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May 18, 2012
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Bass Fishing, Sea Lamprey Control
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VPT's Outdoor Journal

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Host Marianne Eaton takes an introductory whitewater kayak lesson and runs her first class II whitewater. Then, host Lawrence Pyne joins Chet MacKenzie of the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife's Lake Champlain Sturgeon Restoration Program. Lastly, host Lawrence fishes the Connecticut river with local angler Forest Woodruff for American Shad. He then meets up with Ken Cox to learn how fish ladders in dams along the river have brought the fish back north.


Game Camera Contest

Thank you to all who entered our 2012 Game Camera Photo Challenge! Take a look through the excellent submissions we received and let us know which ones are you favorites.

Be sure to tune into new episodes of VPT's Outdoor Journal every Tuesday at 7:30 pm on VPT to find out which photos we choose to showcase!

View Photos Here

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  • Bass Fishing, Sea Lamprey Control
  • Bicknell's Thrush, Sand Bar WMA, Master Angler
  • Willoughby, Eagle Point, Hawk Banding
  • Overnight Ice Fishing
  • Wildlife Habitat Incentives, Deer Mgmt
  • Upland Bird Hunting, West Mountain WMA
  • Restoring The Battenkill, HS Taxidermy
  • Crappie, Victory Basin WMA, Brilyea Dam
  • Spring Mushrooms, Brook Trout, Peregrine
  • Ice Fishing S. Lake Champlain/ Burbot
  • Youth Waterfowl Weekend/ Conservation Le
  • Canoe Based Bass Fishing/ Trout Bums
  • Nek Brook Trout/ Alburg Dunes/ Northern
  • Smallmouth Bass, Bald Eagles
  • Walleye Fishing On Conn. River
  • Goldeneye Hunting, Turtle Habitat
  • Muskie, Missisquoi Wildlife Refuge
  • Longnose Gar, Black Spot Disease, Spruce
  • Trophy Trout, Nesting Terns, Groton
  • Ice Fishing, Moose Populations
  • Invasive Plants, Trout Survey, Fly Fishi
  • Wild Edibles, Duck Banding, Vt's WMA
  • Groton St. Forest, Dead Creek Wildlife
  • Wiffle Ball, Timber Rattlesnakes, Bass
  • Throwing An Atlatl, Migrating Amphibians
  • 4-H Shooting Jamboree/Bobcat Research
  • Winter Fishing/Monitoring Forage Fish Po
  • Moose Hunting/Bobsledding In Lake Placid
  • Float-Fishing/Geo-Cashing
  • Bowfishing/Sailing Lesson
  • Telemark Skiing/Camp For Teachers
  • Dog Sledding/Montshire Museum/Shed Hunti
  • Snow Goose Hunt/Grassland Birds/Nordic S
  • Leashed Dog Deer Tracking/Black Racer
  • Salmon Restoration/Wildlife Rehab/Coasta
  • Fishing For Lg. Brook Trout
  • Dragon Boats/5-Lined Skink/Bass Fishing
  • VT. Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative
  • Ice Fishing/Morgan Fish Hatchery
  • Snowboarding/Animal Tracking/Snowmobiles
  • Tracking Deer/Banding Woodcock/Ropes
  • Bike Touring/Youth Hunting/Canada Goose
  • Fall Turkey Hunt/Target Shooting/Canoe T
  • White Water Rafting/Wood Turtles/Grn. Mt
  • Cape Cod Stripe Bass/Butterfly
  • Kayaking The Conn River/Osprey
  • Fishing With Kids/Working For Wildlife
  • Soaring/Bat Research/Fishing For Walleye
  • Ice Fishing/Boone & Crockett/Rocket Sled
  • Ice Climbing/Trapping/Primitive Biathlon
  • Riding/Jr. Waterfowl Training/Duck Hunt
  • Skeet Shoot/Treas. Hunt/Inv. Plants
  • Bow Hunting/Bears/Adaptive Fishing
  • Float Fishing/Fish Hatchery/Consv Corp
  • Sculling/Loon Recovery Program/Bass Fish
  • Hex Hatch/Peregrine Falcons/Hot Air Ball
  • Pike Fishing/Youth Turkey Hunt/Salmon Re
  • White Water Kayaking/Lake Sturgeon
  • Skijoring/Ice Fishing
  • Snowshoeing/Cat. Trail/Deer Yds/Snowshoe
  • Deer Camp/Moose Management/Caving
  • Mtn Bikes/Natural Communities/Bird
  • Duck Hunt/Decoy Carvers/Goose Round-
  • Float Fishing/Strm Fish Srvy/Scuba Divin
  • Hang Gliding/Sky Diving/Turtles/Bassmast
  • Long Trail Trout/Consv Camp/Orienteering
  • Turkey Hunt/Duck Boxes/Women Outdoors
  • Kayaking/Wooden Kayaks/Beaver Baffles

Whitewater Kayaking

Whitewater kayaking can be an exhilarating, fast-paced and fun run down the river. It's also a potentially dangerous sport that requires proper training and the right equipment. One of the biggest whitewater events in Vermont happens on the last weekends of both April and September when the Ball Mountain Dam in Jamaica holds a controlled water release, turning the West River into a class III run. Thousands of whitewater enthusiasts come from all over New England to run the rapids. Host Marianne Eaton takes an introductory whitewater kayak lesson and runs her first class II whitewater.


Lake Sturgeon

There are seven species of sturgeon in the United States. These long, armor-plated fish are virtually unchanged since prehistoric times. Mature lake sturgeon grow to about three to five feet in length and can weigh over 100 pounds. It wasn't long ago that Lake Sturgeon were commercially fished on Lake Champlain. Today they are an endangered (threatened) species. Host Lawrence Pyne joins Chet MacKenzie of the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife's Lake Champlain Sturgeon Restoration Program, to find out what is being done to reestablish one of the lake's ancient creatures.

  • Chet MacKenzie
    VT Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
    317 Sanitorium Road, West Wing
    Pittsford, VT 05763

Connecticut River Shad

fishing, shad

American shad were once so plentiful in Atlantic coastal rivers that colonists spread the fish on their fields for fertilizer. By the early 1900s shad numbers were in decline due to pollution, dams and overharvesting. Thanks to restoration efforts over the past 35 years, American shad are making a considerable comeback in the Connecticut River offering some exciting fishing opportunities. Host Lawrence Pyne fishes the Connecticut river with local angler Forest Woodruff to learn how to catch these strong fighting fish. He then meets up with Ken Cox, a fisheries biologist, to learn how fish ladders in dams along the river have brought the fish back north.


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