CCal Bergsma with a Pending Illinois State Record.

Boone and Crockett Club

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Trophy whitetail entries from 2011 hunting seasons are beginning to pour into Boone and Crockett Club headquarters.

But while the sporting world waits to see which states are hot, or not, producers of giant bucks, North America’s overall robust trend in whitetail entries is a story for all conservationists to celebrate.

B&C historical records show that trophy whitetails are up 400 percent over the past 30 years.

“It’s worth remembering where America’s favorite big-game species stood not so long ago, at the brink of extinction, said Ben Wallace, Club president.

“In 1900, less than 500,000 whitetails remained. But habitat programs, research, science-based management, regulations and enforcement, all led and funded by hunters, brought this game animal back to extraordinary levels. Today there are more than 32 million whitetails!”

The Boone and Crockett system of scoring big-game trophies originated in 1906 as a means of recording details on species thought to be disappearing. Over time, these records evolved as an effective way to track the success or failure of conservation efforts.

As North America’s whitetail herd has grown, numbers of big bucks also have risen.

• For the period 1980-1985, hunters entered 617 trophy whitetails into Boone and Crockett records.
• For the period 2005-2010, the total jumped to 3,090, an increase of 400 percent.

During this 30-year span, many states and provinces saw percentage gains much greater than the continental average (see data below). For example, trophy whitetail entries from Wisconsin have risen 857 percent. In Illinois, the increase is 896 percent. Ontario went from a single entry to a whopping 41—a 4,000 percent gain!

Six states and provinces had zero entries in 1980-1985. For 2005-2010, they combined for 48.

Boone and Crockett offers two premier ways to trace and detail historic conservation developments, not just with whitetails but many other species as well.

A book, “Records of North American Big Game,” offers detailed tabular listings for trophies in 38 different categories of game. Each entry includes the all-time entry score, date harvested, location of kill, hunter and owner names, and selected measurements. At 768 pages, the book retails for $49.95.

A searchable online database, called “Trophy Search,” is another exceptional resource. By buying an annual subscription, users can sort B&C archival data in infinite ways to identify national as well as local trends. An annual subscription is $50.

Boone and Crockett Club Associates receive discounts on both items. Order online at www.boone-crockett.org or by calling 888-840-4868.

The list below includes state-by-state rankings for whitetail entries during the period 2005-2010, plus comparative data from 1980-1985.

B&C Trophy Whitetail Production, 2005-2010
(Typical and non-typical trophies combined)

1. Wisconsin, 383 entries (1980-1985 rank 3rd, 40 entries)
2. Illinois, 299 entries (1980-1985 rank 6th, 30 entries)
3. Iowa, 224 entries (1980-1985 rank 2nd, 59 entries)
4. Ohio, 215 entries (1980-1985 rank 14th, 16 entries)
5. Missouri, 214 entries (1980-1985 rank 9th (tie), 25 entries)
6. Kentucky, 199 entries (1980-1985 rank 9th (tie), 25 entries)
7. Indiana, 195 entries (1980-1985 rank 16th, 14 entries)
8. Kansas, 181 entries (1980-1985 rank 4th, 35 entries)
9. Minnesota, 172 entries (1980-1985 rank 1st, 76 entries)
10. Saskatchewan, 147 entries (1980-1985 rank 7th (tie), 27 entries)
11. Texas, 132 entries (1980-1985 rank 12th, 19 entries)
12. Alberta, 115 entries (1980-1985 rank 7th (tie), 27 entries)
13. Nebraska, 78 entries (1980-1985 rank 18th (tie), 12 entries)
14. Oklahoma, 48 entries (1980-1985 rank 22nd (tie), 7 entries)
15. Ontario, 41 entries (1980-1985 rank 42nd (tie), 1 entry)
16. Arkansas, 40 entries (1980-1985 rank 34th (tie), 3 entries)
17 (tie). Michigan, 39 entries (1980-1985 rank 17th, 13 entries)
17 (tie). Mississippi, 39 entries (1980-1985 rank 18th, 12 entries)
19. North Dakota, 31 entries (1980-1985 rank 31st (tie), 4 entries)
20. Pennsylvania, 26 entries (1980-1985 rank 45th (tie), 0 entries)
21. New York, 25 entries (1980-1985 rank 28th (tie), 5 entries)
22. South Dakota, 24 entries (1980-1985 rank 20th (tie), 8 entries)
23 (tie). Georgia, 23 entries (1980-1985 rank 5th, 31 entries)
23 (tie). Maryland, 23 entries (1980-1985 rank 28th (tie), 5 entries)
25 (tie). British Columbia, 19 entries (1980-1985 rank 24th (tie), 6 entries)
25 (tie). Maine, 19 entries (1980-1985 rank 11th, 20 entries)
27. Virginia, 17 entries (1980-1985 rank 22nd (tie), 7 entries)
28. Tennessee, 15 entries (1980-1985 rank 20th, 8 entries)
29. Colorado, 13 entries (1980-1985 rank 42nd (tie), 1 entry)
30. Idaho, 11 entries (1980-1985 rank 24th (tie), 6 entries)
31 (tie). Massachusetts, 8 entries (1980-1985 rank 45th (tie), 0 entries)
31 (tie). Quebec, 8 entries (1980-1985 rank 45th (tie), 0 entries)
33. Delaware, 7 entries (1980-1985 rank 42nd (tie), 1 entry)
34 (tie). Louisiana, 6 entries (1980-1985 rank 28th (tie), 5 entries)
34 (tie). Manitoba, 6 entries (1980-1985 rank 15th, 15 entries)
34 (tie). Washington, 6 entries (1980-1985 rank 31st (tie), 4 entries)
37 (tie). Montana, 5 entries (1980-1985 rank 13th, 17 entries)
37 (tie). Alabama, 5 entries (1980-1985 rank 34th (tie), 3 entries)
37 (tie). North Carolina, 5 entries (1980-1985 34th (tie), 3 entries)
40 (tie). Connecticut, 4 entries (1980-1985 rank 38th (tie), 2 entries)
40 (tie). New Hampshire, 4 entries (1980-1985 rank 38th (tie), 2 entries)
42 (tie). New Jersey, 3 entries (1980-1985 rank 45th (tie), 0 entries)
42 (tie). New Brunswick, 3 entries (1980-1985 rank 24th (tie), 6 entries)
42 (tie). West Virginia, 3 entries (1980-1985 rank 34th (tie), 3 entries)
45 (tie). Mexico, 2 entries (1980-1985 rank 24th (tie), 6 entries)
45 (tie). Wyoming, 2 entries (1980-1985 rank 38th (tie), 2 entries)
45 (tie). South Carolina, 2 entries (1980-1985 rank 45th (tie), 0 entries)
45 (tie). Nova Scotia, 2 entries (1980-1985 rank 31st (tie), 4 entries)
49 (tie). Oregon, 1 entry (1980-1985 rank 38th (tie), 2 entries)
49 (tie). Rhode Island, 1 entry (1980-1985 rank 45th (tie), 0 entries)

About the Boone and Crockett Club
Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club promotes guardianship and visionary management of big game and associated wildlife in North America. The Club maintains the highest standards of fair-chase sportsmanship and habitat stewardship. Member accomplishments include enlarging and protecting Yellowstone and establishing Glacier and Denali national parks, founding the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, fostering the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts, creating the Federal Duck Stamp program, and developing the cornerstones of modern game laws. The Boone and Crockett Club is headquartered in Missoula, Mont. For details, visit www.boone-crockett.org.

Wild Turkeys By Noppadol Paothong

Missouri Department of Conservation

JEFFERSON CITY Mo --(Ammoland.com)- Bowhunters posted increases in both deer and turkey harvests during Missouri’s 2011-12 archery deer and turkey hunting seasons, topping the previous year’s figures by more than one-third.

Hunters checked 52,671 deer during the four-month archery season. That is an increase of 10,299 (24 percent) from the previous year. Archers checked 2,923 turkeys, an increase of 739 (33.8 percent) from the 2010-2011 season.

Jason Isabelle, a resource scientist for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), said two factors probably contributed to the increased archery turkey harvest.

“I attribute the increase in harvest to the good hatch that we had last year in most of the state and to increased archery permit sales,” said Isabelle. “There were both more turkeys and more archers in the woods in 2011 than in 2010.”

MDC sold 110,647 archery hunting permits and issued another 82,486 no-cost landowner archer’s permits last year. The total of 190,133 archery permits is a record and continues a long-term trend of increasing interest in archery hunting.

“More people discover the enjoyment of archery season every year,” said Isabelle. “The challenge of bowhunting appeals to many hunters who start with firearms. For others, the attraction is a huge increase in hunting opportunity. For quite a few hunters, opening day of deer season can’t come soon enough and closing day comes too soon. Taking up the bow and arrow allows them to pursue their outdoor passion all fall and into winter.”

MDC Resource Scientist Jason Sumners said the reason for this year’s increased archery deer harvest is harder to nail down.

“Over the past decade we have seen a steady increase in the number of archery hunters and a resulting increase in archery harvest,” said Sumners. “However, that doesn’t explain the fluctuations we see in archery harvest from year to year. There are likely other factors at work that create annual variation in hunter effort or success. We had very mild weather last fall, and that might have caused hunters to spend more time pursuing deer. But there is still a lot we don’t know about the relationship between weather and hunter behavior and other factors that affect archery harvest.”

Sumners said he hopes to explore those factors in the future to gain a better understanding of what causes sizeable archery harvest fluctuations like those that have occurred over the last four years. For example, the deer archery harvest increased from 44,434 in 2008 to a record 51,972 in 2009 and went back down to 43,281 in 2010.

Missouri’s 2011-2012 archery and firearms deer harvests total 291,592. That is up 6 percent from the previous year. The 2011-2012 firearms and archery turkey harvests total 52,226, down 3.8 percent from the previous year.

The top archery deer-harvest counties were Jefferson with 1,092 deer checked, Franklin with 1,088 and Jackson with 1,040. Top archery turkey-harvest counties were Callaway with 76 turkeys checked, Franklin with 67 and Jefferson with 58.

All of the top counties for archery deer and turkey harvest were in or near metropolitan areas. Isabelle and Sumners agree this probably is largely because all four counties are within easy driving distance of large numbers of hunters. Also, Callaway and Franklin counties are larger than average, and both have excellent deer and turkey habitat.

“Those four counties are natural choices for folks who live in nearby cities,” said Isabelle. “Franklin and Callaway counties are between the St. Louis and Columbia-Jefferson City areas and have some of the best turkey habitat in the state. Jefferson and Jackson counties are right at the edge of the state’s two largest metropolitan areas, so it’s not surprising that lots of archers would spend time hunting there.”

MDC recorded eight firearms-related deer-hunting incidents during the 2011-2012 hunting season. One was fatal.

-Jim Low-

To follow MDC on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Flickr, or to receive RSS feeds, visit www.mdc.mo.gov. and click on the icons at the bottom of the page.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

MALTA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wants to alert all hunters to important updates to the 2012 preseason calendar, especially new deadline and drawing dates.

The biggest change this year is the deadline for residents and nonresidents to apply for deer and elk permits – now March 15.

This date was moved up to allow hunters more time to prepare for hunts. Drawings for those permits will now occur in mid-April as opposed to July.

IMPORTANT PRESEASON DATES FOR HUNTERS

February 16

FWP Commission addresses hunting districts with pending quotas

• March 15: Deadline to apply for deer and elk permits (NEW)
• March 15: 2012 Season regulations available (ONLINE)
• Early April: 2012 Deer/elk/antelope regulations available (PRINTED)
• Mid April: Drawing for deer and elk permits
• May 1: Deadline to apply for moose, goat, sheep, and bison licenses
• June 1: Deadline to apply for antlerless deer B, elk B, and antelope licenses
• July 16: Drawing for antlerless deer B and antlerless elk B licenses

At the February 16 FWP Commission meeting, quotas will be finalized for hunting districts with pending quotas. It is important that hunters interested in applying for special deer and elk permits in districts with pending quotas wait until after February 16 to make their choices and submit applications.

The deadline to apply for moose, sheep, goat, and bison licenses remains May 1, while June 1 remains the deadline to apply for antlerless deer B and elk B licenses as well as antelope licenses.

FWP urges hunters to apply for licenses online. For more information, log onto fwp.mt.gov and click on “hunting.”

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

PIERRE, S.D. --(Ammoland.com)- Hunter surveys of the Black Hills Deer and Firearms Antelope hunting seasons indicate a decline in the number of hunters and harvest for both seasons in 2011.

