A survey of five Maryland rivers shows most largemouth bass populations are in good shape, according to the state Fisheries Service.

The annual fall census, conducted in the Potomac River, Wicomico and Pocomoke rivers, Marshyhope Creek and upper tributaries, takes into account what anglers are catching and the size of the fish. In addition, biologists electrofished the Choptank and Patuxent rivers last August to gauge the health of juvenile fish.

The information is used to guide management policy. 

The surveys covered about 20 percent of the tidal bass habitat for each river, with a total of  1,150 fish caught, ranging in length from 1 inch to 28 inches. The biggest bass--about 13 years old and 8.5 pounds--was caught in the Potomac River. Biologists found:

Body growth was good to exceptional for most populations;

Potomac River bass ranged in size from 2.5 inches to 28 inches. Catches have increased since 2004;

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink
        

Four local outdoors groups are sharing $30,000 in grants from the retailer Recreational Equipment Inc. The non-profit organizations were nominated by REI's newest store in Columbia and its Timonium store.

Baltimore Water Alliance, also known as the Gwynns Falls Watershed Association, is getting a $7,000 grant to help improve conditions and accessibility at the city's Herring Run Park. Activities will include a volunteer program to restore meadows and woods.

The Howard County Conservancy is receiving $10,000 to train volunteer naturalists who will lead school and adult programs. The money also will be used to help restore the habitat at the conservancy's 232-acre farm in Woodstock.

Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE) is getting $6,000 to provide tools, gear and other supplies for volunteers who will be repairing two heavily used recreational trails near Baltimore’s Loch Raven Reservoir.

The Parks and People Foundation's Gwynns Falls Trail Council is receiving $7,000 for its volunteer, outreach and education programs directed at the 30 neighborhoods adjacent to the trail. 

This year, REI donated $3.7 million to non-profit organizations nationwide in 2010, representing about 3 percent of the previous year's operating profits. Since 1976, the cooperative has given nearly $31 million to outdoor and conservation non-profit organizations.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 2:18 PM | Permalink
        

As you might expect, the number of organized outings and programs are rather slim this weekend. But the best part about the outdoors is that it doesn't need batteries, assembly or an instruction manual.

And I'm guessing that if some of you have a house full of relatives with you, a little "time out" might be in order. So, make your own fun or try one of these suggestions:

1) Join up with members of the Howard County chapter of the Sierra Club for a Christmas Eve day hike on the Billy Goat Trail along the C&O Canal. The 9-mile hike involves some short rock scrambles and offers some sweeping vistas along the Potomac River. Hikers will depart at 8:30 a.m. from the west lot of the Broken Land Parkway commuter lot at Route 32. For details, contact Ken Clark, 301-725-3306, or kenclark7@comcast.net.

2) Maryland State Parks will be open for business on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (but closed Christmas and Dec. 30). Go to the DNR website and pick a park and a walk. It doesn't have to be heroic or epic, just outside.

3) If someone got a bike for Christmas, why not take it out for a spin on one of the area's bike paths? The Torrey C. Brown Trail, formerly the NCRR Trail, is a great biking destination for the whole family in Baltimore County, with multiple entry points. In Anne Arundel County, try all or part of the 12-mile BWI Trail around the airport. For water views and easy peddling, try the Cross Island Trail, just across the Bay Bridge on Kent Island. There's also some nice footpaths.

4) Visit Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge just outside Cambridge on the Eastern Shore. The four-mile Wildlife Drive and trails are open from dawn to dusk every day. Visitors can walk, drive or peddle the pavement. The marshlands are a haven for geese, swans and ducks. Hawks soar overhead and great blue herons show off their fishing skills. Bald and golden eagles can often be seen from Wildlife Drive. The entrance fee is just $3 per vehicle.

5) Go buy your annual fishing license. OK, technically that's not outside. But there's a slice of outdoors between the car and the tackle shop. Park at the end of the lot, walk briskly and breath deeply. Buying a license early in the year helps the state Fisheries Service put moohla in the kitty. A freshwater license is $20.50 and the Trout Stamp remains $5. A Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Sport License is $15. The annual bay and coastal pleasure boat decal that allows everyone aboard to fish for free (provided they register) is $50.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

I've got nothing against deer. Or any animal in distress.

But what those two guys did on the Patapsco River last Thursday was dumb. They were incredibly lucky that their misguided rescue mission involving a deer swimming in the river didn't end up killing them or one of the public employees who were called to the scene.

Here are the facts of the incident, as they relate to the Patapsco deer. It was swimming in the river. It either made its way to a spot with ice in it or broke through the ice. It was paddling around, looking for a way out.

Here are facts as they relate to deer, in general. Deer swim. They have been seen paddling off Fort McHenry and in the Chesapeake Bay. Their hair is hollow, which creates warmth in winter and buoyancy in water. In a distance swim between Michael Phelps and a deer, bet on the deer.

But these two guys (labeled Good Samaritans by a local TV station) decided that the deer might be pregnant and in trouble, which in my old neighborhood was the same thing.

