Recent Stories
While Virginia’s Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) says a harvest of 17,929 wild turkeys during the 2019 spring gobbler season was 11 percent higher than last year’s harvest, Rappahannock County saw a slight decrease.
Five years ago 57 bears were shot out of season, last year only three
‘CWD may pose a risk to people and . . . it is important to prevent human exposures’
A total of 19 bears and 1687 deer were harvested in Rappahannock County during this just-concluded 2018-19 hunting season, which compares to 24 bears and 1535 deer taken by local hunters during the previous 2017-18 season.
The Piedmont Environmental Council and Virginia Department of Transportation are collaborating to reconnect brook trout habitat and improve flood resiliency and public road-stream crossings in two more locations in Rappahannock County.
2017-18 hunting season bags a few more bears
Rappahannock County’s fall deer-hunting season with firearms is right around the corner, starting Saturday, Nov. 18, through Saturday, Jan. 6.
‘Sunday hunting for crows has been changed to Monday’
Renowned Sperryville photographer Ray Boc delights in capturing the color and life of Rappahannock County, including this past weekend along the Thornton River near Copper Fox Antiques. The title above is his.
Out-of-season bear kills by Rappahannock farmers continues to be high
Virginia legislators are making a fashion statement for the state’s 13,000 female hunters: Blaze pink is the new orange.
I realize, for the perfectionists among us, that we are not yet into mid-winter, but if this past weekend was any indication, we are close enough to it to suit me. Gosh, we have had a few bitter days. I still love living in a place where we get to enjoy all the seasons, but I am beginning to…
Alex Kardis shot this 10-point buck on the farm of his parents, Phil and Penny Kardis, in Flint Hill. It was on the second anniversary of the passing of his grandfather, Lawrence Chadwell, of Huntly. Kardis thought his grandfather would have been very proud.
Shenandoah National Park Superintendent Jim Northup announced this week that portions of Skyline Drive will be closed at night during hunting season. He noted that this is the 36th year that this closure has been undertaken and stressed its importance in reducing illegal hunting activity wit…
I’m sure you remember the old commercial for Morton Salt, which said, “When it rains, it pours.” Well, we finally got the long-needed rain, and I must say our fervent prayers were answered. Truth is, the way the rain spread itself out over several days and nights was another blessing. I meas…
Some of you are aware that I like to go fishing every once in awhile. Last year, 2015, was the first year in many that I didn’t make my trek to the wilds of Canada’s Ontario province to take on that old sharp-toothed fish some call the northern pike. Things just didn’t fall into place. Then …
For the benefit of those of you out there who still like to poke around in the woods and fields in hopes of getting a deer for the freezer, I thought I might bring you up to date on what you can and can’t do in the coming deer season.
Virginia State Parks, managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, offer the outdoorsman a variety of hunting opportunities, including reservation-only hunts and open hunting, throughout the season. Hunters can reserve stands or zones on a first come, first served basis…
I have been told by many of the old timers that, before I came along, and even before the Shenandoah National Park was in existence, people used to turn their hogs loose in the mountains to forage for themselves, mostly on the wild chestnuts that were so abundant. The animals had cut marks i…
On a cool Saturday morning in late April, Wakefield Country Day School students, faculty members and a parent volunteer helped with a Wounded Warriors project in Madison County, helping set up a Healing Waters Project. Veterans, assisted by guides, are able to fish local rivers and streams, …
Young Rappahannock hunter Bradley Settle, son of Lee and Ashley Settle of Castleton and Renee Settle of Chester Gap, harvested his first turkey on Youth Day for spring turkey season last month. With two beards, the bird was considered an atypical wild turkey.
Lewis Foster of Flint Hill was happy enough when he caught a 6½-pound trout in early March, but less than two weeks later, he reeled in this nine-pounder on Passage Creek, in the Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area of GW National Forest. If the trend continues, Lewis might need a find a larger truck.
Lewis Foster of Flint Hill came by the other day to show off a big one that didn’t get away — the 6½-pound trout he caught in Front Royal’s Happy Creek last Sunday.
