March is a good transitional month for outdoors people. Fishing is just starting to pick up a little bit on warmer strings of days, but it is not yet consistent. Hunting is all but done until Spring Gobbler season. There are squirrel and rabbit seasons open through the end of the month.
However, an investment of your time and effort now to put up some bird houses or duck boxes will not only provide some birds a home and place to raise a few broods, but you will be helping conservation in the process. As a bonus you can enjoy the fruits of your labor by watching the birds feed their young and seeing them fledge.
One of the most popular bird boxes to build is a bluebird box. Two bluebird boxes can be made from a single 1x12x8 piece of pine shelving which can generally be had for less than $25. Some time with a saw, tape measure, drill and a handful of screws and maybe some paint will be all that is needed.
Last year I put up a bluebird box outside of our sliding glass door and we watched three families or broods of bluebirds result from that one box. We learned a lot about bluebirds in the process too. These birds will tolerate some human activity if the house is mounted high enough or far enough away to give them some measure of safety. I put our box up on a piece of electrical conduit that I was able to sink into the ground. Take care to put your box out of reach of any cats. Years ago I did not consider that and noticed the cat perched on the top of the box one day waiting for a parent to arrive.
When placing your box, place it in a sunny location and face it east if possible to keep our north and western winds from whistling into it so much. Shady areas are not that great for bluebirds. Areas with grass under them are good for bugging.
You can put some grass, straw or hay in the box but let the parents finish off the nesting chore. Be sure you score the inside face of the board with the entrance hole. This gives the young birds a foot hold to climb out. Resist putting pegs or nails near the entrance holes. This is not a good idea as other birds may perch there to harass the bluebirds.
Bluebirds have several broods and the young from earlier broods will sometimes assist the parents with care taking duties for the second or third brood. Don’t put bluebird boxes too close together. They like their own space. It is very entertaining and even soothing to watch the birds grow up and fledge right off your porch.
Another good project is a wood duck box. Wood ducks love marshy and swampy waters with standing timber, but often standing timber with holes in it that wood ducks would use for nesting is also easy access for raccoons to steal the eggs or eat the young. A wood duck box is not hard to make. There are plans for both wood duck boxes and bluebird boxes online.
When making a wood duck box, be sure to put a hinged side door for cleaning it out each winter so that the female duck has a fresh start. Pine shavings are great as are cedar shavings. Paint the box a drab color and follow the plans closely so you get the hole size correct. Again, no peg or perch is needed. If the hen needs a perch she will find a nearby tree or simply stand on top of the box.
Do a search online of baby wood ducks and watch as they jump out of a nest box into the water. The videos alone will spur you to make a wood duck box! Wood ducks are probably the most gorgeous ducks around here. They perch and roost in trees unlike other ducks and they are acrobatic fliers.
February is an excellent month to do a small project with big dividends for wildlife. A small investment in time and a little cash at your local hardware or lumber yard will result in something to watch this spring and summer. If you have kids, get them involved. The past few years the King George Outdoor Club has put together bluebird boxes and wood duck boxes courtesy of a donation for the James Madison Garden Club in King George. Kids like hands on activities and this one is simple enough but interesting enough to forget about COVID and other distractions while enjoying yourself.
bluebird box plans
wood duck box plans

