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

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA – -(AmmoLand.com)- Hunters looking to participate in this year’s Pennsylvania elk season have until Aug. 28 to submit an application through the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s new Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS). This can be done at any issuing agent or through the “Buy Your Hunting License Now” icon in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage. There is no paper application process this year.

Applicants must pay a $10.70 non-refundable application fee to be included in the drawing. Details on the elk season and drawing are available on pages 89-91 of the 2009-10 Pennsylvania Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, which is provided to license buyers.

On Sept. 11, the Game Commission will hold a public, computerized drawing in the auditorium of its Harrisburg headquarters. At that time, the agency will award the 59 elk licenses, the first 20 drawn will receive an antlered license and the next 39 drawn will receive an antlerless license.

By law, only one application is permitted per person, and PALS will prohibit an individual from submitting more than one application.

Individuals are not required to purchase a resident or nonresident general hunting license to apply for the drawing. However, if they are drawn for one of the elk licenses, hunters then will be required to purchase the appropriate resident or nonresident general hunting license and view the elk hunt orientation video produced by the Game Commission before being permitted to purchase the elk license. The elk license fees are $25 for residents and $250 for nonresidents.

There is no cap, or limit, for the number of licenses that may be awarded to nonresidents. Individuals who were not awarded an elk license in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 or 2008 have six preference points heading into this year’s drawing if they submit an application this year, and will have their name entered into the drawing seven times (six preference points plus the point for this year’s application).

As part of the preference point system established by the agency in 2003, consecutive applications are not required to maintain previously earned preference points, but those points can be activated only in years that a hunter submits an application. For instance, if a hunter has six preference points, but does not enter the 2009 drawing, he/she will not have any chances in the upcoming drawing. However, their preference points will remain on hold until they apply again. Once a hunter is awarded an elk license – either an antlered or antlerless elk license – the hunter’s preference points will revert to zero.

Those applying for an elk license can choose either an antlered or antlerless elk license, or they may select both categories on their application. For those who select “antlered only,” if they are drawn after the antlered licenses are allocated, they will not receive an elk license. For those who do receive an antlered elk license, they will not be permitted to re-apply for future elk hunting opportunities for five years. However, those who received an antlerless elk license in any of the previous hunts may submit an application this year.

Applicants also have the opportunity to identify their elk hunt zone preference, or they may select “any.” If drawn and their preference hunt zone is filled, applicants will be assigned a specific area by the Game Commission. To assist applicants in making this decision, information about the elk hunt zones, as well as an elk harvest map depicting the locations of every elk taken by hunters since 2001, are posted on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), and can be viewed by clicking on the “Take a Chance on an Elk Hunt” icon in the center of the homepage.

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Pa Elk Application Due As Deadline Approaches

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA - -(AmmoLand.com)- With the black bear hunting season opening throughout most of the state Aug. 1, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reminds hunters and others recreating outdoors to be safety conscious.

“A variety of people, including hunters, hikers, anglers and campers, share the outdoors in Washington,” said Bruce Bjork, chief of WDFW enforcement. “We all must do our part to stay safe, as well as ensure the safety of others.”

While fatal hunting incidents involving non-hunters are rare, last August in Skagit County a hiker was shot and killed by a hunter who mistook her for a bear. That incident was the state’s first hunting-related fatality involving a non-hunter in at least a quarter-century.

A basic rule for hunters is to “know your target and what’s beyond it” before shooting, said Bjork. That’s one of several important safety rules taught during state hunter-education courses, required for all first-time hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972.

Others spending time outdoors are also advised to take precautions. WDFW offers the following safety tips to anyone recreating outdoors during hunting seasons:

Wear brightly colored clothing: Make yourself visible by wearing bright colors, such as blaze orange. Avoid wearing earth-tones.

Make noise: Alert hunters to your presence by talking, singing or whistling. If you hear someone shooting, let the hunters know you are in the area by raising your voice.
Remain alert and never assume you are alone: Hikers, hunters, forest- product workers and anglers may be present in remote areas.

