A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO
The Farmville Herald • The Kenbridge-Victoria Dispatch • The Charlotte Gazette
Hunting Fishing OCTOBER 2020
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Learn to be invisible when hunting BY FRANCIS WOOD
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ast November, I walked up on a black bear sitting in a grey-brown forest. I was startled when I noticed the bear was no farther than 20 steps away. My Labrador Retriever, Coco, was with me and not even she noticed the bear until I began backing away and the wind shifted. When the dog scented the bear, she became upset and made a mock charge toward it. The bear stood up but did not show any signs of aggression. Luckily, I was able to call Coco back to me and we went our separate ways. I have thought about that encounter and determined that the bear, which is a somewhat curious animal, must have seen us approaching from the time we entered the woods from a clearing at least 50 yards away. A bear’s eyesight is at least as good as a human’s. Had the wind been right, it would have been able to smell us long before we came into its range of sight. So, the bear was aware of my Lab and me long before we detected it. Why? The bear was sitting beside a large pine tree which afforded it shade from the morning sunlight. The bear was perfectly still and quiet, and the wind was such that my Lab had not yet picked up its scent. My eyes detected no motion, so I did not notice it. Walking to within such a close range of a large wild animal can be a sobering experience. But, also, a learning curve. I once read an article in which the great archer, Fred Bear, stated that to be successful at seeing wild game, a hunter needed to be still, quiet and patient. He was right. A hunter can wear all the store-bought camouflage he can afford and still not be but so successful at hunting if he or she
cannot master some of the skills of a predator. Dress for the hunt. There is so much camouflage apparel and gear on the market now that one can almost close his eyes and take his pick. Keep in mind the landscape of your hunts when doing this. Is there a lot of greenery such as trees with foliage and bushes? Do you want to look like a tree or a bush? If so, then buy accordingly and make your stand near a tree or a bush. If you are hunting open areas such as fields, meadows or rocky landscapes, then you will dress differently. Remember, the game animals already know the terrain quite well and will notice anything out of place. I don’t usually wear much camouflage clothing. Drab, earthy clothing suits me best. And, I pay close attention to the places I intend to hunt. I avoid blues and reds. I won’t wear any vinyl garments, and I pay close attention to the fabric of my outdoor wear. In cold weather, I dress in layers of soft fabric outdoor wear. I avoid washing my outdoor clothes with any detergent that contains a UV brightener as it heightens the blue in fabric. A whitetail deer’s eyesight is keen to blues. I also will not use fabric softener on my outdoor clothing. It smells great, but a deer downwind of you will pick up the scent a quarter of a mile away. A black bear can smell you 20 miles away. Dressing right is just one way to be invisible to game animals. You must also mask your human scent. The fact is, game animals such a deer, bear, bobcats and foxes find humans to be quite smelly. It’s a good thing wild turkeys can’t smell worth a hoot. They rely mostly on their keen eyesight and hearing to detect our presence in nature. You can buy a ton of scents on the market to mask your scent Francis Wood holds a wild turkey. Turkeys have a terrible sense of smell relying more on sight and in the woods. I recall dragging sound to detect the presence of humans.
3 around an old camouflaged rag, when I was young and on the hunt, that was smeared with skunk scent. That was awful, and I often chuckle about it, although it was effective to a point. I gave that up years ago and now rely on my knowledge of the wind and one other thing. I will often build a squaw fire from a little pile of dried leaves and allow the smoke to permeate my
clothing. You see, wild game animals such as deer are used to the smell of wildfires. It goes a long way in masking the human scent. I have smelled humans in the woods long before I saw them. Some of these hunters were hard to see, but the smell of cigarette smoke on their breath or fabric softener in their apparel gave them away. If I could smell it, you know
Backyard bears
DONNA U. WEBB
Mike Webb from Cartersville recently submitted this photo of a mama bear and three cubs taken at his residence. Black bears have been seen several times in the Town of Farmville the past several months.
