Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

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

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

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

IMPORTANT PRESEASON DATES FOR HUNTERS

February 16

FWP Commission addresses hunting districts with pending quotas

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

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

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

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

RMEF Team Elk Voted Best New Series on Outdoor Channel

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- “RMEF Team Elk,” the first television program fully owned and produced by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, is being honored as the Fan Favorite Best New Series on Outdoor Channel.

The show premiered in 2011 and new episodes for season-two will begin in July.

“RMEF Team Elk” co-hosts Brandon Bates and Cameron Hanes accepted the honors from Outdoor Channel during the 12th Annual Golden Moose Awards ceremony held as part of the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, Jan. 19, 2012, in Las Vegas. More than 2,000 hunting industry leaders, TV personalities and media personnel attended, with a worldwide audience watching the event live online.

“No show affiliated with RMEF has ever been nominated before, but this year we collected four nominations and received an important win as a fan favorite, so this is very special,” said Steve Decker, vice president of marketing for RMEF.

He added, “‘RMEF Team Elk’ is more than just a TV show. It’s part of a conservation movement that’s making a difference for the future of elk and elk hunters. Since every RMEF member is a part of Team Elk, this is important recognition for all of us and the work that we’re doing together across elk country.”

Decker thanked elk hunters everywhere for watching the show and casting their votes.

Presented by MidwayUSA, “RMEF Team Elk” is sponsored by Weaver, Browning, Brunton, Danner, Hunter’s Specialties, Buck Knives, Eberlestock, Cooper Tires, Sitka, Nosler, Montana Decoy, Budweiser, Under Armour, Archer Xtreme and Buckstop Truckware.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
RMEF is leading a conservation initiative that has protected or enhanced habitat on over 6 million acres–an area larger than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Great Smoky Mountains national parks combined. RMEF also is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. RMEF members, partners and volunteers, working together as Team Elk, are making a difference all across elk country. Join us at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- The 2012 Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information regulations booklet has been posted online at www.azgfd.gov/draw.

Hunters can now start applying for a hunt permit-tag issued through the drawing process.

Paper applications can be submitted either by U.S. mail to Arizona Game and Fish Department, P.O. Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052, or hand-delivered to any Game and Fish office.

The online application service for this draw is expected to be available by early to mid January 2012.

The deadline to apply is Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012 by 7 p.m. (MST). For those mailing their application, remember, postmarks do not count.

A 2012 hunting license is required to apply in the draw, and hunters are reminded that licenses purchased through the draw will not be mailed out until after the drawing process is completed.

2012 Arizona Pronghorn & Elk Hunt Draw Booklet Is Online

Licenses can also be purchased online at the Game and Fish website, and also at Game and Fish offices and more than 300 license dealers statewide.

Please keep in mind that you must have a working printer handy if you purchase your license online. The online system is self-fulfilling and you must print your license at time of purchase.

Apply early to take advantage of the “correction period.” If your application has an error and is received before 5 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2012, you will receive up to three phone calls from Game and Fish in a 24-hour period to help get the application corrected.

After that date, mistakes can cause your application to be rejected.

The printed elk and antelope draw information/regulations booklets are anticipated to be available at department offices and at license dealers statewide around mid January 2012.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department does not receive any of the state’s general funds (tax revenues) to operate.

Wildlife conservation and management of the state’s game animals, which also benefits many nongame species, is made possible through the direct sale of hunting and fishing licenses, big game tags, and matching funds from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program, a federal excise tax on certain hunting and fishing equipment.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Elk season is over, leaving you with another autumn’s worth of memories.

While you’re reminiscing, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation asks you to think about the country where you hunted, how it’s changed through the years and how it’s likely to change in the future.

Here are RMEF’s Top 5 signs that your elk hunting area may need more intensive habitat stewardship:

1. Habitat Fragmentation–Poorly planned subdivisions and ranchettes are eliminating or cutting off key habitat, particularly winter range and migration corridors.
2. Weeds Amok–Knapweed, yellow starthistle, leafy spurge, cheatgrass and other invasive weeds are consuming the West. These noxious exotics kill or displace native forage that elk and other grazing species depend on for forage.
3. Sick Forests–Years of fire suppression and lack of forest management have resulted in dense, choked timber stands piled high with deadfall. These conditions lead to massive beetle infestations, threaten catastrophic wildfire and offer little benefit, other than escape cover, for elk. Yet overgrown, undermanaged forests are becoming more rule than exception.
4. Vanishing Meadows and Aspen Stands–Fire suppression has also allowed pinyon, juniper, fir and other evergreens to overtake meadows and aspen stands. The resulting shade shrivels understory plants, cutting available forage for elk by up to 90 percent.
5. Lack of Water–Because of persistent drought in much of the West, many traditional watering holes are drying up earlier in the year. Elk are forced to abandon historic ranges and follow the water to survive.

Excessive predation by wolves and other predators is exacerbating these problems in many areas.

Since launching in 1984, RMEF has helped address these and other habitat issues on more than 6 million acres. Stewardship projects include weed treatments, prescribe burns, forest thinning, constructing guzzlers and restoring riparian areas, land acquisitions, conservation easements and more.

RMEF also is involved in legal efforts to manage and control wolf populations.

“RMEF members, volunteers and partners are making a difference but there is still much work to do,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We invite everyone who cares about elk, elk country and elk hunting to join us.”

For membership information, visit www.rmef.org or call 800-CALL-ELK.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
RMEF is leading a conservation initiative that has protected or enhanced habitat on over 6 million acres–an area larger than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Great Smoky Mountains national parks combined. RMEF also is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. RMEF members, partners and volunteers, working together as Team Elk, are making a difference all across elk country. Join us at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Arizona Game And Fish Commission Sets 23,383 Permits For Elk

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- The Arizona Game and Fish Commission approved the 2012 hunt seasons for elk and pronghorn antelope during its Dec. 3 meeting in Phoenix, paving the way for hunters to start applying once they have the pertinent information available online in mid December.

The Game and Fish Commission set 23,383 hunt permit-tags for elk (down 1,035 from last year). The commission also set 788 hunt permit-tags for pronghorn antelope (down 21).

Don’t forget that the hunt-permit application deadline for elk and antelope is 7 p.m. MST Feb. 14 at all seven department offices – postmarks don’t count.

The department anticipates having elk and antelope regulations posted online by mid December. Once that is done, hunters can begin submitting applications.

The printed elk and antelope regulations for 2012 will be mailed to license dealers at the end of December and should be available the first week of January.

Keep in mind that the online application process is back and is expected to be available in December, but it may not be available right when the regulations are posted. The department will send out a notification about when the online application process will be available to submit applications for elk and antelope.

Hunters applying manually via the paper applications will want to jot down this date: Jan. 20, which ends the correction period. During the correction period, if you make a mistake on your submitted application, the department will make three attempts within a 24-hour period to notify you by telephone (if a phone number is provided), and give you a chance to correct the mistake.

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.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- The public can now view the proposed hunt recommendations for Arizona’s 2012 elk, pronghorn antelope, and population management seasons by visiting www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.

The annual hunt recommendations establish season dates, open areas, permit levels, and legal method of take to meet management objectives based on the hunt guidelines

The Arizona Game and Fish Department will host six open houses at regional offices statewide where the public will also have the opportunity to preview the recommendations. Although no formal presentation will be made at the open houses, a knowledgeable staff person will be available to discuss regional hunt recommendations.

Open house dates, times and locations are:

• Tuesday, Nov. 22, 3-5 p.m. – Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
• Monday, Nov. 28, 3-5 p.m., Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road
• Tuesday, Nov. 29, 3-5 p.m., Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road
• Tuesday, Nov. 29, 3-5 p.m. – Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th St.
• Tuesday, Nov. 29, 3-5 p.m. – Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive
• Thursday, Dec. 1, 3-5 p.m. – Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road.

The proposed hunt recommendations will be presented to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission for consideration during the Saturday, Dec. 3 portion of the commission’s regular meeting in Phoenix at the Game and Fish headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix. The meeting agenda is posted at www.azgfd.gov/inside_azgfd/meeting_agenda.shtml.

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 Director’s Office, 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 Director’s Office as listed above.

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- The proposed hunt recommendations for Arizona’s 2012 elk, pronghorn antelope, and population management seasons are anticipated to be available for public review beginning Nov. 19 at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s website at www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines, followed by six open houses at regional offices statewide.

The annual hunt recommendations establish season dates, open areas, permit levels, and legal method of take to meet management objectives based on the hunt guidelines.

Although no formal presentation will be made at the open houses, a knowledgeable staff person will be available to discuss regional hunt recommendations.

Open house dates, times and locations are:

• Tuesday, Nov. 22, 3-5 p.m. – Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
• Monday, Nov. 28, 3-5 p.m., Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road.
• Tuesday, Nov. 29, 3-5 p.m., Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road.
• Tuesday, Nov. 29, 3-5 p.m. – Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th St.
• Tuesday, Nov. 29, 3-5 p.m. – Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive.
• Thursday, Dec. 1, 3-5 p.m. – Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road.

The proposed hunt recommendations will be presented to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission for consideration during the Saturday, Dec. 3 portion of the commission’s regular meeting in Phoenix at the Game and Fish headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix.

The public has three options for viewing the meeting:

• Attend the meeting in person in Phoenix;
• View it via video stream at one of six Game and Fish regional offices (Pinetop, Flagstaff, Kingman, Yuma, Tucson and Mesa; addresses are available at www.azgfd.gov/offices);
• View it over the Web at www.azgfd.gov/commissioncam.

Those wishing to submit “blue slips” to present oral comment during the meeting must do so either in person at the Phoenix meeting or at one of the six Game and Fish regional offices showing the video stream.

Once the commission sets the hunt orders, the final regulations are typically available online by the third week of December, which triggers when hunters can begin submitting their applications for the drawing process.

The anticipated application deadline for elk and pronghorn, which is also set at the December Commission meeting, is the second Tuesday of February, pending commission approval. Printed copies of the regulations are typically available in mid to late January.

The big game draw is a lottery-style process for allocating the limited number of Arizona big game hunting permits to applicants. The department typically receives far more applications than the number of permits allocated for elk and pronghorn hunts.

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 Director’s Office, 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 Director’s Office as listed above.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today announced that 53 of the 57 licensed elk hunters were successful during the 2011 elk seasons.

Of that total, 19 were antlered elk and 34 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 supports Pennsylvania’s rich hunting heritage. It’s an unparalleled experience for hunters, without all the travel and expense of a one- or two-week guided elk hunt out West.”

The heaviest antlered elk was taken by William G. Zee, of Doylestown, Bucks County. He took a 930-pound (estimated live weight), 9×8 on Nov. 1, in Goshen Township, Clearfield County. It’s unofficial Boone & Crockett green score was 426 and five-eighths inches. If this score holds up after the required 60-day drying time, it would be ranked second on Pennsylvania’s Big Game Records for non-typical elk.

Other high-scoring antlered elk (all estimated live weights) were: Jesse M. Heiple, of Somerset, Somerset County, took a 772-pound, 8×7 on Nov. 1, in Jay Township, Elk County, which green-scored at 399 and three-eighths inches; Ken Kastely, of Carroll, Ohio, took a 780-pound, 9×9 on Nov. 1, in Covington Township, Clearfield County, which green-scored at 386 and five-eighths inches; and Calvin E. Wallace, of Kylertown, Clearfield County, took a 711-pound, 6×7 on Oct. 31, in Jay Township, Elk County.

The heaviest antlerless elk was taken by Garry L. Foreman, of Hershey, Dauphin County, who harvested a 601-pound (estimated live weight) antlerless elk on Nov. 5, in Jay Township, Elk County.

Those hunters rounding out the top five heaviest (all estimated live weights) antlerless elk harvested were: Daniel W. Saulter, of Coudersport, Potter County, who took a 594-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 3, in Jay Township, Elk County; Gregory Collins, of Clearfield, Clearfield County, who took a 579-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 2, in Goshen Township, Clearfield County; David Grata, of Johnstown, Cambria County, who took a 546-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 1, in Goshen Township, Clearfield County; and Joshua Brubaker, of Edinboro, Erie County, who took a 517-pound antlerless elk on Oct. 31, in Benezette Township, Elk County.

Agency biologists extracted samples needed for chronic wasting disease testing. Results are expected in early 2012.

Roe also noted that Michael McGinnis, of Lyndhurst, Virginia, who was the successful bidder for the Elk Conservation Tag, harvested an antlered elk. McGinnis harvested a 7×9 on Oct. 19, in Jay Township, in Elk County. McGinnis purchased the Conservation Elk Tag during the Safari Club International’s national conference in early 2011, and was able to hunt from Sept. 1-Nov. 5.

Under the state law that created the Elk Conservation Tag, of the $29,000 that McGinnis bid for the tag, $23,200 will go to the Game Commission’s Game Fund and $5,800 will be retained by Safari Club International.

For more information on elk in Pennsylvania, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), put your cursor over “HUNT/TRAP” in the menu bar in the banner, choose “Hunting,” and then click on “Elk” in the listing under “Big Game.”

