Friday, July 23, 2004
Bill Cochran's Outdoors: Bill Cochran's post-June 2004 archive
Bill Cochran is a Roanoke Times outdoors columnist.
Bill Cochran's Outdoors
Recent columns
- Hunters and anglers still in the conservation business
- Drum fishing on Virginia’s Coast comes in two colors
- Elk advocate finally gets his day
- Turkeys are plentiful, so why are hunting regulations so tight fisted?
- Column archive
Bill's Mailbag
Bill's Field Reports
- Eagles are up; black rail are down
- A. Willis Robertson great name for new DGIF headquarters
- Field reports archive
Resources
Hunters and anglers still in the conservation business
Drum fishing on Virginia’s Coast comes in two colors
Elk advocate finally gets his day
Turkeys are plentiful, so why are hunting regulations so tight fisted?
Anglers say closure of the point of Cape Hatteras is for the birds
Every boat operator must take exam; might as well get started
Expert weighs in on how warm weather will impact turkey hunting
Times are changing in Turkey Land
New River smallmouth on decline, but don’t tell 16-year old Jed Singleton
Biologist addresses questions on Virginia’s turkey plan
Biologists comment on the recent hunting season results
Thirty dollars too much for a lure? Not if it catches seven bass at a time.
You can help write fishing regulations
Key players react to defeat of Sunday hunting in Virginia
Salem fishing pro John Crews launches lure business
Less freedom at Hatteras for surf casters
Here’s the scoop on hunting shed antlers
Want more grouse? Get used to hearing chainsaws
Sunday hunting bills aplenty, but some hunters hold out
Fees being collected at DGIF areas
Governor wants to reel in Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament
Authorities cracking down on illegal striped bass fishing
Fatal hunting accident still impacts lives 35 years later
Author of book on hunting for food grew up a vegetarian
Putting to a test “Thou shalt not hunt on the Sabbath”
The bluefish are back! Or are they?
Make a Thanksgiving Day promise to help Hunters for the Hungry
Autonomy of DGIF preserved for now
Boom time for bears in Virginia
Best time to kill a trophy buck? Try the muzzleloading season
Record book striped bass stopped short on its journey to Virginia
Lure makers use imagination when it comes to naming products
Ruffed Grouse Society born in Virginia 50 years ago this week
Muzzleloader downed Virginia’s top buck of the 2010-11 season
Finally the right bear came along and it was a state record
Kit Shaffer was the king when it came to turkeys
Hunters afield this season under host of new regulations
Hunters need to target George Washington National Forest plan
What’s going on with our Wildlife Management Areas?
Sportsmen choose sides over Sunday hunting in Virginia
Anglers gain some ground in menhaden war
Angler who caught potential world record is reluctant hero
No end in sight for Jackson River dispute
The screech that turns carp into trout
Here's wishing Virginia's state parks a happy birthday
Remembering my old friend, Garvey Winegar
Upper James fishing suffering from poor spawning years
Kit Shaffer still talking turkey at age 94
Hunters concerned over decline in national forest deer
Sunday hunting in Virginia now just a matter of time
Virginia’s most impressive freshwater fish catches, part two
Bill picks Virginia’s all-time freshwater fish catches
Lower flounder limit doesn’t necessarily mean more fish for the frying pan
Biologists see nothing good about feeding deer, but people love to do it
Blue catfish a trophy to some; threat to others
DGIF enlisting non-hunters and fishermen to help pay its bills
Winning game plans for Optimist Club fishing tournament
Reflections on the first Earth Day
His idea is let turkeys talk sense into legislators who oppose Sunday hunting
Are predators taking a bite out of Virginia's deer herd?
Spring gobbler season has its peaks, but best time to go is anytime you can
109-pound blue catfish pending state record
Pumping new life into the fall turkey hunting season
DGIF seeks input on hunting proposals and likely will get an earful
Deer and turkey kill figures plummet; should hunters be worried?
Walleye is first fish to shake winter doldrums, and here’s where to find them
Will there be any stripers left for all those new boats?
Nonresident sportsmen not happy with proposed license increases
Striped bass countdown: should we be worried?
Virginia General Assembly bills would affect how we hunt and fish
Now you can measure a fish for a world record, then release it
White perch populate Smith Mountain Lake. Is that good or bad?
Sunday hunting getting more support, but will it be enough?
Fishing regulations get a makeover Jan. 1
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation pledges $300,000 to restore elk in Virginia
Get ready for Virginia's Fisherman Identification Program
When the Chesapeake Bay becomes cow town
Meat hunting is more than just filling a grocery list
Are we losing the deer camp tradition?
Game department changing the way it does things
Speck-tacular trout fishing on the coast
Trying to make sense of the fall turkey season
‘I remember begging God to let me live’
Want to collect a bear rug? Go bowhunting
Game department fishing for more funds
Botetourt bow-killed buck tops record books
Deer hunting outlook: numbers down, quality up
Increase in saltwater fishing license worthy of support
Three ways you can help Hunters for the Hungry
Here's how to increase your dove shooting skills
Big change in DGIF board: Crumley out; Turner in
Elk debate leaves few people happy
World-class marlin fishing: Will it happen again?
