For Dove Hunters, Monday Will Be A Labor Of Love

By Ed Zieralski
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

August 30, 2008

EL CENTRO – Joe Brana has heard a lot of nicknames for Imperial Valley, but one of his favorites is the one that Arizona game warden Rob Young arrived at after driving through this agricultural bread basket.

“Rob calls it the ‘land of a thousand smells,’ ” Brana said Tuesday during a tour of the county scouting for dove fields.

Imperial County has a way of overwhelming the nostrils, what with all of its grain fields, grass fields, orchards and patches of melon farming, with a little fertilizer thrown here and there just to make it green. But these lush farm fields are what make this area the land of a thousand hunting opportunities, too.

On Monday, beginning at 5:44 a.m., a half-hour before sunrise here, shotgun blasts will usher in the 15-day, split dove season, the official start of the 2008 hunt. It reopens Nov. 8 to Dec. 22.

“There are no gates to open and close here,” Brana said. “Most of these fields, except for the ones posted by the farmers, are open to hunting.”

Hunters will be greeted by new regulations that cover the newly arrived Eurasian collared doves. When the birds began arriving in more numbers three years ago, the Department of Fish and Game didn’t know what to make of them. But after allowing hunters to shoot them and not count them in the limit, the DFG made Eurasian collared doves part of the 10-dove daily limit and 20-in-possession limit last year.

That has changed, too.

This year the Eurasian collared dove is not part of the daily or possession limits. Hunters may shoot all they want during the split dove season, but not before, in between, or after the season. Imperial County Fish and Game commissioners Hank Benton and Myron Fortin, in addition to local residents such as Bob Hicks, were instrumental in getting the regulation changed.
“Our Imperial County Fish and Game commissioners really took action on this issue and wrote letters to the state Fish and Game Commission asking that Eurasian doves be taken out of the daily limit,” Brana said. “Nobody knows right now how these birds are affecting native birds here, except that they’re multiplying in big numbers. Ask any of the farmers, and they’ll tell you these birds are really taking over here.”

Eurasian collared doves have the distinctive black collar on their neck and are bigger and lighter in color – more sandy gray with dark gray outer-edge wing feathers – than mourning and white-winged doves. To assure a bag limit is within the law, be sure to keep a fully feathered wing on all field-dressed doves to allow game wardens to identify them and separate the Eurasian collared doves from the mourning and white-winged doves during a field check.

It being Labor Day, Brana expects a good crowd, but also a quick hunt. He’s talked to a number of hunters who have been out scouting, and many said they’ll hunt Monday, but plan to head back home that day to be at work Tuesday.

“We’ll have plenty of hunters Tuesday, but the crowd probably will be down on Tuesday because the opener falls right on the holiday,” Brana said.

Wheat has been the big story in Imperial Valley, what with the price of it soaring from a low of $4 to $5 per 100 pounds to $17 to $20 per 100 pounds.

“By this time of year, 99 percent of the wheat fields already are plowed under,” Brana said. “But because the farmers planted the wheat in different stages, there are still a lot of stubble or burnt fields, and they’re holding a lot of doves.”

Each year, and this one is no different, Brana will coordinate a contingent of state game wardens and federal agents to patrol the opener. Brana’s mantra of regulations this year is no different than past years.

He reminds hunters to obey No Trespassing or No Hunting signs; to pick up trash, including spent shotgun hulls, or risk a fine for littering, which will be enforced; make sure your shotgun is plugged to allow for just three shots; identify the bird you’re shooting before you shoot; don’t shoot at low-flying doves to prevent pelting other hunters with BBs; stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

SignOnSanDiego.com > Sports — For dove hunters, Monday will be a labor of love.

Ed Zieralski: (619) 293-1225; ed.zieralski@uniontrib.com

CWD Should Prompt Caution Among Hunters- Michigan Outdoors – MLive.com

by Howard Meyerson | The Grand Rapids Press

The news about chronic wasting disease this week has given hunters and wildlife enthusiasts a lot to think about. Certainly a lot to talk about.

A disease deer hunters hoped would never show up is here. Only one case so far. And none outside the fence.

But there will probably be another. So, its time for cool heads to prevail.

The state is going to need help from hunters if it is to quickly assess whether the disease has spread to free-ranging deer. That means doing their part to bring deer in to be checked this year. Deer hunting starts on private lands in two weeks.

