DON’T BE IN THE DARK - P.12
Ohio Valley
Kayak Fishing
Story inside page 4
Whitetail Tricks and Treats OV Outdoor Times
Mid-November is game time in the world of whitetails. No more waiting for the rut – it’s here. Hunters have two major misconceptions about the rut. The first is that By Ralph Scherder killing a mature, Hunting Editor love-struck buck is easier this time of year. The second is that big bucks will be running everywhere in search of a willing doe. While it’s true that whitetails may become less cautious when a doe-in-estrus is involved, that doesn’t mean tagging a bruiser is easy. Rut or no rut, big bucks are never easy. You’ll still have to dip into your bag of tricks if you want to be successful. This time of year, I like to make a midseason assessment of everything that has happened thus far. This means taking into account such things as deer sightings, food sources, and trail camera activity. If there’s one trick I’ve learned over the years, it’s that you have to be flexible and willing to adapt to the situation. The game plan you started out with at the be-
Outdoor Times November 2017
ginning of the season may no longer be relevant, and you have to adjust your tactics accordingly. The first question I ask myself is: am I seeing deer? If conditions are good, meaning we’ve had seasonable weather that encourages whitetail movement, I should have fairly consistent action. I don’t have to see deer every time on stand, but I should feel optimistic. That’s how I judge whether I’m in a quality location. If too many days in a row produce no sightings, I start looking for reasons. If the season started with a flurry of activity that has tapered off the last few weeks, I might consider moving my stand, or at least resting the spot for a few days. Hunting pressure is the most common reason deer avoid an area. In essence, they pattern the hunter, rather than the other way around. If you’ve spooked deer on multiple occasions in the same week, it’s probably a good idea to give the stand a break. Spending all of your time hunting out of one stand can be detrimental anyway because you can lose focus of what’s happening around you. Sure, you don’t want to walk around your hunting area so much that you spook deer, but it’s also good to explore a little throughout the season and check out some new territory, especially if you’re not seeing as many deer as you think you should from your primary stand. I can’t even count how many times I’ve found a hot spot on a ridge or in a secluded draw littered with fresh scrapes Turn To Whitetail Page 3
FR EE!
Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo courtesy of Ralph Scherder
As bucks move around in search of receptive does, they’re more likely to check out these scents in order to learn more about other deer in the area.
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INSIDE THIS MONTH
OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
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Kayak Fishing Class Concludes Series
PA Officers Track Down Lost Hunters
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17
Bucktail Jigs for Late Fall Fishing
Federal Agencies Sign Unprecedented MOU
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10
Larry Claypool
Wollitz, Rolland Win King of River Event
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PAGC
Jeff Knapp
OV Times Staff
Photo Showcase
Falconer Featured at Pioneer Days Event
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Larry Claypool
Don’t Be in the Dark
Grey D. Berrier II
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Maximizing Your Musky Trolling
OUTDOOR CALENDAR
Turkey Shoots - Each Sunday, 1 p.m. at Tri-State Coonhunters Club, 2601 Irish Ridge Road, East Liverpool, OH. $2 per round, shoot 10 rounds. $5 round at end. Any gun with open sights or scopes. Up to 640 choke. Call William Dalrymple at 330-385-8822. Gun Show by Mahoning Valley Gun Collectors - Dec. 9-10 (9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) at Lowellville Rod and Gun Club. Admission $4, vendor tables $25. Buy, sell, trade. Free appraisals, free parking. GPS address 6225 Quarry Road, Lowellville, OH. For info. call Bill at 330-506-9194. Trap Shoots - Regular trap shoots (open to public) held each Weds. and Sun. Sporting clays held fourth Sunday of month at Columbiana County Fish and Game Assoc. at 45716 Middle Beaver Road, Lisbon, OH 44432. For info. contact Mike Giambroni at 330-383-2552 or visit www.columbianacountyfishandgame.com. Knox Township Sportsman Club - Normal trapshooting times Weds. evenings, starts at 5 p.m. Sunday shooting at 12 p.m. Contact Don Bandy at 330-501-7109. Online at: www.knoxsportsman.com and Facebook. Club located at: 4250 Westville Ave. Beloit, OH 44609.
Ohio Valley
November 2017
Your Hoarding Issue is Solved!
Tucked away, in various spots in my basement, attic and garage — probably just like you — are old, used outdoor clothing, gadgets and gear that has not seen daylight in years. What happens to those old boots, fishing rods, By Larry Claypool cold weather gear, gun Editor cleaning kits, archery gadgets and hunting clothes that are retired or no longer needed? The list could be endless. Old work clothes or casual wear — those go to the Goodwill store or Salvation Army. The ‘gently used’ outdoor gear, those stay in the corner, collecting dust. But, now there may be an answer to solve our hoarding issues! Two national companies, REI and Patagonia, are now selling their gently used products, gear and clothing on their respective websites. That can be a great deal. Patagonia even has a ‘Trade It In’ option available at their retail shops. Now, full disclosure is necessary. Both REI and Patagonia sell top of the line products, at top of the line prices, in my opinion. Two examples I can offer: the least expensive pair of fishing waders on Patagonia’s website retails for $249.00 and accompanying Foot Tracker Wading Boots retail for $279.00. Note: I don’t believe I’ve spent a combined $279 for the last three pair of shoes I’ve purchased. But, for many people the REI and Patagonia online, pre-owned options may be great. And this may open the floodgates for other companies to follow with similar programs. The bottom line for these companies — they’re selling products — new or used. And that allows for less clutter in our homes OV Outdoor Times
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and garages. Now obviously there are items that cannot be taken back — safety items, sleeping bags and large items. Those type of goods could be donated locally, to a non-profit group or youth program. And those donations should be tax deductible. If these programs sound good to you, find REI online at: www.rei.com and Patagonia at: www.patagonia.com.
Is EHD Affecting Your Hunting Season? The weather and Mother Nature can play havoc on a lot of things, including how we work and play outdoors. The most recent spring and summer’s warm temperatures have definitely created major issues with the deer population in many areas in this region. Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) surfaced again this year and has unfortunately affected our whitetail deer herd. So much so that we’re hearing hunting license sales is nearly half of what it was a year ago, in some areas. Specifically one gun shop owner, who sells hunting licenses in Columbiana County, OH, admitted this was the case in his shop. We’re also hearing this from many people on the street. The sentiment: hunters don’t want to take a chance on hunting sick deer, or consuming bad meat. And there are less deer to hunt in those hard hit areas. I’m pretty confident the ODNR will not confirm this, for fear of hurting future hunting license sales. Jefferson and Trumbull counties in Ohio and Hancock County in West Virginia have also been hit hard this year with EHD deer deaths. I have not been able to confirm whether hunting license sales in those areas have dropped. If you know this to be the case in your region please let me know. My contact information is on this page.
