Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 9, 1993 TAG: 9309090040
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The squirrel season, now a half-dozen days old, hasn't exactly been the kind to set either the woods or an outdoor column alive with action.
One friend hunted opening day without seeing a single squirrel - not one.
Another friend tallied the time he'd spent afield with a couple of his sons and a friend. In 24 hours of effort they took three squirrels. That's eight hours of effort for each squirrel to plop into a pot of dumplings. And we are talking about accomplished squirrel hunters.
Squirrels aren't just scarce, they are wary and spooky. You aren't likely to find two or three gnawing away at nuts in a single tree oblivious to your presence.
Instead of sharp teeth cutting into hard nuts, the eating process is muffled, more of a quiet grinding, with powder rather than chunks of hulls hitting the forest duff.
Squirrels aren't displaying many acrobatic antics in the golden-tinged hickories; rather, they are sticking close to their dens. What you are likely to see is a quick glimpse of silver, then nothing.
A couple of things explain what's happening. First, the scarcity of squirrels can be traced to last fall, when the mast crop - acorns in particular - was pretty much a failure. With Mother Nature's cupboard bare, squirrels had a tough winter. Reproduction pretty well ceased, which is why most of the squirrels being taken are old ones.
Competition for food became intense. Well-established squirrels forced young adults from their home range. Mortality, especially on highways, was high.
This year's mast crop is better. It isn't a boom year, but food conditions have improved. That has triggered reproduction. Many squirrels are raising young, and that can make them super cautious, especially the females.
This reproduction should produce more squirrels and improved hunting as the season progresses. Probably about the time you are in a deer stand in November watching for a buck, there will be more squirrels around than you care to tolerate.
So we classify the early squirrel season as poor, even though some hunters have been finding decent pockets of sport.
\ B.A.S.S. AT KERR: It is called the Bassmaster Virginia Invitational, but only 12 Virginia anglers will be competing Wednesday through Sept. 17 at Kerr Lake. Texas will have 43 fishermen; Arkansas, Georgia and Oklahoma 21 apiece; and Missouri and North Carolina 20 each.
Area anglers entered include Jack Evans and Melvin Morgan Jr. of Vinton. The daily weigh-in is 3 p.m. at North Bend State Park.
As the contestants prepare for practice Sunday, the word from Kerr is that the fishing is tough. Most of the bass appear to be hitting Carolina-rigged plastic lizards and worms fished at depths of about 10 feet.
\ BIG, BAD MUSKIE: Fishermen at Claytor Lake have been talking about the young man who was casting from the bank at the state park with a new 5 1/2-inch Ozark Ripper plug. A big muskie, which appeared to like the looks of the lure, grabbed it and took it away from the fisherman.
\ WATER DROPPING: The level of Moomaw Lake is down 15 feet because of dry weather. That means it is impossible to launch a boat at the Coles Point recreation area. Last year the lake level had dropped 22 feet by the end of the season.
\ NO CHICKEN: Brent Fleming of Moneta is one of several anglers who has enjoyed an unprecedented run of 70- to 100-pound bluefin tuna off Chincoteague and Wachapreague. Fleming won a citation in the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament with an 87-pound catch.
by CNB