Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Washington --(Ammoland.com)- The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted a variety of new sportfishing rules and increased the number of multiple-season hunting permits for deer and elk issued each year during a public meeting here Feb. 3-4.

The commission, a nine-member citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), adopted new fishing rules for the 2012-13 season that will:

• Close fishing early for steelhead and other game fish in several river systems in Puget Sound and along the Strait of Juan de Fuca to protect wild steelhead. The early closures, ranging from mid-January to mid-February of 2013, apply to the Nooksack, Skagit, Stillaguamish, Snohomish, Green and Puyallup river systems, along with several streams along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The proposal also includes closing the upper section of the Samish River on Dec. 1 and the lower section Jan. 1 to fishing for all species.
• Declassify northern pike as a gamefish and allow anglers to fish with two poles on the Pend Oreille River, where the non-native fish have been spreading. Anglers who purchase the required endorsement will also be allowed to use two fishing poles on the lower Spokane River.
• Close fisheries on a number of small coastal streams that drain into Washington’s ocean waters to protect juvenile anadromous fish.
• Change the opening day of the lowland lake fishing season from the last Saturday in April to the fourth Saturday in April.
• Limit sturgeon retention in Puget Sound, as well as its tributaries, to June 1-June 30 and Sept. 1-Oct.15. The new rule is designed to minimize impacts to Columbia River sturgeon that venture into Puget Sound to feed. Under the proposal, catch-and-release fishing will still be allowed year-round.

Summaries of those and other rule changes, as adopted, will be available on the department’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/rule_proposals/ by mid-February. Public comments on the proposed changes were taken by the commission during meetings in December and January.

In other action, the commission increased the number of multiple-season deer and elk permits issued each year to hunters. Those permits, awarded through annual drawings, allow permit-holders to participate in all general hunting seasons for deer and elk.

Without the special permit, hunters must choose among archery, muzzleloader or modern firearm seasons.

The commission approved WDFW’s proposal to increase the number of deer permits from 4,000 currently to 8,500, and the number of elk permits from 850 to 1,250. State wildlife managers have assured the commission that increasing permit levels will expand hunting opportunities without posing a risk to deer and elk populations.

In other business, the commission deferred action on a proposal by WDFW to acquire 165 acres for fish and wildlife habitat in Okanogan County. The commission re-scheduled consideration of the purchase for a conference call Feb. 17 to allow time for further review.

By: Anthony P. Mauro, Sr

It’s been nearly a year since I last wrote about the precipitous decline in New Jersey’s fisheries management capabilities, and the trend continues unabated.

Last year it was a free registry that prompted many people to examine the ruinous underfunding of the Bureau of Marine Fisheries (BMF) and this year it is the closure of the river herring fishery.

According to “The Economic Contribution of Marine Angler Expenditures in the United States”, a report prepared by NOAA Fisheries for the US Department of Commerce, marine recreational fishing in New Jersey is an industry that generates sales of $1.6 billion, provides  total tax revenue of $242 million and New Jersey tax revenue in excess of $100 million. In fact, fishing supports 10,000 jobs and provides the highest sales, income and employment of the Northeast region, as well as the highest tax revenues. Fishing also supports a tourism industry worth $16 billion.

Saltwater fishing is not only a recreational and economic engine for New Jersey; anglers and their disposable income are the source of essential conservation initiatives. It is the BMF that is responsible for the administration of marine fisheries management programs that include 127 miles of Atlantic coast and 83 miles of bayshore. The purpose of the bureau is to protect, conserve and enhance marine fisheries resources and their habitat.

With such an important and high profile contribution to New Jersey’s socioeconomic well-being and environmental health one would be forgiven for thinking that the BMF is a formidable competitor for state budget appropriations and is given priority for its potential to expand state revenues.

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

Incredibly, BMF operates on an appropriated budget that is less than $2 million while multiple coastal states have budgets that exceed $20 million. New Jersey currently ranks last in total State Marine funding per angler among every Atlantic Coast State. Since 1988, the Bureau’s appropriated budget has increased only by the inflation factor and not in real terms and at the same time federally mandated Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) have increased from one (1) in 1988 to 22 in 2009.

In a recent New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection announcement of the shutdown of the river herring fishery blame was assigned to inadequate resources to prove that the fishery was sustainable to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. This deficit should concern us since it may be cause for future fishery closures given that New Jersey competes with Atlantic Coast States that are in a better position to justify coast-wide fisheries quotas.

Let the house burn

Metaphorically speaking, the tacit message sent by policy makers and legislators has been clear; let the house burn. The metaphorical house is the Bureau of Marine Fisheries. The arsonist in this figure of speech is the angling community that has lit the flame with apathy and fear.

