KUALA LUMPUR — A Malaysian government plan to double its population of endangered Malayan tigers to 1,000 through tighter protection is under threat due to persistent poaching, a conservation group warned Tuesday.

[img width=300]http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/media/ALeqM5iRT7hY7hMy1DbBf6S4_Rv_cQUApw?docId=photo_1337076797220-1-0&size=l[/img]

Illegal hunting, fuelled by continued demand for tiger parts remains a serious threat to the animal and other endangered wildlife, MYCAT Tracks, an alliance of conservation groups, said in a report.

The Malayan tiger is a subspecies of the great cat and is found in central and southern parts of the Malayan peninsula.

In 2009, the government announced a plan to double the wild Malayan tiger population -- now estimated at just 500 -- by the year 2020.

Conservationists say factors behind the fall in numbers include poaching, declines in prey such as deer and wild boars, and habitat loss due to agricultural development.

But protective measures, among them a ban on deer hunting aimed at preserving tiger food sources, are being cancelled out by continued poaching, MYCAT Tracks said.

"This is evidenced by the discovery of many poaching signs and close to a thousand snares in (key tiger habitat areas) between 2010 and 2011 as well as the arrest of several poachers," it said.

WWF-Malaysia has previously said demand for wildlife parts to be used in traditional Chinese medicine posed a grave threat to tigers and a range of other species.

There were an estimated 3,000 tigers in Malaysia as recently as the 1950s but numbers have steadily declined since.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ ... 984d0f13d44f4a28dec46.3b1

A Zimbabwean man was killed while trying to rescue his friend from attacking crocodiles in northwest Zimbabwe, a fishing club said Wednesday.

The National Anglers' Union said that Frank Trott, aged in his 70s, died after trying to rescue a friend paddling along the shoreline at Charara fishing camp. His friend survived but sustained wounds to his midsection and buttocks.

Two crocodiles were shot dead by wildlife rangers after last week's attack. Remnants of the victim -- including intestines and clothing -- were found along the remote shores of Lake Kariba. No other remains were found.

The dead man was dragged away by a giant crocodile after going to assist his friend, said Mike Brennan, head of the fishing group. The friend, aged in his 40s and a fellow farmer with experience in the African wilderness, was treated for his wounds.

Brennan said the two had returned from a day outing Thursday on the lake for dinner and drinks at the fishing camp.

The survivor's wounds suggested he had been wading waist-deep in the lake when the crocodile attacked late in the evening. Trott was seized by a second large crocodile resting in long grass when he raced into the water to answer his friend's cries for help.

The surroundings of Lake Kariba, a man-made hydroelectric dam about 300 kilometers (180 miles) long, are a major leisure resort for fishing, boating and sightseeing for wildlife, the habitat of crocodiles and hippos.

Brennan said a memorial service for Trott is scheduled Friday.

He said it was the second dramatic crocodile attack within the past month.

"Please, everyone be warned to be to be vigilant near the water's edge at all times," he said. "It is dangerous no matter where you are on the lake."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/zi ... -attacks-friend-1.3708358

Ten clear photos of the endangered Amur leopard were recently taken in a forest in northeast China's Jilin province, researchers said Monday.




The photos, taken on April 4 on Changbai Mountain in Wangqing county, show an adult leopard resting and walking on the hill, said Sun Ge, a doctor at Peking University.

The county is located in the Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, which borders Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Funded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Sun worked with the Wangqing County Forestry Bureau (WCFB) to set up more than 100 automatic infrared cameras in the forest to capture images of animals.

According to the WWF, the Amur leopard has been photographed in the county's forests only two other times since 1949, with the first and second instances occurring on August 24 and September 19, 2011, respectively.

Sun said some WCFB employees claim to have spotted a leopard on April 28.

The WCFB and WWF have also found Amur leopard footprints, droppings and fur while conducting research activities in recent years, he said.

The Amur leopard, which mainly lives in Russia and China, is one of the world's most endangered large cats. The total number living in the wild is believed to be less than 50 worldwide, said Jiang Guangshun, a senior researcher for a tiger and leopard protection project under the WWF.

Jiang said the evidence has indicated that ecology and protection efforts have improved in northeast China.

China launched a natural forest resource conservation program in 1998, specifying 17 regions, including the Changbai Mountain Natural Reserve, as targets for ecosystem protection.

