Outdoors notes

I knew there was extreme poaching in some areas of the country, but I could barely believe my eyes when I saw a report published in the NEMS Daily Journal in Mississippi.

A 78-year-old Sidon, Miss., man faces 30 federal charges of illegal hunting in North Mississippi, including baiting dove fields, illegally guiding hunt tours into wildlife refuges, exceeding game limits and not reporting game kills.

If convicted on all 30 misdemeanor counts, Pass Taylor Jr. faces up to 21½ years in prison and $1.52 million in fines.

Ammo for the debate: There could very well be a connection between gun ownership and a drop in violent crime.

In an Associated Press story this week, news from Virginia tells the tale.

A study by Virginia Commonwealth University professor Thomas R. Baker indicates that gun-related violence has fallen steadily since 2006 in Virginia, despite record firearm sales. Baker's research, which compared state crime data from 2006 through 2011 with gun-dealer sales estimates, reveals the number of gun purchases soared 73 percent in the six-year period, while gun-related violent crimes fell 24 percent.

Fishing report: Crappie angling on Channel Lake is still a strong possibility if the lake doesn't freeze tonight.

Lake Michigan: Shoreline spots in Chicago like Monroe Street and Montrose Harbor could produce keeper-size perch in the next few days.

ŸContact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, and catch his radio show 6-7 a.m. Sundays on WSBC 1240-AM and live-streamed at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.