Be aware of hunting seasons: Hunting seasons occur in Washington throughout the year, except June and July. More information on hunting seasons is available on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm .

The black bear season, which often draws thousands of hunters, is the first of several hunting seasons scheduled to open in the coming weeks. Several other hunts get under way in September, including those for forest grouse and waterfowl, as well as archery seasons for cougar, deer and elk. Popular modern-firearm hunts for deer and elk open later in the fall.

More than 200,000 hunters go afield each year in Washington. Hunting is lawful on most public lands except national and state parks, and on private land with land-owner permission.

For more information about hunting in Washington, visit WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting . Information on hunter safety and hunter education classes can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/huntered .

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Safety Is The Watchword As Hunting Season Nears

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.— -(AmmoLand.com)- Wilderness elk hunting is an athletic endeavor but you don’t need to kill yourself getting in shape. Cameron Hanes, fitness and bowhunting authority as well as TV show host and columnist for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, says moderation in exercise is a key for most hunters.

“You don’t have to be a world-class athlete to build up amazing endurance, but you do have to get started with some sort of workout regimen. Every day you spend in inactivity, you get weaker. Every day that elk move through high country, they get stronger. And the longer you wait to exercise, the wider the gap grows,” said Hanes.

Here are five ways to start closing the gap.

1. Try a “commercial workout” when you’re sitting around watching TV. Do push-ups and sit-ups during the commercials. Over the summer months, this exercise can make a big difference.

2. If you’ve been doing nothing recently, there’s no point in running. Going overboard right out of the gate will only make you too sore, cause you to hurt yourself or burnout quickly. Go for a brisk walk instead. Walk for 10 minutes and slowly jog for five. Do this back-to-back for 30 minutes, four times a week, for a couple of weeks. Slowly begin to lengthen the overall workout, then start increasing the jogging time.

3. You needn’t spend tons of time. If you’re at your ideal weight, you need just 30 minutes per day of exercise, minimum. If weight loss is a concern, experts say it takes an hour of exercise each day to lose weight without going on a diet. Thirty minutes will do for weight loss if you both diet and exercise.

4. Hard workouts are not always better. Some of the world’s greatest athletes exercise at “conversation pace,” meaning their pace is easy enough to have a conversation while running. Even many Olympians workout at a comfortable pace 90 percent of the time. As you get into shape, try long (45 minutes or more) comfortable workouts three or four days a week. Then, one day a week, do a harder fast-paced workout.

5. Mix it up. Add some variety to your walking and jogging with cross-training and lifting weights—but keep in mind that almost everything you do in elk hunting begins and ends with your legs. Throw on your pack and climb hills or bleachers. Get on a bike. In the weight room, emphasize squats and lunges. Lots of reps are more important than heavy weights, because for elk hunting you need lean muscle, not size.

When hunting season arrives, Hanes says, remember to pace yourself. The endurance you’ve built over the summer will allow you hunt longer, not necessarily faster or harder. Many hunters tend to overexert at first and hit the wall quickly. Slow, steady hunting for longer periods gives you your best chance to take an elk.

While he admits it’s not for everyone, Hanes prepares for elk season by training for and competing in ultramarathons, races up to 100 miles or more across high-elevation trails. His advice on workouts for hunters spans from basic suggestions for average people to highly technical info for elite athletes in elk country.

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 available at www.cameronhanes.com and is currently in its fifth printing.

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 Country Athlete: 5 Ways to Train for Better Hunting

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.— -(AmmoLand.com)- By facilitating agreements between corporate landowners and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has helped open or secure over 250,000 acres for public hunting access.

The milestone was recognized at a recent meeting of agency commissioners.

