Friday, May 9, 2008
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Friday, May 9, 2008
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Editor's Note The Outdoor Wire staff has received several emails in the last couple of days from readers who have stopped receiving their daily copy of the newsletter. We are aware of the problem and are in the midst of fixing it. Meanwhile, you can visit our archives to catch up on any outdoor news that you've missed. We apologize for the inconvenience. Top Story Late yesterday, a $300 billion compromise Farm Bill passed through the House-Senate compromise process. But its fate is still in the air as Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer has reiterated a threat by the Bush administration to veto the bill that nearly everyone agrees is “still pork filled”. The measure increases food stamp and domestic food assistance by more than $10 billion and includes a new program to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to schoolchildren; expands some subsidies, extends dairy programs and hikes loan rates for sugar producers. The measure calls on the government to buy surplus sugar, then sell it to ethanol producers to be used in a mixture with corn. There are some limited cuts to direct payments, a few additional dollars added for conservation programs designed to protect farmland, and a trimming of the per-gallon ethanol tax credit that supports blending fuel with the corn-based additive in favor of more money for cellulosic ethanol. In the outdoors, reactions are mixed. Senator Chuck Hagel from Nebraska says, flatly, it’s a “bad bill”. Conservation groups have expressed their pleasure with the revival of the Wetlands Reserve Program, but disappointed to see the Conservation Reserve Program acreage reduced. On the bright side, both the Wetlands Reserve and Grasslands Reserve Programs are being revived, although authorized at levels below what they were in the 2002 Farm Bill. There was also a two-year extension to incentives to conservation easements on private lands. These conservation easements have proven invaluable in convincing private landowners to protect their lands for the benefit of wildlife, water quality and other benefits to society. Archery Beginning this evening, Louisville, Kentucky will be hosting the largest archery tournament in US history. Nearly 3,000 entrants from twenty two states, representing 175 schools will be competing in the National Archery In the Schools Program (NASP) championships. More » Events Thirty students from the greater Washington area will enjoy guided bass fishing on May 30, 2008, as a reward for their contributions toward improving and preserving local waterways. More than 200 other students will participate in land-based hands-on activities and demonstrations as the 2008 Nation’s River Bass Tournament, first held in 2001, launches from the West Pier at National Harbor. More » Funding The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has announced seven grants totaling $109,000 for 2008 conservation projects in New Mexico. More » Hunting Pennsylvania has issued an order removing protections on feral swine in sixty four of the state's sixty seven counties. Licensed hunters, including those who qualify for license and fee exemptions, are eligible to participate in the unlimited incidental taking of feral swine. More » Instruction The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Section will be hosting its next training for the Archery in the Schools Program on July 8 - 9, 2008, at the Sportsman’s Refuge atCheat Lake near Morgantown. More » Law Enforcement Vermont State Game Wardens are investigating an apparent hunting-related shooting in Pomfret on May 7 in which two parties of two hunters each were turkey hunting after separately viewing and stalking the same turkey in a field off South Pomfret Road. On shooter fired, striking two other hunters approximately 60 yards away in the hand, torso and head. More » Media The May 9 issue of Lone Star Outdoor News is available for downloading. The latest edition includes the story of some little known West Texas reservoirs that are producing big crappie. More » Media Advisory A special session, “NRA and the Media: It’s not The Critic Who Counts,” will be held on Sunday, May 18, at 11 AM in Room B 104 of the Kentucky Exposition Center, at the NRA Annual Meetings, in Louisville, Kentucky. The media is invited to attend this assembly. More » Miscellaneous Before dinner at the fancy restaurant on Mother's Day, why not treat her to something she may never have tried before -- target shooting? More » The West Virginia Hunters Helping the Hungry (HHH) Program was recently presented a check for $17,000 from the Governor’s One-Shot Whitetail Hunt and Banquet, held December 2-3, 2007. More » New Products For 2008 Browning will introduce the new Citori 625, the next in a legendary line of high-performance shotguns. More » Notices The deadline to submit applications for the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Educator of the Year program is June 1, 2008. More » The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will be accepting applications June 2-12 for quota permits to hunt on wildlife management areas (WMAs) next season. More » Partnerships Mossy Oak has become a platinum level sponsor for the Aiming for a Cure Foundation. The Foundation was established to raise funds to benefit pediatric oncology patients and families served by Children's Hospital of Iowa at the University of Iowa through research and patient care. More » People The National Rifle Association has announced the selection of Captain Philip Hemphill of the Mississippi Highway Patrol as its 2007 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. More » Mitch Marcus of the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife in Indianapolis, Indiana, a resident of Greenwood, recently graduated from the National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI), an intense seven-month experience designed to address