a deer could. Think about seeing a deer in the woods, standing still and silent, not moving a muscle while you drive or walk by. Look away for a second and then look back and see how difficult it is to find it again, even though you know where to look. That deer is almost invisible. All of the animals in nature know how to be invisible. I’ve walked past a bobcat lying low in a honeysuckle tangle and only noticed it by chance. And, how many times have you outdoorsmen flushed a covey of quail or a lone grouse or woodcock almost right there under
your feet? They were invisible until their nerves gave way and they bolted. You can make being invisible work for you just as the wild animals do. But it takes experience and knowledge. Walk slowly in the woods. Don’t swing your arms back and forth. No animal in the woods does that. They don’t move like we do. They watch for anything unnatural. And, humans fit that bill. Be patient, still and quiet. Know the game animal you are going after. Scout the area you are going to hunt and know the landscape. Dress accordingly. Be invisible and you will be a successful hunter.
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Ponds can bring good fishing BY PETE KAPUSCINSKI
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t took moving to Virginia to realize just how much sportsminded folks around here love fishing ponds – and for good reasons. Having come from the Great Lakes region of the country, and having fished big water, pond fishing to me had an entirely different connotation. My idea of fishing in a pond back home was basically using a gig and looking for frogs, or the occasional muskrat. Associating ponds and fishing with any kind of rod and reel was — well, let’s say — faux pax. But wisdom comes with age, and frankly, learning to fish ponds, especially in and around Buckingham, has been outstanding fun, rewarding, and educational. This year, and in the past, together with my best fishing buddy (who also happens to be my son), we fished both named and unnamed ponds - Horsepen, Wilson (in Cumberland), and Slate River Reservoir just to mention a few of those that are open to the public. Each one holds pan fish and some very nice largemouth bass. I fish with flies and my son fishes with plastics and a spin rod. Either one works well. If you fly fish, flies that look froggy or large foamy flies with rubber legs work well. Plastics that seem to do the job are those that look like lizards and are either green or watermelon colored with some flash. Private ponds are also available
to invited guests in and around the area and they can fish well, even from shore. Some of those ponds are larger than the public impoundments mentioned above, and hold very nice fish that owners have planted there and raised for fishing. Since becoming an enthusiast of pond fishing, I built one on my property and planted bass, catfish, and pan fish some years ago. The young man in the picture is my son’s nephew, Kyle, from Delaware and he is holding a nice one caught just a week or so ago. Needless to say, he also enjoys fishing our small pond. If you do have the opportunity to fish private property impoundments, please remember that you are a guest. Be courteous, and take home any mess you may have created, including spent baits, lures, spent and broken line, and anything else you brought with you. And above all, remember to thank your host. Know that it is a privilege fishing private property. Your right to be there is never guaranteed. Pond fishing is a great gift and from a dyed-in-the-wool fisherman to anyone reading this article, look for both private and public water in and around your area. You will be surprised at the diversity and how much good fishing is available without having to travel very far at all. Good fishing to all, and I hope to see you on the water – private or public.
A member of Kapuscinski’s family holds a bass caught from the family’s private pond.
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Area Wildlife Management Areas offer hunting options BY CRYSTAL VANDEGRIFT
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he Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) maintains several Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) for the benefit of hunting and other outdoor actives. According to the DWR, these lands
are purchased and maintained with hunting, fishing, and trapping license fees and with Wildlife Restoration Funds.
BRIERY CREEK WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA This 3,164-acre management area is located in Prince Edward County about
The Briery Creek Wildlife Management Area shown above is located just miles from the Town of Farmville and provides hunters with great opportunities to hunt both deer and turkey.
seven miles south of Farmville. The woodlands provide an excellent turkey population, with good populations of deer and squirrels as well. Many abandoned farm fields add to the quality of the habitat for deer and turkey and provide some hunting for quail and rabbits. According to the DWR, waterfowl hunting is available on the lake and is best in the heads of coves. In recent years, resident populations
of wood ducks, mallards, and Canada geese have been seen in the area. Beavers, muskrats and some otters can be found along the lake’s coves, while bobcats, foxes, raccoons, and opossums can be found on the surrounding ridges.
FEATHERFIN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA Featherfin covers nearly 3,084 acres in Prince Edward, Appomattox, and
6 Buckingham counties providing an abundant habitat for all of the forest game species found in Virginia’s piedmont area. Deer, turkey, and squirrel hunting can be hunted at Featherfin and in recent years, black bears also have become more common in the area.