My definition of the angling community includes the individual angler that has refused to hold our state government accountable for adequately funding BMF, and saltwater fishing organizations that have allowed the situation to dilapidate in order to avoid the conflict that will be created by addressing the problem – conflict that might cause a potential loss in membership rolls and associated fees. However, to let the house burn makes both government representatives and the angling community accomplices in negligence.

During the past decade attrition and the forfeiture of institutional knowledge has crippled BMF and it might take an equal number of years to reverse. While finding a solution to funding BMF may be difficult the first course of action is clear – it will take an honest assessment of the problem and the development of a viable solution. To accomplish the task requires angler involvement, leadership from saltwater organizations like the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance and all 23 NJOA (CF) council members including NJSFSC and JCAA, and the courage to do the right thing.

I think it is appropriate to end this commentary with a quote from Izaac Walton, renown for celebrating the art and spirit of fishing, “Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are made for wise men to contemplate and for fools to pass by without consideration.”

Color The Green Movement Blue

Ant

About: Anthony P. Mauro, Sr, (also known as “Ant” to friends and associates) is Chairman and co-founder of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Conservation Foundation, and New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Environmental Projects. Ant’s commitment to the principles of sustainable use of natural resources and environmental stewardship helped to create the New Jersey Angling & Hunting Conservation Caucus (NJA&HC). The NJA&HC is the first outdoor caucus of its kind in New Jersey and is designed to educate opinion leaders and policy makers about the principles of conservation; the foundation for healthy ecosystems, fish and wildlife.

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

Columbus, OH --(Ammoland.com)- For more than a decade, sportsmen in Iowa fought for the opportunity to pursue North America’s number one game bird – the mourning dove.

Last year, the hard work and dedication finally paid off as the Iowa legislature passed Senate File 464 authorizing dove hunting in the state.

Now, just months after the first successful dove hunt, anti-hunting activists are pushing to have the season banned.

On January 19th, State Representative Mary Mascher (D-Iowa City) introduced House File 2061 that would prohibit dove hunting in the state.

“Despite the fact that the Iowa legislature clearly spoke last year by authorizing dove hunting, the animal rights lobby is not giving up,” said Jeremy Rine, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance in-house counsel and associate director of state services. “Sportsmen need to show their support for dove hunting to their elected officials.”

Take Action! Iowa sportsmen should contact their state representatives and express their support for dove hunting. To find your state representative’s contact information, please visit www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.

For more information on this and other issues, contact the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance at 614-888-4868 or email info@ussportsmen.org.

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.

Wild Turkeys By Noppadol Paothong

Missouri Department of Conservation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Jim Low-

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

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

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

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

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

IMPORTANT PRESEASON DATES FOR HUNTERS

February 16

FWP Commission addresses hunting districts with pending quotas

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

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

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

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

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today proposed allowing hunters in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 1A, 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D to harvest black bears during all deer seasons from September through early-December, as well as during statewide bear seasons.

If approved in April, bear hunters will be able to participate in an archery bear season in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D from Sept. 15-28; in WMUs 1A, 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D from Sept. 29 until Nov. 10; a muzzleloader bear season in WMUs 1A, 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D from Oct. 13-20; a firearms bear season in WMUs 1A, 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D, from Nov. 26-Dec. 8. Only 1 bear may be taken during the license year.

The Board also proposed retaining the statewide archery bear season, four-day general firearms bear season and extended seasons in all or portions of certain WMUs.

“Pennsylvania’s black bear population is larger and more widely distributed than ever, and bear-human incidents are becoming commonplace, especially in more developed areas,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “Continued expansion of residential development into areas occupied by black bears has resulted in more frequent sightings and encounters between people and bears.

“In WMUs 1A, 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D, all with relatively high human population densities, there currently are low bear densities. The Game Commission wants to continue to have a minimum number of bears, and the agency wants hunters to have an opportunity to play an important role in bear population management in these urban/suburban areas.”

The slate of 2012 bear seasons, which must be given final approval in April before taking effect, includes: a statewide five-day archery bear season (Nov. 12-16); a four-day statewide bear season that will open on Saturday, Nov. 17, and then continue on Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 19-21; and a concurrent bear/deer season in WMUs 3D, 4C, 4D and 4E on Nov. 26-Dec. 1.

