http://www.timesnews.net/ This is the www.timesnews.net data feed for George Thwaites Tue, 9 Feb 2010 12:27:40 EST en-us http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7654 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7654 Sat, 6 Feb 2010 22:59:23 EST
According to the TWRA, a similar study is being conducted on Melton Hill reservoir. Instead of bronzebacks, the species being studies are muskies.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is asking anglers, who fish for musky on Melton Hill Reservoir, to participate in an on-going study aimed at finding out more information about this important fishery.

Tennessee Tech University and United States Geological Survey researchers have begun a multi-year study of the movements, habitat use, and thermal ecology of muskie in Melton Hill Reservoir located in Anderson, Knox, and Loudon Counties.

Muskies have been stocked into Melton Hill Lake since 1998 and a small, but popular fishery has developed that attracts anglers from as far away as Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The researchers are working with TWRA's Region IV biologists to capture several dozen adult muskies this winter using electrofishing gear. A small radio transmitter weighing less than one ounce with a life span of several years is surgically implanted into the abdominal cavity of each fish in the study.

Within a few weeks, the incision heals and anglers will not know they have caught a radio-tagged fish unless they see the 15-inch, thin silver wire antennae extending through the side or bottom of the fish.

During the study period, researchers will be on the reservoir periodically with radio telemetry equipment tracking the tagged fish.

Anglers who have any questions should contact Jim Negus (jim.negus@tn.gov), Aaron Cole (ajcole42@tntech.edu) or Dr. Phil Bettoli (Pbettoli@tntech.edu).

The researchers would also like to hear from anglers who catch one of these radio-tagged fish regarding where and when they caught it. Some of the tagged muskies will eventually grow longer than the minimum size limit of 50 inches that goes into effect March 1, 2010, however, the researchers are hoping anglers will choose to release tagged fish unharmed so that the fish can continue to provide data for the study.


I would imagine that the transmitters from the original Holston River smallmouth study stopped functioning a long time ago. I wonder if fishermen are continuing to catch any bass in the Holston with antennae dangling out of them?



]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7651 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7651 Wed, 3 Feb 2010 20:21:28 EST
One report of over 100 dead or distressed Snow Geese in the Gueydan area has been confirmed. Additionally, unconfirmed reports of dead, sick, and dying snow geese in Riceville, Kaplan, and Klondike are being investigated. A small number of affected geese have been reported in the Bunkie area.

My initial concerns were somewhat allayed by the report that initial findings indicate these geese may be victims of aflatoxicosis -- basically they've been poisoned by moldy grain. In my mind, at least, that's preferable to some kind of avian pandemic that could spread through North American waterfowl populations.

Then the LDWF tossed in a disclaimer that, while it might be normative for any other state fish and game agency, struck me as particularly funny.

Healthy, hunter-harvested snow geese are safe for human consumption. However, emaciated, sick, or dying birds or those that are found dead should not be consumed.

The famous culinary ingenuity and frugality of the French has clearly influenced Cajun and Creole kitchen culture. But maybe some things that can go without saying should go without saying.

In obliquely related off-topic matters, I sadly and belatedly note the closing of one of my favorite local restaurants in Kingsport: Cafe New Orleans. I don't know the details. I only know that some of the most delicious entrees and desserts I have ever eaten in the Model City can't be had around here any more.

By the way, I'm also unhappy about the shuttering of Max Max and Kaffe Blue. I HATE recessions.







]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7646 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7646 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:46:09 EST
According to the official release:

"The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) received laboratory confirmation on January 19, 2010, that a white-tailed deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). This is the first confirmed case of CWD in Virginia. The deer was killed by a hunter in Frederick County less than one mile from the West Virginia line. With this case, Virginia now joins 17 other states and Canadian provinces with CWD, five of which are east of the Mississippi River.

"This was not unexpected," stated VDGIF Executive Director Bob Duncan. "Our wildlife professionals have been preparing for this for some time. The surveillance efforts have been critical and we appreciate the hunters, check station operators, and other cooperators who have supported our efforts."

