Spring 2018
Since 1945
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Trout Rising • Fishing Forecast • Helicopter Elk • Turkey Taxidermy Tips
Cover Story Trout on the Rise
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Cumberland tailwater quietly makes a comeback By Lee McClellan
On the cover: Three rainbow trout face upstream in their search for morsels in Rick Hill’s “Into the Riffle.”
John Williams photo
Spring 2018 22 Elk incoming
The official publication of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources – your partner in the great outdoors
FEATURES
14
Hiding in Plain Sight • By Dave Baker
18
Hands-on Research • By Kevin Kelly
Sometimes good fishing opportunities aren’t so obvious
Bear den survey documents 13 cubs
22
Moving Day • By Kevin Kelly
28
After the Shot • Kevin Kelly
Elk take flight for Bell County relocation
A better wild turkey mount starts in the field
Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, #1 Sportsman’s Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601 1-800-858-1549 • fw.ky.gov
Where trout are born
6
John Brunjes photo
Spring 2018
Departments 4 5 6 7 20
Front Porch
Experience Kentucky Wild
Kentucky Wild
Saving the Cumberland Darter
Fishing
The Lifeblood of Kentucky’s Trout Fishery
Hunting
Not Breaking Clays?
Nature Notebook Catfish Super Senses
30 37 38 39 40
Outdoor News
News from Fish and Wildlife
Cooking
Samuel’s Orange Turkey
Habitat
Home Renovation for Fish
Destinations
Old Trace Creek WMA
Ask the Experts Triploid Trout
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Send (advertising only) inquiries to: Outdoor Sales & Marketing Group, Inc. P.O. Box 429, Sweet Home, OR 97386 Phone: 1-800-564-6818 • E-mail: wildlife@centurytel.net
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Front porch • By Kentucky Afield Editor Dave Baker
since 1945
Experience Kentucky Wild Commonwealth of Kentucky Matthew G. Bevin, Governor
FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION First District Dr. Harry W. Carloss, Paducah Second District C. F. “Frank” Williams, Madisonville Third District Russell J. Gailor, Louisville Fourth District Kenny Knott, Glasgow Fifth District Kevin R. Bond, Burlington Sixth District Jimmy Bevins, Frankfort Seventh District Paul B. Horn, Prestonsburg Eighth District Richard M. Storm, Carlisle Ninth District Dr. Karl D. Clinard, Somerset Commissioner Emeritus Dr. James R. Rich, Taylor Mill
Department of FISH AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES Commissioner Frank Jemley III (acting) Deputy Commissioner Karen Waldrop Wildlife Director Steve Beam Fisheries Director Ron Brooks Law Enforcement Director vacant Information & Education Director Norm Minch Administrative Services Director vacant Engineering, Infrastructure and Technology Director David Bruce Marketing Director Brian V. Blank
KENTUCKY AFIELD STAFF Editor Dave Baker Associate Editor Lee McClellan Writer Kevin Kelly Art/Design Director Adrienne Yancy Graphic Designer Obie Williams Artist/Illustrator Rick Hill Circulation Manager Lisa Tolliver
SUBSCRIPTIONS fw.ky.gov Printed by Thoroughbred Printers, LLC Lexington, Ky. Volume 74 Number 1
GLANCE THROUGH THIS issue and you’ll see why we love working at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Staff Writer Kevin Kelly had the rare opportunity to see elk being airlifted by helicopter for their move to a new viewing area outside of Pineville. Kelly also had the chance to hold a bear cub inside his jacket to keep it warm while researchers adjusted a tracking collar on its denned mother. Associate Editor Lee McClellan gets plenty of adventure whenever he writes his immensely popular Blue Water Trails series. He wanders the state to “ground proof ” putin and take-out locations for potential stories. McClellan then paddles and fishes each river or stream to provide you with first-person knowledge of the float. One of my favorite activities is accompanying a fisheries crew when they run a shocking boat around a lake or river. You never know what’s going to come to the surface when you apply some juice to the water with the shocking gear. Our employees do a lot of behind-thescenes work that drives conservation. Joe Lacefield, for example, provides landowners valuable advice on how to improve habitat on their farms in his role as a private lands biologist. Avian Biologists Kate Slankard and Loren Taylor rope themselves up and spider across the undersides of bridges to band peregrine falcons.
Kentucky Afield (ISSN No. 1059-9177) is published quarterly by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Periodical Class postage paid at Frankfort, Ky. and additional mailing offices. Editorial Offices at the Arnold L. Mitchell Bldg., 1 Sportsman’s Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601. E-mail: Ky.Afield@ky.gov. Phone: 1-800-858-1549. Not responsible for unsolicited materials. Contact editorial offices for permission to reprint. Subscription rate: $10 per year. Postmaster: Send address changes to Kentucky Afield Magazine, Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1 Sportsman’s Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601. “Kentucky Afield” is a trademark of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Contents © Kentucky Afield
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Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
Photo submitted
Now there’s a way you can share in some of these adventures while supporting conservation yourself. It’s called Kentucky Wild. It’s a new effort by the department to help protect species that are not hunted, fished or trapped. Kentucky Wild supports efforts to assist vulnerable wildlife facing threats in our state. Kentucky Wild offers memberships with an increasing amount of bling at each level of donation. At the highest level, donors can backpack to remote streams in the Red River Gorge to stock trout, or experience a behind-the-scenes visit with the Kentucky Afield television crew. Kentucky Wild offers several other opportunities ranging from tagging mussels, private tours of fish hatcheries, building habitats and more. There’s also an opportunity to tag along with McClellan as he explores Kentucky’s wild areas in his kayak. For more information, go online to fw.ky.gov and search under the keywords, “Kentucky Wild.” n
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in all programs and activities. If you feel you have been discriminated against by this department, please contact the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, 1 Sportsman's Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601; phone 1-800-858-1549. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is administered under the Kentucky Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet.
fw.ky.gov
Kentucky wild
Efforts underway to restore this endangered species • By Kevin Kelly
Saving the Cumberland Darter EVEN BEFORE THE U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a draft of its long-term strategy to save the endangered Cumberland Darter, researchers with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources were actively involved in the multipartner effort to restore the species. “We are ahead of the game,” said Matt Thomas, ichthyologist and program coordinator with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. The Cumberland Darter is a small, slender fish that lives in a handful of slow-moving streams in the upper Cumberland River basin in southeast Kentucky and north-central Tennessee. It prefers pools and shallow runs of sandy-bottomed streams. Changing land use around those watersheds affects the darter’s preferred habitat. Floods become more frequent and blanket the stream bottom with sediment, while increased runoff degrades water quality. “When disturbance like this is chronic, over time, you’re going to see populations of certain species that are sensitive start to disappear,” Thomas said. “The Cumberland Darter is one of those.” The proposed recovery plan is available online at www.fws.gov/ frankfort and the public can submit comments to U.S. Fish and Wildlife concerning it through June 4. It spells out the steps needed over the next 30 years to restore the species across its historical range. Biologists with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife and the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute have teamed up for a population genetics study in the darter’s existing range, much of which falls within the Daniel Boone National Forest or nearby private land. Results from the study are expected
fw.ky.gov
From top: The endangered Cumberland darter only exists in a handful of streams. Researchers captured darters in the wild for a captive breeding program. task then is to maintain these populations and prevent any further deterioration of habitat.” Matt Thomas photos Part of the recovery strategy calls for raising darters in a hatchery for eventual release into the wild. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife partnered with the Tennessee-based Conservation Fisheries Inc. to develop methods for spawning the fish for reintroduction. From 20092015, researchers stocked hatchery-raised darters in a McCreary County stream, tagging each fish to track survival and reproduction. The results have been encouraging. “It seems to be working,” Thomas said. “We’ve confirmed survival. We’ve documented natural reproduction because we’re now seeing some untagged individuals showing up in the population. We’re still close to 10 years out. Really, it will take decades before we can say it’s firmly established.” Ensuring the Cumberland Darter has what it needs most – clean water and suitable habitat – is critical to its restoration. “It’s definitely a long-term process,” Thomas said. “Extirpation can happen quickly but recovery takes a long later this year. “It’s kind of a fundamental piece of in- time because we’re talking about generation formation that we need to effectively recover after generation, gradual improvements.” n the species,” Thomas said. “If they’re not genetically diverse and they’re very isolated, that’s bad. That means that viability is low Kentucky Wild is a new program which supand they could be heading toward extinction ports vulnerable wildlife facing threats in or extirpation. If levels of genetic diversity our state. Learn more by going online to are high and they are viable, basically the fw.ky.gov/kywild.
Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield
5
FISHING
State’s rainbows, browns and brookies produced at same hatchery • By Kevin Kelly
Dave Baker photo
The Lifeblood of Kentucky’s Trout Fishery Nearly all trout caught in lakes, streams and tailwaters across Kentucky share something in common: Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery. Sitting at the base of Wolf Creek Dam in Russell County, within walking distance to the Lake Cumberland tailwater, the hatchery rears about 1 million rainbow, brown and brook trout from eggs each year. These go to Kentucky and other states. Wolf Creek Dam created unsuitable conditions for the warm-water fish species that thrived in the Cumberland River. Water drawn from the depths of Lake Cumberland for power generation flow into the tailwater with enough chill to create thick fogbanks over the river in summer. The temperature, however, provided the ideal conditions for cool water species such as trout. To help mitigate the loss of warm water habitat in the river, Wolf Creek Hatchery opened in 1975 as a means to provide trout to the Cumberland tailwater. Previously, Kentucky trucked in its trout from hatcher-
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Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
ies in other states. “We replaced that (warm water fish) resource with trout, which can thrive in cold water and provide fishing opportunities,” said Sheila Kirk, deputy project manager with the hatchery. “Because the state of Kentucky does not have its own cold water hatchery, it depends upon us to support its trout program.” Kentucky Fish and Wildlife plans to stock approximately 635,000 rainbow trout, 47,350 brown trout and 40,300 brook trout from the hatchery this year. The hatchery supplies trout for stocking at suitable tailwaters managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife pays for hatchery trout stocked in Fishing in Neighborhoods (FINs) lakes, selected streams and other lakes. Money from the sale of fishing licenses and trout permits helps fund the state’s trout program. “Trout are one of the fish species that are going to bite readily during the cooler months of the year when fishing might not
John Brunjes photo
Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery features a visitor and environmental education center (left) adjacent to the main hatchery complex (right). be so good for bass or bluegill or catfish,” said Dave Dreves, assistant Fisheries Division director for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “That’s why they’re a popular fish for FINs. We have a lot of places where we can put them in the winter that provide a fishery.” Cool water drawn from the depths of Lake Cumberland flows through the hatchery’s 64 raceways at a maximum rate of 15,000 gallons per minute. Runoff from the hatchery fuels the flow through Hatchery Creek, a popular man-made trout stream. Raising trout from eggs to stocking size takes about 18 months. Federal hatcheries in Montana, Tennessee, West Virginia, Utah and Wyoming supply the eggs. Today, more than 100,000 people visit the hatchery each year. A visitor and environmental education center, opened in 2006, features an interactive exhibit hall, theater, classroom and gift shop. The hatchery plays host to fishing and environmental education events throughout the year and visitors can hike or bike along a ¾-mile trail. Find information about the hatchery and events online at fws.gov/wolfcreek, as well as on Facebook and Twitter (@WolfCreekNFH). Kentucky Fish and Wildlife also publishes the trout stocking schedule on its website at fw.ky.gov. n
fw.ky.gov
HUNTING
Try adjusting your shotgun’s fit • By Lee McClellan
Not Breaking Clays? YOU BUY A shotgun in anticipation of the fall hunting seasons and want to shoot some trap, skeet or sporting clays over the summer. A friend with a thrower invites you over to shoot some clay birds in the back field. While you’re excited about the new gun, your frustration mounts as target after target sails to the ground unbroken. You bought the shotgun to improve your shooting, not make it worse. The problem, however, could simply be the shotgun’s fit. “Shotguns off the rack are built for an average person by manufacturers and this may not fit your body,” said Mark Marraccini, executive staff advisor for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “People try to adjust to the gun instead of adjusting the gun to them. The number one consideration for a shotgun is fit.” The drop of comb in relation to the shooter is a vitally important aspect of proper fit. The drop of comb is the difference between the top of the shotgun barrel and the comb, the part of the stock where a shooter’s cheek rests.
