Thursday, October 28, 2004
Bill Cochran's column archive
Bill Cochran
Recent columns
Saltwater fishing slow - 7/2/2009
Wildlife department zeros in on new revenue sources - 6/25/2009
Spadefish an easy mark or frustratingly finicky - 6/18/2009
Robby Rakes catches state record, but he's not the only one grinning - 6/11/2009
Time is now to heal wounds of bear license debate - 6/3/2009
James River catfish breaks 100-pound barrier - 5/28/2009
Controversy over bear hunting license is nothing new - 5/21/2009
Smith Mountain Lake to get a reduced striped bass stocking - 5/14/2009
One lure steals the thunder at Optimist tournament - 5/6/2009
Pros bug-eyed over big bass in Smith Mountain Lake - 4/30/2009
Feeding your outboard corn can make it sick - 4/23/2009
Virginia takes notice of Kentucky's elk herd, 10th largest in U.S. - 4/16/2009
Jaded youth turkey hunt ends with tears of joy - 4/9/2009
Confrontation between hound hunters, landowners goes high profile - 4/2/2009
Future generations will judge us harshly unless we try to restore quail - 3/26/2009
50 pages of proposals to change hunting regulations - 3/19/2009
Catches of a lifetime are an every-season affair for angler Julie Ball - 3/12/2009
Bear license is about control, not revenue - 3/5/2009
Big game results: bear and deer boom, turkey plummet - 2/26/2009
Buy a new boat or spiff up the old one? - 2/19/2009
Bad idea to let commercial fishermen rule saltwater resources - 2/12/2009
A quiet General Assembly for outdoor sportsmen - 2/5/2009
Saltwater fishing tournament one of the best, thanks to the Internet - 1/29/2009
Aging of national forest is bad news for deer hunters -- Part 2 - 1/22/2009
Hunter is steamed over decline of deer in national forest - 1/15/2009
Hunting more profound than just filling the freezer - 1/8/2009
A new year! A new record stiped bass? - 1/1/2009
Death of hunting dog is difficult for young owner to understand - 12/25/2008
Kayak fishing offers hand-to-fin combat - 12/18/2008
The fish doctor's prescription for catching crappie - 12/11/2008
How can an animal as big as an elk do a disappearing act? - 12/4/2008
Hunters losing battle for the national forests - 11/27/2008
Hunters asked to look beyond the current season - 11/20/2008
A quest to put the word "primitive" back into the muzzleloading season - 11/13/2008
Virginia rethinking its elk management philosophy - 11/6/2008
Hound study is a line drawn in the sand - 10/30/2008
Hound study is a line drawn in the sand - 10/30/2008
Speckled trout anglers are closed-mouthed; so are the trout - 10/23/2008
Biologist says too many young bucks will die under state's earn-a-buck rule - 10/16/2008
NRA's take on the candidates, conservation, gun ownership - 10/9/2008
Hunter kills trophy deer, then puts bag over its head - 10/2/2008
Duck season good or bad? Depends on the weather - 9/25/2008
A challenging year for Hunters for the Hungry - 9/18/2008
Whole lotta howling over Virginia's hound study - 9/11/2008
Wanted: Smith Mountain Lake muskie -- $10,000 reward! - 9/4/2008
All kinds of changes in hunting regulations - 8/28/2008
Tarpon fishing leaves you plenty of time for reflecting - 8/21/2008
Your questions answered on the new apprentice hunting license - 8/14/2008
New apprentice license makes it easier to give hunting a tryout - 8/7/2008
Sport fishing is challenged but healthy, equipment maker says - 7/31/2008
Will DGIF quail plan really make a difference? - 7/24/2008
New striper club president asks: why should guys have all the fun? - 7/17/2008
No question in her mind: it was a mountain lion - 7/10/2008
Coursey Spring renovation is a big deal for trout anglers - 7/3/2008
Tug of war over who will control the turkey federation - 6/26/2008
Don't bother to send me pictues of the deer fawn - 6/19/2008
Trials are over but the trust issue for DGIF still needs work - 6/12/2008
What's so great about swamps? Curtis Badger tells you in his latest book - 6/5/2008
The best smallmouth bass streams in Virginia - 5/29/2008
Planting trees is something you do for your grandchildren - 5/22/2008
Laurel Bed Lake being drained; no money to repair dam - 5/15/2008
