Rutherford Weekly

Thursday, December 27, 2018-January 2, 2019 www.rutherfordweekly.com 828-248-1408 Rutherford Weekly - Page 9 FARM & GARDEN CATTLE QUALITY HAY FOR SALE. Round Bales $25. 704- 538-9044, Night 704-589-0032 LAWN & LEAF VACCUUM D&R Leaf Vacuum & mulcher. bought from Tractor Supply, paid $1100. Used one season. Other than leaf dust, looks like new. At- taches to mower but has it own motor as well. Dump bed. Sold house & downsized, don't need anymore. $550 fi rm. (704) 472- 8842 QUALITY HORSE HAY. Organ- ic fertile, mineral enriched, barn stored. $45 per large role. (704) 434-9104 FESCUE SQUARE BALES FOR SALE. Spring 2018 cut. Dry barn kept $4.25 each. Call for details. (828) 589-5016 Email: Email: photos@rutherfordweekly.com photos@rutherfordweekly.com Mail or Drop-Off: Mail or Drop-Off: 369 Butler Rd • Forest City, NC 28043 369 Butler Rd • Forest City, NC 28043 *Publisher has fi nal decision of which photos appear in print, per available space. We Want Your Kids Sports Photos! •Basketball •Baseball •Softball •Soccer •Archery •Equestrian •Etc! We Want Your Outdoor Photos! We Want Your Outdoor Photos! Hunting, Fishing, Playing Ball, Etc. Hunting, Fishing, Playing Ball, Etc. Sportsman's Corner Sportsman's Corner Email: Photos@RutherfordWeekly.com Mail: 369 Butler Rd. • Forest City, NC 28043 Phone: 828-248-1408 *Publisher has the fi nal decision of which photos appear in print, per available space. OUTDOOR TRUTHS It's Christmas time in the woods! I can tell by the full shopping malls, the con- gested traffi c, and the "cha ching" of the cash registers. Well… maybe not. In fact, I can't tell any difference whatsoever. The birds are singing the same songs, the chipmunks are always going full speed, and the deer are taking the changes of weather in stride. Even the cows in the fi elds are chewing their cud with contentment. The thermometer may say it's cold, but there is a certain warmth outside right now. You see it in the calmness and certainty of every living creature. There is no mad rush or last-minute plan- ning. There is only the satisfaction that every need will be sup- plied. Hunting always brings me back to the simple things of life. That is especially true during this time of year. It seems the greatness and beauty of the outdoors is magnifi ed when compared to the manufactured lights of Christmas. It seems the calmness and quietness of the woods is even more calm and quieter when compared to the unnatural noises of man. Christmas is a won- derful holiday. It's an opportunity to share the greatest story ever told. It's an opportunity to be reminded of the greatest gift ever given. But it also can be a time when worry and stress keep us from really enjoying the moment. It was no coincidence there were animals at the manger of the baby Jesus. I don't know why they were there. But perhaps it is for us to be able to get outside and watch how they celebrate Christmas without all the unnec- essary things that we, as humans, think we must have. Don't get me wrong. Many people bemoan the commercialization of the holiday. I am not one of those. While it may distract some from its true meaning, it also attracts some who would never other- wise hear of a swaddled Savior. Commercialization will always be around. It will be up to each of us to remove ourselves from its hold. Getting outside this time of year will help loosen its grip. By By Gary Miller Aiming Outdoorsmen Toward Christ ller ller ller ller GARY MILLER gary@outdoortruths.org ~ www.outdoortruths.org For upcoming events in and around Rutherford County @Rutherfordwkly Follow On @Rutherfordwkly @Rutherfordwkly Follow On on FOLLOW Starting January 1, 2019, the U.S. Forest Service will increase recreation fees at 24 sites on the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests. For sites that are seasonally closed, fee increases will take effect on opening day. This is the result of a fee proposal process that began in 2017 and included a 46-day public participation period, a published Federal Register Notice, and review and recommendations from the Southern Region Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RRAC), a Federal Advisory Committee comprised of members of the public. The goal of these changes is to establish a consistent fee approach on the National Forests in North Carolina and to improve visitor experiences through site upgrades paid for by the collected fees. Current pricing at many Forest sites have remained static for over a decade and have not kept pace with other recreation sites with similar services and amenities. In addition, many sites have received various improvements and upgrades. The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 allows the Forest Service to keep 80-95% of fees collected to operate, maintain, and improve the recreation sites from which they were collected. The fee changes will be effective as of January 1, 2019 and include: • Campgrounds Bristol Fields Horse Camp - $8/night Cheoah Point - $20/night for single sites, $25/night for RV sites Cable Cove - $15/night Curtis Creek - $10/night Horse Cove - $15/night Jackrabbit - $20/night for single sites, and $40 for double sites Mortimer - $20/night for single sites, and $40/night double sites Rocky Bluff - $15/night Tsali - $20/night Wine Springs Horse Camp - $10/night Wolf Ford Horse Camp - $10/night fee Day Use Areas Cheoah Point Beach - $5/vehicle fee, $30 annual pass Dry Falls - $3/vehicle fee, $15 annual pass (usable at Dry Falls, Whiteside Mountain, and Whitewater Falls) Jackrabbit Beach - $5/vehicle, $30 annual pass Whiteside Mountain - $3/vehicle, $15 annual pass (usable at Dry Falls, Whiteside Mountain, and Whitewater Falls) Whitewater Falls - $3/vehicle, $15 annual pass (usable at Dry Falls, Whiteside Mountain, and