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commissioner Dr. Jon Gassett said, “The Elk Foundation has been vital in this process—without them we wouldn’t be nearly as successful in obtaining these landowner agreements. The Elk Foundation gets things done with coal and timber companies that we, as an agency, have a hard time accomplishing. They have built a great relationship with landowners in Kentucky.”

Participating companies include Molpus Timberlands, KY River Properties, Begley Lumber and International Coal Group. Some lands were previously closed, others were historically open but scheduled to be leased—each situation was different.

David Ledford, initiative director for the Elk Foundation in Kentucky, explained, “Each agreement is different because each landowner had specific goals and sideboards. We worked with companies on an individual basis and helped them determine how to structure hunting access on their lands. Some agreements came together quickly, others took time, but the results are good news for hunters in Kentucky.”

At a June 11 meeting, Gassett presented Ledford and RMEF Regional Director Bill Carman with limited edition art prints as a token of thanks from Kentucky hunters.

Most of the state’s 11,300 elk are on private lands. More than 46,000 people applied for a chance to hunt them, and this fall more than 1,000 lucky selectees will take to the hills in pursuit of a Kentucky elk. Helping hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts access this growing resource is imperative, says Ledford.

Gassett said, “The coal industry has done great things for wildlife in Kentucky. In fact, without the coal industry, elk wouldn’t be here. We appreciate what they’re doing for public hunting access, too.”

For more information and regulations governing public hunting opportunities on corporate lands, visit the KDFWR Web site at http://www.kdfwr.state.ky.us.

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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Kentucky Hunting Access Grows with Elk Foundation Help

New York, NY – -(AmmoLand.com)- Senator Byron Dorgan (D- ND) recently set the New York Times straight by responding to an opinion piece the paper ran criticizing the Senator’s common sense plan to manage the overpopulation of elk within Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Sen. Dorgan’s has been working on legislative language that will allow a limited public elk hunt in order to cull an overpopulation of the species that has emerged in the park. The New York Times blasted Sen. Dorgan with this editorial from July 7 stating, “The idea violates both common sense and the very idea of a national park.” It went on to criticize the possibility of establishing a precedent that could be applied to other parks while praising the use of “hired sharpshooters” as a “more efficient and less expensive way” of managing the population.

Sen. Dorgan responded with an opinion piece that offered a point by point rebuttal of the New York Times assertions.  The Senator turned the newspaper’s notion of common sense back on the editors by explaining the obvious case that “allowing North Dakota hunters to volunteer their time, at no cost, and to take the animal carcasses out of the park themselves — exactly the kind of solution Teddy Roosevelt would have wanted.”

Common sense lessons from the government.  Thank you, Senator Dorgan, for so well explaining the role that American hunters have played in wildlife management for more than 100 years.  Although The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance sent in its own rebuttal, we could not have done any better.

About:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.

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Senator Sets New York Times Straight on Elk Management

Hunter's Specialties

Cedar Rapids, IA - -(AmmoLand.com)- For over twenty five years the name Wayne Carlton has been synonymous with elk calling. PrimeTime Bulls 7 – 25 Years of Elk Hunting Evolution with Wayne Carlton covers the entire history of the elk calling revolution.

Wayne has seen it all, from his first combination of a diaphragm turkey call with a swimming pool hose for a bugle tube, to the latest innovations, including the Mac Daddy and Squeeze Me calls and the use of Scent-A-Way to fool the elk’s nose.

Primetime Bulls 7 celebrates the growth and development of the sport over the last quarter century, along with the development of Wayne Carlton Calls. It includes vintage video of Wayne calling in all types of animals and ends with his latest hunt where he takes the largest elk of his hunting career, a monster bull scoring nearly four hundred inches.

In addition to the great footage of Wayne, PrimeTime Bulls 7 also features great hunts with Al Morris and the rest of the Hunter’s Specialties family.

The DVD sells for a suggested retail price of $12.99. A Wayne Carlton Calls window sticker is included.

