Sat Nov 07 2009
Some thoughts as we reached the halfway point of 2009 ...
The Ohio Division of Water-craft indicated its Operation Dry Water, a weekend (June 26-28) of enforcement activity to get alcohol-impaired boaters off state waterways, was a success.
According to the Ohio watercraft agency, it along with U.S. Coast Guard and local marine patrol officers, targeted boaters impaired by alcohol and drugs on the state's most popular waterways.
The division reported it made contacts with more than 1,500 boaters. Those contacts resulted in the arrests of a dozen boaters who were intoxicated while operating a boat and two drug-related arrests. More than 100 citations for other alcohol and boating-related violations were issued.
Alcohol continues to be a major contributor in boating fatalities. The agency says nearly one in three boating fatalities is alcohol related. Boat operators are considered legally impaired by alcohol consumption if their blood alcohol content is .08 percent or higher, similar to Ohio's motor vehicle laws.
The watercraft division plans to continue stepped-up patrols this weekend during the July 4 holiday.
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Steve Sondergaard will be featured at the monthly meeting of the Defiance County Fish and Game which will be held Thursday, July 9, at 7 p.m. at the clubhouse, located northwest of Defiance off Ohio 15.
Sondergaard will be talking about shotgun shooting. Some of the topics that he will cover will be shotgun shooting and the difference between trap, skeet and sporting clay shooting.
Visitors are welcome to attend the meeting. Refreshments will be available following the meeting.
The club also is opening its trap range for anyone interested in shooting prior to the meeting. Shooting begins at 5:30 p.m. The only fee will be the cost of the clay birds shot (about 10 cents per bird). This will not be any type of match, but a time for shooters to sharpen their skills or shoot clay birds if they have never given it a try. Shooting will continue until about 10 minutes before the club meeting.
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The Continental Conservation Club will hold a trapshoot for steak, fish and sirloin patties on Sunday at the club grounds, located a half mile north and a half mile east of Continental on Putnam County Road E.
The main event begins at 12:30 p.m. with the traps open for practice at 11:30 a.m.
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Do you like to take a walk on the wild side and often wonder what kind of bird, mammal, tree, amphibian or reptile you've seen?
A good and simple guide to those as well as fish, invertebrates, shrubs and vines and forbs, ferns and grasses is the Great Lakes Nature Guide.
Written by Jim McCormac and Krista Kagume, the guide covers the woods and waterways of the five Great Lakes area. The guide features illustrations of flora and fauna from the Great Lakes region and includes identifying features and natural history. A plus is that many of the bird illustrations also have both male and female of the species.
It also includes a list of the top Great Lakes wildlife watching sites.
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A pair of bills have been introduced into the U.S. House and Senate that not only recognizes hunting's importance to conservation, but makes hunting a top priority on federal public lands.
The Hunting Heritage Protection Act, introduced by Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., would require federal lands to be better managed for hunting.
According to the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA), the two pieces of legislation require that federal land be managed in a way that supports, promotes and enhances access for hunting and mandates that an annual report be submitted to Congress detailing any limitations that are imposed on hunting federal lands. It also will require written notification be given to Congress prior to any agency action that limits hunting on large parcels of federal land consisting of 5,000 or more acres.
Numerous outdoor organizations are urging hunters to contact their elected officials and ask them to vote for the measures.
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Might Pennsylvania be adding a first for an "official state" item?
The historic Pennsylvania Rifle could become the official rifle of the commonwealth if the legislature so designates. Such a bill is before state lawmakers.
The measure states: "The Pennsylvania Rifle was the first truly American firearm and, due to its exceptional accuracy and range, was considered the greatest achievement in the development of firearms during the 18th century."
(Al Smith is outdoor editor of The Crescent-News. Contact him at outdoor@crescent-news.com)
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