1. They pay me for this?
2. They let me write this?

Here are the mentions of Our Neighbor Ash through history (including a few from former JS sports editor Bill Liesse). Many are completely out of context and make no sense. Then again, many of them didn’t make much sense in context, either. Ash enjoyed many of these lines and argued about a few (generally anything that linked him to Sparland). His favorites, I think, were about Homer O’Field and anything that mentioned his birthday. The first listing was also the last, which ran Jan. 22, 2010. Sadly, Ash was wrong about that last trip to the hospital. It was cause for worry.

Our Neighbor Ash sez…

...Speaking of being popular, Our Neighbor Ash spent a few days luxuriating in the hospital recently but sez there’s no cause to worry. He just enjoys chatting up the nurses.

...And Our Neighbor Ash sez he’s been able to duck out of household chores for the entire season.

...That news pleased only Our Neighbor Ash, who sez he’s learned a lesson from the deer. Next time creditors hound him he’s headed for a cornfield.

...Speaking of boastful birds, Our Neighbor Ash is the only rooster I know who crows about turning 56.

...Speaking of slow-moving critters, Our Neighbor Ash sez he’s met frigid women but never a frigid snail.

...Speaking of duck food, Kevin Palmer of Manito can aerial seed Japanese millet for duck clubs. Palmer, who can be reached at (309) 545-2281, says the plant needs 60 days to mature. . . . That news amazed Our Neighbor Ash, who sez he’s gone 55 years without maturing. Also, here’s a belated happy 87th birthday to Momma Ash.

...Speaking of weevils, Our Neighbor Ash sez he had an encounter with a cougar the other day but she turned him down.

...Our Neighbor Ash sez he felt responsible for the ailing whoopers until he learned his indulgence at Red Lobster had nothing to do with Texas’ blue-crab shortage.

...Thanks to Bob Closen of Bellevue for a tasty jug of apple jack that pulled me through some tough nights recently. Our Neighbor Ash sez he hasn’t sipped shine that tasty since his pappy had a still in the hollers west of Sparland.

...Though he immediately started mumbling when asked, I’m betting Our Neighbor Ash has some experience with a doe that turned out to be a buck.

...Speaking of friends, Our Neighbor Ash is on a roll. Today he’ll eat three meals at our company Christmas buffet. Days earlier he was chortling when Gov. Blagojevich was sent to the slammer. Not me. I’m worried about Rod. My friend inside says prison is no place for guys with pretty hair.

...Speaking of passionate voices, Our Neighbor Ash was recently honored as a Hometown Hero in Chillicothe for years of squawking at IVC games. Congrats Ash.

...Speaking of fairly well-trained primates, Our Neighbor Ash has been in his glory so far this football season what with IVC football roaring to a 2-0 start.

...Even Our Neighbor Ash has never tried licking a turtle eye, although he did spend a recent morning bragging about his resemblance to somebody on a TV show called “Mobile Home Disaster.” Now there’s a real coup.

...No, Our Neighbor Ash is not going Goth. The black on his pointer fingernail is not polish, but rather the result of a skirmish with his garage door. You know summer is near when Ash battles a door.

...As for the many other reports emerging from Chicagoland on a daily basis, I don’t believe any. My favorite was a big cat sighting that wound up being a red fox. That’s comically stupid. Our Neighbor Ash might be capable of mistaking Redd Foxx for a cougar, but even Ash knows a red fox when he sees one.

...Went to see Sports Illustrated great Frank Deford speak Wednesday night at Bratley and left feeling good about being a sportswriter . . . right up until I arrived at work and fielded 17 calls from Our Neighbor Ash and then found out I’d made a mistake in Sunday’s article. Sorry, the Chillicothe Recreational Area (309-274-2000) is not open for daily fishing. Annual fishing memberships are available at $225 for an individual or $325 for a family.

...With Champaign Central-Washington followed by Marshall-Simeon as undercard to Zion-Benton vs. Richards, our neighbor Ash sez Saturday provided the downstate championship, followed by the Public League championship, then the suburban championship.

...Our Neighbor Ash sez the only way he’ll show at the library is if the free samples are a mixture of hops, barley and malt.

...Speaking of wild critters off the leash, Our Neighbor Ash sez he’s enjoyed his recent freedom. We’re not so sure. Get well soon Momma Ash.

...Speaking of the inch-impaired, our Neighbor Ash sez he is still looking for love in 2008. Any takers? “Even a midget can get more dates than me,” he laments.

...Now why is it the word “flusher” always makes me think of Our Neighbor Ash?

..Apologies also due to Our Neighbor Ash, who sez he’s been slandered in this space for almost two years now.

...Speaking of words, Neighbor Ash has uttered plenty in his 30 years behind the mike at IVC. Good thing only a few of those gigs came after a stop at Gilles Tap.

...As for tonight, I’ll take those Aints, plus the 6. Neighbor Ash insists Super Bowl champs never cover in the opener.

...Our Neighbor Ash sez he once worked with a squirrel in the Journal Star sports department who was prone to prattle on about Bradley basketball after drinking.

...That ailment has several of us non-medical types confused, including our neighbor Ash. Fresh out of jury duty, Ash sez he knows a thing or two about stupor but claims no knowledge of stooper’s.

...Our Neighbor Ash, who knows a thing or two about bug eyes, sez Thursday will definitely be the longest day of the year. Not only is that the summer solstice, Thursday also happens to be his mother Laverne’s 85th birthday.

...After hearing that, our neighbor Ash threatened to avoid swimming - or bathing - until further notice. Consider yourself warned.