JAMES RIVER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS The area’s 1,213 acres located near Buckingham County offers hunters a variety of hunting opportunities from deer, turkey, quail, raccoon, squirrel and rabbit. According to DWR management on the area is directed towards enhancing habitat for these and a variety of other resident wildlife species. The James River Wildlife Management Area offers dove hunting around many of the open fields near the river. There is waterfowl hunting opportunity on the managed impoundment and along the bank of the James or from a boat as well.
AMELIA WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA The DWR notes the Amelia Wildlife Management Area offers hunting opportunities of rabbit and quail. Open fields are also planted each year to attract dove. According to DWR, deer and turkey populations also exist on the management area. The Amelia Wildlife Management Area is located near the Appomattox River which provides some opportunities for waterfowl hunting.
Featherfin Wildlife Management Area, above is known for deer, turkey, and squirrel hunting and in recent years black bears have been sighted. The James River Wildlife Management Area, below offers Dove hunting around many of the open fields near the river.
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What if fishing were a high school sport? favor of that,” Buckingham County High School Athletics Director Russ Gowin ishing is not presently a sport said. “If they ended up doing one for sanctioned by the Virginia the Virginia High School League, we High School League (VHSL), certainly would get one together, and but what if it were? I’m sure some kids would love to be on Would there be interest from students the fishing team. in the area to make it something their “Maybe they’re not suited to play schools would pursue? football or basketball or baseball or “Certainly we have a lot of kids that softball, but they may be really good at love to hunt and fish over here in Buckfishing,” he added. “We would be open ingham, so I know we would probably to that.” have a fishing team or we would be in He said a lot of colleges have fishing teams, and he thinks the trend has kind of trickled down to high schools from there. Gowin’s openness to adding the sport was echoed by most athletics directors in the area. Cumberland County High School Athletics Director Joseph Nowak said he is all for the idea of fishing and believes a high school program for it would have strong participation levels among Cumberland students. “It’s something that they might (ordinarily) not be able FARRAH SCHMIDT to do on a regular basis due to Fuqua School junior Camden Wood holds up a time management and stuff like catch he made. Wood is one among multiple Falthat, but if it became an activity cons who enjoy angling. Fuqua is offering a aquaor a school-sponsored event science class this coming spring that will touch on that they could then do, I think elements related to fishing. it would be a pretty popular BY TITUS MOHLER
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thing,” he said. Prince Edward County High School Athletics Director Rodney Kane said he knows at least a couple of students would be interested in being part of an official Eagles fishing squad. He pointed out that though unaffiliated with the VHSL, there are already high school fishing associations in existence. He has even signed off on one of his students competing in fishing events. But Kane also was positive about the idea of the VHSL sanctioning angling as an official sport. “If it includes more kids in getting them involved in extracurricular activities, I think it’s a pretty neat thing,” he said. Randolph-Henry High School Director of Athletics and Assistant Principal Christopher Holt expressed confidence the addition of fishing to his high school’s offerings would be a big draw.
