This spring’s stormy, cold conditions chilled sales of Ohio fishing licenses.
At the same time the poor weather did not send from the heavens any biblical hail stones regarding the sale of to-date hunting licenses.
Still, for an agency partially dependant upon license sales for its existence, a to-date decline of nearly $2.1 million in fishing license sales revenue does not help the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s bottom line.
For the period Feb. 15 to May 31 the Wildlife Division sold 328,745 resident fishing licenses. That is a nearly 23-percent decline from the 426,853 such documents sold during the same period in 2010, says statistics provided by the Wildlife Division.
Factoring in all types of license sold and issued the Wildlife Division distributed 426,991 documents this year from Feb. 15 to May 31. That figure is a 22.19 percent fall, or 121,755 permits, from what was issued for the same period in 2010.
As a result of the license decline, revenues are down sharply. With resident annual tags the difference is $1.86 million alone. And annual nonresident fishing license sales led to a $133,600 drop in revenue as well.
Sales of the one-day fishing licenses - popular with anglers who use a fishing guide - were similarly down. In this case the revenue lost amounted to $40,678, or a drop of a tad more than 30 percent.
Crunch time for the fishing license sales will come following this July 4th holiday weekend, says Vicki Ervin, spokeswoman for the Wildlife Division.
“We really would like to see the numbers for June because we have had a few good weekends in there so hopefully the numbers will be up," Ervin said. "That will probably give us a better handle because we don’t sell many fishing licenses after the July 4th holiday.”
Hunting license sales, at least, were close to what they were in 2010 for the same time frame.
Revenues for the period Feb. 15 to May 31 of this year were $3.23 million, compared to the $3.29 million for the same period in 2010.
Off only 3.43 percent in the number of hunting licenses issued were those for resident adults: 56,358 for the Feb. 15 to May 31 period this year and 58,359 for the same time frame in 2010, says Wildlife Division figures.
In all, the to-date number of all hunting licenses and tags issued was 218,524 documents. For the same Feb. 15 to May 31 time frame in 2010 the total to-date hunting license and tag issuance amounted to 221,195 documents.
Up already have been early sales of fall wild turkey permits, state duck stamps, regular deer permits and even antlerless-only tag, though none of these figures yet represent significant statistics.
Their day will come closer to their respective season, says Ervin.
This belief is especially true for general hunting licenses and the various deer tag sales which all pick up just prior to the start of the statewide archery deer-hunting season. That season begins this year on Sept. 24.
“If people have the opportunity to buy their licenses on-line that’s really the best way to go,” Ervin says.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Coast Guard rescues Lake Erie boater afloat for five hours
This morning a boat crew from U.S. Coast Guard’s Station Ashtabula and an air crew from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Detroit rescued a 55-year-old male in Lake Erie about two miles from Geneva State Park.
Crew members aboard the charter boat Highland Locust notified the Coast Guard at about 6:40 a.m. of a possible person in the water in Lake Erie.
The unnamed man was not wearing a life jacket.
Responding, a Coast Guard 25-foot response boat from the agency’s Ashtabula station and an Air Station Detroit MH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter were both sent to search for the missing person.
The helicopter crew found the man at about 8:30 a.m. and relayed his position to the boat crew. This boat crew then transported the man to EMS waiting at Geneva State Park.
While in transport, the man claimed that he had been out trolling with his dog, and had become disoriented and fallen off the stern at about 5 a.m. He also said that he had been treading for approximately four to five hours before being rescued.
“Boaters need to be responsible for the safety of themselves, their passengers and other boaters,” said Frank Jennings, Jr., recreational boating safety program manager for the Ninth Coast Guard District in Cleveland.
“
That means not only having the proper number of life jackets onboard, but wearing them whenever underway. It is much more difficult to find and don a life jacket during an emergency. Boaters need to be prepared ahead of time.”
At about 1 p.m., a good Samaritan was able to locate the vessel, with the dog still aboard, and pilot it to Geneva State Park, the Coast Guard said.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Crew members aboard the charter boat Highland Locust notified the Coast Guard at about 6:40 a.m. of a possible person in the water in Lake Erie.
The unnamed man was not wearing a life jacket.
Responding, a Coast Guard 25-foot response boat from the agency’s Ashtabula station and an Air Station Detroit MH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter were both sent to search for the missing person.
The helicopter crew found the man at about 8:30 a.m. and relayed his position to the boat crew. This boat crew then transported the man to EMS waiting at Geneva State Park.
While in transport, the man claimed that he had been out trolling with his dog, and had become disoriented and fallen off the stern at about 5 a.m. He also said that he had been treading for approximately four to five hours before being rescued.
“Boaters need to be responsible for the safety of themselves, their passengers and other boaters,” said Frank Jennings, Jr., recreational boating safety program manager for the Ninth Coast Guard District in Cleveland.
“
That means not only having the proper number of life jackets onboard, but wearing them whenever underway. It is much more difficult to find and don a life jacket during an emergency. Boaters need to be prepared ahead of time.”
At about 1 p.m., a good Samaritan was able to locate the vessel, with the dog still aboard, and pilot it to Geneva State Park, the Coast Guard said.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Friday, June 24, 2011
Ohio legislature selling off state's outdoors legacy
The present Ohio General Assembly is environmentally soulless.
And as (charitably said) as confused a governor as was past Ohio chief executive Bob Taft at least the state’s natural resources had a chance during his eight-year tenure.
Not so now with the Republican-controlled Ohio House and state Senate. Both legislative bodies are in a full-swing mode to turn the environmental clock back to at least the 19th Century.
If allowing drilling in Ohio’s state parks and wildlife areas - our crown jewels - were not enough the Ohio legislature is bound and determined to also siphon off as much water from Lake Erie as humanly possible.
A bill that allows businesses to withdraw millions upon millions of additional gallons of water from Ohio’s most valuable natural resource passed by a 60-39 pretty much-party line vote this week in the state House.
Opposing Sub. H.B. 231 is Taft. This week he spoke before a state Senate committee, pleading with the legislators for the better angels of their nature to step forward and thus kill the bill.
Fat chance, as it turns out. This is a single-minded body led by a single-party legislative branch that is heck-bent on stripping Ohio’s rich array of valuable riches. Plunder would be a better word.
Just listen to what the measure’s leading proponent - state Rep. Lynn Wachtmann (R Napoleon) - is quoted to have said: “Water is money.” and “I think (Taft) was more an environmentally friendly governor than a business-friendly governor.”
Perhaps, but I’d rather carry the “environmentally friendly” badge when it comes to Lake Erie.
Fact is, the Ohio legislature’s scheme to allow the withdrawal of millions more gallons of water may very well violate the terms of the Great Lakes Compact.
Not that there are legal penalties involved since the document is really just a gentleman’s agreement. With that being said, should one state choose to ignore their own document signature than all of the other states are free to ignore them as well.
And that’s bad government, bad for the environment along with being really, really bad for our children and grandchildren.
This measure almost certainly will pass, however, given the current political climate of one-party rule in Ohio.
Yet it speaks volumes of how our elected representative view caring for and managing our state’s natural resources.
Simply put, there are now not even any speed bumps - let alone a brick wall - to retard the dismantling of Ohio’s outdoors/environmental legacy.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
And as (charitably said) as confused a governor as was past Ohio chief executive Bob Taft at least the state’s natural resources had a chance during his eight-year tenure.
Not so now with the Republican-controlled Ohio House and state Senate. Both legislative bodies are in a full-swing mode to turn the environmental clock back to at least the 19th Century.
If allowing drilling in Ohio’s state parks and wildlife areas - our crown jewels - were not enough the Ohio legislature is bound and determined to also siphon off as much water from Lake Erie as humanly possible.
A bill that allows businesses to withdraw millions upon millions of additional gallons of water from Ohio’s most valuable natural resource passed by a 60-39 pretty much-party line vote this week in the state House.
Opposing Sub. H.B. 231 is Taft. This week he spoke before a state Senate committee, pleading with the legislators for the better angels of their nature to step forward and thus kill the bill.
Fat chance, as it turns out. This is a single-minded body led by a single-party legislative branch that is heck-bent on stripping Ohio’s rich array of valuable riches. Plunder would be a better word.
Just listen to what the measure’s leading proponent - state Rep. Lynn Wachtmann (R Napoleon) - is quoted to have said: “Water is money.” and “I think (Taft) was more an environmentally friendly governor than a business-friendly governor.”
Perhaps, but I’d rather carry the “environmentally friendly” badge when it comes to Lake Erie.
Fact is, the Ohio legislature’s scheme to allow the withdrawal of millions more gallons of water may very well violate the terms of the Great Lakes Compact.
Not that there are legal penalties involved since the document is really just a gentleman’s agreement. With that being said, should one state choose to ignore their own document signature than all of the other states are free to ignore them as well.
And that’s bad government, bad for the environment along with being really, really bad for our children and grandchildren.
This measure almost certainly will pass, however, given the current political climate of one-party rule in Ohio.
Yet it speaks volumes of how our elected representative view caring for and managing our state’s natural resources.
Simply put, there are now not even any speed bumps - let alone a brick wall - to retard the dismantling of Ohio’s outdoors/environmental legacy.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Accidental hybrid release creates new Pymatuning fisheries
A giant fishing hole, the massive 14,650-acre Pymatuning Reservoir offers anglers just about any warm- and cool-water sport fish imaginable.
The entrée includes largemouth as well as smallmouth bass, crappies in abundance, white bass, channel catfish, a good stock of sunfish as well as yellow perch, an improving walleye fisheries and a healthy supply of muskies.
Now add hybrid striped bass to the brew. This cross comes from the egg of a female white bass and the sperm from a pure-strained male striped bass.
T
he hybrids were accidentally released about five years ago into Pymatuning. Maybe, as the potential exists that some hybrids - often called “wipers” - may have been washed into the reservoir from the watershed’s many private farm ponds and campground lakes, says an official with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
Managed jointly by the Fish and Boat Commission along with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, Pymatuning’s fisheries is of regional importance. It attracts anglers from such diverse locations as Erie and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania to as far west as Cleveland, and south to Akron-Canton.
“The number of escapees is unknown. What happened is that we would get these hybrid fry or fingerlings from another state because we don’t produce them here at the (Linesville, Pa.) hatchery,” said Freeman Jones, a Fish and Boat Commission fisheries biologist.
“At some point something happened and some of the fish got flushed out.”
Then at that point the Fish and Boat Commission started to get anecdotal reports of angler catches. The hybrids likewise began popping up via the trap nets each agency drops in the spring in order to catch muskies, Johns said,
“We really don’t want them in the sanctuary where we have our brood walleye but we’re still getting reports of fish being taken,” Johns said.
Johns said also that some of the watershed’s farm ponds or camp lakes may be a contributing factor, too.
“And there’s always the possibility that someone has released them,” said John of the thoroughly illegal activity.
Most of Pymatuning’s wiper catches appear to be taken near the Linesville spillway. This is a very popular fishing spot for Pennsylvania anglers and is where the Fish and Boat Commission has established a physical presence by virtue of its hatchery and fish/waterfowl sanctuary.
