Wampus Cat Report

Mineral Blocks In Food Plots?

A  law passed earlier this year prohibits hunting over processed food items. It is aimed at curbing taking bear with bait. But some deer hunters  raised the question of whether this prohibits placing mineral blocks in deer food plots. The Wildlife Commission has taken action to assure deer hunters that mineral blocks are allowed.

Gimme Some of That 'Suspended With Pay'

A big time professional football player recently was charged with a pretty serious crime - one that could send him to prison.

There was considerable discussion among TV network commentators over what should  happen between now and trial time.

Most seemed to feel the fellow - who has made millions annually - should be "suspended with pay" pending the outcome of the case.

Now hold on a minute. The way our courts operate, disposition of this case conceivably could go on for years.  So the suggestion is that this guy should be allowed to draw his breath and his pay while sitting on his butt?

We hear this approach repeatedly, especially with people in government jobs at all levels.

Wampus, admittedly an old schooler, suggests a different approach:

Suspend them without pay. Then, if they are found not guilty, pay 'em.

Or, if with pay, require them to refund the money upon conviction. (Small chance!)

Suspension "with pay" smacks attractively of paid vacation.

Another Court Outrage

Up in Rockville, MD., a judge threw out rape charges against a Liberian immigrant accused of repeatedly raping a seven-year-old girl.

The reason: The court, over a period of almost three years, could not provide a satisfactory interpreter to assist the accused in understanding English.

The accused happened to have been in the U.S. for several years and had graduated from high school and college in which only English was spoken.

Meanwhile, a Washington, D.C. newspaper found three qualified interpreters in a single day.

 The judge said the decision was "the hardest" she had ever made. What was the prosecutor's excuse?

The case is Exhibit One in why judges and prosecutors should be elected - and for limited terms.

How About The Professors?

After the Duke lacrosse players were charged with "raping" a hired "exotic dancer," they were kicked out of school, their coach fired - and a gaggle of professors paid for a full page newspaper ad denouncing the young men and their alleged conduct.

The students and coach not only were innocent - as "presumed" by the state, despite their being charged - but  subsequently were declared innocent by the state's attorney general.

Since then, Duke reportedly has agreed to pay each of the real victims in this matter, more than a million dollars each. That might cover their legal bills and offer some comfort.

But how about those self-righteous professors? The ones whose names were on that ad denouncing the young athletes, who were the  real victims?

The professors  should be required to pay damages, and for another advertisement in the same newspapers - one carrying a written apology, along with their signatures and pictures.  The stripper probably can't afford to do so - but the professors obviously can.

And, socially, they should be regarded as in the same class as the stripper.

Point of View

Mrs. Wampus was monitoring the marine radio at Beaufort. Some frustrated angler wanted a fishing report. He called  "Seed Peddler." That's James Jeffreys, the most persistently successful recreational fisherman I know. And he doesn't hesitate to share information about what he has caught and where.

But this wasn't the best of days.

That notwithstanding, "Seed Peddler" responded optimistically, "The next one I catch will make two!"

The only way to improve on that might have been: "One more and I'll double my catch!"

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Aw, Shucks!

When Clifton Stevens came into Gary Bevell's E Z Tackle shop on US 117 south of Goldsboro, he had two questions:

What kind of fish had he just caught - and how much did it weigh?

The weight question was easily answered. On Gary's certified scales, it went one pound, nine ounces. But what kind of fish was it? Gary scanned his books but couldn't decide. So he called  Wampus - long time Wildlife commissioner and outdoors columnist.

From his description, the big perch with green markings sounded to me to be a flier  perch. And if so a huge one. Wildlife officials in Raleigh were excited. If the fish was, indeed, a flier, it would be a world record. Fisheries Biologist Kirk Rundle - as excited as the rest of us - came down from Rocky Mount.

But careful examination revealed that it was a big red ear sunfish. A flier, he noted, has a dark "tear drop" extending in a "V" from below its eyes. Its anal fins also have seven or eight "spikes" whereas the sunfish has only three or four.

Nice fish, Clifton, but "no cigar."

Incidentally, Bevell was intrigued by the fact that the North Carolina record flier is bigger than the national "record." The state record being one pound, five ounces and the national record a pound and three ounces. Rundle explained that when the biggest state flier was recorded the report to national officials had not included all the required information.

Seasons Set

The three-segment dove season will open in North Carolina on September 1 and run through October 6. During the first week, hunting will begin at noon, as has been the case in recent years.

The bag limit is 12 birds.

 

 EARLY GOOSE SEASON 

Resident Canada geese can be taken beginning September 1 and shooting can continue until one-half an hour after sunset.

The limit is eight birds - except in Dare County where it is two geese.

The early season runs until September 30. The later season will be determined subsequently.

 

TEAL, TOO!

Waterfowlers can take teal east of US 17 for nine days beginning September 13.  The limit is four birds per day.

Seegars Chairs WRC

Wes Seegars, president of Seegars Fence Co. of Goldsboro, has been elected to a full term as chairman of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.  Wampus had the opportunity of nominating Seegars - who was elected unanimously.

Seegars has earned the respect of fellow commissioners and the Wildlife Commission staff. He has a record as a courageous big game hunter, taking bear with a bow and arrow and bringing down some of the biggest bears in Siberia with his rifle and rounds he loaded at home.

He also won last year's Big Rock Blue Marlin tournament.

As chairman of the commission, Seegars as insisted upon applying sound business principles and accountability in the agency's operations.

These are principles he has demonstrated in the impressive growth of Seegars Fence Company.

He's Back!

Yes, Wampus is back after a couple of weeks of hiding out on the coast and being involved in Wildlife Commission business.

Wampus also is one of  six members of the joint Wildlife and Marine Fisheries commisions committee overseeing use of funds raised through the sales of salt water fishing licenses.

That program is in its infancy, of course. But I'll have more to report on that later.