Also, a concurrent bear/deer season has been proposed to be held Nov. 28-Dec. 1 in the following:

• - in WMUs 3A and 3C;
• - in portions of WMU 3B, that are East of Rt. 14 from Troy to Canton, East of Rt. 154 from Canton to Rt. 220 at Laporte and East of Rt. 42 from Laporte to Rt. 118 and that portion of 4E, East of Rt. 42; and
• - in portions of WMUs 2G in Lycoming and Clinton counties and WMU 3B in Lycoming County that lie North of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River from the Rt. 405 Bridge, West to Rt. 15 at Williamsport, Rt. 15 to Rt. 220, and North of Rt. 220 to the Mill Hall exit, North of SR 2015 to Rt. 150; East of Rt. 150 to Lusk Run Rd. and South of Lusk Run Rd. to Rt. 120, Rt. 120 to Veterans Street Bridge to SR 1001; East of SR 1001 to Croak Hollow Rd., South of Croak Hollow Rd. to Rt. 664 (at Swissdale), South of Rt. 664 to Little Plum Rd. (the intersection of SR 1003), South of SR 1003 to SR 1006, South of SR 1006 to Sulphur Run Rd., South of Sulphur Run Rd. to Rt. 44, East of Rt. 44 to Rt. 973, South of Rt. 973 to Rt. 87, West of Rt. 87 to Rt. 864, South of Rt. 864 to Rt. 220 and West of Rt. 220 to Rt. 405 and West of Rt. 405 to the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- A Livingston Parish man was sentenced on Jan. 17, 2012 in Livingston Parish Court for hunting deer during illegal hours, contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and resisting an officer.

21st Judicial Division B Judge Doug Hughes sentenced Kevin L. Paille, 43, of Springfield, to pay $1,388 in fees and fines, complete two years of supervised probation and refrain from owning or possessing a firearm for two years.

Paille pleaded guilty to all three charges.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents cited Paille in January of 2011 after receiving a complaint about two people on foot hunting deer at night in Livingston Parish.

Agents went to the area and located the subjects one of which was a juvenile. Paille was issued citations for the three offenses and booked into the Livingston Parish Jail.

Agents involved in the case were Sgt. Dane Thomas, Senior Agent Buck Hampton and Senior Agent Daniel Varnado.

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- The Board of Game Commissioners gave preliminary approval to a slate of deer seasons for 2012-13 that retains the split, five-day antlered deer season (Nov. 26-30) and seven-day concurrent season (Dec. 1-8) in 11 Wildlife Management Units.

The list includes (WMUs) 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E. The package also retains the two-week (Nov. 26-Dec. concurrent, antlered and antlerless deer season in WMUs 1A, 1B, 2B, 3A, 3D, 4A, 4C, 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D.

Hunters with DMAP antlerless deer permits may use them on the lands for which they were issued during any established deer season, and will continue to be permitted to harvest antlerless deer from Nov. 26-Dec. 8 in WMUs 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3B, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E. Fees for DMAP permits are $10 for residents and $35 for nonresidents.

Additionally, the Board also gave preliminary approval to retain the use of crossbows in the archery deer seasons.

The Board took this action by removing the sunset date inserted in the regulations when crossbows were first permitted to be used in the archery deer seasons.

The Board retained the antler restrictions enacted for the 2011-12 seasons, which includes the “three-up” on one side, no counting a brow tine, provision for the western Wildlife Management Units of 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B and 2D, and the three points on one side in all other WMUs

Kansas DWPT Commission Awards Big Game Hunting Permits

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

SALINA, KS -–(Ammoland.com)- Seven Kansas conservation organizations were awarded 2012 Commission Big Game permits in a drawing conducted at the Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission meeting Jan. 5 at Kansas Wesleyan University’s Hauptli Student Center Salina.

Ninety-eight eligible applications were submitted for the seven available permits, which could include deer permits, one elk permit, and one antelope permit.

Winners of the permits include the following:

• National Wild Turkey Federation, (NWTF), Hays (elk permit) — Jared McJunkin, west conservation field supervisor, jmcjunkin@nwtf.net, 785-396-4552;
• Ducks Unlimited (DU), Wichita Chapter No. 017 (antelope permit) — Roger Zettl, district chairman, rzettl@cox.net, 316-722-0951;
• Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), Greater Wichita Chapter (deer permit) — Steve Bell, Kansas volunteer chair, sbell@bellmirrorandglass.com, 316-648-1993;
• Friends of the NRA, Pratt County No. KS-40 (deer permit) — Rick Chrisman, field representative, rchrisman@nrahq.org, 913-294-9956;
• DU Topeka (deer permit) — Jeff Neal, district chairman, jneal1998@yahoo.com, 785-221-6625;
• NWTF Iola (deer permit) — Jared McJunkin, west conservation field supervisor, jmcjunkin@nwtf.net, 785-396-4552; and
• Friends of the NRA, McPherson County No. KS-38 (deer permit) — Rick Chrisman, field representative, rchrisman@nrahq.org, 913-294-9956.

Qualified applicants must be local nonprofit conservation organizations or Kansas chapters of national organizations based or operating in Kansas that actively promote wildlife conservation and the hunting and fishing heritage.

Commission Big Game permits were first awarded in 2006. Winners purchase the permits and typically auction them at their respective conventions and banquets to raise funds for conservation projects. After a permit is sold by an organization, the amount of the permit is subtracted, and 85 percent of the proceeds are sent to KDWPT to be used on approved projects. After the projects are approved, the money is sent back to the organization for the project. The other 15 percent may be spent at the organization’s discretion.