“The reduction in the number of deer and antelope taken during those two seasons is in line with our management goals for both,” said Corey Huxoll, a GFP biologist who leads the harvest survey effort. “We have reduced the number of licenses available for those seasons to help increase the herds.”

The 2006 Black Hills Deer season had about 9,000 licenses issued and 5,400 deer harvested, for a 60 percent success rate. The 2011 season had about 4,500 licenses issued and 2,530 deer harvested, for a 57 percent success rate.

In 2011, hunter reports indicated 2,011 white-tailed deer bucks, 401 white-tailed deer does, 107 mule deer bucks and 10 mule deer does were harvested during the Black Hills Firearm season.

The Firearms Antelope season has seen a similar decline in harvest.

In 2008, about 12,800 antelope licenses were sold and 17,056 antelope harvested. In 2011, there were 6,209 licenses sold and 4,498 antelope harvested. Success rate of hunters for both years was 50 percent.

Hunter reports indicated 2,523 antelope bucks and 1,971 antelope does were harvested in 2011.

GFP randomly samples hunters after most big-game seasons to determine hunter success. Surveying begins as soon as a hunting season closes. It typically takes a couple of months to gather information and prepare a report. The hunting surveys are posted on the GFP website.

“The harvest information that hunters provide us after each season is a vital part of our wildlife management programs,” Huxoll said. “We are able to get a very accurate look at harvest distribution and hunter success to help us formulate the next year’s hunting seasons.”

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- The Division of Fish and Wildlife is advising hunters who purchased 2011 Shotgun or 2011 Muzzleloader deer permits on or after December 14, 2011 to review their permits and if necessary, follow the instructions provided in the following information.

Due to automated licensing system changes necessary to begin issuing 2012 hunting and fishing licenses, 2011 Shotgun and 2011 Muzzleloader deer permits purchased on or after December 14, 2011 at license agent locations with Verifone machines were printed and will continue to be printed with only one transportation tag for all zones, including zones where two antlerless deer at a time may be taken (Zones 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 36, 41, 42, 48, 49, 50 and 51).

Permits issued by agents with internet based systems were not affected and will continue to be issued with the appropriate number of transportation tags.

Hunters who harvest two antlerless deer at a time in zones where it is legal, but were issued a permit having only one transportation tag, are instructed to record both deer on the one transportation tag.

That transportation tag should then be attached to either deer and both deer should be transported at the same time to a check station. Check stations will check both deer normally by completing a data form for each deer and by issuing a metal seal and supplemental transportation tag for each deer.

If a hunter with an affected permit checks only one deer from a zone where two antlerless deer at a time may be taken, the check station will only issue one supplemental transportation tag to the hunter. If that hunter harvests two antlerless deer at a time on a later date, they should use the supplemental transportation tag for one deer and a homemade transportation tag for the second deer.

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is advising bowhunters that deer harvested during the 2012 Winter Bow Season must be reported using the new Automated Game Check System (AGCS) instead of being brought to a deer check station.

Using the AGCS, hunters will report their deer over the telephone or online.

2012 Bow Licenses now come with a Harvest Report Stub (which includes a Harvest Number) instead of a Transportation Tag.

Once successful hunters retrieve their kill they are to complete the stub with the exception of the “Confirmation Number” – this number will be provided when the deer is reported via the AGCS. When reporting deer hunters will provide additional information (date, zone, etc.) about their deer.

More information, including images of the new Harvest Report Stub, is available at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/deercheck_agcs.htm .

All bow hunters are encouraged to review this information before heading to their hunting location.

Register Now for a Chance to Bow Hunt Alabama's Little River State Park

AmmoLand Gun News

Alabama --(Ammoland.com)- For the first time in 80 years, Little River State Park in Atmore, Ala., is offering a three-day controlled archery hunt Jan. 26-28, 2012 for just $500 per hunter. Proceeds from the hunt benefit Ironmen Outdoor Ministries, which manages the state park.

Ironmen Outdoor Ministries is a not for profit organization that commits itself to compassionately reach out and bless those who are in need; particularly those who are handicapped, children in need, the impoverished and the abandoned.

Click www.littleriverstatepark.com/Archery_Hunt_Registratio.html
for a chance to take part in this hunt package, which includes food and lodging. Each hunter and one non-hunting guest will stay in a modern (2BR, CHA, full kitchen) handicap-accessible mobile home with a beautiful view of the lake and spillway.

A hot breakfast and dinner will be provided each day with a sandwich lunch. Southern cuisine will be featured including southern fried chicken, fried catfish, T-Bone steaks and baby back ribs along with all the trimmings.

The hunting terrain includes more than 900 acres of prime long-leaf pine plantation and hardwood bottoms surrounding a pristine 25-acre lake. Food plots are scattered throughout the property.

Hunters can arrive as early as noon, Jan. 25. Orientation to the park and staff will be scheduled at 2 p.m. the same day. Hunters will be made familiar with the property boundaries, food plot locations and non-hunting areas. Hunters will then be free to scout the property at 3 p.m. Hunting will not start until the morning of January 26 and will conclude at the end of legal hunting times on January 28. Hunters and guests will be required to check out by 10 a.m. on January 29.

Each hunter will need to bring his/her own climbing stand, ladder stand or ground blind (no stands or blinds will be furnished by LRSP). Four wheelers, side-by-side ATVs and golf carts are welcome for the hunt

LRSP personnel will be more than glad to assist the hunter in the processing of the harvested deer (bring coolers for meat). Hunters can donate any unwanted meat for distribution through local charities to those in need.

ALL hunters will be required to meet all regulations stipulated by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. These regulations can be found in the Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest 2011-2012.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- With the two-week statewide general deer season closed, Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe is encouraging hunters to take the time to report harvested deer through the online reporting system, through the new toll-free Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone reporting system or by using the postage-paid report cards included in the 2011-12 Digest provided free to each license buyer.

“With all the activities this time of year, it is important that hunters not forget to report a harvested deer,” Roe said. “With the three methods of reporting a harvest, the Game Commission is doing its best to make completing this required task even easier.

“Unfortunately, based on more than 20,000 deer checked by Game Commission deer aging teams last year, less than 40 percent of hunters who harvested deer took the time to report that harvest.”

Roe noted that one of the recommendations to improve the agency’s deer management program from the 2010 Legislative Budget and Finance Committee’s audit of the deer management program was to increase harvest reporting rates.

“Proper and timely reporting of deer harvests is one way in which hunters can contribute to deer management efforts,” Roe said.

When reporting antlerless deer harvests, Roe urged hunters with multiple antlerless deer licenses to be sure that they file the correct report for the antlerless license used to tag the deer in the field.

To report a deer harvest online, go to the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), click on “Report Your Harvest” above the “Quick Clicks” box in the right-hand column, click on “You can link to PALS by clicking here,” check “Harvest Reporting,” scroll down and click on the “Start Here” button at the bottom of the page, choose the method of validating license information, and click on the checkbox for the harvest tag being reported. A series of options will appear for a hunter to report a harvest. After filling in the harvest information, click on the “Continue” button to review the report and then hit the “Submit” button to complete the report. Failing to hit the “Submit” button will result in a harvest report not being completed.

The toll-free Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone harvest reporting system can be accessed by dialing 1-855-PAHUNT1 (1-855-724-8681). Hunters should have their Customer Identification Number (hunting license number) and field harvest tag information with them when they call, and should speak clearly and distinctly when reporting harvests, especially when providing the Wildlife Management Unit number and letter.

“Hunters may report one or more harvests in a single session,” Roe said. “Responses to all harvest questions are required.

“Hunters who use the toll-free number to submit a harvest report will receive a confirmation number, which they should write down and keep as proof of reporting. Those who report online should print or save a copy of their harvest report submission as proof of reporting.”

Roe noted that hunters still have the option to file harvest report postcards, which are included as tear-out sheets in the current digest.

“We certainly are encouraging hunters to use the online reporting system, which will ensure that their harvest is recorded,” Roe said. “The more important point is that all hunters do their part in deer management and report their harvested deer to the agency.”

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The Department of Natural Resources has indicated the 2011 firearm deer season harvest appears to have increased slightly compared to the 2010 season.

Southern Michigan is the only region where final firearm harvest figures are expected to decrease.

Preliminary estimates are based on cumulative reports from the field, license sales figures, and check station activity, and are later replaced by the final harvest figures generated using the annual mail survey.

Experiences can differ widely even within regions, but DNR biologists estimate the harvest compared to 2010 was unchanged to up perhaps 10 percent across the Upper Peninsula, likely increased in the Northern Lower Peninsula by as much as 10 percent, and the southern Lower Peninsula appeared down 5 to 10 percent.

License sales through opening day of the firearm season showed a 2 to 3 percent decrease compared to 2010.

“That typically reflects expected final license sales figures and hunting activity through the end of the full hunting season,” said DNR Deer Program Leader Brent Rudolph, “but we saw more than the usual number of hunters purchasing a license after opening day. Perhaps a somewhat slow start to the season encouraged more hunters to try their hand later on.”

Check station activity was also initially less than last year, but increased traffic saw some locations meet or exceed their marks from 2010 as the season progressed.

As expected, with the mild conditions experienced in the previous two winters, deer numbers in both the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula look to be slowly increasing following prior declines. Ashley Hippler, DNR Deer Program biologist for the northern regions, noted, “deer in these regions are not as abundant as they were in the 1990s, but deer sightings were generally up even though hunter numbers appeared down compared to 2010.”

Deer from throughout the state were reported to be in good condition, as indicated by overall observations and measurements of antler development collected at check stations.

“We greatly appreciate the efforts our hunters make to bring deer to our check stations located throughout the state,” said Russ Mason, chief of the DNR Wildlife Division. “These data are important to our deer program, but check station visits also provide valuable opportunities to gather hunter impressions and feedback and even celebrate the annual traditions built around Michigan deer hunting.”

Rudolph emphasized the annual mail survey completed once all deer seasons are concluded provides the final estimates of harvest and participation over all deer seasons, including the firearm season. Preliminary estimates last year projected the firearm harvest ranged from a 15 percent decrease to 10 percent increase by region, while the final mail survey indicated a slightly less than 6 percent drop in deer taken during firearm season statewide.

For more information about hunting opportunities in Michigan, to fill out your 2011 deer hunting survey, or for additional information about deer, go online to www.michigan.gov/deer.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

West Virginia DNR

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – -(Ammoland.com)- Preliminary data collected from game checking stations across the state indicate deer hunters in West Virginia harvested 59,835 bucks during the two-week buck firearms season, which ran from November 21 through December 3, according to Frank Jezioro, Director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR).

The 2011 buck harvest was 38 percent more than the 2010 harvest of 43,461. The top 10 counties for buck harvest were as follows: Preston (2,162), Randolph (2,039), Jackson (1,960), Mason (1,931), Greenbrier (1,803), Roane (1,743), Wood (1,703), Hampshire (1,661), Upshur (1,596) and Hardy (1,574).

This year’s buck harvest is significantly higher than last year, with increases occurring across all DNR districts. The largest percentage increases occurred in the western and southern counties. This year’s preliminary buck harvest remains 3 percent below the previous five-year average of 61,428.

Wildlife biologists and wildlife managers collected age-specific biological information at checking stations in 12 counties this year. Preliminary analysis indicates antler development was good and many hunters harvested older-aged bucks. Other contributing factors such as the exceptional acorn crop in the fall of 2010 and deer densities more in balance with the habitat in many areas combined to make this year’s deer season successful for many hunters.

“White-tailed deer are a product of the environment,” Jezioro said. “Too many deer on a given tract of land will result in loss of body weight, reduction in antler development, decrease in reproduction and sometimes death due to starvation during winter months. Hunters and landowners must continually assess their expectations of the proper number of deer sightings versus the visible impacts deer have on vegetation. We need help managing the state’s deer herd by participating and encouraging antlerless deer harvests where needed to benefit not only the deer herd, but all wildlife dependent on our state’s woodland habitat.”

Wildlife Biologists will analyze data from the combined 2011 deer seasons (i.e., buck, antlerless, archery and muzzleloader) before making appropriate recommendations for next year’s deer seasons. These recommendations will be available for public review at 12 regulations meetings scheduled for March 12 and 13, 2012 (see current 2011 – 2012 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary page 5 or visit the WVDNR website at www.wvdnr.gov for scheduled times and places).