CWD is a disease of deer and has not been found to be transmitted to humans or other animals. To learn more about CWD in Virginia and about the agency's CWD Response Plan visit www.dgif.virginia.gov/cwd.

This is the first positive test sample out of nearly 5,000 deer tested in the Commonwealth since 2001. VDGIF has been sampling hunter-killed and road-killed deer from the Active Surveillance Area in western Frederick and Shenandoah counties since 2005, when CWD was first detected near Slanesville, West Virginia, within ten miles of the state line. Between 2005 and 2009, CWD has been detected in 62 deer in Hampshire County, West Virginia, out of nearly 10,000 total deer sampled during that time. Several have been found within five miles of the Virginia line.

Agency officials from West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) and VDGIF continue to share information and coordinate their responses. For more information on CWD in West Virginia please see the WVDNR website at http://www.wvdnr.org/. VDGIF is also working in consultation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.


On the one hand, an acquaintance who knows a great deal more about biochemistry and microbiology than I do says he doesn't think CWD prions are very likely to jump from cervids to humans. On the other hand, he admits that if there ever were a rabies-like "zombie plague" as depicted in horror movies like "28 Days Later," a rogue prion would likely be the culprit. These things are fiendishly difficult to eradicate.

Just about all available information on CWD is disconcertingly contradictory. State fish and game departments reassure hunters about the lack of evidence that CWD is transmissible to humans -- and yet counsel hunters to take added precautions when field dressing game (wear surgical gloves, avoid CNS tissue and lymph nodes, etc.) and stress never consuming meat from an animal suspected of having been exposed to CWD. One state site even provides the caveat that harvested animals that have tested negative for CWD according to that state's testing methods might still contain CWD agent/prions! That's quite a butt-covering maneuver on that state's part for something that is supposedly a low-risk issue.

Hopefully, CWD won't turn into a catastrophic deer zombie plague. But some wildlife biologists are clearly concerned that it could. I've been following this for years and I think the responsible conservative position is to take this business seriously. If you really love deer hunting and truly care about it being passed to future generations, there is no other way to see it.

Thick-headed denial is not the same thing as healthy skepticism.

]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7643 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7643 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:28:07 EST
But cheer up fishing fans. A series of popular programs -- all held in the warmth and comfort of the great indoors -- is about to begin in Kingsport.

Well-known local angling personality Nathan Light has reconfigured and revived his Let's Go Fishin' series for a 2010 winter run at Higher Ground Baptist Church in Kingsport.

The free seminars, which consist of eight consecutive Wednesday night programs, are set to begin Jan. 27 with a seminar on wacky worming presented by FLW professional Ott Defoe.

A different angling expert will take the seminar stage each Wednesday night. Other presenters and topics for the series include former New River guide Barry Loupe on river smallmouth; FLW Stren Series pro Brad Burkhar on flipping and pitching; area tournament whiz Joe Leonard on drop shot and electronics; FLW pro Brandon Coulter on structure fishing; BFL All-American qualifier Kevin Powers on topwater; and Light himself holding forth on swimbaits.

All of the experts are donating their time to this project. There are no promotional or appearance fees involved.

Light acknowledged the seminars are tilted toward bass angling. It's an extremely popular subject in these parts. Plus, bass fishing is his area of expertise and he knows a lot of great bass anglers.

An exception to the rule in this year's series will be a seminar on trolling for walleye conducted by Knoxville angling expert Cowan Rodgers. This one should intrigue a lot of people eager to learn new techniques for catching these fish, which are highly prized as table fare.

Each Wednesday session will begin promptly at 6:45 p.m. and conclude at 8:15. Attendees should plan to show up early. The auditorium is in the Student Building on the Higher Ground campus off Lynn Garden Drive. There will be volunteers to greet and direct newcomers.


]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7635 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7635 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:37:30 EST
This one opinion will do. Pond scum. If I were a Tennessee fan, I wouldn't want Lane Kiffin here. If I were a USC fan, I wouldn't want him there.

