VA Hunting and fishing license fee might rise

Until 2006, Virginia hunters and anglers went nearly two decades without an increase in their hunting and fishing license fees.

Now they could be looking at the second fee increase in five years.

Hoping to offset a budget crisis that could become critical by 2014, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries board voted Tuesday to propose adding $5 to the cost of hunting and fishing licenses.

Read Article Here

VDGIF Acquires Short Hills WMA

VDGIF Acquires Short Hills Wildlife Management Area in Botetourt-Rockbridge

VDGIF announced that it has acquired Short Hills Wildlife Management Area, a 4,232-acre tract in Rockbridge and Botetourt counties. The acquisition involved The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation who combined resources to provide interim funding to assist the VDGIF with the acquisition. VDGIF Executive Director Bob Duncan noted, "Without the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia this acquisition could not have been possible."

The Virginia Outdoors Foundation used a grant from The Virginia Land Conservation Bond Funds to purchase the northern half of the Short Hills tract with the ultimate intention of transferring the property to VDGIF. The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia purchased the southern half of Short Hills using loan funding from The Conservation Fund and held the property until VDGIF had accumulated the necessary funds to purchase the southern tract. VDGIF purchased that parcel for $3 million and closed on the property on July 2, 2010. The remainder of the tract was acquired when the Virginia Outdoors Foundation donated it to the Department in conjunction with the purchase.

The Short Hills WMA consists of an approximately 10-mile long ridgeline, known as Short Hills Mountain, which runs from just south of Lexington, on south to Natural Bridge. The property contains habitat for game and non-game species including black bear, deer, turkey, ruffed grouse, songbirds, raptors, and rattlesnakes. A management plan is being developed for the site. Information about public access will be available once that plan is finalized.

Article Here

Parkway eliminates hunter permit program

Officials with the Blue Ridge Parkway have announced a decision regarding how hunters will be able to use parkway property to access adjacent hunting grounds.

Hunters will no longer be required to obtain a special access permit in order to pass through Blue Ridge Parkway property to land where hunting is allowed.

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Program reintroduces elk to far Southwest Virginia

RICHMOND -- Shunned for years, Rocky Mountain elk are finally being welcomed back into the state by Virginia wildlife officials.

At a meeting Tuesday, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries board directed the agency's staff to undertake a pilot restoration program that calls for stocking 75 elk into Buchanan County, a rugged, economically depressed county where officials have been hoping for years to establish an elk herd.

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Possible Pro-Staff Position

I learned yesterday that I might have a Pro-Staff position come next week with a company inside the hunting industry. I am really excited about this as it will for one keep me blogging on a more regular basis. Two it will let me help people with a product that I am really excited about.

Hopefully this time next week I will know for sure.

Smugglers' barbed wire traps target US agents

L PASO -- Drug smugglers have apparently set "booby traps" for U.S. Border Patrol agents on roads along the border near Deming, agency officials said Monday.

The devices consist of barbed wire stretched like clotheslines across trails used by agents on all-terrain vehicles. The lines, which are difficult to spot, are about four feet off the ground and appear to be intended to knock a rider off the ATV.

There have been no known injuries.

It isn't the first time such a tactic has been used by smugglers in the desolate desert south of Deming and west of El Paso.

Read Full Article Here

Knight Rifles Back In Business

Athens, TN: On March 15, 2010, PI, Inc., acquired the Knight Rifles brand, intellectual properties and real estate in Centerville, Iowa. For the immediate future, Knight Rifles will be relocated to Athens, TN, where PI, Inc., is headquartered.

PI, Inc., President Jeff Beene says, "We hope to make this a seamless transition for all the loyal Knight Rifles customers. It will take us a few days to get all of the Knight Rifles goods moved to our facility, but we hope to be shipping orders next week."

Several members of the PI, Inc., management team have been loyal Knight Rifles owners in the past and that spurred the interest in purchasing the brand when Knight Rifles ceased gun production in July 2009. Beene stated, "I'm very impressed with my personal Knight Rifles and want to breathe new life into this brand that started the muzzle loading world as we know it today."

The immediate plans are to continue the excellent customer service for which Knight has always been known. Warranty for all rifles except the KP1 and Revolution (I and II) will still be handled in the Knight Rifles warranty center in Centerville, Iowa. The KP1 and Revolutions will be serviced from the Pradco Outdoor Brands Decatur, Alabama, Facility.

President Jeff Beene does want muzzle loader hunters to know that the long term plan for Knight Rifles is to return to its roots and once again manufacture the best inline muzzle loaders on the market.

