Ohio Valley Outdoor Times 3-2015

I like winter. Idon’t mind the coldand snow if I havenowhere to go.What I don’t likeabout winter is thatthere’s not a wholelot to do in terms ofoutdoor activitiesfor hunters. Sure, Icould hunt preda-tors, but by Februaryand March it’s a littlehard to get motivated to do it because I’vealready been doing it since late October,and by then I’ve already hunted all my fa-vorite spots several times and would ratherleave a few to repopulate next year.This year I tried something a little differ-

ent to shake off the winter blues. My trap-ping partner Rich Faler and I decided tohead south for a week to run a trapline byboat in the Florida swamps.Rich and I started planning the trip about

six months ago. He’s trapped in Florida onthree different occasions, although it’s been25 years since his last trip there. I’ve nevertrapped out of state, but I was definitely upfor the adventure.Getting ready for the trip, we took all the

necessary steps to make sure it would go assmoothly as possible. We booked a cabinon the Chipola River near Wewahitchka,

FL. We talked to the Florida DNR to clearup any questions we had about trappingregulations, management units, and per-mits. Our licenses were ordered ahead oftime via the Internet. We hoped to eachcatch a bobcat and an otter on our trip, sowe requested U.S. Cities tags for those an-imals from the DNR. To our surprise, theysent us a whole box of tags with the stipu-lation that we return any unused tags totheir office once we got home.Foothold, bodygrip, and dog-proof traps

are all illegal to use in Florida unless youhave a special permit, and those permits arehard to come by. Most of them are issuedto farmers and landowners for the purposeof animal damage control. Other than that,all trapping in Florida must be done withsnares. I’ve never used snares before, so Iknew it would be a neat opportunity to trysomething new.After driving all night, we arrived at our

destination around five in the morning,grabbed some breakfast at a local diner, andthen settled in at our cabin. We launchedthe boat that afternoon and set about 20snares before dark. To my surprise, thosesets yielded a silky Florida raccoon the nextmorning.One thing I noticed right away about

Florida coon is that they’re much sleekerthan their northern cousins. They’re not asheavy, either. A huge Florida boar weighsabout 12-14 pounds, which is about the sizeof the one I caught that first morning. Forwhat they lack in size, though, they makeup for with beauty. They are very distinctly

OutdoorImportanceof EdgesStory inside page 5 March 2015

FREE!Ohio ValleyMY FAVORITE HUNTING SEASON - P.12

Shaking Off theWinter Blues

Turn To Shaking Page 4

Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Ralph ScherderThe author trapped this coyote in Florida during a recent excursion

with fellow PA trapper Rich Faler. He also managed to trap another ‘yote,a raccoon and an otter during the southern trip.

Times

By Ralph ScherderHunting Editor

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OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES2 March 2015

In a selfish way —professionally — I’mhoping the governmentdoes get its mitts intomaking the “WorldWideWeb” in this country apublic utility. Let’s faceit, the popularity, andusage, of the Internet hashurt our print industry— the core business ofthis publication and ourmain product, Ohio Valley Outdoors maga-zine. Sure we’ve hung in there and survivedthe toughest times that our digital competi-tors have offered, but now I’m waiting to seea healthy uptick in our industry, if and when,Big Brother gets into the Internet business.The government will goof this up! Or will

it allow big business to muck it up?After reading reports of huge communica-

tions companies who have been playinghardball for some time, it sounds like big bul-lies like AT&T, Comcast, Verizon and Di-recTV are aligned to battle the FederalCommunications Committee (FCC) over In-ternet regulation. The FCC just got involved,officially, last month when they voted to ap-prove President Obama’s plan to ‘enforce’net neutrality. His idea that Internet providersshould not be allowed to prioritize, throttle,degrade or block unlawful content on the In-ternet.We’ll see how those words are converted

to policies or changes. And I can envisionhow the government plans to TAX the Inter-net, and or its usage. And the bullies of thebroadband cable world are definitely poisedto have their greedy hands in the cookie jar.Honestly, who can blame them?Bottom line, we’re going to be paying

more for our Internet service in the future.And someone will find a new way to mone-tize the clicks we make online. Dang!That does not count the gizmos, games and

social media tools that we have on our smart-

phones. Those come with a price too.Now, back to the printed word your hold-

ing right now. We’re making a comebackbaby!Actually we never left. Maybe we’ve been

on the back burner for some of our readersand subscribers, but we do welcome youback. And to our advertisers — past, presentand future — we THANK YOU! We’regrowing every day and we appreciate youbeing on board.The work we put into publishing the OV

Times each month is most rewarding whenwe hear positive comments on the street fromreaders.And it’s nice to see that we get nearlyzero returns from the 10,000 copies we dis-tribute each month.Thank you for reading!In a selfish way— personally— I’d like to

thank all of our readers of this publicationand our sister publications; Ohio Valley Out-doors magazine and Mid-Ohio Valley Out-door Times. The thank you is also extendedto our readers, ‘Friends’ and ‘Likes’ online atwww.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com and visitors toour Facebook page and Twitter, Pinterest andYouTube accounts.As for our social media sites we also ap-

preciated the traffic those gather. Our keyFacebook page, Ohio Valley Outdoors, hasnearly 4,000 ‘Likes’. Our Twitter and Pinter-est accounts manage to garner many new andunique viewers who graciously venture toour main website; and that’s appreciated.Need an interesting wild game recipe? Our

Pinterest page might be the answer. There’slots of great recipes found there, and you’dbe surprised about how many times ourrecipes are shared.Our YouTube account is very popular

among firearms enthusiasts; due mostly tothe many gun reviews from our ownwriter/reviewer Bill Waugaman. Amazinglyour YouTube total views have nearly sur-passed 1/2 million views.Thank you for viewing!

Thank You for Reading!