Increasing numbers of wild animals such as bears and boars have also been seen in forests near the China-Russia border, Jiang said.

http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/china ... 5/14/content_15290467.htm

Rangers at Elcho Island off the Arnhem Land coast of the Northern Territory have shot a rogue saltwater crocodile that was killing dogs in the area.

Police notified rangers about two weeks ago that the large saltie had taken at least one dog and was lunging at others along a beach near the community of Galiwinku.

Photo: This 3.5 metre saltwater crocodile had been acting menacingly off a beach at Elcho Island. (NT Police)

Witnesses say rangers and police were on Mission Beach this morning when the crocodile took hold of a dog's leg in its jaws.

The 3.5 metre crocodile was then shot.

The dog has been injured but survived the attack.

Police say they found several items inside the stomach of the crocodile, including a pair of shorts, a football, a nappy, fish and the remains of a dog.

Northern Watch Commander Greg Pusterla says the crocodile posed a threat to the community and had attempted to attack another dog yesterday.

"Out there yesterday afternoon, the crocodile spotted a dog on the beach and started going towards the beach, in the direction of the dog," he said.

"Fortunately someone called the dog away and the croc then retreated back out into the water."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-15 ... c-shot/4012328?section=nt

More than 160 people involved in the complex supply chain stretching from South African parks to Southeast Asian consumers are currently before the courts, said Joanie Spies, a prosecutor with the Rhino Project.

Petty hunters, corrupt wildlife officials and Asian traffickers have all been snared in South Africa's crackdown on rhino poaching as special prosecutors battle syndicates feeding the trade in horns, Times Live reports. "Slowly but surely," Spies said "we're moving upwards and getting higher people who did not pull the trigger."

The National Prosecuting Authority () set up team to help combat the dramatic surge in poaching that has seen more than 200 rhinos killed so far this year. The cases have exposed corruption within the systems meant to protect the animals. Private game owners, national park rangers and veterinarians have been arrested.

Authorities have also caught pilots who flew helicopters to spot and dart the rhinos, and both small-time and professional hunters who shot them. "There is a great level of organisation involved," Spies said.

Whoever does the shooting, she said, the horns can end up in the hands of the same Asian kingpins. South Africa is stepping up its efforts by creating a combined task force of police, military, prosecutors and environmentalists.

"You get better convictions, better sentences," Spies said, according to Times Live.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201205100228.html

The last 30 days have been chock full of key events that have a tremendous impact on the future of hunting, fishing and recreational shooting in America – events that are leading many sportsmen and women to draw conclusions about (or further cement their conclusions about) Democratic decision makers.

In the nation’s capitol, Congress debated sportsmen’s access to public land, whether EPA could regulate ammunition and fishing tackle, whether recreational shooting should be permissible on national monument land where compatible, and last whether the United States should allow the importation of legally hunted trophies.

In California, the Senate debated whether to ban hunting black bears and bobcats using hounds.
In Ohio, lawmakers protested colleagues holding clay bird shooting events as political fundraisers in the wake of a school shooting that occurred in February 250 miles away from the proposed event.

In each of these cases, it was Democrats who led the charge opposing hunting rights, restricting target shooting or decrying the use of firearms for recreational purposes.

In Congress, HR, 4089, the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act passed by an overwhelming 274-146 vote. Of the no votes, 144 were Democrats. (79% of the Democrats in the U.S. House)
In California, SB 1221 passed the Senate Natural Resources Committee 5-3; followed by a 5-2 vote before the Appropriations Committee. All yes votes were Democrats. Not a single democrat voted to protect hunting.
And as one might expect, the howls of protest over the shooting event fundraiser in Ohio were by Democratic lawmakers; while the shoot was held by a Republican.

It’s not news that sportsmen have a much harder time gaining support from Democratic lawmakers. The question is why?

There are so many reasons why the left-wing should love American hunters.

