Fishing around the Northern Neck is quite good. Bass are hitting spinnerbaits and plastics in ponds. Sunfish are hitting insects and worms very well too. Catfish are spawning on the rivers and are in varying stages of that. The catfish action on the Rapp is very good, particularly for eating size fish. Try cutbait for the best bite. Pond fishing is good too and particularly so since we have had some strong storms stir up the mud in the Rapp making it tough to fish. Bass are hitting on the Potomac and its tribs. The tribs are best in the grass with frog baits and plastics. You might pick up a snakehead or two while fishing.
On the saltwater scene in our area the fishing is very slow. Some white perch are around. We heard of one or two small croaker but nothing to get the boat out for. Mostly catfish are hitting baits hurled overboard for croaker. Some smaller striper are around. When you get to the bay some anglers are picking up some keeper rockfish. That season will be for Maryland waters and the Potomac River only soon. Further south there are a few bluefish showing up, some reds, a few puppy drum, some specks were around and some flounder are slowly starting to show up. A few cobia were seen last weekend down near the CBBT.
Hopefully the croaker and spot will show as well as the other fish very soon. It has been a tough few years for saltwater anglers around our parts.

For many hunters in Virginia, this past spring gobbler season was good. VDGIF is reporting that the 2017 harvest figures statewide were up 9% from last season. In fact, it was the third highest harvest in recent times with 18,860 birds taken. During 2015 there were 20,580 birds taken for the top number. The second highest recent harvest was in 2013 with 19,365 birds taken.
Biologists report that overall, the state flock has increased 2.7% each year for the past ten years. That number has leveled off some in recent years. The best estimate that VDGIF has for our turkey population puts it between 185,000 and 195,000 birds statewide.
Weather plays a big role in annual recruitment of birds. This past spring hunters saw warm weather early followed by wet and cooler weather at the end of the season. Hopefully the rest of the spring will finish out with warm weather to assist the hatch.
BY THE NUMBERS:

• Saturday hunters took nearly a third of the harvest and Sunday hunters took 12% of the total.
  
• Youth and apprentice hunters took a total of 627 birds on their weekend of hunting opening the season.
  
• On the George Washington National Forest Land the harvest bumped up 26% and on the Jefferson National Forest, harvests  jumped a whopping 56%!
  
• Westmoreland County has the densest turkey population when viewing the harvest with 2.6 gobblers harvested per square mile. Nearby Northumberland had 2.1 per square mile. This helped the Tidewater Region have the highest harvest rates.
  

Interestingly, King George was an anomaly. Its five year  average is 120 birds. Last season the harvest was 124 birds but this season it was only 101 birds. That is the lowest it has been in awhile. Turkey hunters reported tough conditions and calling situations in King George the past two seasons. The drop was 18.5% this past season.
Caroline County went up 27%.

Hunting this past week has been hit or miss. Some nice birds are reportedly being taken but gobbling is not consistent and plenty of birds are walking off without making much fuss. I personally had three gobblers within range but out of sight that began fighting. They had been triple gobbling and carrying on like crazy but after the violent fight the gobbling stopped and they disappeared.
Fishing is pretty good, or it was until the rain came on. Shad are hot in the Rappahannock River and so are white perch. Reports of rockfishing are slow but when you get on them, they are big fish. Some 40+ inch fish are reportedly in both rivers. Catfishing is ramping up.
Bass fishing in ponds came on until the cooler weather. Look out this coming weekend when it warms back up again. Crappie are tailing off now the spawn is over. Bream fishing will be quite good though. Look for the snakehead bite to improve.
I welcome any pictures of anglers that want to have it posted for the outdoor report. Simply email it to me! Give me the details on the names, fish size and where in general it/they were caught. Same goes for turkey pics. I love to see women and youth outdoors so those pics get priority.
Bent rods and empty shells to you!

Spring is definitely here.  The fishing report is as follows:
Shad are hitting feverishly in the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg. Brightly colored jigs, Sabiki Rigs and spoons are taking fish early and late. Herring and American shad are also hitting. Those have to be released. White perch are feeding in a frenzy and are full of roe in the same area.
Catfish are hitting cut baits, livers, worms and so on in the river. Bass are hitting minnows and plastics. It won't be long before topwater will get them too. Crappie are hitting minnows in the river too.
Pond action is stellar for bass, crappie and sunfish. Live hoppers and worms are the deal for sunfish. Minnows, small cranks or spinnerbaits are the best for the bass. Minnows and jigs are the baits of choice for crappie.
The rockfish are hitting well in the Potomac. This Saturday is opening day. Bucktails and parachute rigs are great. Mann's Stretch lures are good too. Rattle Traps will take smaller fish. White perch are area as well.
Striper are hitting at Lake Anna. Go uplake for the better action and use topwater early or jerkbaits later. Go deeper as the sun bears down.

Hunting--Gobbling has been sparse in some areas and the hens up until today have not seemed too interested. However, if you can get a gobbler to answer and you sound like a willing hen, you may close the deal. The gobbling or lack thereof is frustrating.