Those who kill deer in Tyrone, Solon, Nelson, Sparta, Algoma, Courtland, Alpine, Plainfield and Cannon townships will have to have them tested for CWD. Full Story

CWD should prompt caution among hunters Michigan Outdoors – MLive.com.

Anglers’ Group Seeks Ban On Commercial Bass Fishing – Quincy, MA – The Patriot Ledger

By Kaimi Rose Lum

GateHouse News Service

Posted Aug 28, 2008 @ 02:26 PM

TRURO — Should striped bass be available to all types of fishermen, commercial and recreational? Or should it be enjoyed by one exclusive group?

That’s a no-brainer to members of “Stripers Forever,” a fraternity of leisure fishermen based in Portland, Maine. They want to ban the commercial harvest of striped bass in Massachusetts and give the fishery over to recreational anglers only.

“Our sole goal is gamefish status,” says Craig Caldwell, the organization’s policy director for Massachusetts. Designating the bass as a gamefish, which the group hopes to do via a bill that it plans to introduce into the state Legislature this fall, would make it off-limits to anyone but sportfishermen.

“Our reasoning really goes toward the long-term conservation of the fish,” he says, reasoning that preventing commercial fishermen from taking striped bass would leave the bigger female fish in the sea and allow more breeding to occur. He suggests that the poor showing of striped bass in local waters these past few weeks may be related to the depletion of big fish by commercial fishermen.  Full Story

Anglers’ group seeks ban on commercial bass fishing – Quincy, MA – The Patriot Ledger

Deer Farm Industry in Michigan Issues Statement on the Recent Chronic Wasting Disease Case Identified on a Kent County Deer Farm

HILLMAN, Mich., Aug. 29 — In response to recent news about Michigan’s first identified case of chronic wasting disease (CWD), members of the deer farming community have issued the following statement.

With hunting season fast approaching, the tragic incident regarding a CWD positive test for a deer on a Kent County farm understandably has created concern among hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and deer farmers across the great state of Michigan. The deer farming industry in Michigan is committed to preventing the spread of chronic wasting disease and is cooperating fully with both the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources to bring a swift and conclusive resolution to this difficult situation.

Michigan’s protocols to handle a chronic wasting disease case are working the way our industry, DNR, and MDA originally conceived them. It should also be noted the farm in question was fully complying with mandatory state regulatory requirements issued by MDA, which is why we remain hopeful that a thorough investigation will reveal this case to be an isolated incident.

The deer farming industry and state officials in Michigan have taken the issue of chronic wasting disease seriously, long before this incident ever occurred. In fact, it is because of our united commitment to testing that this case was even identified in the first place. The Cervid Farmers of Michigan, Michigan Deer and Elk Breeders Association, North American Deer Farmers Association, along with regulatory state agencies continuously work together to make sure deer farms and wildlife in Michigan are CWD free. The recent incident only serves to reaffirm our resolve to stop the spread of chronic wasting disease.

With more than 600 deer farms under quarantine right now, the entire industry is at a standstill. Deer farming, as a regulated alternative livestock industry is a $1 billion industry in Michigan and it is a vital part of the state’s agriculture community.

Every dollar the local agriculture community produces gets used 2.6 times before it leaves those local communities, according to research by the Michigan State University Agriculture Economics Department. This means the $104 million locally-based agriculture industry has an economic impact of $270 million annually for local communities in Michigan. A damaged deer farming industry will have negative repercussions on the state’s agriculture community and the economy as a whole because the longer Michigan’s deer farms are shut down — the greater the financial impact there will be for local communities.

We as an industry are continuing to be cooperative and helpful to ensure this incident did not spread outside our state and federally regulated and secured properties. The deer farming industry is committed to assisting in any way possible to find the cause for the chronic wasting disease case in Kent County, but the industry is asking for a swift resolution to this issue and the lifting of the quarantine on those farms with no connection to the affected farm.

SOURCE North American Deer Farmers Association; Cervid Farmers of Michigan;

Michigan Deer & Elk Breeders Association

JOHN BERRY FISHING REPORT 8/28/2008

In spite of a minor rain event, the reservoir levels on the White River continue to fall. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam fell two feet to rest at twenty seven and two tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is thirteen and eight tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell seven tenths of a foot to rest at one and eight tenths feet above power pool or fourteen and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell three tenths of a foot to rest at six and five tenths feet above power pool or three and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White has been to run all eight generators around the clock with slightly higher flows in the afternoon. While these flows made for excellent boating, there have been few safe wading opportunities on the White. Norfork Lake has fallen eight tenths of a foot to rest at fifteen and three tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or eleven and nine tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run one generator around the clock. There have been no wading opportunities and limited boating opportunities.