Here are seven:

We’re a minority. There are roughly 20 million hunters in the United States, making us less than seven percent of the population. Democrats purport to be the champions of the under-represented. Here we are!
We eat free range / organic food. Democrats decry large livestock farms, and the use of hormones in meat. Whether deer or duck, game is the ultimate healthy choice. What’s the difference between free-range chicken and free-range pheasant?
We preserve green space. No single group of Americans puts more money into habitat acquisition and preservation than hunters…billions upon billions of our license dollars and taxes on firearms and ammunition for land that everyone else can use for free. I thought Democrats love free stuff!
We feed the hungry. Each year, hunters donate thousands of pounds of venison to local food pantries. One would think the party of the Great Society would welcome our contribution to the safety net.
We support women’s rights. There are few things that make a sportsman happier than successfully hooking a woman on hunting. We’re even okay that they outshoot us many times.
We’re just regular folks. For every African big-game hunter, there are thousands of hunters making a blue-collar living, and driving our American made trucks.
We’re animal lovers. Hunters are the ones who pay for endangered species rehabilitation, not Hollywood actors or fashion models. And don’t even get me started on our dogs. No one loves and is more obsessed with dogs than hunters. And we don’t keep our dogs caged in purses where they can’t even turn around or stretch their legs.

My hope is that our left-leaning law makers will read this article, and realize that we really do have so much in common. And that they will join the minority of Democratic legislators who do vote pro-hunting and put an end to the discrimination that we have endured over the last thirty plus years. I’m hoping their position on hunting is evolving.

We will have at least two opportunities to see if this happens.

This week the full California Senate will likely vote on SB 1221. We will need no votes from Democrats to stop the hunting ban.
And the fate of HR 4089 rests in the hands of the Democratically controlled United States Senate.

It’s an Election year. What better time to show 20 million Americans who their real friends are.

About:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. Visit www.ussportsmen.org.

http://www.ammoland.com/2012/05/14/7- ... ro-hunting/#axzz1uwDdJGOG

POACHERS have killed 278 elephants in the last one year, Kenya Wildlife Service has said. Five of its warders were also killed while on duty. The announcement comes amid international outcry over the increased killing of elephants and buffaloes, mostly in private conservancies.

KWS director Julius Kipng'etich said the poachers are now using other crude methods like poisoning watermelons and using arrows instead of rifles to avoid detection by ground units.

He said KWS is looking into classifying poaching as an economic crime in the proposed Wildlife Bill. "We don't want any other loss this year," he said during a media briefing on the status of wildlife in Kenya.

The briefings have been initiated in line with the Constitution and hopes to engage Kenyans in dialogue regarding wildlife related concerns. "The number of elephants has, howeve, go up despite the poaching," he said. The largest single herd is in Tsavo National Park. In 2010 it stood at 12,572 , according to a census done that year.

Yesterday KWS said conflict with people has affected wildlife population and distribution, with the second biggest wildebeest migration in the world being compromised.

Kipng'etich said the wildebeest migration from and into the Nairobi National Park has been affected due to land use changes on the Athi-Kapiti plains. "The upcoming development of Konza city has also compromised the migration and distribution of numerous plains game species," he said.

"KWS is now looking into the possibility of easements with the proposed Wildlife Bill. Land owners will be educated on the value of the land inclusive of the wildlife on it. The government will then lease this land as wildlife space from the landowners, thereby enhancing its potential," he said.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201205111224.html

On Friday, May 10, Governor Terry Branstad announced that he will nullify the traditional ammunition ban in Iowa.

In July 2011, the Iowa Natural Resources Commission imposed the ban –after the topic was debated and resoundingly rejected by the legislature– following the enactment of the first dove-hunting season since 1918. The NRC slipped in the ban on the use of all traditional ammunition while setting bag limits and other regulations with regard to the reenacted Iowa dove-hunting season.

“The National Rifle Association would like to thank Governor Branstad for rescinding this ill-conceived scheme by the Iowa Natural Resources Commission,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox.

“The NRC pandered to anti-hunting extremist groups and did their political bidding. They failed to cite a single credible scientific study to back up their baseless claims to support this ban. Today, thanks to the leadership of Governor Branstad and to the tireless efforts of Senator Dick Dearden, fairness, integrity and common-sense have been restored to this process.”

Traditional ammunition bans are financed by extremist anti-hunting groups –like the Humane Society of the United States and the Sierra Club under the guise of “conservation efforts.” The long-term goals of these groups are to try to eradicate hunting and firearm ownership. Their attempt to gain a foothold in Iowa has been foiled.