Hunt Tests Begin
My daughter is working with her yellow lab, Liberty Baily, to have her certified through hunt tests and the AKC. She will be starting her own kennel in the next year or two. In order to increase the marketability of her pups and dogs, she wants good breeding stock. Last weekend was her first Junior test. She did the water test first. During the Junior water test, two single ducks are thrown out one at a time. A gun is fired and then dog is sent to get them. The first duck was simply tossed into the pond. The second duck was tossed on land but could roll into the water over the edge of a steep bank. Baily found the first duck no problem but had to be told to pick it up and deliver it to Kristy’s hand once she got back to Kristy with it. The second duck retrieve was a bit more nerve racking. Baily hunted for it but got a poor mark when it was tossed out. However, her nose came through and she found it and brought it back, but again, dropped it and had to be told to pick it up.
We waited anxiously for the judges to decide Baily’s fate. The dog is supposed to keep the bird in her mouth until the handler takes it. Thankfully, Kristy was able to get the bird from Baily although not in perfect form. After some anxious minutes we got the word that Baily would move on.
They passed her for the second portion, land retrieves. There were two single retrieves through rows of thick sorghum to accomplish. Baily seemed to be settling in a rhythm.  The duck call was hailed, the duck thrown into the clear blue spring air, and then the shot fired. The first duck took a few seconds for Baily to find but she did well. Her little round butt and wagging tail could be seen waving above the sorghum for a bit and then when Kristy blew the whistle, Baily obediently headed back to her and snagged the duck as she passed it.  
The second retrieve made me nervous. A lot of depth perception was needed and that is hard to train a dog to deal with.  Missy and I were sitting on a bank overlooking the field. The duck call was blown, the duck heaved into the sky some 150 yards away and then the gun blast sounded. Baily clearly marked it and wanted to go right away. Kristy directed her, which was totally unnecessary it appeared, and sent her. Missy and I felt our hearts swell with pride as that little yellow tornado streaked like a bullet straight to the duck and raced back with it. The judges were apparently impressed with her mark of the bird as well. A small crowd of fellow retriever enthusiasts were behind us and clapped upon her completion. These retriever owners saw the frustration and apprehension on Kristy’s face when she was upset with Baily’s performance during the first segment, so they were happy to see her do so well on the second segment. What a supportive group!
Baily performs very well at home but as all dog owners know, the dogs act totally different in the field with other dogs and people around.
When we headed back to see if Kristy would get her ribbon, the crowd stacked up in the dirt/gravel lot of Shady Grove Shooting Preserve. After a half hour or so of waiting in the warm sun, the judges came out and began calling names. Kristy was soon called and she walked through the line to shake the judges’ hands and be congratulated. The judges noticed her young age, devotion to training her dog and her determination. One of the judges pulled Kristy back and gave a speech about those attributes and young people being the future of the sport. He used Kristy as an example of the kinds of new members they wanted to recruit. Another proud moment for Mom and Dad!
Baily and Kristy promptly went to sleep in the truck on the way home only waking up long enough to swing through a fast food place to get a quick burger. Kristy actually let me reward Baily with a burger. Kristy is very tight on what the dog is permitted to eat or snack on so that was a big moment that Baily got to enjoy. We will be headed for more tests later this month!

Twelve youth from the King George Outdoor Club stayed after school and listened to a brief description on how to assemble and customize a turkey call from club leader Mark Fike. NWTF's Rappahannock Spurs Chapter sponsored the event and paid for the calls, paint, sandpaper and provided some refreshments too. The students were able to put together some pot/friction calls that had slate surfaces, plastic pots or wood pots and a wood striker. Two students were able to make box calls. Some students opted to paint their calls and others wanted to stain their wood calls. Students had the option to woodburn their calls to make them customized to their liking. Parts had to be glued together and sanded prior to staining or painting.
As the event progressed some creative customizing emerged. Some put their names on the calls, some had unique camo patterns and others painted designs to include a wild turkey on their calls. We knew we had success when hen clucks and putts began echoing out from various students. Smiles spread across the room too.
The students took their calls home with them; some had to dry a bit more. Our hope is that someone will harvest a turkey with their own call and we can award a prize to that double lucky youth! Thank you to NWTF Rappahannock Spurs Chapter for sponsoring the event and helping our young people have a great time and learn about the wild turkey!

On March 16th, eighteen youth from King George Middle School and King George High school gathered together and learned a little about the food chain and feeding behaviors of fish in the aquatic world and then applied that new knowledge when they assembled their own fishing lures and painted them. LurePartsonline.com partnered with our youth outdoor club to provide several lure making kits and spinnerbait making kits as well as the tools and even some paint for the young anglers or anglers to be.
After watching a Powerpoint explaining what species of fish are available for anglers to catch locally, the youth learned what those fish tend to have as part of their diet. Pictures or photos of the various fish and their food preferences were viewed before the youth were able to select two of the following :minnow type lure body, shallow diving crankbait, lipless crankbait, popper or spinnerbait. Students were encouraged to choose a lure choice that would be usable for places they hope to go fish and for the fish species they plan on targeting.
The next step was for the students to paint their lure bodies. Some students went with traditional forage patterns while others opted to go with the bright and flashy patterns to hopefully entice the fish to strike. The students worked on the details with small brushes and paint, applied the lure eyes and then began installing the rings and treble hooks or rubber skirts to their spinnerbaits. Some students took their time getting their paints just as they wanted them. Once they finished up one lure, they worked on the second lure. Youth leader, Mark Fike and his assistants, KD and Kristy, were busy helping those that needed help or advice on the lures. At the end of the event, the students were able to take their lures home and plan their fishing trips to try them.
Fike announced that the first student to catch a fish on their handmade lure would receive a prize. They had to take a close up picture of their catch with the lure in the fish’s mouth. Students were reminded that they were on the honor system. With spring here and the temps starting to warm up it is likely that Fike will have to pony up on that offer really soon. The lures that were made were very interesting and some of the lures were very well done. The youth had a good time and were very interested to see what they could catch. Catching a fish on a lure you put together yourself is a great feeling. The hope is that the students will all catch something this season on their lures.
We will be holding a fishing event at a private pond on the evening of April 28th. We want to thank LurePartsonline.com for their tremendous support in this effort to hook new anglers! Without their help we could not have held this event!
Check them out online to see what you could make for yourself. Homeschool groups and youth groups might also want to check out their lure kits. These are great products that spark creativity and enjoyment of the outdoors.

