Ohio Valley Outdoor Times 10-2015

For me, Halloween has always been synony-mous with woodcock hunting. In this part of thecountry, the week before and the week followingHalloween marks the peak of the woodcock migra-tion, and the hunting can be fast and furious.Woodcock are migratory game birds that trek

south almost 2,000 miles every fall. Most of theprime woodcock breeding grounds are located inthe marshes of the Canadian north country, al-though really good local habitat will have a scat-tered population of native birds year round. Theintensity and duration of the migration, though, oftendepends on what occurs up north this time of year. For instance, nat-ural disasters, droughts, or long periods of unseasonably cold weathercan spur an early departure for woodcock and they can decide to startmigrating all at once and earlier than usual. In that case, the windowof opportunity can be very short, only about a week or so, before thewoodcock have moved south of us. Under normal fall conditions,though, good hunting can last two to three weeks, with Halloween weekbeing prime time.Finding woodcock is as simple as finding the right habitat. Rich bot-

tomland chock full of alders and berries is ideal. They also favor aban-doned farms, overgrown orchards, and cow pastures. Swampy areaswith lots of small-growth trees are great as well. Within these covers,you’ll usually find birds holding along the edges, such as where a patchof alders borders a brushy field.Determining whether woodcock are in the area is probably the easi-

est part of the game. Just look down. Woodcock aren’t good at con-cealing their presence. They leave “chalk marks” scattered whereverthey’ve been feeding.Chalk marks look like splatters of white paint. Not to be confused

with the droppings of owls and other predatory birds, woodcock marks

OutdoorWV DoveSeason OpenerStory inside page 12 October 2015

FREE!Ohio ValleyELIAS SETS ANOTHER BLADESPORTS FIRST - P.8

HuntingWoodcock 101

Turn To Woodcock Page 11Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo courtesy of Ralph Scherder

The author and his English setter, Dylan, and a couple of woodcock.

TimesBy Ralph ScherderHunting Editor

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OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES2 October 2015

Social media hassolved another crime.Thank you Facebook.And thanks to its users.

This time some finefolks in West Virginiahelped the WV NaturalResources Police tosolve an albino doedeer killing in BooneCounty, WV. It didn’ttake them long either — about two days.

News, or information, travels fast on theInternet. On September 28, 2015 the Nat-ural Resources Police posted this notice onFacebook, “West Virginia Natural Re-sources Police are asking the public for as-sistance in locating two men in a greytruck who shot this albino deer from theirtruck on Rt. 17 in Boone County at approx-imately 5:00 p.m. yesterday. Please call theDistrict 5 office at 304-(xxx-xxxx), mes-sage us on Facebook, or click the link toreport online,” the plea said.

Two days later theWVNR Police postedthis “Thank You” on their Facebook page,“NRP Officers in Boone county havesolved the poaching case of the albinodeer, charging three individuals. West Vir-ginia Natural Resources Police would liketo say thank you to Boone County 911 andthe West Virginia State Police IntelligenceUnit for their help. Most of all we wouldlike to thank the public for their assistancein solving this case!”

Good work everyone!And to add a little humor to the situation

a few Facebookers posted comments afterthe ‘thank you’ post. One poster asked,“Would they have made the same effort fora brown deer? Brown deer matter.”

There was no response to that question.A quick look at some other posts from

the WVNR Police Facebook page showsthe department utilizes the social mediasite quite often in asking for help from thecommunity. It appears to be a good way toget the word out to many people who canoffer assistance.

On October 1 the WVNR Police askedfor help in finding a poacher of a doe shotfrom the road in Greenbrier County. Thatrequest followed a 911 call. Informationreceived quickly led to the arrest of a manwho committed the crime. On Sept. 30 thepolice again posted an appeal on Facebookabout a buck being illegally shot on postedproperty in Berkeley County. There’s noupdate on that case. Five days earlier theWVNR Police posted that another buckhad been poached in Upshur County.Again no update on that case.

As a public service the WVNR postedon Facebook information about Huntingand Trapping Regulations for the upcom-ing hunting season. Before that a link wasposted about where hunters could get theirHunter’s Education Course.

Also in early September the WVNRposted on social media a successful arrestand photos of a man caught baiting andhunting for bear as he headed to his tree-stand. Someone called 911 on the poacherafter they found bear bait, a trail cameraand treestand in McDowell County. On themorning of the early bear season opener(Sept. 5) police followed the hunter to histreestand, which was situated over a baitedarea. That’s a no-no in West Virginia.