Earlier this year, House Joint Resolution 2001, restoring the use of traditional ammunition, passed the Iowa House of Representatives by an overwhelming, bipartisan margin. The senate companion, SJR2001, passed the Senate Natural Resources Committee on a bipartisan 9-3 vote. Despite broad bipartisan support and assurances, the Senate Majority Leader failed to call-up the resolution for a vote.

In rejecting the ban today, Governor Branstad said, “As you may know, the Senate adjourned without bringing up the resolution nullifying the NRC rule banning traditional shot. Today, I am exercising my legal power as Governor and rescinding the ban on traditional shot by Executive Order. The determination of whether hunters should be forced to stop using traditional lead shot is the role of the legislature, not an unelected NRC.”

The Commission’s earlier attempt at a traditional ammunition ban was also defeated with Governor Branstad’s help in 2011.

About:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org

http://www.ammoland.com/2012/05/14/ma ... en-in-iowa/#axzz1uwDdJGOG

The hunters’ and trappers’ federation, the FKNK, and St Hubert Hunters have both written to the German ambassador in Malta to protest about incidents occurring over the last weeks as a result of actions by the German organisation CABS (Committee Against Bird Slaughter).

The FKNK explained that CABS is intent on marring the healthy and mutually beneficial relationship in place between Germany and Malta in a democratic European context.

“So why do we now have to subject ourselves to a situation whereby CABS deems fit to slander not only hunting on Malta but the Maltese on a German public television station RTL ...” the FKNK asked.

“The actions of CABS during a spring season that was legally authorised by the government under a derogation from the Birds Directive should have been, for hunters, a peaceful and recreational event as hunting is for over seven million counterparts in Europe.

“Unfortunately, CABS has managed to transform this season into a war zone to the extent of using a military reconnaissance aircraft without the necessary permits and fly this machine over private property while filming without authorisation or consent. I am sure that you agree that no European citizen should have his privacy invaded illegally and with unauthorised methods,” it added.

The end result of the actions of CABS was an aired film on RTL television and with clips of it running constantly on YouTube and other web-associated media, depicting not the 2012 spring hunting season, but years of clips put together to maliciously infer that this all happened in three weeks.

The FKNK said illegal activities in the field do not only occur in Malta but worldwide, and it is completely unfair and unfounded for anyone to pick on the smallest member state of the EU, where everyone is known and everything is visible due to the small size of the islands and to capitalise on individual issues and portray them as the order of the day.

St Hubert Hunters said the filming by CABS aimed to depict Malta as a lawless nation with regard to bird hunting. The ‘documentary’ “deceitfully depicts this year’s spring hunting season as an abomination,” it said.

“While recognising genuine efforts towards curbing the few remaining instances of abuse, we commend the efforts of the government and the Malta Police at containing the problem of hunting illegalities to within European norms. It is an undisputed fact that the application of spring hunting derogations within the limits of the EU Birds Directive are a right of the Maltese government declared possible by the European Courts and endorsed by the European Commission. The actions undertaken by CABS based on deceit and misrepresentation of fact, even resorting to illicit means, undermine such legal right.”

http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=144397

And now for a really big fish tale. A Shrewsbury crossbow hunter set the state record last month for landing a 46-pound 5-ounce mirror carp in Lake Quinsigamond.

But the behemoth wasn’t about to go quietly: Shane Felch and his two fishing buddies had to work hard to drag the behemoth from the shallows. In fact, for a while that April night, the carp took them on a joyride.




“It pulled us around for five or 10 minutes,” Felch said.

Although the 14-foot fishing boat and its three occupants were momentarily actors in an old-fashioned Nantucket sleigh ride, as whalers used to call it, Felch eventually reeled his beast onto the craft.

The previous record-holding mirror carp in Massachusetts was about 44 pounds, according to the state Department of Fish and Game (also known as MassWildlife). An angler pulled that fish from the Connecticut River in 1993.

Felch’s April 18 catch was even more extraordinary because he used a crossbow. Of the 25,000 or so sizable fish the state has logged since 1963, said Richard Hartley — fisheries biologist for the commonwealth, and program coordinator for MassWildlife’s Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program — only 11 have been caught by a conventional bow.

“This is probably the first one I’m aware of in which they specifically used a crossbow,” Hartley said.

This big fish tale is also a comeback story for Felch. Three years ago, he broke his neck in a motorcycle crash. Afterward, he was no longer able to draw a conventional bow.