The water flows on the White and Norfork have both been significantly reduced during the past few days. It has been several months since the floods we had this spring, and we have not made significant progress in lower the lake levels at Bull Shoals and Norfork Dams. It seems like we could make more progress if we ran more water as we were a few weeks ago. If we are going to run lower water levels, why not turn off the dams for a few hours? When you do run water, do so at a higher level. Coordinate generation on the two dams so that the same amount of water is sent down stream. By doing this we could have some wadable water. Throw us a bone guys!

The upper river from Bull Shoals Dam, through the State Park down to Cane Island Shoals has been a perpetual hot spot for months and the past week has not been different. Some anglers, while reporting great fishing, say that the constant fishing pressure has made the fish more selective. The hot flies remain brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns. If you are not doing well with one color, do not hesitate to change to a different color or pattern. The most productive colors have been red, cerise, hot pink and fire orange.

The section from the Narrows down to Wildcat Shoals has remained hot during the past week particularly the section around the Narrows. The key to success has been to fish a brightly colored San Juan worm with a nymph on a dropper. The most popular nymphs have been zebra midges, trout crack, sowbugs, scuds, and bead head hares ears.

Another hot spot has been the Rim Shoals Catch and Release section. In addition to the brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns, the hot technique has been to bang the bank with big streamers on sink tip or full sinking lines. Effective streamers have been kiwi muddlers, Jim Mengle’s Ozark Sculpin, wool head sculpins and woolly buggers. Vary your retrieve to determine the most productive speed. With the lower flows we have had this week; several anglers took advantage of Gary Flipin’s water taxi. For a nominal fee Gary will ferry you to the bottom of the second island and pick you up when you are ready to go.

The Norfork has had lower flows this week also. They were too high to wade and too low for easy navigation. The Norfork is more difficult, in general, to navigate than the White. Great care should be taken when running up or down stream. There are several spots that can be treacherous.

Dry Run Creek has received little pressure in the past week. School is back in session and no one is there during the week. The weekends are seeing a bit more traffic. The hot fly is a gray sowbug size fourteen. There is a sizable population of them on the creek. Other productive flies are small San Juan worms in worm brown and olive woolly buggers. While guiding some youngsters on the creek a couple of weeks ago, I ran into Dave and Emily Whitlock. They were working on the plans to enhance fishing there. This is a project of the Friends of the Norfork Fish Hatchery and will make a great fishery even better.

Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home.

John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.

HOME WATERS BOOK SIGNING

Local fly fishing guide and Baxter Bulletin columnist, John Berry, will be signing copies of the recently released third edition of the home waters fishing guide at Angler’s Coffee Café on Saturday August 30, at 2:00 PM. The book was a collaborative effort involving several fishing guides and serious anglers writing about the streams they fish. John wrote the chapters on the White River, Norfork River, and Dry Run Creek plus a section on Boating Etiquette. This is the third edition of the highly successful fishing guide. The book is published by the Mid South Fly Fishers, a not for profit fly fishing club in Memphis, Tennessee and all proceeds are used to support their conservation and education programs. There are locations and descriptions of fishing accesses, detailed maps, fly recipes, color photography and much more. This is a great resource for any one planning on fishing in this area.

FISHING WITH DOGS

BY JOHN BERRY

After my wife, Lori, one of my favorite fishing buddies is my yellow lab, Ellie. She is a great companion. She doesn’t care how bad the weather is, although she is becoming storm phobic in her old age. But let’s be serious. If lightning is striking around us, I don’t need to be out there either. She doesn’t mind much if the fishing is good or bad, though she does prefer the non stop action of a good day. Ellie does not give me any trouble about losing a good fish or missing a lot of takes for that matter. She is also a good water depth gauge. If she begins swimming, I know the water is over knee deep.

Early on in our relationship I figured out that Ellie was not going to be a boat dog. On our first venture in a canoe, she refused to load; the movement of the boat spooked her. Finally, in frustration, Lori and I began our trip figuring she would eventually get in the boat. She followed the boat for five miles. If she got tired of swimming, she would go to the bank and run along until she caught up or was ready to swim again. When we got out and fished she joined us and when we canoed back to the access she followed us back.