“There are more ways to adjust a shotgun now than ever before,” said Marraccini, a competitive shotgunner and teacher of proper shotgun skills. “Many shotguns now contain shim kits (inserted between the receiver and stock) to adjust the fit to suit a shooter by raising or lowering the comb.” Check the comb by shouldering the shotgun using proper technique. Look down the barrel as if shooting at a bird. You should be looking straight down the flat part on top of the ventilated rib. If the bead is above the rib, the comb needs lowering. If you shoulder the shotgun correctly and the bead is below the rib, you must raise the comb. This condition is less common than a comb that is too high. “There are many ways to raise or lower the comb in addition to the shim kits,” Marraccini said. “Too high a comb causes you to shoot high, while too low a comb does the opposite.”
If your shotgun came with shims, a feature more common with synthetic stocks, the owner’s manual should detail how to use them. Experiment with the shims until you can shoulder the gun and look at a target in the distance without needing to raise or lower your head to get a flat line of sight down the rib. Many shim kits also contain one for cast. Cast is a slight bend to right of the stock for right-handed shooters and to the left for left-handed shooters. “Cast gets the shooter’s eyes in proper position over the gun and in alignment with the barrel,” Marraccini said. Many American shotguns come from the factory with no adjustment for cast. Get the right fit with the comb and cast, and you’ll soon start breaking birds in the air – instead of watching them fall to the ground. n
Obie Williams photos
Some shotguns now include shim kits to adjust where the barrel’s plane falls when you shoulder the gun. The illustration shows how two different shims affect the drop of comb.
fw.ky.gov
Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield
7
Cumberland tailwater quietly makes a comeback
t u o Tr
By Lee McClellan
8
Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
on the
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I
Photo © Patrick Clayton / Engbretson Underwater Photography
iR sE fw.ky.gov
N 1972, THE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lowered Lake Cumberland to repair leaks in Wolf Creek Dam. Angler Jim Mattingly, a local who fished the tailwater frequently, noticed a muddy area in the normally clear water. Figuring it came from a leak, he reasoned the stained water would offer trophy trout a good hiding place. The spot was rich with food. Mattingly observed huge numbers of threadfin shad blowing through the turbine outflows every time the dam generators started up. This instant buffet drew marauding bands of rainbow trout and white bass ready to gorge. On the afternoon of Sept. 10, two of the dam generators were pumping cool water into the tailwater. Mattingly and his brother, George, had little success as they cast ⅛-ounce in-line spinners into the river’s muddy water from their boat. That changed after the sun ducked below a bluff on the south side of the river. The fish turned on. Mattingly made the cast of a lifetime around 5:30 p.m. that day. A fish struck his blue in-line spinner so violently that it bent his 7-foot spinning rod to its base. The brothers saw the flashing silver sides of a rainbow trout as Jim Mattingly reeled it toward the boat. After a prolonged fight, they boated a 14-pound, 6-ounce rainbow trout, a state record that has held for 46 years. Fast forward about four decades. The U.S. Army Corps pulled Lake Cumberland down for seven years; in the meantime, contractors poured concrete into the dam’s core to fix its leaks. Lake Cumberland returned to its normal pool by 2014. This time, however, the leaks did not produce conditions for big trout. The tailwater’s big trout went into decline instead. By lowering the lake by 40 feet for a number of years, Lake Cumberland lost a significant amount of its storage capability for cool water. Trout, a cool water species, could not thrive when water temperatures in the tailwater climbed above 70 degrees in the heat of summer. BUILDING FROM ROCK BOTTOM When the water temperatures spiked, the Cumberland River lost more than 60 percent of its rainbow trout that exceeded 15 inches in length. Times were bad for trout anglers on the river. The Fisheries Division, however, had an
Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield
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The rainbow trout Jim Mattingly caught below Wolf Creek Dam in 1972 remains the state record.
TROUT STOCKINGS IN THE
CUMBERLAND TAILWATER Average lengths provided; individual fish may be longer or shorter.
2013
15-inch rainbow: 4,650 diploid, 8,280 triploid 9-inch rainbow: 75,750 diploid, 64,000 triploid 8-inch brown: 38,000 9-inch brook: 46,100
2014
9-inch rainbow: 127,850 diploid, 34,050 triploid 8-inch brown: 38,000 9-inch brook: 11,900
2015
12-inch rainbow: 6,500 diploid 9-inch rainbow: 86,000 diploid, 81,000 triploid 8-inch brown: 38,000 9-inch brook: 62,500
2016
12-inch rainbow: 6,500 diploid 9-inch rainbow: 119,500 diploid, 48,000 triploid 8-inch brown: 38,000 9-inch brook: 7,400
2017
15-inch rainbow: 6,800 diploid 9-inch rainbow: 139,750 diploid, 24,000 triploid 12-inch brown: 3,000 8-inch brown: 28,000 9-inch brook: 43,000
2018
(projected) 15-inch rainbow: 10,000 9-inch rainbow: 147,000 (diploid/ triploid ratio not set) 12-inch brown: 3,000 8-inch brown: 28,000 Brook: Dependent on production
10 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
George Mattingly photo
innovative plan: Stock larger fish and supplement these with a special, fast-growing variety of rainbow trout. “We are trying to bring back the premier rainbow trout fishery we had before the drawdown of Lake Cumberland,” said Fisheries Division Director Ron Brooks. The effort began even before repairs to the dam were completed and the lake returned to its normal level. In 2010, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife stocked 18,500 triploid rainbow trout into the tailwater. Triploid trout are sterile and grow faster than the rainbow trout normally stocked (see story on page 40). Researchers wanted to see if triploids could thrive in the tailwater and boost the depleted fishery. The department stocked another 64,000 triploids in 2011, followed by 72,000 in 2012. These were in addition to the regular trout stockings. During this time, the department asked its trout supplier, Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, to hold back some trout to allow them to grow bigger before being stocked.
In 2013, the department released some 13,000 rainbow trout measuring 15-18 inches into the tailwater, supplementing the usual stocking of 140,000 rainbow trout measuring an average of 9 inches. The stocking of bigger fish that year included 4,650 rainbow trout and 8,280 of the sterile fish. The department enacted the slot limit and lowered the creel limit for trout in 2004, long before the dam repair issue arose. Fisheries Assistant Director Dave Dreves oversaw trout management in the Cumberland River at the time. By stocking trout within the tailwater’s 15-20 inch protective slot range, he said, the fish had time to grow while providing anglers a chance to catch bigger rainbows. “We are continuing to stock the larger fish,” Brooks said, “so fishing pressure won’t reduce the quality of the fishery. There is a lot more access up by the dam down to Helm’s Landing. We’ve adjusted the stocking plan to accommodate the fishing pressure at various places on the river.” Marcy Anderson, Southeastern Fisher-
fw.ky.gov
Waynesburg resident David Naylor caught this 14.2-pound rainbow trout while bank fishing just below Wolf Creek Dam on the afternoon of Dec. 31, 2016. When weighed on a certified scale the next morning, it fell just 3 ounces short of the state record.
James Gray photo
ies District biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, said research shows the plan to restore the Cumberland tailwater is working. “We had a dramatic increase in the number of 15- to 18-inch rainbow trout from 2016 to 2017,” she said. “In our population sampling, we went from 6.2 fish per hour in that size range in 2016 to 21.8 rainbow trout that size in 2017.” Creel surveys conducted on the tailwater below Wolf Creek Dam supported the jumps noted in Anderson’s electrofishing sampling. In 2017, creel clerks interviewing tailwater anglers recorded 109 rainbow trout 16 inches long, 99 fish 17 inches long, 61 fish 18 inches long, 20 fish 19 inches long and 11 fish measuring 20 inches long. Clerks also documented four rainbow trout measuring 23 inches. They saw a 24-inch and a 26-inch rainbow trout with estimated weights between 6 to 7 pounds. TARGETING TROPHIES How can anglers target these bigger trout? Always start by checking the generation schedule at Wolf Creek Dam. This tells anglers how much current and water level to expect. All the planning in the world about proper flies, lures and presentations becomes moot if the river is blown out. Wolf Creek Dam has six turbine generators to produce electricity, each with a maximum discharge of 4,000 cubic feet per
fw.ky.gov
second (CFS). The dam also has six sluice gates at the bottom of the dam, which do not produce electricity but can release water from the bottom of the lake and help aerate the tailwater. Find generation schedules for the past few days at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) webpage and future generation schedules from the Nashville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Each generator produces 45 megawatts of electricity. So if the projected schedule shows “45,” that means one generator; 90 corresponds to two generators, while 270 means all six generators are expected to operate. Wade fishing is impractical with more than one turbine running. Boating becomes hazardous when more than two turbines are running. Water temperatures in the Cumberland River remain cold enough year-round to trigger hypothermia. Anglers should respect the heavy current and stay off the water when discharge is high. Wearing your life jacket at all times is a good idea when boating the river, regardless of generation schedule. Water releases depend on flood conditions in the basin or the demand for electricity. Wolf Creek Dam operates on a peak schedule, ramping up generators as demand for electricity increases. In summer, generators are generally turned off at night, then are gradually put online as power demand surges with the heat of the day. Boaters must deal with heavy fog on early summer mornings; they must take care to avoid wading anglers and throttle down when they en-
counter them. Brooks developed a system over the past few years to deal with water releases from Wolf Creek Dam. “Depending on the generation schedule, I can either fish in the upper river near the dam or at Helm’s Landing, then switch down river in the afternoon,” he said. “In the spring and fall, there are lots of big fish from the dam to Helm’s Landing that migrate up there. In spring, you will get big rainbow trout up by the dam.” Brooks moves downriver to the Burkesville area if water releases are heavy in the morning. He launches at Bakerton Ramp and fishes the area before moving on to the mouth of Crocus Creek. There is a $5 fee to use the Bakerton Ramp, payable at Sprouls Grocery, 407 Bakerton Road. “The lower river around Bakerton and Crocus Creek isn’t as affected by dam releases,” Brooks said. “I can usually fish all afternoon in this stretch. You don’t have to be a morning person to fish this section of the Cumberland tailwater.” The Derby City Fly Fishers post a chart on how long it takes water to reach downstream fishing locations once generation starts. Access this information on the club’s website, derbycityflyfishers.com. Brooks’ time investment in fishing the Cumberland River paid off with a 22-inch rainbow trout last year. “You can catch it when there are all big trout,” he said. “I’ve been down there and not caught any trout smaller than 15 inches for an hour or two. When you hit it right, it is just crazy.” FLY FISHING TIPS Brooks prefers fly-fishing the Cumberland River. “My best fly for big rainbows is a large, tan-colored stonefly,” he said. “I usually throw a size 6 fly – and no smaller than a size 8 – for bigger fish. Fish it on the bottom and just bounce it off rocks.” Sinking line produces best when there is some current. “The sinking line really helps,” he said. “It keeps the stonefly down in the strike zone. The Cumberland often flows a little faster than what stoneflies prefer.” The Chicago Fly in size 6 is an effective fly for Cumberland River trout. Similar to a black leech pattern, the Chicago’s heavy beadhead helps keep it in the strike zone of larger trout on the Cumberland. Fish it with a sinking tip line or dead drift it with a weight-forward floating line. Nymphs also work well. Brooks’ fa-
Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 11
vorite is the Prince Nymph, which is also a stonefly imitator if worked in water with some current. “I like size 10 to 12 in the Cumberland,” he said. “Use a strike indicator when using a nymph. I also like Pheasant tail and Hare’s Ear nymphs with a gold beadhead in the same sizes. ” Many trout guides on the Cumberland use the Prince Nymph on a dropper rig. The dropper rig employs two or more flies suspended under a strike indicator, which is fly fishing talk for a small bobber. They tie a Prince Nymph closest to the strike indicator, followed by a Copper John nymph in the middle and a small larval midge pattern on the bottom. “I use just two flies on my dropper rigs, a Prince Nymph on top and a small midge on the bottom,” Brooks said. “The two-fly rig is easier to cast and deal with. Many people don’t go deep enough with the midge. You need to set your strike indicator so the midge stays just above bottom.” Midges, a small aquatic insect that trout devour, hover around the river bottom in their larval stage. Anglers also see a fair amount of black fly hatches near the surface. A midge fly tied with a small tungsten head helps get it down. The best sizes run from a small 16 to a tiny 22. Olive/black, black and red midge patterns work best. Anglers can also match the black fly hatch with a small white and black midge or small dry fly. “I use a bulky dry fly like a grasshopper as a strike indicator and drop the midge off it in the Cumberland tailwater,” Dreves Prince Nymph
Pheasant tail
said. “I’ve had good success with it.” The size of trout taken on small flies often surprises Brooks. “Sometimes, they want those teeny flies, sometimes they want big flies,” he said. “It is unbelievable that big trout will eat such a small bug, but they do.” There are times Brooks prefers fishing dry flies on the Cumberland. “I was at Rainbow Run last fall and trout were rising all over the place,” he said. “I caught great numbers, and every now and then a nice trout.” TROUTING WITH SPINNING GEAR Fly fishing isn’t for everyone. Although an avid fly angler himself, Brooks said spinning gear has the potential to out-fish fly gear. “You can cover so much more water with spinning gear – and with an inline spinner, such as a Rooster Tail – that I think you can catch more trout,” he said. “I just enjoy catching them on fly gear.” An ultra-light to light power spinning rod spooled with 4-pound fluorocarbon line and a white, grey, pink or red in-line spinner is a deadly combination on the Cumberland River. Work this lure over rock-lined stretches with flow or cast it out in the middle of the river and bring it back with a slow, steady retrieve. Rainbow trout huddling just above bottom will come from a good distance to strike this simple, old-school lure. Dreves favors a jig that first came on the trout fishing scene nearly 20 years ago. In the water, it resembles a quivering grub. “The Trout Magnet is my favorite lure for Cumberland River trout,” said Dreves. “It is such an effective system with 2- to 4-pound test line and a long spinning rod with the Trout Magnet soft plastic lures.”