...More proof? Even our neighbor Ash could catch fish right now, provided somebody will unhook his catch. He’s funny that way.

...Our neighbor Ash, ever the Democrat, sez he likes Madigan’s eyeglasses almost as much as her politics.

...Speaking of wily old birds, our neighbor Ash finally gets his wish: As of today he has a brief biography on my Scattershooting Web Log. He joins the ranks of The Head Worm and my dog Hawk. What an illustrious crew.

...In between demanding his own profile on the Scattershooting Web Log, our neighbor Ash says he’s never eaten wild boar but knows what it’s like to work with a few.

...Our neighbor Ash said he’ll never forget the time he saw elephant tracks in the snow after celebrating an IVC victory.

...I’d like to give a report from our neighbor Ash, but he’s currently holding out for more money in protracted contract negotiations being handled by his agent, Laverne, who doubles as his mother.

...Speaking of mouse-like mammals, our neighbor Ash sez if you’ve got a shrew that needs taming, he’s your man.

...After hearing that even some guy named Creepenstein got married, our neighbor Ash - still single after all these years - stormed off in a snit.

...Our neighbor Ash sez he’s been seeing vibrant colors ever since sampling a puffball mushroom last week.

...Our neighbor Ash is nervous. Though excited to learn there’s a tree named after him, he’s scared about nasty emerald-colored Asian bugs that are killing Ashes across the Midwest.

...Our neighbor Ash is back from the wilds of Sparland but sez he needs another vacation because of the demands of celebrity.

...Our neighbor Ash is missing, possibly lost in the bottoms near his beloved Sparland. If you see a guy wearing an obviously free T-shirt and a runner-up Class A state basketball medal, call me.

...Our neighbor Ash is asking to be called “Stavros,’’ in light of Paris Hilton’s obsession with sons of Greek shipping magnates.

...Our neighbor Ash heard we were hosting a few dozen chicks and started splashing on the Brut. Baby chickens, Ash, not doe-eyed Senoritas.

...Our neighbor Ash sez he’d much rather have a woodie in the bag than try nude paddling.

...Our neighbor Ash - no stranger to the subject - sez he’s got a sweet deal lined up for Blue with Tinactin if the Thornwood guard will say he lathered up with that tough-acting antifungal cream.

...Our neighbor Ash sez he’s always had a soft spot for former Marshall girls coach Dorothy Gaters and those leather pants she wore back in the day.

...Haven’t heard much from our neighbor Ash. He just points to his runner-up medal and grins.

...Speaking of Cerro Gordo, our neighbor Ash sez he’ll never forget the time Homer O’Field nearly beat Lawrenceville in the 1974 quarterfinals. O’Field’s last-second shot rimmed out in regulation and Larryville won in OT.

...Speaking of breeding season, our neighbor Ash the Latin Lover - who also claims mastery of French - sez he’s in the mood for “l’amour.” Or a trip to the Class A tournament. Either will suffice.

...Along the same lines, our neighbor Ash says he can’t remember the last time he had a woodie - or the last time he saw a titmouse, for that matter.

...Our neighbor Ash, the old Latin scholar that he is, sez he regularly sees felis concolor after a few nips at Blarney Castle.

...Our neighbor Ash sez he doesn’t know much about whooping cranes, but claims he’s had some fun with whoopee cushions.

...Our neighbor Ash says he once got hit in the head with a carp after getting fresh with a lass from Sparland.

...Our neighbor Ash says he’s glad women don’t molt.

...White muskies don’t impress our neighbor Ash, who sez he once spotted a white water buffalo after a long night at the Blarney Castle

...While we’re passing along valuable information, our neighbor Ash sez it’s pertinent to mention the otters’ Latin name is Lutra canadensis.

...Our neighbor Ash sez the Illinois High School Association would have been wise to use a photo of Livingston on the program cover to boost sales. Not that Moline’s clean-shaven Kyle Lasek isn’t a household name, but a few kids still pay attention to the NBA.

This latest farewell is to Our Neighbor Ash, Steve Aeschleman, who passed away Sunday at the age of 56.

For the past five years, Our Neighbor Ash has been a recurring character in my occasional Scattershooting columns for the Peoria Journal Star and here on PSO.com. His title created confusion for some readers, who took the name literally and expected my actual neighbor to be someone named Ash. Fact is, he lived in Peoria and I lived in Elmwood.

But while we weren’t neighbors, Ash was the perfect sort of character to be a neighbor.

He was fickle at times, but loyal.

Unpredictable. But completely predictable. When the phone rang 75 times at 10:01 a.m., you knew it was Ash, calling to check in for the day with fellow JS sports staffer Joe Bates.

He was often hard to read, sometimes gruff and yet surprisingly funny.

He could punch numbers into a phone with more force than anyone I’ve ever met.

Full of surprises, really. I’ll never forget the time someone in the newsroom jumped him about breaking a fax machine. He repeatedly denied ever touching the thing> And he was very convincing. But I knew Ash well enough. So when his accuser walked off, I asked if he had used the machine. His response? “Yeah, I broke it.”

Most importantly, Ash had a big heart and touched more lives than he could ever have guessed. Typical of response to his death is this e-mail sent by Kevin Stephenson of Canton:

“Many fond memories of him when I was doing sports for WBYS. When we’d go to Chilli to do a game, I’d no more make it into the press box or gym and Ash was greeting me and firing questions about Canton stuff. It might have been about an injured player, a detail about our previous game, or who knows what. I always looked forward to those exchanges! He’ll be missed. I hope they name a press box or something after him at IVC.”