But the state provides special permits for crossbow hunting in cases where hunters have suffered disabilities.

Hartley said carp are uncommon in Massachusetts’ lakes and ponds. But when they get into a body of water like Lake Quinsigamond, the fish can thrive.

“Carp go back a hundred-plus years,” said Hartley of the carp in the United States. “They were originally brought in by the Fish and Wildlife Service as a food source. Then, by escape or intentional release, they got into rivers.”

When the carp find a body of shallow water like parts of Lake Quinsigamond, Hartley said, “they tend to root around and get fresh roots and stems, they uproot plants, and they can actually have an impact on water quality, if their numbers get out of control.”

In the end, Felch gave away his trophy to a friend who likes to eat carp, even though the fish is not common dinner fare, Hartley said.

His record catch hasn’t slaked Felch’s thirst for the waters of Lake Quinsigamond. He’ll be back out shooting.

“There’s bigger fish in there,” he said. “Let’s put it that way.”

James O’Brien can be reached at james@jamesobrien.cc

http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/ ... n9b1HC8ZAFPuqN/story.html

My neighbor, Bob Cox, is getting ready to return to one of his favorite spots. Just last fall, he was sitting on a high point overlooking the vast, flat country of the Alaskan coast with the mountains in the background.

On this particular trip, Cox was hunting moose and Alaskan brown bear.

Very few animals in North America grow as large as a bull moose, which tower over the more commonly hunted Canadian variety. These animals can weigh as much as three-quarters of a ton. Cox wanted a big one or none at all.

His standards for a coastal bear were also big. He would take a 10-footer or nothing at all.

Cox did get his moose, downing one with antlers spanning just shy of 70 inches, but the bear was another matter.

By the time bear season began, the salmon had completed their run up the rivers, taking the bear with them. He could have shot an 81/2-foot bear but held out for his idea of a trophy.

Now, he is going back to again hunt for brown bear.

Many times, the pre-hunt preparation is as important as the hunt itself. As he did with the moose hunt, Cox is using Triple-A Outfitters and Brent Jones, its owner, as a guide.

Cox has been satisfied with Triple-A's performance. No hunting service can guarantee success - only hard work and perserverence within the constraints of sportsmanship.

Jones did his part, but Cox was particular.

Cox did, however, find one possible problem with his earlier hunt, something pertaining to the bullet he used on the giant moose.

While there are those who might disagree, I believe terminal ballistics are unpredictable. There are just too many variables involved.

You can load a bullet to a certain velocity and make it with a thick or thin jacket. Sometimes, a partition can be added, or a double core can be put in place to increase penetration, but there are other factors involved as well.

At what distance does the bullet strike the target? Distance affects speed.

Does the bullet strike bone or does it slip through the ribs?

Temperature and the condition of the animal might also affect performance, and I am sure there are other factors as well.

In the case of the moose that Cox shot at around 400 yards, one bullet shed its jacket and the other hardly expanded.

The moose hardly moved at all. But the next big game Cox is going to hunt is an animal that weighs over half a ton and bites back.

Cox and I were at the Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen's Club testing loads in his custom .375 H&H magnum. His guide wanted him to use a 300-grain bullet, so we were shooting the Nosler partition in that weight.

When working with a load, you have to start somewhere, and that bullet seemed like the logical starting point.

We immediately faced a problem. We couldn't get groups under three inches with the standard loads shown in the manuals.

We tried at least six different powders and various weights to no avail. The rifle would shoot well with the 260-grain bullets but not the heavier Nosler.

The guide had insisted on the 300-grain bullet, and since Cox didn't want to lie and tell him a light bullet was heavier than it actually was, we had to move in another direction.

Since Alaskan brown bear are big - up to 1,500 pounds - we eliminated the standard 375 bullets and looked at the Speer Grand Slam with its double core and the Swift A-Frame.

That's when Cox got a suggestion from a friend with a lot of African hunting experience. He suggested we try the Barnes X Bullet. It had performed well for him.

It didn't take many shooting sessions to find that this rifle liked that 300-grain bullet. Now, all Cox had to do was find a 10-foot bear and shoot straight.

When working up a load in any rifle, I start with the bullet I want to use and couple that with the powder I already have. Then, I juggle the amount of powder to see where the rifle shoots the best.