To Advertise CALL 330-385-2243
Outdoor Times November 2017 VOL. 9, NO. 11 Ohio Valley Outdoor Times
is published by Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine©
Offices located at
210 E. 4th Street, East Liverpool, OH 43920 Phone 330-385-2243, Fax 330-385-7114 ohvod@ohiovalleyoutdoors.com www.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com
Publisher/Editor, Larry Claypool lclaypool@ohiovalleyoutdoors.com
Graphics Designer, Linda McKenzie lmckenzie@ohiovalleyoutdoors.com Sales Consultant, Tracy Bissell tbissell@ohiovalleyoutdoors.com advertising@ohiovalleyoutdoors.com
Contributing Editors
Ralph Scherder, Hunting Editor Jeff Knapp, Fishing Editor Brian Miller, Field Editor
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Ohio Valley Outdoor Times is all about its readers. We’d love to hear from you. Send us something at ohvod@ohiovalleyoutdoors.com
November 2017
OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
and set up a stand and encountered a shooter buck the first morning or evening. As human beings, it’s our nature to complicate things. Sometimes success really can be as simple as finding good sign and setting up on it. No matter the time of year, though, food is always king, and as food sources change, so do deer patterns. It’s a simple equation, really. Food draws the females, and the females draw the bucks. So it stands to reason that if you know the food sources the doe groups are most likely to frequent, your odds of connecting on a rutting buck will increase exponentially. Whenever possible, I backtrack deer movements, starting at the food source and heading in the direction of a known doe bedding area. I then place my stand as close to the bedding area as possible without spooking deer. That’s the trick here – don’t spook them. Be mindful of wind direction as well as how you walk to and from the stand. If you can slip into the stand virtually undetected, you can reap some serious treats when rutting bucks come a-knockin’. Most mid-season adjustments should be based on what the deer in your area are doing right now, and there’s no better way to figure that out than by employing trail cameras. They can help you locate doe groups and adjust your tactics accordingly. Transient bucks are the best part of hunting the rut. These are deer that move in from outlying areas in search of willing females, less competition, increased safety, better food sources, or for any number of reasons. They may not stick
around long, or they might just decide to stay permanently. There are many wild cards associated with transient bucks, but one thing is certain – local bucks take notice of their presence. When new bucks start showing up on my trail cameras, I ramp up my calling and the use of scents. As strange bucks filter into the area, local bucks want to learn about them, which makes them more susceptible to vocalizations and various lures than they were earlier in the season. I take advantage of this with more aggressive calling, which means I call more often and use multiple types of calls. Every brand of call has its own unique tone. Very rarely will you find two that are identical. This time of year, I carry two grunt calls with me at all times, of differing brands, and alternate using them on stand, sometimes one right after the other. This creates a sort of conversation that can be deadly on whitetails. Another trick that has paid off for me is to use a scent completely different from whatever I’ve been using the first half of archery season. Sometimes deer get used to a scent, and over a period of time they can lose interest in it. Introducing something new can spark their curiosity again. As bucks move around in search of receptive does, they’re more likely to check out these scents in order to learn more about other deer in the area. Without question, the rut is a great time to harvest a trophy whitetail. But you still have to hunt hard and make adjustments if you want to take advantage of their vulnerability. Try a few of these mid-season tricks and see if you can treat yourself to a big buck this fall.
HARRISBURG, PA — As the Pennsylvania statewide pheasant season kicked off October 21, a new interactive pheasant-stocking map can be found on the Game Commission’s website. The map will be updated throughout the season to include all properties where birds have been or will be released, and direct hunters to the likeliest areas to find pheasants on each property. The map is found on the Pheasant Allocation page at www.pgc.pa.gov, and can easily be accessed under Quick Clicks (left side) on the website’s homepage. The interactive map not only shows the properties where pheasants are and will be stocked, it allows the user to zoom in on properties to view potential
pheasant hunting areas, even parking lots. By clicking on the property, users can learn the total number of pheasants released there last year, as well as the number of releases, to get an idea of what’s happening there. The first segment of the statewide season runs until Nov. 25. The season then reopens Dec. 11 and runs through Feb. 28. A total of 170,000 birds have been allocated for release this year on public land. Birds are released prior to the statewide season, and there are four inseason stockings during the early season segment, and a late-season release within the wildlife management units in which both roosters and hens can be hunted.
Whitetail From Page 1
New Pheasant-Stocking Map Updated in PA
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OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
November 2017
Kayak Fishing Class Concludes Series OV Outdoor Times
CALCUTTA, OH — Members of the local Student Fishing League participated in the fall Kayak Fishing Class held recently on Little Beaver Creek in Beaver Creek State By Larry Claypool Park (Gretchen’s Editor Lock area). The class was sponsored by Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine, as part of its Outdoor Speaker Series. Instructor for the class was Ohio Department of Natural Resources Beaver Creek State Park Naturalist Mike Mainhart, a ODNR Parks and Watercraft Kayak, Canoe and SUP and ACA certified instructor Level 1. Kayaks and life jackets were provided by the ODNR Division of Watercraft. West Branch Reservoir ODNR Naturalist Aaron Bartley assisted Mainhart. Several smallmouth bass, in various sizes, were caught during the late afternoon/evening class. Beaver Creek is
well known as an excellent smallmouth fishery. Other fish caught during the class included rock bass and a few freshwater drum. Student Fishing League member Ryder Saltsman, representing Beaver Local High School, caught the most fish during the class with four nice smallmouth bass. Teammate Gavin Gamble caught a nice drum (sheephead) from his kayak. Other SFL members who participated in the class were Cody Smith and Seth Alford. SFL founding director Harry Emmerling was also on hand but did not fish. The Kayak Fishing Class was the final class in the Outdoor Speaker Series for 2017. Plans are being made to hold more classes next year, including; fly fishing, fly tying, catfishing, smallmouth bass fishing and more. Call the Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine office at 330-3852243 for details. As the ODNR Naturalist at Beaver Creek, and four other state parks including Lake Milton, Jefferson Lake, Guil-
Ohio Valley Outdoors - Photo by Larry Claypool
Ryder Saltsman caught the most fish during the recent Kayak Fishing Class at Beaver Creek with four nice smallmouth bass, including this one.
ford Lake and Geneva; Mainhart has also hosted youth archery and fishing classes; nature, night, butterfly, mushroom and photography hikes; bird, turtle, snake and insect presentations; tick
programs; stream stomps and more at the parks he covers during the summer months. As the fall and winter seasons apTurn To Kayak Page 5
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November 2017
Kayak From Page 4
proach Mainhart’s programs slow down due to the weather. He’ll now prepare
OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
for classes for next spring and summer. He is available for some watercraft classes this fall, by appointment only. Contact him by calling: 330-856-6394.
Ohio Valley Outdoors - Photo by Larry Claypool
Elizabeth Logan caught this rock bass with a minnow during the Kayak Fishing Class on Little Beaver Creek. It was Logan’s first fishing trip in a kayak.
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Ohio Valley Outdoors - Photo by Larry Claypool
ODNR Beaver Creek State Park Naturalist Mike Mainhart (right) readies kayaks for students during the Kayak Fishing Class held recently at Little Beaver Creek.