KDWPT regulations allow someone who buys a Commission Big Game permit at auction to also purchase another deer permit valid for an antlered deer or, if the Commission Big Game permit is for an elk, to also draw (or have drawn in the past) an antlered elk permit. These would be the only situations in which an individual could have valid permits for two antlered deer in one year, or to have previously drawn an antlered elk permit and still be able to obtain another one. One antelope and one elk Commission Big Game permit are offered in the drawing.

In 2011, permits were won by two National Wild Turkey Federation Chapters — McPherson Smoky Valley Strutters Chapter (deer permit sold for $6,000) and St. Paul Neosho River Struttin’ Toms Chapter (deer permit sold for $6,500); two Ducks Unlimited Chapters — El Dorado Chapter No. 027 (deer permit sold for $6,000) and Johnson County Chapter (deer permit sold for $5,000); two Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams chapters — I-70 Chapter (deer permit sold for $4,000) and Southeast Chapter (elk permit sold for $9,100); and the Safari Club International Kansas City Chapter (deer permit sold for $5,100). The permits sold for $41,700, providing $32,320 for state habitat projects.

The Commission also listened to discussion about potential changes in the wildlife rehabilitator regulations, including a staff decision to no longer permit outdoor holding facilities located within city limits and primarily in residential areas. Potential regulation changes to reduce user conflict on public lands were discussed and included use of treestands and ground blinds, decoys, baiting, and commercial guiding. Discussion about potentially allowing hunters 16 and younger and those 55 and older to hunt with crossbows during the archery carried over to the evening session.

The only items discussed during the public hearing session included Secretary’s Orders to approve 2012 Free Fishing Days for June 2 and 3, and setting Free Park Entrance Days for all Kansas state parks. The approved resolution allows all parks to have an Open House with free entrance on March 31. Each park then selected an individual Free Entrance Day that coincided with a special event held at the park. For a complete list of Free Park Entrance Days, visit www.kdpwt.state.ks.us.

Wild Turkeys By Noppadol Paothong

Missouri Department of Conservation

JEFFERSON CITY Mo --(Ammoland.com)- Turkey hunters have until Feb. 29 to apply for managed hunts during Missouri’s 2012 spring turkey season.

All 19 managed turkey hunts are listed in the “2012 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information” booklet.

The booklet, along with other information on spring turkey hunting, is available online at www.mdc.mo.gov by searching “Spring Turkey Hunting.”

The booklet and website have application instructions, outlook information on Missouri’s turkey population, conservation areas where turkey hunting is allowed, related regulations and more. The print version of the booklet will be available from hunting permit vendors and at MDC offices in mid-February.

In addition to 11 hunts open to all firearms turkey hunters, this year’s offerings include a managed hunt for archers, five hunts for youths age 11 through 15 and two hunts for people with disabilities. Managed hunts will take place during the youth turkey season, March 31 to April 1, or regular turkey season, April 16 through May 6.

Hunters may apply individually or in groups of up to three for most hunts. Youth hunts accept applications only for single hunters or pairs. An individual applying as a member of a party has the same chance of being drawn as someone who applies alone. Successful applicants will receive notice of their hunt dates and other information by mail. Drawing results will be posted March 14 through May 6 at www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/turkey.

For the youth hunt and hunt for people with disabilities at Smithville Lake, applications should be made by phone by calling 816-858-5718. To apply for the hunt for people with disabilities at Bois D’Arc CA, call 417-742-4361. Applications for other hunts should be made online at www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/turkey.

The number of hunters allowed to take part in each managed hunt ranges from 10 to 40. Participants in some hunts must complete a pre-hunt orientation. Hunters should not to apply for these hunts if they cannot attend the orientation.

The bag limit for managed hunts is one male turkey or turkey with visible beard. Turkeys taken during a managed hunt count toward the season limit of two. Hunters who shoot a turkey during a managed hunt before April 23 may not take another turkey during the first week of the regular turkey season. All-terrain vehicles are prohibited on areas with managed turkey hunts.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA  -(Ammoland.com)- Brant goose numbers in Skagit County are high enough to allow an eight-day hunt later this month, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Brant hunting is scheduled Jan. 14, 15, 18, 21, 22, 25, 28 and 29 with a bag limit of two geese per day.

The hunting season was adopted by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in August, contingent on a count of at least 6,000 brant in Skagit County. A total of 6,704 brant were counted Friday morning during an aerial survey of Fidalgo, Padilla and Samish bays.

“Numbers of brant in Skagit County are down from last year’s count, but still high enough to provide hunting opportunities while sustaining the wintering population in the area,” said Don Kraege, waterfowl section manager for WDFW.

