Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA –-(AmmoLand.com)- Samples taken from the 43 hunter-killed elk during the state’s 2009 hunting season have all tested negative for chronic wasting disease (CWD), according to Dr. Walt Cottrell, the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s wildlife veterinarian. Samples also tested negative for brucellosis and tuberculosis.

Cottrell noted that the Game Commission still is awaiting the results of CWD testing for the hunter-killed deer samples collected during the 2009 rifle deer season.

“Currently, there are no confirmed or suspected cases of CWD-infected deer or elk in Pennsylvania,” Cottrell said. “Conducting these tests on hunter-killed deer and elk is one part of the Game Commission’s ongoing efforts to monitor wild deer and elk populations for the presence of CWD.

“We obviously need to keep a watchful eye on our wild and captive deer and elk. Working closely with the state Department of Agriculture and other agency representatives on the state’s CWD Task Force, we hope to protect our state’s wild cervids from this fatal disease.”

CWD tests on the elk samples were conducted by the New Bolton Center, which is the University of Pennsylvania’s veterinary diagnostics laboratory. Under a contract with Penn State University, the elk samples also were tested for brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis and found to be free from these diseases. New Bolton Center also is conducting the CWD tests on the deer samples. Results are expected later this spring.

To learn more about CWD, visit the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and click on the “Wildlife” in menu bar in the banner, then choose “Wildlife Diseases” and click on “Chronic Wasting Disease.”

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Hunter-Killed Elk Test Negative For CWD And Other Diseases

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Two land transfers underway in Idaho are securing public hunting on over 1,500 acres of managed elk habitat—and helping build a special fund earmarked for more similar projects by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

RMEF’s Strategic Land Protection Fund, which began in 2009 with $1.5 million, is now over $3 million. The fund is used for acquiring vital but eminently threatened tracts, holding them until partnering state and federal agencies can accumulate funding, and then conveying them for permanent habitat protection and public access.

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission in late December authorized the Idaho Fish and Game Department to purchase two tracts offered by RMEF at about half of their appraised values. The agency will make four installments of $137,550 each.

“These monies, along with previous imbursements from other states as well as private donations, are building our Strategic Land Protection Fund to a level that makes RMEF well positioned for even broader conservation successes in 2010,” said Jack Blackwell, vice president of lands and conservation for RMEF.

On the Idaho projects, specifically, Blackwell explained, “Most often, while we’re holding land for future conveyance, our agency partners begin managing the habitat and opening the lands for public access. That’s how it worked with the Idaho Fish and Game Department and these latest projects in Idaho. Many public-land hunters in Idaho are already familiar with the quality of habitat and the amount of wildlife on these tracts.”

The first parcel borders the Tex Creek Wildlife Management Area in the Upper Snake River region. This tract is 700 acres, 380 in native habitat and 320 in dry cropland. The second parcel is 895 acres, all in native vegetation, bordering the Georgetown Summit Wildlife Management Area in the southeast region. Both areas include critical mule deer and elk winter range, as well as upland habitat.

The counties were notified in advance of the state’s intent to purchase, and Idaho Fish and Game Department will pay fees in lieu of taxes on both tracts.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.7 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

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Idaho Projects Secures Habitat, Hunter Access and More

Kentucky Non-Typical Bull Elk Record: New state record certified for bull elk with non-typical antlers; taken on public access land.

Kentucky Department Fish Wildlife

FRANKFORT, KY. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Kentucky has a new state record for a bull elk with non-typical antlers.

Harrodsburg resident Terrell Royalty’s 7×7 elk scored 372 6/8 in the Boone and Crockett Club scoring system, besting the old record of 367 7/8 taken in Harlan County in 2008. Royalty took his record elk from a wildlife management area in Knott County on Oct. 4, 2009.

“This new state record shows the quality elk hunting we have on our public lands,” said Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commissioner Jon Gassett. “In addition to the great elk hunting on private lands, Kentucky boasts world-class elk hunting on public lands as well.”

A non-typical rack means the tines are not located in a typical location. Royalty’s elk had seven tines each on either side of its rack. The score is the totaled measurements of the main beams, tines, width and mass. The trophy could not be officially scored until after a 60-day drying period.

“I’ve hunted all of my life, I’ve had buck fever and all, but this bull was by far the biggest adrenaline rush of my life,” said Royalty, 52. “Once it hit the ground, I felt like I was being stabbed with a million needles and it lasted two or three hours. I was almost in shock.”

Royalty said he scouted the area with help from his friend Paul Moore, who participated in the 2008 cow elk hunt. “We started scouting well before the hunt and found this bull,” Royalty said. “Paul and I grew up together, and he helped me a bunch.”

The first week of the 2009 bull elk season started Saturday, Oct. 3. Royalty’s hunt proved fruitless for a day and half. Then, about 2 p.m. Sunday, Royalty, who was hunting with his best friend, Brad Smith, and guide Bob Hunter, heard a bugle.

“After we heard that bugle, we moved to get out front and downwind,” he said. “We tracked and tracked to stay out in front of this bull. About 5 p.m. or so, a cow calf came out and we cow called back and forth. Then, the one cow calf turned into about nine. The cows came out in twos and got older and bigger as they came out.”

The trophy bull then appeared in the clearing around 6 p.m. and bugled at another bull in the distance.

“He turned broadside and everything was perfect,” Royalty said. “It took 15 minutes to get the right angle on him.”

Royalty, who estimated that he was 340 yards away from the bull, aimed his .300 Winchester Short Magnum rifle and shot only once.

Tina Brunjes, big game coordinator for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, was not surprised to learn the record had been broken.

“Kentucky continues to produce new state records with regularity,” she said. “Each year drawn hunters can reasonably expect a chance to beat the state record.”

Applications for this year’s hunt are now on sale online at fw.ky.gov, the official Web site of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. It costs $10 to apply, and a hunter may apply only once. The drawing for the elk quota hunt is open to residents and non-residents. The deadline to apply for this year’s hunt is April 30.

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Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Announces New Non-Typical Bull Elk Record

Wyoming Bighorn Sheep

Wyoming Game & Fish Department

CHEYENNE, Wyoming --(AmmoLand.com)- Applications for what are arguably Wyoming’s most coveted licenses, moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat, will be accepted until 5 p.m. March 1, 2010.

The March 1 application deadline applies to both residents and nonresidents and is a departure from the standard Feb. 28 deadline since Feb. 28 falls on a weekend this year.

Drawing odds vary depending on species and hunt area. Preference points have been available for both moose and bighorn sheep for 15 years and 75 percent of the quotas for each species are issued in the preference point drawing. The remaining 25 percent is issued in a random drawing without regard for preference point totals. Preference points are not available for mountain goat licenses, but goat licenses are limited to one in a lifetime.

Hunters can research drawing odds from previous years for the various species and hunt areas on the Game and Fish Web site . Applications are taken online or through conventional mail. Application booklets are also available at Game and Fish regional offices and license agents or by calling (307) 777-4600.

Hunters who choose not apply this year can still purchase a preference point either online or through the mail between July 1 – Sept.30.

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Deadline for Moose, Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat Hunting Applications is March 1

Wyoming Game & Fish Department

Wyoming --(AmmoLand.com)- In Wyoming the beginning of a new year has special significance for hunters for the coming fall seasons. Even though most seasons are at least nine months away, now is the time when hunters must start making preparations to obtain licenses for the 2010 big game hunting seasons.

By now many hunters have either received an application booklet or have checked out the application process on the Game and Fish website . The Game and Fish is now accepting nonresident applications for all big game species with the first deadline this year being Feb. 1 for elk. Other deadlines are Feb. 28 for resident and nonresident moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat and March 15 for nonresident deer and antelope.

Last month more than 59,000 application booklets were mailed to nonresident hunters who mailed in an application in 2008. An additional 62,000 postcards were sent out to individuals who applied on line. According to license draw manager Aaron Pelto, postcards were sent instead of application booklets to hunters who applied on line to cut down on printing and postage costs. The postcards informed hunters of application periods and provided a number to call for those who wanted a printed application booklet.

This year doesn’t have the major changes that were implemented a few years ago. Deer hunters who haven’t been to Wyoming for several years need to be aware that in 2008 the old nonresident Region C was divided into two regions. Region C of previous years encompassed the north central portion of the state covering the eastern half of the Big Horn Mountains extending eastward to the Gillette area. The portion of Region C west of Interstate 25 is now Region Y. The portion east of the interstate is Region C. Each region is assigned separate quotas and the drawing is based on those quotas. Since the region division was implemented, drawing odds in both Region C and Region Y have been 100 percent. As mentioned each region has its own quota. For example in 2009, the quota for nonresident deer licenses was 3,100 in Region C and 2,200 in region Y. In 2007, the last year these areas were one region, the total quota was 6,000. Hunters need to take extra care to look at the boundary map in the application booklet and make certain they are applying for the appropriate region.

As with last year, license application can be made online or through the mail. Application deadlines are the same for online apps as for applications received through the mail. But, applying online has its advantages, most notably in improving the accuracy of the application. If something is amiss such as wrong monetary amount or invalid license type numbers, those errors are noted and must be corrected before the application can be accepted. The computer cannot read your mind. It is still your responsibility to enter the area you want to hunt and if you meant to enter one hunt area and listed another you would be entered in the drawing for an area you didn’t want.

To this end, the G&F goes to great lengths to help hunters plan their fall hunting trips. Hunters with questions about the application process or any other questions about Wyoming hunting, access, hunt regulations, hunt area boundaries, etc can call 307-777-4600. Hopefully, hunters are well enough informed that there will be no surprises once the licenses are issued and later on when the hunting season opens.

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2010 Wyoming Big Game Application Period Now Underway

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

Arkansas --(AmmoLand.com)- Arkansas elk harvest up from last year LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas’s 2009 elk harvest was up five animals from last year’s season. During last week’s short meeting of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, commissioners were provided a harvest report on the state’s recent elk season.

Cory Gray, the AGFC’s elk biologist, reported that a total of 21 elk were harvested during the state’s three seasons. In 2008, only 16 elk were harvested in Arkansas. On public lands this year, 16 elk were taken. Five elk were taken during the private land hunts.

During the September hunt, four bull elk were taken by hunters. In December, hunters took 17 elk. The largest bull harvested weighed in at a live weight of 800 pounds. The largest cow weighed a dressed weight of 370 pounds and the largest antlers were a 7×7. Since the modern Arkansas elk hunt began in 1998, a total of 275 elk have been taken by hunters.

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Arkansas Elk Harvest Up From Last Year

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

LITTLE ROCK – -(Ammoland.com)- Arkansas’s 2009 elk harvest was up five animals from last year’s season. During last week’s short meeting of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, commissioners were provided a harvest report on the state’s recent elk season.

Cory Gray, the AGFC’s elk biologist, reported that a total of 21 elk were harvested during the state’s three seasons. In 2008, only 16 elk were harvested in Arkansas. On public lands this year, 16 elk were taken. Five elk were taken during the private land hunts.

During the September hunt, four bull elk were taken by hunters. In December, hunters took 17 elk. The largest bull harvested weighed in at a live weight of 800 pounds. The largest cow weighed a dressed weight of 370 pounds and the largest antlers were a 7×7. Since the modern Arkansas elk hunt began in 1998, a total of 275 elk have been taken by hunters.