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Ducks Unlimited Announces National Scholarship Program
MEMPHIS, TN — Ducks Unlimited (DU) launched its inaugural national scholarship program offering graduating high school seniors who are DU members the opportunity to advance their education. Starting in 2018, DU will annually award 61, one-time scholarships, funded on an annual basis through the Youth & Education Endowment, to eligible applicants at the following levels: • 50 Varsity Scholarships at $500 each • 10 Conservation Scholarships at $1,000 each • 1 National Scholarship of $10,000 “We are very proud to be able to give back to our high school members who support DU in a variety of ways,” said Doug Schoenrock, DU senior vice president and chairman of the national youth and education committee. “These young men and women have made a huge impact for our organization, and it is time for us to do the same for them.” The online application is now open and will close on Jan. 15. Applicants will
OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
need to provide their high school transcript, DU member/volunteer history and a list of any service or academic awards received. In addition, applicants will be required to write a 300-word essay describing their most memorable outdoor experience and how it has impacted their view on conservation. All applications will be reviewed by DU’s National Scholarship Selection Committee and recipients will be chosen based on the merits of those submissions. “This is an exciting time for DU and I would like to thank our volunteers and staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure the scholarship program’s success,” said Mark Horobetz, DU’s manager of youth and education programs. “As we all know, conservation lies in the hands of future generations, and DU is invested in furthering the education of today’s youth.” The list of scholarship recipients will be sent to all applicants by April 15 with awarded checks released to the student’s college or university prior to registration. Recipients will be recognized in Ducks Unlimited magazine, and the national scholarship winner will be announced at the DU National Convention. For more information visit
www.ducks.org/scholarship. Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 14 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.
November 2017
Lake Erie’s Lake Trout Release
COLUMBUS, OH — The ODNR Fish Management crews recently released lake trout into Lake Erie. The fish were provided by the USFWS Allegheny National Fish Hatchery in Warren, Pennsylvania. A total of 80,000 fish were stocked (half in Fairport and half in Catawba). Lake Erie’s lake trout population continues to be supported by stocking efforts because natural reproduction has not been documented in Lake Erie. Lake trout are most often found in the cold, deep waters of the eastern Lake Erie; however, ‘Lakers’ can be found in Ohio waters during the fall when they migrate west to spawn. Historically abundant, lake trout populations have suffered declines due to parasitism by sea lampreys and habitat degradation, and are now maintained through agency stocking programs. Telemetry studies are trying to understand lake trout movement and behavior to aid restoration efforts.
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November 2017
PA Officers Track Down Lost Hunters
CENTRE COUNTY, PA — Two hunters who became lost Saturday on State Game Lands 33 in Centre County were tracked down by specially skilled Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife conservation officers and returned to safety early the next morning. The Game Commission was notified on the evening of Oct. 21 that the two hunters, 58-year-old Jeff Cherry, of Altoona, and his 17-year-old granddaughter Megan Settlemyer, did not meet up with the rest of their hunting party when expected. As darkness fell and the hours passed, concern for the hunters’ safety grew because Cherry is diabetic and did not have insulin or food with him. At about 11 p.m., wildlife conservation officers and their deputies, state police, members of the Mountain Top Fire Company, and family and friends of the lost hunters gathered to begin a search. Wildlife Conservation Officers Mike Steingraber and Derek Daly, both of whom are trained in human tracking, put their skills to work. Daly interviewed members of the hunting party and learned the direction the individuals had planned to go. Steingraber and Daly then
OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
looked at a map of the terrain to determine where the hunters might have become lost. Steingraber, Daly, a K-9 Unit dog and Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officer Jim Snook began searching at the location the hunters last were seen. The dog quickly picked up human scent and the officers saw signs that someone had recently passed through the area. The officers continued to follow the signs through the woods for about 2 miles to an area with dense vegetation where they thought the hunters might have become disoriented. At about 2 a.m., they called out to the hunters, who responded from about 100 yards away. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hunter that happy to see a game warden,” Steingraber said. Cherry and Settlemyer said they had planned to spend the night in the area and try to find their way out of the state game lands in the morning. Cherry said he accidentally walked a little farther than anticipated. He sought high ground to get his bearings and realized that there was not enough time to make it back out of the woods by nightfall. “I had forgotten my flashlight and I didn’t want to risk trying to get my
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granddaughter back out of the woods over the rocks in the dark,” Cherry said. “So, I told her that we were just going to hunker down and either wait until someone found us, or wait until morning to walk out along the creek bed. I’m very appreciative of everyone who came out to search for us.” The hunters made a good decision to stop moving instead of going even farther in the wrong direction, Steingraber said. “That area is so thick with shrubs that it would be easy for anyone to get disoriented there,” Steingraber said. “We have had multiple people get lost in the same location because it is a tough environment.” The wildlife conservation officers assessed the hunters’ physical condition and offered them food and water. The healthy hunters were happy to arrive safely back with family and friends around 3:30 a.m. “It is very important that hunters tell someone else where they plan to hunt and what time they expect to be back,” Steingraber said. “Obtaining that information from the other members in the hunting party was critical to us locating this pair of hunters.” Steingraber also points out that
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hunters should carry a backpack with a few supplies such as warm clothes, a flashlight and food in case they get lost. No one ever expects to get lost, but it is good to be prepared. The Game Commission’s tracking team invests a lot of time in training how to find missing persons. “When we’re able to find people who have been lost, it makes all those long hours worth it.” Steingraber said.
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OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
Bucktail Jigs for Late Fall Fishing
are quite effective in lakes and reservoirs, he feels they really shine when fished in flowing water. “They really excel in current,” notes DeZurik. “There is something about the hair on the jig that really excels in current. It breathes in the water, even when the jig is still. But the jig has to be tied correctly.” DeZurik ties his bucktail jig with a relatively sparse amount of hair, which he believes has a lot to do with how it behaves in the water. “That way the hair has room to move,” he explains. “It there’s too much hair on there it looks pasty, it looks dead. But you don’t want to get too sparse, because you do want to have some texture, something for the fish to hold on to. And there must be enough there to expose the color that you wish to show.” DeZurik adds a bit of accent to some of his jigs, which can be attractive to bass in particular. He shies away from tinsel, opting for a more subdued accent like flashabou. His signature Riverbug jig incorporates a couple of feathers which serve as a tail.
OV Outdoor Times
Bucktail jigs are effective offerings for many species throughout the fall season. By varying the weight of the jighead one can ply both shallow and deeper areas. “Bucktails are By Jeff Knapp very natural look- Fishing Editor ing,” says Jim DeZurik, a Minnesota-based hardcore fishing enthusiast who ties some of the finest custom bucktails you are going to find. “They look like part of the environment, like they belong there. When you bump into pods or schools of fish, you can catch one right after another using a bucktail jig. They don’t seem to know what is happening. Hair jigs simply look like something to eat, and the fish aren’t able to identify them as anything else. And they are very durable. You are not constantly changing tails, as you might be if you were using a soft plastic grub.” While DeZurik admits that bucktails
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November 2017
Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Jeff Knapp
Bucktail jigs are effective on river smallmouth bass during the fall, such as this Allegheny River bronzeback, taken by Bill Bucceri while fishing with the writer recently.
“Most living things in the water have tails,” says DeZurik. “Crayfish have tails and legs. When you watch a crayfish move in the water, its legs drag. Minnows have tails that create a certain movement.” DeZurik says that feathers are durable, often the last things to be rigged off of the jig on those days when dozens of fish bite it. He ties the two feathers on in opposing directions. “That way they stick out away from each other,” he notes. “When you pull forward one feather collapses while the other opens up.” The body is just one component of a hair jig. It should also be tied on a quality hook. High-grade light-wire hooks will often bend, allowing it to free from a snag prior to the line breaking. The head is another significant factor. Jigheads are available in a variety of shapes; do-it-yourselfers have an equally varied list of molds available. But DeZurik feels the traditional round ballhead serves his style of fishing well. “It goes in and out of cover pretty well. I like the way it drops. I don’t care for a jighead that swims. I want to be able to lift the jig up, and have it drop head first back.