“This is where I mostly hear of them being caught,” Johns said.
And while Pennsylvania does not have a state record fish category for hybrid striped bass, Ohio does with the current leader being a 17.68 pound fish that was caught May 4, 2001 from Deer Creek Lake.
Johns said also that the Fish and Boat Commission does raise wipers to stocking size at which point they are transported and released into nearby lakes Arthur and Shenango.
In these two systems the wipers can grow up to 28 inches with a few larger specimens occasionally being caught.
Regardless of where the hybrids are found the fish tend to live for 8 to 10 years. Thus, with the accidental release happening abut five years ago the angler- and trap net-related catches are “likely petering out” at Pymatuning, Johns said.
“It’s not something that we want to see as a program, though,” Johns said.
As for another introduced species that many Pymatuning anglers still debate; yes, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission did at one time stock alewives.
Chiefly this species was stocked in order to provide forage for the reservoir’s predatory game fish. It was enough of a bad idea that the Fish and Boat Commission
soon hauled the practice.
“We probably did stock them back in the 1980s or even earlier in the 1970s but our (trap) net samples going back to 1989 have shown only a few being caught,” Johns said.
Something of an alewife explosion did occur several years later but has since withered to next to nothing, Johns also said.
“None were caught in our trap nets either this year or in 2009 and only 69 were caught in our trap nets last year,” Johns said.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
The entrée includes largemouth as well as smallmouth bass, crappies in abundance, white bass, channel catfish, a good stock of sunfish as well as yellow perch, an improving walleye fisheries and a healthy supply of muskies.
Now add hybrid striped bass to the brew. This cross comes from the egg of a female white bass and the sperm from a pure-strained male striped bass.
T
he hybrids were accidentally released about five years ago into Pymatuning. Maybe, as the potential exists that some hybrids - often called “wipers” - may have been washed into the reservoir from the watershed’s many private farm ponds and campground lakes, says an official with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
Managed jointly by the Fish and Boat Commission along with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, Pymatuning’s fisheries is of regional importance. It attracts anglers from such diverse locations as Erie and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania to as far west as Cleveland, and south to Akron-Canton.
“The number of escapees is unknown. What happened is that we would get these hybrid fry or fingerlings from another state because we don’t produce them here at the (Linesville, Pa.) hatchery,” said Freeman Jones, a Fish and Boat Commission fisheries biologist.
“At some point something happened and some of the fish got flushed out.”
Then at that point the Fish and Boat Commission started to get anecdotal reports of angler catches. The hybrids likewise began popping up via the trap nets each agency drops in the spring in order to catch muskies, Johns said,
“We really don’t want them in the sanctuary where we have our brood walleye but we’re still getting reports of fish being taken,” Johns said.
Johns said also that some of the watershed’s farm ponds or camp lakes may be a contributing factor, too.
“And there’s always the possibility that someone has released them,” said John of the thoroughly illegal activity.
Most of Pymatuning’s wiper catches appear to be taken near the Linesville spillway. This is a very popular fishing spot for Pennsylvania anglers and is where the Fish and Boat Commission has established a physical presence by virtue of its hatchery and fish/waterfowl sanctuary.
“This is where I mostly hear of them being caught,” Johns said.
And while Pennsylvania does not have a state record fish category for hybrid striped bass, Ohio does with the current leader being a 17.68 pound fish that was caught May 4, 2001 from Deer Creek Lake.
Johns said also that the Fish and Boat Commission does raise wipers to stocking size at which point they are transported and released into nearby lakes Arthur and Shenango.
In these two systems the wipers can grow up to 28 inches with a few larger specimens occasionally being caught.
Regardless of where the hybrids are found the fish tend to live for 8 to 10 years. Thus, with the accidental release happening abut five years ago the angler- and trap net-related catches are “likely petering out” at Pymatuning, Johns said.
“It’s not something that we want to see as a program, though,” Johns said.
As for another introduced species that many Pymatuning anglers still debate; yes, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission did at one time stock alewives.
Chiefly this species was stocked in order to provide forage for the reservoir’s predatory game fish. It was enough of a bad idea that the Fish and Boat Commission
soon hauled the practice.
“We probably did stock them back in the 1980s or even earlier in the 1970s but our (trap) net samples going back to 1989 have shown only a few being caught,” Johns said.
Something of an alewife explosion did occur several years later but has since withered to next to nothing, Johns also said.
“None were caught in our trap nets either this year or in 2009 and only 69 were caught in our trap nets last year,” Johns said.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Rep. LaTourette gets Smithsonian regent appointment
U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Bainbridge Township) can spend any night at the museum, he likes, seeing as how he was recently appointed to serve on the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents.
LaTourette serves with two other House members and was asked to serve by House Speaker John Boehner.
Serving as the Board’s Chancellor is John G. Roberts, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Among the other 15 regent members are Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Regents who are representatives and senators serve for the durations of their elected terms.
However, says LaTourette, the board is hardly all show and no go. The Board of Regents is entrusted with the governance of the Smithsonian Institution and overseeing its mission.
“Our job is oversight of the (Smithsonian’s 16) national museums and galleries and the National Zoo,” he said. “We meet quarterly.”
LaTourette said also that he considers his appointment to be “a great honor.”
“It’s something that I’m really excited about because the Smithsonian is the nation’s museum,” LaTourette said.
The regents play a major role, serving on committees where a lot of work is done and where they discuss ideas, objectives and make strategic policy decisions, also says Linda St. Thomas, the Smithsonian’s chief spokeswoman.
“It’s much like a major university’s board of trustees,” she said.
Regents also elect the Secretary, set the Secretary’s compensation, and annually evaluate the secretary’s performance. With input from the Secretary, Regents evaluate and establish compensation for the senior leadership team and plan for management development and succession.
Regents likewise hold management accountable for performance and regularly assess their own individual, Board, and committee effectiveness, the official web site says.
On the Smithsonian’s official web site is a page dedicated to the regents. The web site is available at www.si.edu/Search/Index/default/1.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
LaTourette serves with two other House members and was asked to serve by House Speaker John Boehner.
Serving as the Board’s Chancellor is John G. Roberts, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Among the other 15 regent members are Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Regents who are representatives and senators serve for the durations of their elected terms.
However, says LaTourette, the board is hardly all show and no go. The Board of Regents is entrusted with the governance of the Smithsonian Institution and overseeing its mission.
“Our job is oversight of the (Smithsonian’s 16) national museums and galleries and the National Zoo,” he said. “We meet quarterly.”
LaTourette said also that he considers his appointment to be “a great honor.”
“It’s something that I’m really excited about because the Smithsonian is the nation’s museum,” LaTourette said.
The regents play a major role, serving on committees where a lot of work is done and where they discuss ideas, objectives and make strategic policy decisions, also says Linda St. Thomas, the Smithsonian’s chief spokeswoman.
“It’s much like a major university’s board of trustees,” she said.
Regents also elect the Secretary, set the Secretary’s compensation, and annually evaluate the secretary’s performance. With input from the Secretary, Regents evaluate and establish compensation for the senior leadership team and plan for management development and succession.
Regents likewise hold management accountable for performance and regularly assess their own individual, Board, and committee effectiveness, the official web site says.
On the Smithsonian’s official web site is a page dedicated to the regents. The web site is available at www.si.edu/Search/Index/default/1.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Cleveland VA's last minute pull out scrubs vets fishing outing
Members of the North Coast Fly Fishers are disappointed that the Veterans Administration nixed a fishing outing with wounded warriors that was scheduled for this morning.
The outing was set for 10:30 a.m. at Lake Metroparks’ Veterans Park/Grangers Pond in Mentor. It was to have included veteran patients with the VA’s Cleveland hospital on University Circle as a component of the national “Healing Waters” program that matches wounded armed forces veterans with volunteers.
All systems were “go” this morning when the Fly Fishers club received very late word that the VA could not find transportation for the wounded veterans.
“Very disappointed” is the word from the group, said one of its members, Andy Setlock, who helped organize the outing.
Setlock said the outing was planned months ago and several club members had arranged for time off, food was bought and even prizes were generated via Gander Mountain’s Mentor store, Setlock said.
The thing is, Setlock said, VA administrators had ample time to make arrangements and just as much time to notify the club that a transportation problem existed.
Instead, the VA waited until the last minute to inform the club that the agency had
no way to get the men to the fishing hole.
“We’ll try and reschedule it,” said Setlock.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
The outing was set for 10:30 a.m. at Lake Metroparks’ Veterans Park/Grangers Pond in Mentor. It was to have included veteran patients with the VA’s Cleveland hospital on University Circle as a component of the national “Healing Waters” program that matches wounded armed forces veterans with volunteers.
All systems were “go” this morning when the Fly Fishers club received very late word that the VA could not find transportation for the wounded veterans.
“Very disappointed” is the word from the group, said one of its members, Andy Setlock, who helped organize the outing.
Setlock said the outing was planned months ago and several club members had arranged for time off, food was bought and even prizes were generated via Gander Mountain’s Mentor store, Setlock said.
The thing is, Setlock said, VA administrators had ample time to make arrangements and just as much time to notify the club that a transportation problem existed.
Instead, the VA waited until the last minute to inform the club that the agency had
no way to get the men to the fishing hole.
“We’ll try and reschedule it,” said Setlock.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
DeWine seeks NRA's input on new"gun violence" commission
Ohio’s state attorney general is hoping the National Rifle Association will join a newly formed advisory commission designed to offer ideas on how to keep firearms out of felons’ hands.
Mike DeWine says he is pledged to focus on such efforts, using his experience as a former county prosecutor and an U.S. Senator to bolster ways to disarm felons from illegally possessing and using firearms.
“This is especially a problem in Ohio’s big cities,” DeWine said in a prepared statement Monday (June 20).
“What we need to do is get these criminals off the streets. They shouldn’t have the weapons in the first place. And we see the same people over and over again committing violent crime.”
The DeWine press release says the Advisory Group/Commission “will convene in the next two weeks.”
Expected to be on the panel are law enforcement officers as prosecutors as well as members of “...gun advocacy groups.”
DeWine's newsletter went on to use material gleaned from a recent Columbus Dispatch article that has been highly criticized by the NRA as being biased toward additional gun control.
When pressed Today (Tuesday, June 21) for what constitutes a “gun advocacy group,” a DeWine spokesman said that term will include the survivors of firearms-related violent crimes as well as representatives of the “National Rifle Association.”
Asked if anyone has yet to specifically receive the nod the spokesman said “no.”
However, the spokesman did indicate that when panel members are finally selected then DeWine will announce their appointment as well as their group affiliation.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-herald.com
Mike DeWine says he is pledged to focus on such efforts, using his experience as a former county prosecutor and an U.S. Senator to bolster ways to disarm felons from illegally possessing and using firearms.
“This is especially a problem in Ohio’s big cities,” DeWine said in a prepared statement Monday (June 20).
“What we need to do is get these criminals off the streets. They shouldn’t have the weapons in the first place. And we see the same people over and over again committing violent crime.”