In the Feb. 12 edition of the Rappahannock News, Richard Brady makes a case that Rappahannock County should not participate in the “Earn A Buck” (EAB) program of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), which manages the deer population in Virginia. In this program a hun…
Rise in bear, decrease in turkey taken by hunters reported by VDGIF
Every once in awhile I feel the need to explain myself to the readers of this column; this is such a time. It used to be that when I would see my column had been placed on the editorial page, I would cringe a bit, and think, why did they do that? I have to remember that the editorial page is…
It is no secret that the American people are losing faith in their government. This is true at the federal and state level. But, what about our local government? Do most county residents feel they are getting a fair shake from our county leaders? I have been inclined to think that we are bet…
There has been a fair amount of newsprint lately … some of it mine … that speculated on what seems to some of us untrained naturalists to be a decline in the whitetail deer population. My observations come directly from spending time afield hunting and scouting and observing. Further, I have…
If you had to divide the calendar into food groups, summer would be about vegetables. Especially, if you tend a vegetable garden or just like the fresh veggies that come with the season. When fall of the year comes, and the garden has been put to bed, and the balance of vegetables have been …
With hunters getting ready to hit Rappahannock’s fields and forests in pursuit of deer, I wanted to encourage everyone to consider replacing their lead bullets with copper ones. Getting the lead out of gasoline and paint are universally considered milestone achievements with clear, demonstra…
I am an Amissville resident of 20 years living on Hinsons Ford Road. Our family members hunt, target shoot and have always supported responsible gun ownership, use and safety. From time to time I have heard target practice and shooting near my property. However, the Sunday of Memorial weeken…
In a letter published in The Washington Post last week, Realtor and longtime Rappahannock County resident Butch Zindel objected to a fox-preserve proponent’s comments in an earlier Post story about Virginia’s decision to restrict and eventually ban fox-penning operations in the state.
Sunday hunting looks like it’s coming, like it or not — the likes leading the like-nots by about a 3-to-1 margin in Richmond, if not in Rappahannock County.
Wildlife biologists with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) have compiled preliminary figures for deer, bear, and turkey harvests for the 2013-14 fall/winter hunting seasons. The deer, bear and turkey harvests all reflected an increase from last year.
The real estate tax in Rappahannock County is headed for an increase of 2 cents, and possibly 4 cents, when the new county budget is unveiled later this month, several board of supervisors members warned at the board’s regular monthly meeting Monday afternoon (March 4).
Wildlife biologists with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) have compiled preliminary figures for deer, bear, and turkey harvests for the 2012-13 fall/winter hunting seasons. The white-tailed deer harvest was down from last year while the turkey and bear harvest inc…
A bill is now before the General Assembly in Richmond which would place restrictions on fox penning in the state. Supporters of fox penning claim that the purpose of the pens is to train foxhounds, hundreds of which may be let loose on confined foxes at one time. Competitions with judges sug…
I hope you have recovered from the big hurricane. We lost shingles and siding, and had water in the house in several places. I didn’t bother to turn the damage in on my insurance. I was able to fix it myself. I’ll save the insurance for the big one. We only lost power for about 24 hours, so,…
Regarding the photograph on the front page of this newspaper last week, I am happy to see that the hounds of Rappahannock are being blessed. But what about the foxes of Rappahannock, for whom the fox hunt is the worst of horrors? Who will bless them?
Participants – human, equine and canine – gather around Rev. Sue Hardman for the blessing of the hounds at the start of a fox hunt at Thornton Hill Farm last Sunday (Nov. 4). After blessing everyone involved – including the foxes – the hounds and riders disappeared into the woods to official…
The big frost we had here pretty much took the garden out. But, I have to tell you, the day before the frost, my bride picked green beans, lima beans, tomatoes, green peppers and lettuce, and this was well into October. Yes, we have been blessed with a very good garden this year. I finally g…
In Rappahannock County, the 2012-2013 hunting seasons are as follows (more information, including permit and check-in regulations, are online at dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/regulations).
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