Record Shark, Suspected Shooter, Elk on the Move: State Outdoors News

In the field notes: Here's a roundup of state-related hunting and fishing news.

WASHINGTON

Arizona angler sets Blue Shark sport fish record

An Arizona angler fishing for tuna 57 miles off the Washington coast is the owner of the state's first blue shark record, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said.

Zachary Jackson, from Show Low, Arizona, caught the 27.63-pound blue shark on July 30; the fish was 55 ¾ inches long. The catch was the first submitted for record consideration for the species.

He was using anchovies to catch albacore tuna. "We were mainly trying to keep the bait away from the shark," Jackson said.

Read more from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

CALIFORNIA

Suspected Shooter in Custody

The man suspected of shooting at a California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officer last year has turned himself in.

The agency said in a news release that Shawn Eugene Hof, Jr. is now in custody in connection with the Aug. 21, 2016, incident. Around 12:40 a.m. that day, a CDFW officer was patrolling in Humboldt County when a pickup was seen with several occupants using spotlights.

The officer attempted to make a traffic stop, but the truck sped away. During the chase, someone in the back of the truck – believed to be Hof – allegedly fired at the officer. The truck crashed and the suspects ran away.

Officers from CDFW, Humboldt County Sheriff's Office and the Humboldt County District Attorney's Office joined in the effort to find Hof in the areas he was known to frequent. Charges are pending.

"We believe it was this focused effort with our partners that prompted him to turn himself in," said David Bess, Deputy Director and Chief of the Law Enforcement Division.

Read more from the Humboldt District Attorney's Office

WEST VIRGINIA

Ariz. Elk Headed to W.V.

A partnership between the respective wildlife agencies will bring 60 Arizona elk to West Virginia next year. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources reported the news this week, after the Arizona Game and Fish Commission approved the animals would be captured and transported to West Virginia as part of the WVDNR's ongoing elk restoration project.

The elk will be captured in January and March, and be delivered to the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area in Logan County, where nearly two dozen elk from Kentucky were released in late 2016.

Read more from the West Virginia DNR

MINNESOTA

Walleye Fishing Open at Mille Lacs

Catch-and-release walleye fishing and use of live bait has returned to Mille Lacs Lake effective at 6 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 11, and continuing through Monday, Sept. 4. A prohibition on night fishing will remain in place from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Nov. 30.

Read more from Minnesota DNR

FLORIDA

Gulf Gray Triggerfish Fall Dates Announced

Gray triggerfish will open in Gulf of Mexico state waters Sept. 1 through 4, Sept. 9 and 10, Oct. 7 and 8, and Oct. 14 and 15 for recreational harvest. During this season opening, the Gulf state waters minimum size limit is 14 inches fork length and the daily bag limit is two per person, per day.

Read more from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

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