This year’s count in Skagit County is about 2,000 birds below the 10-year average, said Kraege. Last year, WDFW wildlife biologists counted about 8,500 brant in the county.

To participate in the Skagit County brant season, hunters must have a small game license, a migratory bird validation and a special migratory bird-hunting authorization with a brant harvest record card, which are available at WDFW license dealers. In addition, hunters also must have a federal migratory bird stamp.

After taking a brant, hunters are required to record their harvest information on the card immediately, and report their harvest to WDFW by Feb. 15.

Hunters who harvest a brant fitted with a colored leg band should report the leg band’s numbers and color by calling 1-800-327-BAND or at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/bblretrv/ . The leg bands help biologists identify and track the birds.

More information on brant-hunting requirements is available in WDFW’s Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons hunting pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/ .

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Salt Lake City, Utah --(Ammoland.com)- Starting this spring, bear hunters will have opportunities they’ve never had before in Utah.

The new opportunities have been made possible through a new bear management plan the Utah Wildlife Board approved in 2011.

John Shivik, mammals coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says the plan is giving more people a chance to hunt bears in Utah. “At the same time,” Shivik says, “the plan provides some important safeguards to keep the state’s bear populations healthy and safe.”

Board approves hunting rules
At their Jan. 12 meeting, members of the Wildlife Board approved black bear hunting and pursuit rules for Utah’s 2012 seasons.

All of the rules the board approved will be available in the 2012 Utah Black Bear Guidebook.

The guidebook should be available at wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks by Jan. 31.

The following are some highlights:

• In the past, most of the bears that were hunted in Utah were tracked with hounds and ran up trees. A few hunters have also used bait to lure bears in so the hunters could make a clean and effective shot with a bow and arrow.
• But starting this spring, more spot-and-stalk-only hunts will be offered in Utah.
• Hunters may not use hounds or bait during spot-and-stalk hunts. Instead, they must spot the bear and stalk it.
  In the past, all of Utah’s bear hunting areas were limited-entry areas. Only those who draw a permit for a limited-entry area can hunt on it.
• Starting this spring, though, the state will offer some harvest-objective hunts.
• The number of hunters who can hunt on a harvest-objective area isn’t limited, so switching a limited-entry area to a harvest-objective area gives more people a chance to hunt the area.
• To protect bears on harvest-objective areas, the number of bears that can be taken on each area is limited. Once that limit—also known as the area’s quota—is reached, the hunt on the area ends for the season.
• Harvest-objective hunts will be offered on three areas: The Wasatch Mountains, Currant Creek, Avintaquin unit in north central Utah, the Beaver unit in southwestern Utah and the Nine Mile unit in southeastern Utah.
  The spring hunts on some of Utah’s bear hunting units will run a little longer this year. The longer spring seasons will allow biologists to put more pressure on bears in areas where livestock are often killed and campgrounds raided by bears.

More hunters can hunt black bears in Utah this year. Photo by Lynn Chamberlain

Protecting the bears
In addition to providing some new hunting opportunities, the new plan provides bears with some important safeguards:

In the past, Shivik says three hunting-related factors have been used to determine the health of Utah’s bear population—the percentage of bears taken that are female, the average age of the bears taken and the number of adult bears that survive each hunting season.

You won’t find those three factors in the new plan. Instead, biologists are focusing on two key factors: the number of female bears and the number of adult male bears that hunters take.

(An adult male bear is a bear that’s five years of age or older.)

Shivik says the number of females and the number of adult males hunters take gives important information about how a bear population is doing:

The number of females hunters take is important because females give birth to cubs and then care for the cubs after they’re born.

“But the best early indicator we have about the health of a bear population is the number of adult males hunters take in relation to the number of females,” Shivik says.

Shivik says adult males wander more than other bears. The wandering the adult males do helps bear populations expand.

Because they wander more, adult males are also the bears hunters usually encounter first.

If biologists see that the number of adult males hunters are taking is going down—and the number of females is going up—they know the bear population in the area is declining.

“Once hunters start finding more females,” Shivik says, “we know the population is declining in number.”

In addition to the number of female bears and adult male bears hunters take, biologists are also using two important bear studies to monitor the health of Utah’s bear population:

One study involves snagging hair from bears at sites across Utah. After the hair is snagged, DNA tests are used to determine how often the bears that left the snagged hair visited the sites. This study is helping biologists measure how fast or slow the state’s bear populations are growing.

In the second study, biologists visit bear dens in the winter to see how many cubs are in the dens. The biologists also assess the health of the cubs and their mothers. This study is giving biologists important information about the number of new bears that are being brought into Utah’s population each year.