“I think this is a great area to have something like that, with Buggs Island Lake and Briery Creek and just a lot of different locations, and fishing is a very popular sport in itself here in this area, so I’m sure that it would garner interest from some of our students,” he said. He noted he is all about providing opportunities for students to get involved in things after the school day ends. “If fishing were to come on board and be a possibility, then I think you capture potentially another group of kids that may or may not already be connected with something after school,” he said. “So, I’d be interested to see the details.” Central High School Athletics Director Wallace Owen expressed no opposition to the addition of fishing but recalled it as being something the VHSL was not interested in. “I seem to remember fishing teams being discussed several years ago, and the consensus opinion was that due
8 to liability concerns and other issues, it was not an activity that the league wanted to pursue,” he said. However, VHSL Executive Director Dr. John W. “Billy” Haun said the league would be open to pursuing it in the future. “I guess about two years ago, we had a school division that talked about bringing this forward as a proposal,” Haun said. “We had some people actually come and (they) did a presentation for the executive committee about the possibility of bass fishing and how big it was in some of the other state associations and that it already is a state championship to some of those. “But it really just sort of stopped there,” he continued. “It never got proposed to bring it forth for a vote or whatever, but there was information provided about that.” Haun noted, though, that any principal of any school or any district or regional chairperson could bring forth a proposal to add a sport, such as fishing, in the future. He highlighted the VHSL’s emerging sports policy. “The executive committee could vote and say, ‘OK, we’re going to adopt this as an emerging sport for three years and see how it grows,’” he said. “And with that, with emerging sports, it’s really not a state championship involved, it’s not a VHSL-sanctioned sport or anything like that, but it gives them an opportunity to sort of have three years to grow their sport and to get to the threshold of meeting the 50 + 1 criteria in order to become a VHSL sport.” The VHSL is always looking for options for its student-athletes, Haun stated, which is what leaves the league open and interested in something like angling. “One of the things that the Virginia
WENDY RAPOLE
Hunter Rapole, smiling while fishing out on the water, would likely be among the Randolph-Henry High School students interested in participating if fishing became an officially sanctioned sport by the Virginia High School League.
High School League always likes to do is to engage students in activities,” he said. “That’s why we have 27 athletic activities, we have 13 academic activities. Most recently we adopted robotics as an activity. Right now, we have e-sports in the emerging category, we’re giving it a look and see(ing) how that’s going to go. “We have such a variety of students in our schools, and one of the things that you always try to do is to provide as many activities as you can for kids that appeal to them,” he added.
Haun said he thinks fishing is a sport that would appeal to a lot. “Would it appeal to enough to make it a Virginia High School League sport?” he said. “I don’t know the answer to that, but it’s always interesting to try to figure out the things that work for students and provide them opportunities. “I know some of the states that do have (fishing) — they absolutely love it,” he continued, noting the sport helps create some of their biggest events each year. Nowak emphasized he sees angling interest in Virginia beyond just its rural areas. “When I was up in Fairfax, I know there were plenty of people who loved fishing all the time,” he said. “I had friends who they’d skip half of the school day just to go fishing.” Haun said he knows there are some school divisions in Virginia that do offer bass fishing as a club activity, and they have a good time with it. How much would it cost to add fishing to school’s official interscholastic sports offerings? Haun said he has not seen numbers, so he could not comment on the cost, but he did offer guidance. “Everything has a price tag that goes with it, so you try not to limit your options and your activities because of cost, but at the same time, you do have to pay the bills at the end of the day to be able to make ends meet, and that’s not just from the VHSL perspective, that’s from our schools as well,” he said. “So it all depends when you start looking at venues, at how much you would have to possibly pay to get a venue to use to go do the fishing,” he continued. “It depends on the number of boats that you would need and whether the people in the community are going to help pro-
vide those for your school or whether they’re going to charge you for those.” There is also the possibility that high school angling programs could simply feature shore fishing as opposed to fishing on boats. No one completely ruled that out either, but it was acknowledged that the latter would have more complications and be more expensive. “You have the whole insurance aspect of kids being on a boat in a lake or pond or whatever, so I think expense-wise, definitely shore fishing would be the most viable option there,” Nowak said. The door is open for all possibilities.
CATHERINE NORAAS
Andreas Noraas loves fishing and his family just started the Prince Edward Fishing Team through the Bassmaster High School Series and B.A.S.S. Nation.
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Get a license before heading out to hunt
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efore heading to the woods to hunt or casting a line into a public waterway, there is a price to be paid and paperwork to be done to remain in good legal standing while hunting and fishing in Virginia. Every person hunting or fishing in a public area must have a license and should be able to show it to any law enforcement official upon demand. The Department of Wildlife Resources recommends the use of electronic licenses purchased by through the department’s app called “Go Outdoors VA.” The app provides lots of basic hunting and fishing information while also providing a platform to purchase and store licenses. • The only exceptions to needing a license to fish and hunt is if the person owns the land they are hunting or fishing on. Immediate family members of the landowner are also exempt. • Tenants of the landowner do not need a licenses as long as they have the written permission of the land owner.
