mail
BILL: Have the dates been set for woodcock hunting in Virginia for the 2007 season?
ED BRADLEY
ED: They were set Tuesday and I have them posted in this week’s Cochran Field Reports.
BILL
BILL: I read your mailbox section and wanted to respond to Stephen Hiner’s comment about poaching no longer being a big issue on the Smith River. I really don’t want to take Mr. Hiner to task as I appreciate his interest in the Smith River and would welcome him back as one of the river’s advocates. However, I do think he is wrong about poaching being minutia.
Any fishery that is in trouble -- and all who have studied or fished the Smith agree the fishery is in trouble -- can not tolerate flagrant poaching because it takes such a long time for the poached fish to be replaced by Mother Nature.
I agree, the Smith has many problems. The Virginia Tech/Department of Game and Inland Fisheries study revealed there is only limited spawning and there is not enough food for the fish to reach their growth potential. We are working on that, but as you have already pointed out in previous columns, the problem is very complex and any proposed fix will likely be costly. Addressing the poaching problem can be done without further study and with existing resources.
Last week, while guiding on the river, I took pictures at one of the favorite poaching holes where earlier I had posted a sign stating that this is a Special Regulations section (no bait, etc.). The sign still was tacked to the tree and near it were forked sticks and discarded bait containers.
What we need is for a few of these rule breakers to be caught and ushered into court where it is made a matter of public record. Once the word gets out that there is a good chance of getting caught many of them will think twice before taking the risk of a monetary fine, losing all their fishing gear and the public humiliation.
AL KITTREDGE
BILL: Thanks for mentioned our state park’s online store in your recent article about the John Smith Trail.
Also, while reading the bit about the de-listing of the Bald Eagle, I was thinking about our Caledon Natural Area on the Potomac each of Fredericksburg. Caledon was established specifically as a protected Bald Eagle roosting and feeding area, and we are all proud to be part of the eagle recovery.
CHCK WYATT, director
Department of State Parks
