ohio valley outdoor times 8-2015

The phrase, “con-ceal carry”, used tohave a mysteriousring to it. That was awhile back. Now itmeans you’re ‘pack-in’ heat’, carrying aLOADED weapon!And legally, in mostcases.Carrying a weapon,

to me, was always reserved for police of-ficers and bad people. I tried to stay awayfrom both. Handguns never threatenedme. And I’d never found a need to bearound guns.Until lately!Firstly, my son loves guns, owns sev-

eral types, and has a conceal carry permit(CCW) to carry a handgun in Ohio andseveral other states. Secondly, like manyother people these days, I no longer feelsafe — at times — (from bad people), soit’s time for me to join nearly 400,000other Ohioians who have a (legal) permitto carry a firearm. I also like to visit theshooting range and feel I’m getting morecomfortable with handling a gun.For those reasons I recently took, and

OutdoorSummertimeTerrestrialStory inside page 4 August 2015

FREE!Ohio ValleyMAXIMIZE TIME AFIELD THIS FALL - P.12

Interest inCCW Continuesto Rise

Turn To CCW 4

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo by Larry ClaypoolFirearms instructor Keith Thorn shows proper technique on the shooting range during a Conceal Carry Weapons class

in Wintersville, OH. Thorn says his class sizes recently have jumped to 10-20 each month.

Times

By Larry ClaypoolEditor

OVOu

tdoo

rTim

es

OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES2 August 2015

They say “bad pressis good press”. Thatmay be the case in Hol-lywood, but not for thepoor big-game safarihunters these days.Andit gives all hunters a badrap, and that’s not fair.

Like most people,I’m really tired of hear-ing about Cecil theLion. The antis and na-tional media have really taken this storyfrom Zimbabwe for a long ride down a verybumpy, windy road. I will admit, if it’s true,something doesn’t sound right about theMinnesota dentist shooting at a famouslocal lion that was lured away from a pro-tected preserve area. The dentist, WalterPalmer, his PH (professional hunter), andguide (Theo Bronkhorst) should have got-ten their story straight on the animal theywere pursuing. It also does not sound like a“fair chase” hunt.

There’s also some question as to whetherthis lion was famous or protected. One In-ternet poster said he used to live in Zim-babwe and lions tormented villagers dayand night. Some people were maimed andkilled by wild lions, he said. Now, what doyou believe, it was on the Internet?

The big problem with the Internet is,everyone thinks they are an expert. It does-n’t matter the topic. And I’ve said this be-fore, people can remain anonymous behinda keyboard and do not necessarily possessthe proper facts or own credibility for issuesthey discuss or offer an opinion on. Theyare faceless people to me, making ridicu-lous statements and opinions. There’s NOcredibility there but other people take theirword that, number one, they know whatthey’re talking about, and number two, theydon’t have to back up facts they fodder out

there.It’s bullcrap and honest journalist often

get caught up in and/or get compared to sto-ries that have no merit, or facts to backthem up.

This international story follows up a longlist of American hunters who’ve beenwrongly accused of poaching by peoplewho don’t know better. And for some rea-son they’ve targeted female hunters, includ-ing Melissa Baughman, Kendall Jones,Rebecca Francis, Beka Garris and manymore. For some reason male hunters, for themost part, do not get harassed as much byantis.

As more (truthful) information becomesavailable, we hope the lion poaching talkwill be tamed. Two good sources (websites)on the Internet will keep us informed, andcan be trusted, they are: the Safari Club In-ternational (www.sci.org) and U.S. Sports-men’s Alliance (www.ussportsmen.org).

Recently Nick Pinizzotto, President andCEO of the Sportsmen’s Alliance andSportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, wasasked to speak on national television aboutthe lion poaching incident. He said, “It isdisappointing to see hunting come underfire once again in the media, but it further il-lustrates the importance of ensuring that im-portant facts about hunting and wildlifemanagement are readily available to themasses. Reasonable people who are givengood information will be far less likely tolet misguided emotion cloud their judgmentabout the importance of hunting to wildlifeand conservation.”

Pinizzotto also discussed the role ofsportsmen in wildlife management andhabitat protection and enhancement. Thepositive economic, environmental and so-cial impacts sportsmen provide throughoutthe United States.

Well said.

Taming the Lion Story

4 SummertimeTerrestrial

Jeff Knapp

7 Ohio’s Migratory BirdHunting Set for Sept. 1

ODNR

10 Boy Scouts Partnerwith Take Me Fishing

11 Early Migratory BirdSeasons Set in PA

PAGC

12 Wisely Prepare Nowto Maximize Time Afield

Grey D. Berrier II

15 BOW WorkshopSlated at Watoga StatePark in WV

19 Regional FLWColleges Qualify forChampionship Event

FLW College

INSIDE THIS MONTH

8 Getting Kids Involved in the Outdoors

Catfish Tournaments at Hubbard Conservation Club - Aug. 22 (5:30-11:30 p.m.) $9 entry,30% payout for 1st, 20% for 2nd. $4 for side pot, largest fish. Club located at: 1760 Wick-Camp-bell Road, Hubbard, OH 44425. For info. call Brian Radcliff at 330-610-5802.3-D Archery Shoots - Sept. 6 at Beaver Creek Sportsman Club, Washingtonville, OH. Cost $10(12&up), $5 (11&under). All welcome. For info. call Chuck York at 330-978-3253 or 330-716-3964.Women in the Outdoors event - Sept. 11-13 at Camp Muskingum in Carrollton, OH. BrendaValentine will be featured speaker. Event sponsored by Ohio State Chapter of the National WildTurkey Federation (NWTF). The event will feature special guest Brenda Valentine. Provide inter-active educational outdoor opportunities for women (ages 14 and up). Fee is $135 and includes twonight bunk-style lodging, a choice of five WITO courses (30 to choose from), meals and equip-ment. For a list of hands-on activities for the Camp Muskingum event visit their website:www.nwtf.org/events/supplemental-events/. Or contact Amy Butterfield at 614-327-1041.