Arkansas Elk Harvest UP

In other business, the commission:

*Approved a Fisheries Division recommendation to amend the reciprocal license agreement between Arkansas and Missouri for mussel harvest on the St. Francis River. Due to no reported mussel harvest in Missouri over the past several years, the state of Missouri is closing the harvest of mussels. Mussel harvest data since 2001 and harvest from the St. Francis River in water that borders with Missouri has been low. Harvest only occurred in 2003, 2004 and 2005 within Clay and Greene counties. Commercial mussel takers licensed in Arkansas can still harvest mussels in the Arkansas portion of the river. The agreement still allows anglers and commercial fishermen with Missouri or Arkansas licenses to fish in either state’s waters. The change in the regulation goes into effect immediately.

*Approved a grant in the amount of $625,624.15 for fines collected from game law convictions. The money goes back to the county where the fine was collected. The grant is used to fund educational programs focused on fish, wildlife and conservation in the counties where the offenses occurred.

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Arkansas Elk Harvest Up From Last Year

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington- -(Ammoland.com)-”I and others at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) share the public’s concern over the archery elk hunt that took place December 26 near Concrete in Skagit County.

“The hunt was intended to control damage by moving elk off fields and encouraging them to return to forested areas. Property owners in the vicinity had complained that elk were trampling fields, knocking over fences, damaging orchards and vegetable crops, and creating traffic hazards on area roads.

“Unfortunately, the hunt was not carried out in a manner consistent with WDFW’s Hunter’s Code of Conduct, and we took immediate action to close the archery hunt in that area.

“The behavior that took place violated a number of the principles of the Hunter’s Code of Conduct that is published in the state’s hunting rules pamphlet and that is emphasized in all our hunter education courses. The code emphasizes the need for hunters to show respect for wildlife and to be considerate of non-hunters. In addition, it encourages hunters to behave responsibly and urges them to follow high ethical standards to ensure that the tradition of hunting can be passed on to future generations.

“The future of hunting in this state depends on hunters who behave appropriately, consistent with this recognized code of conduct. It is clear that the inappropriate behavior of a few can jeopardize hunting for the many who respect their sport and the tradition of hunting.

“Elk damage has been, and will continue to be, a problem in this area. I want to assure those who have expressed concern over this hunt that, in the future, WDFW wildlife managers will seek alternative ways to address elk damage in Skagit Valley.”

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WDFW Director statement on Archery Elk Hunt in Skagit County

Arizona Game and Fish Department

Arizona --(AmmoLand.com)- Applications are now being accepted for Arizona’s 2010 elk and pronghorn antelope hunts.

The 2010 Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information regulations booklet and application forms are available online at www.azgfd.gov/draw.

Printed copies of the booklet and forms should be available at department offices and at license dealers by the second week of January.

Applications must be submitted to the Arizona Game and Fish Department either by U.S. mail to P.O. Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052 or by hand delivery to any Game and Fish office. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010 by 7 p.m. (MST). Applications must be in the department’s possession by the deadline – postmarks do not count.

Hunters whose applications are received during the “correction period” will receive up to three calls from the department in a 24-hour period if an error is found on the application. If the applicant is reached by phone, the department will try to help fix the error to prevent the application from being rejected. The correction period ends at 5 p.m. on Jan. 21.

Hunters are reminded that a 2010 hunting license is required to apply. Department officials encourage hunters to get their license before applying for an elk or antelope hunt permit-tag if they wish to do any other hunting in early 2010. Licenses purchased through the draw process will not be mailed out until after the draw is completed.

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Apply Now For 2010 Arizona Elk, Pronghorn Hunts

Women on Target Hunting Programs

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Just Announced The 2010-Early 2011 Women ON Target. Hunting Excursions exclusively for the ladies!

This line up has something to fit every budget and just in time for the Holiday Gift Giving Season!!

The NRA Women On Target. Hunting Excursion Program is designed to open the door to hunting for all women—both novice and seasoned huntresses. Our professional staff, outfitters and guides are individually selected for their exceptional services.

2010 – 2011 Hunting Excursions

• European Pheasant and Walk up Hunt —Michigan
  http://www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2010nettiebay-03.asp
• Rio Grande Tom Turkey — Texas
  http://www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2010knowlton-04.asp
• Alaskan Black Bear, Wolf—Alaska
  http://www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2010alaska.asp
• Bull Elk,— South Texas
  http://www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2010knowlton-10.asp
• Pheasant & Chukar—Nebraska
  http://www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2010oakcreek.asp
• Mallard & Wood Duck—Michigan
  http://www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2010nettiebay-10.asp
• Whitetail Doe/Spike, Axis Doe, and Unlimited Hogs—Texas
  http://www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2010tillie-10.asp
• Whitetail Doe/Spike, Axis Doe, Rio Grande Turkey-Tom/Hen, Hog—Texas
  http://www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2010tillie-1112.asp
• Whitetail Doe, Hog, Coyote & Bobcat—Oklahoma
  http://www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2011addison.asp

Hunting Excursion Application:
http://www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/huntregform.pdf

Ladies, if you are looking for camaraderie with other outdoorswomen and the opportunity to hunt various game in beautiful locations, join us for a Women on Target. Hunting Excursion. You can learn more by visiting www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/excursions.asp.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military.

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Women on Target Announce the 2010 – Early 2011 Hunting Excursion Schedule

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ —-(AmmoLand.com)- The regulations for Arizona’s 2010 elk and pronghorn antelope seasons are available online at www.azgfd.gov/draw and hunters interested in obtaining a hunt permit-tag via the draw process can start applying now.

Applications must be submitted to the Arizona Game and Fish Department by U.S. mail to P.O. Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052 or hand-delivered to any department office by Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010 by 7 p.m. (MST) – postmarks do not count.

Hunters are reminded a 2010 hunting license is required to apply. Department officials encourage hunters to get their license before applying for an elk or antelope hunt permit-tag if they wish to do any other hunting in early 2010. Licenses purchased through the draw process will not be mailed out until after the draw is completed.

Those who submit an application that is received by Jan. 21, 2010 (the end of the “correction period”) will receive up to three calls from the department in a 24-hour period if an error is found on the application. If the applicant is reached by phone, the department will try to help fix the error to prevent it from being rejected.

Arizona Game and Fish Department officials said printed copies of the regulations and application should be available at license dealers across the state in early January 2010.

For those hunters itching to get into the field before next fall, there is a variety of javelina permit-tags leftover from the spring drawing available at any of the seven department offices or by mail. In addition, javelina archery-only nonpermit-tags for metro Game Management Units are also available at any department office or license dealer. For a list of available spring javelina hunts, visit www.azgfd.gov/draw under “View List of Leftover 2010 Spring Hunts for Turkey, Javelina and Bear (PDF, 42kb).”

To learn more about the big game draw lottery process, bonus points, and other hunting opportunities, visit www.azgfd.gov/hunting.

About:
The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Deputy Director, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Deputy Director as listed above.

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Applications Being Accepted For 2010 Arizona Elk, Pronghorn Hunts

DWR officers Brandon Baron, Casey Mickelsen and Ben Riley (left to right) show antlers from three bull elk poaching cases that have been successfully prosecuted. They need your help to solve the remaining seven. Photo by Brent Stettler

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah --(AmmoLand.com)- Wildlife officers have solved three bull elk poaching cases in east-central Utah.
Now they need your help to solve seven more.

“The seven bulls were taken on the Central Mountains-Manti and the Wasatch Mountains bull elk hunting units in east-central Utah,” says Casey Mickelsen, a sergeant with the Division of Wildlife Resources.

“Each of the bulls was killed illegally and then left to rot,” says Ben Riley, another DWR officer who is investigating the shootings. “Each one that was lost means fewer hunting opportunities for hunters and fewer chances to see these bulls while camping and hiking.”

“We need the public’s help to catch the people who killed these animals,” Mickelsen says. If you have information, please call Mickelsen at (435) 820-6010. You are not have to give him your name.

Because most of the bulls that were killed are considered trophy animals under Utah state law, you might be eligible for a limited-entry elk bull permit for the 2010 season or a cash award if you have information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

In the photo that accompanies this story, conservation officers Brandon Baron, Casey Mickelsen and Ben Riley (L-R) are holding the sets of antlers from the three cases that have been successfully prosecuted.

In front of them are the antler sets from the seven unsolved cases. (Each antler has a yellow tag next to it.):

1. 5×6 bull elk found on Oct. 18 on the Wasatch Mountains unit near Long Ridge in Utah County. Officers believe the elk was shot during the last week of the general-season spike elk hunt.
2. Spike bull that was also found on Oct. 18 near Long Ridge in Utah County. Officers believe whoever killed the 5×6 bull killed this bull too. The person left the elk to rot.
3. 7×8 bull elk poached in October 2008 on Black Mountain in the Muddy drainage in Emery County. Although the bull was killed more than a year ago, officers haven’t closed the case. They’re still searching for clues that will lead to the arrest and conviction of the person who killed this trophy animal.
4. 5×6 bull elk poached in Seeley Canyon in Sanpete County during the first week of the 2009 general-season spike elk hunt. This elk may have been killed by a spike elk hunter who shot into a herd of elk. Officers think other hunters may have been in the area and may have witnessed the shooting.
5. 6×6 bull elk poached near the intersection of the Buck Flat all-terrain vehicle trail and the North Face Road on Ferron Mountain in Sanpete County. This bull was probably shot during the last few days of the 2009 general-season spike bull hunt. Whoever shot this bull dragged it behind an ATV and then covered it with branches and logs. Officers hope another hunter may have seen someone dragging an elk with an ATV.
6. 6×6 bull elk discovered on Sept. 28 on the Central Mountains-Manti unit near the Indian Creek drainage in Emery County. The elk was shot and left not far from the Spoon Creek trailhead. Officers believe the elk was killed during the last week of the early limited-entry elk hunt. A limited-entry elk hunter may have shot the animal and then left it to try to find an even bigger elk to kill.
7. 6×6 bull elk poached during the overlapping 2009 muzzleloader deer/muzzleloader limited-entry bull elk hunt. The carcass was found in the canyon directly east of the Indian Creek Campground at the base of East Mountain in Emery County. Officers think a muzzleloader elk hunter may have shot the bull.

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Bull Elk Killings in Central Utah

Pennsylvania Elk Hunting Pic: www.lone-pineoutfitters.com

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA –-(AmmoLand.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today announced that 44 of the 60 licensed elk hunters were successful during the 2009 elk season. Of that total, 20 were antlered elk and 24 were antlerless elk.

“Elk are one of North America’s premier big game animals,” Roe said. “Pennsylvania is privileged to offer this unique hunting opportunity, a product of successful wildlife management that helps to finance wildlife conservation and supports Pennsylvania’s rich hunting heritage. It’s an unparalleled experience for hunters, particularly those who can’t afford to go on an expensive one- or two-week guided elk hunt out West.

“This year’s overall success rate was 73 percent, which is down slightly from the past year, which I believe that this can be attributed to the improved food conditions this year throughout the elk range, thanks in large part to the decline in gypsy moth defoliation.”

Along with extracting samples needed for disease testing, the agency also collected samples necessary to examine food preferences and habitat use by elk. Also, hunters collected liver samples that will be evaluated for mineral contents.

The largest antlered elk was taken by Reed Bamburger, of Graysville, Greene County. He took a 652-pound (dressed weight), 8×9 on Nov. 2, in Covington Township, Clearfield County.

Those hunters rounding out the top five heaviest antlered elk harvested, were: Lisa Banasick, of Connellsville, Fayette County, took a 643-pound, 9×11 on Nov. 5, in Gibson Township, Cameron County; Ronald Werkheiser Jr., of Hellertown, Northampton County, took a 617-pound, 7×7 on Nov. 4, in Karthaus Township, Clearfield County; Kenneth E. Hunter, of Muncy, Lycoming County, took a 604-pound, 8×8 on Nov. 3, in Jay Township, Elk County; and Alvin Hubler, of Munson, Clearfield County, took a 589-pound, 6×7 on Nov. 3, in Benezette Township, Elk County.

