Personal Watercraft Require Attentive and Knowledgeable Operators
May 31, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. - Propelled by jets of water, personal watercraft are fast and easy to maneuver, which is a large part of their appeal – and their potential danger.
“You need to know how your personal watercraft works and the regulations that apply to its ownership and operation before you get on it,” said Capt. Chris Huebner, the state’s boating safety coordinator. “Any maneuver that endangers people or property constitutes reckless operation and is breaking the law.”
Reckless operation, lack of proper safety equipment and exceeding capacity are the most frequently cited violations for personal watercraft operators in North Carolina. Another common violation is underage operators. State law restricts anyone younger than 16 from operating a personal watercraft unless:
- They are at least 14 years old and riding with a person who is at least 18.
- They are at least 14 years old and have successfully completed an approved boating safety education course, and have proof of age and safety course completion with them while operating the personal watercraft.
“It is also against the law to knowingly let anyone younger than 16 operate a personal watercraft who doesn’t meet those qualifications,” Capt. Huebner added.
For more information on operating a personal watercraft in North Carolina, click here or call (919) 707-0031.
To enroll in a free N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission-sponsored Boating Education Course, click here or call (919) 707-0031.
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Welcome To The All-New & Improved Outdoor Central.com News Network!
May 31, 2008
Hi and welcome to the all-new and improved Outdoor Central.com News Network web site.
We are excited to bring to you a whole new look with added extra’s, including Discussion Group Forums, the iCaught It / iShot It Image Gallery (where you and fellow users will soon be able to upload your latest catch or kill). There are viewer polls, and we’ve even included an Video Network on OutdoorCentral in partnership with YouTube, (again where you and fellow users can upload and submit your latest hunting or fishing videos), as well as a new sitewide search option so you can find specific information on exactly what you are looking for, and so much more.
We have also sectioned out the website to make your viewing a much easier, pleasant, and a personalized experience.
In the fishing section, you will find feature stories, including photos, fishing reports, and Fish & Game rules and regulations.
In the hunting section you will find feature stories including photos, hunting reports, and the latest Fish & Game rules and regulations.
In our Outdoor Recreation section, you will find the latest news on ATV/ORV riding trails and regulations. Upcoming cycling events and trail openings, canoeing and kayaking adventures and events taking place throughout the nation, stories and tips on camping, hiking, backpacking, and even stories about wetlands, WMA’s and refuges.
We have also included a new section on Parks. Here you will find information on “What’s Happening” in your local area federal and state parks, such as park sponsored fishing tournaments, educational opportunities, and any other number of outdoor related events.
Again, we have added two other new sections while we were at it. They are Outdoor Kids, and Outdoor Women sections. Here you will find the latest news on what kids activities are going on in your area, local educational opportunities for women, etc. These should both prove to be very informative and popular sections that you will want to check almost daily.
New in all of our articles, we have included the ability to vote on the article, and/or leave a comment on the article. This will help others to find the most popular articles with simply one click, and to interact with others about the article and its information in the comment section and forums. Also new, you can even sign up to have news stories sent directly to your email, either by section, or ALL newly posted news stories.
We truly hope you enjoy the new look and features. Be sure to fill out a comment (comment section is located at the bottom of every article), participate in our latest poll, subscribe to our FeedBurner Newsfeed
, or even start a chat in our new forums section. And do not hesitate to let us know what we can do to improve the website even further, and don’t forget to tell your friends about our new and improved website!
BTW - While you’re thinking about it, why don’t you send us a couple of photos of you with your latest catch or kill. We’d like to feature your photos in our iCaught It / iShot It Image Gallery. Send those pics to Admin@outdoorcentral.com.
Thanks for your support and we’re looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Jeff Hord / ODC Editor
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Awaken Your Spirit of Adventure at Luce Pioneer Day
May 30, 2008
MADISON, S.D. – Become a part of living history June 14 at Luce Pioneer Day at Lake Herman State Park near Madison.Â
The event, a tradition for many years in the Madison area, celebrates the original pioneers who homesteaded in Lake County with family activities, entertainment and historical demonstrations. It is named in honor of Herman Luce, one of the first settlers in the area and builder of the historic 1872 Luce Cabin, which still stands in the park.