Kerr is king of Virginia's crappie fishing -- but it's no pushover - 5/8/2008
More feathers fly at National Wild Turkey Federation - 5/1/2008
Bill Cochran reflects on 39 years of Optimist Club fishing tournaments - 4/24/2008
A Grand Slam is a grand adventure - 4/10/2008
Turkey federation slow to come clean on what's going on - 4/3/2008
Worthy new challenges for National Wild Turkey Federation - 3/27/2008
Have we made fall turkey hunting too restrictive? - 3/20/2008
Let's make good use of the new apprentice hunting license - 3/13/2008
Record deer kill: is that good or bad? - 3/6/2008
Want to kill more grouse? Grab a good hunting partner, head for a clearcut - 2/28/2008
Flounder anglers get to choose their poison - 2/21/2008
For Bob Duncan, the question is: where to start? - 2/14/2008
Door to hunting will swing wider in Virginia - 2/7/2008
Three veteran bird hunters say we can bring back bob - 1/31/2008
Record season for saltwater striper anglers - 1/24/2008
Sportsmen in crosshairs of General Assembly - 1/17/2008
Fred Pugh: 'The Legend' of bass anglers - 1/10/2008
Wounded soldiers deserve a fishing license break - 1/3/2008
Lake Gaston anglers change face of winter striper fishing in Chesapeake Bay - 12/27/2007
Fishing with Jack Brady is like being invited to a fish fry -- except on his birthday - 12/20/2007
Hound hunters ponder the future of their sport - 12/13/2007
'Best job in the world' didn't turn out that way for DGIF director - 12/6/2007
Wildlife officials respond to Bill's questions on foxhound training centers - 11/29/2007
Can you believe how opening day of deer season has changed? - 11/22/2007
What's behind the decline in fall turkey kill - 11/15/2007
Is sharing the woods that big a deal? - 11/8/2007
Things you need to know about the hound hunting study - 11/1/2007
John Powell could catch bass out of flooded cow tracks - 10/25/2007
Killing a doe beneath your dignity? Get over it. - 10/18/2007
A new line of questions for the hunter at your door - 10/11/2007
Some days, even the experts can't beat the drums - 10/4/2007
Cat and mouse game with big buck is a humbling experience - 9/27/2007
If you are a deer, turkey or bear hunter, you are in luck - 9/20/2007
Hey DGIF: This is the Virginia Bear Hunters Association. Do you copy? - 9/13/2007
Remembering those squirrel hunting days with Billy Leonard - 9/6/2007
Hunters who share their kill need to share their pocketbook - 8/30/2007
Retiring tournament director will be missed - 8/23/2007
Time to give hybrids the recognition they merit - 8/15/2007
Dog hunters organize to preserve their tradition - 8/9/2007
Smallmouth bass was bait used to lure Orvis to Roanoke - 8/2/2007
Dog hunters destined to lose some of their swagger - 7/26/2007
An extra week of muzzleloading in sights of western hunters - 7/19/2007
Bass Pro Shops wants pictures of the good ol' days - 7/12/2007
Bass stocking shows promise in tidal streams - 7/5/2007
Poacher spoils a day on the Smith River - 6/28/2007
To heck with red drum; rays are my game - 6/21/2007
Bass tournament at Smith Mountain Lake was elite - 6/14/2007
Hunting deer with dogs an emotional issue - 6/7/2007
Hunt squirrels in June? You bet! - 5/31/2007
Paying for the privilege of casting flies to private trout water - 5/24/2007
'That's the biggest drum I've ever seen in my life' - 5/17/2007
Stripers go from no-shows to headline grabbers - 5/10/2007
Oh Shenandoah! How we weep for you - 5/3/2007
On the hunt for the elusive Morel - 4/27/2007
Facts you need to know about mandatory boating safety training - 4/26/2007
Reporting turkey kills - 4/26/2007
Coyotes love Fido and fluffy - 4/19/2007
Filling your turkey roasting pan may be tougher this time - 4/12/2007
Biologists discuss changes to way we hunt and fish - 4/5/2007
How you can play a role in new hunting and fishing regulations - 3/29/2007
I've been on both sides of the 'No Hunting' sign - 3/22/2007
Senate bill draws line in the sand for hunters - 3/15/2007
Facts you need to know about mandatory boating safety training - 3/8/2007
Big game figures are cause for grins and frowns - 3/1/2007