The heaviest antlerless elk was taken by Larry Davis, of Fairborn, Ohio, who harvested a 474-pound (dressed weight) antlerless elk on Nov. 3, in Benezette Township, Elk County.

Those hunters rounding out the top five heaviest antlerless elk harvested were: Gary Weikert, of Arendtsville, Adams County, who harvested a 444-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 4, in Covington Township, Clearfield County; Randolph Maus, of Halifax, Dauphin County, who harvested a 413-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 5, in Gibson Township, Cameron County; Ronald VanDyke, of Harrisville, Butler County, who harvested a 403-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 2, in Gibson Township, Cameron County; Scott Hite, of Port Republic, Maryland, who harvested a 398-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 5, in Gibson Township, Cameron County; and Adam Palyo, of Jefferson Hills, Allegheny County, who also harvested a 398-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 6 in Grove Township, Cameron County.

Roe also noted that Jim Nyce, of Green Lane, Montgomery County, who was the successful bidder for the first-ever Elk Conservation Tag, harvested an antlered elk, as well. Nyce harvested a 6×6 on Oct. 14, in Benezette Township, Elk County. Nyce purchased the Conservation Elk Tag during the National Wild Turkey Federation’s national conference in early 2009, and was able to hunt from Sept. 1-Nov. 7.

For more information on elk in Pennsylvania, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), choose “Hunting,” and then click on the photograph of an elk.

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Pennsylvania Elk Hunters Harvest 44 Elk In 2009

New Mexico Game and Fish

SANTA FE, NM --(AmmoLand.com)- Tens of thousands of hunters stormed the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Web site Tuesday, buying all 350 available late-season cow elk licenses in fewer than 10 seconds.

Hunters with quick fingers, fast Internet connections and a lot of luck bought the licenses shortly after the sale began at 10 a.m. From 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. the Web site sustained about 250,000 hits. The average is 200,000 a day. The site remained operational, although it seemed slow for some as thousands filtered through state firewalls.

In the Game Management Units or areas where State Game Commission establishes these late season elk hunting opportunities, the Department assesses population and harvest information, herd management objectives and additional harvest needs before making decisions about where and how many late-season licenses are made available. Because the assessments require information gathered during fall aerial surveys and regular fall hunts, the licenses are made available via an online, first-come, first-served Web sale. Distributing them through normal draw processes is unrealistic as it requires significantly more time than is available to ensure all successful hunters receive their licenses prior to the start of their hunt.

The next hunting license application deadline is 5 p.m. Feb. 3, 2010. Applications for 2010-2011 oryx hunts, limited-permit turkey hunts, population-reduction hunts and bear permits for some wildlife management areas are due at that time.

The State Game Commission will complete setting the 2010-2011 big game regulations at its Dec. 3 meeting in Hobbs. Hunters can expect a complete copy of the rules and information booklet to be posted on the Department Web site in mid-December.

For more information about this or any other Department related matter, please contact the Department of Game and Fish at (505) 476-8000 or visit www.wildlife.state.nm.us.

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Hunters Storm Web Site For 350 Cow Elk Licenses

New Mexico Game and Fish

SANTA FE, NM –-(AmmoLand.com)- A total of 350 cow elk licenses will be available online at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, to hunters who did not already hold an elk license this season.

Licenses will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, only on the Department of Game and Fish Web site, www.wildlife.state.nm.us .

Hunters are encouraged to visit the Web site before the sale date to review hunts available and to create or verify an online account, user name and password.

Every second counts once the licenses appear on the Web site, as the licenses usually sell out in minutes.

The licenses are for antlerless elk in five game management units. All hunts are for any legal sporting arm. Three hunts are limited to portions of units. Maps for those hunts will be available Nov. 4 on the Department Web site.

The special late-season cow elk hunts are designed to achieve harvest goals and provide additional elk hunting opportunities. License fees are $62 for residents, $337 for nonresidents. License fees will be charged at the time of successful online application.

Only hunters who did not hold elk licenses for hunts this season are eligible for the late-season hunts. It is illegal for any hunter to hold more than one elk license in the same license year.

To be eligible for the late-season hunts, applicants who held 2008-09 deer or elk hunting licenses must have submitted mandatory harvest reports. Those who did not submit harvest reports still may do so for an $8 late fee. Late reports may be filed at Department offices in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Raton, Roswell or Las Cruces, or by calling (505) 476-8038.

Licenses will be mailed to successful applicants as soon as possible after Nov. 10.

Licenses available (online only, www.wildlife.state.nm.us):

Any legal sporting arm:

• Unit 9 — Dec. 12-16, 100 licenses.
• Unit 34 — (portions of unit open), Jan. 1-31, 100 licenses.
• Unit 51 — (portions of unit open), Jan. 2-10, 50 licenses.
• Unit 52 — Dec. 5-9, 50 licenses.
• Unit 53 — Dec. 5-9, 50 licenses.

For more information about the late-season cow elk hunts, please call (505) 476-8000.

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Late-Season Cow Elk Licenses Available Online Nov. 10

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- She used to cry when her father came home with a dead deer.

Now she’s the first woman hunter to bag an elk in Tennessee in at least 144 years. Tami Miller of Franklin, Tenn., hopes her story will inspire other women to take up hunting.

“It’s hard to get a babysitter at 4:30 in the morning but the experience of hunting is worth the trouble,” laughs Miller. “My husband introduced me to hunting. It has definitely enhanced our marriage and our family life. It’s something we can share, something that brings us all together in the outdoors. I wish more women would try it.”

She added, “Hunting is exciting. It’s empowering and it’s beautiful. When you’re out there at sunrise, and it’s so quiet you can hear a leaf falling from a tree, it’s priceless.”

Miller and her husband, both avid conservationists and supporters of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, in October participated in the state’s first elk hunt in modern times.

Elk disappeared from Tennessee in 1865 following years of habitat changes and unregulated hunting. In the 1990s, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and RMEF began an historic effort to restore a wild herd to the Volunteer State. By 2009 the population had expanded enough for hunters to take five surplus bulls. Four permits were awarded via random drawing, one via auction on eBay.

Knowing that auction proceeds would fund elk and habitat conservation, Andrew Miller didn’t mind paying $17,700 for the permit—or giving the permit to Tami as a special gift.

“My husband and I scouted together through September and October and I grew more and more excited about the hunt. The historical aspects were always on my mind. I thought about the women who walked these hills a long time ago, hunting for elk so their families could survive. I felt honored to represent them,” said Miller.

When the hunt day arrived, Miller joined the four other hunters—all male—in a group elk camp co-sponsored by RMEF and staffed by volunteers.

“I was a little worried about being accepted. I wondered if the men would think I was pushing my way into their fraternity. But everyone was supportive and wonderful. I met so many great people who really wanted me to succeed,” she said, adding, “I was actually surprised at how many people were watching to see how the woman hunter would do. In my hometown, girls and women that I didn’t even know were coming up and wishing me luck.”

When all four of the men killed their bull on the first day, but Tami hadn’t even seen an elk yet, anxiety simmered as she worried about letting people down.

“Hunting isn’t all about getting an animal but I didn’t want to be the only hunter who didn’t get an elk. I probably should have prayed for help finding a big bull. But, the next morning, as my husband and I hunted together in a beautiful place, with the colors of fall all around us, the stress melted away and I just thanked God for this day,” she said.

At dusk, after a long stalk, with her husband and two friends by her side, Miller finally steadied crosshairs on a bull elk, an animal many times larger than her. She was nervous. As her husband had taught her years before, she drew two deep breaths, then held the third and squeezed the trigger.

When the rifle spoke, the elk was hers.

“When I started hunting, I knew it would be fun to get outdoors with my husband and watch him doing something he loved, but I wasn’t sure I could kill an animal. Since then, I’ve learned that I can be a provider, too. I can bring food home to my family,” she said.

Miller’s 5×6 certainly wasn’t the biggest bull in the Tennessee woods but it will always symbolize an enormously important part of her life:

“Marriage is about sharing things, and, for us, hunting has become one of those things.”

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

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Tennessee Elk Huntress Hopes to Inspire More Women

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

LINCOLN, Neb. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Hunters harvested a record 66 bull elk this fall, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. That compares with 57 taken in 2008.

Elk populations continue to expand in the state, and so do the number of permit applicants and permits sold.

The success rate of the 82 bull elk permit holders was 80 percent.

The Hat Creek Unit had the highest success rate at 100 percent, followed by Niobrara River, 84; Bordeaux, 81; Ash Creek, 78; North Platte River, 68; Box Elder, 67; and Boyd, 0. The auction permit holder also was successful.

The bull elk season closed Oct. 25.

Forty cows were taken during the first half of the antlerless elk season, which also closed Oct 25. The second half continues Dec. 1 – 21. A record 123 cow permits have been issued, with 24 still unsold.

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Record 66 Bull Elk Harvested in 2009

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA --(AmmoLand.com)- Eastern Washington’s modern firearm elk hunting season that opens Oct. 31 does not include the West Bar Game Management Unit (GMU) 330 in the northeast corner of Kittitas County.

GMU 330 is mistakenly listed under the Oct. 31 – Nov. 8 season for true spike bulls in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) 2009 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations pamphlet.

“The West Bar unit is available for early archery and special permit elk hunting only,” said Ted Clausing, WDFW regional wildlife program manager.

“Over 20 years ago when it was included during the general season, too much hunting pressure on West Bar caused elk to cross the Columbia River and enter the agricultural and residential areas of Grant County, leading to some unethical and unsafe hunting activities.”

WDFW staff are posting signs at access points to the unit and distributing notices to hunting groups and license vendors to alert hunters to the error.

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Error In WA Hunting Pamphlet: Firearm Elk Hunting Not Allowed

New Mexico Game and Fish

SANTA FE, NM --(AmmoLand.com)- More than 2,200 elk hunting licenses, including 1,995 set aside for youth hunters, will be available soon in a first-come, first-served sale on the Department of Game and Fish Web site.

Only hunters who were unsuccessful in the regular drawings or did not hold a 2009-2010 elk license are eligible to purchase the late-season licenses, which will be available only on the Department Web site.

The sale for Youth Encouragement Elk Hunts will begin at 10 a.m. Oct. 28. The sale for archery bull elk licenses for hunters of any age will begin at 10 a.m. Nov. 4. Please consult the 2009-2010 Big-Game Rules and Information Booklet for more details. It is available at all Department offices and license vendors statewide, and on the Department Web site, www.wildlife.state.nm.us.

Hunters are strongly advised to obtain an online customer account or review their existing account, user name and password before the sales begin. The sale is first-come, first-served and popular hunts sell out quickly.

Youth Encouragement Hunts sale, 10 a.m. Oct. 28
Youth hunters who were unsuccessful in any of the drawings for deer, elk, antelope, oryx, ibex or bighorn sheep are eligible to purchase licenses for Youth Encouragement Hunts. Available hunts for any legal sporting arm include 190 either-sex licenses and 1,605 cow elk licenses in Game Management Units statewide. Another 200 either-sex muzzleloader or archery licenses also are available. A list of available hunts, dates and units is available in the Big-Game Rules and Information Booklet and on the Department Web site. Eligible youth hunters must be younger than age 18 before the opening day of the hunt and have successfully completed an approved hunter education course before buying a license.