Mark Fike
All hunters should know that the VDWR (formerly VDGIF) plans on discontinuing game check stations and game check books such as for DMAP (deer management assistance program) clubs starting in September. This means that the check cards that some of us had from our first deer or turkey or bear are going to be potential collectors’ items in the future.
Virginia has been using big game checking as part of the big game management program for over 70 years according to a press release by VDWR. Some states do not require you to check your harvest. I have no idea how those states keep a rough tally on how many animals they have in their state available to hunters. It is very important that hunters continue to check their big game harvest. It is the law and it does help set seasons and manage populations of animals. 
Starting in September when the urban archery seasons begin, all hunters, to include those that do not need a license, will have to check their big game or bobcat by calling DWR at 866-GOT GAME or logging into the gooutdoorsvirginia.com site or by the GoOutdoorsVA app on their smart phone if they have one.
I personally will really miss the game check cards. I miss the country stores, the banter back and forth as game was checked in at those official game check stations and the comradery that you found when gathering for a snack, coffee or ammo at those check stations. However, times change.
Last season, according to DWR, 86% of deer, 93% of fall turkeys, 100% of spring gobblers and 58% of bears were checked by the electronic method. Apparently convenience has driven hunters to use the electronic means to get their check in done. VDWR reports that getting the data electronically is more efficient and costs less.  Think about all those check station books, gas or postage to go get them and time spent counting the books and data. 
For more information on this change, please visit: dwr.virginia.gov/hunting/game-harvest-reporting-changes/.
CWD is on the move!
Just before Christmas, DWR sent out a press release detailing yet another case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) that has been discovered closer to the Northern Neck.
CWD was discovered in 2009 in Frederick County just across the border from West Virginia which was known to have cases of it. Historically, CWD has been found in penned deer operations and of course in the wild. Presumably the disease was spread from the penned deer.
As of press time, the total number of deer having tested positive for CWD in Virginia is closing in on 100. I think the last official tally I had was 90. As a recap, CWD is characterized by the following:
CWD is a slow neurological disease impacting deer, elk and moose. All infected animals ultimately die from the disease. At this time officials state that there is no evidence that CWD can be naturally transmitted to humans. However, DWR and some basic common sense urges hunters to refrain from eating any meat from sick animals to include those that have CWD.
Signs of CWD include staggering, lowered head, confusing, drooling, abnormal posture and emaciation. DWR wants to hear about any deer exhibiting these signs. Call the DWR Wildlife Conflict Helpline at 1-855-571-9003 with accurate location information if you sincerely believe you see a deer that might have several of these symptoms.
One of the regulations in place to help stem the spread of CWD include only boned out meat being permitted to leave the containment zone established in and around the counties where CWD was found in Northern VA
In early December a case was discovered in Warren County. The adult buck was taken during regular firearms season. Then a buck taken by a hunter during regular firearms season was found to be positive too. Culpeper County has a single positive case of CWD thus far as well from the 2018/2019 season.
Just prior to Christmas, DWR announced a case in Madison County, another adult buck that was harvested during firearms season.
DWR had testing sites set up for hunters to drop off heads plus 4 inches of the neck for testing. Some taxidermists and processors were authorized by DWR to collect samples as well. Information on voluntary CWD testing collection sites can be found here: dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/diseases/cwd/voluntary-chronic-wasting-disease-testing-in-disease-management-area-2/.
A summary of the CWD surveillance and monitoring will be released in late winter of 2021 and prior to the new hunting season during fall of 2021 I will do a review of the findings for hunters.
It is extremely important that hunters cooperate and help stop the spread of CWD. Sneaking or bringing back deer parts and then discarding or even burying them after you process your deer taken from a “containment zone” could potentially bring the disease back to our area!
HD pays King George a visit
The bad news rolls on unfortunately. HD or Hemorrhagic disease hits our area every four or five years. The virus is transmitted by gnats or midges and causes a high fever and sometimes death in deer. At times the death toll can be astounding. In the last decade we had a horrendous outbreak that reportedly took out an estimated third of our deer population in localized areas of the readership area. King George was a hard hit area during that scourge.
Normally HD hits in late summer to early fall and the first frost generally curtails the disease by knocking out the midges. So, discoveries of dead deer that were seeking water to cool off from the fever generally are called in before this late in the season. For whatever reason, the disease went unnoticed a bit longer this season and hunters began reporting deer with sloughing hooves and unusual gaits later in the season. It appears that a number of the deer survived. Let’s hope that the HD that swept through our deer population just made them temporarily sick and we did not lose that many animals to the disease.
It is important to note that unlike CWD, a deer with HD can survive and are safe to eat once they recovers from the disease. All of the deer I saw that were harvested looked very healthy except for one thing. Their hooves were in shambles. That is how I knew that had survived the disease. The disease or fever causes the sloughing of the hooves. Weights of these deer appeared normal and all organs appeared normal. Behavior was normal too. The deer just had not yet regrown their hooves.
I will update readers on this situation as we get information, likely closer to the 2021 hunting season.
 

Mark Fike
Farmers have a tough lot when it comes to making a living. They have to deal with rain, drought, seed prices, market prices for crops and fight to avoid disease. Simply put, the costs of farming often outweigh the profit unless the farmer is savvy and efficient. In this vein of thought, the equipment farmers have had available to them in the recent years has been very efficient at not only harvesting crops but also grinding up the stubble and stems that remained of the parts of the plants that hunters used to brush or camo their blinds when hunting in fields after the harvest.
We noticed this when we went to gather material to brush our blinds for the goose season the past few years. The farmer that worked the fields we hunted was using a much newer piece of equipment and method to harvest and prepare the field for the coming spring. Unlike years past, there was no bean stubble or corn husks laying in the field. That left us scrambling to figure out how in the world we were going to camo our layout blinds. Powder and random small pieces of plant material were all that was left plus some nice green cover crop of some sort that looked like a grass but was only a few inches in length.
The procedure we used to follow each fall included finding material such as stems or empty corn stalks and husks from the field we were going to hunt and inserting them into elastic straps on the blind to make it blend into the field and become part of it. This was a time consuming process and often worked well but with some drawbacks.
First, if we hunted a corn field but later wanted to go hunt a bean field, we had to strip out the corn stubble and change it to bean stubble and possibly change it back. Second, the material was heavy, especially if it got wet. Third, it regularly fell out and needed dressing up. Last, it could get moldy and for those with allergies, that can be a big problem to lay in a pile of moldy material and not have an allergy or asthmatic event.
So, in my search for a solution, I found a company called Arcturus online https://arcturusgear.com/. They specialize in camo and particularly Ghillie suits. However, they make accessories to include the threads that people can make Ghillie suits with.  These synthetic thread bundles come in 9 colors. The thread is lightweight, fire retardant, waterproof so it should not rot or mold. The colors are bundled in half pound packages and are 18 inches long.
We found the dry grass color which includes some olive drab in it, matches very well with local farm fields and looks to be a great fit for field goose hunts. No more allergies and the whole blind weighs half what it did before! It does not smell and can be washed although I doubt I will wash mine beyond a spray down if the blind gets too muddy.
When we got the thread bundles, we found that two knots were effective at making our blind disappear. For the sides an overhand knot which allows the thread to hang down and overlap the row of elastic strips below it worked well.
On the tops or for areas that lay flat, a simple granny knot or basic knot worked well because it left threads hanging in two directions to cover our blind.
To use the thread, we pulled 10-15 threads in a tiny bundle and tied them as a group. To do one layout blind we took a few hours and 8 bundles of thread. But we could have went much faster.
A benefit to the Arcturus thread is that we should not have to redo our blind for years unlike the corn or soybean husks which needed done pretty much each year. No more scrambling to fix our blinds each fall!
So far the product Arcturus makes appears to be top notch. I like how it is lightweight, blends well and has a 3 D appearance. You can find them online to purchase some of their thread or other products for your blinds or hunting apparel. Keep in mind that you can add other material to your blind to really blend it in addition to the Arcturus thread. I think for archery season their products will be a big plus to have too!