Director Jezioro reminds hunters that the traditional six-day antlerless deer season in selected counties on both public and private land ends Saturday, December 10. Muzzleloader deer season begins December 12 and runs through December 17. The Youth and Class Q/QQ antlerless deer season will be open on Monday and Tuesday, December 26 and 27 in any county with a firearms deer season, and will be followed by a four-day reopening of antlerless deer season (December 28 – 31) in 42 counties or portions of counties (see 2011 – 2012 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary or visit the DNR Web site at www.wvdnr.gov for county and area listings).

Tennessee Wildlife Federation's Hunters for the Hungry Program

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – -(Ammoland.com)- The Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s Hunters for the Hungry program is inviting hunters across the state to donate harvested deer, so that food banks and soup kitchens have meat to serve hungry Tennesseans through the colder months.

Between now and Jan. 1, select Hunters for the Hungry processors can accept about 650 deer for free, which would provide more than 100,000 meals. Hunters can simply drop off the deer at a participating processor, and the meat is professionally butchered and distributed to local hunger-relief organizations. A list of processors with funding is available at www.tnwf.org/hunters-for-the-hungry.

“The venison that we receive from Hunters for the Hungry is a real blessing, because it is such a highHunters for the Hungry quality and versatile source of protein for those we serve,” said Shannon Niswander, kitchen manager at Room in the Inn in Nashville.

“We provide hundreds of meals on a daily basis to folks in our area who otherwise wouldn’t have anything to eat, and they really enjoy the dishes we prepare with venison.”

Based upon available funding, processors are allotted a quota for the number of deer that Hunters for the Hungry will subsidize. Beyond these quotas, any whole deer processed is paid for by the hunter at the same discounted rate, typically $40. All processors are certified by the state department of agriculture.

The Hunters for the Hungry program began in Tennessee in 1999. In its first year, the program collected 7,000 pounds of venison, providing 28,000 meals. Today, those numbers stand at more than 110,000 pounds annually, providing nearly half a million meals each year. By the end of this deer season, the program will have provided more than three million meals to hungry Tennesseans in just over a decade.

Founded in 1946, The Tennessee Wildlife Federation is dedicated to the conservation, sound management and enjoyment of Tennessee’s wildlife and natural resources for current and future generations through stewardship, advocacy and education. For more information, visit www.tnwf.org

Deer Hunters - Tag Your Deer Properly

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

PRATT, KS -–(Ammoland.com)- The regular Kansas firearm deer season is winding down, but archery season remains open the rest of the year, and several whitetail antlerless-only seasons will be held in January.

After a deer is taken, hunters must dress the deer out, cool it down, and get it to a place for processing — all of which is hard work.

But before moving the deer, the hunter must fill out his or her carcass tag and attach it to the deer. There is more to this than meets eye.

“Hunters need to make sure they attach the carcass tag securely,” says Mark Rankin, assistant director of Law Enforcement for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT). “We have problems every year when hunters get to a locker or are stopped en route and there is no tag on their deer, but they say they have tagged it. Follow-up often reveals that they did have a permit, but the carcass tag had blown off in the back of the vehicle. In that case, we have no choice but to investigate. In some cases, a citation may be issued.”

The best way to tag a deer is to follow the directions in the 2011 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summary, Page 16, available at KDWPT offices and license vendors, as well as the KDWPT website, www.kdwpt.ks.us.

Another issue regarding tagging affects nonresidents who may want to have their deer meat processed in Kansas and shipped home, but they want to travel home with the head and antlers. Or they may want to donate the meat in Kansas and travel home with the head and antlers. Kansas law requires that the carcass tag remain attached to the animal until processed and remain with the meat.

“In these cases, we suggest that the hunter keep the top part of their deer permit with the head and antlers,” Rankin explains. “The carcass tag must remain with the carcass, but if the hunter keeps the top half of the permit with the head and antlers, he’ll be within the law.”

It’s not just Kansas law that’s at issue, however. Many states have adopted strict regulations to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD). Typically, these regulations do not allow the transportation of a deer head with brain tissue from a state with confirmed CWD cases (which includes Kansas). Hunters have been cited in other states and had their deer confiscated for not complying with the transportation laws of that state. Boned meat, as well a the cleaned skull cap and antlers, may be all that can be legally transported in some states.

Nonresident hunters should check the laws regarding transport of deer in all states through which they plan to transport any portion of a harvested deer.

Goodbye, America - More Recollections of Deer Seasons Past

The Center For Vision & Values

Grove City, PA - -(Ammoland.com)- Last week I wrote an article on Deer Season a half century ago, focusing on my grandmother’s town in the mountains of Emporium, Pennsylvania.

Each year, my grandmother and other households opened their doors and kitchens and beds to perfect strangers who came to town to shoot a deer—and there were no problems.

The piece was about more than Deer Season. It was about America, our culture, and how much this country and its people have changed.

The article really struck a chord, running in publications from the AmmoLand Shooting Sports News to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Especially interesting were the responses I got, with numerous readers weighing in with their own recollections. I thought it worthwhile to share a few of my favorites here:

From Sugarbare:

“Back in the ‘60s, we left our guns in the cars parked at the high school so that we could immediately head for the woods as soon as school was out. Those who drove to school would store guns for those who were dropped off at school…. Yep, hunting season was an event.”

From Buzzard:

“When I was in the second grade, I took my dad’s old .38 pistol to school for show-and-tell. Now days they would call in the SWAT team for a kid with an empty shotgun shell. What happened to our country?”

From Vdroddy:

“Even in the 1960s and ‘70s, in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, we brought our hunting rifles to school just before Buck Season to show them off.”

From a Grove City College graduate, class of ’67:

“I grew up about 20 miles from Emporium, Pennsylvania. You’ve described this area perfectly. What struck me about your article was the general trustworthiness—trusting [armed] people coming into your home. These men just wanted to hunt. When I was a kid, we used to go to the middle of town where there was a weighing station on the first day of Deer Season. We would all gather around to see who got the biggest deer. Everybody was there. We used to take our guns to school. After school, some of the teachers would hunt with us. They would drive deer for us. There was never any problem. Can you imagine that today? Those teachers would be arrested!”

From a faculty colleague:

“My grandfather had this hunting cabin…. Twenty guys would stay there. My uncle shot a deer once, brought it back to the camp, got drunk, and passed out. The group left for home the next morning without him. But he had this motorcycle he kept up there—with a sidecar, which was WWII surplus. He was also town sheriff. So he stuffed the deer in the sidecar, head straight up, and drove all the way home. Simple people who had each other and their time together. Makes me happy and sad.”

From Rick from Mount Joy:

“Your article really took me back. My grandfather, father, and uncles built a cabin down the road from Emporium in Sinnemahoning in 1947. This is the first year that the cabin stands empty during Deer Season. Time passes but my memories of that area will never fade.”

From an editor in Washington state:

“[Your] column really puts into perspective the changes we’ve experienced, from being a country of neighbors we could count on and trust, to the society we live in today where many people don’t even know who their neighbor is across the alley, let alone trust them with anything of value.”

From a “tired” mom:

“Okay, Paul, so here’s a sad story: After Hurricane Katrina, my husband went down to the Reliant Center in Houston to help out with all the folks being sheltered there after the levees gave way in New Orleans. I told him, ‘If anybody wants out of there, bring them home with you.’ We live in Ohio. He could not find one person—out of hundreds—who wanted to leave the chaos of the Reliant Center, not even for a few days. (We had the means to fly them to Ohio and then, after that, we’d have flown them anywhere they wanted to go.) And why did nobody want to leave? Because rumors were that the government was going to reissue welfare checks that had been lost in the flood, in addition to providing FEMA handouts. They were willing to stay in a hell-hole in order to get a few bucks from the government, rather than trust in a kind stranger extending a hand. It is a sad world in which we live.”

There’s not much I can add to this.

Dr. Paul Kengor

Yep, America has really changed—sadly, for the worse. This nation and its people and culture will never be the same, and that’s too bad.

Dr. Paul Kengor is professor of political science at Grove City College and executive director of The Center for Vision & Values. His books include “The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism,” and his latest release, “Dupes: How America’s Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century.”

Winchester Introduces Power Max Bonded Ammunition just for Whitetails

Winchester Ammunition

East Alton, IL – -(Ammoland.com)- When it comes to whitetail deer hunting, Winchester has your back.

Introducing Power Max Bonded. Designed specifically for the whitetail deer hunter, Power Max Bonded delivers maximum performance at an affordable price.

The proprietary bonding process welds the lead core to a contoured copper allow jacket.

The aerodynamic profile of the protected hollow point (PHP) bullet design promotes long range accuracy and initiates maximum expansion to provide dramatic knock down power.

With long range accuracy, maximum bullet expansion and dramatic knock down power, you won’t be disappointed.

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Ohio hunters took 90,282 white-tailed deer during the state’s popular, week-long deer-gun season, which ran November 28 through December 4, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife. In 2010, hunters checked a total of 105,034 deer during the same time period.

“Hunters clearly took advantage of the weather as the week progressed. They trimmed the deficit from last season from 39% on opening day, to 14% by the close of the season on Sunday, “said Mike Tonkovich, ODNR, Division of Wildlife deer project leader. “While other factors may have been at work, it is clear that extreme weather – good or bad – on key harvest days can have a significant impact on the bottom line.”

Counties reporting the highest numbers of deer brought to Ohio check stations last week included Coshocton-3,690, Muskingum-3,223, Tuscarawas-3,180, Guernsey-2,982, Harrison-2,772, Licking-2,678, Knox-2,480, Belmont-2,431, Carroll-2,252, and Washington-2,225.

Hunters must still report their deer harvest, but they are no longer required to take their deer to a check station for physical inspection. Instead, hunters have three options to complete the new automated game check:

On the Internet at wildohio.com.
By telephone at 1-877-TAG-ITOH (1-877-824-4864). This option is only available to those who are required to have a deer permit to hunt deer.
At all license agents. A list of these agents can be found at wildohio.com or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.

All three check-in methods are being used during the deer-gun season, with 41 percent of hunters using the phone method. Hunters checking in via the Internet are second at 36 percent followed by those traveling to a license agent’s location (23 percent) to check in their game.

Hunters still have one weekend of deer-gun hunting, December 17-18, and nine weeks of archery hunting in Ohio. Archery season remains open until February 5, 2012. The statewide muzzleloader deer-hunting season will be held January 7-10, 2012.

Donations of extra venison are encouraged and will be accepted through the entire deer season, ending on February 5, 2012, to organizations assisting Ohioans in need. The division of Wildlife is collaborating with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to help pay the processing cost as long as the deer are taken to a participating processor. Counties being served by this program can be found online at www.fhfh.org.

Hunters who wish to share their success can submit a photo of themselves and the deer they killed this year to www.wildohio.com.

The white-tailed deer is the most popular game animal in Ohio, frequently pursued by generations of hunters. Ohio ranks 8th nationally in annual hunting-related sales and 10th in the number of jobs associated with the hunting-related industry. Each year, hunting has a $859 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more.

Ohio’s first modern day deer-gun season opened in 1943 in three counties, when hunters harvested 168 deer. In 1956, deer hunting was allowed in all 88 counties and hunters killed 3,911 deer during that one-week season.

A detailed listing of deer-hunting rules is contained in the 2011-2012 Ohio Hunting Regulations, available where licenses are sold. It may also be viewed online at www.wildohio.com.