If that doesn't work, I try another powder or switch primers.

With today's high prices, it pays to try what you have before running to the store. You might not need a one-inch group to shoot a big bear, but such accuracy sure helps instill confidence in the rifle and load.

I know I shoot an accurate rifle better than one that patterns instead of grouping.

I will have more on Cox's bear hunt when he gets back from his favorite place.

George H. Block writes a Sunday Outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter

http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/block11/05-13-2012-Block

By nature, fishermen have to be laid-back types who can spend the better part of a day content with a bite that never comes. But they also have to be competitive because the goal each trip is to outwit the fish.

Since Don Mickel announced he released a potential Minnesota state record walleye on the Rainy River earlier this spring, the Bemidji area guide has encountered fishermen possessing both qualities.



G Don Mickel of Bemidji said the big walleye he released April 4 on the Rainy River measured 35.1 inches with a girth of 24.25 inches and would have beaten Minnesota’s state record of 17.8 pounds if he hadn’t been required to release the fish. But a Bemidji bait shop owner and several fishing guides say there’s no way the walleye is that big. Submitted photo

The laid-back anglers are continually patting him on the back for a job well done while the fishermen who are on the competitive side of the landing are doubting his measurements and his credibility.

“I’ve received many congratulations but I also have heard from some people saying ‘I don’t know about this,’” Mickel said.

On April 4, Mickel and his fishing partner, Robert Garin of Brainerd, Minn., were drifting and vertical jigging a Fireball jig on 5-pound test line in 12 feet of water when Mickel hooked into and eventually landed a huge walleye.

Because it was longer than 19.5 inches, the fish had to be released, as required on Rainy River from March 1 through mid-April. But before slipping the walleye back into the water, Mickel took measurements: 35.1 inches long and a girth of 24.25 inches.

Those dimensions, when converted into a probable weight, translated into a walleye that weighed 17.9 pounds. Minnesota’s current state record is 17.8 pounds.

Officials of the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame also have recognized the fish as the world record walleye caught on 4-pound line.

Photo stirs debate

The photo, which was published with a story in Wednesday’s Bemidji Pioneer and Friday’s Grand Forks Herald, shows Mickel holding the large walleye. That photo is proof to some that the fish is as large as advertised. Others who have seen the picture, however, are convinced that it does not reach the announced dimensions.

“Based on what I saw, and compared to other pictures of large walleyes that I have seen, there is no way that is a state record walleye, plain and simple,” said Ron Bostic, who owns Taber’s Bait in Bemidji.

“Undeniably, it is an awesome wall-hanger and a fish of a lifetime. I’ll give you that. But in no way is it a 35-inch walleye. His ruler must have been off,” Bostic added.

Bostic is basing his opinion on a number of factors, including the distance from Mickel’s hand to the tail and the overall width of the tail.

He also has a less mathematical reason to doubt the size.

“Huge fish are ugly and this walleye is too pretty,” he said. “All of the signs point to an awesome fish but not one that is a record.”

Many of Bostic’s customers, including a host of other Bemidji area fishing guides, agree.

“My customers are laughing and saying (the claim) is just him being a typical fisherman,” Bostic said. “When you compare it to the other photos I have of big fish, this one just doesn’t stand up. I get state records into the store all of the time, that is until we put them onto the scale.”

‘Just jealous’

Mickel is not surprised that some of his contemporaries are questioning his claim.

“I’m not going to worry about the doubters,” he said. “I knew there would be doubters. There always are.

“I think those who doubt it are just jealous,” Mickel continued. “There’s always going to be somebody out there who doesn’t want to see somebody else do something they haven’t done. If you have a guide catching a world record line class and a possible state record walleye and you don’t believe it, it’s just jealousy. That’s my opinion.”

But Bostic remains true to his opinion on the fish.

“If it makes you feel good, call it a state record,” Bostic said. “But that’s not a 35-inch walleye.”

http://www.grandforksherald.com/event ... id/236024/group/homepage/

A mother was killed by a crocodile in front of her teenage son while she was fishing in Zimbabwe.

Jestina Mutare, 33, was standing in a river near her home when the beast lunged forward and dragged her into deep water.

Her 17-year-old son watched in horror as the reptile attacked his mother, according to a report in the government-controlled Herald newspaper.