Try these flies for fat trout
The rig draws its heritage from the suspended marabou jig presentation that produced a 40-pound, 4-ounce brown trout from Arkansas’ Little Red River in 1992. The fish remained a world record until 2010. Amazingly, Arkansas angler Howard “Rip” Collins caught the monster brown on a 4½foot ultralight spinning rod spooled with 4-pound line. Collins used a 1/32 -ounce olive marabou jig suspended underneath a bobber. The Trout Magnet consists of a 1¼-inch, tapered plastic grub with a split tail rigged on a 1/64-ounce dart head jig. Anglers suspend the grub underneath a foam bobber and allow it to bob as it drifts with the current. “You want to adjust the strike indicator so the Trout Magnet is just above bottom,” said Dreves, who favors salmon, white and black lures. “I caught a 20-inch brown and a 19-inch rainbow trout on it in one day on the Cumberland. I was ½-inch from a Master Angler award for two trout in one trip.” Spinning anglers can slay trout on suspending jerkbaits, such as the 2¾-inch YoZuri Pins Minnow or the 2½-inch Rapala X Rap. The best colors for the Pins Minnow are Baby Brook, Gold Frame, Purple and Hot Pink Trout while anglers throwing the Rapala X Rap should try Gold, Hot Mustard Muddler or Silver. Anglers working suspending jerkbaits should begin their presentation by reeling the lure down in the water column, then jerking the bait two to three times, followed by a pause. Some days, rainbow trout only go after jerkbaits worked aggressively with almost no pause. On other times, working the jerkbait subtly with long pauses is more effective. A good pair of polarized sunglasses can reveal large rainbow trout rising from the depths to inspect a jerkbait. It is easy to lose your nerve when you see a huge trout ready to pounce, but a subtle jerk producing a slight twitch can provoke a savage strike. An overly aggressive jerk often sends the trout back into hiding.
Copper John Stonefly
Hare's Ear Mosquito wet fly
12 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
Midge nymphs Obie Williams photos
fw.ky.gov
Cumberland River Tailwater Fishing Access Boat Ramp / Bank Access Carrydown Only / Bank Access Bank Access
Mud Camp Creek WMA (Boat-in only)
l !
y ! Cloyd’s Landing
Williams-Fox Ramp (McMillans Ferry)
¾[
. CO ND LA . ER CO MB OE CU NR MO KY / TN STATE LINE
FISHING ACCESS Rainbow Run is a long shoal just downstream of the historic Rockhouse Natural Bridge off KY 379 in Russell County. Anglers may wade this shoal, now owned by Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, but it is only accessible by boat. Anglers often launch a canoe or kayak at the Rockhouse Natural Bridge, paddle downstream to fish Rainbow Run, then take out at the Winfrey’s Ferry boat ramp. It takes anglers on foot less than half an hour for the mile-long hike from the takeout back to Rockhouse Natural Bridge. It is best to leave someone behind to watch the equipment. Because this section is in a large bend of the river, the float is approximately 6 miles long. Anglers also may motor upstream from Winfrey’s Ferry to Rainbow Run. A long, deep hole continues just past Winfrey’s Rocks, a large outcrop on river right. The rocks were a landmark for steamboat pilots, who could
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Rockhouse
"\
Winfrey’s y Ferry!
l ! Bakerton y(fee ramp) !
Long Bar
y !
l !
l ! y Kendall! Ramp
l ! Rainbow Run (Boat-in only)
CL
( 127
IN
Little Indian
"\ Creek ¾[ Hatchery
R Creek TO USS N EL CO L C . O.
y ! [ by boat. It is about 1.5¾ miles downstream of the Cloyd’s n Landing Boat Ramp, at the mouth io at tr s y of Mud Camp Creek. ! u ll yi c Burkesville Ramp The upper river from Wolf Creek Dam n y ! Ya ne to Rockhouse Natural Bridge offers the best en selection of public access for wade fishing. Anglers will find bank access at the Traces on the Cumberland Kendall Recreation Area, just below Wolf use the (fee ramp) y Creek Dam. Further downstream is the ! depth of l KY 61 Boyd’s Bar shoal, found where Little Indian the river on Creek flows into the Cumberland River at the stone to the end of Ray Mann Road. Between these gauge whether two areas is Hatchery Creek, a manmade there was enough watrout creek with plenty of bank access conter to pass the Rainbow Run tained on public land. shoal just upstream. If too shallow, the The channel off Boyd’s Bar on the oppilots would turn around in the deep hole at posite shore is a productive spot to drift the rocks. [ ¾ Beadhead Pheasant Nymphs under strike Rainbow Run, adjacent to a long island [ ¾ indicators at low water. with a level bank, offers prime wading for Long Bar Fishing Access off Wells Botanglers. The rocky composition of the shoal tom Road in Russell County provides bank offers exceptional trout habitat. Pockets of [ and wading access to one of the most producdeeper water line the bottom of this shoal ¾ [ ¾ tive fishing areas on the Cumberland River. where trout hide and ambush food from ¾[ This area, consisting of an island with the below. Large rocks, woody cover and deep main river shoal on one side and a small chanscour holes line the riverbank opposite the nel on the other, is a favorite of trout guides. island at Rainbow Run, making trophy habFor walk-in anglers, Long Bar fishes best itat for rainbow and brown trout. during low flow periods. The side channel beAnglers can find a variety of access tween the bank and island becomes impassable points along the Cumberland River by visiting the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife webpage when the water is swift and rising, so wading at fw.ky.gov. Click the “Fish” tab, followed anglers should remain alert to conditions. Other areas include Helm’s Landing, by the “Find a Place to Fish,” then “Search which is accessible for wading, and bank for Boating and Fishing Access Sites.” The fishing at one of the most unique places entry for “Lake Cumberland Tailwater” in Kentucky: Rockhouse Natural Bridge, lists all of the boat ramps and wading access used as a shelter by Native Americans and spots on the river. early Long Hunters. From the parking lot, The Cumberland River from Winfrey’s anglers walk through the Rockhouse, the Ferry downstream to the Tennessee boundseventh largest natural bridge in the United ary is best fished from a boat. One spot acStates, to the river. The river is too deep to cessible from the bank is just downstream wade at the Rockhouse entrance, but proof the KY 61 Bridge at Burkesville, directly vides productive fishing along the banks. across the river from the Traces on the The recovery of the world-class rainbow Cumberland boat ramp. trout fishery in Cumberland River is well Anglers will find another public bank underway. This season, take the time to enfishing area at Mud Camp Creek Wildlife joy one of the best fishing destinations in the Management Area (WMA) in Cumberland upper South. n County. This area, however, is accessible only Ad ri
Boat Ramp
Helms Landing
Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 13
y !
y !