EDITORS NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF DEER CHECKED AND TAGGED BY HUNTERS DURING THE 2011 DEER-GUN HUNTING SEASON. THE NUMBER TAKEN DURING THE 2010 SEASON IS MARKED IN ( ): 2011 (2010)

Adams –1,727(1,639); Allen –293(440); Ashland –1,096(1,350); Ashtabula –1,777(2,400); Athens –2,059(2,147); Auglaize –192(245); Belmont –2,431(2,736); Brown –1,229(1,423); Butler –345(401); Carroll –2,252(2,952); Champaign –554(613); Clark –276(295); Clermont –980(1,215); Clinton –373(391); Columbiana –1,738(2,391); Coshocton –3,690(4,288); Crawford –441(568); Cuyahoga –37(38); Darke –223(265); Defiance –725(910); Delaware –594(696); Erie –137(157); Fairfield –1,152(1,258); Fayette –104(114); Franklin –170(142); Fulton –302(438); Gallia –1,844(1,899); Geauga –623(738); Greene –287(293); Guernsey –2,982(3,309); Hamilton –298(306); Hancock –402(576); Hardin –354(567); Harrison –2,772(3,547); Henry –279(505); Highland –1,432(1,527); Hocking –2,184(2,138); Holmes –2,013(2,529); Huron –925(1,007); Jackson –1,515(1,742); Jefferson –2,044(2,564); Knox –2,480(3,141); Lake –185(178); Lawrence –1,574(1,449); Licking –2,678(3,003); Logan –760(845); Lorain –739(863); Lucas –129(164); Madison –167(185); Mahoning –563(672); Marion –320(428); Medina –556(633); Meigs –1,974(1,941); Mercer –203(248); Miami –194(212); Monroe –1,960(2,180); Montgomery –144(117); Morgan –1,804(1,962); Morrow –851(1,007); Muskingum –3,223(3,683); Noble –2,028(2,229); Ottawa –81(88); Paulding –416(610); Perry –1,832 (2,126); Pickaway –466(570); Pike –1,077(1,102); Portage –644(740); Preble –267(253); Putnam –238(364); Richland –1,714(2,169); Ross –1,723(1,792); Sandusky –195(214); Scioto –1,224(1,250); Seneca –603(849); Shelby –305(376); Stark –661(744); Summit –151(198); Trumbull –1,060(1,305); Tuscarawas –3,180(4,038); Union –354(391); Van Wert –194(358); Vinton –1,577(1,579); Warren –412(451); Washington –2,225(2,555); Wayne –644(869); Williams –787(1,001); Wood –208(305); Wyandot –661(838); Total –90,282(105,034)

New & Expanded Hunting at Rockport Game Farm In Warren County NJ

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife informs hunters that the refuge status for the Rockport WMA will be lifted to allow deer and bear hunting beginning December 5, 2011.

As always, the Game Farm proper (area around the pens and buildings) remains closed to all hunting.

The pheasant refuge status for the 380 acre area posted as restricted remains and is closed to pheasant hunting. It is hoped that additional pheasants can be recovered in the coming months as breeding stock for next year’s production.

A map of the portion of the WMA that remains closed to pheasant hunting can be viewed at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2011/rockport-refuge-map.pdf .

The area includes the parcels on either side of Rockport Road contiguous with the Game Farm buildings and pens upslope to and including the power line right of way.

Deer Season a Half Century Ago

AmmoLand Gun News

Grove City, PA --(Ammoland.com)- This week hunters across America storm the woods loaded for deer. For yet another indication of how times have changed, consider this account of Deer Season a half century ago:

My mother’s family lived in Emporium, Pennsylvania, as did dozens of their relatives. Emporium is a tiny town nestled in the mountains near the north/central part of the state. Back in the 1940s, when my mother was born, my grandmother had worked as a Rosie Riveter at the Sylvania plant. Some reading this article will remember owning a huge, heavy Sylvania TV—back when you got only three channels.

Sylvania employed half the town. Farming was another means of employment, which my grandfather and his parents and nine siblings had done down the road in Rich Valley.

Still, neither Sylvania nor farming nor anything else did much to populate tiny Emporium.

Once a year, however, the place was flooded with people. That time of year was Deer Season, when out-of-town hunters arrived like an incoming Army, loaded with rifles and bullets. “Army” is a good metaphor, given that a large portion of the hunters were World War II vets.

They came from the mills and mines of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. They came to shoot a deer.

During that special week, Emporium’s streets were bustling, the bars were jammed, and churches had more people than usual, including St. Mark’s, where hunters sought out the priest for a blessing before heading into the woods.

The lone hotel was full, leaving hunters looking for lodging. Some packed into makeshift hunting camps. Some slept in their cars. Sleeping in a car was no big deal to guys who had fought in Germany, France, the Battle of the Bulge. Nonetheless, they searched for a place with a roof, heat, a bathroom—which brings me to my main focus:

My grandmother always took in boarders during Deer Season. In fact, the whole town did. Up and down every street, hunters knocked on doors asking if the home was taking boarders. Bear in mind, these were complete strangers carrying guns and lots of ammunition. And yet, there was never any fear that they were a threat to a household.

“I never heard of any problems anywhere,” recalls my mother, who was a little girl when the hunters stayed at her house. “There was never any concern about the safety of anyone, including the kids. Today you can’t trust anyone. It was different then.”

It was very different. There was also a general trust of hunters, a trust I believe is still merited and shared in those areas. My Uncle Carl, my mom’s brother, says, “I still think that hunters are a special breed and even though they kill animals most are very caring, trustworthy, and law abiding.”

My uncle remembers my grandparents taking in so many people that he lost track.

“During hunting season our house was a zoo,” he says.

For a few dollars per person, my grandparents hosted two or three hunters per night, giving them a bedroom and maybe the backroom. The hunters marched inside with all their gear. As evening fell, early in the winter, my grandmother made dinner for everyone. They all shared a meal. The hunters talked and played and joked with the kids. After dinner, they got their equipment in order and went to bed—snoring loudly through the night.

Around 5:00 a.m., my grandmother made breakfast for the hunters, typically bacon and ham and eggs.

The meals were special. “I enjoyed the stories at night and breakfast in the morning as much as the hunting,” says my uncle.

Then they were off to the woods. If they shot a deer early, some headed straight back to Pittsburgh, hoisting the gutted carcass atop the Oldsmobile. Others, if they got a deer late, might return to the house, where my grandmother cooked up some venison. If they had no luck, they stayed another night or two.

Dr. Paul Kengor

This scene was repeated in house after house in Emporium. My Aunt Della, who lived across the railroad tracks and river, took in boarders in an apartment above her garage. She tended to get the same guys year to year. I’m sure her Rigatoni and meatballs were a factor.

Can you imagine this today? Any of this? Yes, the culture has really changed. America has changed.

Dr. Paul Kengor is professor of political science at Grove City College and executive director of The Center for Vision & Values. His books include “The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism,” and his latest release, “Dupes: How America’s Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century.”

Dr. James Kroll Named as Deer Trustee for State of Wisconsin

NACOGDOCHES, Texas --(Ammoland.com)- After years of hunter frustration over the deer management policies, the State of Wisconsin has turned to one of the industry’s most respected authorities on whitetail deer. Dr. James C. Kroll (aka ‘Dr. Deer’)has been appointed as the state’s first Deer Trustee to help manage the state’s deer herd.

Dr. Kroll will conduct an objective, scientific study of Wisconsin deer management practices and work to restore soured relations between the state’s hunters and the Department of Natural Resources.

“Wisconsin is well-known for its outdoor traditions, and I’m excited to be working alongside wildlife officials and sportsmen to help ensure Wisconsin’s hunting heritage exists for many generations to come,” says Dr. James Kroll, who also serves as the director of the Institute for Whitetailed Deer Management and Research at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU).

“From land fragmentation to habitat to general health, our research will be reviewing all influences on Wisconsin’s deer herd and we’ll be actively looking for input from hunters across the state.”

Dr. Kroll will hold a series of ‘listening sessions’ in the coming months to hear the opinions and concerns of Wisconsin sportsmen.

“A management plan based on science is definitely the correct approach, but part of that science is social science and we need to listen to the landowners and the hunters in the field,” says Dr. Kroll.

“The habitat and management needs can vary greatly in different parts of the state and, for a proper management plan, we need to account for all of those unique conditions.”

The director of the Institute for White-tailed Deer Management and Research and Henry M. Rockwell Chair of Forestry, Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU), Dr. Kroll has authored more than 300 technical and popular articles, ten books and numerous videos. Over the past three decades, he has appeared on TNN, ESPN, the Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, Wild TV and Pursuit Channel, winning two awards for his Dr. Deer contributions. He appears weekly on North American Whitetail TV, and stars in Winchester presents Dr. Deer.

Dr. Kroll has also recently introduced his all-new Dr. Deer Management System, the industry’s first automated deer management consulting service. Developed in partnership with GMS, the Dr. Deer Management System helps hunters and land owners keep accurate records on their hunting properties and receive a professional analysis and consultation by Dr. Kroll within just a few hours. The program provides more than 27 different reports, year-to-year comparisons as well as geographical analysis for property and production quality. For more information on the Dr. Deer Management System, visit www.DrDeer.com

Based in Nacogdoches, Texas, Dr. James C. Kroll has celebrated the lives of whitetails for four decades and he is often considered the Father of Modern Deer Management. Through Dr. Deer Inc., Dr. Kroll provides information on the latest applied research and consulting services through the all-new Dr. Deer Management System. For more information on Dr. Deer Inc, visit www.DrDeer.com

Kentucky's Annual Grayson Lake WMA Youth Deer Hunt Successful Again

Kentucky Department Fish Wildlife

Anderson County, KY --(Ammoland.com)- Eighty-nine youth took 27 deer during the annual Grayson Lake WMA youth deer hunt over the Nov. 5-6 weekend. The hunt was open for either sex deer, but 20 of the deer taken were antlered bucks indicating the rut was well underway.

Large bucks were not in short supply either, as seven had eight or more points or antler spreads of 15” or larger. The largest buck taken was a nine-point with a 17.25” antler spread killed by Jordan Lawson of Corbin, Kentucky.

The great majority of youngsters participating saw deer while hunting and many fond memories were made. The hunt is open to youngsters under 16 who are accompanied by an adult.

Youths under 12 are not required to purchase a hunting license or deer permit and do not have to have passed a hunter safety course to be eligible for the hunt. The hunt is open sign-up with no qualifying youngster turned away. Ample acreage is available in the hunting area and all youngsters are invited to participate next year when it is once again expected to be held the first weekend in November.

Read More new like this in the Kentucky Department Fish Wildlife November 2011 Newsletter

Kentucky Department Fish Wildlife November 2011 Newsletter

The mission of the Kentucky Conservation Coalition is to organize outdoorsmen and women, conservation groups and their members so that their united voices can be heard on important issues impacting fish and wildlife management, wildlife-related recreation interests, and natural resource conservation in Kentucky. Our fishing, hunting, trapping, and natural resource conservation heritage is depending on it. We need to pass the things we hold dear to the next generation, and the time to act is now. To join the KCC and its many partners, including The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, please sign up for this FREE service by clicking here http://www.kycoalition.org.

Montana Deer Harvest Picks up in Final Days

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

MALTA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Deer harvest picked up pace in the final week of big game season in west-central Montana, bumping check station reported harvests closer to 2010 than they were mid-season.

At the Darby hunter check station, more hunters brought home more deer than they had in the fifth and final week of the season since 2007. And at the Anaconda and Bonner check stations, deer harvest was comparable to the final weekend of the season in recent years.

“It was a busy final week of big game season this year, both in hunter numbers and harvest,” says Mike Thompson, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 2 Wildlife Manager. “We had a really slow mid season, but in the end, a lot of hunters decided to give it one more go last week, and the deer rut made conditions just right for upping the deer harvest during the final days of the season.”

For the season, region-wide check stations totals show a reported harvest 12 percent under 2010 totals for mule deer and 14 percent below for whitetails, and even further below the long-term average.

“We would have been a lot further behind if we hadn’t has such a good fifth week for deer,” says Thompson.

Thompson says that he expected deer harvest to be lower than the long-term average, due to low deer numbers in some parts of the region and corresponding limitations in antlerless hunting opportunity to help those numbers bounce back.

No place feels the tightening of the regulations more than the Bonner hunter check station where mule deer and whitetail harvest this year was half of what it was just three years ago.

“Season totals for mule and white-tailed deer harvest were significantly down again this season at the Bonner check station,” says FWP wildlife biologist Jay Kolbe, “Still, we checked some great white-tailed bucks during the last weekend and enjoyed seeing a number of youth hunters with their first elk or deer.”

Region-wide, elk harvest finished slightly below 2010 and 25 percent under the five-year average. Elk hunters did not see the same bump in harvest during the final week.

“Reports from hunters indicated that there was snow up high, but not enough to move the elk down to areas where they were more accessible,” says Thompson, “And those hunters that did make it to those areas found crunchy snow that made hunting really tough.”

The Anaconda hunter check station had the best season-end harvest numbers for elk. Ninety elk passed through the station this year—the highest reported since 2000 when the station tallied 98 elk. The station’s average over the past 30 years is 72 elk.

Overall, nearly 8 percent of hunters that passed through one of the three hunter check stations harvested deer or elk this season, up from 7 percent last year.

Hunter success was higher still on FWP’s Fish Creek Wildlife Management Area and surrounding public lands during the final weekend, where 14 percent of hunters passing through a new experimental game check station at the mouth of Fish Creek in Mineral County had a deer or elk in tow. FWP wildlife biologist Vickie Edwards tallied 420 hunters with 52 white-tailed deer, 6 mule deer and two elk on the last weekend.

At the season’s end, check station tallies showed 16,682 hunter visits compared to 17,890 in 2010 and a hunter harvest of 542 elk compared to 565, 173 mule deer compared to 197, and 554 white-tailed deer compared to 643. Twelve wolves, six black bears, four bighorn sheep, two moose and two mountain goats also passed through the stations.

