Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, August 30, 1993 TAG: 9310070410
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bill Cochran Outdoor Editor
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The bear kill should bounce back from last year's take of 483 animals - a drop of 26 percent - but don't expect a record season.
The past decade, the bear population has been bullish, the kill setting records seven out of 10 seasons. It took a 50 percent dive in 1990, but bounced back the next year with a record 657.
So what you have is a couple of major setbacks amid a record pace, which makes the bear-predicting business risky at best.
Virginia's bear research biologist, Dennis Martin, believes the kill could go as high as 550 this time, but he is expecting less.
On the positive side, food for bears appears to be much more abundant this year than last. The oak mast crop has rebounded from last year's near failure and soft mast in the form of berries and other fruits already is producing nourishment.
There is a general feeling among biologists that good food years result in higher bear kills. Last year's mast failure probably resulted in many bears denning early or restricting their movements, which means they were less accessible to hunters.
SEASONS:o Chase, Sept 4-Oct. 2; archery, Oct. 9-Nov. 6; gun, Nov. 22-Jan. 1.
DEER
Virginia's swelling deer herd coupled with more liberal hunting regulations for the coming season is certain to mean a record year. It's only a matter of how much the kill will leap above last year's record 200,446.
``It seems to me that we can expect to see an additional 10,000 to 20,000 deer hit the scales,'' said Bob Duncan, chief of the the game division of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
As for trophy racks, nearly every county holds at least a few bucks big enough to send hunters trotting for the taxidermist shop. But on the down side, last year's poor mast crop will mean an overall reduction in antler quality because bucks came through the winter in poorer condition.
In a few counties, Alleghany, Bath and Highland among them, the blizzard of '93 resulted in deer mortality.
``There are still plenty of deer in these counties, but the high numbers that hunters have enjoyed in previous years will be down,'' said Al Bourgeois, a state biologist.
Even so, the slack is expected to be taken up elsewhere. Biologist Larry Crane recommends that early season hunters locate a productive apple or acorn tree. Deer will gather there because the drought has created less forage in the form of grasses.
SEASONS: Archery, Oct.2-Nov. 29, Dec. 1-Jan. 1; muzzle loading, Nov. 1-13, Dec. 20-Jan.1; gun, Nov. 15-27 west, Nov. 15-Jan. 1 east.
DOVES
Populations haven't changed significantly over the past 28 years, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. So hunting success is a matter of selecting an area where these birds are feeding.
That could be more easily accomplished this season, because dry weather is causing many farmers to cut their corn crop earlier than in the past. Corn fields provide ideal spots to launch a dove hunt.
All this means that outdoorsmen can expect good dove hunting, said Patty Moore, the farm habitat program manager for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. For the first time, dove hunters will have all-day action in October.
SEASONS: Sept. 4-30 noon to sunset; Oct. 1-30 one-half hour before sunrise to sunset; Dec. 27-Jan 8, one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
GROUSE
The past three years, hunters have had to push through grouse cover on the average of one hour for every bird flushed, which is below the long-term rate. Look for a slight improvement this season.
Earlier in the year, game officials were concerned that last year's poor mast crop could have sent breeding birds into the nesting season in poor conditions, and spring rains could have been harmful to the chicks that were hatched. But by early summer decent brood production was being observed.
Hunters may have to cover more ground to find these elusive upland game birds. The improved mast crop likely will have them scattered, although a good grape arbor will remain a hot spot to locate grouse. Hunters will get the chance to go after grouse a week earlier than in the past.
SEASON: Oct. 28-Feb. 12.
TURKEYS
Turkeys appeared to benefit from excellent reproduction success in the spring. That should help them rebound from the very poor hatch of last year.
Even so, it will take some serious hunting to find them. The good mast crop will have flocks scattered, and possibly in the deep woods.
Last year, when the mast crop was poor, turkeys often were found near farm fields, which meant that good numbers were taken even though the hatch was low.
When you consider all of these factors, it means this fall's kill likely will be a bit less than last season's 11,460 birds, said Gary Norman, the state's forest game bird program leader.
Turkeys nested about two to three weeks later than usual this spring, which helped the chicks escape the dangers of a wet, early spring, Norman said. Some hens that Norman followed through the use of radio transmitters enjoyed 100- percent survival of their clutch.
SEASONS: Archery, Oct. 2-Nov. 13; gun, Nov. 1-Jan, 1, shorter in certain counties.
QUAIL
Bird hunting last season showed signs of bouncing back from the dismal low of the 1991-92 season. Hunters reported that the number of quail bagged per hour jumped by 27 percent and the number of coveys flushed per hour was up 26 percent.
Everyone hoped this season would continue to build on those welcomed figures, but that doesn't seem likely.
``Quail-hunting prospects for the 1993-94 hunting season do not appear promising,'' said Mike Fies, small game program manager for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Birds appear to have been adversely impacted by the blizzard of '93 and the hot, dry weather of the summer. This means hunting success will compare to last year, or may be even lower, depending on drought conditions, Fies said.
Again this season, the best populations will be found in the Tidewater and East Piedmont regions. Elsewhere, hunting is going to be tough.
SEASON: Nov. 8-Jan. 31.
RABBITS
Rabbit populations have been increasing steadily since 1988, and this year is no exception to the welcomed trend.
``Hunters in Virginia should expect to find excellent populations of cottontails during the 1993-94 season,'' said State Biologist Mike Fies.
Rabbits have been favored by mild winter conditions, with the exception of the blizzard of '93, and by the moist spring which resulted in lush nesting opportunities, he said. This gave reproduction a jump start, with young rabbits spotted as early as April.
``More young rabbits are reportedly being seen this year than during the past several,'' said Fies. ``The 1993-94 season could be one that memories are made of.''
Even so, seasoned hunters know that rabbits often are localized, which means finding good cover and probing it with a pack of well-trained beagles is the key to success.
Good news for hunters in this region: Fies' research reveals the best populations are in the southwest mountain section of the state.
SEASON: Nov. 1-Jan. 31.
SQUIRRELS
The early season will be the kind that challenges even veteran squirrel hunters. Last year's poor mast crop cut into this year's reproduction. What squirrels there are will be scattered by favorable mast conditions.
On the plus side, this year's more abundant mast crop should mean improved late-season sport. Put another way, about the time hunters are on their deer stands, squirrels will drive them crazy.
The most successful early season hunters will be those who do their scouting to pinpoint pockets of squirrels or those who return to areas that produce decent squirrel numbers no matter what the food and weather conditions.
SEASONS: Archery, Oct. 2-Nov. 13; gun south, Sept. 4-Jan. 31, gun north, Oct. 9-Jan. 31.
by CNB