Whitewater Falls) Cabins Cheoah Point Cabins - $40/night McCall Cabin - $30/night fee or $200/week Group Campgrounds Appletree Group Camp - $75/night for 25 person sites, $150 for 50 person sites Rattler Ford Group Camp - $75/night for 25 person sites Shooting Ranges Dirty John - $5/person, annual pass $30 (usable at all Nantahala National Forest ranges) Moss Knob - $5/person, annual pass $30 (usable at all Nantahala National Forest ranges) Panther Top - $5/person, annual pass $30 (usable at all Nantahala National Forest ranges) Whitewater Launches Nantahala River Corridor - $2/paddler per day, $10 annual pass Follow the National Forests in North Carolina on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ nfsnc) or Twitter (twitter.com/NFsNCarolina) for more news and features. U.S. Forest Service implementing recreation fee changes Article Provided By: National Forests in North Carolina With the preliminary detection of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer in western Tennessee, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission reminds deer hunters of a new rule that prohibits the importation of whole deer carcasses and restricts the importation of specifi c carcass parts from anywhere outside of North Carolina. The new rule, which was implemented for the 2018-19 deer hunting season, is an effort on the Commission's part to prevent the spread of CWD into the state. CWD is a transmissible, always fatal, neurological disease that affects deer and other cervids such as elk, moose and reindeer/caribou. The rule states that anyone transporting cervid carcass parts into North Carolina must follow processing and packaging regulations, which only allow the importation of: • Meat that has been boned out such that no pieces or fragments of bone remain; • Caped hides with no part of the skull or spinal column attached; • Antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates, or cleaned skulls free from meat, or brain tissue; • Cleaned lower jawbone(s) with teeth or cleaned teeth; or • Finished taxidermy products and tanned hides. Additionally, all carcass part(s) or container of cervid meat or carcass parts must be labeled or identifi ed with the: • Name and address of individual importing carcass parts; • State, Canadian province, or foreign country of origin; • Date the cervid was killed; and • Hunter's license number, permit number, or equivalent identifi cation from the state, Canadian province, or foreign country of origin. These new restrictions aim to prevent the infectious agent of CWD from contaminating new environments by way of disposal of carcass tissues, particularly those of the brain and spine, as CWD contaminants can persist in the soil for years. Offi cials with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) announced they were enacting their Chronic Wasting Disease Response Plan, following the preliminary positive detections of CWD in white-tailed deer in Hardeman and Fayette counties, which border the Mississippi state line. TWRA biologists are testing additional deer and are trying to contact the hunters who harvested the infected deer. Out of concern for the serious effects CWD could have on North Carolina's deer herd, the Commission developed a Chronic Wasting Disease Response Plan in 2002, with subsequent revisions over the years to respond to the disease's ever-growing spread. The plan identifi es and guides the agency's initial short-term (approximately one year) efforts if CWD is detected in the state's deer herd, or if CWD is detected in deer within 30 miles of its borders. Agency biologists also conduct statewide sampling of deer every year and attempt to sample all deer that show signs of the disease or die of unknown causes. With Tennessee's preliminary detection of CWD within its borders, two states bordering North Carolina will have CWD in their deer herds. In Virginia, Shenandoah and Frederick counties, which border West Virginia, have confi rmed cases of CWD. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) disease in deer, elk, moose and reindeer/caribou and is always fatal. The source of the disease is an abnormal prion (a form of protein) that collects in the animal's brain cells. These brain cells eventually burst, leaving behind microscopic empty spaces in the brain matter that give it a "spongy" look. As this occurs, it often causes behavior changes such as decreased interactions with other animals, listlessness, lowering of the head, a blank facial expression, and walking in set patterns. CWD has no known impacts to the health of humans or livestock. However, the Commission recommends people do NOT eat: • Meat from a deer that looks sick • Any of the following organs: brain, eyes, spinal cord, spleen, tonsils and lymph nodes* • Any meat from an animal that tests positive for the disease *Normal fi eld dressing coupled with boning out a carcass will remove most (if not all) of these body parts. Cutting away all fatty tissue will remove remaining lymph nodes. To help hunters better understand how to comply with new regulations, the Commission has posted a video "Preparing a Harvested Deer for Importation to NC," on its YouTube Channel, which features a demonstration by Taxidermist D. Price of Outback Taxidermy on preparation of a deer carcass for importation into the state. NC Wildlife Resources Commission Reminds NC Wildlife Resources Commission Reminds Hunters of New Deer Carcass Restrictions Hunters of New Deer Carcass Restrictions Article provided by: http://www.ncwildlife.org 828-245-0434 828-245-0434 293 S Broadway St., Forest City 293 S Broadway St., Forest City Not Just Oil, Pennzoil FAST FAST FAST FAST WAY WAY WAY WAY LET US DO YOUR DIRTY WORK! Everyone Reads

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