I've known for some time that college football is not the idealistic endeavor I imagined it to be in my callow youth. Quite possibly, it never was. Even the most seemingly wholesome programs are subject to ugly intrusions of reality. I believe that Frank Beamer really is an uncommonly decent individual among his peer group of leading NCAA Division I football coaches. But even Beamer's had to tiptoe around some doo-doo during the course of his career. He provided public character references for the Vick brothers which turned out to be highly imaginative. Beamer stood up for the Big East in its time of crisis only to have Tech bolt for the ACC in a sequence of maneuvers that would've impressed Niccolo Machiavelli. It happens.

Perhaps circumstances force men of integrity to make compromises (or engage in denial) in order to keep their core principles intact. At least one of the Vick brothers put Virginia Tech in contention for a national title. The ACC is clearly better off for the Hokies being there. And vice-versa. We can argue all day about whether the ends justified the means. But the ends hold up to considerable scrutiny.

So, would somebody tell me what Lane Kiffin has actually accomplished as a head coach aside from obtaining national publicity by virtue of his mouth? Four wins at Oakland and seven wins at Tennessee. As for the latter, how much of that is Lane Kiffin's doing and how much should be attributed to Monte Kiffin (a genius, seriously) and Ed Orgeron? Would USC want Lane Kiffin without those two as part of the package?

Sure. Lane Kiffin is a great recruiter. One who allegedly told a South Carolina prospect he'd end up "pumping gas" if he played for the Gamecocks. One who publicly (and unfairly) threw stones at Urban Meyer while standing in his own glass house. One who has clearly demonstrated that he expects a degree of commitment from his recruits that he does not feel compelled to reciprocate.

If I were a highly-sought Division I prospect, at this point why would I believe anything Lane Kiffin told me? There are nine other Pac-10 programs, better than half of which ought to be savvy enough to turn recent events to their advantage: "How can you tell Lane Kiffin is lying? His lips are moving."

One thing Lane Kiffin has accomplished is to turn the state of Tennessee into a pocket of rabid Pac-10 followers who are going to root obsessively for Oregon, Oregon State, Arizona, Stanford, Cal, Washington, UCLA, Arizona State and Washington State -- and anybody else who has a chance to rub Kiffin's baby face in a steaming pile of karma.

Another thing he's accomplished is to help folks reflect on what is admirable about coaches like Phil Fulmer, and Frank Beamer, and -- I never thought I'd be saying this -- what is admirable and even heroic about Urban Meyer.

Some will say Lane Kiffin's recent conduct merely reflects the dirty business that is big time college football. I say to accept that is baloney. The realities of NCAA football are not immutable facts of existence, like the physical limitations of the human life span. This is a man-made institution, subject to formation -- and reformation -- by virtue of intentional choices made by human beings who participate in it.

So howl to the high heavens, Vols fans. You are absolutely correct to be disgusted by Lane Kiffin's lack of loyalty. But also be honest and ask yourselves: were you not happy with what you thought you were getting when Kiffin & Co. showed up to replace the ousted Fulmer? Be careful what you ask for this time around.

UPDATE: Snooping around the internet Wednesday night, I encountered evidence that UT fans and UCLA fans are already bonding cross-country over their mutual hatred of Lane Kiffin. No kidding.

The gist of it is something like this ...

UCLA Fan: "We loved coming to Knoxville. We love you guys."

UT Fan: "No man. We love YOU guys."

UCLA Fan: "We love you guys more. You deserved better than Kiffin."

UT Fan: "Go Bruins!"

UCLA Fan: "Go Vols!"

UT Fan: "We knew Kiffin was a D-bag, but we just couldn't believe how big a D-bag."

UCLA Fan: "Well, he learned at the feet of The Master."

I've also seen evidence that even some Alabama fans (swelling with the magnaminity that national championhood affords, no doubt), are offering Vols fans sincere emotional support. Uh, is this 2010 or 2012?

Now, if we can somehow manage to drum up a little empathy for Haiti ...

