Outdoor Adventures
Phil Taunton, Special to the Gazette
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
Please take note. At the 133rd Westminster Kennel Club “Dog of the Year” contest held in New York this past week, Stump, a Sussex spaniel, at age 10 became the oldest dog to ever win the coveted “best of show” award.
Nearly 2,500 dogs coming in 170 breeds and varieties were entered in this year’s show and Stump bested them all. As grand as old Stump performed, I venture to say he is running a distant sixth in the first Outdoor Adventures Dog of the Year contest.
If you thought this contest was a sham because it had an April 1 entry deadline, I’m here to tell you, it’s for real. A winner will be announced on April 3, so keep those entries coming. Please remember your dog doesn’t even need to be alive to enter this year’s contest and it doesn’t even need to be a hunting breed. Your story and what the animal means to you will weigh heavily on its selection.
Food for thought
My father always made it a point not to brag on a dog until it had passed on for fear it would make a liar out of him the very next day! You think?
Stump? What a name for a dog! I wonder where he got that handle.
Fishing Information Night coming to Emporia
My cabin fever is rapidly being replaced by a fishing fever, especially since I got a report that bass and crappie were really cooperating for a local angler fishing a farm pond during last Saturday’s heat wave. A No. 2 Mepp’s spinner was the ticket. Goodness gracious, I bet those filets fried to a golden brown were a meal fit for a king!
If you want to learn how to catch more fish and where might be the best place to fish in the Emporia area, you for sure want to attend one of several events hosted by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks later this month.
Called Fishing Information Nights, these events held across the state will feature experts on fishing and focus on 2009 fishing prospects for respective lakes in their area. Techniques, how anglers can best manage their time and where to fish on these waters will also be a topic of discussion.
The Emporia Best Western Hospitality House, 3021 W. Highway 50 in Emporia from 6:30 to 9 p.m. will be host to one of these presentations on Feb. 24. This event will include a demonstration on how to clean and cook rough fish such as carp and buffalo.
KDWP information specialist and outdoor writer for the Topeka Capital-Journal, Marc Murrell, will be on hand to give tips and techniques for catching walleye. Local KDWP fisheries biologists Carson Cox, who oversees Lyon State Fishing Lake (Reading Lake), Toronto and Fall River reservoirs, will be there as will Leonard Jirak, who is in charge of Osage State Fishing Lake, Coffey County Lake, Melvern and John Redmond reservoirs. Craig Johnson, Chase State Fishing Lake, El Dorado and Council Grove reservoirs; and Jon Stein, fisheries biologist for Marion and Cheney reservoirs, will round out the cast of presenters. Their presentations will give short overviews of these lakes and what will be your best bet for spring and summer fishing success.
These biologists will be happy to take your questions. The fishing education night is free to the public and would be an ideal place to take your significant other out for a Valentine Day celebration. Since it might be a bit belated, you better make plans to go out for dinner tonight if you want to stay in good graces around the house and keep your outdoor adventure privileges alive. For more information on the Emporia event, phone (316)683-8069.
In its weekly newsletter, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks announced it has a program designed to expand hunting opportunities during the 2009 spring turkey season. The department will conduct a number of special hunts on public and private lands and will also use the resource on some state parks. Overcrowding will not be an issue. Participants will be chosen through limited drawings. Hunts will be offered to hunters of any age level or experience but are mostly geared to provide youth an excellent experience to remember.
The Kansas University Endowment Association and several private landowners will join with the department to offer these special spring turkey hunts in 12 counties: Atchison, Chase, Clay, Dickinson, Douglas, Leavenworth, Osage, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Riley, Saline and Sumner. All total, more than 5,000 acres will be opened up allowing for 95 special hunt opportunities ranging from youth-only and youth-mentor hunts to open hunts. All of these special hunt opportunities will be available by online application and a random drawing. The online application and hunt information will be made available through the KDWP website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us, on Monday, with an application deadline of March 16.
For more information on the program or applications, contact Jake George, Private Lands Coordinator, KDWP, 512 S.E. 25th Ave., Pratt, KS 67124; phone (620)672-5911, Ext. 160; or e-mail jakeg@wp.state.ks.us.