Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission Proposes Modifications to Elk Hunting Units at Special Called Meeting
May 18, 2009
Frankfort, Ky. – The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission today proposed some modifications to Elk Hunt Unit 6 (EHU) at a special called meeting in Frankfort.
The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission recommends all hunting, fishing and boating regulations for approval by the General Assembly and approves all expenditures by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. All recommendations must be approved by legislators before they become law.
The Commission recommended splitting Elk Hunt Unit 6 into five sub-units designated by letter. Elk Hunt Unit 6 is home to the 16,704-acre Graham Wildlife Management Area (WMA), the 30,038-acre Begley WMA and the 54,838-acre Corrigan WMA. Subdividing Elk Hunt Unit 6, which is located in all or parts of Clay, Leslie, Harlan, Bell, Knox, Whitley and McCreary counties, will help more evenly distribute hunting pressure during the quota elk hunts. The subdivision would take effect this year.
Commission members also recommended changes to the 2010 late season quota elk hunt. The hunts began last year to help control elk-related property damage. Hunters drawn for this hunt will come from the pool of regular hunt applicants who are also residents of the 16-county elk restoration zone. Hunters may also harvest a few spike bulls. The number of hunters to be drawn for this late season hunt has not yet been determined.
The Commission also standardized the definition of a youth for elk hunting as “a person who has not reached their sixteenth birthday by the day of the hunt.” This regulation would not take effect until 2010. It would not affect youths drawn for the 2009 hunt.
The next Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting will be held at 8 a.m., Friday, June 12, 2009 at #1 Sportsman’s Lane off U.S. 60 in Frankfort. Persons interested in addressing the Commission must notify Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s Commissioner’s office in writing at least 30 days in advance to be considered for placement on the meeting agenda. People who are hearing impaired and plan to attend the meeting should contact Kentucky Fish and Wildlife at least 10 days in advance and the agency will provide a translator. To request to address the commission, write to KDFWR, Commissioner Jon Gassett, #1 Sportsman’s Lane, Frankfort, Kentucky, 40601
The Liberty Vindicator- Texas Feral Hogs
May 10, 2009
Outdoors With Larry Wilburn
In light of all the Swine Flu panic, I thought it would be appropriate to write an article on the history of wild hogs. Unfortunately it turned out to be much longer than the 500 words that you like. Actually it is over 900 words. Perhaps you can run it in two parts. In order to tell the story, it took that many words. If you can not, let me know and will write something else.
With all the media attention on the Swine Flu outbreak, there has been a lot of attention focused on swine both domestic and wild. Of course, we have wild hogs in abundant numbers around southeast Texas.
These animals do a lot of roaming around looking for good food sources and that often times brings them in contact with people.
The wildlife officials, as well as the health officials, report that there is no danger of getting Swine Flu from feral hogs.
To some, feral hogs are a menace and are looked at as vermin that does nothing but destroy pasture, crop land and kills livestock.
To others, feral hogs are an economic boom as hunters are willing to pay for opportunities to hunt the wild pigs of Texas.
Hunting for wild hogs is a great way to scratch that hunting itch while we wait on deer season to roll around again.
Texas wild hogs are second in large mammal numbers behind white-tailed deer with an estimated population of over one million animals. In some areas of the state biologist are concerned that the wild pigs will soon out number white-tails and cause declines in deer numbers as hog compete with the deer for acorns and forbs.
Where did all these wild hogs come from? Well it’s a long but interesting story that spans hundreds of years.
Wild hogs are in the family Suidae, the same as domestic breeds. There are 23 recognized sub-species of wild hogs in the world. Hogs are an old world specie that are not indigenous to the US.
Actually today’s modern swine can be traced back to the ice age. Hog bones have been found in caves and were apparently hunted by humans in the stone age.
It is believed that domestication of hogs dates to around 4,000 BC.
The first swine to enter the United States was in 750 to 1000 AD as Polynesian immigrants brought pigs to Hawaii.
The earliest record of hogs coming to the Americas is in 1493 when Christopher Columbus on his quest to discover America, had eight hogs on board as he landed in the West Indies.
It wasn’t until the year 1539 that hogs first made land fall in the continental US. Click Link Below for the rest of this great article!