While the deer may have been pregnant because they mate in late fall, it was not likely that these two aspiring Dr. Doolittles could tell, since gestation takes 200 days.

The Doolittles apparently ignored warnings from both Baltimore County Fire Department employees, who know a thing or two about search and rescue, and a Natural Resources Police corporal, who is trained in wildlife behavior.

They "freed" the deer, tying a rope around its neck and yanking it to shore.

Because they did not have life jackets aboard their rubber raft, they got $90 tickets. The officer went easy on them. He could have issued tickets for disobeying an officer.

Hundreds of people have voiced their admiration for the two men and outrage over what the officer did.

How would they have felt if the two men or any of the public servants had been injured or killed helping a deer that may not have needed human intervention?

The state has 230,000 deer. They seem to be doing OK without us meddling.

"Given the conditions of the water, what began with an animal in distress could have quickly led to a human tragedy, requiring an emergency response that could have endangered even more lives," Col. George Johnson, NRP superintendent, said in a statement.

Animals are wonderful. When we can help them, we should. From the time I was 9 years old, all my cats have been pound kitties or street creatures. Right now, I have one missing a tail and another with one eye.

However, messing with a wild animal isn't something that should be attempted by rank amateurs, which these two men most certainly were. The last time I saw the aftermath of a "rescue" involving deer, the state wildlife biologist called to the scene was injured and might have been killed when the terrified animal began flailing.

"More than likely, if everybody goes away, the deer swims out," said NRP Sgt. Brian Albert of the Patapsco River incident. "They are lucky the deer didn't kick the living snot out of them."

The two men say they will fight the tickets on Feb. 18 in Anne Arundel District Court. If they are hoping to play on the sympathies of the court as they did public opinion, they may be overplaying their hand. The courtroom in question has been set aside for natural resources cases with a prosecutor and judge versed in natural resources law.

It will be interesting to see if their luck holds.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Brisk winter winds and an abundant food supply gave deer the advantage over hunters during Maryland's two-week firearms season. Hunters reported killing 40,694 deer, down 9 percent from last year.

The totals were 13,605 antlered deer and 27,089 antlerless deer. Included in the numbers were 1,081 sika deer.

Across the state, an abundant crop of acorns meant deer did not have to range far to eat. Strong winds on opening weekend and throughout the period also kept deer in place, said Brian Eyler, chief deer biologist for the Department of Natural Resources.

Region A (Garrett, Allegany and western Washington counties) saw an 8 percent decline--4,422 deer compared with 4,809 deer last year. The antlered harvest was down 4 percent and the antlerless harvest decreased 14 percent.

The total in the rest of the state, known as Region B, dipped 9 percent, from 39,995 deer last year to 36,272 deer this year. The antlered harvest dropped 14 percent and the antlerless total decreased 7 percent.

Young hunters did not follow in the footsteps of their elders during their single-day season. Sunny skies and calm winds translated into a 5 percent increase, from 1,961 deer last year to 2,050 deer this season.

The late muzzleloader season opens tomorrow and ends on Jan. 1.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 9:50 AM | Permalink
        

What's the old saying? Birds of a feather must flock together.Not if we're talking bald eagles and Baltimore Orioles.

A pair of eagles that had built a nest in a light tower at the Orioles' new spring training site in Sarasota were evicted Tuesday in a two-prong assault. As reported by the Herald-Tribune, wildlife rehabilitators snatched two eggs from the nest before construction crews demolished the stick structure to discourage the adults from returning.

The idea, wildlife officials said, was to encourage the nesting pair to find a safer place to build anew and possibly lay additional eggs this year.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Gary Morse said the bald eagles and the eggs were in danger at the nesting site where a $31 million stadium renovation project is under way.

The survival of the fledglings after hatching would have been in doubt because of the aggressive construction activity, Morse said.

"They're going to have to be on the ground for some days learning how to survive," Morse said. "There, the situation for their survival is certainly in jeopardy."

Wildlife and construction don't mix and the action, while drastic, was for the birds' own good, everyone seemed to agree.

Yet, I can't help worrying that the hostile action against Haliaeetus leucocephalus at Ed Smith Stadium will translate into something else for the Icterus Galbula of Camden Yards: Annus horribilis.

Like we need another one of those.The bad karma potential here is enormous. We have two bedrock American icons in conflict: the symbol of our country vs. the nation’s pastime. And in the end, the birds of Baltimore gave the bum’s rush to the eagles of our founding fathers.

The eagles are going to be upset, but that's part of the process," a spokesman for Florida's leading wildlife agency told the newspaper. That's nothing compared to the angst of post-season starved Orioles fans who might be forced to endure another hideous year brought on by some ornithological curse.

I envision a spring training full of freak injuries, cold snaps, monsoon-like conditions directly over the ballpark, long losing streaks and lots of plays that just don’t go Charm City’s way. I wouldn’t rule out locusts, either.

Even more disturbing -- who’s to say the bad karma doesn’t slip into the equipment bins in March for the trip north? The curse of ancient Indian burial grounds has nothing on the bad ju-ju of messing with a bird held sacred by some tribes.