ONE LAST UPDATE: Lane Kiffin, still pond scum. Layla Kiffin, still attractive. Eric Clapton frequently in Los Angeles. Derek and the Dominoes reuinion probably pending.
]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7632 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7632 Fri, 8 Jan 2010 19:07:41 EST
Kurita's fish now shares dual world record status in the IGFA record book with the 22-4 largemouth bass George Perry caught in Georgia's Montgomery Lake in 1932.

The 32-year-old Kurita was using a Deps Sidewinder rod and Shimano Antares DC7LV loaded with 25 pound test Toray line when he pitched a live bluegill next to a bridge piling. After a couple of twitches, the fish was on. After a three-minute fight, it was in the boat.

Normally it takes the IGFA three months to certify a new world record, but the process was complicated by allegations that Kurita had caught the fish in a no-fishing zone. Lengthy correspondence, testimony and affadavits were pursued to determine that Kurita did not violate any laws and the catch was legitimate.

"The IGFA was also sensitive to this particular record because in past years there have been several attempts to sue over largemouth bass record claims," said IGFA Conservation Director Jason Schratweiser.
"Although none of these claims have been successful, they have resulted in considerable legal fees for the IGFA."

According to the IGFA, largemouth bass have been introduced in many countries, but Japan fisheries officials consider it an invasive species. Because bass are not native and are stocked in Japan, many speculated that Kurita's catch was a sterile triploid. However, when Japanese biologists examined the ova of the big female, the fish was determined not to be triploid.
]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7625 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7625 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:38:03 EST
This one (see picture) is considerably smaller than the hydrophobic one that put my hometown on the map by attacking the lady when she came downstairs to get some vegetables out of her freezer. This is the sort of thing that happens where I'm from. Evidently, urbanites are fascinated by stories like this. So it made the rounds on the AP wire. (Don't expect me to track down an old link like that. You're lucky I can figure out how to post the picture)

For many years, I've envisioned the perfect bobcat diorama mount -- the predator leaping upward with claws extended, snatching a flushing grouse from the air. (If you ever see this mount, remember -- you read it here, first).

A call to a local taxidermist dampened Eke's ardor for a full body mount of this one. (Cha-ching!) But he is having the pelt tanned.

Later this week, pal Roscoe collected another bobcat that looks like a twin of Eke's. So once the holes are sewn up, they've got a couple of identically-sized bobcat pelts.

Maybe they could have them made into a pair of "kitten mittens." They could take turns wearing them. Now, that would be the talk of the town!







]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7605 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7605 Wed, 9 Dec 2009 16:38:46 EST
Thanks to having a few leftover vacation days, I'll be having a little bit of Christmas Vacation this year, at least a couple days of which I hope I can expend on my recently-rekindled love affair with deer hunting.

Of course I'll use most of it hanging around home and hearth soaking up the holiday spirit. I'll inevitably watch one or two of my holiday favorites, beverage and snacks in hand.

One will inevitably be "It's A Wonderful Life" despite the fact that I've seen it countless times. Capra's expository devices are indeed corny but the performances are so stellar -- and the core of the story so essentially truthful -- that it never fails to floor me. Jimmy Stewart deserved an Oscar for George Bailey's Christmas Eve meltdown in front of his family, followed by Donna Reed's worried, soft-spoken exchange with her children after he runs off in shame and despair: "Is Daddy in trouble?" Mary: "Yes, Pete." Janie: "Shall I pray for him?" Mary: "Yes, Janie, pray very hard." Tommy: "Me too?" Mary: "You too, Tommy."

Wow. Me too.

At the other end of the Christmas-As-Existential-Crisis spectrum, we have "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." This is a stealth favorite. It's vulgar. It's trashy. It is hilarious. But the movie's systematic deconstruction of one man's holiday fantasies is not nearly as ironic as one might be led to believe. We glimpse the warm heart beating at the center of this movie when Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is locked in the freezing attic with mementos of Christmases past, the soulful strains of Ray Charles' "That Spirit of Christmas" playing in the background. Thanks to John Hughes' genius (he wrote and produced it) what could've been a regrettable Xmas-ploitation comedy has become a holiday staple ... and so has Hawaii's way to say 'Merry Christmas' to you.