I cannot take Ellie with me on a guide trip because, when we have a good fish on, the retriever gene kicks in and she tries to help land the fish. Now I don’t mind so much when she knocks off a good fish from my line. That can be disastrous when she does it to a client’s fish. I observe a lot of anglers that fish with their dogs. These canines are content to just sit on the bank and watch. Why does mine have to be in the center of the action? I often find it necessary to fish while standing in shallow water so that she does not have to tread water as she does in deeper water. Other wise she will swim right in front of me for hours at a time, which throws me off my game.

Because of her propensity to stay pretty close to me while I am fishing, she has been hooked on several occasions. This is a great case for barbless hooks but it also points out that I am letting my back cast drop, but that is another story.

I always carry a Ziploc full of dog biscuits in case I have to bribe her to leave someone else’s fish alone. I carry a nylon lead for more difficult situations. I have taken to leaving her in the car until I get my waders on, rod strung and am generally ready to start fishing. That way, she stays out of trouble and doesn’t beg other anglers for treats.

Not all dogs are interested in fishing with you. My wife, Lori’s, recently deceased Rottweiler, Lexie, was a classic example. She was devoted to Lori and was totally committed to protecting her but did not like the water. Since she had a short coat, we got her a neoprene vest to provide some insulation and a bit of flotation. It was made of camouflage material which made her look even more imposing. She hated to be left in the dog run so we would take her with us. When anyone would wade near Lori she would warn them with a low growl. It was a great way to ensure that Lori would not be crowded when on stream. She was well trained and never attacked any one but it was a bit much and we always tried to fish remote water with her.

When Lori was fishing shallow water, Lexie would position herself just below her and watch the strike indicator. When it went down she would retrieve the trout and look at Lori as if to say “here is your darn fish can we go home now”? She was very gentle with the fish and never harmed one but we were concerned particularly with large fish. When Lori would wade deep, she would stay in shallow water and bark. Lori would ignore her and eventually she would stop barking but she was definitely not happy. As her health declined we would leave her at home and left Ellie to keep her company. After she passed away we began taking Ellie fishing. Once again she was in her element.

If your dog enjoys the water, you may have found a great fishing companion. Give that canine a chance.

John Berry
(870) 435-2169
berrybrothers@infodash.com
www.berrybrothersguides.com

Doves Offer No Peace Of Mind

by Rob Phillips
Yakima Herald-Republic

YAKIMA — If you find yourself at a barbecue or some other social gathering this weekend, and you are a dove hunter, let me give you a small bit of advice. You may not want to mention you are, in fact, a dove hunter. I know it is hard to believe, but it seems some people have some preconceived notions about dove hunters and dove hunting.

If you happen to mention something about going dove hunting on Monday, there is a good chance youll get an obvious and immediate reaction. People will glare as if you just made some major faux pas. Their brows will furrow, and their noses will wrinkle like they have just smelled rotting fish. Some will turn away, as if youve suddenly developed a hideous growth on your face. Full Story

Doves offer no peace of mind | Yakima Herald-Republic Online.

Hunters, Bait Sellers Angry About DNR Ban

by Cole Waterman | The Saginaw News

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 6:41 PM

Deer hunters are going to need extra finesse and resourcefulness to nab their quarry this fall, while sellers of deer feed will feel pain in their pocketbooks.

Tuesday, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced it is banning all baiting and feeding of deer and elk in the Lower Peninsula.

The announcement comes on the heels of the DNRs confirmation of chronic waste disease in a white-tailed deer from a privately owned herd in Kent County.

The ban will prevent hunters from luring deer with foodstuffs, a common hunting method, during the upcoming archery and firearms seasons. Archery season runs from Oct. 1 through Nov. 14, and again from Dec. 1 through Jan. 1, while firearm season lasts from Nov. 15 to Nov. 30. Click Link Below for Full Story

Hunters, bait sellers angry about DNR ban – The Saginaw News Online – Michigan Newspaper – MLive.com.