It's a scenario only H.P. Lovecraft or Stephen King could enjoy.

Granted, the eggs will be hatched and the eaglets raised and set free by the Bald Eagle Foundation of Tennessee -- perhaps a better fate than awaited them at the stadium construction site. But when you haven't enjoyed a winning season in 13 years, you're already walking on eggshells. Why mess with new ones?

-- Candus Thomson

Posted by Chris Korman at 6:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Fascinating striped bass article this week from the Bay Journal News Service by one of Maryland's best environment writers, Karl Blankenship. Give it a read and talk among yourselves:

More than two months before biologists threw their first net into the water to gauge the success of this year's striped bass reproduction, Ed Martino had the answer, and he never had to leave his desk.

Rockfish reproduction, Martino determined in May, would be "well below average."

The researcher with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Cooperative Oxford Laboratory came up with his conclusion by going online and looking at March though May river flows monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey and temperature data from Baltimore-Washington International Airport for the same period, then plugging the information into a mathematical model.

While Martino crunched numbers in his office, a team of biologists from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources waded into the water at 22 locations once a month from July through September. At each site, they did two sweeps through the water with a 100-foot seine net, then counted everything they caught.

When the work was done, the biologists had averaged 5.6 juvenile striped bass per net haul. That was less than half the long-term average of 11.6. After all of their field work, they had reached the same conclusion as Martino.

His model, which was developed with data from the Maryland DNR, confirms what biologists have thought for years: The weather during any given spring plays a huge role in determining how many larval striped bass survive to be "recruited" into the overall population.

But his model puts an exclamation point to just how important weather is: In looking back to 1985, he can account for more than 80 percent of the annual variability in striped bass recruitment in Maryland, where the majority of the East Coast population is spawned.

This year, the model successfully predicted a poor year even though many fishery biologists - including Martino - thought it would be good.

But that predictability may contain a hint of problems on the horizon for striped bass. Although the coast-wide population remains above target levels, striped bass recruitment in Maryland has been below average for three consecutive years, largely because the weather hasn't cooperated.

"The Bay is full of spawners, but we are seeing a real reduction in recent years in reproduction," Martino said. "So I think it's pretty obvious that something else is going on in the environment."

That "something else" may be found in work done by Bob Wood, the NOAA scientist in charge of the Oxford Lab. Wood suggests that a broader, long-lasting climate pattern called the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation may be affecting striped bass and other fish.

The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation is an alternating pattern of warming and cooling over large areas of the Atlantic Ocean, similar to the El Nino, La Nina patterns in the Pacific. The shifts affect climate over large regions of North America. Various AMO phases, during which different parts of the Atlantic are warmed or cooled, persist for decades.

During certain AMO phases, which promote wetter winters, cool springs and more frequent nor'easters, the prevailing pattern seems to promote improved reproductive success for anadromous fish, such as striped bass, which live most of their lives at sea but return to freshwater to spawn.

During other AMO phases, which promote drier, warmer springs, the situation is reversed, with fish such as menhaden, that spawn on the coastal shelf and whose larvae use estuaries for nurseries, getting a boost. During those times, striped bass reproduction takes a hit.

Wood says those phase shifts are strongly correlated with the rise and fall of striped bass and menhaden stocks in the past.

Striped bass crashed because of overfishing in the 1980s, which was also a time when the AMO was in a phase unfavorable for their recruitment, so fish being caught were not being replaced. The ensuing rebound of striped bass stocks is often touted as a major fishery management success as managers took dramatic actions, including a coast-wide moratorium, to protect the spawning stock.

And it was.

But Wood's work strongly suggests that managers also got lucky. Their fishing moratorium coincided with an AMO shift that greatly improved striped bass spawning conditions.

"Had the weather not turned, we would have been waiting longer for that recovery," Wood said.

Meanwhile, as striped bass recruitment bottomed out in the 1970s and 1980s, menhaden recruitment soared, only to fall to persistent low levels in the 1990s and 2000s as striped bass again benefited from the prevailing climate cycles. The same general pattern holds for other anadromous and shelf-spawning fish, Wood said, but the correlation is strongest with the anadromous striped bass and white perch, and the shelf-spawning menhaden and spot.

The exact reason why temperature and the timing of river flows is so important is less certain. Martino and Wood theorize the cool temperatures delay the production of plankton until striped bass larvae are most abundant. The high flows may push those plankton and striped bass larvae together so the larvae, which are poor swimmers, have plenty to eat.

"The prey almost has to bounce off the heads of the larval striped bass," Martino said.

Conversely, warmer years benefit larval menhaden, which use the same nursery grounds, but arrive earlier and eat different kinds of plankton.

Wood first published his hypothesis years ago, but has since strengthened the climate - recruitment connection, adding more data and looking at actual striped bass and menhaden harvests dating back to the 1880s. A new publication is in the works, which he hopes will prod more discussion among managers.

