Outdoors with Frischkorn

Indicted Wildlife Division officials now on unpaid administrative leave

2012-01-27T15:15:00.000-05:00

The three remaining Ohio Division of Wildlife officials who are under indictment in Brown County were today placed on unpaid administrative leave by the parent Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

These officials include the Wildlife Division’s Human Resource Manager Michele Ward-Tackett, its Law Enforcement Executive Administrator Jim Lehman, and District Five (southwest Ohio) Manager Todd Haines. Each was indicted on single counts of obstruction of justice and complicity to obstructing justice.

Not impacted by this action are now-retired former Wildlife Division chief David Graham and now retired Wildlife Division assistant chief Randy Miller. Each of these two are also under the same indictment.

The five defendants lost a legal round Monday before Ohio’s 12th District Court of Appeals. That court ruled in favor of Brown County prosecutor Jessica A. Little.

It was Little who argued that the five are not protected by the so-called “Garity Rule.” This legal fiat protects certain government employees from testifying on matters if they believe that by doing would jeopardize their jobs.

In their arguments before the appellate court judges the defendants’ attorneys said the rule applied to their clients, a position accepted by Brown County Common Pleas Court judge Scott Gusweiler but ultimately rejected by the higher court.

At that point the Natural Resources Department began a thorough review of the matter, promising a quick reply. This was done today, says Bethany McCorkle, the Natural Resources Department’s deputy chief of communications.

“There’s not much of a statement but the three have been placed on unpaid administrative leave as the legal system takes its course,” McCorkle said. “The three were placed on this administrative action because they are under indictment for felony charges before the Brown County Court system.”

While McCorkle said the Natural Resources Department does not intend to issue a further statement on the matter she did say that the unpaid administrative leave status of the three Wildlife Division officials will run for no more than two months.

After that period the Ohio Revised Code dictates that they be placed on paid administrative leave, McCorkle said also.

This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-herald.com
Twiter: @Fieldkorn

Updated 3: Power plant closing will impact local fishing, birding

2012-01-26T09:46:00.005-05:00

With Akron-based FirstEnergy's announcement that it will permanently shutter its Eastlake's coal-fired power plant, area anglers will face a reduced fisheries.

This point is particularly true during the winter months when the plant's discharge of warm water during the electricity-generating process keeps open a large swath of water.

The open water attracted not only bait fish and steelhead but also anglers. These fishermen would line up along the publicly owned breakwater located at the end of Erie Road in Eastlake.

During warmer months the anglers there will often case for white bass and yellow perch along with just about anything else that bites.

For birders the loss will hurt, too. The winter-time open water was a haven for waterfowl, American bald eagles, gulls and terns of all kinds as well as some rarely seen or uncommonly viewed bird species.

Besides the Eastlake coal-fired power plant FirstEnergy also intends to permanently close three others. They include the plants at Ashtabula, Cleveland and Bayshore in Toledo.

All of these plants operated on a limited, as-needed, basis but now will be close permanently sometime later this year.

FirstEnergy says it is less expensive to close them than it would be to retrofit them with the latest air pollution control systems. The Eastlake plant became operational in the 1950s.

The Cleveland Lakeshore plant - and to a lesser degree the one at Ashtabula - also often offered open-water fishing during the winter.

John Pogacnik, Lake Metroparks' biologist, said birders and anglers often stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the seawall, each doing their own thing.

"There's been a lot of really good records of birds being observed there," Pogacnik said. "It's been one of those places where everybody cam to watch for birds in the winter."

Rich Miecznikowski, owner of Erie Shore General Store, a local go-to bait store at the corner of Erie Road and Lakeshore Blvd. in Eastlake, said the seawall fishing location has always been popular with anglers.

“There’s a fair amount of people who do go there in the winter for the trout but not as many as those who fish for white bass in the summer,” Miecznikowski said.

“And what attracted the white bass was the current that was always there, but this is the first I’ve heard of it.”

Don Schonauer, area taxidermist and angler, said he sometimes fished the mouth of the Chagrin River when the lake and stream were both open during the winter.

“That will be a big loss since it’s been such a good staging area for steelhead before they ran up the river,” said Schonauer said.

Similarly the shut-down of the Cleveland plant will hurt the fishing, too.

“Well, there goes my winter minnow-collecting site,” said Paul Liikala, formerly of Perry Township and now of Cuyahoga Falls. “That’s not good news. Both were real nice places where guys could go to in the winter and get away from cabin fever by catching some steelhead.”

Liikala said that while he liked fishing the discharge waters from both the Eastlake and Cleveland power plants he is pleased that the Bayshore plant is closing. That is because this plant has a notorious reputation for sucking in and chewing up untold numbers of small walleye and other sport fish.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

3rd Update: Prosector wins appeal against so-called "Brown County Five" state wildlife officals.

2012-01-17T13:58:00.005-05:00

The Brown County prosecutor won an important legal victory today in a nearly two-year-old case involving five current and former top officials with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

In a ruling announced today by the five-member 12th District Court of Appeals the five felony-indicted officials are not protected by the so-called “Garity Rule.”

This legal fiat protects certain government employees from testifying on matters if they believe doing so would jeopardize their jobs.

The defendants’ attorneys said the rule applied to their clients, a position accepted by Brown County Common Pleas Court judge Scott Gusweiler.

However, Brown County prosecutor Jessica A. Little took issue with that ruling and appealed Gusweiler’s opinion before the state’s 12th District Court of Appeals.

Little won her plea and said she’s “very pleased with the decision.”

The next step will be to place this matter back on the Brown County Common Pleas Court, Little said also.

“I hope we can get this disposed of quickly; let’s get a trial on the merits and come to a resolution,” Little said. “I’m hoping for a pre-trial hearing and then a trial (but) only the judge and the clerk knows that, but I would like to see it resolved as expeditiously as possible since it’s been around for so long. These are fifth-degree felonies so they’re the lowest degree of felony.”

Attorney Michael Cassity is representing James Lehman, who is currently the Wildlife Division’s law enforcement administrator and one of the officials charged by Little.

“We’re disappointed in the decision (but) I’ll have to talk with my client and see what are our options,” Cassity said. “We could go to the Supreme Court or go to trial.”

Looming large is what are the implications of this ruling on the status of the three indicted officials who are still employed by the Wildlife Division: Lehman, Todd Haines, and Michelle Ward-Tackett.

Carlo LoParo, communications director for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said the agency is “currently gathering further information to see what the actual status of the case.”

“We’re reviewing the decision, and based on that review we’ll make a determination as to what administrative actions need to be taken, if any,” LoParo said.
Loparo did say there is no deadline as to when the information collecting process is complete.

“It shouldn’t be very long, maybe in the next few days,” he said.

This is the text of 12th District Court of Appeal’s release on the subject:

“The Twelfth District Court of Appeals has reversed the decision of the Brown County Court of Common Pleas, suppressing the statements of employees of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

“Chief of the Division of Wildlife David Graham, Ohio Wildlife Assistant Chief Randy Miller, Human Resource Manager Michele Ward-Tackett, Law Enforcement Executive Administrator Jim Lehman, and District Manager Todd Haines were indicted on single counts of obstruction of justice and complicity to obstructing justice. Each was an employee of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and was involved in an internal investigation into allegations that Wildlife Officer Allan Wright falsified a hunting license so that his out-of-state friend could obtain an Ohio hunting license.

“The matter was investigated by the Ohio Inspector General and each employee gave statements during an interview with the Inspector General that they believed Wright’s conduct was not criminal in nature and so they punished him according to administrative policies. The Ohio Inspector General wrote a report regarding Wright’s activities and the way the employees handled the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ internal investigation, and gave the report to the Brown County
Prosecutor. The Prosecutor then decided to press charges.

“The defendants filed motions to exclude evidence of their statements, arguing that they were coerced by the Inspector General into giving their statements, and that the coercion was based on their belief that they would be fired if they did not cooperate with the investigation. The trial court agreed and suppressed the defendants’ statements.

“The state of Ohio appealed to the Twelfth District and argued that the trial court improperly suppressed the statements because the defendants gave their statements voluntarily and without threat of termination.

“Writing for the majority opinion, Judge Robin N. Piper found that the trial court erred in suppressing the statements because the defendants gave their statements voluntarily. Presiding Judge Stephen W. Powell agreed with the majority opinion. Judge Rachel A. Hutzel concurred in part dissented in part.

“The decision of the Twelfth District Court of reversed the decision of the trial court to suppress the defendants’ statements and sent the case back to the trial court for further proceedings.”

This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.

The text of this release is available through the court at: http://www.twelfth.courts.state.oh.us/Press/20120117%5BBrown%5BCA2010-10-016%20CA2010-10-017%20CA2010-10-018%20CA2010-10-019%20CA2010-10-020%5BState%20v.%20Graham%5B.pdf.

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twiter: @Fieldkorn

UPDATED 2: Wildlife Division fish hatchery manager arrested, placed on unpaid administrative leave

2012-01-13T17:11:00.002-05:00

David A. Insley - the superintendent of the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s Castalia State cold-water Fish Hatchery near Sandusky - was placed on unpaid administrative leave Thursday, Jan. 12.

This action was taken based an arrest by the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Ohio Highway Patrol, said Carlo LoParo, communications director for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Insley had been the manager of the fish hatchery since April, 1988.

The Ohio Highway Patrol’s web site contains the following Jan. 11 release regarding the matter:

“The Ohio State Highway Patrol in conjunction with the Inspector General’s Office and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) executed an arrest warrant on David A. Insley, Superintendent of the Castalia State Fish Hatchery in Castalia, Ohio in Erie County. He was charged with theft in office and incarcerated at the Erie County Jail. The investigation began when Patrol was notified this past August by ODNR that they believed the suspect was misusing his state issued credit card.”

LoParo said the Natural Resources Department defers all comments to the Safety Department’s Ohio Highway Patrol.

Ohio Highway Patrol Lieutenant Clif Spinner said “it is our case but obviously it’s still a pending criminal case so at this point we cannot release any additional information.”

And Ohio Deputy Inspector General Carl Enslen said his agency’s policy is to refrain from speaking on any on-going investigation until its been completed.

“We certainly don’t deny the Ohio Highway Patrol’s statement,” Enslen said also.

Enslen said also in a follow-up email that once the investigation is completed and a report filed then the agency will try to answer any questions that might arise.

The Castalia facility is renowned as the state’s premier cold-water fish hatchery. It is currently undergoing extensive renovations in order to help better accommodate Ohio’s steelhead rearing and stocking program.

The hatchery also was where the Wildlife Division propagated a Northeast Ohio native strain of brook trout for restocking into several Lake and Geauga County streams.

This blog posting will be updated as further information becomes available.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twiter: @Fieldkorn

Yes, it's been quiet

2012-01-13T15:08:00.000-05:00

I know, there hasn't been a posting here for a while. It's been more quiet than I would have guessed but I have been trailing several leads that I hope will pan out soon.

No question, things are changing in Columbus and the matter in the Ohio Appeals Court regarding the so-called "Brown County Five" remains on the table - far longer than many experienced court followers had expected.

When something does break and I find out, believe me, I'll let you know.

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

State nails muzzle-loading season deer kill

2012-01-11T15:26:00.000-05:00

Ohio’s top deer management biologist correctly nailed the 2012 muzzle-loading season’s kill.Mike Tonkovich - the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s deer management administrator - said before the Jan. 7 to 12 season started that the state’s roughly 265,000 muzzle-loading hunters would kill about 20,000 animals.Tonkovich was off by only 749 white-tails. For the just-concluded four-day season hunters shot 19,251 deer. During the 2011 four-day muzzle-loading deer-hunting season hunters shot 16,934 deer.Of course, the weather Saturday through Tuesday was far and away more pleasant and conducive to what hunters encountered in 2011. Back then, very cold temperatures, high winds and frequent heavy snow showers combined to keep hunters huddled by firesides instead of taking a stand in the woods.This year hunters could strip themselves of their heaviest and warmest garments, climb a ladder stand or sit on an over-turned pickle bucket and enjoy firing their one-shot muzzle-loading rifles.What is left now is the remains of Ohio’s four-month-long archery deer-hunting season, which concludes Feb. 5. For this late season Tonkovich says hunters typically kill an additional 20,000 deer.The Top 10 counties reporting the highest number of deer checked during the muzzle-loading were: Coshocton - 722, Licking - 639, Muskingum - 638, Guernsey - 612, Tuscarawas - 581, Belmont - 577, Harrison - 569, Knox - 470, Meigs - 466, and Jefferson - 465.The following is a list of deer checked and tagged by hunters during the statewide muzzle-loading deer-hunting season. The number taken during the 2011 four-day season is showed in parentheses:Adams -336 (281); Allen –77 (59); Ashland – 294(247); Ashtabula –374 (279); Athens –457 (372); Auglaize –87 (44); Belmont –577 (516); Brown –273 (229); Butler –131 (93); Carroll –418 (428); Champaign –132 (95); Clark –75 (52); Clermont –239 (218); Clinton –76 (55); Columbiana –331 (350); Coshocton –722 (622); Crawford –103 (60); Cuyahoga –5 (4); Darke –62 (28); Defiance –140 (126); Delaware –140 (109); Erie –42 (31); Fairfield –216 (233); Fayette –26 (29); Franklin –46 (36); Fulton –58 (55); Gallia –333 (305); Geauga –154 (140); Greene –67 (60); Guernsey –612 (576); Hamilton –89 (79); Hancock –111 (70); Hardin –141(77); Harrison –569 (618); Henry –68 (40); Highland –278 (244); Hocking –384 (315) ; Holmes –388 (343); Huron –173 (155); Jackson –282 (272); Jefferson –465 (431); Knox –470 (446); Lake –41 (26); Lawrence –220 (230); Licking –639 (627); Logan –179 (132); Lorain –162 (153); Lucas –31 (26); Madison –50 (39); Mahoning –154 (114); Marion –65 (45); Medina –146 (107); Meigs –466 (461); Mercer –52 (19); Miami –61 (23); Monroe –422 (419); Montgomery –41 (30); Morgan –340 (354); Morrow –143 (104); Muskingum –638 (593); Noble –389 (353); Ottawa –37 (9); Paulding –122 (86); Perry –333 (298); Pickaway –71 (59); Pike –216 (159); Portage –176 (135); Preble –87 (64); Putnam –56 (19); Richland –290 (268); Ross –388 (323); Sandusky –72 (57); Scioto –276 (216); Seneca –142 (113); Shelby –95 (58); Stark –192 (156); Summit –52 (41); Trumbull –231 (246); Tuscarawas –581 (660); Union –92 (62); Van Wert –91 (39); Vinton –309 (231); Warren –139 (88); Washington – 462 (410); Wayne –139 (143); Williams –166 (134); Wood –40 (47); and Wyandot –136 (136). Total –19,251 (16,934).- Jeffrey L. FrischkornJFrischkorn@News-Herald.comTwitter: @Fieldkorn

Muzzle-loading season a pleasant fizzle

2012-01-11T09:33:00.000-05:00

With little wind to rustle the air and a cloudless sky to reinforce the warmth the deer-hunting blind was more than adequately comfortable.

So pleasant were the conditions that I managed to remove my gloves and thickly padded blaze orange hunting vest.

All pretty unusual stuff for what’s been a pretty unusual hunting year.

I mean, after all, there it was January 10, no snow on the ground to speak of, an air temperature in mid-40s and it was the last day of Ohio’s statewide muzzle-loading deer-hunting season.

Which was a far cry from the conditions I encountered during the same season one year ago. That was when bitterly cold temperatures and deep snows made deer hunting a miserable affair.

Not that Ohio’s primitive weapons season is a big deal. While the general firearms season may attract upwards of 400,000 participants the Ohio Division of Wildlife says the muzzle-loading season draws might attract about one-half that number. Maybe more, but I’m guessing much less.

The thing is, the season runs just four days. And either you start the season on a weekday or you watch it end on a weekday. In the case this year, that date fell on a Tuesday.

A Tuesday? Tuesday is kind of the step child of the work week, something of a stretch to the weekend and thus not very memorable.

But the season is what it is, and if a person is prepared to drop a few hundred bucks on a front-loading rifle and all of the associated truck that goes with owning such a deer slaying device then you have to make do with whatever the Ohio Division of Wildlife gives you.

Yes, a hunter can employ a muzzle-loader during the state’s general and bonus weekend firearms deer-hunting season. However, a lot of deer gun hunters shy away from using a single-shot muzzle-loader when they can stuff a slug shotgun with three rounds and then force feed it with additional ammunition as needed.

Muzzle-loaders are typically slow and deliberate to charge, and while some owners are pretty quick about it, most of use take our good old time.

Still, I rather enjoy the muzzle-loading hunt, even with all of the pre-work that goes into building plastic tube containers of pelletized powder and bullet, loading the assembly and then the clean up of the rifle’s guts whether I actually shoot it or not.

Which is one reason why my oldest brother, Terry, has walked away from muzzle-loading hunting and is trying to hock his rifle to the first customer he sees.

I’ll pay the price, and enjoy it just the same. Especially given the season’s unseasonably mild weather.

But I kept my expectations low; and I wasn’t disappointed.

A long morning and a short evening of hunting on opening day didn’t so much as yield even the sighting of a deer, though I was surprised at the intensity of the shooting I could hear that were being fired elsewhere. Meanwhile, the evening hunt didn’t even feature that, the two hours passing with grave silence.

The same went for Tuesday’s season closure, not that I was anticipating a rollicking good time of deer prancing across the pasture and to my game feeder. It didn’t go that way.

By the close of the season at 5:20 p.m. I packed it in and stashed the gear, mentally taking note of the pieces I’d need to keep in the gear bag.

Ohio’s archery season goes on a while longer, to Feb. 5, in fact. That will give me another three weeks of deer hunting.

I’ll enjoy it though in all honesty I’m looking forward to the fishing season. That’s why you’ll now find my chest waders and steelhead-fishing tackle anchored in my vehicle.

And it’s why I’ve been examining in detail the arrival of the “spring” fishing tackle catalogs from Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops.

The seasons come and go and I do my best to participate in as many of them as possible. Even those that enjoy only a four-day run.

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

Snow-less winter not good for living things

2012-01-06T12:49:00.000-05:00

While the following isn't entirely about outdoors issues impacting sportsmen it is worth noting since we all have a stake in how the weather impacts the world around us.

It comes from AccuWeather, the world's largest private weather-forecasting firm, and a totally reliable source of weather information.

State College, Pa. -- 6 January 2012 -- AccuWeather.com reports the snow drought across the U.S. so far this winter has raised questions about impacts on water supply, ski resorts and agriculture.

Only 22 percent of the nation was covered by snow on Jan. 4, 2012.

A snow depth analysis on Jan. 4 from 2004-2012 reveals the smallest area of the U.S. is covered by snow this year. The year 2007 ranks as the second smallest area of the U.S. with snow cover of about 27 percent.

The Intermountain West, especially the Sierra of California and the mountains of Nevada and Utah, shows a substantial snow drought this year when compared to normal and past years. The northern Plains and the upper Great Lakes are other areas that have little snow cover compared to past years.

Snow Drought in the West: Water Supply and Ski Impacts

According to the California Department of Water Resources, a snow survey on Jan. 3, 2012, suggests one of the lowest mountain snow packs on record for the date.

The statewide snow pack's water content was found to be 19 percent of the Jan. 3 average and only 7 percent of the average April 1 average. The snow pack is usually at its peak early in April before melting in the spring.

Mountain snow that melts in the spring and summer accounts for about 1/3 of the water for California's households, farms and industries reported the California DWR.

"Fortunately, we have most of winter ahead of us, and our reservoir storage is good," stated the DWR Director Mark Cowin in a recent press release.

AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Ken Clark, who specializes in forecasting the weather in the West, analyzed the snow depth this year in the West compared to normal.

While snowfall amounts have been well below normal this season across the Sierra to the mountains of Utah, snow amounts were above normal across this same area last winter.

"After last year's huge increases in the reservoirs, one year of drought may not bring massive changes in water allocations," explained Clark of the reservoir water storage.

"The weather pattern we have seen for over the last month really does not change noticeably over the next couple of weeks . . . I see no reason why there is much to be optimistic about seeing a major recovery in the snow deficit the rest of the winter."

"The big impact in the short term is on the ski industry," said Clark.

Snow Drought's Agricultural Implications

The lack of snow cover across portions of the Midwest might spell "big trouble" for winter wheat yield later this year.

"If there is an arctic cold outbreak with below-zero temperatures, that could cause big problems for winter wheat, which is planted in the fall and goes dormant in the winter. Subzero cold could cause stunted growth and reduce the production for this year's wheat crop," according to Expert Senior Agricultural Meteorologist Dale Mohler.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists believe that a change in the winter pattern is on the horizon, and more cold waves might penetrate the U.S.

Snow cover actually acts to insulate winter wheat from arctic cold snaps, keeping the soil temperature closer to freezing rather than subzero.

Mohler said the lack of storms and mild weather are the factors that have left winter wheat vulnerable.

Most of the other crops of the Midwest should not be damaged by the lack of snow cover. However, many crops in this region rely on moisture from melting snow during the spring. If there is a snow deficit in the winter followed by a dry spring, that would be bad news for other crops as well.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald,.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

Cool: New reptile species discovered

2012-01-05T09:07:00.000-05:00

Just goes to show you that even with a few billion people and Google Earth there are still wildlife discoveries to be made.

Glad to see we don't know it all.

In a remote Tanzanian forest lies a new species of horned viper discovered during 2010-2011 biodiversity surveys. Check out National Geographic’s gallery of the elusive predator:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/12/pictures/111230-snakes-horned-vipers-tanzania-secret-animals-science/?source=hp_dl1_news_viper20120103

The snakes are called Matilda’s horned vipers. Their exact location is being kept secret in order to protect them from pet collectors.

The snakes sport black and yellow zigzag markings and yellow, hornlike scales above their olive-colored eyes. Although little is known about the snakes’ biology, scientists do know that they share at least one quality with other vipers: They are venomous.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twiter: @Fieldkorn

New U.S. postage stamps to feature raptors

2011-12-28T16:12:00.001-05:00

The U.S. Postal Service salutes five kings of the sky with the Birds of Prey stamps: the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), and northern harrier (Circus cyaneus).

These powerful birds are depicted in colorful portraits and shown from the neck up.
The artwork appears against a plain, white background.

Customers may preview the stamps on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, through Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for the back story on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.

Illustrator Robert Giusti worked with art director Howard E. Paine on this issuance. Giusti painted the original designs in acrylic on canvas board.

The Birds of Prey stamps are being issued at the three-ounce rate. The stamps will be issued Jan. 20, 2012, in Washington, DC.

Visit this link to see the stamp images:
http://www.beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview/#stamp-birds-of-prey

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twiter: @Fieldkorn

Steelheaders Ball back on track to wipe away mid-winter blues

2011-12-27T11:30:00.000-05:00

Citizens for Lake Metroparks has revived a way to help anglers and others beat the mid-winter blahs.

After missing a year the somewhat “annual” Steelheaders Ball is back on the agenda. This year this popular event is scheduled for 6:30-10:30 p.m., Feb. 17 at Lake Metroparks’ Pine Ridge Country Club in Wickliffe.

Agreeing is Steve Madewell, Lake Metroparks’ executive director.

Profit from the fund-raiser will go toward helping the Citizens’ group fund levy efforts for the agency.

As always the fund-raising event will feature raffles, auctions, live music, an open bar, multiple food stations, and good company, says Vince Granito, long-time treasure for the Citizens group.

Both Granito and Madewell point out that the agency has done much to buy access to both the Grand and Chagrin rivers that has helped steelheaders find a place to cast a spawn sack or flick a fly at a trout.

The cost is $45 for individuals, $90 for couples, and $450 for groups. The deadline for ticket purchases is Feb. 8.

Also, the group is looking for raffle and auction items and other support.
For further information, call 440-954-4295, leave a message and your call will be returned.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

Kasich bails out Wildlife Division on deer season date mistake

2011-12-21T16:12:00.001-05:00

A calendar goof made by the Ohio Division of Wildlife required special action today by Gov. John Kasich.

Kasich was asked by the Wildlife Division to sign an executive order allowing the agency to set January 7 through 10 as the time frame for the statewide muzzle-loading deer-hunting season.

The governor quickly agreed, allowing the up-coming season to take place as initially called for by the agency.

And while those dates were picked many months ago - and even appear in the Wildlife Division’s hunting regulations guide that is given with each sold hunting license - they actually violate state policy.

Ohio’s Administrative Code says that muzzle-loading deer-hunting season is to enfold the second weekend in January, not the first weekend as is the case with this season.

Last year’s season was the second weekend, by the way.

“Rules change so much and periodically you have to look to ensure that they don’t complicate matters even further,” said Wildlife Division official Vicki Mountz. “It happens periodically and every now and then you see a boo-boo like this.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twiter: @Fieldkorn

UPDATED: State pleased with on-going reduced deer kill

2011-12-19T14:27:00.003-05:00

Ohio’s two-day “bonus” firearms deer hunting season missed the bull’s-eye as much as did the general seven-day gun season and also the first six weeks of the state’s archery season.

The two-day hunt that ran Saturday and Sunday saw a kill that dropped 19 percent from that of 2010.

On Saturday and Sunday, Ohio’s firearms deer hunters killed 16,766 animals. That compares to the 20,916 deer killed during the 2010 two-day season; a drop that is pleasing the state's deer managers.

“Well, the take is that we may have fewer deer - and that’s reason to celebrate because that’s what we’ve been trying to achieve that goal since 2007,” said Mike Tonkovich, the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s deer management administrator. “That was the entire intent of the antlerless-only permit.”

Some of the state’s most fabled deer-hunting counties experienced declines, some by substantial percentages. Ashtabula County recorded a two-day kill of 387 deer this year compared to the 579 animals for the 2010 two-day season. That is a significant 33 percent drop.

Other noteworthy examples: Guernsey County - off 28 percent with 446 deer shot compared to 620 animals in 2010; Harrison County - off 31 percent with 477 deer killed compared to 693 deer shot in 2010; Coshocton - off 36 percent with 593 deer killed on Saturday and Sunday but compared to the 931 animals taken during the 2010 two-day bonus season; Tuscarawas County - down 26 percent, reflected by a kill for this year’s two-day season of 541 deer compared to 740 deer shot during 2010’s two-day bonus hunt.

Tonkovich says also that now that the state’s deer herd continues to show declines some areas may need to see reductions in the liberal hunting regulations.

“If in fact this is an indication that the herd is being reduced then we’ll take a look at adjusting the seasons,” Tonkovich says. "In fact, I’ve all ready begun to start to look at this.”

Likely to be examined closely are Madison, Washington, Vinton, and Lawrence counties. Not on the list, however, are the big deer kill counties like Guernsey, Harrison and Coshocton.

“They aren’t on the list but there’s nothing to say they won’t be looked at,” Tonkovich says. “I don’t want to say that we’re going to see a major overhaul of the deer hunting regulations.”

Tonkovich says as well that the news is good for the deer herd since it has begun to degrade the habitat as well as started to produce bucks with small antler mass.

"We need to restore the balance," he said. "Folks need to understand that is where the rubber meets the road."

A close inspection will be made of the bow-hunter observation survey, which is actually intended more for recording fur-bearers but does double-duty with deer, Tonkovich says.

Nearly 4,000 archers participate and their results provide valuable information on regional trend data, Tonkovich says as well.

Locally, only Geauga County posted a gain: 160 deer this year for the two-day season and compared to the 133 animals shot in 2010 for a 20-percent gain.
Lake County was down 19 percent; 46 deer this year compared to 57 deer last year.

Cuyahoga County doesn’t chip in much. This year’s two-day season saw just two deer killed in Cuyahoga County compared to three deer last year.

In Trumbull County, a 26 percent drop was seen, from 329 animals shot during the 2010 two-day hunt to 242 deer for this year’s two-day bonus season.

Down as well was Lorain County - off 32 percent - with 173 animals shot this year and 255 deer shot last year; Erie County - off 62 percent with just 31 deer killed on Saturday and Sunday compared to the 82 deer shot during last year’s two-day season; Medina County - off 22 percent with 157 deer shot over this past weekend and compared to the 203 deer killed there last two-day season; Sandusky County - off 26 percent with 60 deer shot this year and 82 deer taken last year.

The two-day hunt decline follows on the heels of the general seven-day firearms season drop of 14 percent: 90,282 animals this year and 105,034 deer for the 2010 seven-day gun season.

Likewise, the general season and the two-day bonus season declines are further enhanced by the drop in the deer kill encountered during the first six weeks of Ohio’s archery deer-hunting season. That statistic was represented by the 45,836 animals taken during the first six-week period this year compared to the 51,543 deer taken during 2010’s first six weeks of the archery season.

