This weekend Tom over at the Black Bear Blog is traveling and instead of hanging a sign and taking an extended lunch so to speak he has asked a bunch of us to fill in. You get a chance you should check it out he has a wide variety of writers filling in for him and I’ll have a post over there tomorrow afternoon. This is a good opportunity to learn about other outdoor bloggers and read an example of their writing in one place. After all there is no rule that says you can’t read a few outdoor blogs besides mine.
If your looking for something to do this weekend head over to the State Fairgrounds and check out the 21st North Carolina Bow Hunters Convention. A gathering of bow hunters from across the state, venders and even a 3d shoot among the list of things going on at the show. I’ll be out there this weekend helping my hunting partner out with his booth for his guide service Avery Creek. So stop by and say Hi I’ll have a limited number of US Hunting Today Stickers for those interested. It should be a great show. For additional info check out the N&O Story.
The other day I did a story about Sunday Hunting Ban and the effort of an organization called WRENCH to get it over turned. I sent them an email requesting more information on their organization and invited them to come out here and offer a response to my post. It is obvious that they never came out here because they thanked me for my support on this issue and they looked forward to working with me to get the Sunday ban overturned.
I don’t think it’s a secret that I’m not supportive of over turning the ban but I do support the right for them to at least be heard.
WRENCH will not be successful if they can not get a clear message out and as an organization goes they seem to be somewhat disorganized. I’ve received about 10 emails from them most of them containing just a single link to a politician or group of politicians. These emails could easily combined into a single email or on a website to better communicate with those seeking information.
Sunday Hunting is certainly a hot button topic and will continue to be debated for the years to come. I highly doubt that we’ll see any changes in the law from the legislators given the opposition is highly organized by mostly religious groups and church denominations that most politicians don’t want to upset if they can avoid it. Over coming that opposition will take a very long time and a very organized effort especially now that it appears Mr. Jim Black is headed to the big house.
More and more people are speaking out against the US Navy’s plan to build and Outlaying Landing Field next door to Pocosin Lakes Wildlife Refuge in Washington County. Congressman Price is the latest to urge the Navy to reconsider the location of the OLF.
The Honorable Donald C. Winter
Secretary
U.S. Department of the Navy
1000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, DC 20350Dear Secretary Winter:
I am writing to urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to reject Site C as your preferred location for the North Carolina Outlying Landing Field (OLF) and to initiate discussions with the Governor of North Carolina, the North Carolina congressional delegation and the congressional committees of jurisdiction, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and other key stakeholders to identify a mutually agreeable alternative that will better serve our military.
As you know, I have expressed ongoing concern about the Navy’s plan to construct an OLF at the location identified as Site C in Washington County, North Carolina. I can say without hesitation that the citizens and elected officials of North Carolina welcome the Navy’s decision to build an OLF in our state. I can say with equal certainty, however, that Site C is not a viable option for an OLF because of the threats it would pose to Navy and Marine pilots and aircraft, to local communities, and to the surrounding environment.
The Navy has repeatedly characterized its decision to construct an OLF as a necessity for “force protection.” Site C would seem to be incompatible with that goal given the significant Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) risk, which indicates that there is a very real possibility that Navy and Marine pilots operating at Site C will lose their lives due to bird strikes. In fact, military BASH analysts have identified Site C as one of the locations with the highest BASH risk in the country. Even the Navy’s Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) characterizes the BASH risk as “moderate to severe.” That level of risk is simply unacceptable, and it is unwarranted given the availability of other low risk sites.
The Navy also has failed to mitigate the impact of the OLF on the local community. As currently envisioned, the OLF would force dozens of farmers to plant less profitable crops or sell land that has been with them, in many cases, for generations. North Carolina’s Agriculture Commissioner estimates the proposal would cost local farmers an estimated $6 million in revenues. Moreover, an OLF at Site C would undermine another valuable component of the local economy; namely, the tourism drawn to the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge which Site C abuts. There are other sites which would have a more acceptable impact on agribusiness and on tourism.
I am also concerned by the Navy’s failure to consult with state and local officials about the siting decision, despite urgings by federal courts and the Congress. North Carolina Governor Mike Easley has announced his adamant opposition to Site C, stating that “the draft SEIS shows [that] the Navy remains unwilling to even fully consider reasonable alternatives.” Such a statement leaves no doubt that the Navy has failed to live up to obligations to consult with state and local stakeholders on a viable location for the OLF.