A better understanding of these long-term patterns can be a huge aid for fishery managers. Had they understood they were in the midst of a down-cycle for striped bass recruitment in the 1980s, for instance, managers might have acted sooner to curb fishing pressure, Wood said.

There are problems in using the information in management, though. The understanding of regional climate patterns is far from complete, and it is much easier to observe what happened in the past than to predict what will happen in the future. As a result, it's hard to say with certainty whether the last three years of poor reproduction stemmed from a change in the AMO and will persist into the future--or their correlation is just coincidence.

"It is quite possible that he (Wood) is correct. The problem that we have, and it is a typical problem with this type of analysis, is that they are always based on an analysis of the past," said Alexi Sharov, a stock assessment scientist with the Maryland DNR. "In many fisheries around the world, strong correlations were found between recruitment and certain environmental factors based on historical data, but the attempts to use these correlations to predict recruitment were not very successful, indicating that we are dealing with a very complex, intricate process."

Also, while striped bass recruitment has been poor the last three years, there's been no boom in menhaden recruitment. The menhaden recruitment index remains below average.

Managers have become increasingly concerned about the status of the striped bass stock. The total number of fish estimated to be in the coastal population has declined by a quarter in recent years, although it still remains at what fisheries scientists consider safe levels.

The recruitment needed to replenish those stocks has been poor in many places where it's monitored, especially in Maryland, where striped bass reproduction has the strongest connection to future populations. Recruitment has been below average for the last three years, and four of the last five, in the state.

Because of concerns about the population, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, a multi-state agency that regulates catches of fish that migrate along the coast, recently decided to assess the striped bass stock next year, rather than 2012 as previously scheduled.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Joe Davis of Harford County dropped me a note recently, reminding me that as one fishing season ends, another is ramping up. Along with a group of about 10 friends, Davis fishes for Northern Pike in the weeks after Thanksgiving.

Here's his note and helpful hints:

The warm, humid air of summer is just a memory and the first cold mornings have kicked my mind into overdrive. Trophy pike fishing at Loch Raven is ready to begin. If you like catching fish bigger than 10 pounds and longer than 36 inches, then pike fishing is for you.

Pike fishing in Loch Raven Reservoir is unknown by many, and cherished by a select few fishermen. I have been pike fishing for more than 15 years.

I have to thank a dearly missed friend Al Krout, who introduced me to this wonderful sport fish. I can't think of anything else I would rather do outdoors.

There is something about hanging out with your friends, talking about life, and all of a sudden, your bobber goes down. Suddenly, you are running to grab your fishing rod before your line gets tight, or even worse, before your rod gets gobbled up by the Loch or the Loch Ness Monster--the Northern Pike.

The Northern Pike is a truly awesome coldwater game fish to catch. Pike will often try to snap your line by doing a move common to most marlin and sailfish.

They will skim along the top of the water in an effort to get away. This usually happens when you get them in close to shore, so be ready. I promise you this will get your heart racing and when you catch your first one, you will be hooked for life.

The Northern Pike can usually be identified by its brownish-gray color with white dots on its sides and fins, and the unmistakable teeth that can leave scars for years to come if you do not handle them properly.

Their immense size and raw power draw fishermen to freshwater shorelines all over the world. Hook your first one and you will see what I mean. Here's how.

The first thing you are going to need is a decent, medium-action rod with enough flexibility to set the hook properly. If there is not enough flexibility, there is a good chance that the hook flies out of the pike's mouth and you just wasted your chance.

Fishing line choice is important, and I would suggest 6- to 12-pound test monofilament, or use braided lines. My combo of choice: G-Loomis GL3 with a Shimano Stradic reel, and 8-pound test Stren.

Your fishing rod is complete, but what about your slip-bobber set-up?
The slip-bobber technique allows a live minnow to reach different depths while allowing it to swim freely.

Here is what you need to buy: slip bobbers, knot-ties, beads, egg weights, steel leaders and bait-holder hooks.

To set up your rod, first pull your fishing line through all of the eyelets, and then put the knot-tie on the fishing line. Make sure you pull the plastic piece toward you and the thread onto the fishing line. Now tighten the knot-tie and clip off loose thread. This knot is what controls your fishing depth. The more you move it up your fishing line, the deeper the minnow will go.

Next, put the small bead on the fishing line. The bead should stop at your knot. After this, you will put your slip-bobber on, followed by a small egg weight to help get the minnow to the appropriate fishing depth. The last steps are to tie the fishing line to steel leader and attach the hook to the steel leader.

If you don't use a steel leader, you run the risk of a big pike cutting your line with its teeth.

At last, you are ready, but you need jumbo shiners. Bait shops are closing up at an alarming rate, so call around. Backwoods Sports in Edgewood and several places in Bowley's Quarters still sell bait.

Hook the shiners behind their top dorsal fin. This allows the minnow to swim freely.

Now, where to fish. Avoid the traditional school of thought that says to go where everyone else is. Experiment, try new locations, and most importantly, pay your dues. You should be rewarded for your time if the location you choose has several key components:

First, the water temperature should feel cold, not lukewarm. Pike thrive in cold water.