I suspect those of us who work for the Journal Star will be hearing Ash stories for weeks to come as people recall this one-of-a-kind character.

My favorite trip with Ash was in 2001 when he and I traveled to Macomb for a boys supersectional basketball game. Macomb was playing Pleasant Plains and I asked Ash along so I could have a designated driver on the way home. He was more than happy to get into a game for free, an art he perfected over his career. Somehow on the way there I managed to get us lost in Cuba, a feat few people could pull off. Ash never let me live that one down. But that’s not my favorite memory of the trip. After Macomb upset Plains, Ash and I went to a party at the home of then-Macomb coach Sean Taylor. At first, people at the party didn’t know what to think of Ash. Before long, as he whipped out obscure facts and rattled off athletes that everyone recognized,those same people started to accept him. By the end of the night, he had people chuckling and smiling at his uncanny recall for detail. To me that was Ash. At first glance or first meeting you didn’t know what to think. The more you got to know him, the more he grew on you, the more you realized how passionate he was about area sports.

That’s why I started writing about Our Neighbor Ash, who even had his own page in my old Scattershooting Web log (or Blob, as Ash called it). Here, in memory of Ash, is his slightly updated Blob.

Our Neighbor Ash

Name: Steve Aeschleman, pictured above (center, in what appears to be a free Bulls sweatshirt) while working the bench at an Illinois Valley Central basketball game along with timer Mark McDermaid (left).

Age: Oct. 13, 1953 to Feb. 7, 2010

Occupation: Part-time staffer in the Journal Star sports department; consumate professional announcer at various sporting events.

Home: Peoria, right on the edge of Rome.

Family: LaVerne, his understanding mother

Outdoor passions: None, really, though he used to fish occasionally at a small lake near Farmington. “I don’t mind touching worms, but you’ve got to get the fish off the hook,” he said. Has never camped or hunted, “Except for a blonde, brunette or redhead.”

Notable:Aside from hounding people for boxscores and information, Ash was best known as an announcer at Illinois Valley Central sporting events for 30 years (for all sports except soccer and softball). ... An IVC grad, he played on the golf team, for which he helped set a nine-hole team record of 150 strokes at Arrowhead Country Club. Ash shot 39. ... For a period of several weeks in the late 1990s he drove a car that had no hood. ... Also an announcer at Bradley baseball games for nearly 20 years. ... Favorite sports teams were the Denver Broncos, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Red Wings and whoever else was winning at the moment. ... Frequently mentioned his relatives in Roanoke and Cerro Gordo. ... Could dial a phone number nearly as quickly as he can twist a phone cord. ... Named to IVC’s ahtletics hall of fame in 2005. He was honored in a surprise ceremony prior to a basketball game. “If I would have known about it I would have wore a different shirt,” Ash said.

Quotable: “I’ll never forget the time…”

“Hello this is Journal Star. Coach, we need your box score.”

“Hey, what’s going on. Where’s my little buddy Joe?”

How we met: In the Journal Star newsroom shortly after I was hired in 1998. Within weeks, Ash was helping my wife and me move into a house in Peoria. I paid him $20. He developed a crush on my mother-in-law, Jan Vandercar. Every now and then after that move he’d ask, “Hey, how is your mother-in-law?” or “Hey, does your wife have any sisters?”

First time in print: The name Steve Aeschleman was first mentioned in a March 25, 1992 story by Don Baker about the Sunday Morning League. Aeschleman was statistician for the amateur baseball league. Thereafter he became a fixture in stories and columns by Phil Theobald. First time the nickname Ash appeared was March 19, 2000 during the Class AA boys basketball tournament. First time he appeared as our neighbor Ash was in my March 20, 2005 column that was an ode to Dallas Morning News legend Blackie Sherrod. Sherrod penned regular Scattershooting columns that included a recurring character he called “our neighbor Jones.”

Memorable moments: Driving together to a Class A supersectional game at Macomb and somehow getting lost in Cuba on the way there. Yes Ash, it was my fault.

Seeing the smile on his face after IVC placed second in Class A boys basketball in 2006 and then won a Class A baseball state championship. He has team medals from both those finishes.

Man bitten by shark he hooked, swam to release

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A South Florida fisherman was bitten by a shark after he accidentally caught the animal, then swam out into the water to release it.

Riviera Beach authorities aren’t sure what kind of shark it was.

The man, whose name was not released, was fishing from the beach when he hooked the six-foot shark Saturday.

It was just three days after another man was fatally bitten by a shark about 30 miles north in Stuart.

The fisherman was taken to the hospital after suffering the bite in his lower leg.

Percent increase in fishing license sales in a 12-state index for 2009.

Archery benefit shoot

Archers have a chance to shake cabin fever and help a good cause Saturday at Presley’s Outdoors in Bartonville. All proceeds from the Shoot to Stay on Target event benefit Easter Seals. Last year’s event raised nearly $10,000.

Entry in the competitive shoot (8-11 a.m.) is $20. There will also be a paper shoot from 12:30-2 p.m. which costs $15. Or shoot both for $30. Lunch is free and there will be prize giveaways, along with raffles and a silent auction. Call (309) 697-1193 or show up on Saturday ready to shoot.

Hunting license sales up

Despite a downturn in the economy, hunting license sales rose 3.5 percent in a 12-state index that includes Illinois. That’s a significant change, since sales had been virtually unchanged from 2005-07 nationwide at 14.5 million. If the increase holds for other states, it would be one of the largest increases in hunting license sales in more than 20 years.