Late-season archery bull elk hunt sale, 10 a.m. Nov. 4
The Department is offering 275 late-season archery hunts for trophy bull elk in three Game Management Units. The bag limit for all three hunts is one bull elk with antlers that have at least six points on one side. Hunters who did not hold a 2009-2010 elk license are eligible for the hunts. Available hunts:

• Unit 12: Nov. 21-25, 25 licenses.
• Unit 34: Dec. 12-16, 200 licenses.
• Unit 37: Dec. 5-9, 50 licenses.

More late-season archery elk licenses may become available as the Department continues to assess annual population and harvest information, regional herd management objectives and additional harvest needs. Because these assessments require information gathered during fall aerial surveys and regular fall hunts, the licenses are made available via online, first-come, first-served sale. Distributing them through the normal draw process is unrealistic as it requires significantly more time than is available to ensure all successful hunters receive their licenses before the start of their hunt.

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Elk Hunts Available For Youth & Late-Season Archery Hunters

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – If you are an elk hunter and get an antelope hunter questionnaire from the Arizona Game and Fish Department, don’t despair.

Conversely, if you are an antelope hunter, don’t be surprised if you get a questionnaire intended for an elk hunter.

“The company doing our mail-out printed the addresses for elk hunters on the questionnaires intended for antelope hunters and vice versa.

So don’t be surprised or get concerned if you get the wrong species’ questionnaire – there are simple remedies,” said Brian Wakeling, the Game Branch chief for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Here’s the solution.
The approximately 6,000 hunters who receive the wrong questionnaires may go online (the Web site address is listed on the questionnaire) and complete the questionnaire for their correct hunt.

Or those who receive the wrong questionnaire can simply throw it and wait for a new questionnaire that is being mailed to them.

“If you complete the survey online, then please simply disregard the second survey you receive in the mail,” Wakeling said.

“We apologize for the mix up and appreciate everyone taking the time to provide us this valuable information so we can better manage these two game species.”

Hunter questionnaires are sent annually to a random selection of hunters in order to monitor game harvest levels and hunt success rates.

Note: To learn about the Arizona Hunter Questionnaire and the department’s survey program, read the article from the September-October 2009 issue of Arizona Wildlife Views magazine , by clicking here. [pdf, 116kb]

About:
The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Deputy Director, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Deputy Director as listed above.

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Mailing Error Made In Arizona Elk, Antelope Hunter Questionnaires

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Flu is on everyone’s mind this autumn. So for hunters who start feeling lousy upon arrival in elk camp, the diagnosis may seem obvious.

But, like skiers and mountain climbers, elk hunters at high elevations also are prone to altitude sickness with symptoms that look and feel like the flu—headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, coughing, shortness of breath and trouble sleeping.

Ways to prevent the flu are well publicized, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is offering the following tips for avoiding altitude sickness.

Altitude sickness is caused by thin air at high elevations. Your body must work harder to maintain normal oxygen levels in the blood. Breathing and pulse rates increase. Still, the lack of oxygen can knock a hunter down especially if they go too hard too soon.

“Most of us live at a much lower elevation than elk do. That alone puts many hunters at a disadvantage even before they begin their first stalk,” said Cameron Hanes, a fitness and bowhunting authority as well as TV show host and columnist for RMEF.

Hanes says most sufferers adapt to high altitude by the fourth day. The following tips can help you make better use of your first three days in elk country.

• When you arrive in high country, avoid physical exertion for the first 24 hours. This can be tough when you’ve been looking forward to the hunt all year, so if you can’t or won’t take a full day to adjust, be smart. Don’t go full bore right out of the gate.
• Hunt high, sleep low. At elevations above 5,000 feet, try to gain no more than 2,000 feet per day. You can hunt higher as long as you go back down 2,000 feet to sleep.
• Ascend very slowly past 8,000 feet. Acclimatize yourself. Acclimatization helps cells get along on a smaller oxygen budget. By gaining altitude slowly, your body will adjust gradually with few if any symptoms of altitude sickness.
• If traveling by air to a hunt above 8,000 feet, try to incorporate a layover of one to two days at an intermediate altitude.
• Drink water copiously and constantly.
• • Avoid alcohol for the first few days. Alcohol dehydrates you and drinking at high altitudes amplifies its affect.
• Consume a high-carbohydrate diet. Lots of granola bars, trail mix, etc.
• The prescription drug acetazolamide (Diamox) can be helpful as a preventive treatment but always consult with your doctor first.
• Fitness at sea level doesn’t guarantee an easier time when you’re at 10,000 feet, but being in good shape makes it more likely that your lungs can cope with the challenges of the high life.

If these tips don’t work, and if your symptoms persist even at lower altitudes, you may indeed have the flu.

Hanes serves RMEF as host of “Elk Chronicles” on Outdoor Channel and as a columnist for “Bugle” magazine. His second book, “Backcountry Bowhunting, A Guide to the Wild Side,” is currently in its fifth printing and is available at www.cameronhanes.com.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

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Elk Hunters with Flu Symptoms It May be Altitude Sickness

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Elk and other wildlife on the parched Arizona landscape now have six new, reliable watering sources thanks to a landmark pipeline project spearheaded by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The partly buried 1½-inch pipe, 12 miles long, delivers useable wastewater from the City of Tusayan to areas south of the Grand Canyon—Arizona’s famous Unit 9 hunting area.

As part of this project, seven stand-alone water catchments also were built in the area.

The Elk Foundation expended $348,000 on this project using contributions from donors, proceeds from Arizona hunting permit raffles and grants from RMEF banquets and other fundraisers across the state. The Arizona Game and Fish Department provided $520,000. Other groups supported the project with volunteer labor and in-kind services.

Across the Southwest, water often is the missing ingredient for healthy habitat. In an average year, conservation agencies and organizations in Arizona annually spend over $100,000 hauling water into elk country. Severe drought can drive expenses way up.

“It took six years to design, facilitate and build this pipeline system but the valves are now open and water is flowing. From now on, in all but the most extreme drought years, we shouldn’t have to haul water into this region,” said Clair Harris, an RMEF member from Flagstaff, Ariz., who helped organize volunteer labor for the project.

Harris said more than 100 volunteers from every RMEF chapter in Arizona helped build the pipeline and catchments.

Over the years, RMEF funds and volunteers have been involved in the construction or renovation of over 30 watering sources across Unit 9. With the new additions, biologists agree the area now has a good minimum supply of water.

“Wildlife in this area is absolutely tied to these water developments and the new pipeline provides an efficient, reliable distribution system that will be beneficial for many species including elk, deer and other big game,” said John Goodwin, habitat specialist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Goodwin said the pipeline is supplied from a runoff pond at the Tusayan water treatment plant, supplemented with reclaimed effluent, snowmelt and rain. The pond is heavily used by local wildlife. A pump moves surplus water through high-density plastic pipe that won’t crush beneath vehicles, break from freezing or degrade in sunlight. The line is buried where soils are deep and runs along the surface where the ground is rocky. Water flows into six strategically located, fiberglass storage tanks averaging about 7,000 gallons each. Each tank is then connected to an auto-fill drinking device accessible to wildlife.

Stand-alone catchments are designed to collect rain and snowmelt on site, store water in 20,000-gallon holding tanks, and dispense water into drinkers.

The Kaibab National Forest approved the project after lengthy environmental analyses.

Goodwin credited the Elk Foundation and especially Harris as “a tremendous asset for coordinating progress on the ground and rallying volunteer labor so the project didn’t have to rely on contractors or paid employees.”

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

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New Pipeline Delivers Water to Arizona Elk Country

Boone and Crockett Club

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)-In just the past 13 years, modern conservation efforts have produced an amazing 62 new state and provincial records—plus over 3,500 other Boone and Crockett-class trophies—for mule deer and elk alone. These special efforts and animals are profiled in two new books from the Boone and Crockett Club.

Records of North American Mule Deer and Records of North American Elk are the first records books dedicated solely to these two species. Previously, mule deer and elk were combined into a single Boone and Crockett volume last printed in 1996.

Since then, unprecedented growth in records listings dictated separate editions.

Julie Houk, director of publications for the Club, said, “The Boone and Crockett scoring system was originally developed to record details of big game species that were thought to be vanishing. Of course, hunters led historic restoration and habitat initiatives to ensure that didn’t happen. Today, this ongoing conservation success can be measured in many ways—including the page counts of these new books.”

Records of North American Mule Deer is 490 pages containing over 4,500 listings for Boone and Crockett-class mule deer, Columbia blacktail and sitka blacktail. Twenty-nine state and provincial records have been set in these categories since Boone and Crockett’s previous records book in 1996.

Records of North American Elk is 298 pages containing nearly 1,600 listings for Boone and Crockett-class American elk, Roosevelt’s elk and tule elk. The book includes 33 new state and provincial records in these categories.

Both books include all-time and award-class listings from the late 1800s through Jan. 31, 2009. Also included are geographic analyses of kill locations, maps, photos, tables and informative chapters from top outdoor writers such as Jim Zumbo and Bob Robb, as well as partner organizations Mule Deer Foundation and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Read more at www.boone-crockett.org or by calling 888-840-4868.

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 protecting Yellowstone and establishing Glacier and Denali national parks, founding the National 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.booneandcrockettclub.com.

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Boone and Crockett Announces Mule Deer, Elk Record Books

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

RAPID CITY, S.D.—-(AmmoLand.com)-As South Dakota hunters get ready for deer and elk hunting seasons, the state Game, Fish and Parks Department is preparing for another round of chronic wasting disease testing.

CWD surveillance is done in counties where the disease has been verified in elk and deer. Those areas include the Black Hills, and Fall River, Custer and Pennington counties.

“We are monitoring prevalence of the disease in these areas to see if CWD is becoming more common,” says Steve Griffin, GFP big-game biologist. “There are no known human health risks involved with this disease, so we focus on determining the consequences for wildlife populations.”

Hunters receiving licenses for CWD surveillance areas will be advised by mail by GFP with details about participation, drop-off points and testing procedures. Hunters who submit deer or elk heads will be notified about test results.

“Hunter participation is the key to success of such a large-scale surveillance project,” Griffin says “Their efforts show that hunters are concerned about protecting the natural resources in South Dakota.”

During last year’s surveillance, 21 deer and 14 elk were found with the disease. Since 1997, 75 deer and 37 elk have tested positive for CWD in South Dakota. During that time, more than 19,600 animals were tested.

CWD is a fatal brain disease found in both captive and free-ranging elk and deer. In the disease’s late stages, infected animals become emaciated, behave abnormally, lose control of muscles and other bodily functions, and die.

Those who spot elk or deer showing symptoms of CWD should report them.

“If you see an animal displaying signs of CWD, please contact the Game, Fish and Parks Department,” Griffin says. “It doesn’t matter what time of year it is or where in the state the animal is located. If it’s displaying signs of CWD, we’ll try to get it tested.”

For more information about the CWD surveillance program, contact the GFP Regional Office in Rapid City at 605-394-2391 or visit the department’s Web site at http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/hunting/BigGame/CWD.htm

South Dakota’s efforts are part of the National CWD Surveillance Program, with testing for the disease at the South Dakota State University diagnostic laboratory in Brookings. Hunters who want deer tested from outside the surveillance areas should directly contact the diagnostic lab

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Testing of Elk, Deer Continues for Chronic Wasting Disease

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

PONCA, AR –-(AmmoLand.com)- Daniel Dickerson of Bryant didn’t have the easiest draw for an elk permit in the just-ended September hunt along the Buffalo River.

