Jan. 05–With only a little time left in the season, Tennessee hunters have some work to do if they’re going to equal last year’s total deer harvest numbers.
As of 1 p.m. Friday, online harvest reports showed Tennessee hunters had killed 158,105 deer since the archery season began in late September. That puts them well below last year’s total of 167,058.
The season for adult hunters ends at sundown today, with the young sportsman weekend scheduled for Jan. 11-12. The young sportsman hunt is open to hunters ages 6-16.
During the young sportsman hunt, the child must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult at least 21. The adult must remain in a position to take control of the hunting device.
The child and accompanying adult must meet legal requirements for fluorescent orange clothing. Multiple children may be accompanied by a single adult.
The young sportsman hunt doesn’t always account for as many harvested deer as a typical all-ages weekend. But even if the final harvest numbers don’t top last year’s, state conservation officials won’t be concerned.
Wildlife biologists have said repeatedly that they don’t fret over deer harvest numbers as long as they’re between 150,000 and 160,000. Hunters in Tennessee killed 165,791 in 2011-12 and 152,762 in 2010-11. They killed a five-year low of 151,679 in 2009-10.
For the 2013-14 season, Giles County has had the highest harvest numbers with 4,942, with Fayette County in second place at 4,416, The remainder of the top 10: Henry County 4,248, Lincoln 4,210, Hardeman County 3,960, Maury County 3,796, Montgomery County 3,695, Franklin County 3,583, Carroll County 3,092 and Madison County 3,008.
Big Cat Quest schedule released
Officials from the Bass Pro Shops Big Cat Quest tournament trail recently announced the bulk of their schedule for 2014, with several events that should be attractive to Memphis-area anglers.
The schedule:
Feb. 22: Paducah, Ky.; March 1: Rome, Ga.; March 15: Richmond, Va.; April 5: Iuka, Miss.; April 19: Memphis; April 26: Clarksville, Tenn.; May 3: Yantis-Lake Fork, Texas; May 31: Palestine, Texas; June 14: Tunica, Miss.; June 28: Owensboro, Ky.; July 12: World Catfishing Championship at Pickwick Landing State Park; Aug. 16: Crystal City, Mo.; Sept. 13: Wheeler, Sheffield, Ala.; and Oct. 4: New Madrid, Mo.
Several tournaments will eventually be added to the schedule, including the annual national championship event.
The annual National Catfish Derby will be June 1-July 11. The event, which is free to all anglers, awards prizes to those who catch the biggest catfish during designated periods.
Visit bigcatquest.com.
Mid-South Fly Fishers meet Tuesday
The Mid-South Fly Fishers club will hold its first monthly meeting of the year from 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday at 3049 Davies Plantation Road in Lakeland. Guest speaker Cathy Justis of the Wolf River Conservancy will be talking about the Wolf River and its habitat and access points.
Justis, a Memphis native, has a degree in aquatic ecology from the University of Tennessee and more than 25 years of experience in biology and environmental education. She has worked for several environmental organizations, including the Lichterman Nature Center, the National Park Service and the Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, She also served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer.
The club and meetings are open to anyone interested in fly fishing.
Visit msff.org.
Hunter education classes available
Even with deer season winding down, there are several hunter education courses scheduled in the near future to satisfy requirements for young and novice hunters who plan to hunt during the upcoming spring turkey season.
A classroom course will begin at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Bartlett Range, located at 3200 Brother Blvd., Bartlett. The course will continue with three more classes Jan. 16, Jan. 21 and Jan. 23. The classes will last from 6-9 p.m. each night.
As of Saturday morning, there were 41 seats remaining for the 100-student class.
Another course is scheduled for March 4, 6, 11 and 13 at the Bartlett Range.
Numerous other classes are available around the state.
To locate and register for a class in your area, visit register-ed.com.
TWRA photo contest underway
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency announced last week that it is accepting entries for its 2014-15 photo contest. Contest winners will have their entries published in the Tennessee Wildlife Magazine’s annual calendar issue.
Photographers are encouraged to enter their best photos of fish and wildlife species native to Tennessee. Fishing and hunting scenes from the state will also be accepted.
Horizontal high-resolution images (300 dpi) in JPEG format should be sized 8 1/2 x11 inches. Each disk submitted must have the name of the photographer stamped or written on it.
If a photo is selected for the calendar edition, the entering photographer will receive $60.
Deadline for entries is March 10, 2014.
Entries can be mailed to: Tennessee Wildlife Magazine Calendar Issue, P.O. Box 40747, Nashville, TN 37204.
catch-and-release section reopening
The catch-and-release section below Bull Shoals Dam — a popular destination for Mid-South trout anglers — is temporarily closed to accommodate the annual brown trout spawn. It will reopen on Feb. 1.
The brown trout spawn takes place on the White River every year from November through January.
During the spawn, trout abandon their usual cautious behavior and move into shallow water to bed and lay eggs.
The trout are extremely vulnerable to anglers during this period, and fisheries biologists have deemed it necessary to close the section to protect the overall fish population.
Hunter discounts at Mississippi parks
Through Feb. 28, hunters will receive discounted rates when staying at Mississippi state parks.
Hunters who show a valid Mississippi hunting license and WMA User Permit can stay in a cabin that sleeps four or less for just $50. They can also rent standard RV sites for $14 a night.
Parks eligible for the discount include Clarkco, George P. Cossar, Holmes, Hugh White, J.P. Coleman, John W. Kyle, Lake Lincoln, Lake Lowndes, Legion, Roosevelt, Tombigbee, Trace and Wall Doxey.
Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-GO-PARKS or online at mdwfp.com.
Pro bass fishing tours open
The 2014 FLW Series will open its season Thursday-Saturday on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee. First place in the pro division will pay $40,000 plus a fully rigged Ranger bass boat.
Okeechobee is known as a great shallow-water lake, especially this time of year when many bass are already moving in from deeper water to spawn.
Weigh-ins on Thursday and Friday will begin at 3 p.m. with Saturday’s championship weigh-in scheduled for 4 p.m. All weigh-ins will be broadcast online at flwlive.com.
The FLW Tour will hold its season opener on Lake Okeechobee on Feb. 6-9. First prize for that event is $125,000.
The Bassmaster circuit will also open its season in Florida, with the Bass Pro Shops Southern Open set for Jan. 23-25 on Lake Toho.