Next, your fishing spot should have plenty of structure. Structure can be defined as an area with drop-offs, weeds, big rocks and trees. Structure allows this predatory fish to feel comfortable and at home, but hidden from its unsuspecting prey.

Another good indicator of a successful pike fishing location is the presence of baitfish, and yellow perch. Baitfish swim in the shallow waters, and serve as excellent meals for smaller fish just like yellow perch. Northern Pike love yellow perch, so if you catch one, chances are good you are in the right area.

Good luck.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Hunters killed 4.3 percent fewer deer during the first week of deer firearms season than the same period last year, according to Department of Natural Resources figures.

Statewide, hunters killed 29,515 deer during the week ending Dec. 5, compared to 30,829 deer last year. Hunters shot 8.5 percent fewer antlered deer and 1.6 percent antlerless deer.

The two-week season, the most popular segment of the state's deer hunt, ends Saturday.

Howard County showed the largest overall percentage gain in white-tailed deer harvest--21.5 percent--while Washington and Allegany counties saw the biggest declines at 29.7 percent and 26.9, percent respectively.

Frederick County led the state, with 2,789 deer reported to DNR. Despite the decline, Washington County was second, with 2,154, and Carroll County was third, with 2,005.

In the Baltimore region, Anne Arundel was down 9.5 percent, Baltimore County was up 9.7 percent and Harford was up 17.7 percent.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 2:30 PM | Permalink
        

It’s supposed to get into the 40s this Saturday and Sunday. Positively balmy. Here’s five things to get you out and about this weekend that don't involve advertising circulars or standing in checkout lines:

1) Make your own wind chill and donate food and clothing for a good cause Saturday and Sunday at Terrapin Adventures in Savage. The owners are offering a free zip line or giant swing ride to anyone who brings an unwrapped toy, clothing or non-perishable food item. For safety sake, you must be older than 8, taller than 48 inches and weigh between 70 pounds and 275 pounds. Details: http://www.terrapinadventures.com or 301-725-1313.

2) Cold, clear nights are perfect for star gazing. Learn where to look and what you’re looking at Saturday at 8 p.m. at Soldier’s Delight Natural Environment Area, 5100 Deer Park Road, Owings Mills. Members of the Westminster Astronomy will give you a look at the galaxy from inside out. The program will include a discussion of Perseus and the last meteor shower of the year. The event is free; donations appreciated. To reserve a spot, call 877-794-0606.

3) On Sunday, celebrate the 55th anniversary of the Wisp Resort at Deep Creek Lake. One-day lift tickets are $7, sports rental and group lessons are half price. Activities include a scavenger hunt, a hot cocoa and cider tasting, muscis and games. At 1 p.m., Wisp will unveil a birthday cake made by Baltimore’s Charm City Cakes and cut free pieces for everyone. The celebration will spill over to Monday. There’s more at http://www.wispresort.com.

4) Attend a birding boot camp Sunday morning with your kids to get ready for The National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count. You will be coached by experienced birders at the Patuxent Research Refuge’s first “Bird Count 4 Kids,” 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. Suitable for kids ages 8-14 accompanied by a parent or guardian. Bring a brown-bag lunch. The National Wildlife Visitor Center is off Powder Mill Road between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Route 197. Call 301-497-5887 to register.

5) Anyone can dial up a pizza or go to Ledo’s. But cooking a pie on an open flame? An art form. You can learn to make one on a grill from a naturalist at Patapsco Valley State Park’s McKeldin area Sunday at 11 a.m. Pizza in the Park will give you recipes and teach you to the prep work and cooking techniques to turn out a delicious pie in the backyard or the back woods. The class is suitable for children 8 and older if accompanied by an adult. The cost is $10 per pizza. Registration is a must. Call 410-461-5005 by Friday.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink
        

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission is expected to vote in January to create 15 Aquaculture Opportunity Zones to expand shellfish farming in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

These zones would set aside more than 1,000 acres of prime state-owned water bottoms for the farming of oysters and clams in cages. The zones are around Tangier Island, in the Rappahannock River and in the tributaries of Mobjack Bay, just north of the York River. Roughly half of the total acreage is near Tangier.

Maryland also established oyster aquaculture zones this fall.

VMRC staff chose the sites after an extensive review. The sites are on hard bottom, in clean, shallow, sheltered waters that are within reasonable distance of off-loading sites. They do not infringe on the public Baylor Grounds or any privately leased oyster grounds.

VMRC Fisheries Chief Jack Travelstead said oyster farming is more reliable than open-water harvesting and reduces the number of wild oysters taken from the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

The commission hopes to retrain watermen, but that assistance will be limited by budget contraints, Travelstead said.

Under the plan, Virginians would be granted a five-acre chunk of water bottom on a first-come, first-served basis. There would be a one-time application fee of $100, with VMRC waiving other leasing fees.