“It really is amazing to see how people lived back then,” said Park Manager Vicki Seger. “and the best part about Pioneer Day is that there really is something for everyone. Even if you just go for a stroll around the park and stop in for a few minutes, you are sure to find something fun and educational for your whole family.”
Pioneer Day activities begin at 10 a.m. and run throughout the day. Visitors can try butter churning, candle making, apple pressing, toy tin punch making, wash day fun, weaving, rope making, gold panning, beading, sun bonnet making, quilting, spinning and pioneer toy making.
Entertainment will be provided by the HarmoniKatz and the Schumacker Family Fiddlers, and the Herman Luce Players, who will present a historic account of Herman Luce and his friends. The South Dakota Trappers Association will also present a rendition of a mountain man rendevous.
Vendors include Old Mountain Trading - homemade art, crafts and trade goods; Queen of the Prairie Honey – honey sales and bee demonstration; Un-Wine-D - new shapes for old bottles; Diamond Willow Carving - hand carved art; Hearth & Home Soap - natural bath essentials; Back Porch Herbs - organic herbs; Kahl’s Kettle Korn and Creative Concessions. Almost Home Pet Rescue tent will also be set up on site providing information about their organization and pets needing homes. Â
All activities and entertainment are free, although a state park entrance license is required.
For more information on Luce Pioneer Day, contact Lake Herman State Park at (605) 256-5003.
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Gov. Rounds Proclaims June as Great Outdoors Month
May 30, 2008
PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Mike Rounds has proclaimed June as Great Outdoors Month in South Dakota.
In the proclamation, Gov Rounds states, outdoor recreation is an essential component of our well-being, with the ability to improve our health and build the human spirit. I encourage citizens and our visitors to take advantage of the many opportunities our state offers for family outdoor recreation.
Many opportunities for outdoor activities are provided by the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks in their efforts to expand and enhance state parks, protect our wildlife heritage, and create programs such as “No Child Left Inside” which introduces youngsters to the wonders of the outdoors.
Several notable outdoor recreation opportunities will take place in June, including the following events:
- National Trails Day, June 7 - A day set aside to celebrate America’s magnificent trail systems and their countless supporters and volunteers. Several state parks will be hosting trail-related events that day. Info: www.SDGFP.info or www.AmericanHiking.org.
- Second Saturday Bird Walk, June 7, Outdoor Campus, Sioux Falls. Join a naturalist for a 7:30 a.m. stroll through Sertoma Park in search of birds. Sharpen your visual and auditory birding skills, learn birding tricks and how to choose binoculars and field guides. The class is free, but pre-registration is required at www.outdoorcampus.org or call (605) 362-2777. The Outdoor Campus offers many outdoor-related classes year round. Info: (605) 362-2777.
- Capitol Community Celebration, June 11, State Capitol Complex in Pierre. One of the highlights of this annual free community picnic is a rare opportunity for kids to fish in Capitol Lake. All kids aged 15 and under are invited. Bait, volunteers and limited equipment will be available. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. and wraps up with a band concert at 7 p.m. Info: (605) 773-6320.
- Luce Pioneer Day, June 14, Lake Herman State Park near Madison. The event celebrates the original homesteading pioneers with family activities, entertainment, vendors and historical demonstrations. Info: (605) 256-5003.
- National Get Outside Day, June 14, Oahe Downstream Recreation Area near Pierre/Fort Pierre. Participants will enjoy fun family activities all day, including geocaching, fishing-golf, Dutch oven cooking and other outdoor activities. The activities run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the event closes with an outdoor movie at 9:30 p.m. Info: (605) 223-7722.
- Becoming an Outdoor Family, June 20-22, Chief White Crane Recreation Area near Yankton – This annual weekend workshop offers classes on outdoor cooking, fishing techniques, GPS units (Global Positioning System), canoeing and many other outdoor skills. Registration is $50 per family and will be accepted until June 9 or until openings are filled. Info: (605) 773-3930.