Sometimes
good
fishing
in opportunities
sight
aren’t
so
obvious
14 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
By Dave Baker
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S
omething a bit odd is going on at Dewey Lake in Floyd County. There, in the middle of this narrow 1,100-acre mountain lake, balls of shad boil to the surface in a desperate attempt to escape predators herding them from below. It’s typical behavior for baitfish being chased by hybrid striped bass in the heat of summer. Only, it’s still spring. And these aren’t hybrids doing the chasing, according to the district biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “They’re blue catfish,” said Eastern Fisheries District Biologist Kevin Frey. “They’ve been doing it this spring. When anglers are out there and see what’s going on, they’ll go over and toss a bass bait right in the middle of it. They catch some good fish that way.” Dewey Lake offers just one example of Kentucky’s surprising diversity of fish and fishing opportunities. While some species are natural residents of a lake, others, such as the blue catfish of Dewey Lake, the striped bass of Lake Cumberland or even the saugeye of Guist Creek Lake, are introductions designed to give anglers even more variety. Kentucky owes much of its piscatorial stature to its geographical positioning between the Deep South, and its warm-water loving species, and the northern climates, where cool-water fish thrive. In many cases, the ranges of these fish overlap in Kentucky. The state also offers habitat diversity, ranging from the crystal-clear waters of
Tate Boyd (left) and Ernie Lewis with their Dewey Lake blue catfish. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife started its test with the blues in 1998 at four small lakes in central and northern Kentucky. It has since expanded to several other lakes in the state. Blue catfish first came to Dewey in 2009. They’ve done well since then. “We’re seeing large blues of 30 to 35 inches in there,” Frey said. “There’s a really good population of channel catfish, too. A lot of the catfish anglers are getting their limit every time they go.” Dewey has a combined limit of Dewayne Hall photo 15 catfish. The creel can be blues, channels or a mix of both. Only one Laurel Lake to the brawling Ohio River to catfish can exceed 25 inches. the fertile shallows of Kentucky Lake. Frey said the blues primarily feed on zeAnglers in search of the state’s grand- bra mussels or gizzard shad. Anglers target est slams can spend their days hunting mus- these catfish by fishing a cut bait with a rod kellunge, largemouth bass, walleye, striped and reel, or suspended 18 to 30 inches unbass, bluegill, flathead catfish, smallmouth derneath a noodle or jug set. “In summer, bass, rainbow trout, crappie, striped bass anglers focus on the center of the main lake,” and more. To help anglers in their quest, he said. “Sometimes there’s enough noodles Kentucky Fish and Wildlife biologists each and jugs out there that you feel like you’re year produce a fishing forecast filled with running an obstacle course in your boat.” tips and assessments of fish populations in Biologists also advise anglers not to the majority of the state’s lakes and rivers. overlook smaller, lesser known lakes for Kentucky Afield polled several of the their fishing trips. department’s district biologists for their recIn western Kentucky, most anglers head ommendations on places and species that straight for Kentucky and Barkley lakes for anglers should sample this year. the vaunted crappie spawn. Western FisherFrey’s go-to destination in eastern Ken- ies District Biologist Adam Martin said antucky is Dewey Lake. As a bonus, visitors glers should consider a stop at Lake Beshear, to this destination can set up base camp at located about 20 miles east of Eddyville in Jenny Wiley State Resort Park while sam- Caldwell and Christian counties. It’s a clear, pling the waters. picturesque 819-acre lake ringed by rock Dewey’s blue catfish are an outgrowth bluffs. of the department’s experiment with stock“The largemouth bass in there are ining the species in smaller lakes. Blues nor- credible,” said Martin. “Your chance of mally inhabit big rivers and large reservoirs. catching a 7-8 pound bass is relatively high in comparison to the other lakes in our disKenneth Bennett caught this massive trict.” 9-pound, 2-ounce largemouth bass in Beshear is a lake that’s overall top-heavy Lake Beshear. with bruisers. “Routinely, more than 75 per-
“Your chance of catching a 7-8 pound bass is relatively high in comparison to the other lakes in our district. Routinely, more than 75 percent of the fish that we sample are over 15 inches.” - Biologist Adam Martin regarding Lake Beshear
KDFWR Trophy Fish Program photo
fw.ky.gov
Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 15
John Williams photo
Fisheries Biologist Marcy Anderson with a yellow perch found in Wood Creek Lake that exceeds the current state record. (Right) Robert Warren holds a 16½-inch white bass caught in Cave Run Lake. cent of the fish that we sample are over 15 inches,” he said. “It’s an effect of low recruitment and not a lot of spawning habitat.” Sound easy? Not so fast. “It’s probably one of our most difficult lakes to fish in the summer, but the rewards are pretty high,” Martin said. “The majority of bass will suspend deep in the summer, so night fishing is one of the most popular ways to fish in summer. Anglers use classic night tactics, such as black spinnerbaits.” Beshear features a new boat ramp, but limited parking for vehicles with trailers. “The parking lot is only big enough for 25 vehicles, so that does tend to limit the pressure,” Martin said. Good electronics in your boat are useful for finding those suspended fish. Detailed Google maps of Lake Beshear’s contours are available online at fw.ky.gov, the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife website. Search the keywords, “Lake Beshear” for the map link. Another off-the-beaten-path place worth exploring is Lake Linville in Rockcastle County. Southeast District Biologist
16 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
KDFWR Trophy Fish Program photo
Marcy Anderson says anglers often drive past this 361-acre lake along Interstate 75 on their way to Lake Cumberland. “I really like Lake Linville,” she said. “There’s plenty of bank access. It’s owned by the city of Mt. Vernon – they’ve improved the marina and paved the parking lot. It’s just one of those lakes where you go, take the kids and have a good time on the bank.” Linville also offers amenities such as boat and kayak rental, a campground, marina, playground and boat ramp. However,
it’s the growing largemouth bass population that should interest anglers. “It’s really changed a lot over the past six years,” Anderson said. “It used to have a stunted bass population, but we’re not seeing as many smaller fish now. We’re now getting higher numbers of largemouth bass over 20 inches.” In 2012, the number of largemouth bass sampled by biologists totaled fewer than one per hour. In 2017, electrofishing produced four bass an hour exceeding 20 inches. Shocking data shows the number of smaller bass in Lake Linville is decreasing as well. Linville falls under the statewide, 12inch minimum size limit for largemouth bass. Anglers may keep as many as six a day. Anderson also noted that Lake Linville and nearby Wood Creek Lake are home to little-noticed populations of yellow perch. Anglers most likely introduced this species in both lakes as rogue stockings. “We’ve got an expanding population of yellow perch in both lakes, up to 12 inches long right now,” she said. “Not a lot of people know they’re in there.” Almo resident Shay Mitchell caught Kentucky’s state record, a 1-pound, 7-ounce yellow perch, in Kentucky Lake in 2010. Anderson has a 2016 photo of herself holding a yellow perch from Wood Creek Lake that beat the record by a quarter pound. Yellow perch are highly prized by anglers in the Great Lakes region for their superb taste. Anderson said anglers wanting to catch perch in Linville or Wood Creek should target vegetative cover with a small in-line spinner, curly-tailed grub or plastic paddle-tailed minnow. Kentucky has no size or creel limit on yellow perch. Anglers wanting a larger toothy fish might consider a visit to Cave Run Lake. This 7,880-acre lake just south of Morehead is home to the state record muskie, caught by then 14-year-old Sarah Terry in 2008. “Cave Run Lake is just beautiful. It’s the crown jewel of the district,” said Northeastern Fisheries District Biologist Tom Timmermann. “Within the lake and tailwa-
“We’re starting to see some really quality fish in our lakes. It wouldn’t surprise me if the state record fell this year or next.” - Biologist Jeff Crosby regarding saugeye populations in several small lakes
fw.ky.gov
ter, you can fish for just about anything you want. There are muskies, black bass, crappie and white bass in the lake. There’s muskie in the tailwater. You can also bowfish for paddlefish in the tailwater year round.” Predators and prey at the lake have benefitted from a multi-year habitat project that saw hundreds of pallets, Christmas trees, stumps, concrete culverts, stake buckets and plastic pipe trees sunk into the lake since 2014. Anglers can find the locations and GPS coordinates of all these fish attractors online at fw.ky.gov. “The muskie look great – they’re doing very well,” Timmermann said. “It depends on the time of year, but at times they will key on the habitat structures because they’re holding fish. That’s the reason you see crappie go to these. They’re holding bait fish.” Muskie and largemouth bass fishing is more challenging at Cave Run Lake during summer due to the growing presence of invasive hydrilla plants. Hydrilla has spread throughout the middle of the main lake and now is making its way toward the dam. “Our battle plan is to keep the ramps open,” Timmermann said. “There’s not much more that we can do with it.” Biologists are monitoring the effect of hydrilla on the growth rate of bass and crappie in the lake. Timmermann is concerned the thick aquatic weeds could throttle down food availability for fish-eating species. “Hydrilla grows so thick that predators have trouble finding baitfish in there,” he said. “Normal weeds are a good thing. You get nooks and crannies in which fish can get Biologist Jeff Crosby holds up two wellfed saugeyes from Bullock Pen Lake.
David Baker photo
fw.ky.gov
in and hide. There are openings for predators to ambush baitfish. But with hydrilla, you don’t have those nooks and crannies. You have one giant mat.” Timmermann also noted a fishing opportunity may suddenly pop up in the hydrilla-free areas of the main lake. “If you’re out fishing Cave Run Lake in summer, make sure you have a white bass lure tied up on one of your fishing poles,” he said. “Most likely at some time during the day, you’ll see a white bass jump going on somewhere around you.” Sampling conducted last fall revealed significant numbers of white bass in the 13to 16-inch range. “The white bass have really come around,” he said. “There is one heck of a white bass population in the lake right now.” In central Kentucky, 3,014-acre Taylorsville Lake in Spencer and Anderson counties has been on fire for crappie the past few years. A 10-inch size limit on crappie – which allows fish to grow old enough to spawn – and several years of stocking is fueling this resurgence. Central Fisheries District Biologist Jeff Crosby said this fertile, shad-rich lake is producing historic numbers of bass and blue catfish. However, Crosby said many anglers are overlooking a relatively new opportunity in central Kentucky’s small lakes: the saugeye, a warm water tolerant cross between a sauger and walleye. Taylorsville, Boltz, A.J. Jolly, Bullock Pen and Guist Creek lakes have all received stockings of saugeyes. “We’re starting to see some really quality fish in our lakes,” Crosby said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if the state record fell this year or next.” The state record saugeye came from the Ohio River in 1998. It weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces. Last fall, electrofishing sampling at Guist Creek Lake rolled up a 6-pound saugeye. “In the smaller lakes, saugeye seem to be associated with mud flats,” Crosby said. “They’re generally not on the bank, but in 5-7 feet of water. At certain times of the year, especially in summer, they move off shore and suspend in open water. They’re staying near those shad, so they get plenty of food.” Find out more about fishing opportunities this year by downloading a copy of Kentucky’s 2018 Fishing Forecast, available online at fw.ky.gov . n
HYDRILLA
Obie Williams photo
Hydrilla is an invasive aquatic plant which grows quickly and forms thick mats of vegetation. It can easily spread from one lake to another if plant fragments are stuck to a boat or trailer then fall off into an unaffected lake. Hydrilla is now established at Cave Run Lake, Dewey Lake, Carr Creek Lake, Paintsville Lake and Kentucky Lake. Boaters can help prevent this invasive plant from spreading by following these tips from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: • Remove all plant fragments from your boat, propeller and boat trailer. The transportation of plant material on boats, trailers and livewells is the main introduction route to new waterways. • Always thoroughly clean your boat before and after visiting different lakes. • Rinse mud and debris from equipment and wading gear, then drain any water from boats before leaving the launch area.
Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 17
Hands oN Research
Bear den survey documents 13 cubs • Story and photos by Kevin Kelly
18 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
fw.ky.gov
Left: Biologist Tristan Curry adjusts a tracking collar for an immobilized bear. Above: Department employee Lisa Tolliver holds a bear cub to help keep it warm.
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onitoring the black bear population leads Tristan Curry and John Hast of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to some of the state’s most rugged areas. Each winter, they document the presence of cubs in bear dens across southeast Kentucky and collect important research information. “The whole purpose of doing this is to be able to count the cubs and determine how many are male or female,” said Curry, a wildlife biologist with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “We take that information and it lets us see what the population is doing so that we can get a better picture of how to manage the species.” Researchers are tracking the movements and reproduction of two-dozen radio-collared adult female bears in Kentucky. Biologists visited a dozen den sites this year, Hast said. They successfully immobilized sows at five den sites, including one nestled snugly with three cubs beneath a deadfall tree in McCreary County, and confirmed reproduction at seven others. Some of the sites with confirmed reproduction were too close to a cliff to risk immobilizing the sow. A pilot with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Wildlife Services program found the McCreary County den in late January by using the bear’s radio collar to track it. The pilot relayed the inforFacing page: This cub with cinnamon fur on its face is a rarity in Kentucky.
