Young hunters in Virginia will once again have the opportunity to take a deer well in advance of the their adult counterparts. The state's second annual Youth Deer Hunting Day takes place September 25 throughout most of the Old Dominion. Click here to read my article on the event on www.examiner.com.
There's also some good information on the youth deer hunt in the latest edition of the Virginia Outdoor Report. This monthly (or is it twice monthly?) report prepared by David Coffman of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is an excellent resource for anyone interested in hunting, fishing, boating, conservation or general outdoor recreation in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It contains a wealth of information, and Mr. Coffman must put a ton of time into producing it. The report is available by free email subscription.
In other news, my home county of Loudoun is looking at killing the ticks that carry Lyme Disease while they are still on their main carriers: whitetail deer. I read about this in last week's Loudoun Times Mirror but can't find that article online. I did find some information on the proposal in this May article by Jason Jacks.
Apparently, the strategy would involve installing deer feeders with corn framed by pesticide-laden brushes. When a deer sticks it's head in, the pesticide would rub off the brushes onto its neck, supposedly killing the ticks it carries.
Lyme disease is a huge problem in our area. I know; I've had it twice.
So has Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) who is working on the proposal. Still, I'll need a lot more information before I'm comfortable with this plan.
First of all, feeding deer is illegal in Virginia throughout much of the year and is discouraged at any time by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Would this be allowed during the feeding ban period of September-January? Second, for this pesticide to work and kill ticks all over the deer, it would have to enter the whitetail's bloodstream. That leaves me wondering if the meat will be safe to eat.
Anyone who hunts, eats venison or is interested in wildlife management in Loudoun County needs to get the facts on Burton's plan before it moves any further. I'll see what I can do to help with that and report back when I get some more information. . .
We have an early youth hunt as well, and I just love it - it gives the kids such a great opportunity.
I think the whole idea of getting rid of the ticks is a great one, I'm just not sure how actually feasible it is.
I'll keep checking to see how this one unfolds.
Posted by: Arthur | July 30, 2010 at 07:39 AM