Dickerson’s permit was for Elk Zone 2, an area from Arkansas Highway 7 downstream to Arkansas Highway 123. It’s a section that is hard to get around in, and some of it includes private land not open to elk seekers.

But Dickerson, who is 23, and his helpers took their time, looked at several areas and settled on a tract called the Wilson field.

Dickerson also saw something he liked, a large oak tree that had fallen. This was concealment for him, and his pulse thumped when several cow elk walked into view then a 5×6 bull elk. He aimed carefully, fired and downed the bull. He was using a .300 Magnum bolt action rifle, a Ruger Model 77.

It was a nice one. Access with a vehicle was difficult, and a full weighing wasn’t possible.

Elk Hunter Daniel Dickerson of Bryant AR

Dickerson was one of four hunters who took bull elk during the September hunt. Three of four public land permit holders were successful, and one elk of a quota of three was taken in Elk Zone A, which is private land. The hunt was five days. Another hunt comes up Dec. 7-11, and there will be more permitted hunters on public land along with hunting in both Zone A and Zone B on private land.

The public land permits, which are free, were issued in late June after an application period of the month of May.

Horace Smith of Daytona Beach, Fla., with his 6×6 bull that weighed 800 pounds. Of the four bull elk taken in the September hunt, Smiths had half of them. Horace Smith of Daytona Beach, Fla., had a 6×6 bull that weighed 800 pounds. Mike Smith of Little Rock got the Zone A bull, a 5×5, with his 7mm Magnum rifle.

The other bull fell to Mike Balenko of Cabot in an area called Jamison Field near Woolum in Searcy County. Balenko found the bull with a group of cow elk, took his time, sighted carefully and downed the bull with a .300 magnum rifle. It was a 7×7, meaning seven points on each side of its antlers.

Conditions were generally favorable for the September hunt. Temperatures were average for this time of the year, but a heavy rain the second night of the hunt raised creeks and made some areas of the Buffalo River country inaccessible for the hunters.

This is the 12th year of limited permit elk hunting in Arkansas. The big animals were once native to the state but disappeared nearly 150 years ago. They were restored beginning in 1981 with 112 imports from western states, mainly Colorado, in an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission project spearheaded by the late Hillary Jones of Pruitt (Newton County), an AGFC commissioner at the time.

The elk have done well and now number 450 to 500, with t he National Park Service, which operates Buffalo National River, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joining AGFC in habitat improvement and other projects for the elk.

A major benefit has been the influx of visitors to the area just to view the elk. Many are easily seen along Arkansas Highway 43 in Boxley Valley, south of Ponca in Newton County. Best times for seeing elk are just after daylight and just before dark.

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Sticking With Basics Produces A Bull Elk For Bryant Hunter

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)-Your crosshairs shift undecidedly between a raghorn bull and a big cow, both standing broadside at 60 yards.

The elk tag in your pocket makes both animals legal.

Which one do you shoot?

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation offers 5 reasons to consider taking the cow:

1. Reducing a herd to fit the carrying capacity of its winter range is a form of habitat
   conservation. Culling a calf-producer is more effective population control. Wildlife agencies
   issue either-sex tags specifically to encourage hunter harvest of cows.
2. Letting young bulls walk improves your odds for a big, mature bull next year.
3. A more abundant bull population tends to be older which can improve efficiency of the rut.
   Result: more bulls surviving winter, higher pregnancy rates in cows, fewer late calves and
   better overall herd health.
4. A less abundant cow population tends to be younger, more vigorous and resistant to diseases.
5. As tablefare, cows and calves are generally better.

Hunting remains the primary wildlife management tool today, vital for balancing elk populations within biological and cultural tolerances, says David Allen, Elk Foundation president and CEO.

“Habitat conservation, sound management, good hunting, healthy wildlife—they’re all tied together. And, more and more, adequate harvest of cow elk is becoming a factor. If you have an either-sex elk tag this fall, consider letting young bulls go and filling your freezer with a fat cow,” he said.

RMEF this summer passed the 5.6 million acre mark in habitat conserved or enhanced.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

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Five Reasons to Take a Cow Elk While Hunting

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

LINCOLN, Neb. – -(AmmoLand.com)-New elk hunting statutes will impact Panhandle landowners who want to be included in hunting zones in 2010. Those zones qualify landowners for limited numbers of elk permits.

“The ability to qualify for landowner elk hunting permits is different than landowner permits for other Nebraska big game,” said Todd Nordeen, Panhandle district wildlife manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

“It is important that landowner elk permits are available to those landowners impacted the most by elk use on their property,” Nordeen said. “While the total numbers of elk hunting permits for the Panhandle have increased, the demand for landowner permits has increased significantly in recent years as well.”

Landowners seeking inclusion in a zone for 2010 should do so by Dec. 31. The deadline for landowner bull elk applications will be in mid-May.

Elk hunting zones are established to identify private property that has elk usage, elk depredation and supports consistent elk habitat and numbers. The zones are much smaller than the elk hunting units used when hunters apply for elk permits. The entire Panhandle is located within elk management units, including the Hat Creek, Ash Creek, Bordeaux, and North Platte River units.

Interested landowners that have significant elk usage and can meet other requirements will be considered for acceptance into the zone.

The following are some of the changes in landowner requirements for 2010 as a result of the passage of LB 105 by the Legislature:

• – To qualify for a limited permit, a resident landowner must own 320 acres, lease 640 acres or own or lease any combination of 640 acres.
• – A limited landowner antlerless-only permit may be issued to a nonresident, or immediate family members, who own or lease 1,280 acres.
• – To qualify for a limited permit, one must be a landowner, leaseholder or member of the immediate family of landowner or leaseholder, including siblings who share ownership. A qualifying child no longer is required to live in the same household as the landowner or leaseholder.
• – The number of limited permits issued annually for each farm or ranch may not exceed the total number of acres divided by 320.
• – The Commission will begin issuing preference points in 2010 to landowners who are unsuccessful in drawing a landowner bull permit in 2010.

For more information on Panhandle elk zone landowner requirements and eligibility, contact the Alliance district office of the Commission at (308) 763-2940 or the Ponderosa Wildlife Management Area at (308) 665-2924.

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Landowner Elk Permit Requirements Change for 2010

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- With construction well underway and a grand opening scheduled for summer 2010, a planned state-of-the-art conservation education facility is now wholly owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) following a transfer from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 7,000 square-foot Elk Country Visitor Center will sit on a 245-acre site in Benezette Township, Elk County. When completed, it will be the largest elk watching and conservation education facility in the eastern U.S.

The project began as a public-private partnership between the Commonwealth and RMEF. The Elk Foundation conveyed its share of the facility to DCNR on Sept. 15.

“The Elk Foundation has been a great partner in open-space protection and restoring the elk herd in the Pennsylvania Wilds, and we thank them for their help getting the Elk Center project off the ground. This project would not have been possible without their early partnership with DCNR,” said John Quigley, acting secretary of DCNR.

RMEF landed major support for the project from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, Dominion Foundation, Thoreson Foundation, Safari Club International, Eastern Chapter Foundation for North American Wild Sheep and many individual donors.

Additionally, Elk Foundation chapters across the country made special contributions toward the new facility.

“As it turns out, this project worked much like a land protection project—we facilitate and fundraise, then transfer the asset to a public agency that is better equipped to manage in perpetuity. We’ve never applied this model to a conservation education facility before but we’re pleased with the outcome,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

Going forward, RMEF will help promote the Elk Country Visitor Center and use it for special conservation and education events.

As RMEF conveyed its share of the visitor center, DCNR announced a new partnership with the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation (PPFF).

Allen said, “We’re confident that this important project is in good hands and that the new partnership is well positioned to help this landmark facility accomplish its goals.”

Marci Mowery, PPFF president, said, “The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation appreciates the work that the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has done to restore elk habitat and educate the public about elk. We look forward to working with the DCNR through the Elk Country Visitor Center to reach out to new visitors, give them a wonderful outdoor experience and share the story of the conservation efforts that have restored many of the natural and wild areas in Pennsylvania.”

Allen said Elk Foundation volunteers tackled fundraising for this project with the same gusto that annually supports traditional RMEF projects. Since 1984, RMEF and its partners have spent $14.4 million to complete 199 conservation and education projects that have protected or enhanced more than 14,800 acres of wildlife habitat in Pennsylvania.

DCNR will erect a bronze elk statue, acquired through the efforts of the Pittsburgh RMEF chapter, dedicated to the passion of all Elk Foundation volunteers.

The center also will include educational exhibits, trails, story theater, wildlife viewing blinds, meeting rooms and display areas.

Allen said the Elk Foundation remains focused on its core mission of habitat conservation for elk and other wildlife.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

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RMEF Conveys Share of Visitor Center to Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG Pa --(AmmoLand.com)- Anyone interested in applying to be a bobcat or elk guide for the upcoming seasons should submit a completed application to the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Bureau of Wildlife Protection by Friday, Oct. 16. Guide permits cost $25 for residents and $50 for nonresidents, per species. For those who wish to serve as guides for both bobcat and elk, permit fees are $50 for residents, $100 for nonresidents.

Bobcat guides may assist in all aspects of hunting or trapping bobcats, except for setting traps or harvesting bobcats. Similarly, elk guides may provide assistance in locating or tracking elk, and calling for elk, but they may not harvest an elk. Permit applications may be obtained from the Game Commission’s Harrisburg headquarters by calling 717-787-5740, or by contact any of the Game Commission’s six region offices.

The Board of Game Commissioners created the guide permit for bobcat and elk to allow experienced individuals, especially those who are familiar with or live in the WMUs open to bobcat harvest or the elk range, to serve as guides for those who receive a bobcat permit or elk license.

Guides are not required for those who only plan to accompany a bobcat permit holder or elk license recipient, or those who plan to aid a successful elk hunter to remove an elk from the field.

Since only properly licensed hunters may take part in the hunt, and since the agency is awarding only a limited number of bobcat permits and elk licenses, the guide permit enables those who receive a bobcat permit or elk license to take someone along to participate in the hunt without violating the law.

Those seeking elk guide permits also should consult with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources concerning special guiding permits and requirements on state forest or state park lands.

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Deadline For Pennsylvania Bobcat or Elk Guide Permits

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG Pa --(AmmoLand.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe reminded those interested in watching the agency’s public drawings for the 2009 elk hunting licenses and the 2009-10 bobcat season permits to check-out the agency’s live webcast beginning at 10 a.m. on Sept. 11. To view the drawing, a “Watch Drawings Live” icon has been posted on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) for individuals to click on and watch the drawing.

In order to watch the live feed, you will need to have Flash Player installed on your computer. If you do not have Flash Player installed on your computer, please go to this link: http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/. Once Flash Player has been installed, you will be able to properly view the live feed of the drawing.

“Each year, tens of thousands of individuals apply for an elk license or bobcat permit,” Roe said. “Unfortunately, not all of them can make it to the public drawings and we are unable – due to financial limitations – to send everyone who applied a letter to let them know whether they were drawn, and we only notify those who were selected.

“By webcasting the public drawings, we hope to allow more people to view these events without having to travel to the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters.”

Beginning at 10 a.m., the agency will conduct the bobcat drawing. Once the names are drawn for the bobcat permits, including those who automatically will receive a bobcat permit because they have earned the maximum of six preference points, the elk drawing will begin immediately afterward.

Roe also noted that those who have submitted applications can check to see if they were selected, by Sept. 16, thanks to the new Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS).

