The weatherman called for rain this past Tuesday, but I didn’t realize that he called for all of the rain on one day. Our rain gauge on Wednesday morning measured just shy of 6 inches. But we’ll take it. The reservoirs are now full as are our rivers and trout streams, and ground water levels have been replenished. I’m not telling Mother Nature how to run her business, but it would be … [Read more...]

  By Stephen Living/DWR With the weather turning colder and hints of red and gold starting to paint the trees, gardener’s thoughts may turn towards “cleaning up” their landscape. This can include cutting down the spent flowers and dead stalks of the plants and grasses that provided valuable habitat to the wildlife in our spaces during the warmer months. Not so fast! Your Habitat at Home … [Read more...]

By Alex McCrickard/DWR Avoid fighting striped bass to exhaustion. Make sure you have a heavy enough rod and associated tackle to land the fish relatively quickly, especially if you are targeting trophy-sized striped bass. A large rubber net can be beneficial when landing striped bass. This will allow you to keep the fish wet while you prepare to remove the lure, fly, or hook. This also … [Read more...]

By Katie Martin/DWR   Acorn production across the state in 2023 can be categorized overall as extremely poor for white oak and average to above average for red oak species (see graphs below). Based on the annual hard mast survey, white oak routes came in at an all-time low since survey data has been recorded in this manner (2007). Conversely, red oaks surveyed right at the long-term … [Read more...]

We live in Woodbrook, abutting the school yard. A month or so ago, whoever mowed the school grounds left several acres unmowed and erected signs saying, “Conservation Mowing.” They were letting the grass grow to somehow benefit wildlife. That’s total rubbish. The grass they have allowed to grow is knee high fescue, which actually is a detriment to wildlife habitat. It’s the single reason that … [Read more...]

By Bruce Ingram Understandably, chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a topic much on the minds of Virginia sportsmen and wildlife watchers. Alexandra Lombard, wildlife health coordinator for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR), provided an update. “Right now, we have CWD in nine counties in Northern Virginia and in four counties in Southwest Virginia,” she said. “The disease is … [Read more...]

By Molly Kirk/DWR   You might not think of sea turtles when you think of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR), but the agency is responsible for those species as well. The loggerhead turtle is the most abundant species of sea turtle that nests in the United States, but the Northwest Atlantic population is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, as of … [Read more...]

By Molly Kirk When you make decisions about how to maintain your yard and property this fall, keep in mind that there are many different species of wildlife that call your yard home. While raking leaves and mowing tall grass might create a neater “look” for your yard, leaving your yard with a somewhat messier appearance creates valuable food and shelter for not only birds, but also pollinators, … [Read more...]

By Bruce Ingram   If there is a common topic among the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources’ (DWR) regional fisheries managers, it is their concerns about the presence—and spread—of Alabama bass. Scott Smith, who is based at the DWR Region 2 office in Forest, Virginia, is no different. “Alabama bass have now been found at Philpott, Buggs Island, and Martinsville Reservoir and … [Read more...]

The James is a powerful and dangerous river. Last week, an Albemarle County family lost three children to drowning after a fateful attempt to swim. I can personally attest to the strength of this mighty river. When I first moved to Charlottesville, I asked about river fishing in these parts and was told to go to the James. It was a beautiful, charming river and I fished from the bank, … [Read more...]