In addition, Rep. G.K. Butterfield (whose district includes the Washington County Site C location), State Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight, State Speaker of the House Joe Hackney, State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, the Washington County Board of Commissioners, and Mayor Brian Roth of Plymouth, NC (which is adjacent to Site C) all have voiced their opposition to Site C. This strong opposition at the state and local levels calls into question the viability of the Navy’s plans to move forward with Site C.
Finally, the Navy appears to have ignored the input of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) about the impact of the proposed OLF at Site C on the surrounding wildlife habitat. As you know, the Navy used FWS as a “cooperating agency” in the preparation of the SEIS, a designation that requires it to incorporate FWS analysis to the full extent practicable. The Navy does not appear to have complied with that requirement. FWS Director Dale Hall recently testified at a public hearing that “we are concerned that the conclusions the Navy has drawn are more definitive than the data can support…We continue to note that other sites in North Carolina have been identified within the Draft SEIS where the proposed OLF could be constructed, with far fewer risks to the resources we are charged with managing.” The Navy can avoid creating a tradeoff between the needs of the military and our environmental protection laws by selecting a site that the FWS and other environmental stakeholders can support. .
Mr. Secretary, it is my deep hope that, working together, we can avoid a confrontation over the Navy’s request for funding and authorization to move forward with construction of an OLF at Site C in Washington County, NC. I have every reason to be confident that we can identify a site for the OLF that all stakeholders can support and that will not compromise the Navy’s mission.
I appreciate your attention to this matter, and I look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
DAVID PRICE
Member of Congress
The fence sitting of Dole and Burr seems to be continuing on we can only hope the decide one way or the other soon.
Photo Conman’s Guide Service
I heard from Mike Noles a good friend and Outdoor Guide that the fishing on Lake Phelps is heating up.
I think this is the earliest I’ve caught bass on a buzz bait, but these warm nights have got the bass and bream here on Lake Phelps kicked in to a higher than normal activity level for this time of the year.
We have certainly had a warm spell lately and I guess it has really turned the fish on.
I caught five on a buzz bait this afternoon. VERY early for that kind of stuff, but they were blowing up on a slow run bait!
Mike and his wife Connie run Conman’s Guide Service and Vacation Cottages right on the shores of Lake Phelps. There is not a better setting if you are looking for a way to get away and relax. I’ve enjoyed their hospitality a number of times. They have a number of cottages that are for rent as well as a campground to pitch a tent if you prefer the more roughing it approach. Their guests have access to a private boat launch but you really don’t need a boat to fish Lake Phelps it’s a wade fisherman’s dream spot. Early season you may want to opt for the waders but as the season gets going a pair of shorts is all you need.
We still have a few weeks till turkey season kicks in maybe a few days at the lake is what you need give Mike and Connie a call and see if they have any openings an early start to the season may mean some rentals are still available.
This past Saturday a group of Turkey hunters of varying skills level go together in Chatham County to learn a thing or two about the bird we chase. This has become an annual gathering to help those who are interested in learning the tactics necessary to fill a tag. No matter the skill level everybody seems to learn something. The gathering is rather informal with people telling stories and asking questions.
After a while the turkey calls got taken out and demonstrations on how to use them and a whole new flurry of stories. After playing the calls for a while we all wandered over to the shooting range to sight our guns in.
I was lucky that my gun was still sighted in so I only had to fire one turkey load to verify and my shoulder appreciated that. Others were not so lucky and had to fire a few rounds to get their guns set up.
Hold your own school
This is a great thing that others can use in their area to help encourage turkey hunting. Some years we have not had the option to shoot because of the limits of the location but you can still have a successful school without shooting. Showing a variety of turkey calls and letting people experiment with them is a good way to help them break into the sport. Lots of people are intimidated by the wide variety of calls available and not knowing what one is right for them.
The 2007 Turkey School was a good time and I hope some of the new turkey hunters have learned enough to really enjoy the sport.
This morning the National Audubon Society had a press release about an upcoming press conference this Thursday in Washington DC about the US Navy’s plan to build and Outlaying Landing Field. (OLF) in Washington County next door to Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. We will follow any developments on this story closely.
Navy Field Next to National Wildlife Refuge Opposed by Sporting and Conservation Groups
Press Briefing to Detail Risks to Pilots and Wildlife
WASHINGTON, March 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following was
released today by the National Audubon Society:
WHAT: A coalition of the nation’s leading sporting groups and
conservation organizations will publicly request the Navy to move a
proposed jet landing field away from one of the nation’s most important
refuges for waterfowl and wildlife. Groups will brief media representatives
on the extreme risks posed by the Navy’s proposed Super Hornet landing
field on the Albemarle Peninsula of eastern North Carolina. The outlying
landing field, or OLF, is proposed in an area that is home to over 100,000
swans, geese, and ducks. State and national officials have expressed grave
concerns about the proposal.