Presently, the status for all individual’s applications for elk licenses or bobcat permits is listed as “Pending.” Once the database is updated, which is expected by Sept. 16, those who were selected for an elk license will see the status changed to “Awarded,” as well as the designation of the Elk Hunt Zone and whether they were awarded an antlered or antlerless elk license. For bobcat permit recipients, they will see their permit number listed. Those not selected will see the status changed to “Unsuccessful.”

To access the information, go to the Game Commission website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), and click on the blue box in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage. Click on the “Purchase License Permit and or Application/Replace License and or Permit” option, which includes the ability to “Check on the status of any Lottery Application,” scroll down and click on the “Start Here” button at the bottom of the page. At this page, choose one of the identification options below to check your records, fill in the necessary information and click on the “Continue” button. Click on the appropriate residency status, which will display your current personal information. At the bottom of the page, choose the “Check on the status of any Lottery Application” button, and then hit “Continue.”

“While this may seem like a lot of clicking and box checking to get to the information, the system is designed to protect an individual’s personal information, while at the same time enabling that person to check on the status of his or her applications, as well as their antlerless deer license applications,” Roe said. “In the past, the only way to know for sure that you were awarded an elk license or bobcat permit was to attend the public drawings, wait for a letter in the mail or to call the Game Commission.

“This year, thanks to PALS, we will be able to update the data files for each license buyer shortly after the bobcat and elk public drawings are completed so that license buyers will be able to see for themselves if they were drawn for one of the 1,780 bobcat permits or 59 elk licenses.”

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Game Commission To Hold Drawing For Bobcat & Elk Licenses

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, Pa –-(AmmoLand.com)- With Commonwealth’s elk viewing season fast approaching, Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe is offering some guidance on where to go, as well as encouraging those planning to travel to “elk country” to be respectful of local residents.

“With a little guidance anyone can easily see elk this September and October, especially between Labor Day and Halloween, because the mating season, or the ‘rut,’ is on,” Roe said. “Also, as winter approaches, elk are consequently on the move. So, you don’t need to be an expert in elk biology or be intimately familiar with the region’s topography or roads to find them. Folks just need some help with where-to-go and what-to-do information when they get to this rugged, big country.

“If you do travel to Elk, Cameron, Clearfield and Clinton counties to view this majestic animal, we encourage you to be mindful of local residents and the property. Since elk viewing is better in some areas than others, it stands to reason that the largest numbers of wildlife watchers will be in those areas with the best viewing opportunities. However, wherever people congregate along narrow rural roads, the potential for problems increases, especially when motorists and wildlife viewers on the road’s shoulder pay more attention to elk than oncoming traffic. Be safe. Be considerate. Be the one who knows he or she is doing everything right.”

Roe said that the secret to maximizing your chances to see elk is to know where to go, when to go and what to do and what not to do when you get there. Also, it is important to make sure you have binoculars, spotting scopes, cameras and video cameras to enhance your viewing opportunities and to record your visit.

While there are plenty of restaurants and places to purchase refreshments, it is a good idea to bring along some snacks and water, especially on high-volume traffic days, because if you get a parking spot, you may not want to give it up, or if you get stuck in traffic, you’ll be covered. Also, make sure you check weather forecasts before departing, so you can dress accordingly.

“Being in at the right place at the right time is one of the most important factors that will influence whether you and your family will see elk,” said Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer Doty McDowell, whose district includes the agency’s official Elk Viewing Area on Winslow Hill in Benezette Township, Elk County. “Although you can go almost anytime throughout the year and at almost any time of the day, the best time to visit the elk range is from late summer through spring – with September and October being the top months, particularly for people who want to hear bulls bugle and watch them spar – during the first two hours after sunrise and the two hours before sunset. But there’s always a chance to see elk out and about because these massive animals have tremendous nutritional and varied habitat needs.”

Whenever large numbers of people converge in remote rural settings to view elk, they usually and immediately stress and congest the area’s roads, services and modern conveniences.

“It’s estimated 75,000 to 100,000 people visit Winslow Hill during the peak elk viewing months of September and October,” McDowell said. “But, imagine what it’s like for the homeowners in these areas who are forced to negotiate these inconveniences and deal with thousands of elk tourists every fall. It’s not a picnic for them, weekends in particular.

“There are plenty of things every elk enthusiast can do to help property owners, motorists, law enforcement officials, wildlife conservation officers and other elk tourists while out and about the elk range.”

The Game Commission offers a “Top Ten List of Things You Should Not Do” while visiting the elk range:

1.) Don’t stop on the road to watch elk;

2.) Don’t walk or park on private property – especially driveways – without permission;

3.) Don’t approach or attempt to pet elk ever;

4.) Don’t disturb elk or property owners by horn honking or yelling;

5.) Don’t feed elk, as it is illegal;

6.) Don’t litter and consider cleaning up what others may leave;

7.) Don’t be judgmental, enjoy yourself or just move to a place more to your liking;

8.) Don’t use profanity;

9.) Don’t be selfish, share good vistas and viewing blinds; and

10.) Don’t crowd others, wait your turn.

“Unless you’re visiting the elk range in other than peak viewing periods, you should expect to encounter some congestion of people/vehicles, because folks tend to congregate wherever elk gather and graze, or they can get close,” McDowell said. “Everyone who visits the state’s elk range is looking for a front-row seat to the action. Recognizing that, and remaining polite and considerate, will go a long way to ensuring this wonderful outdoors opportunity doesn’t become less than it should be for everyone who takes the time to come. And don’t forget, watch for elk and other wildlife crossing roads. Having too close of an encounter with an elk is something no motorist wants to do!”

McDowell noted that State Route 555 runs through the heart of Pennsylvania’s elk country, so whenever you’re on the road between Weedville and Driftwood, traveling through the scenic Bennett Branch of Sinnemahoning Creek corridor, you should keep an eye out for elk, especially around Caledonia, the lower end of the Quehanna Highway around Medix Run, Benezette and Dents Run.

“One of the best ways to learn your way around elk country is to visit the local stores and businesses that serve this area,” McDowell said. “The folks who run these establishments often have a good idea of where elk are – sometimes on a daily basis – and can surely direct you to places that aren’t covered in this guide or other ones. So stop by for lunch, stay overnight, or buy something. One of the best ways to get to know an area is to get to know the folks who live there.”

The Game Commission has posted on its website a video offering elk viewing tips and a sample of what visitors to the elk range can expect to see. To view this clip, as well as a brochure on elk viewing etiquette and other information about Pennsylvania’s elk herd, please go to the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), select “Hunting” in the left-hand column and then click on the photograph of the elk.

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PA Game Commission Offers Tips For Elk Viewing Season

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Through the ages, many cultures developed special rituals meant to bring good luck to hunters. For today’s elk hunter, no sendoff conveys best wishes and confidence like The New Elk Hunter’s Cookbook and Meat Care Guide from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 292-page book is a collection of favorite recipes from members of the habitat conservation organization, which has conserved more than 5.6 million acres for elk and other wildlife.

Different versions of elk chili, stew, roast, steak, stroganoff, meat loaf and casseroles are included along with many unique and wonderful recipes such as:

Elk Henley in Puffed Pastry

• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
• 2 pounds elk meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 2 large onions, chunked
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup port wine
• 6 juniper berries
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 sheet puffed pastry
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Melt butter in deep skillet. Add elk meat a few pieces at a time and brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Fry bacon until crisp. Set aside with elk. Add onions and mushrooms to pan and cook until golden brown. Stir in flour. Add port, juniper berries, broth and thyme. Bring to a boil. Add elk and bacon and simmer for about 30 minutes. With a slotted spoon, place elk in a greased, deep-sided casserole dish. Continue cooking sauce on medium heat until sauce thickens. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over elk. Roll out pastry to fit casserole dish and place atop meat mixture. Glaze with an egg glaze, made by beating an egg with tablespoon water. Bake at 400 degrees until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

The Elk Foundation cookbook also includes tips on caring for elk meat from field to freezer, aging instructions, essays on enjoying the bounty of a successful hunt, and recipes for various other game and meats plus everything from salads to desserts.

The New Elk Hunter’s Cookbook and Meat Care Guide is $19.95 plus shipping (next-day delivery is available). Order online at www.rmef.org. From the homepage, click “Shop Elk Country,” then “Elk Country Trading Post,” then “Books.”

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

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Cookbook is Good Luck Charm for Elk Hunters

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.—-(AmmoLand.com)- Seven counties in New Mexico are slated for wildlife habitat conservation projects using $65,358 in new grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 2009 RMEF grants will affect Catron, Lincoln, Mora, Otero, Sierra, Socorro and Taos counties.

“Our volunteers across New Mexico helped drive the 2008 fundraisers that made these grants possible. This is where Elk Foundation banquets, auctions and other events transform into on-the-ground conservation work, and it’s part of the payday for supporters who are passionate about giving something back to the outdoors,” said David Allen, Elk Foundation president and CEO.

Elk Foundation grants will help fund the following New Mexico projects, listed by county:

Catron County—Improve forage for elk by mechanically thinning 750 acres of pinion and juniper to rejuvenate grasses, forbs and shrubs in the Pelona Mountain Area on BLM lands.

Lincoln County—Thin 1,100 acres of encroaching pinion and juniper to stimulate browse for elk in the Lincoln National Forest.

Mora County—Restore riparian, wet meadow and grassland habitat for elk and other wildlife in the Wagon Mound area.

Otero County—Develop 30 maintenance-free water catchment devices and wildlife drinking locations to improve habitat for elk, mule deer, pronghorn, javelina, scaled and Gambel’s quail, and other species in Otero Mesa area on BLM Lands.

Sierra County—Prescribe burn 9,078 acres of ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, pinion and juniper to enhance forage for elk in Gila National Forest.

Socorro County—Restore grassland and aspen habitat by thinning 1,600 acres and prescribe burning 8,433 acres of decadent conifer in Cibola National Forest.

Taos County—Re-seed native grasses on 2,243 acres to replace exotic pasture grasses and restore habitat for elk and other wildlife in Ute Mountain area on BLM lands.

Partners for 2009 projects in New Mexico include Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, U.S. Forest Service, other agencies, corporations, landowners and organizations.

Since 1984, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed more than 220 conservation projects in New Mexico with a value of more than $18.4 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

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Elk Foundation Grants to Benefit 7 New Mexico Counties

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.— -(AmmoLand.com)- Elk and elk hunting opportunities are plentiful across the U.S. and Canada, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has just released its annual roundup of hunt forecasts for 27 states and provinces, newly posted at www.rmef.org.

“Elk herds are in great shape across most of the West, thanks to a mild winter and normal moisture. And, of course, the ongoing habitat stewardship projects supported by our members and volunteers have helped, too,” said David Allen, president and CEO of the Elk Foundation.

This summer, RMEF passed the 5.6 million acre mark for elk habitat conserved or enhanced.

Storylines within the Elk Foundation’s 2009 elk hunt forecast include the amazing herd growth following elk restoration efforts in Kentucky, wolf impacts on elk and hunting in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, massive elk populations in Colorado and the trophy bull reputations of Arizona and Utah.

Here’s a condensed look at forecasts from top states and provinces for total elk populations. To see all the reports in their entirety, including contact information for respective conservation agencies, visit www.rmef.org. For even more hutning including sidebars, see the Sept./Oct. 2009 edition of the RMEF member magazine, Bugle.

Alberta
Elk Population: 20,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: N/A
Nonresidents: $298 and must be accompanied by an Alberta resident Hunter Host or licensed guide.
Southwestern Alberta has a reputation for big bulls where elk are managed to ensure that plenty of bulls live long enough to reach their full potential. A little farther north, some impressive bulls are killed each year in the Peace River area. Warmer and drier than normal conditions over most of the province brought elk through the winter in great shape. Expect good hunting prospects this season for trophy bulls and cows.

