Virginia’s Spring Gobbler Season Forecast is Bright
April 8, 2012
Virginia’s abundant population of wild turkeys entices many hunters to venture into the woods each Spring when the sound of the male turkey, or gobbler, fills the air. This year the Spring Gobbler Season in Virginia runs from April 14 to May 19. A special Youth Turkey Hunt Day will take place April 7, for hunters aged 15 and under. Turkey populations are projected to be good to excellent throughout most of the Commonwealth. According to Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Upland Game Bird Project Leader Gary Norman, “hunters should find good numbers of turkeys in good condition. Last fall mast crops were generally good and the past winter was unusually mild, so gobbling intensity should be good and hens should be in good condition for nesting.”
Spring Gobbler season is the favorite time of year for many hunters. Heart-pounding action takes place as a hunter must attempt to remain completely still while using a call to bring a male bird to within shotgun range. Because turkeys have both keen hearing and sharp eyesight, camouflage is worn by hunters. It is essential for every hunter to positively identify their target and the area beyond their target before pulling the trigger. Most hunting fatalities are the result of the hunter not making sure of his or her target.
To ensure a safe and enjoyable day afield, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries recommends the following safety guidelines for Spring Gobbler hunting:
- Because a gobbler’s head is distinguished by its bold white, blue and red colors, NEVER wear white, blue or red clothing – not even socks or undershirts – because a flash of white could be mistaken for a turkey. Even a red bandana or blue snack food wrapper could be misread in the woods during turkey season.
- Turkey hunters should wear blaze orange when walking to and from their calling positions and when setting up or moving decoys. Wearing blaze orange is always recommended. However, if you choose not to, tie a strip of blaze orange to a nearby tree to alert others of your presence.
- Choose a calling position that will provide you with a backstop as wide as your shoulders and will protect you from the top of your head down. A large tree is best. A small tree will not hide slight movements of your hands and shoulders and these movements may cause other hunters to misinterpret what they are seeing.
- When choosing a calling position, don’t hide so well that you cannot see what’s going on around you. Select a calling position with a good view of your surroundings and where the sun does not distort what you are seeing.
- Never shoot at a sound or movement. Wait until you have a good, clean shot at a legal bird.
- Never move, wave, or make turkey sounds to alert another hunter of your presence. Instead, call out in a loud voice and remain hidden, until the other hunter acknowledges your presence.
- Never stalk a turkey. Another hunter could be behind that gobble and those birds could be decoys.
- When you harvest a gobbler, carry it out of the woods draped in blaze orange. Otherwise, another hunter might just see the bird and not you.
By taking these basic precautions, hunters protect themselves and protect others. Bring home that gobbler safely, by following these guidelines. Also, remember to tag your bird by notching the appropriate tag on your license before removing it from the place of kill, and check your bird by calling 1-866-GOT-GAME (468-4263) or by using the internet www.HuntFishVA.com.
Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Virginia’s Spring Gobbler Season Forecast is Bright
National Park Service to Take Action Against Encroaching Deer Herds in Washington, D.C.
February 29, 2012
Many Americans believe that those in Washington just don’t understand the problems many of us face. Well, it’s obvious that they understand at least one.
The National Parks Service has announced that it will bring in sharpshooters in the nation’s capital in an attempt to slow down the deer population explosion in Washington and its suburbs.
In typical Washington fashion, the Park Service says it has spent years studying the problem. Its conclusion is the same conclusion that hundreds of other municipalities and thousands of landowners have found in the past decade: the only feasible way to cull the herd is with sharpshooters.
The white-tailed deer that have overrun Rock Creek Park in Washington long ago began venturing out in suburban neighborhoods and dining on shrubbery, gardens and lawns. Dozens have been killed and injured in collisions with automobiles. In 2009, much to the horror of onlookers, a deer found its way into the lion’s enclosure in the National Zoo in Washington, the New York Times reports.
No date has been set for sharpshooters to begin taking deer from the park. The deer will be taken at night away from neighborhoods, Park Service officials say.
Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - National Park Service to Take Action Against Encroaching Deer Herds in Washington, D.C.
National Park Service to Take Action Against Encroaching Deer Herds in Washington, D.C.
February 29, 2012
Many Americans believe that those in Washington just don’t understand the problems many of us face. Well, it’s obvious that they understand at least one.
The National Parks Service has announced that it will bring in sharpshooters in the nation’s capital in an attempt to slow down the deer population explosion in Washington and its suburbs.
In typical Washington fashion, the Park Service says it has spent years studying the problem. Its conclusion is the same conclusion that hundreds of other municipalities and thousands of landowners have found in the past decade: the only feasible way to cull the herd is with sharpshooters.
The white-tailed deer that have overrun Rock Creek Park in Washington long ago began venturing out in suburban neighborhoods and dining on shrubbery, gardens and lawns. Dozens have been killed and injured in collisions with automobiles. In 2009, much to the horror of onlookers, a deer found its way into the lion’s enclosure in the National Zoo in Washington, the New York Times reports.
No date has been set for sharpshooters to begin taking deer from the park. The deer will be taken at night away from neighborhoods, Park Service officials say.
Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - National Park Service to Take Action Against Encroaching Deer Herds in Washington, D.C.
House Subcommittee Says Virginians Still Can’t Hunt on Sundays
February 20, 2012
Earlier this week, legislation (SB 464) to end the ban on Sunday hunting failed by a 4-3 vote in a subcommittee of the Virginia House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources. The measure, which had previously sailed through the Senate and enjoyed broad bi-partisan support amongst rank-and-file Republicans and Democrats in the House, was killed by an apparent absence of GOP leadership. The full House never had an opportunity to express the will of their constituents state- wide.
Allowing sportsmen in Virginia to go afield on Sundays was part of larger effort to increase participation in hunting that also involved improving access and opportunity for sportsmen living in the commonwealth. Since most hunters take to the field on weekends, removing barriers to Sunday hunting would have effectively doubled the value of most hunters’ licenses. It would also address the blatant discrimination sportsmen face — discrimination that no other sport or activity participant contends with. This prejudice also extends to private property rights, as sportsmen are prohibited from hunting on their own land.
The benefits of Sunday hunting extend well beyond the sportsmen’s community. An economic impact report released by a coalition of America’s leading conservation, sportsmen’s and hunting organizations had found that removal of Sunday hunting restrictions would result in an estimated 3,927 new Virginia jobs. The report also noted that these jobs would pay more than $105 million in wages and contribute more than $296 million in additional economic activity to the commonwealth.
“We’re disappointed not to have Sunday hunting pass this year,” said Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) – the trade association for the firearms industry. “Still, we made significant headway in helping to educate Virginians on the importance of this pro-gun, pro-hunting and pro-economic legislation. For the first time ever in Virginia, a significant Sunday hunting measure passed both a full committee and floor vote. We will most certainly be back next session.”
Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - House Subcommittee Says Virginians Still Can’t Hunt on Sundays
Virginia Man Wins Vermont’s Lifetime Hunting and Fishing License Lottery
December 21, 2011
Waitsfield, VT – A 41-year old sportsman from Virginia is the lucky winner of a Vermont lifetime hunting and fishing license.
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department held its annual License of a “Lifetime Lottery” at the December 14th meeting of the Fish and Wildlife Board in Montpelier. A lifetime hunting and fishing license is awarded to one person per year.
John Malone of Waterford, Virginia won the license in a drawing of 625 lottery tickets.
“The License of a Lifetime Lottery gives anyone, resident or nonresident, an opportunity to win a Vermont hunting and fishing license that is good for the rest of their life,” said Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Patrick Berry. “Even if you don’t win the license, it is a good feeling to know you have contributed to fish and wildlife conservation in Vermont.”
You can enter Vermont’s License of a Lifetime Lottery by purchasing a $2.00 ticket available where Vermont hunting and fishing licenses are sold and from the Fish & Wildlife Department. Contact Fish & Wildlife by calling 802-241-3700 or by emailing fwinformation@state.vt.us. For more information on hunting and fishing in Vermont, go to their website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com).
Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Virginia Man Wins Vermont’s Lifetime Hunting and Fishing License Lottery
Virginia’s Charles City Home to New Quail Forever Chapter
November 16, 2011
Charles City, Va. – Quail hunters and conservationists in eastern Virginia have formed the state’s newest Quail Forever chapter. The Colonial Quail Forever Chapter is committed to creating and improving habitat for bobwhite quail and other wildlife, and providing youth an opportunity to experience the outdoors.
Quail Forever is the quail conservation division of the national Pheasants Forever organization. Pheasants Forever launched Quail Forever in 2005 to address the continuing loss of habitat suitable for quail and the subsequent quail population decline. “If you have habitat, the rest will fall into place,” says Briscoe White, the Colonial chapter’s newly elected president. White, who is a Virginia native, a conservationist, and owner of The Grower’s Exchange, an online greenhouse, notes, “I have been a Pheasants Forever supporter for years, and after noticing the resurgence of quail in certain areas, we knew that the time was right to reinvest efforts in Virginia’s quail population and boost the numbers back to historical highs.”
Less than a month old, the chapter has set a persuasive goal of converting fringe utility grass and forest lands into suitable quail habitat. “There is a significant amount of land throughout Virginia that we would like to see rehabilitated for habitat use,” notes White, “Quail are near and dear to the hearts of Virginians, and we are looking forward to working with our community to once again build adequate quail numbers for years to come.”
“Although Virginia quail have seen tough times in the past, there is a feeling of optimism throughout the state’s hunting community,” says Charlie Payne, Quail Forever’s Regional Wildlife Biologist in Virginia, “Both private land owners and state organizations, like the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, are becoming driving forces in quail management and are making great strides in providing ample opportunity for quail to regain a foothold in the Virginia countryside.”
Colonial Quail Forever Chapter
- The Colonial chapter has also elected James A. Tyler Jr. of Charles City as Treasurer, David S. Hennaman III of Lanexa as Habitat Chair, and Philip Innes of Richmond as Youth/Education Chair.
- For more information about the Colonial chapter, including upcoming meetings and events, email Briscoe White. The chapter’s first meeting will be announced shortly on Virginia Quail Forever’s Facebook page.
For more information on “The Habitat Organization” in Virginia or how to start a Quail Forever chapter in your community, contact Charlie Payne, Quail Forever’s Regional Wildlife Biologist, at (614) 632-8393 / Email Charlie. For all other information, contact Rehan Nana, Public Relation Specialist for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, at (651) 209-4973 / Email Rehan.
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 130,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent, the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure.
Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Virginia’s Charles City Home to New Quail Forever Chapter
Prois Hunting & Field Apparel Partners with NRA Women’s Programs
June 29, 2011
FAIRFAX, VA- NRA’s Women’s Programs is excited to announce that Prois Hunting & Field Apparel has signed on to support the Women On Target® Hunting Programs and the Women’s Wilderness Escape. This partnership combines the best in hunting and shooting attire designed specifically for women with the best in women’s shooting and hunting programs.
“Working with the NRA is great, we believe in their programs and what they do for women,” said Kirstie Pike, CEO of Prois. “NRA acknowledges that there are a lot of women out there looking to get involved in the shooting and hunting arenas.”
Based in Gunnison, Colorado, Prois features a line of performance and athletic hunting and shooting apparel for women. Made in the USA, Prios uses the latest materials and technology to provide their customers with the best in fit, style and function. Since their launch in 2008, female hunters and shooters have consistently turned to Prios to outfit themselves while afield.
“Our fabrics and features are what set us apart,” Pike said, noting that the fabrics Prois uses are a step above what women typically expect in traditional hunting attire.
As part of the agreement, Prois will supply gear for Women On Target’s® Field Hunt Coordinators based on terrain, season, and species being hunted. They will also provide items for participants of the 2011 Women’s Wilderness Escape this fall.