2011 Elk Hunt Patch Available From Pennsylvania Game Commission

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- The latest in a series of patches to commemorate the annual elk hunt in the Commonwealth is available from the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) or by calling 1-888-888-3459 (toll-free).

The patch costs $6 plus shipping and handling, for a total of $7.32.

To order online, put your cursor over “General Store” in the menu bar at the top of the page, select “Visit the Outdoor Shop” from the drop-down menu listing, click on “Pennsylvania Game Commission Outdoor Shop” .

In the lower left-hand corner, choose “Merchandise” at the top of the page, click on “Patches” in the left-hand column and scroll down to “2011 Elk Hunt Patch” and follow the instructions to order.

In addition, patches celebrating previous elk hunts are available for 2001 through 2010, except for the 2004 elk hunt, which patch sold out.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- The Arizona Game and Fish Department is requesting deer and elk hunters’ continued vigilance in monitoring for chronic wasting disease (CWD) by allowing biological samples of the animals’ lymph nodes to be collected for testing.

CWD has not yet been found in Arizona through regular annual testing since 1998. However, it is present in the neighboring states of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. CWD is fatal to deer and elk; however, there is no evidence that it poses a risk to humans.

“As in past years, the participation of hunters, meat processors, and taxidermists is essential for the department’s CWD surveillance program,” said Clint Luedtke, wildlife disease biologist. “Collection of samples from elk and deer hunters in Game Management Unit 12B (which borders Utah), as well as Units 1 and 27 (which border New Mexico), is crucial in assuring CWD is not in these potential corridors near neighboring states that have detected the disease.”

For Kaibab and Arizona Strip hunters, the Jacob Lake check station will be open for collecting samples on Oct. 6-11 during the juniors-only deer hunt; on Oct. 20-31 for the general deer hunt; and on Nov. 17-28 for the late season hunt. The check station will be operational from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the following exception that the station will close early at noon on Oct. 11, 31 and Nov. 28.

Department biologists will also be collecting samples during the juniors-only elk hunt in Units 1 and 2C from Oct. 7-13. In addition, biologists will be working in the field from Oct. 27-31 in Unit 28, seeking successful hunters to provide samples for the CWD monitoring effort in this area.

Arizona hunters hunting out-of-state
To help prevent CWD from entering the state, Game and Fish asks that all deer and elk hunters hunting outside of Arizona take the necessary precautions before bringing any harvested animals back into the state. Furthermore, hunters should contact the wildlife agency in the state they are hunting, as several states have restrictions on carcass transportation.

Here are some important things out-of-state deer and elk hunters need to know before coming back to Arizona with their deer or elk harvest:

• Do not cut into the spinal cord or remove the head.
• Do not quarter (or other method) the carcass with any of the spinal column or head attached.
• Do not bring the brain, intact skull, or spinal cord back into Arizona.

Successful out-of-state deer and elk hunters need to bone out the meat and package it (either commercially or privately). It is okay to bring back animal hides, as well as skull plates that have been cleaned of all tissue and washed in bleach. Heads from a taxidermist, sawed-off antlers, and ivory teeth are also OK to bring into Arizona.

Other ways to participate
All hunters are encouraged to assist the monitoring effort by bringing in the head of their recently harvested deer or elk to any Game and Fish Department office between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Place the head in a heavy plastic garbage bag for delivery, and keep it cool and out of the sun. If the weather is warm, it is best to either bring in the head within a day of harvest or keep it on ice in a cooler before delivery.

When submitting heads for sampling, please provide accurate, up-to-date hunter information (name, street address, city, state, zip code and phone number) as well as hunt information (hunt number, permit number, game management unit harvested in, county, state, and hunting license), as this information is crucial should a positive CWD sample occur. If this information is not provided, the department will be unable to test the sample.

Test results are now available online at www.azgfd.gov/cwd, by clicking the “Chronic Wasting Disease Test Results” link on the right side of the page.

CWD basics

Here are some guidelines for hunters when out in the field:

• Don’t harvest any animal that appears to be sick or behaves oddly. Call the Arizona Game and Fish Department at 1-800-352-0700 if you see an animal that is very thin, has a rough coat, drooping ears and is unafraid of humans.
• When field-dressing game, wear rubber gloves and minimize the use of a bone saw to cut through the brain or spinal cord (backbone). Bone out the meat. Minimize contact with and do not consume brain or spinal cord tissues, eyes, spleen, or lymph nodes.
• Always wash hands thoroughly after dressing and processing game meat.

The non-hunting public can also help prevent the potential spread of CWD. If you come across any deer fawn or elk calf in the wild, it should be left alone. Don’t assume it has been abandoned by the parent; in all likelihood, it hasn’t. Being a “good Samaritan” and bringing these wild animals into captivity poses a risk to the state’s wildlife resources.

CWD is a neurodegenerative wildlife disease that is fatal to cervids, which include deer, elk and moose. Clinical symptoms include loss of body weight or emaciation, excessive salivation, increased drinking and urination, stumbling, trembling, and behavioral changes such as listlessness, lowering of the head, and repetitive walking in set patterns.

No evidence has been found to indicate that CWD affects humans, according to both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

The department also has had rules in place since 2002 restricting the movement of captive deer and elk into or within the state, and subjecting those animals to marking and reporting requirements.

For more information about chronic wasting disease, visit www.azgfd.gov/cwd or www.cwd-info.org.

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 Director’s Office, 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 Director’s Office as listed above.

Pennsylvania Elk Hunters Harvest 41 Elk In 2010

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- After a five-day delay prompted by Tropical Storm Lee flooding that forced the closure of state offices in the Harrisburg area last week, Pennsylvania Game Commission officials today held a public drawing to award 56 elk licenses for the 2011 season.

The event also was webcast via the agency’s website, drew 599 viewers, and served as a means to enable more people to view the public drawing. All 56 hunters selected to receive a license will be mailed a confirmation letter within about a week.

“Over the past two years, we have been pleased to enable the tens of thousands of individuals who apply for an elk license to find out via our webcast if they had been drawn,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director.

“We recognize everyone who applies is unable to attend and, given our financial limitations, we can’t afford to send everyone who applied for an elk license a letter letting them know whether they were drawn; we only notify those who were selected.

“By webcasting the public drawing, we reached far more than the two dozen people who attended the event at the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters. In fact, according to the webcasting service we used for today’s broadcast, we saw there were 599 people tuned in at one time.”

Roe noted there were 18,253 individuals who applied for the drawing. An additional 487 applicants only purchased a preference point for this year, and were not included in the drawing.

“While state law prevents the agency from publishing a list of today’s winners, thanks to another of the agency’s technological leaps forward, those who were in today’s drawings can check on the status of their applications, by Sept. 23, thanks to the new Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS),” Roe said.

Presently, the status for all elk license applications is listed as “Pending.” Once the database is updated, which is expected by Sept. 23, 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. 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 was to attend the public drawings, wait for a letter in the mail or to call the Game Commission.”

Of the 18 antlered elk licenses, 17 were awarded to Pennsylvania residents, and one awarded to a hunter from Ohio. All 38 antlerless elk licenses were awarded to Pennsylvanians.

Roe noted preference points played a significant role in determining those drawn. According to results, 21 of the individuals selected for an elk license had nine; four of the individuals selected for an elk license had eight; seven had seven preference points; six had six preference points; five had five preference points; two had four preference points; six had three preference points; and five had two preference points.

All 56 elk license recipients will receive in the mail two copies of the Game Commission’s elk hunter orientation DVD, which they must view prior to the elk hunt, and update materials. The second copy is to be previewed by their guide, if they choose to use a guide. Elk license recipients are not required to use a guide.

All elk license recipients must obtain a general hunting license prior to purchasing their elk license. Elk licenses cost $25 for residents and $250 for nonresidents.

In addition to the 56 licenses drawn today, one special Pennsylvania bull elk conservation license was auctioned off by the Safari Club International (SCI) earlier this year at its national convention. The Special Conservation Tag was created by an act of the legislature in 2008. The successful bidder paid $29,000 for this license. Of that, 80 percent will go to the agency to fund habitat development and maintenance work within the elk range. By law, SCI is permitted to retain the remaining 20 percent to defray costs associated with promoting the auction.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

Pennsylvania --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe said the agency’s public drawing for the 2011 elk hunting licenses will be webcast beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 9.

To view the drawing, a “Live Elk Drawing” icon will be 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: www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/. Once Flash Player has been installed, you can watch the drawing.

“Each year, tens of thousands of individuals apply for an elk license,” Roe said.

“Unfortunately, not all of them can make it to the public drawings. And, due to financial limitations, we are only able to send notification letters to those who were selected to receive an elk license. By webcasting the public drawings, more people can view this drawing without having to travel to the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters.”

Beginning at 10 a.m., the agency will conduct the public drawing to award 56 elk licenses. 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 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. 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. “Prior to PALS, the only way to know for sure that you were awarded an elk license 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 elk public drawing is completed so that license buyers will be able to see for themselves if they were drawn for one of the licenses.”

ELK GUIDE PERMIT APPLICATION DEADLINE IS SEPT. 30
Anyone interested in applying to be an elk guide for the upcoming season should submit a completed application to the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Bureau of Wildlife Protection by Friday, Sept. 30. Guide permits cost $25 for residents and $50 for nonresidents.

Anyone convicted of a violation of the Game and Wildlife Code or Game Commission regulations within the last 10 years is ineligible to obtain a guide permit. Applications received from anyone convicted of a violation within the last 10 years will be rejected.

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 717-783-8164, or by contacting any of the Game Commission’s six region offices.

The Board of Game Commissioners created the elk guide permit to allow experienced individuals, especially those who are familiar with or live in the elk range, to serve as guides for those who receive an elk license. However, an elk license recipient is not required to hire a guide.

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

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.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- A trophy bull can turn up almost anywhere in elk country but opportunities to take one are rare.

When a monster steps out, a hunter often has no time to count antler points, much less compute scores. But not always. Sometimes there’s ample chance to really focus and size up an elk in your search for the bull of a lifetime.

Will you know a world-class trophy if you see one?

“All elk hunters are fascinated by antlers, but not everyone recognizes what it takes to grow trophies. Big headgear is a product of genetics, age and nutrition provided by great habitat,” said David Allen, president and CEO of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. “Learning to field judge antlers will help you understand even more about the elk you’re looking at, whether it’s one for the record books–or one to let walk away and grow up.”

RMEF offers the following general guidelines adapted from material provided by Boone and Crockett Club. For details, read “A Boone and Crockett Club Field Guide to Measuring and Judging Big Game.” Visit www.boone-crockett.org.

Counting Points–Most mature bull elk are 6x6s. An elk’s first antlers are usually spikes. In good habitat, a bull may have a 5-point rack as a 2-1/2-year-old and then a small six-point rack as a 3-1/2-year-old. Its best antlers, however, usually come at age 9-1/2 to 12-1/2, so remember that not every 6×6 is a trophy. Instantly identifying a six-point bull is not difficult. The fourth point, sometimes called the dagger point, is normally the longest point and most distinctive feature of an elk rack. If the main beam goes straight back from the dagger you’re almost certainly looking at a five-point antler. If there’s another point rising upward behind the dagger, perhaps making a horizontal “Y,” then you’re looking at a six-point antler.

A perfect, typical trophy rack has a combination of long points, long beams, good mass and a wide spread. However, some of these criteria are more important than others. Let’s look at each.

Beam Length–Most great elk have long main beams. In the all-time records book, the average beam length of the top 10 typical heads is over 58 inches. However, the average beam length of the bottom 10 is 55-4/8 inches–not much difference. If a bull appears able to “scratch his rear-end with his antlers,” it likely has the frame to be a trophy. No need to spend much more time considering beam length.

Inside Spread–Boone and Crockett records show a wide variation on spreads of trophy elk. Interestingly, the narrowest head in the book outscores the widest, which should be enough to tell you that spread isn’t everything. The top 10 typical entries range from 38-2/8 to 53 inches of inside spread for an average of 46-2/8 inches. The bottom 10 range from 38 to 49-4/8 inches for an average of 42-4/8 inches. Again, not a significant difference. In the field, simply look for a spread that stretches well outside the ears. This should indicate a spread somewhere in the low to mid-40s, and that’s really all you need be concerned about.

Mass–Most really big elk have heavy antlers that carry good mass through the length of the main beam. However, mass is very hard to judge. It’s unusual to have a lot of time to look at a big bull and mass is not where you should spend most of it. Just remember that very few elk considered “big” in the more visible characteristics have thin antlers. When hunting, quickly look for antlers that are visibly as large or larger in circumference than the ear bases, which are about 9 inches around. More importantly, the antlers should maintain that thickness to at least the fifth point.

