ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, October 21, 1996 TAG: 9610220008
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: HUNTING
DEER
HUNTERS WILL need to get off the roads and into the woods. An abundant acorn crop has the deer scattered. White oak groves that are dropping acorns are an ideal spot to set up shop. Even though a wet summer has produced lush herbaceous growth, deer largely are staying out of fields except at night. Because woodland food is abundant, deer don't have to spend as much time moving between bedding and feeding areas during daylight hours. This lack of activity could lower the kill, which set a record of 218,476 last year. Hunters, however, should get some help when the rut kicks in, an annual affair that puts bucks on the move. The abundance of food could provide a more intense rut. The 1996-97 season won't be the trophy year that last season was, but there are some impressive racks out there.
TURKEYS
THE HEAVY mast year will make hunting more difficult. Big food years scatter the birds and curb their movements. They aren't as vulnerable to hunting when their feeding time and range are cut down. ``Typically, when we see good mast crops we see harvests that are going to be below what the potential is,'' said Gary Norman, a research biologist with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. That's good for turkeys, but bad for turkey hunters. The number of birds per hen this year appears to be down, but there are so many hens that hunters aren't likely to notice a difference in the total population. ``We have more adults out there,'' said Norman. ``They didn't produce what the potential could have been but nevertheless, the population is going to be good.''
BEARS
LOOK FOR a good year, particularly for hunters with hounds. When the woods are full of food, especially acorns, as is the case this fall, bears not only are in good shape, but they likely will delay the denning process. Late denning means more contact with late-season hunters, particularly those with packs of dogs. Hound hunters account for about half of the annual bear kill. Virginia's bear kill has been on an upward trend for more than a decade. Last year's kill of 602 was a 16 percent jump from the previous year, and one of 11 increases in the past 14 years. ``It would appear the 1996 harvest should closely approach the 1995 harvest or perhaps exceed it slightly,'' said Dennis Martin, the bear research biologist for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
GROUSE
GROUSE HUNTERS enjoyed a near-record season last year, when the flush rate leaped to 1.5 birds per hour of hunting. Throughout most of the 1990s, that figure has been about one bird per hour. An impressive number of juvenile birds suddenly showed up last year, said Gary Norman, a state game biologist. Norman hopes some of those juveniles will carry over into this season; however, this year's production doesn't look as promising as the 1995 crop. A better-than-average mast crop is expected to scatter what birds there are, a fact that will favor hunters who have well-trained dogs. Most likely the flush rate will drop back to about one bird per hour, or slightly above that, Norman said, but he acknowledges that this secretive bird is tough to predict.
QUAIL
THE POPULATION appears to be down about 20 percent, following a turnaround season last year in which the number of coveys flushed per hour of hunting was up 23 percent from 1994. The biggest drop in quail this year is in the west Piedmont section, followed by Tidewater. ``A harsh winter with unusually heavy snows probably took a small but noticeable toll on wintering populations,'' said Mike Fies, a small-game research biologist for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Even though Tidewater has experienced a drop in quail numbers this year, it still should offer the best bird hunting in the state, Fies said. Hunters in the western section of Virginia can expect still another sorry season, the result of a decline in habitat and the scarcity of coveys.
RABBITS
RABBIT HUNTERS have enjoyed a string of bountiful seasons, thanks to mild winters and early springs. This time, the winter was snowy and the spring green-up was late, the result being about a 5 percent decrease in the bunny population. The decline in the central mountains area of the state was much steeper, about 35 percent. Populations are up a bit in the Tidewater and east Piedmont areas, and about the same in the southwest, said Mike Fies, a research biologist. Experienced hunters will be able to find pockets of good rabbit populations, especially where the cover is abundant. As always sportsmen with packs of well-trained beagles will have the advantage. Look for another fine season in Southwest Virginia, where populations have been building at the fastest rate.
LENGTH: Medium: 88 linesby CNB