Missouri Department of Conservation

JEFFERSON CITY Mo --(Ammoland.com)- Hunters checked 190,089 deer during Missouri’s 11-day November firearms deer hunt, slightly surpassing last year’s figure despite a slow start on opening weekend.

Extremely windy weather, combined with reduced deer populations in some areas, dropped the opening-weekend harvest 10,000 below the 2010 figure. Hunters persevered, however, and more than made up lost ground in the following nine days of the November hunt. In the end, they harvested 1,884 more than last year, a 1-percent increase.

Top harvest counties were Howell with 3,483 deer checked, Macon with 3,393 and Texas with 3,284. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recorded six firearms-related deer-hunting accidents during the November hunt, down from nine last year.

MDC Resource Scientist Jason Sumners said changes to hunting regulations over the past 20 years are responsible for producing more large-antlered deer.

Sumners noted that in 2003, antlered deer made up 37 percent of the November firearms deer harvest. Last year, 40 percent of the harvest consisted of antlered deer. This year, the figure was 43 percent. This narrowing of the gap between doe and buck harvest began with implementation of the four-point rule for antlered deer in 2004.

Missouri’s four-point rule, now in effect in all or parts of 69 counties, allows hunters to shoot an antlered buck only if it has at least four points measuring 1 inch or longer on at least one side. The antler-point restriction allows more bucks to grow trophy antlers while providing effective control of deer numbers.

Sumners said that before implementation of antler-point restrictions, 1.5-year-old bucks made up 40 to 50 percent of the total buck harvest. Today in counties with the antler-point restriction, 1.5-year-old bucks make up 10 to 15 percent of the total buck harvest. After more than four years under antler-point restrictions, 30 to 40 percent of the bucks harvested are 3.5 years and older. That means hunters are seeing and harvesting more larger-antlered adult bucks.

“It’s no wonder the four-point rule has become very popular with hunters,” he said.

MDC has been working for the better part of a decade to balance hunting opportunities against crop damage, deer-vehicle accidents and other problems associated with overabundant deer. The agency’s current challenge is to maintain a healthy, stable deer herd while working with landowners and hunters to fine-tune harvest at the local level.
MDC Director Bob Ziehmer hailed this year’s deer harvest numbers as good news for all Missourians.

“A robust firearms deer harvest is proof of a healthy deer herd that benefits all Missourians, whether they hunt or not,” said Ziehmer. “Resident deer hunters and a significant number of hunters from out of state spend approximately $700 million on their sport. That spending generates more than $1 billion in business activity. In all, deer hunting supports 11,000 Missouri jobs. In these economic times, that’s a big boost to the state’s economy.”

-Jim Low-

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is reminding hunters that December 5 marks the start of the Six-day Firearm Deer Season. The Six-day, or traditional “buck” season, runs through December 10.

A significant regulation change for this year is the addition of Deer Management Zones 28, 30, 31, 34 and 47 to the zones where harvest of an antlered deer is restricted to deer with at least one antler having a minimum of three antler points. The other Antler Point Restriction DMZs include Zones 3, 9, 13, 27, 29, 35, 37, 40, 63 and 67.

The season bag limit is two antlered deer, but the first buck must be brought to a check station before a second buck is taken. Hunters who do not harvest a buck or only harvest one buck during the Six-day Season have the opportunity to take one antlered deer during the Permit Shotgun Season if they purchase an antlered buck shotgun permit. However, if a hunter harvests two antlered deer, he/she forfeits the opportunity to harvest an antlered deer during the Permit Shotgun Season.

Bowhunters may also harvest a buck during the Six-day Firearm Season with a bow, as long as they have a current Archery License and a Firearm License, or an All-around License. The buck should be tagged with the transportation tag for the Six-day Firearm Season from the Firearm or All-around license.

For more on the season, including information about baiting, check stations, hunter orange and places to hunt, see http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2011/sixday11.htm on the division’s web site.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Annapolis, MD --(Ammoland.com)- The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) encourages hunters to put safety first as this year’s firearm deer season opens November 26, the day with the greatest concentration of hunters afield.

“Tree stand incidents account for most hunting accidents,” said NRP Superintendent Colonel George F. Johnson IV. “using the proper safety equipment is an essential component in staying safe while afield.”

All hunters should use a full-body safety harness that keeps the hunter tethered to the tree and prevents a fall to the ground. NRP reminds hunters to inspect their safety equipment prior to use and replace any worn or broken pieces. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has produced a helpful video, demonstrating how to use a tree stand and full-body safety harness that can be viewed here.

The improper use of firearms has been another cause of accidents. Hunters should inspect, be familiar with, and practice with the weapon that is to be used prior to the start of the hunt.

When handling a firearm, hunters should always follow two cardinal rules:

• Treat every gun as if it is loaded and never point the firearm at anything unless intending to shoot.
• Positively identify the intended target and make sure the area beyond is devoid of other hunters or property before the trigger is pulled.

Before hunting, all hunters should follow these laws and regulations before they go hunting:

• Hunters must obtain and possess a hunting license while hunting.
• A course in firearms and hunter safety is required for those who did not hunt prior to July 1, 1977.
• Hunters must possess written permission from landowner before hunting on private property.
• Hunters and companions must wear a fluorescent cap or outer garment that contains 250 square-inches of fluorescent orange color.
• Possessing loaded weapons in a vehicle is prohibited. This includes ammunition in the magazine or chamber.
• It is illegal to shoot or hunt from or across a roadway.
• Hunting within 150 yards of a residence, camp or other building is prohibited without advance permission of owner or occupant.

Before removing the deer from the location of the kill, a field tag must be filled out and attached to the deer. It must be recorded on the hunter’s Big Game Harvest Record.

Hunters must check-in the deer within 24 hours of field tagging to the Department of Natural Resources via the internet at www.gamecheck.dnr.state.md.us or the call the Big Game Registration phone line at 1-888-800-0120. The confirmation number must then be entered onto the Big Game Harvest Record.

Citizens are encouraged to call the Natural Resources Police Communication Center at 800-628-9944 with poaching complaints, public lands enforcement questions or maritime enforcement questions.

About:
The Maryland Natural Resources Police is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 247 officers and a dedicated staff of civilian and volunteer personnel, the NRP provide a variety of services in addition to conservation and boating law enforcement duties throughout the State of Maryland. These services include homeland security, search and rescue, emergency medical services, education, information and communications services on a round the clock basis. NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland’s forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland’s effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state’s number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

MALTA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- One week remains for big game rifle season, and so far hunter harvest totals for deer are about 25 percent behind this point in the 2010 season in west-central Montana, while elk harvest is only slightly down.

Deer harvest lags region-wide, due largely, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 2 Wildlife Manager, Mike Thompson, says to a low number of “B licenses” that are available to hunters. These licenses allow hunters to harvest an antlerless deer, in addition to the deer they can take with their general Deer A license.

FWP made a large cut to in these “B” licenses in 2010 and another slight cut this season because of decreases in mule deer and white-tailed deer numbers in many parts of the region.

“Right now our hunting regulations are prescribing a lower hunter harvest to help deer numbers bounce back in the areas where they need to,” says Thompson.

Antlerless “B” licenses for elk are also limited in many parts of the region, but overall, regional elk harvest totals are down just slightly from 2010 and 25 percent from the five-year average region-wide.

Most of the cut in elk harvest is coming from the southern Bitterroot valley, where hunting for elk is almost completely closed in the West Fork (HD 250) except for a few permit holders, Thompson says, and more limited in the East Fork (HD 270) than it used to be just a few years ago.

At the Anaconda station, elk harvest is up from 2010 and the long-term average and the Bonner check station’s elk tally of 88 is up slightly from 83 last year.

Fewer extra licenses in hunters’ hands seems to be translating into fewer hunters passing through the check stations day after day as well. Region-wide, hunter trips through the check stations are down 12 percent from last year.

“The deer rut and snowfall has some hunters excited to get back in the field and give it one more go this year,” Thompson says, “And many of those hunters are having success. But overall, folks are being more strategic about when they hunt and are not out there day after day, trying to fill the special tags like they have in some years.”

Overall, over seven percent of hunters that passed through one of the three hunter check stations harvested game, which is on par with 2010.

Hunter check stations are also recording the wolves that happen to pass through this season. The Darby station has checked nine wolves so far this season, and the Bonner and Anaconda stations have each seen one. Hunters are required to report their wolf harvest, and statewide, wolf harvest is at 89 of a 220 quota, and 18 of those were harvested in west-central Montana’s Region 2.

Overall, check station tallies show 12,391 hunter visits compared to 14,098 in 2010 and a hunter harvest of 412 elk compared to 427, 132 mule deer compared to 175, and 331 white-tailed deer compared to 451. Eleven wolves, six black bears, four bighorn sheep, two moose and one mountain goat have also passed through the stations.

Hunters are reminded that they must stop at all check stations that they pass on their way to or from hunting—even if they have not harvested any animals. The general rifle season for deer and elk runs through Sunday, Nov. 27.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The 2011 firearm deer season opened Tuesday, Nov. 15, and impressions regarding deer observations, hunting activity, and check station operations from the first few days of the season have been compiled by the Department of Natural Resources.

Overall, hunting activity started slow but appeared to increase later in the week and over the weekend. Deer condition throughout the state has been reported as good to excellent. The following are the early impressions summarized on a regional basis:

Upper Peninsula – Conditions have been fair for hunting, though opening day temperatures were above freezing, moderate to strong winds and winter storm conditions moved through portions of the region on Nov. 16. Hunter numbers across the region appear the same or lower than during the early days of the 2010 firearm season. Most hunters are reporting seeing more deer than last year, and that deer are in good condition. The excellent condition of deer at check stations supports hunter observations. Initially slow activity at check stations picked up near the end of last week to now include similar or increased numbers of deer checked compared to last year.

Northern Lower Peninsula – Opening morning was cool, but temperatures warmed by late morning with a mix of clouds and sun. Nov. 16 saw a mix of flurries and accumulating snow in locations with high and gusty winds moving into some areas. Hunting activity last week was reported as fairly light compared to previous years. The northeast portion of the region noted an increase in number of deer checked, but the western and southern portions have noted similar to fewer deer brought in compared to last year. Early reports on weekend check station activity suggest check station and harvest numbers may now have caught up to or exceeded numbers from last year. Deer condition has been described as very good with several exceptional bucks observed at a number of check stations around the region.

Southern Michigan – Hunting conditions were fair in southern Michigan. Dense fog throughout much of the region on opening morning affected hunters’ abilities to see deer. With temperatures climbing into the upper 50s by late morning to early afternoon, both deer and hunter activity was slowed. Cooler temperatures prevailed the next few days accompanied by wind and scattered snow flurries. About 71 percent of corn was picked by opening day, which matches the five-year average but was less than last year, when 97 percent was picked. Hunting activity varied somewhat around the region, but appeared the same or lower than last year; shots heard were consistently lower than last year throughout the region over the first few days of the season. Fewer deer have been checked compared to last year, but deer are in good condition. Some check stations noted an increase in 3 ½ and even 4 ½ year-old bucks compared to recent years.

Each year, DNR Wildlife Division staff working at check stations around the state submit their impressions and a summary of comments provided by hunters from the first few days of the firearm season. These impressions provide an early view of how the firearm season is faring. Deer populations in both northern regions have come through two relatively mild winters in a row, on the heels of two relatively severe winters of 2007 and 2008. Deer numbers appear to be recovering, but more notable is the good to excellent condition being observed by hunters and confirmed by data collected at check stations. License sales through opening day were about 2.5 percent lower than in 2010, which supports the observations of generally lighter hunting pressure in most areas of the state.

Firearm deer season continues through Nov. 30 with archery season resuming Dec. 1. For more information about deer hunting opportunities in Michigan, go online to www.michigan.gov/deer. Updated field observations and check station summaries will be posted on the collaborative DNR Wildlife Division and Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife website at www.deer.fw.msu.edu.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Ohio’s popular deer-gun season opens statewide on Monday, November 28, offering hunters a full week to harvest a whitetail.

The upcoming season will again include an extra weekend of gun hunting on December 17-18, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

Deer can be hunted with a legal muzzleloader, handgun or shotgun from one half-hour before sunrise to sunset through December 4 and December 17-18. With a pre-hunting season population estimate of 750,000 white-tailed deer, the ODNR Division of Wildlife anticipates 115,000 to 125,000 deer will be killed during the nine-day season. Approximately 420,000 hunters are expected to participate in this year’s season, including many out-of-state hunters.