Only Ohio’s two-day early youth-only hunt has thus far posted a gain. This two-season saw youths shoot 8,681 deer compared to the 8,445 deer taken during
2010’s two-day youth-only hunt.

Here are the county-by-county harvests for Ohio’s two-day bonus hunt with their respective 2010 figures in parentheses:

Adams - 323 (302); Allen – 122 (104); Ashland – 252 (367); Ashtabula – 387 (579); Athens – 332 (352); Auglaize – 82 (57); Belmont – 416 (529); Brown – 261 (319); Butler – 102 (96); Carroll – 442 (585); Champaign – 128 (147); Clark – 76 (77); Clermont – 226 (300); Clinton – 84 (110); Columbiana – 324 (429); Coshocton – 593 (931); Crawford – 91 (99); Cuyahoga – 2 (3); Darke – 71 (81); Defiance – 174 (182); Delaware – 143 (162); Erie – 31 (82); Fairfield – 180 (318); Fayette – 23 (29); Franklin – 47 (55); Fulton – 85 (98); Gallia – 233 (304); Geauga - 160 (133); Greene – 74 (73); Guernsey – 446 (620); Hamilton – 91 (85); Hancock – 147 (102); Hardin – 103 (116); Harrison – 477 (693); Henry – 95(70); Highland – 267 (300); Hocking – 281 (332); Holmes – 303 (466); Huron – 198 (256); Jackson – 215 (208); Jefferson – 369 (427); Knox – 373 (543); Lake – 46 (57); Lawrence – 205 (235); Licking – 483 (615); Logan – 200 (188); Lorain – 173 (255); Lucas – 30 (36); Madison – 50 (62); Mahoning – 181 (176); Marion – 80 (107); Medina – 157 (203); Meigs – 269 (358); Mercer – 57 (51); Miami – 70 (59); Monroe – 281 (367); Montgomery – 18 (23); Morgan – 242 (317); Morrow – 130 (201); Muskingum – 499 (596); Noble – 272 (430); Ottawa – 33 (51); Paulding – 124 (140); Perry – 228 (372); Pickaway – 93 (105); Pike – 161 (179); Portage – 167 (162); Preble – 72 (88); Putnam – 77 (66); Richland – 290 (403); Ross – 265 (344); Sandusky – 60 (82); Scioto – 224 (256); Seneca – 159 (200); Shelby – 97 (97); Stark – 175 (212); Summit – 44 (40); Trumbull – 242 (329); Tuscarawas – 541 (740); Union – 73 (86); Van Wert – 86 (85); Vinton – 231 (219); Warren – 110 (137); Washington – 330 (439); Wayne – 184 (204); Williams – 197 (184); Wood – 76 (71); Wyandot – 160 (163); Total – 16,766 (20,916).

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

Keeping it short for Christmas wish list

2011-12-19T08:11:00.000-05:00

When a sportsman turns the corner on 60 the person begins to take a serious inventory of the accumulated goodies in his life.

And it’s not uncommon to discover that your collection includes a lot of items that you originally thought were must-haves but now upon further reflection seem more of an unnecessary luxury than a necessity.

Still, I can’t help but ask for things either impractical economically or really not needed.

A request for a four-wheel-drive ATV heads the like-to-have-but-totally-impractical column. I hope to retire in five years and I don’t want another monthly installment loan payment.

Likewise I would dearly love to have one of the new Turkish-made Stoeger Arms semi-automatic shotguns. But we’re talking about $450 here and thus that also is a good fit for impractical column.

Yet I accumulated several items this past year that had I not already owned them would still have made good Christmas gifts.

Among them are rechargeable battery-powered electric socks and gloves made under the Gerbing’s Core Heat Transfer System banner.

Used extensively last winter and just now being employed as the weather cools, both the gloves and - especially - the socks are godsends.

They really do work. Gerbing’s gloves and socks have become “must” items whenever I take to my ground blind for a late season archery deer hunt or a chilly morning of ice fishing.

They are truly remarkable instruments. See http://coreheat.net/How%20it%20Works.html.

Fellow News-Herald reporter John Kampf put me on to the next item. He swears by the Rage series of mechanical broadheads for archery deer hunting. These tools, John says, drive a wicked entry wound as well as a massive exit wound.

So convincing was John’s arguments that I went out and bought the 100-grain, three-blade model. Sure enough, John was correct about how humanely these broadheads are in delivering a fatal blow to a deer.

I used one to take an adult doe deer the Monday before Thanksgiving. Rage’s product was coupled with a new style of arrow by Horton Archery that features a shorter and wider vane than previous models as well as an illuminated nock. It was cool to see the arrow’s flight but the effectiveness of the Rage broadhead was even more impressive. http://www.ragebroadheads.com/

Thirdly, I picked up both a Thermacell “appliance” and a Thermacell Lantern.

Each tool is designed to repel nasty, biting insects. Powered by replaceable butane cartridges, both the appliance and the lantern employ a replaceable so-called “mat” that is saturated with a repellent called “allethrin,” which the company says is a copy of a repellent that naturally occurs in chrysanthemum flowers.

It repels up to 98 percent of mosquitoes, black flies, and no-see-ums within a 225-square foot area. The repellent will not harm humans or pets, Thermacell says also.

And yes, the devices work - and work amazingly well. The appliance, for example, was extensively used during the early part of the archery deer-hunting season.

Since I hunt from a ground blind I brought in the appliance and watched as mosquitoes literally flew out of the blind.

As for the lantern that can be used for when want to enjoy a quiet evening in your back yard. Say good-by to all of those irksome disease-carrying Mentor Marsh mosquitoes.

These devices are inexpensive but they are worth millions if you want to avoid slapping mosquitoes for a living.

See http://www.thermacell.com/.

Now I know three products don’t make for much of a wish list but like I said, I’ve reached a point in life when I’m starting to forget all of the things I thought I needed only to see them collect dust. None of these three suggestions fit that category.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

UPDATED: Wildlife Division's new employee resident hunt/fish license policy

2011-12-15T10:20:00.003-05:00

The Ohio Division of Wildlife has now put in stone what has been implied regarding state wildlife officers assisting non-residents to acquire resident hunting and fishing licenses.

Policy Number 51 - called the “License Purchase Policy” - spells out “guidelines” that Wildlife Division employees are to use in order “to assist in the purchasing of licenses or permits.”

These guidelines come in the form of four prohibitions and as approved Dec. 12 by newly installed Wildlife Division chief, Scott Zody.

“It just reinforces what we’ve said in the past,” said Laura Jones, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife has now put in stone what has been implied regarding state wildlife officers assisting non-residents to acquire resident hunting and fishing licenses.

Policy Number 51 - called the “License Purchase Policy” - spells out “guidelines” that Wildlife Division employees are to use in order “to assist in the purchasing of licenses or permits.”

These guidelines come in the form of four prohibitions and as approved Dec. 12 by newly installed Wildlife Division chief, Scott Zody.

“It just reinforces what we’ve said in the past,” said Laura Jones, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Agreeing is David Lane, a Wildlife Division assistant chief.

“There never was a policy in place specifically within the Wildlife Division but there had been some verbal communications and memos sent out,” Lane said. “That was one of the things in the (Ohio Inspector General’s) report that we should do so we did it. Common sense can go a long ways but if needs to be written out, so be it.”

The prohibitions are:

* Employees are not to advise or assist in the purchase (of) a license contrary to or in violation of the law.

* If an employee is aware of a person acquiring a license in violation of the law, the information is to be documented on a violation report and this report shall be given to the district law enforcement supervisor.

* Non-residents may not use an employee’s address to obtain a license nor may they use the address of any ODNR facility or office.

* Division of Wildlife employees may not purchase a license at a reduced price in other states unless a formal written agreement allowing reciprocal purchases of licenses between Ohio and the other state exists, or the law of the other state clearly allows such a purchase.

This enhanced policy position takes effect January 1, the document reads. It also notes that Ohio law requires that resident license of any kind can only be bought by a resident of the state.

Prompting the new policy directive were a number in incidents in which an out-of-state wildlife officer was assisted by an Ohio Division of Wildlife officer in obtaining a resident fishing or hunting license.

Which in turn has spiraled into a legal case that has unsnarled a number of current and retired Wildlife Division officials.

The prohibitions are:

* Employees are not to advise or assist in the purchase (of) a license contrary to or in violation of the law.

* If an employee is aware of a person acquiring a license in violation of the law, the information is to be documented on a violation report and this report shall be given to the district law enforcement supervisor.

* Non-residents may not use an employee’s address to obtain a license nor may they use the address of any ODNR facility or office.

* Division of Wildlife employees may not purchase a license at a reduced price in other states unless a formal written agreement allowing reciprocal purchases of licenses between Ohio and the other state exists, or the law of the other state clearly allows such a purchase.

This enhanced policy position takes effect January 1, the document reads. It also notes that Ohio law requires that resident license of any kind can only be bought by a resident of the state.

Prompting the new policy directive were a number in incidents in which an out-of-state wildlife officer was assisted by an Ohio Division of Wildlife officer in obtaining a resident fishing or hunting license.

Which in turn has spiraled into a legal case that has ensnared a number of current and retired Wildlife Division officials.

It is expected this story will be updated, likely to include quotes.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

Christmas Bird Count begins this weekend

2011-12-13T09:05:00.000-05:00

Come Saturday Mary Huey of Willoughby will marshal a covey of like-minded birders for an annual bird-tallying event that stretches back more than a century.

The Burrough’s Nature Club participants will be engaged in the National Audubon Society’s 111th annual Christmas Bird Count. They have set aside for themselves a swath of western Lake County.

Meanwhile, other groups - such as the Blackbrook Audubon Society - will view and record bird sightings at different locations in Lake County and also on Sunday.

The entire program is sponsored by the National Audubon Society and is held nationwide from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5 each year.

Every participant is assigned a certain territory and designated to locate places to key in on as well as record findings and sightings.
Huey’s job is to coordinate activities with the group assembling at Lake Metroparks’ Gully Brook Park on the Willoughby-Willoughby Hills line.

“This is the first year we’ve surveyed that area in some time so I’m not sure what we’ll find,” said Huey, who has participated in the count since the early 1960s.

Previous outings have spied many common wintering birds such as tufted titmice, cardinals and bluejays.

“We hope to see some owls and kingfishers, and we would really like to have an eagle fly over us,” Huey said.

Huey says the groups tend to average small in size; numbering maybe a dozen or so participants.

“After about an hour we break off into smaller groups of two or three people,” Huey said. “If you do see something unusual it’s good to have someone else around to verify the sighting.”

Some of Huey’s more noteworthy sightings included identifying a cowbird - normally long gone by winter - as well as a mockingbird, which likewise had no business hanging around Northeast Ohio during the Christmas season.

“And I remember once seeing some snow buntings around the old Willoughby landfill,” Huey said. “That was pretty exciting. And we’re still seeing some migration, especially with ducks and geese.”

Among the count’s frequent participants and excellent birders is John Pogacnik, John, Lake Metroparks’ biologist.

“I do but not around here,” Pogacnik said. “I participate in the Lake Erie Island area count, which I organized about 25 years ago.”

Pogacnik said that because of the warming influence of Lake Erie the weather tends to be more mild and thus often allows seeing species less commonly encountered in Northeast Ohio such as the hermit thrush as well as bald eagles.
“You get some really neat stuff, which is one of the reason I put it together,” Pogacnik said.

High on Pogachik’s count list are buffleheads, a type of diving duck. Where once a count of around 100 birds was tallied now the total is up to 2,000 or more birds, he said.

“I think that’s because of the proliferation of the zebra mussel which the bufflehead like to eat,” Pogacnik said,

However, one bird species Pogacnik said he rarely sees around the islands is the common tufted titmouse, which doesn’t like to cross large expenses of open water.

“And we very seldom see pigeons anymore, either,” Pogacnik said. “Whether they like
the big city habitat or what I just don’t know.”

Asked to note the difference between the Christmas bird count and February’s Great Backyard Bird Count, Huey said the former has a much richer history and is more technical in its execution.

“The Christmas count has been going on a lot longer and also does more field counting of birds and less bird feeder counting; which we do too but not as much,”

Huey said who noted that by noon most every counter is tuckered out and ready to gather to mull over the findings.

“We usually have the tally done by then so we can stop and eat lunch somewhere in downtown Willoughby,” Huey said.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter:@Fieldkorn

State blames sea lampreys for steelhead losses

2011-12-12T10:58:00.000-05:00

While Northeast Ohio steelhead anglers are grumbling about a seemingly lack of trout the Ohio Division of Wildlife maintains that the stocking rate remains at goal levels.

However, once the stocked fish are released and enter Lake Erie they are facing a life-threatening gauntlet by the flesh-eating, invasive sea lamprey.

In terms of stocking trout, though, only this past spring was the Wildlife Division unable to reach its targeted goal of 400,000 fish. These fish are released into the Huron, Rocky, Chagrin and Grand rivers along with Conneaut Creek.

“So the only thing that anglers might not be see are more ‘skippers,’” said Kevin
Kayle, manager of the Wildlife Division’s Fairport Harbor Fisheries Research Station and also the agency’s steelhead program administrator.

In fact, Kayle says, the agency stocked 433,000 trout in 2010, 458,000 steelhead in 2009, and 465,000 fish in 2008.

Of chief concern for trout mortality, says Kayle, is the high population of adult sea lampreys that call Lake Erie home.

This invasive fish species prefers such soft-rayed fish as trout. A lamprey has a round mouth with a series of curved teeth that are used to attach the pest to the side of a fish. The lamprey then feasts on its host’s flesh.

“We have been seeing a higher incidence of lamprey-wounding rates on both our steelhead and also lake trout,” “Before anyone goes and starts trashing our Little Manistee-strain of steelhead this is really a regional issue, too Our counterparts in Pennsylvania and New York are seeing the same thing.”

Asked if there are any answers or solutions to the problem, Kayle said that intensive sea lamprey control is a must.

“We just can’t let up and continue to be diligent,” Kayle said.
In this regards Kayle said he’s unsure about possible 2012 treatments since that work is performed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“And we’ll be meeting with them later this winter,” he said.

Kayle said also that Canadian commercial fishermen can’t sell what steelhead they do catch and thus have to go out of their way to avoid this species.
Other contributors to the generally lack of stellar steelhead fishing this year has been - and continues to be - the weather.

“Certainly this year’s poor weather conditions factored into the equation,” Kayle said. “It was just miserable last spring.”

The massive appearance of green algae blooms in Lake Erie may “have some influence on distribution of the steelhead” but likely did not contribute to any die-off of fish,” Kayle says.

“We’re continuing to monitor where it pops up in the summer but right now we don’t believe that it has any impact on steelhead morality,” he said.
Kayle did say that the agency’s creel clerks have been seeing a “lot of big fish; steelhead in the 12- to 15-pound class.”

“These fish have probably been swimming around Lake Erie for the past three or four years,” Kayle said.

As for the future of the state’s steelhead stocking and management program, the $5 million to $7 million improvements at the Wildlife Division’s Castalia coldwater hatchery are nearly complete, Kayle says also

“These improvements will allow us to have better quality control over the steelhead that we do raise and will also allow us to raise all of our steelhead eggs instead of relying on Michigan where we once got both eggs and advanced fry,” Kayle said.

“They were of variable size and that complicated matters.”

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

Wildlife Division kept busy with citations during gun deer week

2011-12-08T08:15:00.001-05:00

With the Ohio’s seven-day general firearms deer-hunting season under its belt the state’s wildlife officers can reflect on how participants behaved themselves.

Or misbehaved as once again commissioned officers with the Ohio Division of Wildlife spent some of their time issuing citations.

Not that these law enforcement agents had a quota to meet. It’s just that sometimes people do bad things that warrant a ticket, says Jim Lehman, the agency’s law enforcement administrator.

And even though the first few days of this year’s gun season was wet, windy and miserable the number of citations issued was on par with previous seasons, Lehman said.

In all, the state’s commissioned wildlife officers performed 7,951 contacts and made 909 arrests, up only two percent, Lehman said.

Count trespassing without written permission as the top ticket item with the state’s wildlife officers issuing 133 citations.

“It is a high priority for us, given the amount of private property in the state,” Lehman said.

Other frequently encountered violations included unplugged guns (Number Two at 131 citations), and failure to properly tag a deer (Number Three with 122 citations), no deer permit (Number Four with 102 citations) and not wearing blaze orange (Number Five with 62 citations).

The failure to wear an orange garment is typically written when another violation occurs as the hunter is often trying to avoid detection, Lehman said.

“Obviously someone who is hunting with a rifle or else hunting without a deer tag likely won’t be wearing hunter orange,” Lehman said.

Yet concerns about using the new deer check-in system would result in unintended violations did not crop up as much as Wildlife Division officials first thought, Lehman said.

Calls to the Wildlife Division inquiring about the new check-in process and other matters were up 44 percent, Lehman said.

“Many people called to inquire if they were filling out the tags properly, and that was encouraging,” Lehman said.

Lehman said also that it appears the bulk of successful hunter employed the telephone to check in their animals, though Lehman believes using the Internet is even easier.

As for hunters not properly caring for their paper document while dragging out a deer, that issue will be looked at during the officers’ debriefing procedure, Lehman says.

Lehman did say that many hunters employed some rather unique tools to weather-proof their filled-in deer tags. This effort included using a zipper-style of plastic holder given away by wildlife officers that featured a clear side and an orange side along with a hole for attaching with a string or plastic cable tie.

Importantly, Lehman says, it is not the object of the wildlife officers to see who can write the most tickets. If an agent determines that nothing is deliberate and the hunter makes a good faith effort he more often than not is given a pass, Lehman says.

Carelessness or intentionally trying to evade the law is a different matter all together, Lehman says also.

“That’s what is nice with this system; it allows you to have (the information) right at the officer’s fingertips and can be dealt with right in the field or shortly thereafter,” Lehman said. “We don’t want to issue citations when they’re not necessary but this new system is a great tool.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

Wildlife Division: Farmers Not Interested In Hosting Deer Hunters

2011-12-07T08:10:00.000-05:00

Well, so much for THAT idea.

The notion that Ohio's farmers would welcome hunters with open arms in order to help control the state's deer herd has crashed and burned.

Ohio's Division of Wildlife is reporting that the HuntOhioFarms.com Web site will be discontinued due to lower than anticipated participation from Ohio’s farming community.

In its press release the Wildlife Division says:

"The HuntOhioFarms.com Web site was launched in August 2009 in order to educate Ohioans on crop damage by deer, while at the same time increasing awareness of hunting opportunities. This was a joint effort between the Ohio Farm Bureau (OFB) and the ODNR Division of Wildlife.

"After the first year, more than 9,000 hunters had enrolled with 83 landowners signing on in the four-county test area. The OFB and the Division of Wildlife agreed to expand the program to 38 counties across southeast Ohio in 2010. Despite direct mailings by the Division of Wildlife and marketing efforts by the OFB, an insufficient number of landowners signed up for the program. At the end of year two, an additional 5,000 hunters had enrolled with only 40 additional farms.

"Access to private lands for hunting is integral to managing local deer populations and minimizing agricultural damage. The Division of Wildlife will continue to work with the OFB, as in the past, to find practical solutions to deer crop damage using deer hunting and other means as needed."

Obviously it is past time for Ohio's farmers and their powerful lobbying groups to stop whining about the state's large deer herd. They had an opportunity to contribute to a meaningful control method and chose not to do so.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: Fieldkorn.

UPDATED Ohio's firearms deer hunters see 14 percent kill decline

2011-12-05T11:25:00.001-05:00

Even with the best of hunting weather on Saturday, Ohio’s 420,000 deer chasers couldn’t make up for all of the ground lost during the gun season’s first four weather-miserable days.

However, the deficit shrank from 39 percent on Opening Day, Nov. 28, to 17 percent on Friday, Dec. 2, to “only” 14 percent when the seven-day season concluded on Sunday.

In all, the state’s deer herd was trimmed by 90,282 animals. For the 2010, seven-day firearms deer-hunting season, sportsmen killed 105,034 deer.

Hunters “clearly took advantage of the weather” as the week progressed, though the total deer killed numbers don’t reflect significant gains when compared to Saturday, 2010, said Mike Tonkovich, the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s deer management administrator.

On Saturday, Ohio’s deer hunters checked in 16,677 animals compared 16,463 deer taken on the gun season’s lone Saturday in 2010.

“While other factors may have been at work, it is clear that extreme weather – good or bad – on key harvest days can have a significant impact on the bottom line,” Tonkovich said. “I do have to say - on speculation only - that more hunters were out on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday than usual; likely people who were hunting locally and not traveling to a deer camp. With tags in their pocket, guys are going to find a way to fill them.”

Hunters still have a weekend of firearms deer hunting season left; Dec. 17 and 18. Weather-determining this hunt could yield a kill of around 20,000 animals.

However, Tonkovich says that before eliminating this season the state would trim bag limits or place further antlerless permit restrictions.

“Based on way the season has gone so far I don’t see making this recommendation,” Tonkovich says.

The statewide muzzle-loader deer-hunting season will be held January 7 through 10, 2012. Participants in this season also typically shoot about 20,000 deer.

Meanwhile, the state’s archery hunters have until Feb. 5, 2012 to fill their remaining deer tags. For the late season archery hunters can be called on to kill an additional 20,000 deer as well.

“The big picture has to be the major goal and we won’t know that until all of the dust settles at the end of the hunting year,” Tonkovich said.

As far as implement type used during this year’s firearms deer-hunting season, the breakdown was: 75,896 deer taken with shotguns, 405 with crossbows, 213 with longbows, 12,150 with muzzle-loaders, 1,050 with handguns, and remainder were killed by unknown implement type, Tonkovich said as well.

Also, says Matt Ortman, the Wildlife Division administrator in charge of the state’s hunter education program, reports that the seven-day season saw only six non-fatal hunting accidents, officially called “incidents.” Last year that figure was eight.
O
hio’s last fatal firearms deer-hunting incident was in 2009, Ortman said also.
Here is the county-by-county 2011 seven-day firearms deer-hunting season kill with their respective 2010 figures in parenthesis:

Adams – 1,727 (1,639); Allen – 293 (440); Ashland – 1,096 (1,350); Ashtabula – 1,777 (2,400); Athens – 2,059 (2,147); Auglaize – 192 (245); Belmont – 2,431 (2,736); Brown – 1,229 (1,423); Butler – 345 (401); Carroll – 2,252 (2,952); Champaign – 554 (613); Clark – 276 (295); Clermont – 980 (1,215); Clinton – 373 (391); Columbiana – 1,738 (2,391); Coshocton – 3,690 (4,288); Crawford – 441 (568); Cuyahoga – 37 (38); Darke – 223 (265); Defiance – 725 (910); Delaware – 594 (696); Erie – 137 (157); Fairfield – 1,152 (1,258); Fayette – 104 (114); Franklin – 170 (142); Fulton – 302 (438); Gallia – 1,844 (1,899); Geauga – 623 (738); Greene – 287 (293); Guernsey – 2,982 (3,309); Hamilton – 298 (306); Hancock – 402 (576); Hardin – 354(567); Harrison – 2,772 (3,547); Henry –279 (505); Highland – 1,432 (1,527); Hocking – 2,184 (2,138); Holmes – 2,013 (2,529); Huron – 925 (1,007); Jackson – 1,515 (1,742); Jefferson – 2,044 (2,564); Knox – 2,480 (3,141); Lake – 185 (178); Lawrence – 1,574 (1,449); Licking – 2,678 (3,003); Logan – 760 (845); Lorain – 739 (863); Lucas – 129 (164); Madison – 167 (185); Mahoning – 563 (672); Marion – 320 (428); Medina – 556 (633); Meigs – 1,974 (1,941); Mercer – 203 (248); Miami – 194 (212); Monroe – 1,960 (2,180); Montgomery – 144 (117); Morgan – 1,804 (1,962); Morrow – 851 (1,007); Muskingum – 3,223 (3,683); Noble – 2,028 (2,229); Ottawa – 81 (88); Paulding – 416 (610); Perry – 1,832 (2,126); Pickaway – 466 (570); Pike – 1,077 (1,102); Portage – 644 (740); Preble – 267 (253); Putnam – 238 (364); Richland – 1,714 (2,169); Ross – 1,723 (1,792); Sandusky – 195 (214); Scioto – 1,224 (1,250); Seneca – 603 (849); Shelby – 305(376); Stark – 661 (744); Summit – 151 (198); Trumbull – 1,060 (1,305); Tuscarawas – 3,180 (4,038), Union – 354 (391); Van Wert – 194 (358); Vinton – 1,577 (1,579); Warren – 412 (451); Washington – 2,225 (2,555); Wayne – 644 (869); Williams –787 (1,001); Wood – 208 (305); Wyandot – 661 (838); Total – 90,282 (105,034).

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twiter: @Fieldkorn

Wildlife Division Fiscal Status In Fine Shape

2011-12-05T09:58:00.000-05:00

While fisheries management carves out a large slice of the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s fiscal pie the state’s hunters still contribute more apples.

For Fiscal Year 2011 - which ran July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011 - the Wildlife Division receipts from fishing license sales totaled $14.04 million while sales of general hunting licenses was worth $10.88 million.

However, in many instances hunters are required to purchase a special permit of one form or another in order to pursue select game. That is unlike fishing where anglers need only to buy a single license in order to catch everything from bullheads to walleye.

Besides the sales of general hunting licenses the Wildlife Division collected another $10.51 million from the sale of the state’s various deer tags, $2.47 million from the sale of both spring and fall turkey tags, and $341,186 for revenue from sales of the state waterfowl hunting stamp, which is required of both adult duck and goose hunters.

Along with all of these revenue sources was an important $12.23 million from the federal government’s aid to restoration projects program. This kitty supplies dollars for both fish and game management projects.

The state is reimbursed money from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for performing this work, the income derived from special excise taxes on various kinds of shooting, hunting, archery and fishing gear.

Another $2.21 million was collected from that portion of the state motor fuel tax as it relates to boating/fishing activity, $933,136 from sales of the voluntary wildlife diversity and endangered species fund program, and $3.3 million from other sources.

Money collected from fish and wildlife fines amounted to only one percent of the agency’s revenue stream; or $374,186.

On the expenditure side the agency spent $11.81 million for wildlife management projects, $11,046,659 for fisheries management work, $9.79 million for operating the Wildlife Division’s five district offices, $7.6 million in capital expenses, $7.3 million for wildlife officer pay and benefits, $6.2 million for law enforcement, $1.1 million for administration, and $4.1 for information and education.

Pull everything together and for fiscal 2011 and the Wildlife Division collected $56.3 million in revenue but spent $59.02 million in expenditures.

And while it looks like the Wildlife Division is operating with a deficit it really isn’t, says the agency’s fiscal administrator, Susan Howard.

“This all has something to do with how we get our federal reimbursement,” Howard said. “In Fiscal 2012 we’ll actually get $3.2 million that we thought we were going to get in Fiscal 2011.”

By far the greatest expense for the Wildlife Division goes for employee wages, salaries and benefits. These items account for between 55 and 60 percent of the Wildlife Division’s annual expenditures and are spread throughout the entire budgeting mechanism, Howard said.

Asked if such money movement complicates book keeping, Howard said “not really,” though she would like to see the application of just one annual accounting system.

Presently the Wildlife Division is forced to work with three different “calendars:” the state’s fiscal year, the actual calendar year as well as the license sales year, each of which start and end at different times.

“That would help,” Howard said.

But the agency’s accounting and management profile is such that the on-going process allows for mid-course corrections to accommodate both cash flow as well as expenses, Howard explained.

“That’s the way we’ve been doing things, at least ever since I’ve been here,” Howard said.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

Instant Steelhead Backdoor Access - And A Bargain To Boot!

2011-11-30T15:52:00.000-05:00

If you’re a steelhead angler and are on the hunt for that perfect personal fishing hole where you can step out your back door and start casting then a small slice of heaven awaits you in Gates Mills.

The Howard Hanna real estate firm has put on the block a 3,016 square foot, five bedroom home that sits on 5.6 acres of green space bordering the steelhead trout-rich upper Chagrin River.

So removed is this home - which has hardwood floors and wormy chestnut woodwork - that its only access is by a single footbridge spanning the stream.

Yep, you can’t even drive up to the place, though the real estate firm’s bio of the property says that either a beefier car bridge can be built or else an access drive constructed from a nearby public street.

The Colonial-style home - built in 1923 - comes complete with an office, various white goods appliances, propane heat, vinyl siding, porch, basement, 14 rooms, two fireplaces and 2 1/2 bathrooms.

Currently the asking price is $399,000. Property taxes are valued at $4,608 annually and any kids (when they’re not out guiding lodged clients) would attend the nearby Mayfield School District.