King George Outdoor Club Recruits New Hunters at Rose Hill Game Preserve

Mark Fike

March 4th dawned crispy cold as I headed my truck in the direction of what turned out to be a successful youth hunt. After picking up a few youth and a parent, we headed out towards Rose Hill Game Preserve to expose eight youth to our tradition of hunting. Most had never hunted before and the few that had, did so in the past few months. All went through a few prerequisites to include taking the VDGIF Hunters Education Course. Each of the youth were selected based on their maturity and desire to learn to hunt. As readers can imagine, taking 8 youth on a hunting trip where there are a lot of moving parts like dogs pointing birds, other humans moving around nearby and a flying bird, is a big undertaking. This was not a trip to take just any newbie on.
After completing the hunter ed course and being selected to “try out” for the hunt, the youth then had to prove they could safely handle a shotgun and hit moving targets. We threw clays for the youth over the course of several practices for those that needed it. Several of our youth were true naturals and hit clays right away. One even was breaking clays with a Remington semiautomatic .410! Another is on the 4-H Shotgun team but had never hunted. Then we had a few young ladies that had never shot moving targets before. One of our young women was found to be right handed and left eye dominant. I would think we had a few challenges to overcome but the youth turned that idea upside down. The young lady with the eye dominance challenge was instructed how to hold the shotgun left handed, her stance was set up and three clays later orange pieces were littering the ground! One of the other young ladies carefully listened to what I had to say about shooting clays and in less fingers than I have on one hand, her clays were flying apart. You have to love young people that listen carefully and execute the directions like that! I had two “dueling shooters”, as I started referring to them that asked for two clays to be thrown at once at one of our practices. Both lined up next to each other and much to my amazement, they waited until the clays crossed paths close enough to be taken with one shot. Both girls waited for that moment and then tried to be the first one to break the clays. I have to say, pride surged in my chest. The youth were amazing!
We worked with the others until they were hitting clays and then offered additional practices for those that needed it. The youth invested a lot of time in preparing for their hunting opportunity.   
During the whole process, I kept in touch with Julie Abel who is the Women in the Outdoors leader for the entire state of Virginia NWTF. She is also the Rappahannock Spurs chapter president. They were sponsoring the hunt for the youth. Without the Rappahannock Spurs chapter and all the assistance its members and Julie offered, there is no way these kids would have had their first bird hunt. MANY thanks goes to Julie, her husband Steve and those in the chapter that donated and made this happen.
Once we arrived at Rose Hill Game Preserve, a flood of excitement hit the youth and a few great memories ran through me. Last year the Rappahannock Spurs chapter had sent a group of my outdoor club youth out and we had an amazing event that ended up netting the Rappahannock Spurs chapter a national R3 (Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation) award in Nashville, Tennessee.
Once we got the paperwork squared away, we went down the sloping green of the Civil War plantation property to the 5 stand location to “warm up”. The guides observed the kids while one of their guides, a former Marine named Anthony, took time with each youth to tutor them on their shooting. His experience doing this kind of thing took my basic instruction given weeks previously to a new level. Still the youth had some excited jitters and the warm up was a welcome experience to get them in the groove with what they needed to remember, such as putting the safety on after each shot and watching their muzzle. Thanks to Big Dog Outfitters in King George, we had plenty of shells not only for the practice sessions but for the hunt as well. They were very generous to the kids.
After a practice session, Matt, the preserve manager held a safety brief and we paired up the youth. The guides got their dogs and off the young hunters went to the field. With each pair of young hunters went a parent, grandparent or guardian for the day. I tagged along with twin brothers Connor and Duncan and their dad to help out as needed.
Throughout the morning I could hear shots in other fields, a celebratory “Yeah! I got one” and I even saw a bird flush upwards and then heard the shot and watched it fall some 500 yards away. Seeing and hearing those things got my blood pumping. We were making new hunters and they were successful in the field! I was able to see the smile in Duncan’s face when he held his first ever harvested animal—a chukar. There is no price you can put on a kid’s smile and we all know exactly what I mean.
Upon completion of the hunt we met at the plantation house and put out the birds. My quick count tallied 20 pheasant and chukar taken by 8 youth. That is not a bad count at all considering with very few exceptions, these kids had never hunted before. But, it was not about the numbers for us. It was totally the experience. I heard a few kids say that they liked hunting and wanted to do it again. A few others wore a grin that could not be scrubbed off their faces. Some retold their stories how they got their birds. A few of the kids had grandfathers tutoring them for the morning and I know for a fact that the memories made with the grandfathers were something to never be traded. The fathers and mother that went also were proud of their youth and for good reason. They were safe, made good choices in the field and learned a lot. The seed was planted.
The experience did not end in the field though. The youth all went in and learned, under the watchful eye of the guides, how to clean their birds. The guides were amazing and extremely patient with the youth. While they could have cleaned the birds in less than a minute, they took many minutes watching as the youth worked through each bird. The guides took the time to explain the biology of the birds and anatomy as well. They joked with the kids too and made them feel comfortable. Each bird was bagged and tagged and sent home for great table fare.
As a culmination of the hunt, Julie and Steve Abel cooked up some scrumptious venison chili for the youth and guides and they also donated a precious piece of their venison backstrap that was smoked for lunch. It was amazing! I made a bit of venison soup to go with things. The youth got a hearty bite to eat after an exciting morning afield. Thank you cards were written out for the guides and handed to them with a small tip inside from the youth. The guides also got an NWTF hat. The guides worked so hard to ensure the kids got a great experience. I am not sure who worked harder, the guides or the dogs!
Kristen Sotelo, the office manager for Rose Hill Hunting Preserve, offered the kids a cool Rose Hill Game Preserve t-shirt. Julie and Steve Abel had a rugged bag/pack with a lanyard, a new pocketknife, NWTF magazines and other goodies in it for the youth. Julie brought back the bags all the way from Nashville for the youth.
This youth hunt would never have even been a thought for the youth without the following supporters:
NWTF for donating the cost of the birds and the guide tips as well as the supervision and food.
Steve and Julie Abel for their time, enthusiasm, love of the kids and for the scrumptious food not to mention to giveaways to the kids.
Rose Hill Game Preserve for providing guides, the place to hunt, the birds at cost and an awesome setting for such a great event. Also the t-shirts given to the participants.
The guides at Rose Hill for providing their patient instruction, the dogs and the clays which they bought for the kids. Matt Hawkins, Michael Kilgore, Anthony Beavers,  and Dean Sheetz were so patient and great teachers!
Kristen Sotelo for the time she spent arranging and setting things up for us!
Big Dog Outfitters in King George County which provided more than enough ammo for the kids to get plenty of practice for the hunt. They have supported our kids for a number of years without batting an eye.
Bass Pro Shops in Ashland donated blaze orange caps, some ammo and a box of clays. This is the second year they helped out with our hunt.
Dicks Sporting Goods at Spotsylvania Towne Center for donating the much needed blaze orange vests for the youth to use.
Vista Outdoors/ Kathi Ewing for donating plenty of eye protection and ear protection for the youth.
Last but certainly not least, the parents for supporting this event for their youth!
 