For more information, log onto the Hunter’s Specialties website at www.hunterspec.com, write to 6000 Huntington Court NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402, or call a Consumer Service Specialist at 319-395-0321.

About:
Hunter’s Specialties is the world’s largest manufacturer of hunting accessories and has been producing quality products since 1977. Hunter’s Specialties manufactures over 900 products. Owners David and Carman Forbes, who live by the company motto “For Sportsmen, By Sportsmen,” started H.S. with just one product–No-Mar Camo Gun & Bow Tape.

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Experience Twenty Five Years Of Elk Hunting Evolution On Primetime Bulls 7 DVD

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.— -(AmmoLand.com)- Sixteen counties in Wisconsin are slated for wildlife habitat conservation and education projects using $53,172 in new grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 2009 RMEF grants will affect Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Door, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Iowa, La Crosse, Marathon, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Ozaukee, Price, Sawyer and Washington counties.

“Our volunteers across Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin projects, listed by county:

Ashland County—Provide funding for radio telemetry equipment operated by students from Glidden High School to research elk habitat use and movement patterns in the Clam Lake area (also affects Price County).

Burnett County—Sponsor Coyland Creek Youth in the Outdoors Day to educate area youths about conservation.

Door County—Sponsor RMEF Door County Chapter 2009 Youth Sporting Event to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation.

Green Lake County—Sponsor Green Lake County Hunter Education Outdoor Skills Day to introduce youths to conservation and outdoor recreation (also affects Fond du Lac County).

Iowa County—Sponsor West Park Youth Fishing Day to introduce young people to outdoor recreation.

La Crosse County—Sponsor Kicking Bear Youth Event to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation.

Marathon County—Sponsor Marathon County 2009 Sporting Heritage Youth Day to introduce young people to conservation and outdoor recreation.

Monroe County—Sponsor Monroe County Hunter Education Program to teach safety, ethics and stewardship.

Oconto County—Sponsor Boy Scouts of America Bay-Lakes Council Hunter Education course to teach safety, ethics and stewardship.

Oneida County—Sponsor Oneida County Sheriff’s Department 2009 Gun Safety Program to teach hunter safety and education.

Ozaukee County—Sponsor Ozaukee County 2009 Hunter Education Program to teach hunter safety and education.

Price County—Sponsor Phillips Area 2009 Youth Field Day to introduce youths and others to conservation and outdoor recreation.

Sawyer County—Provide funding for highway warning systems, including a warning light, triggered by the radio collars on many elk in the area, to reduce vehicle collisions with elk (also affects Ashland, Bayfield and Price counties); provide funding for research on genetic variability and health of elk in Clam Lake area (also affects Ashland, Bayfield and Price counties); mow 55 acres, hand cut trees and shrubs on 30 acres and prescribe burn 5 acres to improve forage habitat for elk and other wildlife in Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (also affects Ashland and Bayfield counties); sponsor Hayward Middle School National Archery in the Schools Program; sponsor Hayward High School David Brinkman 2009 Memorial Scholarship; sponsor Hayward 2009 Outdoor Youth Day.

Statewide—Sponsor Wisconsin 2009 Outdoor Education Expo for 3,500 youths; sponsor a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources biologist’s attendance at 2009 Eastern Elk Management Workshop; provide funding to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for printing the state hunting regulations booklets.

Washington County—Sponsor Daniel Boone Conservation League Hunter Safety Education program to teach hunter safety and education.

Partners for 2009 projects in Wisconsin include Glidden High School, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, U.S. Forest Service, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, other agencies, corporations, landowners and organizations.

Since 1984, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed more than 160 conservation projects in Wisconsin with a value of more than $5.3 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 16 Wisconsin Counties

Women on Target

Fairfax, VA - -(AmmoLand.com)- Whether you are a seasoned huntress who has hunted most of the North American game, or a new huntress who wants to learn how to hunt, Women on Target has the opportunity for you.