For further information paste this web site and watch a video tour of the home and property and pick up some additional information: http://www.howardhanna.com/property/property.asp?PRM_MlsNumber=3259997&PRM_MlsName=NorthernOH

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

UPDATED: Rains wash away Opening Day deer hunter success

2011-11-29T14:00:00.001-05:00

Drowned out by torrential rains that thoroughly drained much enthusiasm for the chase, Ohio’s approximately 420,000 white-tail hunters experienced a 39-percent decline in Monday’s opening day deer kill.

On Monday Ohio’s blaze orange army shot 23,600 white-tailed deer. Last year the open day figure was 39,071 animals.

Virtually every one of Ohio’s 88 counties posted a decline in the respective opening day deer kills. Thus the opening day preliminary figures show a decrease of 39 percent from last year’s opening day total kill.

Blame the weather, says the state’s deer biologists.

“Last year’s opening day harvest was exceptionally high. Even with ideal weather conditions, I’m sure this year’s harvest would have fallen short of the 2010 season simply because last year was an atypical season,” said Mike Tonkovich, the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s deer management administrator.

Tonkovich noted that the weather conditions on opening day in 2007 were so poor that the harvest was down an unprecedented 51 percent.

Count Don Schonauer of Chardon Township was being one of the successful opening day hunters. The owner of the popular Painesville-based taxidermy shop killed an eight-point that weighed about 225 pounds. He shot the deer at about 8:35 a.m. while hunting in Lake County.

“I went back out today (Tuesday) and I didn’t have one dry piece of clothes on me when I left the woods for lunch,” Schonauer said. “In fact it was worse today than it was Monday, and even my boots were full of water but I’ll be going back out tomorrow (Wednesday).”

Counties reporting the highest numbers of deer checked on Monday included: Coshocton - 1,197, Muskingum - 964, Tuscarawas - 896, Harrison - 882, Guernsey - 816, Knox - 719, Belmont - 629, Carroll -6 20, Holmes - 617, and Licking - 616.

Approximately 420,000 hunters are expected to participate in the statewide deer-gun season. Ohio’s deer population was estimated to be 750,000 prior to the start of the fall hunting seasons.

The white-tailed deer is the most popular game animal in Ohio, frequently pursued by generations of hunters. Ohio ranks 8th nationally in annual hunting-related sales and 10th in the number of jobs associated with the hunting-related industry.

Each year, hunting has an $859 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more.

Ohio’s firearms deer-hunting season remains open through Sunday, (Dec. 4). The statewide two-day “bonus” firearms deer-hunting season is set for Dec. 17 and 18.

Korey Brown, the Wildlife Division's administrator in charge of the license issuing system and deer check-in program - says very few snafus were encountered Monday with the new system.

"It ran smoothly and we didn't get slammed with a lot of complaints," Brown said. "People seem to be navigating the system well so we're pleased."

Also, on Monday the Ohio Division of Wildlife says that only two non-fatal hunting accidents - called "incidents" - were reported.

Here is a county-by-county listing of deer recorded for this year’s firearms season opener with last year’s opening day statistics in parentheses:

Adams – 395 (538); Allen – 67 (144); Ashland – 330 (563); Ashtabula –609 (1,057); Athens – 505 (779); Auglaize – 50 (81); Belmont –629 (971); Brown –244 (479); Butler –31 (136); Carroll –620 (1,042); Champaign – 112 (210); Clark – 43(97); Clermont – 150 (414); Clinton – 61 (129); Columbiana – 485 (833); Coshocton –1,197 (1,923); Crawford – 118 (186); Cuyahoga –4 (5); Darke –3 7 (88); Defiance – 261 (402); Delaware – 120 (233); Erie – 24 (53); Fairfield – 298 (432); Fayette – 21 (37); Franklin – 35 (43); Fulton – 109 (169); Gallia – 465(703); Geauga – 153 (265); Greene –40(88); Guernsey – 816 (1,260); Hamilton – 18 (75); Hancock – 105 (184); Hardin – 104 (191); Harrison – 882 (1,365); Henry – 78 (242); Highland – 299 (552); Hocking – 602(803); Holmes – 617 (1,087); Huron – 284(409); Jackson – 402 (671); Jefferson – 546 (900); Knox – 719 (1,315); Lake – 38 (54); Lawrence – 382 (494); Licking – 616 (1,117); Logan – 162 (316); Lorain – 167 (268); Lucas – 34 (53); Madison – 35 (68); Mahoning – 101 (239); Marion – 66 (132); Medina – 110 (171); Meigs – 499 (733); Mercer – 51 (99); Miami – 22 (53); Monroe – 532 (726); Montgomery – 16(46); Morgan – 458 (769); Morrow – 178 (356); Muskingum – 964 (1,523); Noble – 584 (825); Ottawa – 18 (23); Paulding – 128(247); Perry – 477 (750); Pickaway – 124 (216); Pike – 246 (407); Portage –144 (229); Preble – 46 (64); Putnam – 46 (139); Richland – 434 (750); Ross – 385 (579); Sandusky – 58 (59); Scioto – 278 (402); Seneca – 148 (329); Shelby – 87 (139); Stark – 153 (220); Summit – 22 (44); Trumbull – 315 (554); Tuscarawas –896 (1,494); Union 76 – (128); Van Wert – 45(104); Vinton – 468 (674); Warren – 66 (143); Washington – 503 (979); Wayne – 167 (304); Williams – 299 (485); Wood – 47 (89); Wyandot – 224 (324); TOTAL: 23,600 (39,071)

Fall turkey numbers drop/Hunters await Opening Day deer kill figures

2011-11-29T09:29:00.000-05:00

With nearly every Ohio hunter’s attention drawn this week to white-tailed deer largely being over-looked are the results of the just-concluded fall wild turkey-hunting season.

And the figures continue to show slippage in popularity as the numbers of birds killed declines.

Ohio’s fall wild turkey season ended Nov. 27 with hunters bagging 1,375 during the seven-week season. Last year’s tally totaled 1,425 birds.
Ashtabula County again led the state with 67 birds taken, according to the Division of Wildlife.

The 2011 fall turkey season ran from Oct. 8 through Nov. 27 allowing hunters to pursue a wild turkey of either sex using a shotgun, muzzle-loading shotgun, bow or crossbow in 48 counties in the state.

Prior to the start of this fall’s hunting season, Ohio’s estimated wild turkey population was around 180,000. As many as 15,000 people - not counting private landowners hunting on their own land - participated.

The top 10 counties were: Ashtabula-67, Knox-55, Guernsey and Tuscarawas-53, Noble-50, Monroe-45, Coshocton-44, Holmes-42, Licking-40, and Carroll and Richland-39.

Still on the on-deck circle are Monday's Opening Day firearms deer-hunting season figures. These numbers should become available this afternoon.

The following is a list of wild turkeys taken during the 2010 fall turkey season is marked in parentheses: 2011 (2010).

Adams – 35 (29); Ashland – 17 (38); Ashtabula – 67 (77); Athens – 27 (18); Belmont –32 (11); Brown – 26 (28); Carroll – 39 (28); Clermont – 32 (44); Columbiana – 37 (35); Coshocton – 44 (68); Cuyahoga –0 (2); Defiance- 13 (25); Gallia – 36 (34); Geauga – 31 (53); Guernsey – 53 (39); Harrison – 38 (34); Highland – 37 (51); Hocking – 20 (17); Holmes – 42 (29); Jackson – 17 (22); Jefferson – 20 (25); Knox – 55 (62); Lake – 7 (4); Lawrence –21 (16); Licking – 40 (53); Lorain – 29 (15); Mahoning –24 (27); Medina –1 7 (24); Meigs – 15 (33); Monroe – 45 (15); Morgan – 23 (20); Morrow – 11 (13); Muskingum - 36 (32); Noble – 50 (34); Perry – 26 (25); Pike – 21 (10); Portage – 18 (23); Richland – 39 (31); Ross –19 (32); Scioto – 22 (12); Stark – 23 (19); Summit – 3 (8); Trumbull – 31 (60); Tuscarawas – 53 (56); Vinton – 21 (19); Washington – 24 (25); Wayne – 9 (8) and Williams - 27 (22). Preliminary totals – 1,375 (1,425).

UPDATED SUNDAY: A Look Ahead At Ohio Deer Gun Week Weather

2011-11-22T09:09:00.005-05:00

Weather is an important component in the success of Ohio’s deer hunters, particularly those who hunt during the firearms season.

This year the often-called “Ohio deer gun season” runs Nov. 28 through Dec. 4 with a two-day “bonus” season set for Dec. 17 and 18.

A problem this week has been an ever-changing forecast, mostly not for the better. A general heavy rain has begun and is forcasted to extend into Tuesday with some areas of the state also may see snow. Amounts of two inches or more are anticipated as well.

Here is a look ahead weather-wise of what is forecasted to happen during next week’s Ohio firearms deer-hunting season. It is broken done by Ohio Division of Wildlife district by district.

I’ll be making an exception for Wildlife District Three (Northeast Ohio) simply because that is where I’ll be hunting in Ashtabula County.

Here is the fifth installment:

Wildlife District One (Columbus as base): Nov. 28 - 57 degrees and some rain; Nov. 29 - 51 degrees with rain; Nov. 30 - 42 degrees with rain or snow; Dec. 1 - 47 degrees with periods of sun; Dec. 2 - 42 degrees and partly sunny; Dec. 3- 43 degrees and mostly sunny; Dec. 4 - 48 degrees and p.m. rain.

Wildlife District Two (Findlay as base): Nov. 28 - 48 degrees and mostly cloudy with a shower possible; Nov. 29 - 48 degrees and breezy with rain possible; Nov. 30 - 41 degrees with periods of rain or snow; Dec. 1 - 44 degrees and mix of clouds and sun; Dec.2 - 41 degrees and partly sunny; Dec. 3 - 41 degrees and mostly sunny; Dec. 4 - 42 degrees and snow to rain.

Wildlife District Three (Akron): Nov. 28 - 54 degrees with rain; Nov. 29 - 54 degrees and breezy with rain; Nov. 30 - 41 degrees and cloudy; Dec. 1 - 42 degrees and partly cloudy; Dec. 2 - 39 degrees and snow possible; Dec. 3 -47 degrees and partly sunny; Dec. 4 - 45 and rain. (Rome/Ashtabula County): Nov. 28 - 62 degrees and mostly cloudy with rain possible; Nov. 29 - 53 degrees with decreasing rain; Nov. 30 - 43 degrees and with periods of sun; Dec. 3 - 46 degrees with periods of clouds and sun; Dec. 1 - 47 degrees and partly sunny; Dec. 2 - 44 degrees and sunny; Dec. 4 - 50 degrees and rain.

Wildlife District Four (Athens as base): Nov. 28 - 62 degrees with rain; Nov. 29 - 62 degrees with rain tapering off; Nov. 30 - 45 degrees with rain or snow; Dec. 1 - 46 degrees with periods of sun; Dec. 2 - 46 and partly sunny; Dec. 3 - 43 degrees and sunny; Dec. 4 - 49 degrees and rain.

Wildlife District Five (Xenia as base): Nov. 28 - 54 degrees and with some clouds and rain; Nov. 29 - 49 degrees with rain; Nov. 30 - 42 degrees with rain or snow; Dec. 1 - 43 degrees with periods of sun; Dec, 2 - 41 degrees and partly sunny; Dec. 3 - 42 degrees and sunny; Dec. 4 - 45 degrees with rain.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

Kids Take Advantage Of Nice Weather For Youth-Only Deer Gun Season

2011-11-21T10:45:00.000-05:00

With spring-like weather to aid them, Ohio’s young firearms deer hunters did well Saturday and Sunday.

For the special two-day, youth-only firearms deer-hunting season on those two days the young guns killed 8,681 animals. The previous year the youth brigade killed 8,445 deer.

Thus the young hunter scored a net gain of two percent.

Under Ohio law qualifying youngsters age 17 and younger could hunt deer with a shotgun, muzzle-loader or archery tackle.

Almost to a boy - or girl - the instrument of choice was a shotgun.

Adults also could hunt during this period but only use archery tackle and also had to follow the rule that required the wearing of blaze orange incorporated into an outer garment.

As for local success, a youthful deer hunter who can claim bragging rights is 13-year-old Kent Weber of Chardon Township who scored a direct hit on an eight-point buck while participating Sunday in the youth-only firearms two-day deer-hunting season. He was hunting on his uncle’s property, also in Chardon Township, when he killed the trophy buck.

Raw statistics snow that in Northeast Ohio during the two-day hunt that youngsters killed (with their respective 2010 season figures in parentheses): Ashtabula - 162 (136), Cuyahoga - 1 (1), Erie - 24 (37), Geauga - 67 (56), Huron - 92 (99), Lake - 7 (9), Lorain - 77 (86), Medina - 56 (43), Sandusky - 25 (33), Trumbull - 97 (100).

Among the notable deer-hunting counties were: Coshocton - 287 (277), Guernsey - 316 (248), Harrison - 227 (233), Knox - 214 (223), Licking - 248 (218), Muskingum - 277 (254), and Tuscarawas - 321 (277).

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

UPDATE 2: Kasich Plays Musical Chairs With ODNR

2011-11-17T12:32:00.002-05:00

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has undertaken a seismic shift in power within the Natural Resources Department, playing either a great game of political musical chairs or else Russian Roulette with the agency.

He has brought in as the agency's new director the former director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Jim Zehringer.

In turn, Zehringer towed along two of his underling associates with him: Andy Ware and Frederick Shrimp.

Zehringer replaces Scott Zody who served as interim Natural Resources Director when former ODNR director David Mustine left to take a position with a quasi-governmental group that is promoting energy development in Ohio.

Now Zody has become the latest chief of the Ohio Division of Wildlife, replacing David Lane who has been demoted to assistant chief of that agency and in charge of Wildlife's five district offices.

Zody said the moves were natural fits, even though he becomes the first non-Wildlife Division official to ascend to the chief's post.

Importantly too, Zody says, the repositioning of Lane has nothing to do with his short tenure as the Wildlife Division's chief.

"There's been a little bit of a shake-up here but things are going well," Zody said. "Really, both the Governor and the new Director thought the best role for me would be in Wildlife. I'm looking forward to a more narrowed area of responsibilty and the new challenges."

Tom Rowan - former state wildlife officer assigned to Lake County - remains as the Wildlife Division's assistant chief in charge of law enforcement, fisheries and wildlife.

And Sue Howard - who had been the Wildlife Division's other assistant chief -now becomes the agency's business operations manager, responsible for human affairs, fiscal responsibilities as well as marketing the Wildlife Division. She relinquishes the role of managing the five district offices to Lane.

"We still have a mission to do; support the director and chief and make them proud," Rowan said also.

As for Ware this is not his first stint within the Natural Resources Department. He was once an agency spokesman, became the assistant chief for the Division of Forestry and eventually transferred to the Agricultural Department.

Now he is back in the Natural Resources Department where he will oversee not only Forestry but also the Division of Geological Survey and several other agencies.

Meanwhile, Shrimp will concern himself with the "day-to-day" operations of the Natural Resources Department.

In terms of Zehringer, the sum of his Natural Resources Department's experience includes a stint as a state representative, a livestock raiser and commercial fish hatchery owner.

Also, this change will do nothing to quiet the rumors that the Natural Resources Department will be enrolled within the Agricultural Department along with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

If anything the changes only heighten this possibility, though Zody says that Kasich is now on the hunt to appoint a new Agriculture Department director.

This Blog will be updated as additional information is obtained.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com.
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

Paperless Licenses Likely In Sportsmens' Future

2011-11-11T08:06:00.000-05:00

While most hunters and anglers are still using the services of a licensing vendor to buy their documents the winds of change are beginning to blow.

Research conducted by HunterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com has found that 58 percent of those hunters surveyed still purchase their licenses through a retailer, while 61 percent of surveyed anglers bought theirs at a local store as well.

Retailers often count on their role as a sporting license vendor to lead to additional sales of hunting- and fishing-related equipment when consumers visit to buy a permit, the survey polling firm says.

At the same time the Southwick and Associates’ two-survey program say that as many as 24 percent of hunters and 25 percent of surveyed anglers reported purchasing licenses online.

Which hardly surprises Korey Brown, the Ohio Division of Wildlife administrator in charge of Ohio’s all-new Internet-based license-issuing system.

Additionally, more than 17 percent of hunters and just over 14 percent of fishermen bought permits directly through a game agency or government office or through some other source.

“Although paperless licensing is not a stated goal, it is certainly in the conversation,” Brown says.

“The day that we can bridge the communications gap - guaranteeing that law enforcement officers have 100-percent cell phone coverage and/or have the ability to remotely access the central license database, is the day we’ll begin to talk seriously about paperless licensing.”

Brown bases this assumption partially on what has happened to the airline industry. In the span of just the past 10 years the airline industry went from mandatory multi-layered paper-tickets to mandatory paperless e-tickets, Brown said.

“Against this backdrop, paperless hunting and fishing licenses don’t seem all that farfetched,” Brown said.

Indeed it does not, agrees Rob Southwick, President of Southwick and Associates.

“Retail license purchases will probably never die,” Southwick says. “However, the proliferation of high speed internet connectivity, the widespread acceptance of e-commerce, and the incredible increase in smart-phone usage indicate that it’s just a matter of time before Internet purchases eclipse retail purchases as the most popular method of transacting.”

And yet Southwick notes that even though every state game agency in the country now providing regulations, season dates, bag limits and other hunting and fishing information online - as well as the popularity of digital products such as websites, apps, mobile phones and smart tablets - “it is interesting to note that the printed regulations book remains a critical resource to today’s hunter and angler.”

“More than 84 percent of surveyed hunters said they had received or expect to receive the regulations booklet,” said Southwick. “And of that number, a whopping 96 percent said they have read or plan to read the booklet, with more than 54 percent revealing they read it more than once and nearly 24 percent citing they use it as a resource throughout the season.”

On the fishing side, 89 percent of survey respondents said they have read or plan to read the regulations booklet, with more than 54 percent revealing they read it more than once and 17 percent saying they use it as a resource all season, says Southwick.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

Huge increase in duplicate hunting/fishing license sales explained

2011-11-10T13:52:00.000-05:00

With more than 21,000 duplicate hunting and fishing licenses having thus far been sold the numbers far exceed those of any previous year.

For hunting licenses alone the number of duplicate documents issued jumped nearly 236 percent for the eight-month period of February 15 to October 31 this year when compared to last year for the same time frame.

In all, the number of duplicate hunting licenses issued was 9,915. For the same period in 2010 that number was 3,937.

The number of duplicate fishing licenses likewise climbed; in this case by a factor of 97 percent, reports the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

“So far this year we have issued over 21,000 duplicate licenses and permits; a significant increase over last year,” said Korey Brown, the Wildlife Division’s administrator in charge of the agency’s new license-issuing system.

Brown attributes the large volume increase to two major factors. Those being:

n The switch to plain paper license stock which has resulted in more destroyed license documents.

In this case, hunters and anglers are reminded to protect their license documents, Brown says.

“We believe hunters and anglers will eventually adapt to the new license stock which will lead to a decrease in duplicate license issuances,” Brown said.

n The new WOCRMS is a real-time transaction automation system whereas the old license-issuing system was a “store-and-forward system,” Brown said.
“
Our network of 900-plus license sales agents are still familiarizing themselves with the new system,” Brown said.

“Next year we plan to implement changes to the software that should reduce the number of duplicate license issuances.”

Yet even with these minor glitches, Brown says, the WOCRMS system “puts the Division of Wildlife in a position to deliver products and services via multiple distribution channels with relative ease.” These “multiple distribution channels” include traditional retail sales outlets (license agents), the Internet, the telephone, and eventually smart-phone applications, or “mobile applications.”

“However, before we implement any change as it relates to the issuance of license and permits, we must ensure adherence to Ohio Administrative Code, which dictates the process by which duplicate licenses and permits are issued,” Brown said.

“The Ohio Division of Wildlife will continually review various sections of (Ohio law) and propose changes designed to improve product and service delivery, and take full advantage of an extremely powerful WOCRMS tool.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twiter: @Fieldkorn

Dip In Ohio Hunting/Fishing License Sales

2011-11-09T08:25:00.000-05:00

Sales of both Ohio hunting and fishing licenses took hits when compared to the same eight-month period one year ago.

This shortfall resulted in a decline of revenue of nearly $1.5 million for the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

For the period Feb. 15 through Oct. 31 this year, the Wildlife Division issued a total of 788,990 fishing documents of all kinds for a total revenue of $13,978,700.

For the same period in 2010 the agency issued 867,065 documents for a revenue stream of $15,228,928.

The greatest drop came in the sale of resident fishing licenses; a drop of 58,233 permits that turned into a loss of nearly $1.11 million.

In all, 651,811 resident annual fishing licenses were sold during the eight-month period in 2010 while 593,578 such documents were issued for the same period this year, reports the Wildlife Division.

Also off were sales of three-day non-resident fishing licenses (off 14.19 percent), annual non-resident fishing licenses (off 4.95 percent), and one-day fishing licenses (off 8.96 percent).

Up, however, were sales of duplicate fishing licenses by a whopping 47.81 percent for an increase of $19,536 in revenue to the agency.

“Between the rains this spring along with high gas prices this summer, license sales were down,” said Susan Howard, one of two Wildlife Division assistant chiefs.

Factor in as well the algae blooms that plagued Lake Erie toward summer’s end and into autumn, said Howard also.

“It was not a good mix for license sales,” she said.

The bottom line is that Lake Erie drives fishing license sales in Ohio. And with that being said, other Great Lakes states also experienced poor weather which seemed to have caused lowered fishing license sales, too.

“That’s what I’m hearing,” Howard said.

Hunting license sales were likewise down, though not by nearly as much. For the period of Feb. 15, 2010 through Oct. 31, 2010, the Wildlife Division sold 192,587 resident hunting licenses.

By comparison, during this same eight-month time frame this year the agency issued 182,844 resident hunting licenses, resulting in a dip of $185,117, says the Wildlife Division.

There are many more categories of hunting licenses and tags than types of fishing licenses and most of the former saw only modest declines. For example, the sale of fall turkey permits dropped by 577 documents for a decline of $13,848 in revenue.

And sales of Ohio’s “duck stamp” similarly declined. Here, for the eight-month recording period in 2010 the Wildlife Division issued 19,058 stamps but sold 18,580 stamps for the same accounting period this year. This drop resulted in a decline of $7,170 in revenue.

Also off - but only slightly - were sales of both the either sex deer tags and the antler-only deer permits.

For the eight-month period in 2010 the Wildlife Division sold 156,308 either-sex deer tags while for the same time frame this year the agency issued 154,417 permits. This drop resulted in a decline of only $45,384 in revenue.

And sales of the antlerless-only tags took a slight hit as well. Here, during the eight-month 2010 accounting period the Wildlife Division sold 89,664 antlerless-only tags, a figure that fell to 87,822 permits this year for the same period. This drop resulted in a loss of only $27,630 in revenue for the agency.

Like it was for the sale of duplicate fishing license the issuance of duplicate hunting licenses soared.

Conversely, in 2010 the Wildlife Division issued 3,937 duplicate hunting licenses of all kinds for the eight-month recording period. That figured rose to 9,915 duplicate permits issued for the same period this year and for a net gain of $27,849, almost wiping out the deficit seen in the decline in sale of antlerless-only tags.

In all, sales of the Wildlife Division’s shopping cart of hunting/trapping-related licenses, stamps, permits and tags dropped by 21,763 documents.

In all, revenues from the sale of all hunting/trapping related licenses, tags, permits and stamps was $13,806,798 for this year’s eight-month recording period. In 2010 that figure was $14,003,207.

As for an explanation as to why a very modest decline in the sale of various hunting licenses was seen, Howard says “it’s still too early to tell.”

“I think with the good weather we’re having now the numbers may pick up a lot,” Howard said.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twiter: @Fieldkorn

Ohio's archery deer hunters behind last year's to-date totals

2011-11-07T15:23:00.000-05:00

Ohio’s bow hunters recorded an 11 percent drop in the number of animals taken during the first six weeks of the state’s archery deer-hunting season.

The first six-week kill for this year was 45,836 deer during compared to last year’s kill of 51,543, for the same period, reports the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

The archery season started September 24 and will continue through February 5, 2012.
Counties reporting the highest numbers of deer brought to check stations were: Licking - 1,836, Coshocton - 1,522, Tuscarawas - 1,259, Ashtabula - 1,143, Holmes - 1,101, Knox- 1,092, Muskingum - 1,060, Guernsey - 1,045, and Hamilton and Trumbull - 977(tied).

Ohio's deer population was estimated to be 750,000 in early October. Approximately 345,000 bow hunters are expected to participate in the statewide deer-archery hunting season.

Bow hunters harvested a total of 85,012 deer during last year’s four-month Ohio archery season.

Here is a list of deer checked and tagged by hunters during the first six weeks of the current deer-archery hunting season. The number taken during the 2010 season is marked in parentheses:

Adams – 945 (931); Allen – 290 (369); Ashland – 676 (779); Ashtabula – 1,143 (1,248); Athens – 709 (719); Auglaize – 213 (221); Belmont – 488 (670); Brown – 608 (702); Butler – 538 (591); Carroll – 773 (957); Champaign – 442 (455); Clark – 253 (290); Clermont – 939 (1,060); Clinton – 234 (283); Columbiana – 699 (814); Coshocton – 1,522 (1,776); Crawford – 257 (281); Cuyahoga – 303 (320); Darke –264 (247); Defiance – 371 (441); Delaware – 492 (610); Erie – 188 (221); Fairfield – 571 (634); Fayette – 50 (75); Franklin – 291 (289); Fulton – 214 (251); Gallia – 451 (589); Geauga – 748 (786); Greene – 338 (327); Guernsey – 1,045 (1,183); Hamilton – 977 (867); Hancock – 284 (377); Hardin – 273 (322); Harrison – 902 (1,144); Henry – 161 (180); Highland – 666 (754); Hocking – 704 (752); Holmes – 1,101 (1,328); Huron – 523 (502); Jackson – 626 (694); Jefferson – 494 (739); Knox – 1,092 (1,222); Lake – 262 (263); Lawrence – 446 (525); Licking – 1,836 (1,912); Logan – 616 (644); Lorain – 691 (795); Lucas – 237 (205); Madison – 136 (157); Mahoning – 545 (537); Marion – 189 (203); Medina – 584 (617); Meigs – 564 (646); Mercer – 178 (203); Miami – 271 (303); Monroe – 419 (487); Montgomery – 233 (253); Morgan – 443 (520); Morrow –424 (436); Muskingum – 1,060 (1,182); Noble – 530 (640); Ottawa – 133 (143); Paulding – 233 (338); Perry – 494 (524); Pickaway – 204 (230); Pike – 426 (471); Portage – 748 (771); Preble –273 (265); Putnam – 193 (269); Richland – 945 (1,113); Ross –597 (695); Sandusky – 250 (269); Scioto – 512 (541); Seneca – 404 (459); Shelby – 262 (303); Stark – 543 (613); Summit – 515 (543); Trumbull – 977 (1,016); Tuscarawas – 1,259 (1,483); Union –223 (240); Van Wert – 154 (187); Vinton – 496 (583); Warren – 511 (551); Washington – 467 (542); Wayne – 501 (622); Williams – 542 (621); Wood – 180 (261); Wyandot – 272 (362); Total – 45,836 (51,543).

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

Ghosts Return To Haunt For Small-Game Opener

2011-11-07T08:35:00.000-05:00

You’d be impressed as you watched Millie deeply inhaling the exotic odor of the male ring-necked pheasant.

Her nostrils flared at the scent, enriched by the newfangled odor. The black Labrador retriever also gave some gurgling sounds as she tried to both breath and at the same time trot her way back to me.

The pheasant wasn’t going anywhere. A seven-eighths ounce of number six shot propelled from my 28-guage Remington shotgun ensured that anchorage.

It was opening day of Ohio’s small-game hunting season; the first for Millie, a transplanted Alaskan by way of Washington State. That’s a long way from here to there but I had eagerly sought this day together for months.

And not just because I’d be hunting with a new companion to join Berry (my other black Labrador) but also for the reason that I like to hunt things that wear feathers even more than I do things that wear fur.

Opening Day has always carved out a favored spot in my heart, going back to the late 1950s and into the mid-1960s. That’s when I started out carrying a Daisy air-rifle and later, a borrowed 16-guage double-barreled shotgun.

My partners included my two older brothers, Terry and Rich. We would hitch our hunting wagon to our father and sometimes, our Uncle Val.

Oh, I can’t forget the dogs, either. There were Rusty and Munk and Penny and Moochie and Pepper; beagles all.

Those were the days when rabbits held high esteem and what few pheasant we did find were true wild birds, not the remnants of a bird dog field trial.

No matter nowadays, though. The dogs don’t care and if you really want to know, neither do I. That is, not on Opening Day.