The Outdoor Wire

House Passes Concealed Law

The Virginia house has passed the concealed carry law that will allow us to carry concealed in restaurants that serve alcohol. In a vote 72-27 and now the bill will be on its way to Gov. McDonnell who will sign it.

For those not in Virginia and wondering what the heck. It has been legal for ever to open carry in a restaurant that serves alcohol but illegal to carry concealed. Makes sense huh?

Hunting License Sales Are Up

Hunting license sales across the country grew by about 3.5 percent according to a recent study by the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Story Can Be Read Here

Protecting your cheap game cam cheaply

Recently I purchased two Wild Game Innovations IR4 cameras for scouting game. Since most of my hunting is done on public land I wanted a way to try and secure the cameras as best as I can without putting a lot of money into it. The Wild Game Innovations (WGI) cameras are not top of the line but do work very well for $100.

I bought two 8" X 8" baking pans at my local Wal-Mart. I roughed them up with steel wool and then painted them with some camo paint. I then drilled holes on each side, under the handle on each side that would allow a Master Lock Python cable lock to pass through on the tight side.

I also drilled holes in the bottom of the pan that would accept some hardened lag bolts I keep on hand. I then bolted the pan to a tree, placed the camera inside the pan and then wrapped the python lock through the pan and over the camera.

I know this is only good for honest thieves but I hope it will work. My one camera has been out for a month and I plan on going to check in in the morning. It is about two miles from the road so I hope the only problems it has had is a bear licking on. Guess we will see.

Chronic Wasting Disease Found in White-tailed Deer in Virginia

For anyone not following the latest news from the VDGIF , Virginia has had it's first case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The VDGIF has a press release at, CWD in Virginia .

I know it was only a matter of time before Virginia had it's first case but it still worries you. I have also read that West Virginia has had more cases of CWD. That story is at the WV Gazette

New Youth Rifle by Weatherby

With the SHOT show over new weapons and firearm related items are headed our way. One of the new rifles for 2010 is the Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic Youth . The rifle looks great for a young hunter to grow with weighing in at 6 1/2 pounds and a 20" barrel.

The rifle also offers an adjustable length of pull from 12 1/2" to 13 5/8" to fit the young hunter as they grow. The list of available calibers are, .223 Remington, 22-250 Remington, .243 Winchester, .308 Winchester and 7mm-08 Remington. I would like to see a .260 Remington offered but feel the 7mm-08 is just as good for a young hunter to shoot deer sized game.

It is good to see several companies offering youth rifles these days for our young hunters to join us in the field.

Predator Rifle

I am trying to decide which bolt action predator rifle I am going to save up for. There are a lot of choices as of late. Even more if you include the AR rifles however I am limited on my budget so my dream predator rifle, Rock River Arms Coyote carbine will not be in the running.

Weatherby has a nice looking Vanguard in Natural Gear camouflage with a 22" barrel and an adjustable trigger.

Savage Arms also has a 22" barrel in Mossy Oak Brush camo in their model 10 series.

Thompson/Center has just announced a new predator rifle, the Venture bolt action with fully adjustable trigger, MOA Guarantee and Max-1 camo.

Remington has their Model 7 in full Mossy Oak Brush camo. I have handled this rifle recently and really love the way it feels.

CZ-USA has a new predator rifle also in the 527 Ultralight with Backlands West camo. Anyone who has shot the CZ rifles know this one is in the running.

There are many more rifles without all the fancy camo and Predator name that will kill coyotes, bobcats and fox just as fast and just as dead. However I have decided to go after one of the marketed rifles so that I will have the full camo already and not have to send the rifle off or have to mar it with my poor painting skills.

I have been debating calibers for the last month or so. I am pretty sure that I will settle on the tried and true .223 Remington. I would like a .17 Remington Fireball for the foxes and bobcats but like the .223 better for the coyotes. Maybe one day I will have both or I might just get a custom .17 Ackely Hornet barrel for my Encore.

Dang it

I have not wrote anything in too long. I have been without a computer at the house and doing nothing but field training at work for too long. I really hope to start posting more especially since I replaced my lost camera. I lost the last one some where on the New River in late January of 2009 while duck hunting. Oops.

My lovely wife bought me an electronic caller for hunting predators on our recent anniversary. I have been out only on one hunt due to being sick for several months with sinus infections and bronchitis. Hopefully will get some predator hunting in the last couple weeks of the season.

I have been on a couple of duck hunts with my good friend Dale. I shot a very pretty hen mallard on New Years day on a local body of water that was not frozen. Beautiful evening on the water with approximately 70 mallards seen. They were landing everywhere but where we were but it was still a great sight to behold.