By Larry ClaypoolEditor

OVOu

tdoo

rTim

es

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

Publisher/Editor, Larry [email protected]

Graphics Designer, Linda [email protected]

Sales Consultant, Tracy [email protected]

[email protected] Valley Outdoor Times

is published by Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine©

Offices located at210 E. 4th Street, East Liverpool, OH 43920Phone 330-385-2243, Fax 330-385-7114

[email protected]

To Advertise CALL 330-385-2243

OutdoorOhio Valley

TimesAugust 2015 VOL. 7, NO. 08

Contributing EditorsRalph Scherder, Hunting Editor

Jeff Knapp, Fishing EditorBrian Miller, Field Editor

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS

Ohio Valley Outdoor Times is all about its readers.We’d love to hear from you.

Send us something [email protected]

OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES 3August 2015

ph 330.359.5708toll free 800.359.7522 1.5 miles West of Winesburg on US 62 • Monday-Friday 7-5, Saturday 9-2

Cabins

www.alpinestructures.net

hunting • fishing • vacation

12x16' Frontier

16x24' Alpine Cottage

Winesbest ofW1.5 milesee 800.359.75toll fr

ph 330.359.5708

ridg on US 62 • Monday-Fbur22

day 9-2turSaday 7-5,

Recently I em-barked on one of myfavorite activities:fishing an unfamiliarstream for wild trout.And when there Imade sure I wasarmed with a box fullof great summertimeflies, terrestrial pat-terns.A few days earlier

I’d had a conversation with the districtfisheries biologist. The gist of our con-versation was how great it is to seestreams that had suffered from pollution,which in most cases around these partsis acid mine drainage, come back to lifeto become wild trout streams. He men-tioned a particular creek, how his agencyhad sampled it 20 years ago and foundno trout, and when about 10 years laterthey looked at it again and it was loadedwith wild brown trout. I did some quickmath and realized that 10 more years hadpassed since their last sampling; there

could be some big trout in there now.So I set up a trip with a longtime fish-

ing partner. I started with a muddlerminnow fished on top (to mimic agrasshopper) and Dave opted for a greenweenie (which does a good job duplicat-ing an inch worm). Within the first 10minutes Dave hooked two small butfeisty wild browns. I quickly changed tothe green weenie and quickly put caughta wild brown of about 8 inches.With the water fairly low and quite

clear, we were getting most of our actionat the base of riffles, where the brokenwater masked our approach. I was fish-ing such a spot, one that flowed into along pool. A portion of a submerged treewas embedded in the far bank, just downfrom the sluice of faster water. On aboutmy fifth drift a large (comparatively)brown came out from the log and in-haled the green weenie. The 16 incherwas the highlight of a great summetimeafternoon trip.It’s not surprising that a terrestrial-im-

itating fly was so productive. Flies thatmimic ants, beetles, grasshoppers, inchworms and such are top summertimeflies. Here are a few tips to consider re-

garding terrestrials for trout:


Ohio Valley Outdoors -Photo by Jeff KnappA summertime fly, a green weenie, helped put this PA wild brown trout in the net.

Summertime Terrestrial

Turn To Summertime Page 5

By Jeff KnappFishing Editor

OVOu

tdoo

rTim

es

• Match the type of terrestrial to thewater you’re fishing. For meadowstreams the nod often goes to hoppers,since they are prevalent in such sur-roundings. In the woodland stream, likethe one in this story, it’s not surprising agreen weenie worked well, as the troutare accustomed to eating inch worm.Ants and beetles are common insects,and work on most streams.• Be sure to include casts that drift

tight to the bank, as this is the zone many

terrestrial insects are when they fall intothe water.• Inch worms are one of the easiest

flies to tie. If you’re considering gettingin to fly tying, this is a good pattern tostart with, since it’s essentially just a sec-tion of green chenille secured to a hook.The green weenie also does a good jobof suggesting various types of caddis lar-vae.• Flies like Bass Pro Shops FlyingAnt,

which incorporates lots of color, is aneasy fly to follow, making it a great oneto fish on the surface.


Summertime From Page 4


www.boltconstruction.cc

CONSTRUCTION, INC.

Headquarters 10422 South Avenue Youngstown, Ohio 44514

Phone 330-549-0349 Fax 330-549-0344Email [email protected]

The Petroleum IndustryJet Fueling SystemsGas Compressor Stations

Over 30 Years of Doing Things Right

By StatePoint MediaLocal roads, bridges, and other transit areintegral parts of the national park experi-ence. However, parks and their transporta-tion infrastructure are facing a mountingfinancial challenge, say experts.Under the current law, the National ParkService is guaranteed $240 million peryear for transportation projects through theFederal Highway Trust Fund, which advo-cates say is only one quarter of the amountneeded annually to guarantee safe accessto national parks.“With national park visits at an all-timehigh, more park funding, not less, is what’sneeded to address the $6 billion worth ofoverdue and delayed transportation proj-ects on the table,” says Laura Loomis, Na-tional Parks Conservation Association’sdeputy vice president of government af-fairs.The National Park Service manages 1,500bridges and about 10,000 miles of roadsnationwide, including rural national parkdrives and major urban thoroughfares.From corroding support beams on parkbridges to outmoded roads that create dan-gerous drop-offs, unfunded projects can

pose a safety hazard to motorists, cyclists,hikers, park staff, emergency respondersand wildlife.“Not only should Congress ensure nationalparks are safe, but investing in them spurseconomic growth and supports jobs,” saysLoomis. “The 100th anniversary of the Na-tional Park System in 2016 is a historic op-portunity for Congress to ensure ournational parks have the resources theyneed to thrive.”Information about transportation needsand funding opportunities in national parkscan be found by visiting www.npca.org.National parks around the country providenatural, educational, recreational, culturaland historical experiences for millions ofvisitors. In fact, there were 292.8 millionvisits to national parks in 2014, breakingthe previous record of 287.2 million visitsset in 1987.With national parks more popular thanever, it’s likely you’ll find yourself on apark road soon enough. Experts say thatwell-funded national park roads andbridges will help keep visitors safer andmake their national park experiences moreenjoyable.