The DeWine press release says the Advisory Group/Commission “will convene in the next two weeks.”
Expected to be on the panel are law enforcement officers as prosecutors as well as members of “...gun advocacy groups.”
DeWine's newsletter went on to use material gleaned from a recent Columbus Dispatch article that has been highly criticized by the NRA as being biased toward additional gun control.
When pressed Today (Tuesday, June 21) for what constitutes a “gun advocacy group,” a DeWine spokesman said that term will include the survivors of firearms-related violent crimes as well as representatives of the “National Rifle Association.”
Asked if anyone has yet to specifically receive the nod the spokesman said “no.”
However, the spokesman did indicate that when panel members are finally selected then DeWine will announce their appointment as well as their group affiliation.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-herald.com
When birding and farm pond fishing merge
I enjoy listening to the way a set of mismatched oars groan inside over-sized oarlocks.
And to hear the oars’ blades sculpt out chunks of water that then pour back into the pond, well, it’s music to this angler’s ears.
Combined they are the sound of work — but not too much work. The sort of noise that meshes with summer very nicely. Not overly done but perfectly in tune to this time of year.
Yes, of course, I could have lugged the aged electric trolling motor to the pond’s edge where the overturned aluminum boat is positioned.
However, that also would have required a heave and a hoe with the necessary marine battery. Given that doctor’s orders still prohibit me from hoisting more than 30 pounds, the 75-yard, downhill carry of a plump marine battery would not have met with her approval.
Besides, I like to row; honestly I do. And it’s not just for the needed exercise, either.
I simply enjoy the contemplative opportunity to row around the pond’s skirt, using the boat as the platform from which I can cast lures from one of several fishing poles.
On this particular outing there was the always armed drop shot rig, another one fitted with a buzzbait and a third that had installed a short-billed Bagley Bandit.
Thus equipped I set about the job of tracing the pond’s perimeter. To known places I’d chuck a lure and as often as not, reel in a bass. And it was the bass to which I drew my attention, though the pond’s claim to fame is producing large bluegill/sunfish.
Having made a few prior trips to the pond already this year my appetite for sunfish had been pretty well satisfied. Now I wanted bass, and it was for bass that I was properly rigged.
Of course, the pond’s interior and the adjacent shoreline presented their own sets of distractions. None of which I minded, by the way.
Especially inviting was the bird life and trying to identify what exactly I saw. I was happy with my identification abilities, though few were the species that anyone would call unique, let along, rare.
The were a couple of prehistoric-looking great blue herons, several crows and a large flock of grackles, which heartily feasted on bugs that were churned up by a recent mowing operation.
Flitting atop the pond’s surface and then lighting on tree snags were a couple of Eastern kingbirds, a common enough bird species that might elicit a yawn and a shoulder shrug from an experienced birder.
No matter, kingbirds are curious creatures who seem to like to pry into whatever it is that I’m doing. Not so a male red-wing blackbird that again was very protective of a shrubby tree that overlooks the pond.
I can’t say for certain it’s the same blackbird I saw perched on the same branch last year and the year before that and the year before that, but I wanted to believe that it was, as unlikely an assumption that was, however.
On the pond proper swam a decorative male mallard which kept a wary eye on my progress. So did a hen turkey and her three or four poults that weaved between an uncut field of foxglove and a mowed strip.
When the hen didn’t like something she saw she quickly gathered up her clutch and skedaddled to the safety of the nearby woods.
Much less troubled was a hummingbird that was using a barren branch high above in a long-since departed tree. It is the same tree that in the fall attracts roosting morning doves as well.
Bringing a smile to my face were the many chimney swifts and a solitary bluebird.
I guess that you might think I spent nearly as much time looking for bird life as I did for largemouth bass. That’s not entirely true.
What the trip was a pleasant way to enjoy a late spring/early summer day, catching up on birding and bass fishing. It’s a dandy combination if you’re not in any hurry, which I wasn’t, I hasten to add.
As far as the bass-fishing went, that started out slow but picked up as the morning inched onward. I must have tried eight or so different lure types. The only ones that didn’t seem to work were that Bandit crankbait and a quarter-ounce chartreuse/white spinnerbait, which was an amazing surprise.
Spinnerbaits are typically deadly on this farm pond’s bass. The fact that it failed me this one time only means I have an excuse to revisit the pond for a second try.
By the time the sun began to boil my top knot and my arms had begun to tire from the rowing, I had caught a few dozen bass. While none were over 15 inches I had on two occasions tangled with what I thought were much larger largemouths.
That is another excuse I can use for updating my résumé with the pond.
With the fishing gear pulled from the boat and the vessel returned to its overturned rest, I was able to hobble my stiffened legs and creaky bones back to the car.
I had a good day, about as pleasant as one can expect. And knowing that it represented a template for other visits only made the venture all that more memorable; one in a long line of such riches.
Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
And to hear the oars’ blades sculpt out chunks of water that then pour back into the pond, well, it’s music to this angler’s ears.
Combined they are the sound of work — but not too much work. The sort of noise that meshes with summer very nicely. Not overly done but perfectly in tune to this time of year.
Yes, of course, I could have lugged the aged electric trolling motor to the pond’s edge where the overturned aluminum boat is positioned.
However, that also would have required a heave and a hoe with the necessary marine battery. Given that doctor’s orders still prohibit me from hoisting more than 30 pounds, the 75-yard, downhill carry of a plump marine battery would not have met with her approval.
Besides, I like to row; honestly I do. And it’s not just for the needed exercise, either.
I simply enjoy the contemplative opportunity to row around the pond’s skirt, using the boat as the platform from which I can cast lures from one of several fishing poles.
On this particular outing there was the always armed drop shot rig, another one fitted with a buzzbait and a third that had installed a short-billed Bagley Bandit.
Thus equipped I set about the job of tracing the pond’s perimeter. To known places I’d chuck a lure and as often as not, reel in a bass. And it was the bass to which I drew my attention, though the pond’s claim to fame is producing large bluegill/sunfish.
Having made a few prior trips to the pond already this year my appetite for sunfish had been pretty well satisfied. Now I wanted bass, and it was for bass that I was properly rigged.
Of course, the pond’s interior and the adjacent shoreline presented their own sets of distractions. None of which I minded, by the way.
Especially inviting was the bird life and trying to identify what exactly I saw. I was happy with my identification abilities, though few were the species that anyone would call unique, let along, rare.
The were a couple of prehistoric-looking great blue herons, several crows and a large flock of grackles, which heartily feasted on bugs that were churned up by a recent mowing operation.
Flitting atop the pond’s surface and then lighting on tree snags were a couple of Eastern kingbirds, a common enough bird species that might elicit a yawn and a shoulder shrug from an experienced birder.
No matter, kingbirds are curious creatures who seem to like to pry into whatever it is that I’m doing. Not so a male red-wing blackbird that again was very protective of a shrubby tree that overlooks the pond.
I can’t say for certain it’s the same blackbird I saw perched on the same branch last year and the year before that and the year before that, but I wanted to believe that it was, as unlikely an assumption that was, however.
On the pond proper swam a decorative male mallard which kept a wary eye on my progress. So did a hen turkey and her three or four poults that weaved between an uncut field of foxglove and a mowed strip.
When the hen didn’t like something she saw she quickly gathered up her clutch and skedaddled to the safety of the nearby woods.
Much less troubled was a hummingbird that was using a barren branch high above in a long-since departed tree. It is the same tree that in the fall attracts roosting morning doves as well.
Bringing a smile to my face were the many chimney swifts and a solitary bluebird.
I guess that you might think I spent nearly as much time looking for bird life as I did for largemouth bass. That’s not entirely true.
What the trip was a pleasant way to enjoy a late spring/early summer day, catching up on birding and bass fishing. It’s a dandy combination if you’re not in any hurry, which I wasn’t, I hasten to add.
As far as the bass-fishing went, that started out slow but picked up as the morning inched onward. I must have tried eight or so different lure types. The only ones that didn’t seem to work were that Bandit crankbait and a quarter-ounce chartreuse/white spinnerbait, which was an amazing surprise.
Spinnerbaits are typically deadly on this farm pond’s bass. The fact that it failed me this one time only means I have an excuse to revisit the pond for a second try.
By the time the sun began to boil my top knot and my arms had begun to tire from the rowing, I had caught a few dozen bass. While none were over 15 inches I had on two occasions tangled with what I thought were much larger largemouths.
That is another excuse I can use for updating my résumé with the pond.
With the fishing gear pulled from the boat and the vessel returned to its overturned rest, I was able to hobble my stiffened legs and creaky bones back to the car.
I had a good day, about as pleasant as one can expect. And knowing that it represented a template for other visits only made the venture all that more memorable; one in a long line of such riches.
Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Friday, June 17, 2011
Legislature agrees to "drill, baby, drill" on state parks
Sen. Tim Grendell, R-Chester Township, stood alone among his Republican colleagues in opposing drilling for oil and gas on state park lands.
The largely party-line vote in the Republican-controlled state Senate did, however, mirror that seen in the also Republican-controlled Ohio House.
In the state Senate, House Bill 133 passed on a 22 to 10 vote with all but one Democratic state senators voting “no.” The House vote was 54 to 41 with two Republicans joining the House Democrats in voting “no” as well.
What the bill will do, says environmentalists, conservationists and sportsmen, is give the Ohio Department of Natural Resources only a minimal voice in how and where drilling will occur on its properties.
Meanwhile, Ohio’s oil and gas industry will get two votes on the bill’s call to establish a five-member Oil and Gas Leasing Commission.
In essence all five of the commission members are political appointees of the governor. In this case that is Ohio Gov. John Kasich who has long sought to open Ohio’s state parks, wildlife areas and forests to fossil fuel extraction.
Exempted, though, are the state’s designated natural areas.
It is believed that Ohio’s oil and gas industry could reap what the environmental community calls “a $3.5 billion jackpot,” returning only one-eighth of one-percent back to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources which is the land’s actual owner in many cases.
Not lost on the conservation-minded community was the legislature’s failure to exclude drilling in Lake Erie. The Republican-controlled Ohio House and Senate said that was not needed because existing federal law prohibits such activity.
However, sportsmen note that federal law can be changed, which would clear the only obstacle in the industry’s way for tapping Lake Erie’s bed for oil and natural gas.
“They have put a for-sale sign in front of our state parks, demonstrating again that the only green things they value are dollar bills,” said a thoroughly disappointed Jack Shaner, Deputy Director of the Ohio Environmental Council.
Others within the pro-sportsmen community called it a “sad day” and that the legislature “...shouldn’t plug a hole in the state budget dam with our children’s assets.”
This blog item also appear on The News-Herald's Northern Ohio Politics Blog.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
The largely party-line vote in the Republican-controlled state Senate did, however, mirror that seen in the also Republican-controlled Ohio House.
In the state Senate, House Bill 133 passed on a 22 to 10 vote with all but one Democratic state senators voting “no.” The House vote was 54 to 41 with two Republicans joining the House Democrats in voting “no” as well.
What the bill will do, says environmentalists, conservationists and sportsmen, is give the Ohio Department of Natural Resources only a minimal voice in how and where drilling will occur on its properties.