Spring may have arrived a bit early
In my previous blog post I commented on how a year can make a huge difference in the weather. As I type this, the long range forecast for the next ten days is showing a few tips in the temperatures but still nothing like it normally would be in late February. Other than needing some rain to alleviate our drought, I am not upset by the warm weather. I rather be outside working than inside anyway, and the warm weather is allowing me to do that.
The girls and I went fishing a few days ago and we really got into some nice bass. I was a bit amazed how many of the bass had roe in them that was over halfway developed. It is not even March yet! I have heard reports of big yellow perch in the tidal rivers and tributaries, crappie reports and white perch near Tappahannock already. Add our pond bass to the mix and I think it is time to break out the fishing rods for good!

What a difference a year makes!
Last year on Presidents’ Day Weekend the girls and I went rabbit hunting with our friend Frank Spuchesi and his pack of four legged rabbit chasers. I don’t recall the actual official temperature but COLD would probably be an understatement. The wind howled, trees rattled and I wondered if the dogs could find a scent and keep on it.
The dogs soon proved that they could keep on the rabbit trail despite the winds and we had a dandy of a day hunting rabbits. It was brutally cold, the wind ripped at us and we were grateful for the fire when we got home that afternoon too.
This year we got the annual invite to accompany Frank and his hard charging beagles again along with his daughter Katelyn. This year the temperature was pushing 70 degrees! That was easily a 50 degree difference.
The dogs gave fair chase to a half dozen rabbits in the two hours we ran them offering us as many shooting opportunities. We ended up seeing the rabbits get sight chased a few times which was comical because the tempo of the baying chorus ratcheted up noticeably and then died down as the bunny darted and weaved through brush and the dogs went back to scenting and trailing.
Rabbit hunting is a relaxing way to spend an afternoon and one of my top five past times. I really enjoyed spending time with a friend, seeing the dogs run and getting in some quality time with my two daughters. Plus we got to take home supper too!

Sharing the Blind
Ask any waterfowl hunter what their favorite part of waterfowling is and you will hear a variety of things such as, “Watching the birds cup and drop in,” or “Seeing my dog work,” or “Seeing the sunrise over the water.” Somewhere in the mix you will get, “Spending time with someone special in the blind such as a family member or friend.”
An outsider looking at a waterfowl blind, would most likely frown with distaste thinking it merely a ramshackle shack on stilts in the water. Some are obviously more elaborate than others. All are functional.  I remember being taken to a blind down the Northern Neck one time, and when approaching the blind it reminded me of the houses off the coast of New Orleans. The blind was on telephone poles and was HUGE. There was a couch and a small stove in the blind. There was room for ten or more hunters. The guys swapped out shooting while others lounged in the rear of the blind.
My first blinds were really bad looking. I was nearly ashamed to hunt out of them they were so bad looking. That point was driven home years ago when upon approaching my first ever built duck blind, a friend commented, “Man, you are in the ghetto with that blind!”
However, what outsiders don’t know is that special things are said and conversations are sacred in those blinds. Duck blinds are where deep thoughts are shared, family issues are sorted out and sometimes secrets are shared. Special moments are experienced; futures are figured out. Advice is given, world problems are sorted out, and once the serious stuff is taken care of, jokes are told and played on fellow hunters like dummy loads being slipped into guns and guns getting emptied when the owner is not looking. Sure, being there is about calling and hopefully shooting ducks, but the ducks in Virginia don’t tend to overwhelm hunters in numbers and there is a lot of time spaced between shooting and flights of birds.
I cannot remember a time I did not enjoy standing in a duck blind. Admittedly, I hate the cold weather EXCEPT while duck hunting. Even I am not sure how that happens but it is true. I can stand a long time in the cold while duck hunting and actually enjoy it. There is a special beauty about being in the duck blind with snow or even rain falling. Crystal clear blue bird days in the blind are just as gorgeous but in a totally different way. I have seen some really memorable things while in my blind too. A flock of turkey coasted over the creek through the fog last year. A small group of deer swam the creek through the same fog.
This year I have had the honor and pleasure to share the blind with my youngest daughter. How many dads can say they have a daughter that is just ate up with waterfowl hunting? Of those, how many feel that way despite years of getting next to nothing because of few ducks and a not so great spot to have a blind? I am very blessed because my daughter lives for duck hunting despite the poor hunting we have access to. She is the one that beats me getting ready in the mornings and she does nearly all the work getting the truck loaded and the dog ready. She never complains. I probably would not go that often due to the lack of birds we have, but sharing that blind with her and her little yellow lab makes every minute of the time well worth it.
This season the morning light found us waterfowl hunting a half dozen or so times despite my schedule and I never went alone. She and her dog were with me each time. We got to see those turkey float through the fog, and the deer swim the creek. We got buzzed by mergansers that passed so close that I ducked feeling the air being displaced before popping up and shooting.
On the last day of the season we went to a marsh and hid in the brush watching and waiting. The day before, a goose had been gotten there. On the last day we hunted, we sat on that briar covered bank and talked about her dog, her future plans to open a dog kennel, and locations where she would want to have it. All the while we kept our eyes scanning the sky. That was a very special few hours I got to spend with my daughter. As the sun dropped to the horizon and time got short, we reminisced about things that had gotten upside down while hunting or things the dog had done on previous hunts. We laughed and smiled and our hearts were happy despite no birds wheeling in. At the end of legal shooting we gathered our belongings and trudged out therefore ending our season. However, we did so with joy in our hearts and a smile on our face. We will suffer a little withdrawal until next season but we will be OK. The memories of sharing a blind, and having those special conversations will keep us going. If you have never shared a blind with someone, surely you are missing out. Next season, give it a try.