5 Importance of EdgesJeff Knapp

8 Appalachian TrailCould Get Busy

Associated Press

9 Ohio Wildlife CouncilReceive Latest Proposals

ODNR

11 Renovations forShooting RangesAnnounced

ODNR

12 My Favorite HuntingSeason

Curt Grimm

13 Vista Outdoors Spinsoff from ATK

14 WT6/WalleyeMadness Free Entry

19 Peer-to-Peer BoatRentals: What Do YouNeed to Know?

BoatUS

INSIDE THIS MONTH

07 Packing TimesGary Grimm

Indoor Pistol Shooting - Mar. 13, 20, 27 (every Fri. thru Apr. 24) 7-10 p.m. (open to public) atColumbiana County Fish & Game Association. New website:www.columbianacountyfishandgame.com.3DArchery Shoots -Mar. 21, 22, 28, 29. (Schedule runs through Sept.) Lake Milton Fish & GameClub. Sat. 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.-1 p.m.. Cost $10, cubs $5. Breakfast and lunch served. Cross-bows permitted, no rangefinders. Contact Dennis Dabney at 330-414-5795.Hunter Education Class -March 27 (Friday 5-9:30 p.m.) and March 29 (Sunday 1-7 p.m.). at Trum-bull County Rod and Gun Club. See web link: http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/education-and-outdoor-discovery/hunter-and-trapper-education. Pre-Register at website.Youth Fishing Derby - April 18 (Reg. starts at 9 a.m.; fishing 10 a.m. to w 2 p.m.) at TrumbullCounty Rod and Gun Club; open to all youth up to the age of 17. Open to public. Pre-register withDan Java at 216-469-3472. The club is located at 6565 Phillips Rice Rd., Cortland, OH 44410.See more events listed on Page 13.

By Larry ClaypoolEditor

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OUTDOOR CALENDAR

Publisher/Editor, Larry [email protected]

Graphics Designer, Linda [email protected] Consultant, Tracy [email protected]

[email protected] Valley Outdoor Times

is published by Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine©Offices located at

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OutdoorOhio Valley

TimesMarch 2015 VOL. 7, NO. 03

Contributing EditorsRalph Scherder, Hunting EditorJeff Knapp, Fishing EditorBrian Miller, Field Editor

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marked, their coloration clear and almostperfect. Also, they have very little thickunder fur, which is why southern coonare known as “coat coon.” The qualityof their fur makes them ideal for gar-ments because they’re not too heavy andrequire very little dyeing to make themblend well together.We extended our trapline that first day

to include about 60 sets at 20 locations.Second day I connected with my firstsnared coyote. I’d hung the snare over atrail that went through some brush undera huge fallen tree on the river bank.On the third check day, I snared my

second coyote, this one on a crossing logabove a small creek feeding into the big-ger river. This catch truly was an acci-dent. My snare had been intended forraccoons, which means my loop size wastechnically too small for coyotes. How-ever, when the coyote attempted to crossthe log, it apparently stepped into thesmaller loop which closed around itspaw. The result was one very alive andornery coyote! Sometimes it’s better tobe lucky than good.On the fourth check day, I finally got

what I really went to Florida for – anotter. I’d found an otter toilet on a high

bank along another feeder creek and hadset up the two trails that led from thewater to the site. Sure enough, one ofthem connected. Otters are one of theneatest animals I’ve ever been fortunateenough to catch.When I was a kid, I often dreamed of

running traplines in various parts of thecountry for species not common aroundhome. Mostly what I dreamed of wasadventure. I wanted to try and learn newthings and see different parts of the coun-try. I wanted to take all the things I’dlearned around home and apply it to newareas and see if that knowledge still heldtrue. For the most part, I’ve learned, itdoes. Trapping is the same almost any-where you go, whether you’re usingfootholds, bodygrips, or snares. Findwhere an animal is going and figure outwhy it’s going there. Then figure out itstravel route, and that’s where the trapgets set.When you think about it, that’s how it

is with hunting, too. Whitetails, for in-stance, are basically the same no matterwhere they’re found. They have thesame needs – food, water, shelter, andthe desire to breed. Successful hunting isreally just a matter of figuring out wherethey’re going and why, and then settingup your stand accordingly.

Now that I’ve made one dream cometrue this year, I’m determined to makeanother come true next winter. There areplenty of opportunities in the south.With liberal seasons and bag limits, youcan find somewhere and something tohunt almost all winter long and clear intoMarch. Deer seasons generally runmuch later than in Ohio. Because theyare so far south, the rut in states such asGeorgia, Mississippi, or Texas doesn’toccur until January or even February.Wild boar hunting can be found all year

long in almost every southern state.Of course, just because you’re a thou-

sand miles south doesn’t mean you’llneed sunglasses and suntan lotion. Onour trapping adventure, Rich and I expe-rienced cool nights in the 30s with day-time highs around 50. That’s still notbad considering it was minus 15 degreesthe morning we left home. Regardlessof the weather, it’s nice to adventure andtry and learn new things. Winter is agood time for that.

Shaking From Page 1 Youth Turkey HuntSet for Killbuck

MILLERSBURG, OH — The ODNRDivision ofWildlife will offer special op-portunities for young hunters seekingwild turkeys this spring. In addition tothe statewide youth hunting days April18-19 on both private and public lands,the Division ofWildlife will be holding adrawing on April 11, 2015 for a special,controlled turkey hunting opportunitywithin the refuge portion of the KillbuckMarsh Wildlife Area.Hunting dates are for Saturday and

Sundays only, from April 18 throughMay 17, 2015. Hunters 17 years andunder must be present in order to partic-

ipate in the drawing and must bring avalid 2015 hunting license.Interested youngsters must attend the

drawing which will be held at the EastHolmes Sportsmen’s Club located 2.5miles southeast of Millersburg on Town-ship Road 310. Registration begins at8:00 a.m. and the drawing will begin at1:00 p.m. The drawing will coincidewith a National Wild Turkey Federation(NWTF) Jakes Day event sponsored bylocal chapters of the NWTF. Please dressfor the weather.For questions regarding the drawing

call Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area at(330) 567-3390 or call Wildlife DistrictThree in Akron at (330) 644-2293.