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mation to Hast, Kentucky’s bear program coordinator, who hiked to the site to scout it before returning with a group March 5. Hast ventured up a steep hillside alongside Curry and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officer Bryan Dolen. In less than two hours, they pinpointed the den and immobilized the sow. Two of the three cubs were female, and one of them featured unique cinnamon coloration on its face. “That’s not something that’s really common,” Curry said. “We’ve only had one other (in this area) with the cinnamon coloration. We’ve not documented it in our eastern Kentucky population.” Researchers inserted a small identification chip just below the skin of each cub’s back. Curry also adjusted the sow’s radio tracking collar before the bear revived. The biologists’ den survey work documented 13 cubs born to radio-collared female bears this year. Next year, they will revisit the sows to see how many of the cubs are with them as yearlings. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife estimates there are 400 black bears in the core area of McCreary, Bell, Harlan and Letcher counties. A study slated to start next year will look at bear population numbers outside of that area. Bears are returning to Kentucky on their own as populations expand northward from the Big South Fork in Tennessee and westward from Virginia and West Virginia. Bears were absent from Kentucky for more than a century, having been hunted out by the 1850s. n
Above: Curry inserts an identification chip into a bear before returning it to its mother (below).
Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 19
NATURE NOTEBOOK
Catfish Super Senses Five senses…plus one Story by Matt Thomas Illustrations by Rick Hill The North American catfish family (Ictaluridae) has 18 species in Kentucky, including the familiar channel, blue and flathead catfish; but also bullheads and the small, secretive species collectively called “madtoms.” Catfish master their environment through six extraordinary sensory capabilities.
Sight
Vision is the least developed of the catfish senses. Sight has less value than taste and smell for finding food in low light and murky water conditions. However, some species have very good vision. Channel and blue catfish are active day and night, and are better adapted to sight feeding than other species, such as bullheads and madtoms. ater W
Nares out Water in
20 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
Smell
Catfish have a keen sense of smell. They have two sets of openings (nares) on the snout to intake then expel water. The water flows through a chamber filled with many highly sensitive folds of tissue that detect odors. Their sense of smell is primarily associated with feeding, by locating and discriminating among food items.
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Taste
Barbels
Some people call catfish “swimming tongues� because thousands of taste buds cover their entire scaleless bodies, including fins. Taste buds are most densely concentrated around the mouth and on the eight whisker-like barbels. These barbels also help the fish navigate by detecting objects and seeking out crevices in muddy water and at night.
Touch
Barbels
Some catfish are strongly thigmotactic, meaning they always rest with as many points of their body as possible in contact with another member of the species. Juvenile bullheads aggregate in dense ball-shaped schools that move in a circular motion, with fish continually pushing against one another. During cold periods, catfish also exhibit huddling behavior, which helps individuals stay warm.
Lateral line
Hearing
While catfish have no visible ears, they do have a specialized internal hearing structure called the Weberian apparatus. It consists of a double chain of bones (ossicles) joining the swim bladder to the inner ear. The swim bladder vibrates in response to pressure changes in the water produced by sound waves. The Weberian ossicles amplify the reception, then transmit it to the inner ear. Low frequency sounds not detected by the inner ear are picked up by the lateral line, which is a series of tiny pores along the side of the body that contain hair-like structures sensitive to slight movements in the water.
fw.ky.gov
Electroreception
At close range, catfish can sense electric fields produced by other animals, as well as each other. Small pit organs (electroreceptors) located on the head and along the lateral line respond to weak electric signals. Catfish use electroreception to locate prey, but may also use it for orientation, communication and predator avoidance.
Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 21
day
Elk take flight for Bell County relocation Story and photos by Kevin Kelly
22 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
fw.ky.gov
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t is almost daybreak on a reclaimed coal mine in Leslie County. As the rising sun nears the horizon, the clouds glow like tufts of cotton candy. Biologists and wildlife technicians with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources have caravanned from Hazard to get to a barren field atop the mountain before the sun’s arrival. Their final approach, along a one-lane haul road slickened by rain the previous day, requires thoughtful driving. They have just enough time to arrange their equipment and get their flatbed and cattle trailers in place before the rapid chuff-chuff-chuff of a Robinson R44 helicopter pierces the morning quiet. The helicopter, carrying a three-man crew, zigzags into view from the west and lands about a football field away. Piloting the chopper is David Rivers. Picture a nononsense New Zealander, less one front tooth, who can maneuver a helicopter in incomprehensible ways to capture wildlife in remote areas. That’s him. He’s done it all in this line of work. Led by Rivers, the flight crew and ground support staff from Nevada-based Native Range Capture Services traveled to Kentucky from Maine – where they’ve been capturing moose – to assist Kentucky Fish and Wildlife with the
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relocation of elk to Bell County. Managing elk sometimes requires shuffling small numbers of animals within the 16 counties of southeastern Kentucky’s elk zone. Because of concerns about importing chronic wasting disease (CWD) into Kentucky’s CWD-free elk and deer herd, moving elk to Kentucky from other states is no longer an option. Instead, moving existing elk within the state is the best way to spread out Kentucky’s herd. This is how biologists established herds on Fishtrap Lake and Corrigan wildlife management areas. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is collaborating with the Appalachian Wildlife Foundation to bolster the herd in the southern extreme of the elk zone, where fewer animals are present. Elk captured by helicopter in January rode in cattle trailers to the site of the foundation’s proposed Appalachian Wildlife Center near Pineville, where biologists and technicians released them back into the wild. There tourists will be able to see the elk, and the animals can serve as a source herd for future relocation efforts. While wildlife helicopter captures are common in remote areas of the western United States, the technique is new to the rugged mountains of southeastern Kentucky. The Appalachian Wildlife Foundation, which hopes to create an elk viewing destination in Bell County, contracted with the helicopter capture service for the first
Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 23
use of the technique in the state. Here’s how it works: The crew locates a herd then maneuvers the chopper to isolate an elk. The net gunner uses a Thompson/Center .308-caliber pistol loaded with a blank charge to fire a net over the animal. As the helicopter descends to within a few feet of the ground, a crew member known as a “mugger” jumps out. He secures and blindfolds the netted elk to help keep it calm before placing it into a sling bag. The helicopter hoists the bagged elk into the air then flies it a short distance to a staging area. The pilot carefully places the elk onto a flatbed trailer before releasing the bag and returning to pick up the mugger. It’s the same technique used to capture some of the elk relocated to Kentucky from Utah, Arizona and New Mexico during Kentucky’s elk restoration effort in 19972002. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife biologists are careful to take only a few animals from a herd when they capture elk for in-state relocation. For the Bell County project, department employees visited nine counties and captured 130 elk using a helicopter and other methods through late January. Captured animals included mostly cow elk along with some young bulls. Several elk received GPS collars that send location notifications every few hours. Others received less costly VHF radio collars that allow biologists to track the animals with a hand-held antenna. The collars will help Kentucky Fish and Wildlife gauge mortality and monitor elk movements in the coming years. But first, biologists need some more elk to collar.
24 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
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t’s now dawn on the fifth day of the helicopter capture effort. Gabe Jenkins, the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife biologist who heads the deer and elk programs, is standing on a flat hilltop discussing strategy with Rivers, the pilot. Talk quickly turns into action as they spot the silhouette of what appears to be an elk on top of a distant ridge. Rivers hustles to the helicopter as his crew climbs aboard. Moments later, they’re airborne. Manipulating the aircraft like a cattle dog, Rivers descends to treetop level and hovers close enough for the down wash of the helicopter’s blades to reach the ground. He rocks the chopper forward, backward, and side-to-side until the elk move off the ridge. Rivers pursues. The helicopter disappears below the horizon. At the drop-off site, the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife crew is ready to respond. When the helicopter appears above a nearby hill with a sling bag dangling several feet below by a rope, someone on the ground shouts, “Elk!” “It’s go time,” another yells. Moments later, the helicopter is hovering over the drop-off site. Rivers pokes his head outside the cockpit as he gently lowers a bagged yearling bull elk to the ground. He releases the rope from the helicopter, rapidly ascends and returns to the capture location. The response by Kentucky Fish and Wildlife staff is immediate and carried out in sequence. Department employees set about removing the antlers for the animal’s
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well being and staff safety. They will regrow the following spring. It receives ear tags before four people lift it into a cattle trailer for a quick health assessment and check for injuries. Wildlife biologist Dan Crank shaves a narrow strip of hair with cordless clippers then draws a blood sample for testing. A digital thermometer records the animal’s temperature. Biologists examine the teeth to determine its age. All of this information goes into a three-ring binder. When the work-up is completed, handlers free the bull’s legs and remove its blindfold. One by one, people scurry out of the trailer. A department employee stands by the door to shut the trailer quickly once the last person is out. It’s a tense time: A disoriented elk trying to get to its feet could seriously injure a person who slips and falls on the way out. The mood turns to relief once the door clangs shut with everybody safely out. The animal is in good shape and ready for its move to Bell County. The helicopter crew captures and transports four elk – two female, two male – and the first load of the day heads to the release site. Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 25
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enkins and Rivers agree to move locations. The helicopter takes off and the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife crew quickly retraces its way from the mine site out to the main road.
The route to a different mine site, across from Pine Mountain in Harlan County, cuts through the Daniel Boone National Forest along Greasy Creek. Hemlocks line the road in spots. Coordinating ground and air operations in this part of Kentucky presents a logistical challenge. Cell service is spotty and many assisting the effort aren’t familiar with the roads and access points. Blue Diamond was one of the original release sites for Kentucky’s elk restoration project, but the haul road at one of the entrances is too treacherous to navigate safely. Jenkins and elk program biologist Joe McDermott scout a second entrance. It’s suitable. Half the caravan follows Jenkins. The rest head in another direction to avoid blocking traffic on the narrow two-lane road. Jenkins’ group presses on, racing the clock and the helicopter. The trucks snake up a coal haul road and negotiate a muddy switchback before reaching a small horseshoe-shaped plateau. A thick mat of grass conceals the flat’s ankle-twisting rocks. The
26 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
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helicopter’s ground support crew approves the area for a landing spot. The skeleton crew led by Jenkins scrambles to prepare for the next elk delivery, but there is one problem: the other group has the supplies needed for the health check. Fortunately, Jenkins’ group includes Kentucky bear program coordinator John Hast. Because of his own research, Hast happens to have the needed equipment in his truck. The helicopter arrives minutes later with an adult cow elk in a sling bag. The rest of the crew reunites with Jenkins’ group soon after and assists the effort. Once the helicopter delivers its fourth elk, it is checked and the group begins its trip to the release site. All together, the helicopter crew and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife staff capture 13 elk from three counties on this day. “It’s been 20 years since we started returning elk to Kentucky,” Jenkins said. “The number of elk transferred to this location in Bell County is small compared to the total number of elk estimated to be on the ground in the elk zone. It speaks to how far we’ve come that we’re now able to establish a research and source herd while providing the public with a prime location to see these magnificent animals in the wild.” Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s elk management plan serves as a road map for the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife biologists posed with a bull elk blindfolded to help keep it calm. Pictured from left are Joe McDermott, Gabe Jenkins, Dan Crank, David Yancy, Kyle Sams and John Hast.