Meanwhile, Ohio’s oil and gas industry will get two votes on the bill’s call to establish a five-member Oil and Gas Leasing Commission.
In essence all five of the commission members are political appointees of the governor. In this case that is Ohio Gov. John Kasich who has long sought to open Ohio’s state parks, wildlife areas and forests to fossil fuel extraction.
Exempted, though, are the state’s designated natural areas.
It is believed that Ohio’s oil and gas industry could reap what the environmental community calls “a $3.5 billion jackpot,” returning only one-eighth of one-percent back to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources which is the land’s actual owner in many cases.
Not lost on the conservation-minded community was the legislature’s failure to exclude drilling in Lake Erie. The Republican-controlled Ohio House and Senate said that was not needed because existing federal law prohibits such activity.
However, sportsmen note that federal law can be changed, which would clear the only obstacle in the industry’s way for tapping Lake Erie’s bed for oil and natural gas.
“They have put a for-sale sign in front of our state parks, demonstrating again that the only green things they value are dollar bills,” said a thoroughly disappointed Jack Shaner, Deputy Director of the Ohio Environmental Council.
Others within the pro-sportsmen community called it a “sad day” and that the legislature “...shouldn’t plug a hole in the state budget dam with our children’s assets.”
This blog item also appear on The News-Herald's Northern Ohio Politics Blog.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Ohio Attorney General evasive on expanded concealed carry proposals
In a terse response to inquiry on how Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine sides with the issue of expanded allowances for holders of Ohio concealed carry permits, his agency replied simply: "...the Attorney General will enforce the laws the General Assembly passes and the Governor signs."
When pressed for a more definitive answer, his Public Information Officer - Communications, Mark Moretti, said in an email: "I’ve provided you with what our comment is on the matters."
During the 2010 campaign for Attorney General, pro-Second Amendment Rights advocates pointed out that DeWine has had a less than stellar record on issues involving gun ownership.
That is why various organization such as the Buckeye Firearms Association and the National Rifle Association instead endorsed DeWine's Democratic Party opponent and then-Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
When pressed for a more definitive answer, his Public Information Officer - Communications, Mark Moretti, said in an email: "I’ve provided you with what our comment is on the matters."
During the 2010 campaign for Attorney General, pro-Second Amendment Rights advocates pointed out that DeWine has had a less than stellar record on issues involving gun ownership.
That is why various organization such as the Buckeye Firearms Association and the National Rifle Association instead endorsed DeWine's Democratic Party opponent and then-Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Lots to see and do when rowing a boat (updated)
I enjoy listening to the way a set of mismatched oars groan inside over-sized oarlocks.
And to hear the oars’ blades sculpt out chunks of water that then pour back into the pond, well, it’s music to this angler’s ears.
Combined they are the sound of work - but not too much work. The sort of noise that meshes with summer very nicely. Not overly done but perfectly in tune to this time of year.
Yes, of course, I could have lugged the aged electric trolling motor to the pond’s edge where the over-turned aluminum boat is positioned.
However, that also would have required a heave and a hoe with the necessary marine battery. Given that doctor’s orders still prohibit me from hoisting more than 30 pounds, the 75-yard, downhill carry of a plump marine battery would not have met with her approval.
Frankly and besides, I like to row; honestly I do. And it’s not just for the needed exercise, either.
I simply enjoy the contemplative opportunity to row around the pond’s skirt, using the boat as the platform from which I can cast lures from one of several fishing poles.
On this particular outing there was the always armed drop shot rig, another one fitted with a buzzbait and a third that had installed a short-billed Bagley Bandit.
Thus equipped I set about the job of tracing the pond’s perimeter. To known places I’d chuck a lure and as often as not, reel in a bass. And it was the bass to which I drew my attention, though the pond’s claim to fame is producing large bluegill/sunfish.
Having made a few prior trips to the pond already this year my appetite for sunfish had been pretty well satisfied. Now I wanted bass, and it was for bass that I was properly rigged.
Of course, the pond’s interior and the adjacent shoreline presented their own sets of distractions. None of which I minded, by the way.
Especially inviting was the bird life and trying to identify what exactly I saw. I was happy with my identification abilities, though few were the species that anyone would call unique, let along, rare.
The were a couple of prehistoric-looking great blue herons, several crows and a large flock of grackles, which heartily feasted on bugs that were churned up by a recent mowing operation.
Flitting atop the pond’s surface and than lighting on tree snags were a couple of Eastern kingbirds, a common enough bird species that might elicit a yawn and a shoulder shrug from an experienced birder.
No matter, kingbirds are curious creatures who seem to like to pry into whatever it is that I’m doing. Not so a male red-wing blackbird that again was very protective of a shrubby tree that overlooks the pond.
I can’t say for certain it’s the same blackbird I saw perched on the same branch last year and the year before that and the year before that, but I wanted to believe that it was, as unlikely an assumption that was, however.
On the pond proper swam a decorative male mallard which kept a wary eye on my progress. So did a hen turkey and her three or four poults that weaved between an uncut field of foxglove and a mowed strip.
When the hen didn’t like something she saw she quickly gathered up her clutch and skedaddled to the safety of the nearby woods.
Much less troubled was a hummingbird that was using a barren branch high above in a long-since departed tree. It is the same tree that in the fall attracts roosting morning doves as well.
Bringing a smile to my face were the many chimney swifts and a solitary bluebird.
I guess that you might think I spent nearly as much time looking for bird life as I did for largemouth bass. That’s not entirely true.
What the trip was a pleasant way to enjoy a late spring/early summer day, catching up on birding and bass fishing. It’s a dandy combination if you’re not in any hurry, which I wasn’t, I hasten to add.
As far as the bass fishing went, that started out slow but picked up as the morning inched onward. I must have tried eight or so different lure types. The only ones that didn’t seem to work were that Bandit crankbait and a quarter-ounce chartreuse/white spinnerbait, which was an amazing surprise.
Spinnerbaits are typically deadly on this farm pond’s bass. The fact that it failed me this one time only means I have an excuse to revisit the pond for a second try.
By the time the sun began to boil my top knot and my arms had begun to tire from the rowing, I had caught a few dozen bass. While none were over 15 inches I had on two occasions tangled with what I thought were much larger largemouths.
That is another excuse I can use for updating my resumé with the pond.
With the fishing gear pulled from the boat and the vessel returned to its overturned rest, I was able to hobble my stiffened legs and creaky bones back to the car.
I had a good day, about as pleasant as one can expect. And knowing that it represented a template for other visits only made the venture all that more memorable; one in a long line of such riches.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
And to hear the oars’ blades sculpt out chunks of water that then pour back into the pond, well, it’s music to this angler’s ears.
Combined they are the sound of work - but not too much work. The sort of noise that meshes with summer very nicely. Not overly done but perfectly in tune to this time of year.
Yes, of course, I could have lugged the aged electric trolling motor to the pond’s edge where the over-turned aluminum boat is positioned.
However, that also would have required a heave and a hoe with the necessary marine battery. Given that doctor’s orders still prohibit me from hoisting more than 30 pounds, the 75-yard, downhill carry of a plump marine battery would not have met with her approval.
Frankly and besides, I like to row; honestly I do. And it’s not just for the needed exercise, either.
I simply enjoy the contemplative opportunity to row around the pond’s skirt, using the boat as the platform from which I can cast lures from one of several fishing poles.
On this particular outing there was the always armed drop shot rig, another one fitted with a buzzbait and a third that had installed a short-billed Bagley Bandit.
Thus equipped I set about the job of tracing the pond’s perimeter. To known places I’d chuck a lure and as often as not, reel in a bass. And it was the bass to which I drew my attention, though the pond’s claim to fame is producing large bluegill/sunfish.
Having made a few prior trips to the pond already this year my appetite for sunfish had been pretty well satisfied. Now I wanted bass, and it was for bass that I was properly rigged.
Of course, the pond’s interior and the adjacent shoreline presented their own sets of distractions. None of which I minded, by the way.
Especially inviting was the bird life and trying to identify what exactly I saw. I was happy with my identification abilities, though few were the species that anyone would call unique, let along, rare.
The were a couple of prehistoric-looking great blue herons, several crows and a large flock of grackles, which heartily feasted on bugs that were churned up by a recent mowing operation.
Flitting atop the pond’s surface and than lighting on tree snags were a couple of Eastern kingbirds, a common enough bird species that might elicit a yawn and a shoulder shrug from an experienced birder.
No matter, kingbirds are curious creatures who seem to like to pry into whatever it is that I’m doing. Not so a male red-wing blackbird that again was very protective of a shrubby tree that overlooks the pond.
I can’t say for certain it’s the same blackbird I saw perched on the same branch last year and the year before that and the year before that, but I wanted to believe that it was, as unlikely an assumption that was, however.
On the pond proper swam a decorative male mallard which kept a wary eye on my progress. So did a hen turkey and her three or four poults that weaved between an uncut field of foxglove and a mowed strip.
When the hen didn’t like something she saw she quickly gathered up her clutch and skedaddled to the safety of the nearby woods.
Much less troubled was a hummingbird that was using a barren branch high above in a long-since departed tree. It is the same tree that in the fall attracts roosting morning doves as well.
Bringing a smile to my face were the many chimney swifts and a solitary bluebird.
I guess that you might think I spent nearly as much time looking for bird life as I did for largemouth bass. That’s not entirely true.
What the trip was a pleasant way to enjoy a late spring/early summer day, catching up on birding and bass fishing. It’s a dandy combination if you’re not in any hurry, which I wasn’t, I hasten to add.
As far as the bass fishing went, that started out slow but picked up as the morning inched onward. I must have tried eight or so different lure types. The only ones that didn’t seem to work were that Bandit crankbait and a quarter-ounce chartreuse/white spinnerbait, which was an amazing surprise.
Spinnerbaits are typically deadly on this farm pond’s bass. The fact that it failed me this one time only means I have an excuse to revisit the pond for a second try.
By the time the sun began to boil my top knot and my arms had begun to tire from the rowing, I had caught a few dozen bass. While none were over 15 inches I had on two occasions tangled with what I thought were much larger largemouths.
That is another excuse I can use for updating my resumé with the pond.
With the fishing gear pulled from the boat and the vessel returned to its overturned rest, I was able to hobble my stiffened legs and creaky bones back to the car.
I had a good day, about as pleasant as one can expect. And knowing that it represented a template for other visits only made the venture all that more memorable; one in a long line of such riches.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Errors show up in Wildlife Division's official publications
Whoops, we all make mistakes but in this case it's a component of the Ohio Division of Wildlife's official annual fishing guide digest.
The agency has announced that anglers need to be aware of a typographical error in Publication 84, Ohio fishing regulations 2011-12 regarding the opening day of turtle season and the bag limit on frogs says the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.
The correct opening date for turtle season is July 1, 2011, not the second Friday in June (June 10) as printed in the regulations. Also, the bag limit on frogs should be 15, not 10 as printed.
That same document also fails to list the proper state wildlife officer assigned to Lake County, Jason Keller, even though the young man has been in the position for some time now.