These are two I will be watching for certain, when I get a moment to put up my feet. What's on your list?





]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7598 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7598 Sat, 5 Dec 2009 22:16:46 EST It might not be a coyote.
Sunday marks the last day of the Gun-Archery-Muzzleloader season in Northeast Tennessee. If the escapees from Bays Mountain Park make it through that, I'd say they stand a pretty good chance of making it through the ensuing two weeks of late archery without getting mistaken for a yodel dog.

Truthfully, these wolves probably face a much greater danger of wandering in front of of a vehicle.

Around here, these things are more popular than the Fantastic Mr. Fox. With any luck, they'll all get recovered in one piece.

It could get interesting, though. Wolves are very intelligent. And they've had a taste of freedom. They could add a whole new competitive dimension to trail running at Bays Mountain Park.


UPDATE: Evidently, at one the at-large wolves got homesick for the pack .
]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7591 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7591 Wed, 2 Dec 2009 19:40:02 EST
A week later in the same location, bigger deer were finally starting to move. My brother called the day before Thanksgiving to let me know a couple more deer were taken off the same stand. One was a mature doe (what I initially had in mind) and the second was a big-bodied buck sporting an unimpressive six-point rack of strikingly similar size and spread to the one I killed the week prior.

Hm. Looks like I maybe culled one that needed to be culled, after all. And boy, is he tender and delicious!

Haven't hunted in Tennessee this year yet, but I may try to find a few days for the late rifle season. Someone told me today that they haven't seen a lot of rutting activity when they've hunted locally. The rut was just getting started up in the New River Valley two weeks ago. The young'un I shot clearly had his head down and his mind on other things as he blundered into range.

I probably won't get another chance to go out again until the late Gun/Archery/Muzzleloader season in Tennessee. I'm optimistic that it'll be worth the effort.

So, what are y'all seeing out there this week?]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7582 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7582 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:55:19 EST
But you wouldn't know that on Saturday's statewide opening day of the general firearms season. One fat doe in our headlights when we arrived to hunt and a lone spike buck were all we spotted that morning. In the evening, nothing.

I was thinking maybe it was my aftershave (I smelled just like dirt and deer urine, actually) but my brother's text-message poll of three different deer hunters at three separate locations revealed that deer movement was signficantly subpar for everyone.

Unseasonably warm temperatures make for comfortable conditions to sit motionless in a tree for hours. It's clearly making it comfortable for the deer to remain just as motionless.

Hopefully, it will be colder on Monday. At any rate, we've got either-sex hunting as an option and the best jerky-maker we know has a standing request for some doe venison. But, hey, you know what they say about betting against a streak.]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7568 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7568 Sun, 8 Nov 2009 20:37:36 EST
All of Uncle Ted's fans have been getting pumped up about the the "Ted Nugent Tooth, Fang & Claw" show set to air on the PURSUIT Channel in 2010. First the buzz ... then the buzzkill. Rumors start flying that PURSUIT has filed for bankrupcy.

In a recent news release, Rusty Faulk, PURSUIT Channel CEO explains that the previous owners of the cable outdoors entity are the ones that have filed for bankrupcy, not the current owners:


"There's been some confusion in our industry this week about the health of the PURSUIT Channel due to the recent filing of a voluntary petition for relief from creditors (bankruptcy) by Pursuit Channel, LLC, the predecessor entity to Pursuit Media TV, LLC d/b/a PURSUIT Channel.

Effective March 2009, the assets of Pursuit Channel, LLC, including the 'PURSUIT Channel' as it is known in the outdoor industry, were purchased by Pursuit Media TV, LLC who has owned and operating the PURSUIT Channel since that date.