Problem is, however, I’m one of a diminishing crew. Every year there appears to be fewer and fewer small-game hunters out on Opening Day. It seems that is the case, anyway, given how few vehicles were observed pulled off the highway and into places where you’d expect to see a hunter.

So the opener is greeted both with good cheer and a bit of melancholy. Neither Terry nor Rich have taken in a small-game opener since I don’t know when.

And Dad and Uncle Val both passed on more than 30 years ago.

But their ghosts still come each and every small-game season opener. I can see them as blurs moving through the shadows of a woodlot now almost totally barren of leaves.

I can see all of the dogs as well - hounds, pointers and retrievers - accompanying us in the spangled glint of light that reflects off polished, dried corn stalks and mirrored on the surface of beaver ponds.

They are my companion now, these ghosts that hang close and cling to our walk through the fields and forests.

I swear I can hear too the tinkling of the collar bell worn by Suzie, the pointer, or catch the flash of Rebel and Miss Daisy as they help scout out the ragweed patch ahead of Millie and Berry.

They don’t see her, Millie and Berry, that is. And I also snatched a glimpse of Jenny Lynn, the latest of my dogs to enter my personal hunting netherworld.

I guess I could be sad at having so many ghosts around on a day that should be about having fun and enjoying another small-game hunting season opener.

I am not, though. If anything, I am comforted at the thought of being around them, finding peace in the joy of having known giants among men and owning dogs that knew more about running a rabbit or finding a pheasant than I’ll ever be capable of understanding.

Nope, my ghosts are real and I look forward to our annual visit together every first Friday in November.

That others have decided to herald the remarkable incline of the white-tailed deer and the wild turkey more than they have sorrowed over the decline of the ring-necked pheasant is for those hunters to sort out.

As long as I have the heart, the lung power and my wobbly legs and back hold up I’ll be there on Opening Day. Ghosts and all.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twiter: @Fieldkorn

Elk Shot In Geauga County; What's Next From Pennsylvania?

2011-11-04T15:13:00.000-04:00

It’s been a coon’s age since the last wild elk had been killed in Ohio.

That changed a bit Wednesday when a Geauga County farmer saw a bull elk in his Parkman Township field.

When given the green light by the Ohio Division of Wildlife that elk are not a protected species here the farmer bagged the bull, adding a few hundred pounds of prime meat to his freezer.

After the animal’s remains are checked out for chronic wasting disease (CWD), that is. That is because elk have been known to be infected with the prion-based brain disorder disease.

Just how the elk came to be in Geauga County is easier to explain than how an elephant got into Grocho Marx’s pajamas.

It seems that the elk is an escapee from an elk-rearing farm in western Pennsylvania.

Wildlife Division officials said that the animal headed west, through Ashtabula County and made its last, fatal, stop in Geauga County.

Exotic ungulates are uncommon in Northeast Ohio though not totally unheard of. Sometimes sika deer are shot by Lake County hunters.

These exotic Asian deer are the remnants or offspring of sikas that escaped from an estate in Leroy Township.

Nor was the elk the only game species that chose to visit Ohio. In most cases where a black bear is seen in Northeast Ohio it is the result of a young male animal that has been booted out by its mother and is looking to set up housekeeping on his own.

Likewise the Geauga Park District notes in its latest “Snow Belted” exhibit at the West Woods Reservation that it is only a matter of time before porcupines migrate west from Pennsylvania and into Northeast Ohio.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twiter: @Fieldkorn

ODNR Seeks To Set Record Straight Regarding Brown County

2011-11-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is responding that it harbors no ill will against Brown County Prosecutor Jessica A. Little.

In a two-page final disciplinary report signed Oct. 28 was the statement: “...
This became an issue because of ODNR’s history with Brown County. Brown County is displeased that they were unsuccessful in bringing charges against ODNR employees for a previous issue involving a wildlife officer. Therefore they want to find fault with ODNR when possible. Management in turn is fearful of Brown County and wants to protect themselves from appearing to have done something wrong...”

In her telephone response to a query made by The News-Herald, Little said that she didn’t “appreciate that we’re being accused of a ‘witch hunt against Allan Wright’” and that “There’s no animosity toward the department.”

To which Natural Resources Department spokeswoman Laura Jones replied late Wednesday that the actual two-page letter clearly spells out the belief that Brown County was displeased at not being able to find fault with Wright was his and his union representative’s position and not that of the ODNR.

“Somewhere along the lines there was a misunderstanding,” Jones said.

That misunderstanding likely came with my communication with Little where “who said what” was not so clearly defined.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twiter: @Fieldkorn

Brown County Prosecutor Takes Issue With ODNR Accusations

2011-11-02T14:52:00.000-04:00

Brown County Prosecutor Jessica A. Little bristles at accusations that her office has a “vendetta” against former state wildlife officer Allan Wright or even the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Her reaction follows an October 28 Natural Resources Department Hearing Officer’s Report regarding Wright, who was fired by the agency for alleged departmental rule violations.

In that report the hearing officer - ODNR Human Capital Management Senior Analyst Renee Norris - wrote: “... This became an issue because of ODNR’s history with Brown County. Brown County is displeased that they were unsuccessful in bringing charges against ODNR employees for a previous issue involving a wildlife officer. Therefore they want to find fault with ODNR when possible. Management in turn is fearful of Brown County and wants to protect themselves from appearing to have done something wrong...”

“I don’t appreciate that we’re being accused of a ‘witch hunt’ against Allan Wright,” Little said today; Wednesday. “There’s no animosity toward the department.”

Little said also that Wright is not even a subject of any work being conducted by her office.

In fact, says Little, the special prosecutor that Little named in 2010 is no longer investigating Wright.

“We’re finished with Allan Wright,” Little said. “So there is no need to do anything (more) in Brown County."

That is because Wright has been charged in federal court for alleged violations of U.S. fish and game laws.

As for the case against five current or retired Ohio Division of Wildlife officials, that matter is still before Ohio’s 12th District Court of Appeals. That case has ties to the Wright issue but does not include Wright himself.

Little said also that should she win in the appellate court that the matter against the current and retired Wildlife Division officials would move back to Brown County.

If she is rebuffed by the 12th Court of Appeals than Brown County will evaluate taking the next step.

“It all likelihood this (case) will be appealed to the state supreme court,” Little said.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

Hearing Report Document On Former ODW Office Allan Wright

2011-11-02T08:39:00.001-04:00

On October 25 now former state wildlife officer assigned to Brown County Allan Wright was accorded a pre-disciplinary hearing before officials with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Among the state officials was Patrick Brown, a Natural Resources Department staff officer. It was Brown who conducted the investigation into Wright’s case.

Wright was represented at the hearing by Fraternal Order of Police union representative Joel Barden.

The final disciplinary report was signed Oct. 28 by Natural Resources Department Human Capital Management (HCM) Senior Analyst Renee Norris.

Here is the complete text of that report as provided by the Natural Resources Department.

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @Fieldkorn

UPDATED Allan Wright fired by ODNR, to appeal decision

2011-11-01T15:20:00.003-04:00

Allan Wright - the legally embattled former state wildlife officer assigned to Brown County - has been fired by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

In a one-page letter dated Oct. 28, 2011 interim Natural Resources Director Scott A. Zody wrote:

“As a result of your recent per-disciplinary hearing held on October 25, 2011, you were found guilty of violating the following provisions of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Disciplinary Policy:

* B. Dishonesty - (2) Willfully falsifying... any official document.

* D. Failure of Good Behavior - (4) Misuse of and/or carelessness with state property....

* Commissioned Officers: A. Law Enforcement - (1) Violation of Uniformed Officer’s Code of Conduct.

“Therefore, you are being removed from your Wildlife Officer position with the ODNR-Division of Wildlife effective the date of your receipt of this letter.”

Laura Jones, chief spokeswoman for the Natural Resources Department, said that Wright has filed a grievance related to this latest action.

This action also falls on the legal heels of Wright being first placed on unpaid administrative leave in August, reinstated to paid administrative leave and according to rules governed by the Ohio Revised Code.

However, the Natural Resources Department declined to write any paychecks to Wright.

That matter likewise is being appealed by the Fraternal Order Of Police, the bargaining unit for the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s commissioned officers.

In 2006 Wright allowed a South Carolina wildlife officer to use his Ohio address to obtain a resident Ohio hunting license, among other matters.

A chain reaction of legal issues have since enveloped others within the Ohio Division of Wildlife who either have retired or else remain aboard the agency.

Wright - who is also under indictment for felony and misdemeanor violations of the federal government’s Lacey Act - is slated to stand trial in federal court Feb. 22, 2012.

Wright agree to state complaints that he allowed a South Carolina wildlife officer to use his Ohio address to obtain a resident state hunting license.

He subsequently was given a written reprimand which was eventually expunged.

That set into legal motion charges being brought against five current or retired Ohio Division of Wildlife officials.

The cases involving these officials remains pending before Ohio’s 12th District Court of Appeals.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Wildlife, Watercraft Tapped First To Assist In Exotic Animal Reporting Program

2011-10-31T15:49:00.000-04:00

The Ohio Division of Wildlife and the Ohio Division of Watercraft are contributing employee time and expertise to assist in manning a toll-free hotline and companion website for Ohioans to report suspected instances of neglect or abuse of dangerous wild animals in Ohio.

However, Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ spokeswoman Laura Jones said the effort by the two divisions will be short term, likely for just this week.

After that other Natural Resources division personnel will take over, Jones said.

Natural Resources Director Scott Zody announced today the new hotline and website as products of Gov. John R. Kasich’s October 21 Executive Order to better use existing laws and resources while specific legal authorities are being developed to protect public health and animal welfare.

ODNR will staff the hotline between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and work with other authorities to take the appropriate follow-up actions when reports are made.

The new toll-free hotline is 855-DWA-OHIO, and the companion website is dangerouswildanimals.ohio.gov. They can be accessed by Ohioans to report suspected instances of neglect or abuse of dangerous wild animals in Ohio.

Long-term, some sportsmen’s groups fear that either an administration or a legislature will tap the hunter/angler/trapper-funded Ohio Wildlife Fund to administer, enforce and maintain an exotic animal licensing and monitoring program.

However, Jones says that for this current administration at least no such raid on the Wildlife Fund is being proposed.

And it will be up to the state legislature to figure out to perform that mission, Jones said also.

Other actions underway that were initiated by the Executive Order include:

• Partnering with Local Law Enforcement: Ohio state agencies are partnering with local health departments, Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association and other law enforcement agencies across the state to identify known locations of captive dangerous wild animals and provide the support they need to enforce existing animal cruelty and public health laws.

• Partnering with Local Humane Societies: To better leverage the powerful authority that existing Ohio laws give humane societies, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) reached out to statewide member organizations of the Ohio Federated Humane Society members and all designated county humane officers to support their efforts to exercise their power to enforce animal cruelty rules and offer training in biosecurity measures and animal health guidelines.

• Identifying Potential Problems: ODNR is developing a database of locations where dangerous wild animals are known to be kept.

• Combatting Auctions: The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) has issued 3,550 letters to licensed auctioneers requesting that they voluntarily suspend sales of dangerous wild animals.

• Quarantine on the Surviving Thompson Animals: ODA issued a quarantine order on Thursday, October 27 to assure that the three leopards, two macaque monkeys, and grizzly bear currently housed at the Columbus Zoo are healthy and free of any disease and parasites before being moved from that facility.

• Site Inspections: Two facilities with dangerous wild animals on the premises have been inspected. One was a joint assessment that included ODA, ODNR, and the US Department of Agriculture and the second was conducted by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. ODNR continues its review of native species permit holders across the state.

Also, the Natural Resources Department is developing a database of locations where dangerous wild animals are known to be kept.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Federal trial date set for DOW officer Allan Wright

2011-10-31T09:30:00.000-04:00

What began back in 2006 for Allan Wright, the-then state wildlife officer assigned to Brown County, will extend into at least 2012.

Wright - who is under indictment for felony and misdemeanor violations of the federal government’s Lacey Act - won’t see a trial in federal court until Feb. 22, 2012.

Wright agree to state complaints that he allowed a South Carolina wildlife officer to use his Ohio address to obtain a resident state hunting license.

He subsequently was given a written reprimand which was eventually expunged.

That action set in legal motion charges being brought against five current or retired Ohio Division of Wildlife officials.

The cases involving these officials remains pending before Ohio’s 12th District Court of Appeals.

However, Wright had been reinstated to his Wildlife Division post, only to be placed on unpaid administrative leave in August when he was charged in federal court for the alleged Lacy Act infractions.

Based on Ohio law, Wright remained on that status for a two-month period before being elevated to paid administrative leave, though the Ohio Department of Natural Resources continues to refuse to pay Wright his wages.

In turn the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police has filed an appeal against the Natural Resources Department, demanding that Wright be awarded his wages, including back pay.

The FOP is the bargaining agent for the Wildlife Division’s commissioned officers.

All of which remains in legal limbo at this time.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Allan Wright back on paid administrative leave, no checks being written

2011-10-28T08:34:00.000-04:00

Allan Wright, the former state wildlife officer assigned to Brown County, has been reinstated to paid administrative leave though the Ohio Department of Natural Resources still refuses to issue a paycheck.

This action by the Natural Resources Department has prompted the Fraternal Order of Police - the union that represents Ohio Division of Wildlife commissioned officers - to file a grievance against the Natural Resources Department.

Wright was placed on unpaid administrative leave upon his federal indictment for alleged violations of federal fish and game laws.

He is at the heart of an issue that began several years ago when Wright allowed a South Carolina wildlife officer to use his Ohio address to obtain a resident Ohio hunting license, among other matters.

That activity subsequently set off a chain reaction of legal issues that have since enveloped others within the Ohio Division of Wildlife who either have retired or else remain aboard the agency.

As positioned by the Natural Resources Department, the laws governing unpaid and paid administrative leave are spelled out in the Ohio Revised Code. Relating to Wright these points are, and as noted by a spokeswoman for the agency:

Per the ORC, a period of unpaid administrative leave may not exceed 2 months:
124.388 [First of two versions] Administrative leave.

(A) An appointing authority may, in its discretion, place an employee on administrative leave with pay. Administrative leave with pay is to be used only in circumstances where the health or safety of an employee or of any person or property entrusted to the employee’s care could be adversely affected. Compensation for administrative leave with pay shall be equal to the employee’s base rate of pay. The length of administrative leave with pay is solely at the discretion of the appointing authority, but shall not exceed the length of the situation for which the leave was granted. An appointing authority may also grant administrative leave with pay of two days or less for employees who are moved in accordance with section 124.33 of the Revised Code.

(B) An appointing authority may, in its discretion, place an employee on administrative leave without pay for a period not to exceed two months, if the employee has been charged with a violation of law that is punishable as a felony. If the employee subsequently does not plead guilty to or is not found guilty of a felony with which the employee is charged or any other felony, the appointing authority shall pay the employee at the employee’s base rate of pay, plus interest, for the period the employee was on the unpaid administrative leave.

The Natural Resources spokeswoman further said in an email:

“(The) ODNR did not move administratively because it needed to wait to see how the federal criminal case was going to play out. Mr. Wright had his pre-disciplinary hearing on October 25. Once a report on that hearing is written, it will include a recommendation for action.

“Mr. Wright filed a grievance during this process and because of that we are bound by his Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) contract to put him back on paid administrative leave.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Fears Are That Ohio's Sportsmen Will Pay For Regulating Exotic Animals

2011-10-26T13:38:00.000-04:00

With Ohio moving to regulate the ownership and sale of exotic wild animals a leading pro-sportsmen’s group worries that the state’s hunters, anglers and trappers will be left paying the bill.

The Columbus-based U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance says it’s not responsible for draft enabling legislation that would establishing a permitting program. That effort is being undertaken by a small cadre of officials.

Under this still largely hush-hush proposal the state would empower and command the Ohio Division of Wildlife to enforce new rules regarding the ownership and sale of such exotic, non-indigenous, dangerous animals as African lions, great apes, tigers and even chimpanzees.

Published reports by the Columbus Dispatch say that material is now being worked on by a group of stake holders that would mandate that the Wildlife Division’s chief “...shall do all things necessary...” to regulate the ownership, sale, bartering and such like of exotic wild animals.

While the USSA has been a participant in the discussions regarding the status of the exotic animal trade and ownership issue in Ohio, it has not been part of the drafting of legislation that would establishes an exotic animal ownership permitting program, says Rob Sexton, the Alliance’s vice president of government affairs.

A bundle of significant problems exists, Sexton says.

Among them are no one knows how many exotic wild animals are out there, how many people own them nor what any administrative fee might be.

And that last thorn could prick sportsmen’s dollars. The reason being is that the Wildlife Division is funded solely by the sale of hunting, fishing and trapping licenses and permits along with a portion of a federal tax on firearms, ammunition, archery equipment and fishing tackle.

“What we’re worried about is that all of this will be tossed into the laps of sportsmen,” Sexton says. “It does appear that Ohio’s hunters, anglers and trappers could be stuck paying for the permits for people who own tigers, lions and grizzly bears - this is a major, major concern.”

That is because such a permitting process may not be affordable for individual exotic animal owners and sellers. Consequently, such a potential fee could so steep that no one could afford it and, thus, not be adopted, Sexton said.

Such a scenario could see an administration or a state legislature eying the Wildlife Division’s budget and funding sources as a means to compensate for the difference, Sexton says.

Since this is a state safety issue and not one of actual management of non-captive wild animals, any additional costs beyond a permit fee must come from the state’s General Revenue funding stream and not from sportsmen’s dollars, Sexton says.

“Given the track record of the legislature and the current situation with the state budget and the economy, nothing can be taken for granted,” said a very concerned Sexton

“But what we don’t want is for the sportsmen and sportswomen of Ohio to think for one minute that the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is involved with a (deleted) plan that would tap sportsmen’s dollars.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Is electronic federal duck stamp in waterfowlers' future?

2011-10-24T13:44:00.000-04:00

With almost every state having accepted electronic license, permit and stamp sales the federal government still has its feet firmly planted in the last century.

Now Ducks Unlimited is backing a proposal to allow for the elctronic sale of the required $15 federal waterfowl hunting stamp.

And a representative of the organization will testify on Tuesday about H.R. 3117, the Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2011.

This proposal will grant the U.S. Secretary of the Interior permanent authority to authorize states to issue electronic duck stamps.

Buying a federal duck stamp is mandatory for waterfowl hunting.

However, in the past, waterfowl hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts could only buy their duck stamp at a physical location, such as a post office. But these stamps are not available at all postal locations, sometimes making it difficult for hunters and others to purchase the stamps.

In order to expand access to the public, legislation was passed to create a pilot program that allows the public to purchase federal duck stamps online. Upon purchase, the customer was given a special receipt to use while hunting until the stamp is delivered by mail.

The pilot program has successfully made it easier for the general public to buy federal duck stamps while simultaneously preserving the integrity of the traditional duck stamp.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

One dead, one missing for Lake Erie boating mishap

2011-10-24T07:54:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Coast Guard search for a man who was reported missing after his boat was found capsized Sunday afternoon near Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio, has ended Monday morning.

Missing is Charles Kaplan, 58, of Solon, Ohio.

The Coast Guard officially suspended the search for Kaplan at 12:59 a.m. Monday after boat and aircrews searched Lake Erie for roughly 12 hours, covering more than 120 square miles.

The Coast Guard suspends a search and rescue case with extremely great care and deliberation. After a probable search area is saturated several times with a maximum number of assets, resources and crew effort, and persons in distress are still not located, a decision is made to suspend a case.
T
he Coast Guard may consider resuming a search if credible information is received that a person reported missing might have survived.

Coast Guardsmen began searching for Kaplan and Pam Holstein, the woman who was aboard the vessel with him, after someone at Cedar Point saw Kaplan's 36-foot Rinker capsized on the east side of Cedar Point Breakwall and notified authorities at 12:13 p.m. Sunday.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources personnel found Holstein’s body inside the vessel after it was brought ashore Sunday.

Involved in the search were two 33-foot Special Purpose Craft – Law Enforcement boats from Station Marblehead, Ohio, a total of three MH-65 Dolphin helicopters from Air Stations Detroit and Traverse City, and a Coast Guard Auxiliary airplane.

Also assisting were the Sandusky Police and Fire Departments, the Sandusky Sheriff's Office, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Customs and Border Protection, and local marine salvage companies.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Hunters, anglers spending the same for their outdoors toys

2011-10-17T13:39:00.000-04:00

Southwick and Associates out of Florida has completed a survey of hunters and anglers that indicate unchanged buying habits.

In its latest polling of hunters and anglers, Southwick looked at the buying habits of sportsmen in 2011 compared to the previous year. The study reveals that purchases of hunting and fishing equipment have remained steady in the current year, and in fact, even slightly improved.

In the most recent survey at HunterSurvey.com, participants were asked if they were buying more, less or the same amount of hunting equipment so far this year compared to 2010.

Those persons responding they were buying more accounted for 24.7 percent of the responses, a 4.9 percent increase over the previous year.

Meanwhile those hunters purchasing the same amount dropped one point to 39 percent as those reporting they were buying less dropped 3.1 percent.

Asked the same question except as it relates to the purchase of fishing equipment, AnglerSurvey.com respondents saying they were buying more jumped a statistically insignificant 1.5 percent from 16.2 to 17.7 percent.

Those anglers buying the same increased 4.4 percent, while those anglers indicating they had bought less dropped 3.6 percent.

To help improve, protect and advance the shooting sports and outdoor recreation, all sportsmen and sportswomen are encouraged to participate in the surveys at HunterSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com.

Each month, participants who complete the survey are entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the sporting goods retailer of their choice.

- Jeffrey L. FRischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com

UPDATED: Ohio Inspector General completes investigation on two other state wildlife officers

2011-10-14T14:32:00.002-04:00

Two Ohio Division of Wildlife officers have been investigated by the Ohio Inspector General for infractions involving assisting Indiana conservation officers in obtaining Ohio resident fishing licenses.

Somewhat similar to the matter involving Allan Wright, the former state wildlife officer assigned Brown County, state wildlife officers Arron Ireland and Josh Zientek assisted the Indiana wildlife officers in obtaining resident Ohio fishing licenses.

Ireland is the state wildlife officer assigned to Butler County and Josh Zientek, now assigned as the state wildlife officer to Huron County.

The Inspector General was informed by former Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Sean Logan about possible infractions.

Investigators began their work and the Ohio Inspector General’s office issued its report Thursday, Oct. 13.

For each case involving the specific wildlife officer, the Ohio Inspector General noted: “Accordingly, we find reasonable cause to believe a wrongful act or omission occurred in this instance.”

In an Oct. 13 press release, Ohio Deputy Inspector General Carl Enslen said: “Acting on allegations brought to the inspector general in 2010, the investigation found two Ohio Division of Wildlife officers helped Indiana conservation officials avoid paying for a more costly non-resident fishing license by falsifying Ohio residential addresses on their license applications.

“The investigation further revealed administrators at the Ohio Division of Wildlife failed to properly investigate and report suspected criminal activity involving employees as required under department policy and a governor directive.”

Both Ireland and Zientek were given a verbal reprimand in 2008 by Wildlife District Five (southwest Ohio) Manager, Todd Haines.

Haines is one of five current or former Wildlife Division top officials who remain under indictment for alleged state felony violations in regard to how they managed the matter involving officer Wright.

The case involving Haines’ and the other current and former Wildlife Division officials is pending before the Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals in southwest Ohio.

Wright has subsequently been charged in federal court for alleged violation os the federal Lacey Act.

In his letter to the two other disciplined officers, Haines wrote: “You are hereby issued a verbal reprimand for failure of good behavior.

“Specifically, you assisted an out-of-state wildlife officer in obtaining a resident fishing license (NOTE: the word ‘hunting’ was crossed out and the word ‘fishing’ was handwritten in) in 2007. Although you had supervisor guidance to do so, this was against Division of Wildlife directive and should not be repeated again in the future.

“This memo will serve as a verbal reprimand and will be placed in your personal file for a period of twelve (1) months and then removed if there are no subsequent disciplined imposed during that period.

“It will also serve as a warning in the case of future violations, more severe discipline may be administered.”

Haines signed the Ireland and Zientek documents on Oct. 7, 2008 and the Wright verbal reprimand on Oct. 8, 2008.

However, the Ohio Inspector General’s report noted that “In the reprimand, Haines did not mention the officers ‘supervisor guidance’ was from a retired employee with no authority to grant permission (Exhibit 4).”

Natural Resources Department spokeswoman Laura Jones said the agency was aware of the investigation and “fully cooperated with the Ohio Inspector General’s Office.”

“We are currently reviewing the report and then we’ll see how we will be moving forward,” she said.

Both Ireland and Zientek declined to comment.

A posting of the Ohio Inspector Generals’ evidence documents is available online at http://watchdog.ohio.gov/investigations/2010_113x1-7.pdf.

A posting of the Ohio Inspector generals’ report is available online at http://watchdog.ohio.gov/investigations/2010_113.pdf.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Wildlife to enforce no-trespassing rules on some AEP property

2011-10-12T10:31:00.000-04:00

With Ohio's hunting seasons warming up, the Ohio Division of Wildlife is working with the American Electric Power (AEP) to thwart unauthorized trespassing on land not open to the public.

While approximately 90,000 acres of land are currently open to sportsmen and women, not all AEP properties are available, says to the Division of Wildlife.

“The name AEP has become synonymous with public land in southeastern Ohio, but not all the land they own is open for public hunting,” stated District Four law enforcement supervisor Tom Donnelly.

“Hunters need to confirm that the AEP property they plan to hunt is open. Hunting without permission on AEP’s private properties has rarely been enforced, but that will change this year.”

Many hunters have been using the private AEP properties for years with no repercussions, but that will no longer be the case, Donnelly said.

As a result of increased illegal activity on these private properties, AEP’s land management section has asked the Division of Wildlife to begin enforcing hunting without permission rules.

Many of these private properties are in lease agreements with private hunting clubs, or with farmers for agricultural practices.

“AEP requires their lease holders to purchase liability insurance and enter into a written contract,” stated Brian Cox, a forester with AEP’s land management section.

“This is a relatively new process, and local sportsmen who have accessed these properties in the past should consider them equivalent to any other piece of privately-owned property.”

None of the public AEP properties are affected by this increase in enforcement, and sportsmen and women who have been legally hunting these areas will not see any change.

All persons interested in recreational activities on any public AEP properties must still obtain a free lifetime permit which can be found at various locations including the ODNR Division of Wildlife District 4 Office in Athens, or at www.aep.com/environmental/recreation.

The AEP permit is valid at the following areas: The ReCreation Lands, Poston Plant lands, Avondale Wildlife Area, Gavin Wildlife Area, and Conesville Coal Lands.

These properties total approximately 90,000 acres and spread through Athens, Coshocton, Gallia, Meigs, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, and Perry Counties.

ATV’s are not allowed on the areas, and many of the same rules apply as when hunting on ODNR owned lands.

In Ohio, hunting without permission is a misdemeanor of the third degree on the first offense, with a maximum penalty of a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail.

Any subsequent hunting without permission offenses would be charged as misdemeanors of the second degree with a maximum penalty of a $750 fine and up to 90 days in jail.

Anyone observing or suspecting that wildlife violations are occurring may report illegal activity by calling the Turn-In-A-Poacher (TIP) hotline toll free at 1-800-POACHER.

For more information, contact: ODNR Division of Wildlife, District Four
740-589-9930.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com

Fall turkey hunting can be vexing but still fun

2011-10-11T10:19:00.000-04:00

By the looks of things the hunt for a fall wild turkey pretty much were going to parallel that for a bird in the spring.

Except that now the leaves are growing old and falling off the branches instead of ripening green, full of life. The weather is only going to become cooler, not warmer, too.

And I guess the turkeys themselves can give pause to a few differences. In the spring you can only shoot bearded birds, almost always males that are also called “toms” or “gobblers.”

In the fall you can shoot any turkey; gobbler, hen or one of this year’s offspring which possibly might even still be a not-yet-full-grown poult.

Oh, and the hunting is generally different as well. In the spring you make like a hen turkey as an enticement to call in a lovesick gobbler.

In the fall you do a lot of spot and stalk, walking through the woods, down trails and using optics to scout out soybean fields.

A hunter can also employ a bird dog to root out a fall turkey but that game is illegal in the spring.

Likewise, you have to purchase a separate fall turkey-hunting license as the one you bought in the spring is no longer valid.

Okay, I guess the differences far outweigh the similarities.

Maybe the only thing the two have in common (for me anyway) is that I didn’t kill a bird last spring and I’ve yet to find a fall turkey that’s made out its last will and testament.

It was not for a lack of trying Monday morning, however.

Up at 5 a.m. and out of the house 30 minutes later with a 45-minute drive to a woodlot in central Ashtabula County.

Hardly had I set foot on the tractor path going back to the woods when my left boot snugged on some natural tripwire that caused me to tumble in the oozing mud.