During the earlyportion of this winter– when the weatherwas relatively mild –I had the opportunityto revisit some spotson the lower Al-legheny River,places that have tra-ditionally providedaction for walleyes,sauger and muskiesduring the winter months. Those twotrips reminded me of how importanthabitat edges are in locating fish.The first spot I pulled up to is a deep

hole, one that had likely been dredgeddecades ago. It bottoms out in 40-somefeet of water. The afternoon, thoughbarely above the freezing mark, wassunny and calm. You can’t ask for muchmore at this time of year.I set the boat up above the upriver

perimeter of the hole, where the depthsare in the 15 to 20 foot range. As theboat started to slowly drift downriverwith the current I dropped a quarter-

ounce leadhead jig, one tipped with alarge fathead minnow, to the bottom.With a hand on the electric motor andeyes glued to the sonar unit, I kept thejig within a foot of the bottom as thedrift continued. This meant playing outadditional line as the depth gradually in-creased.The initial drop into the hole was quite

gradual, but from 25 to 35 feet the bot-tom fell out quickly. I open the reel’sbail to allow the jig to fall into thedepths. About then a large school of fishappeared on the sonar unit. Then a sharptap telegraphed a walleye take. A coupleminutes later a 21-inch walleye was inthe net.Not surprisingly the school of

walleyes was set up at the base of sharpdrop into the hole. There they wereshielded from the stronger overhead cur-rent. It’s a spot that’s been good duringthe 25 plus years I’ve been fishing forwalleyes in the lower Allegheny. Ipulled out several more fish, thoughsmall ones, before I left the area.A couple days later my friend Dave

Keith and I were fishing another sectionof the river, and were again working theedge of a pool. But in this case the edgewas one that went from deep to shallow.A deep hole ended, quickly giving way

to a shallow area not more than six toeight feet deep.Holding the boat along the lip of the

hole we pitched jigs on to the edge of the


The Importance of Edges

Turn To Edges Page 6

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo by Jeff KnappDave Keith displays a 28-inch Allegheny River walleye

taken along the edge of a deep river hole.

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shallow flat. Again I experienced thatstrong tell-tale tap, the kind typicallyproduced by a bigger walleye. The re-actionary hook-set slammed the hookhome. We’d drifted well down the shal-low flat by the time Dave slipped the netunder this walleye, and egg-laden femalethat taped out at 27 inches. He held thefish for a quick picture before we re-leased her.It’s common for fish and wildlife to

use edges. These areas are often the

transition zones between places that pro-vide cover and ones that furnish food.Like a grouse found along the edge of aclear-cut, but not far from an acorn-ladenoak flat. Or a whitetail buck that skirtsthe edge of thick bedding cover on itsevening journey to a corn field.It’s fairly easy to identify edges in

smaller streams – the tail of a pool, edgeof a rock, incoming riffle. But in biggerflowing waters it’s wise to look at the bigpicture…to recognize the edges ofprominent holes, as likely spots to holdgamefish.


HARRISBURG, PA — Hunters areknown for putting on drives. And driv-ers now can make known the pride theytake in being Pennsylvania hunters.Pennsylvania’s new Hunting Heritage

license plate – an official plate issued bythe state Department of Transportation –is available to order from the Pennsylva-nia Game Commission.Each plate costs $56, of which $25

goes to the Game Commission to beused for conservation initiatives.Commemorative patches and decals

featuring the Hunting Heritage logo also

are being sold, for $5.66 and $2.83, re-spectively.Those looking to order a license plate

can most easily do so by visiting theGame Commission’s website,www.pgc.state.pa.us.Order forms for license plates, patches

and decals, as well as the PennDOT ap-plication form that’s needed to get aplate, all can be printed from the web-site. To find these forms, simply click onthe Hunting Heritage License Plate iconpictured on the website’s homepage.

New PA License Plate CelebratesHunting Heritage

Edges From Page 5

By Gary GrimmOne of the most valued items in ourlife is time. One of the biggest problemsis trying to find enough of it. We all haveobligations such as; work, family andhobbies that cut into the precious re-source of time.Preparing to go hunting, fishing, andhiking take a great deal of time andpreparation. Sometimes so much effortis involved in preparation that the timeset aside for the hobbies is used up justgetting ready for what we want to do.This becomes frustrating and takes awayfrom the enjoyment of the activity. Find-ing and packing the special deer knife,turkey call and the specialty items wetake can be a real project. Then we gointo the woods and discover that we leftan important item back home because ofrushing around.My brother, Curt, and I use a systemthat virtually eliminates the preparationtime and almost guarantees that we haveeverything we need with us in our vari-ous hobbies. We create packs specifi-

cally designed for the hunting, fishing,or hobbies we are about to do. Curt haspacks for deer [rifle and archery packs],turkey [spring and fall] and fishing [lakeor stream] outings. I use the same sys-tem for my hobbies of archery and fish-ing and photography, I also use this planand apply it to toolboxes for plumbing,electrical, and fencing.By using this packing time method,we save hours of preparation andtremendously cut down the frustration ofnot having something when we need it.You are likely thinking that this methodwill cost a fortune, but it does not. Curtand I go to the Rogers Flea Market andyard sales and garage sales to acquirepacks, hunting items, fishing lures, andyes even tool boxes.Talk to your friends and ask if theymay have some unused or extra items intheir boxes in the basement or garage.There are many people who will sell youthe whole hunting and fishing collectiondue to the loss of the family member andwould be thrilled to see the items beingused. Some hunters or fishermen may be

changing what they hunt or fish for. Forexample; my friend is moving to Floridanext year, and he plans on “getting ridof” most of his freshwater fishing gearand wants the items to have “a good

home”. I can do that.There are two major factors that affectthe outcome of anything we do fromoutdoor sports, athletic sports, hobbies


Packing Time

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Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Gary GrimmCurt Grimm with his several specifically designed packs;

used for deer and turkey hunting trips and fishing outings.

