Posts by Rob Pavey
Savannah River Yellow Perch
Most southern anglers land an occasional yellow perch while chasing crappie or bluegill. For Tom Lewis, catching the brightly colored fish is an annual mid-winter obsession. “I go every chance I get, once the bigger ones start biting,” said Tom, who fishes the deep, cold waters of the Savannah River below Clarks Hill Dam. “The…
Read MoreWild Hogs In Georgia Targeted By USDA
Georgia’s costly feral hog problems are getting some assistance this year from the federal government, which allocated $20 million to battle swine infestations in 39 states. “It’s an allocation we have a share of—to assist you guys here in Georgia,” said Matthew Ondovchik, Georgia’s feral swine coordinator with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services…
Read MoreCoyote Telemetry Study Begins
A groundbreaking, multi-state study of southeastern coyotes is barely into its fourth month, but scientists are already collecting valuable data about the secret life of canis latrans. “So far it is all functioning well,” said Will Gulsby, a post-doctoral research associate at University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources, which is leading…
Read MoreGeorgia’s Lyme Disease Mystery Continues
Todd Young gave little thought to the tiny tick he found burrowed into his scalp two years ago. “It was at the back of my head, at the hairline,” the Cherokee County trapper and taxidermist recalled. “I just pulled it off. That’s what I always did.” The tick, he figures, likely dropped onto his clothing…
Read MorePartain Previews Hartwell As Pros Prepare For Bassmaster Classic
Kerry Partain learned a long time ago that February fishing at Lake Hartwell has its own set of rules. “One of the first things you have to do is see what kind of mood they’re in,” he said. “They might be feeding—or they may not be doing much of anything and just sitting on the…
Read MoreStudy Suggests Coyote Control Not Enough To Improve Deer Numbers
A new study into coyote predation on whitetail fawns suggests reducing hunter harvest, rather than intensive trapping, might be the most effective way to stabilize a declining deer population. The conclusion, based on data collected from 2010 to 2012 at the U.S. Energy Department’s Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina, is outlined in a…
Read MoreWRD Public Meetings Well Attended
Georgia’s Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) will have plenty of comments to consider before drafting possible changes in hunting seasons and bag limits later this year. During eight well-attended public meetings held across the state in January, hundreds of landowners and sportsmen shared opinions—and frustrations—about the state’s declining deer herd, the spread of feral hogs and…
Read MoreLast Chance To Comment On Upcoming Hunt Regs
Georgia’s Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) will have plenty of comments to consider before drafting possible changes in hunting seasons and bag limits later this year. During eight well-attended public meetings held across the state in January, hundreds of landowners and sportsmen shared opinions—and frustrations—about the state’s declining deer herd, the spread of feral hogs and…
Read MoreDeer Management Assistance Program Would Give Hunters More Flexibility
Georgia could soon join other southeastern states that use special management programs to give landowners more flexibility with whitetail harvest. The concept, known as a Deer Management Assistance Program, or DMAP, is already used in 14 states and typically authorizes state biologists to help private landowners make decisions on matters such as antlerless deer harvest.…
Read MoreCorps Requests Funds For Grass Carp Study To Battle Clarks Hill Hydrilla
After more than five years of studies and discussion, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will ask Congress to fund an Environmental Assessment to determine if sterile grass carp can be introduced to Clarks Hill Lake to control hydrilla. Hydrilla at Clarks Hill has been linked to an algae bloom and neurotoxin responsible for the…
Read More