The white-tailed deer is the most popular game animal in Ohio, frequently pursued by generations of hunters. Ohio ranks 8th nationally in annual hunting-related sales and 10th in the number of jobs associated with the hunting-related industry. Each year, hunting has a $859 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more.

Hunters may take only one antlered deer, regardless of zone, hunting method or season. A deer permit is required in addition to a valid Ohio hunting license. Any time a hunter is allowed to take more than one deer, they must purchase an additional permit.

Ohio is divided into three deer hunting zones. Beginning on the opening day of gun season and continuing through December 4, a limit of one deer may be taken in Zone A (12 counties) and two deer in Zone B (38 counties). A total of six deer may be harvested in eastern and southeastern Ohio’s Zone C (38 counties) through the week long gun season.

Antlerless deer permits are not valid in Deer Zones A and B after November 27. The antlerless deer permit will be valid until December 4 only in Zone C.

Beginning on December 5, the bag limit is three deer in Zone C and antlerless deer permits are no longer valid.

Those hunting in urban units and at Division of Wildlife-authorized controlled hunts will have a six-deer bag limit, and those deer will not count against the hunter’s zone bag limit. Antlerless deer permits can be used for the entire season in urban deer units or Division of Wildlife-authorized controlled hunts. Antlerless deer permits must be purchased by November 27.

Hunters may take only one antlered deer, regardless of zone, hunting method or season. A deer permit is required in addition to a valid Ohio hunting license.

Hunters are encouraged to kill more does this season using the reduced-priced antlerless deer permit where valid.

They are also encouraged to donate any extra venison to organizations assisting Ohioans in need. The division is collaborating with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to help pay for the processing of donated venison. Hunters who donate their deer are not required to pay the processing cost as long as the deer are taken to a participating processor. Counties being served by this program can be found online at fhfh.org.

Additional hunting regulations and maps of the state’s deer zones are contained in the 2011-2012 Ohio Hunting & Trapping Regulations. This free publication is available wherever hunting licenses are sold, online at wildohio.com or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.

The 2011-2012 licenses will not be printed on weatherproof paper. Sportsmen and women should protect their licenses and permits from the elements by carrying them in a protective pouch or wallet.

The ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

Thirty Special Needs Youth to Pursue Whitetail During Ohio Season Opener

Union Sportsmen’s Alliance

Nashville, TN --(Ammoland.com)- The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s (USA) Boots on the Ground program has teamed up with volunteers from the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) Locals 7 and 39 to offer more than 30 youth with varying physical and intellectual disabilities the opportunity to hunt whitetail during opening weekend of Ohio’s Youth Deer Gun Season on November 18 – 20.

Participants range in ages from 12 to 17 and were recruited from two Lawrence and Scioto County schools. Each youth and their family will receive a practice round and instruction at a local shooting range, a guided whitetail hunt, food and lodging for two nights at Shawnee State Park and an invitation to a kids-style banquette. Hunts will take place on public lands—specifically designated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources—in the Wayne National Forest as well as on select, private lands.

Spearheaded by George McCalvin from BAC Local 7 and run entirely by union volunteers, the project originated from a simple desire to provide access to kids who rarely or never get the opportunity to spend time in the great outdoors.

“This Boots on the Ground project should ring loud and clear with Ohioans and the American public” said USA Director of Recruitment and Fundraising Nate Whiteman. “Not only does it give these kids the chance to take part in one of Ohio’s most popular outdoor events, but it’s helping to carry on one of America’s greatest traditions by introducing a new generation to hunting and shooting.”

The USA’s Boots on the Ground (BOTG) program brings together union members from around the country, who are willing to volunteer their time and expertise, to tackle conservation projects that improve and enhance public access, wildlife habitat and outdoor experiences for communities across America. This special youth hunt is the first of its kind for the program, which also strives to protect public land access for future generations.

This unique event is sponsored by the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, BAC Locals 7 and 39, the BAC Ohio Administrative District Council and Captrust. For more information about the BOTG youth hunt or to find out how you can help, contact Nate Whiteman at natew@unionsportsmen.org or 440-867-8229.

The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) is a union-dedicated outdoor organization whose members hunt, fish, shoot and volunteer their skills for conservation. The USA is uniting the Union community to expand and improve hunting and fishing access and wildlife habitat throughout North America. For more information, visit www.unionsportsmen.org or www.facebook.com/unionsportsmen.

Missouri Department of Conservation

JEFFERSON CITY Mo --(Ammoland.com)- Hunters checked 89,728 deer during the opening weekend of Missouri’s November firearms deer hunt, a decrease of 8.3 percent from 2010.

Resource Scientist Jason Sumners, with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), said weather played a role in this year’s decrease, but attributed a longer declining trend to shrinking deer numbers in some parts of the state.

“There’s no question that the opening-weekend harvest was affected by warm temperatures and high winds,” said Sumners.

“However, this isn’t just a one-year decrease. The opening-weekend harvest averaged 118,000 from 2001 through 2005.

From 2006 through 2010, the average was 95,401. Those figures reflect a change in regional deer populations.”

Sumners said areas where deer numbers are down include parts of the Kansas City, Northwest, Southwest and Central regions. The opening-weekend harvest in those areas was down between 11 and 18 percent.

The opening-weekend harvest in southeastern Missouri and in the Ozark region was similar to last year’s. Sumners said deer numbers are increasing slowly in those areas.

Sumners said the declining trends in deer population and harvest numbers are not cause for concern.

“We have been trying for the better part of a decade to stabilize deer numbers in some areas,” said Sumners. “In others we have been working to bring down deer populations to reduce crop damage and deer-vehicle accidents. Now our challenge is finding ways to fine-tune harvest at the local level to balance hunting opportunity with nuisance problems.”

Sumners said this could mean future reductions in the availability of antlerless permits in some areas.

According to Sumners, a decrease of 8,000 in the opening-weekend harvest is not likely to have a significant effect on the overall deer harvest but may reflect a general trend of lower deer numbers in many parts of rural Missouri. With 12 days of the November hunting season ahead, followed by a nine-day antlerless deer season, 11 days of muzzleloader hunting and a two-day late youth season, hunters have plenty of time to catch up. Archers have through Jan. 15 to hunt. Sumners said he expects the 2011-2012 deer harvest to be in the neighborhood of 250,000 to 275,000.

Top harvest counties during the opening weekend were Howell with 1,702 deer checked, Macon with 1,617 and Texas with 1,588.

MDC recorded one non-fatal, firearms-related hunting incident during the opening weekend.

Ohio Department Natural Resources Extends Hotline Hours During Deer-Gun Hunting Season

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Individuals seeking information about the upcoming youth gun and white-tailed deer hunting seasons, or to report violations of state wildlife laws, can take advantage of extended call center hours from November 19 to December 4, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

The 1-800-WILDLIFE (945-3543) general hunting information hotline will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.on Saturday, November 19 and Sunday, November 20, for the ninth annual youth deer-gun season.

Staff will also be available to answer calls prior to and during the regular deer-gun season, which begins Monday, November 28, and ends Sunday, December 4.

Special call center hours prior to and during the state’s popular deer-gun season are as follows:

• 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, November 25
• 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, November 26-27
• 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, November 28-December 2
• 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, December 3-4
• 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, December 17-18
• The hotline will be closed on Thanksgiving Day

The extremely popular deer gun season is a period when many of Ohio’s hunters have last-minute questions and the Division of Wildlife will be ready and available to assist them. Hunters are encouraged to contact the division with any question that may arise.

Ohioans also are encouraged to help enforce state wildlife laws by reporting violations to the division’s Turn-in-a-Poacher (TIP) hotline at 1-800-POACHER (762-2437). Established in 1982, the TIP program allows individuals to anonymously call toll free from anywhere in the state to report wildlife violations. The 1-800-POACHER hotline is open for calls 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

Tipsters may be eligible to receive a cash award and are urged to leave a message during closed hours with as much information about the suspected violation as can be provided. Tips can also be submitted online at wildohio.com.

The ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

Pennsylvania --(Ammoland.com)- ANTLER RESTRICTIONS CHANGE IN FOUR-POINT AREA: Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe reminds deer hunters that the Board of Game Commissioners approved a change in antler restriction definitions in the previous four-point area in the western Wildlife Management Units of 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B and 2D.

Under the new antler restrictions, which represent the first change since 2002, hunters in these five WMUs need to identify three antler points, not including the brow tine, which is the point immediately above the antler burr. This regulatory change requires three points on the main antler beam, excluding the brow tine, for a buck to be legal.

The idea of changing antler restrictions in the four-point area began a year ago when Game Commissioners Ralph Martone and Robert Schlemmer heard from many sportsmen about the difficulty of seeing brow tines.

A review of antler data collected prior to antler restrictions from the southeastern part of the state indicated this change may affect only a small percentage of antlered deer. For more information on antler restrictions, hunters should refer to page 53 of the 2011-12 Digest that they received with the purchase of their license.

HARVEST REPORTING AVAILABLE VIA POSTCARD, ONLINE OR TELEPHONE
Those participating in the upcoming deer season will be able to file their mandatory harvest reports through the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s online system; the toll-free Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone harvest reporting system, which is 1-855-PAHUNT1 (1-855-724-8681); or via postage-paid postcard.

To report a deer harvest online, go to the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), click on “Report Your Harvest” above the “Quick Clicks” box in the right-hand column, click on “You can link to PALS by clicking here,” check “Harvest Reporting,” scroll down and click on the “Start Here” button at the bottom of the page, choose the method of validating license information, and click on the checkbox for the harvest tag being reported. A series of options will appear for a hunter to report a harvest. After filling in the harvest information, click on the “Continue” button to review the report and then hit the “Submit” button to complete the report. Failing to hit the “Submit” button will result in a harvest report not being completed.

Hunters should have their Customer Identification Number (hunting license number) and field harvest tag information with them when they call, and should speak clearly and distinctly when reporting harvests, especially when providing the Wildlife Management Unit number and letter.

“Hunters may report one or more harvests in a single session,” Roe said. “Responses to all harvest questions are required.

“Hunters who use the toll-free number to submit a harvest report will receive a confirmation number, which they should write down and keep as proof of reporting. Those who report online should print or save a copy of their harvest report submission as proof of reporting.”

Roe noted that hunters still have the option to file harvest report postcards, which are included as tear-out sheets in the current digest.

“We certainly are encouraging hunters to use the online reporting system, which will ensure that their harvest is recorded,” Roe said. “The more important point is that all hunters do their part in deer management and report their harvested deer to the agency.”

HUNTERS REMINDED THAT LICENSES STILL MUST BE DISPLAYED
Hunters and trappers are reminded that they still are required to display their licenses on an outer garment, said Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe.

“The Game Commission is supporting legislation to remove the statutory requirement that licenses be displayed, and thereby allow hunters to place their hunting license in their wallet with other ID,” Roe said. “However, until such time as the General Assembly removes this statutory requirement, hunters and trappers will need to continue to display their licenses.”

HUNTERS CAN CHECK ON TRAFFIC AND ROAD CONDITIONS IN ADVANCE
Hunters can check traffic and road conditions on more than 2,900 miles of roadways by simply calling 511 or logging onto the Department of Transportation’s website (www.511pa.com) before heading out to deer camp this year.

“‘511PA’ is Pennsylvania’s official travel information service,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “This service from PennDOT provides travelers with reliable, current traffic and weather information. This site enables hunters to check on the status of road conditions before heading out to camp.”

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania’s only unofficial holiday - the Monday after Thanksgiving – marks the opening day of the two-week general deer season, and will feature nearly 750,000 individuals sporting fluorescent orange throughout Penn’s Woods, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe.

New antler restrictions are in place this year for the five Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) in western Pennsylvania previously designated as a four-point on one side area. Under the new antler restrictions, which represent the first change since 2002, hunters in WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B and 2D need to identify three antler points, not including the brow tine, which is the point immediately above the antler burr.

Also, WMUs 2A, 2F and 3B have been added to the split-season structure, in which the first five days are open for antlered deer only and the remaining seven days are open for antlered and antlerless deer.

“Pennsylvania’s deer season has a dramatic and beneficial effect on the Commonwealth, as it provides hunters a chance to put venison in the freezer,” Roe said. “In addition to being a rich part of our state’s heritage, deer season is critical in managing Pennsylvania’s whitetails. The efforts of hunters are far-reaching; they help to keep deer populations in check, and enable the agency to meet deer management goals that benefit those who reside, visit or travel through this state.”