Sage-Grouse Implementation Team Meeting To Be Held Jan. 24

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

BEND, OR -(Ammoland.com)- The Jordan Valley Sage-Grouse Local Implementation Team will meet on Tuesday Jan. 24 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Jordan Valley Lions Club Hall, Highway 95 North, Jordan Valley.

Plans are to review Core Area and Conservation Opportunity Area maps that illustrate newly mapped action areas which share common threats to sage-grouse and focus efforts for future habitat management actions and/or mitigation needs.

The Jan. 24 meeting is a follow up to the Vale Local Implementation Team Nov. 18 meeting, which due to adverse weather conditions was lightly attended.

There are five Sage-Grouse Conservation Strategy Implementation teams, one for each Bureau of Land Management District within the current distribution of sage-grouse in Oregon as well as one in the Baker Resource Area in the Vale district.

Public meetings are held in each of the Implementation Team areas periodically. The Lakeview and Vale meetings were held on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18, respectively. The Hines, Prineville, and Baker meetings were held on Dec. 6, Dec. 8, and Dec. 13, respectively.

The Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Assessment and Strategy for Oregon, is available on ODFW’s website in the Conservation section. Sage-grouse photos are available on ODFW’s Flickr site.

Contact: Autumn Larkins, ODFW , Sage-Grouse Conservation Coordinator, (541) 573-6582 Bob Hooton, ODFW Klamath/Malheur Watershed District Manager, (541) 388-6344

West Virginia Wild

West Virginia DNR

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – -(Ammoland.com)- Monday, January the 2, and the day New Year’s is celebrated by many throughout the state.

I had talked to two of my grouse hunting buddies the night before. The plan was to check the weather about 7 a.m. and make a decision about going grouse hunting that day.

I had already made my decision the night before. If the wind didn’t blow the dog off its feet and if the snow wasn’t over my knees I was going.

So, as planned, I checked the weather and made the calls. First response was that it was blowing pretty hard and when he was younger he would have gone. Second call brought the response that it was supposed to be nice the next weekend.

According to the weather channel, the wind was supposed to die down some around noon and the snow wasn’t really to start until about 5 p.m. or so. By the time I did a few things around the house, cleaned the kennel, got my hunting stuff laid out, it was noon. I loaded Snoopy, our young English pointer, and headed out to Preston County. I had hunted there a little before deer season and felt we had a good chance to find a bird or two before the snow started in earnest later in the afternoon.

As I drove east, the ground was covered with about an inch of snow on the higher slopes. Soon I was turning up the dirt road toward the top of the mountain where I wanted to hunt. The top of these mountains are laced with grapevines and dotted with autumn olive. In addition, there was plenty of sumac. All in all, there was sufficient food and cover for a mid-winter hunt. Snoopy was eager to go and finally I had the little bell fastened around her neck. I stuffed a few 28 gauge shells in my vest and dropped two in the AYA double.

Frank Jezioro & Snoopy Bird Hunting WV

The snow was picking up a little as we headed into the heaver cover. I decided to follow a little logging road through the woods as the road was lined with greenbrier, sumac and old slashing from the logging operation that went through there about five or six years ago. We hadn’t gone more than 100 yards or so when Snoopy really got busy. She knew there was a grouse there somewhere but just couldn’t pin down the scent swirling around in the wind. She was on the left side of the old road and I was concentrating on the logs and tree tops in front of her when the grouse went on the right side of the road. By the time I turned and located the bird it was about out of range and diving over the mountain.

I told Snoopy she was a good dog and that it was hard to pin these old birds when the scent was swirling around like that. Soon we crossed the old road and headed around the hill. By now the snow was coming pretty good and actually impacting visibility some. We were working toward a corner where the autumn olive was thick and interwoven with blackberry canes and greenbrier. Above all of it stood stag horn sumac. The heads of the plants were full and scarlet red. I could see song birds scurrying around ahead of us as they flew from the sound of Snoopy’s bell. One florescent red Cardinal really stood out against the snowy background. Snoopy was about 50 yards ahead of me and, just as she entered the tangle, she froze on an intense point. I moved toward her and, when I was about 10 feet from her, the snow-covered weeds under the sumac exploded with the thunder of grouse wings. The bird came out low and then started to hook to the right. I swung the gun, but was behind it when I fired the first barrel. The grouse continued on across the old road and this time I was just ahead of its beak when I pulled the trigger. The 1 oz. load of 7 ½s centered the grouse and it smacked into the hillside. Snoopy raced to the bird, scooped it up and raced back to my side. By now the snow was really starting to come down. We took a few minutes to get a picture or two and headed back for the truck.

Three grouse flushed and one in the bag after two hours of hunting made for a very satisfying afternoon.

As January moves on there will normally be days of snow and of sunshine. There will be cold and there will be warm afternoons. The wind will blow and it will be calm. The point is, there is a lot of good hunting and there is no more pretty time to be out than when we have a light covering of snow.