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state’s herd through 2030. Doing what is necessary to provide the public with quality viewing opportunities has been a goal since restoration efforts started in 1997. The proposed Appalachian Wildlife Center site spans 19 square miles on a reclaimed coal strip mine off U.S. 119. It offers stunning views of Cumberland Moun-
tain. Slated to open in 2020, the center will include a museum, a theater and a hall highlighting the natural history of elk and the species’ restoration in Kentucky, bird natural history and watching. Plans call for a 15-mile, self-guided scenic loop road for wildlife viewing, plus hiking trails and picnic areas. n
Chad Miles photo
Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 27
After the Shot A better wild turkey mount starts in the field Story and photos by Kevin Kelly
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NSIDE A WOOD-PANELED workshop that takes up half a twocar garage, taxidermist Ed Hancock works to bring wild turkeys as close to life -like as possible. Hanging on the workshop’s door is a University of Kentucky men’s basketball schedule poster emblazoned with a motivational phrase as apropos for a taxidermist as it is for Coach Cal and the Wildcats. “Embrace the challenge.” Wild turkeys are complex animals to mount, considering a mature adult has 5,000 to 6,000 feathers and a uniquely textured head and neck colored in variations of red, white and blue.
28 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
“I’ve been in this field for 41 years, mounted my first turkey 20-some years ago and full-time for 10,” said Hancock, owner of Full Fan Taxidermy in Lexington. “I’m learning every day and with every one I do.” The hunter plays a crucial role in the process – because how they care for the bird after the shot affects the quality of a finished fullbody mount. Hancock advises hunters who might consider having a bird mounted to do their homework before the season starts. “We’re going hunting in April, but preparation for a finished mount hanging in your house should start about the first of the year,” he said. “You need to do your homework. Just because a person has been in the
taxidermist field for 30 years doesn’t mean they’re good. Go to the person’s shop or get on their website. Call them. Talk to them. It’s just like buying a car or a house. You’re not going to jump at the first one you see.” Kentucky’s weather from mid-April to mid-May is a mixed bag. Between frost and rain and morning dew, the inevitable encounters with wet conditions heighten the challenge to follow Hancock’s cardinal rule. “I preach it, I preach it and I preach it,” he said. “Clean and dry. Clean and dry. If those feathers are clean and dry they know where they’ve got to go.” It is incumbent on the hunter to act quickly after the shot.
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“Nine times out of 10, you hit that bird and you’ve knocked him over. He’s sitting out there, wings flopping on the ground. Cornfield, oak thicket or whatever, feathers are flying. You’re beating up the bird,” Hancock said. “Try to get to the bird ASAP. Try to immobilize it.” If the bird is in its death throes, pick it up by the feet and pinch its windpipe until it succumbs. Wringing or stepping on the neck can damage the feathers. Take in the moment, take pictures, fill out your harvest log but do not dilly-dally. Like most hunters, Hancock packs snacks for day trips. In the plastic freezer bag that may hold assorted snacks also goes
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paper towels and zip ties. There is a good reason for this. If blood is oozing from the turkey’s mouth, Hancock plugs it with a paper towel. Next, he wraps the paper towels around the turkey’s head and neck area like a gauze bandage. The freezer bag goes over the head and he cinches the zip ties snug around the bag. This technique keeps the feathers clean and dry. Whether you plan to get a full mount or a mount of the tail fan only, Hancock recommends sandwiching the tail feathers between pieces of cardboard and securing it with tape. Next, tuck the head under a wing and place the entire bird in a lawn-and-leaf sized plastic garbage bag. Telecheck the bird before midnight and attach a carcass tag if you’re taking it to the taxidermist. You can write your name, telecheck confirmation number and phone number on the cardboard protecting the tail feathers and use that for your carcass tag. Cool the bird as soon as possible by placing it in a cooler at camp or a refrigerator back home. The taxidermist may breast out the bird before you leave the shop if not too busy at the time. Hancock advises hunters not to field dress a bird going to a taxidermist – you’ll run the risk of removing parts the taxidermist needs. “A lot of hunters want to get their bird mounted, but want to breast it out before bringing it to me,” he said. “Well, that’s not a good thing because on my end, there again, clean and dry. You get all this blood and stuff all over these nice breast feathers. Then, for me to get it sewed back together where it’s going to be 100 percent lined up, the odds are not real high. It makes my work harder. Now, I’ve got to try to make this breast as symmetrical as I can without distorting a whole lot of the anatomy.” If you cannot take your bird to the taxidermist within a few days, place it in a freezer. Make sure the bird is dry and fully contained inside the plastic garbage bag. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible before freezing. Freezer burn can be devastating. Hancock recommends not keeping it frozen for more than six to eight months. Hancock attended taxidermy school in 1977 and has been doing taxidermy full-time for the past decade. His work has garnered him state and national awards but it’s not just a job. He is a passionate turkey hunter.
As he notes, a hunter thinks nothing of investing hundreds and thousands of dollars in the latest and greatest equipment. When it all adds up with the harvest of a trophy turkey, spare no effort or expense to have something made to remember the moment forever. “You’ve got X amount of dollars in your shotgun. You’ve got X amount of dollars in your license and permit. You’ve probably got a couple trail cams. You’ve got X amount of dollars in other equipment. Gas. Wear and tear on your vehicle. Clothing,” Hancock said. “Don’t skimp, and do your homework.” n
“Clean and dry. Clean and dry. If those feathers are clean and dry they know where they’ve got to go.”
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Fish & Wildlife
OUt-
DOOR NEWS
THE KENTUCKY FISH and Wildlife Commission recommended several changes dealing with deer, waterfowl and sandhill crane hunting at its March meeting in Frankfort. Legislative members of the Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee must review the proposed administrative regulations before the changes can become effective for the 2018-19 seasons. Many of the commission’s deer-related recommendations are geared toward reducing the number of deer in Zone 1 counties while improving deer numbers in areas where there aren’t as many. “Hunting is the most effective way to manage the deer population,” said Kentucky Fish
and Wildlife Deer Program Coordinator Gabe Jenkins. “Wildlife managers do so by adjusting seasons, bag limits and methods to achieve goals.” The proposals were years in the making. Department personnel pored over deer herd and harvest data, surveyed hunters, conducted internal advisory group meetings and formed a deer working group of interested hunters to gather input. Proposals were presented and discussed at public meetings of the commission. Deer-related recommendations approved by the commission included: • Creating a special Zone 1 only, modern gun season for antlerless deer. The two-day season
Rick Hill illustration
The red eft is the juvenile stage of the redspotted newt, a common salamander in Kentucky. During this stage, the red eft is bright orange-red, a warning to predators it contains toxins. After one to three years of living in the forest, the red eft finds a pond or small lake then transforms into an adult.
Changes proposed for deer, waterfowl, sandhill crane hunting
Compiled by Dave Baker, Kevin Kelly and Lee McClellan
30 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
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outdoor news
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Proposed regulations are designed to bring better balance to deer numbers in the state.
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would start the last Saturday in September. During the season, a hunter could take antlerless deer with a modern gun in Zone 1 counties only. • Modifying the statewide deer permit from a two-deer limit to four at no additional cost for residents; and the youth deer permit from a one-deer limit to four deer at no additional cost. Hunters would still be limited to one antlered deer statewide, regardless of zone or method. • Expanding the modern gun season from 10 to 16 days in Zone 3 and 4 counties. Other modifications to harvest rules in Zones 3 and 4 were proposed to prevent overharvest and
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encourage population growth in the deer herd. • Allowing hunters to take a bag limit of deer in each zone, independent of the other zone’s bag limits. • Setting a Zone 4 bag limit of two deer. Of those two, only one could be an antlerless deer. The statewide bag limit of one antlered deer still applies. While the statewide deer permit would include up to four deer (see above), only two could be taken in Zone 4. • Modifying the additional deer permit from a two-deer limit to 15 deer. Hunters would still be limited to one antlered deer statewide, regardless of zone or method. The additional permit also will be renamed as the deer management permit. • Allowing hunters to take only one antlerless deer with a gun in Zone 3. • Changing the following counties from Zone 2 to Zone 1: Union, Henderson, McLean, Muhlenberg, Todd, Mercer, Mason and Hart.
• Changing the following counties from Zone 3 to Zone 2: Warren, Allen, Monroe, Barren, Metcalfe, Adair, Edmonson, Butler, Breckinridge, Meade, Hancock, Daviess, Taylor, Casey, Lincoln, Boyle, Madison, Clark, Montgomery and Bath. • Changing the following counties from Zone 4 to Zone 3: Garrard, Pulaski, Wayne and Laurel. In other business, the commission took steps to simplify some waterfowl regulations and increase opportunities for waterfowl hunters. It made several recommendations affecting Sloughs Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Henderson and Union counties and Ballard WMA in western Kentucky. The commission also proposed several changes to existing regulations related to sandhill crane hunting. Sandhill crane-related proposals included: • Changing the sandhill crane
quota hunt application period from late November to the month of September. • Increasing the number of sandhill crane permits and tags issued. • Lengthening the sandhill crane season and increasing the statewide bag limit. • Allowing hunters to take more than two birds in a season, if they have the required number of tags. • Requiring participants to buy a hunting license by Sept. 30 to be eligible for a permit. • Establishing a new refuge for roosting birds by closing portions of Green River Lake to sandhill crane hunting. Complete details about the commission’s recommendations are available on Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s website at fw.ky.gov. The “News” section on the homepage includes two news releases. A comprehensive description of each proposal also can be viewed by typing “Commission Proposal Explanation” in the search box on the homepage.
Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 31
State archery tournament for students draws record number THE LARGEST FIELD in the 17-year history of Kentucky’s National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) state tournament produced impressive individual performances and an overall team title for Madison Central High School. The event, held March 2931 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, drew a record 6,504 students from 396 schools across the state. Lisa Frye, state NASP coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, said the excitement was contagious. “It was heartwarming seeing so many happy faces,” she said. “Archery continues to grow in the schools across the state. The children absolutely love the sport. By the looks of all the parents and grandparents that I saw, I’d say they love archery, too.” Elementary, middle and high school student archers competed for individual and team honors. After practice rounds, each competitor shot 15 arrows at bullseye targets from 10 meters and 15 more from 15 meters for a total possible score of 300. Anderson County High School freshman Henry Thompson swept the boys’ overall titles in the Kentucky NASP state tournament and the newer Kentucky NASP/International Bowhunting Organization (IBO) 3D Challenge with a score of 298 in each. The 3D Challenge differs
32 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
from the traditional bullseye state tournament in that archers shoot at six lifelike foam targets depicting various game animals. The 3D targets are set in a diagonal line from 10 to 15 meters and the scoring rings are the same size and shape of the rings on standard NASP bullseye targets. The girls division of the Kentucky NASP state tournament came down to a tiebreaker between Simon Kenton High School sophomore Holly Snow and North Laurel Middle School seventh grader Savannah Philpot. They tied for first place with scores of 295. Snow won the tiebreaker and the girls division overall title. Madison Central, the 2016 overall team champion, won the overall title again this year. Madison Central finished ahead of Bullitt Central High School. Muhlenberg County High School, Henderson County High School and Lexington’s Lafayette High School filled out the top five. Pulaski Northern Middle School and Morgantown Elementary won their respective divisions. The top 10 seniors in the boys and girls divisions in the state tournament received $1,000 scholarships to apply to any post-secondary education. Lincoln County High School freshman McKenzie Settles earned top individual honors in the girls division of the 3D Challenge. Anderson County High School won the 3D Chal-
The tournament included 3D archery. Photo submitted
Photo submitted
Sophomore Holly Snow of Simon Kenton High School (middle) won the overall girl’s division after shooting a tiebreaker.