And earlier today the Wildlife Division was made aware of the fact that it had no Internet portal for people to sign up for the various controlled waterfowl and deer hunts. The application period for the hunts has been in existence for several days.
A bad hair day all around, it would seem. Then again, who among us have not made such errors?
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
The agency has announced that anglers need to be aware of a typographical error in Publication 84, Ohio fishing regulations 2011-12 regarding the opening day of turtle season and the bag limit on frogs says the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.
The correct opening date for turtle season is July 1, 2011, not the second Friday in June (June 10) as printed in the regulations. Also, the bag limit on frogs should be 15, not 10 as printed.
That same document also fails to list the proper state wildlife officer assigned to Lake County, Jason Keller, even though the young man has been in the position for some time now.
And earlier today the Wildlife Division was made aware of the fact that it had no Internet portal for people to sign up for the various controlled waterfowl and deer hunts. The application period for the hunts has been in existence for several days.
A bad hair day all around, it would seem. Then again, who among us have not made such errors?
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Second Fin, Feather & Fur store to open shortly
What's great for my growing inventory of outdoors stuff but bad for my wallet will take another turn sometime this month.
A spokeswoman for Ashland-based Goschinski's Fin, Feather and Fur Outfitters said the company will open its new Middleburg Heights store off Bagley Road within the next few weeks.
Fin, Feather and Fur is just like a Cabela's or a Bass Pro Shop's retail store but minus the gingerbread accessory of a mountain of wildlife mounts and massive aquarium filled with sport fish.
What it does have is a huge inventory of firearms, fishing tackle, camping gear and hunting equipment with monthly sales.
Given that the nearest Bass Pro Shop or Cabela's is nearly 3 hours away each, having something close at hand within 45 minutes or so will mean less money spent on fuel for the car and that much more cash to buy outdoors stuff.
As it now stands - I believe - Fin, Feather and Fur is Ohio's largest firearms dealer.
I'm looking forward to having yet one more place to spend my paycheck.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com
A spokeswoman for Ashland-based Goschinski's Fin, Feather and Fur Outfitters said the company will open its new Middleburg Heights store off Bagley Road within the next few weeks.
Fin, Feather and Fur is just like a Cabela's or a Bass Pro Shop's retail store but minus the gingerbread accessory of a mountain of wildlife mounts and massive aquarium filled with sport fish.
What it does have is a huge inventory of firearms, fishing tackle, camping gear and hunting equipment with monthly sales.
Given that the nearest Bass Pro Shop or Cabela's is nearly 3 hours away each, having something close at hand within 45 minutes or so will mean less money spent on fuel for the car and that much more cash to buy outdoors stuff.
As it now stands - I believe - Fin, Feather and Fur is Ohio's largest firearms dealer.
I'm looking forward to having yet one more place to spend my paycheck.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com
Fashion is dictating price, supply of fly-tying feathers
Fashion trends typically come and go with the drop of a pillbox hat, but currently the must-have hair-care craze is not feathering the nests of fly tiers and fly anglers.
The best and the brightest of the rooster chicken feathers are being gobbled up by women, determined to crow over their new hair accessory.
Where once entire shields — or “necks” and “saddles” — of feathers were sold for reasonable prices and used for fishing flies, these items are instead now being broken apart and doled out a single or a few feathers at a time. Such a fashion trend has led to greatly increased prices. Some of best single feathers are costing upward of $10 — or even much, much more.
All of which is hitting fly fishers pretty hard in their wallets as well as their fly-tying materials chests. That situation is due to what some raisers are doing — or not doing, say some within the tight-knit fly fishing family.
Instead of selling their product to their usual fishing-related clients, these raisers of genetically specialized roosters are selling to hair stylists. That is where the big money resides.
While some rooster farmers are jumping on the fashion bandwagon, not all are.
The same goes for some fly fishing product suppliers.
Still, what is happening now even OPEC members would be stunned at the profits to be made by selling feathers to hair salons and not to grizzled steelhead trout fishers.
“The fashion trend is driving up the price of the really good feathers — but more importantly the demand on the supply is being overwhelmed,” said George Vosmik of Rocky River, a member of several local fly-fishing groups.
“I have felt the push because my granddaughters now want grandpa to make feather earrings out of my best hackle feathers. And of course I do, but these are the same girls that tie flies with me — so what the heck?”
Vosmik has managed to stay one step ahead of the fashionistas. He’s had decades to accumulate “lots of necks and saddles over the years.”
“So I have had no specific problems,” he said. “It reminds me of the salmon fly feathers of exotic birds years ago; a serious problem.”
Like Vosmik, Joe Valencic of the North Coast Fly Fishers also has a good inventory of feathers to keep himself occupied at his fly-tying vice.
“I’ve got enough feathers to last several lifetimes,” Valencic said.
That’s not the case for many — if not, most — other fly guys. For the fly-fishing anglers who buy the finished lure product or are do-it-yourselfers, the demand is choking the supply pipeline, according to Chuck Smock, a spokesman for
Nebraska-based Cabela’s, a leading outdoors store and catalog retailer.
Cabela’s has an extensive arsenal of fly-tying products, including the feathers that are in the most demand by anglers and the fashion police.
“I spoke with one of our retail managers, and he said that it’s been on our radar for about 10 months,” Smock said. “Both the price has gone up and the supply has become more difficult.”
How Cabela’s first got wind of the tilt toward using feathers for fashion instead of attracting fish occurred at one of the firm’s three Texas retail stores.
“We began to notice how well-dressed and how young the women were that were coming in and buying the feathers. We finally asked what was going on, and we were told they wanted the feathers for their hair,” Smock said.
Smock added, however, in spite of the huge surge in demand, Cabela’s has resisted passing on the increased cost to its customers.
“But we do have suppliers who have said they won’t sell to us because they can make more money selling to the fashion folks,” Smock said.
Just when Cabela’s thinks the interest in feathers for fashion has peaked, it rises
again to a new summit.
“Of course you can’t add a third shift and manufacture more chickens overnight,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s been pretty remarkable, that’s for sure.”
Yet some raisers of the high-quality roosters needed by fly fishers and the fashion industry are pushing back. They do not want to abandon their longtime fly-fishing clients for the lure of a greater profit margin.
Count one West Coast rooster farmer and feather supplier as an such example.
Wishing to leave his name anonymous, the rooster rancher said the typical saddle has about 300 hackles, or feathers. With the going rate of up to $40 for a package of 10 feathers, “you do the math,” he said.
That math, says the rooster raiser, has led to others in the industry being not so fair to their loyal buyers who’ve been there through thick and thin.
That is why, the farmer says, he “will not play the game,” nor give in and “sell to this fad trade.”
“One of these days, it will be all over and forgotten about,” the raiser said.
“I have always raised top quality dry fly hackle and plan on doing so for many years. I do not sell to the good (’ol) boy dealer network, so none of my hackle is ever offered to fly shops. I control to whom I sell, and the grade and price is a fair one.”
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
The best and the brightest of the rooster chicken feathers are being gobbled up by women, determined to crow over their new hair accessory.
Where once entire shields — or “necks” and “saddles” — of feathers were sold for reasonable prices and used for fishing flies, these items are instead now being broken apart and doled out a single or a few feathers at a time. Such a fashion trend has led to greatly increased prices. Some of best single feathers are costing upward of $10 — or even much, much more.
All of which is hitting fly fishers pretty hard in their wallets as well as their fly-tying materials chests. That situation is due to what some raisers are doing — or not doing, say some within the tight-knit fly fishing family.
Instead of selling their product to their usual fishing-related clients, these raisers of genetically specialized roosters are selling to hair stylists. That is where the big money resides.
While some rooster farmers are jumping on the fashion bandwagon, not all are.
The same goes for some fly fishing product suppliers.
Still, what is happening now even OPEC members would be stunned at the profits to be made by selling feathers to hair salons and not to grizzled steelhead trout fishers.
“The fashion trend is driving up the price of the really good feathers — but more importantly the demand on the supply is being overwhelmed,” said George Vosmik of Rocky River, a member of several local fly-fishing groups.
“I have felt the push because my granddaughters now want grandpa to make feather earrings out of my best hackle feathers. And of course I do, but these are the same girls that tie flies with me — so what the heck?”
Vosmik has managed to stay one step ahead of the fashionistas. He’s had decades to accumulate “lots of necks and saddles over the years.”
“So I have had no specific problems,” he said. “It reminds me of the salmon fly feathers of exotic birds years ago; a serious problem.”
Like Vosmik, Joe Valencic of the North Coast Fly Fishers also has a good inventory of feathers to keep himself occupied at his fly-tying vice.
“I’ve got enough feathers to last several lifetimes,” Valencic said.
That’s not the case for many — if not, most — other fly guys. For the fly-fishing anglers who buy the finished lure product or are do-it-yourselfers, the demand is choking the supply pipeline, according to Chuck Smock, a spokesman for
Nebraska-based Cabela’s, a leading outdoors store and catalog retailer.
Cabela’s has an extensive arsenal of fly-tying products, including the feathers that are in the most demand by anglers and the fashion police.
“I spoke with one of our retail managers, and he said that it’s been on our radar for about 10 months,” Smock said. “Both the price has gone up and the supply has become more difficult.”
How Cabela’s first got wind of the tilt toward using feathers for fashion instead of attracting fish occurred at one of the firm’s three Texas retail stores.
“We began to notice how well-dressed and how young the women were that were coming in and buying the feathers. We finally asked what was going on, and we were told they wanted the feathers for their hair,” Smock said.
Smock added, however, in spite of the huge surge in demand, Cabela’s has resisted passing on the increased cost to its customers.
“But we do have suppliers who have said they won’t sell to us because they can make more money selling to the fashion folks,” Smock said.
Just when Cabela’s thinks the interest in feathers for fashion has peaked, it rises
again to a new summit.
“Of course you can’t add a third shift and manufacture more chickens overnight,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s been pretty remarkable, that’s for sure.”
Yet some raisers of the high-quality roosters needed by fly fishers and the fashion industry are pushing back. They do not want to abandon their longtime fly-fishing clients for the lure of a greater profit margin.
Count one West Coast rooster farmer and feather supplier as an such example.
Wishing to leave his name anonymous, the rooster rancher said the typical saddle has about 300 hackles, or feathers. With the going rate of up to $40 for a package of 10 feathers, “you do the math,” he said.
That math, says the rooster raiser, has led to others in the industry being not so fair to their loyal buyers who’ve been there through thick and thin.
That is why, the farmer says, he “will not play the game,” nor give in and “sell to this fad trade.”
“One of these days, it will be all over and forgotten about,” the raiser said.
“I have always raised top quality dry fly hackle and plan on doing so for many years. I do not sell to the good (’ol) boy dealer network, so none of my hackle is ever offered to fly shops. I control to whom I sell, and the grade and price is a fair one.”
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Monday, June 13, 2011
How many of these bird species are on your life list?
According to Richard Crossley, well-known photographer and author of the new book The "Crossley ID Guide: Eastern Birds," published by Princeton University Press,now is an excellent time to help assist your youngsters in getting reconnected with nature by becoming amateur birders (a term that used to be called "bird watchers.")