You speak

“Everybody has this perception that the Illinois deer harvest is going to keep increasing. But it shouldn’t if we’re good stewards.”
— John Buhnerkempe, chief of the Illinois Department of Natural Resource’s wildlife division

Coyote buffet

Ever wonder what an urban coyote eats? Research done in Cook County from 2000-2002 showed the following frequency of food items in coyote scat (some scats contained multiple items so percentages exceed 100 percent).

Urban coyotes eat: small rodents 42 percent, fruit 23, whitetail deer 22, rabbit 18, birds 13, raccoon 8, grass 6, invertebrates 4, human-associated 2, muskrat 1, domestic cat 1, unknown 1.

Did you know?

In studies of whitetail deer fawn mortality done in Pennsylvania, black bears accounted for more fawn deaths than coyotes.

Kudos corner

The Illinois Valley Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Anglers Society deserves a hand for its ongoing efforts.

In addition to helping provide boats for local high school fishing teams, the FOCAS chapter is providing scholarship money to Eureka, Illini Bluffs, Metamora and Woodruff. Money is to be used by young anglers in those programs to further develop their angling skills.

The FOCAS chapter has also sent fishing gear to troops in Iraq in response to a request from a soldier at Camp Stryker.

Boat show

Five boat dealers are expected for the Big Boyz Boat and Toy Xpo Friday through next Sunday at the East Peoria Event Center. The show will also feature RVs, pools, spas, trucks and docking systems.

Hours are Friday 4-8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10-5. Cost is $7 for adults, $4 adges 6-15.

This ‘n that

Tuesday is the last day to apply for the third lottery of spring wild turkey hunting permits. Random daily drawings start March 9.

... Colby Simms won the Illini Muskies Alliance’s release trophy for 2009 for a 51-inch muskie with a 24-inch girth that he caught and released at Kinkaid Lake on March 9.

... The 2010 BassMaster Classic will be held Feb. 19-21 at Alabama’s Lay Lake.

... Ameren Cilco will help site staff at Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area erect osprey nesting platforms on Duck Island later this year.

Whitetail hunting may be limited to bucks

KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) - The state Fish, Wildlife and Parks department is recommending buck-only hunting seasons for whitetail deer in northwest Montana’s Region One.

For the last two years, the agency says it has documented a downward trend in whitetail reproduction, and results from hunting season check stations also show fewer deer on the landscape.

Those observations were echoed by hunters who spoke at a recent hearing in Kalispell on proposed season regulations for this year and next. Most of the hunters said the harvest should be limited only to bucks because of the downturn in deer numbers.

The FWP Commission will consider the recommendation when it meets in Helena on Feb. 11 for final adoption of the 2010 and 2011 season regulations. If the proposal passes, it will be the first time since 2001 that the region has had buck-only whitetail hunting.

For some reason, the first line in this story really made me laugh.

I was also surprised at the end to read that NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he couldn’t get this passed for hunting grounds or at firing ranges.

Drunk, carrying gun would be illegal in NY

NEW YORK (AP) - A newly introduced bill would make New York the 21st state to outlaw carrying a gun while drunk.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and state Sen. Jeffrey Klein announced the legislation Thursday.

The law would rely on the same blood alcohol level - .08 percent - used to determine whether a driver is drunk.

It would make it a class-A misdemeanor. The punishment would be up to one year in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Unlike most other states that have the law, New York’s would not apply to hunting grounds or firing ranges.

Bloomberg and Klein said it would be too difficult to get those restrictions passed in New York.

FROM Jon L. Ruppert of Nokomis:

“We observed a solitary mature bald eagle circling the rock quarry area north of Nokomis on Sunday, Jan.31. 2010.  It looked like it was making its way to the northwest (probably looking for open water). We have some resident red tailed hawks on the property; but I knew when I first saw it wasn’t one of them, and then when the tail and head glistened pretty white in the sun, there was no doubt. I saw an Eagle sitting in a tree in the same area around three years ago. We usually head over to the Mississippi each year to see Eagles but didn’t this year, so it was a nice surprise to see it in Nokomis.”

That’s true even for the Farmer, who enjoyed his best outing of the year at some strip mines in Stark County.

In fact, he caught his biggest bluegill ever.

The news doesn’t really surprise me for two reason: 1. Seems like warmer weather after a cold snap always sparks a good bite, 2. I am tied up in the office all week.

But good fishing is not universal across the Midwest. In North Dakota last Saturday, 4,400 anglers competed in the annual Devils Lake Fire Department tournament. They combined for only 38 fish.

And not every living creature is happy at that news.

On Saturday I kicked a goose shell loose in a corn field. When I picked it up, about 14 field mice scattered from a grassy nest they had built. The mice looked dazed—not unlike the hard-core goose hunters I know. They’ve been hitting it hard for months now and can use some time off.

Myself, I gave up on the honkers weeks ago after too many depressing hours in the cold and mud.

And true to form last night, a big flock of birds passed just out of gun range over my house as they headed north.

Damn geese.

Whooping cranes in the flock that migrates from Wisconsin to Florida.

Western whoopers ailing

The significance of an experimental population of whooping cranes east of the Mississippi River has been underlined by problems facing the western flock. Biologists expect whoopers in Texas to face a second straight die-off due to a lack of blue crabs, the endangered bird’s main winter food source. Last winter 23 whoopers died. Latest estimates put the Texas flock at 263 birds after one chick died and another went missing.

