Published: January 31, 2008 01:38 pm            

Rod and Gun Club events set for 2008

GLASGOW — Just finished typing out the yearly schedule for the Barren River Rod and Gun Club. I’m a charter member and presently serve as recording secretary.

Many events have been scheduled this year.

The regular monthly meetings are on the first Thursday of the month except for December when the annual Christmas dinner is on the second Saturday.

Registered trap shoots are scheduled on the first Sunday of the month with the exception of January, July and September when no registered shoots are held. Practice traps are on the second and fourth Tuesday nights each month and something new has been added this year with special marathon/SCTP shoots sheduled for April 19, May 23, June 27, July 25 and Aug. 22. Pitch tournaments are held on the second Saturday night each month at 7 p.m.

The club’s annual big bass contest is currently taking entries and the contest begins March 1 and ends Nov. 28.

Hopefully we’ll be handing out the printed schedule of events at our February membership potluck on the 7th.

Not much to report fishing wise this week. The sauger run on Cumberland River is temporarily shut down pending a good rain. They haven't been generating and the river is low again.

It’s not for the faint of heart but they’re still catching some bass and crappie and Barren for those willing to brave it. Mostly I’m a fair weather fisherman.

Smallmouth fishing is on the agenda again this week on the Kentucky Afield TV show. Tim Farmer gets a lesson in finesse fishing for smallies on Lake Cumberland . He is joined by outdoor writer Lee McClellan for a float and fly trip where the fly is suspended under a bobber, hoping for a bite by suspended fish.

There is also a segment on four wheeler safety and how to use the vehicles for habitat improvement.

The show is on KET Saturday night at 7:30 and again Sunday at 3 p.m.

Hayley Lynch, an award-winning writer for Kentucky Afield magazine and an avid hunter and shotgun shooter, tells us this week about one hunting season that’s still going on. 

The end of archery deer season sends many hunters into withdrawal. With duck season also closing, the cold days of winter hold only a few chances left to hunt. But not all seasons are finished. Late-season squirrel hunting is just getting warmed up.

The leaves are off the trees, making squirrels easier to find than they were in the early fall season. Late-season squirrel hunting is a great opportunity to introduce a new hunter, get help from a hunting dog and carry a .22 caliber rifle.

“Without a dog, it’s a good way to build woodsmanship skills for young hunters,” said John Morgan, small game program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “With a dog, it’s more of a social outing. It seems to be a growing sport.”

Squirrel activity drops during bad weather, including snow, rain, high winds and the coldest temperatures. But the days before and after a weather front are excellent times to hunt.

Look for red oaks and cedar trees to find squirrels. “This year’s white oak and hickory mast was pretty poor,” said Morgan. “Red oak was strong, so that would be the species to target. Red oaks near stands of cedar trees are a good combination of food and heavy cover that may be good for a late-season hunt.”

While a shotgun is often a squirrel hunter’s choice when the leaves are still on the trees in early season, now is a great time to use your .22 or.17-caliber rifle. Since leafless trees mean squirrels can see you better too, you may be taking longer shots than in the early season. A scoped rifle gives you a better chance to take these shots. Using a dog helps lock squirrels onto tree branches, also presenting a good chance for a rifle shot.

With stable squirrel populations, you have a good chance of seeing and bagging a bushytail. Eating squirrel meat is a Kentucky tradition.

“Personally, I boil them for three hours and put them in a host of recipes from there,” said Morgan. “I throw them into a frying pan with some barbeque sauce and throw it on a bun.” The meat is also good cooked in a crock-pot or a traditional burgoo.

Take a moment to tell Kentucky Fish and Wildlife about your hunts. Squirrel hunting surveys are available online at fw.ky.gov. Click onto “Hunter Cooperator Survey” to download your own copy. Just print one off, fill it out and send it in. You can also call the department toll-free at (800) 858-1549 during normal weekday working hours to get a survey in the mail. Please be sure to follow the directions and provide accurate information. Your survey will help department biologists better manage Kentucky’s small game populations. In return, the department will send you a free hunting cap and an annual report.

Squirrel hunting season is open through Feb. 29. The daily bag limit is six squirrels, with a possession limit of 12. For full details on license requirements, hunter education and equipment restrictions, pick up a copy of the 2007-08 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, available wherever hunting licenses are sold.

        

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