Photo submitted
Morgantown Elementary School in Butler County won the tournament’s elementary school division. lenge’s overall team title. Complete state tournament results are available online at nasptournaments.org. Click
on “Tournaments” then select “Kentucky” and “Completed This Season” from the dropdown menus.
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outdoor news
Minch named new director of Information and Education Division
Tim Slone photo
NORM MINCH, a 32-year veteran of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, took charge of the department’s Information and Education Division after being named its new director earlier this spring. He replaces retired director Tim Slone. “There is always someone – doing something – somewhere in this division, that I can point to as a shining example, to benefit the department and the people of this state,” Minch said.
Minch serves as the driving force behind the metamorphosis of the division’s Hunter Education Branch into the Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation Branch. The refocused branch emphasizes outreach to potential hunters and anglers through experiences and education programs. Minch began his Kentucky Fish and Wildlife career in the summer of 1986 as an information officer. He rose to managing editor of Kentucky Afield
magazine before his promotion to assistant director of the Information and Education Division. During his Fish and Wildlife career, Minch has been involved in the creation of the Salato Wildlife Education Center and the department’s Information Center. His leadership has also helped guide Kentucky Afield magazine, television and radio. Minch is a Shelbyville native and graduate of Georgetown College.
Carp Madness returns to western Kentucky in June A SEQUEL TO the original Carp Madness tournament in 2013 that saw commercial anglers net several tons of invasive Asian carp from Kentucky and Barkley lakes is coming in June. This time, the tournament is for bow anglers only. It offers $23,000 in prize money, including $10,000 apiece for the winning boat in the lake and river divisions. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency are partnering with the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Kentucky State Parks and the Bowfishing Association of America (BAA) to host the tournament on Kentucky and Barkley lakes and Cumberland and Tennessee rivers overnight June 23-24. The BAA-sanctioned tournament is another way to remove carp while building awareness of the invasive fish. “We anticipate that Carp
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Madness 2 will remove more than 100,000 pounds of Asian carp in a single night of bowfishing,” said Ron Brooks, Fisheries Division director for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “Proceeds beyond the cost of the tournament payouts and prizes will go to the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which works with our department on fish and wildlife habitat, the Salato Wildlife Education Center and sponsoring the department’s summer conservation camps for kids.” The entry fee is $150 per boat. Contestants can pay an extra $25 for entry into the big fish contest. Teams may consist of two to four anglers, but no passengers. The top three weights harvested per boat from each division (lake or river) will win prize money. First place pays $10,000 per boat, followed by $1,000 for second and $500 for
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third. The big fish payout will be combined for both divisions and depend on the number of entries. Contestants who weigh in Asian carp will receive a commemorative “Carp Madness 2” T-shirt. Contestants weighing in at least 250 pounds of fish will receive raffle tickets for chances at donated prizes. The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation is providing support for raffles, T-shirts and donations to the tournament. The foundation also will sell “CarpMadness 2” T-shirts to support Asian carp removal efforts.
The tournament starts at 7 p.m. (Central time) June 23 and continues through 7 a.m. the following morning. Launch is set for the Kentucky Dam Marina Boat Ramp, located at the Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park near Gilbertsville, Ky. Bowfishing anglers may harvest any of the Asian carp, including the silver, bighead, grass and black carp. Pre-register through the Bowfishing Association of America website at baastore.bigcartel.com. Participants wishing to register at the event must pay with cash. Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 33
Donations fund summer camp scholarships for kids EACH YEAR, HUNDREDS of Kentucky students are able to attend summer conservation camps offered by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources because of the generosity of individuals and organizations like the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Kentucky Houndsmen
Association. Donations from those organizations funded scholarships that helped send 558 Kentucky students in grades 4-6 to conservation camp last year. A $9,000 donation from the Kentucky Houndsmen Association brought the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s total con-
tribution to $59,330. Both organizations presented ceremonial checks at the March meeting of the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife operates camps on Kentucky Lake (Camp John Currie), Lake Cumberland (Camp Earl Wallace) and Grayson Lake (Camp
Robert C. Webb). More than 4,800 children attended conservation camp last year. For more information about conservation camp, visit Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s website at fw.ky.gov. Click on the “Education” tab and choose “Summer Camps” from the drop-down menu.
Woods and Water Law Quiz Test your knowledge of Kentucky’s hunting and fishing laws and regulations. Do you know the answers to the following questions?
Kevin Kelly photo
Kentucky Houndsmen Association president Doug Morgan (second from right) and vice president Doug Johnson (third from right) present a ceremonial check at the March 23 meeting of the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission. Accepting on the department’s behalf were Information and Education Division Director Norm Minch (left), acting Commissioner Frank Jemley (second from left) and Commission Chairman Jimmy Bevins (right).
1. You just caught a crappie from a lake with a 10-inch minimum size limit. When you place it on a ruler to measure the fish, the tailfins only just touch the 10-inch line when you squeeze the fish’s tail. Are you legal? 2. Do you have to comply with hunter orange requirements while hunting during the spring squirrel season? 3. You just bought a johnboat from a yard sale. You will only use it on a private farm pond. Do you have to register the boat? (answers on page 36)
Tularemia discovery closes Butler County field trial facility THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT of Fish and Wildlife Resources and the Kentucky Department for Public Health took action in April to close a field trial facility in Butler County after a captive wild rabbit from there tested positive for tularemia. Tularemia, sometimes known as “rabbit fever,” can spread to people, pets and hunting dogs. Ticks are a common
34 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
carrier of the disease. Tularemia can be fatal if left untreated. Hunters and others who spend time outdoors in Butler County should take precautions to guard against potential exposure to the rare but treatable bacterial disease. The state Department for Public Health provides information about symptoms and ways to prevent tularemia on its website at http:// chfs.ky.gov/dph/Tularemia.htm.
Health care providers should be notified about any possible exposure to the disease. The property is located near Morgantown off Millshed Road. The United Beagle Gundog Federation used it to conduct field trials for hunting dogs. The University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory tested a rabbit carcass from the site and confirmed tularemia. It was one of several
rabbits found dead in an 80acre pen contained by rabbitproof fencing on the 240-acre property. Tularemia mostly affects rabbits and rodents, including squirrels and groundhogs. People can be exposed in a variety of ways, the most likely in spring being a tick bite or handling an infected animal carcass. The disease can become airborne near a carcass. fw.ky.gov
outdoor news
Department tests sonic barrier, bubbles to turn back Asian carp A THREE-YEAR study to gauge whether a streambed bubbler combined with underwater sound can blunt the movement of Asian carp through the lock chamber of Barkley Dam begins this fall. “Studies show fish can be manipulated by sound,” said Ron Brooks, director of Fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “They’ve used these techniques in Europe and the western United States to move salmon toward main channels or fish ladders.
Neal Jackson photo
Silver carp jump during population sampling by Kentucky Fish and Wildlife employees. Beginning this fall, researchers will use experimental methods below Barkley Dam in an attempt to blunt Asian carp movement into Lake Barkley. There is great potential or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would not be spending millions of dollars on this.” Brooks explained Asian carp are unusually sensitive to sound. “Boat motor noises are the most effective in moving Asian carp,” he said. The videos and pictures of an acre or two
of silver carp jumping erratically because of boat engine noises are familiar to many people. “This is the first real test in a river system for Asian carp,” Brooks said. “A lot of states are watching us.” Brooks said the Critical Species Investigative Branch of the Fisheries Division already
NATURE HILL-USTRATED • By Rick Hill
What's up with him?
Must be mussel cramps
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possesses the infrastructure to monitor Asian carp, making the Barkley Dam site one of the best available. “This project serves a dual purpose,” Brooks said. “We want to reduce the number of Asian carp migrating into Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. We want to also reduce their numbers to keep the carp from reproducing.” The device emits loud sound from one note and slides into a higher note while the bubbler creates a bubble curtain. “This is another system we are testing,” Brooks said. “We are not expecting to deter all Asian carp, but if it is 90 percent effective, many states will implement this system.” Brooks said a successful test should greatly help efforts to blunt the spread of Asian carp in the Ohio River. Currently, Asian carp are not reproducing in the river upstream of McAlpine Lock and Dam in Louisville. “If this works and we had this at McApline Dam, it would greatly help our efforts to combat Asian carp in the Ohio,” he said.
Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 35
5 STREAM STRETCHES FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS
Woods and Water Law Quiz Answers
1. Green River – Green River Lake Dam to Greensburg; Taylor and Green counties 2. South Fork, Kentucky River – Onieda to Bishop Bend Road; Clay County 3. Barren River – Barren River Dam to mouth of Drakes Creek; Allen, Barren and Warren counties 4. Buck Creek – Stab to Poplarville Access; Pulaski County 5. Russell Fork – Ratliff Hole to KY 195 Bridge Access; Pike County
Central Kentucky’s Elkhorn Creek is known throughout the state as an excellent stream for smallmouth bass fishing. However, Kentucky possesses abundant smallmouth bass streams with fishing that rivals or exceeds the Elkhorn. Refer to the Canoeing and Kayaking page on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife website at fw.ky. gov for more details on floating these streams. Here are five stream stretches loaded with smallmouth bass:
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1. Yes. Maj. Shane Carrier of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s Law Enforcement Division explained that as long as the ends of the tailfins touch the line for the minimum size limit, the fish is legal. Any measurement short of that line is not legal. 2. No, you do not have to comply with hunter orange requirements during the spring squirrel season, although it is a good idea if hunting with a group. 3. No, you do not have to register boats intended for use on private property if it is only powered by oars or a trolling motor. Boats with a gasoline-powered motor must be registered regardless.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife: @kyfishwildlife Kentucky Afield Magazine: @kyafield Kentucky Afield TV: @kentuckyafield
Fisheries WESTERN DISTRICT @kyfisheriesw • Kentucky Lake • Kentucky Lake Tailwater • Lake Barkley • Lake Barkley Tailwater • Lake Beshear
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CENTRAL DISTRICT @kyfisheriesc • Elkhorn Creek • Taylorsville Lake • Herrington Lake
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EASTERN DISTRICT @kyfisheriese • Paintsville Lake • Dewey Lake • Yatesville Lake • Fishtrap Lake • Martins Fork Lake • Carr Creek Lake
NORTHWESTERN DISTRICT @kyfisheriesnw • Lake Malone • Rough River Lake • Nolin River Lake
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SOUTHEASTERN DISTRICT @kyfisheriesse • Lake Cumberland • Lake Cumberland Tailwater • Laurel River Lake • Cedar Creek Lake • Buckhorn Lake
NORTHEASTERN DISTRICT @kyfisheriesne • Cave Run Lake • Licking River • Grayson Lake
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cooking Samuel’s Orange Turkey For the wild turkey hunter, few experiences rival the enjoyment of sitting silent against a tree before daylight on a spring morning, awaiting the first gobble. One of them for me is cooking up the harvest and relishing it with family or friends. There is something particularly satisfying about taking game from field to fork. My teenage son, Samuel, has enjoyed many of those pre-dawn gobbles since he was old enough to go afield. Countless times, he’s also observed me carefully cleaning, preserving and cooking our catch. As a teenager now, he’s increasingly taking part in the latter activities, too. Like many parents, I’ve grappled with the need to provide nourishing meals that are also appealing to the palate of a youth. My son’s affinity for Asian dishes has spurred my experimentation with substituting wild turkey in place of chicken in these recipes. Wild turkey works well in such popular entrees as sweet and sour or sesame chicken. One of Samuel’s favorite adaptations is “Orange Turkey.” We’ve found Asian sauces and spices are great embellishments for wild turkey’s hearty yet delicious flavor; turkey can be seasoned for preferred recipes without diminishing its naturally rich taste. We hope you’ll enjoy this table-pleaser as much as we do! n
A popular sweet citrus dish gone wild • By Brian Clark
RECIPE 1 cup orange marmalade ½ cup BBQ sauce 1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce Dried red chili peppers ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup corn starch 2 eggs 1 wild turkey breast (membranes removed), cubed Cooking oil White Rice Optional: Sesame Seeds 1 tablespoon orange peel zest To make sauce, combine orange marmalade, BBQ sauce and teriyaki sauce in a shallow pan. Stir well and simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes. To add some spicy heat to the dish, cut one or more dried chili peppers into rings using scissors. Remove seeds. Add pepper rings to the sauce as it heats up. (Consider us-
ing pepper rings as a garnish after the cooking is done if you’re serving kids.) In one bowl, beat eggs. In another bowl, combine flour and corn starch. Put turkey cubes on paper towels to absorb excess moisture before cooking. Add cooking oil to a cast iron skillet until it is approximately 1/8 inch deep. Heat oil on medium-high for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, dredge turkey cubes in egg, then roll in flour/starch mix to lightly coat. Add turkey to skillet and fry until meat is brown, turning cubes every couple of minutes to cook all sides. Remove meat from skillet and drain on paper towels. Pour excess oil from skillet, but leave some of the browned bits from the turkey in the pan. Add orange sauce to skillet, stirring and turning cubes to coat them in sauce. Serve over white rice and garnish as desired with sesame seeds, orange peel zest and red pepper rings.