Increased Funding Needed for National ParksImprovements, Say Experts

COLUMBUS, OH — The OhioWildlife Council approved early migra-tory bird hunting season dates, accord-ing to the Ohio Department of NaturalResources (ODNR). Sept. 1 is Ohio’sopening day for mourning dove, Canadagoose, rail, moorhen and snipe huntingseasons.Ohio’s dove 2015 hunting season

dates are Sept. 1-Nov. 8, and Dec. 12-Jan. 1, 2016. The daily limit is 15 birdswith a possession limit of 45 birds afterthe second day. Dove hunting dates wereextended 20 days last year, and that ex-tended season will continue in 2015.Additional hunting seasons approved

by the OhioWildlife Council include thefollowing dates.• Special early season Canada goose:

Sept. 1-15. Daily limit of five; posses-sion limit of 15 after the second day.• Early teal: Sept. 5-20. Daily limit of

six; possession limit of 18 after the sec-ond day.• Sora rail and Virginia rail: Sept. 1-

Nov. 9. Daily limit of 25; possessionlimit of 75 after the second day.

• Common moorhen: Sept. 1-Nov. 9.Daily limit of 15; possession limit of 45after the second day.• Common snipe: Sept. 1-Nov. 29 and

Dec. 19-Jan. 4, 2016. Daily limit ofeight; possession limit of 24 after thesecond day.• American woodcock: Oct. 10-Nov.

23. Daily limit of three; possession limitof nine after the second day.Waterfowl hunters must have a valid

hunting license in addition to an Ohiowetlands habitat stamp endorsement, afederal duck stamp and a Harvest Infor-mation Program (HIP) certification.Hunters must obtain a new HIP certifica-tion each year to hunt any migratorygame bird season. Call 877-HIP-OHIO(447-6446) to complete the HIP certifi-cation. Licenses, permits and stamps areavailable online at the Wild Ohio Cus-tomer Center. Federal duck stamps areavailable at duckstamp.com.New this year, hunters can carry a

valid receipt for a federal duck stamp, oran e-stamp, in place of a signed stampfor 45 days after purchase.An Ohio wet-

lands habitat stamp endorsement and afederal duck stamp are not required tohunt doves, rails, moorhens, snipe andwoodcock.Controlled dove hunts will be offered

Sept. 1, and Sept. 2, at Fallsville, RushRun, Spring Valley, Indian Creek andBott state wildlife areas. Controlleddove hunts will also be offered at St.Marys State Fish Hatchery on Sept. 1,Sept. 2, Sept. 5, Sept. 12 and Sept. 19.Hunting hours are noon to sunset for allcontrolled dove hunts.Opening day drawings for all of these

hunts will take place at noon onAug. 22,at the respective public area headquar-ters. Bott Wildlife Area will hold itsdrawings at the Indian Creek Headquar-ters. Drawings for the other hunts willbe held the day of the hunt at noon.Maps and details are available at wildo-hio.gov. Questions about these huntsshould be directed to the ODNR Divi-sion of Wildlife’s District Five office at937-372-9261.The 2015-2016 Ohio Hunting and

Trapping Regulations are available atwildohio.gov and at license outlets. The2015 Migratory Game Bird HuntingSeasons brochure is available inAugust.Visit the ODNR website at

ohiodnr.gov.

Ohio’s Migratory Bird HuntingSeasons Begin Sept. 1


How to Contact US

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR• E-mail: [email protected]• Write: “Dear OVTimes” at Ohio Valley Outdoor Times: 210 E. 4th Street,East Liverpool, Ohio 43920

• Please include your full name, address and phone number. Letters may beedited for clarity and space.

ADVERTISING• E-mail: [email protected]• Phone: 330-385-2243• Fax: 330-385-7114• Write: advertising at Ohio Valley Outdoor Times:210 E. 4th Street, East Liverpool, Ohio 43920

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo courtesy of ODNRHunting season for American woodcock inOhio is set for Oct. 10-Nov. 23. The earlymigratory bird hunting season for dove and

Canada goose opens September 1.

JOIN OVO ON

Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine

My girlfriend saysI’m a freak, and she’sprobably right.Throughout highschool, when mostkids my age were re-belling against theirparents or hangingout with their friends,I spent my time run-ning traplines, scout-ing for deer, and tyingflies for trout season. Strangest part ofit, though, is that in all these years, Ihaven’t changed. In fact, I probably geteven more pleasure out of those thingsnow than I did back then because now Ihave kids in my life that are eager tolearn about them, too.It’s no secret that nationwide hunter,

trapper, and fishermen numbers havesteadily declined the past 20 years, whichis why it’s so important that we get ouryouth involved today. If we want ouroutdoors heritage to continue and thriveinto the future, it’s imperative that weshare our passion with the next genera-

tion.Yes, it’s true that there are more things

vying for kids’ attention than there wereyears ago, with technology being themain culprit. Here’s a shocking statistic:99% of boys under 18 and 94% of girlsunder 18 say they regularly play videogames. By the time they reach 21, theaverage youth will have spent up to10,000 hours playing video games. In-cidentally, that’s roughly the same num-ber of hours students spend in aclassroom for all of middle and highschool combined.Of course, video games are only one

part of the equation. I only mention itbecause I hear so many other outdoors-men say, and with good reason, that theoutdoors can’t compete with the latestPlay Station 4 or Xbox One. Actually,maybe nothing can. After all, the out-doors isn’t the only industry being af-fected. Across the board, youthinvolvement in sports is down signifi-cantly, too (football -28.6%, baseball -14.4%, track and field -13.7%, and so onwith almost every major sport), in the

past 10 years.I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer,

but I’m telling you all of this for a rea-son. A new hunting and trapping seasonis fast approaching, which means lots ofnew opportunities for getting kids in-volved in the outdoors.Every year, I make it a point to get a

kid involved in whatever I’m doing inthe outdoors. Usually, that means trap-ping because I’ve always felt that trap-ping is perfectly geared toward keepingyouths interested. For one thing, trap-ping requires a lot of preparation, fromscouting to dying and waxing traps to fi-nally setting them on opening day. It’sbusy work, but it’s also work in whichprogress can be measured fairly quickly,so there’s a sense of accomplishmentafter each task. We may spend anevening finding new locations, lookingfor tracks in the mud, and asking permis-sion from landowners. We may spendanother evening dyeing traps and thenanother evening waxing them.Last year, Ashley, my nine-year-old

niece, helped me wax traps. More accu-rately, once I showed her how to waxthem, she wanted to do the rest all byherself. As she did, I tinkered with someother traps to make them operate more


Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Ralph ScherderAshley, the author’s nine-year-old niece, helpedScherder wax his traps before last season. “OnceI showed her how to wax them, she wanted to

do the rest all by herself,” said Scherder.Turn To Kids Page 9

By Ralph ScherderHunting Editor

OVOu

tdoo

rTim

es

Getting Kids Involvedin the Outdoors

smoothly and we talked as we worked.It provided me the opportunity to spendtime with her while teaching her some-thing new. If I’ve learned anything frombeing around kids, it’s that they alwaysenjoy learning new things.

The next day, Ashley rode along withme as I scouted a few new places. Ishowed her how to make a pocket set bydigging a hole in the bank for the bait andshowed her where we’d place the traponce the season opened. She asked ques-tions and absorbed everything.

Although she lives in West Virginiaand couldn’t actually run the traplinewith me last fall, she called or texted mealmost every day to find out what Icaught in the places she helped me find,and how many of them were caught inpocket sets or dirthole sets, and, ofcourse, how the traps she waxed wereholding up. Later in the season, whenmy energy and enthusiasm levels startedto drop off (because no matter how muchI love it, trapping is still hard work), herphone calls kept me going. I wanted tohave something good to report to her, soI worked harder and for a longer periodof time than I might have otherwise.

In the meantime, other kids occasion-

ally accompany me on the trapline –Zack, the neighbor kid, and Ian, my girl-friend’s older son. Eventually I intro-duced my cousin’s husband, Reed, totrapping, and shortly after that he and hisson started running their own trapline.By season’s end, they caught about adozen raccoons and a couple muskrats.That’s another reason why I’ve alwaysfelt trapping was a great way to get kidsinvolved in the outdoors – if you put inthe effort, you get rewarded with a catch,and usually within just a few days.

There are many ways to get youth in-volved in the outdoors, of course. In thepast, I’ve taught kids how to tie flies andthen taken them to the lake where theycould catch bluegills on the flies they tiedthemselves. Every time I get a new bow,I pass my old one along to a kid whoshows an interest, and then we spendtime shooting and getting better. That’sanother thing I’ve learned about kids –they seem to be happiest when they no-tice themselves getting better at some-thing. In my opinion, that’s what keepskids interested more than anything.

In recent years, trail cameras havebeen a great way to get kids involved inthe outdoors. To me, checking camerasis like checking traps – you never knowwhat you’re going to get that day. Kids

love checking the cameras, too, and see-ing the photos of deer and other wildlife.I’ve found that even kids who aren’t thatinterested in hunting, such as my girl-friend’s younger son Owen (he’s only 9),

like to check scouting cameras. Owengets excited when we head out into thewoods to check cameras because I tellhim stories of past hunting experiences,


www.carrollcountyohio.com 1-877-727-0103

Explore Carroll

paradise - Leesville & Atwood Lakes

Low-horse power lakes 28 miles of shoreline and more than 1,000 acres of water at each lake Public boat launch ramps Two marinas with boat rentals at both lakes Find bluegill, bullheads, channel catfish, crappie, northern pike, saugeye and yellow perch Leesville Lake is known for its muskies

Kids From Page 8

Turn To Kids Page 10

Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Larry ClaypoolSeven-year-old Brayden Hall target shoots for the first time with his 22 rifle. This father,

Steve, helped line up the target and made sure proper ear protection and safety gear was used.


show him my favorite spots and take thetime to explain why deer travel the waythey do, why some spots are better thanothers, and any other things I can think ofthat might make it a more enjoyable expe-rience. He’s mighty curious about all ofthat stuff, so who knows, maybe eventu-ally Owen will want to hunt, too.Most of all, though, we’re doing some-

thing fun together, creating memories. Ittakes time to teach a kid to hunt, trap, orfish, but it’s a worthwhile investment, notonly for the future of the sport but for thepersonal enjoyment I get out of seeing akid succeed at something they’ve neverdone before.As a general rule, outdoorsmen are re-

ally good at getting their own kids in-volved in hunting, trapping, and fishing.As fathers and mothers, we know the joyof sharing the outdoors with our kids andwe know that doing so forms a bond thatalmost no other activity can form. Thechallenge, though, is to also share ourpassion with kids who don’t have thatkind of connection or who lack role mod-els in their lives who will take the time tointroduce them to the outdoors. Thosekids need us now more than ever, and weneed them.

Kids From Page 9

ALEXANDRIA, VA—At the recentICAST trade show, Recreational Boat-ing & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) Pres-ident and CEO Frank Peterson andBSA’s Fishing Committee ChairmanBen Jelsema signed a partnership agree-ment to support Boy Scout fishingthrough its BSA Certified Angling In-structor program. The BSA CertifiedAngling Instructor program transformsBSA fishing advocates into more effec-tive trained instructors across the coun-try, teaching Scouts of all ages the basicsof fishing.The key objectives to introduce Scouts

to the joys of fishing are to help themcatch their first fish, provide opportuni-ties for ongoing fishing experiences, andencourage a progressive interest in fish-ing while increasing their skill levels.RBFF will provide resources includingeducational and instructional content

from its Passport to Fishing and BoatingProgram and TakeMeFishing.org. In ad-dition, RBFF will leverage materialsfrom its industry network to the BoyScouts of America to aid in teachingyouth the enjoyment of getting outdoors,enjoying boating and fishing activitiesand protecting our precious outdoor en-vironment and waterways.“Our goal is to double the number of

