Last week I wrote about the perils on a yellow jacket nest in your yard. My stings are still itching, by the way, but I think we got rid of them with two heavy applications of Hornet/Wasp Killer. My friend, Hal Hurka, let me know about an even better way to eliminate the nasty stingers – let someone else do it. Hal says there is an outfit called Venom Collect that will come to your house – … [Read more...]

The perils of mowing grass are many.  First, it can really screw up a round of golf. “Sorry, guys, but my front yard needs bailing. Two farmers have already put in bids for the hay.”It can also play havoc with an afternoon map. Taking a little snooze while following an electric push mower is not advised in the Boy Scout Manual. Another yard mowing hazard is bees. Yellow jackets, in … [Read more...]

By Justin Folks/DWR It’s no secret that the prospect of a big buck is what gets most of us in a deer stand each fall. It’s also no secret that overabundant deer have negative effects on forests, farmlands, front yards, and Fords (I like alliteration). We, as deer hunters, need to look beyond “grip-and-grins” and taxidermy bills, and think more about the big picture of deer management. It’s … [Read more...]

Why?Why would anyone want to attract amphibians such as frogs and lizards or reptiles such as snakes and turtles to their yard? Simple. Because these critters eat tons of insects and rodents. According to Virginia’s DNR, amphibians and reptiles are a vital part of the natural world, but urban development and landscaping have caused their habitats to be lost or degraded. By making a … [Read more...]

Finaly, finally, there is a ray of hope to save the Chesapeake Bay from the overfishing of menhaden. In the new Virginia budget which kicks off July 1, there is a $2 million appropriation to study the populations and migration of menhaden (bunker) in the Chesapeake Bay. For years, conservationists and fishermen have been calling for such a study, if not an outright ban on menhaden fishing as done … [Read more...]

The Division of Wildlife Resources – I still call them the Game Department – is broke, busted, penniless. They had to borrow nearly $7 million from the state to make ends meet at the end of the fiscal year. The Pooh-Bahs in Richmond said, “We’ll loan you the money, but you’ve got to raise license fees.” The DWR is responsible for enforcing fishing, hunting and boating laws and managing all the … [Read more...]

We have a Mountain Mint Farm. What started as a couple plants of Pycnanthemum Muticum, commonly known as Mountain Mint, is now a bumper crop in our garden bed near the pond. Bring it on, I say, because with the spread of mountain mint comes swarms of pollinators – bees and lots of butterflies. Mountain mints are aromatic plants with dramatic grey-green foliage and a distinctive minty scent. In … [Read more...]

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission says that we need a 50% reduction in the East Coast Menhaden harvest in order to sustain striped bass, ospreys, bluefish and – indirectly – every creature in the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Legal Alliance and Southern Maryland Recreational Fishing Organization have petitioned for an immediate moratorium in reduction fishing for menhaden within the … [Read more...]

We often take the sense of smell for granted – until it’s gone. During the COVID era, many reported the loss of smell as the virus damaged sensitive cells withing the nose. Generally, the ability to smell returned, though sometimes it took years to recover. As humans, we have a pretty good sense of smell, but nothing like that of a dog. For years, I had bird dogs, mostly English Setters. My … [Read more...]

For over 75 years, revenue from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses has financed Virginia game management, game warden salaries, numerous conservation projects and fish hatcheries, to name a few. But now there are fewer and fewer outdoorsmen buying licenses and many projects are in peril – including our fish hatcheries. Says Asheley Stimpson of the DWR, “Virginia has nine fish hatcheries … [Read more...]