Hey Guys! Surprise that special lady in your life with one of these exciting hunts.

Hey Gals! Come join your fellow huntresses on an adventure…you won’t be disappointed!

Since 1999, Women on Target® has brought together women who share a love of the outdoors. Huntresses will have the chance to hunt a wide variety of game through our diverse hunts. Elk, quail, boar, turkey, deer, dove, antelope, bear, goose, duck and pheasant hunts have brought hundreds of women to our excursions.

• Elk in Colorado
• Canada Geese, Ducks, Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock in Maine
• Pheasant and Chukar in Nebraska
• Whitetail Doe, Wild Hog, Coyote and Bobcat in Oklahoma
• Feral Hog and Bass in Texas.

Rocky Mountain Elk: October 15-22, 2009─Adventure Experiences, Inc. www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2009gunnison.asp

Canada Geese, Ducks, Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock: October 18-22, 2009─Smoldering Lake Outfitters
www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2009smoldering.asp

Pheasant and Chukar Hunt: November 6-8, 2009─Oak Creek Sporting Club
www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2009brainard.asp

Whitetail Doe, Wild Hog, Coyote and Bobcats: January 1-3, 2010─Addison Ranch www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2010addison.asp

Feral Hog Hunt and Bass Fishing: January 22-24, 2010─Circle T Hunting Ranch www.nrahq.org/women/hunting/2010circlet.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 Announces the 2009 – 2010 Hunting Schedule

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

PIERRE, S.D. – -(AmmoLand.com)- Elk are majestic and prized animals in South Dakota, but they can also cause problems for farmers and ranchers whose crops and haystacks are raided by the big animals.

Each year, the state Game Fish and Parks Department receives reports of elk causing property damage. Among options GFP has available to deal with problem elk herds are depredation hunts.

The state GFP Commission proposed several changes to the elk depredation permit process at its July meeting in Pierre and will hold a public hearing on them next month.

Among proposed changes from last year:

1. Allow elk depredation hunts in areas not designated as elk units.
2. Allow elk depredation hunts before a regular season opens.
3. Base hunter selection for elk depredation hunts on unsuccessful hunters for that unit from the first elk-license drawing, then unsuccessful hunters for that unit from the second license drawing, followed by those who were not successful in getting elk licenses at all for that unit, and finally unsuccessful applicants for elk units closest to the depredation hunt area.
4. Base hunter selection for pre-season depredation hunts on successful elk-license applicants for that unit, then unsuccessful license applicants for that unit, followed by unsuccessful elk-license applicants for elk units closest to the depredation hunt area.
5. Collect fees only from elk depredation hunters who did not pay for licenses during the current season.
6. Unsuccessful applicants selected for depredation hunts who elect to participate would not lose their preference points.

People who would like to provide written comments on the proposal may do so until 5 p.m. Wed., Aug. 5. Comments may be mailed to: Game, Fish and Parks Commission, 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, S.D., 57501, or e-mailed to wildinfo@state.sd.us

All comments must have senders’ full names and addresses in order to become part of the public record.

Comments may also be presented in person at the Aug. 6 GFP Commission meeting in Mobridge, at the Wrangler Inn, during the 2 p.m. CDT public hearing

About:
The purpose of the Department of Game, Fish and Parks is to perpetuate, conserve, manage, protect, and enhance South Dakota’s wildlife resources, parks, and outdoor recreational opportunities for the use, benefit, and enjoyment of the people of this state and its visitors, and to give the highest priority to the welfare of this state’s wildlife and parks, and their environment, in planning and decisions.

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Changes to S.D. Elk Depredation Permits Proposed

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.— -(AmmoLand.com)- Fifteen counties in Wyoming are slated for wildlife habitat conservation projects using $352,547 in new grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 2009 RMEF grants will affect Albany, Bighorn, Carbon, Converse, Laramie, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Uinta, Washakie and Weston counties.