Police spokesman Tineyi Matake confirmed parts of Mrs Mutare's body were found later floating in the stream following the horrific attack.

He said: 'The woman was fishing when she was attacked by a crocodile, which dragged her into the deep waters.

'Remains of her body were finally retrieved from the water by villagers who ganged up and managed to scare away the reptile.'

The Herald reported that the dead woman's son had been in the river with his mother at the time of the attack as they fished at a dam along the Nyazvidzi River near the southern town of Gutu.

The horrified lad was just metres away as the crocodile dragged his mother beneath the water.

He dashed from the river back to the family's village nearby to raise the alarm and returned with a crowd of worried locals.

The villagers managed to scare away the crocodile but realised it was too late to save Mrs Mutare.

Police have since warned villagers against fishing in crocodile infested rivers.

The deadly reptiles occur commonly in the wild across many parts of Africa, where they live in fresh water rivers or dams.

The beasts can lurk unseen underwater or float motionlessly on the surface before surging forward to strike their prey.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/artic ... we.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

I just got back from a six-week stint of flats-fishing down in the Florida Keys. Those who know about that type of fishing are aware that it's a "visual thing" where anglers pole their boats around the shallow flats looking for fish and when the quarry is sighted the boat is moved to a position where the angler can, hopefully, pull off an effective cast and hook the fish.

When I first got started in flats-fishing, it didn't take too many failed encounters to realize how easily a fish can be spooked by the wrong approach and how challenging it can sometimes be to go from spotting one to actually hooking it. Having the opportunity to see the way in which fish react to a boat, and the efforts directed upon them by the anglers aboard, has been an invaluable lesson that can be drawn upon to help catch fish anywhere, including our home waters of Delmarva.

After witnessing a multitude of reactions from many different species under various situations, it has become obvious that every fish has its own tolerance level and will allow a boat only so close before it decides it has had "enough" and decides to get the heck out of there. Just how much a fish will put up with depends both on the species, as well as the individual fish.

Down south, it's not uncommon to encounter either bonefish or permit up on the flats, the problem is seeing them before they see you and then getting close enough to make a cast count for something because those two species are notorious for fleeing from the slightest hint that a boat might be near.

Other fish such as barracuda, sharks and snapper will often allow a boat to get very close to them before taking flight. Then there are the tarpon, jacks, redfish and a few others might go either way.

But just because a certain species is known to be easily spooked -- or not easily spooked, doesn't mean that all the members of its family will react in similar fashion when a boat is near. Just as sharks are sometimes known to literally bang up against a boat to get at a chum bag hanging off the side, other times, at the first sight of the boat they pull a quick 180 and zip out of the area at warp speed. Same type of shark, similar conditions, totally different reaction -- go figure! And this in not unique to sharks, I've had bonefish in a foot of water swim almost right under the boat just a I've seen barracuda 100-yards away take off when someone thumps the butt of a rod on the deck.

So if any fish has at least the "potential" of being scared off by the presence of a boat it would stand to reason that anglers should be able to increase their chances of success if they employ stealthy tactics to whatever type of fishing they do, no matter where they do it, and that includes right here on the good old Delmarva Peninsula. Know also that stealth can be just as advantageous to anglers fishing for flounder in 6-feet of water as it can to those vying for billfish or tuna in 600-feet.

Adding stealth to a fishing routine starts with the knowledge that sound travels far underwater and that fish have evolved to be very alert to sound because it can indicate both the location of food just as they can be a tip-off to the presence of danger.

http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20120508/OPI03/205080378

A missing turkey hunter in Crawford County was found dead Saturday after a manhunt involving several agencies.

At 6:20 p.m. Friday, Crawford County Sheriff's Department, Crawford County Rescue, Prairie-Licking Fire Department and the Oblong Fire Department responded to the area of 1550 N. and 375 E. having received a report of a missing turkey hunter.

Steven Moyes, 53, of Oblong, went turkey hunting on Friday morning and never returned home.

Multiple agencies, and hundreds of volunteers from throughout Illinois and Indiana responded and assisted in the search. Many local businesses and restaurants assisted by donating food, water and ice to help the effort.

The cause of death was unknown.

http://www.pressmentor.com/news/x1266 ... nhunt-find-Missing-Hunter