As I told readers in my last article published in The Journal, I am going to make a run at putting my column on my website here. I welcome feedback from readers. If the response is favorable, I will continue posting news, articles and stories each week. Enjoy!
Beagles baying at the trail of a rabbit soothes a bad deer season memory
It is a fact that much  of Virginia experienced a poor deer season during 2016. My season was a season I really have no desire to think much about since I saw six deer all season long while in the woods and of those, only one, a spike, was even shootable. I am a meat hunter and although I enjoy simply being in the woods, I also like to at least take home supper every once in awhile. The time in the woods was enjoyable and relaxing but it got a bit old not seeing deer or sign of deer for weeks on end. Apparently our heyday of punching deer tags in quick succession is over for at least the near term.
Duck season came in and the first weekend of the December segment was not bad, not great, but definitely not bad. Things tended to go downhill from that time though. With only a week left, I don’t have high hopes with the warm weather that duck reports will change much.
That leaves small game hunting to save the day. Last weekend a good friend of mine, Frank, invited us to come partake in a rabbit hunt. Frank has an exceptional pack of beagles that always do the job despite the conditions. Last year the wind was biting and I think the temperature was less than 20 degrees. I know the wind chill that day was certainly less than 20. Despite those windy and seriously cold conditions, we saw plenty of rabbits scampering in front of the baying beagles last year. For that reason it was a no brainer for me and my daughter to say “Yes” to his invite this year.
The dogs hopped off the tailgate of his truck after he opened the dog box and quickly began sniffing the air and spreading out looking for a fresh trail to follow. Frank had a mix of veteran dogs and one young puppy to run for us. He also brought his daughter on the hunt too.
It did not take long before the first baying cry went up and then the chorus started. Excitement rose in my body and so did the corners of my mouth. Any time a good hound starts doing what its bloodline urges it to do, I get excited and happy. Stress just melts when you have a pack of beagles giving a rousing cry to the chase.
The white tips of the tails of those little dogs were whipping back and forth and soon enough a train of black, brown and white dogs with a red one in the mix, rolled on by slipping through briars and under brambles. We spread out a bit and soon saw a bunny scoot by and dart back into cover. The chase was on! Round the field and through the thick cover the dogs went. When the dogs had run awhile, the rabbit was taken and the next chase was started on a new track.
At one point while walking through the cover, I stepped on a tuff of laid over grass and a rabbit squirted out. Frank’s daughter rallied the dogs with a cry of “Tally Ho!” and the pack fell in and began snorting around the thickets nearby and jumped on the track to begin pushing Mr. Cottontail along. Miss Katelyn had the dogs riled up and headed in the right direction with her rally cry. The chase was back on! We listened to the melody of various baying that was music to our ears. Soon enough the rabbit came back around. My daughter, Kristy, was able to take her shot.
We enjoyed the incredible serenade of the beagles all afternoon. At times it would fade out as the dogs took the chase far away where my bad ears could not hear. Then the music would grow to a crescendo and the rabbit would dart this way and that around us until we got a shot and stopped the chase.
As the afternoon drifted towards evening, the light faded reminding us all of chores undone. As much as we wanted to get in just one more chase, we knew it was time to hang it up for the day. Frank called in the beagles and we waited for the pack to gather around before hiking across the field to our trucks. After a long, hard, nearly fruitless deer season, the baying of those rabbit dogs was a soothing salve to the heart of a hunter. Not only did we get to enjoy some of the best music out of doors, but we also got to take home a great supper! We thank Frank, Miss Katelyn and his pack of willing four legged hunters that made our day.
Gear note: During our hunt, I was able to enjoy walking through thick and downright mean briars with no scars, cuts or scraped skin thanks to Dan’s Hunting Gear. Dan’s makes Waterproof Briar Fighter Bibs, a Sportsman’s Choice Coat and the Game Vest I wore. I also had the gloves they sell which are briar proof too. I definitely wish I had this gear years and years ago. Check out www.danshuntinggear.com

After more than 25 years of writing for The Journal newspaper in the Northern Neck of Virginia, I will be closing that chapter of my life due to the paper closing.
I recall back in the late 80's seeing an outdoor column in The Free Lance Star from Fredericksburg and wondering why the local paper did not have an outdoor column. Certainly we were more rural than the city of Fredericksburg!
So, without much thought, I called The Journal and asked why they did not have an outdoor column. Little did I know I was about to start a long journey. The lady that answered the phone was Ruth Herrink, the longtime owner of the paper. She said something to the effect that she expected "copy" on her desk by a certain day and that we would now have an outdoor column. Then she hung up. I was stunned. However, I was also challenged and thus began my career bringing outdoor stories and news to the local area, later to the state, and even to national publications.
With the closing of the newspaper, I need to find a way to continue bringing outdoor news to the locals that want it. For now that will be my website/blog. While that will not replace the income I lost with the closing of the paper, it will be a start to at least providing the service. At some point, if there is enough demand, I may switch things over to a paid subscriber list. For now I am exploring my options. Look for the regular articles and news to start around the 23rd of January. Meanwhile I will figure out a good schedule so the news/blog will be consistent, so readers will know when to slide over and look each week. I welcome any comments.
Thank you for reading!