CertifiedAngling Instructors with BSA,increasing the opportunities for Scoutsages 6-12 to get involved in fishing,”said Peterson. “This partnership alignsnicely with our mission to get more peo-ple out on the water fishing and boating,in turn generating critical funds for stateaquatic conservation activities.”For over 100 years, fishing has been

an important activity for Boy Scouts.The Fishing merit badge was one of theoriginal merit badges and in 2015 the

2,000,000th youth earned the Fishingmerit badge.Surveys indicate that 83% of Scouts

like to fish and it is the 4th most popularoutdoor activity (surpassed only bycamping, swimming and bicycling).Surveys further revealed Scouts arespending 23.3 million hours fishingevery year, and spend approximately$70 million dollars on fishing equip-ment.A newly-introduced recognition for

Scouts is to become a “COMPLETEANGLER.” It is earned by completingthe Fishing, Fly fishing and Fish andWildlife merit badges. It all begins withtheir first catch, and both BSA andRBFF are committed to ensuringScouts’ first fishing experience is fun,exciting and memorable!

Partner with Take Me Fishing Program

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylva-nia’s early migratory bird seasons havebeen approved, and dove hunters willneed to pay particular attention to thedates on which seasons start and end.Dove-season segments have been re-

structured this year so that doves may behunted throughout the early small-gameseason. But that means dove season willclose briefly prior to the start of small-game season, then reopen.Dove season will open on September

1 and run through Oct. 10. It then willreopen on Oct. 17, which is the first dayof the statewide openers for squirrelsand ruffed grouse, and run through Nov.28, which is the closing day for squir-rels, grouse, rabbits, pheasants and quail.The final dove season segment runsfrom Dec. 26 through Jan. 1.Traditionally, the first segment started

and ended in September, and much ofOctober was closed to dove hunting. Butfor the second consecutive year, underseason-setting guidelines adopted by theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2014,Pennsylvania and other eastern stateshave been allotted additional dove-hunt-ing days to make for a longer season.Hunting hours are from noon until

sunset from Sept. 1 through Sept. 25.Beginning on Sept. 26, hunting hoursduring open dove seasons begin at one-half hour before sunrise and end at sun-set.The daily bag limit in each dove-hunt-

ing segment has been set at 15, with apossession limit of 45.The September statewide season for

resident Canada geese also will openSept. 1, and continue through Sept. 25.The September season retains a dailybag limit of eight Canada geese, with apossession limit of 24.Shooting hours during the September

goose season are one-half hour beforesunrise to one-half hour after sunset, ex-cept when the season overlaps withyouth waterfowl hunting days. On thosedays, shooting hours end at sunset.The first youth waterfowl hunting day

will be held statewide on Sept. 19, andthe second day will vary by duck-hunt-ing zone and will be announced whenlate migratory game bird seasons are se-lected in mid-August.Youth waterfowl days are open to li-

censed junior hunters who are 12 to 15years old. To participate, a youngstermust be accompanied by an adult, who

may assist the youth in calling, duckidentification and other aspects of thehunt. During those hunts, youth can har-vest ducks, geese, mergansers, coots andgallinules. Licensed adults can harvestCanada geese on Sept. 19, and on thesecond youth day if there is a generalCanada goose season open in the areabeing hunted.Migratory game bird hunters, includ-

ing those afield for doves and wood-cock, are required to obtain and carry aPennsylvania migratory game bird li-cense ($3.70 for residents, $6.70 fornonresidents), as well as a general hunt-ing, combination or lifetime license. Allwaterfowl hunters age 16 and older alsomust possess a federal migratory birdhunting and conservation (duck) stamp.Annual migratory bird and waterfowl

seasons are selected by states from aframework established by the U.S. Fish&Wildlife Service.The “Pennsylvania 2015-16 Guide to

Migratory Bird Hunting” brochure willbe posted on the Game Commission’swebsite (www.pgc.state.pa.us) in mid-August.Hunters are encouraged to report leg-

banded migratory game bird recoveriesonline at www.reportband.gov, or usethe toll-free number (1-800-327-

BAND). Online reporting is preferredbecause it provides better data qualityand lowers costs. Hunters will be re-quested to provide information onwhere, when and what species weretaken, in addition to the band number.This information is crucial to the suc-cessful management of migratory gamebirds.


Early Migratory Bird Seasons Set in PA


Send us your trophy photos

For ourPhoto Showcase

Connor Mayleturkey

Trumbull County, OH

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

www.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com

Eric Mehalkolargemouth bass

using green pumpkin java tubes

Growing up in East-ern Pennsylvania, thePA Dutch restaurantswe periodically visitedall had gift shops.There you could findthe most effectivetime managementtools to help avoid pro-crastination. Some were made of woodwith elegant stenciling, while otherswere paper certificates with large fontprinting. To save you the time and ex-pense of traveling several hundred mileseast on the PA Turnpike to acquire one,let me explain how you can make yourown. Simply start with a piece of paperand cut out a large circle from it. Witha magic marker, boldly write the letters:T-U-I-T on it. Post your finished projectin your basement, garage, or whereveryou store your outdoor gear. The nexttime you think of some task you need toget done in preparation for an upcomingoutdoor excursion, you’ll no longer be

able to push it off with the familiar ex-cuse, “I’ll get it done when I get aroundto it,” because you’ll now have yourvery own Round TUIT hanging on thewall.All kidding aside, we are rapidly ap-

proaching my favorite months of theyear: October and November, whenhunting and fishing can be exceptional.If you are anything like me, you’ll wantto spend as much time as possible out inthe woods or on the water with the vi-brant transition of the leaves as a color-ful back-drop. In order to squeeze outas many opportunities as possible thisFall to sit in a tree stand, duck blind, orfishing boat; or trek through your fa-vorite woodlots, fields, swamps, or for-est, or along a preferred waterway; youneed to get as much preparation done aspractical now to avoid wasting precioustime later. From my perspective, thedays in October and November seem tofly by twice as fast as any other monthsof the year, most likely because I want