“We continue to be impressed with how

6 NuCanoe Trip onClarion River

Jeff Knapp

8 Elias Sets AnotherBladeSports First

Larry Claypool

9 WVDNR Starts YouthHunting Program

WVDNR

10 MWCD Master PlanAnnounced

Larry Claypool

12 Miller Farm KicksOff WV Dove Season

Larry Claypool

14 Warm up WithThermaCell Heat Packs

Bill Waugaman

19 Review Site WoodsMonkey Under NewOwnership

Larry Claypool

INSIDE THIS MONTH

5 Brenda Valentine Promotes the Outdoors

Turkey Shoots - Each Sunday 10 a.m. Oct. 18-Dec. 13 at Chester-Newell Sportsmen Club on GasValley Road (behind Green Valley Dairy), Hookstown, PA. Reg. shoots $3, money shoots $5. Forinfo. call 304-383-1886 or 304-374-5587.Turkey Shoots - Each Sunday 1 p.m. Oct. 18-Nov. 22 at Lake Milton Fish and Game Club4374 Bedell Rd., Berlin Center, OH 44401. Cost $2 round. Call Ron at 330-348-4020. Website:www.lakemiltonifishandgame.com.Public Trap Shoot - Oct 18, 25, Nov. 1, 8 15, 22, 29; 11 a.m. each Sunday at Columbiana CountyFish and GameAssociation; 45716 Middle Beaver Rd, Lisbon, OH 44432. Visit website: columbiana-countyfishandgame.com.Indoor .22/Air Rifle Shooting - Range open to public each Weds, Oct. 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11, 18,25. (6 p.m., Sun. 11 am.) and Indoor Pistol Shooting - each Fri. (7-10 p.m.) Oct. 2-April 26, 2016.All calibers except mag loads. At Columbiana County Fish and Game Association; 45716 MiddleBeaver Rd, Lisbon, OH 44432. Visit website: columbianacountyfishandgame.com.

By Larry ClaypoolEditor

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OUTDOOR CALENDAR

Publisher/Editor, Larry [email protected]

Graphics Designer, Linda [email protected]

Sales Consultant, Tracy [email protected]

[email protected] Valley Outdoor Times

is published by Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine©

Offices located at210 E. 4th Street, East Liverpool, OH 43920Phone 330-385-2243, Fax 330-385-7114

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OutdoorOhio Valley

TimesOctober 2015 VOL. 7, NO. 10

Contributing EditorsRalph Scherder, Hunting Editor

Jeff Knapp, Fishing EditorBrian Miller, Field Editor

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OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES 3October 2015

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Brenda Valentineis an accomplishedhunter, a veteran ofboth Bass Pro ShopsPro Hunting Teamand the PSE ArcheryTeam, and a formerSpokesperson forWomen in the Out-doors. She ispresently Co-Spokesperson, along with Michael Wad-dell, for the National Wild TurkeyFederation. She appeared at a NWTFWomen in the Outdoors weekend heldSeptember 11-13 at FFA Camp Musk-ingum near Carrollton, Ohio.

“Michael and I represent two agegroups and two genders,” said Valentine.“That allows us to make connectionswith all the membership.”

Valentine travels weekly in her workfor NWTF, attending banquets, WoundedWarrior gatherings, JAKES events,Women in the Outdoors weekends, andvisiting NWTF chapters all over the

United States. Her bright smile and en-thusiasm help her share the message thathunting is a positive and productive wayof life. She wants everyone who partici-pates in hunting, fishing, and sustainableliving to help get the word out.

“We’ve got to keep the truth out there,”she said. “Save the Habitat, Save theHunt.”

She pointed out that the fastest grow-ing segment of hunters is female. Shesays that visibility has helped morewomen to feel comfortable exploringoutdoor sports such as hunting, fishing,and archery, and that the industry has re-sponded with more female-specificclothing and gear.

For many men and women, hunting ismore than a sport; it’s a lifestyle. Valen-tine works hard to spread the word thathunting is a natural and important part ofwildlife management and conservation.It’s also part of an attitude toward livingthat includes bringing home wild gamefor meat, growing and preserving vegeta-

Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Mark LaymanLegendary hunter Brenda Valentine (left) was the featured speaker at a recent NWTF

Women in the Outdoors event in Carrollton, OH.Valentine is shown with outdoor writer and author Brenda Layman.

Brenda Valentine Promotesthe Outdoors, Hunting & NWTF

By Brenda Layman

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Turn To Valentine Page 7

The tea-colored waterof the Clarion River(PA) swirled aroundmy legs, cool in themorning air, yet relay-ing a promise of re-freshment when theday would later turnhot and sunny.We’d pulled thekayak over withinsight of the put-in, anx-ious to test the waters after the hour-and-a-half drive north.The place had all the attributes of a goodsmallmouth spot: a shallow riffle feeding adeeper run and pool, one that stretched for50 or so yards and seemed to be three tofour feet deep. Rock ledges bordered thefar side of the pool, providing both coverand current breaks. It wasn’t long beforea foot-long smallmouth hit Dave’s un-weighted Yum Dinger. A short time latera similar fish rose up and inhaled a WincoRiver Darter as I twitched it slowlythrough the pool. With several miles ofthe most remote stretch of the Clarionahead of us, it was a fine start to whatwould prove to be an enjoyable day.