Turn To Packing Page 8

By BETH J. HARPAZ, AP Travel EditorHere’s some travel news about crowds

on the Appalachian Trail, national parksin winter and cruise trends.TheAppalachian Trail Conservancy is

asking hikers planning to walk the entire2,185 miles of the trail to consider alter-natives to traditional itineraries as a wayof reducing overcrowding on southernstretches of the trail.Last year, some 2,500 hikers started

their treks between March 1 and April15. With as many as 100 people some-times setting off the same day from thesouthern start of the trail in Georgia,heading to the northern terminus of thetrail in Maine, crowding at times led tounsustainable conditions. Those condi-tions included trampled vegetation, san-itation issues and overcrowdedcampsites, according to the conservancy.Even more people are expected on thetrail this year, the conservancy says. The

increased popularity of the trip is partlydue to publicity from the book andmovie “Wild,” which told the story of athrough-hike on the Pacific Crest Trail,and partly due to “A Walk in theWoods,” a movie due out later this yearstarring Robert Redford about two mid-dle-aged buddies hiking theAppalachianTrail.The conservancy is asking through-

hikers to set out midweek rather than onweekends, and to consider starting be-tweenApril 15 and the first week of Mayrather than in March and early April.Another way to help ease congestion

on the southern stretches in March is toconsider starting through-hikes else-where. Hikers can start in the middle ofthe trail, around Harper’s Ferry, Virginia,head north, and then return to Harper’sFerry to do the southern stretch.While it’s possible to start at the north-

ern end of the trail and head south, theconservancy warns of challenges. Hik-

ers must wait until June to start in Mainedue to the weather, and even in June,conditions include swarms of black fliesand muddy trails. Starting from Mainein June and heading south also makes itlikely that hikers will encounter snow bythe time they reach the Blue RidgeMountains months in mid- to late fall.The conservancy offers details on

these alternative itineraries athttps://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiking/thru-section-hiking/when-where-to-start. The organization has also launched anew voluntary registration system tohelp hikers avoid the most crowdeddays, available athttp://www.appalachiantrail.org/thruhikeregistration.

or even things we do at home with fam-ily, whether work or pleasure. The first ispreparation. Lack of preparation maycause us to miss that buck or turkey bynot having the right gear with us.We maymiss that big catch because of the lurethat is sitting on the desk at home.As outdoorsmen know, there are many

factors that make our adventures a suc-cess. Wind direction, temperature —whether the ground is soft or dry, whetherthe water is clear or cloudy among manyother aspects make a difference.This brings us to the second important

factor — time. It’s vital. The better ourpreparation by insuring we have all the“tools” we need to bag the animal orcatch that fish, enable us to have moretime to focus on all of the other factors.Time can be better used to assess our lo-cation, wind conditions, and other impor-tant factors around us.This extra time will give us the oppor-

tunity to have a successful trip. Most im-portantly this method gives us time torelax and enjoy the adventure. After allthe real purpose of hunting and fishing isto relax and enjoy the excitement of theadventure.


Appalachian Trail Could Get BusyThis Spring/Summer

Packing From Page 7

Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine


COLUMBUS, OH — A reduction inbag limits and antlerless permit use, aswell as a shift in the youth season duringthe 2015-2016 hunting seasons, wereamong regulations proposed to the OhioWildlife Council at its regularly sched-uled meeting on February 11, accordingto the Ohio Department of Natural Re-sources (ODNR).Among the proposals:• Reduce bag limits in the majority of

counties, and remove antlerless permitsin all but 10 counties. No county has aproposed bag limit increase.• Reduce the statewide bag limit of

deer from nine to six.• Suspend the antlerless-only muzzle-

loader weekend.• Offer two days of deer-gun hunting

Dec. 26-27, 2015.• Move youth-gun hunting to the Satur-

day and Sunday formerly occupied bythe antlerless-only muzzleloader week-end.• Add one straight-walled cartridge

rifle, the .450 Marlin, to the existing listof legal hunting rifles during the deer-gun and youth deer-gun seasons.Deer regulations have been trending

toward reduced bag limits and restricteduse of antlerless permits in recent years.Proposals to reduce bag limits and adjusthunting seasons work to stabilize deerpopulations.Deer population goals will be revised

this summer through a random survey ofhunters and landowners. Participants inthe survey will have the opportunity toprovide input about the future of deermanagement in Ohio.Overview of proposed hunting seasons

for 2015-2016:• Deer archery: Sept. 26, 2015-Feb. 7,

2016• Youth deer gun: Oct. 10-11, 2015• Deer gun: Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2015; Dec.

26-27, 2015• Deer muzzleloader: Jan. 2-5, 2016Proposed county bag limits:No more than two either-sex deer per-

mits: Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Butler,Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clinton,Coshocton, Darke, Erie, Fairfield,Fayette, Gallia, Geauga, Greene,Guernsey, Hancock, Harrison, Hocking,Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Madison,Meigs, Mercer, Miami, Monroe, Mont-gomery, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum,

Noble, Ottawa, Perry, Pickaway, Preble,Sandusky, Shelby, Tuscarawas, VanWert,Vinton, Warren, Washington and Wood.It was proposed that antlerless permitsare not valid in these counties.No more than three either-sex deer per-

mits: Adams, Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula,Brown, Clermont, Columbiana, Craw-ford, Defiance, Fulton, Hardin, Henry,Highland, Holmes, Huron, Knox, Lick-ing, Logan, Mahoning, Marion, Medina,Paulding, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Ross,Scioto, Seneca, Trumbull, Union,Wayne,Williams and Wyandot. It was proposedthat antlerless permits are not valid inthese counties.No more than three either-sex permits,

or two either-sex permits and one antler-less permit: Lake, Lorain, Portage andStark.No more than four either-sex permits,

or three either-sex permits and one antler-less permit: Cuyahoga, Delaware,Franklin, Hamilton, Lucas and Summit.The statewide bag limit was proposed

to be six deer, a reduction from thestatewide limit of nine deer last season.Only one deer may be antlered, and ahunter cannot exceed a county bag limit.Antlerless permits may be used fromSept. 26 through Nov. 29, 2015.It was proposed that small game hunt-

ing seasons will continue during the sec-ond gun weekend, Dec. 26-27, 2015.Also on Wednesday, the ringed-neckpheasant and chukar hunting seasonswere proposed to be extended one weekto Jan. 10, 2016.The OhioWildlife Council will vote on

all the proposals after receiving publicinput during open houses, held the firstweek of this month. Open houses will beheld at the ODNR Division of WildlifeDistrict One, District Two, District Threeand District Four offices and the GreeneCounty Fish and GameAssociation club-house in Xenia. Directions to the openhouses can be found at wildohio.gov orby calling 800-WILDLIFE (945-3543).A statewide hearing on all of the pro-

posed rules will be held at the ODNRDi-vision ofWildlife’s District One office onMarch 19, at 9 a.m. The office is locatedat 1500 Dublin Road, Columbus, Ohio43215.The OhioWildlife Council is an eight-

member board that approves all of theODNR Division of Wildlife proposedrules and regulations. The council willvote on the proposed rules and seasondates during its meeting on April 8, afterconsidering public input.Visit the ODNR website at

ohiodnr.gov.