to cram in as much outdoor time and ac-tivities as physically possible during thattime frame. I’m guessing you have sim-ilar thoughts on these prime Fall months,so permit me to share some ideas onwhat we can all be doing in the time re-maining before we soon kick our out-door appetites into high gear.Inspections – Take the time to get your

gear out and thoroughly look it over.When it comes to critical items, likeyour treestands, this boils down to amatter of personal safety. The TreestandManufacturers Association (TMA)highly recommends that users thor-oughly read their owner’s manual andwatch their product videos on an annualbasis to properly prepare for the season.Remember, complacency maims or killswhen it comes to treestand accidents, socarefully look for worn or missing com-ponents, frayed harnesses or straps, andcrack or damaged metal. Preseason isthe time to repaint bright surfaces toconceal reflective glare and add tape tohelp silence noisy parts. Give yoursafety harness the attention it deservesas a key component to ensure you comehome safely to your loved ones aftereach day afield. Other critical items toinspect closely include your firearms,

Wisely Prepare Now to MaximizeTime Afield this Fall

By Col.(Ret.)Grey D. Berrier IIFIN Pro Staff

OVOu

tdoo

rTim

es

Ohio Valley Outdoors–PPhoto by Grey D. Berrier IINow is the time to get out your climbing

treestands to inspect their serviceability andpractice your climbing technique. Don’t

procrastinate until the season opener, in casethere might be a problem.Turn To Prepare Page 13

muzzleloaders, bows, crossbows, ar-rows, bolts, broadheads, waders, GPSunits, decoys, calls, flashlights, knives,backpacks, clothing, and just aboutevery other outdoor item that if it fails,or doesn’t do its job, could potentiallyruin a trip.Cleaning and Repairing – Chances are

pretty high that you may have an item ortwo that got put away dirty at some pointor requires some form of repair beforethe season. Now is an excellent time toget these little things done that can besuch an annoyance if ignored until thenight before you’re heading out. I canthink of one upland hunting vest thatwas torn plowing through a multiflorarose thicket during the late season thatwill need sewn up soon to avoid losingvaluable shot shells out of the rightpocket on a future pheasant hunt. If youthink about it, your clothing and equip-ment may have had some similar casual-ties to fair wear and tear that requireattention before getting back in thegame.Practice – I can’t stress this enough

when it comes to your bow, crossbow,shotgun, rifle, handgun, or muzzle-loader. You need to become competent

and confident with the hunting imple-ments you elect to use. We all owe it tothe game we pursue to make clean, hu-mane kills at ranges that we are comfort-able taking high percentage shots at.Repetition with good form and a safetyconsciousness are key to maximizingyour potential with your selected hunt-ing tool. Mentors owe it to the youthand adults that they plan to take huntingthis fall to ensure they have the oppor-tunity to get in ample practice beforeheading afield. Other key items to prac-tice with include climbing treestands,safety harnesses, calls, GPS units, com-passes, and your camera.Projects –We all seem to have a men-

tal “To Do List” when it comes to en-hancing our outdoors experiences.Some of these are long-term, such as es-tablishing a food plot or erecting a per-manent stand. There is still time totackle these significant tasks for thiscoming hunting season, if you getstarted soon. Other smaller, yet impor-tant, projects may include reloading shotshells or cartridges, tying flies, or wax-ing traps. The remaining days ofAugustand the month of September are excel-lent times to knock out those big andsmall projects you have in mind for thisyear.

Scouting – There is no substitute forknowing what is going on in the woods.While animal behavior and travel pat-terns will change somewhat betweensummer and fall, nothing inspires confi-dence and provides motivation to be outthere as frequently as possible this fallas knowing what animals could poten-tially show up. This includes: trophybucks, magnificent long-beards, cagycoyotes, or abundant small game.Whether your scouting consists of closeencounters from a treestand or blind,long distance observations with qualityoptics, or trail camera photographs; themore information you gather preseason,the better odds you’ll have of being inthe right place at the right time to fillyour tag this fall.Purchases – Every outdoorsman,

woman, and youth I know has a “WishList” of what they want or need to en-hance their future outdoor experiences.Maybe it’s something new and hightech, possibly old school and fundamen-tal, a required license, stamp, or permit,or you just want to get started in anotheroutdoor pursuit you’ve never tried be-fore (such as deer hunting with astraight-wall cartridge rifle in Ohio).Whatever you decide, take the time todo your homework in advance by con-

sulting numerous resources such as theOhio Valley Outdoor Times, Ohio Val-ley Outdoor Magazine, and other out-door publications and books, visiting theabundant outdoor websites on the Inter-net, and talking to fellow hunters and thepro staff members at your favorite out-door retailer. After you’ve completedyour research, you’ll feel comfortableand confident about adding that neces-sary item to the outdoor gear you toteafield to get the job done.We all have only 24 hours in a day. If

you plan on spending as many of thosehours as possible afield or on the waterthis coming October and November,now is the time to get around to it in-specting your gear, cleaning and repair-ing, practicing, completing projects,scouting, and making necessary pur-chases to ensure you are ready when theseason(s) you are eagerly anticipatingroll around. Thorough preparation willmake the days go by quicker and willdefinitely be time well spent!