If you don’t hunt, it is still a nice time to be out even if you simply go for a walk or a hike.

The alternative is to be a couch potato and sit in front of the TV watching the Outdoor Channel. Me, I prefer to be out there doing it instead sitting around and talking about it.

Eastern coyotes differ from their western counterparts with a larger average size and various color phases, including blonde and black.

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- Three species of the family Canidae, or dog family are found in New Jersey.

They are the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and the coyote (Canis latrans).

All three of these animals can be found nearly anywhere in the state and all three are valuable furbearers listed as game animals with a regulated season.

The red fox is the most common of the three canids and one of the most sought after species. Generally, the red fox harvest ranks third behind muskrat and raccoon in total numbers caught and in total fur value. The total harvest of gray foxes has decreased over the last 30 years perhaps due to increased competition from coyotes and red fox. During the early 1980s the gray fox harvest was nearly equivalent to that of the red fox. For example, in 1980-81 the red fox harvest was an estimated 6,315 animals while the gray fox harvest was an estimated 5,894.

The 2010-2011 estimated trapper harvest of red fox in New Jersey was 3,534 red foxes with an estimated total value of $49,723 and an average price per pelt of $14.07. For gray fox, the estimated harvest was 134 gray foxes with an estimated total value of $3,676 and an average price per pelt of $27.43. The coyote harvest is known rather than estimated due to mandatory reporting. There were 171 coyotes harvested by trappers in 2010-11 with an estimated total fur value of $3,443 and an average price per pelt of $20.16. Recent changes in trapping regulations have enabled trappers to harvest significantly more coyotes compared to previous years (see Table below).

These canids, like raccoon and opossum, may also be taken by hunters. During the 2009-10 hunting seasons for fox and coyote, hunters in New Jersey took an estimated 1,280 red foxes, 783 gray foxes and 96 coyotes.

Nearly all of the coyotes that are shot by hunters in New Jersey since 1997 were killed incidentally to hunting deer as the seasons for foxes and coyotes have run concurrently with deer seasons since October of 1997. Mandatory harvest reports show that less than 7% of all the coyotes harvested by hunters were killed during the special permit coyote and/or fox season.

Only 3 reports are recorded for coyotes that were harvested as incidentally taken while hunting small game.

NJ Coyote Mortalities

New Jersey Furbearer Facts – The Coyote

Background
Historic records show the coyote is not native to New Jersey. The coyote extended its range north and east across Canada from the mid-west. It is theorized that the species may have bred with gray wolves, emerged into the New England states and has extended its range south through New Jersey. Contrary to popular opinion, the Division of Fish and Wildlife has never imported coyotes for any reason at any time.

Biologists maintain that eastern coyotes are not first generation crosses of dogs and coyotes or “coy-dogs”, but rather a definite coyote strain although with more variations in fur color and a larger body size than their western counterpart. In New Jersey, adult males generally weigh between 35 and 40 pounds, with a few animals reaching the 45 to 50 pound range. Females generally weigh about 5 pounds less, in the 30 to 35 pound range. Color variations range from the typical “western coyote” gray-tan to a fox-like red to almost black. The coyote is a German Shepherd-appearing animal when seen from a distance, but when viewed up-close its thinner muzzle and the fox-like “brush” tail are distinctive.

In the last 30 years or so sightings of coyotes have increased throughout New Jersey. This increase is due to the coyote’s ability to co-exist successfully with man, and to of the ability of coyotes to adapt to varied habitat types and food sources. Coyotes have been documented in all 21 New Jersey counties and 392 New Jersey municipalities.

Additional information on the history of the coyote in the northeastern United States is available in: Eastern Coyote- What is it? Where did it come from? by Dr. Roland Kays, Curator of Mammals, New York State Museum.

History-

• • In 1939 the first record of a coyote in New Jersey was documented near Lambertville, Hunterdon County. From 1939 through 1975 there are records for nine specimens from New Jersey.
• • In 1975, the Division’s Bureau of Wildlife Management recommended that the Eastern Coyote be officially recognized as a resident species and given game animal status. The coyote was listed as a game animal with a closed season in the 1975-76 Game Code.
• • In 1980, the Division’s Bureau of Wildlife Management recommended that the coyote be listed as a furbearer species. This allowed coyotes to be taken by trappers during the regular trapping season, which ran from November 15 to March 15. There was no daily or season limit imposed.
• • On October 27, 1985 it became unlawful for a New Jersey trapper to use a leghold trap. After that date only cable restraints or box traps could be used to trap coyotes. Trappers were required to report all coyotes taken to a Division Law Enforcement office within 24 hours.
• • In 1986, it became lawful for a farmer to kill a coyote on his farm when the coyote was found damaging livestock or crops. Farmers were required to report all coyotes taken to a Division Law Enforcement office within 24 hours.
• • The Fish and Game Council authorized winter coyote hunting seasons by permit beginning in 1997 (except for 2001 when no permit was required). Coyote hunters were allowed to take two coyotes per day. Weapons allowed included shotgun, bow and muzzleloading rifle. Shotgun hunters were required to use either #2 or #4 fine shot. Bow and muzzleloader weapon and missile requirements were similar to deer hunting requirements. Special coyote hunting permits were required in order to monitor and evaluate the season. A $2.00 application processing fee was charged per permit. Permits were available through the mail and over the counter.