Crossley hopes his new bird guide will further engage the nearly 50 million Americans who consider themselves birders, and help new audiences, especially children, discover a passion for birding.
He opines that children are natural birders: they can easily learn the birding basics.
Size, shape, behavior, probability and color patterns come together to create one memorable image leading to that "Aha moment," Crossley says.
"Then, they’re hooked,” Crossley says.
“Birding is one of the most accessible and affordable ways to help kids and adults connect with and explore the natural world," he says. "The book provides a better tool for them to be successful when they get outside.”
Crossley suggests that among the easiest birds to spot now and through the summer are:
• Indigo Bunting.
• American Redstart.
• Yellow Warbler.
• Common Yellowthroat.
• Common Loon.
• Wood Duck.
. Double-crested Cormorant.
• Wilson's Storm Petrel (for boaters).
• Spotted Sandpiper.
• Chuck Wills-Widow.
As far as my own Biders' Life List is concerned, I know that at least nineof these species are on it.
The only one I have a question about is the Wilson's storm petrel, probably because that is a species that migrates great distances but only along the nation's two coastlines.
But, hey, nine out of 10 ain't bad.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Crossley hopes his new bird guide will further engage the nearly 50 million Americans who consider themselves birders, and help new audiences, especially children, discover a passion for birding.
He opines that children are natural birders: they can easily learn the birding basics.
Size, shape, behavior, probability and color patterns come together to create one memorable image leading to that "Aha moment," Crossley says.
"Then, they’re hooked,” Crossley says.
“Birding is one of the most accessible and affordable ways to help kids and adults connect with and explore the natural world," he says. "The book provides a better tool for them to be successful when they get outside.”
Crossley suggests that among the easiest birds to spot now and through the summer are:
• Indigo Bunting.
• American Redstart.
• Yellow Warbler.
• Common Yellowthroat.
• Common Loon.
• Wood Duck.
. Double-crested Cormorant.
• Wilson's Storm Petrel (for boaters).
• Spotted Sandpiper.
• Chuck Wills-Widow.
As far as my own Biders' Life List is concerned, I know that at least nineof these species are on it.
The only one I have a question about is the Wilson's storm petrel, probably because that is a species that migrates great distances but only along the nation's two coastlines.
But, hey, nine out of 10 ain't bad.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Friday, June 10, 2011
Michigan moves to allow baiting for deer.. Could Ohio ever stop it?
The shoe has been picked up from off the floor in Michigan after it fell three years ago.
In a 4-3 vote Thursday, Michigan's Natural Resources Commission voted to end a ban on baiting and feeding of whitetail deer in most of the state's Lower Peninsula, says Michigan United Conservation Clubs, a broad-based conservation group in that state.
However, there is one item that Ohio deer hunters might consider somewhat bizarre. More on that in a moment.
The decision legalizes baiting again in most of the Lower Peninsula with the exception of the northeast section where bovine tuberculosis remains a problem, including Alcona, Alpena, Iosco, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle counties.
Here is the strange part: While bait can be "scattered" it cannot be "piled," whatever those two terms mean.
And the amount of bait could not exceed two gallons at any one hunting site. So if you have a 5-gallon bucket you'll have to measure out less than one-half.
Of course, if you visit the bait site the next day you'll have say "hmmm, how many pints or quarts did the deer eat last night?"
There is, however, the groups says as well, a three-year "sunset" provision when after on regulations and the issue will be re-evaluated then.
Baiting and feeding have been banned in Michigan's Lower Peninsula since August 2008. That is when a deer with chronic wasting disease was found at a captive deer facility in Kent County, the group concluded.
The issue is of at least passing interest to Ohio deer hunters. While baiting for deer is legal in the state there are some sportsmen and state officials who are not particularly enthralled with the activity.
Thus, if CWD or Bovine TB does ever shows up in Ohio than the state's deer hunters could see mounting pressure to do away with - or at the least, reduce - the activity.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
In a 4-3 vote Thursday, Michigan's Natural Resources Commission voted to end a ban on baiting and feeding of whitetail deer in most of the state's Lower Peninsula, says Michigan United Conservation Clubs, a broad-based conservation group in that state.
However, there is one item that Ohio deer hunters might consider somewhat bizarre. More on that in a moment.
The decision legalizes baiting again in most of the Lower Peninsula with the exception of the northeast section where bovine tuberculosis remains a problem, including Alcona, Alpena, Iosco, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle counties.
Here is the strange part: While bait can be "scattered" it cannot be "piled," whatever those two terms mean.
And the amount of bait could not exceed two gallons at any one hunting site. So if you have a 5-gallon bucket you'll have to measure out less than one-half.
Of course, if you visit the bait site the next day you'll have say "hmmm, how many pints or quarts did the deer eat last night?"
There is, however, the groups says as well, a three-year "sunset" provision when after on regulations and the issue will be re-evaluated then.
Baiting and feeding have been banned in Michigan's Lower Peninsula since August 2008. That is when a deer with chronic wasting disease was found at a captive deer facility in Kent County, the group concluded.
The issue is of at least passing interest to Ohio deer hunters. While baiting for deer is legal in the state there are some sportsmen and state officials who are not particularly enthralled with the activity.
Thus, if CWD or Bovine TB does ever shows up in Ohio than the state's deer hunters could see mounting pressure to do away with - or at the least, reduce - the activity.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Kasich & Company are putting Ohio's wildlife lands at risk to development
Ohio’s sportsmen are being snookered even as their dollars are being plucked, possibly going into the wallets of the oil and gas drilling industry.
All thanks to the cozy relationship between the Kasich Administration, the Republican-controlled State Senate and the fossil fuel extraction industry.
House Bill 133 would allow for the leasing of state lands for oil and gas exploration and drilling. This proposal is now before the State Senate.
To do so, the bill establishes a new oil and gas leasing commission and requires state lands be classified into four categories, conservation leaders say.
“H.B. 133’s language elevates oil and gas interests above the primary purpose for which wildlife lands are kept in the first place - wildlife conservation,” said Jeremy Rine, associate director of state services for the Columbus-based U.S. Sportsmens Alliance.
Language added to the bill in the House would require state agencies to take steps to reclassify lands to make it easier for the commission to lease them for oil and gas drilling.
“The only way for the Wildlife Division to reclassify its land would be to refuse to take sportsmen’s dollars returned to the state through the federal Pittman-Robertson Act.” Rine said also.
“These funds are derived from hunting and fishing license dollars and excise taxes paid by sportsmen that are returned to the states each year.”
Such funds are critically important to the Division of Wildlife in order to manage state game lands, adds Rob Sexton, the Alliance’s vice president.
“Despite repeated assurances that the proposal would be fixed to protect sportsmen’s interests, the bill still contains language that would take away the Division of Wildlife’s authority to manage state hunting lands,” Sexton says.
In effect, says Sexton, Ohio’s sportsmen have been given “a raw deal” by the State Senate.
“We have a new crew to work with and they reneged on the commitments they made to us,” Sexton said.
“Certainly if the federal government sees any drilling that is in contradiction to the land it actually owns we are at risk of a diversion that will cost us money; possibly a LOT of money.”
Thus, says Sexton and Rine, sportsmen’s back are up against the wall.
Not any better is that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Kasich-appointed leaders are mum on the proposal.
“The Wildlife Division must retain the ultimate authority over these lands. That will enable the agency to ensure that leasing takes place only where it is compatible only with the context of the primary reason these lands were purchased in the first place.”
To find your state senator’s phone number and other contact information, use the USSA Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org/lac.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
All thanks to the cozy relationship between the Kasich Administration, the Republican-controlled State Senate and the fossil fuel extraction industry.
House Bill 133 would allow for the leasing of state lands for oil and gas exploration and drilling. This proposal is now before the State Senate.
To do so, the bill establishes a new oil and gas leasing commission and requires state lands be classified into four categories, conservation leaders say.
“H.B. 133’s language elevates oil and gas interests above the primary purpose for which wildlife lands are kept in the first place - wildlife conservation,” said Jeremy Rine, associate director of state services for the Columbus-based U.S. Sportsmens Alliance.
Language added to the bill in the House would require state agencies to take steps to reclassify lands to make it easier for the commission to lease them for oil and gas drilling.
“The only way for the Wildlife Division to reclassify its land would be to refuse to take sportsmen’s dollars returned to the state through the federal Pittman-Robertson Act.” Rine said also.
“These funds are derived from hunting and fishing license dollars and excise taxes paid by sportsmen that are returned to the states each year.”
Such funds are critically important to the Division of Wildlife in order to manage state game lands, adds Rob Sexton, the Alliance’s vice president.
“Despite repeated assurances that the proposal would be fixed to protect sportsmen’s interests, the bill still contains language that would take away the Division of Wildlife’s authority to manage state hunting lands,” Sexton says.
In effect, says Sexton, Ohio’s sportsmen have been given “a raw deal” by the State Senate.
“We have a new crew to work with and they reneged on the commitments they made to us,” Sexton said.
“Certainly if the federal government sees any drilling that is in contradiction to the land it actually owns we are at risk of a diversion that will cost us money; possibly a LOT of money.”
Thus, says Sexton and Rine, sportsmen’s back are up against the wall.
Not any better is that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Kasich-appointed leaders are mum on the proposal.
“The Wildlife Division must retain the ultimate authority over these lands. That will enable the agency to ensure that leasing takes place only where it is compatible only with the context of the primary reason these lands were purchased in the first place.”
To find your state senator’s phone number and other contact information, use the USSA Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org/lac.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Ohio's hunters adapting to new game check system
Though fewer wild turkeys were shot during the recently concluded spring season, those successful hunters appear to have properly navigated the new check-in system.
This past year a weather-induced decline of 21 percent in the turkey harvest was reported by the Ohio Division of Wildlife. The drop went from 23,421 birds during the 2010 spring season to 18,481 birds killed during this past spring season.
Possibly related to the drop in the turkey kill was a decline in the purchase of permits by all classes of hunters. This shortfall may be related to fewer hunters wanting to buy a second tag since they may have not filled their first one.
In all, 74,788 spring 2011 permits were issued, including those given away to qualifying persons and those documents sold.
However, it would also appear that Ohio's hunting community is reacting favorably to the Wildlife Division's new Internet-based game check-in program.
Fully 44 percent of the successful spring turkey hunters used their telephones to call in their kill. The remaining number of successful spring turkey hunters were evenly split (44 percent each) between visiting a license-issuing vendor or else posting his or her success on the Internet.
The next trial for the game check system will come during this fall's archery deer-hunting season with the first day of the state's firearms deer-hunting season (Nov. 28) being the true acid test.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
This past year a weather-induced decline of 21 percent in the turkey harvest was reported by the Ohio Division of Wildlife. The drop went from 23,421 birds during the 2010 spring season to 18,481 birds killed during this past spring season.
Possibly related to the drop in the turkey kill was a decline in the purchase of permits by all classes of hunters. This shortfall may be related to fewer hunters wanting to buy a second tag since they may have not filled their first one.