Fishing this month has been pretty good despite the rains we have been getting.
Rappahannock River--smallmouth bass are reportedly hitting fairly well upstream of Frederickburg. Fish the edges or seams of current as the fish are in the summer pattern. Redbreast sunfish are hitting beetle spins and live bait in eddies, along log jams and other structure in those same areas.
Further downriver, some anglers are catching snakeheads. Bass anglers are reportedly getting into decent fish on blowdowns with plastics and spinnerbaits. The shad are pretty much done. Some striper are being caught (and hopefully released). Catfish are in the spawning mode but can be caught as evident by the picture above. Jaylen and Nate caught a decent stringer in King George this week.
Potomac River--bass are reportedly hitting on the edge of the vegetation on lipless cranks and other cranks. Flip finesse worms in the pockets. Topwater works early and late as it will most of the summer. Weedless frogs are a good starting point. Try the creeks for the best action.
Further downriver there are no reports of croaker yet. That is sad. Ten years ago we were thick with croaker by June. There are some smaller striper being caught well downriver. Catfish are all the way to the mouth of the river!
Lake Anna reports show crappie have gone deep. Some nice bass are being caught on points with jigs and plastics. Striper are early and late on live bait and some hybrids are also in the mix. Use a cast net to catch your own shad for bait if you are able. They work better than minnows.
Ponds are giving up crappie, bass and nice bream right now. Some ponds are seeing bream coming off the beds while some are still on the beds.

I receive press releases from VDGIF and am simply reposting the ones I feel readers may be interested in.
Thank you. All credit goes to VDGIF.

For Immediate Release
May 24, 2019
Contact:  Dr. Mike Bednarski, [email protected], 804 367-6878
 
Virginia Anglers Break Two State Records this Spring with Two Tremendous Catches
 
RICHMOND, VA-The spring of 2019 was a busy time for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) State Record Committee.  The committee reviewed and certified new state records for brook trout caught by hook-and-line and gar captured with archery gear.
 
On March 12th, Thomas Garth from Standardsville, Virginia landed a 5 pound, 15 ounce brook trout from Cub Run in Page County.  Mr. Garth caught the trophy-sized trout with a fly rod using a minnow as bait.  The fish measured 20 ¼ inches and was officially weighed at Martin’s Grocery in Harrisonburg, Virginia.  After biologist verification and review by the State Record Committee, Mr. Garth’s catch was certified and is currently recognized as the Virginia State Record Brook Trout.  The brook trout surpassed the long held record of 5 pounds, 10 ounces caught by Greg Orndorff in 1987 from Big Stony Creek. 
 
On April 26th, Blake Deal from Nathalie, Virginia, arrowed a 21 pound, 13 ounce longnose gar with archery gear from Lake Gaston in Mecklenburg County.  The massive gar measured 48 ¾ inches in length with a girth of 19 inches.  Mr. Deal captured the fish while bowfishing near the Interstate 85 overpass and had the fish officially weighed at Bobcat’s Bait and Tackle in Clarksville, Virginia.  Mr. Deal’s catch was verified by a DGIF biologist, reviewed by the State Record Committee and is now recognized as the Virginia Archery Fishing State Record Gar.  Jonathan Owen and Joseph Baer were co-holders of the previous record with each angler separately capturing longnose gar weighing 19 pound, 14 ounces.  Mr. Owen’s fish was caught in 2016 from the Chickahominy River while Mr. Baer’s fish was captured in 2018 from the Rappahannock River.
 
The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries would like to publicly acknowledge and congratulate Mr. Garth and Mr. Deal on their tremendous catches.
 
For more information on fishing in Virginia, please visit: https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/
 
 
****
 
 

Paige Pearson
Marketing and PR Manager
P 804.593.2051 / M 804.370.0044
Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries
CONSERVE. CONNECT. PROTECT.
A 7870 Villa Park Drive, P.O. Box 90778, Henrico, VA 23228-0778
www.dgif.virginia.gov

 
 

This is a repost of a VDGIF press release. All credit goes to them.

For Immediate Release
May 22, 2019
Contact: Dr. Mike Bednarski, [email protected]
 
 
NORTHERN SNAKEHEAD FOUND IN NEW VIRGINIA WATERS
 
RICHMOND, VA- On Thursday, May 16, 2019, biologists from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) confirmed the presence of Northern Snakehead in Lake Frederick, Frederick County.
 