The craft that took us on the adventurewas a NuCanoe Frontier 12, a 12-foot boatthat’s a sort of blend between a sit-on-topkayak and a canoe. Like a kayak, it’s quitemaneuverable and provides a fine fishingplatform. Its weight capacity – at 650pounds – is more like a canoe.The interior of the Frontier 12 can be setup in a variety of ways, based upon thetype of fishing one has planned. Due to itssize it handles two adults easily. Seating-wise, you have numerous options whichinclude a couple versions of traditionalkayak seats as well as swiveling seats thatrotate 360 degrees and are as comfortableas those in a bass boat. Choices of seatbases are also available, including flushmount (for kayak seats) and higher profile(for swiveling seats).Alterations of the interior seating is sim-ple, as seat bases – as well as a host ofother options like rod holders and a castingbar – interchange by means of a track sys-tem. Called the Freedom Track, the sys-tem employs T-headed stainless steel boltsthat slide in a track that is permanentlymounted to the deck. The mounting holesof seat bases and other accessories slideover the bolts and are secured by heavy-

duty wingnuts.Though my personal needs call for thisboat to remain unpowered, the squarestern of the Frontier 12 will accept a tran-som-mount trolling motor or a gasoline

outboard up to 2.5 hp.Our Clarion River float began at the PFBCGravel Lick access, which is a few milesdownriver of Cooksburg, and concluded at


Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Jeff KnappDave Keith admires a nice smallmouth bass,

one taken from a remote section of river accessed with a NuCanoe.

By Jeff KnappFishing Editor

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Turn To NuCanoe Page 7

NuCanoe Trip on Clarion River


How to Contact US

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR• E-mail: [email protected]• Write: “Dear OVTimes” at Ohio Valley Outdoor Times: 210 E. 4th Street,East Liverpool, Ohio 43920

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bles, making and fixing things for selfand family, and respecting the relation-ship between people and nature. Shegrew up in a rural area of Tennessee, andher family depended upon small game fortheir meals.“We raised corn, tobacco, and hogs.

We lived primarily on squirrel, coon, andbirds,” she said. “The earth offers a fullbanquet. We can take advantage of thatwithout depleting it. We can do the stuffour grandparents and great-grandparentsdid.”Attendees at the Women in the Out-

doors event learned several of theseskills, including campfire cooking, mak-ing soap, making cheese, dressing game,and home perseveration and canning.Among a wide selection of workshops,participants also had the chance to prac-tice shooting handguns, rifles, and shot-guns and to try their hands on the archeryrange.Valentine explained that hunters not

only help protect our natural spaces fi-nancially by purchasing tags and licensesand by helping maintain a healthy bal-ance of wildlife, but they bring home nat-ural protein that has not been treated withchemicals during the raising of livestock

or processing of the meat. She stopped tochat with one of the workshop leaderswho had bagged a trophy buck the yearbefore. Her warmth and supportive na-ture shone through as she listened to thewoman describe the successful hunt.Valentine is a great example of some-

one who loves, lives, and promotes hunt-ing and the outdoor life.

Valentine From Page 6

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo Mark LaymanBrenda Valentine (standing, left) was the guestspeaker during a Women in the Outdoors

event last month in Carrollton, OH. Some ofthe campers are shown working on a project.

the PFBC Mill Creek access, a distance ofabout nine miles. Within this stretch theriver remains quite wild, eventually flow-ing into the dammed backwaters of PineyDam. The valley is bordered by a tract ofClear Creek State Forest and State GameLands 74.The Canoeing Guide to Western Pennsyl-vania – produced by the Pittsburgh Coun-cil ofAmerican Youth Hostels — suggestsa minimum flow of 2.3 feet at the USGSCooksburg Gauge for the Cooks-burg-to-Mill Creek section. The day of our floatthe Cooksburg gauge was about 2.4 feet;even at that there were some wide, shallowriffles that required dragging. At flows of3 feet or greater I suspect this would nothave been the case.This float requires about two miles of pad-dling through the Piney Dam backwatersto get to the Mill Creek access. CurrentlyPiney Dam is under a drawdown of aboutfive feet for maintenance work on the dam,and is slated to stay at that level until theend of next summer. This slightly reducesthe length of stillwater to be paddledthrough, and likely does the same to theamount of recreational traffic on this pop-ular boating reservoir. Still, it you floatthis section be prepared to do some pad-dling and deal with boat wakes.Just upriver of the Piney Dam backwaters,

Old State Road dead-ends at the river, witha small state forest parking lot in a sort ofcul-de-sac; the place can also serve as atake-out, though the lot sits on a high bankwell above the river.Keep in mind that to use a PFBC accesscanoes and kayaks must either be regis-tered or have an unpowered boat launchpermit. The latter is available at many is-suing agents as well as online through thePennsylvania Fish and Boat Commissionwebsite, www.fishandboat.com.

