Over 800 birds bagged during youth turkey hunt
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Young sportsman hunts in Tennessee are available to youth ages 6 through 16 years of age. The youth must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult, 21 years of age or older, who must be in a position to take immediate control of the firearm.
This is the second year Tennessee?s young sportsman turkey hunt has occurred prior to the regular spring wild turkey season. In 2005, 924 turkeys were harvested by young sportsmen.
Tennessee?s young sportsmen hunt is a great way to introduce young people to the outdoors. Several important factors of a good outing include having a gun that properly fits the young person. The youth should become familiar with the firearm by target practice and patterning the firearm before the season. A blind is very useful this time of the year to hide the movements of the fidgeting youngster.
Children?s ages and personalities affect their attention span; know the child you are accompanying. The biggest mistake a mentor can make is making a child stay out longer than they want. The key is to have a great time and enjoy the outdoors.
The sole purpose isn?t for a harvest, it is to introduce these young people to the outdoors whether anything is harvested or not. Hunting can help form a lasting bond between parent and child.
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Free Hunt Day proposed to Wildlife Commission
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has made a proposal to its governing body ? the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission ? to consider later this year the possibility of creating a Free Hunting Day across the state.
The proposed rule change would allow hunters to participate in a free day of hunting, much like the popular Free Fishing Day in Tennessee, according to the Chief of TWRA?s Wildlife Division Larry Marcum.
The fourth Saturday in August, the traditional opening day of squirrel season, was the proposed day to be offered for license-free hunting across the state.
?By allowing hunters this opportunity at the beginning of squirrel season, our hope is that many who haven?t hunted in years, might be enticed back into the woods,? Marcum said.
?Many of our former license buyers began as youth, hunting squirrels in our state. It?s also a great way to introduce today?s young people to the outdoors because squirrel hunting tends to be much more social than deer or turkey hunting,? noted Marcum.
Formal action will be taken by the TWRC at a later meeting. The commission usually establishes the coming hunt season between late May and early June.
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WATCH PONDS FOR ALGAE PROBLEMS
Spring is the time of year ponds frequently experience algae problems, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). With the weather warming and days becoming longer, conditions for algae growth and algae problems in small ponds are increasing.
According to David Young, a fisheries biologist with the TWRA, small ponds may experience a number of problems in the spring. Fish in ponds may die due to diseases, water chemistry problems, or serious algae conditions.
?There are two main groups of algae that can be harmful,? Young said. ?Filamentous algae is a long, stringy algae and blue-green algae forms a light green, frothy mat on the surface of the water.?
?Both of these types should be treated chemically to eliminate the problem,? Young said. ?A common misconception is that fertilizing the pond will take care of the algae, but fertilizer may just make it worse by accelerating growth of algae already present. The algae needs to be killed first, and then the pond should be fertilized. Chemical treatments for farm ponds are available at most Farmer?s Co-ops.?