SPECIAL

SPECIAL
Gander Mountainoffers shopping program
The Gander Mountain store in the Great East Plaza in Niles is offering a special shopping program at the store between 6 and 9 p.m. Sept. 15.
Gander Mountain will rebate 10-percent of all purchases back to a qualifying outdoor or conservation club or organization of the shopper's choice.
A special table will be at the store to handle the rebate requests.
OHIO
Richmond man sentenced
Ken Dorsey, 33, 194 Township Road 218, Richmond, has been sentenced for wildlife violations arising from the Division of Wildlife's "Operation Tag" undercover investigation in Jefferson County.
In Nov. 2002, Dorsey and several others including James A. Schrecengost, 44, 4869 Phillips Rice Road, Cortland, were charged with numerous wildlife violations. As a result, Dorsey has had his hunting privileges revoked for life. He will also have to spend 60 days in jail and pay nearly $5,000 in fines, restitution and court costs. Dorsey was also placed on five years of nonreporting probation.
The charges involve more than 70 counts of illegally tagging and taking wild turkeys and white-tailed deer; over-harvesting deer and turkey; spotlighting and shooting deer in the closed season; and tagging deer in other peoples' names.
Wildlife area getsadditional acreage
A combination of fields, rolling hills, pine stands, creeks and an eight-acre pond make up 379 acres recently added to the Fallsville State Wildlife Area in Highland County, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
The newly acquired land is about one mile south of the wildlife area between Careytown Road and West Lane.
Good fall hunting prospects exist on the new property for deer, quail and rabbit. Dove hunters looking for a place to go during the late season should try out the 10 acres of wildlife management habitat that was planted during mid-summer. Pheasants will not be released on the area.
The now nearly 1,800-acre Fallsville State Wildlife Area is in southwest Ohio, seven miles north of Hillsboro on state Route 73. Limited parking is now available off Careytown Road, where in addition to West Lane, new parking lots are currently under construction. Maps of the area are not yet available.
YOUTH
Rifle shooting instruction
A 10-week course on safe gun handling and .22-caliber position rifle shooting will be offered to youths 12 to 17 by the FGV Cougars Junior Rifle Team.
Classes will be conducted by NRA-certified coaches at the Fish and Game Club of Vienna, state Route 193 across from the Youngstown-Warren Municipal Airport.
The initial meeting will be at 6 p.m. Sept. 15 with the course running Mondays through Nov. 17.
All equipment is provided and there is a $10 fee for that night and a $5 weekly fee thereafter. Copies of "The Junior Shooting Handbook" will be distributed for $6. Each youth participant is required to have an adult sponsor with them for the first meeting.
Those taking part will learn about gun safety as well as Olympic-style rifle shooting. Air rifles will be used for the first few weeks before switching to smallbore rifles for the concluding classes.
There will also be an informal competition at the end of the course. Those interested will be invited to join the Cougars Junior Rifle Team.
Reservations are required with space limited to 27. Call (330) 534-5344 or (330) 759-2504.
FISHING
Books and Hooksoffers classes, trip
The Books and Hooks fly-fishing shop in the former Maple Street School, Maple Street in Girard, is planning a series of events this fall and into the new year.
A deer hair bass bug class will be held Sept. 20 and 27 with Joe Baal; a beginners fly-tying class will start Sept. 25; Dr. Charles Moxley will teach advance fly-tying classes in January, 2004; and an advanced deer hair class will be held in March with Chris Helm.
Also, the deadline for the shop's salmon fishing trip to Canada is Sept. 15.
For more details call the shop at (330) 545-1906.
HUNTING
USF & amp;WS proposesnew refuge programs
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed opening new hunting and fishing programs on seven national wildlife refuges in Louisiana, Minnesota, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oregon and Virginia as part of its annual Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations.
The service also proposed increased opportunities for hunting and fishing at three refuges. With the changes in this proposed rule there will be 315 public hunting programs and 274 public fishing programs on national wildlife refuges.
The proposed rule announcing the new programs, modifications and administrative changes was published in the Federal Register on August 14.
The public comment period closes September 15, 2003. The full text of the Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations can be found on the Internet by visiting http://refuges.fws.gov and clicking on the link to "Policies and Budget."
Hunt ban rescinded
The ban on importation of game from Canada has been rescinded. The USDA has re-opened the Canadian border to the importation of hunter-harvested animals for this fall.
There is a process, however. It requires a permit for meat, head and hides, and is only permitted at select border crossings. Application forms and additional information can be accessed at www.aphis.usda.gov/ lpa/issues/bse/bse.html.