Tine Length–If you have time to study a bull, really look at the tines. Length of the points is the single most important trophy criteria. The good news is that point length is one of the easiest things to judge because there is a yardstick. On a big American elk, the distance from the burr of the antler to the tip of the nose is about 15-4/8 inches. Let’s start at the bottom of the antlers and work up. A curved brow tine that appears to reach the end of the nose will be about 18 inches long. The next two points are usually shorter, but they still need to approach the burr-to-nose yardstick. Now comes the truth-teller, the dagger point. The dagger point is usually the longest point, and on a monster bull it will be half-again longer than the burr-to-nose yardstick, or even almost double that measurement. On a 6×6, the last point matters a lot. It has to be strong, at least 8 or 10 inches. This is less important if the bull is a 7×7, but you still need some inches in the top of the rack.

For a typical American elk, Boone and Crockett requires a minimum of 360 points to enter the Awards Book, and 375 points for entry into the All-time Records Book. For most bulls, inside spread is only 10-15 percent of its score. Mass is usually less than 20 percent. Beam length is worth close to 25 percent. This math means tine length accounts for about 40 percent of the score, sometimes more but rarely less.

So let’s look through the spotting scope at a really good 6×6 American elk. Get your notebook out. The bull seems to have really long beams, almost scratching his rump. Estimate 55 inches on each side: 110 points. Spread is fairly wide but not noticeably splayed out. Figure 45 inches of inside spread: 45 points. Mass isn’t huge, but pretty good. It starts at a normally heavy 9 inches and keeps it pretty well, maybe 30 inches of circumference on each antler: 60 points. So far, the bull is totaling 215.

Now let’s work out the points. The brow tines curve nicely and seem to pass the tip of the nose, about 18 inches each: 36 points. The next two points are about 16 inches each on both sides: 64 points. The daggers are quite good, about half again longer than the burr-to-nose yardstick. Let’s give them 22 inches each: 44 points. The back fork is also pretty good, about 8 inches on each side: 16 points.

Assuming both sides are equal, with no deductions for lack of symmetry, and you’re looking at a bull that will score 375–a Boone and Crockett-class typical bull!

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 5.9 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

Montana Wildlife Federation

Montana --(Ammoland.com)- FWP is seeking 8-12 individuals to serve on a working group to collaboratively identify the central issues and fundamental objectives that define effective elk management, and potential alternatives for elk archery regulations in support of effective management.

Any “consensus” products could be directed into the 2012-13 biennial season-setting process starting in December 2011. The FWP Commission is not obligated to any adoption.

Interested Individuals:

• Must be able to travel and actively participate in multi-day meeting on July 25, 26, August 24-25, Sept 19-20, and Oct 17-18 in Miles City, Lewistown, Malta or Billings (to be determined). Mileage, lodging and meal costs associated with these meetings will be covered.
• Must be committed to collaboratively developing consensus on equitable potential refinements to the archery regulations in support of effective elk management (including crowding, equity, consistency, and effective population management) across private and public lands in the Missouri Breaks and 22 hunting districts outside the Breaks.
• Must be willing to think of and consider creative solutions to solving complex problems.
• Must be willing to actively participate in a facilitated structured decision-making process that incorporates effective elk management, as well as making specific recommendations concerning allocation of opportunity in elk archery regulations.
• Must be willing to support a model of conservation in Montana that incorporated different stakeholder values and results in effective elk management over time.

In pursuit of an effective and diverse group that is both representative and respectful, no automatic preference will be assigned any group or individual. Rather, individual nominations will be assessed for the perspective they represent and for their visible willingness and ability to comprehensively engage the discussion.

Written applications taken by FWP until Wed, June 29, 2011 and should include:

Name

Mailing Address

Phone

Email

• Please describe your interest in effective elk management and how archery regulations could and should contribute to effective elk management.
• Please describe your familiarity with Montana’s archery elk regulations and how you think you can effectively provide input into the regulation process and overall effective elk management.
• Please describe you experiences working collaboratively toward successful resolutions of contentious issues.

Please Answer the following;

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being “strongly opposed” and 10 being “strongly support” – how do you view the current elk archery regulations in the Missouri Breaks? (Question being asked to assist in providing a balanced representation)

Same…One a scale of 1-10….

How do you view the current elk archery regulations in the 22 districts outside of the Missouri River Breaks?

Please check all that apply to you on your application:

___Hunter-Archery

___Hunter – Rifle

___Outfitter – primarily private land

___Outfitter – primarily public land

___Landowner – primarily with leased or outfitted hunting

___Landowner – primarily without leased or outfitted hunting

___Others (business owner, local government, etc )

Applicant finalists may be interviewed before a final decision is made.

Larry Copenhaver
Conservation Director of Local Issues
Montana Wildlife Federation
406-458-0227 ext. 104
800-517-7256 ext. 104
Official Web-site:www.montanawildlife.org

This message brought to you by Montana’s largest statewide wildlife organization of more than 7,500 conservation minded hunters and anglers with a common mission ‘To protect and enhance Montana’s public wildlife, lands, waters and fair chase hunting and fishing heritage’.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

LINCOLN, Neb. --(Ammoland.com)- Remaining Permits On Sale July 11. Bighorn and Super Tag Lotteries Now Open. Landowner Elk permits Are Included in Draw Application Period.

The calendar says May, and your hand may be holding a fishing pole, but it’s time for some advance thinking about your fall hunting activities.

Nebraska residents may currently apply for: one deer permit in any draw unit (Republican Whitetail, Republican Mule Deer and Desoto December Muzzleloader season units), one elk permit, and one buck or either-sex antelope permit in available units. (One application is allowed per person per species.)

Landowners interested in elk permits should contact their district Nebraska Game and Parks office for application forms at this time.

In addition, two big game lotteries are presently underway for Nebraska hunters: a Bighorn Sheep Lottery and a Super Tag Lottery. Both lotteries are open to Nebraska residents only, have a $25 application fee and can be entered online.

The winner of the bighorn sheep lottery will receive a historic hunt for a bighorn ram in the rugged Pine Ridge, with four nights lodging and guide service provided by Nebraska Game and Parks. The recipient of the Super Tag lottery wins a permit with a bag limit of one elk, one antelope, one deer and two turkeys. This permit is valid during 2011 and 2012, meaning the winner has two years for fill it. Once-in-a-lifetime bull elk permit holders are eligible to participate in this lottery.

Both resident and nonresident hunters will want to mark July 11 on their calendars; it’s the day when all remaining permits go on sale. A complete list of opening dates and application periods can be found on our website, and our 2011 Big Game Guide will be posted there as soon as it becomes available.

Hunters in search of big game animals will find that Nebraska’s populations and hunting opportunities are about the best they have ever been in modern times. Record numbers of deer and turkey exist throughout the state, and even our elk population is thriving. Permits for deer and turkey are easy to obtain, and our $5 youth permits make hunting affordable for aspiring young hunters.

According the staff biologists, the 20-year trend of increasing numbers of older bucks should continue in 2011. Data from 2010 indicates that 75% of harvested whitetail bucks and 83% of harvest mule deer bucks were age 2 or older.

Thousands of acres of private land have also been opened up for hunting through our Open Fields and Waters program, which provides incentives to landowners in return for opening up areas of good habitat to public hunting and fishing use. These lands will be included in the 2011 Public Access Atlas, which is generally available in August each year.

So as you are reeling in that largemouth or casting for walleye, be thinking about all the great ways you can extend your adventures in the Nebraska outdoors. We are here to help you with that, so visit our website for frequent updates or follow us on Facebook or Twitter. And as always – we’ll See You Out There!

Click here to buy your permits online.

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

LITTLE ROCK, AR --(Ammoland.com)- You need to hurry if you want a chance at one of Arkansas’s top bargains in the outdoors world.

The deadline for applying for public land elk permits is midnight Wednesday, June 1. The applications and the permits are free.

The applications are available only on the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission website, www.agfc.com/licenses/Pages/PermitsSpecialElk.aspx.

One additional permit for the September hunt in elk compartment 4 is issued to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for fundraising purposes. Eighty-five percent of the proceeds from this granted permit is returned to Arkansas for wildlife habitat work. In addition, a youth permit for the December hunt in compartment 3 goes to the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation for fundraising activities.

The drawing for the public land permits will be June 25 on the Newton County Courthouse Square during the Buffalo River Elk Festival in Jasper. Winners don’t have to be present. One permit will be issued at the festival to an Arkansas resident who completes an application during the festival. For this one, the winner must be present.

Permits for public land elk hunting are available to Arkansas residents and Lifetime Sportsmen Permit holders only. Two permits will be reserved for a youth under 16 years of age to hunt in compartment 3. Youths under 16 (as of Sept. 26, 2011) applying for an elk hunt automatically will be entered into this drawing. Youths not selected for the special youth permit may be drawn for one of the other permits. Applicants must be 6 years old by Sept. 26 to apply for public land permits.

Arkansans hunting in elk compartments 1, 2, 3 or 4 are restricted to one elk permit per year. Permit winners will be notified by phone or mail and will receive an information packet by mail. Hunters will be required to attend an elk hunting orientation and training session the day before the openings of the September and the December hunts.

The other portion of Arkansas elk hunting is on private lands in the Buffalo River country.

The season for the private land elk management zone (Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Searcy counties; excluding Boxley Valley) is Dec. 5-9.

Private land elk permit applications may be submitted only by mail June 1-July 15. Complete applications must be postmarked before midnight July 15. Call 501-223-6440 to receive a paper application by mail.

For private land hunts, applicants may be Arkansans or nonresidents. Applicants must provide either a driver’s license number or a Social Security number. Hunters under 16 (as of Dec. 5, 2011) must supply a valid hunter education number to apply for a permit. Applications must include a landowner name, signature, address, phone number, county, range, township and section; and a $35 application fee. Only one application per hunter for a private land permit will be accepted. Applicants may not apply for more than one private land elk permit. Applicants must be 6 years old (as of Dec. 5, 2011) to apply for private land elk permit.

Landowners will be contacted to verify an applicant’s eligibility. Hunters will receive an information packet with the permit. Completed applications must be received no later than July 15. There will be a quota of 23 elk on private lands.

Many Arkansans who apply for the permits send donations to the elk program, and this money is used for food plots, prescribed burning and other work in the elk area. A donation to the AGFC for the elk program is not a requirement for permit application, nor does a donation improve chances of being drawn for a permit.

RealTree

COLUMBUS, Georgia --(Ammoland.com)- Now available at your local sporting goods retailer, 800-474-8733, or store.realtree.com.

Monster Bulls 9 features more than two hours of jaw-dropping bow, muzzleloader and rifle hunts for giant elk and other large-horned species that you won’t soon forget.

This hunting video includes hunts with Realtree’s own Bill Jordan plus NASCAR drivers Martin Truex, Jr., Ryan Newman and Elliott Saddler.

In addition to hunting tips and tactics, Monster Bulls 9 offers 14 elk hunts, a bowhunt for pronghorn with Michael Waddell, a bighorn sheep hunt with David Blanton, plus a mind-boggling mountain lion hunt with Jeff Smith of 7J Outfitters.

Realtree Monster Bulls 9

If you long to head West where the big-game exploits are the best, then join along with the Realtree crew as they deliver unreal hunting footage of huge elk and other big game in a frenzy of fall action.

About Realtree:
Realtree is the world’s leading camouflage designer, marketer, and licensor with over 1,500 licensees utilizing the Realtree camouflage brand.

Thousands of outdoor and lifestyle products are available in Realtree camouflage patterns. In addition, Realtree is committed to supporting individuals and groups that work to ensure our outdoor heritage, the conservation of natural places and the wildlife that resides there. In fact, Realtree is one of the nation’s leading contributors to conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and others. Realtree promotes its products and relationships widely on Outdoor Channel and other television networks, as well as through Realtree.com and many other outlets. For more information, check out www.realtree.com.

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- For those hunters with hopes of getting one of the few remaining hunting permits for elk and pronghorn antelope, the first-come, first-served process, issued through application by U.S. mail (U.S. Postal Service) only, begins on Monday, April 25 after 8 a.m.

To apply for these permits remaining after the drawing process, a valid hunt application must be sent via U.S. mail (U.S. Postal Service) to:

Arizona Game and Fish Department
Attention: Draw/First Come
5000 W. Carefree Highway
Phoenix, AZ, 85086

Game and Fish officials caution applicants not to use the standard envelope provided with the hunt application form. The PO Box address listed on that preprinted envelope is for the draw process only and should not be used for the first-come, first-served leftover process.

Applications received by any other delivery method, at any other address, or prior to 8 a.m. Monday, April 25, will not be accepted and will be returned to the applicant.

Absent an electronic service, the most equitable way to achieve a first-come, first-served process is by U.S. mail (U.S. Postal Service) only. The U.S. mail-only process allows applicants the same chance at being first in line regardless if they are from the far reaches of the state, from out-of-state (resident or nonresident), or from the Phoenix metro area.

A detailed listing of the leftover permits remaining and their associated hunt numbers is posted at the Game and Fish website at www.azgfd.gov/draw under the link “Leftover Permits for 2011 Elk and Pronghorn Antelope Hunts.”