You speak

“What upsets me most is that instead of spending research and development dollars for giving hunters better-quality products, manufacturers pad the pockets of ‘pros’ to sell you and me on television and in magazine ads.”
— Les Davenport, from an article on North American Whitetail magazine posted on prairiestateoutdoors.com

Birding bits

Birders are upset about a reported ivory-billed woodpecker sighting from the Sabine River between Texas and Louisiana. The sighting was reported by Daniel Rainsong, a gambler called “The Wizard of Odds.” Rainsong has so far produced no proof.

Kudos corner

At last weekend’s Pheasants Forever state convention, the Illinois River Valley chapter was honored for its work recruiting youth hunters and for planting the most acres of habitat among Illinois chapters in 2009. Chapter president Nick Ripley was honored with membership in the Long Spur Society. Woodford County was also recognized for having topped $100,000 in habitat expenses.

Critter corner

In the wilds of Illinois in February ...
Chipmunks are out on warm days.
Red-winged blackbirds, mallards, wood ducks and robins start to return.
Skunks, raccoons, groundhogs and minks mate.
First squirrels are born.
Moles are active in deep tunnels.
White-tailed deer feed in groups.

This ‘n that

The first Illinois High School Association bass tournament will be televised Saturday on Babe Winkelman’s Good Fishing Show at 6:30 a.m. on Fox Sports Midwest (Channel 57, Peoria’s Comcast cable). ... Spring Lake needs a campground host to start April 15. Call (309) 968-7135.

“My son-in-law went ice fishing with some friends recently, and nearly all of the fish they caught had little white worms in the flesh.  My son-in-law called another friend who has a large pond and he said that his fish were the same.  Have you ever heard of this and if so, what might be the cause? Also, are fish like this safe to consume? Thanks and I hope to hear from you soon.”

I’ve seen the little white worms myself and fried them up in the past with no ill effects. Just to be safe, though, I asked fish biologist Rob Hilsabeck. Here is his reply.

“I believe 100 percent that he is describing what is known as yellow grub. Fry them up. These are not a parasite of humans and fish infected with them are edible.”

Here is the appropriate answer from page 42 of the IDNR “Management of Small Lakes and Ponds in Illinois”: 

Worm parasites spend part of their life cycle in one or two animals other than fish. The adult yellow grub worm lives in a heron’s mouth. They lay eggs in the saliva, which wash out of the bird’s mouth as it feeds. Upon entering the water, the eggs hatch and the larvae must invade the flesh of a particular type of snail of the genus Helisoma.  If these snails are not present in the lake, the life cycle is broken.  If this genus of snailis present, the larvae invade its flesh and multiply themselves manyfold.  When they mature, they burst out of the snail, penetrate the fish’s skin and become cysted in the muscle. This encysted form may be white or yellow and 1/8 to 1/4 inch long. When teased out of its cyst, it wiggles, squirms and crawls about. The large size and active behavior of this grub causes universal comment when anglers fillet infected fish! The life cycle is completed when the fish containing these encysted grubs is eaten by a feeding heron. Dissolved out of their cysts by the digestive juices of the heron, they mature into adult worms, which migrate up the bird’s gullet to its mouth, where the life cycle beigns again.

The annual Camelot tourney is a big deal for us here in central Illinois. Would it even register in North Dakota?

Devil’s Lake fishing tourney will have 5,000 holes

DEVILS LAKE, N.D. (AP) - Organizers of an annual ice fishing tournament on Devils Lake plan to drill 5,000 holes on Six Mile Bay Saturday morning.

City Fire Chief Jim Moe says 13,500 tickets were made available for the department’s 26th annual tournament. He says he expects a huge crowd if it’s not windy.

Moe says more than $170,000 in prizes will be awarded.

Deer hunting without permits proposed in Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Night-hunting with spotlights and shooting without permits are being proposed as a way to decrease Nebraska’s deer population.

During a legislative hearing on Wednesday, some farmers said the bill (LB836) was needed to lessen crop damage caused by the state’s deer herd. Opponents, including farmers and outdoors’ groups, said it could lead to a dangerous free-for-all.

The state Game and Parks Commission opposes the measure and say they are extending anterless-deer hunting seasons, reducing permit prices and taking other steps to reduce the herd.

The bill would allow landowners and their immediate family members to kill, without permits, deer caught damaging property. It would also require additional deer-hunting seasons and allow spotlight hunting.

Nebraska man with 249 trout is way over limit

VALENTINE, Neb. (AP) - A Valentine man has pleaded guilty to being in possession of too many trout.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says a conservation officer seized 249 trout from Timothy Bare.

The possession limit is eight.

The 53-year-old Bare this week pleaded guilty in Cherry County Court to possessing more than the legal limit of trout and possession of five undersized largemouth bass.

He was assessed $600 in fines and $5,900 in liquidated damages. His hunting and fishing privileges in Nebraska also have been revoked for one year.

FROM Don Higgins:

“I just received the e-mail below concerning the debate amongst the Republican candidates for Illinois governor. I am suggesting that each of us send questions about what each candidate proposes to do about the issue of Illinois non-resident deer hunters. Below is my exact question. Feel free to copy it or use it as a guideline for your own question. There is no way that all of our questions will get asked but hopefully at least one of them will and we can get the candidates to realize that this is an issue that is important to us and get their response on the record. This is our chance to address a situation that has gotten worse and affects us all. Send this to all the Illinois hunters on your list and lets flood them with this question
“Many Illinois deer hunters are outraged at the situation in Illinois where huge numbers of deer hunting permits are sold to non-resident deer hunters. This massive influx of out-of-state hunters has a number of negative impacts for Illinois sportsmen and outdoor enthusiast. Most states with a quality deer herd have a reasonable limit on non-resident deer hunters and most of those limits are a fraction of what is allowed in Illinois. Past Illinois politics have sold one of Illinois natural resources away from its own citizens. Can we count on you as governor to set back the limit of non-resident deer hunters to reasonable levels in line with other neighboring states?”

