Thursday, February 26, 2009
Of hounds, gasoline, advertising
Bill Cochran
Recent mail
BILL: I have just finished reading the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Web site on the proposed changes to the hunting regulations and realized that nothing seems to have been accomplished with the hound hunting issue. All that money spent for a study has produced what?
I predict that this issue will gain more attention sooner than anyone thinks. Landowners feel violated.
Do you know of anything good that came out of the Hunting With Hounds study? Seems like all the attention was focused on the hounds and landowners’ issues were simply giving lip service. I feel the study could have been more productive. I think the issue will continue to come back to haunt the VDGIF Board in the years to come and they will wish they had addressed this within the venue of the study rather than the Virginia Court System.
TERESA PRESTON
Ivor
BILL: I liked your column on spiffing up your boat, especially about the part that ethanol can make for expensive outboard repairs. I hope you do more on this subject.
My question: Why couldn’t marinas offer pure gasoline for boats, not the stuff that has been messed up with 10-percent ethanol? I know you can buy diesel fuel specifically taxed for off-road use.
K.W.
K.W.: I have not been able to locate any “pure” gasoline at marinas, even those that sell exclusively to boaters. I did find a gas station well away from the water that said its fuel contained no ethanol. If that be true, I plan to go back and fill up a couple of 5 gallon tanks with fuel for my boat.
All boaters need to add fuel stabilizers, install first-rate fuel filters and keep them clean, top off fuel tanks when the boat isn’t in use, yet try not to let fuel sit in them too long. Then hope for the best and expect to visit the repair shop more often.
BILL
BILL: I watched the Bassmaster Classic on ESPN and noticed there didn’t seem to be as many non-fishing advertisements as in the past. Do you have a list of the major sponsors?
B.K.
B.K: The major sponsors of the Bassmaster Classic TV coverage were Toyota, Berkley, BOOYAH, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, OPTIMA Batteries, Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards. You are correct: not many non-fishing advertisers there.
BILL