Northern Snakehead is an exotic species that was first discovered in Virginia in the Potomac River in 2004. Since that time, they have been discovered in nine additional bodies of water including Lakeview Reservoir, Lake Anna, the Rappahannock River, and Burke Lake. The capture in Lake Frederick represents the first confirmed occurrence of this species within the Shenandoah River drainage.
 
Exotic species like snakeheads can disrupt natural aquatic systems and may have significant impacts by feeding on and competing with native and/or naturalized fishes. In addition, they may transmit parasites and diseases to native wildlife in those systems.
 
Contrary to popular depictions in the media, Northern Snakeheads are not capable of moving across land – most new occurrences are caused by people intentionally introducing (stocking) them into new bodies of water. Citizens are reminded that this activity is a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in jail, a fine of $2500, or both.
 
Anyone who catches a Northern Snakehead should take a photo and contact DGIF immediately at (804) 367-2925. Anglers are allowed to keep Northern Snakeheads, however, they must be dead in possession (contained in live well, cooler, etc.) and reported to DGIF.
 
The Department asks that all captured snakehead be killed following capture.
 
To report wildlife violations, please call 1-800-237-5712.
 
####
 Paige Pearson
Marketing and PR Manager
P 804.593.2051 / M 804.370.0044
Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries
CONSERVE. CONNECT. PROTECT.
A 7870 Villa Park Drive, P.O. Box 90778, Henrico, VA 23228-0778
www.dgif.virginia.gov

 
 

I am happy to report that the fowl bill that would have required duck and goose hunters to get permission from riparian landowners to hunt in public water closer than 150 yards to shore is no longer moving forward. A lot of waterfowl hunters showed up and wrote or called their state legislators to oppose this bill. It is a good thing because many of us would have lost our ability to  hunt public water and waterfowl hunting and conservation in general would have taken a direct hit as a result of a few greedy people wanting the water to themselves. For those of you that opposed this bill and did something about it, Thank you!

Duck hunters, this is a serious alert about a bill that  passed the Virginia Senate and is now in the House of Delegates regarding our duck hunting heritage. Senator Stuart introduced SB 1725 which will require all stationary and stake blinds to be more than 150 yards from shore. We all know that in most waters that is impossible.

Here is the summary of the bill on the LIS system:
Provides that no stake or stationary waterfowl blind that is erected in the public waters, except in the waters of Virginia Beach, shall be located less than 150 yards from a riparian owner's shoreline at the mean low water mark, unless the riparian owner gives written permission to locate the stake or blind closer to shore.
An amendment was later added that read: Except in the waters of the City of Virginia Beach and the Counties of Fairfax, Prince William, and Stafford, the blind or stake shall not be located less than 150 yards from a  riparian owner's shoreline on private property at the mean low watermark, unless the riparian owner (i) gives written permission to locate the blind or stake closer to shore or (ii) declines to file a complaint with the Department regarding the location of the blind.

This bill makes no sense and it appears that duck hunters using public water are being targeted. A similar bill was introduced by Delegate Ransone but never made it out of committee. Why anyone would want such a thing enacted into law is beyond me save one possibility. Perhaps a wealthy riparian landowner does not want to see a duck blind on the river in PUBLIC water because it is in their view.

Reportedly those supporting the bill are saying it is a safety issue. I am checking with VDGIF on this to see if there have been reports of duck hunters shooting at homes along the waterfront, but I strongly suspect this is NOT true. Duck hunters know that duck blinds are built facing the water, not homes. Further, the effective range of a shotgun with duck or goose loads is less than 50 yards. No one shoots at houses while duck hunting. It is a lie to insinuate that duck hunters do such things.

What this bill would do is effectively kill most duck hunting opportunities by the public on public waters. Most waters are not wide enough to accommodate a blind 150 yards out and if they are, the chances are that the water is more than 8 feet deep which is the cut off for building a blind.

Duck hunting and blind laws are so complicated now that you better have a good lawyer to go duck hunt in Virginia these days or so the joke goes. It is interesting that if this is a safety issue, then why are highly populated areas such as the ones excepted in the bill, NOT included? There are far more houses in VA Beach, Stafford, Fairfax and Prince William?

Could this be a "land/water grab" by the wealthy to keep the rest of us out of their sight? Whatever it is, it smells and smells badly. Shame on those that support this bill!

What is next? Our fishing rights within 150 yards of shore? Maybe we won't be able to paddle our kayaks or boat within  150 yards?
Why is the area west of I-95 not included in this bill? What makes that area so special? There are flatwater areas west of I-95 for sure.

If you ever want to get your mind in a twist, try reading the blind laws! http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/regulations/waterfowl-blind-laws/   The laws are so numerous and complicated that it is tough to know when you are in the right or in a gray area. Blind laws vary across the state.

Does anyone even know how many hundreds or thousands of blinds are now going to be in jeopardy? How many friends and family and kids will now no longer be able to enjoy the time honored tradition of duck hunting? How many family traditions will be broken now? How many duck hunters will we lose?
 I attempted to reach out to both of the lawmakers to get their reasoning and get the opposing side to the story. I have not received a response from Senator Stuart’s office. I did get a brief response from Del. Ransone’s office asking if I had any suggestions for the wording regarding the bill that would not impact landowners or existing duck blinds that are stationary and registered. While I most certainly appreciate that our Delegate’s office reached out to me and made an attempt, I don’t think that request is possible. Someone IS going to be impacted by the bill as written. It is going to be most duck hunters out there.