The commission is expected to vote on Jan. 25 after a public hearing.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:08 AM | Permalink
        

Mark Clemens knew he shot a buck Sunday morning.

He didn't know he shot one with enough antlers for three bucks and change.

"When I walked up to it, I couldn't believe it," said the Edgemere hunter. "I thought, 'What's that coming out of the head?'"

Stretched out on the ground was a 23-point buck, antlers pointing every which way and still covered in velvet.

The nontypical rack isn't huge. It is different.

"It's like the Rorschach test of antlers," said Paul Peditto, head of DNR's Wildlife and Heritage Service.

It took Clemens, 45, and two buddies forever to drag the 200-pound buck off private property in Charles County. From there, they took it to Ray Hitchcock's taxidermy shop in Severn, the same place Bill Crutchfield took his state record buck two years ago.

Clemens, who has been hunting for 33 years, called it "the deer of a lifetime."

Peditto called it, "cool, but scary looking."

Velvet is a membrane that supplies oxygen and nutrients to the antler as it is growing. When the antler reaches full size and turns to bone, the velvet usually falls off.

But a hormonal deficiency or a physical injury can cause the velvet to remain, Peditto said.

Clemens said he is having the odd buck turned into chops, steaks and ground meat. The head is being mounted.

"The pictures don't do it justice," he said. "You've got to see it to believe it."

Posted by Candus Thomson at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

So riddle me this, Batman.

Last session, the General Assembly, at the request of the Department of Natural Resources, unanimously agreed to expand the Sport Fisheries and Tidal Fisheries advisory commissions from 12 to 15 members.

This despite the fact that the DNR can barely scrape up a dozen people to serve in a largely thankless and almost completely meaningless advisory role and to be cooped up in a meeting room unfit for carrying on the public's business.

The bill's fiscal note says: "DNR advises that an expanded membership will strengthen the commission’s ability to reflect the increasing variety of constituents and interests involved in recreational fisheries management. The bill is largely a result of recommendations from the two affected advisory commissions."

It's been almost eight months since the end of the session. If this were a human pregnancy, we'd be almost to the point of the midnight dash to the hospital.

Why does the O'Malley administration treat every appointment like it's the College of Cardinals picking a new pope?

Last year's list of SFAC and TFAC nominees out of the governor's office included race and gender in addition to the individual's club or business affiliation. All the Sport Fisheries members and all but one of the Tidal Fisheries members were men, so it's not like anyone conducted an exhaustive statewide search.

So what's the hold up? The General Assembly will be meeting in another few weeks. Hard to believe 188 lawmakers can move faster than the administration.

Either we need these new folks or we don't. It's time to fish or cut bait.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:48 AM | Permalink
        

Two Tilghman oystermen were charged Friday with catching oysters on a sanctuary and possession of unculled and undersize oysters, Natural Resources Police report.

Patrick Barlet Murphy, 48, and Glenn Marshall Foster, 27, were dredging for oysters aboard the Azelyn Leslie in the marked Tangier Sound Oyster Sanctuary at 8:30 a.m. The sanctuary is about six miles north of Crisfield in Tangier Sound.

NRP officers on the patrol boat Worcester escorted the vessel to Deal Island for inspection when strong winds of 20 knots and three- to four-foot seas prevented the officers from boarding the suspected poachers on the oyster bar, the police report said.

Upon inspection, officers found 15.5 bushels of oysters on the vessel; 10 percent were found to be unculled and undersize. The oysters were seized and returned to the oyster sanctuary, NRP said.

Over the last 10 years, Murphy has been charged more than 20 times for poaching and safety violations, according to court records. Most recently, he was charged on Nov. 16 with possession of undersized and unculled oysters.

Both men are scheduled to appear in Somerset District Court on Feb. 17.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 5:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

In its barely disguised campaign to tear a chunk from the hides of watermen under the guise of conservation, the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen’s Association is asking the governor and Department of Natural Resources officials to slash the annual commercial striped bass harvest from 42.5 percent of the state’s total take to 10 percent.

The MSSA’s letter reminds Maryland’s leaders that “the social and economic impacts of recreational fishing on our state are irrefutable” while “the value for the fish on the commercial market has been stagnant at best.” The value of recreational fishing, according to the letter is “over a $1 billion.”

Recreational angling, one billion bucks—that sounded familiar. So I Googled those terms and it seems we, in Maryland, are not alone. Turns out there are lots of fishy billionaires around:

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries: “Louisiana anglers generate approximately $1 billion in retail sales related to recreational fishing activity every year.”

Massachusetts Saltwater Recreational Fishing Guide: “The total economic activity generated by the Commonwealth’s marine recreational fishing industry is enormous, reaching in the area of $1 billion.”

Forbes: “In Michigan, where recreational fishing is a $1 billion industry…”

Louisville Courier-Journal: “…a nearly $1 billion a year recreational fishing industry in Kentucky.”
North Carolinians for Responsible Use of Sonar: “The fishing industry contributes over $1 billion annually to the state’s economy.”

Discover Fishing British Columbia: “About 600,000 licensed anglers spend over $1 billion on sport fishing in the province every year.”