Additional projects have statewide interest.

“Our volunteers across Wyoming 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 Wyoming projects, listed by county:

Bighorn County—Prescribe burn 300 acres of juniper and mountain sagebrush to improve forage for elk, bighorn sheep, mule deer, sage grouse and antelope in BLM Devil’s Canyon area.

Carbon County—Continue efforts to secure 1,561-acre conservation easement on a private ranch containing elk habitat surrounded by subdivision and energy developments; prescribe burn 2,775 acres to improve elk winter range in Medicine Bow National Forest Big Sandstone area; thin and prescribe burn to improve habitat in Sierra Madre/Little Snake River area of Medicine Bow National Forest; clean ditches and install 1,500 feet of pipeline to improve and expand irrigation and forage on elk winter range at Pennock Mountain Wildlife Management Area; install wildlife friendly fencing and water troughs at two springs to improve use by livestock and elk in BLM Romios Spring area.

Converse County—Using prescribed fire, restore grasses, forbs, aspen and water availability for elk and other wildlife on the North Laramie Range (also affects Albany, Natrona and Converse counties); sponsored deer/antelope hunts with Paralyzed Veterans of America; sponsored Wyoming State 4-H Shooting Sports Competition for about 500 youths competing in pistol, rifle, archery, muzzleloader and shotgun skills.

Laramie County—Install three fence-exclosures around spring water sources to restore riparian areas for elk along BLM North Crow Creek area.

Lincoln County—Utilize biological and chemical control mechanisms, control weed infestations to enhance forage for elk in Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Natrona County—Thin and prescribe burn encroaching conifer and sagebrush to improve aspen communities and forage for elk in Bates Creek watershed; remove overgrown conifer on 215 acres of curl leaf mahogany habitat in BLM Lost Creek area.

Park County—Support research project to study elk migration timing and routes in relationship to private lands, and study habitat use by elk and wolves in Absaroka Mountains.

Sheridan County—Thin 200 acres of encroaching forest to improve elk habitat in Bighorn National Forest; install weed-catchers to enhance structural support for beaver dams, which will restore stream morphology and riparian meadows along Big Willow Creek in Bighorn National Forest.

Sublette County—As part of a continuing stewardship project, thin overgrown forest to restore aspen and grasslands habitat for elk and other wildlife on privately owned, publicly accessibly timberlands.

Statewide—Sponsor Hunting and Fishing Heritage Expo, firearms handling and shooting clinics for youth and women, and Access Yes programs with Wyoming Game and Fish Department; newspaper advertising across Wyoming to celebrate RMEF achievements in conjunction with National Hunting and Fishing Day; radio advertising to build public awareness of RMEF achievements.

Sweetwater County—Develop water source with solar power to ensure water for livestock, elk and other wildlife on BLM lands.

Teton County—Prescribe burn 3,264 acres of elk winter and transition range to improve forage and aspen along Lower Gros Ventre area in Bridger-Teton National Forest; provide funding for “Don’t Poach the Powder” campaign to help protect elk winter range near Jackson Hole (also affects Lincoln County); sponsored Great Elk Tour at Jackson Hole ElkFest.

Uinta County—Prescribe burn 455 acres of conifer slash to open habitat for aspen and grasslands habitat preferred by elk in Wasatch National Forest.

Washakie County—Thin 800 acres of juniper encroachment and restore sagebrush and grassland on elk winter range in BLM Rome Hill area.

Weston County—Seed 100 acres of native grass in a cleared, aspen regeneration project area for elk and other wildlife in Parmlee Canyon.

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

Since 1984, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed more than 380 conservation projects in Wyoming with a value of more than $36.3 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 15 Wyoming Counties

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.— -(AmmoLand.com)- If you’re a tenderfoot looking to use horses for your elk hunt this fall, do yourself—and your horse—a favor. Follow these 10 tips from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and longtime supporter Smoke Elser, who’s been guiding and outfitting in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness for more than 50 years.