 Kill waterfowl hunting and you will kill a lot of conservation efforts too.  Hunter numbers are going down annually and I would bet that waterfowl hunter numbers are the seeing the highest attrition rate. Shouldn’t we be trying to encourage wholesome outdoor pursuits?

In summary, I never received an answer as of press time as to what the problem was that the bills sought to address. This scenario is a fowl one for waterfowlers to contend with. If you are enjoying waterfowl hunting and have a blind closer than 150 yards to shore, perhaps you better ring your delegate or senator’s office ASAP. You just might be trying to sell your gear next season if these bills pass.  Senator Stuart   (804) 698-7528   email: [email protected]  Delegate Ransone – ( 804) 698-7528  email: [email protected]

My daughter has started her own breeding business for Labrador Retrievers that are especially suited for hunting purposes and companion animals. She got her first dog from Liberty pups (www.liberty-pups.com) in Stafford, Virginia after doing a LOT of research. We were VERY pleased with the dog which Kristy has founded her own kennel on. We found Rebekah Moss to be  honest, down to earth and  helpful. Despite knowing that Kristy would be trying to start her own breeding business, Rebekah has been nothing but helpful and kind to her. That is how Rebekah is; she treats people decently and she also loves and treats her dogs extremely well too. Her  business model  is quality dogs over quantity of dogs.  That said, I have some news for any readers looking for a potential hunting dog or companion  animal.

She  has a 1 yr old chocolate female for sale, her name is Oakley.  She has the sweetest personality and melts your heart, she just needs a great home and little extra TLC.  She has her AKC papers and all shot records.  She's been spayed, and is crate trained and knows the basics but possibly could use a little attention to fine tune her obedience. The dog is already spayed and ready to go to a good home.  Please contact Rebekah  for the pedigree and details. This is your chance to own a dog that has done through the basics and just needs a little bit of  TLC and a few short training sessions to get her where you want her. Awesome looking lab!   www.liberty-pups.com 



Rebekah is also expecting a few litters next month. Check out her site for the details. Here is a pic of the dog she has for sale.

Deer hunting season ended on a bit of a whimper for those of us on the Northern Neck. Some hunters have done OK but the vast majority of the ones I have spoken to report slim pickings this season both for meat and for antlers. This is particularly true after the rut started in mid November. We are waiting on the official numbers of deer killed to comment further. My comments above are based on anecdotal info from speaking with a number of hunters in our area.
Duck season is another sore subject. My personal experience to include going back through photos of trips from 20 years ago show that the duck numbers for the immediate King George area seem to be on a serious decline. This is particularly true of the past few years. I hunt on a tributary off the Potomac River. 20 years ago the ruddy duck, bufflehead and bluebill numbers were sky high and we never bothered to shoot them unless our puddle duck hunt was lackluster. Seeing mergansers was a regular and almost annoying event. The past few years seeing a merganser near my blind has been something to look forward to. I don't see many of the other ducks and rarely see any puddle ducks. Not sure what has  happened but it is sad time to take up waterfowl hunting for the first time. It can be discouraging. I hope scientists can find out what is going on and we can reverse this trend.
Goose numbers are also down and if you have not heard, the hatch in spring of 2018 was really poor. That means that goose bag limits for next year will be 1 bird per day per person. Mallard bag limits will be cut in half too.
We did get into some geese yesterday in a field locally but our communication was not what it should have been so instead of some geese staying with us for a ride home, most got to continue on their way.

It has been awhile and for that I apologize. A quick update is in order. I have not received ANY reports or photos to post on the site. Not sure if people just don't want their stuff posted or maybe they have not made time to send stuff. If you want your photo posted or even your story, send it. [email protected]. Be glad to consider and post. Just keep the photos clean and respectful.
So, where are the deer? I managed to put the meat we had to have in the freezer. I had help from my family. However, all of the deer we managed to see and take were taken well before Thanksgiving. Once firearms deer season came in, we have had not seen any deer save for one or two that we let walk. It has been a tough year so far for deer hunters and duck hunters.
The theory that many of us have about the deer is that with all the acorns in the woods and the pressure during hunting season, the deer are staying in the woods and eating leftover acorns and not coming out in the fields where many of us have tried hunting. A large number of people that I know that are good deer hunters are not seeing much. However, there are no reports of HD hitting our region and we are seeing sign of deer in the woods. I think we have one of three things we need to do.
1--Get deeper in the woods where food sources remain
2-Scout and try new areas and approaches.
3--Wait it out until the acorn supply dries up.
Typically my deer hunting is very tough from Thanksgiving until Christmas. Then it seems to get easier once it is colder and the deer start to herd up some.
I guess we will see.
Meanwhile, the duck situation is abysmal from what I have seen and heard. Even goose hunters are not reporting great activity. Word has trickled down that mallard limits will be cut next year and for the Atlantic population goose limit, it will be 1 bird next year. I hope things improve.
I suppose it is time to go squirrel hunting or rabbit hunting. There seems to be plenty of squirrels. I had some squirrel soup the other night with some fresh baked bread. The whole family enjoyed it. I need to put a few more squirrels up!
Send us some photos! Let's make this site  the place for the region's outdoor news. I am willing to do the work posting and publishing if I can get some feedback and reports and photos. [email protected]

We had two great deer in our area reported. The first buck was Elijah Lang's 8 point. He was in the stand with his father when two bucks came into view. The bigger one knew something was wrong and ran off but the other large buck took a good run and tried to outdash Elijah's buckshot. Elijah very skillfully put his buck down for the count on the spot. Great shooting!