Prepare From Page 12

Ohio Valley Outdoors

passed, a Concealed Carry Weapon cer-tification class. I will soon apply for myCCWpermit through the county sheriff’soffice so I can begin carrying a Kahr9mm handgun.I asked others in my CC class why

they were there for the eight-hour ses-sion, on a hot, muggy Saturday morning.The answers were pretty much whatwe’ve been hearing across this countryrecently.And the responses/reactions aredriven by fear.“It’s not safe in our town. I live in

Steubenville and there’s a lot of drugs inour town,” said Cheryl Ciaramitaro. “Forsomeone who hasn’t picked up a gun, Ithink you need to educate yourself.”Wellsville resident Denny Stoddard

agrees, “It’s an education piece (theCCW class). I had no opinion or knowl-edge (about guns previously), but it’stime to do something now.”For Becky Mickey, also of Wellsville,

she would like the option to concealcarry when her family is outdoors andriding trails with their quads. Many ofher friends conceal carry. “I wanted totake the class for the education of it. Andwe go four-wheeling, and there’s a lot ofwild animals out where we ride. A lot of

coyotes.”Taming wild animals or uncomfortable

situations with people seems to be acommon theme for why regular citizensare taking CCW classes.For firearms instructor Marty “Keith”

Thorn, who taught the class I attended inWellsville, he has definitely seen anuptick lately in students interested in ob-taining CCW certification. He’s cur-rently holding classes monthly withanywhere from 10-20 students. Businessis pretty good for firearms instructorsacross this country.Thorn says interest in CCW classes is

cyclical. Some of the interest is tied toshooting events that capture nationalmedia attention. “It comes and goes. Itdepends on the mood of people. Whenthey start the thing that “people should-n’t have guns”, then people want to takea class. Or when they talk about takingguns away, it’s the same thing,” saidThorn, who’s been in law enforcementsince 1974 and a firearms instructor thepast 12 years.Thorn has been offering CCW classes

in Wellsville for the last four years. He’sassisted by his son, Marty, and friendSteve Vallera. The past few years the av-erage class size has been five people.This year a spike in students average be-

tween 10-20 per month.Most of Thorn’s students are senior

citizens and women. In my class, of 10people, half were women, and I mayhave been one of two people over the age

of 50.In the world of firearms instruction,

Thorn said safety is key for everyone.“Safety is the big thing. We don’t want


Turn To CCW Page 15

CCW From Page 1

Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Larry ClaypoolFirearms instructor Steve Vallera (left) shows student Becky Mickey

the correct way to load her 9mm handgun.

any injuries,” said Thorn. That was defi-nitely stressed during my class.By law a CCW class must include

eight hours of instruction. Two hours ofthat must be done on the shooting range.Up until this year classes were 12 hourslong. The cost is anywhere from $50-$100. Thorn charges $60 per course, andthat includes time on the shooting range.Most instructors operate the same way,as I found in my searches on the Internet.Thorn said the eight hour class is more

convenient for students but it makes ittough to get the required informationacross during the shorter span. “It meansyou really, really have to try and get itdone in eight hours,” said Thorn. “Weusually go one more hour, so I can covereverything.”The class also stresses the importance

of the added responsibility one bearswhen they are conceal carrying. There’salso a heavy liability, or burden, placedon CCW permit holders. Thorn said he’seven had a few people say they were nolonger interested in carrying a weaponafter taking the class, because of the re-sponsibility it carries (pun intended).For those who do want the responsibil-

ity they must apply for a CCW permit

through their local sheriff’s office. InOhio, permits are issued in the countyyou reside in or an adjoining county. InWest Virginia permits are issued only inthe county which you reside in. You mustbe at least 21 years of age to apply.The cost for a CC permit in Ohio is

generally $67 for a new issue license.That covers a five-year period. The re-newal fee after that will cost $50. Thereare additional fees if you’ve been a resi-dent in Ohio for less than five years.There’s an extra background check thatis required. InWest Virginia, the cost fora CC permit is $100, $75 toward the ap-plication fee and $25 for the West Vir-ginia State Police fee. The renewal fee,also after five years, is the same as theinitial fees. In Pennsylvania, the permitfee is $20 but no firearms training is re-quired. Ohio and West Virginia, as domost states, require a permit holder tohave a CCW class before applying for apermit. The states of Georgia and Wash-ington are similar to PA.Three states, Alaska, Arizona and Ver-

mont, allow the general public to carryconcealed and they do not need a licenseor permit to do so.Gun laws are changing across the

country regularly. Many states, likeOhio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia,

are “shall-issue” states, which means thegovernment agency (county sheriff’s of-fices) shall issue a permit (usually within45 days) or deny the application and statewhy. There are many items that will leadto denial of a permit application, mostlyinvolving any previous felony or drugconvictions. A federal NICS (NationalInstant Criminal Background Check Sys-tem) background check is part of theprocess.Visit the provided web pages below or

contact your local sheriff’s office for spe-cific questions about the permit applica-tion process and CCW laws.For additional questions about conceal

carry laws, contact your local sheriff’soffice or state Attorney General or visitone of the following websites: in Ohio— www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov;www.buckeyefirearms.org; in West Vir-ginia — www.ago.wv.gov;www.wvcdl.org and in Pennsylvania —www.psp.pa.gov/firearms-informationand www.pafoa.org. In Ohio, mostcounty sheriff’s offices have valuable in-formation, including CCW applications,on their websites.Information about finding a CCW in-

structor in your area is also available on-line. Instructor Keith Thorn’s contactnumber is: 330-383-9235.


BOW WorkshopSlated at Watoga

State Park

MARLINTON,WV—TheWest VirginiaDivision of Natural Resources (DNR) an-nounces that registration is underway for thefall “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman”(BOW) workshop at Watoga State ParkSept. 18-20, 2015. This is an opportunity forwomen ages 18 and older to learn new out-door skills.“Have you ever wanted to learn a new

skill but have never had the opportunity totry? Or, have you wanted to take up an out-door sport but were afraid to purchase all theequipment and then find out later that youhated it?Then, the ‘Becoming an Outdoors-Woman’program is definitely for you,” said BOWorganizer Billie Shearer of the Wildlife Re-sources Section of the DNR.The BOW workshop will offer outdoor

classes that include archery, biking, shoot-ing, fishing, nature walk and outdoor cook-ing, to list a few. Registration is open with afee of $150, which covers lodging and twodinners. Breakfast and lunch will be on yourown.For more information or to register for the

workshop, please contact BOW at 304-558-2771 or [email protected]. The regis-tration form can be downloaded atwww.wvdnr.gov/hunting/bow.shtm.