Berry Brothers Guide Service

As they say if you want to catch fish then fish where the fish are. If you are looking for trophy trout on the fly rod then you need to fish the clear streams of the Ozark Mountains. Berry Brothers Guide Service is a small guide service located in Cotter, Arkansas. They specialize in guided float and wade trips on Arkansas’ White, Norfork, Spring and Little Red Rivers and fish for trophy Rainbow, Brown, Cutthroat and Brook trout. Smallmouth opportunities are also available. Private fly casting and fly fishing instruction specifically tailored to fit your individual needs and abilities is included. Day and half day trips are available. All trips are catch and release and include on-stream lunch, soft drinks and flies. Guides John Berry and Lori Sloas provide a high level of service and work hard to make this trip that “trip of a lifetime.” For more information go to www.berrybrothersguides.com or call 870-435-2169.

Illegal Walleye Introduction Threatens Fishery

By CHRIS MERRILL
Star-Tribune environment reporter
Tuesday, August 26, 2008 2:06 AM MDT

LANDER — Somebody has introduced walleye into Buffalo Bill Reservoir west of Cody, and the Game and Fish Department is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the apprehension of the person or persons who “bucketed” the fish in, said Steve Yekel, Cody region fisheries supervisor. Full Story

Casper Star-Tribune Online – Wyoming.

Michigan’s First Case of Chronic Wasting Disease Detected at Kent County Deer Breeding Facility

Contact: Bridget Patrick (MDA) or Mary Dettloff (DNR) 517-241-2669 or 517-335-3014
Agency: Natural Resources

August 25, 2008

LANSING – The Michigan departments of Agriculture (MDA) and Natural Resources (DNR) today confirmed the state’s first case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a three-year old white-tailed deer from a privately owned cervid (POC) facility in Kent County.

The state has quarantined all POC facilities, prohibiting the movement of all – dead or alive – privately-owned deer, elk or moose. Officials do not yet know how the deer may have contracted the disease. To date, there is no evidence that CWD presents a risk to humans.

DNR and MDA staff are currently reviewing records from the Kent County facility and five others to trace deer that have been purchased, sold or moved by the owners in the last five years for deer and the last seven years for elk. Any deer that may have come in contact with the CWD-positive herd have been traced to their current location and those facilities have been quarantined.

“Michigan’s veterinarians and wildlife experts have been working throughout the weekend to complete their investigation,” said Don Koivisto, MDA director. “We take this disease very seriously, and are using every resource available to us to implement response measures and stop the spread of this disease.”

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose. Most cases of the disease have been in western states, but in the past several years, it has spread to some midwestern and eastern states. Infected animals display abnormal behaviors, progressive weight loss and physical debilitation.

Current evidence suggests that the disease is transmitted through infectious, self-multiplying proteins (prions) contained in saliva and other fluids of infected animals. Susceptible animals can acquire CWD by direct exposure to these fluids or also from contaminated environments. Once contaminated, research suggests that soil can remain a source of infection for long periods of time, making CWD a particularly difficult disease to eradicate.

Michigan’s First Case of Chronic Wasting Disease Detected at Kent County Deer Breeding Facility: “Currently, one of our top concerns is to confirm that the disease is not in free-ranging deer,” said DNR Director Rebecca Humphries. “We are asking hunters this fall to assist us by visiting check stations to allow us to take biological samples from the deer they harvest, so we can perform adequate surveillance of the free-ranging white-tailed deer herd in the area.”

Deer hunters this fall who take deer from Tyrone, Solon, Nelson, Sparta, Algoma, Courtland, Alpine, Plainfield, and Cannon townships will be required to bring their deer to a DNR check station. Deer taken in these townships are subject to mandatory deer check.

The DNR is also asking hunters who are participating in the private land five-day antlerless hunt in September in other parts of Kent County to visit DNR check stations in Kent County so further biological samples can be taken from free-ranging deer for testing. The DNR is in the process of finding additional locations for check stations in Kent County to make it more convenient for hunters.

The deer that tested positive at the Kent County facility was a doe that had been recently culled by the owner of the facility. Michigan law requires sick deer or culled deer on a POC facility be tested for disease. The samples from the Kent County deer tested “suspect positive” last week at Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, and were sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa last Thursday for confirmatory testing. The positive results of those tests were communicated to the state of Michigan today.

Audits of the facility by the DNR in 2004 and 2007 showed no escapes of animals from the Kent County facility were reported by the owner. Also, there were no violations of regulations recorded during the audits.

Since 2002, the DNR has tested 248 wild deer in Kent County for CWD. In summer 2005, a number of those deer had displayed neurological symptoms similar to CWD; however, after testing it was determined the deer had contracted Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

More information on CWD is available on Michigan’s Emerging Diseases Web site at www.michigan.gov/chronicwastingdisease.

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