ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, September 2, 1996 TAG: 9609040002
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DOVE
Dove hunting, the first of the autumn gunning seasons, takes off at noon today, but don't expect it to soar. Sportsmen are faced with fewer doves and not many places for opening-day hunts.
Look for an average-to-below-average year overall, but it can be decent if you locate early-season spots where the birds are gathering to feed. During a typical year, freshly cut cornfields fit that description, but thanks to a wet season the corn crop remains gourd green. One hunter who did considerable preseason scouting said he knew of only one cut cornfield in Botetourt County.
According to annual call-count surveys, the dove population in Virginia - and elsewhere in the East - experienced a significant decrease from last year. Part of that might be explained by cold, wet weather that kept the birds closed-beaked, said Patty Moore, farm wildlife habitat program manager for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
What is scary, Moore said, is that dove populations have been on a downward trend in Virginia for a decade.
SEASON: Today through Sept. 28; Oct. 4-Nov. 2; Dec. 23-Jan. 4. Hunting is noon to sunset during the early segment, and a half-hour before sunrise to sunset during the second and third portions.
WATERFOWL
The largest fall flight of ducks in nearly 25 years is expected to migrate south this season, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
While it may be premature to call it a return of the good old days, ``We are right up there where we were in the '70s,'' said Gary Costanzo, wildlife research biologist for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Several species, including canvasbacks, shoveler, blue-winged teal and gadwall, have reached record high breeding populations. Mallard numbers should be similar to last year, which was 10 percent above the 10-year average. Wood duck numbers are reported to be average.
While the length of the duck season remains 50 days, the bag limit has been boosted to five daily; however, no more than one hen mallard, two wood ducks, two redheads, one canvasback, one pintail and one black duck may be taken.
The season on migratory Canada geese is closed because of a scarcity of this species, but the state will have its most liberal resident Canada goose season ever, including a first-time late portion. For success, hunters will need to locate areas where geese have become so abundant they are a nuisance. Such conditions remain spotty in the western end of the state, so preseason scouting is vital.
SEASONS: The duck season is a three-way split: Oct. 9-12 (no black ducks may be taken); Nov. 26-30; and Dec. 9-18 (no black ducks Dec. 9-14). The resident goose season is Sept. 3-21 (five per day) and Jan. 15-Feb. 8 west of Interstate 95 (three per day).
SQUIRREL
Talk about optimism, Mike Fies is telling squirrel hunters they'd better stock up on additional .22 rounds. The squirrel hunting outlook is that promising, said Fies, a state wildlife research biologist.
Squirrels have prospered from three decent acorn crops in a row.
``Plentiful food resources enable squirrels to get through a tough winter in excellent condition and enter the breeding season in prime shape to produce large litters of young squirrels,'' Fies said. ``Many of these adult squirrels will also produce a second litter later in the summer.''
The key to success will be to locate mature stands of oaks and hickory trees where food is available for squirrels, Fies said. ``Don't waste time hunting areas devoid of food where few squirrels are likely to be found,'' he said.
This makes preseason scouting an important consideration. While the state hasn't completed its annual mast survey, some hunters say they are impressed with the number of acorns and hickory nuts they are observing, especially at high altitudes.
``Early-season hunters who locate a mature stand of nut-producing hickory trees should find a bonanza of shooting opportunities,'' Fies said.
SEASONS: Sept. 7-Jan. 31 in southern counties; Oct 12-Jan. 31 in northern counties; and Oct. 5-Nov. 9 for bowhunters.
BEAR
Hunters reported killing 602 bears last season, a 16 percent increase over the previous season and one of 11 increases in the past 14 years. These figures suggest the bear population is increasing, so hunters can expect still another solid season.
But wait! The bear kill has a way of registering a dramatic decrease every few years, and it has been tough for biologists to predict when that might occur. In 1993, the kill leaped to nearly 800 bears, then dropped to nearly 500 the following year.
Dennis Martin, the bear project manager for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries expects neither a boom nor a crash this season.
``It would appear the 1996 harvest should closely approach the 1995 harvest or perhaps exceed it slightly,'' he said.
The better bear kills typically occur during a season of heavy acorn production.
``It is believed by most bear biologists that bears tend to hibernate earlier during mast failures when high-quality, high-energy foods are unavailable,'' Martin said.
The department's annual mast survey isn't expected to be completed until October, but an initial look at the food crop - both hard and soft mast - is positive.
``Early indication of some soft- mast producing species such as black haw and black gum suggest that there will be a heavy crop of some of these species this fall,'' Martin said.
SEASONS: The bear hound training season, when bears may be chased but not killed, is Sept. 7-Oct. 5, Sundays included. Bowhunters may take bear Oct. 12-Nov. 9. The general firearms bear season is Nov. 25-Jan. 4.
DEER
Look for a park-your-pickup-and-take-a-hike-type deer season. The mast crop is expected to lure deer from the fields to the woods, a trend that already has begun, even through a wet summer has provided lush growth in open areas.
Last year's good mast crop and this year's abundance of herbaceous growth should make for impressive body weights and antler development. Look for a trophy buck season.