NuCanoe From Page 6

we’ve been able to solve crimes with thepublic’s help,” Natural Resources PoliceCol. Jerry Jenkins said. “The responsehas been beyond what we anticipatedwhen we began using Facebook earlierthis year. It’s become a valuable tool forus to gather information about crimesand suspects.” Social media crawlersdidn’t help catch the bear baiter but it’s agood tool for police to let the poachersbeware. They are watching and so aremany others.The WVNR also posts good things

their officers do to help those in the com-munities they serve. Many photographswere recently posted on Facebook on thestate’s first Youth Hunt held this year.

On the Blade-Sports competitionscene for less than ayear, Jessica Eliascontinues to sharpenher skills — andscore well — as acompetitive cutter.Elias, the CreativeDirector at L.T.Wright HandcraftedKnives, of Wintersville, OH, recentlycompeted and won the first everwomen’s only competition at a bladeevent.Elias claimed the overall title

(women’s division) in the Jantz KnifeSupply Cut in Davis, OK on September19. There were four other competitors.This was the first national BladeSportsevent that held a separate division forwomen.Elias said competing in the first ever

women’s event was exciting for her andher competitors. “I get nervous beforecompeting, but at the Oklahoma event I

told someone that I wasn’t nervous. Ithink that I was so excited to be compet-ing (against other women) that I wasn’tworried about being nervous,” said Elias.“It was great. The other women were sonice.”Earlier this year Elias made Blade-

Sports history by being the first femaleto qualify and place in the national —and world — competition. She placedsixth in the World Cutting Competitionin Atlanta, GA in June — against allmales.Elias, of Wintersville, OH, is spon-

sored by employer, L.T. Wright Hand-crafted Knives.Most recently Elias competed in the

Buckeye Cut Competition, held at L.T.Wright Handcrafted Knives, in Win-tersville and finished 11th overall. Elias’boss, L.T. Wright, also competed in thatevent and placed fifth overall. BillLaRue, of nearby Richmond, OH, wasthe overall winner of the Buckeye Cutevent. Andy Blanchard, of East Liver-pool, OH, was second overall after win-

ning the White Level. Mark Elick II, ofEast Liverpool, finished sixth overall andRussell Cain, Jr, another L.T.Wright em-ployee, finished seventh overall. ChrisWarden of Pittsburgh, PAwas 10th over-all.Elias said no other blade competitions

are scheduled for this year but she’s ex-

cited about competing in 2016. “I can’twait. We’ve accomplished so much thisfirst year. It’s crazy how well things havegone. We all compete like a team. It’sbeen a great learning experience for me,”said Elias.


Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo courtesy of Jessica EliasJessica Elias, of Wintersville, OH, competes

in the BladeSports World Cutting Competition in Atlanta, GA earlier this year.She finished sixth overall, the first female to compete and place in the competition.

Turn To BladeSports Page 9

Jessica Elias SetsAnother BladeSports Event First


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Visit www.carrollcountyohio.com1-877-727-0103

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Explore Carroll CountyFishing and hunting paradise

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BladeSports International, Inc., is aTexas non-profit corporation formed topromote knife safety, provide workshops,and cutting events for its members, and toinform and educate the public with regardto the safe use of a knife as a tool. For ad-ditional information about BladeSports,visit their website at:www.bladesports.org. To view actionvideos of their competitions go toYouTube or visit their website.For information about L.T. Wright

Handcrafted Knives, visit their website at:www.ltwrightknives.com.

BladeSports From Page 8

WVDNR StartsYouth Hunting

Program

SOUTH CHARLESTON, WV —Hunting is a West Virginia tradition, buteveryone has to start somewhere. Manyyoung people who would like to get in-volved don’t have anyone to teach them,so the Natural Resources Police Officersof the West Virginia Division of NaturalResources have started a new YouthHunting Program to recruit and increasethe number of young people participat-ing in wildlife and hunting activities.The goals of the Youth Hunting Pro-

gram are to preserve the state’s huntingheritage for present and future genera-tions; to promote the highest ethical stan-dards in hunting; to give the state’s youthan initial, positive, safe, educational andmentored hunting experience; to teachbasic skills, values, techniques and re-sponsibilities of hunting; and to teachparticipants practical conservation meas-ures.Youth Hunting Program participants

must be 8 to 17 years old and completeand submit an application. They also arerequired to complete the West VirginiaHunter Education Course, have a validWest Virginia hunting license (if re-

quired), and have a completed releaseform signed by a parent or guardian.Anyone interested in participating in theYouth Hunting Program should contacttheir closest DNR district office for in-formation.Future youth hunting days for antler-

less deer are scheduled for Oct. 16, Dec.26 and Dec. 28. For more information,about West Virginia’s hunting seasons,refer to the 2015-2016 Hunting andTrapping Regulations Summarybrochure available at DNR offices, li-cense vendors and online atwww.wvdnr.gov.