one of the nation’s most significant conservation challenges—preparing and retaining leaders. More » Shooting The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit will host the final 2008 U.S. Olympic Shooting Team Trials May 12 to 22. Hundreds of America's best rifle and pistol shooters will descend on the post starting this weekend for their chance to make this year's Olympic Team. More » Television On Saturday, May 10, VERSUS Country presents the best fishing programming on television featuring the most trusted authorities on the water. More » Wildlife The Pennsylvania Game Commission has found itself on a new frontier: it is working with several states and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to sort out what is killing bats in New York and New England. Although White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) has not been found in Pennsylvania - and agency officials hope it stays that way - the state is fast becoming an integral player in regional and national efforts aimed at learning more about this unprecedented threat to bats. More » Citizen reports to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department indicate that bats affected with white nose syndrome continue to die as they reach their summer ranges. White nose syndrome affected over 500,000 hibernating bats across the Northeast this past winter, and researchers have yet to determine the cause of the die-off. More » Despite the panic it caused in the Atlanta suburb of Roswell, Georgia, officials say the sighting is not all that unusual, given that seasonal bear activity is increasing. More » Test results have detected the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) agent in a total of 11 white-tailed deer collected during the 2008 spring collections in Hampshire County, West Virginia. More » Harsh winter conditions took a heavy toll on elk in the Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area in recent months, even though wildlife managers trucked in tons of hay to feed them. Preliminary survey data from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists show approximately 150 elk succumbed after months of driving rain, cold temperatures and heavy snowfall that extended into April. More » Youth Programs BASS announced yesterday that Onondaga Lake will serve as the competition waters for the 2008 Junior Bassmaster World Championship, set for August 9-10. The 94 top youth competitors in the world, paired into two age divisions of 11-14 and 15-18, will square off for $23,000 in scholarship money, with the winners earning the distinction as the top youth anglers in the sport. More »
Just In Time For Mother’s Day
There’s no intentional connection between today’s column and Mother’s Day. While I would love to unleash several hundred words of purple prose about Moms and why we all love them, I realize I can’t possibly say enough good about the woman who gave birth, cared, nurtured and taught me growing up. The only thing I can say about my Mom with complete honesty is that I miss her every day, just like I do my Dad. If you’re where you can thank your Mom for everything she’s done for you, I only hope you do it this Mother’s Day. Too-many Mothers Days in the past, I took that opportunity for granted and didn’t. Today, I only wish I could. OK, we’ve been adding new wires recently. And beginning next week, and for what I hope will be many, many weeks to come, we’ll be offering our newest service: The Women’s Outdoor Wire. Initially, it will be a weekly service, but we’ll let the readers decide if it needs to be more frequent. The WOW will be edited and guided by my friend and colleague, Barbara Baird. You’ve read her material (“Babbs In The Woods”) here, and I think her writing style and dedication to the outdoors will guarantee readers information that’s both informative and refreshing. Barbara’s a longtime freelance writer in outdoor and travel, and a certified NRA pistol instructor who loves fly-fishing, hunting and shooting. Earlier this year, she received the Conservation Federation of Missouri’s Outstanding Outdoor Communicator Award for 2008, and last week, bagged a twenty-seven pound Missouri gobbler (the other stuff may fade, but it seems I’m never going to hear the end of the gobbler). She sent me a photo with it, but I am exercising publisher’s prerogative and not publishing it. Besides, I’m certain it will find it’s way into an edition of WOW soon enough. Barbara has assembled a team of advisors that will bring her expert advice from other outstanding women in the outdoors, but she’s also going to be listening for what the readers would like to see in WOW as well. To that end, we’re also going to be showcasing some new writing talent – and bringing both experience and “fresh eyes” to the service. With absolutely all joking aside, I believe that it is time that we create this service. While we’ve always tried to represent this critically important segment of the outdoors, it’s darned-near impossible without the critical representation of women. In this new service, I’m going to get out of the way and let Barbara, her advisors and the readers turn the Women’s Outdoor Wire into a service that provides the information they want. I’ll be reading like a proud parent because my daughter has decided to write- and become involved in WOW. I’d be crazy not to admit that makes me happy, as does knowing she’ll be learning more about writing – and all about the outdoors – from experts. Younger eyes tend to question the usual ways of doing things, too. You can visit "their" new website – www.womensoutdoorwire.com and see the new look for their service – and sign up to get your own subscription from the very beginning. I hope you will. And I also hope you’ll provide your insights and input on everything we do. After all, our services are for you. All of you. And, Happy Mother’s Day. --Jim Shepherd You can also click here and see what one outdoor expert thinks of the Women’s Outdoor Wire. 
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