When fishing in current, DeZurik believes less is more, in terms of jig movement. He relies on the flow to work the hair. Much added movement by the angler, he feels, produces an unnatural look more likely to spook fish than to trigger them to bite. “Throw up into the quiet water near the bank, lift the rod tip, and allow the current to sweep it back on a semi-tight line. A good tactic is just to hold the jig in the current for a period of time before bringing it in. Don’t impart any extra action. It’s like fishing live bait. You just let it hang in the current, with the flow moving the hair of the jig.”
Ohio Valley Outdoors - Photo courtesy of Mepps
November 2017
Cuffs & Collars
While on patrol at Big Island Wildlife Area, State Wildlife Officer Chad Grote, assigned to Marion County, observed two hunters walking along the marsh. He asked the men about their hunt, and one of the men stated that while neither man had made a kill, he had shot at a goose and missed. While Officer Grote checked for licenses, stamps, and proper equipment, the hunter produced three shotgun shells. All three shells were lead shot. The hunter was issued a summons for possession of toxic shot while hunting waterfowl. He was found guilty in Marion Municipal Court and paid $188 in fines and court costs. While on patrol at Kokosing Wildlife Area in Knox County, State Wildlife Officer Michael Budd, assigned to Knox County, came across a garbage pile that had been dumped on the property. There were approximately 15 bags of trash, a broken chair, a bed mattress and box springs, and a suitcase. Through the course of the investigation, Officer Budd was able to identify the owners of the material. During the interview, it was discovered the owners of the trash had paid a man to haul the trash out of their
OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
garage. The owners presented Officer Budd an online conversation between them and a suspect, which showed the suspect had agreed to take the trash for a set price. Later, the suspect was questioned about the incident, and admitted to taking the trash from the owners, but not to dumping it on the wildlife area. The suspect had a previous litter charge in Knox County. He was charged with littering, was found guilty, and sentenced to 10 days in jail, 2 years community control, and was ordered to pay a $140 fine and $369 in restitution to the state. Northwest Ohio – Wildlife District Two On the opening day of the 2017 dove season, state wildlife officers from several surrounding counties were working at the dove fields on Lake La Su An Wildlife Area. An ODNR Division of Wildlife employee observed a hunter in the middle of a dove field scattering something on the ground in front of his dove decoys. State Wildlife Officer Troy Reimund, assigned to Henry County and State Wildlife Officer Jason Porinchok, assigned to Putnam County, responded and found that a dove hunter had brought a bag of bird seed with him to the field and had scattered the seed around his hunting spot to attract doves. The hunter was issued a citation for hunting doves
over a baited area and paid fines and court costs in the Bryan Municipal Court that same day. Northeast Ohio – Wildlife District Three In the spring, State Wildlife Officer Aaron Brown, assigned to Wayne County, received information from two anglers who had discovered traps with muskrat carcasses still in them. Officer Brown investigated and located six traps: three foothold and three body gripping traps set under the water. Three of the sets did not have tags identifying the owner as required by law. Officer Brown’s investigation revealed that the suspect had set traps in that area but had forgotten they were there. He issued the man a summons for setting traps without the required identification tags and warned him for trapping during the closed season since three of the traps were still set. The individual was convicted in court and ordered to pay $174 in fines and court costs. Because this was the man’s fifth trapping violation, his trapping privileges were revoked for two years. During the spring turkey season, State Wildlife Officer Jason Warren, assigned to Ashtabula County, received a complaint from a concerned hunter who
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stated he was calling a turkey near the banks of the Grand River when another hunter crept over the river bank, shot the turkey, retrieved the bird, and paddled away in a canoe. The complainant advised that he believed the subject did not have permission to hunt the property. Officer Warren contacted Lake Erie Investigator Jason Hadsell and State Wildlife Officer Marino Pellegrini, assigned to Lake County, who waited at a bridge downstream from the location and contacted the suspect as he approached. Further investigation revealed that the man did not have permission from the landowner to hunt on the property where the turkey was killed. The turkey was seized and the subject was issued a summons to appear in the Ashtabula Western County Court. He pleaded guilty and paid $295 in fines and court costs. Southeast Ohio – Wildlife District Four One August evening, State Wildlife Officers Brian Baker, assigned to Belmont County, and Craig Porter, assigned to Jefferson County, were working on the Holloway tract of the Consol Energy Agreement Area when they encountered several All-Purpose Vehicles (APV). The area is not designated for motor vehicles, Turn To Cuffs Page 13
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OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
Falconer Featured at Pioneer Days Event
EAST LIVERPOOL, OH — Master falconer Mick Brown, of Martins Ferry, OH, was featured at the 40th annual Pioneer Craft Days on October 7 at Beaver Creek State Park in East Liverpool, OH. Brown displayed three of his finest Harris’s hawks; Pippa, Purdy and Zippy, at the Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center during the event. Brown has hunted with his hawks for three decades across the Ohio Valley region and beyond, including several hunts at Windy Hill Tree Farm in Calcutta, OH. The Wampum Chapter of the North Country National Scenic Trail was one of the many vendors who participated in the event. Club members took time to help youths carve personal walking sticks that they could keep during the two-day event. Find the Wampum Chapter of NCNCT online at: http://northcountrytrail.org/wam/. Beaver Creek State Park ODNR Naturalist Mike Mainhart offered a handson archery shooting display for youths near the Pioneer Village during the event. The Pioneer Craft Days was presented by the Friends of Beaver Creek State
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Park. Find them online at: www.friendsofbeavercreekstatepark.org and Facebook. Visit the Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center at: www.beavercreekwildlife.org or on Facebook. — Larry Claypool
Ohio Valley Outdoors - Photo by Larry Claypool
The Wampum Chapter of the North Country National Scenic Trail was one of the many vendors who participated in the Pioneer Craft Days. Club members took time to help youths carve personal walking sticks that they could keep during the two-day event.
Ohio Valley Outdoors - Photo by Larry Claypool
Beaver Creek State Park ODNR Naturalist Mike Mainhart offered a hands-on archery shooting display during the Pioneer Craft Days in October.
Ohio Valley Outdoors - Photo by Larry Claypool
Master falconer Mick Brown’s Harris’s hawk, Purdy, stays on perch while someone gets a photograph with her during the 40th annual Pioneer Craft Days in early October.
November 2017
PA Poacher Sentenced
HARRISBURG, PA — Rusty Stephen Garlock, 25, of Three Springs, PA, was sentenced on October 13 in Huntingdon County court after pleading to charges stemming from an assault on Wildlife Conservation Officer Richard Macklem II as he attempted to stop his vehicle during a poaching incident, November 11, 2016. Huntingdon County President Judge George Zanic sentenced Garlock to serve 18 months to three years in a State Correctional Institution for the felony count of aggravated assault on a law-enforcement officer. Garlock also was fined $2,000 and ordered to pay the costs of prosecution. For the felony count of criminal mischief, Garlock was sentenced to seven years of probation, to be served consecutive to his confinement. He was fined $250 and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6,624.35 for the damage caused to the WCO’s patrol vehicle. On the last two summary counts of unlawful killing or taking big game, and resisting or interfering with an officer, Garlock was ordered to pay additional fines totaling $2,000. Responding to information about deer-poaching along Mathews Bridge Road in southern Huntingdon County, Macklem noticed a spotlight coming from a truck, followed by a gunshot. He closed in on the truck to investigate. After stopping his patrol vehicle near the truck, the officer activated his emergency lights and cast a spotlight on the vehicle. At that moment, the truck’s driver apparently engaged the vehicle’s high-beam headlights, in an effort to impede the vision of officer Macklem. Then, the truck suddenly lunged toward the patrol vehicle, striking it in the front left fender and damaging the passenger side. After pushing past the patrol vehicle, the truck fled the area. Macklem attempted to pursue the fleeing truck, but was unable to continue the pursuit. Bedford County WCO Brandon Pfister’s subsequent investigation of the incident concluded Garlock was operating the truck that struck Macklem’s patrol vehicle and that truck had been involved in the killing of an illegal deer through the use of a spotlight. Garlock is currently confined to the Huntingdon County Prison awaiting transport to SCI Camp Hill to begin his sentence.
OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
ODNR Presents Award to Ducks Unlimited
COLUMBUS, OH — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) presented the ODNR Cardinal Award to Ducks Unlimited, the world’s leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation. “We are fortunate to have partners like Ducks Unlimited to assist us in our pursuit and promotion of conservation projects across Ohio,” said ODNR Director Jim Zehringer. “They have been instrumental in helping us further ODNR’s mission to protect Ohio’s natural resources now and for future generations.” Ducks Unlimited started as a habitat conservation organization 80 years ago with the vision of having wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. Ducks Unlimited projects are designed to maximize the amount and quality of migration, breeding and wintering waterfowl habitats, as well as improve conditions for waterfowl production. These projects also help to improve water quality for local residents. “Ducks Unlimited is honored to receive the Cardinal Award,” David Brakhage, director of Ducks Unlimited’s Great Lakes/Atlantic Region, said. “Our successful relationship with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has resulted in healthier wetland habitat for ducks, wildlife and Ohio residents. We are proud to consider the ODNR a partner in wetland conservation.” Here in Ohio, Ducks Unlimited’s conservation programs have restored and enhanced more than 87,000 acres of wetlands and adjacent habitat, investing almost $30 million along the way in our state. Projects include restoring depleted wetlands in the northwest and protecting intact wetlands in the northeast to conserving land along the vital Scioto River corridor. Through their Great Lakes Initiative, Ducks Unlimited addresses multiple habitat types and provides abundant resources for breeding, migrating and wintering waterfowl. Ducks Unlimited was nominated for the Cardinal Award by Mike Miller, chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife. The department’s Cardinal Award honors individuals and organizations demonstrating exceptional awareness and concern for ideals reflected in the department’s mission statement. ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.
Ohio’s Traditional Deer-Gun Season is Set
COLUMBUS, OH — Deer hunting is an extremely popular activity for sportsmen and women statewide, and Ohio’s white-tailed deer continue to provide hunters across the state with excellent opportunities for success as they head out into the field. Ohio’s deer-gun season opens on November 27. Hunting remains the most effective management tool for maintaining Ohio’s healthy deer population, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Wildlife Hotline Hunters and others who have questions about hunting can contact the ODNR Division of Wildlife toll-free at 800-WILDLIFE (945-3543). The whitetailed deer-gun hunting seasons occur at a time when Ohio hunters may have lastminute questions, and the ODNR Division of Wildlife will be available to assist. Special call center hours include: 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Nov. 18, for youth 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Nov. 25. 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Nov. 27, to Dec. 1. The hotline will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.
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Hunting Season Details, Dates, Hours and Bag Limits Ohio’s annual youth white-tailed deer hunting season gives young hunters the opportunity to pursue the state’s most popular big-game animal on Nov. 18-19, and it is open to hunters with a youth hunting license and a deer permit. During the deer-gun seasons, deer can be hunted with a shotgun, a muzzleloader .38 caliber or larger, a handgun .357 caliber or larger, straight-walled cartridge rifles .357 to .50 caliber, or bows from Nov. 27, to Dec. 3, and Dec. 16-17. Details about deer hunting rules are contained in the 2017-2018 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations, available where licenses are sold or at wildohio.gov. Only either-sex permits may be used after Nov. 26, unless hunting in an ODNR Division of Wildlife authorized controlled hunt. Deer bag limits are determined by county, and a hunter cannot exceed a county bag limit. The statewide bag limit is six deer. Hunters may harvest only one buck in Ohio, regardless of method of take or location. Hunting hours for all deer seasons are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
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OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
Don’t Be in the Dark Regarding Night Vision OV Outdoor Times
How long have you been in the dark? Let me rephrase that. How long have you ever gone without seeing any sunlight? My personal record is 17 days. Please allow me to explain. By Col.(Ret.)Grey D. Berrier II From 1985 to 1989, I FIN Pro Staff was assigned to Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska. Central Alaska is far enough north that for four weeks on either side of the Winter Solstice, December 21, the sun never crests the horizon and comes up. From midNovember to mid-January, it typically gets dusky for roughly two hours from 11 AM to 1 PM, but for the other 22 hours of the day, it’s dark. Even during those two hours of limited daylight, you still need to use your headlights to drive a vehicle. As a senior First Lieutenant/junior Captain, I was assigned as the night-shift
Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of our battalion tactical operations center (TOC). My shift of duty was from 1800 hrs. to 0600 hrs. (6 PM to 6 AM), but I typically did several hours of overlap with my daytime counterpart, so I was normally in the TOC from 4 PM to 8 AM. Allowing for eating, personal hygiene, and other tasks I needed to get done, my usual rack time was for 5 1/2 hours from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. Therefore, when we went to the field in the winter, I would sleep through the 2-hour window of limited daylight and thus would go days, at one point adding up to 2+ continual weeks of never seeing any daylight whatsoever. My entire time in Alaska as an Arctic Soldier gave me a tremendous understanding and appreciation for our Godgiven night vision and the ability to see in low light conditions. Let me share some of those “lessons learned”, so you can function better in the darkness when hunting, trapping, fishing, camping, or doing other outdoor activities. Think back to all the movies, TV
November 2017
shows, and illustrations you’ve seen over the years depicting pirates. There’s probably at least one character, probably more, that comes to mind of a pirate wearing an eyepatch. In fact, just about every scene I can recall involving a group of pirates, there are one of more sporting eyepatches. Now, eyepatches were occasionally worn to conceal previous eye injuries, but the prevalence of eyepatches amongst pirates leads you to believe something else was going on. The truth is eyepatches were a matter of practicality for pirates. During the day, it was extremely bright above deck in the sunlight out at sea, but frequently pirates had to go below deck to take care of a myriad of tasks in a cabin or the cargo hold. Since the human eye requires roughly 25 minutes to fully transition from day vision to night vision, putting a eyepatch over one eye well before heading below deck enabled that eye to adapt to the darkness in advance. Therefore, once heading below deck, a pirate would remove his eyepatch and that one night vision adjusted eye would Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Grey D. Berrier II enable him to see, while his other eye experienced a period of night blindness The trail less traveled in the woods sees even as it transitioned to the new condition of a smaller amount of foot traffic during hours of limited visibility. By enhancing your limited visibility. At night, the opposite held true and then they would put their night vision, you can expand your outdoor opportunities. eyepatch down while in the lighted interior before heading above deck into the better in the darkness than your other darkness. In the Army, we learned to employ a eye that is just beginning to transition to similar tactic that worked like a pirate’s night vision. There are other tips to help with your eyepatch. When we knew we would have to leave a lighted area and head out biological night vision or scotopic vision into the darkness soon, we would close (the technical term for your low-light one eye and keep it closed 10 to 15 min- conditions vision). First use a red, blue, utes in advance of departure to permit or green lens flashlight at the lowest our night vision to adjust. When you practical intensity which permits you to saw someone walking around or talking see adequately. Colored lights do not afwith one eye closed in the TOC, you just fect the eyes’ night vision the way white came to assume they were simply light does, but at a high intensity, it too