FROM Bob Burns of Dunlap:

“I have hunted deer in central Illinois for 30 years plus. I will never forget the 2009 firearm season. I was bitten by a deer tick and infected with Lyme disease. I thought it would be a good time of the year to remind folks going afield for various reasons that Lyme disease is real and it is in our area. We forget as time goes on about the different hazards when we go into the woods for outdoor activities. I thought I would send this information to you so you could print it and remind folks that this can happen and they should take precautions when going on outdoor activities. I was diagnosed about 1and 1/2 weeks after being bitten. I was lucky that I sought medical attention when I did. I have researched this disease since the bite and it is not pretty if it is untreated.”

FROM Joe Pozzi of Burr Ridge:

“Great fishing on the St. Joe River for Steelhead and Salmon. This was the second time I’ve fished with Capt. Gary DeRosa (http://www.goldeneyecharters.com/) a soft spoken guide on the river.  I plan to return. He has all the comforts of home on his enclosed, heated, and very comfortable boat. He knows the river like the back of his hand.”

FROM Bert Stelly of Louisiana:

“The blades aren’t the problem (with Rage broadheads), it’s keeping the blades locked while in the quiver or stalking with the arrow on the string. If you rub it in the grass or any slight touch by foreign object, they will unlock and it’s not always noticeable before you shoot. That’s the problem. I quit using them for that reason. I have killed lots of animals with the rage head, but just got tired watching to see if they are locked. Fix that locking system and I will go back to shooting the Rage.”

“I thought you might like this one.  It shows how easy it is to get your ear pierced if you try to walk down a steep embankment with fishing gear in both hands and slip.  This happened to a friend of mine a couple of years ago while fishing at Lake Paradise near Mattoon.  He didn’t hurt the little tree very much.”

Good thing he wasn’t going bowfishing.

Man caught at airport with 44 lizards in pants

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - A German reptile collector has been jailed for 14 weeks and must pay a 5,000 New Zealand dollar ($3,540) fine for plundering New Zealand’s wild gecko and skink populations, a judge has ruled.

Hans Kurt Kubus, 58, is to be deported to Germany as soon as he is released from prison, Judge Colin Doherty ordered Tuesday.

Kubus was caught by wildlife officials at Christchurch International Airport on South Island in December, about to board an overseas flight with 44 geckos and skinks in a hand-sewn package concealed in his underwear.

He admitted trading in exploited species without a permit and hunting absolutely protected wildlife without authority, pleading guilty to two charges under the Wildlife Act and five under the Trade in Endangered Species Act.

Department of Conservation prosecutor Mike Bodie told Christchurch District Court that Kubus could have faced potential maximum penalties of 500,000 dollars a nd six months in prison.

Bodie told Doherty that the department sought a deterrent sentence for “the most serious case of its kind detected in New Zealand for a decade or more.”

The geckos may have been worth 2,000 euros ($2,800) each on the European market, he noted.

“Internationally, this type of trade is prevalent and is on the increase worldwide and can be lucrative,” he said.

Customs records showed that Kubus had also been to New Zealand in 2001, 2004, 2008, and 2009. In 2008, he had been with a Swiss reptile dealer.

Doherty said Kubus had come to New Zealand and set about poaching the animals in a premeditated way which would have had an impact on particular colonies.

There was a potential for Kubus to end up with far more animals than he could have housed in his own collection and the rest would have been sold.

“I don’t think you necessarily came here to steal to sell, but I am sure the fact that you might have had excess was figured into your thinking,” said the judge, describing the offending as “pretty close to the worst case.”

Cost in dollars for an Illinois resident fishing license in 2010, an increase of $2. Your 2009 license expires March 31.

Rice Lake meeting

After decades of talk, long-awaited water control improvements at Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area may finally be moving past the discussion phase. But first, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled a public meeting for Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at the Banner Village Hall.

The Corps will outline a plan that includes new pumps, improved water transmission ditches and water-control structures, tree planting and levee improvements for Rice Lake, Big Lake and Duck Island.

“Waterfowl management is water management,” site manager Bill Douglass said. “This would help us get the water off and in a more timely fashion to help manage for waterfowl.”

Word is the feds could spend as much as $11.8 million on this Environmental Management Program project. Illinois already paid its 35 percent share by purchasing Duck Island.

Did you know?

Bows and crossbows accounted for more whitetail deer entered in the Boone and Crockett Club’s record books for 2007-09 than did shotguns or muzzleloaders.

Eyeing crows, coyotes

With most hunting seasons closed or soon to close, diehard hunters have fewer options to keep busy. Among the species that can still be hunted are crows and coyotes — both of which will be the focus of events next weekend.

On Saturday, Central Outdoors has a coyote contest out of Burnzee’s Bar and Grill in Brimfield. Then on Sunday Presley’s Outdoors is holding its Crow-A-Thon. Cost is $20 per two-man team. Check in by 4 p.m. Pre-register at Presley’s or call (309) 697-1193.

Peoria area’s first show ahead

Next weekend also brings the first major outdoor show to the area. The Fish and Feather Expo runs Friday through Sunday at Bloomington’s Interstate Center.