Katelyn Spuchesi was in a ground blind with her father when her buck came into view. At first she was not going to shoot but then decided after looking him over in the scope that he needed to go home with her. She made it happen with one shot! What a great buck!

Dove hunting was forecast by VDGIF to be less than average due to spring rains, windy nesting conditions etc... My informal observations have backed that up. Many farmers have not harvested corn quite yet due to all the rain but even where they have, the doves are not extremely numerous in the few places I have observed that were harvested.
Still, getting outside, in the field, gun in hand with a retriever is worth it if nothing more than to get away from chores and relax a little. We took two dogs Friday afternoon and shot at a few birds and got two of them which the dogs were able to find and bring back. Then the rain squall from Florence hit us and drove us sopping wet to the truck. Saturday we were able to sneak back out and we managed to see one bird in range and got that one allowing my daughter's nearly year old lab go retrieve it. The bird had fallen in dense cover but she found it and retrieved it without mauling it in short order! We were thrilled. The dog is one of seven out of her litter last year and has shown great potential. We got the female (mom) from Liberty Pups. Those dogs have shown to be great field companions and retrievers are a reasonable price. We hope to have another litter in the coming year. Look at tomorrow's post for details on Liberty Pups and watch here for upcoming news of litters we may have down the road.

Fishing this summer has been really odd, hence the shortage of updated reports. With a series of  heavy rains off and on we have either had high water and mud and trees with debris or earlier this summer, a very dry spell for about 3 weeks.
Rappahannock River fishing has been a bit slow. Catfish are biting but not like they normally do. Fish early and late with cutbait for eating size fish and move around to find them. Some anglers are finding some snakehead fishing below Port Royal with regularity with most action in the creeks on plastic worms or weedless frogs. Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) is spreading on the river into the creeks. However, with all the sediment coming down the river this summer, much of that may die off. We will see. Bass are reportedly hitting some but not on fire. Fish creek mouths and just inside the creeks with spinnerbaits and plastics. Don't be surprised to get a bowfin or snakehead.
Potomac River fishing is a bit better but mostly for bass and catfish. The bass are hitting cranks on the outer edges of the weedlines or on woody structure. Plastic worms are working OK too. Some snakeheads are being caught on topwater. Catfish are hitting everywhere it seems.
The disappointing news is that unlike previous years, the croaker have made rare appearances in the King George area. The rains have decreased salinity and our sources on the water report very few in the area now although a few weeks ago there were some near Popes and Mattox Creek. We used to see small blues chopping baitfish in the area too but not this year. The striper bite was here for a week or two but recently reports are showing few being caught. Perhaps things will change in the next few weeks. Late August and early September have been good to us in the past.
Reservoirs and Lakes: Anna is seeing striper in deeper water but catchable on umbrellas, jigs and spoons midlake and slightly up. Some decent bass are also in those same areas. For the striper, find the bait and find the fish there too. Pond fishing has been decent for those that go early and late. Middle of the day things are tough. Crappie are biting still in spurts. Slow troll jigs or minnows on the lowest setting and vary depths to find the fish.

Saltwater--I sure wish I had time or the ability to take a day off work. The fish are finally biting well all over the bay. Cobia are in the lower Potomac and the bay hitting in the chumlines or on sight casted eels or bucktail jigs. Croaker are hitting but a tad small. Try the mouths of our rivers. Along the CBBT the spade bite is hot on clam. Bluefish and Spanish are in dense schools but somewhat scattered from Point Lookout down the bay. The best place remains the oceanfront at VA Beach though or along the CBBT. Big reds are hitting huge Drone spoons in the bay or live spot. Spot are hitting Fishbites or bloodworms in shallows in the bay now too. Lynnhaven and Rudee are the hotspots but they are available further up our way at the mouth of the Rapp and near Reedville. A few specks and flatties are hitting along the CBBT and in Lynnhaven and Rudee too. Look for fishing to improve for another month before some of the species begin heading south.
If you  have a report for us or a picture you want to share, send it to [email protected] and just put the body of water, your name and what you caught it on. No need to give up your secret exact spot on the water!