Ohio Wildlife CouncilReceives Latest Proposals

OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES 11

Renovations forShooting Ranges

Announced

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio Depart-ment of Natural Resources (ODNR) Di-rector James Zehringer and ODNRDivision ofWildlife Chief Scott Zody an-nounced that the department will be ren-ovating firearms and archery shootingranges across the state. Zehringer andZody discussed the planned improve-ments during a recent tour of the SpringValley Shooting Range in Waynesville.These improvement efforts have al-

ready started at the Delaware ShootingRange located in the Delaware WildlifeArea east of U.S. Route 23. This Class Apublic range will receive much neededrenovations, improvements and addi-tions. The improvements will include 90shooting positions, a significant increasefrom the existing range’s 16 positions.The initial development of this project in-cludes preparation of the site and re-moval of trees, which will begin in thecoming months. New construction willbegin this spring, and the reconstructedrange is expected to be open by summer2016.New facilities at the Delaware Shoot-

ing Range will include:

• Four hand trap fields• 30 shooting positions at 100-yard

range• 36 positons at 50-foot pistol range• 24 positions at 25-yard range• 20 positions at the 90-meter archery

range• 14 position 3-D archery walkthrough

course with elevated shooting positions• Men’s and women’s restrooms• Range master building with video

surveillance and intercomThe education and training center at

the Delaware Shooting Range will fea-ture an indoor archery/air gun range,classroom amenities, kitchenette, storagespace, office space, climate control andhave a building capacity for 92 people.Development and construction of the

range has been designed to have minimalimpact on the existing shooting range.Preliminary design work at the Spring

Valley Range, located in the Spring Val-leyWildlifeArea, should begin after July1. Some of the improvements include thecurrent entrance being closed and relo-cated, and the trap range shooting linewill be renovated for improved opera-tion. A new indoor archery training andhunter education building will be con-structed, and the range and buildings willbe designed for federal Americans with

Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.Other improvements for the Spring

Valley Shooting Range include:• New 90-meter static archery range• Updated walk-through 3-D archery

course•Automated trap throwers on the shot-

gun range• Reconstructed and redesigned back-

stops• An extended shooting line on the

rifle/pistol range to provide additional

shooting opportunity• Parking lot redesign• Correction of drainage issuesFunding for these projects comes di-

rectly from the Wildlife Restoration Actexcise taxes collected from the sale offirearms and ammunitions, as well as thesale of Ohio hunting licenses.ODNR’s long-term goal is to renovate

all five of the Class A ranges in the state.Visit the ODNR website at

ohiodnr.gov.

Special YouthTurkey Hunting

Drawings Set

CORTLAND, OH — The ODNR Di-vision of Wildlife will offer special op-portunities for young hunters seekingwild turkeys this spring. In addition tothe statewide youth turkey hunting daysApril 18 and 19, 2015 on both publicand private lands, the Division ofWildlife will be holding a drawing onApril 4, 2015 for controlled youth turkeyhunting opportunities at Mosquito CreekWildlife Area as well as Camp RavennaJoint Military Training Center (CR-JMTC).For Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area,

hunting dates are on Saturdays and Sun-days only, from April 18 through May17, 2015. Hunters 17 years and undermust be present in order to participate inthe drawing and must bring a valid 2015hunting license. A total of 90 permitswill be drawn.For CRJMTC, hunting will take place

on April 18, 2015 only. A total of eight(8) permits will be drawn.A “Jake’s Day” sponsored by the Na-

tionalWild Turkey Federation, TrumbullFederation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, andTrumbull Rod and Gun Club will beginat 9:30 a.m. where youngsters can par-ticipate in shooting sports and other ac-tivities. For more information callMosquito Creek Wildlife Area at (440)685-4776.

March 2015


Send us your trophy photos

For our contests& Nikon Photo

Showcase

April George, age 11jake, 17lb, shotgun

Columbiana County, OH

email to:[email protected] to: Photo Showcase210 East Fourth St.East Liverpool, OH 43920

www.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com

Pam Williams1st deer, muzzleloaderJefferson County, OH

My favorite time toscout for the upcom-ing turkey and deerseason is Februaryand March. After afresh snow, it is easyto survey the deerand turkey popula-tion in the areas I amconsidering to hunt.Deer and turkey aregrouped up togetherand leave a lot of evidence of the quan-tity in a particular area. Often times themales and females are together in theirown separate groups. Antlers that areshed and the size of deer and turkeytracks provide unique evidence. In addi-tion, coyotes are more likely to be en-countered.Corn fields, grape vine thickets, and

oak forests are favorable spots to check.Road crossings are easy to find and byfollowing the tracks they lead to greaterpopulations of turkey and deer. I make amental note of the areas and the quantity

of tracks or game encountered.Sitting in one of my treestands at the

boundary between fields and forest of-fers a good view and offer great scoutingpotential. I can observe the size of thegroup of turkey or deer, and get a gen-eral idea of the bedding area. Sometimesit is rewarding to putout a few turkey de-coys to attract a won-dering coyote. Myfavorite gun to takewith me is an overand under that has ahigh powered scopewith a 223 and 12 gage combination.Binoculars can also serve as a usefultool to evaluate the size and quantity ofanimals. Scouting during this time ofyear offered an opportunity to get exer-cise and evaluate potential huntingspots.It is easy to find an excuse not to go,

but once you are out there, it is a winterwonderland. The quietness of the forestand the wind blowing across a snow

covered field is very relaxing. All typesof animals are easy to spot and the markin the snow of a bird capturing its quarryis very unique. All of these make greatpictures and cameras made now arequite user friendly. They also producegreat quality. They work great under lowlight conditions and serve as a greatscouting tool. Waterfalls, unique rootformations, and sunsets are among themany great pictures that can be takenand enjoyed by all your hunting friends.

When thetotal event istaken into con-sideration, thehunting seasonof February andMarch seems tooffer the most

stimulation and the greatest opportunityto scout. There are some things you willnotice, that are very often not paid atten-tion to. There is a high percentage thatyou will not come home empty handed.You can gather valuable hunting data;make new contacts with landowners,and gain information that will help pro-vide a productive and safe hunting sea-son. You come across unique walkingsticks and have beautiful photos that canbe appreciated and shared for a lifetime.