Ohio Mast Survey Results Announced

COLUMBUS, OH — The 11th annual acorn mast survey was successfully com-pleted on 38 Wildlife Areas throughout Ohio. Results showed that an average of29.3% of white oaks and 41.3% of red oaks bore fruit this year (Table 1). White oakacorn production decreased on 30 (79%) Wildlife Areas compared to 2014. Simi-larly, most Wildlife Areas reported a decrease in red oak (n = 29; 76%) acorn pro-duction compared to the previous year. Overall, there was a 23.1% and 26.5%decrease for white and red oaks, respectively, in the number of trees bearing acornsin 2015 relative to 2014. Over the past 5 years, acorn production has oscillated fromabove to below average. This year is a below average year for acorn mast produc-tion. In addition to determining presence or absence of acorns, observers estimated the

percentage of each tree’s crown that was covered with acorns. Average acorn crowncoverage of white oaks was 4.9% this year as compared to 14.2% last fall.


MINERALCITY,OH — There areseveral reasons peo-ple have heard ofthe reservoirs, damsand property that arecontained within theMuskingum Water-shed ConservancyDistrict (MWCD).The District is a vi-able component inOhio that provides flood reduction, con-servation and recreation for a 20 percentchunk of the state of Ohio.That chunk of the Muskingum system

covers 18 counties and 8,000 squaremiles of Ohio. It’s the largest whollycontained watershed in the state. One of

the key functions of the watershed issurely flood reduction and protection formany Ohioans, but along with thatcomes a conservation commitment, andnatural affiliated benefits that includecamping, fishing, hunting, hiking andboating on the MWCD public lands andwaterways.That definitely covers a wide spectrum

of interest from many outdoors people,from Ohio and beyond.The MWCD owns property behind 14

of the dams, that include 10 permanentlakes. Many of the lakes that are wellknown for fishing, boating, camping,hunting and more.A lot of positive developments have

been taking place the last few years

within the MWCD. Last month the brassat MWCD decided it was time to get theword out about those developments andupcoming plans for the District. Theyhosted a three-day media event to helppromote the MWCD. Three of their lo-cations were featured; Pleasant Hill LakePark (Ashland County), Atwood Lake(Carroll County) and Seneca Lake Park(Noble and Guernsey counties). I at-tended the Atwood Lake event.MWCD Executive Director John

Hoopingarner hosted all three events,with the assistance of Barbara Bennett(Director of Administrative Services)andAdria Bergeron (Recreation Market-ing Coordinator). Hoopingarner, with 26years of experience at the MWCD, of-fered a slide show presentation on the

District’s history, development, goalsand plans for the future. The future looksbright in the region, and the MWCD,thanks to recent revenue generated fromthe oil and gas industry.“It’s been a game changer for us, the

mineral leases we’ve been able to signthe past four years,” said Hoopingarner.The gas and oil royalties have pumped

several millions of dollars into MWCD’scoffers. Hoopingarner said the board ofdirectors have committed more than$170 million to a Master Plan to developand improve the conservancy district.Park capital improvements will also be

made at each of the five lake parks and

MWCD Master Plan Announced


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Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Larry ClaypoolAtwood Lake, one of the key bodies of water in the MWCD,

is known as one of Ohio’s top sailing and pleasure boating lakes.

Turn To MWCD Page 15

have a small piece of solid in the middle.Finding these marks can signify twothings. First, a woodcock is in the area.Most of the time, when I find droppings,I flush the bird within the next 20 yards.In prime habitat, woodcock don’t movearound much. They’re slow flyers andget picked off easily by predators. Theyprefer to keep cover overhead and move-ment to a minimum until ready to con-tinue south.And second, lots of chalk means lotsof birds, which means the flight is in fullswing. But don’t be misled by themarks. Although they are tell-tale signsthat birds have been there, that doesn’tmean they’re still present. They canleave just as quickly as they appear.Many times I’ve found areas coveredwith marks only to discover the birdshave moved on. But don’t worry, if anarea attracts one group of woodcock, itwill most likely draw another, and it willcontinue to do so every year until the for-est grows up too much to be good habi-tat.That’s where many hunters get con-fused. They think that since they don’tsee woodcock – or grouse, for that mat-ter – where they used to many years ago,

that means there aren’t many birds left.Chances are, though, that the habitat haschanged and the forest has grown toomuch to support them, and they’re nowfrequenting different areas where thehabitat is better suited for their needs.Woodcock are fun birds to hunt. As Imentioned, they’re not particularly fastflyers, but they are elusive. Their wingsmake a whistling sound upon takeoff andthey seem to flutter up into the air as ifperforming some wicked dance. Theycan also hold amazingly tight as you ap-proach, sometimes taking off literallyunderfoot, which makes them great forhunting with dogs. What better for dogs,after all, than a bird that leaves off lotsof scent, travels in groups, and holdstight for points? Incidentally, those rea-sons also make them ideal for introduc-ing youths to hunting.A 20 or 28 gauge shotgun is ideal forwoodcock hunting. They’re a small birdand it doesn’t take much to fold one. IfI’m hunting really thick areas with lotsof brush and foliage, a 12 gauge cancome in handy, but I almost alwayspause a few seconds upon flush to let thebird get farther out before shooting toavoid blowing them apart.The bag limit for woodcock is three.To hunt them here in Ohio, you’ll need