Since March 2009, the PURSUIT Channel has been rolling strong and continues to grow. We are ahead of schedule for the January launch of our upcoming 'new look' which includes branded nightly destination TV blocks found only on Pursuit. Our lineup for 2010 is the most powerful in all of outdoor media. Our business plan that puts producers first and honors the traditional values of the outdoor consumer is proving not only to be the right thing to do, but right on target as well.

Please don't be confused. The PURSUIT Channel has not filed bankruptcy and will continue to meet all of your outdoor viewing needs and looks forward to the exciting lineup for 2010."

Stay tuned.]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7548 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7548 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:06:52 EDT
Franklin's Tami Miller -- whose husband successfully bid $17,000 on eBay for the tag -- wrapped up Tennessee's first-ever elk hunt when she collected a 5x6 bull Tuesday afternoon.

Miller was one of five hunters who participated in Tennessee's first-ever elk hunt in the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area. Four of the hunters were awarded tags in a statewide drawing. Miller's husband bid $17,000 for the fifth tag in a fundraiser auction held on eBay.

Charles "Chuck" Flynn from the Rockford community in Blount County was confirmed as the first person to legally harvest an elk in Tennessee in almost 150 years. The life-long sportsman harvested a 7X6 elk shortly after 7:30 a.m. that field dressed 520 pounds.

Craig Gardner of Parrottsville harvested a 6x7 bull that field dressed at 620 pounds, Ronald Woodard of Oak Ridge took a 6x6 that field dressed at 720 and Jeff Moses collected a 6x6, the weight of which was unrecorded.

Each hunter was assigned separate hunting territories of approximately 8,000 acres.

]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7546 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7546 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:17:24 EDT
Now Winchester Repeating Arms has announced the return of the Model 94, but don't expect the gun traders' speculative bubble to burst all of the sudden.

According to a recent news release by the company:

"This reintroduction of the most popular rifle in history will be offered in two Limited Edition models that will commemorate the 200th anniversary of Oliver F. Winchester's birth in New England in 1810. A Model 1894 Custom Grade and Model 1894 High Grade will be offered in 30-30 Winchester caliber."

The Model 1894 Custom Grade rifle has an MSRP of $1,959. The Model 1984 High Grade rifle 's suggested retail price is $1,469. Neither is something that is likely to get casually hung in a pickup truck gun rack or otherwise subjected to honest wear from hard hunting.

The Winchester 94 was the first American sporting rifle chambered in .30-30 (or .30 WCF, as it was originally designated), which also had the distinction of being the first sporting cartridge in America expressly designed for modern "smokeless" propellants. It was not actually chambered in .30 WCF until 1895, however, the rifle's second year of manufacture.

It remains to be seen whether or not Winchester will try to revive the 94 as a working man's hunting rifle. While the old hoss always retained its admirers, Marlin's 336 had already taken a great deal of play from the 94 among hunters who remained enamored of the .30-30 as a deer round. Marlin has continued to manufacture the 336 as a mainstream deer hunting rifle since USRAC discontinued the 94. Meanwhile, Henry and Mossberg have both since introduced .30-30 lever action hunting rifles of their own design in hopes of taking whatever market share Winchester abandoned.

Whatever the 94s vices as a modern hunting rifle (and they are several) the straight-gripped versions are indeed a joy to carry when unscoped and they point as naturally as a shotgun. Nothing else quite feels like a Winchester 94, (unless it's a Winchester 92 or replica thereof).]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7540 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7540 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:07:23 EDT
A number of states have moved to outlaw these concoctions in the wake of findings that prions -- the rogue proteins that cause chronic wasting disease -- can be transferred through deer urine and feces. A case of chronic wasting disease was confirmed in West Virginia's Hampshire County in 2005.

The urine used in commercial deer lures is generally collected from domesticated or otherwise captive deer populations. In the past, some outbreaks of CWD were believed to have originated in commercial deer and elk farms.

Researchers had previously determined that CWD causing prions could be transferred via the animals' saliva. That finding alone implied that intentional efforts to encourage multiple animals to feed in a more concentrated area than otherwise would be found in the wild might result in higher rates of transmission between animals.