“We’re thrilled to have Prois as the official sponsor for the Women On Target® Hunting Programs and to have them join our industry partners in supporting the Women’s Wilderness Escape events,” said Women On Target® Hunt Program Coordinator Ann Marie Foster. “The quality and flattering design of their apparel is top -notch.”
Foster added that ladies can now get to the Prois’ website directly from the Women On Target® Hunting Program and Women’s Wilderness Escape websites.
“We wanted to make it as convenient as possible for our ladies to browse over quality gear for their next Women On Target® hunting excursion or shooting adventure, and Prois has made it easy to do just that!” Foster said.
To learn more about Prois Hunting and Field Apparel, visit www.proishunting.com. For more information on NRA Women’s Programs, visit www.nrawomen.org or call 1 (800) 861-1166.
Contact:
Kerrin Brinkman
kbrinkman@nrahq.org or (703) 267-1595
Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Prois Hunting & Field Apparel Partners with NRA Women’s Programs
Buy a New FN Firearm and FN Will Buy Your Ammo
June 21, 2011
McLean, Virginia -FNH USA is kicking off the summer shooting season with a promotion that will put a smile on your face and plenty of free ammunition in your magazines! When you buy selected models of FN rifles, pistols and carbines between June 27 and August 31, 2011, FNH USA will reimburse you up to $150.00 for ammunition purchased at the same time from the same dealer.
It’s really that simple! Buy a new FN FNAR rifle, an FN SCAR™ 16S carbine or an FN FS2000 carbine and you’ll be reimbursed for up to a $100.00 in free ammo. Buy BOTH a new FN PS90 carbine AND a new FN Five-seveN® pistol and you’ll get up to $150.00 in free ammo. Today’s high price of ammo is no longer an excuse not to add that great FN firearm you’ve been wanting to add to your gun collection today.
Remember, this is a very limited time offer so don’t delay. Check out these great FN guns at your local FNH USA dealer today. Visit www.fnhusa.com/le/locate.asp to find an FNH USA retail dealer near you and www.fnhusa.com/ammodeal for full promotion information and rebate forms.
FNH USA is the sales and marketing arm of FN Herstal, S.A., Belgium. Its corporate mission is to expand its global leadership position in defense, law enforcement and commercial markets by delivering superior products and the finest in training and logistical support.
Contact:
Tes Salb 703.288.3500 X 125 or tess@fnhusa.com
Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Buy a New FN Firearm and FN Will Buy Your Ammo
NWTF Partners with Virginia Museum of Natural History for New Exhibit
June 1, 2011
The Virginia Museum of Natural History’s new “Living Off the Land” exhibit will show the many ways in which humans depend on nature. The exhibit will include information about Virginia’s wildlife, modern and ancient hunting and fishing methods, and the evolution of the rifle.
VMNH staff members, educators and scientists developed the exhibit in partnership with the NWTF. It will be open from June 4 until Jan. 14, 2012. NWTF members will receive discounts on VMNH museum admission and in the museum’s gift shop. NWTF merchandise will be available for purchase during the course of the exhibit.
The “Living Off the Land” exhibit will include several fascinating elements, such as a collection of trophy deer mounts, a large collection of firearms, information and displays highlighting fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities in Virginia. The NWTF, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Orvis and other individuals and organizations loaned items for the exhibit.
All NWTF members are invited to attend a reception to honor the opening of the exhibit from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on June 2. If you plan on attending the reception please RSVP to charlotte.harter@vmnh.virginia.gov by May 31.
Opening Reception
June 2, 2011
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Virginia Museum of Natural History
Great Hall
21 Starling Avenue
Martinsville, VA 24112
(276) 634-4141
information@vmnh.virginia.gov
NWTF chapters are also able to schedule a behind the scenes group tour. Contact Ryan Barber at (276) 634 4141 for more information.
The museum is also hosting a “Live Off The Land” Festival from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on June 4. Click here for more information on the festival.
Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - NWTF Partners with Virginia Museum of Natural History for New Exhibit
Virginia Files Firearms Freedom Act
December 31, 2009
Add one more state to the list of those filing a Firearms Freedom Act bill – HB69.