For those who qualify, there are military hunts available at Camp Navajo. For more information, contact Camp Navajo at (928) 773-3158 or at www.campnavajo.com.

There are three archery-only antelope permits. For general elk, there are seven bull elk permits remaining and six antlerless tags remaining. For archery-only hunts, there are eight bull elk permits and five permits for antlerless elk hunts.

Also available are 335 limited opportunity general antlerless elk tags, two limited opportunity general any elk tags, and 199 limited opportunity archery-only antlerless elk tags.

Applicants should note that hunt numbers in the 3800 series shown on the leftover permit list are not listed in the 2011 Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information booklet. These hunts were Hopi hunts only during the draw process and did not carry a public hunt number in the regulations. However, for the first-come process these hunts are now open to all hunters (tribal and non-tribal members).

Therefore, to match the 3800 series numbers in the regulations, applicants will have to carefully match the hunt type (general, limited opportunity), the season dates, the open areas, and the legal wildlife gender (bull, antlerless) to find any other notes applicable to that hunt of interest.

If any tags remain following the first-come, first-served by U.S. mail (Postal Service) only process, these tags will become available for purchase in person over-the-counter at any of the seven Game and Fish offices across the state after 8 a.m. on May 2.

However, leftover tags for these coveted hunts go very quickly, considering the demand for these hunts far outweighs the available resource by more than 4 to 1. During the draw process, more than 121,000 people applied for the approximately 26,000 total permits allocated for the 2011 elk and pronghorn seasons.

To learn more about leftover tags, hunting regulations, drawing process, bonus points, future drawing cycles and more, please visit www.azgfd.gov/draw.

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.

Drawing Results For Elk & Pronghorn Hunts Now Available

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- The drawing results for Arizona’s 2011 elk and pronghorn antelope big game hunts are now available.

The more than 120,000 eager applicants can find out if they were drawn for the limited permits by visiting the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s website at www.azgfd.gov/draw or by calling (602) 942-3000 and selecting option two.

Hunt permit-tags for successful applicants, and refunds for unsuccessful or rejected applicants/applications (less application fees), will be mailed out no later than April 22.

For those individuals who missed the draw deadline or were unsuccessful in getting a permit-tag, there are more than 600 leftover tags remaining. Remaining tags are available on a first-come, first-served basis and include more than 600 elk tags and 4 pronghorn antelope tags. Leftover tags in Hopi hunt open areas are available to everyone (tribal members and non-tribal members) through the first-come, first-served process.

There are two methods to obtain a leftover tag. Applications will be accepted by mail only beginning at 8 a.m. (MST) on April 25. Starting on May 2 at 8 a.m. (MST), hunters can purchase a leftover tag in person with an application at any of the seven Arizona Game and Fish Department offices.

For a detailed listing of leftover permits, the 2011 Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information booklet (see pages 8-12 for draw and first come process), and other drawing related information, visit www.azgfd.gov/draw.

For those who qualify, there are military hunts available for Camp Navajo, call (928) 773-3274 for additional information.

Important information regarding 19B pronghorn antelope hunts.
Hunters who applied for pronghorn antelope in Game Management Unit 19B, hunt number 2022 (50 general permits) and 2054 (15 archery-only permits), are reminded that the Arizona Game and Fish Commission has canceled all the 2011 antelope hunts in this unit due to the loss of public access onto the Chino Grande Ranch.

With the elimination of these two hunts, the draw program processed any choices with these hunt numbers as if all the tags had been issued and moved to the applicant’s next choice for all drawing passes.

Hunters are reminded, that while there are no pronghorn antelope permit-tags allocated for Unit 19B, the unit remains open for all other hunting seasons; however, access, and areas to hunt may be limited due to the closure of the Chino Grande Ranch.

The details from the March 23 public commission meeting on this issue are available at www.azgfd.net/artman/publish/NewsMedia/Arizona-Game-and-Fish-Commission-eliminates-pronghorn-hunts-in-19B-for-2011.shtml.

Fall draw and hunt recommendations
The anticipated application deadline for remaining fall hunts (deer, bighorn sheep, fall buffalo and others) is the second Tuesday of June. A preview of those hunt recommendations will be available for the public to view at six open houses in April. The recommendations will also be available at the Game and Fish website beginning Saturday, April 2 at www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.

Open houses are from 3-5 p.m. at the following locations and dates:

• Thursday, April 7 – Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road
• Monday, April 11 – Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
• Tuesday, April 12 – Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road
• Tuesday, April 12 – Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th St.
• Wednesday, April 13 – Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road
• Thursday, April 14 – Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive

Hunting and angling are the cornerstones of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. These activities continue to be the primary source of funding for conservation efforts in North America. Through a self-imposed excise tax on hunting, angling and shooting sports equipment, hunters and anglers have generated more than $10 billion toward wildlife conservation since 1939. The Arizona Game and Fish Department does not receive any of the state’s general funds to operate.

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

Columbus, OH --(Ammoland.com)- House Bill 115, introduced by Rep. Rodney Schad (R- Versailles), and Senate Bill 299, introduced by Sen. Brian Munzlinger (D- Williamstown), would make Missouri hunters pay for any damage caused by wild elk in the state by holding the Missouri Department of Conservation financially liable.

The bills would also allow property owners to kill an unlimited number of elk without any proof that the elk are actually causing damage.

Specifically, the bills hold sportsmen financially responsible for any damage caused by elk to a person’s property or for damage caused to vehicles. Additionally, the bill takes away the state’s management authority of wild elk by allowing anyone to kill an elk that has caused damage to their property, even if the damage is minimal.

“It is outrageous to hold sportsmen financially responsible for damage caused by wildlife which is owned by all people of the state of Missouri,” said Evan Heusinkveld, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance director of state service.

“The bill only gets worse by stripping the Conservation Department of its authority to manage the states wildlife. Allowing an unlimited number of elk to be killed without any oversight of the Department, or confirmation of damage, is unconscionable. Sportsmen need to call their legislators today and tell them to oppose this bill.”

Take Action! Missouri sportsmen should contact their state representatives and senators TODAY and ask them to oppose HB 115 and SB 299. Tell them it is outrageous for the state to pay for damage caused by wildlife and that authority of wildlife management should be left in the hands of wildlife professionals. To find your state legislators’ contact information, visit the USSA Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.

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. Visit www.ussportsmen.org.

Boone and Crockett Club

MISSOULA, Mont.--(Ammoland.com)- America’s premiere big-game hunting historian, Boone and Crockett Club, has announced a new book that traces the evolution of elk hunting and records keeping from the late 1880s through the 1970s.

“”An American Elk Retrospective” features hundreds of vintage photos, historic score charts, records correspondence and portraits of some of the most significant elk ever taken.

Readers can revisit legendary elk hunts and trophies such as:

• • The famous Dark Canyon bull taken in 1899 by John Plute, which stood for decades as the World’s Record
• Fred Mercer’s typical American elk harvested in Montana during the 1950s that resulted in a Sagamore Hill Award from Boone and Crockett Club
• William D. DeWeese’s non-typical giant taken over 120 years ago in Colorado
• • Many other truly outstanding but lesser-known trophies

“‘An American Elk Retrospective’ is the result of hunters’ legendary storytelling colliding with over 100 years of records keeping and memorabilia from Boone and Crockett Club,” said Julie Houk, director of publications for the Club. “

An American Elk Retrospective

This is the ultimate history book for elk hunters, conservationists and other enthusiasts with deep fascination for one of the most widely respected and prized big-game animals in North America.”

The book is hardcover with dust jacket, 8 x 10 inches, with 272 pages and over 250 B&W photographs.

Chapters cover the history of elk records keeping, the hunter-led restoration of elk from near extirpation across most of their native range, award-winning elk and other special trophies, and historic figures in elk hunting, conservation and records keeping.

“An American Elk Retrospective” retails for $34.95 (Boone and Crockett members receive a discount) and is available in stores or directly from the Club. Order 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 enlarging and protecting Yellowstone and establishing Glacier and Denali national parks, founding the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, fostering the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts, creating the Federal Duck Stamp program, and developing the cornerstones of modern game laws. The Boone and Crockett Club is headquartered in Missoula, Mont. For details, visit www.boone-crockett.org.

Arizona Elk & Antelope Hunt Applications Are Due

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- Elk and pronghorn antelope hunters, if you haven’t yet submitted your application it is recommended you hand deliver it to one of the seven Game and Fish offices across the state before the deadline of 7 p.m. (MST) this Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011.

Remember, postmarks don’t count and applications must be received by the department by the deadline. There is no online application service available.

To apply hunters will need a copy of the 2011 Arizona Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information booklet and a hunt application form. For drawing and harvest odds, refer to the Hunt Arizona 2010: Survey, Harvest and Draw Data.

All these materials can be found at www.azgfd.gov/draw. Additionally, regulations, application forms and envelopes are at more than 300 license dealers statewide.

Please note: department offices will be open until 7 p.m. on deadline day (Feb. to receive dropped off applications; however, front counter customer service of regular transactions, including buying licenses, still closes at 5 p.m.

Payment methods permitted through the application process include check, cashier’s check, or money order. Cash or credit cards are not accepted through the drawing process.

Game and Fish offices are located in Pinetop, Flagstaff, Kingman, Yuma, Tucson, Mesa and Phoenix. For office addresses, contact information and driving directions, visit www.azgfd.gov/offices.

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.

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- They’re here. Printed versions of Arizona’s 2011 Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information booklets are now available at all seven Arizona Game and Fish Department offices.

Deliveries of the regulations to more than 300 license dealers are underway.

The deadline to submit an application is Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011 by 7 p.m. (MST) – postmarks do not count. There is no online application process.

All applications must be submitted either by U.S. mail to P.O. Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052, or hand-delivered to any Game and Fish office. There are Game and Fish offices in Pinetop, Flagstaff, Kingman, Yuma, Tucson, Mesa and Phoenix. For contact information and directions, visit www.azgfd.gov/offices.

Drawing odds from 2010 for elk and pronghorn antelope are not listed in the regulations, but are available for viewing and printing from the department’s website at www.azgfd.gov/draw.

For 2009 and older information, refer to the Hunt Arizona 2010: Survey, Harvest and Draw Data on the right side of the page under “Hunting, Trapping & Fishing Regulations, Season Dates & Draw Information.”

Also available is an editable PDF application form that allows applicants to enter their information using a computer for better legibility and consistency. The form must be printed, signed, and then mailed or hand delivered to Game and Fish. The form can also be printed and filled out using an ink pen and submitted the same way.

Hunters are reminded they will need a 2011 hunting license to apply. Licenses can be purchased through the application process, at Game and Fish offices and website, or at more than 300 license dealers statewide.

Game and Fish reminds applicants that all department offices will be closed on Monday, Jan. 17 in observance of the Martin Luther King holiday.

Go Hunting Now
There are still plenty of leftover spring javelina and turkey hunting permits remaining, including juniors-only opportunities, issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Permits can be obtained at any Game and Fish office. For a listing of available hunts, visit www.azgfd.gov/draw under the link “List of Leftover Tags for Spring 2011 Javelina, Turkey, and Bear Hunts.”

The Arizona Game and Fish Department does not receive any of the state’s general funds to operate. Wildlife conservation and management of the state’s game animals, which also benefits many non-game species, is made possible through the direct sale of hunting and fishing licenses, big game tags, and matching funds from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, a federal excise tax that sportsmen pay on certain related equipment.

2011 Arizona Pronghorn and Elk Booklet

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.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- Samples taken from the 41 hunter-killed elk during the state’s 2010 hunting season have all tested negative for chronic wasting disease (CWD) and tuberculosis, according to Dr. Walt Cottrell, the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s wildlife veterinarian.

Cottrell noted that sample collection was greatly facilitated by the tremendous cooperation of the elk hunters and taxidermists. He added that the Game Commission still is awaiting the results of CWD testing for the hunter-killed deer samples collected during the 2010 rifle deer season, and will announce those results once received.

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

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

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

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

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

GLASGOW, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- A multi-year investigation into the illegal killing of elk in southern Phillips County has resulted in criminal convictions for 11 resident and nonresident hunters.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) Criminal Investigator Lennie Buhmann, a total of $37,300 in fines and restitution has been collected in the case, which involves defendants from Columbus and Shepherd, Mont., and South Dakota, Utah and Arizona.

Eight of the 11 defendants also lost a total 22 years of hunting, fishing and trapping privileges in the 36 states involved in the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact.

“The case involved a group of hunters from the Billings area, South Dakota, Utah and Arizona who hunted south Phillips County from 2000 to 2009, killing elk without licenses and valid permits while loaning licenses to those in the hunting party who did not have them,” Buhmann said.

“When the hunters were confronted about their violations, most of them were honest and owned up to what they had been doing for almost a decade.”

The three-year-long investigation resulted in two search warrants being served on a hunting camp/lodge in southern Phillips County and a residence in Yellowstone County. Defendant interviews were conducted by the FWP Region 6 Enforcement team and officers from the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks.