Look in the mirror: hunters are getting old - 2/22/2007
'Hot' is the word for walleye fishing in upper New River - 2/15/2007
A season of promise for river bass anglers - 2/8/2007
I don't like mandatory boating education, but what can I say? - 2/1/2007
Reliving the Smith Mountain striper war - 1/25/2007
2006 was a record year for saltwater stripers in late-season blitz - 1/18/2007
Sunday hunting gets strong endorsement in DGIF survey - 1/11/2007
Top outdoor stories of 2006 -- part II - 1/4/2007
Big happenings for outdoorsmen in 2006 - 12/28/2006
Sunday hunting gap is closing - 12/21/2006
Life with half of a turkey dog - 12/14/2006
Striper championship will showcase Virginia's saltwater fishing - 12/7/2006
You are never more alive than when a predator - 11/30/2006
Deer hunters saying 'oh-hum' to CWD this season - 11/23/2006
A quality deer hunt isn't all about antlers - 11/16/2006
Crossbow hunting winning converts - 11/9/2006
What's more important: the election or the rut? - 11/2/2006
New DGIF chief talks about Sunday hunting - 10/26/2006
New DGIF director is avid hunter - 10/19/2006
A quest for more deer in the Shenandoah Valley - 10/12/2006
Hunters for the Hungry is hurting - 10/5/2006
Biggest bow killed buck in Virginia - 9/28/2006
New electric license sales system highlights good and bad - 9/21/2006
The tarpon weren't exactly jumping out of the water - 9/14/2006
Rut is a three-letter word for deer hunting success - 9/7/2006
Early hunting for geese, doves, squirrels looks promising - 8/31/2006
Taking another look at Sunday hunting - 8/24/2006
Carrying the banner for Sunday hunting - 8/17/2006
The good and the bad of keeping score on tropy deer - 8/10/2006
DGIF retirement package questioned - 8/3/2006
Catfish closing in on the 100-pound mark - 7/27/2006
Col. Massengill winning back the troops one at a time - 7/20/2006
This isn't your daddy's flounder fishing - 7/13/2006
What if no one had taken you fishing? - 7/6/2006
Anglers will have to measure up to new rules beginning July 1 - 6/29/2006
How boaters can survive high fuel costs - 6/22/2006
Sportsmen react to proposed hunting/fishing license increases - 6/15/2006
Hunting propects are promising - 6/8/2006
Round Two of taking back our national forests - 6/1/2006
Flounder fishing is great: That’s good and bad - 5/25/2006
Taking back our national forests - 5/18/2006
Sportsmen react to proposed license increase - 5/11/2006
A second look at Virginia's top fishing holes - 5/4/2006
Game department fishing for funds - 4/27/2006
Reeling in your limit of PCBs - 4/20/2006
Whole lot of gobbling going on - 4/13/2006
What's happening to out turkeys? - 4/6/2006
'Delayed Harvest' is a bland name for an exciting trout program - 3/30/2006
Top 5 spots to catch a trophy freshwater fish - 3/23/2006
Bob Gooch was a special friend of outdoorsmen - 3/16/2006
Major setback for Hunters for the Hungry - 3/9/2006
Are hunters a dying breed? - 3/2/2006
You'll need a lawyer to deer hunt in Southhampton County - 2/23/2006
Putting "Hunters" back into Hunters for the Hungry - 2/16/2006
A 100-pound catfish? Don't bet against it - 2/9/2006
Reflections on the first crossbow season - 2/2/2006
A bump in the financial road of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries - 1/26/2006
Chipping away at Virginia’s ban on Sunday hunting - 1/19/2006
Saltwater citations make for a difficult catch - 1/12/2006
High water and slick rocks not the only dangers of Tennessee tailrace fishing - 1/5/2006
This story's too strange to be fiction - 12/29/2005
A year of good and bad for the DGIF - 12/22/2005
The gift: A partridge in a clearcut - 12/15/2005
Trout fishing for sale - 12/8/2005
Deer hunting: What's in and what's out -- Part II - 11/30/2005
Deer hunting: What's in and what's out - 11/23/2005
Meet the general in the CWD war - 11/17/2005
New regulations will reshape the way we hunt and fish—Part II - 11/10/2005
New regulations reshape the way we hunt and fish - 11/3/2005
A look inside Mother Nature’s cupboard - 10/27/2005
Feeding deer a major issue in Virginia - 10/20/2005