HIP (Harvest Information Program) cer-tification and that number must be writ-ten on your license. According to theOhio DNR, the best hunting opportuni-ties can be found in these wildlife areas:Mosquito Creek and Grand River (Trum-bull County), Crown City (GalliaCounty), Lake LaSuAn (WilliamsCounty), and Big Island (MarionCounty). Of course, those are only start-ing points. Wherever you find goodhabitat, you can find good woodcock

hunting.Woodcock are some of the finest eat-ing I know. I prefer to breast them andthen marinate the pieces in Italian dress-ing for a couple of hours. I then wrapeach piece in bacon and space them outon a cookie sheet. Bake in the oven at350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or untildone.Halloween is fast approaching, and sois the woodcock migration. Are youready?


Woodcock From Page 1

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo courtesy of Ralph ScherderFinding woodcock is as simple as finding the right habitat, like shown in this photo.

Rich bottomland chock full of alders and berries is ideal.


Nearly 60 friendsand neighbors ofJohn C. “Doc” andPeggy Bahnsenspent another LaborDay by kicking offhunting season inWest Virginia withan annual DoveShoot. TheBahnsen’s have hostedthe event for the past16 years at the Miller Farm in NewMan-chester, WV. It was a great day of hunt-ing and camaraderie for the Bahnsensand their friends.The dove season, for many hunters,

marks the beginning of the fall huntingseasons. Doc Bahnsen is a seasoned vet-eran when it comes to dove hunting. Hegrooms the fields at the 132-acre MillerFarm to attract doves and pheasants.Sunflowers are strategically planted nearsome rows of corn and by late summer,just in time for the dove season opener,the sunflower plants are harvested

around the corn — leaving some seedsthat attract the birds and high corn stalksthat work as blinds for hunters to shootfrom. It’s a shooter’s paradise for dovehunters.Because of the dry summer weather

this year the quality of the sunflower andcorn plants were not as developed asthey have been in the past. This mayhave led to a smaller bird count huntersexperienced during this first day of hunt-ing. Only a few of the nearly four dozenhunters had limited out (15) with birdson this day. Most of the hunters, at least,harvested 6-10 birds though.The hot temperature that day, which

reached the high 80s, with nearly nowind, may have contributed to lowerharvest numbers.The Bahnsens offered the hunters a

nice meal before hunting. Afterwardadult beverages were offered, along withhunting stories from past hunts. DocBahnsen is a great story teller. His sto-ries about his hunting dogs drew the

Miller Farm Kicks OffAnother WV Dove Season

Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Larry ClaypoolAbout 40 hunters took part in the 16th Annual Labor Day Dove Shoot

hosted by John C. “Doc” and Peggy Bahnsen at Miller Farm in New Manchester, WV.It was the dove season opener in West Virginia.Turn To Dove Page 13

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(BR or BR/OR) $79

Game CoatMade in U.S.A. ITEM# 423

(BR or BR/OR) $114

Boss Hotspot 3D CaplightITEM# Hotspot $279

Track &Train Units

TrappingSupplies

ComingSoon!

NOw InStock!

InNOwStock!

InNOw


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most laughs.Several local and state Republican party candi-

dates participated in the dove shoot. Bahnsen’sVIP hunters for the day were Senator (District 6)Bill Cole, Delegate (Dist. 1) Ryan Ferns and Del-egate (Dist. 2) RyanWeld. Bahnsen said Cole willmake a strong bid to beWest Virginia’s next Gov-ernor. Ferns is vying for a Senate seat.The dove season is split into three segments

with this first segment running from Sept. 1- Oct.17. The two other hunting segments for dove sea-son inWV are Nov. 2 - Nov. 21 and Dec. 21 - Jan.12, 2106.

All licensed migratory bird hunters, includinglifetime license holders and senior citizens, mustalso have a valid Migratory Bird Harvest Infor-mation Program (HIP) registration card. HIPcards are available at license agents, DNR offices

and online at www.wvhunt.com.West Virginia’s 2015-2016 Migratory Bird

Hunting Regulations brochure is available onlineat www.wvdnr.gov, at license agents and DNR of-fices.


Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Larry Claypool

Dove From Page 12

Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo courtesy of Scott CrawfordScott Crawford, of Columbiana, OH, and owner of Rocky Creek Taxidermy, recently won several top honors atthe 2015 Ohio Taxidermists Association Championships in Wilmington, OH. Crawford, shown with hisawards and deer mount, won the Ohio State Champion Medallion for Whitetail Deer, Breakthrough Award,

Artisan Award, People’s Choice Best Deer Head, Judge’s Choice Best of Show and pro1 Award.

