Harvesting groundhogs is the forgotten season

August 10, 2023

When I was growing up and way younger, it seemed like the only thing I wanted to do was hunt and fish. It really didn’t matter what I was hunting, as long as it was in season. The year usually started out with the remaining small game seasons, squirrels for a very short period and then a switch to rabbit, while there was snow on the ground which helped with your success rate. Throw in with that a little furbearer trapping and that would keep you pretty busy for quite some time. Then by the time those were over, trout stocking usually began. You could fish many of the streams or ...

DNR reveals Gold Rush and Spring Gobbler results

July 22, 2023

While I was in contact with the DNR for my last column, there were a few other subjects I wanted to touch base on. First off were results from the spring “Gold Rush” fish stocking. There were 30 lucky anglers that won prizes as part of the giveaway. The five big winners of the life-time fishing licenses were: Amber Kincaid of Meadow Bridge, Logan Hill of Marmet, Christopher Swimm of Wayne, Wayne Worth of Clarksburg and Charles Everson of Belington. All five were West Virginia residents. So, congratulations to them and all the winners. Then there was also, I believe, a new state ...

Chronic Wasting Disease is a serious outdoors issue

June 28, 2023

Recently, I began wondering if Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was still a serious issue in our West Virginia deer population. I contacted the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and was put in touch with Ethan Barton, who is the Wildlife Disease specialist for our state. Here are a few questions and some very detailed answers on the subject. Is CWD still an issue in West Virginia? “Yes, CWD is still present in West Virginia and is well-established within several counties and in our best estimation prevalence of the disease continues to increase over time. Further, it’s ...

Turkey hunting trip brings back old memories

May 22, 2023

I’m sure you have heard someone refer to their misspent youth. Probably most of us have thought about things, however so slightly, we might have regretted doing. On a recent turkey hunting trip, in an area that I had not set foot in for many years, I came to realize that I had a “not so” misspent youth. The turkey hunting was slow, so I had plenty of time to think about the experiences that took place in that area in my 10-15 age years. A couple friends of mine and I had treated this area as if we were members of the Lewis & Clark expedition and we were forging into an ...

Gathering nature’s bounty an option in the spring as well

April 28, 2023

Although late summer and early fall are usually associated with the gathering of nature’s bounty such as apples, berries, nuts and most things out of the garden, there are things that are harvested in spring and early summer. Of course, in our area, one of the most popular of these would be the wild leek, or more commonly known as the ramp. Ramps are a sure sign that spring is here. They grow mainly in the eastern mountain states of West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. I know when I was growing up ramps were seen as a “Spring Tonic” and were “Good for what ails ...

Gold Rush and spring turkey season upon us

April 13, 2023

Happy spring to one and all. I took a longer break from this column than I had expected. It always amazes me how time flies, but I’m going to try to get back to and stay on track! As I write this, trout stocking is in full swing and the Gold Rush is happening. According to the DNR website there will be 50,000 golden rainbow trout stocked during their 68 stockings. I believe there is a special tagged trout that could net some lucky angler a lifetime fishing license. I hope some fisherman catches the “Golden Ticket.” I have only made it to the river with my grandsons and a ...