Last year the outdoor scene was very different in a lot of ways. Some things just seemed “off” or not so good for the outdoors folks. Included in those reflections of less than stellar topics would be the poor croaker and spot fishing locally. Croaker used to be the bread and butter of any trip on the mid to lower Potomac and lower Rappahannock. Now, targeting them and actually catching a mess of fish for supper can be a bit of a challenge. Bluefish seemed to be less abundant in quality and quantity last season. Until mid to late October, rockfish were not all that an enthusiastic customer either. Our deer season in general was poor. There is talk of the possibility of HD having visited us again this past summer in small but spotty outbreaks although I have not gotten confirmation from officials that King George was hit. The coyotes are being blamed for putting a dent in our deer population. Undoubtedly they are impacting the deer numbers. The question is how much. After a decent opening early season for ducks –mostly wood ducks—and a decent opening weekend for the second split, the duck season has slowed to a crawl for most people I have encountered and heard from.
Now that I have gone over some of the less than appealing outdoor trends from last year, there are some good things going on in the outdoor world in and around King George and Westmoreland counties. Turkey numbers are good and birds were seen by various hunters this fall. Hopefully our wet and cool spring did not kill too many poults and numbers will remain strong. Small game numbers appear to be strong or on the upswing. Squirrels were scarce for a few years, but this year there appears to be a boom. Given the poor duck and deer numbers it may be time to venture out this month with a .22 in hand. Brunswick stew anyone? Rabbit numbers, at press time and according to local hunters, appear to be decent. As with anything, there are pockets of good hunting and some spots are better than others.  On the fishing side of things, the Spanish mackerel made a good showing this past summer and hung around the lower Potomac and bay for a while. There were whiting to be had and even some sea and speckled trout being caught! There were also great reports of fat smallmouth bass being caught just below Fredericksburg this past fall. We have reports of really nice rockfish in the lower bay. Some reportedly pushed over 50 pounds. Maybe this year there will be a winter fishery off Virginia Beach although early reports are not showing many fish inside the “fence”. For the past few seasons there were virtually no fish in the area within the 3 mile line.
One of the pursuits I am involved in these days is mentoring new anglers and hunters. I started, with our local game warden’s help, a youth outdoor club. I am in the process of turning it into a 501c nonprofit to open some additional doors for financial assistance to help young people get introduced to the outdoors. Since its inception some 6 years ago, many youth in our area tried fishing, hunting and shooting and had very positive experiences. The response from parents and the community has been very supportive. I hope to take the club to a new level in the next few years.
This past year we partnered with National Wild Turkey Federation to take 8 youth on a bird hunt. Every youth got a pheasant or a chukar after spending a few afternoons prior to the hunt learning to hit moving targets with a shotgun. This year we will be repeating the event with NWTF, as it was well received last year. This year I was also able to accept an invitation to take 8 youth on a youth only deer hunt. I was a bit nervous because the deer hunting was so slow locally. The hunt was held at the gorgeous farm of Bruce Lee in Essex County. Of the 8 kids that went, 4 got a deer. That is great success! The others are determined to get a deer and are now hooked on the outdoors. I thank Bruce Lee, Mac McLennan and their helpers for inviting the kids from the club to come down free of charge. They were great hosts!
I also had the pleasure of seeing another local outdoorsman, Steve Purks, get the kids infected with the waterfowling bug. He called in a number of geese for some young ladies earlier this season and they all limited out! I have heard of other youth getting similar successful opportunities with him. Without people like Steve, Mac, Bruce and others in our area, the youth would not have the opportunities that they do. We hope to have some fishing opportunities and more hunting opportunities this year too.
With a new year ahead of us, let’s make the best of what we have and be grateful for the opportunities. Most of all, let’s share those opportunities and mentor others, especially our youth, in the outdoors. It is a healthy pursuit that we enjoy. I challenge all of the readers to make a point this year to take someone that has not fished, hunted or shot a firearm out to do one or more of those things. We will better our image and our traditions by bringing more folks on board even if they just learn about the positive aspects of what we do but never really take up that passion themselves. Best wishes to you in the New Year!
 