Arizona
Elk Population: 25,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 35 to 40/100
Nonresidents: $151 hunting license (nonrefundable to enter drawing) plus $595 elk permit.
Arizona has one of the finest reputations in the nation as a trophy-producing destination. Any unit has potential for big bulls. More specifically, the units surrounding Flagstaff have been good. Units 1 and 27 on the east side, and 3A, 3B and 3C around Pine Top are units to consider as well. Arizona has seen favorable conditions for elk over the past several years and elk populations are stable in most regions. Elk numbers are increasing in the east-central portion of the state but additional antlerless tags are not being issued because biologists want more elk in this area.

British Columbia
Elk Population: 50,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 20/100
Nonresidents: $189 hunting license, plus $277 elk tag. Must hire a licensed guide, or in certain cases may be accompanied by a resident hunter.
Coastal British Columbia saw significant snowpack but nothing terribly out of the ordinary for wintering elk. Over the central and southern portions of the province, snowfall was normal to slightly below normal. Elk herds are burgeoning in productive habitat. Elk are especially abundant in the Kootenay region, an attractive area for trophy hunters where bull harvest is limited to animals carrying at least six tines on at least one antler. Many trophy areas in British Columbia offer rifle hunting during the rut, an option that has become increasingly rare in North America, with a few notable exceptions.

California
Elk Population: 1,500 Rocky Mountain Elk,
6,000 Roosevelt’s, 3,900 Tule
Bull/Cow Ratios: 20 to 90/100
Nonresidents: $143 nonrefundable hunting license plus $1,163 elk tag.
The state’s coveted elk tags are in short supply, making general drawing odds slim. There are three auction tags: one for Grizzly Island, one for Owens Valley and one multiple-zone tag in which recipients can choose to hunt one of the three sub-species. A proposal is afoot to allow nonresidents to purchase landowner tags for 2010, a move that could increase access for those who can afford an outfitter. Lucky residents who pull an elk tag can expect excellent conditions this fall. Elk populations are stable to increasing in all areas. Elk are also increasing in the Lake Pillsbury region, where a new hunting area may be opened next fall.

Colorado
Elk Population: 280,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 25/100
Nonresidents: $546 bull tag, $251 antlerless.
Colorado offers a bit of everything. Limited-entry, tough-to-draw tags provide a legitimate shot at a world-class bull in some units, such as those in the northwest corner of the state, but hunters need 15 to 20 preference points to draw. Over-the-counter tags are widely available, giving hunters a shot at a bull. Most will be spikes and raghorns but mature bulls can be found in these hard-hunted units. The state also allots a plethora of antlerless licenses—though around 10,000 less than last year—giving meat hunters excellent odds. Hunters should have more opportunity at mature bulls this year as the harvest was generally down last year because of weather.

Idaho
Elk Population: 107,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 10 to 50/100
Nonresidents: $142 hunting license plus $373 elk tag.
Have wolves eaten all the elk in Idaho? Not even close, says Brad Compton of Idaho Fish and Game. “We still have some good elk hunting. Wolves have had an impact on our herds in some parts of the state, but they’ve not been decimated like it’s been publicized.” Elk populations are fairly stable statewide with areas of western Idaho trending upward, while wolves have had the biggest impact on the Lolo and Sawtooth zones on the Idaho/Montana border. For 2009, caps will occur on tags offered in the Sawtooth and Diamond Creek elk zones. Idaho elk hunters enjoy around a 20 percent success rate on average. In an area such as the Lolo zone, elk are holing up more often in security cover. Compton suggests hunters who enjoy hunting whitetails in cover should try the same tactics for elk.

Kentucky
Elk Population: 10,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 35 to 40/100 (branch-antlered)
Nonresidents: $130 hunting license plus $365 elk tag.
Kentucky’s herd in the 16-county elk restoration zone could soon hit 11,000 animals. Giant typical and nontypical bulls are killed each season, making the state’s elk hunt wildly popular. With such robust numbers, Kentucky is upping its tag offerings by a large portion this season, boosting available licenses by more than 50 percent. The state will offer 250 bull permits and 750 antlerless permits, with 10 percent of the tags going to out of staters. Those who don’t draw can look to landowners who auction their permits or to auctioned Commissioner Tags.

Montana
Elk Population: 150,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 5 to 25/100
Nonresidents: $593 for regular drawing, $1,500 for outfitter sponsored tags.
Elk populations in Montana remain at or above management objectives in most areas, but many hunters will have to work harder to find elk this fall. Quentin Kujala of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks says tough wintering conditions in portions of western Montana decreased the number of yearling animals. Some areas will no longer offer over the counter, either-sex tags. Wolf impacts near Yellowstone National Park appear to be stressing elk populations. Anecdotal evidence from popular hunting grounds in the Snowcrest, Ruby, Centennial and Gravelly ranges suggest that wolves are dispersing elk in ways that make for tougher hunting. Finding a mature bull will remain tough in the region between Butte and Boulder, where extensive road access keeps bull/cow ratios extremely low. All in all, though, Treasure State hunters can expect a fine season.

Nevada
Elk Population: 11,000
Bull/Cow Ratio: 40/100
Nonresidents: $142 hunting license plus $1,200 bull tag or $500 antlerless tag.
With a 14 percent increase in adult elk numbers and a slight boost in bull/cow ratios from 2008, Nevada’s elk are thriving. Most areas have seen modest herd expansion with fairly rapid growth in Elko County. About 75 percent of the state’s elk are located in the eastern part of the state, where massive fires have converted brushlands to grasslands, hurting mule deer but boosting elk numbers. All of the state’s elk tags are issued by lottery. No matter where you hunt, the outlook is as good this season as it’s been in years.

New Mexico
Elk Population: 80,000
Bull/Cow Ratio: 45/100
Nonresidents: $547 standard bull tag, $772 quality bull tag.
For elk hunters, the “Land of Enchantment” lives up to its nickname with great opportunities to hunt elk in unique habitat, with potential for big bulls. From a management perspective, units fall into two categories: “quality” units that are managed for bigger bulls with low hunter densities, and “opportunity” units that have higher tag allotments to give more people a shot at an elk. Hunter success rates typically run from 35 to 50 percent in the quality units with many of the bulls killed being 6 years old or older. But hunters in the opportunity units do very well by most standards. Success rates run from about 12-30 percent. Overall, the state’s elk population is stable to slightly increasing.

Oregon
Elk Population: 120,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 12 to 30/100
Nonresidents: $439.
Oregon’s elk population trend has been stable over the past decade. The state’s herd is split almost equally between the Roosevelt’s sub-species in the west and Rocky Mountain to the east, groups that see notably different management. For the most part, general season hunting with over-the-counter licenses reigns in the west, while limited-entry regulations dominate in the east. Bowhunting is the exception, with most areas open to archers carrying a general tag. “Conditions should be fair to good, similar to last year,” says Test. Success rates are higher in limited entry units, but hover around 10 percent for general season hunting.

Saskatchewan
Elk Population: 15,000
Bull/Cow Ratio: 20/100
No nonresident tags available.
Saskatchewan’s elk fared well last winter. Snowpack across the province was variable but didn’t adversely affect elk populations. During the winter of 2008, two elk in the Nipawin area were found dead. Both tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), the first confirmed cases of the disease in free-ranging elk in the province. However, wildlife officials have been monitoring CWD for nearly 10 years after a mule deer in the Manitou Hills tested positive. Although the disease has the potential to adversely affect elk numbers, massive die-offs aren’t likely. CWD has plagued elk in several states, including parts of Colorado, without the disastrous effects some biologists predicted when it was discovered. Elk populations remain healthy and growing across the province, with a fine hunting season predicted for this fall.

Utah
Elk Population: 67,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 15 to 80/100
Nonresidents: $65 hunting license, plus $388 general tag, $795 limited entry tag, or $1,500 premium limited entry tag (allows hunting in all weapon seasons within a unit).
Utah is viewed by many hunters as one of the top destinations for trophy bulls, especially after last fall’s “Spider Bull” became the new world’s record nontypical. Elk enjoy rich habitat with populations stable or trending upward across the state. Permits are limited but over-the-counter bull tags are available if you’re willing to take a spike. New for 2009 is a regulation change that also allows the harvest of spike bulls in limited-entry units with an over-the-counter tag. Fewer unlimited areas allow hunting for any bull. Most of these are found in designated wilderness areas on the north and south slopes of the Uinta Mountains, where success rates run around 15 percent.

Washington
Elk Population: 58,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 12 to 20/100 in most units
Nonresidents: $396.
Bull/cow ratios are at management objectives nearly everywhere. Couple that with a snowy but manageable winter where no areas suffered above average mortality, and hunters should expect a favorable hunting season. Bull/cow ratios in some Blue Mountains areas are running the highest in the state. Overall elk numbers remain stable in the Evergreen State with slight increases in the northeast and some decreases in the southwest where managers have moved aggressively to trim the herd in the Mt. St. Helens area. Washington still offers over the counter bull tags for Roosevelt’s elk in the west and Rocky Mountain elk in the east. Bulls in the west must have at least three points on one antler, while spikes-only can be taken on a general tag in the east.

Wyoming
Elk Population: 105,000
Bull/Cow Ratios: 11 to 40/100
Nonresidents: $577 for regular drawing, $1057 for special drawing, $288 for cow/calf.
Cowboy State elk populations are at or above objective and elk hunting opportunities have never been higher. Antlerless tags are abundant. Hunters can anticipate an exceptional elk season, with a few exceptions. Jeff Obrecht of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department cautions that access to the elk-factory Laramie Peak area is problematic with public lands highly fragmented and private lands heavily leased. Reduced forage on winter range left elk struggling in the southwest. Bull-to-cow ratios remain low east of Jackson where biologists are observing just 11 bulls to 100 cows. Leftover tags (after the drawing in 2009) went on sale on a first-come, first-served basis in early July.

One of the most notable changes in elk country for 2009 could be a wolf hunt in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Stay tuned to the respective state wildlife agencies for news and details. RMEF is a vocal supporter of state-regulated hunting to manage restored populations of gray wolves. For more info, visit www.rmef.org.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

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Elk Hunt Forecast for 2009

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Excess grazing by ungulates, which are hooved mammals, such as elk, moose, mule deer and pronghorns, has decimated willows and other woody plants in the refuge that provide nesting habitat for songbirds and cover for fish.

The conservationists planted approximately 150 willow stems along a quarter-mile stretch of Flat Creek. Next, the crew hauled in logs from a dismantled hay stackyard and placed them haphazardly among the willows to create unstable footing and deter elk. The technique, called “jackstraw,” takes its name from the children’s game in which a set of straws is dropped in a heap, with each player in turn trying to remove one at a time without disturbing the rest. The jackstraw technique has been previously used in northern areas of the National Elk Refuge to promote regeneration of aspen.

The logs were also laid overhanging Flat Creek to provide cover for trout. An increase in willows may also eventually benefit songbirds, though the small scale of the test area is not expected to improve much of the bird habitat.

The three-year trial includes three small sample areas:

· One featuring willows underplanted with the jackstraw technique; · A second in which willows were planted without jackstraw (the control group); and · The third location with jackstraw in an existing browsed area to measure future use of the site and regeneration.

Biologists from the Wyoming Game & Fish Department and National Elk Refuge plan to take measurements again in September to compare with data recorded in June.