Mike Bolton: West Coast anglers joined professional bass fishing about 12 years ago – al.com
May 10, 2009
MIKE BOLTON
News staff writer
GUNTERSVILLE — Everywhere California’s Skeet Reese has gone in Alabama this past week, youngsters, women and men have begged for his autographs on hats, T-shirts and slips of paper.
On the water, weekend bass fishermen have shouted out his name and congratulated him on a job well done. Fellow pro fishermen have kidded with him, asked his opinion and swapped practical jokes.
That typically comes with the territory when you are the reigning Bassmaster Classic champ, but there was once a day when Reese found such acceptance unimaginable.
The invasion of Reese and the rest of the West Coast contingent into professional bass fishing a dozen years ago was about as welcome as a fish kill.
When BASS announced the creation of the Western Opens, many regulars on the pro circuit were outraged. Anglers fishing the Southern and Central Opens would have to fish against the best bass fishermen in the world to qualify for the Classic, they claimed, but those fishing in the Western Opens would be fishing against a bunch of nobodies and have an easy route to bass fishing’s biggest event.
Reese, in his bright yellow shoes and bright yellow boat, was the epitome of the gang that had no business being allowed to fish on level footing with the world’s best bass anglers, many pro anglers believed.
“It took a while to earn the respect of the anglers and the fans,” Reese said with a laugh. “At the first Bassmaster Classic that I fished in 1998, we had a pre-tournament briefing where all the fishermen were introduced. Whoever it was introducing all the anglers said `Now, we want to introduce the anglers from the West.’
“One of the pros – I’m not going to say who it was – stood up and said, `We don’t recognize any anglers from the West.’
“That’s the kind of reception we received at first. We got no respect.” Click Link Below For Full Story!
via Mike Bolton: West Coast anglers joined professional bass fishing about 12 years ago – al.com.
Archers OK For Hunting On Sundays – Hunterdon County Democrat
May 10, 2009
by Hunterdon County Democrat
Saturday May 09, 2009, 9:20 AM
Legislation permitting deer hunting with a bow and arrow on Sundays during deer hunting season was signed into law Monday by Gov. Corzine.
The law allows deer hunting with bow and arrow on Sundays during any bow and arrow hunting season for deer prescribed by the state Fish and Game Code, provided the hunting is only on a state wildlife management area or on private property. It also raises to $50 (from $20) the penalty for a violation of the Sunday hunting rules, such as hunting in prohibited areas.
Two legislators who represent part of the Hunterdon hailed the law. Click Link Below for Full Story!
via Archers OK For Hunting On Sundays -.
Another great day at Bull Shoals Dam
May 10, 2009
By John Berry
I recently guided two of my regular clients, John and Cliff, for the day at the Catch and Release section at Bull Shoals Dam. I had fished there a few days before and had done well. I picked them up at the lodge they were staying at and headed for the river.
When we got there it was overcast and there was moderate generation from the dam (probably 10,000 CFS or three full units). This is a really productive level to fish this area. The water is deep enough to clear most obstacles but shallow enough to easily get the fly down to the bottom.
I took care and carefully rigged their rods before we launched my river boat. I started one with an orange egg under an indicator and the other I rigged with a hot fluorescent pink San Juan worm. If I am fishing two anglers, I always start them with different flies. Then, if one starts producing, I switch the other to the same fly. I keep in mind that one fish on a given fly is an isolated incident and two fish on a fly is a trend. We picked up a nice sixteen inch trout on the egg pattern. That was the last fish on that fly. After taking three nice trout on the pink worm, I switched the egg pattern, so that both my anglers were fishing the worm.
We motored up to the upper legal limits of the tailwater taking care not to enter the restricted area and then floated back down stream. My anglers cast their lines about twenty to twenty five feet from the boat. As we drifted down stream, the guys would carefully mend their lines to maintain a drag free drift and cast as necessary to keep their line in front of them. When the strike indicator went down, they set the hook. Fish on!
We caught some excellent fish, several fish in the sixteen to eighteen inch range and a couple of nineteen inchers. All of them were ridiculously fat and fought incredibly well. My clients were pretty happy. It was time for lunch. We motored over to the ramp and anchored the river boat.
We walked up the hill to my car and got the food out of my station wagon. For some inexplicable reason there are no picnic tables at this access or the one across the river in Marion County. I sometimes motor down to the State Park and use one of the picnic tables there but I decided to use the folding chairs and roll up table I keep in the back of my Volvo for occasions like this. We ate and relaxed for a few minutes. The lunch talk as always centered on the fishing. Did you see that big one that got away? I stowed away the gear and disposed of the trash. I saved the empty soda cans for the next time I passed one of the TU recycle bins.