Persons who lease property but do not reside on the property are not exempt. • Residents 65 years or older do not need a license to hunt or trap on private property in the county or city where they reside. • Resident hunters under 12 are not required to have a hunting license. • Residents under 16 are not required to have a license to trap when accompanied by a licensed person over the age of 18. • A person who is not hunting but is aiding a licensed disabled person to hunt does not need a license. • Any Indian who resides on an Indian reservation or a member of a Virginia-recognized tribe that resides in the commonwealth are not required to have a license but must carry tribal identification.
• Stockholders owning 50% or more of the stock of any domestic corporation and their immediate families may hunt or fish within the boundaries of the domestic corporation. License fees in Virginia range from $100 for a comprehensive hunting and fishing license to $6.50 for a junior bear hunting license. To determine which specific license is needed for the type of game being hunted and the weapon used, visit the Virginia DWR website or download the Virginia DWR app onto a mobile device. The penalty for hunting or fishing in Virginia without a license is up to a $500 fine. The violation is a Class 3 misdemeanor. Failure to carry a hunting or fishing license while in the outdoors can result in fines up to $250.
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10 great local fishing spots Area anglers enjoy a variety of fishing holes in and around Farmville. Consider visiting one of these 10 great public fishing spots for some peaceful outdoor recreation.
BRIERY CREEK LAKE This 845-acre lake is owned by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and is located within the Briery Creek Wildlife Management Area in Prince Edward County. Considered one of the most important largemouth bass fisheries in the state, Briery Creek is also one of Southside Virginia’s best lakes for redear sunfish, bluegill and crappie.
SANDY RIVER RESERVOIR With construction completed in 1994 and fishing opened in 1996, Sandy River, located slightly east of Farmville, is one of the newest lakes in Virginia. Some species you’ll find at this location include largemouth bass, redear sunfish, black crappie, chain pickerel, channel catfish and bluegill.
WILCK’S LAKE Wilck’s Lake is a family-friendly Prince Edward County attraction that attracts visitors for both its fishing opportunities and a variety of wildlife easily spotted from the lake or its surrounding trail. Check out this spot for gizzard shad, carp, largemouth bass, sunfish, crappie and channel catfish.
bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, and channel catfish. The 15-acre lake has a single lane boat ramp, and bank fishing access is limited to the lower section of the lake near the pavilion.
BEAR CREEK LAKE Surrounded by the 16,000-acre Cumberland State Forest, Bear Creek Lake is open to fishing from sunrise to sunset and includes a handicapped-accessible pier. You’ll find largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, black crappie, and channel catfish here.
HOLLIDAY LAKE Attracting visitors from all over, Holliday Lake, located within the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest, provides anglers with an opportunity to catch a variety of fish, including largemouth bass, sunfish, chain pickerel, black crappie and more.
AMELIA LAKE Although storm damage has temporarily closed the fishing pier at Amelia Lake, bank fishing opportunities are still available to those willing to head over to Amelia County. Managed to provide a warm water fishery consisting of largemouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, bluegill, and redear sunfish, this is a beginnerfriendly location. And if the fish aren’t biting, check out the nearby rifle range, clay-bird shotgun range and archery range.
GOODWIN LAKE/PRINCE EDWARD LAKE
NOTTOWAY LAKE
Located at the appropriately named Twin Lakes State Park in Prince Edward, anglers can try their luck at catching sunfish, largemouth bass, crappie, and channel catfish at either of these lakes. There is currently a 12-16 inch slot limit for largemouth bass at the location in order to increase the number of quality bass in the lakes.
Anglers willing to drive a little further out to Nottoway County for some fishing will be rewarded by this scenic 188-acre impoundment stocked with black crappie, channel catfish, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, bluegill. Night fishing is welcome at this location.
HORSEPEN LAKE Horsepen Lake, located in Buckingham County, is managed for warmwater fish species including largemouth
THE JAMES RIVER You’ll find a number of access areas to The James River within a reasonable drive of Farmville, including at James River State Park in Buckingham County and
65-lb. catfish landed Rodney Lee pulled this 65-lb. catfish out of a nearby river Sunday, Sept. 20.