My Favorite Hunting Season

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo by Gary GrimmWaterfalls, unique root formations, and sun-sets are among the many great pictures thatcan be taken and enjoyed while scouting in

the woods during this time of year.

By Curt GrimmThe Marathon Hunter

OVOu

tdoo

rTim

es

Scouting during this time of yearoffered an opportunity to evaluate

potential hunting spots.


Ohio State TrappersAssociation FurAuc-tion - March 14 atWest Muskingum BoosterHall, 2170 Highland Rd., Zanesville, OH43701. Starts at 9 a.m. Call-ins for lot num-bers (for all three auctions) will be taken onJan. 2 only from noon - 9 p.m. Call SteveHiller at 937-206-1934. For info. contactHiller, OSTA Fur Auction Coordinator viaemail: [email protected]. Visit the OSTAwebsite at: www.ohiostatetrapper.org.Ohio Deer and Turkey Expo - March 13-15at Ohio Expo Center (state fairgrounds) inColumbus, OH. Admission $14. Save $3with coupon in Ohio Valley Outdoors mag-azine, Spring issue, page 25. For info. checkwebsite: www.deerinfo.com.Old Fashion Style Turkey Shoot - March15, 22, 29 at Beaver Creek Sportsman Club,Washingtonville, OH. Field stock guns, .680choke max., no scopes. For info. contactTom Brunner 330-692-6577 oremail:[email protected] Archery Shoots - Mar. 21, 22, 28, 29.(Schedule runs through Sept.) Lake MiltonFish & Game Club. Sat. 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Sun.8 a.m.-1 p.m.. Cost $10, cubs $5. Breakfast

and lunch served. Crossbows permitted, norangefinders. Contact Dennis Dabney at330-414-5795.Gun Show by Mahoning Valley Gun Col-lector’s - April 18, 19 (9 a.m.-4 p.m.) atLowellville Rod & Gun Club.Admission $4,vendor tables $25. Buy, sell, trade. Free ap-praisals, free parking. GPS address, 6225Quarry Road, Lowellville, OH. For info. callBill at 330-506-9194.OutdoorArchery Shoot -April 12, May 10,June 14, (second Sunday of each month thruSept) 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.) at Trumbull CountyRod and Gun Club. The club is located at6565 Phillips Rice Rd., Cortland, OH 44410.Call John Chegar at 330-727-7634. 30 Target3-D course. Adults are $10.00 and Cubs 12and under are $5. See website:http://www.tcrg.us/activities/archery/eb.PA Trappers Association Rendezvous -June 18-20,2015 at Schuylkill County Fair-grounds, 2270 Fair Road, Schuylkill Haven,PA17972. Demos, dealers, contests, auction,kid’s activities. $5 admission, $10 for threedays. Contact Karen Mohn at 610-562-1790.www.patrappers.com.

Calendar of Events

CLEARFIELD, UT — Vista OutdoorInc. (“Vista Outdoor”) (NYSE: VSTO),which previously operated as the SportingGroup ofAlliant Techsystems Inc. (“ATK”),recently announced the successful comple-tion of its spin-off fromATK (NYSE:ATK)into a standalone, publicly traded outdoorsports and recreation company. On Febru-ary 9 ATK distributed to its stockholderstwo shares of Vista Outdoor common stockfor every share of ATK common stock heldas of record on February 2. Vista Outdoorcommon stock will began “regular-way”trading under the symbol “VSTO” on theNew York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) onFebruary 10.

“Today marks the creation of a new lead-ing commercial and consumer-productscompany focused on innovative solutions,strategic customer partnerships, executionexcellence and creating long-term share-holder value,” said Mark DeYoung, VistaOutdoor Chairman and Chief Executive Of-ficer. “Our consumers depend on our prod-ucts to deliver quality and performance in avariety of outdoor environments and activ-

ities. Our mission is to bring the world out-side, and to support and facilitate the suc-cess of outdoor enthusiasts as they strive toachieve their own rugged independence.Weare focused on delivering value to our cus-tomers, maintaining and increasing ourmarket share, supporting communitieswhere we do business and growing into ad-jacent markets through capturing both or-ganic and external growth opportunities. Iam proud of the skilled and highly qualifiedexecutive leadership team we have assem-bled to lead Vista Outdoor and of our 5,800passionate employees around the globe whoare working to deliver quality products andservices that support Vista Outdoor’s busi-ness strategies.”

For news and information visitwww.vistaoutdoor.com or on Twitter @Vis-taOutdoorInc and Facebook atwww.facebook.com/vistaoutdoor.

Vista Outdoor holds several key outdoorbrands, including: Bushnell®, Federal Pre-mium®, Savage Arms™, Primos®,BLACKHAWK!®, Bollé®, and many oth-ers.

Vista Outdoor SuccessfullyCompletes Spin-Off from ATK

PENINSULA, OH — Walleye Mad-ness Tournaments and their officiallysanctioned Walleye Federation club -WT6, have announced a free entrybonus opportunity for all competitivewalleye anglers interested in competingfor a berth to the Cabela’s NationalTeam Championship in 2015. UntilMarch 15, 2015, each and every newand renewal membership inWT6 will beeligible to win a free entry into the 2015Walleye Madness Tournaments event oftheir choice ($150 value).As the first and largest official Wall-

eye Federation club in Ohio, WT6 andWalleye Madness Tournaments are of-fering this exclusive WT6 bonus for allnew and renewal members to promoteand thank The Walleye Federation -www.walleyefederation.com - for pro-viding the ultimate grass roots nationalchampionship in walleye fishing; TheCabela’s National Team Championship.Often imitated, but never duplicated,

Walleye Madness Tournaments andWT6 offer 100% guaranteed payouts,

sponsor bonuses, no- fee-required bigfish payouts, Cabela’s National TeamChampionship qualifying, and paid en-tries and bonuses to the National TeamChampionship via theirWT6 - NTC sidepots held at every tournament.The title sponsors ofWalleye Madness

Tournaments include two of the most re-spected names in walleye fishing; LundBoats and Mercury Marine, and are sup-ported by Buckeye Sports Center; oneof Ohio’s leading Lund Boats and Mer-cury Marine dealers.For more information on Walleye

Madness Tournaments and WT6 visitwww.walleyemadness.net or contact thetournament series via email [email protected] is the officially sanctionedWall-

eye Federation club for Walleye Mad-ness Tournaments (WMT). TheWalleyeFederation is the exclusive national or-ganization for Cabela’s National TeamChampionship qualifying. All officialWalleye Madness Tournaments/WT6events are the exclusive property of

WMT/WT6 and their sponsors. Officialevents are published atwww.walleyemadness.net.Registration is now open for the 2015

WMT events.A40 boat maximum field.The schedule includes: April 26 at Mos-

quito Lake (entry deadline April 20;May 17 at Berlin Lake (entry deadlineMay 11); June 6 at Lake Erie, Cleveland(June 1) and June 27 at Lake Erie,Geneva (June 22).