- SDSU Bioblitz, June 28, Oak Lake Field Station near Brookings. Participate in an educational program and a scientific survey combined into one day. The objective is for scientists to count all the species of plants and animals they can find in a given area in a fixed amount of time. Come out and hike the field station grounds and see science in action. Ask biologists questions about how and why they study our local plants and animals. Presentations and displays are scheduled throughout the day. Info: (605) 367-8384.
- No Child Left Inside Resource Packs, ongoing, Pierre. Want to learn more about the outdoors while you’re exploring? GFP and the Rawlins Library in Pierre have teamed up to provide loaner packs full of resource materials designed for outdoor explorations. Packs include field guides, binoculars, insect nets, magnifying glasses and more. Info: Rawlins Library (605-773-7421) for family/individual backpacks; GFP (605-773-2541) for group resource trunk.Â
In addition, across the state a number of outdoor programs will be held in state parks throughout June, including bird walks, outdoor cooking demonstrations, hikes, fishing derbies and nature programs. For a list of upcoming events, visit www.SDGFP.info.
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Young Angler Reels in State Record Redear Sunfish
May 30, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. (May 30, 2008)– A last minute decision to go fishing with his mother netted a 13-year-old from Rocky Mount a new freshwater fish state record.
Travis Jackson reeled in a 4-pound, 15-ounce redear sunfish from a private pond in Edgecombe County on May 19, using a worm as bait. The fish measured 15 1/16 inches in length and 18 1/8 inches in girth.
According to Arlene Jackson, Travis’ mother, Jackson was playing with his Sony PlayStation when she talked him into going fishing with her and a friend. He agreed, and within an hour, he was reeling in “one really big bream” from a pond right down the road from his house.
“We thought it might be a bluegill or a shellcracker,” she said. “Travis was really excited when he found out it was a state record.”
They had it weighed at the Piggly Wiggly in Rocky Mount. Bill Collart, a N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission fisheries biologist, initially verified it as a redear. However, after looking at its massive size, Collart second-guessed himself and thought it might be a bluegill instead. He called Wayne Starnes, an ichthyologist with the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, for a second opinion.
“On further digging, into the fish literally, Starnes determined that I was right to begin with and it was indeed a shellcracker,” Collart said.“Neither one of us had seen one quite so large and physical characteristics tend to change with age as well as size.”
Redear sunfish, also known as “shellcrackers,” grow faster and larger than other sunfish species, often reaching 2 pounds. In areas in the central Coastal Plain, such as the Tar River from Rocky Mount to Grimesland, trophy-sized redears can be found in large numbers.
However, a nearly 5-pound redear is a rare catch, as indicated by the fact that the redear record has been standing since 1994, when Scott Miller from Rutherfordton caught a 4-pound, 9-ounce shellcracker from a farm pond in Union County. Miller’s catch tied the previous record-holder Rondal Sweet, an Alexander County angler who caught his fish from Lookout Shoals Lake in 1988.
According to Collart, redears are found throughout the state in streams, lakes and ponds and are caught easily with worms, crickets and small spinner baits.
“They tend to be deeper in the pond than bluegills, feeding on creatures living on the bottom, like small crayfish, mussels and snails, so fishermen need to get their bait deep to catch them or they’ll end up with a bluegill instead,” Collart said.
To qualify for a state record, anglers must have caught the fish on a hook and line, have the fish weighed on a certified scale witnessed by one observer, have the fish positively identified by a fisheries biologist from the Commission and submit an application with a full, side-view photo of the fish.
For a list of all freshwater fish state records in North Carolina or more information on the State Record Fish Program, click here.
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Paddlefish Harvest Season Is Closed
May 30, 2008
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks announced today that the paddlefish harvest season is closed beginning Saturday, May 31 at 9 p.m. on the Yellowstone River and the Missouri River below Fort Peck Dam.
Catch and release fishing only is allowed from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Intake Fishing Access Site beginning Sunday, June 1 and ending at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10.
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FWP Commission Seeks Comment On Upland Game Bird Seasons
May 30, 2008
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission is seeking comment on tentatively approved upland game bird hunting seasons for the 2008-09 seasons.
While other upland game bird seasons and bag limits would be the same as last season, the FWP Commission expressed concern that West Nile Virus apparently caused additional sage grouse deaths in 2007. To address the concern, the commission seeks comment on two sage grouse hunting season options. Sage Grouse
- Option 1:Â Â maintain 2007 sage grouse season length of 62 days, to open Sept. 1 and close Nov. 1.