We made our way back to my river boat. A fellow guide, Jeremy Hunt, was also anchored at the access. They had pulled the spider chairs out of the boat and had eaten their lunch on the bank. As is my habit, I asked how the fishing was going and what fly he was using. Though we were having success, I was interested in what he was doing so that I could include the information in my weekly fishing report.
Not all guides are willing to share. I am an open book. I feel that by improving fishing conditions for all we can improve the success for this fishery. Jeremy is a guide that shares his information and I appreciate that.
He said that he had been fishing shad patterns and had done well. Though the shad kill had been several months earlier, the trout will not soon forget the great surge of food that came through.
The shad kill is a natural phenomenon that normally occurs in the dead of winter. It generally requires cold weather and high levels of generation. When these conditions collide thousands of shad are killed and sucked through the generators. This results in a feeding frenzy in the tail waters below the dam.
When we returned to the water, I switched my client’s flies to shad patterns. We started having immediate success. We nailed a fat nineteen inch rainbow on the first drift. Jeremy had suggested drifting the shad pattern down through the center of the river. We had been catching most of our fish on the right bank and I continued drifting down that bank. We caught trout after trout and nothing less than seventeen inches long.
John hit a really good fish. I could tell by the way it was hugging the bottom it was a big brown trout. He had a really good quality rod and reel. This is where a good reel earns its keep. He kept steady pressure on the trout. Every time it took a good run you could hear the high pitched whine of the reel. Cliff cranked his rig in so that it would not get tangled in the fight.
John slowly eased the brown closer to the boat. He was doing a masterful job. Just then the brown surged under the boat. I was concerned. I had a good fish wrap the chain the week before and we had miraculously landed that one. This one was too big for that. It came out from under the boat and John eased it close. I slipped the net under it and quickly raised it out of the water. The fight was over and we won. We took a few photos. We never removed the brown from the net and released it carefully.
We caught a few more but nothing like that. The day ended an hour later. The hot action had taken a toll on my anglers and they were anxious to return to the lodge and tell their tales.
(870) 435-2169
berrybrothers@infodash.com
www.berrybrothersguides.com
Fishing industry hurt by the economy | The Dispatch
May 10, 2009
Tony Garitta
The economic slowdown has aversely affected numerous industries including the fishing industry.
A February 2009 survey conducted by AnglerSurvey.com indicates that only 54 percent of the respondents plan to fish waters outside of their home states this year. A February 2008 survey had more than 59 percent of the respondents planning to fish out-of-state waters.
For those states where fishing is a major economic drawing card and tourist attraction, the news is disheartening, though expected.
The 2009 survey also asked fishermen to indicate their favorite saltwater game fish.
The striped bass emerged as the most popular with 20 percent of the surveyed anglers indicating that they fished for striped bass at least once during the season.
The various species of flounder ranked second in popularity with 19 percent of the respondents indicating they targeted flounder of some kind.
The rankings of other species were grouper, snapper, and sea bass (14 percent); redfish, also called red drum or channel bass (13 percent); spotted sea trout and weakfish (13 percent); and bluefish (12 percent).
The survey inquired about the most targeted species, not the most commonly caught or kept species.
Fishermen who participate in the surveys are eligible for a monthly drawing for a $100 certificate and an annual drawing for a $1,000 fishing tackle shopping spree. For details, visit www.AnglerSurvey.com and click “Take the Survey.” Click link below for full story!
via Fishing industry hurt by the economy | The Dispatch | Davidson County’s News Source.
Boating Etiquette
May 3, 2009
BY JOHN BERRY
Every thing begins at the ramp. The basic rule is, do not hog the ramp. At certain times, early in the morning and late afternoon, our ramps can get quite busy as anglers begin and end their day. Prepare your boat for launching before you back down the ramp. Insert in your plug, connect the gas line, rig your rods, and load your gear in the parking lot. Only when everything is ready, do you back down the ramp and launch your boat. Load your passengers and clear the ramp so that others may use it.