Virginians say yes to elk restoration, but that doesn’t mean easy approval
Blue Ridge Parkway looking to scrap hunter access permits
Dove hunting likely to be withered by hot, dry summer
What's fair about buying a license to hunt your own land?
Origin of striped bass in Carvins Cove a mystery
New license will save South Holston anglers time and money
Anglers upset over proposal to increase commercial harvest of stripe bass
Beating the drums for new grouse society members
Big change of heart over elk in Virginia
Hunters aren't giving up on their sport -- they just aren't paying into it
Plenty of bass in Carvins Cove; catching them is another matter
Tough times for newspaper outdoor writers
Bear hound hunters say they aren’t getting a fair shake
Catfish gets second chance, but not the guy who caught it
James River muskie making a comeback
Thunder at the Smith Mountain Lake Optimist Club tournament
John Crews talks about the home lake advantage in BASS Elite tournament
Remembering the early days of gobbler hunting
Want bigger fish? Officials recommend tweaking regulations
Major changes proposed for Smith River trout fishery
A sportsman's look at the Virginia General Assembly
Grouse hunting declines to memory status
Mountain lions in Virginia? It depends who's talking
Few surprises in Virginia's big game hunting results
Shows point to smoother sailing for boating in 2010
A down season for saltwater striped bass
Now that Virginia has CWD, what does that mean for deer hunters?
Most important fish in the sea needs your help
Bill expands saltwater license requirements to deal with federal angler registry
World record largemouth bass cheered through tear-filled eyes
Deep-freeze temperatures lower prospects of record striper
Hunters for the Hungry out of money to process deer
Revamped hatchery has trout swimming in circles
Does global warming have anything to do with hunting and fishing?
Earn-a-buck can earn you a headache ... but it works
Chesapeake Bay serving up stripers on the rocks
Thanksgiving Day buck grabs headlines after 40 years of obscurity
Connecting the dots to locate Virginia's best trophy deer hunting
Deer day for kids a smashing success
Virginia elk resoration plan given the go-ahead
Hunt the acorns first and you will find the deer
Elk restoration on fast track in Virginia
Candidates embrace Sunday hunting
Kill a record-book buck on public land? It's possible
Hunters build up deer herd, then a neighbor shows up with kill permit
Four things we need to do for stripers (Part II)
Should we be concerned about saltwater stripers?
When Hunters for the Hungry says it needs bucks it isn’t just talking about deer
A bait that looks and smells like fish food? Now that's a good idea!
How did Virginia end up with two systems to score trophy deer?
New DGIF hire will tackle the business side of the agency
Roanoke outdoor show has new name, new venue, new hope
Virginia Deer Classic switches to Boone and Crockett scoring system
What boaters can do to help win the ethanol war
New conservation police officers come with impressive backgrounds
Wildlife department zeros in on new revenue sources
Spadefish an easy mark or frustratingly finicky
Robby Rakes catches state record, but he's not the only one grinning
Time is now to heal wounds of bear license debate
James River catfish breaks 100-pound barrier
Controversy over bear hunting license is nothing new
Smith Mountain Lake to get a reduced striped bass stocking
One lure steals the thunder at Optimist tournament
Pros bug-eyed over big bass in Smith Mountain Lake
Feeding your outboard corn can make it sick
Virginia takes notice of Kentucky's elk herd, 10th largest in U.S.
Jaded youth turkey hunt ends with tears of joy
Confrontation between hound hunters, landowners goes high profile
Future generations will judge us harshly unless we try to restore quail
50 pages of proposals to change hunting regulations
Catches of a lifetime are an every-season affair for angler Julie Ball
Bear license is about control, not revenue
Big game results: bear and deer boom, turkey plummet
Buy a new boat or spiff up the old one?
Bad idea to let commercial fishermen rule saltwater resources
A quiet General Assembly for outdoor sportsmen
Saltwater fishing tournament one of the best, thanks to the Internet
Aging of national forest is bad news for deer hunters -- Part 2
Hunter is steamed over decline of deer in national forest
Hunting more profound than just filling the freezer
A new year! A new record stiped bass?
Death of hunting dog is difficult for young owner to understand
Kayak fishing offers hand-to-fin combat
The fish doctor's prescription for catching crappie
How can an animal as big as an elk do a disappearing act?
Hunters losing battle for the national forests
Hunters asked to look beyond the current season
A quest to put the word "primitive" back into the muzzleloading season
Virginia rethinking its elk management philosophy
Hound study is a line drawn in the sand
Hound study is a line drawn in the sand
Speckled trout anglers are closed-mouthed; so are the trout
Biologist says too many young bucks will die under state's earn-a-buck rule
NRA's take on the candidates, conservation, gun ownership
Hunter kills trophy deer, then puts bag over its head
Duck season good or bad? Depends on the weather
A challenging year for Hunters for the Hungry
Whole lotta howling over Virginia's hound study
Wanted: Smith Mountain Lake muskie -- $10,000 reward!
All kinds of changes in hunting regulations
Tarpon fishing leaves you plenty of time for reflecting
Your questions answered on the new apprentice hunting license
New apprentice license makes it easier to give hunting a tryout
Sport fishing is challenged but healthy, equipment maker says