- Option 2:Â Â reduce sage grouse season length to 31 days, to open Sept. 1 and close Oct. 1.
With the exception of the possible adjustment to the sage grouse hunting season, all 2007 upland game bird bag limits are again proposed for 2008.
Send comments to fwpwld@mt.gov, or  FWP – Wildlife Division, Attn: Public Comment, POB 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701. Â
The deadline for public comment is June 27. The commission is scheduled to take final action on upland game bird seasons during its July 17 meeting in Helena.
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Outdoor Skills Workshop Offered This Summer
May 30, 2008
The 15th annual “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman” workshop, sponsored by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, will be held July 11 - 13 at the Lubrecht Experimental Forest near Missoula.
The hands-on workshop will offer opportunities to build a survival shelter, cast a fly rod, use a map and compass, learn to shoot a rifle and cook a Dutch-oven treat. Â
New this year is a partnership with the University of Montana’s Rural Institute on Disabilities MonTECH program to supply adaptive equipment at the workshop.  The adaptive devices will enable women with physical disabilities to participate in the rifle, archery and fishing classes.
The fee of  $200 includes class instruction, meals and lodging. Partial scholarships are available. Space is limited and classes are filled as registrations are received.
Teachers who attend the workshop can receive continuing education credit from the Office of Public Instruction.  The workshop is designed for women, but is open to anyone 18 years of age and over with a desire to learn new skills.
To receive more information and to register, provide your name and mailing address to the BOW Coordinator at: FWP-BOW, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MTÂ Â 59620; call 406-444-2615; or email Liz Lodman at: llodman@mt.gov .
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Women’s Rock Climbing Workshop Set For June 22 In Helena
May 30, 2008
Women interested in learning to rock climb may register for a Beyond BOW workshop in Helena, June 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The new class will cover the use of basic climbing gear, including a harness, ropes, carabiners, belay and various anchor devices. Participants will tie into a climbing rope, and learn to belay, rappel and navigate properly over the rock. Leading and anchoring will also be taught.
The class is for beginners or those new to the sport. A short hike on steep terrain is required to access the granite cliffs where the class will be held. Participants should bring a sack lunch and water.
Those with their own harness, protective headgear and rock climbing shoes should bring it, equipment will also be available for loan.
The registration fee is $30. For details and to register, contact Liz Lodman at 406-444-2615, or email llodman@mt.gov
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DFG Announces Changes to Central Valley Recreational Salmon Fishing Regulations
May 30, 2008
New recreational salmon fishing regulations for the Central Valley of California go into effective on or about July 1, 2008. These regulations are the strictest ever enacted.
On May 9, 2008, the Fish and Game Commission voted to close all Central Valley rivers and streams to the retention of salmon with one exception. The Sacramento River between the Red Bluff Diversion Dam and Knights Landing will open to salmon fishing from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 with a one salmon bag limit. After these regulations go into effect, no salmon can be kept elsewhere on the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers or any of their tributaries, including the American and Feather rivers.
The 2008 Central Valley salmon regulations were purposely structured as a zero salmon bag limit to allow fishing access to all of the other non-salmon species, such as sturgeon, striped bass and steelhead. The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is asking the public to refrain from using any fishing method specifically targeting salmon. While catch and release fishing for salmon is not prohibited, such methods result in the inadvertent take of some salmon, (called hooking loss) which is unacceptable on a large scale during this period of severely low salmon returns.
Poor ocean conditions that lead to the diminished return of salmon this year are expected to continue affecting subsequent years’ Sacramento River fall Chinook returns making it extremely important for anglers to do their part to help expedite the recovery of the Sacramento River fall salmon stocks.
While salmon season has been closed in the ocean and reduced in the Central Valley, the Smith, Klamath and Trinity rivers are still open to salmon fishing. These temporary closures are designed to help ensure the future of salmon fishing for present and future generations.
More information on the 2008 California salmon fishery can be found at: www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/salmon and the recent Commission action at: www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/new/2008/proposedregs08.asp#7_50
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