Bass pro Mark Davis is the headliner in a seminar schedule that includes catfish angler Ken Freeman, crappie guide Steve Welch, smallmouth bass guide Jonn Graham, bass anglers Jerry Martoglio and Jim Crowley. Hours are noon to 7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. next Sunday, Jan. 31. Cost is $7 for adults, $3 for children 6-12 and 5 and under are free.

This ‘n that

Reports of hunters finding shed antlers have started trickling in, including one Peoria County rack with 15-inch G2s. ... Chicago Bassmaster Classic winner Woo Daves is one of five tabbed for induction to the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame this year. The others are FLW Outdoors founder Irwin Jacobs, former BASS pro and worm-fishing innovator John Powell and journalists Steve Price and Tim Tucker. Tucker and Powell are deceased.

What a nite. I wuz a judge of home nmade wine. The iwnm was excellent. I relaly liked the fruit wines. And the vegtbable wins. And the dry grapes, And the sweretre graps.,. Hey, did you snow rhubabr is a vegtbale? Me ether.

Anwyaysy, I borughg a fews bottles home, Rhubabrdm. And cherry. Man wats at good niught. I cante wtat to go iec fishing again. Not an Emqjuon. But we willbe smilngn and styling when we go fjshsing next time.

Most imoprtnat, here are the winenrs of teh cotevted title of best home-made wine at the big event.

Fruit wines

1. Charlie Ludolph, apple
2. Robert Schaub, apple
3. Ludolph, cherry
4. Ludolph, blackberry
5. Schaub, not sure

Grape, dry

1. P.D. Dwyer

Grape, sweet

1. Rod Gilles
2. Eric Thurman
3. Pat Hanley

Vegetable

1. Ludolph, rhubarb

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While warm rain is preferable to freezing rain, this heat wave threatens to ruin a very good ice-fishing bite and jeopardize three weekends of tournaments. Everybody from the Head Worm to Art Mott of Toulon report excellent fishing in recent days. Mott spent last weekend at Lake Storey with buddy William DeWester of Farmington and they combined for slab crappie of 16.5, 13.5 and 13.5 inches. Minnows were the key. The Head Worm filled a bucket with bluegills using only a tube jig. So don’t let the crafty bait dealer tell you waxworms were the key. ... I spent Thursday afternoon drilling holes with The Pond Guy and the aptly named Chris Rock of Princeville, whose family runs a quarry. We caught huge bluegill and had safe ice. But that’s my last hard-water outing until cold weather returns. ... If ice does go bad, don’t forget Powerton Lake. Several blue cats, bluegill and a few smallmouth came in this week. The big news is hybrid striped bass up to 8-10 pounds according to Jason Grider of Riverside Bait in Pekin. “I can’t believe they are that big already,” said Grider, who has personally seen a few of the huge stripers.

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Two things are luring me to the Kickapoo Sportsman’s Club Saturday from 4-7 p.m. for the annual Independent Sports Club wild-game feed. 1. Where else can you appease a hankering for alligator, turtle and fried trout in one sitting? 2. Show organizer Dan Kelch asked me to judge homemade wine. Not sure what qualifications I have for that job, but how can you say no to a good cause? Tickets are sold at the door and there’s a bus to shuttle patrons from the ballpark in Kickapoo to the club if grounds get muddy. All proceeds benefit youth sports. ... Also Saturday is the Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever state meeting at Par-A-Dice Hotel. Here’s hoping the dice are good to those guys because they deserve recognition for their habitat work. ... Speaking of upland birds, Bill Moyers of Banner has had a quail roosting on his windowsill each night for the past week. “He flies up there most nights about 6 p.m. and some days doesn’t get down until 10 a.m.” Moyers said. This is the time of year quail are drawn to birdfeeders and barnyards to find food and get out of the elements.

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Is the Illinois deer herd declining? Or was standing corn the cause for fewer deer killed by archers and shotgun hunters this year? Or are fewer hunters reporting the deer they kill in the absence of check stations? Those are some of the items deer hunters are arguing in the wake of a season that saw 189,277 whitetails head to the freezer. While that’s slightly ahead of last year, it’s well off the 2005 record of 201,210, despite more permits sold and more hunting days available. Actually, the last few years are part of a steady downward trend from that record-setting 05 hunt. ... Also upsetting some deer hunters is a quietly orchestrated rule change that will allow non-resident bowhunters to obtain a second archery permit. At $410 apiece there may not be many sold. Even so, there’s no question this was done to appease outfitters. Also, non-resident youngsters can now participate in the youth deer hunt for the same $10 fee residents pay.

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The folks who spend each fall leading whooping cranes south to Florida define the word committed. This year’s flock reached its final destination in Florida on Wednesday, capping an 89-day, 1,285-mile journey. The irony is that the cranes are on their own from now on and will probably make the same trip in five days next fall. ... Darrin Symonds of Brimfield had trouble finding Dale Hamm’s out-of-print book, “Last of the Market Hunters.” Internet users can buy the intriguing story of a fun-loving Illinois River duck poacher at amazon.com and a few other booksellers. Presley’s Outdoors also has a few copies for sale. ... Bass 25 has sign-ups Feb. 21 from 9:30-10:45 a.m. at the Turkey Hill Saloon near Tremont. You’ve got to love bass clubs that meet in taverns on a Sunday morning. Maybe that’s one reason Bass 25 is so popular. Learn more at bass25.com.  ... Speaking of being popular, Our Neighbor Ash spent a few days luxuriating in the hospital recently but sez there’s no cause to worry. He just enjoys chatting up the nurses.