It doesn’t matterwhether you’re in atreestand, a blind, orjust out in the open,your hands and feetare typically the firstparts of your bodythat succumb to thecold. This is espe-cially true if you aresitting for severalhours on a rainy daywith the temperature in the low 30’s or asnowy, windy day with the temperaturein the teens.A few years ago, ThermaCELL intro-

duced heated insoles, battery operatedreplacement insoles for boots and shoesdesigned to keep your feet warm. Theywork surprisingly well. Now, Therma-CELL is introducing Heat Packs HandWarmers and Heat Packs Pocket Warm-ers based on the same technology.For many years, the iron oxide packets

sold under a variety of names have been

a necessity for my hunting excursions incold weather. They come in a variousshapes and sizes, and are useful for dif-ferent lengths of time. They do work, butmy experience has been that they veryseldom last as long as indicated on thepackaging. It seems like they take for-ever to get warm (especially when yourfingers are cold) and the amount ofwarmth they supply is erratic. Huntingon a cold day, it’s not unusual to gothrough a half dozen or more of thesepackets. Even for the inexpensive ones,the cost can add up quickly. For thesereasons, the ThermaCELL heat packscaught my attention.The ThermaCELL Heat Packs Hand

Warmers and Heat Packs Pocket Warm-ers have some common features. Boththe hand warmers and the pocketwarmer…• have low (106°F), medium (110°F)

and high (116°F) temperature settings• start producing warmth in under a

minute

• will last (when fully charged) for upto 6 hours of constant heat on low, 5hours on medium, 4 hours on high• are thin and lightweight• are shock-resistant and water-resist-

ant• have a rubber molding around the

outside edge• have a textured, red rubberized sur-

face where the warmth is produced• can be recharged in 4 hours or less• operate on a built-in Lithium-Ion

Polymer battery• can be recharged in newer vehicles

having built-in USB ports or using a cig-arette lighter USB adapterA small round power button on the

end controls the warmers with the heatsetting indicated by a small green LED.From the ‘off’ position, press and holdthe power button for about 2 secondsand the warmer turns on to the ‘low’ set-ting and the green LED flashes onceevery 3 seconds. Press and hold thepower button again, when the LEDflashes twice, the warmer is on ‘medi-um’. Do this again and the warmer is on‘high’. From the ‘high’ setting, pressingand holding the power button will turnthe warmer off with the LED not flash-ing. When the warmers are plugged inand charging, the LED turns red. At a

full charge, the LED turns green.ThermaCELL Heat Packs Hand

Warmers• Size: 3” x 1 5/8” x 7/16” thick• Weight: only 1.45 ounces each• can be recharged over 500 times to

100% capacityThe package contains: Two Hand

Warmers, a wall charger with two USB


Turn To Warm Up Page 15

Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Bill WaugamanThermaCELL Hand Warmers are

small enough to fit inside mostgloves and can last up to six hours.

Product ReviewWarm Up with ThermaCELL Heat Packs

By Bill Waugaman

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marinas operated by the District. Thoseare: Atwood Lake, Seneca Lake, Pied-mont Lake, Tappan Lake and CharlesMills Lake.Atwood will get much of the capital

improvement attention in the next severalyears. There currently is new construc-tion of a $1.6 million welcome centertaking place at the Carroll County facil-ity. A huge multi-use recreational centeris planned, along with a new rest-room/shower building, elaborate cabins,seven miles of trails, improved camp-grounds, spray (water) grounds and play-grounds.Tappan will also get a new deluxe wel-

come center, zip line and beanstalk ropescourse.Hoopingarner said there’s been a sur-

prising interest in walking and hikingtrails at Atwood. “That was number onein amenities that people asked for in ourrecent survey,” said Hoopingarner.For additional information about the

Muskingum Watershed ConservancyDistrict visit them online at:www.mwcd.org.


MWCD From Page 10ports, two USB cords and an instructionbooklet. The MSRP is $79.99… that’sabout .16 cents per use as compared to.60-.90 cents for a package of two ironoxide hand warmers.ThermaCELL Heat Packs Pocket

Warmer• Size: 4 1/8” x 2 7/8” x 7/16” thick• Weight: 3.75 ounces• can be recharged several hundred

times to 100% capacityPackage contains: One Pocket

Warmer, one USB wall charger, oneUSB cord and an instruction booklet.The MSRP is $69.99… at 250 uses,that’s around .28 cents per use as com-pared to $1.00 to $1.50 for a similarsized iron oxide hand warmer.Even though the batteries are not re-

placeable, the sheer number of timesthey can be recharged and so the handand pocket warmers can used over andover keeps the cost per use very reason-able.Even though it’s early fall now, the

cold weather of fall and winter will beupon us very soon, and that also meansthe holiday season. The ThermaCELLHeat Packs Hand Warmers or Pocket Warmer would make a great Christmas

gift for anyone who spends a lot of timeoutdoors in the cold.

Warm Up From Page 14

Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Bill WaugamanThe ThermaCELL Heat Pack(s) Hand Warmers and Pocket Warmers packaging is shown

separately, with each unit, an adapter and USB wires.


