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Here’s what’s worth reading today, Tuesday, March 3, 2020:
Chronic wasting disease discovered at deer breeding facility in Kimble County: Chronic wasting disease has been discovered in a 5½-year-old white-tailed deer in a Kimble County deer breeding facility, marking the first positive detection of the disease in the county. The tissue samples submitted by the breeding facility as part of routine deer mortality surveillance revealed the presence of CWD during testing at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in College Station on Feb. 6. The National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, confirmed the findings Feb. 26. Officials have taken immediate action to secure all cervids at the Kimble County deer breeding facility with plans to conduct additional investigation for CWD. In addition, those breeding facilities that have received deer from the Kimble County facility or shipped deer to that facility during the last five years are under movement restrictions and cannot move or release cervids at this time, or they have completed the necessary testing to ensure that CWD was not transferred to their facility.
Houston Fishing Show gets the season started: The ceremonial jumpstart of spring is spring break, but a harbinger of spring fishing is the Houston Fishing Show, with the 45th edition set to run March 4-8 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The fishing show has long been the place for outdoor manufacturers to launch their newest and greatest innovations in the fishing industry. This year will be no exception with several new rods, reels and baits to tempt consumers. Hey, the economy is booming, consumer confidence is at an all-time high and our lakes and bays are full of fish. Why wouldn’t it be a great time to treat yourself to the latest and greatest in fishing tackle?
Oklahoma hunting: Morrison teen’s buck is now officially a record: Guner Womack’s trophy buck is now officially a state record. The Morrison teen and Oklahoma State Univeristy student became an Internet sensation in October when he arrowed a big 8×8 typical whitetail buck on family land in Pawnee County. He now owns the state typical archery record. Womack’s buck was officially scored Saturday afternoon at the Backwoods Show in Oklahoma City by a panel of three game wardens. The bruiser of a buck scored 188 5/8, one-eighth of an inch better than the previous state archery record for a typical whitetail deer. The previous record typical whitetail archery buck was killed in 2011 by Wade Ward of Claremore.
Menhaden seiners killing Louisiana red drum: Disgusted, I watched the brief video on my monitor. “This is the reality,” says the narrator, Capt. Eric Newman, a top guide out of Venice, Louisiana, with the outrage evident in his voice. “This is what happens when pogy boats come around.” The camera zooms in to the white belly of a floating redfish. “Bull red, dead. There’s another out there,” Newman says. The camera sweeps, zooms in. “Another one out there, dead.” The camera moves, zooms in. “Another one out there.” Again the camera zooms in. “Dead redfish all around us.” The video zooms out to reveal bloated white bellies bobbing at the surface. This is just off a beach in the Mississippi River Delta. “That’s our brood stock,” Newman adds, shaking his head.
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy takes hog hunting trip: When it comes to firepower, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy can count on having plenty of it this coming football season. With running back Chuba Hubbard, wideout Tylan Wallace and quarterback Spencer Sanders all among the returners on offense, the Cowboys have the weapons that are needed to do plenty of damage throughout the Big 12 Conference. This past weekend, Gundy — quite literally — put some weapons to use, though it had nothing to do with the sport of football. The longtime Oklahoma State head coach, on Monday, posted pictures to Twitter of him and several others on a hog hunting trip. “Fun weekend hog hunting with a great group,” Gundy wrote. “Big thanks to our guide Aaron, Deep Red Outfitters (Grandfield, Oklahoma) and Stuart Ranch Outfitters (Waurika, Oklahoma).”
Idaho hunters, still angry over Fish and Game shooting 206 elk, look to change rules: Over the course of several months last summer the Idaho Fish and Game Magic Valley Regional Office shot 206 elk at night in order to study depredation methods and stop elk from damaging crops. When that information went public this winter, many sportsmen were livid. Their anger hasn’t abated. Conflicts between wildlife and agriculture have become more common in the past 30 years, and shifts in the ag industry are a significant contributing factor. The Magic Valley’s dairy industry has expanded dramatically in the past few decades which has led to both growth and changes in what farmers are planting. More dairy means more corn. The Magic Valley region holds more private property of any Fish and Game region in the state — and the most private land in ag production. More corn has led to elk moving into areas they previously didn’t visit. The animals don’t just eat the crop; they also hunker down in it. Fish and Game officials say once they’re in a cornfield, they’re virtually impossible to remove, and finding them is like finding a needle in a haystack.
Man dies while trying to retrieve fishing pole: The body of a man who jumped into the Intracoastal Waterway in Riviera Beach, apparently to go after a fishing rod that fell into the water, has been found. Shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday, the man’s body was recovered by marine units from Riviera Beach police and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, according to Riviera Beach Police Major Josh Lewis. The man’s body was found about 200 yards north of where he had been fishing Saturday night from a small bridge that connects Singer Island to the mainland. It was just before 10 p.m. Saturday when police were called about a fisherman seen jumping into the Intracoastal in order to retrieve a fishing pole that he dropped into the water.
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