preparing for their pending exit into the can degrade your night vision. It’s recommended you avoid looking at any prevailing darkness outside. You can employ the same tactic to get light source, since it forces your pupils a head start on your own night vision to contract. Be aware some state huntwhen you leave your vehicle, home, ing regulations, such as Ohio’s regardcamp, or tent. Close one eye and allow ing the pursuit of furbearers at night, your night vision to adjust to limited vis- mandate carrying a white light visible ibility. While I don’t condone driving to for at least a quarter-mile; so please your hunting spot with one eye closed, check what lighting requirements you there normally is a period of a few min- may have to abide by where you hunt. Second, closing both eyes tightly for utes from once you park your vehicle until you grab all your gear and start 10 seconds or more will give your eyes through the woods. During this limited a “head start” in making the transition period, your closed eye will begin adapt- from light to darkness. Some recoming to the darkness. I encourage you to mend pressing the fleshy part of your test the effectiveness of closing one eye upturned palms, above the wrists by the in advance sometime by walking out base of the thumbs, into your closed into the darkness and then opening and eyes for 10 or more seconds to hasten closing each eye individually. You will Turn To Dark Page 13 find the previously closed eye sees much
OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
November 2017
Dark From Page 12
your night vision adaptation. Finally, for years, aviators have employed red-tinted glasses to help improve their night vision. The human eye is a fascinating organ, composed of color-sensitive cone receptors and light-gathering rod receptors. In our eyes, our cones outnumber our rods 4 to 1, so we as humans have significantly better color vision than most other species. Conversely, many animals, such as cats, have a skewed ratio of 25 to 1 rods to cones; so their night vision is phenomenal compared to ours, but they are color-blind. In a limited light situation, our cones are not getting enough light to perceive colors and our rods, while enabling our night vision, are only picking objects up in black and white with mostly shades of gray. With our cones primarily situated at the center of the eye and our rods on the periphery, it is advantageous to keep your eyes moving and not focus for an extended period on an object, since focusing relies on your color-sensitive cones, while your peripheral vision capitalizes on your light-gathering rods. Many individuals, outdoorsmen and women included, are not aware of the
full potential of their night vision because they haven’t been in the dark enough. Indoors, we have nightlights, the glow of the clock radio, and other light sources to drive away the darkness. Outdoors, there are streetlights, the everpresent flashlight, or the glow of a firepit to provide comforting light sources. For those willing to permit their eyes to adjust for 25 minutes to achieve their full night vision potential, the world isn’t such a dark place. With your night vision alone, you will be able to navigate through the woods, and if there is ambient light from the moon and stars or reflected light from snow cover, you can surprisingly see well enough to do many activities, including aiming and firing a firearm. This is good-to-know for those interested in mid-winter coyote hunting. Just remember, you’ll temporarily lose your night vision in your shooting eye from the muzzle blast, but your closed nonshooting eye will retain full night vision once you reopen it. Please keep safety in mind and consider wearing safety glasses when navigating the woods in the darkness, since taking a stick in the eye or in warmer weather, a spider web in the face, is always a possibility, both day and night when moving through
Send us your trophy photos
John Forbes Jr. 11-pt., compound bow Morgan County, PA
Also for our Photo Showcase
Dexter May, age 8 23lb, 9.5 in. beard Columbiana County, OH
email to: ohvod@ohiovalleyoutdoors.com mail to: Photo Showcase 210 East 4th Street East Liverpool, OH 43920
www.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com
thick cover. If you already spend significant time outdoors hunting trapping, camping, or even working in the dark, or if you plan to increase the amount of time you do so in the future, there are some proactive steps you can take to increase your rhodopsin, commonly called visual purple, the photopigment responsible for your night vision. To begin with, increase your ingestion of vitamin A, which is found in fresh vegetables, like carrots. Second, up your intake of Omega-3 fatty acids from fish, like salmon, or in prepared fish oil capsules. Additionally, add blueberries to your diet, which contain powerful antioxidants and contribute to excellent night vision. (During World War II, British bomber pilots were regularly given bilberry jam, a European close relative of Cuffs From Page 9
and Officer Baker made an attempt to contact the individuals, who immediately began to flee. One of the APVs attempted to turn around and Officer Baker and Officer Porter managed to box it in. Two individuals on dirt bikes fled down an intersecting road, and Officer Baker exited his vehicle and ran to the intersection. One bike stalled and the rider attempted to restart it several times, ignoring instructions to stop until Officer Baker reached his location. The other rider fled the scene, but was later apprehended. The officers determined that the operator of the dirt bike and the driver of the APV had been drinking, and all of the APVs had been operated on public roadways in order to get to the location. Sober members of the group returned to transport all of the APVs off the area. All drivers were issued summonses for operating a motor vehicle in a non-designated area and for deterring a state wildlife officer. All three were convicted of the charges and paid a total of $1,875 in fines and court costs. After the 2016-2017 deer season ended, State Wildlife Officer Ted Witham, assigned to Jackson County, received a phone message from a concerned sportsman. The caller told Officer Witham that he suspected a member of the hunting lease he was on had other people check in deer that he had killed. The sportsman had collected several pictures of the suspect posing with numerous bucks he had killed during the season. Officer Witham contacted a state wildlife investigator and other state wildlife officers for assistance. The officers conducted numerous interviews dur-
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our blueberries, to keenly hone their night vision for nighttime bombing raids across the English Channel.) If you can find fresh or dried bilberries, or bilberry jam, it would have the same potential benefits for your night vision today. Our human eyes have tremendous capabilities that many individuals never take full advantage of. Similar to those serving in the military, you can employ proven techniques to enhance your night vision when you first step out into the darkness and to hone your night vision for extended activity in periods of limited visibility. Don’t be afraid of the dark, since it envelopes more than half of any 24-hour period each winter. See the possibilities your night vision may give you outdoors when others choose to simply remain indoors. ing the course of the investigation. As a result of the interviews, the officers determined that the suspect had killed three bucks during the season and had his family members check in the deer for him. The suspect received multiple citations for taking more than one antlered deer during the season, failure to tag or check a deer, and taking a deer without a permit. The suspect was found guilty on five charges in the Jackson County Municipal Court. He paid $1,500 in restitution to the state and $1,250 in fines and court costs. His hunting privileges were revoked for three years, and he forfeited the racks and venison that were seized as evidence. Southwest Ohio – Wildlife District Five State Wildlife Officer Eric Lamb, assigned to Brown County, received a call during the deer gun season concerning a deer that had been shot from the roadway. The complainant had obtained a description of the vehicle and provided it to Officer Lamb. Officer Lamb and State Wildlife Officer Matt Roberts, assigned to Clinton County, responded a short time later. They discovered an antlerless deer lying along a road with one firearm wound to the front of the neck. The officers went to the address of the vehicle’s owner and spoke to a woman who indicated that her eighteen-year-old son had been driving the vehicle that evening. Officers Lamb and Roberts interviewed the son, who admitted that his friend had shot the deer with a muzzleloader while sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle. Nine criminal charges were filed against the men including one felonylevel firearms charge for discharging a firearm while in a motor vehicle.