So much for grace, style and panache.

In any event, I sided up another - very much overgrown - logging trail and then settled in. Though it was now legal daylight I didn’t want to barge ahead in the half-gleam of predawn.

No point in spooking a family flock of turkeys from their roost So I say down, relaxed to allow the sweat to evaporate and made some sweet talk with my mouth call.

Though fall turkeys don’t respond to calling with the same gusto they typically do in the spring, you can sometimes get a gobbler to squawk or a hen to yelp. That gives you a clue as to where birds may have stopped for the night.

The sound of silence was deafening, however. I heard a bark from a squirrel, the animal no doubt unhappy at being disturbed before it even had a chance to bite into a beechnut.

I gave the rest about 30 minutes before resuming my trek through the forest, its canopy opened enough to allow shafts of newly born sunshine to hit the wood’s natural flooring.

The old trace through the forest is becoming less and less well defined. When I first began hunting these woods more than 25 years ago the property’s boundary was very much established by a wide tractor/logging path.

Not so much anymore. Were it not for the fact that I had so many years of experience walking these woods I might have missed the north-south turn where it meets the northern section’s east-west trail portion.

At least this second track is still etched fine enough to be followed without stumbling off onto the neighbor’s property. That helped as I inched forward, keeping my eyes combing both ahead and also to my boot tips.

I could see that the trail was being heavily used by deer, the animals’ hoof prints frequenting the soft soil and I knew also that turkeys travel this route. I’ve taken several birds from the path, both in the spring and in the fall.

But not today, with the only excitement coming from a deer that I had disturbed.
The animal gave a hearty cough, which sounds as much like a bark as anything else.

By the time I reached the property’s southern side and the trail turned again west to east I had covered a fair amount of real estate.

Now came the difficult part. This trail - more so than the other three legs - is badly overgrown with greenbriars and saplings along with being the repository for many fallen ash and other varieties of trees.

I was forced to make a number of detours around the blow downs and stickups. Once again I thanked my stars that I was experienced with this woodlot, otherwise I easily could have gone way off track.

As it was the trail was rough going and once more the sweat severely beaded up on my face and soaked my shirt and turkey-hunting vest.

Nearly two hours after hunting I broke out to the soybean field that edges the western side of the woodlot.

I had hoped that maybe a flock of turkeys would be there, taking its tithe in the form of seed pods. It was not to be and I finished the last hundred yards or so without spying any birds.

You might guess that I’m disappointed. Yeah, but only a smidgen. Up until a few days ago I wasn’t even intending on buying a fall turkey tag.

A late change of mind came when I thought about a few days I might opt to hunt turkeys; sandwiched between Ohio’s mixed-up waterfowl season split and before potential evening archery deer hunts.

I’ll be back in these woods in search of a turkey, though. Maybe when the leaves have finished pattering from above and the cold of approaching winter has both the turkeys and me more on edge.

Hunting is always a game of playing the odds. But at least I understand that the house does not always win.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

UPDATED: New time element for checking in harvested deer

2011-10-06T10:03:00.004-04:00

Ohio’s deer hunters have some new check-in rules which includes one that demands recording the kill by 11:30 p.m. on the of the animal’s expiration.

In the past the Ohio Division of Wildlife allowed hunters to check in their animals the following day.

Such a change could impact archery hunters who sit in their stands or ground blinds and then proceed to shoot a deer late in the day; sometimes too late to be recovered that same evening.

Yet these archery deer hunters may not be able to locate, tag and drag their deer until the following morning. This allows a fatally wounded animal an opportunity to lie down and die.

Otherwise a hunter that is feeling pressured may forge ahead, spooking the deer so that it runs off into the darkness, never to be retrieved.

However, the Ohio Division of Wildlife has taken this matter under consideration.

Hunters who are forced to wait until the following morning can tag the animal at that time, noting on the document that the deer was killed on the subsequent following morning and not the evening before, state wildlife officials say.

“No one knows when that deer actually died,” said Vicki Ervin, the Wildlife Division’s communications manager.

Ervin said also the agency took this possibility into account as it rewrote the rules in order to make them more applicable to the state’s new turkey- and deer-check-in system.

“Hunters that recover a deer the following day should report the harvest on the day they temporary tag the animal, and then complete automated game check-process and permanent tagging process by 11:30 p.m. that day,” Ervin said.

And hunters who are unable to recover a deer on the last day of a season, should inform their county wildlife officer or wildlife district office.
Which is good advice for any Ohio deer hunter with any question, says Tom Rowan, the Wildlife Division’s assistant chief.

“When in doubt you can call your county wildlife officer,” he said.

Also, a plus under the new check-in system is the ability to record a killed deer on a holiday such as Christmas or News Year’s Day when most check-in stations are closed.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Harbor Bait and Tackle begins new steelhead fishing derby

2011-10-06T08:30:00.000-04:00

The newly opened Harbor Bait and Tackle Shop (formerly D&W Bait and Tackle) in Painesville Township is primed and ready for its first-ever steelhead fishing derby.

And it is kicking off at what could be an excellent weekend of angling. The recent heavy rains and cool temperatures are almost certain to have brought in a slug of fish into the area's Lake Erie tributaries.

And though the Grand River may still be too high and muddy to fish well on Saturday and Sunday the other streams of Northeast Ohio will almost certainly see fishing.

That prospect includes the Chagrin River with potential all the way upstream to Cleveland Metroparks' South Chagrin Reservation, due almost exclusively to the failure this past spring of the low-head dam at Gates Mills Village.

Here are the rules for Harbor's Steelhead Fishing Derby:

1. May only enter fish caught upon hook and line and retrieved by rod and reel in a legal manner, as designated under the laws set by The State of Ohio within the waters and tributaries of Lake Erie. Entrants must possess a valid Ohio fishing license.

2. Entry fee is $15.00

3. Must be officially registered at least one day prior to fishing.

4. Fish must be weighed in fresh; fish that have been frozen will not be accepted.
5. Agrees to abide by official rules and regulations and agrees that failure to comply will result in automatic disqualification and forfeiture of all prizes and recognition as winner.

6. Is entitled to only one prize although contestant may enter one or more fish, if the succeeding fish is larger, the smaller will be withdrawn.

7. Agrees that in the event of a tie involving any of the winning positions, the prize money for those positions will be combined and distributed equally between the two entrants.

8. Agrees to hold the contest officials, sponsors, their agents, servants or employees harmless for any liability of any nature and kind for injuries and or damages suffered by the entrant during the contest period.

9. Weigh station (Harbor Bait and Tackle) Fish must be checked in during regular business hours. No fish shall be checked in after hours. Contest starts October 1st at 6 a.m. Contest ends March 31, 2012 at 5 p.m. Prize money will be awarded Sunday April 8, 2012 at 1 p.m.

10. 100-percent pay-back will be awarded to the top twenty places.

11. Steelhead entered over reasonable size (28 inches) may be entered. Weight and length combined will determine the winner on a point system (16 points per inch and
16 points per pound).

All entrants are subject to a polygraph test. All Judges’ decisions are final.

For further information, contact Donald H. Moore, 786 Richmond St., Painesville Township, phone - 440-354-8473, email - avadvisor50@live.com.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com

Will any ducks still be around for Ohio's season opener?

2011-10-05T08:56:00.000-04:00

The farm pond on Tuesday was strangely quiet, and just as weirdly, absent of the sight of any waterfowl of any kind.

That includes the ubiquitous Canada geese, which are always present on the pond.

With the start of Ohio's waterfowl hunting season on October 15, the lack of ducks and geese is somewhat disquieting.

And there appears to be good reason for the nagging doubts, too.

John Pogacnik, biologist with Lake Metroparks and himself an avid birder, has his own personal observations on the subject. As Pogacnik puts it, this past Saturday from his Lake Erie lakefront home he saw huge flocks of waterfowl of all kinds.

But on Sunday, nothing, he said.

Pogacnik said also that a birder friend of his visited Pennsylvania's Presque Isle State Park over the weekend to take in some birding opportunities.

On Saturday this birder made a personal best sighting of 745 pintail ducks along with an abundance of teal and other waterfowl species.

By Sunday?

"There wasn't a dappler duck to be seen," Pogacnik said.

It would appear that the weekend's cold front pushed many ducks through, the waterfowl stopping for some rest on Saturday before moving on sometime Monday.

That also could help explain why I heard several flocks of tundra swans passing overhead before dawn on Tuesday. Typically this species doesn't appear in our area until November; or late October at the earliest.

And a friend who owns a beaver swamp in Ashtabula County remarked Tuesday that though his marsh had a sizable flock of woodducks it was absent of any mallards or Canada geese. And that is not typical of this particular unit, either.

Yet waterfowlers know that their sport is almost universally based upon the weather, not just locally but up north and out west where most ducks and geese bred.
This weather-related dependance is true more so than for any other form of hunting except for perhaps that involving doves and woodcock.

How all of this will translate into hunting opportunities a week from Saturday is a anyone's guess and likely will keep area waterfowlers restless for the next 10 days.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Portman comes out politically swinging for gun owners' rights

2011-10-04T14:54:00.000-04:00

This, from the Buckeye Firearms Association regarding U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and his stance on Second Amendment issues.

Portman has kept a pretty much low profile compared Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) but continues to promote his conservative profile, especially when it comes to gun owners' rights.

This is the text of the Buckeye Firearms Association's take on Portman:

Sen. Rob Portman co-sponsors bill to prohibit Obama's ATF from tracking and cataloguing guns

According to a letter from Ohio's U.S. Senator Rob Portman, is co-sponsoring S.570, which would deny the ATF the funding it needs to enforce a new gun control policy.

"Thank you for taking the time to contact my office regarding gun tracking and cataloguing of guns by the Obama Administration. It is good to hear from you.

"As you know, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has enacted a regulation which requires 8,500 firearm dealers in California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas to file reports with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) on all sales of two or more semi-automatic rifles that are purchased within five consecutive business days by a single individual if the rifles are larger than .22 caliber and use detachable magazines. This regulation would include the most popular rifles, owned by millions of Americans for self-defense and hunting.

"I believe this new regulation involving rifle and shotgun sales along the Southwest Border limits Second Amendment rights and is yet another example of the Obama Administration's regulatory overreach. S.570, of which I am a cosponsor, would prohibit the government from using federal funds to enforce this regulation. In addition, this legislation would prohibit any tracking or cataloguing system by the DOJ.

"As you may know, I am a gun owner who believes in the right to bear arms in defense of self, family and property. During my 12 years serving in Congress, I received an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association for defending our Constitutional Rights. I opposed the so-called “assault weapons ban” and opposed the Brady Bill. I supported repealing both the Federal Assault Weapons Ban and the Washington, D.C. gun ban. I voted to protect the private information of gun owners; to protect state gun laws; and to protect firearm and ammunition manufacturers, dealers or importers from lawsuits and damages related to criminal misuse by a third party.

"Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. For more information, I encourage you to visit my website at www.portman.senate.gov. Please keep in touch."

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

best view of Autumn's arrival is from deer blind

2011-10-03T09:09:00.000-04:00

Morning was breaking cold with a sooty-black sky unfolding when the wind and the woods took up their conversation.

The former cautioned the latter to get its affairs in order. Autumn is coming, the wind spoke with some authority.

And the woods began to take note. Already some of the forest trees were shedding flakes of gold, crimson, and burnished copper. The fields, too, were converting their green tapestry for a more colorful bedspread that will dull to a muted brown within the next few weeks.

This is a changling time for the forests and fields. Between now and the end of the month they both will undergo a radical transformation. They will roll over from green to a riotous palette of color and then they will don their mourning cloaks until next spring.

I saw all of this, felt all of this as dawn’s fingers clawed their way through the woodlot. It is there where I’ve set up a fabric ground blind and an electronic feeder topped off with a tankard of shelled corn kernels.

The intent was simple: Kill a deer with my Horton crossbow. Nothing complex about the task, though in truth that is something of a lie.

There was the placement of the blind, the assembly of the feeder and the setting of its timer, twice a day with one seven-second deposit in the morning and another at around 6:30 p.m.

Then again, the site had to be picked in advance of their postings. That was done a couple of weeks ago when Steve - the property’s owner - and I had cruised the hardwood stand of trees in an effort to draw our attention to a likely deer-attracting station.

We believed we found what we were looking for, too. The blind was tucked into a shallow arc where four trees very nearly come together. Out ahead about 14 yards was positioned the game feeder.

Steve had said no one had hunted the woodlot in a few years. Just about everyone simply walked through it to get to “better” shooting grounds.

Yet the deer do come by this place. You can tell by their signature hoof prints that were left behind in the forest litter and mud.

Besides, just on the fringe of the woodlot is a logged-off section that deer seem to like to use as a bedding area.

So I was ready, me and my crossbow and assorted truck I had carried in an over-sized backpack originally designed for hike-in anglers.

And I waited, not being assured that a deer would even show up. All the corn laying on the ground underneath the feeder was a strong indicator that while deer may be occasionally visiting the hunting spot they weren’t doing it either with gusto or great frequency.

I doubted that the cool temperatures, brisk wind and steady rain mattered much for possible success, however. Deer, after all, have to live, eat, sleep and die in such conditions everyday.

Besides, Steve said that just the other day he saw four does worrying the corn pile that had accumulated underneath the feeder. That was the day he had shot a five-point buck. That fact alone indicated that his property is a busy way station for white-tails.

I tried to keep from becoming too bored. I leafed through the latest copy of “Bowhunter” magazine in-between glances out of the unzippered front window and the one that I had cracked a notch to my left.

No deer. And not much else, either. Oh, there was the fox squirrel that scoured the ground for the hickory nuts that had fallen. The squirrel took no note of either me or the blind as it combed the forest floor maybe 10 or 15 feet away.

A few crows cawed halfheartedly in the rain and the wind. And an odd flock or two of Canada geese honked their thoughts about the weather.

Maybe the critter with the most sense was a meadow vole, a something or another rodent that is often mistaken for a deer mouse.

The vole was perfectly content to stay within the shelter and relative safety of the blind. It hustled over some of the gear I had placed on the ground, but typical
for the species it would hollow out tunnels in the leaf material.

Every now and then the vole would stick its head out of the blind. There it would be struck by the cold, wet reality of the day. Just as quickly the vole would tuck itself back inside the blind and continue on with its interior construction project.

But again, no deer. And those were what I wanted.

Nearly all of the morning had slipped by when I decided to call it. Stiff from sitting still and my neck aching from cocking itself for the better part of several hours, I got up, stretched and unzipped the blind’s fly.

That got the vole’s attention, which panicked and vanished out of sight; no doubt to some chamber it had built for just such a purpose.

By all accounts the morning had been a failure. That is, if you post success based on a tally sheet consisting of the number of deer seen and whether one will be taken home for the freezer and the wall.

Maybe that’s how all of those sponsored television hunting shows judge success. Not me, at least not on this day.

I had listened in on the conversation between the wind and the woods and I had kept company with an entertaining little guest.

Yep, it was a fine and proper early autumn outing and I felt privileged to have been both an observer and a participant.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Fall turkey hunting a hit or miss proposition

2011-09-29T09:33:00.000-04:00

Ohio’s fall wild turkey hunters should find more than enough elbow room when the season starts Oct. 8.

Ohio has an estimate of 180,000 and 200,000 wild turkeys, which represent a slight decline from previous years. There are about 15,000 fall turkey hunters compared to around 75,000 spring turkey hunters.

“I suspect that there isn’t much of an interest in hunting turkeys in the fall; we’ve just not seen a tradition build up like you see in Pennsylvania and Virginia,” said Mike Reynolds, the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s biologist in charge of the state’s wild turkey management program.
“
It seems that our hunters would rather be in a tree stand, looking for a deer.”

Thus, the sale of fall turkey tags have continued to decline over the past several years. Last year, only 6,802 fall turkey permits were sold; a 11-percent drop from the previous year, Reynolds says.

“Fall turkey hunting really has to be something you enjoy,” Reynolds said. “Though, that being said we do have seven weeks of hunting opportunity.”

Discouraging was poor reproduction; tied for the lowest on record or 1.9 poults per hen, Reynolds said.

“However, in Northeast Ohio it was little better with 2.3 poults per hen,” Reynolds said.

And while the Wildlife Division observed a lot of poor nesting early on it does appear there was good renesting success, Reynolds said also.
“
Tthose birds will have a decent chance of surviving. That’s a good thing,” he said.

The bottom line, says Reynolds, is that hunters will have to spend some time “doing their homework and finding flocks of birds.”

Likewise, food sources will prove important for a prospective fall turkey hunter as well. While the state’s survey of the acorn crop has not been completed it is believed that the white oak production was poor though it appears to be good for red oak and black oak, Reynolds says.

“If you can’t find a grove with good acorn production then you’ll have to look for agricultural fields where the birds will feed. That actually may aid in locating turkeys,” Reynolds.

Reynolds reminds hunters that only one turkey per fall season can be killed but that the birds can be of either sex. During the spring season only bearded turkeys - almost always males - can be shot.

Similarly, hunters cannot kill birds over bait and they are required to buy a $24 fall wild turkey hunting permit in addition to a general hunting license. Spring permits are not valid during the fall season.

Hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until sunset and birds must be checked by 11:30 p.m., day of harvest. Dogs are legal to use during the fall season only.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Big or small, Bev's deer is a trophy/w Video

2011-09-28T14:54:00.000-04:00

It wasn’t a big deer but it was Bev’s deer and that is all that mattered.

A button buck, the deer came trotting out of the wood line to the left of the hunting blind; a well-built assembly of wood that more than comfortably seats two people.

Only I wasn’t hunting. Not initially, anyway.

Bev had first dibs if for no other reason than because she has fewer opportunities. A late Saturday afternoon for sure and maybe a weekday evening. Even that ceases once the clocks are inched back from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time.

And the fact that she was in some competition from the landowner’s family members only heightened her anxity. Especially since she knew that in three weeks we’d be hosting her father on an archery deer hunt and then another three weeks after that our son-in-law and Bev felt the push against the wall.

Besides, she didn’t shoot a deer last season, either by crossbow or by shotgun, though heaven knows she worked hard enough at it.

This time, Tuesday, yesterday, Bev was more than up for the task.

We settled in to the blind, Bev and me, she to jockey the Horton crossbow into a comfortable shooting position with the aid of a stabilizing mono-pod device.

As for me, I laid out my gear, spreading on a wooden sill a pair of binoculars, hard candy to keep the coughing at bay, a package of whole-wheat cheese crackers, a butane-fired bug repellent, a small bottle of water and a book about 50 species of fish an angler needs to catch before he dies. It’s an engaging book and I figured it would help me pass the time.

But I only had a little time to pluck a couple of entries; Eldorado from South America, Arctic grayling and some weird fish from Europe, if I recall properly. Can’t really be sure because the button buck didn’t give us much time.

Well, before the end of legal shooting time the deer trotted to the Moultree electronic game feeder from which I had poured a small pile of corn kernels just in case an animal came before the timer went off.

Good thing, too, as the button buck beat the timer by some 10 minutes.
Bev was careful, focusing her thoughts on the angle the arrow would take and ensuring that deer was standing perfectly broadside. With mechanical broadheads you have to wait for such a shot so that you don’t nick a bone and only wound the animal.

Bev had remembered her lessons well and her mind wheeled forward previous hunts, both good and bad.

When the deer was in position just so, Bev launched the arrow, the Horton crossbow sending the tool which entered and exited the deer in an eye blink.

The button buck didn’t travel very far, not even making it to the wood line.

Instead, the button buck died less than 75 yards from the blind, its blood pressure fatally dropping before it could vanish in the bush. That would have required a retrieval that might have demanded a hunt of its own.

All Bev had to do was tag it and drag it back to the blind. Oh, yes, she was required to perform this chore. That’s because it was my turn to see if I could arrow an animal of my own.

Exchanging locations in the press box from visitor to active duty, I eased my own Horton crossbow into the ready position, hoping for a mature doe to step up to the dinner plate.

Once more we did not have long to wait. Before we could say “venison chili,” first, one and then two and then, three deer showed up. Two were button bucks and the third was a sister of one of the boys, we assumed.

Since I was in no hurry with an entire archery season still in my future I didn’t shoot.

Neither did I when a three-point buck - with one antler shy of a fork - sashayed to the feeder.

No point in denying it, I was tempted to shoot the three-pointer. I didn’t, though, largely because my long-stated intention was to save as many deer as possible for my father-in-law and son-in-law to see and possible harvest themselves.

Problem was, however, that night was falling fast and the deer would not move any more than they paid the least whiff of attention to the now-dead button buck laying
less than 20 yards away and behind the wooden structure.

So Bev and I were stuck for the better part of 90 minutes and the deer would eat a few kernels of corn, amble away and then return for another bite or two. When the deer weren’t doing that they were investigating each other. Especially the fawn doe who took a particular interest in the three-point buck.

He was all macho. That is, until the big bruiser showed up just at the cusp of legal shooting time. Now that deer, maybe I would be a bit greedy on.

But the big bruiser - which had been seen several times on a trail camera positioned to blink on the blind when it detected motion - didn’t offer a shot.

Besides, evening had long since been swallowed up by nightfall. Which required that Bev and me had to wait until the deer had vaporized back into the woods before we could gather up our gear and move the button buck to a less busy intersection so it could be field dressed.

She looked down at her deer, commenting that, yes, it was a bit small.

You know what, though? I told her never you mind. She did an excellent job throughout and given how troubled she’s been about not connecting last year and the fear she would have few opportunities this season, why, you couldn’t ask for a finer trophy.

And a better platform from which to make tender venison roasts and steaks one could ask for.

I, for one, am as proud and pleased as all get out.

A video of the hunt - minus the actual kill shot - is available for viewing on The News-Herald's web site.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

License sales up at start of archery deer-hunting season

2011-09-27T16:29:00.000-04:00

After only two days of reporting data and Ohio’s archery deer hunting season numbers are looking good; maybe not great, but certainly, good.

The statewide weekend harvest for Sept. 24 and 25 stands at 3,821 animals.

While that kill is down some from the first two days of the 2010 archery season (4,157 deer) the weather has not been the most cooperative. Heat, humidity, thunderstorms and small stream flooding have not helped any.

With that being said, more general hunting licenses and deer tags have been sold to date than for the same period in 2010.

The current to-date number of general hunting licenses sold is 187,593 documents. Along with these licenses is the sale of 189,261 deer tags, a higher number since hunters can buy multiple deer tags.

In 2010 for the same period the Ohio Division of Wildlife sold 172,368 general hunting licenses and just 168,206 deer permits, reports the agency.

Ohio’s archery deer-hunting season is one of the longest and most liberal in the nation. The season began Sept. 24 and runs through Feb. 5.

Properly licensed hunters can kill multiple numbers of deer, based upon location (general deer hunting zones) in the state, urban deer hunting zones and other criteria.

However, hunters can shoot only one antlered animal regardless of method employed.

Last year the state’s archery hunters - numbering about 345,000 participants - killed 40,889 deer with longbows and 44,123 deer with crossbows.

State wildlife officials believe that hunters this year will kill between 85,000 and 90,000 animals out of a herd estimated at 700,000 to 720,000 animals.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com

Lake Metroparks controlled archery hunt off to slow start

2011-09-26T13:01:00.000-04:00

On the Lake Metroparks first-ever controlled archery deer hunt front, the weekend saw only one deer - a doe - get shot.

Park officials were on hand at the agency’s River Road Reservation in Madison Township to check on the hunters and their progress. These officials were somewhat surprised to see that one of the first 10 hunters selected for the lottery hunt was a no-show.

They were even more stunned when on Saturday the majority of the field left the woods with 60 to 90 minutes of legal shooting time still left.

Likewise the officials were chagrined to see that on Sunday evening fewer than four or five of the selected hunter stuck around after a thunderstorm passed to finish out the second day of hunting.

And a couple of hunters said they passed on animals, not wanting to launch an arrow the first thing out of the gate.

However, the purpose of the hunt is not just to provide recreational opportunities but to assist in reducing the deer herd at the 492-acre reserve.

By not showing, by leaving the field early, and by passing on deer the program won’t achieve its goal of helping to relieve the area in and around the River Road Reservation site of too many deer.

Such inactivity could put into question the future of the program.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Area Friends of NRA make donation to local Boy Scout pack

2011-09-26T12:58:00.000-04:00

The Western Reserve Friends of NRA was able to help Boy Scout Troop 75, St. Mary's of the Assumption in Mentor.

This Scouting group was able to purchase a left hand Anschutz target rifle to be used in their youth shooter program.

The WRFNRA is one of 1100 local committees across the United States Counties. Every year in May, they sponsor a fund raiser.

Fifty percent of the proceeds go back into the community for projects and programs that promote firearms and hunting safety, marksmanship skills, and educate the general public about firearms in their historic, technological, and artistic context; or contribute to the general well-being of the public at large.

The other fifty-percent goes into national programs for youths and others.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Fog, seasonal temperatures - one goof - for today's archery deer opener

2011-09-24T12:14:00.000-04:00

Yikes, even before I could slip into my ground blind I found that I had made my first mistake of Ohio's archery deer-hunting season.

The four-month-long season began this morning 30 minutes before sunrise. And when I pulled into the parking area at the end of the tractor lane I discovered my error; having rushed out of the house with Bev's deer-hunting backpack instead of mine.

I had spent the past several days sorting through my archery tackle, knives, compasses, field cleaning gear, flashlights, face masks, gloves, hats, and all of the other truck that a hunter assembles, believing they are essentials. Or not, but one can never be certain so it's always better to play it safe.

Now I was stuck with Bev's backpack. At least it contained a camo face mask, mesh camo gloves and a hunting cap, tough that item, is well, sort of a girly-girl hat. At least it was the proper color for wearing inside a fabric ground blind (black) and it did fit my larger, bald, head.

Likewise I was relieved to know that I had not yet slipped my deer tags and landowner permission slip into my backpack. That meant I could stuff them all into a plastic lunch bag and then tuck the whole affair down into one of my hunting pant's side pockets.

Arranging the gear once inside the blind I fiddled with the pockets of the unfamiliar backpack, extracting what I thought I needed if and when a deer were to arrive at the feeder.

All was ready only a few minutes before legal hunting time arrived. All, however, except for enough light to see. The woods were not just drippy with dew and anchored rain residue they were darkened by still very much alive foliage.

It was at least 15 minutes into the morning before I felt confident enough that should a deer come calling there would be enough light to target the animal.

None showed, though. At least no deer. Instead, a couple of cardinals, a nuthatch, one red squirrel and a seemingly entire herd of chipmunks were enjoying the free meal of shelled corn.

The blind was comfortable enough. Maybe even too comfortable. My head kept bobbing and increased the tempo as the morning lingered on.

When the game feeder's digital timer awoke the machinery that spat out the corn kernels a chipmunk that was feeding underneath almost died of fright. I swear the poor little guy rocketed so high he very nearly hit his head on the feeder's electronic motor.

My hope was that the feeder going off would become the breakfast bell for any deer within earshot. That happens often with such devices. But not this morning.

There were no visitations from any deer, at least from none while I had manned the hunting station.

After almost three hours I reassembled the gear, hoping that I had properly placed everything back where Bev had originally stored them. We'll find out this evening when I take her hunting at different location.

On the return walk it was clear to see that the field's grass was still thickly wet with dew and I simply retraced my original footprints back to my car. In several more weeks this trail will be etched in snow; a sobering thought on how quickly a hunting season progresses.

I've had better morning hunts at this location and I might yet at some point. But you won't find me complaining one bit.

I was thrilled to have had the opportunity to enjoy a morning wake-up call in the woods, listening to the wet woods drip its symphony, hear the chatter of irate red squirrels and chipmunks and watch in anticipation of a deer materializing out of the thick brush and fog.

It was enough for me this morning just to have been so blessed.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

All the work comes into play with tomorrow's archery season opener

2011-09-23T10:26:00.000-04:00

It is now D-Day-Minus One as tomorrow marks the start of Ohio’s long archery deer-hunting season.

For nearly two months I’ve been preparing for this season. Maybe a bit too much.
Certainly more than I have in the past, and that has me pretty tired all ready.

There are even a couple of unresolved details to iron out. Included is the need to stuff my go-to backpack with all of the essentials for a couple-hour stint to be spent in one of my three grounds blinds.

Yep, you read that correctly, three blinds, each located in a separate county and each accompanied by a Moultree electronic game feeder. And they are each filled with 200 pounds of shelled corn.

The first blind/feeder unit was made operational in August, the second on Labor Day and the third, just yesterday.

I even posted a trail camera at the first site, the camera not exactly an expensive model. It is good enough, however, to have captured reoccurring images of several deer. Among them have been a four-point, a six-point, and an eight-point buck.

Along with a few does and their respective tribe of fawns, some of which have yet to fully lose their spots.

