Outdoors Notes -- Oct. 8
Oct. 8—Diversity highlights hunting and shooting sports report
The Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports, along with the Outdoor Foundation, recently released the 2022 Special Report on Hunting and the Shooting Sports, which provides a snapshot of the more than 30 million Americans ages 6 and over who participated in hunting or target shooting with both firearms and archery equipment in 2021. While the report notes trends, Swanny Evans, the Council's director of research and partnerships, notes that "these data will not always align with hunting license sale data, but that tracking both sale and survey data go a long way to providing a better overall picture of the trends in hunting and shooting sports participation." Highlights from the report include: —27 percent of hunting participants were female, up from 16 percent a decade ago; share of hunters who were Black or Hispanic increased 4 percent and 1 percent, respectively, on average for the past three years. —"For food/meat" was the No. 1 motivation for hunting. "For recreation" was the No. 1 motivation for firearms and archery target shooting. —32 percent of firearms target shooting were female, up from 25 percent a decade ago; 39 percent of archery target shooting participants were female. The full report can be found at cahss.org.
Trout stocked in Md. waters
On Oct. 4, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources began fall trout stocking with a total of 3,400 rainbow and brown trout stocked in Morgan Run in Carroll County; Upper Gunpowder Falls in Baltimore County; and in Garrett County, at Bear Creek, North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller and Westernport, and the catch-and-release section of the Youghiogheny River as well as at Friendsville. For an update on weekly fall trout stocking around the state, visit dnr.maryland.gov.
Where is Maryland's best "dark sky park"?
According to onlyinyourstate.com, Maryland is home to one of the best dark sky parks in the world — Assateague State Park and island. With little to no light pollution, notes the website, "it's perfect for those who want to look up and see millions of stars all at once."
OWL Fun Day rescheduled
The Outdoor Women's Life Fall Fun Day is rescheduled to Oct. 15 due to Hurricane Ian remnant rain forecasted the first weekend in October. The day begins at 8 a.m. and activities include archery, shotgun and handgun shooting, tomahawk and knife throwing, dog demonstrations and using a chainsaw. The cost is $45 and includes lunch; the cost is $20 for ages 16 and under. The Fun Day takes place at the Smith Farm in Taneytown. To register or for more information, email melodys@verizon.net or call 410-756-6579.
Fall colors hike at New Germany
Enjoy the beauty of the changing fall foliage at New Germany State Park on the fall colors hike at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 16, weather permitting. This will be a moderate to difficult 2-mile hike. Meet at the park's lake house on McAndrews Hill Road, Grantsville. For more information or to register, call 301-895-5453. For weekly updates on the changing fall foliage across the state, visit dnr.maryland.gov.
Mange continues to impact Va. black bears
Virginia's first mange-affected bear was diagnosed in a bear from Rockingham County in 1994. Since 2018, reports have increased in frequency and geographic spread of mange, which is now confirmed in 14 counties, primarily Frederick and Shenandoah counties in Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Mange is a highly contagious skin disease, caused by a mite, which affects many animals. The mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) burrows into the skin. Clinical signs include intense itching, mild to severe hair loss, thickened and dry skin covered by scabs found often around the face and ears and possibly altered behavior such as undeterred by human activity and poor body condition. Mange is likely spread through congregation of bears, either naturally in dens or unnaturally at places including garbage cans, bait piles, bird feeders and other food sources. Learn more at dwr.virginia.gov.
— Susan Guynn