Roe noted that hunters will need to make sure that they have done their pre-season scouting, as fall food conditions, development, posted property and other factors will impact deer movements.

“Deer will respond to food availability and hunter pressure, both of which can vary from year to year, and from one area to another,” Roe said. “Pre-season scouting can improve a hunter’s chance for success this year, particularly in the week leading up to the start of season.

“Dramatic changes on the landscape will be just as important – if not more important – as looking for the highly nutritious acorns and other natural foods sought by game animals.”

Specifically, Roe cited Marcellus Shale-related drilling and recent Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee damages as examples of larger impacts on the landscape that may alter what hunters and trappers find in the forests and fields of Pennsylvania.

“The ‘Big Woods’ area of northcentral Pennsylvania, home to many of the traditional hunting camps, lies within the area being explored for Marcellus Shale natural gas, and has seen a dramatic increase in drilling,” Roe said. “Northeastern Pennsylvania also has seen a large volume of Marcellus Shale activity.”

Roe also noted that there have been significant impacts on hunter accessibility in many areas of the state.

“Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee created widespread access issues on State Game Land roads, parking areas and trails,” Roe said. “Although our Food and Cover Corps crews have worked hard to alleviate these problems, there just isn’t enough time before the season to make all of it right. Pre-season scouting will acquaint you with access issues that may impact your hunting plans. So, do your homework before the opening day to ensure your days afield will be all you expect them to be.”

Deer season will open with a five-day, antlered deer-only season in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E from Nov. 28-Dec. 2. It is followed in these WMUs by seven days of concurrent, antlered and antlerless deer hunting beginning Dec. 3, and continuing through Dec. 10. The rest of the state follows the two-week concurrent, antlered and antlerless season – Nov. 28-Dec. 10 – that has been in place since 2001.

Hunters must wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back combined at all times while afield during the seasons. They also are advised that it’s illegal to hunt, chase or disturb deer within 150 yards of any occupied building without the occupant’s permission if they are using a firearm, or 50 yards if they are using a bow or crossbow.

During the two-week season, hunters may use any legal sporting arm, as outlined on page 45 of the 2011-12 Digest. Rifles are not permitted to be used in Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware or Montgomery counties, however, shotguns and muzzleloaders are legal. Deer hunters in Philadelphia may use only bows or crossbows.

All hunters who take a deer must fill out their harvest tag and attach it to the deer’s ear before moving the carcass. The tag can be secured to the base of the ear with a string drawn very tightly, if the hunter plans to have the deer mounted. Cutting a slit in the ear to attach the tag will require additional work by a taxidermist.

Roe noted that properly licensed bear hunters who still possess an unused bear tag come deer season may take a bear during the first week of deer season but only in selected WMUs. Specific seasons and reporting requirements for taking bear during deer season are outlined on page 36 of the 2011-12 Digest issued with the purchase of a hunting license. The Digest also may be viewed on the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us).

Hunters are reminded that they have 10 days to report deer harvests (five days for persons using homemade tags). Reporting is easier than ever before. Hunters can report their kill using the postage paid card supplied with their 2011-12 Digest, or online using the Internet at www.pgc.state.pa.us, or calling 1-855-PAHUNT1 (1-855-724-8681).

West Virginia DNR

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – -(Ammoland.com)-The West Virginia firearm buck gun season is Nov. 21 – Dec. 3. It is open in all counties except Logan, Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming.

• · Approximately 330,000 licensed hunters will be in West Virginia’s woods during this season.
• · Hunters should review the 2011 – 2012 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary for detailed instructions concerning bag limits and season dates. The regulations are available at license agents, DNR district offices, or online at www.wvdnr.gov .
• · A list of wildlife checking stations in West Virginia can be found online at www.wvdnr.gov/hunting/check_stations.asp
• · The firearm antlered deer bag limit during the two-week buck season is two (one on the base license and one on an RG [resident] or RRG [nonresident] stamp). A hunter may take no more than three antlered deer per calendar year in all archery and firearms seasons combined.
• · The last day to purchase an additional buck deer gun tag (Class RG/RRG Stamp) is November 20. Class RG and Class RRG additional buck stamps can only be used to take an additional antlered deer in firearm buck season. Unused Class RG and Class RRG stamps may not be used in antlerless or muzzleloader seasons.
• · All private land in counties having a firearms antlerless deer gun season (Class N for residents and Class NN for nonresidents) will be open Nov. 21 – Dec. 10 and Dec. 28 – 31. All public lands having an antlerless deer season will be open Nov. 23 – Dec. 10 and Dec. 28 – 31. Bag limits vary among counties and will be one, two or four antlerless deer. Only one deer may be taken per day, except that two antlerless deer may be taken on the same day during Dec. 5–10, 2011, on private land only, provided the first deer is legally checked prior to hunting a second deer.
• · All deer must be field tagged and checked in within 72 hours of the time of kill or within 24 hours of the close of the season, whichever comes first. Additional deer may not be taken until all previously taken deer have been checked. Only one deer may be taken per day during the buck season.
• · Black bear gun season will be open in Boone, Fayette, Kanawha, Monongalia, Morgan, Nicholas (private land) and Raleigh counties Nov. 21 – Dec. 3 during the buck season and concurrent antlerless deer season. A hunter may bag one bear and one deer on the same day during the concurrent seasons in those counties. In addition, the season bag limit for bears is two, provided that at least one bear must be taken in Boone, Fayette, Kanawha, Logan, McDowell, Raleigh, or Wyoming counties. See the 2011-2012 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary for details.
• · The traditional muzzleloader season will be Dec. 12 – 17. Muzzleloader hunting for antlered deer is open in all counties open to buck season. A deer of either sex may be taken with muzzleloaders in all counties open to the antlerless deer season.
• · Hunters spend an estimated $285 million in West Virginia, much of it in the rural areas of the state that depend upon the deer seasons for a large portion of their annual income.
• · In 2010, deer hunters in West Virginia harvested 43,461 bucks during the two-week buck season, a decrease of 31 percent from the 2009 harvest. The 2010 antlerless season deer harvest decreased by 36.5 percent from 2009 for a total of 34,600.
• · WVDNR forecasts that the buck harvest will be higher for 2011. All regions should see a higher total harvest this year. The lower harvest and abundant mast conditions in 2010 should mean that there are plenty of mature, larger-racked bucks available in 2011.
• · Sunday hunting is legal in the following 14 counties on private land only: Boone, Brooke, Clay, Hancock, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Marshall, Mingo, Ohio, Wayne, Wetzel and Wyoming. The only Sunday that is open in these counties during the buck season is November 27. Hunters are reminded that deer gun seasons are closed in Logan, Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming counties.
• · Hunters are required to wear at least 400 square inches of blaze orange (about the size of a vest) as an outer garment for visibility and safety. Blaze orange camouflage patterns are legal as long as 400 square inches of blaze orange are displayed on the garment. A blaze orange hat is not required, but the hunter must have blaze orange visible from both the front and the back.
• · Hunting licenses may be purchased online at any time and printed out on a home computer printer. Go to the goWILD! Web site at www.wvhunt.com, fill out the application, and purchase it over a secure server with a credit card.
• · Hunters who wish to donate deer meat or dollars to the Hunters Helping the Hungry program, which distributes deer meat through the Mountaineer Food Bank and the Huntington Food Bank, should call 304-558-2771 or visit the DNR website at www.wvdnr.gov to find a participating meat processor.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington --(Ammoland.com)- There’s more than one way to put a turkey on your table for Thanksgiving. As the holiday draws near, thousands of hunters are looking forward to the wild turkey season that gets under way Nov. 20 in northeastern Washington.

Then again, who says turkey has to be the center of attention on Thanksgiving Day? November is also prime time to hunt ducks, geese, elk, deer, pheasant, forest grouse and a variety of other game species around the state.

“Waterfowl hunting usually picks up around the middle of the month, when the wet and windy weather starts pushing more migrating birds into the area from the north,” said Don Kraege, waterfowl manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “That’s good news for waterfowl hunters from the Skagit Valley to the Columbia Basin.”

For anglers, Thanksgiving traditionally marks the start of winter steelhead fishing in western Washington, where anglers can also reel in coho and chum salmon moving in from the ocean. On the eastside, fly fishers are flocking to a hot catch-and-release steelhead fishery on the Grand Ronde River, where anglers can retain up to three marked hatchery fish per day on the lower river starting Nov. 1.

Rather serve shellfish? Seven areas of Puget Sound are currently open for crab fishing, and two more – marine areas 11 (Tacoma) and 13 (South Puget Sound) – are scheduled to reopen Nov. 21.

In addition, four ocean beaches – Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks – will open Oct. 28-29 after noon each day for the first razor clam dig of the season. Pending the results of marine toxin tests, additional digs are tentatively scheduled Nov. 11-12 and Nov. 25-26, providing plenty of opportunities to put clams on the table for the holiday.

For more information about fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing available over the next month, see the Weekender Regional Reports posted on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/weekender/ . These reports are updated throughout the month to provide current information about recreational opportunities around the state.

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(Ammoland.com)- More than 24,000 white-tailed deer have been checked through Ohio’s new automated game check system, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

Hunters must still report their deer harvest, but they are no longer required to take their deer to a check station for physical inspection. Instead, hunters have three options to complete the new automated game check:

On the Internet at wildohio.com.
By telephone at 1-877-TAG-ITOH (1-877-824-4864). This option is only available to those who are required to have a deer permit to hunt deer.
At all license agents. A list of these agents can be found at wildohio.com or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.

All three check-in methods are being used, with 50 percent of hunters using the phone method. Hunters checking in via the Internet are second at 35 percent followed by those traveling to a license agent’s location (15 percent) to check in their game.

“The response to these new game check options has been really positive in both numbers and feedback we hear from the field,” said Dave Lane, chief of the Division of Wildlife. “Our goal is to offer hunters both traditional and convenient methods of checking deer and turkey, so they could choose the option that is best for them.”

Those hunters checking their deer on the Internet need to make sure they have access to a working printer so the game check receipt can be printed. Game check requires the hunter to print a receipt. If printing fails, the game check receipt is available at wildohio.com under the “Manage Your Customer Account” link. Hunters can use their customer identification numbers found at the top of hunting licenses and permits to access their account.

Hunters need to be aware that checking game on the Internet with a smart phone is available, but those hunters will eventually need to print out a game check receipt with a permanent tag number printed on it. The game check receipt is available at wildohio.com under the “Manage Your Customer Account” link.

Since the new automated game check system was built on a web-based platform making needed modifications to the system can be accomplished. Modifications were made prior to this fall’s hunting seasons. The Division of Wildlife will continue to monitor the game check system and make changes as needed for customer convenience.

Game-check transactions are available online and by telephone seven days a week and during holidays. License agents’ locations are available for turkey check-in during normal business hours. Please call the license agent for specific hours of operation. All deer must be checked in by 11:30 p.m. the day of harvest.

The ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

MALTA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Montana big game rifle season opened Saturday, and thousands of hunters headed into the wet western Montana weather to bring home an elk and deer harvest on par with last year and above the five-year average for elk.

For the second year in a row, youth hunters, ages 12-15 (and some qualifying 11-year olds, see the regulations), had the chance to hit the field a few days earlier for a youth deer hunt that began on Oct. 20. Extra opportunity yielded extra success for some youth.

“It was fun to see several young hunters with their first deer, and a few will have to be pretty lucky in the future to surpass the antlers they collected this year,” said Mike Thompson, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) Region 2 Wildlife Manager.

Overall, during the first weekend of the season, eight percent of hunters that travelled through one of the region’s three hunter check stations harvested game, which is a success total on par with the long-term average. Thompson noted that hunter numbers through the check stations were in line with last year’s opening weekend for the region and slightly above the five year average.

The check stations tallied 2,894 hunters and a harvest of 145 elk, 25 mule deer, 70 white-tailed deer, three wolves and one black bear. During last year’s opening weekend 2,835 hunters reported 137 elk, 26 mule deer, and 82 white-tailed deer.

Hunters that explored the Blackfoot hunting districts this weekend got wet, says Blackfoot-area biologist, Jay Kolbe, and also quite a few got elk and deer, despite more limited hunter opportunity.

The Blackfoot is feeling the effect of tighter hunting regulations that are more limiting for antlerless harvest for elk and deer. For the second year in a row, FWP eliminated the first eight-day either sex season for white-tails that had been tradition for nearly a decade.

These new regulations and changes in wildlife numbers and distribution is translating into lower than normal hunter participation in parts of the region, according to FWP Game Wardens.