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November 2017
St. Croix Rod’s new family of Mojo Musky Trolling rods is available this month and retails between $200-$240.
Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo courtesy of St. Croix
Maximizing Your Musky Trolling
PARK FALLS, WI — Cover water. Put baits in front of more fish. Trigger giants. These are the reasons we troll for muskies… Big baits, high speeds, short lines and the toughest of freshwater toothy critters place oversized demands on tackle, from leaders and line to reels and rods. The all new Mojo Musky Trolling series from St. Croix Rod answers the call, weaving decades of bigwater, big-fish experience into rods that exquisitely blend musky trolling-specific features with legendary durability and craftsmanship. Serious musky anglers incorporate trolling into their bag of tricks, for one simple reason: it just plain works! In some locales, musky trolling is a viable option all season long, especially on larger bodies of water where suspended fish are the target. These are the titans that hang in the main lake basin, snacking on fatty forage like tullibee and whitefish. In other musky haunts, fall is prime time for trolling, especially in the north country where cooling water temperatures drive small panfish from dying weedbeds into the mouths of hungry Esox. Trolling specifics, including baits, speeds, and presentation refinements, are as diverse as the musky moods that anglers must learn to navigate. The business end of the trolling package can be anything from bucktails and spoons, to gargantuan hardbaits and swimbaits that
would send other freshwater trolling targets, like salmon and walleyes, running for cover. Dedicated musky trollers will often pull these oversized offerings at up to 6 miles per hour, speeds that are more frequently associated with blue water targets like tuna and sailfish. All of this can occur on flat lines, with help from boards to spread a trolling pattern from side-to-side, or even on very short lines, right in the boat’s prop wash. Lots of options, right? Well, one thing that all flavors of musky trolling have in common in that they place incredible stress on gear, especially the rod. The all-new Mojo Musky Trolling rods are up to the task, conquering the rigors of musky trolling with the features, durability and craftsmanship that anglers have come to expect from St. Croix Rod. Anglers will find five different Mojo Musky Trolling rods in lengths ranging from seven to 10 feet. The breadth of lengths allows musky trollers to set up a wide bait spread, even without boards, with long rods up front and shorter rods toward the stern, including the highlyeffective prop wash presentation. All rods feature heavy or extra-heavy power to handle the most monstrous muskies you’ll encounter, and moderate action to manage the strain of big baits pulled at high speeds, not to mention bone-jarring strikes. But there is more to the best musky trolling rods on earth
Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo courtesy of St. Croix
Big baits, high speeds, short lines and the toughest of freshwater toothy critters place oversized demands on tackle, from leaders and line to reels and rods..
than simply length, power and action. How about premium, trolling-specific features like: • A dynamic blend of carbon fiber and linear S-glass construction, coupling the power and stiffness of premium SCII graphite with the flexibility and durability of fiberglass • Sea-Guide line guides, crafted from stainless steel for durability under the rigors of trolling • Fuji DPS reel seats with no triggers, allowing for easier removal of the rod from a rod holder, especially when a fish
is hooked • Offset ferrule design on nine- and 10-foot models, coupling one-piece performance with two-piece convenience • Premium-grade EVA handle • Two coats of Flex-Coat slow cure finish • 5-Year warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service Put some mojo back into musky trolling with help from St. Croix Rod’s new family of Mojo Musky Trolling rods, available in November 2017 and retailing between $200-$240.
November 2017
OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
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Wollitz, Rolland Win King of the River Event
NEWELL, WV — Jack Wollitz of Youngstown, OH and Tom Rolland won the King of the River bass tournament on October 15. The event, held on the Ohio River, was sponsored by the Student Fishing League (SFL). Twenty-six anglers fished the New Cumberland Pool out of the Kennedy Park and Marina ramps in Newell, WV. Five members of the SFL also participated in the event. Wollitz and Rolland won the event with 7.1lbs of bass with three fish. Second place went to the team of Wayne Wells and Harry Emmerling, 5.9lbs. with two fish and third place went to Mark Wilkinson and Dick Thayer, 4.8lbs with two fish. Wells and Emmerling won the Big Bass award with a 3.15 fish. The high school division was won by Clayton Ghurley with a 1.15lb fish. He was awarded a $50 gift card from Field & Stream of Washington, PA. The King of the River tournament was a fund-raiser hosted by the Student Fishing League. The SFL is based out of East Liverpool with high school teams competing each spring in their own bass
Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo courtesy of SFL
Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo courtesy of SFL
Jack Wollitz (pictured) and Tom Rolland won the King of the River bass tournament recently. The duo tipped the scales at 7.1lbs with three fish, including this nice smallmouth.
tournament format events. There also
Rinehart Targets Renews Sponsorship with NASP
JANESVILLE, WI — 3D archery target innovator Rinehart Targets recently announced its renewed partnership with the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) for the next five years. Specifically, the brand will continue to be the official sponsor and supplier of 3D targets for the NASP/IBO 3D Challenge as well as provide an education scholarship for the NASP Annual Scholarship Fund. “Supporting organizations who share our passion for connecting youth to the sport of archery and inspiring an affinity for the outdoors is at the forefront of importance for our company,” said President, James McGovern of Rinehart Targets. “We’re extremely proud to once again be the official target of the NASP/IBO 3D Challenge and look forward to seeing young shooters take aim at Rinehart Targets at these events for the next five seasons,” he added. The NASP/IBO 3D Challenge allows NASP students to partake in a more ‘realistic’ experience featuring targets that replicate animals they’d encounter in the field. From turkeys and coyotes to bears and whitetail deer, the course hosts multiple ranges featuring life-like versions of bowhunting’s greatest trophies. Last year, 4,122 youth from across the country participated in the NASP/IBO 3D Challenge, which secured a record for the largest 3D archery tournament in terms of participation. In addition, Rinehart Targets has committed to providing an annual scholarship to the NASP Scholarship Fund, which awards cash scholarships for higher education to shooters who place at the NASP World Tournament. Just under two million student archers participate in archery competitions outside their school and about 15,000 of these students make it through local, regional and state or provincial (Canada) tournaments to the NASP Nationals. About NASP® (National Archery in Schools Program) The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP®) is a 501 c (3) non-profit educational foundation established to teach target archery as part of the in-school curriculum in grades 4-12. NASP is cooperative effort between conservation agencies, private organizations, and school systems to engage more students in the educational process. For more information, visit: naspschools.org.