Many hunters plant food plots on hunting areas during the off season with an eye toward not only attracting deer to their properties, but also providing diverse nutrients in hopes of improving the overall health of the herd. The practice of using stationary deer feeders, which make timed distributions of grain or food pellets within the relatively small radius of an electric hopper, would tend to concentrate deer feeding patterns even more.

Some natural deer food sources -- particularly acorns and other hard mast -- would also have a tendency to concentrate animal feeding in smaller areas.

Obviously, there is a great deal of additional research on CWD that needs to be pursued.


]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7530 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7530 Tue, 6 Oct 2009 17:13:15 EDT
The monster largemouth was caught by 32-year-old Manabu Kurita in Lake Biwa on live bait (either a koi or bluegill, depending on the reports). The fish weighed 22 pounds, 5 ounces -- a mere ounce heavier than Perry's 22-4 bigmouth caught in 1932.

The International Game Fish Association is currently reviewing Kurita's world record application and submitting it to the kind of scrutiny one would expect.

The IGFA has ruled that Perry's record has to be beaten by a full two ounces to replace the longstanding record. So, if certified, Kurita's fish will be considered to have tied the world record.

It remains to be seen whether Kurita -- a Deps rod company pro staffer -- will be able to cash in on his world record bass to the degree one might have imagined for such an accomplishment. Evidently, Deps has already claimed exclusive rights to marketing the story of Kurita's catch. Furthermore, the fish was caught on live bait. So much for a lucrative lure endorsement.

Perry's record largemouth was reportedly caught on a Creek Chub Wiggle Fish, although Perry indicated in a 1972 interview that the bait may have been a Creek Chub Fin Tail Shiner. Either way, for over 70 years Creek Chub enjoyed the prestige of having produced the plug that caught the World Record Largemouth Bass.



]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7520 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7520 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:57:13 EDT
According to claims data recently released by State Farm Insurance, the number of deer-vehicle collisions in Tennessee is up 22 percent from five years ago.

Then again, it could be worse. The chances of hitting a deer while driving any one vehicle in Tennessee is 1-in-268. That's pretty significant, but not necessarily the basis for a deer-dodging video game.

Consider West Virginia, the state where collision with a deer (or just about anything, one would imagine) is most likely. The chance of a vehicle in the Mountain State striking a deer over the next 12 months is a staggering 1-in-39. Michigan is second on the list, offering a 1-in-78 chance of a vehicular collision involving a cervid.

Those crazy Yoopers! Every now and again, they've been known to run over bears. But never wolverines.

Since the good folks at State Farm would just as soon not have to pay claims for all the damage, injury and potential death these unfortunate encounters can generate, here are a few tips (paraphrased by us) offered in hopes of reducing these collisions.

-- Pay attention to "Deer Crossing" signs. They have been put there for a reason.

-- Keep in mind that deer are most active between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

-- Use high beam headlamps as much as possible . The added light helps to reveal deer before they actually enter the roadway.

-- Deer generally travel in herds. If you see one, there are probably others nearby.

-- So called "deer whistles" on cars are not to be relied upon for protection.

-- If a deer collision seems inevitable, attempting to swerve out of the way could cause one to lose control of one's vehicle, or veer into the path of another oncoming motorist.


]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7507 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7507 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:31:13 EDT
This is authentic. My brother just sent this capture from a game cam he's got on hunting territory in Virginia. He said he had a better photo of this bad boy, but he inadvertantly deleted it.

We suspected coyotes had infiltrated the property and my brother and I fooled around with a jury-rigged electronic calling setup earlier this summer. It was a less than ideal setup and I moaned and groaned about our chances of educating a predator. But at the same time, I was also fascinated about seeing if you could actually use a standard laptop computer as an electronic game caller in a pinch.

Evidently, you can. We got no answering howls, but we both were certain something moved in on us and flanked us before catching wind and running off. We never got a good look at it. There are bobcats galore in that country, but it seemed like yodel dog behavior to me.