In all, 74,788 spring 2011 permits were issued, including those given away to qualifying persons and those documents sold.
However, it would also appear that Ohio's hunting community is reacting favorably to the Wildlife Division's new Internet-based game check-in program.
Fully 44 percent of the successful spring turkey hunters used their telephones to call in their kill. The remaining number of successful spring turkey hunters were evenly split (44 percent each) between visiting a license-issuing vendor or else posting his or her success on the Internet.
The next trial for the game check system will come during this fall's archery deer-hunting season with the first day of the state's firearms deer-hunting season (Nov. 28) being the true acid test.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
A lot of (bad) ideas for the Nature Conservancy's Morgan Swamp camp
The Nature Conservancy’s Ohio Chapter wants to do well by the donation of the former Cleveland City Mission youth camp in Ashtabula County’s Rome Township.
Given the Conservancy in January, the 58-acre former Grand Valley Christian Center camp is loaded with at least 25 buildings, a couple of which are more than 150 years old.
Located adjacent to property already owned by the private land-protection group, the camp dovetails nicely with its Morgan Swamp property. The camp is situated along the Grand River and off Callender Road, which was named after the first family to own the property in the 19th Century.
Back to the 21st Century, the Conservancy is mulling what to do with the site. The goal is to solicit opinions from the community, potential users along with local elected officials.
The first of these meetings was held Tuesday and was geared toward sportsmen and other outdoor enthusiasts. Other meetings are to take place beginning at 5:30 p.m. on June 14 and again on June 15.
A lot of suggestions were made at Tuesday’s session. Alas, many of these ideas were either too expensive, would not provide a seamless use of the property, or else were redundant since the area already boasts several of the items anyway.
The Conservancy’s mission for the Morgan Swamp area are several fold. Among them is focusing on the Grand River watershed, the conservation prospects for the area, and also for community access and potential uses.
However, any number of the thoughts expressed Tuesday evening in one fashion or fell short of these objectives.
Among the not-so-hot ideas were setting up dog training and field trial programs. Those activities are already being done by two Ashtabula County sportsmens' clubs with the state-owned Grand River Wildlife Area also hosting dog-training grounds.
All three sites are within minutes of the former inner-city youth camp.
Then again the suggestion for an ecological-theme school program is something that is being accomplished now through the local/regional/state/national Envirothon program. This is where school children are tasked and pitted against each other in environmental concepts.
Redundant as well are the suggestions to build an environmental school-age camp where students could learn about nature. A good idea but that’s been there and done that through Lake Metroparks’ Environmental Learning Center and the related Porter Center for Science and Math in Concord Township - about 25 minutes away from the camp.
Lake Metroparks has collected millions of dollars from the federal government in creating the Environmental Learning Center with its state-of-the-art education material, educators and a lot of other whistles and bells that are being used by school districts throughout Northeast Ohio.
Further, a camp telescope would not only compete against the one at the Environmental Learning Center but also go up against the multi-million dollar Observatory Park being built in nearby Montville Township by the Geauga Park District.
Then there was the suggestion to host weddings and receptions at the camp. Not a terribly good idea since the building where such events would be held will demand some serious repairs not only to the structure but also to its kitchen.
Likewise it was suggested that the camp become a place to hold youth activities of the kind now being conducted at a nearby Boy Scout camp as well as a local sportsmens’ club.
Maybe one of the better suggestions was to add a canoe launch site along the Grand River at the Callender Road bridge. But here, too, there leaves the answer that such facilities exist one road south on Route 6 as well as downstream at Fobes, Schweitzer, and Tote roads along with one upstream from the Harpersfiled dam.
Clearly, though, the most pressing need at Morgan Swamp - and overlooked by everyone else EXCEPT for the Nature Conservancy’s personnel - was expanding on the area’s all-peoples trail which is located off Footville-Richmond Road.
Then too, no one in the audience stepped their foot into the arena as to how their pet projects could be funded. As they said in the movie “The Right Stuff,” “If there’s no bucks, there’s no Buck Rogers.”
Neither, for that matter, did the two dozen or so guests volunteer to undertake the design, development, financial and supervisory needs that their ideas would demand in order to bare fruit.
Maybe the best alternative is the one the Nature Conservancy is planning anyway. That being, do nothing. At least for now.
Such a passive look enables the organization to pick and choose the best possibilities as well as reject the bulk those suggestions which simply are either too cost-prohibitive, are redundant or would encounter little use by the public.
Of course there is the danger that the longer the camp's buildings remain unused or unoccupied the quicker they will crumble even further. But sometimes the best way to move forward is to simply stand still.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Given the Conservancy in January, the 58-acre former Grand Valley Christian Center camp is loaded with at least 25 buildings, a couple of which are more than 150 years old.
Located adjacent to property already owned by the private land-protection group, the camp dovetails nicely with its Morgan Swamp property. The camp is situated along the Grand River and off Callender Road, which was named after the first family to own the property in the 19th Century.
Back to the 21st Century, the Conservancy is mulling what to do with the site. The goal is to solicit opinions from the community, potential users along with local elected officials.
The first of these meetings was held Tuesday and was geared toward sportsmen and other outdoor enthusiasts. Other meetings are to take place beginning at 5:30 p.m. on June 14 and again on June 15.
A lot of suggestions were made at Tuesday’s session. Alas, many of these ideas were either too expensive, would not provide a seamless use of the property, or else were redundant since the area already boasts several of the items anyway.
The Conservancy’s mission for the Morgan Swamp area are several fold. Among them is focusing on the Grand River watershed, the conservation prospects for the area, and also for community access and potential uses.
However, any number of the thoughts expressed Tuesday evening in one fashion or fell short of these objectives.
Among the not-so-hot ideas were setting up dog training and field trial programs. Those activities are already being done by two Ashtabula County sportsmens' clubs with the state-owned Grand River Wildlife Area also hosting dog-training grounds.
All three sites are within minutes of the former inner-city youth camp.
Then again the suggestion for an ecological-theme school program is something that is being accomplished now through the local/regional/state/national Envirothon program. This is where school children are tasked and pitted against each other in environmental concepts.
Redundant as well are the suggestions to build an environmental school-age camp where students could learn about nature. A good idea but that’s been there and done that through Lake Metroparks’ Environmental Learning Center and the related Porter Center for Science and Math in Concord Township - about 25 minutes away from the camp.
Lake Metroparks has collected millions of dollars from the federal government in creating the Environmental Learning Center with its state-of-the-art education material, educators and a lot of other whistles and bells that are being used by school districts throughout Northeast Ohio.
Further, a camp telescope would not only compete against the one at the Environmental Learning Center but also go up against the multi-million dollar Observatory Park being built in nearby Montville Township by the Geauga Park District.
Then there was the suggestion to host weddings and receptions at the camp. Not a terribly good idea since the building where such events would be held will demand some serious repairs not only to the structure but also to its kitchen.
Likewise it was suggested that the camp become a place to hold youth activities of the kind now being conducted at a nearby Boy Scout camp as well as a local sportsmens’ club.
Maybe one of the better suggestions was to add a canoe launch site along the Grand River at the Callender Road bridge. But here, too, there leaves the answer that such facilities exist one road south on Route 6 as well as downstream at Fobes, Schweitzer, and Tote roads along with one upstream from the Harpersfiled dam.
Clearly, though, the most pressing need at Morgan Swamp - and overlooked by everyone else EXCEPT for the Nature Conservancy’s personnel - was expanding on the area’s all-peoples trail which is located off Footville-Richmond Road.
Then too, no one in the audience stepped their foot into the arena as to how their pet projects could be funded. As they said in the movie “The Right Stuff,” “If there’s no bucks, there’s no Buck Rogers.”
Neither, for that matter, did the two dozen or so guests volunteer to undertake the design, development, financial and supervisory needs that their ideas would demand in order to bare fruit.
Maybe the best alternative is the one the Nature Conservancy is planning anyway. That being, do nothing. At least for now.
Such a passive look enables the organization to pick and choose the best possibilities as well as reject the bulk those suggestions which simply are either too cost-prohibitive, are redundant or would encounter little use by the public.
Of course there is the danger that the longer the camp's buildings remain unused or unoccupied the quicker they will crumble even further. But sometimes the best way to move forward is to simply stand still.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Monday, June 6, 2011
Chagrin River anglers hold sway with Wildwood Perch-Fishing Contest
The results of the Wildwood Marina’s 10th Annual Battle of Lake Erie Perch Tournament proved that - for now at least - the best lace to fish for jumbo yellow perch is off the Chagrin River.
This event was held this past weekend with the headquarters being the Wildwood unit of Cleveland Lakefront State Park and its marina at that location.
In the adult division, the winner was Eastlake angler Roger Marin with a five-fish Chagrin River-area-caught total of 1,751 millimeters. He earned $230.
Second place also went a member of the Chagrin River Salmon Association as well. Ray Koeth’s 2nd Place catch measured 1,711 millimeters while 3rd Place belonged to Mike Flynn with a total catch measuring 1704 millimeters.
Forth Place went to Barry Butera with a catch measuring 1,693 millimeters and 5th.
The largest perch was caught by Marin and measured 375millimeters (14 3/4 inches).
In the Youth Division, 1st Place went to Derek Sinclair with a three-fish total measuring 928 millimeters; 2nd Place went to Sean Chojnowski with 758 millimeters; 3rd Place went to Robbie Gattarello with a catch of 596 millimeters; 4th Place was awarded to Barry Thompson with 386 millimeters; Fifth Place was won by Erik Duhigg with 381 millimeters; 6th Place went to Conrad Mace (no length given); 7th Place went to Luke Duhigg (no length given).
Sinclair also caught the longest perch in the youth category with a fish that measured 327 millimeters, or 12 7/8 inches.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com
This event was held this past weekend with the headquarters being the Wildwood unit of Cleveland Lakefront State Park and its marina at that location.
In the adult division, the winner was Eastlake angler Roger Marin with a five-fish Chagrin River-area-caught total of 1,751 millimeters. He earned $230.
Second place also went a member of the Chagrin River Salmon Association as well. Ray Koeth’s 2nd Place catch measured 1,711 millimeters while 3rd Place belonged to Mike Flynn with a total catch measuring 1704 millimeters.
Forth Place went to Barry Butera with a catch measuring 1,693 millimeters and 5th.
The largest perch was caught by Marin and measured 375millimeters (14 3/4 inches).
In the Youth Division, 1st Place went to Derek Sinclair with a three-fish total measuring 928 millimeters; 2nd Place went to Sean Chojnowski with 758 millimeters; 3rd Place went to Robbie Gattarello with a catch of 596 millimeters; 4th Place was awarded to Barry Thompson with 386 millimeters; Fifth Place was won by Erik Duhigg with 381 millimeters; 6th Place went to Conrad Mace (no length given); 7th Place went to Luke Duhigg (no length given).
Sinclair also caught the longest perch in the youth category with a fish that measured 327 millimeters, or 12 7/8 inches.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com
Friday, June 3, 2011
Anger, frustration being directed toward Division of Wildlife
A sense of pent-up frustration appears to have worked its way into the ranks of current and former employees of the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
Part of this sense of futility stems from the still unresolved issue of the five felony-indicted current and former Wildlife Division officials.