“Without the help of the officers in South Dakota, successful prosecution of this case would not have been possible,” Buhmann said.

In all, 11 unlawfully killed bull elk were recovered. Two of the bulls were trophy class, which resulted in $8,000 in restitution being charged for each. Another animal, a cow elk, was also unlawfully killed but was not recovered.

The defendants, who were primarily prosecuted in Phillips County Justice Court, include:

• Donald Ray Keever, 54, of Shepherd, Mont. Charged with four misdemeanor counts of possessing unlawfully killed bull elk and two counts of loaning an elk license to another person. Fined $1,910, paid $8,500 in restitution, and lost hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for eight years.
• Howard F. Keever, 63, of Columbus, Mont. Charged with two counts of possessing an unlawfully killed bull elk; one count of using two-way communications to hunt; and one count of loaning an elk license to another person. Paid $1,405 in fines and lost hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for two years.
• Ben L. Krogman, 58, of White River, S.D. Charged with six counts of killing bull elk without a valid license and two counts of loaning an elk license to another person. Fined $3,680, paid $6,000 in restitution, and lost hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for two years
• Dan L. Krogman, 57, of White River, S.D. Charged with three counts of possessing unlawfully killed bull elk; one count of loaning an elk license to another person; and one count of fishing without a valid license. Paid $1,575 in fines and $10 in restitution for an illegally caught northern pike. He lost hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for two years.
• Arnold E. Hill, 61, of White River, S.D. Charged with one count of possessing an unlawfully killed bull elk; two counts of hunting bull elk without a valid license; and one count of using two-way communications to hunt. Fined $1,740, paid $8,000 in restitution, and lost hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for two years.
• Casey G. Krogman, 58, of White River, S.D. Charged with one count of hunting a bull elk without a valid license. Fined $535.
• Carl L. Murra, 63, of Renner, S.D. Charged with one count of possessing an unlawfully killed bull elk. Fined $535 and lost hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for two years.
• Al E. Kuehl, 58, of Brandon, S.D. Charged with one count of possessing an unlawfully killed bull elk and one count of killing a bull elk without a valid license. Fined $1,070, paid $1,000 in restitution, and lost hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for two years.
• Tate Bouman, age unavailable, of Spearfish, S.D. Charged with one count of possessing an unlawfully killed bull elk. Paid $135 fine.
• Joshua L. Fisher, 29, of Winslow, AZ. Charged with one count of possessing an unlawfully killed bull elk. Fined $535 and the charge was then dismissed by then-Phillips County Justice of the Peace Gayle Stahl.
• Kelly J. Keever, 29, of Vernal, Utah. Charged with one count of possessing an unlawfully killed bull elk and one count of using two-way communications to hunt. Fined $670 and lost hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for two years.

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department today posted the 2011 Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information booklet at www.azgfd.gov/draw.

Hunters with visions of a bugling elk in their sights or a broadside buck antelope in range can now start applying for a hunt permit-tag issued through the drawing process.

All applications must be submitted either by U.S. mail to P.O. Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052, or hand-delivered to any Game and Fish office by Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011 by 7 p.m. (MST) – postmarks do not count. There is no online application process.

There are Game and Fish offices in Pinetop, Flagstaff, Kingman, Yuma, Tucson, Mesa and Phoenix. For contact information and directions, visit www.azgfd.gov/offices.

A 2011 hunting license is required to apply in the draw and hunters are reminded licenses purchased through the draw will not be mailed out until after the drawing process is completed. Hunters are encouraged to purchase a license before applying if planning any spring hunts. Licenses are available from the Game and Fish website and offices, and more than 300 license dealers statewide.

Applying early has benefits thanks to the “correction period.” If your application has an error and is received before 5 p.m. Jan. 20, 2011, you will receive up to three phone calls from Game and Fish in a 24-hour period to help get the application corrected. After that date, mistakes can cause your application to be rejected.

Arizona Game and Fish Department officials anticipate printed versions of the regulations and applications should be available at all Game and Fish offices and license dealers across the state by mid-January 2011.

To learn more about the big game draw lottery process, bonus points, and available leftover spring hunting permits, visit www.azgfd.gov/draw.

Go hunting now
Hunters looking to get into the field for some exercise after the holidays can take advantage of the many hunt permit-tags remaining for spring turkey, javelina and bear. These tags may be purchased at any department office or by mail on a first-come, first-served basis. Many of the archery-only javelina tags make a great companion to an archery-only deer tag for the new year. For a complete listing of available spring hunt permit-tags, visit www.azgfd.gov/draw and select “List of Leftover Tags for Spring 2011 Javelina, Turkey, and Bear Hunts.”

Mark your calendar
The next drawing process after the elk/antelope draw is for fall deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, buffalo, bear and pheasant. Game and Fish anticipates accepting applications starting in mid-May, with the deadline to apply typically the second Tuesday of June 2011, pending commission approval at its April meeting in Phoenix.

2011 Arizona Pronghorn and Elk Booklet

The Arizona Game and Fish Department does not receive any of the state’s general funds to operate. Wildlife conservation and management of the state’s game animals, which also benefits many non-game species, is made possible through the direct sale of hunting and fishing licenses, big game tags, and matching funds from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, a federal excise tax that sportsmen pay on certain related equipment.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

HAVRE, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Final figures compiled from the FWP Region 6 hunter game check station outside Havre show a higher number of white-tailed deer and mule deer were checked in as compared to other recent hunting seasons.

According to FWP biologist Scott Hemmer, the number of pronghorn antelope, elk, pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian (gray) partridge brought in was in each case less than the average checked in recent years.

This season 333 pronghorn antelope, 689 mule deer, 314 white-tailed deer, 33 elk, 707 pheasants, 156 sharp-tailed grouse and 50 Hungarian partridge were brought to the check station by hunters.

Hemmer said check station data indicate the 2010 antelope harvest was down 17 percent, the mule deer harvest was up 11 percent, the white-tailed deer harvest was up 24 percent, the pheasant harvest was down 32 percent, and the sharp-tailed grouse harvest was up 3 percent.
While numbers of elk and Hungarian partridge were also down this year, state biologists said not enough of these species come through the Havre check station to provide meaningful harvest trend data. FWP will also be conducting the annual telephone harvest survey this winter, which will give more accurate harvest information by species for individual hunting districts.

FWP Region 6 Wildlife Program Manger Mark Sullivan noted that mild fall temperatures and excellent habitat conditions during the first part of the big game season reduced movements and feeding activity by big game animals in many areas.

“Although big game numbers were generally good across the Region, animals were not very visible during the first half of the season,” Sullivan said. “Weather conditions changed abruptly during the fourth week of the season as temperatures dropped to well below freezing, and repeated snowfall made hunting conditions and travel difficult. This caused animals to be much more visible and concentrated, but hunter numbers dropped in many hunting districts the last two weekends due to snow, cold and poor road conditions.”

Sullivan said FWP field personnel noticed a significant increase in big game hunter numbers in Region 6, particularly in the hunting districts between Glasgow and Havre. Most of these were deer hunters who may have been displaced from other parts of the state due to lower deer numbers in their traditional hunting areas.

New Mexico Game and Fish

SANTA FE, NM --(Ammoland.com)- HORSE SPRINGS – The carcasses of 12 elk found recently near Horse Springs apparently were the remains of legally harvested animals, an investigation by the Department of Game and Fish determined.

Conservation officers were alerted to the carcasses Oct. 26 through the Department’s toll-free Operation Game Thief line.

After visiting the site twice and consulting with the landowner and an outfitter, officers determined the elk were legally harvested and the carcasses dumped on unposted private land after processing. Ten of the carcasses were boned-out for the meat.

Two were left with some meat because it had spoiled before hunters could recover the animals during early archery seasons when the weather was warm.

Conservation officer K.C. Gehrt said the heads or antlers of all the elk had been removed and all animals appeared to be legally harvested. He said he also found the carcass of a legally taken bear at the same site.

The Department encourages hunters and others to report anything that appears to be a violation of the state’s wildlife laws by calling Operation Game Thief toll-free, (800) 432-4263. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for rewards if information leads to charges being filed.

Pennsylvania Elk Hunters Harvest 41 Elk In 2010

Pennsylvania Game Commission

Pennsylvania --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today announced that 41 of the 51 licensed elk hunters were successful during the 2010 elk season, which includes a possible new state record for the typical elk category.

Of that total, 18 were antlered elk and 23 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 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.”

The heaviest antlered elk was taken by John A. Murray Jr., of Grindstone, Fayette County. He took a 880-pound (estimated live weight), 7×7 on Nov. 1, in Benezette Township, Elk County.

Those hunters rounding out the top five heaviest (all estimated live weights) antlered elk harvested, were: Charles H. Stowman, of Westover, Clearfield County, took a 868-pound, 8×7 on Nov. 3, in Grove Township, Cameron County; Domenic V. Aversa Sr., of Woolwich, New Jersey, took an 867-pound, 7×7 on Nov. 1, in Jay Township, Elk County; Richard R. Lundgren, of Kittanning, Armstrong County, took a 852-pound, 8×9 on Nov. 1, in Jay Township, Elk County; and James F. Wolfe, of Mercersburg, Adams County, took an 823-pound, 7×7 on Nov. 1, in Covington Township, Clearfield County.

Roe noted that the antlers from Aversa’s elk green-scored at 389 and seven-eighths on the Boone & Crockett Club’s official scoring system. If that score holds after the required 60-day drying time, it will set a new record for Pennsylvania state typical elk taken with a firearm. The current record is held by John A. Polenski, of Meyersdale, Somerset County, who, in 2009, harvested a 6×7 antlered elk that scored 370.

The heaviest antlerless elk was taken by Mark E. Gowarty, of Johnstown, Cambria County, who harvested a 582-pound (estimated live weight) antlerless elk on Nov. 2, in Benezette Township, Elk County.

Those hunters rounding out the top five heaviest (all estimated live weights) antlerless elk harvested were: Nicholas J. Draghi, of Elmira, New York, took a 575-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 2, in West Keating Township, Clinton County; George R. Shupe, of Scottdale, Westmoreland County, took a 571-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 1, in Jay Township, Elk County; Russell P. Krut, of Beaver Falls, Beaver County, took a 555-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 3, in West Keating Township, Clinton County; and Timothy J. Conners, of Monroeville, Allegheny County, took a 549-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 4, in West Keating Township, Clinton County.

Roe also noted that Robert Ehle, of Orefield, Lehigh County, who was the successful bidder for the Elk Conservation Tag, harvested an antlered elk, as well. Ehle harvested a 5×6 on Oct. 7, in Shippen Township, in Cameron County. Ehle purchased the Conservation Elk Tag during the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundations’s national conference in early 2010, and was able to hunt from Sept. 1-Nov. 6.

Agency biologists extracted samples needed for chronic wasting disease testing. Results are expected in early 2011.

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.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Eviscerating an elk can be an unpleasant part of a hunt; the prelude to hard, heavy work packing out quarters.

But the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is offering insights to a lesser-known, long-proven alternative. Gutless field dressing can save you time, weight and handling of entrails with no significant loss of meat.

This method also allows hunters to skip the traditional step of splitting and handling the spine, which can contain fluids associated with chronic wasting disease.

Here is how:

1. With the elk lying on its side, begin working on the side facing up. Cut off the lower front leg at the knee joint and the lower hind leg at the hock
2. Separate the front leg from the ribcage and the hind leg from the pelvis at the ball joint. Many hunters do not skin the legs. Leaving the hide on helps keep meat clean.
3. Skin the side of the animal and remove the backstrap.
4. Strip as much meat from the flank, brisket, ribcage, spine and neck as you can, keeping the strips as large as possible. Remember, large pieces are easier to handle and keep clean than small ones.
5. Turn the carcass over and repeat the above steps.
6. Make an incision between the ribcage and pelvis to reach the tenderloins lying along the underside of the spine, and any internal organs you wish to keep.

To reduce weight, bone out the legs by flaying them open lengthwise on the inner side and removing the bones. When cool, sack or wrap the meat in clean heavyweight cotton.

For an excellent video on gutless field dressing, contact longtime Wyoming outfitter and RMEF supporter Ron Dube at 307-527-7815 www.cgwildernessadventures.com

(The following is not Ron’s video in fact it is nothing like his video, it is just funny…video included by
AmmoLand.com not RMEF)

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 5.8 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.

Ellk & Deer Hunters Fared Well in Montana Opening Weekend

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

MALTA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- For the first time in recent history, deer and elk hunters had two weekend days to head to the field for the opening of the big game rifle season.

General deer and elk seasons opened on Saturday, instead of Sunday, this year.

This extra day of hunter opportunity did not directly translate into double hunter numbers or harvest from past opening Sundays, but Region 2 hunter check station data for the weekend did show hunter success rates on par with the past five years—with an average of 9 percent of hunters bringing home game in the season’s first two days.