Powhatan State Park in Powhatan. Species found in the James vary widely from smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass to channel and flathead catfish, various sunfish species and more. Bank and wade fishing access is available, but the best way to take on the fish here is by canoe fishing.
Irvin’s Well Drilling Inc. Drilled Wells • Pump Installations • Sanitary Systems 1003 Court St. P.O. Box 828, Victoria, VA Phone (434) 696-3903 • Fax (434) 696-4056 VA Cont. License # 2705060437
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COVID-19 causes few changes for hunters
ust as the COVID-19 pandemic has affected practically everything in 2020, hunting is no exception. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) says they are taking the COVID-19 virus very seriously and want to make sure their staff members and those who enjoy the outdoors are taking the necessary precautions. “We want the outdoors to be a place of escape for the public during this time and it will take all of us working together to make sure that this can be done in a
safe manner,” a press release from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources said. DWR said they encourage everyone to minimize person-to-person contact by utilizing the website GoOutdoorsVirginia. com for all licensing and registration needs. Hunters, anglers, boaters and wildlife enthusiasts can do most outdoorsrelated licensing transactions online. The COVID-19 pandemic has not caused DWR to cancel any hunting seasons or fishing opportunities, but everyone hunting and fishing in Virginia must have
a license and follow all rules and regulations. Some fall hunting events have been canceled due to COVID-19. The Radford Army Ammunition Plant deer hunts have been canceled as have the Lands End WMA hunts for doves, deer and spring turkeys. The youth waterfowl hunt on Hog Island scheduled for Oct. 24 has been canceled. All field trials on DWR wildlife management areas through the end of the year have been canceled as well. But DWR wildlife management areas
Signs game could be unsafe to eat
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ne of the more enjoyable aspects of hunting is enjoying the bounty at the dinner table after a successful hunting trip. However, not all game is safe to eat. The following are some ways hunters can determine if freshly killed game is safe to eat. • Look for signs of previous injuries. Previously wounded animals may be infested with maggots or have abscesses, which are swollen areas of tissue that contain pus. Animals that appear to have been
injured prior to being killed should not be eaten, as consuming them can leave humans vulnerable to illness. • Examine the animal’s eyes and skin. Sunken eyes or emaciated, scabby skin also could indicate the animal was suffering from illness or injury prior to being killed. • Look for tick infestations. Game infested with ticks should not be consumed. • Look for fluid discharges. Game that has discharges of dark blood or creamy or green substances should not be
consumed. • See if the animal passes the smell test. Game suffering from gangrene or decaying flesh typically emit a strong, foul odor and such animals should not be consumed. • Investigate the interior of the animal. Just because a game animal exhibits no outward signs of illness or injury does not necessarily make it safe to eat. Hunters are advised to wear surgical or dishwashing gloves and run their hands over the body of the animal. Signs of disease or
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remain open to the public. Active hunting in these areas will continue into 2021. There are also plenty of hunting opportunities on other public lands in Virginia. Before hunting on public lands, DWR encourages hunters to check with the governing agency to ensure and familiarize themselves with rules and regulations specific to the places where they plan to hunt to make sure there are no local restrictions or facility closures. For other questions regarding changes this hunting season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, call 804-367-1000.
illness include hair that comes off easily, a soft or gelatinous underside of the skin when peeled off, and/or a film of blood or fluid that is not the result of the hunter’s gunshot wound. • Examine muscle tissue. Muscle tissue should not smell bad or contain parasites or blood spots. In addition, examine the muscle tissue for blood clots, black blood or a greenish discharge, each of which are indicators of disease. • Examine the rib cage and muscle tissue. Humans can contract tuberculosis after eating game that was infected with the disease. Indicators of
tuberculosis include tan or yellow lumps on the inside surface of the rib cage or in the tissue of the lungs. Infected game can make hunters seriously ill if consumed. Infected animals should be reported to the the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) Wildlife conflict line at (855) 571-9003. Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg and Prince Edward counties are in VDGIF Region 2 and served by the Forest office located at 1132 Thomas Jefferson Road, Forest, VA 24551. Hours are MondayFriday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., phone (434) 525-7522.
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