Not to worry, neither Bev (my wife) nor I intend to shoot a spotted fawn.

Oh, yes, I did mention Bev, didn’t I? If I haven’t she is one of the reasons for the placement of three deer-hunting ground blinds. There exists a need to diverse the opportunities.

Then too, not only will I be assisting Bev I’ve also pledged time to my 83-year-old father-in-law who has booked a flight next month from his Florida home. He wants very much to shoot a deer with one of my Horton crossbows, having failed to connect during last year’s acorn-rich archery season.

And my son-in-law is arriving from his home base in Tennessee to hunt with me as well. That week-long effort will commence during the second week of November, right at the tag end of the rut.

Gabe fashions using his new Matthews compound bow instead of one of my Horton crossbows. That’s fine by me.

Even so, I’ve had to get ready some more deer-hunting stations to accommodate the added task of enabling both my father-in-law and son-in-law to hunt. So I’ve placed both morning stands and evening stands, complete with their own game feeders, fabric ground blind,s folding camp chairs and other amenities.

As one friend opined; I’m not just a hunting guide, I’ve become an outfitter. Fair enough, I think.
S
ure it’s been a lot of work to get ready for Saturday’s four-month-long archery deer-hunting season. I’ve had to not only buy and assemble two of the Moultree feeders I’ve also had to purchase another ground blind and haul 50-pounds bags of corn to the feeders.
Likewise, each week or so I’ve exchanged the camera’s digital card in order to see what kind of activity is around the one feeder.

In examining the images I’ve seen not only deer but also wild turkeys, squirrels, crows and Canada geese elbowing their way to the feeders. On two occasions I’ve also recorded the appearance of a coyote which has sniffed at the mineral block that I placed on the outskirts of the game feeder.

Not lost either is how I’ve played around with two of my Horton crossbows, tweaking their optics so the instrument can shoot dead-on at a deer. That even meant me buying a new style of aluminum arrow along with Rage mechanical broadheads, recommended by fellow News-Herald reporter and deer hunter, John Kampf.

Anyway, just about all of the work is finished with the backpack to be filled this evening with the items that I’ve pulled out for the occasion.

The season’s been a long time in coming and my plan is to hit the woods before daylight. That is, if I’m not too exhausted from all of the preparatory work, in which case I’ll simply roll over in bed tomorrow morning when the alarm goes off.

Hey, I’ve got until February 5.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com

Bass Pro Shops Responds To Federal Discrimination Charges

2011-09-22T08:08:00.000-04:00

Accused of racial discrimination, Bass Pro Shops responds, firing its own salvo against the federal government.

Here is the text of the response from Bass Pro Shops, a leading national outdoors chain and mail order firm that specializes in hunting, fishing, camping, boating and outdoors equipment as well as firearms and fishing tackle.

SPRINGFIELD, MO (September 21, 2011) – Bass Pro Shops denied allegations by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that the company discriminated against African American and Hispanic applicants in its employment practices and that it retaliated against any employees.

“The EEOC’s allegations are contrary to our profound respect for and commitment to our team of experienced and knowledgeable associates, and we are determined to prove them wrong,” said Mike Rowland, Vice President-Human Resources. Respect for our associates and our customers is central to the mission of our company, and it has been a key contributor to our success.

Issues regarding discrimination and retaliation are taken very seriously by the company. Bass Pro has long been committed to full compliance with laws against employment discrimination and retaliation, and has policies and procedures to assure compliance with those laws. When violations are discovered, as is inevitable in any large organization with thousands of employees, they are promptly and firmly addressed.

Bass Pro said it is extremely disappointed by the EEOC’s decision to take action. “The company has cooperated with the EEOC throughout its investigation, providing extensive documentation and numerous witnesses,” said Mr. Rowland. Bass Pro vigorously denies the EEOC’s allegations that the Company engaged in unlawful document destruction. It is our policy to retain all documents required by law. “We provided more than 250,000 pages of documents to the EEOC,” Mr. Rowland said.

“Despite our cooperation, the EEOC made unrealistic demands during conciliation. The EEOC cannot or will not tell us the basis for the analysis they claim to have conducted,” he said. “Fundamental fairness and good faith should require that the EEOC reveal the evidence on which its claims are based before filing a lawsuit that will be long, expensive and disruptive.”

“This investigation and the EEOC’s conduct demonstrate a troubling tendency by the EEOC to stereotype those who love outdoor sports and support conservation as people who unlawfully discriminate or oppose equal opportunity for all,” Mr. Rowland said.

For example, EEOC staff investigators have suggested on several occasions that because Bass Pro sponsors a NASCAR race team the company is more likely to discriminate against minorities.

In addition, the EEOC staff raised questions about Bass Pro’s policy against hiring convicted felons, claiming it discriminates against certain minority groups, even though federal regulations prohibit convicted felons from handling firearms, and Bass Pro sells firearms, ammunition and explosives.

“Bass Pro has long been a significant supporter of numerous youth development and conservation programs that give outdoor opportunities to inner-city diverse youth. As we challenge these unfair and unfounded charges, we want to assure the millions of people from all walks of life who visit our stores annually that Bass Pro will continue to provide the one-of-a-kind experience they have come to expect,’’ Mr. Rowland said. “And we will do so while fully complying with the law.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

From the Associated Press: Bass Pro sued for racial discrimination in hiring

2011-09-21T16:46:00.000-04:00

Bass Pro sued for racial discrimination in hiring

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Posted: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 12:39 pm | (31) Comments

HOUSTON, Texas - The federal government has sued national outdoor retail chain Bass Pro Outdoor World alleging racial discrimination in its hiring practices dating back to 2005.

The Equal Opportunity Commission, a federal agency charged with enforcing anti-discrimination laws in employment, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Houston on Wednesday.

The lawsuit alleges that qualified African-Americans and Hispanics were routinely denied positions at Bass Pro stores and managers of stores in Houston, Louisiana and other locations made derogatory racial comments acknowledging the practice.

The commission also alleges that Bass Pro destroyed documents related to applications and internal discrimination complaints and retaliated against those who spoke up.

A spokesman for Springfield, Mo.-based Bass Pro Shops said the company had not yet reviewed the lawsuit.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_dd058cf6-e478-11e0-858b-001a4bcf6878.html#ixzz1YccTikxc

Wildlife Division increases online deer check-in system options

2011-09-21T09:01:00.001-04:00

The Ohio Division of Wildlife has tweaked its new online deer check-in system with the intention of assisting computer nerds who also hunt.

Along with the computer updates the Wildlife Division also is suggesting a method using pencil and paper to keep track of the permanent numbers assigned to each harvested deer.

Ohio’s four-month long archery deer hunting season begins Saturday with the various firearms hunts still on the horizon.

Each successful deer hunter must obtain an assigned permanent number that is to be written on the general deer tag form. One copy stays with the meat and the other copy stays with the head and hide. The temporary tag can be discarded or kept for personal recording purposes.

The system was recently updated with a number of improvements that will simplify game-check transaction processing, give hunters access to more self-serve options, and provide customer service personnel with additional tools. These improvements are:

n Text Message Confirmation: Hunters who report their harvest via telephone (IVR process) will be given the option of receiving a text message confirmation. The text message includes the permanent tag number. However, the Wildlife Division does not have the ability to resend the text message confirmation.

n Email Confirmation: If the individual’s email address is on file, an email confirmation will be sent after a hunter successfully completes a game-check transaction. The email is not sent in real time. It could take as long as 8 hours to arrive. Keep in mind that SPAM/security settings can prevent the customer from receiving the email. Again, the Wildlife Division does not have the ability to resend an email confirmation.

n One Permit, One Permanent Tag Number: The WOCRMS system will prevent hunters from using the same permit to check multiple deer/turkey.

Lost/Misplaced Permanent Tag Number: If a hunter loses or misplaces his/her permanent tag number, or is unsure about the status of his game-check transaction, he/she has a number of options:

n Call 1-877-TAGITOH (1-877-824-4864) and enter the permit number. The IVR system will inform the hunter that the permit has already been used and repeat the permanent tag number associated with that permit. (This service is available at all hours of the day, every day.)

n Log on to wildohio.com. Click “Wild Ohio Customer Center”, click on “Manage Your Account”. Hunters can access their “Customer Account”, view their game-check history and reprint harvest receipts (permanent tag numbers). This service is available at all hours of the day, evey day.

n Call 1-800-WILDLIFE. Select Wildlife Division employees will have access to the system profiles. WebAdmin users can perform a customer search, click on the “Harvest Tab”, and see all game-check activity for that particular customer. In addition, WebAdmin users can now reprint harvest receipts and/or email the harvest receipt (PDF) to the customer.

n License Agents can not reproduce harvest receipts once the game-check transaction is finished. In other words, as soon as the hunter walks away from the counter, he/she must follow the steps described previously in order to obtain the permanent tag number.

And if a hunter loses his/her permanent tag, then they should still have the temporary tag if they didn’t dispose of it after permanently checking their game, says Jamey Graham, public information specialist for the Wildlife Division’s Northeast Ohio office in Akron.

“A ‘journal’ of tag numbers can be especially helpful too for hunters who take multiple deer and wish to keep track that way as a backup,” Graham said.

Hunters likewise are reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure that their hunting licenses and tags are properly protected from the elements. This is particularly true for either the temporary or permanent deer tag after it’s been affixed to the animal.

On a suggestion from a Wildlife Division staffer I purchased a 10-pack of clear employee identification holders. These holders easily can contain a tag and protect it from the elements.

What’s more the holder has two holes which can be used to tie or bind the product and its deer tag to the animal. I like using plastic cable bundle ties.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com

Waterfowl band reporting program undergoes digital change

2011-09-20T10:37:00.000-04:00

Part of the paper trail for banded duck and geese is coming to an end.

No longer will waterfowlers who shoot a duck or a goose that is outfitted with an aluminum leg band receive a postal card that details when, where the bird was shot or found.

This follows in the foot steps of the federal government discontinuing years ago the need to mail in the band number. Now the band is inscribed with a toll-free number which the successful hunter calls and provides some basic harvest information.

Of course, aluminum leg bands are highly prized trophies for waterfowl hunters who often add them to their duck/goose call lanyards.

In an effort to save even more dollars the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Lab has discontinued replying with a printed, mailed-back postal card.

Now the successful hunter will provide his or her email address which will then become the portal whereby the Bird Banding Lab will furnish the same information.

This information will come in a form that can be downloaded and kept as a memento - similar in some regards to the certificate that Fish Ohio applicants can run off on their home computers.

Annually, upwards of 200,000 ducks and 150,000 geese are fitted with aluminum I.D. leg bands, says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
F
or further information or to report a band, visit www.reportband.gov.

Band numbers likewise can be called in via a toll-free number typically inscribed on the band: 800-327-BAND.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Cheating danger exists for new deer check-in system

2011-09-19T09:28:00.002-04:00

Some state wildlife officials are quietly expressing concern that the new deer registration process will allow for easier cheating of recording animals that are killed.

Along with the computerized online system now being employed to issue fishing and hunting licenses, the system likewise establishes the checking of a killed white-tail by phoning in the information or by using a home computer.

Successful hunters also can stop at a license-issuing agent who will perform the chore in the same fashion.

Under the program deer hunters are issued a paper document which must be protected against the elements. The first section is the “temporary” tag that must be affixed to the deer’s carcass before moving.

At some point - even from the field - the successful hunter can call in or log on and provide some basic information.

After that process is completed the hunter is issued a permanent deer tag number. This number is then inscribed on two detachable forms, one of which must always accompanying the hide and head and the other required to accompanying the meat.

However, of concern is that an unscrupulous hunter could photo-copy the entire deer tag prior to being used and then simply re-record the same permanent deer tag number on any and all subsequent bogus documents.

And unless a county wildlife officer or a game processor checks each multi-digit permanent deer permit number to verify authenticity, the poacher could get away with committing a crime.

“It’s entirely feasible and it is very likely that the person would get away with it unless an officer checks the tag at some point,” said one Ohio Division of Wildlife official who asked not to be identified. “That same guy is probably cheating the system now, though.”

Yet it is something that the Wildlife Division intends to keep an eye on, also says Mike Tonkovich, the agency’s chief white-tail deer management biologist.

Tonkovich says he and his crew will be following the deer kill figures closely to see if any anomalies crop up that would indicate any widespread cheating under the new deer check-in system at: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Default.aspx?tabid=20384

“We’ll have to compare harvest figures with other indices, like deer killed on highways and bow hunter observations,” Tonkovich said.

Still, the new system benefits hunters by making it much easier to check in a deer - and that’s a good thing, said Steve Madewell, executive director of Lake Metroparks and himself a dedicated deer hunter.

“Finally, good hunters are being accommodated without the fear that someone may be cheating,” Madewell said.

“I think it’s great and I’m happy to see that the Division of Wildlife has moved into the 21st Century. We need to be doing more to make it easier for people to go afield and hunt and fish.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Lake Metroparks archery deer hunt orientation today goes well

2011-09-18T16:30:00.000-04:00

Nearly 80 lucky hunters gathered in Madison Township this afternoon to hear how Lake Metroparks’ first-ever controlled archery-only hunt is going to work for them.

The hunters were selected for the hunt last Friday in a random drawing. The names of another group of applicants were also drawn and these selectees will become alternates should one or more of the first 80 not qualify to hunt, fail to attend a required orientation meeting, fail to pass an archery proficiency test or decides not to hunt.

Among those attending this afternoon’s first orientation session was Christine Passerallo of Mentor.

Almost without question Passerallo will be eligible for one of the hunt’s 10, two-week slots. These hunts are set for Lake Metroparks’ 492-acre River Road Reservation in Madison Township.

“My husband is crying that I got picked and he didn’t,” Passerallo said. “I think I’ll let him be my guest so he can drag out my deer.”

Passerallo showed off her paper target used for the mandatory proficiency test.
Consisting of a piece of paper with a 7-inch diameter ring, the target must be hit by either four of five arrows or eight of 10 arrows at a distance of 12 yards.

The target that Passerallo clutched had four of five holes touching each other in the bull’s-eye while the last arrow hole was less than two inches to the southwest of the target’s ground zero.
She used a Horton Legend 175 crossbow to obtain her near perfect score.

“I’ve hunted before but I’ve never killed a deer so I’m very excited,” Passerallo said also.

Excited too was Tom Fleming of Perry who entered the drawing because he no longer could archery hunt on a piece of property that he had permission to do so for many years.

“It’s a good program and I’m surprised I was selected,” Fleming said.

Each orientation selectee was instructed that the wearing of a blaze orange-colored hat or vest was required. So to did the agency personnel encouraged hunters to carry a cell phone, a signal whistle, and a flashlight.

Likewise both the hunter and his - or, her - guest are mandated to wear a safety harness. Similarly, the participants were reminded that they must pass the proficiency test, which many of the attendees had done.

Which was good for at least nine of them since they were drawn for the first two-week session that begins Saturday.

However, one of those who entered the lottery and was selected and then also picked to be in the first group never showed up this afternoon. That meant he would be replaced by the 11th person in line and would move down the pecking order until her does complete the qualification requirement.

Many of the orientation attendees asked questions of the Lake Metroparks staff with Tom Adair - the agency’s natural resources manager, and Mike Burko, the agency’s chief ranger, doing most of the talking and nearly all of the answering.

Adair noted that all hunters must sign in and sign out prior to the start of the day’s hunt while Burko explained that the parks system expects to allow hunters to enter the woods at 5 a.m., daily.

Following the orientation the participants were encouraged to take a map and walk the grounds to the various supplied two-person “buddy” tree ladder stands that also come with filled electronic game feeders.

A video of the orientation meeting is available for viewing on The News-Herald’s web site, www.news-herald.com.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Lake Metroparks picks participants in controlled archery hunt lottery

2011-09-16T14:21:00.000-04:00

The successful applicants for Lake Metroparks’ first-ever controlled archery-only deer hunts have been selected.

Keyed by an assigned number instead of by name, the list of these 80 applicants is now available on line at bit.ly/lmpwildlifemanagement

In all, 414 applications were received for the controlled hunts at Lake Metroparks' River Road Reservation in Madison Township.

From this group a lottery was held with 80 applicants picked, each of whom will hunt during two-week slots throughout Ohio's archery deer-hunting season. The make-up will be 10 hunters per session.

The parks system has supplied both two-person ladder stands along with electronic game feeders primed with shelled corn.

Another 60 applicants were selected as alternates. Should for any reason one of the 80 originally selected hunters fail to qualify at a required archery proficiency test, decide not to hunt for any reason or quit early, the next available alternate will be selected.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

ODNR Puts On Best Face After Losing State Supreme Court Case

2011-09-16T11:24:00.001-04:00

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is trying to wear the best face after being placed on the losing end of a state Supreme Court decision.

On Wednesday the state’s seven Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled that private property owners hold deed and title to where their dry land meets Lake Erie.

Ohio and a cadre of environmental groups had fought all the way up to the State Supreme Court that the state owned land up to the high-water mark.

Such a position meant that private property owners could not restrict access to their beaches and were compelled to lease submerged land in order to construct things like erosion control devices, piers and boat slips.

Now, at least, these private property owners can post “No Trespassing” signs and keep people from wandering up and down the beach, sometime partying and sometimes littering.

“We welcome the court’s clarification and ruling in the case,” said Natural Resources Department spokeswoman Laura Jones. “We look forward to renewing our efforts to improve and streamline the permitting process as it relates to submerged lands.”

Jones said the agency does acknowledge private property rights and also desires to work cooperatively with the business community.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Early goose season came and went too quickly

2011-09-16T09:10:00.000-04:00

And just like - poof! - it was over; the first hunting season of the new hunting year vanished into the memory box.

Of course the early Canada goose-only hunting season is not a long one at only 15 days. Still, you’d expect the time to slip by with a little less greasy speed.

It didn’t. And the longer I hunt the shorter the seasons seem to get.

There were some similarities between this year’s start of the early goose season and the final day. Then too, the days showed some distinctions as well.

Both saw rain falling; a lot of it on September 1 though not quite as much on September 15; enough, however, that I could not drive around the farm pond to the blind. The ground was soft following the previous evening showers and I didn’t want to tear up the landowner’s turf.

So my two Labrador retrievers - Berry and Millie - and I hoofed the couple hundred yards around the pond, over its dam and to a makeshift blind built of burlap, plywood and PVC pipe.

It may not be much to look at (and it’s not) but the blind has covered me enough to have fooled more than a few Canada geese over its several years of life.

Add one more bird to the pot. Hardly had the three of us settled in when a single goose shot straight across the pond’s cove and made a beeline to my family setting of five goose decoys. Some music played on two acrylic goose calls was all the invitation the loner needed to pitch in.

It was a race to see which retriever would make it first to the dead goose now laying in the water. Berry might be older but she’s also wiser and knew what to expect. She beat Millie to the prize by less than a second.

For her part Millie backed up Berry, helping the elder to push the goose to the shore.

The gunfire also had awakened the interest of the landowner’s own two Labradors which were now racing around the pond and making their way to the blind.

Now I had four Labradors to keep me company. I don’t mind. The landowner’s dogs have proven worthy companions in the past and have also been my dogs’ playmates when the birds aren’t flying and there’s not much else for them to do.

On this, the season’s last day, playtime was a big deal. Birds were flying, but stirred by whatever motivation that their instincts dictated.

Twice single geese came ever-so-close to passing over the blind. They didn’t, though both Berry and Millie paid rapt attention to their passing.

The landowner’s dogs, not so much. They were perfectly happy to curl up on the blind’s wooden floor and tuck up against my legs rather than keep watch for a marauding goose.

Every now and then a flock of geese would pass out in the distance. None of them showed the slightest interest in the pond and its decoys. Once again, they had their bird brain-sized heads made up and it didn’t involve being shot at by me.

The rain would come and go, more go than come, as it turned out. The oily coats of all the dogs collected small droplets of rainwater. Millie and Berry were too busy either watching or playing to notice while the landowner’s two dogs were too occupied with resting to care.

I continued to keep watch, of course. I didn’t want a goose come silently sneaking in on me, which has happened more than once.

Even so, I was caught off guard but not by any goose. Instead a five-pack of blue-wing teal darted across the farm pond’s far side, gunned their way out of sight, reversed direction and roared (if I can be forgiven for using this term) across the top of my decoys at maybe 25 yards distant.

Before I could react the teal were here, there and gone. Not that it mattered since my over-under shotgun contained two rounds of BB-shot goose loads; way too much muscle for duck-dom’s smallest member.

In the past the flights of birds throttled back around 9:30 or 10 a.m. At least they do during the early season before the migrants come pouring south and the
weather turns delightfully sour.

By 10 a.m. the geese stopped flying completely. With a heavy mist dripping from the sky I packed up the gear I had assembled for the past 15 days. Double checking to ensure that nothing was being left behind and that the blind was in fine shape when the general waterfowl season starts up in another month, I then ushered the four retrievers and piloted them around the pond and to my awaiting SUV.

The landowner’s dogs I would drop off at the house, giving each a pig ear treat as always is my custom.

It had been a so-so early goose season if you count only the number of birds that I took (four, to be exact).

And it was sad in a way that the season raced by all too quickly. But the end held the promise of more days to come, days that have turned cooler with just the right hint of autumn color beginning to touch the trees.

I’m not trying to wish my life away but I’m all ready eager for October 15 to arrive when once again it will be me, my dogs, a farm pond and goose or two interested in a small flock of decoys and some reasonably okay calling. Yes, sir, those are going to be fine days, you can bet on it.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

"Save to computer" rewards anglers and hunters looking to replace licenses

2011-09-14T08:45:00.001-04:00

Jason Keller, the state wildlife officer assigned to Lake County, has a better way to replace a lost or damaged fishing/hunting license.

And it will legally save someone $4, too, Keller says.

However, to do so means that a license holder will have to go on-line first to purchase his or her permit instead of visiting a license-issuing outlet.

Keller says it’s not cheating, either, but is simply a new way of doing things based on emerging technology with hunters and anglers finally catching up to all of the electronic equipment gizmo changes.

The bottom line is that if you purchase a license, save the data to the hard drive of your computer under an Adobe PDf file, Keller said and who was second by another Ohio Division of Wildlife official.

“We were very well aware of this going in, but we don’t know how many people are actually doing it,” said Kory Brown, the Wildlife Division official in charge of implementing the agency’s new on-line license-issuing system.

To date the Wildlife Division has sold about 1.25 million licenses, permits and stamps of all kinds. Of this about 145,000 have been general hunting licenses, Brown said.

“The Friday and Saturday before the start of the archery season we’ll sells thousands of deer permits, like what we see the weekend before the start of the firearms deer-hunting season,” Brown said. “There will be a huge push of hunting license sales; there always is.”

Brown did say also that the Wildlife Division is giving thought for next year of allowing hunters and anglers to obtain duplicate licenses at no cost.

“It’s something that we are looking at,” Brown said.

As for the licenses and permits being bought this year, hunters especially “really need to understand that they’ll have to protect their deer tags before, during and after the hunt,” Brown says.

That is because the paper being used by issuing agents is no more waterproof than the standard ream paper used for home computer printing machines.

“I personally use a Zip-lock-type little plastic I.D. holder that actually has a hole in it that can be used with a string,” Brown said. “You can get these at most office supply stores.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Scott Zody: All the work as ODNR interim director but only half the glory

2011-09-12T12:49:00.000-04:00

Scott Zody’s executive bicycle has its training wheels in place as he assumes the duties of interim director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Zody took over from David Mustine a short while back. That change of command came when Mustine switched gears to focus his energies on implementing exploration of oil and gas development in the state as a means of job creation.

Yet even as the Natural Resources Department’s interim director Zody says he can affect change, noting that the Department has a “lot of issues.”

“That includes getting staff in place for the permitting and inspection of oil and gas drilling as a result of the passage of Senate Bill 165,” Zody said.

The bill Zody is referring to up-dates several key areas of the state’s oil and gas drilling regulations. Among the rules being looked at are the ones that apply to the siting and placement of oil/natural gas wells and related production pipelines, Zody says.

“We’re also going to be aggressive with what’s happening at Grand Lakes St. Marys and Lake Erie’s Western Basin as it relates to nitrogen loading that has caused large algae blooms,” Zody said.

Of concern also is the need to have a staff large enough and capable enough to get the job done. That might prove somewhat tricky as both the state legislature and the public are using electronic microscopes whenever an agency hires someone.

In fact, state Rep. Ron Young, R-Leroy Township, is in the process of introducing legislation that will implement a temporary hiring freeze until the state government workforce is reduced by 10 percent.

“We are adding folks to the oil and gas side because we are expecting additional work there but in most cases we’re doing some hiring but we’re not expanding,” Zody said.

Zody said as well that the Natural Resources Department has a task force in place with the state-mandated goal of examining efficiencies related to the state’s county soil and water conservation districts.

“That was created by the legislature as part of the budget bill,” he said.

When it comes to the Wildlife Division, Zody says one major goal is a continuing look at the now operational electronic hunting/fishing license issuing system. The effort, says Zody, is to ensure the smooth issuance of licenses and permits and the working out of “bugs.”

And Ohio Division of Wildlife chief David Lane is in the process of getting his new assistant chiefs in place, Zody said as well.

“He also is tasked with internal issues; refocusing the agency’s mission and looking at the way things have been done and then come up with new ways of doing things; different things,” Zody said.

For the Division of Parks and Recreation, the Natural Resources Department wants to see if there are any partnerships out there that can be tapped in order to aid the cash-strapped parks division, Zody said.

“We’re open to anything that people are willing to explore; whether that means a county park district taking over a park either temporarily or even permanently,” Zody said. “In looking at the condition that the state budget and the ODNR both are in we must be opened to new and different ideas.”

Thus, says Zody, the Natural Resources Department must become “pro-active” by working with such local groups as Lake Metroparks and the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.

As for his own future, Zody said whether he keeps the director’s chair warm for only a short while or settles in for the long haul is largely out of his hands.

“I am here to serve but I think anyone would be honored to be the director of the ODNR, and I appreciate the governor asking me to do it, even on an interim basis,” Zody said. “It certainly would be something I’d be interested in but we’ll see what develops from there

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-herald.com”

2011 Northcoast National Gunslingers Championship winners

2011-09-12T11:37:00.002-04:00

2011 Northcoast National Gunslingers Championship

Results; Title; Mens Div. Womens Div.

1. Fireball Phil Classic; 1^st- Harry Ballengee – Greenville, Oh. Laura Campbell - Quincy, Oh.

2^nd- Ron Zimmerman – Wellington, Oh. Melinda DeCosta - Lancaster, Pa.

3^rd- Ron Paul Duning - Willowick, Oh. Sue Zimmerman - Wellington, Oh.

2. Shooters Choice Open; Howard Shingler - Holtwood, Pa. Melinda DeCosta -Lancaster, Pa.

Ron Zimmerman - Wellington, Oh. Suzie Searls - Norwalk, Oh.

Harry Ballengee - Greenville, Oh. Laura Campbell - Quincy, Oh.

3. Gunny’s Hall Open; Harry Ballengee - Greenville, Oh. Melinda DeCosta - Lancaster, Pa.

Ron Zimmerman - Wellington, Oh Carol Semuniak - Cleveland, Oh

Paul Elliott - Rome, Oh. Sue Zimmerman - Wellington,Oh.

4. Fastest Guns On Earth; Traditional; Howard Shingler (.292 sec.) Melinda DeCosta (.352 sec.)

Ron Zimmerman (.302 sec.) Laura Campbell (.381 sec.)

Terry Campbell (.323 sec.) Sue Zimmerman (.473 sec.)

Open; Ron Paul Duning (.271 sec.) Melinda DeCosta (.322 sec.)

Howard Shingler (.285 sec.) Laura Campbell (.381 sec.)

Ron Zimmerman (.303 sec.) Michelle Buser (.435 sec.)

Unlimited; Howard Shingler (.276 sec) Melinda DeCosta (.329 sec.)

Ron Paul Duning (.284 sec.) Laura Campbell (.392 sec.)

Ron Zimmerman (.304 sec.) Michelle Buser (.443 sec.)

5. Worldwide Double Gun; 1^st Howard Shingler – Holtwood, Pa.

2^nd Bill Sajovic - Mentor, Oh.

3^rd Melinda DeCosta - Lancaster, Pa.

6. Showdown; 1^st James Burdette - Mentor, Oh.

2^nd Garrett Harmon - Wellington, Oh.

3^rd Tom Crawford - Martin, Oh.

7. Rolling Thunder 3 gun; 1^st Howard Shingler - (7.20 sec.)

2^nd Ron Paul Duning - (10.66 sec.)

3^rd Ron Zimmerman - (12.84 sec.)

8. NORTH COAST NATIONAL OVERALL TOP GUNS;

Mens Division; Harry Ballengee - Greenville, Oh.