``Some of our field staff are reporting seeing some impressive racks developing, so with continued good nutrition, we may see some nice bucks out there this fall,'' said Betsy Stinson, a state wildlife biologist who works out of Blacksburg.
One concern is that last year's kill was heavy on bucks. The antlered deer kill increased by 10,511 animals, or approximately 11 percent. Those 10,000-plus bucks won't be available this season.
The growing interest in the muzzleloading season was a factor in the buck kill, said Matt Knox, the deer program manager for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
The muzzleloading kill leaped to nearly 40,000 this past season, a 28 percent increase. In Bedford County, one of the leading deer counties, muzzleloading represented 31 percent of the entire kill.
SEASONS: Bow, Oct. 5-Nov. 16, Dec. 2-Jan. 4; muzzleloading, Nov. 4-16, Dec. 16-Jan. 4; gun, Nov. 18-30 in the west, Nov. 18-Jan. 4 in the east.
TURKEY
Virginia's wild turkey population has enjoyed exceptional growth in recent years, but this year could see a departure from that trend.
``Reproduction may be below average, particularly in the western mountain region,'' said Gary Norman, the forest game bird project leader for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
The weather has been less than cooperative. Record amounts of snow, along with cold temperatures, occurred during the winter, resulting in reports of some mortality. Then spring came late, delaying the hatch until June, when cold, wet weather hit.
``Thus, the recruitment of young wild turkeys in the population this fall may be below average,'' Norman said.
On the positive side, the breeding population was at an all-time high, which means even if hens had smaller-than-average broods, hunters shouldn't have problems finding turkeys. That's especially true in areas where the weather had a minimal impact on turkeys and where pockets of food can be located.
SEASONS: Bow, Oct. 5-Nov. 9; general firearms, Oct. 28-Nov. 9 and Dec. 9-Jan. 4. Spring gobbler, April 12-May 17.
GROUSE
The grouse population, which has been languishing in a low-to-stable status for too many years, holds little promise of improvement this season. Observations of broods through midsummer have been below average, Norman said.
``The late spring green-up may have delayed grouse nesting activities,'' he said. ``Extended cold, wet weather in June may have resulted in increased mortality of young grouse chicks.''
Added to the weather-related problems, grouse populations appear to be impacted by a reduction in habitat, Norman said.
``Habitat losses are occurring as our forests mature and they become less suitable as grouse habitat,'' he said. ``The brightest forecast for grouse populations in Virginia is in the northwest part of the state where the gypsy moth has created some grouse habitat via tree mortality.''
Clear-cuts also provide habitat for grouse, as do areas where there have been recent fires or logging.
State wildlife biologist John Baker has this advice for brush-worn grouse hunters in the depths of a down cycle: ``Keep putting one foot in front of the other, shotgun to the ready, as you bulldoze through the cover with each step of anticipation.''
SEASON: Oct. 28-Feb. 8.
RABBIT
Through most of the '90s, rabbit hunters have been enjoying bountiful seasons, but this one may be a downer.
``Mild winters and early springs helped set the stage for maximum reproductive output and a steady rise in rabbit numbers,'' Fies said. ``Unfortunately, the opposite weather conditions occurred in 1996 and will likely have a negative impact on rabbit numbers.''
Heavy snow made bunnies more vulnerable to predators, then the late spring robbed them of nutritious green foods, a fact that delayed the breeding season by several weeks, Fies said.
``As a result, rabbits got a late start on their reproductive efforts and probably produced fewer litters,'' he said.
Many of the bunnies being spotted in late August are small.
While hunters shouldn't expect to enjoy the bumper crop of recent seasons, there should be respectable sport for seasoned sportsmen who locate productive habitat and who have trained hounds to unseat their quarry.
``If you don't own a rabbit hound yourself, consider hunting with someone who does,'' said Fies. ``Your game pouch will probably be a lot heavier and you'll be less likely to need a blood transfusion at the end of the day.''
Fortunately for hunters in this region, the western part of the state has been offering the best rabbit populations.
SEASON: Nov. 4-Jan. 31.
QUAIL
There is nothing to indicate quail populations have turned around. Just the opposite is true.
``Prospects for the upcoming quail season look fair but not good,'' Fies said. ``A harsh winter with unusually heavy snows probably took a small but noticeable toll on wintering populations. Nesting birds then got a late start due to a cold, wet spring.''
Data compiled by a quail study being conducted by Fies revealed nesting activity was delayed by about two weeks, which explains why many of the birds being spotted are small. The quail that did nest early appeared to enjoy good success. Their well-being was boosted by the lush vegetation available them. That the vegetation has continued to flourish into August, so late nesting results could be positive, Fies said.
``You might want to get your bird dog into shape, just in case,'' he said.
The best bird hunting will be found in the Tidewater region, particularly the southeastern corner, where the impact of winter was less severe, Fies said. Don't expect much action west of the Blue Ridge, where quail numbers remain extremely low, he said.
SEASON: Nov. 25-Jan. 31.
LENGTH: Long : 220 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff. Ray Thomas, owner of Timber Ridgeby CNBKennel in Botetourt County, gets pointing dogs Jake and Bet ready
for the hunting season during a training session when a live pigeon,
which flies back to its holding pen, is used as a substitute for a
game bird. color. Graphic: 9 illustrations. color.