Potomac River--Aqua Land Marina over in Maryland (301-259-2222) reported that the striped bass showed up this past week. They can be caught from Swan Point to Port Tobacco River. Troll for them. The croaker are slowing making their way in our waters too. A few have been caught. The same goes for perch. Catfish are biting everywhere. Aqua Land offers fishing and boat rentals 7 days a week 7-7. You can fish off the beach too. Get there by 7 PM and stay all night if you want!
Upriver the bass fishing is good near the grass but reportedly better near wood. Use finesse worms and creature baits. Some gar and catfish are also keeping bow anglers entertained now that we have clearer water. A few snakeheads are in the mix.
Rappahannock River--The upriver reaches have cleared and are offering some fair to good bass angling on the creek mouths and wood structure. However, the downriver stretch has been slow even for catfish. It is so odd to have catfish angling so slow. A few white perch can be caught on gravel banks with bait or Beetle Spins.
Motts Run Reservoir run by Don Minor with assistants, Mason and Nate, is a gem in our region. It can be tough to fish if you don't fish it often but the fish are definitely there. We saw some monster bass cruising the shallows Friday but no hook ups. There are plenty of white perch and yellow perch being caught right off the piers on minnows. Catfish in this reservoir are chunky and appear healthier than the river cats I have caught the past few years. Motts has night fishing on July 27th, August 10th, 24th and September 14th. Boats are permitted if you have lights. ALL boats must be off the water by 12:30. Grills and picnic tables are available. No alcohol permitted. 7PM---1 AM is the event time frame. Great time to night fish for a lot of nice catfish or other fish!
Ponds--Pond fishing for bass and sunfish is pretty good. Use topwater like Mann's Toadz or weedless frogs in the lily pads. It is hard to go wrong with a white beetle spin for bream, bass or crappie. Crappie fishing with minnows has been really good in small ponds. Some anglers are getting 20 plus fish early and late. Catfish Kelly's on Rt. 3 in Ferry Farm has minnows and great service too. Get some seafood or  a sandwich while you are there. www.facebook.com/catfishkellys/posts/?ref=page_internal
Saltwater---Lewisetta Marina https://www.facebook.com/pg/pages.lewisettamarina/posts/?ref=page_internalis  is one of the nicest marinas I have been to lately. Located just past Callao on Lewisetta Road, the marina offers a nice ramp, some fishing bait, tackle and boat supplies and friendly service. We purchased some sandwiches and they were the BEST sandwiches we have had in awhile. The lunchmeat portion was healthy in portion as was the cheese and the sandwiches were wrapped in paper like the old country stores used to do them. Miss Helen and the men at the marina were generous with information too. Croaker are biting as are spot and white perch down that way on the Coan River and the Potomac. Some of their Lewisetta Chum has been responsible for some really nice cobia catches nearby too. A few blues and Spanish are showing up at Smith Point and Point Lookout, a short boat ride away.
Further down the bay the Spanish are hitting around Windmill Point. Some small blues are in the mix. Croaker are hitting some. Cobia are def. in the area as well. Look for the red drum bite to pick up later in the month. Down around Virginia Beach some whiting are being caught too.

Fishing in the rivers is pretty slow. On the Rapp the floodwaters finally receded near Fredericksburg and some bass are being caught off the wood with white and chartreuse spinnerbaits. Some anglers are reportedly taking some fish on plastics worked slowly along wood. Catfishing has been slow lately. The high water that is flooding timber and weeds is offering fish more food and hiding spots. The heat is not helping either. Last, some fish are still spawning. I caught a dozen fish this AM and over half had eggs in them still. A few white perch are taking Beetle Spins.
Potomac River bass anglers are reporting decent bites off wood with plastics and early and late with chatterbaits. A few snakeheads are being caught. Catfish are pretty much the only bottom fishing game. Croaker are still no shows for the river from Coles Point all the way up. A rare few striper are  hitting some baits but not with enough consistency to make it worth taking the boat out if that is all you are going for. Rough summer for anglers!
Pond fishing is good early and late. Bream are hitting baits such as spinners, poppers, worms, crickets and Beetle Spins. They just came off the spawn. Bass are hitting topwater early and late. Some plastics are taking nice bass near vegetation too. Crappie are hitting slowly trolled jigs and minnows in ponds.
Lake Anna anglers are taking some nice striper very early in the AM near the 208 Bridge. Bass are in the vicinity as well but once the sun comes up, the fish go deep.
Saltwater action is slowly coming alive. RWs noted that no croaker are really being caught yet. However, some blues and a few Spanish are showing up around Reedville. Further south  near Dameron Marsh the cobia action is picking up and in the bay the cobia are really providing the best action yet. Bluefish are being caught along the CBBT and off the oceanfront as well as Spanish. Some small croaker and nice spot are in the same area.
Hoping the fishing picks up soon. Summer is half over!

VDGIF is hosting a meeting at Gander Outdoors, Tuesday, June 12th, at 6PM to discuss the largemouth bass fishery on the Rappahannock River. Anyone that is interested may attend.

Potomac River--Bass fishing and snakehead fishing has been pretty good on the grassy flats. Water for bowfishing is murky but still fairly fishable. Look for hits on poppers, frogs and weedless baits.
Catfish are hitting everywhere on all kinds of baits.
Aqua Land Marina at the 301 Bridge is reporting plenty of catfish but they have not seen any croaker yet. They are renting skiffs and jon boats. They are open 7-7 every day of the week.

Rappahannock River--The river in town has been unfishable for two weeks it seems. Once it settles the catfish bite will be on for sure.


