GLASGOW — Barren River Rod and Gun Club members are reminded that the December membership meeting will not be held on the usual first Thursday but will instead will held on Saturday night, December12 at 6 p.m. for the annual Christmas dinner.

As in past years, the club will be providing the ham and turkey and dressing and members are asked to bring a salad, vegetable or dessert. Santa will make an appearance for the children.

Also at the Christmas dinner, the annual big bass awards will be presented. Fishermen have until November 27 to make an entry.



On the fishing front, nice strings of crappie continue to come from Barren. Have heard from several friends who have caught limits or near limits of nice sized slabs. One buddy said his group of three was keeping only ten inch or above crappie but could have had three limits if they had kept all the legal fish they caught.

He also said he had fished in the Brown's Ford area on the day before and had caught bass, hybrids and crappie.

Bass are still coming in on a variety of methods but small crank baits seem to be the best. Our fishing reporter Todd Logsdon was fishing for crappie Monday when he hooked a big bass on a small crappie size bait and although he had it up at least twice, it finally pulled off. He estimated it would go at least six pounds.

While Todd was on Barren, his dad Bill was on Lake Weiss again where he had done so well the week before. Bill will have a more complete report on those trips next week.

Barren continues to fall at about six inches daily. The level stood at 546.9 on Wednesday morning.



Kentucky Afield TV will feature fall turkey and deer hunting on this week's show. Tim Farmer hunts turkey in Bracken County and white-tailed deer with a bow in Lewis County. The show airs on KET at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and repeats Sunday at 3 p.m.



Modern gun season opens Saturday and many hunters in our area will be using tree stands, everything from a few boards nailed to a tree to the most luxurious that are heated and equipped with all things comfortable. This week's contribution from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife gives some insight in the use of stands.

Tree stands can give deer hunters an edge. Fifteen feet off the ground, it’s easier to see a deer and more difficult for them to see or smell you. But hunters need to take precautions whenever they use a tree stand.

“Tree stand falls are a substantial percentage of our hunting incidents every year,” said Will Connelly, a hunter training officer with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Eight hunting incidents have been reported to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife this year. Two involved falls from tree stands. Neither of the injured hunters was using a safety harness. Most falls can be avoided if hunters attach themselves to the stand with a harness, especially while they are climbing up and down.

“The number one thing hunters need to do is use that full-body harness – bottom to top and top back down again,” Connelly said. “For ladder and lock-on stands, there are methods to do that, but that’s where a lot of people take chances.”

Hunters should also observe the three-point rule: Keep three points of your body in contact with the ladder at all times. This means while climbing, move one hand or one foot at a time, but never two at once.

“Don’t carry anything up, make sure your hands are free,” Connelly said. “That means no heavy backpacks that could knock you off-balance. Use a haul line going up and down.”

Haul lines are attached to the tree stand or a sturdy nearby limb. Hunters secure their bow, pack or unloaded gun to the line, climb the stand and then pull up their equipment. Using a haul line can help prevent falls and ensure that, if a fall does occur, the hunter doesn’t fall on his or her gun or bow.

Tree stands that are put up at the beginning of the season and taken down at the end are far safer than permanent stands. Nails loosen, wood rots and time takes its toll on stands left up permanently.

“My recommendation is don’t use permanent stands at all,” said Connelly. “But if somebody’s going to get in one, they need to be very careful. Take a ladder and double-check the steps without having to actually get on them.”

Finally, tree stands aren’t the only way to hunt successfully. Hunters, especially those who are afraid of heights or have trouble physically climbing into a stand, can use a ground blind instead.

Kentucky’s modern gun deer season opens Nov. 14 statewide and closes Nov. 23 in deer zones 3 and 4, and Nov. 29 in deer zones 1 and 2. For complete hunting regulations, pick up a copy of the 2009-10 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide http://fw.ky.gov/navigation.aspx?cid=775&navpath=C741, available online at fw.ky.gov and wherever hunting licenses are sold.

Hunters who plan to hunt wildlife management areas should be sure to review public land tree stand use regulations on page 17 of the guide.