Womens Division; Melinda Decosta – Lancaster, Pa

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Eastlake's Roger Marin leads all-Lake County winning PerchFest field

2011-09-11T20:25:00.001-04:00

Eastlake's Roger Merin led an all-Lake County field to take the top three positions in the annual weekend-long PerchFest fishing derby.
The contest concluded today with Marin's five fish averaging 12.71 inches each and a squeaker of enough length to win first place over Mentor's Don Wank. Wank's five yellow perch averaged 12.68 inches each.
Third place was claimed by Matt Reid of Perry and whose five fish were right behind at 12.5 inches each.
Tournament organizers said they were "thrilled" that the winning catches were all captured in Lake Erie waters off Lake County.
For the past several contests the top winners largely caught their fish off Ashtabula County.
"We may change the rules for next year to say that fishing has to be done between (FirstEnergy's)Eastlake plant and the Perry Nuclear Power Plant," said Bob Ulas, executive director of the hosting Lake County Visitors Bureau. "I'm still very happy that the fish were caught here; that shows we have quality perch, too."
Marin said he focused his fishing off the Chagrin River, though trying to pin-point a consistant water depth was challenging.
"We bounced around like a ping-pong ball; we were everywhere," Marin said. "We started in 49 feet of water, went to 62 feet but didn't do any good so we came back and fished in 35 feet of water."
Joining Marin on his perch-fishing venture were fellow Chagrin River Salmon Association members Barry Butera, Ray Koeth, and Mike Flynn, whose 14 7/8-inch yellow perch earned the fishing derby's Big Fish award.
"Mike was our point man," Marin said.
Both Marin and Flynn said the reason the fishing proved so "tough" was due in large measure to the previous week's extensive heavy seas and high winds.
"That scattered the fish," Marin said.
Second place winner Wank said he did his fishing a few miles east of Marin and off the Mentor Lagoons in 45 feet of water.
"The fishing today was better than it was Saturday," Wank said. "I did, though, have a 13 1/2 inch perch that I caught Saturday but didn't check it in until today. It shrank one-half inch. I'd have won had I measured it on Saturday instead."
Though charter captain Mike Langer finished out of the money at forth place he was in the running up until very near the end of the judging, done by the Salmon Association at the Fairport Harbor Port Authority's boat ramp.
Langer didn't enter any fish on Saturday but rather caught his near miss today. All of his fish were caught on the fabled "hump," located northwest of the Grand River.
"It's still nice to see that all of the winning catches came from Lake County instead of Conneaut," Langer said.
Besides the adult division the PerchFest contest included a youth division. Here, first place was won by Madison Becker of Solon, second place by Cheryl Lallmand of Streetsboro, and third place by McKenzie Pilny of Mentor.
Madison also caught her division's longest perch, a 11.69 inch fish.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

PerchFest Day One - a soggy day of perch jerking

2011-09-10T17:44:00.000-04:00

This morning's kick-off for the annual Lake County PerchFest was just as wet above Lake Erie as it was where the fishes reside.

A strong storm system moved east and flooded the skies with heavy amounts of rain. Enough so that many likely PerchFest fishing derby participants stayed home.
And the two boats hired to take PerchFest sponsors out for a morning's worth of perch fishing were almost alone in heading out of the Grand River and to the fabled "Hump" area off Mentor Beach Park.

While the 15-minute ride was brief it was very wet, and even rain slickers could not keep a person entirely dry.

At least the thoughts of such soakings quickly evaporated once the vessels chugged to a stop, the fishing gear broken out and the hooks rigged with emerald shiners.

Within seconds the first of many yellow perch were being brought aboard charter captain Mike Langer's "Rampageous" vessel.

Langer had stopped his craft in water about 51 feet deep and just off the south side of the hump. This spot looked promising based on the activity below being recorded on the electronic fish-finder.

Good was the word, too, since Langer never had to move the boat at all.

All five of the guests soon were into fish, including Bob Ulas, executive director of the Lake County Visitors Bureau, which produces the PerchFest. And Langer joined in, taking hold of a fishing outfit from the boat's inventory of such equipment.

Problem was, however, the strong currents below the lake's surface. The week's worth of high winds had generated the water movement, which is common on Lake Erie anyway as the fluid sloshes back and forth until it settles out following a long blow.

"We have to use two-, sometimes, three-ounce sinkers to stay on the bottom," Langer said. "If you don't all of the lines will start to get tangled up."

Even with the hefty fishing line anchors there were still some untangling to do over the course of the trip. Nothing so serious that it needed a pair of scissors and a re-tie but enough so that it would temporarily put a hold on an angler's fishing.

Along with the targeted yellow perch were white bass; often double-headers. This was the largest number of white bass I had seen taken on a single fishing trip in years.

Still, the main goal was to catch yellow perch. That was done by lowering spreaders and in-line rigs with up to three baited hooks, letting them settle on the lake's bottom and then twitching or gently lifting them a foot or so up off the lake's bottom.

Usually the offerings were accepted by the perch after only a few minutes rest. And sometimes the fish would gulp down a minnow even sooner.

While some of the yellow perch being caught were of serious fishing-tournament quality, most ranged from 8 to 10 inches. That's a size that yields good fillets for a fish fry but no where near what is needed to dig into the PerchFest's contest treasury.

And along with the excellent fishing came a brief pause in the rain showers, tapering off to a drizzle and then stopping altogether.

In not quite three hours after leaving the dock it was time to go back in. Not because we had run out the clock or used up all of the emerald shiners. Nope, the fishing was so good that had an 180-fish maximum boat limit stored on ice.

Back in port we divided the catch with mine going to Don Schonauer's fish-cleaning service in Painesville. These fish were quickly unzipped of their fillets with the flesh to be frozen for several healthy fish dinners later this winter.

And to think that I almost backed out because of the rain. Whew, I'm glad I talked myself into getting drenched by rain. Silly old me.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Of a book, a bird dog and a last hunt

2011-09-09T09:32:00.000-04:00

I was not disappointed that it was a quiet night with no air traffic from either inbound or outbound Canada geese.

And for once I was content that my only hunting partners were my two Labrador retrievers, Blackberry (Berry for short) and Millie, whom I now call “Mildred” when she does something she ought not to do.

Tonight, though, neither dog seriously misbehaved. When I opened the door to the hunting blind they were free to wrestle on the wet, weedy grass.

Oblivious to my intentions, Berry and Millie were happy to frolic though every now and then they broke free and looked out at the five goose decoys bobbing on the pond’s surface. Just in case they missed a live goose that might have snuck in when they were thus otherwise occupied.

And so with the two dogs busy with the important work of play, and the call lanyard with its three calls placed properly in case of need, I settled back with my 30-year-old edition of “The Best of Cory Ford.”

Largely known now only to those sports old enough to remember when he was “Field and Stream” magazine’s premier essayist, Ford penned the ever-popular “Lower 40” column for the printed edition of the publication.

Reading helps me occupy my mind when I wait for ducks or geese to filter by the blind just as I use the method while awaiting a deer to show up while on stand.

But on this hunting trip the reason for the Ford reading was different. Instead of starting from the book’s middle or the front I turned to its last short story posting: “The Road To Tinkhamtown.”

It is often referred to as the finest example of outdoor literature ever written. I am not one to disagree.

A quick summation is that the story concerns an aged hunter who is on his deathbed. There, his mind wanders back to when he and his long-since-dead English setter, Shad, found the grown-over remains of a ghost town called Tinkhamtown.

Amongst the forgotten community's rotting fields and moldering building foundations the hunter and his dog encountered a steady diet of ruffed grouse to hunt.

It was a special place for the old gent, and now as he lay dying his mind drifted back to Tinkhamtown.

Only not just in his mind. In some quasi-spiritual sense he was returning to the place and time he favored most of all in his life. Sort of like that “Twilight Zone” episode called “Last Stop, Willoughby.”

I have yet to read this story - and I’ve read it much over the past three decades - without tearing up.

The book was opened to page 257 again because that is where I always crack it when I’m about to follow a particular ritual. Each time one of my gun dogs passes away I follow a set path, groved in the firmament of personal history.

I make my way to my own special place that the dog and I shared. In this case it was a familiar farm pond where Jenny Lynn and I spent many mornings, afternoons and evenings together, generally hunting geese but also trying to shoot an occasional duck or a mourning dove.

Last season was Jenny’s final round of visits to the pond. We also had to wait when the weather was fair enough so that it would not trip into play the old girl’s aches and pains. And they were many of those in her final days.

Jenny Lynn always enjoyed the adventures. Even those times when I had to help her down out of the SUV or lift her back up again into the vehicle.

She would position herself in front of the blind, sitting between it and the farm pond. Her eyes had mellowed severely and were no longer sharp.

But Jenny was still eager for the retrieve. Whenever luck prevailed and I felled a goose she would be ready to ease into the water and make a fetch. She was always bested by a long country mile since Berry was faster and more assure of paw.

I’d have to chuckle that when Berry made landfall she would be met by Jenny Lynn who would help carry the goose the rest of the way.

Our last dove hunt also was at the pond, or close enough to it that I depended on steel shot to kill the birds. Berry found nearly all of the downed doves. Nearly all but not all.

Jenny Lynn found some that had tumbled into the waist-high ragweed. Not many birds but enough to satisfy her. My heart ached as much as it busted with pride.

I knew those were her last birds. And they were.

Jenny Lynn died in January. On her 13th birthday to be exact.

She was cremated and I paid to have her remains returned to me. Just as I had for Rebel and for Miss Daisy. And I’ll do someday for Berry and eventually for the half-as-old Millie.

Jenny Lynn’s ashes reside in a metal can, all decorated proper-like with printed doggy paw marks.
S
ome of those ashes were removed from the container. They went into a pair of shotshells where the pellets were supposed to go. Loaded each with primers, Red Dot gunpowder and Double-A wads, the red-colored Winchester shotshells would help fulfill a mission reserved for all of my bird dogs.

And so I read “Road To Tinkhamptown,” finishing with eyes moistened by salty tears.
Loading the Browning over-under with the two shotshells I fired each barrel out over the pond. It was bringing Jenny Lynn home.

Next, I blew a dog whistle, two sharp notes shouted out so that the pond, the woods and everything living there would know that here went a good dog; the best dog an old man/boy could ever hope to own.

I’m growing creaky as I age, some joints fused or not as nimble as they were 13 years ago when Jenny Lynn and I began our journey together. I treasure those thoughts, and on cold nights they return to stroke my memory of the truly fine days we had together.

And now I’m at the pond again, with another long-time hunting chum and a brand-new hunting buddy. We’ll build some favored memories of our own, too. Of this I am certain.

Yet just as assuredly some day I will again open Ford’s book to page 257, read the script, fire two special shotshells and blow the dog whistle.

Yes, Jenny, I see you. You’ll forever own a piece of my heart

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Kentucky's first-ever sandhill crane hunt shouldn't harm Ohio-bred birds

2011-09-08T08:20:00.000-04:00

Kentucky’s successful call for an open season on sandhill cranes this year isn’t causing much of a worry ripple in the brow of Ohio wildlife biologists.

However, should Tennessee ever decide to let hunters swing on the migratory cranes, well, that could be a different story.

With a population of only around 100 sandhill cranes that either nest or else hatch in the state, Ohio hardly is in a position to declare a season of its own on the crane species.

“I’m not worried, to tell you the truth,” said Dave Sherman, wildlife biologist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

Sherman is in charge of the agency’s sandhill crane management team.

“If the cranes migrate the same way they did last year it won’t matter. The four birds that we fitted with radio telemetry all had migrated through Kentucky by December 14, and Kentucky won’t start their season until December 15,” Sherman said.

While that is seemingly a tight window, Sherman said it isn’t really since Ohio-bred cranes typically do little more than a fly-by over Kentucky.

“My real concern would be if Tennessee had a season. Had Tennessee opened a season this year our birds would have been migrating through that state at the time of the (proposed) hunt,” Sherman said. “And we had one bird that over-wintered there on a refuge.”

Sherman did say as well that Ohio has at least two more years of data collection before Tennessee again considers an open season.

And any such season must not only meet state requirements it also must pass muster from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since the sandhill crane is considered a migratory species.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-herald.com

Environmentalists cautious about Mustine's departure as ODNR head

2011-09-07T13:57:00.000-04:00

The Ohio Environmental Council, one of state’s leading pro-environmental organizations, is not surprised that David Mustine is leaving Ohio's top natural resources post for one more closely aligned with his pro-oil development background.

It was announced today by Gov. John Kasich that Mustine is no longer the director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Instead, Mustine is being placed in a newly created position with JobsOhio to oversee energy development efforts.

It was a natural move, says Jack Shaner, spokesman for the Council, and who stopped well short of saying that Mustine is simply the same fox but who will be guarding a different hen house.

“Governor Kasich apparently continues to emphasize oil and gas as part of his energy policy and how important he believes it is to Ohio’s future,” Shaner said. “He clearly has a well seasoned man in charge there.”

Shaner said also that he has no feelings one way or the other about Mustine’s new role, noting that Kasich has long made it known “that he’ll drill whenever and wherever he can.”

“Our sense was that David Mustine was intensely concerned about oil and gas and left everything else to others so this could be an appropriate move,” Shaner said.
“We wish David Mustine the best of success.”

As far as Scott Zody being appointed as the Natural Resources Department’s interim director, that “is a good move,” says Shaner.

Zody had been the Natural Resources Department’s assistant director until his step up was announced today.

“Scott is well seasoned and should help move the department forward,” Shaner said. “It looks like it is steady as she goes without any big policy changes.”

Even so, says Shaner, policy trumps politician or bureaucrat. Whoever is in charge of an agency overseeing the state’s natural wealth will play back bencher to issues of environmental importance, Shaner says.

“We certainly butted heads over drilling on state park lands since that was a poor policy choice,” Shaner said of the position taken by Mustine and by proxy, Zody.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Mustine gone as ODNR head, replaced by appointed career official

2011-09-07T11:51:00.000-04:00

It didn't take long for fossil fuel expert David Mustine to move out of his post as the director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Today, Gov. John R. Kasich announced that Mustine will jump over to JobsOhio where he will - in the words of the state's official press release - "oversee energy development" in the state.

For at least the short term Mustine will be replaced by current ODNR Assistant Director Scott Zody, who will assume responsibilities as interim director.

Mustine was named by Kasich to head the Natural Resources Department shortly after he took office as governor. Environmentalists have been concerned about Mustine's long ties with the energy-extracting and -development industry.

“I’m grateful that Scott has agreed to step up and lead ODNR as a permanent leadership decision is being finalized," Kasich says in the media release. "His longtime service with the Department has earned him respect within the natural resources community and his experience will allow him to be a steady hand. While
"I’m going to miss David's at cabinet meetings, I’m very excited about his new opportunity helping to shepherd Ohio’s emerging energy potential. The newly-announced shale gas finds in Eastern Ohio could transform that part of the state for the next century and provide Ohio job-creators with low-cost, reliable sources of energy. David’s energy, experience and expertise will be a huge benefit to the people of Ohio,” said Kasich.

Zody has spent more than half of his 20-year public career with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Prior to being named Assistant Director in 2011, Zody served ODNR in a number of pivotal roles, including Deputy Director for Recreation and Resource Management, and as Legislative Liaison, the Governor's announcement says.

Zody also has worked for the Fairfield County Board of Commissioners as the County Manager, the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation and the Legislative Service Commission.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Wicked weather could hurt weekend's PerchFest participation and catch

2011-09-07T09:56:00.000-04:00

Several day's worth of nasty weather is almost certain to negatively impact this weekend’s up-coming Lake County PerchFest.

This annual event is hosted by the Lake County Visitors Bureau and the venue is Lake Metroparks’ Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park.

Coupled with the land-based entertainment and food serving is a two-day Lake Erie yellow perch-fishing derby.

When the weather is tame and the fish are biting the contest can attract upwards of 300 participants.

That may not be the case this year as the winds have howled over Lake Erie’s surface since Sunday and won’t relent until possibly Thursday. Rain is also in the forecast through Sunday: The final day of the two-day PerchFest contest.

“We’re going to have to go out and use the fish finder for sure,” said Marv DeGreen of Huntsburg Township and a Lake Erie charter captain. “I just wish these fish finders could tell us which fish are hungry.”

At least, says DeGreen, the “perch didn’t jump out of the water” when the storm front pushed through and kicked up the waves to six feet.

Following a blow of this kind, DeGreen says also, it is an angler’s chief aim to avoid the inshore muddy water, likely locating the boat north of the region’s fabled “hump,” off the Mentor Lagoons.

“The perch should be in deeper water, maybe 60 to 62 feet, but I don’t have any idea how bad it’s going to be since the lake has been rolling for several days now,” DeGreen said.

A tip, DeGreen says, is to utilize a new web site that forecasts in near real time the wind speeds on Lake Erie. It is located at www.windfinder.com.

“At least this gets you thinking about bow hunting,” DeGreen said of this week’s autumn-like weather.

Kevin Kayle, manager of the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s Fairport Harbor Fisheries Research Station, says also that PerchFest participants will have their work cut out for them.

“Some of the low oxygen levels have gotten more oxygen so the fish may have come up in the water column while the winds could set up currents that move water masses and possibly contribute to scattering the fish,” Kayle said. "It’s not a fun time to look for fish.”

Keeping his fingers crossed is Bob Ulas, the Lake County Visitor Bureau’s executive director.

Recent PerchFest’s have been plagued with poor weather - that while has done little to stymie sales of perch dinners - has hampered sales of fishing derby permits.
“
They claim it may blow out and even dry out,” Ulas said, who remains optimistic.

“I’ve seen different reports but sometimes they are not on the mark. It is a challenge that we run through every year,” he said.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Ohio hunt lottery has very long odds against being drawn

2011-09-06T09:56:00.000-04:00

There will not be an opportunity for me to participate in a controlled deer hunt at either Ravenna Arsenal or Plum Brook this year.

Nor even the chance to sit in a goose-hunting blind at the Mosquito Creek Waterfowl Refuge for that matter.

Then again, I’m not alone. The odds of being drawn for one of the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s controlled deer or waterfowl hunt events are typically long and lean.

This, in spite of the fact that the Wildlife Division has found a way to constrict the number of questionable applicants. Instead of allowing anybody and everybody to apply for a permit the agency insisted that an applicant also possess a hunting license.

“In the past a lot of people would submit the names of family and friends as a way to increase their odds,” said Korey Brown, the Wildlife Division’s administrator for things like the special hunt drawings. “What we did by requiring a hunting license resulted in a reduction of applicants by about 30 percent. That made applying more fair.”

In all, Wildlife Division statistics note, 7,741 individuals applied for at least one deer-hunting lottery event.

On average, each individual applicant applied for 3.7 events, Brown’s statistic gathering says.

And while 64 individuals won permits for two different events, no one was selected for more than two events, Brown’s statistics say, too.

Also, a total of 26,081 events were applied for and which generated $78,243 in registration fees.

Some of the results point to how staggering were the odds stacked against an applicant. For the ever-popular NASA-Plumbrook Research Station controlled deer-hunting event, 5,543 applications were processed though only 159 permits were drawn. Those are 35-to-one odds.

And the Ravenna Arsenal deer-hunting event odds were not a whale of a lot better, either. Here, 5,052 applicants were processed with 270 permits drawn for odds of 19-to-one.

There were even worse odds. For the Ottawa adult deer hunt, 2,353 applications were processed though only 28 permits were drawn for odds of 84-to-one.

The Mercer adult archery deer hunt saw 688 applications received but only six permits drawn for odds of 115-to-one.

Even the special Salt Fork youth deer gun hunts saw restrictive odds with 397 applications processed with 150 permits drawn for odds of three-to-one.

And the chances for being drawn for a waterfowl hunt permit went against the applicant as well. The chances of being drawn for an adult waterfowl hunt at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge were 13-to-one against an applicant while the odds of being picked for a blind at Mosquito Creek were 11-to-one against an applicant.

Brown did say that without a drawing for Magee Marsh hunts this year - the unit is closed for maintenance - up to 6,000 applicants were not received. This resulted in a decline in the total number of all applications received by the agency.

Asked if the Wildlife Division is or will consider using preference points for unsuccessful applicants, Brown said that is unlikely.

Part of the reason, says Brown, is that Ohio has only a few enormously popular deer hunts where preference points would make sense. Such an operation would require software that the agency does not possess and would cost a “considerable amount of money” to buy for so few events, Brown says.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

A really slow start to the new hunting year

2011-09-02T10:21:00.000-04:00

After those two shots I figured I should have spent at least as much time on the trap range this summer as on the pistol course.

It wasn’t a far poke, no more than 40 yards. If that, but the way the pellets sprayed the water behind the low-flying Canada goose I knew I had stopped in my swing.

Certainly, it was not much of a beginning to the opener of Ohio’s 15-day early Canada goose-only hunting season.

Then again, the day had started out badly enough. I had gotten as far as I-90 and Vrooman Road when the heavy-duty light show in the heavens appeared and the frog-choking rains tipped the scales in favor of returning home and avoiding the season’s first hours.

I’ll do some crazy things to chase waterfowl but I won’t sit in a blind during a thunderstorms. Not if I want to hunt again.

For the rest of the day I fidgeted at work, my thoughts drifting to the farm pond as to whether it was being occupied by any geese.

Though the temptation was strong to break free and head out once the storm clouds rolled away I stayed put. The reason being I had promised to take Bev, my wife, out in the late afternoon for a late-day hunt.

Sticking to the game plan we arrived at the farm pond. There we saw a small flock of geese taking refuge underneath some trees that climb out of the landowner’s lawn.

There was no point in trying to walk them up since they almost certainly would have taken flight, especially since Bev and me were being accompanied by our two Labrador retrievers, Berry and Millie.

So I drove the SUV down the oil tank right-of-way and then we walked the short distance to the hunting blind.

The hope was that the flock would eventually seek the water and maybe swim down to the five decoys we had staked out. No such luck as nearly all of the birds took flight after their rest and chow-down on the landowner’s prized lawn.

Except for two geese that swam in the central part of the pond and which displayed a definite lack of interest in our decoys and my calling.

A third goose was way at the pond’s far end, up on its dam. It too had no intention of coming our way.

When a hunting friend showed up and made a stalk on the goose from the dam side the bird took off, successfully avoiding the gunner’s shots. The bird flew just above the water’s top knot and straight across the bow of the blind. That’s when my two shots failed to bring down the feathered B-52 bomber.

The shots did, however, excite both Berry and Millie who each pranced at the water’s edge in a vain effort to see a downed bird that didn’t exist.

As for Bev, she never even raised her own shotgun.

“I just figured you’d kill it,” she said, adding some salt to my all ready bruised ego.

Of course that was just one bird and just one evening of the early season. There will be other opportunities and other geese but this year’s beginning of the hunting season sure does smart.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Very wet morning seriously dampens dove opener

2011-09-01T14:20:00.000-04:00

This morning’s gully-washing, frog-choker of a rain storm put a serious dent in the start of Ohio’s dove-hunting hunting season.

The storms begin in the wee hours of the morning, building strength until just before sunrise.

Many areas in Northeast Ohio received between one and two inches of rain with several reports of even more rain falling in a few isolated areas in Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties.

For a short period this morning Ashtabula County was under a Flash Flood Watch.

That advisory was lifted later in the day.

Hurt especially bad was the opening day of hunting at the Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area’s managed dove-hunting fields in Trumbull County. Here, one and one-half inches of rain poured down in a very short period of time.

Combined with a dangerous lightening show and accompanied by a booming display of thunder, no hunters ventured out until after the storm passed, wildlife area officials said.

Even once the all-clear appeared in the sky the hunting pressure was pretty thin, said Lou Orosz, manager of the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s Mosquito Creek area.

And it stayed that way through at least early afternoon, Orosz said as well.

“There are still a couple of guys out there but it wasn’t like past openers,” Orosz said. “It’s been just a few shots here and there instead of the constant volley of the past.”

Orosz said the rain returned about noon, too.

That additional nail in the opening day’s coffin pretty much ended activity at the reserve’s main managed dove-hunting field across from the area’s headquarters.

“It’s been a bad year all around,” Orosz said.

Current National Weather Service radar indicates a few random showers while the southern reaches of Northeast Ohio are under an advisory of additional heavy rain.

The rain is expected to ease beginning about 4 p.m.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Bucks beginning to shed their velvet

2011-08-31T09:33:00.000-04:00

The velvet gloves are coming of Ohio’s bucks, so to speak.

Over the next several days Ohio’s male white-tailed deer will begin to scrape off the blood-rich velvet sheaths that have nourished the growing antlers.

And these antlers now are in a stage where they are no longer “soft” but have begun to harden. Later in autumn these antlers will become formidable tools that bucks will use to impress interested does and intimidate other bucks.

Antler growth begins early in the spring with velvet “bumps” starting as early as March, says Damon Greer, wildlife biologist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

“That’s when the antlers begin to rebud,” Greer said.

These antlers also are among the fastest-growing tissues; from start to finish the entire process may take only six months with maximum daily growth being up to one-half inch.

Greer did say also that a 18-month-old buck deer born in the early part of spring will lose its velvet sooner than a buck that was born later in the spring.

“That might even transfer into later age, though I’m not entirely certain,” Greer said.

What is sure, says Greer, is that this is the time of the year when a buck’s testosterone levels are increasing, culminating in what’s commonly referred to as the “rut.”

In Ohio the peak of the rut is a few days either side of Veteran’s Day. This is when the bucks are most likely to encounter a doe that is ready to be bred.

“My belief is that the peak of the rut is when a buck is chasing a doe in your neighborhood,” Greer said with a chuckle.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

AG Mike DeWine is seeking help to stop invasive species

2011-08-31T08:21:00.000-04:00

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced efforts by Great Lakes attorneys general to expand their coalition to combat invasive species. DeWine joined attorneys general from New York, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in sending a letter to 25 other states asking them to join in demanding immediate action by federal authorities to develop a permanent barrier halting the spread of and damage caused by aquatic invasive species.

"Lake Erie, like so many Midwestern waterways, is especially susceptible to invasive species like Asian carp and zebra mussels. As a long-time advocate for the preservation of the Great Lakes and Ohio waterways, I know it is of vital importance that our region unites to stop the advancement of all invasive species," said Attorney General DeWine.

Invasive species are species of plants and animals not native to a particular habitat. When introduced to new habitats, they can cause extensive damage to the existing ecosystem. Many aquatic invasive species were brought to the Great Lakes in ocean water discharged by ships.

The coalition led by the Great Lakes attorneys general is requesting the federal government develop a permanent ecological separation at the conjunction of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basins, which occurs at the Chicago Area Waterway System.

A recent study commissioned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers identified the canal as the major pathway for the spread of invasive species. The Corps released a list of 40 aquatic invasive species with the highest risk of traveling through the waterway; 30 are high-risk to the Mississippi River Basin, and ten, including Asian carp, are high-risk to the Great Lakes Basin.

"As United States Senator, I introduced both the National Aquatic Invasive Species Act and the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act to address invasive species attacking Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes.

As Attorney General, I am committed to continue preserving waterways and indigenous wildlife for the use and enjoyment of generations of future Ohioans. We must halt the progress of aquatic invasive species across this country, and I call on my fellow attorneys general to join in this important cause," Attorney General DeWine said.

A copy of the letter can be found online at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/InvasiveSpeciesLetter.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Always something with dogs, but not always pleasant

2011-08-30T10:18:00.002-04:00

It was a valuable - albeit, expensive lesson - I learned yesterday involving my two Labrador retrievers.

When newly acquired Millie came aboard the family as a landed immigrant from Alaska she quickly wormed her way into the hearts of Bev and me.

And it didn’t take much longer for her and Blackberry to become fast friends, either. So much so that they are rock-solid pals who seem to engage in never-ending play.

That relationship may, however, be in jeopardy. Yesterday, I fear, their world came crashing down.

During one of their tussles Berry’s lower jaw became ensnared in Millie’s heavy cloth collar and was unable to extract herself.

Worse, one of Berry’s canines appears to have pierced the underside of Millie’s tongue. That created a jet stream of deep red blood and which became mixed with saliva.

Blood spurted everywhere as Bev and I worked to free the two very obviously scared dogs.

I cut finally managed to cut through Millie’s collar, freeing the dogs.
More than a little worried, we quickly rushed Millie to nearby Lakeshore Animal Hospital in Mentor-on-the-Lake. By then it was closing time but veterinarian Debbie Ting didn’t take offense and was more than willing to work on the patient.

What Ting found was a large clot of red/black blood along with a nasty cut underneath Millie’s tongue.

Of concern, yes, but as much scary as actual damage. Being rich in blood the mouth tends to heal quickly, Ting said also.

So armed with some antibiotics we went home. There, Millie was kenneled up in her cage to help keep her active life style in check so her blood pressure doesn’t rise and set off the bleeding again.

