August 31, 2007Saving turtles, one at a timeToday I got out for a bike ride with my friend Mark Quintana. As usual, he left me in the dust as we climbed Mill Mountain on Fishburn Parkway. He was probably 100 yards ahead of me as we approached the turn-off to the Mill Mountain Star and zoo area. On the shoulder ahead I noticed a big, red Ford pick-up facing me. As I got closer I saw a burley guy get in and take off, heading back toward town. Mark had waited for me. "Did you see that guy?" he asked. "The big, burley guy with all the tattoos in the big truck?" I said I had. "Do you know what he was doing?" Mark asked. I didn't, and I couldn't even venture a guess. "I'll show you." We rode to where he was parked. Marked pointed at something on the shoulder opposite of where the man was parked. A colorful box turtle was nestled in the grass. There must have been some turtle migration thing going on because we found one on the Blue Ridge Parkway about 20 minutes later. I put it on the shoulder, which would not have surprised anyone, being that I was fully decked out in lycra. August 28, 2007More proof that groundhogs aren't ground-bound
Until a friend sent me a similar picture last summer I had no idea that groundhogs could do anything but waddle and dig. But, clearly, they are multi-talented. August 23, 2007Here's the DGIF release on the HD outbreakIt's always nice when you get to break news a day before the official word on the story hits the street. I'd like to say that my deep digging helped me get the word out first on the hemorrhagic disease outbreak. But the credit really goes to the concerned citizens who called me yesterday and tipped me off. Thanks, guys. If you see evidence of HD, I'd like to hear about it. Of course, make sure to contact you local DGIF office, too. mt
Deer Hemorrhagic Disease Likely Source of Die-Offs Richmond, VA – The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) has confirmed that the cause of death of a deer in Cumberland County was Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease. Hemorrhagic Disease (HD) is a common viral infectious disease of white-tailed deer, and outbreaks occur annually in the Southeast. Since late July, VDGIF wildlife biologists and conservation police officers have investigated reports of suspected outbreaks from Allegheny, Shenandoah, Nelson, Essex, Bedford, Scott and Hanover Counties. Currently, other states across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic are experiencing HD outbreaks. HD typically occurs in late summer and early fall. The disease poses no threat to humans or domestic pets such as dogs and cats. Biting flies, commonly known as biting gnats, transmit the viral disease. Hemorrhagic Disease cannot be spread by direct contact between infected animals. Deer that contract the disease often die rapidly. The number of deer affected by the current outbreak is variable. While it is not possible to determine the number of deer affected by the current outbreaks, some decrease in deer numbers in the affected areas of the Commonwealth may be expected. Not all deer that contract the disease will die. Surviving deer may be emaciated or appear lame due to hoof damage. High fever due to the virus may cause deer hooves to crack, peel, or even slough off. As always, hunters should not consume deer that were obviously sick when killed. There is no vaccine or medication to combat this deer disease. HD outbreaks will continue to occur until frost slows down the insects that carry the virus. The best defense is to maintain healthy deer herds at a population size that is suitable for the habitat. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is continuing to monitor the situation and will continue to provide technical assistance to affected landowners. Additional information about Hemorrhagic Disease can be found on the Department’s Web site www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/diseases/hd.asp. Members of the public who observe sick or dead deer in their area and suspect HD may be the cause, should report it to a wildlife biologist at one of the following Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries regional offices: Charles City (804-829-6580); Forest (434-525-7522); Fredericksburg (540-899-4169); Marion (276-783-4860); or Verona (540-248-9360). It is the mission of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to maintain optimum populations of all species to serve the needs of the Commonwealth; to provide opportunity for all to enjoy wildlife, inland fish, boating and related outdoor recreation; and to promote safety for persons and property in connection with these outdoor activities. For more information, visit the Department web site at www.dgif.virginia.gov. # # # August 22, 2007Hemorrhagic disease found in Virginia deerVirginia wildlife officials have confirmed that an outbreak of hemorrhagic disease (HD) is occurring in the state's white-tailed deer herd. This isn't shocking news. HD is a common deer disease and outbreaks occur almost yearly in the Southeast. Hot, dry years can result in larger outbreaks because the conditions are favorable for the biting midges that spread the disease. Deer affected by HD tend to develop high fevers, which is why sick and/or dead deer are often found around water. I have had calls out to wildlife officials for two hours seeking details on the outbreak but I haven't heard back yet. But I have learned that the Mead-Westvaco Covington Mill was the site of a pretty significant die-off. According to a mill spokesperson, roughly 20 deer have died within the 150- to 200-acre fenced area of the plant. That's not shocking, either. What tends to happen with HD is that die-offs can be concentrated. It's not uncommon for a single landowner to lose a dozen or more deer, while nearby properties are affected minimally if at all. Even in bad HD years, the impact on the overall deer herd is thought to be pretty minimal. But, if you're a deer hunter and your favorite hunting area is hit hard, it can be devastating. Die-offs wane when the first frost arrives and kills the biting midges. OK, time to start calling DGIF people back so I can get more information on this. My magical powers continue to amaze meDid you get some rain this morning? You're welcome. You see, when I parked