Wednesday, Jul. 04, 2012

Feral swine trapping needed between seasons

For most hunters and fishermen, the summer months produce inconvenience to their desired activities. Turkey hunting and the exceptional fishing of spring are a distant memory, and the fall seems like it will never come.

Being straddled between the seasons leaves us grasping for activities to quench the need to be outdoors.

While there are opportunities for quality recreational experiences this time of year, for most individuals, there are only a couple of hours early in the morning and late in the afternoon, that are tolerable and productive times to be in the field.

Options for hunting on post are limited to coyotes and feral swine, of which there are plenty to pursue. But because these animals are primarily nocturnal, hunting them can be frustrating this time of year. As always, for those who are looking for a productive way to spend some time in the woods, trapping permits for feral swine are being issued by the Conservation Branch.

Feral swine on Fort Benning continue to create significant negative impacts to both native species and infrastructure, and trapping to remove them is an important part of attempting to control that population. If you are interested in trapping feral swine, contact Ben Miley at ben.d.miley.civ@mail.mil for additional information and to obtain a permit.

For the fishermen on post, bass fishing has slowed significantly with the exception of some early morning and late afternoon action. However, catching a mess of bream still remains a viable option. Kings, Twilight and Hedley’s ponds are three of the better bream fisheries on Fort Benning.

If you have a child under the age of 16, Russ Pool and Russ Pond on Main Post are exceptional fisheries. The catfish, which are stocked annually, along with a multitude of small bream, make for non stop action to keep kids interested and provide quality Family time together.

If you just can’t force yourself to the field during the dog days of summer, take solace in the fact that some cooler weather will begin to show itself in a few more months and the fall fishing and hunting seasons are just a little over two months away.