WHEN: Thursday, March 29, 2007, 10:00 AMWHERE: National Press Club, Murrow Room, Washington, DC
WHO: — National Audubon Society, Chris Canfield, Executive Director/Vice
President, North Carolina
— Ducks Unlimited, Scott Sutherland, Director of the Governmental
Affairs Office
— North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Wes Seegars,
Chairman
— National Wildlife Federation, Sean McMahon, Senior Policy
Specialist
— Defenders of Wildlife, Noah Matson, Director Federal Lands Program
— Delta Waterfowl Foundation, Jason Wallace, Southeast Regional
Director
— National Wildlife Refuge Association, Evan Hirsche, President
— The Wilderness Society, Leslie Catherwood, Associate Director,
Wildlife Refuge Program
— National Rifle Association, Susan Recce, Director of Conservation,
Wildlife and Natural Resources
— Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Jeff Crane, Executive
Director
The Sunday hunting debate for the most part is no longer front and center, The study conducted for the Wildlife Commission and reported on here showed no overwhelming support for changing it even among hunters. At the public hearings this year materials were past out by a group called WRENCH looking to overturn the Sunday Hunting ban. Up until this point other then some material passed out at the hearings nothing much has been said until a column in the Star News by Mike Marsh this weekend. Mike is a strong supporter of lifting the ban and makes some great points.
WRENCH and founder Gerald Spann has a lofty goal to get the ban overturned in 2007 but unless their plan is a covert one it’s hard to understand what they are doing because thus far they are relatively unknown.
What has Spann upset is the state’s last remaining blue law, which bans Sunday hunting with a firearm. He has begun a movement, WRENCH in 2007. The acronym stands for Wildlife Resource Equality in North Carolina Happens in 2007.
I read countless stories about hunting and wildlife in North Carolina and this is the first article about WRENCH I’ve come across. A review of a web message forum dedicated to Sunday Hunting in NC has no mention of WRENCH nor is there much activity at all.
Although I don’t support overturning the ban I certainly support the right of those who want to have it heard to be heard. I thought the actions of the Wildlife Commission at the December meeting was spineless. I’m afraid that for many the debate on Sunday Hunting died that December day and the topic can not be resurrected until it has been dead for a while.
Senator Dole and environmental groups have urged the Navy to hold a hearing in the Charlotte so people on that end of the state could be heard. According to the Charlotte Observer a hearing will now be held in the queen city.
Atlantic Fleet spokesman Ted Brown said the Charlotte hearing will be on April 17, with an informal information period between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., followed by a formal hearing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. A location hasn’t been selected but will be announced later.
The planned OLF will not only impact the folks that live in the area around the Washington County Site but many people from across the state. Pocosin Lakes Wildlife Refuge is a popular tourist location getting lots of visitors as well as those who stop briefly while on the way to the outer banks. Additionally there will be a economic cost on not only the local economy but also the statewide agricultural economy.
As reported on here earlier a bill has been introduced to open up the season on the deer and I mean open up the season. The initial proposal would of opened the season up earlier and closed it latter and had no bag limit on deer what so ever. The outcry over this by hunters has scaled the original proposal back but it’s still ridiculous for the law makers to ignore the biologists at wildlife and take wildlife management into their own hands. The current bill that has now gone to committee would only lift the bag limit on anterless deer and extend the deer season into the month of January for an extra week for part of the state but the mountains would see their rifle season more then double.
Managing the deer herd by politicians on a statewide level is crazy seeing where there are parts of the state that the deer herd could be basically eliminated in a single season. There is no doubt that the piedmont has an over abundance and North Carolina Wildlife Commission is taking actions to help get the population under control.
1. Urban Bow Season for 5 weeks after the regular deer season closes. The catch is that the cities and towns who want to participate in that will have to submit maps & plans to North Carolina Wildlife Commission. I think as long as municipalities can hire sharpshooters and get depredation permits from the state they are unlikely to use bow hunter option.
2. Unlimited Anterless Tags in areas that have liberal anterless deer season. You’ll still be limited to 2 as a daily bag limit but this should go a long way to eliminating some deer. Of course now there are some politicians who want to tack on a fee to the additional tags.
Well I hope we leave the Wildlife Biologists in charge and I urge you to contact your local legislator and urge the same thing. Lets hope this dies in committee.