WT6/Walleye MadnessFree Entry Promo


Ohio Valley Outdoors - Photo by Steve HallBuckeye Council Cub Scout Pack 43 of East Liverpool, OH

visited the OVO offices on Monday as part of the scout's rank advancement badge program.


GUN & SPORTING GOODS SHOWMARCH 28 (9AM - 4PM) • MARCH 29 (9AM - 2PM)

Buy - Sell - Trade - BrowseFree Parking • $4 Admission

(children under 12 free when accompanied by an adult)

Hidden Valley Sportsmen’s Club268 Gilkey Road, West Middlesex, PA • 724-528-2700

(an IRS approved 501(c) non-profit organization)

By JONATHANMATTISE,Associated PressCHARLESTON, WV (AP) —

West Virginia would become the fifthstate not to require concealed handgunpermits under a legislative proposal thatstarted moving on February 24.A state Senate panel cast a unanimous

voice vote to drop the need to get con-cealed carry permits. Only Alaska, Ari-zona, Vermont andWyoming don’t havethe requirement.It’s the first major pro-gun push under

newly minted Republican majorities inthe 60-day legislative session, whichends in mid-March. Gun-friendly De-mocrats likewise loosened firearms re-strictions in the eight-plus decades theyran the state Legislature.Currently, openly carrying a handgun,

like in a holster on a hip, is legal withoutany permit in West Virginia. Thirty-onestates total have similar open-carryrules, according to the Law Center toProtect Gun Violence.Carrying a handgun out of plain site,

like underneath a coat, requires a permit.The West Virginia Sheriffs’ Associa-

tion cited potential dangers in not requir-ing permits.Association Executive Director Rod-

ney Miller said law enforcement wouldhave to assume more people had con-cealed firearms and lacked requiredtraining. That includes people coming infrom out of state.West Virginians would still need per-

mits when they head out of state. Localgovernment gun restrictions, includingat courthouses and other buildings,could still apply, Miller said.Miller said he doesn’t want to see

heightened interactions between thepublic and police, specifically mention-ing the Missouri shooting of 18-year-oldMichael Brown last August.“The problem with opening it up to let

just any person come into West Virginiaand carry a firearm is, how do you miti-gate and potentially control some of thebad guys?” Miller said before Monday’smeeting.

Permits also provide money for sher-iff’s offices, with some of that going to-ward bulletproof vests and other safetyitems, Miller said.Daniel Carey of the National Rifle As-sociation said it should be left up to anindividual to seek out handgun trainingvoluntarily.“I think that any responsible, law-

abiding individual who purchases any-thing, whether it be any tool, whether itbe a drill, or hammer, or iPad, or what-ever the case might be, they’re going toseek out how to use that properly,”Carey said.

Senators voted down an amendmentMonday that would’ve maintained train-ing obligations for people carrying con-cealed weapons, even without permits.Some senators in favor cited 2nd

Amendment arguments and questionedwhether the required training did muchgood. They also wondered what differ-ence it would make, since people canopenly carry handguns now without per-mits.The proposal next heads to the Senate

floor. It hasn’t progressed in the Houseyet.

WV Senate Committee OKs Billto Update Conceal Carry Statutes

HARRISBURG, PA—Treestands andportable hunting blinds left on gamelands and other public-access huntingproperties under the Game Commis-sion’s management would need to bemarked to identify the owner, under aproposal that’s been preliminarily ap-proved by the Board of Game Commis-sioners.Under existing regulation, treestands

and portable blinds may be set up andleft on state game lands and other GameCommission-managed property, but

stands and blinds must be removed nolater than two weeks after the close ofthe final deer-hunting season within thatWildlife Management Unit.However, many stands statewide are

left out beyond that deadline each yearand on some public access tracts, theyseem to be becoming permanent fix-tures, the commissioners said.The proposal would make the owners

of such stands and blinds identifiable.The tagging requirements would be

similar to those that apply to trappers.

Treestands, Blinds Placed on Game LandsMight Need Tagged


Landyn Charles8-pt., youth hunt


Brandon Shipley18-lbs. turkey

Mahoning County, OH

Derrick Taylor

Tom Beaber23.8-lbs., 10 5/8" beardStark County, OH

Ronald Harklerode21.71-lbs,

Mahoning County, OH

Mark Varian20-lbs., 8.5" beard, 1" spursColumbiana County, OH

Beau Gray

Send Us Your PhotosWe’ll print your hunting, fishing or trap-

ping photos in the next issue of OV Times orOhio Valley Outdoors magazine. Send pho-tos via mail, email or Facebook.Email to: [email protected] to: Photo Showcase210 East Fourth St., East Liverpool, OH 43920

Randy Akins


Steve Thomas8-pt., 17-5/8" spread

Mahoning County, OH

Cheri Hallett8-pt. buck

Mahoning County, OH

Aaron Edwards9-pt. buck

Stark County, OH

Dale Hackney8-pt.

Stark County, OH

Ian Sharp8-pt. buck, 14 3/8" spreadColumbiana County, OH

Brandon Easter4-pt. buck


Cade Staats, age 61st buck, 7-pt.