    Four goose banditas make the most of a golden opportunity
Mark Fike--orginally printed in The Journal newspaper.
Sometimes phone calls that fan the flames of anticipation and hope result in incredible memories. I received such a phone call a few weeks ago from a local man that I have come to know as a true hunter; the kind of man that not only enjoys the chase and learning about wildlife and how the web of nature interconnects, but he is also the kind of unselfish man that shares his passion with those that do not yet know the joys of the outdoors.  
The phone call went more or less like this: “Mark you want to bring some of the kids and come goose hunt with me on the opening weekend? We have been seeing geese coming in and maybe we can get the kids on some birds and have a good morning for them.”
Was I living right to get an offer like that? I had to be! I surely was not crazy; I said, “YES!” without a thought.  The details were worked out and we all met the preceding weekend to work on camouflaging the layout blinds so things would look good for the morning we were hunting.
Steve Purks directed us on how to put the touches on the layouts while we listened to geese that were flying around nearby. The more I got to know Steve over the past year the more I realized that he really cares about passing on his knowledge and showing those not so acquainted with nature how things really do work in the real world off the pavement and away from television and electronics. Steve is the real deal and he tells things as they are. I also realized that he loves to see youth learn about hunting and how to enjoy being afield safely. In fact, I think it is a passion of his to provide opportunities for youth like this.
After we worked on the layouts a few hours and watched those big gray, white and black bombers honking across the sky, we made plans for the following Saturday. Steve was hopeful that the kids would have a great hunt and he was working hard to ensure any variables he could influence were taken care of.
The morning of the hunt fog swirled in the lowlands of the river bottom making it tough to see much past the truck hood. I knew more or less where I was going, but with the fog I became a lot less sure. About the time I became doubtful, my phone vibrated and Steve was on the other end directing me to where he was setting up. After some twists and turns, I had the truck pointed in the correct direction in the middle of a harvested agricultural field where his truck finally became visible through the wall of fog. I had a truckload of young hunters and although the hour was very early for teenagers, not one complained or griped. When you pile in a truck ready to go well before 5 AM, even most adults would groan. The kids had to be excited. I wish I was that young again—I was dragging despite my anticipation and excitement.
The four young women immediately got to work pulling out decoy bags, layout blinds and began following Steve’s directions on how to set up the hunt plan. Lifelike Canada goose decoys were placed on stakes where they began wobbling ever so slightly in the fog. At first glance a person would think that there were four or five dozen live geese in the field. Diesel, the four legged retrieving machine and Steve’s loyal partner, bounded about checking things out. He inspected each blind and found his own blind and gave it a good sniff too.
Just before dawn the work was done. A safety brief was held by Steve directing the girls to how the hunt was going to go down, where and when guns would be used and fields of fire were discussed. There would be no mistakes, but fun would be had and hopefully some geese would be supper by the end of the hunt.
My oldest daughter and I drove the trucks back to the edge of the field while the hunter master and the huntresses hid in their individual blinds awaiting the welcoming sound of geese honking. KD and I got out of the trucks and looked back in the direction of the setup hoping the fog would lift and geese would fly by.
Slowly the sun clawed its way up into the eastern sky above the treeline. The fog began to retreat grudgingly in the face of the orange fireball beaming down on us. When that happened, a switch seemingly turned on and the first few honks were heard. Anticipation grew and KD and I were soon joined by the landowner who also had a big heart for youth learning to hunt. He stood with us hoping that the flocks that had lifted off the nearby river would head into the spread of decoys that awaited them. We watched eagerly as the fog burned off enough to show a tornado of geese circling over a distant spot in the field. It looked to be the right location but given that we set up in the dense fog,  and drove out in the dense fog using the edge of the woods as our guide, it was tough to tell.
I began wondering if indeed the birds had found a safe spot to feed in the field as many dropped in and landed without any shooting. More geese swirled in and small flocks above us joined each other and beelined for the same location.
Our hearts surged with excitement for the young huntresses as a cacophony of distance shots echoed through the remaining fog. KD said she saw a goose fall. I cheered for the kids. Steve, with some cooperation from the geese, had delivered a great opportunity to the kids. I turned to look at my companions standing with me and saw the huge smile on the landowner’s face. He was thrilled the kids were getting some shots. Within minutes my phone buzzed and Steve urged me to drive out with KD and swap out with the kids. Their limits were gotten and we had a chance to get ours too. After shaking the landowner’s hand and thanking him for such an incredible opportunity, we leaped into the truck and wheeled out to the setup. The three young huntresses give me a high five as they grinned ear to ear on their way to the seats in the truck. Geese were coming inbound to us and there was no time to talk. Steve told us to get in the blinds quickly as the truck disappeared across the field. Mere minutes passed and with a little bit of coaxing from Steve, the geese came right in and dropped down on us. Our limits were gotten immediately and the truck was summoned back to us. For two of the group, it was the first hunt where they took geese. Congratulations and “good jobs” were passed around. Having hundreds of geese drop right down on you is an experience that no story told on paper can explain. Even as deaf as I am, I literally heard the whuff whuff, whuff of those big wings as the big honkers came in for a landing among us. I remember peering out and watching those geese bank, drop their big feet down and seeing them commit. That is why people get hooked on waterfowling. Images like that cannot be watched and appreciated on TV as well as in person.
The girls excitedly rehashed how things went down on their hunt and how they were amazed at how many geese came in so close and how they waited, waited and waited for the command to take them from Steve. Kenzie said she kept waiting for him to tell them to shoot and she could not believe how many birds were landing around them. He waited until he knew the girls could all get good shots before he called for the shooting to begin. The words, “amazing”, “incredible” and “awesome” were used over and over to describe what happened. The smiles were plastered on young and old faces alike. Steve and I were pleased to see young people so excited about what just happened. Although we never vocalized it, I know we were satisfied that the mission was complete, the goal met and the kids were hooked on something ethical and good that would allow them to form solid friendships, provide a good way of life and put food on the table. We knew that hunting meant a lot to us and had directed our path over the years. It was an unsaid understanding that now the kids had that same passion and hopefully they would pay it forward too.
We posed for some photos with the kids holding up their geese and our geese before we broke down the set up and thanked the landowner again for his hospitality. Steve was thanked again and we parted ways with a permanent memory that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Steve did a lot of work to provide the opportunity for the kids. We thank him for his unselfish work. Who would have thought that a simple phone call would have resulted in four goose banditas having such a great time and becoming hooked on hunting?

It is Independence Day and raining. So, we decided that despite the rain, we all needed to get some air. Baily had not been worked properly for quite some time so to the pond we went. Baily did an excellent job retrieving. I am very proud of my freckled faced little girl who is not so little anymore. She has done an outstanding job with  her little Lab and I think they are ready for a field trial.
Working a dog in the summer is best done in or near water. A river or pond is an excellent place to keep your dog in shape for the upcoming season. We are blessed to have this place to use for this purpose.