1. Consider taking a riding lesson before your hunt. Learn the basics of mounting and dismounting, reins, leg cues, proper balance and body position. A horse is not an easy chair—a little preparation and skill are required.

2. Be realistic. Even though your horse can carry you over difficult terrain, it cannot carry you over impossible terrain. You’ll need to hike across the steepest, roughest areas. Hopefully, you’re in shape.

3. Stirrup length should be adjusted at the trailhead. Don’t be bashful about insisting on a comfortable fit that allows you to stand up slightly in the stirrups. Having your knees hunched up can be miserable for you and your horse.

4. Horses are a means of transportation from point A to point B, not to the elk. Don’t expect to shoot from atop your pony like Buffalo Bill. In fact, firing a rifle anywhere near horses can be disastrous. Your actual hunt will need to be on foot.

5. Think about clothing. Bring boots that fit easily into stirrups and wear clothing that allows you to mount and dismount easily. For example, coveralls constrict motion and should be avoided. Keeping quiet and warm are factors, too, and wool clothing is both even when wet. Also bring a broad-brimmed hat to help ward off branches to the face and snow down the neck.

6. Let your guide do the saddling and unsaddling. Often hunters want to help but end up improperly cinching, dragging saddles through mud, disassembling bridles down to the last buckle, etc., causing extra work for the guide. Don’t pretend knowledge of horses and tack if you have none.

7. Always let your guide tie up your horse for you. Improper tying can result in a dead or injured horse if they get choked or tangled. More commonly, hunters return to find only the guide’s horse still there. That could mean a long hike back for one of you.

8. Bring a rifle that fits easily into a scabbard. Oversized scopes or Bipods will require disassembly and are impractical. If in doubt, ask your outfitter to recommend appropriate rifles and other gear.

9. Bring what you need, but you don’t need the kitchen sink. Nearly every elk outfitter has funny stories about hunters who insisted on packing things like ice skates, bowling balls, bathrobes, business suits and other nonessentials. But it’s really not funny—overloading is hard on a horse’s loins and kidneys.

10. Wallets in pants pockets tend to work themselves out when you’re riding a horse. Keep your elk tags and personal identification inside your shirt pocket.

Information and tips about elk hunting are regular features inside the Elk Foundation’s bi-monthly member magazine, Bugle. An annual membership, which includes a subscription and base-level support for RMEF habitat conservation efforts, is $35. To join, call 800-CALL ELK or 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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Horse Riding Packing Tips for Greenhorn Elk Hunters

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont.— -(AmmoLand.com)- For the first time in almost 150 years, Tennessee will host an elk hunt this autumn. Five lucky hunters will participate. Four Tennesseans received tags in a special drawing and one remaining tag will be auctioned on eBay July 16-25.

All auction proceeds will support Tennessee’s elk restoration program.

“This hunt is one of the rewards for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s hard work in helping to restore a wild elk herd that was missing in Tennessee for a very long time,” said David Allen, president and CEO of the Montana-based conservation organization. “We hope our supporters will register on eBay and bid enthusiastically as a continuation of our support for this program.”

The hunt will take place at east Tennessee’s North Cumberland WMA Oct. 19-23, 2009.

All five hunters will be invited to an elk camp complete with wall tents, campfires, meals and entertainment. The camp will be held at the property of Terry Lewis near the North Cumberland WMA Elk Viewing Tower. Camp sponsors include the Elk Foundation, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee Wildlife Federation and Campbell Outdoor Recreation Association. Several of these groups are also partnering to promote the sale of the tag.

Tag recipients in the drawing were announced in June. Winners include Craig Gardner, of Parrotsville, Charles Ray Flynn of Rockford, Ronald L. Woodard of Oak Ridge, and Jeffrey L. Moses of Cleveland.

For more information visit www.twrf.net.

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 Tag for Auction on eBay