Saltwater--Garrett's Marina in Tappahannock reports a rare few croaker hitting. However, the catfish bite is spectacular. Louis told us that some spot showed up in Urbanna already which is early.
Cobia fishing near Cape Charles has been good as has red drum fishing. The red drum are on the shoals. The cobia are also in the bay now and along the VA Beach Oceanfront. Some Spanish are on the oceanfront now and some have been sneaking into the bay too.
Spades in the 1-5 pound class are making a good showing on structure in the bay and ocean. Offshore the tuna bite finally took off. Plenty of sharks out there too. Some nice Mahi are also being caught on Capt. Ryan's Midnight Sun Charters.

VDGIF is hosting a meeting at Gander Outdoors, Tuesday, June 12th, at 6PM to discuss the largemouth bass fishery on the Rappahannock River. Anyone that is interested may attend.

The bream are hitting in ponds on crickets, hoppers, red wigglers and small grubs and jigs. Bass are in the pads early and late and have finished spawning. Crappie have gone deeper now.
In the river bass are hitting in the grass or SAV areas of tidal creeks. Chatterbaits and jigs with plastics are doing the job. Some anglers are finding success with cranks along the wood. Catfish have started spawning and are hit or miss but they are hitting cut shad readily. We have gotten reports of big snakeheads in Potomac River trib headwaters.
Saltwater anglers are reporting that after a tough trophy rockfish season, there are some nice smaller rockfish in the Potomac to be had. Croaker are just starting to bite in the lower rivers. There is not much size to them but they are there. A few bluefish (small) are showing up around the CBBT now.

Fishing from the City Dock in Fredericksburg, downriver was poor yesterday evening. We caught one small but fat bass down near the pipeline. No perch, shad or catfish were caught, nor any bites with worm, jigs, grubs or anything else we used. It appears the shad run is pretty much over, at least in that part of the river.
We hear that at Lake Anna the fishing is best uplake in water less than 8 feet deep. There are reportedly still spawning bass and crappie to be had.

Spring has sprung and so has summer. Temps the past few days were in the 90s with one more such day before it cools off. The past few weeks the rain has swollen the rivers a bit. However, the fishing is very good. Catfish are now hitting all over on cut shad and livers. Shad are hitting very well in Fredericksburg although the bite probably peaked this past week. Bright colored jigs and spoons are working well. White perch are hitting a variety of baits in Fredericksburg as well. Most fish are small but fun to catch. Bass are hitting at the creek mouths in the Rapp and in the grass on the Potomac. Shaky heads and grass frogs are taking fish.
Crappie have slowed way down. Some catch and release striper are in town too. Bucktail jigs and large streamers are the way to go.
In ponds the fishing is very good for bass now. Bream are on the beds too. Use plastics for the bass or slow rolled spinnerbaits. Topwater will come on in the evenings as well. Some crappie can still be caught. Next week the fishing should be very good with stable temps in the 70s.
Saltwater
Croaker are slowly making their way up the bay. On the oceanfront at VA Beach they are hitting well. Some striper are being caught in the bay.
Turkey hunting has been a bit slow for most folks with gobbling being scarce for many. Keep at it. The hens should be on the nest now!

Here is a quick fishing report for the Northern Neck area. White perch are hitting in the Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg but the bite can be hit or miss. I did not catch any perch but a man fishing the same spot the day before caught 51! Shad are hitting green and white colored jigs and grubs as well as Sabiki Rigs from Fredericksburg down. One of my Hickory shad had roe in it. What a springtime delicacy! I noticed some guys catching eating sized blue catfish. Rockfish are in the river but are catch and release only.
Pond fishing is good as long as you don't go on a cold or windy day. We managed a good bag of sunfish, crappie and bass on Wednesday of last week but fishing was slower on Friday.
Lake Anna anglers are catching some nice striper and crappie uplake.

(Hunting
A report came out from VDGIF not long ago about summer surveys they did on turkey numbers. Apparently the juvenile birds, (poults) in our region were few in number. Informal surveys while driving in King George, Stafford, Essex, Caroline, Hanover, and Westmoreland counties have turned up few birds strutting, fanning or feeding in fields during my travels. I hope the season shows a different outcome than what I am not seeing!
Fishing
A chat with Donna at Catfish Kellys in Ferry Farm on Rt. 3 shows catch and release striper action is good in the river near Fredericksburg. Some shad and herring are slowly showing up. Crappie action in ponds and the river is quite good. Bloodworms are taking some nice perch and catfish are hitting cut shad very well. Some bruisers are reportedly inhaling some baits south of town. Bass action is slow. The inconsistent weather is driving all of us nuts. Cold rain this Saturday will undoubtedly screw up some youth day turkey hunts and fishing.
I plan on hitting the river and a pond today or tomorrow. If I catch anything notable I will put it on here.
I welcome photos of fish or game that are tastefully taken. Criteria for photos to be published include:
appropriate clothing, no alcohol, cigarettes, excessive blood, or other inappropriate items. Keep trash out of the backdrop of photos. Please include name with last initial, body of water where caught or county where game is harvested, species if not easily recognized, size, and in general where on the water it was caught. I don't want others crowding your spot so make it vague like: "Denny L caught this snakehead in Aquia Creek at night on a popper. " or "Suzy Q bagged this 22 pound gobbler in Caroline County in a field. It has 1 inch spurs and was her first bird."  E-mail to me at [email protected]