Danielle Aeschbacher1st duck

Columbiana County, OH

Toby Purdy16", 1.63lbs. crappieWestville Lake, OH

Tim Baker18lbs., 9" beard, 1" spursPrime Archery bow kill

Nate Smith23lbs., 10.5" beard, 1.25" spurs

Jeff Charles20 lbs., 10" beard


Adam Sutherin24lbs. 7oz., 10" beard, 1 3/8" spurs

Jefferson County, OH

Duane Eucker22lbs., 10" beard, 1" spurs

Send Us Your PhotosWe’ll print your hunting, fishing or trap-

ping photos in the next issue of OV Times orOhio Valley Outdoors magazine. Send pho-tos via mail, email or Facebook.Email to: [email protected] to: Photo Showcase210 East Fourth St., East Liverpool, OH 43920

Conner McCloylargemouth bass

WV


Keith McCloylargemouth bass

WV

Joe Hopwood8-pt., bow

Hancock County, WV

Carolyn McCloylargemouth bass

WV

Jansen McCloylargemouth bass

WV

Clem Goddard24 1/2 lbs., 1-1/2" spurs, double bearded,

11-1/2" beard & 4" beard

Eric Mayle23 lbs., 10-1/2" beardMorgan County, OH

John Ireland45", 43-lbs., flathead catfish

New Cumberland Dam, Hancock County, WV

Conner McCloylargemouth bass

WV

Marvin Aeschbacher II21 lbs., 1" spurs, 9 1/2" beardColumbiana County, OH

Logan Charles21 lbs., 10" beard


Robert Pattersoncrossbow kill

Larry Zarlengobow kill


Ohio Valley Outdoorswww.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com

You need morecustomers!YOUR CARD HEREContact Sales Consultant

Tracy Bissell at330-385-2243


WINTERSVILLE,OH — Woods Mon-key, the online out-door product reviewwebsite, is nowunder new owner-ship. L.T. WrightHandcrafted Knives,of Wintersville, OH,has purchased thesite.L.T.Wright Hand-

crafted Knives intendsto keep the site going as is and is lookingforward to expanding into additionalcontent areas. Ac-cording to ownerL.T. Wright, theyhope to im-prove thewebsite’s so-cial media andvideo presenceas well. LTWKhas alwaysshown an interest in the area of publish-ing and they are excited to continue to

be involved in this area.“I knew the owner of the

Woods Monkey site forsome time and when hestarted it Ithought itwas a greatidea. I’vea l w a y shad my eyeon it. It’s agreat fit for us,” saidL.T. Wright.Woods Monkey is a great place to read

reviews and about other outdoor pur-suits. The site has been providing unbi-ased reviews for several years now.

Writers focus ono u t d o o rp r o d u c t s .LTWK ishoping to ex-pand into ad-

ditional areaslike DIY, Self-Reliance,

Riding (ATV, motorcycle, etc.), andmore.

If you are interested in having a prod-uct reviewed, writing for the site, or ad-vertising on the site contact WoodsMonkey at [email protected].

For more information visit:www.woodsmonkey.com.

About L.T. WrightHandcrafted Knives

L.T. WrightHandcrafted Knivesare the makers ofmany styles of custom

knives, “artisan working pieces”, includ-ing hunting and bushcraft models.Skilled craftsmen create high quality,long-lasting steel. L.T. Wright Hand-crafted Knives is located inWintersville,Ohio.

About Woods MonkeyWoods Monkey is an online outdoors

magazine focusing on camping, hiking,and other outdoor gear testing and re-views. Their goal is to provide an onlineoutlet for folks to check out gear, learnnew skills, and share their adventures.

Review Site Woods Monkey is Under New Ownership

Send us your trophy photos

For ourPhoto Showcase

Connor Mayleturkey

Trumbull County, OH

email to:[email protected] to: Photo Showcase210 East Fourth St.East Liverpool, OH 43920

www.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com

Brian Woods10-pt. buck

Shelby County, OH


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Ohio’s Fall TurkeySeason Opens

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio’s huntersare pursuing wild turkeys, during aseven-week season that opened October10. The fall season runs through Novem-ber 29. Gobblers and hens are legal gameduring the fall wild turkey season.A complete report of the 2014 fall wild

turkey season is available at wildo-hio.gov.• Fifty-six Ohio counties are open for

fall turkey hunting. Only one turkey ofeither sex may be harvested during theentire fall season, and a valid hunting li-cense and fall turkey hunting permit arerequired. Hours are 30 minutes beforesunrise to sunset. Shotguns using shot, aswell as crossbows and longbows, are per-mitted. Hunting turkeys over bait is pro-hibited, and turkeys must be checked by11:30 p.m. on the day the bird is har-vested.• All hunters must report their turkey

harvest using the automated game-checksystem.• Call 877-TAG-ITOH (824-4864); or• Visit a license agent. A list of agents

can be found at wildohio.gov or by call-ing 800-WILDLIFE (945-3543).

Documents

Ohio Valley Outdoor Times 10-2015