Time to start thinking about scholarships

With the holiday season fast approaching during these tough economic times, most of us don’t want to think much past that. If you are a high school senior, however, it’s time to start thinking about SATs and college scholarships.

Many conservation organizations offer assistance and partial scholarships to those students wishing to pursue a higher education. Here in Delaware, the Delaware Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is one of those.

To be eligible, a student must have a 3.0 or above GPA and applying for admission to a scholastically accredited institution. The individual must be or become a member of the NWTF and must have a Delaware hunting license. The individual must exhibit a dedication and belief in our outdoor heritage and wildlife conservation. Applications must be on file before Jan. 1 and local winners receive $500, while state winners get $1,000 and the national winner will get $10,000. This is a time sensitive issue and applications need to be filed soon. Applications are available locally by calling Tom Spangler at 697-3549. Tom is a tireless worker within the local chapter and will assist you in any way to help you become qualified. Give him a call.

I heard it again last week: “Finally, the days are back to normal.” I’m not quite sure how they ever got “unnormal” but we did go back to Eastern Standard Time.

Waterfowlers know better than many about the restraints to their hunting based on Eastern Standard Time, but it would bear well to repeat it again. The legal shooting hours for waterfowl are 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after sunset.

Herein lies the problem with many. Sunrise and sunset are those times computed by the United States Naval Observatory and are listed in the Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. Regardless of what you think, the laws are based on these exact times.

Where hunters get themselves in trouble is to think that all “official” times are the same throughout a specific time zone. That’s not the case at all as these times vary from east to west in a time zone. That means the official time of sunset in Delaware can and will vary from the time on the Chesapeake Bay. (As an example, sunrise and sunset tomorrow, Nov. 5 in Dover are 6:34 a.m. and 4:57 p.m. In Maryland, the times are 6:39 a.m. and 5:01 p.m.) When you move from one hunting location to another, it is incumbent upon you to know those locally recognized times. Each state posts their times in their game law booklets.

It’s no secret that deer hunting is my passion and we’re fast approaching the season. What few realize is that we are right on the cusp of the magic time where bucks are chasing does leading up to the annual rut. One of parables that archery hunters live by is that, regardless of what you’re planning, you should be sure to be in the woods on Nov. 5 and Nov. 6. Traditionally, that’s been the peak of this frenzied activity, yet we need to accept that many things can affect it. Biologists have begun to question the direct tie to moon phases with the rut. It just seems to work out that way, but whatever the reason, the first week of November tends to bring that activity to a head. An unseasonable warm spell can quash the rut in its tracks as deer with blossoming winter coats simply can’t be as active when temperatures rise. The best hunting hours are still dusk and dawn, but during the rut, all day is a safe bet. The bane to all hunters is warm days and cool cloudless nights.

Motorists along wooded areas need to take note of this season particularly. The natural timidness of whitetails is completely lost during this crazed frenzy, and if your headlights spot a deer darting in front of you, be ready to break for the inevitable followers. It’s not just the hunters who need to be concerned with safety during the late fall like this. Let’s make sure this season is one to remember for all the right reasons.