John VanOsdol believes in the adage that if you build it, they will come.

That's why the commander of the local U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is trying to raise about $37,000 to establish a VHF radio network that would cover the entire Thurmond Lake area.

"Right now not many boaters here even own a VHF radio," VanOsdol said. "And the lake is still not that crowded, but in a few more years, the way things are growing, it's going to be a mess."

Emergency calls at the 70,000-acre lake are handled by county sheriff's offices, departments of natural resources -- on both sides of the lake -- and the Corps of Engineers.

"Right now a lot of it's done by cell phones, but cell phones don't always work in all parts of the lake," VanOsdol said.

A VHF radio, by comparison, is relatively inexpensive, costing around $100. VanOsdol believes boaters will make the investment if they know a network is available.

"The VHF radios have a range of about eight to nine miles," he said. "So to make it viable we'd need repeater stations."

VanOsdol has discussed the matter with emergency response officials in McCormick and other counties that border the lake, and also researched the cost of developing a system.

"We received a bid for the entire system of $36,785," he said. "That would assure coverage for the entire lake. So, any boater in distress, with a marine radio, would have access to assistance."

The next step is to raise the money. Anyone interested in the project or in the Coast Guard Auxiliary can contact VanOsdol at jlvano@wctel.net.

BAITING BILL: State wildlife authorities were delighted two House bills failed to garner much support: one that could have legalized hunting over bait and another on hunting in fenced enclosures.

House Bill 1233, labeled as a "quality deer management" law that also would legalize shooting deer over bait, is dead for this legislative session, said assistant game management chief John Bowers of Georgia's Wildlife Resources Division.

Similarly, House Bill 1337, which would have allowed "harvest preserves" where people paid to hunt animals in large fenced enclosures, also is dead for this session.

"That bill seeks to redefine deer farming as alternative livestock and remove authority of DNR in regulating it," he said. "That would be construed as a first step toward canned hunting, and we're opposed to it."

CLARIFICATION? The National Wild Turkey Federation, rocked by the firing of two top executives and subsequent resignation of CEO Rob Keck, issued a brief "clarification" last week.

In a news release, NWTF president Peggy Anne Vallery referred to the turmoil as "a brief inward focus" that "allowed speculation to fill the information gap."

She made no mention of Keck or the board's ouster of chief operating officer Carl Brown and senior vice president Dick Rosenlieb.

"The conclusion of the most recent audit," Vallery wrote, "is the organization's statements of position and activities received the highest level of opinion possible on their accuracy."

WINNING OWLS: Congratulations to Brittany Phillips of Lincolnton, Ga., whose artwork won a first place award in the state Wildlife Resources Division's annual "Give Wildlife a Chance" poster contest.

Brittany, a student in Veronica Kelly's class at Lincoln County Elementary, titled her work "Three Owls Hooting." It was among more than 5,000 entries statewide and won the First/Second Grade category.

Her entry is on display at the State Botanical Garden in Athens.

Reach Rob Pavey at (706) 868-1222, ext. 119, or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.