Some of the anglers gathered for the photo after participating in the King of the River bass tournament recently on the Ohio River. The event was hosted by the Student Fishing League.
are some regional college teams that participate. “I’d like to thank the anglers who participated, and our sponsors. Terry and Mike Shenton of Kennedy Park and Marina have been great also, by letting us
use their ramp and facilities.” said SFL organizer Harry Emmerling. For information about the SFL, contact Emmerling at: 330-383-1194 or email: harry16520@hotmail.com. — Larry Claypool
November 2017
Erik Tingler 10.07lb, 26-in. spotted bass Wood County, WV
OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
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PHOTO SHOWCASE SPONSORED BY
Braden Brenn, age 7 largemouth bass Nimisila Reservoir, OH
Jim Williamson 10.5lb, 29" walleye Lake Erie, OH
Linken Price 1st squirrel Columbiana County, OH
Johanna Ford bluegill, private lake Columbiana County, OH
Send Us Your Photos
Deonte Stradwick coyote Franklin County, OH
Don Hall (left) elk Colorado
Hannah Hall 8-pt., 218lbs crossbow Franklin County, OH
We’ll print your hunting, fishing or trapping photos in the next issue of OV Times or Ohio Valley Outdoors magazine. Send photos via mail, email or Facebook. Email to: ohvod@ohiovalleyoutdoors.com Mail to: Photo Showcase 210 East Fourth St., East Liverpool, OH 43920
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Fall Fishing in Ohio
COLUMBUS, OH — For many anglers, lazy fall days are made for casting a line into picturesque farm ponds and gently moving streams. The fish are feeding enthusiastically in a variety of waterways this time of year, as they begin storing up fat reserves in preparation of winter. Remember that because of cooling water, there is an overall movement of fish to shallower water during this time of year. Check out these quick tips on getting started fishing. Thousands of rainbow trout, raised at State Fish Hatcheries, are released into local fishing holes and neighborhood lakes throughout Ohio in the fall. This annual stocking provides excellent opportunities for anglers to continue fishing through the fall all across Ohio – and it’s fun for the whole family! When the cool autumn air combines with renewed flows from Ohio’s Lake Erie tributaries, it spells the beginning of steelhead trout season. Steelhead start cruising the Lake Erie shoreline shortly after Labor Day, and rainfall and cooler temperatures trigger an increase in the upstream migrations.
OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
The Division of Wildlife annually stocks five Lake Erie tributary streams (Vermilion, Rocky, Conneaut Creek, Chagrin and Grand Rivers) with yearling Little Manistee River (Michigan) strain of steelhead. These fish migrate out into Lake Erie and spend the summer in the cooler part of the lake, before returning to streams during the fall through the spring. Steelhead trout caught by anglers in the streams typically average 25 inches long and weigh five to six pounds. These fish have usually spent two to three summers out in the lake. But there are a good number of fish that are over 30 inches and weigh more than 10 pounds. As summer turns to fall and many sportsmen turn their thoughts to hunting squirrels, rabbits, or deer, a number of die-hard crappie anglers are cashing in on excellent fishing in Ohio’s lakes and reservoirs. Late-season crappie are likely to be found near good cover such as fallen trees, artificial structure, or other stickups, similar to the types of cover they frequent in spring. However, the best cover to fish during spring is not necessarily the best during fall. On fall outings, look for cover with immediate
access to deeper waters instead of those shallow spawning bays that you checked last April or May. In particular, check cover near sloping points, outside bends of creek channels, or steep shorelines adjacent to creek channels. Moving offshore a bit and checking drop-offs near these areas can pay off, too. A less traditional area that also is worth a try is the spillway where moving water may attract and concentrate crappie. Spillways can often be easy to fish from shore and they can be surprisingly productive. You could have started your fall crappie hunt in early October. Lakes and reservoirs have usually “turned-over” by this time of the year, becoming uniform in temperature and oxygen from top to bottom and this can put crappie on the move. Anglers also should expect overcast days to out produce bright days and late afternoon until dark to be the best times, particularly on reservoirs with clear water. You might find yourself hooked by this non-traditional bite! If you want to catch some yellow perch this fall, you don’t have to drive to Lake Erie to fill a cooler. Upground reservoirs, a type of artificial inland lake, offer excellent yellow perch fishing if you know where to go and how to
November 2017
catch them. Most of these reservoirs are located in northwest Ohio and the best ones for yellow perch include: Findlay Reservoir No. 1 (Hancock Co.), Metzger and Ferguson Reservoirs (Allen Co.), Wauseon Reservoir No. 2 (Fulton Co.), Shelby Reservoir No. 3 (Richland Co.), Upper Sandusky Reservoir No. 2 (Wyandot Co.), and Willard Reservoir (Huron Co.). Lake Erie is a fishery that just keeps on giving. Some late fall November walleye fishermen find that fishing for walleye when they’re on the move is highly effective. Best baits for walleye are floating jigs tipped with white, yellow or fluorescent colored plastic tails. Anglers can find fishing reports and forecasts online. Anglers age 16 and older must have an Ohio fishing license. Fishing licenses and regulations can be obtained online and at any of the many license vendors around the state.
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November 2017
OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES
Federal Agencies Sign Unprecedented MOU
ALEXANDRIA, VA — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced on October 30 that a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF). The unprecedented MOU, signed just after U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke declared October was officially be recognized as National Hunting and Fishing Month, was created to develop and expand cooperation among the participating parties for planning and implementing mutually-beneficial projects and activities to promote recreational fishing and boating conducted on public lands and waterways. “Anglers and recreational boaters help bolster many local economies in the pursuit of these American pastimes,”
said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “We want to make sure to encourage more people to cast out their lines and get their boats out on the water. Partnerships like this are vital as we work to increase access to public lands and waters and pass on these traditions to future generations.” “Recreational fishing and boating are fundamental aspects of America’s outdoor recreation and conservation heritage, and are great ways for people to connect with family and friends,” said Greg Sheehan, Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “We look forward to working with all of our partners to continue to increase the number of anglers as well as opportunities for the public to get out and enjoy America’s healthy aquatic resources. As a lifelong angler, I understand the importance of building strong partner relationships to further the opportunities for fishing by all.”
“This agreement is a natural fit for the Bureau of Land Management,” said acting BLM Director Michael D. Nedd. “We manage more than 132,000 miles of fishable rivers and three million acres of lakes and reservoirs — many of which offer truly world-class recreational opportunities.” “The Forest Service has a long history of working with partners to promote fishing and boating on public lands,” said Deputy Chief of National Forest System, Leslie Weldon. “With over 10 million acres of lakes and reservoirs and 220,000 miles of fishable rivers and streams, the National Forests and Grasslands are the perfect place to connect with the outdoors. This MOU will help us work as partners to provide excellent access and facilities for people to enjoy.” The objective of the MOU is to promote angler recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3) activities with the goal of increasing the current 47 million recreational fishing participants in the U.S. ages 6+ to 60 million at the end of 60 months, or by 2021.
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Dubbed ‘60 in 60’ by RBFF, the initiative was launched in April 2016. Some efforts that may take place because of the MOU include increased volunteerism on public lands, improved quality of aquatic and riparian resources, improved recreational fishing experiences, and increased educational programs for recreational fishing and fisheries. “Outdoor recreation is one of this nation’s largest economic engines. This agreement shows a great commitment to connecting millions of Americans to the outdoors by working with the fishing and boating industry and the larger conservation community,” said Ron Regan, The MOU will further advance what was a strong first year for ‘60 in 60’ in which fishing participation among Americans age 6+ increased by 1.5 million according to the 2017 Special Report on Fishing, along with increases in key growth segments for the industry including youth and Hispanics. The recently-released USFWS 2016 National Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation national survey also revealed an increase in fishing participation, up 8.2% over the last five years among Americans ages 16+.