A record kill is the last thing this biologist wants - 10/13/2005
Sportsmen should demand accountability from candidates - 10/6/2005
Big buck killed by hunter who’d rather chase rabbits - 9/29/2005
A split in the ranks of Smith Mountain Lake anglers - 9/22/2005
Don't let emotions and rage lead to bad boating laws - 9/15/2005
Diseased deer has Virginia officials concerned - 9/7/2005
Crossbows target widespread interest - 9/1/2005
A modest conpromise for quality deer management - 8/25/2005
Another cougar convert: this time it's my wife - 8/18/2005
The good and the bad of the new game regulations system - 8/11/2005
DGIF claims a 'new day' - 8/4/2005
Catching tarpon at the end of their trail - 7/28/2005
Say goodbye to the old way of buying licenses - 7/21/2005
Shenandoah River of death - 7/14/2005
Stocking bass no longer a joke - 7/7/2005
Your questions answered on the crossbow season - 6/28/2005
Keeping the bloom on the wildflower of mountain streams - 6/23/2005
Taking aim at a crossbow season - 6/13/2005
Beating the drums on the barrier islands - 6/9/2005
Let's keep politics out of the game department - 6/2/2005
Wachapreague returning to its roost as flounder capitol - 5/26/2005
Sportsmen invited to talk issues - 5/19/2005
New format for setting hunting and fishing regulations - 5/12/2005
Optimist tournament peaceful or competetive, whichever you prefer - 5/5/2005
A weird, but typical, spring gobbler season - 4/28/2005
Mountain lions are back -- maybe - 4/21/2005
Briery Creek still turning out big bass, but is there a cloud on the horizon? - 4/14/2005
Look for a challenging gobbler season - 4/5/2005
Most demanding role yet for Sherry Crumley - 3/28/2005
A new approach for Smith Mountain Lake stripers - 3/24/2005
Governor needs to tell DGIF board to do its job - 3/14/2005
The good, bad and ugly of the General Assembly - 3/10/2005
Crossbow hunting on fast track - 3/3/2005
Coming soon: 100-pound catfish - 2/23/2005
Hits and misses in the grouse season - 2/17/2005
Turkey, deer and bear kills take a tumble - 2/10/2005
2004: A vintage year for stream bass - 2/3/2005
Still more bills that impact outdoorsmen - 1/27/2005
Bills, bills and more bills that impact outdoorsmen - 1/20/2005
Saltwater tournament second best ever - 1/13/2005
63.5-pound striper a Virginia saltwater record - 1/6/2005
Getting the game department back on track - 12/30/2004
Readers weigh in on timing of the rut - 12/23/2004
Dam upgrade is a Christmas gift for anglers - 12/16/2004
Timing of the rut debated by hunters - 12/9/2004
Rex Smith -- Mr. Striper -- steps down - 12/2/2004
Grouse survey reveals a downward trend - 11/25/2004
The joy of a wife who hunts - 11/18/2004
How to talk like a deer hunter - 11/11/2004
More top sports to get a trophy deer - 11/4/2004
Hunting for votes - 10/28/2004
Tournament a tonic for Smith Mountain Lake - 10/21/2004
Top spots to get a trophy deer - 10/14/2004
No home-court advantge for Smith Mountain Lake bass contest - 10/7/2004
Hunter's emotions go from deep sadness to pure joy - 9/30/2004
Deer hunting with crossbows gets serious look - 9/23/2004
Can a trout fishery replace a furniture factory? - 9/16/2004
Oh, for a 1,000 dove fields to hunt - 9/9/2004
Squirrel hunting is getting some attention - 9/2/2004
Dove numbers up; hunting spots may be down - 8/26/2004
From doormats to barn doors - 8/19/2004
Finally, a decent turkey hatch -- maybe - 8/12/2004
Bassmaster Classic: is this really fishing? - 8/5/2004
Can you hear me now? I've got a deer - 7/29/2004
Bill Cochran's post-June 2004 archive - 7/23/2004
Tips on catching Smith River trout, part II - 7/22/2004
Tips from a pro on catching Smith River trout - 7/15/2004
Seasons set for doves, woodcocks, shorebirds and early waterfowl - 7/8/2004
DGIF gains Level I status - 7/1/2004
Yeah, life jackets are confining. So are coffins. - 6/24/2004
Virginia officials take no joy in elk celebration - 6/17/2004
The Bay begins in Bill's backyard - 6/10/2004
How to keep on boating in the face of high fuel prices - 6/3/2004
Gas prices put the pinch on outdoorsmen - 5/27/2004
Bill Cochran's Outdoors columns - 1/4/2004