Over 2,800 hunters passed through the three Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks (FWP) check stations in west-central Montana – located near Darby, Bonner and Anaconda - this opening weekend, compared to 2,715 on opening Sunday last year. These hunters checked a total of 251 animals, including 137 elk, 26 mule deer and 83 white-tailed deer. Last year, on opening day, hunters reported 100 elk, 17 mule deer, and 44 white-tailed deer.

Because of the two-day opening weekend this year, direct comparisons can’t be made to deer and elk harvest numbers in previous openers, but the region’s check stations still had stories to tell.

Although the 1,082 hunters that passed through the Darby check station in the Bitterroot Valley over two days almost equaled the 5-year average of 1,050 for opening day, more of these hunters had elk than in recent years. The harvest of 81 elk through Darby was the highest ever recorded in 57 years for this point in the season. Approximately 75% of these elk were harvested in the Big Hole Valley. FWP counts harvest from the Big Hole because many of these elk winter in the East Fork of the Bitterroot (Hunting District 270). Very few harvested elk came from the West Fork of the Bitterroot where elk numbers are well below objective and FWP has nearly eliminated antlerless elk harvest opportunity.

Hunters reported 26 elk through the Anaconda station, and harvest locations were widely scattered from the drainages leading to the check station.

“This was a great opening weekend for elk hunters in the Upper Clark Fork,” FWP Wildlife Biologist, Ray Vinkey said.

White-tailed deer harvest over the weekend was down in the Blackfoot compared to the five-year average for opening day due largely to more conservative hunting seasons for does and fawns. FWP eliminated the traditional first eight-day either sex season for white-tails this year for the first time in over a decade. Hunters still reported harvesting 58 white-tailed deer, this year, which included 44 bucks.

By the end of the weekend, rain was falling across most of the western Montana valleys and snow was beginning to collect in the higher elevations, giving a promising outlook to harvest success for the remainder of the season’s first week.

FWP Wildlife Manager Mike Thompson noted that the two-day opener combined with an early youth deer hunt threw the hunter travel patterns off a little bit this year and made it tricky to get a good read on how harvest totals are standing compared to years past.

“We’ll have to wait to see how harvest totals play out over the season, but so far the check station data is telling us that, overall, hunters had a pretty good weekend out there,” Thompson said.

Montana Hunting Region 2 Check Station Totals for Opening Weekend 2010

New Mexico Game and Fish

SANTA FE, NM --(Ammoland.com)- More than 500 late-season elk hunting licenses will be available Nov. 3 in a first-come, first-served sale on the Department of Game and Fish website.

Only hunters who were unsuccessful in the regular drawings or did not hold a 2010-2011 elk license are eligible to purchase the late-season licenses, which will be available only on the Department website. Hunters of all ages can purchase licenses beginning at 10 a.m. Nov. 3.

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. Available late-season elk license include:

Any legal weapon, antlerless elk:

• Unit 9 (including Water Canyon but not Marquez Wildlife Area) — Jan. 1-31, 50 licenses.
• Unit 34 (portions of unit open; click here for map) — Jan. 1-31, 100 licenses.
• Unit 53 (except Cerro portion) — Dec. 4-8, 50 licenses.

Archery hunts, trophy bull elk APRE/6 (six-point antlers or more on one side):

• Unit 12 — Nov. 21-24, 25 licenses.
• Unit 34 — Dec. 11-15, 200 licenses.
• Unit 37 — Dec. 4-8, 100 licenses.

The Department makes late-season elk licenses available as biologists continue 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.

YOUTH ELK LICENSES STILL AVAILABLE;
More than 1,200 of the youth-only elk licenses for the 2010 season are still available on the Department of Game and Fish Web site. Youth Encouragement Hunt sales opened Aug. 4 for elk licenses reserved only for eligible youths younger than age 18. Sales will close 10 days before the beginning of the hunts.

Here are some details about the online sale:

• On sale: Now at www.wildlife.state.nm.us. To view available licenses or purchase a license, log in or create an account, click on “Online License System,” and then select “License Sales,” “Additional Opportunities,” “Youth Encouragement Elk.”
• Licenses available: Approximately 1,200 elk licenses for any legal weapon and muzzleloaders. All of the muzzleloader hunts are for elk of either sex. Most of the any legal sporting arm hunts are for cow elk. Hunt dates are scheduled to correspond with school holidays. A complete list of available hunts, including dates and unit numbers, is available on the Online License System.
• Eligibility: Only hunters younger than 18 who applied and were unsuccessful in the regular drawing for any big-game species, and whose applications were not rejected for reasons such as lack of funds, incorrect forms or failure to file a harvest report are eligible to purchase a youth encouragement license. Youths also must have successfully completed an approved hunter safety course before purchasing a license.

New Mexico 2010-2011 Big Game & Trapper Rules & Information

10 Ideas for Efficient Elk Hunting

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- If you’re an elk hunter, or would like to be, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is offering 10 ideas for improving your efficiency this hunting season.

All were condensed from recent and coming features in RMEF’s bi-monthly member magazine, Bugle. A subscription comes with an annual RMEF membership for $35. To join, call 800-CALL ELK or visit www.rmef.org.

1. Scout from Space
If you’ve looked into the night sky, you’ve noticed the many satellites now orbiting our planet. They’re great tools for today’s hunter. Google Earth (earth.google.com) uses satellite images and aerial photography to give birds-eye views of elk country. Locate meadows, burns, roads, water, heavy-timber escape areas and more. You can even find places where the forest canopy thins to suggest hidden grazing spots for elk. Newer GPS units accept uploaded coordinates from Google Earth, allowing you to walk directly to and more efficiently ground-truth potential honeyholes.

2. Count Points Quickly
In good habitat, a bull normally has a 5-point rack as a 2-1/2-year-old and a small 6-point rack the following year. Instantly distinguishing five- and six-pointers is not difficult. The fourth point, sometimes called the dagger point, is normally the longest point and most distinctive feature of an elk rack. If the main beam goes straight back from the dagger, you’re almost certainly looking at a five-by-five. If there’s another point rising upward behind the dagger, perhaps forming a horizontal “Y,” then you’re looking at a six-by-six.

3. Practice for Stress
Flinging arrows in the backyard is a far cry from placing a perfect shot on a live elk. In addition to changing shot angles and distances, hunters also must cope with distractions and excitement. Hone your focusing skills by practicing out of your comfort zone. Go to a public range, enter a 3D tournament, practice in the rain, shoot with strangers, hunt small game, anything to break normal concentration and practice rhythms. If you’re with buddies, try talking trash: “Hey, watch and learn while I center-punch this target…” Creating pressure and mental stress, expressly for the purpose of ignoring it, can help you overcome bull fever in the field.

4. Get Dropped Off
Halfway between a fully guided hunt and a do-it-yourself endeavor, a drop camp is a good option for those who can hunt and cook for themselves, but need help setting up a comfortable camp in the backcountry. Many elk outfitters offer pack-in/pack-out drop camp services. Drop camps can come complete with wall tents, cots, table, chairs, stove, cut firewood, camp tools and water. Some outfits even provide food and two-way radios. Cost is typically much less than a fully guided elk hunt. Talk to several outfitters about a drop camp and see if it’s right for you.

5. Try a Treestand
Bowhunting elk the whitetail way can be super effective if you’ve scouted well enough to detect patterns in elk movements. Hang or set your stand near a waterhole, wallow, food source or travel corridor. A hot waterhole will be marked with fresh droppings, tracks and rubs–lots of rubs. Prime forage areas include parks, meadows and hayfields. Travel corridors can be trickier to find. As you search for well-used game trails, also look for terrain features such as cliffs or saddles that will funnel elk into your ambush zone.

6. Claw for Ivories
Some hunters have found that a normal claw hammer works well for removing ivories from elk. Easier than pulling a nail, they say. Open the mouth, position the claw around the base of an ivory and angle the tool so that you’re prying squarely against the roof of the mouth. Gently lift the ivory out of its socket. Repeat on the other side. The prized jewelry-teeth should pop out much easier (and safer) than by the normal method of cutting and working them out with a knife.

7. Figure a Tip
Everyone knows the appropriate tip for a waiter or waitress is 15-20 percent, but there is no standard for a hunting guide. Most elk outfitters step lightly around this topic because suggesting specific amounts can seem presumptuous. But many veteran hunters agree on a few points. If your guide has met realistic expectations, worked hard, kept promises–someone who’s been a fine hunting partner, made your trip enjoyable and did everything possible to put you in a position to fill your tag–a good tip begins at 5-10 percent of the cost of the hunt. For camp cooks and other hands, a good tip begins at $10 to $15 per day. If you happen to kill an elk, consider the guide’s added chores of retrieving, cleaning, hauling, caping, etc., and tip more if you’re comfortable doing so.

8. Save the Hide
A hide is far down the list of elk-kill souvenirs to take home, falling somewhere behind meat, antlers, ivories and even bones for the dog. Yet with proper care, a hide can be turned into a functional memento of a successful hunt. Companies today can turn elk hide into gun cases, vests, jackets, gloves–just about anything made of leather. In the field, treat hide with the same urgency as meat, to prevent spoilage. Don’t worry about scraping away all the fat and flesh, but do worry about cutting too many holes. Freeze or salt the hide until you can get it to a taxidermist, tannery or leather specialist.

9. Know Your Range
Most elk hunters practice with their rifle at a 100-yard range, which is fine for the close-in shots you may encounter in the field. In a recent survey, about 40 percent of hunters reported the furthest elk they’d ever shot at was within 200 yards, an easy stretch for flat-shooting modern rifles. But more hunters, about 60 percent, reported taking shots at elk that were 200 to 400-plus yards away. Shooting exponentially farther than you’ve practiced can be risky. Distance magnifies mistakes and miscalculations. If you can’t practice at 200-400 yards, invest in a rangefinder, bipod, ballistics charts and top quality ammo. Know your effective limits and don’t shoot beyond them.

10. Use Dry Rub
Marinades are commonly used in preparing elk meat but more and more professional chefs, like Bugle magazine’s chef-columnist John McGannon, prefer dry rubs. He says flavored liquids dilute natural flavors while dry rubs caramelize the protein and maximize the culinary potential of wild game, especially if you’re planning to grill, sauté, roast, broil or braise. Apply dry rub 30-60 minutes before cooking.

Here’s Chef McGannon’s recommended dry rub recipe for elk meat:

4.25 oz course ground black pepper
3 oz. smoked paprika
6 oz. course granulated garlic
6 oz. course granulated onion
1/4 oz. fine ground white pepper
2 tbsp dried thyme leaves
1.25 oz cane sugar
2.75 oz. ground ancho chili
5.5 oz course sea salt
1/4 oz. dried English mustard

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 5.8 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.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. -(Ammoland.com)- Elk and elk hunting opportunities are abundant in much of North America, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is offering a sneak peek at upcoming seasons in its annual roundup of hunt forecasts for 28 states and provinces, now posted at www.rmef.org.

“Generally speaking, elk populations are in great shape and hunters have much to look forward to across the West, as well as in several Midwestern and Eastern states,” said David Allen, president and CEO of the Elk Foundation.” A mild winter, much needed spring and summer moisture and our habitat conservation successes all factor into our optimism for the upcoming hunting season.”

This summer, RMEF passed the 5.8 million acre mark for habitat conserved or enhanced for elk and other wildlife.

Allen added, however, that wolves continue to be a growing concern in regions where the predators share habitat with elk and other big game herds. In some areas, elk calf survival rates are now insufficient to sustain herds for the future. The urgent need to control wolf populations is a localized wildlife management crisis now compounded by a recent court decision to return wolves to full federal protections under the Endangered Species Act. RMEF has asked Congress to intervene and grant management authority to the states.

Here’s a condensed look at elk data from state and provincial wildlife conservation agencies. To see these forecasts in their entirety, with links to respective elk regulations or other Web pages, visit www.rmef.org. For even more coverage, see the Sept./Oct. 2010 edition of the RMEF member magazine, Bugle. To join, call 800-CALL ELK.

Alaska

• · Elk Population: Kodiak Archipelago (GMU 8), 650; Etolin (GMU 3), not available
• · Bull/Cow Ratios: Not available
• · Nonresidents: $85 hunting license plus $300 elk tag, and must hire a guide
• · Hunter Success: GMU 8, 17 percent; GMU 3, 5 percent

While bulls in the lower 48 average 700 pounds, bulls in GMU 3′s South Etolin Wilderness in southeast Alaska can get up to 1,300. However, recent success rates hover at just 5 percent with an annual average of six bulls killed for the entire unit. Zarembo Island northwest of Etolin has remained closed to hunting since 2006 because of low elk numbers. For GMU 8 in southern Alaska, odds are considerably better at 17 percent. Area biologist Larry van Deale says some recent trophies would have made the record books had the hunters cared to enter them.

Alberta

• · Elk Population: 33,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: Not available
• · Nonresidents: $255, must hire a guide
• · Hunter Success: Not available

This province offers opportunities for fine elk hunting as herds expand east and south onto the prairies and parklands. As herds grow, managers establish more hunting opportunities–last year alone saw three new areas open to elk hunting. Some of the biggest bulls are in these new units. The northern-most units have hunts well into January, and landowners typically welcome responsible cow hunters with open arms. The best (and only) shot for a nonresident is to go through an outfitter, as they are allotted roughly 10 percent of draw tags.