For more information: http://www.fws.gov/nationalelkrefuge or 307-733-9212.

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Caution: Elk Playing Jackstraw in an Effort to Restore Willow Trees

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Wa - -(AmmoLand.com)- The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking volunteers to participate in a cooperative arrangement that has given hunters access to approximately 250,000 acres of private timberlands near Mount St. Helens in the last two years.

For the third year, Weyerhaeuser Company is prepared to give hunters holding special elk permits additional motorized access to miles of private logging roads on the St. Helens Tree Farm – provided that enough volunteers can be found to assure a safe and orderly hunt.

Key tasks for volunteers include orienting hunters, staffing access points and maintaining safety buffers between hunters and active Weyerhaeuser operations, said Sandra Jonker, regional wildlife manager for WDFW.

The program attracted 54 volunteers in 2007 and 61 volunteers last year, Jonker said.

“We hope the number of committed volunteers continues to rise every year as more people hear about the program,” she said. “As before, the amount of timberland that will be opened to hunting will be in direct proportion to the number of volunteers that sign up.”

To participate in the St. Helens Land Access Program, volunteers can sign up at:

WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/about/volunteer/sainthelens/
WDFW Region 5 Office, 2108 S.E. Grand Boulevard, Vancouver, Wash., (360-696-6211).
Bob’s Sporting Goods, 1111 Hudson Street, Longview.
Participants will be required to attend one of six orientation sessions, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on the dates and at the locations noted below:

Sept. 2, Sept. 30, Nov. 4 and Nov. 18 at the Cowlitz PUD, 961 12th Ave., Longview.
Sept. 23 at the Olympia Natural Resource Building, Room 172, 1111 Washington St. S.E., Olympia:
Oct. 1 at the Vancouver Regional Office, 2108 Grand Blvd., Vancouver, WA.
Volunteer organizations, led by the Southwest Washington Land Access Coalition, have secured funding to reimburse volunteers for mileage accrued as participants in the program.

Other partners in the program include Eyes In the Woods, Cowlitz Game & Anglers, Washington State Archer Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Yacolt Burn Sportsmen Club, Vancouver Wildlife League and the Washington State Bowhunters.

The partnership between WDFW, Weyerhaeuser and the volunteer organizations is designed to expand hunter access to portions of the St. Helens Tree Farm that lie within game management units (GMUs) 520 (Winston), 524 (Margaret), 550 (Coweeman) and 556 (Toutle).

Jonker said the access program – combined with the issuance of additional special hunting permits – has helped to increase harvest levels over the past two years throughout the Mount St. Helens elk herd. That is a key goal under the department’s management plan for the herd, the largest of ten elk herds in the state.

“The department’s management plan calls for reducing the herd’s size to about 10,000 animals over five years to bring the number of animals into balance with available habitat,” Jonker said. “We want to thank Weyerhaeuser and all the volunteers participating in the St. Helens Land Access Program for their help in this joint effort.”

The Mount St. Helens Elk Herd plan, adopted in 2006, is available on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/elk/sthelens.htm .

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Volunteers Needed To Help Facilitate Access For Special-Permit Elk Hunts Near Mount St. Helens

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA –-(AmmoLand.com)- The “long-arm of the law” caught up with George Isenberg Jr., 52, of Venetia, Washington County, who recently pled guilty of one count of unlawfully transporting illegal game into Pennsylvania, and concluded an investigation that began in January.

In January, information was given to Game Commission WCO Dan Sitler, who serves the northern district of Washington County, about Isenberg shooting a bull elk in Colorado without having a valid bull elk license issued in that state.

“The Colorado Division of Wildlife was notified of the investigation and information was shared between officers of both states regarding the investigation and findings,” WCO Sitler said. “Two search warrants were executed in January: one for high school attendance and excuse records; and the second on the Isenberg’s residence.

“The first warrant showed that his son, who actually was the one issued the bull tag was back in Pennsylvania attending school. The second warrant on the residence produced 98 packages of meat and two 2008 Colorado hunting licenses.”

Isenberg gave a written statement admitting to the taking of the 5×5 bull elk. After pleading guilty, he was ordered to pay fines and court costs of $566.50 in Pennsylvania. Earlier, he pled guilty to Colorado violations and was fined more than $2,800.

Along with the fines imposed he will also have his license revoked in Colorado and Pennsylvania.

However, Richard Palmer, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Protection, noted that since Colorado is a member of the “Wildlife Violator Compact,” along with several other states, those other states enrolled in the compact also will honor the Colorado revocation.

“This is fine example of how two states and their wildlife agencies can work together for a common cause: protecting wildlife,” Palmer said. “It also is one example of how states place differing values on wildlife based on their fines and penalties.”

Facts from the Pennsylvania Game Commission: House Bill 1859, sponsored by House Game and Fisheries Committee Chairman Edward G. Staback (D-Lackawanna), recently was approved by the House and awaits action in the Senate. The bill would increase fines and penalties for poaching. Additionally, House Bill 1832, sponsored by Rep. Marc Gergley (D-Allegheny), would authorize Pennsylvania to join the Wildlife Violator Compact. This bill is awaiting action in the House Game and Fisheries Committee.

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Pennsylvanian Man Guilty Of Illegally Killing Elk In Colorado

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.- -(AmmoLand.com)- Black bears, grizzlies, cougars, wolves, coyotes—just some of the potential looters you may find skulking around the scene of your next successful elk hunt. These tips from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will help keep meat stealers away from your elk carcass.

“Deterring predators ensures all that hard-won protein ends up in your freezer, but personal safety is a factor, too. If you hunt in grizzly country, for example, it’s worth minimizing the risk of surprising a bear that has claimed your kill,” said P.J. DelHomme, hunting editor of the Elk Foundation’s member magazine, Bugle.

Here are five tips for discouraging marauding carnivores:

1. Hang quarters at an unreachable height 100 yards or more from the entrails, etc. Parachute chord works well; it’s small, light, cheap and strong enough for the job. Bring way more than you think you need. Try to select a hanging tree in a relatively open area that can be glassed from at least 300 yards away. If no trees are available, you can hang quarters off a rimrock ledge, too. Prime cuts of meat should get the first trip out.

2. When safe and legal, build a fire next to the quarters. Burn damp, pitchy wood that produces a good plume of smoke. This detracts predators and helps you locate the site on your return trip. Remember to mark the site in your GPS and take compass bearings as a backup.

3. Leave an article of clothing with the quarters, preferably something that’s been close to your skin and absorbed your scent. A brightly colored item also helps you locate the site. Urinate nearby to further saturate the area with human smell.

4. Many hunters won’t carry their rifle or bow once their elk tag has been punched. However, when returning to a carcass, consider carrying a handgun or bear spray for personal protection in case you encounter a defiant critter. Be as noisy and obnoxious as possible as you approach the site. Clap your hands. Sing as loud as you can.

5. Be ready to back off. An elk carcass is never worth fighting over. If a looter is adamant that it needs the meat more than you do, or has rendered your elk unsalvageable, check the state’s hunting regulations. A game warden may issue you a new elk permit.

Additionally, if legal, you may have an opportunity to add the predator to your game bag. Remember that many predator populations need management via state-regulated hunting, same as elk. The Elk Foundation is a vocal supporter of this system for managing restored populations of gray wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, too.

Bugle magazine is a wealth of elk hunting and conservation information. An annual subscription is included with a $35 membership to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. For details, visit www.rmef.org.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

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Keep Predators Away From Your Elk Carcass

Benelli On Assignment host, Joe Coogan and outdoor writer, John Barsness admire a mature Montana bull elk taken with Benelli's R-1 rifle on a wilderness hunt in central Montana.

Benelli On Assignment

ACCOKEEK, MD — -(AmmoLand.com)- This week BOA host, Joe Coogan joins Montana residents, wildlife photographer Denver Bryan and outdoor writer John Barsness in central Montana where Barsness attempts to fill his elk tag with a big 6×6 bull elk. Barsness and Bryan combine their considerable talents to complete an assignment depicting this memorable Western wilderness hunt with Benelli’s R1 rifle.

Watch the challenges Barsness faces in the pursuit of a trophy Rocky Mountain elk, which will be featured in the September 2009 issue of Sports Afield. Don’t miss this exciting rugged-terrain adventure, which is also depicted in spectacular photos by Denver Bryan.

Benelli On Assignment, an original program from Benelli TV, now in its third season, teams BOA host, Joe Coogan with editors, writers and photographers from national outdoor publications to field test and showcase Benelli products at top hunting spots around the world.

From Argentina’s incredible dove-filled skies to North America’s waterfowl-packed marshes and spectacular plains and prairies, BOA presents the very best in hunting adventure that is also featured on the pages of your favorite outdoor magazine.

Catch BOA each week on VERSUS every Friday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 8:30 am. Below are the dates and times of upcoming BOA TV shows.

Date Time Episode
Aug. 7 5:00 pm Montana Elk
Aug. 9 8:30 am Montana Elk
Aug. 14 5:00 pm Texas Whitetail
Aug. 16 8:30 am Texas Whitetail
Aug. 21 5:00 pm Michigan Grouse & Woodcock
Aug. 23 8:30 am Michigan Grouse & Woodcock
Aug. 28 5:00 pm Montana Muley
Aug. 30 8:30 am Montana Muley
Sept. 4 5:00 pm South Dakota Pheasants
Sept. 6 8:30 am South Dakota Pheasants
Sept. 11 5:00 pm Florida Quail/Potomac Ducks
Sept. 13 8:30 am Florida Quail/Potomac Ducks
Upcoming Episodes

For more information on Benelli TV shows airing on VERSUS and for current schedules and show times for this exciting new season of BOA log on to www.benellitv.com.

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This Week’s Benelli On Assignment – Montana Elk

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA – -(AmmoLand.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today announced that agency is planning to webcast its public drawings for the 2009 elk hunting licenses and the 2009-10 bobcat season permits. To view the drawing, a special icon will be posted online on Sept. 11, the day of the public drawing, for individuals to click on and watch the drawing

“Each year, tens of thousands of individuals apply for an elk license or bobcat permit,” Roe said. “Unfortunately, not all of them can make it to the public drawings and we are unable – due to financial limitations – to send everyone who applied a letter to let them know whether they were drawn.

“By webcasting the drawings, we hope to allow more people to view these events without having to travel.”

Roe also noted that those who have submitted applications can check the status of their applications for the elk and bobcat drawings, as well as their antlerless deer license applications, thanks to the new Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS).

To access the information, go to the Game Commission website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), and click on the blue box in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage. Click on the “Purchase License Permit and or Application/Replace License and or Permit” option, which includes the ability to “Check on the status of any Lottery Application,” scroll down and click on the “Start Here” button at the bottom of the page. At this page, choose one of the identification options below to check your records, fill in the necessary information and click on the “Continue” button. Click on the appropriate residency status, which will display your current personal information. At the bottom of the page, choose the “Check on the status of any Lottery Application” button, and then hit “Continue.”

“While this may seem like a lot of clicking and box checking to get to the information, the system is designed to protect an individual’s personal information, while at the same time enabling that person to check on the status of his or her applications,” Roe said. “In the past, the only way to know for sure that you were awarded an elk license or bobcat permit was to attend the public drawings, wait for a letter in the mail or to call the Game Commission.

“This year, thanks to PALS, we will be able to update the data files for each license buyer shortly after the bobcat and elk public drawings are completed so that license buyers will be able to see for themselves if they were drawn for one of the 1,780 bobcat permits or 59 elk licenses.”

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Pa Game Commission To Webcast Public Game Tag Drawings