CCW From


Steve DiCross19.8lbs., 10" beard, 1" spurs

Harrison County, OH

Jerry Hanna19.2lbs., 9" beard, 1" spursHarrison County, OH

Nikki Snyderlargemouth bass

Brooke County, WV

Dillon Walton24 lbs., 10.5 " beard

Westmoreland County, PA

Wendy Shetlerlargemouth bass

Dennis Shetlerlargemouth bass

Hunter Seminskydouble beard 9-1/2" & 8",

spurs1-3/8" & 1 1/8"OH

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

Wayne Wilson8.4 lbs 29" walleye

Hancock County, WV


Chad Parker9-pt., compound bowEnon Valley, PA

Marvin Aeschbacher1st Merriam turkeyBlack Hills, SD

Gary Clark23 lbs, 11" beard

Ashtabula County, OH

Lillian May1st turkey, 20-lbs., 9-1/2" beard

Mahoning County, OH

Mark Colella9-pt., 20" outside spreadVenango County, PA

Matt Scarsella10-pt., bow

Jefferson County, OH

Sam DerugenVelvet whitetail, 9 1/2" droptine

Sheyenne, ND

Betenturkey

Brian Woods10-pt. buck

Shelby County, OH

Aaron Tangemanmule deer

Alberta, Canada

Steve Scottmule deer

Alberta, Canada

Marvin Aeschbacher1 7/8" spurs. 12" beard 20lbs.

Florida Osceola turkey


HoursMon: 11-7Tues: 9-5(Sept - Dec: 9-7)Wed: 11-7Thurs: CLOSEDFri - 11-7Sat: 9-4Sun: CLOSED

Guns, Ammo, Optics330.340.9071

Archery330.407.3483

Full line of Archery products available

Miller’s Gun SupplyHunting, Trapping and Archery

10654 Skyline Dr. | Sugarcreek, Ohio 44681Ohio Valley Outdoorswww.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com


Regional FLWColleges Qualifyfor ConferenceChampionships

CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. — TheChristopher Newport University (CNU)team of Cody Griffey of Smithfield, Vir-ginia, and Peter Kenny of Ashburn, Vir-ginia, won the FLW College FishingNorthern Conference tournament onLake Chautauqua Saturday with fivebass weighing 12 pounds, 11 ounces.The victory earned the club $2,000 andadvanced the team to the FLW CollegeFishing Northern Conference Champi-onship tournament.The top 15 teams that advance to the

Northern Conference Championshiptournament on Chesapeake Bay. Thewinners and top regional qualifiers are:1st - Christopher Newport University -Cody Griffey, Smithfield, Va., and PeterKenny, Ashburn, Va. (five bass, 12-11,$2,000); 10th - Kent State University -Matthew Holsinger, Massillon, Ohio,and Dante Gramuglia, Middlefield, Ohio(three bass, 10-4); 11th - Slippery RockUniversity of Pennsylvania - Joel Hixon,Butler, Pa., and Evan Kretz, Allison

Park, Pa. (five bass, 9-14); 12th - OhioState University - Ryan Surface, Fenton,Mich., and John Belluardo, Peninsula,Ohio (five bass, 9-13) and 13th - Univer-sity of Akron - Kevin Arnold, Copley,Ohio, and Christian Combs, Norton,Ohio (four bass, 9-6).Complete results can be found at Col-

legeFishing.com.This FLW College Fishing Northern

Conference tournament was hosted byChautauqua County Visitors Bureau andwas the third and final regular-seasonqualifying tournament. The next eventfor Northern Conference anglers will bethe FLWCollege Fishing Northern Con-ference Championship, scheduled forSept. 12-13 at the Chesapeake Bay inNorth East, Md.FLW College Fishing teams compete

in qualifying tournaments in one of fiveconferences - Central, Northern, South-ern, Southeastern and Western. The topfifteen teams from each regular-seasontournament will qualify for one of fiveConference Championship tournaments.The top ten teams from each of the fiveConference Championship tournamentswill advance to the 2016 FLW CollegeFishing National Championship.College Fishing is free to enter. All

participants must be registered, full-timestudents at a college, university or com-munity college and members of a fish-ing club recognized by their college oruniversity.For regular updates, photos, tourna-

ment news and more, follow CollegeFishing on Facebook at Face-book.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter atTwitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit College-Fishing.com to sign up or to start a clubat your school.

Whitacre andGywnn Take Walleye

Madness Final

GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE, OH —Walleye Madness Tournaments heldtheir fourth and final tournament of theyear on July 25 on Lake Erie. The sold-out field launched out of Geneva StatePark, looking for Lake Erie gold. Teamsspread throughout the lake looking toscore a record setting $3,000 first placeprize.The team of Matt Whitacre and Jim

Gywnn took top honors with 32.60# bag.In a close second Zak Jobes and DanNiese with 32.00#. Jobes and Niese werealso the top finishing Mercury outboard

team which earned them an additional$150. Tied for third place were the teamsJames Dean/Jeff Metzger and FrankBurkhart/Clint Kendrick with 31.55#.DaveMaholic andMikeMinton finishedin fifth place with 31.20#.Jim Cooper and Steve Fielder took topLund boat honors. Father/son team Edand Nick Oleksy took Buckeye Big Fishwith a 9.35# walleye.Teams spread throughout the central

basin from Geneva to Conneaut. Teamsfished anywhere from 55 to 76 feet ofwater. Both deep diving crankbaits andworm harnesses worked well, teams re-ported. Many teams also had successusing dipsey divers to get down to fishlower in the water column. Deep Huskeyjerks and Reef Runners also workedwell. For full results go towww.walleyemadness.net.Walleye Madness Tournaments are

sponsored by Buckeye Sports Center,Lund Boats, Mercury Marine, Oakleyand Mepps. The series offers no-mem-bership fee required 100% payout tour-naments, plus $500 per event in sponsorbonuses. Cabela’s National Team Cham-pionship qualifying is provided by theseries affiliation with the national organ-ization, The Walleye Federation.

ohio valley outdoor times 8-2015

Documents