Your Say: May 31-June 6, 2018

Flying Squirrel Sightings

       This flying squirrel was on one of my bird feeders on my back porch toward the end of Deep Creek in Cape St. Claire. He was able to snack from the feeder since he was light enough to not lower the screen over the feeder holes. He didn’t mind me wandering over to about a foot away to take his picture. He might be the infant we found in our driveway some years ago that we rescued and a neighbor raised and released. He’s been on our feeder before, and that’s OK with us. He’s qualified to compete with our birds for food.

       And many thanks to you for the Bay Weekly. If my wife and I are out of town, I have one of my two sons get a copy for us so I don’t miss it.

–Bill Schneider, Annapolis
 
 
 
 
We put a few sunflower seeds behind the corn for the gray squirrels; that’s what the flying squirrels like the best. 
–Alice Benton, Huntingtown 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Doyle Got It Right on Circle Hooks

Re: www.bayweekly.com/node/43405

       As the recreational fisheries outreach coordinator for Maryland DNR Fishing and Boating Services, I really appreciate the great May 24 article on circle hooks by Dennis Doyle, “A New Hook for a New Season: Doubtful at first, I’m a confirmed member of the circle-hook club.”

      There has been a lot of negative talk and misinformation in the angling/sportfishing community about circle hooks as we at DNR went through the challenging process of implementing the regulations. The bottom line is that these hooks are designed to hook fish in the corner of the mouth, which causes less damage to the fish, makes them easier to release and reduces post-release mortality, which is good for the overall health of the striped bass stocks. Dennis really got it right in this most recent article and other earlier ­articles on the topic.

–Erik Zlokovitz, 
Recreational Fisheries ­Outreach Coordinator: 
Maryland Department of Natural Resources