at work this morning I left my truck windows open about 3 inches. There wasn't a cloud in sight but I was pretty sure that would change. It started raining about 30 minutes later. As tempting as it was to go put the windows up I resisted. We need rain bad and I'm willing to deal with wet seats. Again, you're welcome. August 16, 2007Land of Umpqua campaign catches my eyeI was paging through my new copy of Field and Stream this afternoon when I saw a full-page ad featuring a guy standing in a stream with a fly rod in his hand. The guy is Frank Moore, who is labeled the "Ambassador for fly-fishing in the North Umpqua" river. Oregon's North Umpqua, which is just a short drive from where I grew up, certainly is deserving of attention as it's one of the great steelhead rivers in the country. But this is the first time I've seen it featured like this in an ad campaign. This is not a rich area by any stretch, so for tourism folks in nearby Roseburg to be putting this kind of resources into an ad campaign is a pretty big deal. It just goes to show how forward-thinking leaders in some of these tucked-away paradises are realizing that tourism can be an important part of their economy and is worth investing in. August 14, 2007Losing a follower in a cloud of dustThis monring I met DGIF biologist Dan Lovelace in Buchanan to talk about the state's Deer Management Assistance Program. I figured the best place to talk DMAP would be at a property that uses the program, so I asked him to follow me out to a friend's place a few miles from town. (I wanted to scout out a couple of stand sites afterward, which is why I suggested we take separate rigs.) After we left blacktop the road was super dusty. I couldn't even see Dan behind me. After a few miles I got to the property, stopped and waited. And waited. And waited. I called Dan's cell phone and didn't get an answer. This is a pretty twisty road so I started fearing the worst, that maybe he'd slid into a ditch. So I backtracked back to the blacktop. No Dan. By then I was on the phone with his office, and they couldn't raise him on his NEXTEL walkie-talkie. There's one fork in the road so I went down it. I was nearly at the end when my phone rang. It was Dan. He had taken that wrong fork, turned around, and gone the right way when I was back at the hardtop. He said there hadn't been any dust at the fork. When I drove back through there I saw he was right. There's a house there and they must spray the road with something to keep the dust down. The mishap delayed us by maybe 15 minutes, but it actually worked out OK. Just inside the gate I spotted a yearling black bear that had just crossed the road in front of us. We wouldn't have seen him if we'd gotten there earlier. The bear stood and looked at me from about 35 yards away, but I didn't have my 400mm lens on my camera and by the time I got situated he had moved off. August 10, 2007What's a lovepossum? Good question.I owe sports copy editor Buddy Wright, big time. Last night he called me at home and asked, "What's a lovepossum?" The word was in a notebook brief I wrote about an upcoming Nature Fest event at the Peaks of Otter. Somehow, "live opposum" had become "lovepossum." And apparently I didn't use spell-check before I filed the notebook. I've had some good typos in my day, including a few that have slipped by the editors. That one would have been bad. Even though it didn't make the paper have a feeling I'm going to be hearing plenty about "lovepossum" from my co-workers over the next few weeks. August 8, 2007A nice king mackerel caught by Julie Ball
August 7, 2007I love shooting deer in August
First we hit the Blue Ridge Parkway at Roanoke Mountain and headed north. Didn't see squat. It was a different story at Explore Park. We probably saw 15 different deer in the main fields there just off the Parkway. Mark my words, whoever manages that place is going to have to implement a controlled hunt one of these years because those deer are going to hammer the habitat. All of the deer were pretty far away but I did manage to get some OK shots of two little four-pointers that were about 100 yards away. We left the Parkway at Route 24 and headed into Bedford County, toward a place out there where I do some hunting. We saw a number of deer, including this guy who was right next to the road. I was able to get two shots off before he bolted. I shot this hand-held at 1/10th of a second shutter speed with a 400mm lens so I was pretty happy the shot wasn't any softer. I'll do this a few more times this month and would like to see some big bucks, especially around areas where I hunt. Of course, that doesn't mean I'll see them come October. August 3, 2007The big red drum from my recent Bay trip
We shot some video that day. The production isn't great as I didn't really take the time to shoot b-roll so the producer didn't have much to work with. But it turned out OK despite that. At a few points you'll hear whistles, which covered up some innappropriate language (not from me). I'm not sure why we couldn't just use the same bleep everyone else uses but, whatever. Next time, no swearing. In the video I say, "I just caught the two biggest fish of my life today." I figured that cobia was close to 50 pounds, and am still surprised it was only 38. So that means it wasn't as heavy as the 46-inch striper I caught (and released) in the Bay about eight years ago. But I caught that striper, which was stout and probably weighed 45 pounds, while trolling with Claude and the only thing I really did was reel it in. I was particularly happy with that cobia and drum because that was a total do-it-ourself trip. You can see the video HERE. |
About this blog
While growing up in rural Southern Oregon, Mark Taylor developed a passion for the outdoors while he and his younger brother tagged along with their father on fishing, hunting and camping adventures. Graduating from Northwestern University in 1988, Taylor spent four years as an officer in the U.S. Navy based in Norfolk before moving into journalism. After five years writing about the military for a Norfolk-based publishing company, he became the outdoors editor at The Roanoke Times in 1998. He lives in Roanoke with his wife and twin daughters. .....Advertisement.....
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