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Silver carp DNA has been found in Calumet Harbor, which feeds directly into Lake Michigan. Anybody still think spending millions to poison the Chicago Shipping Canal was such a good investment? Now there’s word the Illinois DNR may be adding five biologists to handle invasive species and to oversee the Asian carp containment effort. I sure hope those hires come after a turkey biologist is added. ... In an earlier column about top picks for outdoor shows there was no mention of the Henry Decoy Show, held this year on Feb. 14 at Henry-Senachwine High School from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. That was a major mistake. The decoy show is a must-attend event if you have any interest in ducks, carving, folk art or just need a chance to get out of the house for a few intriguing hours. Sadly, event founder Don Clark passed away Dec. 16. He and his trademark gray hat will be missed. ... Parting shot: Does it strike anyone else as hypocritical that most national politicians showed little interest in Asian carp until the Great Lakes were threatened?

So it meant something last night when my first-grade son Victor told me he had a special book he wanted to read me. The book is called “Up North in Winter” by Deborah Hartley.

It’s a sweet story with a funny twist about a grandpa and the things he taught his son. Kind of an old-school message but in a lighthearted, easy-to-read manner.

After Victor was done reading, I asked how he picked the book. “Well, really, Mrs. Jehle (the school librarian) said you would like this. Was she right?”

Yes. And I think this is one that would appeal to anyone who has spent time walking on a cold winter day, who appreciates nature, who has bills to pay that sometimes seem insurmountable or who enjoys seeing a youngster read.

So if you’re ever in the children’s section of the library searching for something other than a book on dinosaurs, trains or snakes, check out “Up North in Winter.”

I’m glad Victor did.

1. I wonder why the word “hunter” was listed so prominently?
2. I wanted to make sure this wasn’t about a co-worker.
3. I have to read any story from Bad Axe, Mich. Sounds like a town where people eat rocks.

Jury awards about $300,000 to hunter beaten at bar

BAD AXE, Mich. (AP) - A jury in Michigan’s Thumb has awarded nearly $300,000 to a hunter whose face was smashed while trying to help a friend who had danced with another man’s wife.

Carl Schnorr’s jaw was wired shut for four months after the December 2006 incident at Long Shot Lanes in Bad Axe.

Schnorr’s lawyer, John Perrin, says the Macomb County man was attacked outside the bar around closing time.

Perrin says Schnorr was trying to help a friend who was dragged out by bouncers who didn’t like him dancing with a certain woman.

The four-day trial ended Friday in Huron County, 110 miles north of Detroit. The 38-year-old Schnorr sued the bar and the alleged assailant, Jason Krause. Messages seeking comment were left with their lawyers.

Click here to see the video.

This year Dad is recovering from a hip replacement surgery. Lucky him. But the prognosis is good, even if the patient is not real patient.

Hang in there Dad. That way next year when you come out to visit we’ll get you out on the water for another outing like this one from last winter.

While a forecast calling for warmer temperatures and rain may jeopardize ice fishing in central Illinois, it could boost Canada goose season.

If ice thaws and lakes open, honkers will be returning to old haunts in advance of the Jan. 31 end to the season. That will make geese vulnerable to the likes of Yates City hunters Garrett Whitehurst, Jake Howard and Drake Whitehurst, pictured with limits shot Dec. 30 near Oak Run.

18

Percent of Boone and Crockett Club big-game trophies shot with a .300 magnum rifle, most of any weapon.

Wild-game bonanza

Got a taste for alligator? Elk? Turtle? How about deer, beaver, squirrel, trout or pheasant?

All those dishes and more will be featured Saturday from 4-7 p.m. at the Independent Sports Club Wild Game Feed at the Kickapoo Sportsman’s Club. There will also be plenty of non-game food for less adventurous eaters, along with a homemade wine contest, minnow races, a euchre tourney and celebrity appearances.

Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins will appear along with Ozzie Virgil Jr., Ty Smith and potentially Steve Trout.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $7 for children age 8-14 and free for ages 8 and under. All proceeds benefit Tri-County youth sports. Call (309) 692-6446, 691-9200, 691-2021, 565-4232 or 676-5538.

And don’t worry about sloppy parking. A bus will shuttle people to and from the ball diamonds in Kickapoo.

Did you know?

There are almost 17 million boat owners in the U.S. who spend $37 billion per year on boats according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Bowfishing records

Illinois will recognize bowfishing records in 2010 at the urging of the Bowfishing Association of Illinois. “Let’s remember to thank the IDNR for having an open-door policy where suggestions such as this are welcomed,” said Ed DeVries, BAI president. The BAI will coordinate bowfishing records. Click here for bowfishing record applications.

Mallard migration talk

Researchers Danielle DeVito and Curt Kleist will discuss mallard movements in the Illinois River Valley Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the former Emiquon Field Station, located off Illinois Routes 97/78, 1.5 miles north of the Dickson Mounds turnoff. Call (217) 206-8339.

This ‘n that

The Illinois DNR is taking applications for a wild turkey biologist. ... Hunters in the Northern Rockies shot more than 200 wolves in the first season of legal hunting. Another 300 were killed by government agents, landowners protecting livestock and poachers. ... Bass pro Mark Davis heads the speakers at the Fish and Feather Expo Jan. 29-31 at the Interstate Center. ... More than 45,000 are expected to attend the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show which starts Tuesday in Las Vegas.