Arizona

• · Elk Population: 25,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 34/100
• · Nonresidents: $121 hunting license (nonrefundable to enter drawing) plus $595 elk permit
• · Hunter Success: 30 percent

Even though the state claims 25,000 elk, its mesas and arroyos could be hiding upwards of 40,000, says Brian Wakeling, Arizona’s game branch chief. They conduct elk counts in August and September, and the thick tree cover makes it tough to get accurate counts with aerial surveys. Overlooked elk means better odds for hunters. Plus, with abundant moisture this winter and little winterkill, elk herds are flourishing. Last year saw little daylight rut activity with bulls bugling only by moonlight, which held bowhunter success to around 25 percent. Logic says those big bulls that survived merely got bigger for this season. Also note the agency’s goal to get bull/cow ratios down to 25/100 to create more hunter opportunity. Translation: more bull tags.

Arkansas

• · Elk Population: 500
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 40/100
• · Nonresidents: varies for private landowner tags and three auction tags
• · Hunter Success: 42 percent

When Arkansas held its first elk-hunting season in 1998, hunter success was close to 100 percent. Now the elk are far wilier. Out-of-state hunters have a couple options: either buy an auction tag or contact a landowner for access. For the latter, hunters must receive written permission from the landowner to hunt their private property, and can only hunt there. Available tags remain the same as last year: 29 public-land tags (8 bull, 16 antlerless, 2 either-sex youth tags, plus 3 either-sex auction tags).

British Columbia

• · Elk Population: 50,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 20/100
• · Nonresidents: $189 hunting license plus $262.50 for elk permit. Must hire a guide.
• · Hunter Success: Not available

This province boasts a thriving population of Rocky Mountain elk and some of the biggest Roosevelt’s bulls in the world, says Stephen MacIver, wildlife regulations officer. However, a hunter must first hurdle the odds of drawing a limited-entry tag. The odds are roughly 35:1. However, guides are allotted a percentage of the tags. Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast in the far west have strong populations of Roosevelt’s. For Rocky Mountain elk, your best bet would be the Kootenay region in the southeast, which boasts the province’s highest success rates. Another good option is the agricultural zones in the Peace River region.

California

• · Elk Population: 1,500 Rocky Mountains, 6,000 Roosevelt’s, 3,900 tules
• · Bull/Cow Ratios: 20/100 to 90/100
• · Nonresidents: $145 hunting license (nonrefundable to enter drawing) plus $1,173 elk permit
• · Hunter Success: 75 percent

Conditions are ripe for a world’s record tule, says Joe Hobbs, California Fish and Game elk coordinator. On the East Park Reservoir Unit, good spring rains this year and a low harvest of old bulls last year have left the environment in top shape for antler growth. The bad news? Your odds of drawing a bull tag there are 1 in 350. On the Grizzly Island unit, odds are 1 in 1,000. Auction tags are a possibility, too, but if odds and auctions aren’t your thing, private landowners receive a limited number of tags, and some are available for sale. The Marble Mountains unit in the northwest has 35 bull tags, 10 antlerless and 5 late-season muzzleloader/archery either-sex tags.

Colorado

• · Elk Population: 286,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 30/100
• · Nonresidents: cow $354, any elk $544
• · Hunter Success: 23 percent

Colorado is the land of plenty for elk and elk hunters but it isn’t currently known for producing behemoth bulls. That could be a different story this hunting season. The past two falls have been cursed with warm weather. In the northwest where many of the bigger bulls roam, elk migration didn’t even begin until after regular rifle seasons were over. Couple that with abundant spring and summer moisture producing high quality forage and the setup is perfect for more trophy bulls. The state’s more-than 200,000 elk hunters also will find that cow tags have gone up $100, the Division of Wildlife has recommended cutting 1,500 cow/either-sex rifle tags across the state, and over-the-counter archery licenses for units 54, 55 and 551 have been nixed. On the other hand, places where herds remain above objective, such as the Gunnison Basin, will see more rifle tags available.

Idaho

• · Elk Population: 101,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 25/100
• · Nonresidents: license $155, tag $417
• · Hunter Success: 20 percent

Since 2007, Idaho’s elk population has fallen by 24,000. And for the second year in a row, out-of-state tag revenues in the state have mirrored that trend. Hunters list wolves, the economy and nonresident tag prices as factors. This isn’t ideal for state wildlife coffers, but it could be ideal if you’re looking for elk hunting all to yourself. Wolves have hit elk populations hard in the classic elk country of the Lolo, Sawtooth and Selway areas, and the state has capped tags. Bull/cow and cow/calf ratios are in tough shape, and the statewide population could fall below 100,000 for the first time in decades. But the declines are by no means across the board. Elk populations are at or above objectives in 22 of 29 elk hunt zones. And a mild winter boosted cow and calf elk survival rates across most of the state. The Beaverhead, Lemhi, Island Park, Teton, Snake River, Palisades and Tex Creek zones all have healthy herds and offer the kind of elk hunting Idaho is famous for.

Kansas

• · Elk Population: 250-275
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 40/100
• · Nonresidents: Private landowner permits and one Commissioner’s Permit, usually sold at auction
• · Hunter Success: 75 percent either sex, 50 anterless

Kansas now has unlimited over-the-counter either-sex elk tags. In certain counties across the state, namely those not adjacent to Fort Riley or Cimarron National Grasslands, any resident can purchase one, hook up with a landowner and hunt elk. Landowners in Hamilton County in western Kansas voiced concern over crop depredation, and biologists responded with the liberal permits. If you care to play the odds, enter the drawing for a once-in-a-lifetime tag. More than half the state’s elk reside on and around 100,000-acre Fort Riley, which allows hunting: 12 either-sex (up 4 from last year) and 15 antlerless permits.

Kentucky

• · Elk Population: 10,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 35-40/100
• · Nonresidents: $10 to apply, $365 for permit, $130 for hunting license
• · Hunter Success: 80 percent

This year, the Bluegrass State’s wapiti hunt was so in-demand that applicants from all 50 states applied, plus the District of Columbia. That’s a great vote of confidence for the East’s biggest herd, but it means the odds of drawing got even longer for nonresidents: 1:200. For Kentuckians, you’re competing against 29,000 other hunters for 720 tags–far better odds at 1:42. Permit numbers in the state have been on a rollercoaster. Last year, permits rocketed up 50 percent to 1,000 tags. Hunters had 60 percent success on cows and 91 percent on bulls. So, managers reined in the number of permits this year back to 800 in hopes of beefing up the population.

Manitoba

• · Elk Population: 6,500
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 35-45/100
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 20 percent

Elk are the “most desired species to hunt” among province residents, says Ken Rebizant, provincial big game manager. Traditional strongholds such as the Porcupine, Interlake and Duck Mountain regions are going to have elk, and big ones, but they’re tough draws, as the province has no over-the-counter tags. But, since bovine tuberculosis has impacted the Riding Mountain herd, provoking managers to reduce herd numbers, interest in that area has waned. That may be all a resident needs to finally draw an elk tag.

Michigan

• · Elk Population: 780
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 60/100
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 70 percent

For years, the state has tried to get its elk numbers down to around 800 and now it seems managers have succeeded. The tendency for elk to wreak havoc on some ag operations in the northern lower peninsula had managers working hard to reduce the herd. Now that they’ve hit their mark, Michigan will offer 230 tags, 150 less than last year. This year, the state will offer 75 any-elk tags with 155 antlerless.

Minnesota

• · Elk Population: 170
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 50/100
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 79 percent

This year, Minnesota will issue 11 once-in-a-lifetime tags for two separate seasons. Last year, 2,072 applicants put their name in for 30 permits. The state gives landowners 20 percent of the available tags. Last year, managers were able to work out a five-year management plan that calls for 30-38 elk in the Grygla herd, 20-30 animals in the Kittson Central herd and a currently undetermined number in the Caribou-Vita herd. Discussions are being held between the state DNR and Manitoba Conservation regarding population goals for the Caribou-Vita herd, which freely travels across the border.

Montana

• · Elk Population: 150,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 5-25/100
• · Nonresidents: $593
• · Hunter Success: 22 percent

There are plenty of elk in many pockets of Big Sky country. In fact, Montana continues to boast the second highest elk population of any state by a margin of 30,000 animals. But some populations have plummeted in the past five years. The northern Yellowstone herd is down to 6,000 animals from 19,000 in 1996. Areas north of Yellowstone National Park have seen permits cut and over-the-counter tags change to a draw. Populations in the West Fork of the Bitterroot River and the lower Clark Fork River are 60 percent below objective with just 7 calves per 100 cows. All antlerless tags have been cut and bulls will be hard to come by. Elk populations are well below objectives throughout much of Region 1 in the northwest. Hunters will find elk widely dispersed and wary throughout their traditional ranges in the western third of the state where wolves howl. But the farther one goes east of the Continental Divide, the more elk appear. Most of the eastern portion of the state is 20 percent above population objectives.

Nebraska

• · Elk Population: 2,400
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: Not available
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 80 percent bulls, 58 percent cows

The state’s elk herd is still growing consistently around 15-20 percent every year. As numbers grow, opportunities to hunt grow with them, but only if you’re a resident. This year, the state will issue 272 tags, up 40 from last year, with 98 bull and 174 cow permits. To promote strong landowner relations, one-third of those permits are available to private landowners in a drawing and are non-transferable.

Nevada

• · Elk Population: 12,300
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 32/100
• · Nonresidents: $142 hunting license plus $1,200 tag
• · Hunter Success: 44 percent

In the past two years, the state’s elk population has grown nearly 30 percent. Opportunities for hunters to chase them have followed suit. A few hundred tags more than last year will be issued this season for a total of 3,350. Ten percent of those tags go to nonresidents who are looking at pretty decent 1:44 odds to draw a bull tag. The quality of bulls in the harvest remains high with more than 67 percent of bulls reported being six points or better. The state’s Elk Management on Private Lands Program distributed 66 tags to property owners to do with as they wish. Estimated revenue generated from those tags topped nearly $500,000 for the landowners.

New Mexico

• · Elk Population: 75,000-95,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 42/100
• · Nonresidents: $27 nonrefundable fee to enter drawing, plus $562 standard bull tag or $787 quality bull tag
• · Hunter Success: 30 percent

Out-of-staters looking to hunt here will find no over-the-counter tags. Those who didn’t draw may be able to contact a landowner for one of their tags (be ready to write a hefty check). The state has no bonus or preference point system. Residents get the bulk of the tags, 78 percent. The state’s units are broken into “quality” and “opportunity” hunts. The former will get you a better chance at bigger bulls, but odds are steep. The Gila area holds around 20,000 elk.

North Dakota

• · Elk Population: 2,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: Not available
• · Nonresidents: One auction tag available
• · Hunter Success: 42 percent

Big news this year is the hunt inside Theodore Roosevelt National Park. With 950 elk, the park is looking to control elk populations, possibly killing 275 elk for the next five years to get the population at 100-400. For the rest of the state’s elk, things are pretty much status quo. Managers issued 561 tags–with 245 any-sex and 315 antlerless tags, the same as last year. Almost all hunting is now in the western Badlands.

Oklahoma

• · Elk Population: 2,300
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: Not available
• · Nonresidents: $306
• · Hunter Success: Not available

The Sooner State’s elk population is holding steady and the number of permits to hunt public land still hovers around 330. Odds of pulling one of those tags are dismal, less than 1 percent. But, if you do draw, there are some truly fine Okie bulls. Nonresidents looking to hunt here might do best to purchase a tag and then find a landowner who wants elk out of his winter wheat. For cow hunts, seasons are extended well into December and January.

Oregon

• · Elk Population: 120,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 15/100
• · Nonresidents: license $140, tag $500
• · Hunter Success: 13 percent

Due to budget constraints, biologists aren’t exactly sure how many elk they have as aerial surveys have been limited. But they think populations are stable. And, this year, managers plan to issue nearly 1,000 more permits than last season. Rocky Mountain elk dominate the east side of the Cascades while Roosevelt’s reign to the west. Most hunting in the steep and dark west is open to all comers with over-the-counter tags, while eastern Oregon is draw-only for rifle hunters. Bowhunters can hunt most of the east side with a general tag. Those eastern elk have some new neighbors, as a couple wolf packs have dispersed into the state from Idaho.

Pennsylvania

• · Elk Population: 700
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 28/100
• · Nonresidents: $250 for elk tag, $101 for general license
• · Hunter Success: 94 percent bull, 73 percent cow

To be blunt, this state has been growing some absolute toads. In 2006, a hunter killed a 425-2/8 non-typical, while just last year a hunter killed a 423-6/8 non-typical. Both bulls were around 6 years old. Records remain to be shattered if a bull can tack on a few extra years. Managers are currently revising the state’s elk management plan to determine how many elk that habitat and society will support. In the meantime, 51 tags will again be issued this season, with 18 bull and 33 cow.