But, the check stations still report strong hunter numbers overall, and by the close of hunting on Sunday, check station crews saw a few really nice bulls and hunters reported hot spots for deer and elk. Ray Vinkey, FWP biologist for the eastern part of the region near Deer Lodge and Anaconda, reported a strong opening weekend for elk at his check station near Anaconda, with a lot of cows checked and a high number of hunters in pursuit. Deer harvest was slow.

For the second consecutive season, opening weekend elk harvest at the Darby station set records, due to high numbers of elk checked from hunting districts in the Big Hole Valley. Workers at the Darby check station handled 86 of the region’s 145 elk harvested. According to FWP Bitterroot-area biologist, Craig Jourdonnais, although harvest out of the Big Hole Districts is strong, elk hunting opportunity and harvest is limited in much of the southern Bitterroot Valley due to elk numbers that are sitting below population objective.

The Darby station totals also include two wolves harvested on opening weekend in the Bitterroot Valley. One wolf harvested in the Swan Valley was checked at the Bonner station.

Montana’s only other wolf hunting season was held in 2009. Hunters must report their wolf harvest within 12 hours, and rifle hunters marked a statewide harvest of 10 wolves on opening weekend. Eleven additional wolves were harvested during Montana’s early archery and backcountry rifle seasons.

Thompson cautioned that as hunters get into their routines for the season, a few lessons learned on the opening weekend are important to keep in mind. “Check station crews saw a few instances where the tags came off of deer on the way to the check station. Hunters should make double sure to fasten tags securely,” Thompson said. “And hunters should be sure to check their hunting district for regulations changes and make sure they have a special license where needed to hunt for antlerless deer or elk.”

Safety precautions for hunting in bear country should also be on the top of hunter’s minds, Thompson cautioned. “We had a hunter report a grizzly bear that snatched a nice buck from a pole where it was hung.” Bears are often out and active through the duration of big game rifle season.

Hunters are reminded that they must stop at all check stations that they pass on their way to or from hunting—even if they have not harvested any animals. The general rifle season for deer and elk runs through Sunday, Nov. 27.

Missouri Department of Conservation

KANSAS CITY, Mo --(Ammoland.com)- White-tailed deer are on the move as autumn progresses, and that includes crossing highways. Drivers can take steps to reduce the chances of deer-vehicle accidents.

Deer encounters near roads increase in late October because the cooler weather makes them more active and there is disturbance in their regular haunts as farmers harvest crops, said Joe DeBold, urban wildlife biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). He added that as autumn foliage falls to the ground, deer are prompted to look for new hiding places.

“Then the peak season for deer movement usually occurs around the first three weeks of November during the rut, or breeding season,” DeBold said. “These changes increase the chances that deer may dart in front of moving vehicles.”

He noted that deer are most active during evening, dusk and dawn hours.

“Drivers should be alert, slow down and drive cautiously,” DeBold said, “especially when driving through wooded or rural areas. Keep an eye on the shoulders, ditches and field edges. Often deer can be seen feeding or waiting to cross a road. Sometimes they try to dart across a road as a vehicle approaches. Be especially alert on roadways posted with deer crossing signs.”

Motorists should use high-beam headlights at night when possible for a wider field of vision.

“Watch for deer silhouettes or eyes glowing in the headlights,” he advised. “When one deer is spotted, more are often close behind.”

Slowing down is the best defense. If a deer does dart into the road, avoid panic braking or swerving, which can cause accidents.

Rural areas are not the only place where deer-vehicle strikes occur. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, in 2010, almost one-third of the traffic crashes involving deer happened in urban areas.

“If a vehicle does strike a deer, the motorist should immediately call 911 and report any injuries and the location of the accident,” DeBold said. “If the deer is still alive, the driver should wait for law enforcement personnel to arrive at the scene.”

He added that any motorist wanting to keep the meat, hide or antlers from a deer killed on the highway must contact a conservation agent in the county where the accident occurred and request a disposition form before taking the deer into possession.

To follow MDC on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Flickr, or to receive RSS feeds, visit www.mdc.mo.gov. and click on the icons at the bottom of the page.

New Video Game Available At Hunter-Ed.Com

Kalkomey Enterprises

New computer video game allows students to learn for free about safety and ethics before taking online hunter safety course

A new video game at www.hunter-ed.com helps students learn how to make decisions about when to pass on a shot for big game and what situations provide safe, ethical shooting opportunities. This educational video game, which students can play for free, allows the learning process to begin before taking the online hunter safety course at hunter-ed.com.

A variety of shoot/don’t shoot scenarios are presented that students can act on using their computer’s shift key to acquire the target or the space bar to pass on the shot. The game teaches students the fundamentals about safe zones of fire and shot placement in a way that’s fun and engaging.

“With this shoot or don’t shoot game, Kalkomey is beginning an exciting push into activity-based learning,” said Edward Cossette, user experience manager for Kalkomey. “The feedback students receive from playing this online video game is based on decisions they make. The benefit is students attend to individualized feedback more closely, which results in better long-term retention of key hunter safety concepts.”

After playing the game, students can learn more hunter safety skills for free at www.hunter-ed.com. Students who must receive their hunter education certification to obtain a hunting license pay a one-time fee, which is due only if they pass the test. Students can take the test as many times as they need to pass it.

After passing the exam at hunter-ed.com, students should immediately print out a field day qualifier certificate, which admits them to a field day in their state (if applicable). Many states require students to pre-register for their field day, so hunter education coordinators advise students to visit their state wildlife agency website to sign up for a field day before they take the online course.

The contents at hunter-ed.com are developed in conjunction with the state agency responsible for hunter education. Students who use hunter-ed.com will study the same content used in classroom courses. This online course is offered in more than 30 states, so students are encouraged to visit www.hunter-ed.com to find a course customized for their state.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- The state’s early firearms antlerless deer seasons – early muzzleloader season, Oct. 15-22, and special firearms season for junior, senior, active duty military and certain disabled hunters, Oct. 20-22 – will soon be here, along with seasons for squirrels and grouse, so there will be plenty of hunting opportunities across the state, according to Carl G. Roe, Pennsylvania Game Commission executive director.

Roe noted that these early antlerless deer seasons provide hunters more ways to fit deer hunting into their busy schedules, and offer a more relaxing hunt to those who prefer warmer weather and fewer hunters in the woods.

“Although the October antlerless seasons increase hunting opportunities, their harvests still are controlled by antlerless deer license allocations, which are set to remove a pre-determined number of antlerless deer from a Wildlife Management Unit (WMU),” Roe said.

Hunters heading afield for the October firearms seasons should find that deer numbers vary by locality.

To participate in the early muzzleloader season (Oct. 15-22), hunters must have a general hunting license, muzzleloader stamp and a valid antlerless deer license or Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) antlerless deer permit. Hunters may use in-line, percussion and flintlock muzzleloaders during the early muzzleloader season. They also may use scopes, peep-sights and other lawful sighting devices on muzzleloaders during the October hunt.

To participate in the special firearms antlerless season (Oct. 20-22), hunters must have a general hunting license and a valid antlerless deer license, and qualify in one of the following license categories: resident junior or senior license holders; nonresident junior license holder; nonresident adult license holders age 65 or older; hold a disabled person permit to use a vehicle as a blind; be residents who are serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces; or qualify for license and fee exceptions under section 2706. Sporting arms permitted include: manually-operated center-fire rifles, handguns and shotguns; 44-caliber or larger muzzleloading long guns; 50-caliber or larger muzzleloading handguns; long, recurve or compound bows; and crossbows.

Based on a recent change in state law and Game Commission regulations, these two antlerless deer seasons now are open to participants of the Mentored Youth Hunting Program, which was created for those under the age of 12. Mentored youth must obtain a MYHP permit ($2.70) for the current year, and they may only receive one antlerless deer license by transfer during a license year. Adult mentors may transfer more than one antlerless deer license, but they must be to different mentored youth. The transfer is only valid if done in the WMU that the specific antlerless deer license was issued for. (NOTE: The law and regulations were changed after the publication date for the 2011-12 Digest, so information in the Digest on this new opportunity is out of date.)

For antlered deer, the mentored youth must use the harvest tag that comes with the MYHP permit.

Antlerless deer permits issued as part of the DMAP or “Red Tag” program are not allowed to be transferred.

Hunters are advised that they may take only antlerless deer in the early muzzleloader and special firearms seasons, and that they may hunt only in the WMU or DMAP areas for which they have obtained antlerless deer licenses. An antlerless deer is defined as a deer without antlers, or a deer with antlers both of which are less than three inches in length.

Muzzleloader and special firearms season hunters are reminded that when multiple harvests of deer per day are permitted, only one deer at a time may be taken. Before attempting to take an additional deer, the first deer must be lawfully tagged. However, in Special Regulations Area counties of Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia, hunters may shoot multiple deer before tagging. Deer must be tagged immediately after they are harvested and before the carcass is moved. The tag must be attached to the ear and remain attached until the deer is processed for consumption or prepared for mounting.

Any hunter who by accident or mistake kills an illegal deer is required to deliver the carcass – entrails removed – within 24 hours of the kill to any Game Commission officer in the county where the deer was killed. A written statement also must be provided to the officer explaining when, where and how the accident or mistake occurred. The deer must be tagged with the appropriate deer harvest tag.

Hunters may purchase muzzleloader licenses at any time. The license entitles them to hunt in both the fall antlerless muzzleloader season and the traditional flintlock season. Regulations for the after-Christmas muzzleloader season remain unchanged: hunters may use only primitive type muzzleloading long guns 44-caliber or larger with flintlock ignition systems and primitive sighting devices. Fiber-optic inserts are permitted sighting devices.

Hunters in either October firearms season are required to wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange clothing on the head, chest and back combined at all times. Bowhunters afield during the overlap of the archery and October antlerless firearms seasons also must wear at least 250 square inches of fluorescent orange while moving and display an orange alert band while on stand.

Bass Pro Shops

Springfield, Missouri --(Ammoland.com)- Pressured, rut-weary bucks like to stage and browse in cover before hitting a field at dusk or after dark.

On cold afternoons, glass for bucks feeding or loafing on sunny slopes that face south or southwest.

On windy and frigid days, hunt deer down in draws or creek bottoms.

If a doe comes flitting by your stand kind of antsy and shaking her tail, then get ready.

Brenda Valentine is co-host of “100% Real Hunting” on Versus.

She might be coming into late heat and a buck might be coming along behind her.

When weary and skittish bucks don’t move a lot, sometimes it pays to go to them. If your stands aren’t producing, still hunt, especially if there’s snow on the ground.

Follow fresh tracks or hunt along a hillside and glass down into draws and bottoms. Any of these tactics could lead to success.

Brenda Valentine is co-host of “100% Real Hunting” on Versus.

For more tips, log onto basspro.com

About Bass Pro Shops Group:
Bass Pro Shops -56 retail stores in 26 states and Canada visited by over 110 million people annually, international catalog and internet retailing, American Rod & Gun wholesale division selling to over 7,000 independently owned retail stores worldwide, Outdoor World Incentives also selling Bass Pro Shops gift cards through over 132,000 retail outlets across America and a restaurant division with 26 locations. For more information regarding Bass Pro Shops store locations, products or special events, please visit www.basspro.com. To request a free catalog call 1-800-BASS PRO.

Bass Pro Shops

Springfield, Missouri --(Ammoland.com)- It will not mean doomsday for the deer herd if you shoot does! Just think about this!

If an area has 100 does and hunters take half of them, that would seem like too many.

But if those remaining 50 does all had twins, which is normal, there would now be 150 deer where the year before there were 100.

Compute the same way again the next year and your total is 225.

Larry Whiteley is host of the award-winning Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World Radio.

Ten years later and the numbers are staggering. It is obvious then that hunting is no threat to a deer herd but too many deer for the available food supply is.

Besides, it takes just as much skill to take a wary doe as it does an 8-pointer. Mature does need to be culled and they offer the finest tasting venison of all.

Larry Whiteley is host of the award-winning Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World Radio.

For more tips, log onto basspro.com

About Bass Pro Shops Group:
Bass Pro Shops -56 retail stores in 26 states and Canada visited by over 110 million people annually, international catalog and internet retailing, American Rod & Gun wholesale division selling to over 7,000 independently owned retail stores worldwide, Outdoor World Incentives also selling Bass Pro Shops gift cards through over 132,000 retail outlets across America and a restaurant division with 26 locations. For more information regarding Bass Pro Shops store locations, products or special events, please visit www.basspro.com. To request a free catalog call 1-800-BASS PRO.