I had the pleasure of taking my daughters on their first upland bird hunt today. We had a blast--no pun intended-- and knocked down a good number of chukar. My youth outdoor club got to go a few weeks ago and I knew I had to take my own kids. Our guide was top notch at Rose Hill Game Preserve. I have hunted this place a number of times and have never felt like I had a bad experience. The girls shot well. Check out the photos...

Today I was able to take seven youth from my outdoor club on a bird hunt. For almost all of these youth, it was their first bird hunt ever. For some, it was their first hunt ever. National Wild Turkey Federal-Rappahannock Spurs chapter, Rose Hill Game Preserve, Big Dog Outfitters in King George, and Bass Pro Shops in Ashland, made this event possible.
The youth got some practice in at our place a few times prior to going hunting. It paid off. Their sense of gun safety was welcomed by the guides who were understandably apprehensive at first. EVERY youth got at least one bird. Many of them got two. We started with a warm up at the clays range and then broke into teams of two with an adult mentoring the kids. The guides were awesome and did their very best to give the kids the best chance they could to get a bird. I was very impressed with the youth.
Thanks to NWTF, and in particular, Women in the Outdoors Coordinator, Julie Abel, Rose Hill and their guides, Big Dog Outfitters for ammo and clays, Bass Pro Shops and the parents for allowing and supporting us!

We spent youth waterfowl day in the company of Steve Purks. Steve is an avid waterfowler and turkey hunter. I would even consider him a professional at what he does. He has a passion for passing on  his knowledge to new hunters, particularly kids. He did a ton of work to prep for the hunt for Kristy and her friend Faith. Kristy took her little yellow Lab, Baily, out with us. After some superb calling by Steve, some geese wheeled in and the girls shot. Baily, with some direction and prompting, retrieve her first goose. Steve took some time and showed Kristy how to encourage her and train the dog properly. Within five minutes, Steve had her enthusiastically retrieving those big bombers!
I really appreciate Steve taking us out. We had a great time and Steve was so generous of his time and effort. We stopped at Horne's in Port Royal for a late lunch and enjoyed some fellowship and waterfowl  and dog training talk too. The memory I have of my daughter and her friend getting some goose hunting in will remain in my heart for awhile. Steve Purks is a great guy and the real deal. Thanks Steve for taking us out!

A good snow has fallen in Virginia this past week and I was reminded that although I don't really like snow much, I have learned that snow is a very useful tool for hunting and wildlife observation.
Many years ago I took a walk through the snowy woods on my property. The hunting season had ended and there was no need to carry a firearm. During my walk I happened upon a number of deer tracks through an area I never bothered to hunt. When I followed the tracks I found bedding areas for a small group of deer and numerous tracks in the immediate area. The holly trees provided some windbreak on the lee side of the hill where the wind was not as bad. As I surveyed the area further, I realized that there were a few oaks in the immediate vicinity and some places were dug up to the bare soil where the deer had scrounged for acorns.
I thought about what I had seen as I hiked further and decided to tuck away that info for the next season. Later, I happened upon some squirrel tracks. Curious, I followed those to several medium sized trees.  Upon further inspection I noticed holes in the trunks. Obviously the trees served as a small den tree.
The next season I was able to use my new knowledge to harvest two deer and take a dozen or more squirrels for soup. Snow, I realized, was not so bad after all.
This late winter season, take a walk in the woods and see what you can learn. Be sure to scan ahead of you as you can see quite far through the leafless terrain. You might spot animals for a distance and know right where to go to follow their tracks!

The second segment of the duck season here in Virginia opened up and it did so with a BANG in small beaver swamps and ponds. We heard that the big water shooting was not too great in many places, but we did well in a swamp for wood ducks. Our dog, Baily, was hard charging and retrieved two ducks we downed and then located and retrieved a third that we thought was able to get away. It is so nice to have a dog with a great nose to find your birds for you. We cannot wait to eat the wood ducks roasted with applesauce on them!

We are laying the groundwork for Kristy to have her own kennel and breeding program. The first step was to get a good dog. We went with Liberty in Stafford, Virginia. http://liberty-pups.com/ and have had Baily for two years so far. She has been to a trainer, Will White of Burnt Oak Kennels http://www.burntoakkennels.com/, for the basics and Kristy has continued to work her each day. She is coming along pretty well. Next, we will get her titled for field work and then breed her after having her certified in field trials and also for hips, elbows and eyes. Baily has a strong drive to retrieve and an incredible nose.
Today we went to the pond and did some retrieving and holding drills. Baily was dropping the bumper last time. This time she learned to hold it. With more practice we will have her squared away. It was hot out so we ended things after a half hour.

Wild raspberries are ready and we got busy making our year's worth of jelly. Last night we made four runs of the succulent, royal purple, sweet concoction.
The jelly is what helps me get through the winter. I hate winter, but when I can spread some of the wild raspberry jelly across a hot biscuit before heading out into the cold, I get a brief taste of summer.
If you have not tried making jelly, it is easy and you should give it a try.

Temperatures nearly reached 100 degrees today. With the threat of thunderstorms this evening we won't be heading to the river to cool off. However, a trip will be forthcoming this week.  Don't forget about the fall food plots. Now is a great time to consider what you are going to plant and timing the planting so the seed is in ground just before a rain.
The raspberries are nearly ripe as well. Later this week it will be time to pick them and make jelly!

Here is a great summertime breakfast recipe:
Items needed: 2 fresh eggs, 5 corn or flour tortillas, a sprig of cilantro, a small hot pepper, fresh tomato, onion, cheese and sour cream if desired.

Using a hot iron skillet, warm the tortillas with a good pinch of taco cheese on them. Meanwhile chop up the onion, pepper and cilantro. Slice the tomato. Scramble the two eggs with the chopped onion and pepper. Spoon into the warm tortilla, add tomato, cilantro and sour cream. Enjoy a summer breakfast fit for the best countryboy or ranch hand.