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VPT's Outdoor Journal

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Host Lawrence Pyne joins Barry Cahoon on a brisk February morning of fishing for big lake trout on Lake Whiloughby. Then, we visit the banquet at the Montpelier Elk's Club, where certified measurer Ron Boucher shows us how The Boone & Crockett Club maintains records for North America's big game animals. Lastly, host Marianne Eaton joins members of the Mad River Rocket Company for a hike up Granville Gulf and a run on the powder.


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

Lake Trout Ice Fishing

When many people think of ice fishing they think perch, crappie and other panfish that are popular with winter anglers. But from the third Saturday in January to the second Saturday in March on Lake Whiloughby in the Northeast Kingdom, fishermen turn their attention to bigger game under the ice. That's when lake trout season has anglers dreaming of twenty-pound-plus lunkers being pulled through the ice. The lake is famous for producing some of the largest trout in New England. A good-size laker trout in Whiloughby is between eight and ten pounds. But in 1986, Barry Cahoon of Danville went into the record books by pulling a twenty-six pounder out of the lake. Going after trout in January isn't for everyone. You have to be willing to dig through two feet of ice and put in some long hours watching your tip-ups in cold conditions. But for many New Englanders a day on the lake is more than just fishing. It's a chance to catch up with old friends, experience nature in the winter and, for a moment, dream a little of a big one on the end of your line. Host Lawrence Pyne joins Barry on a brisk February morning of fishing for big lake trout on Lake Whiloughby.


Boone & Crockett

There's an exciting story behind every set of antlers that is brought home by a hunter. In most cases, the bigger the rack, the larger the animal. Keeping a record of the measurements pays tribute to the hunter, the animal and the managed habitat they come from. The Boone & Crockett Club is the oldest conservation club in the United States. Started by Teddy Roosevelt in 1887, it promotes conservation and outdoor ethics, and supports wildlife research and management. The club maintains records for North America's big game animals. A Boone & Crockett measurer uses special guidelines to measure both antlers and skulls to determine an animal's size. The club maintains statistics for Canada, Mexico and the United States. At the Sportsmen's and Women's Appreciation Banquet organized by the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife every two years, hunters are encouraged to bring in their racks for measurement by the state's only Boone & Crockett certified measurer. We visit this year's banquet at the Montpelier Elk's Club, where certified measurer Ron Boucher shows us how it's done.

  • Ron Boucher
    P.O. Box 373
    Wallingford, VT 05773

Rocket Sleds

Twenty years ago Dave Sellers was looking for a way to enjoy a downhill experience without waiting on lift lines or sticking to groomed trails. He came up with the rocket sled — six pounds of plastic and foam rubber that a rider kneels in and floats down the powder on. A rocket sled is light enough to carry easily as you hike up a mountain. And because your legs are strapped into it, when you shift your weight the sled will turn quickly. Its design leaves a thick "monorail" of snow underneath that helps hold an edge, but will collapse when you want to make a turn. The sled is designed for powder and its maneuverability lets the rider tackle trees as well as moves such as Eskimo rolls and helicopters. Host Marianne Eaton joins members of the Mad River Rocket Company for a hike up Granville Gulf and a run on the powder.


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