Judging from the photo, this is a big, well-fed coyote. On a recent scouting trip, my brother discovered the bones of a fawn that was killed on the property not too long ago. We have to assume that this was the culprit. Or one of them.

Part of me wants to see that 'yote in his finest winter pelt before getting him in the crosshairs. My deer hunter instincts just want him gone, ASAP, and certainly well in advance of the rifle season.

It's ultimately my brother's call (and that of his hunting buddies). So what should it be? Now, or later?

]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7498 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7498 Tue, 8 Sep 2009 22:29:16 EDT
At the risk of getting into hot water (!!!) for blogging off topic, driving past the "tax protest rally" held in Kingsport Monday reminded me of a promise I once made to my former E&H history professor, the late Dr. Lewis M. Purifoy.

One of Purifoy's pet peeves was that most U.S. schoolchildren are incorrectly taught that the Boston Tea Party was organized to protest a tax on tea. He made the entire class vow to correct our future offspring, should there be an attempt to indoctrinate them with this historical inaccuracy.

Setting us straight, Purifoy enlightened us as to patriots' real difficulties with the East India Tea Act. This bit of British high-handedness granted a monopoly on tea shipping to the East India Company while actually lowering the excise tax on tea. For the average colonist, the end result of the law was that legally-taxed tea from licensed British merchants suddenly became cheaper than untaxed black market tea which was routinely purchased from Dutch sources and brought into the country illegally.

Obviously, smugglers were unhappy with this development. But so were legitimate colonial businessmen like JOHN HANCOCK, who also stood to be ruined financially by the East India Company's monopoly on the tea trade. Strange bedfellows, indeed. Now isn't this a more fascinating glimpse into the issues behind the war for independence than tired old mistaken assumptions about taxes?

While all historical analogies are imperfect (a serious understatement) the Whiskey Rebellion might be a better one. This really was a revolt against a tax. Not only that, it was a popular revolt against one of the first taxes levied by the federal government-- a tax on whiskey that blatantly favored plantation owners and large distillers over family farmers.

Of course, the Father of Our Country Himself saddled up, rallied the troops and stomped the Whiskey Rebellion flat, after which independent distillers of an argumentatively libertarian bent moved away from Pennsylvania and set up shop in the wilder environs of Tennessee and Kentucky.




]]> http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7485 http://www.timesnews.net/blogger.php?id=327&postid=7485 Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:00:22 EDT
No self-aggrandizing here. I probably won't be archery hunting this year, although I admit I'm envious of those who will be. It usually amazes me that archery hunting isn't more popular than it is. But then, it's like a lot of challenging sports. There is a winnowing effect.

By and large, archery hunters are a different breed of cat. Not to denigrate other general season deer hunters-- even crossbow hunters – here are some basic observations I've made over the years with regard to what sets bowhunting apart.

--Bowhunting is the most athletic form of deer hunting. Sure, all deer hunting is more athletic than non-hunters realize. But you do not have to train your muscles to shoot a rifle to the same degree you have to condition yourself to shoot a bow consistently. Shooting a bow is work.

--Because of the above, bowhunting requires more dedicated target practice in advance of the season and, preferably, year-round.

--Bowhunting requires more preseason engagement. The margin for error is much smaller than with firearms. Shooting lanes must be well thought out, and judiciously pruned. Scouting and hunting site preparation can be downright obsessive.

--Given the close ranges at which deer must be shot, successful archery hunters tend to be better at concealment, scent and noise discipline than average hunters.

--Bowhunters tend to study deer anatomy more closely than average deer hunters because arrow placement is less forgiving than bullet placement.

--Bowhunters tend to be more patient than average hunters and tend to spend more hours in the stand during a given hunting year.

--Bowhunters tend to spend more time observing deer behavior than average hunters.

--Bowhunters can be a little more eccentric than average hunters. They aren't always like Patrick Swayze's family in "Next of Kin" or even like Burt Reynolds in "Deliverance." But I've certainly met some characters.


So, am I giving bowhunters too much credit, or not nearly enough? What would you add to the list?

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