Wood County, WV

"Mouse" Muleteers18.8-lbs., spring turkey

Connor Mayle1st turkey, 9" beard, 7/8" spurs

OH youth season 2014

David "Skeeter" Godsey22.5-lbs., 9 3/4" beard


Erik Metcalf21-lbs. turkey

Carroll County, OH

Freeman Hawkins14" crappie

Westville Lakes


Ohio Valley Outdoorswww.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com

HARRISBURG, PA — Many first-time buyers of Pennsylvania hunting orfurtaker licenses have a new, convenientoption for completing the required certi-fication course.A new, online-only Hunter-Trapper

Education course is available from thePennsylvania Game Commission.The course, which can be completed

online in about six to eight hours, isavailable to students ages 16 and older.Students can use any computer, smart-phone, tablet or e-reader to take thecourse, providing flexibility to take itanywhere at any time, saidAndy Hueser,a hunter-education specialist for theGame Commission.“People live increasingly busy lives

these days,” Hueser said. “In recentyears we’ve upped the number of tradi-tional, classroom courses we offer andhave offered many more courses at peak

times in the fall when more people arethinking about hunting and hunter edu-cation, and record numbers of newhunters have become certified as a result.“But demand still exists, and some

folks simply can’t make the time to at-tend a traditional course,” Hueser said.“For them, this new, online option re-moves a hurdle that might have previ-ously stood in the way of their obtaininga hunting license.”The curriculum for the online course

is identical to that taught in the tradi-tional classroom course. Topics such astree-stand safety, lawful trapping offurbearers, firearms safety, Lyme-diseaseprevention, state game lands regulations,and other programs all are covered.Students move through the material a

page at a time, making their way through11 units. They must spend a certainamount of time on each page to make

sure they’re not glossing over the mate-rial. There’s a quiz at the end of eachunit, which must be passed before mov-ing on to the next.And a test covering allmaterial in the course is completed at theend.After passing the test, a temporary cer-

tification card can be printed, and a li-cense purchased immediately.The online course is available through

Kalkomey, a Texas-based company thatspecializes in hunter education and hasbeen an important partner in the GameCommission’s programs for years.There is a fee, currently set at $19.50,

for the online course, which is wholly re-tained by Kalkomey to offset their costsof providing the course.The course can be taken through

Kalkomey’s website, http://www.hunter-ed.com.Hueser said a full slate of traditional,

classroom Hunter-Trapper Educationcourses will continue to be offeredstatewide in Pennsylvania to meet whathas been a growing demand for this in-person option, and those courses willcontinue to be free of charge.“We expect most students, as well as

the parents of young hunters, will con-tinue to prefer the traditional courses,”Hueser said. “They like the opportunityto interact with an instructor and to seesafe hunting and trapping practicesdemonstrated right before their eyes.“We will continue to work to offer as

many of these courses as we can to keepup with the very high demand for them,”Hueser said. “At the same time, though,this new option is going to be a better fitfor some, and we’re happy to provide it,so they can get their license and the in-formation they need to be safe beforethey get out there and hunt.”

You need morecustomers!YOUR CARD HEREContact Sales Consultant

Tracy Bissell at330-385-2243

Go Online, Get Certified for PA Hunting License


(440) 632-0174 | 13650 Mad ison R d , Mi dd lef i eld , O H w w w.pinec raf t str uctures.com

Storage Barns

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Airbnb may apopular “peer-to-peer” lodging site onthe web, but if you want to rent a boat inyour local area or away, you’ve got op-tions, too. Boatbound.com, Boatset-ter.com and Cruzin.com are just a few ofthe new crop of online websites offeringa chance to rent a boat for the day orweekend. These services, which connectprivate boat owners to renters, can helpowners recoup some expenses, and canalso give non-owners a chance to get onthe water with friends without the costof full-time ownership. So what do youneed to know? Boat OwnersAssociationof The United States (BoatUS) has someinformation for both boat owners andrenters.1. Renters do not want boats that arenot safe and or can barely get out of themarina, so these services are often bettersuited to newer vessels less than 10years old. Older, larger or faster boatsmay require a survey or inspection.Rental costs vary widely based on boatsize and location, and renters typically

are required to have some boating expe-rience as well as a deposit.2. These peer-to-peer boat rental web-sites generally handle every part of thetransaction, including taking depositsand payments. They typically take 30%-40% of the rental fee, which coversoverhead, profit, as well as insuranceand on water towing services (more onboth of those in a second &read on).3. For boat owners, most boat insur-ance policies don’t provide coverageduring the rental period and some com-panies may not provide coverage at anytime simply if you list your boat with arental program. If you happen to ownand insure your boat but desire to rentanother, your insurance company (in-cluding BoatUSMarine Insurance) mayoffer a temporary endorsement for lia-bility coverage while operating therental boat - but damage to the rentalboat still is not covered. That’s whythese “peer-to-peer” boat rental compa-nies often provide additional insurancecoverage.

4. TowBoatUS and Vessel Assist tow-ing fleets provide on water towing andassistance service to some peer-to-peerrental services at no additional charge tothe renter or owner. For the renter thatmeans simply calling BoatUS’ 24-hournationwide dispatch (800-391-4869) ifthere is a breakdown.5. Renters need to ask about any othercosts or fees, including fuel or othercharges like pump-outs. They shouldalso clarify with the owner what hap-pens if the boat breaks down and be-comes unusable.6. Boat owners have the full right tosay “no” to a renter, starting with an ini-tial phone call. BoatUS member BobKellet, who has successfully rented his30-foot sailboat, says owners are in fullcontrol of the process, from pricing tovetting renters.7. Kellet also suggests having a de-tailed instruction guide for the boat’sequipment and a step-by-step guide forthings like starting the engine. Be sureto include safety gear.8. Having a walk-through, pre-rentalchecklist is good for both parties, as istaking a few date-stamped photos show-ing the condition of the vessel.9. While there is a certain element oftrust, owner and renter reviews tend to

weed out bad apples quickly, so be sureto check the renter’s history or theowner’s reviews from past renters.10. One man’s experience: BoatUSMember Kellet said he was apprehen-sive the first few times he rented his sail-boat to a stranger, but after a couplerentals he realized the renters caredabout his boat, too, and they were therefor the same reason: a love of the waterand boating.For more, see the BoatUS Magazinestory, “Is Peer-to-Peer Boating forYou?”at BoatUS.com/thinkingofrenting.

Peer-to-Peer Boat Rentals:What Do You Need To Know?

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo courtesy of BoatUSBoaters have some new options to get

on the water with online rental services.

Documents

Ohio Valley Outdoor Times 3-2015