Saskatchewan

• · Elk Population: 15,000-16,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 20/100
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 20 percent

Landowner tolerance for elk dictates seasons in this province. In the south where there is a lot of private farmland and the only predator carries a rifle, you’ll find ample antlerless quotas meant to get elk off the crops and into freezers. If you want a bull, this just might be your year. With so much open ag land, bulls are easy to spot. To help them gain a little antler weight, managers only allow them to be hunted every third year, which has produced some 400-inch monsters. Moose Mountain Provincial Park in the southeast corner is home to 1,400 elk and has seen numbers gaining strength in the past decade. This is a draw-only unit, open to either-sex hunting, and also has outstanding bulls.
For challenging over-the-counter hunts, the north-central and western regions offer forests and meadow fringes that hide elk along with plenty of their four-legged predators.

South Dakota

• · Elk Population: 5,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 75/100
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 50 percent

The state’s largest herd in the Black Hills National Forest numbered as many as 5,000 animals back in 2003. Aggressive management knocked that number down to the current 3,000. But public attitudes have shifted and there is once again a cry for more elk and more hunting opportunity. To reach a goal of 4,000 in the Hills, managers have had to cut rifle tags again this year to 1,065–a drop of 300 from last year. Still, residents’ odds of hunting a bull in the Black Hills are a solid 1:10. If you pull a tag, make the most of it, as you have to wait nine years to apply again.

Tennessee

• · Elk Population: 400
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: Not available
• · Nonresidents: $10 fee to enter drawing, $300 if drawn
• · Hunter Success: 100 percent

“We want to grow this elk herd and add more hunters,” says Steve Bennett, elk restoration project coordinator. The herd seems to be cooperating. Last year, five lucky hunters participated in the state’s first sanctioned elk hunt, taking five elk, four on the first day. State wildlife managers hope to see the herd reach 2,000 animals within the next two decades.

Utah

• · Elk Population: 68,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 15-80/100
• · Nonresidents: $65 hunting license, plus $388 general tag, $795 limited-entry tag or $1,500 premium limited-entry tag
• · Hunter Success: 17 percent

Statewide, hunters kill bulls that average around 6½ years, and Utah has seen good moisture this past winter and spring, keeping the hills green and lush. Translation: healthy brutes with big headgear. The most popular units include San Juan and Fillmore Pahvant but odds of drawing a limited-entry tag are tough. For residents, it’s 1:16. Nonresidents, 1:44. There are over-the-counter options, especially for archery hunters who are willing to hike into wilderness.

Washington

• · Elk Population: 55,000-60,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 12-20/100 in most units
• · Nonresidents: $432
• · Hunter Success: 8 percent

Washington has more hunters per elk than any other state. Managers help control densities by making hunters choose either westside Roosevelt’s or eastside Rocky Mountain elk. Both hunters and elk are split about 50/50. Generally, herd numbers are stable this season but the Yakima herd has seen a drop in calf recruitment, thus special permits for both branch-antlered bulls and cows have been cut 30-40 percent. While it may take some time for the Yakima herd to rebound, the state has plenty of other hot spots like the classic elk country of the Blue Mountains. This area in the southeast corner has seen an increase in bull permits the last few years. The southwest also offers over-the-counter permits, especially on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest around Mt. St. Helens where managers are trying to knock down herd numbers. Wolves have established at least two confirmed packs on the eastside.

Wyoming

• · Elk Population 120,000
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 23/100
• · Nonresidents: $577 for permit, $288 for cow-calf permit, $1,057 for special permit
• · Hunter Success: 43 percent

Certain places in Wyoming have seen significant impacts from wolves and other carnivores. Much of the Cody herd, near Yellowstone, is seeing poor calf-recruitment made worse by predation. Once a general hunting area, it is now a limited-entry draw. Areas around Jackson Hole and the Gros Ventre and Teton Wilderness Areas will see tightened seasons and antler-point restrictions to try and boost bull/cow and cow/calf ratios. Outside the northwest corner, the state’s elk populations are up 15,000 from last year and many units are far above objectives. The statewide objective is 80,000 elk. That’s 40,000 less than where the herd stands now. The state expects to have lots of leftover antlerless licenses. Aggressive seasons have been set in many places including the Snowy Range, Laramie Peak and Sierra Madre. Last year, the state shifted to a first-come/first-served online licensing system. Out-of-staters can now search for leftover licenses without having to wait in line (in Wyoming) for reduced and full-price tags. For those more interested in hunting bulls, the state allots 16 percent of its limited quota and general licenses to nonresidents.

Yukon Territory

• · Elk Population: 250-300
• · Bull/Cow Ratio: 60/100
• · Residents only
• · Hunter Success: 29 percent

This province, which boasts 70,000 moose and only 35,000 people, last year held its first official elk hunt in 25 years. Twenty-six hunters took an elk home for the freezer. While much of the Yukon’s northern boreal forest can’t support elk, the Takhini Valley to the
south along the Alaska highway, and Braeburn to the north along the Klondike Highway, are elk strongholds. A total of 63 permits will be distributed by lottery for Takhini. Up in Braeburn, six permits are available.

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 5.8 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.

Largest Bull Elk Ever Taken on Film Exclusively on Sportsman Channel

Sportsman Channel

New Berlin, WI --(Ammoland.com)- Imagine seeing one of the largest elk racks in recorded history walk out of the thick brush and into close rifle range.

Now imagine that you have a film crew from one of the top hunting shows on television on-site as you get ready to place your shot.

That is exactly the dream scenario John Koster lived in real life on Arizona’s Hualapai Indian Reservation last fall. Watch this history-making hunt next week on Christensen Outdoors TV, beginning Tuesday, August 24 at 9:30 p.m. ET, with re-airs Friday at 12:30 a.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., exclusively on Sportsman Channel.

The elk scored an astonishing 478 5/8 points, good for the #3 SCI world-ranking for a free-ranging, non-typical bull elk. To watch a sneak peak of the show, visit Sportsman Channel’s Facebook page at http://facebook.com/sportsmanchannel.

“As the leader in outdoor TV for the American sportsman, Sportsman Channel is proud to bring this riveting hunting story, as well as absolutely spectacular bull elk to our viewing audience,” said Gavin Harvey, CEO of Sportsman Channel.

“And as hunters, we applaud our friends at Christensen Outdoors for being there with John to capture this achievement with their high-quality and up-close video footage. It’s a thrilling outdoor adventure to watch unfold.”

Early in the hunt, Koster spotted a magnificent 7×7 bull, estimated as a 400-class animal, during a spot-and-stalk with a guide from Double D Outfitters.

“That bull had a ‘six pack’ for a front and everything else we were looking for. I wanted that bull,” said Koster in an article he wrote about the hunt titled “478 Arizona Monster” for Christensen’s Hunting Illustrated.

Hoping to get a shot at the 7×7, the pair settled into the same spot the next morning. Instead of that trophy, however, a different bull walked on the scene, toting a massive split-beam rack in full velvet.

“For some reason, I delayed (when I first saw him). Maybe it was that strange split that had me mesmerized…or that he was the biggest bull I’ve ever seen…but I almost blew the chance of a lifetime,” Koster wrote.

Koster got his bull of a lifetime and, thanks to the videographer, will always be able to back up his story.

“I would strongly recommend the Hualapai Indian Reservation for anyone interested in beautiful elk county, good people and some of the largest bull elk in North America,” Koster said in the article.

Christensen Outdoors, with host John Mogle, leads viewers around the world, into the serene wilderness with action-packed adventures that we’ve all come to love as hunting enthusiasts. Specializing in, but not limited to western big game, Christensen Outdoors has been the ideal source for fast-paced quality outdoor entertainment for the past 10 years.

About Sportsman Channel:

Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel is the only television and digital media company fully devoted to the more than 82 million sportsmen in the United States, delivering entertaining and educational programming focused exclusively on hunting, shooting and fishing activities. Sportsman Channel is now available in HD, check with your local cable or satellite provider. Acquired by InterMedia Outdoors Holdings in 2006, Sportsman Channel reaches 27 million U.S. television households and is a part of the nation’s largest multimedia company targeted exclusively to serving the information and entertainment needs of outdoors enthusiasts.Visit www.thesportsmanchannel.com, follow on Twitter, @SPORTSMANchnl (www.twitter.com/SPORTSMANchnl), become a Fan on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sportsmanchannel and download Sportsman App at www.itunes.com/appstore

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

Columbus, OH --(Ammoland.com)- North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park has opened the door to volunteers to assist in managing its elk herds.

Between November 1, 2010 and January 21, 2011, the park would like to use up to 20 volunteers each week to cull up to 250 cow elks.

Potential volunteers can apply as an individual or as a group of up to four. The applications will be accepted only through an on-line process. Click here for the application and instructions.

As the applications are received they will be put into a database and assigned a number. Successful applicants will be selected at random for each week of the planned reduction effort. Up to 240 people may be able to participate with volunteers receiving meat from up to one elk depending on the success of each week’s harvest.

According to Park Superintendent Valerie Naylor, there has been a lot of interest in a volunteer effort for some time and the online process has been designed to be as efficient and fair as possible in offering a chance to those that want to help.

Additional information about the reduction effort and elk management in general can be found at the park’s website, http://www.nps.gov/thro/naturescience/elk-management.htm.

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. Visit www.ussportsmen.org.

New Mexico Game and Fish

SANTA FE, NM --(Ammoland.com)- Youth and adult hunters who missed a shot at a big-game hunting license during this year’s annual drawing will have another chance this August when the Department of Game and Fish puts more than 5,000 deer, elk and javelina licenses up for sale on the agency Web site.

The online sales will be first-come, first-served and will be conducted in two parts on different days.

The first sale will be Aug. 4 for elk licenses reserved only for youths younger than age 18. The second sale will be Aug. 11 for deer and javelina hunts available to youth and adults. Both sales will begin at 10 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time.

Here are some details about the sales:

Youth Encouragement Hunts

• On sale: 10 a.m. Aug. 4 at www.wildlife.state.nm.us.
• Licenses available: Approximately 1,900 elk licenses, including about 1,700 for any legal sporting arm and 200 for muzzleloaders. All of the muzzleloader hunts are for elk of either sex. All but 100 of the any legal sporting arm hunts are for cow elk. A complete list of available hunts, including dates and unit numbers, will be announced soon on the Department Web site.
• Eligibility: Only hunters younger than 18 who were unsuccessful in the regular drawing and whose applications were not rejected for reasons such as lack of funds, incorrect forms or failure to file a harvest report are eligible to purchase a youth encouragement license. Youth also must have successfully completed an approved hunter safety course before purchasing a license.

Leftover deer, javelina licenses

• On sale: 10 a.m. Aug. 11 at www.wildlife.state.nm.us.
• Licenses available: Approximately 430 javelina licenses and 2,760 deer licenses. Available deer licenses include about 259 hunts for any legal weapon, 1,668 archery hunts and 838 muzzleloader hunts. A complete list of available hunts, including dates and unit numbers, will be announced soon on the Department Web site.
• Eligibility: Residents and nonresidents of any age who meet youth hunter safety requirements and filed a mandatory harvest report if they held a deer or elk license for the 2009-2010 seasons.

Hunters are strongly advised to obtain or review an online customer account, including a Customer Identification Number, user name and password before the sales begin. Popular hunts sell out minutes, sometimes seconds after the sales begin.

For more information and updates about the leftover license and Youth Encouragement license sales, please check the Department Web site, www.wildlife.state.nm.us.

Don't Miss This Rare Shot at a 2010 Kentucky Elk Tag

National Wild Turkey Federation

Kentucky --(Ammoland.com)- This hard-to-get 2010 tag is good for a fully guided hunt in the Corrigan Wildlife Management Area in Kentucky, and includes lodging for up to seven days and dinners.

Corrigan Wildlife Management Area is approximately 55,000 acres and located in the eastern Kentucky counties of Leslie, Knox, and Bell. This hunt will provide excellent opportunities for a trophy bull. Hunters may use a rifle, bow or crossbow in the appropriate season.

The hunt will be hosted and guided by Sam Mars, III, vice president of the NWTF National Board of Directors. In addition to being an avid turkey hunter, Sam is a lifelong resident of the area and an experienced elk hunter and guide. Lodging will be provided at the Holiday Inn Express in Middlesboro, Ky. You will have the opportunity to be filmed for possible inclusion in television shows featuring NWTF national spokeswoman Brenda Valentine.

This excellent hunt is made possible through the efforts and cooperation of the NWTF, Sam Mars, III, and the landowner represented by Molpus Timberlands Management, LLC. It does not include airfare, car rental, meat processing, airport transportation, breakfast, lunch, or state hunting license ($500). Contact donor to schedule hunt.

Donated by: Molpus Timberlands Management, LLC

Contact your local NWTF regional director to find out how you can go on this hunt! Go to www.nwtf.org/elkhunt.html to find a regional director in your state.