State of Pennsylvania: “The hatcheries supplement natural reproduction of these species and contribute to recreational fishing generating more than $1 billion for Pennsylvania annually.”

“Fishing is not only a fine hobby, it is also responsible for contributing an estimated $1 billion per year to the state's economy,” said Ohio Gov. George Voinovich.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation: “Other studies focused just on sportfishing in Virginia found that salt waters alone generate $1 billion and 5,000 jobs.”

Recreational Fishing Alliance: “We're outraged that the governor would recommend not one, but five new or increased taxes targeting fishermen, boaters and the $1 billion New York recreational fishing industry.”

Houston Chronicle: “Annually, recreational angling on the Texas coast generates almost $1 billion in direct retail sales.”

New Zealand Sportfishing website: “Recreational anglers put more than $1 billion into New Zealand's economy.”

Is it a coincidence that everyone really has a $1 billion recreational fishing industry? If I eat one billion $1 tuna fish sandwiches, am I a $1 billion recreational fishing industry?

Just asking.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

The holiday crush is on: cards to sign, trees to decorate, gifts to wrap, cookies to bake. Take the pressure off with a little down time outdoors. Here's some suggestions:

1) Ease on down the road Saturday with the Howard County Sierra Club at Meadowbrook Park. It's an easy 2.5- or 5-mile "sneaker hike" on a paved loop around the park, or loop twice to double the distance. Watch the ponds for winter wildlife. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at Long Gate Parkway Park and Ride, off Route 100, just east of Route 29. Details: 301-498-8462 or sonicsue@verizon.net.

2) It's cheaper, hipper, greener and better exercise. Play disc golf, 2 p.m. Saturday at the McKeldin Area of Patapsco Valley State Park. Learn basic technique, rules, strategy and scoring. The course has two tee boxes and multiple pin positions for every hole. Cost: $2 per person. Suitable for ages 12 and up. Follow signs to disc golf parking lot. Bring water. Tee time can be reserved by calling 410-461-5005.

3) Take part in a holiday wreath-making workshop Saturday and then walk the beach at Sandy Point State Park in the shadow of the Bay Bridge, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. A ranger will talk about trees at the park while you make an evergreen wreath. Wreath rings, greens and wire will be provided, but bring your own pruners and gloves. Cost: $5 per person. Reserve a spot by calling 410-974-2149.

4) Be prepared to be awed, humbled and thankful at the Antietam Memorial Illumination Saturday. Volunteers place 23,000 candles--one for each soldier killed, wounded or missing--on the Civil War battlefield to commemorate the 1862 event. The National Park Service visitor center closes at 3 p.m. and the illumination opens at 6 p.m. The driving tour is about five miles long. The main entrance is Richardson Avenue off Route 34. The line will form on the westbound shoulder. Details, including a map, are at http://www.nps.gov/anti/planyourvisit/luminary.htm.

5) Watch the working dogs work Sunday at the Maryland Gun Dog Championship at Anatadae Farm just outside Cambridge. Dogs are judged on their ability to respond to whistle commands and retrieve seen and unseen birds. The winner and all finalists get ribbons. The event, sponsored by the Maryland Waterfowlers Association, begins at 8 a.m. Any questions, give farm owner Frank Durham a call: 301-537-5650.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

An Essex hunter was injured last Thursday in a tree stand fall and Natural Resources Police filed poaching charges against several men in Calvert, Caroline and Washington counties.

Officers were called to the vicinity of the 3400 block of Golden Hill Road in Church Creek at 3 p.m. on Nov. 30 for a report of a hunting accident. Michael Patrick Ledley, 30, was deer hunting from a portable tree stand when the strap that held the tree stand to the tree broke. Ledley fell and injured to his leg. The victim was not wearing or using a safety harness at the time of the accident. He was taken to Dorchester County Medical Center.

NRP recommends using a full body harness and prussic knot. The full body harness distributes the weight across the upper body and is attached to a safety line by a prussic knot. The safety line is then tied to the tree and the knot slides along the safety line while the hunter climbs up to the stand. If the hunter falls while climbing or sitting in the tree, the knot tightens and prevents the hunter from hitting the ground. More information on hunting safety can be found at the Natural Resources Police web site at www.dnr.state.md.us/nrp/

On Nov. 22 at 7:15 p.m., officers on patrol in Calvert County charged Anthony James Cullember, 38, of Shady Side, Jerome Owen Cullember, 41, of Deale, and Patrick Arthur Hand, 62, of Huntington, with jacklighting deer and possessing a loaded weapon in a vehicle. The police report said officers watched the men shooting at a deer in the area of Holland Cliffs Road, near Huntington. Officers seized a loaded 30-06 Ruger rifle, a Remington 1100 shotgun, a spotlight and a white-tailed deer.

In Caroline County on Nov. 26, Samuel Allen Bynaker, 23, of Preston, and Edward Lee Myers Jr., 26, of Denton were charged with jacklighting. NRP officers stopped the vehicle at 9:05 p.m on Dion Road and seized two .22-caliber rifles and two knives.