The same is true for loading your boat at the end of the day. I remember waiting for another guide to clean his client’s days catch while sitting in his boat at the ramp effectively denying its use to any one else for several minutes. If you have to do something like this, pull off to the side of the ramp and do it there. When you are finished back your car down the ramp, load quickly and clear the ramp. Removing your plug, unloading your boat, securing your motor and all of the other tasks to prepare the boat for the drive home can be done in the parking lot out of the way of others wanting to use the ramp.
There will be some new boaters out there that have never backed down a ramp or loaded a boat onto a trailer before. Be patient. Offer constructive criticism or maybe even help them. We were all there at one time or another. They will appreciate your assistance.
Once under way, pass other boats with care, particularly if the occupants are fishing. If you pass another angler that is actively fishing, slow down so that you do not cause a wake to interfere with their fishing. Give other anglers a wide berth, do not crowd them. Try and determine which side of the boat they are fishing from and pass on the other side. Do not run your boat over their lines. In addition to possibly fouling up your motor, you probably will not make any friends.
Do not anchor in or otherwise clog the main channel. This is of greater importance at lower water levels. There will be choke points on the river which are the only places where a boat can get through a certain section of river. If you anchor your boat in these spots you will limit others ability to navigate the river and you might get run over.
Wait your turn. There are certain times when several anglers are working the same water. An example of this is during the shad kill when a lot of anglers are concentrated in the Catch and Release section just below Bull Shoals dam. They motor up stream near the dam and drift down. The proper thing to do is motor up and wait your turn to begin your drift down. You should not drop in below another boat and interfere with their drift.
Keep the noise down. I have been on the river enjoying the natural beauty of the area only to have my solitude disturbed by another boat playing a boom box very loud. Just because you like Toby Keith does not mean that every one else does. Enjoy your loud music in the privacy of your own home.
Take these suggestions to heart and the river will be a pleasant place to be.
Kentucky Afield Outdoors: Hunt Safely Late in the Spring Turkey Season
May 3, 2009
Frankfort, Ky. – The Bluegrass is turning green. Once-bare trees hold thickening canopies of leaves thanks to plenty of rain and sunshine. But the growing leaf cover that spells springtime means turkey hunters must be extra careful in the woods.
“It’s harder to see turkeys – but harder to see people, too. That’s one of the big concerns,” said Mary McQuillen, hunter training officer for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
McQuillen advises hunters to positively identify what’s moving before pulling the trigger, and not make the mistake of just shooting at a sound or movement.
Hunting remains a safe activity with just a few incidents reported each season. Although more than 75,000 people are turkey hunting in Kentucky this spring, there has been only one hunting accident reported as the general season approaches its second week. In that single incident, a hunter firing at a flying turkey accidently struck his hunting partner with some shotgun pellets.
“What happened in that particular situation was the turkey flew and was out of the hunter’s zone of fire,” said Bobby McKee, also a Kentucky Fish and Wildlife hunter training officer. “He ended up making a mistake and shooting his buddy. You always have to know your target and what’s beyond it.”
McKee recommends hunters create a plan when hunting with friends. “If you’ve got a buddy that is hunting with you, you need to constantly know where your friend is at,” he said. “When I’m hunting with a friend, we plan ahead of time where each of us will be and how we’re going to hunt that farm. Have a hunting plan and stick to it.”
Even with the best plans, however, it’s always possible to encounter an unexpected hunter in the field. Hunters should be cautious when alerting others to their presence.
“If you see another hunter, don’t wave at him. That movement could get you shot,” said McQuillen. “Stay still and, in a normal voice, say, ‘Hey, I’m hunting here.’ ”
McQuillen also cautions hunters against using gobbler sounds, which other hunters may mistake for a real turkey. Additionally, hunters should be careful which colors they wear in the field.
“Never wear the colors of the American flag – those are the turkey’s colors,” said McQuillen. “Hunters see color and they think, ‘turkey.’”
Turkey hunters should keep safety in mind at all times, no matter how much they want to take a bird. All it takes is one lapse in judgment to cause an injury.
“Sometimes the pressure is on if you haven’t gotten your bird yet,” said McKee. “It might make hunters a little anxious to harvest one. But this is not a time to make a bad decision.”
Kentucky’s spring turkey season is open now through May 10. For complete hunting regulations and additional turkey safety tips, check the 2009 Kentucky Hunting Guide for Spring, available at fw.ky.gov and wherever hunting licenses are sold
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