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Spring2018 2018 Kentucky KentuckyAfield Afield 37 Spring
habitat
How to improve habitat in your farm pond • By Lee McClellan
Adding good habitat to your pond can boost fish populations.
Don Bunnell photo
Home Renovation for Fish Farm owners who want to improve fishing in their ponds need a plan – and some restraint. “You need three goals for renovating your farm pond: good spawning habitat, refuge cover for sunfish, plus different and deeper habitat for largemouth bass,” said Joe Zimmerman, habitat program coordinator
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for the Fisheries Division of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. A good first step is finding a flat spot in the pond that has sporadic vegetation. “I would incorporate pea gravel or size 57 gravel – like they use for gravel roads – on the flat spot to firm up the bottom for spawning,” he said. “You also need shade overhead. You can mimic that with large hardwood trees, such as oak, hickory and hard maple.” If the flat spot is near a tree-lined bank, Zimmerman suggests hinge cutting a bankside hardwood tree for cover. A hinge cut involves cutting a tree halfway through the trunk in the direction you want it to fall. The
tree falls but remains attached to the stump, helping keep the tree alive and leafing out. Properly done, a hinge cut keeps most of the tree positioned just above bottom. “A tree that is mostly one foot or so off the bottom is best,” Zimmerman said. “The fish go in and around it.” Submerged habitat for panfish must be tight and tall. “Pick a spot 5 to 8 feet deep and cluster the brush tight. Pile brush until it nearly reaches the surface,” Zimmerman said. “With height, the brush falls in on itself over the years and lasts longer.” Tight cover also protects small sunfish from predation by hungry largemouth bass or catfish. For largemouth bass, Zimmerman suggests sinking hardwood trees, which have some space between branches. “You want this cover off shore in a deeper area,” he said. “You don’t want to be deeper than 10 feet, as there is no dissolved oxygen for fish beyond that depth for much of the year in Kentucky farm ponds.” Zimmerman said commercially available fish habitat designed for ambush and protection lasts much longer than wood, but isn’t cheap. “Think outside the box; the commercial fish habitat works well,” he said. “There is nothing better than a large cedar tree, but you must refresh them every two or three years.” Restraint also helps make your farm pond a fishing mecca. “You can overdo it in a farm pond,” Zimmerman said. “Placing too much habitat hurts, especially on smaller farm ponds. It can lead to stunted fish and too much aquatic vegetation.” Zimmerman said the largest issue in farm ponds has nothing to do with habitat. “The biggest problem with farm ponds is they grow overcrowded,” he said. “People don’t harvest enough fish.” Have a plan and show restraint – and watch the fishing in your pond blossom. n
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destinations
New property opens in Lewis County • By Kevin Kelly
Old Trace Creek WMA ing for stream restoration. The FILO program is required by the U.S. Army Corps of End. R o n o k c e B r a n c c h e R gineers to permanently prod. r N B Rac Ra ce C a r r. S coo tect stream restoration project T pu n oon Branch c c a sites through the acquisition of R r 59 properties like the Old Trace Creek area. No general fund tax dollars or department license dollars were used to buy the property. “Not only is this projOld Trace ect improving stream habitat, Creek WMA hunters and outdoors enthusiasts are being provided with a new place to enjoy,” said Mike Hardin, assistant director of fisheries for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. Old Trace Creek WMA takes its name from the stream that flows through a small portion of the property toward No la n nearby Kinniconick Creek. Br a The property is primarily uph land oak forest with a small To Morehead amount of open areas along the Adrienne Yancy illustration stream restoration cooridors. Visitors will encounter moderate to OLD TRACE CREEK Wildlife Managesteep terrain with forested ridges and ment Area (WMA) in Lewis County is the HOW TO GET THERE benches. newest property owned and managed by the From Morehead: Take Interstate 64 east “There is abundant opportunity for Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife to Exit 156 (Vanceburg/Olive Hill). Turn game species as most of this track is made Resources. Hunting is allowed under stateleft onto KY 2 and continue north for up of upland oak forest,” said Gregory. “Turwide regulations. about 1,000 feet to KY 59 (Fairlane key, squirrel and deer are going to be the big Located near the community of EmerDrive). Turn left onto KY 59 and travel three. There’s the possibility of some rabbit son, a short drive northwest of Olive Hill, north approximately 6 miles. Turn left and grouse, as well.” the 323-acre area will appeal to hunters and onto Old Trace Creek Road (Old Trace Of the three parking areas along Old outdoors enthusiasts alike. Hill Road) and proceed Trace Creek Road, the southernmost one “It’s a pretty area and it provides some about 1 mile to the offers easy access to the creek. Tom Timgood opportunity,” said Nathan Gregory, Ashland Maysville first parking area. mermann, Northeast Fisheries District biolcoordinator of the Kentucky Department ogist with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, said of Fish and Wildlife’s Northeast Wildlife Old Trace this publicly accessible section of Old Trace Region. Creek WMA Creek would make a nice summertime wadThe property was purchased with Kening spot for anglers who enjoy catching suntucky Wetland and Stream Mitigation n fish on ultralight tackle. “Fee In-Lieu Of ” (FILO) Program fundGrassy
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Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 39
ask the experts Q
What are triploid rainbow trout and why is Kentucky stocking them?
A
Rainbow trout, like most animals, humans and fish, are described as diploid, meaning they possess two sets of chromosomes. They inherit a set of chromosomes from each parent. Triploid rainbow trout are like other rainbow trout in all ways but one: their cells have three sets of chromosomes. This difference renders the fish sterile. Triploid fish are not a genetically modified organism. No genes are changed or manufactured during this process. Seedless watermelons and bananas are examples of triploid organisms. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources mandates that all grass carp purchased and stocked in Kentucky be sterile triploid fish, so that they cannot establish reproducing populations. Kentucky’s triploid stocking program begins The idea for our triploid rainbow trout stocking program hatched during a meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society Trout Technical Committee. This annual gathering allows trout biologists from the southeastern states to share information. At that meeting, I learned the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission was producing and stocking triploid rainbow trout in that state’s streams. By stocking sterile fish in streams containing brook Spring
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Within minutes of fertilization (left), eggs are rinsed and poured into a sieve (above).
lower reaches of the stream and have the best of both worlds. David Deaton/NC Wildlife Resources Commission photo Triploid fish also have substantrout, they didn’t have to worry about rain- tial growth potential: the last two world rebow trout moving upstream, reproducing cord rainbow trout were triploids. In simple and outcompeting native brook trout. They terms, reproduction has an energetic cost to could stock triploid rainbow trout in the an organism. Sterile fish do not divert energy toward spawning, so they have a much greater growth potential. We know from many years of research DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR OUR there is no substantive reproduction of trout BIOLOGISTS OR STAFF? in the Lake Cumberland tailwater due to the extreme daily water fluctuations of the Just e-mail us at ky.afield@ky.gov or write to: Ask the releases from Wolf Creek Dam. The very Experts, c/o Kentucky Afield Magazine, 1 Sportsman’s thing that creates optimal cold water condiLane, Frankfort, Ky. 40601. You’ll receive a free one-year tions for trout year round also prevents them subscription or renewal if we use your question. You cannot from successfully reproducing. Since trout win more than one free subscription a year. weren’t reproducing in the Cumberland tailwater, we decided, why not stock triploid
40 Kentucky Afield Spring 2018
fw.ky.gov
Melissa McGaw/ NCWRC photo
fish with greater growth potential? The origin of triploid trout The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources requests Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, located below Lake Cumberland, to produce all the trout stocked in Kentucky. This U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hatchery receives fertilized trout eggs from various sources across the United States. Triploid rainbow trout reared at Wolf Creek Hatchery come from eggs produced at Erwin Hatchery, a federally operated facility in northeast Tennessee. Unaltered rainbow trout eggs start out with two sets of chromosomes. After fertilization, a set of the mother’s chromosomes are expelled from the egg and replaced by a set of chromosomes from the sperm. To produce triploid rainbow trout, fertilized eggs are physically shocked to make them retain both sets of chromosomes from the mother. Together, with the set of chromosomes in the sperm, the eggs now have three sets of chromosomes. Whether triploid or unaltered diploid
fw.ky.gov
Melissa McGaw/ NCWRC photo
fish, the process of harvesting and fertilizing trout eggs is the same. Hatchery workers strip eggs from ripe females and combine them with sperm-laden milt from male trout. The fertilized eggs are then rinsed. Hathery personnel then use heat, shaking or pressurization to shock the eggs. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission partners with Erwin Hatchery to produce triploid rainbow trout eggs using the pressure shock method. At a precise time after fertilization, based on water temperature, hatchery workers place fertilized eggs into a special chamber and increase the pressure to 10,000 psi (pounds per square inch) for 5 minutes. This process blocks the ejection of the extra set of the mother’s chromosomes. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife began stocking triploid rainbow trout in the Lake Cumberland tailwater in 2010. Unfortunately, the program started during challenging conditions created during the Wolf Creek dam rehabilitation project, during which the tailwater experienced higher water temperatures and lower flows. Dam repairs wrapped up in 2013.
Melissa McGaw/ NCWRC photo
Marion Hatchery Biologist Peter Lamb (above, left) places the sieve into a pressure container (above). This container creates a pressure of 10,000 pounds per square inch, which produces the sterile triploid eggs. Since then, southeastern Kentucky has not experienced the relatively dry years that leads to the best trout growing conditions in the Lake Cumberland tailwater. However, anglers are starting to catch some large rainbow trout, such as the 30.75-inch fish with a 19.75-inch girth caught by Waynesburg resident David Naylor on New Year’s Eve 2016. His 14-pound, 3-ounce fish fell just 3 ounces short of matching the state record set in 1972. We cannot say conclusively that Naylor’s fish is a triploid because it was not tested. However, we are hopeful that there are more and larger fish out there – and with better future environmental conditions, the chances for large fish will only improve. Dave Dreves, Assistant Director of Fisheries Spring 2018 Kentucky Afield 41