By this morning Millie still appeared both sore and confused. She ate some cooked rice and had no problem eating her heartworm medication though it took a while to chow down on the antibiotic pill wrapped in soft American cheese.

A follow-up call from Ting this included the fact that some old and probably clotted blood was transferred to my shirt sleeve while I petted her.

Obviously, Millie is on the disabled list and won’t be joining Berry and me for the start on Thursday of the early Canada goose-hunting season. That probably will be allowed next week, Ting said.

Maybe my biggest worry is that Berry and Millie still appear dazed as to their relationship. Being dogs they obviously don’t understand that this was an accident, perhaps even thinking that one was attacking the other.

One low growl from the other sent chills down my spine, me thinking that all the progress toward developing a fast and lasting friendship may have been seriously damaged.

Give them time to work it out themselves, Ting said.

And so I shall.

I also learned a valuable lesson that cost me close to $100. Yeah, dogs should have their identification on them, including the required dog license.

However, with that being said I am done having them wear their collars while in the house or in the yard.

Ting even gave several horrific examples of dogs actually hanging themselves or being injured in one fashion or another because of a collar. I won’t take that risk
again.

I am a dog man and I doubt that I’d ever hunt birds or waterfowl without owning at least one good Labrador retriever. That I now have two gives me ample reason to protect not only my investment but the joy I have in caring for and living with my two beloved Labrador retrievers.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Hurricane Irene strikes out at sweeping rare birds into Northeast Ohio

2011-08-29T16:08:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Irene was something of a bust for Northeast Ohio birders.

It is not unusual for a tropical storm event to sweep in bird species not typically associated with this region. That condition often revs up the juices of birders who go out and look for a new species to add to their life lists.

However, Irene was something of a windbag, failing to let its heavy breezes to transport anything new to the shores of Lake Erie, says John Pogacnik,Lake Metroparks' biologist.

"I went to take a look yesterday at the lake and all I saw were eight rudy turnstones and six dowitchers," Pogacnik said. "I thought we might have seen some more shorebirds but that didn't happen."

Actually, Pogacnik has a good explanation for the lack of sightings.

Irene ran along the Atlantic coastline and although it was a large storm system it hardly came close to Ohio, Pogacnik said.

"Often when a hurricane comes up into Ohio that is when you see birds," he said.

Thus, it looks like Northeast Ohio birders will just have to wait for a Gulf of Mexico hurricane to hit the coast and charge up the Ohio Valley in order to catch a glimpse at an infrequent or rare avian visitor.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Boating safety a key component of summer's last holiday

2011-08-29T14:40:00.000-04:00

With summer drawing to its unofficial close this Labor Day holiday weekend, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Division of Watercraft is urging boaters to stay sober and stay alert.

The advice comes at an especially noteworthy time following the death over the weekend of a kayaker who ventured out onto Lake Erie.

Here is a press release from the Natural Resources Department which it asked to be reprinted as a community service message.

Boaters and swimmers are strongly encouraged by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) to make safety a top priority during this last month of the traditional summer swimming and boating season. Following common sense rules of safety will ensure that a day of fun on the water does not turn into a moment of tragedy.

“Most of the tragic incidents that claim Ohioan’s lives on the water occur quickly and unexpectedly – heartaches that can be easily avoided when safety is made part of the plan,” said ODNR Director David Mustine.

ODNR is working in cooperation with its community partners and asking Ohio’s media outlets to again remind boaters and swimmers to:

• Properly wear a life jacket anytime while boating;
• Provide proper and alert supervision at all times to those persons who are swimming, especially children;
• Enjoy boating and swimming while sober;
• Swim only in designated areas;
• Use the buddy system and never boat or swim alone;
• And be prepared to render assistance if an emergency arises.

“We are fortunate to have an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities to enjoy in Ohio, but all present potential hazards that need to be taken seriously," said Mustine.

Hikers, campers, cyclists and others who are active in the outdoors also should keep safety in mind when visiting Ohio’s state parks, forests and other areas. ODNR says that a good way to stay safe on trails, waterways and other areas is to simply follow posted visitor rules.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Pace quickens with approach of another hunting year

2011-08-26T15:32:00.000-04:00

Ohio has less than one week before it turns the corner on the start of another hunting year.

And so for the next few days comes a flurry of activity to get things ready.

Actually the elbow grease has been applied for more than four weeks now.

There was the buying of some new floating goose decoys, the acquisition of a pair of duck calls, the painting the interior of a wooden deer blind, the priming the Moultree game feeder, the placing of the mineral block and doctored with a liberal dousing of buck-attracting syrup in apple flavor.

Oh, and some work on a new waterfowl-hunting blind.

Even today saw the placement of a fabric ground blind at the far end of a pasture near a corner of a woodlot where deer like to slink out from on toward evening.

The ground near where the blind sits is impressed with the stamp of at least one very large deer, based on the size and depth of the hoof prints. No need to bait here as the deer regularly enter the grassy field from this juncture.

I’ve also foraged through ammunition boxes of shotshells, sorting out the loads I’ll be using for the early Canada goose-only hunting season and next Thursday’s start of the dove-hunting season.

But this coming week will see the most intensity. Tomorrow my wife, Bev, and I, will outfit another waterfowl-hunting blind. It consists of a jury-rigged frame made from glued PVC tubing that will be superimposed with camouflaged netting.

And we’ll have to repair the rotted wooden floor, too, though I’ve got the plywood to see that project to completion.

Then we’ll have to perform a little brush trimming in front of the blind so I can ensure that no swimming goose will sneak up on us.

Later in the afternoon we’ll string the goose decoys and get them ready to be deposited an evening or two before the season starts on Thursday.

Oh, yes, we’ll keep working on training the two Labrador retrievers, trying to burnish off the rust.

And for the Labor Day holiday weekend I’ll labor on getting my main archery deer-hunting blind ready, complete with fueling its own game feeder.

If this all seems like a lot to do, it’s not for nothing. Just the opposite.

I suppose I could go to the farm pond, sit amongst the rushes and hope that a flock of geese pass overhead.

Or on Thursday’s dove season opener I could just inch my way along a treeline at the Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area like the bulk of the other hunters instead of assembling a dove “tree” that will be completed with a Mojo motion dove decoy and four stationary models.

Even though we’re still one month away from the archery deer-hunting season that’s really not all that far down the road.

Before I whistle “nice buck” the archery season will be upon us. I want to be ready and I also want the deer to be ready, pumped up by the free meal and feeling comfortable about the ground blinds.
J
ust like I want the geese to feel relaxed when from overhead they spy the placebos rocking on the waves of pond water in front of the two blinds.

Yes, sir, I’ve got the itch and I need all of this activity to give me some relief.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Huge changes for Ohio waterfowl season dates

2011-08-25T11:07:00.000-04:00

The Ohio Division of Wildlife has made significant - even ground-breaking - changes to its waterfowl hunting rules for the 2011-2012 season.

Among them is that the fabled marsh region of western Lake Erie has been carved out for its own duck-hunting niche.

For Northeast Ohio goose hunters, the Lake Erie Zone goose-hunting season dates have undergone a radical make-over as well. This includes a split season running Oct. 15 through Oct. 30 and followed by a second segment that doesn’t open until Nov. 12 but will run through Jan. 8, 2012.

Duck hunters who pursue birds in Northeast Ohio will see the North Zone duck-hunting dates as being Oct. 15 to Oct. 30 as the first part and followed by a second segment that will run Nov. 19 through Jan. 1.

“Basically, this change was based on surveys that we’ve done over the past few years. Hunters didn’t think the ducks were showing up until after the seasons were over,” said Jacob Gray, the Wildlife Division’s waterfowl management biologist.
“Some of that is perception but these changes were driven by public comment.”

Gray said the goose-hunting dates were changed because most surveyed hunters by-and-large requested the change. Thus, the agency designed a goose-hunting season format to closely mirror the duck-hunting season format, Gray said.

“Hunters said they wanted to hunt Canada geese in late December and early January,” Gray said. “Based on public comments that’s what the public wanted. They are significant changes, though.”

The newly created Lake Erie Marsh Zone encompasses portions of Lucas, Wood, Ottawa, Sandusky, and Erie counties. The duck hunting season in the Lake Erie Marsh Zone is October 15 to 30 followed by a second segment that opens Nov. 12 through Dec. 25.

Bag limits will remain the same as they’ve been for the past few years with a TOTAL bag limit of six ducks. This includes allowing a hunter to shoot up to three wood ducks, four mallards (of which only one can be a hen), one black duck, two redheads, two scaup, one canvasback, two pintails, and one mottled duck.

The daily bag limit for Canada geese remains at two.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Fish Ohio applications up so far

2011-08-25T09:11:00.000-04:00

Even though sales of Ohio fishing licenses have tanked this year - believed caused by the long stretch of poor weather - the numbers of trophy fish caught has increased.

At least those fish entered in the Ohio Division of Wildlife's Fish Ohio program.

Vicki Farus - who coordinates the program for the Wildlife Division - says that the total to-date number of Fish Ohio applications processed is around 7,300.

For the same period last year that figure was around 5,500, Farus says.

"I think the program is going very well and I'm getting ready to send out another batch of pins," Farus said.

As fishing license sales are concerned, those are down about 57,000 documents. This has resulted in a loss of more than $1 million in revenues for the Wildlife Division.

The bulk of fishing license sales has occurred.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Less than average Lake Erie walleye, perch hatches

2011-08-24T15:03:00.000-04:00

With Lake Erie fisheries survey work winding down, state biologists are staring at a lakewide spring walleye hatch that is likely a stretch below the long-term average.

And in the Western Basin the yellow perch hatch appears to have been even more dismal.

Only in the Central Basin does it look like a half-way decent yellow perch hatch.

“The guys here in the Western Basin just finished up their work yesterday, and in consultation with the Canadians we think the hatch may be a little less than the long-term average with what we saw in July being only average,” said Roger Knight, Ohio Division of Wildlife fisheries biologist.

“August does not appear to indicate a particularly poor hatch; maybe between ‘bad’ and ‘average.’ That’s about the best I can say.”

With that being said, Knight noted that given this spring’s tumultuous weather he’s “pretty thankful we have any fish at all.”

“There’s been times in the past where we saw only a fish or two and based on this spring’s weather conditions that was what I was expecting,” Knight said. “It didn’t happen.”

Knight said also the walleye hatched this year will enter the pool of keepers in 2013. And these fish will link with the near-average 2007 year class of walleye with a similar hatch in 2010.

Shrinking in terms of feeding the fisheries, however, will be the walleye from 2003 hatch, which was one of the best all-time hatches, Knight said.

“Next year should not be a bust for anglers by any means,” Knight said. “But what we’d like to see are more fish out of the other year classes.”

Way down, though, appears to be yellow perch recruitment. At least in the Western Basin, Knight says.

“I don’t have a number yet relative to other years but it’s not good,” he said.

Still, the Central Basin’s 2011 yellow perch hatch appears to be a brighter picture than what’s found in the lake’s Western Basin, Knight said.

“We just have to keep plugging along and adjust the regulations to ensure that the take is in line with the supply of fish so that we are not over harvesting,” Knight also said.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

UPDATED: South Carolina wildlife officer not yet off the hook in Ohio

2011-08-22T14:26:00.001-04:00

While South Carolina wildlife officer Eric Vaughn won’t face charges in his home state for his involvement in obtaining an Ohio resident hunting license in 2006 there is no guarantee that he’ll avoid a ticket in Ohio.

A decision whether to charge or not charge Vaughn will come only after an investigation is completed by the Ohio Highway Patrol, says an official with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

But Vaughn has all ready been cleared in his home state. An investigation by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Law Enforcement concluded that Vaughn acted in “good faith” when he thought Ohio Wildlife Division policy permitted him to buy an Ohio resident hunting license.

That belief stemmed from alleged assurances by Allan Wright, the former state wildlife officer assigned to Brown County, that it was okay for Vaughn to use Wright’s address in order to obtain the resident hunting license, an official with that state’s Law Enforcement Division says.

Consequently, South Carolina has concluded its investigation and will not take any action against Vaughn, says Col. Alvin Taylor of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Law Enforcement.

Taylor says also that it is South Carolina’s understanding that the federal government will not seek charges against Vaughn, either, though Wright was indicted on four counts last week by the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged violations of the Lacey Act.

However, Ohio is reserving its right to take or not to take any action and pending an on-going investigation by the Ohio Highway Patrol, says Laura Jones, spokeswoman for the Ohio Natural Resources Department.

Jones said also that the Natural Resources Department is striving to be as “transparent as possible” as the entire process moves forward.

The agency provided "information regarding potential state crimes to the Ohio Highway Patrol" in late July, Jones said.

Asked when the Ohio Highway Patrol will conclude its investigation, Jones said she did not know.

“We will follow the lead of the Ohio Highway Patrol based upon its investigation,” Jones said. “We are working with them and we are being cooperative.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-herald.com

No South Carolina, Federal charges against S.C. wildlife officer in Wright matter

2011-08-22T09:13:00.000-04:00

South Carolina does not intend to go after one of its own who is at the apex of the incident that saw federal charges being brought against an Ohio Division of Wildlife agent.

An official with that state’s Department of Natural Resources says that wildlife officer Eric Vaughn will not face federal charges either, unlike Allan Wright, the former Ohio Division of Wildlife officer assigned to Brown County.

In 2006 Wright allowed Vaughn to use his address in order to obtain a resident Ohio hunting license. Vaughn subsequently shot three deer which were tagged by Wright and then taken back home to South Carolina by Vaughn

Vaughn told investigators that Wright informed him that Ohio Division of Wildlife policy allowed such transactions for out-of-state wildlife officers.

In a follow-up to the matter Wright was indicted in federal court last week with felony and two misdemeanor counts for violations of the Lacey Act. He has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, and may still be under investigation by a special prosecutor assigned to the job by the Brown County prosecutor.

Subsequently, the entire issue has swelled to include state felony charges being brought against five former and current Wildlife Division officials. Their cases are pending a ruling by the Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals.

As for Vaughn, South Carolina delved into its own investigation and concluded the wildlife officer had “acted in good faith” when he was led to believe that he could buy an Ohio resident hunting license instead of a non-resident one that shaved off $106.

“We looked into it and actually interviewed Allan Wright,” said Col. Alvin Taylor of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Law Enforcement.
Taylor said that Vaughn “cooperated 100-percent in the investigation” that concluded he had done nothing wrong nor attempted to get out of a buying the appropriate license.

“He (Vaughn) has paid dearly and we’ve put him through the wringer,” Taylor said. “There is no doubt in my mind that he (Vaughn) thought he was within the guidelines of Ohio. He has a spotless record.”

Taylor said also that in subsequent hunting trips to Ohio, Vaughn was instructed by Wright that the policy had changed, which meant that Vaughn had to purchase the more expensive non-resident hunting license.

But the bottom line in the on-going legal matter, says Taylor, is that no South Carolina wildlife charges will be brought against Vaughn.

And any possible federal charges brought against Vaughn are similarly unlikely, Taylor says, who noted that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded that Vaughn “did nothing wrong.”

As a result, says Taylor, South Carolina “took this all very seriously and we consider the investigation closed” with the caveat that if additional information surfaces then the case will be reopened.

The ultimate fallout from the incident has led South Carolina to tighten its guidelines for officer conduct while traveling out of state to hunt or fish, Taylor said also.

“They need to double-check the law and look at things differently; do everything above board,” Taylor said. “We have to be held to a higher standard.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Fast and Furious leaders move up the ladder of command

2011-08-22T08:17:00.000-04:00

Tracking the on-going investigation and Congressional hearings on the BATF's "Fast and Furious" program that saw firearms deliberately fall into the hands of Mexican criminals, the National Rifle Association expressed alarm how three of its top administrators were promoted.

From the NRA: In what can only be described as "Washington D.C. logic," the three BATFE agents who were responsible for the "Fast and Furious" debacle in Phoenix have been promoted.

You read that right, promoted! Not reprimanded, not demoted and certainly not fired, but given bigger jobs with more responsibility and more pay.

Each of the agents now have high profile positions in D.C. William Newell is now special assistant to the assistant director of the agency's Office of Management, David Voth has been made branch chief for the BATFE's tobacco division.

And if those two promotions seem hard to understand, the third is particularly hard to fathom. William G. McMahon, who had been the BATFE's deputy director of operations in the West, has been made the deputy assistant director of the Office of Professional Responsibility and Security Operations. That is the division within BATFE that investigates misconduct by agency personnel.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

UPDATED: Wright's arraignment set; Fed's investigation continues

2011-08-19T11:02:00.004-04:00

Allan Wright, the former state wildlife officer assigned to Brown County and later as an at-large agent, has seen his arraignment set for 1:30 p.m. Aug. 25 before federal magistrate Judge Karen L. Litkovitz in Cincinnati.

Wright has been charged with two felony and two misdemeanor counts for alleged violations involving the federal Lacey Act.

The indictment is based on the independent investigation conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, says Wyn Hornbuckle, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice.

And a Fish and Wildlife Service official said its investigation is not over.

The indictment charges that Wright knowingly sold and provided an Ohio resident hunting license to a South Carolina resident during the 2006 white-tailed deer season.

Also, the indictment alleges that Wright, using his authority as a wildlife officer, seized white-tailed deer antlers from a hunter who had killed a deer illegally during the 2009 white-tailed deer season.

This indictment alleges that, rather than dispose of the antlers through court proceedings, Wright caused the antlers to be transported to another individual in Michigan.

The indictment charges that Wright then filed an official state form which falsely reported that he had personally destroyed the antlers.

The federal Lacey Act makes it a crime for a person to knowingly make or submit a false record, account or label for wildlife which has been transported in interstate commerce.

Two of the four counts charged in the indictment are felonies punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count.

Wright’s remaining two counts are misdemeanors, punishable by up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine per count.

Wright was placed on unpaid administrative leave and thus is denied his annual $54,225 salary.

However, Hornbuckle also says, the indictment only charges and names Wright.

Thus the indictment does not include South Carolina Department of Natural Resources officer Eric Vaughn, who used Wright’s Ohio address to obtain the resident hunting license and later took home three deer that he allegedly shot.

A spokeswoman for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has not responded to a request as to its position in regards to Vaughn.

Also, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that because his agency was the investigatory organ in the case it cannot comment on any aspect of that work, whether it relates to either Wright or Vaughn.

Charles Traxler, Deputy Assistant Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Midwest Region External Affairs in Bloomington, Minnesota, said his agency “is, has been and was assisting in the investigation.”

“It’s still an on-going investigation and we cannot comment on anything that might happen or could happen,” Traxler said.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

UPDATED Brown County prosecutor, Natural Resources officials comment on Wright's indictment

2011-08-18T14:32:00.004-04:00

The Brown County prosecutor handling the case against the five still-indicted Ohio Division of Wildlife officials looked to the press release issued by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as her response to the federal government’s four-count indictment against Allan Wright, 45, the former wildlife officer assigned to Brown County and later, an at-large wildlife officer.

Jessica A. Little is prosecuting three current and two retired Wildlife Division officials for the manner in which they handled Wright’s conduct when he allowed a South Carolina wildlife officer to use his address in order to obtain an Ohio resident hunting license.

The five indicted officials handled the matter as an administrative one and not as part of a criminal matter.

This case was reviewed by Brown County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Gusweiler who issued a ruling in favor of the defense. It regarded a particular point of law as to testimonial vulnerability of state government employees.

That ruling was appealed by Little before the 12th District Court of Appeals in southwest Ohio. The court has not yet to issued its findings though the matter is expected to be appealed before the state supreme court by either the defense or the prosecution.

As for Wright, he was indicted Tuesday in federal court for allegedly trafficking in and making false records for illegally harvested white-tailed deer in violation of the Lacy Act, which is federal law.

Wright was placed on immediate unpaid administrative leave and required to return all state property in his possession, which was performed today, Thursday.

Asked about Wright’s federal indictment, Little noted that her response was the indictment charges themselves.

As for her hiring an independent investigator, David Kelly, who is now also the Adams County prosecutor, that issue’s status remains the same, Little says.

Kelly was appointed due to Little’s claim that the five officials were not immune from what’s called “the Garity Rule” that applies to a government worker’s testimony while it shielded Wright.

“I don’t know the status of the special prosecutor’s investigation and I’ve stayed away from it: I’ve been very hands off,” Little said.

But Little said the new federal charges brought against Wright do not impact the case against the five other Wildlife Division officials.

And in a 30-minute teleconference with reporters, officials with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources expounded and expanded on the agency’s officially stated response to its actions related to Wright.

Wright - who has 21 1/2 years with the agency - was placed on unpaid administrative leave rather than placed on paid administrative leave “largely because of the gravity of the matter,” said Bill Damschroder, the Natural Resources Department’s Chief Legal Counsel.

He will lose his current salary of $54,225.

“This administration thought it was the correct thing,” Damschroder said.
Damschroder said also that he “hesitates to speak respective of any administration other than this one,” and added that the new ODNR team has been “cooperative and helpful to assist in bringing every case to a conclusion with clarity.”

Asked why Wright was earlier this year moved from being the wildlife officer assigned to Brown County to an at-large agent with district-wide responsibilities, the Natural Resources Department said that its decision was in part so he could better help his family cope with the situation.

“That weighed heavily,” said David Lane, Wildlife Division chief.

Also queried as to whether any other Wildlife Division official is being investigated at either the state or federal level, Natural Resources officials said they were not aware of any others.

As for procedures to address future, similar cases, those are being reviewed now by the Natural Resources Department, says Glen Cobb, the agency’s Deputy Director.

“We are always looking for ways to improve, and we’re not going to turn a blind eye,” Cobb said. “We’re going to look at any and all things related to evidence and we have to have a certain amount of trust but (also) see where we need to tighten. We have a fiduciary responsibility to the sportsmen and others of the state.”

Then asked if the Natural Resources Department either ignored or looked away from the incident and its related fall-out, Damschroder said “in respect to the matter, given the nature of the charges we felt it was appropriate for others to do this investigation.”

Wyn Hornbuckle, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice, said he had no further comment beyond what is contained in his agency’s press release which is a nearly mirror image of the Natural Resources Department’s release.

Additional information is expected and this blog will be updated as that data becomes available.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

State wildlife officer indicted for alleged federal wildlife law violations

2011-08-17T22:20:00.000-04:00

Allan Wright, the central figure in a case surrounding past and present top officials with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, has been named in a four-count federal indictment.

The indictment was released Wednesday afternoon and implicates Wright - a state wildlife officer - with alleged violations of federal wildlife laws. The text of an Ohio Department of Natural Resources' press release is included with this blog posting.

Though state charges were dropped against Wright last year, a special prosecutor was named and who indicated he wanted to perform his own independent investigation of alleged Wildlife Division matters.

Meanwhile, five current or former Wildlife Division officials have been charged in Brown County Court with two felony counts each and related to their actions as they relate to disciplining Wright. It was Wright who once allowed a South Carolina wildlife officer to use his address in order to obtain a resident hunting license.

However, the legal wrangling regarding the five Wildlife Division officials continues with a ruling from the Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals still pending.

The issue before the justices revolves around a particular point of law that is being disputed between the defense and the Brown County prosecutor. The defense won the first round in Brown County Common Pleas Court and now the question has been taken up by the appellate court.

Here is the full text of the Natural Resources Department's press release related to Wright's federal indictment:

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2011

Ohio Wildlife Officer Charged With Federal Lacey Act Crimes

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) today obtained a four-count indictment from a federal grand jury in Cincinnati charging Allan Wright, a state wildlife officer in southwest Ohio, with trafficking in and making false records for illegally harvested white-tailed deer in violation of federal law.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and its Division of Wildlife willingly cooperated in the investigation, providing documents and other information as it was requested by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the DOJ.

Wright will be placed on immediate unpaid administrative leave and required to return all state property in his possession, according to ODNR.

The Lacey Act makes it a crime for a person to knowingly transport or sell wildlife in interstate commerce when the wildlife was taken or possessed in violation of state law. The Lacey Act also makes it a crime for a person to knowingly make or submit a false record, account or label for wildlife which has been transported in interstate commerce.

The indictment charges that Wright knowingly sold and provided an Ohio resident hunting license to a South Carolina resident during the 2006 white-tailed deer season. According to the indictment, Wright falsely entered an Ohio address for the hunter in order to obtain a resident license. Ohio law makes it a crime to procure a hunting license by fraud, deceit, misrepresentation or any false statement. Ohio law also makes it a crime to hunt without a valid hunting license. The indictment charges that the hunter killed three white-tailed deer using the illegal license. Wright personally “checked in” the three deer, again providing the fraudulent Ohio address. The hunter then transported the deer back to South Carolina.

Additionally, the indictment alleges that Wright, using his authority as a wildlife officer, seized white-tailed deer antlers from a hunter who had killed a deer illegally during the 2009 white-tailed deer season. The indictment alleges that, rather than dispose of the antlers through court proceedings, Wright caused the antlers to be transported to another individual in Michigan. The indictment charges that Wright then filed an official state form which falsely reported that he had personally destroyed the antlers.

Two of the four counts charged in the indictment are felonies punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count. The remaining two counts are misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine per count.

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney James B. Nelson of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Further developments are expected and will be added as they become available.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Fishing license sales nosedive; hunting license and duplicate sales soar

2011-08-17T09:31:00.000-04:00

With the fishing season rounding its final bend sales of the required documents are well off last year’s pace.

In virtually every fishing license segment the sales declined from the same period last year, including sales of the all-important resident annual fishing licenses.

These sales are down by 56,871 documents for a decline worth more than $1 million, or off 9.54 percent.

Up, though, are sales of nearly every type of hunting license, including sales of the various deer tags though the first season for hunting white-tails is still almost six weeks away.

And for some reason or another sales of duplicate licenses have risen dramatically, especially for duplicate hunting licenses whose sales have gone through the roof.

For the period Feb. 15 to July 31 the Ohio Division of Wildlife sold 539,537 annual resident fishing licenses. During the same time frame in 2010 the agency processed 596,408 documents.

Down as well were annual non-resident fishing licenses (off 1,945 documents), non-resident three-day licenses (a decline of 3,298 tags), and one-day fishing licenses (a drop of 4,563 permits).

Up, however, were the issuances of duplicate fishing licenses: from 4,202 documents during the Feb. 15, 2010 to July 31, 2010 period and compared to the 5,091 duplicates issued from Feb. 15, 2011 to July 31, 2011.

More on this point in a moment.

In all, the Ohio Division of Wildlife has seen its income derived from sales of fishing licenses tumble 9.09 percent, or in real dollars, a drop of $1.25 million.

“You’d like a steady income but that’s not always possible,” said Vicki Ervin, spokeswoman for the Wildlife Division. “It was pretty much weather-related; it’s been a tough year, weather-wise, that’s for sure.”

However, sales of hunting licenses are improving even though the bulk of these documents have yet to be sold.

But the advance signs point to good hunting document sales, and that is encouraging news for the Wildlife Division.

Resident hunting license sales increased from 62,708 documents sold for the Feb. 15, 2010 to July 31, 2010 period and compared to the 64,832 resident hunting licenses issued for the same time frame this year.

Up as well are sales of non-resident hunting licenses, general either-sex (special) deer tags, antlerless-only permits, state waterfowl stamp, state wildlife stamp, youth-only deer tags, and reduced rate senior citizen deer tags of both kinds.

The bottom line is that the Wildlife Division has issued 9,297 more hunting documents than for the same period in 2010. The net result is a revenue increase of $143,881.

“It is encouraging that hunting license sales are up, and maybe it’s because of the new system of buying licenses,” Ervin said. “It’s a tough call.”
I
nterestingly enough, however, is that the number of duplicate hunting license documents has soared by a factor of 739 percent. In real numbers that translates into 607 duplicate licenses being issued from Feb. 15, 2010 to July 31, 2010 to 5,092 such duplicate licenses issued for the same period this year.

“The fact that the duplicate license sales are up doesn’t surprise us but the number is,” said Kory Brown, the Wildlife Division’s license manager.

Several reasons are cited by Brown for why so many duplicates are being printed.

They include because of the new license-issuing system but also because hunters are coming to find that the documents themselves “aren’t very durable,” Brown said.

“And they weren’t designed to be,” he said.

Thirdly, says Brown, individual license-issuing agents are using their own equipment and have seen challenges in printing them on the paper stock given them by the Wildlife Division.

“We’re going to be reviewing our business rules as they relate to how long issuing agents have to void a license should they have a printing problem. I believe we’ll see a major improvement next year where we’ll all go to plain white copy paper everywhere,” Brown said.

Brown said also that he personally expects that at some point the agency will adopt a paperless license-issuing system, depending nearly entirely on electronic technology.

“And it probably won’t be that long; maybe 4 or 5 years where you’re given a number for your smartphone and it can be checked through a computer,” Brown said. “But there are logistical problems now but I think we’ll always have a printed option.”

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com