On Nov. 28, John William Zeigler Sr., 45, and Donald Eugene Zeigler, 48, both of Hagerstown, were charged with shooting from the roadway and possessing a loaded weapon in a vehicle. The police report says officers saw the men shooting at deer from their vehicle in the 19000 block of Old Forge Road in Hagerstown. A .270-caliber rifle, ammunition and a six-point white-tailed buck were seized. The deer was donated to a needy family.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Work to remove Simkins Dam from the Patapsco River is in its fifth day of construction.

Construction crews notched the dam the day before Thanksgiving and started removing it Monday.

Once the blockage is gone, more than eight miles of river will run freely, improving water quality and habitat for fish and other species, according to American Rivers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, two partners in the project.

The $4 million to remove Union Dam upstream (completed earlier this fall) and Simkins, just outside Ellicott City, was provided by federal economic-stimulus funds.

Mary Andrews, environmental engineer at the NOAA Restoration Center, says the dam is being removed quickly. Deconstruction is scheduled to end around Christmas.

A "dam cam" perched on a pole above the constuction site, provides a photo of the work every 15 minutes.

Follow along at http://www.earthcam.com/clients/noaa/simkinsdam/

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

George Wooden is a retired state trooper and a hunter who has passed the tradition along to his son. In a split second on the opening day of deer firearm season last Saturday in the woods near Conowingo, he watched helplessly as his son almost fell 25 feet from a tree stand.

He told me: "I was just like everyone who saw the stories, read the articles but always thought it was just a commercial... The only thing saving his life was that harness. This is a very real-life story, please pass it on to your friends, your hunting buddies and everybody in between.

Here's his story:

My son Georgie was born on Nov. 28, 1995--opening day of Maryland's deer firearms season--so you could say he was born into hunting one way or the other.

Each year, my wife has had to plan his birthday parties around everyone going hunting. At least one of his birthday presents is camo or hunting equipment of some type. On his 8th birthday, he begged me to take him hunting instead of having a birthday party. Well, he shot a 7-point buck (he graduated hunter safety the week before).

This year was like any other. My Uncle Andy arrived and we got ready. Just before he climbed into the truck, he pulled his hunter safety harness out of the truck and asked me to help him put it on.

It a bit tangled but after a few minutes, he had it on. I wanted to just say, "Forget it, we're late," but I untangled it and helped him put it on. I have to admit, I had mine stolen a few years ago and never replaced it, but bought him one the moment he asked to begin to hunt out of a tree stand.

We arrived and began our long hike to the spot that I thought would give him some action. George is a tried-and-true waterfowler but for some reason this year, has suddenly been bit by the deer-hunting bug.

It was a long hike with our tree stands, wrapped up in layers of clothes, but once we were there I hooked his climber onto the tree and up he went. As he started up, I hooked another tree stand underneath and climbed up--slightly below and to his right--so we could whisper. I looked up and watched him briefly hooking his harness onto the tree above him. We got settled and began to hunt. Uncle Andy was about 100 yards away behind us.

About 20 minutes later, George said to me (which I will hear for the rest of my life), "Dad I feel like I'm going to faint."

I was startled because he has never fainted and now we were 20 feet up the tree. I began to coach him, telling him to breath, but his voice came back nervous and weak, "Dad I'm gonna faint."

My brain raced I grabbed him at the back of the neck by his hunting coat. All of a sudden he made a grumbling noise, sat straight back and his legs kicked out and fluttered. He passed out. He slid down from the climber, from the seat section, like a snake and slid off the front of the stand section with me holding onto to him for dear life.

I started screaming for Andy at the top of my lungs while holding on tightly. As he slid, he came to a sudden stop at the edge of the stand section, with his butt off the stand. I noticed the harness section was tight and the strap was holding him.

Now you have to know, my 14- (now 15-) year-old son is a very big kid--230 pounds, nearly 6-feet tall, with a size 13 shoe. I could have never held him. I would have watched my son fall to his death. But the safety harness stopped his descent, his fall and kept him safe when he--and I--could not.

He was out for about five minutes. He woke up and wanted to know what happened. With a little help from me, he was able to climb back onto the stand. We climbed down, with me hugging him as soon as we could. We packed up and walked out.

Later that evening, as I was laying in bed, the scenario played through my head once again, which now, broke me down in tears. I have been through a lot in my life. I was a Marine and an undercover officer for 9 1/2 years of my career, but this by far was the the scariest thing I have ever been through. To watch this happen right in front of my eyes has changed my life forever.

I am forever grateful for the inventor of the Hunters Safety System Harness because honestly, without my son alive and well, there would be no reason for me to go on living.

I urge each and everyone--whether young or old, man or woman, girl or boy, novice or expert big-game hunter--PLEASE, I repeat PLEASE do not hunt in a tree stand without a safety harness of some type. It may save your life, or in my case, a life more important then mine, my child's.

Thank you for reading this,

George's Father.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)