“It is a total shame to me that no one is as outraged as I am about how the Division of Wildlife operates these days!” writes one individual with first-hand knowledge of the agency and who continues with “...What ever happened to ethics?...”
The individual then opines: “...Why are you not as outraged that this happened? Do you even realize the money that these Administrators are wasting? Have you even looked into the policies of the (Division) of Wildlife lately? Have you even tried to call an officer lately?... Millions and Millions of Federal and State dollars wasted!”
In a lengthy email the individual concludes with “...It is a sad state of affairs that these people are charged with handling millions and millions of dollars without any (oversight) on what is spent on. It is not a good time for the sportsmen and outdoorsmen of Ohio!
Furiously fed up with the current state of affairs!”
These are the kinds of internal issues and external views that the Wildlife Division’s new chief and director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources must tackle in order to help prevent the morale within the agency from unraveling any further. That, plus a lack of faith in the Wildlife Division on the part of its constituents.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Part of this sense of futility stems from the still unresolved issue of the five felony-indicted current and former Wildlife Division officials.
“It is a total shame to me that no one is as outraged as I am about how the Division of Wildlife operates these days!” writes one individual with first-hand knowledge of the agency and who continues with “...What ever happened to ethics?...”
The individual then opines: “...Why are you not as outraged that this happened? Do you even realize the money that these Administrators are wasting? Have you even looked into the policies of the (Division) of Wildlife lately? Have you even tried to call an officer lately?... Millions and Millions of Federal and State dollars wasted!”
In a lengthy email the individual concludes with “...It is a sad state of affairs that these people are charged with handling millions and millions of dollars without any (oversight) on what is spent on. It is not a good time for the sportsmen and outdoorsmen of Ohio!
Furiously fed up with the current state of affairs!”
These are the kinds of internal issues and external views that the Wildlife Division’s new chief and director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources must tackle in order to help prevent the morale within the agency from unraveling any further. That, plus a lack of faith in the Wildlife Division on the part of its constituents.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Mosquito Refuge waterfowl hunts to see major changes/status of dove fields
The Ohio Division of Wildlife is going after quality instead of quantity at its Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area and Refuge in Trumbull County.
Included are changes that will impact not only access and use of the controlled waterfowl blinds but also the use of the daily allotment of hunting units within the refuge.
And there will be one less day of hunting each week with the shuffle switching the daily rotation as well.
Among the changes: all hunters who want to hunt from goose blinds at Mosquito Creek must apply online or by mail in order to be drawn for opportunities through the controlled hunt program. Nothing different there.
However, any unfilled goose blinds will no longer be offered to waterfowl hunters who are present at the daily drawings.
Perhaps more importantly the daily drawings for waterfowl hunts will now take place on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday rotation instead of the previous Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday rotation.
“The new format is intended to make the hunts better and tracking the data indicates that a four-day rotation is contributing to burning out the marshes,” said the area’s manager, Lou Orosz.
As for the unused blinds, the effort is being made so as to better ensure a quality hunting experience for those hunters who do show up, Orosz said.
“We’ll try it for this year and if it doesn’t pan out maybe we’ll go back,” he said. “Everyone is onboard with this run and we’ll see how it goes.”
Just as was the case last year, the drawings for allotment slots during the waterfowl season will begin at 5:15 a.m. and drawings for teal season start at 5:45 a.m.
And if you’re thinking of hunting ducks and geese at Mosquito during the week of the firearms deer-hunting season, forget it. There will not be any waterfowling for this week nor for following week.
The skinny on this change is because last year hunters killed only two ducks during these two weeks combined. The third and final Saturday drawing for teal season will be eliminated as well. This also due to lack of interest from hunters along with few birds being present, said Orosz.
“All of these changes are designed to restore a more quality hunting experience for everyone who participates,” Oros said. “We can’t make special allowances for suitable weather conditions, however, we can help ensure that the refuge is not hunted to the point that the quality experience is being lost.”
Shuffling manpower away from the waterfowl season and to the first week of the firearms deer-hunting season is a better utilization of manpower, Orosz says.
In regards to Mosquito’s manicured and planted dove fields, Orosz says those allotments will see plantings of one kind or another. That activity will include the planting of buckwheat this summer along with working toward planting field corn within the next couple of weeks, Orosz says.
“We don’t have to worry about harvesting the corn; the critters won’t care and it will provide cover for our hunters not only in the dove fields but around our waterfowl hunting blinds,” Orosz.
“And our winter wheat is actually looking very good considering that we had water standing in the fields only a few days ago.”
Waterfowl hunters can apply for the controlled hunts at Mosquito by visiting www.wildohio.com through July 31. To obtain paper applications call 1-800-WILDLIFE.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com
Included are changes that will impact not only access and use of the controlled waterfowl blinds but also the use of the daily allotment of hunting units within the refuge.
And there will be one less day of hunting each week with the shuffle switching the daily rotation as well.
Among the changes: all hunters who want to hunt from goose blinds at Mosquito Creek must apply online or by mail in order to be drawn for opportunities through the controlled hunt program. Nothing different there.
However, any unfilled goose blinds will no longer be offered to waterfowl hunters who are present at the daily drawings.
Perhaps more importantly the daily drawings for waterfowl hunts will now take place on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday rotation instead of the previous Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday rotation.
“The new format is intended to make the hunts better and tracking the data indicates that a four-day rotation is contributing to burning out the marshes,” said the area’s manager, Lou Orosz.
As for the unused blinds, the effort is being made so as to better ensure a quality hunting experience for those hunters who do show up, Orosz said.
“We’ll try it for this year and if it doesn’t pan out maybe we’ll go back,” he said. “Everyone is onboard with this run and we’ll see how it goes.”
Just as was the case last year, the drawings for allotment slots during the waterfowl season will begin at 5:15 a.m. and drawings for teal season start at 5:45 a.m.
And if you’re thinking of hunting ducks and geese at Mosquito during the week of the firearms deer-hunting season, forget it. There will not be any waterfowling for this week nor for following week.
The skinny on this change is because last year hunters killed only two ducks during these two weeks combined. The third and final Saturday drawing for teal season will be eliminated as well. This also due to lack of interest from hunters along with few birds being present, said Orosz.
“All of these changes are designed to restore a more quality hunting experience for everyone who participates,” Oros said. “We can’t make special allowances for suitable weather conditions, however, we can help ensure that the refuge is not hunted to the point that the quality experience is being lost.”
Shuffling manpower away from the waterfowl season and to the first week of the firearms deer-hunting season is a better utilization of manpower, Orosz says.
In regards to Mosquito’s manicured and planted dove fields, Orosz says those allotments will see plantings of one kind or another. That activity will include the planting of buckwheat this summer along with working toward planting field corn within the next couple of weeks, Orosz says.
“We don’t have to worry about harvesting the corn; the critters won’t care and it will provide cover for our hunters not only in the dove fields but around our waterfowl hunting blinds,” Orosz.
“And our winter wheat is actually looking very good considering that we had water standing in the fields only a few days ago.”
Waterfowl hunters can apply for the controlled hunts at Mosquito by visiting www.wildohio.com through July 31. To obtain paper applications call 1-800-WILDLIFE.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Summer isn't even here and Frischkorn is already looking to autumn
I hate hot weather.
Okay, so "hate" is too strong a word. Intensely dislike is better and more diplomatic.
Regardless, the new minting of 80- and 90-degree-plus days is distressing, though I'm not one to wish my days away.
Fact is, however, my thoughts have moved forward to September - and beyond. That is when we'll experience warmish daylight hours and cool night-time conditions.
Long gone will be the deer flies - called "sweat flies" when I was a kid. So too will vanish most of the mosquitoes and all of the horseflies, whose "bite" is worse than that from a bee or a yellow-jacket wasp.
I'm looking forward to the dove hunts and the trips in search of Canada geese during the state's early season.
The perch fishing will have recovered by then and once the kids get back to their book learning.
I'll dust off the crossbow, get another game feeder assembled and planted and inspect my goose calls.
By then too I'll have laid claim to a springer spaniel puppy. Yep, I'm detouring away from owning Labrador retrievers in favor of a different game-finding and game-retrieving breed. It wil likely be my last bird dog. I'm getting a bit gray and barren on top to tke in much more than one new bird dog.
Along the way I'm asking my five grandchildren to help with the naming of the not-yet-born springer. Their so-far recommendations range from possibles to getting a chuckle from their grandfather.
I'll narrow down the field to five or so prospects and then announce we'll conduct a democratic (small "d") vote.
Still I guess summer isn't a total bust. I'll catch up on some sighting-in of shotguns and rifles, play around with new loads for my muzzle-loader and try out some new bass-fishing lures that I've bought.
But while I am a better angler than I am a shooter I prefer hunting to fishing. Don't ask why; it just is, that's all.
Regardless, this week's humid and hot conditions are doing nothing for my nerves nor my pleasantness. As such my mind if focused three months down the road while my feet are ever so slowly walking their way through summer and I'm applying greasy sun blocker and sticky insect repellent.
Yuck, but I still try and not wish away three months of my aging life.
- Jeff Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
Okay, so "hate" is too strong a word. Intensely dislike is better and more diplomatic.
Regardless, the new minting of 80- and 90-degree-plus days is distressing, though I'm not one to wish my days away.
Fact is, however, my thoughts have moved forward to September - and beyond. That is when we'll experience warmish daylight hours and cool night-time conditions.
Long gone will be the deer flies - called "sweat flies" when I was a kid. So too will vanish most of the mosquitoes and all of the horseflies, whose "bite" is worse than that from a bee or a yellow-jacket wasp.
I'm looking forward to the dove hunts and the trips in search of Canada geese during the state's early season.
The perch fishing will have recovered by then and once the kids get back to their book learning.
I'll dust off the crossbow, get another game feeder assembled and planted and inspect my goose calls.
By then too I'll have laid claim to a springer spaniel puppy. Yep, I'm detouring away from owning Labrador retrievers in favor of a different game-finding and game-retrieving breed. It wil likely be my last bird dog. I'm getting a bit gray and barren on top to tke in much more than one new bird dog.
Along the way I'm asking my five grandchildren to help with the naming of the not-yet-born springer. Their so-far recommendations range from possibles to getting a chuckle from their grandfather.
I'll narrow down the field to five or so prospects and then announce we'll conduct a democratic (small "d") vote.
Still I guess summer isn't a total bust. I'll catch up on some sighting-in of shotguns and rifles, play around with new loads for my muzzle-loader and try out some new bass-fishing lures that I've bought.
But while I am a better angler than I am a shooter I prefer hunting to fishing. Don't ask why; it just is, that's all.
Regardless, this week's humid and hot conditions are doing nothing for my nerves nor my pleasantness. As such my mind if focused three months down the road while my feet are ever so slowly walking their way through summer and I'm applying greasy sun blocker and sticky insect repellent.
Yuck, but I still try and not wish away three months of my aging life.
- Jeff Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com
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