Some Tips on the Handling of Fox and Coyote Pelts

• • Always, always be careful when choosing trap set locations! Try to choose locations that are free of burrs, conifers (pitch) or wire fences.
• • Dirt and especially blood in the fur should also be cleaned immediately at the site of capture.
• • Trap sets should be checked on a regular basis to minimize the possibility of fur damage.
• • Be careful not to pull guard hairs if the fur is frozen to the ground or tangled in shrubs or trees. In below freezing temperatures, wet fur on metal such as in the bed of a pickup truck can also damage the fur.
• • Freshly killed animals should not be piled on top of each other. Maintain an air space around each animal so the body has a chance to cool as quickly as possible. This is important with any species of game animal or furbearer.
• • Fox and coyote should be skinned as soon as possible to avoid decomposition, or taint. If animals cannot be skinned soon, hang them up by the hind legs. This will slow the belly taint process.
• • Tainting and hair slippage is one of the main reasons for pelts being downgraded. Whether the taint is small or large, the skin is rotting. This decomposition cannot be reversed. • Other than on the belly, the greatest potential for hair slip is around the ears. Any portions of the pelt that remain damp/wet will cause hair to slip.
• • The tailbone must always be pulled and the tail split completely to the end for it to properly dry. Try not to lose or rip off any portion of the tail.
• • After pelting, leave the pelt leather-out until it has noticeably cooled, then turn fur-out until boarding.
• • Sprinkle borax in and around the ear and any portion of the damp pelt as well as the skinned tail to hasten drying. Borax is a preservative used extensively in the fur trade. Salt should not be used because it attracts moisture. If the fur grader sees that the fur is slipping around the ear, they often assume slippage will occur during dressing and the grader will automatically downgrade the pelt.
• • Placing fur in fur bags will greatly reduce the chance of damaging the fur.
• • With the exception of gray foxes and some coyotes, there is very little in the way of fat/flesh to remove.

Skinning Foxes and Coyotes: What to leave on or off?

• • Paws cut off? Claws on or off? Front legs cut off at the elbow? All these are acceptable. Cutting the legs too high may cause some problems, but usually doesn’t result in a downgraded pelt.

Stretching/Boarding-

• • Concerns with stretching/boarding include using boards that are too wide and pulling too hard on the hind legs when pinning them.
• • Use wooden boards if at all possible. They are far superior than wire stretchers for maximizing pelt size and the appearance of pelts.
• • Correct board measurements are very important. Whether split or solid boards, be sure the boards are not overly wide.
• • Coyote and Fox are always placed on the stretcher leather side out, and dried until the head is nearly dry, then turned fur out and put back onto the board until thoroughly dry. Pay close attention to the drying pelts especially the ears. It may take some experience to perfect the timing of when to turn the pelt.
• • The front legs can remain inside the pelt, when turning, provided they are thoroughly dried (as per the NAFA Fur Handling Manual). Leaving the legs inside the pelt greatly reduces the chance of the front legs tearing while turning the pelt.
• • When the pelt has been removed from the board, wipe any excess grease from the leather side and brush the fur to best appearance.
• • Pelts should be always stored in a cool location and where damage by small rodents can be minimized.

Accidental knife cuts occasionally happen and the only way to avoid them is by paying closer attention during pelting. When grading foxes and coyotes please note that snares, tainting, bullet holes, knife cuts and failure to clean the fur are the major reasons for downgrading. To maximize fur values always clean dirt and dried mud or blood from the pelt and sew knife cuts or bullet holes to keep the pelt from being graded into a slightly damaged or damaged category.

Please Remember to Report Your Coyotes!

Coyotes harvested by any method must be reported to a New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Regional Law Enforcement office within 24 hours.

Regional NJ Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Office phone numbers:

• Northern Region Office 908-735-8240
• Central Region Office 609-259-2120
• Southern Region Office 856-629-0555

Please report any fisher or bobcat captures – Call: 877-WARNDEP (877-927-6337)

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife is a professional, environmental agency dedicated to the protection, management and wise use of the state’s fish and wildlife resources.

Oregon Cougar Hunting Closed In Coast & North Cascade Region For Rest Of Year

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

SALEM, Ore --(Ammoland.com)- ODFW is closing cougar hunting through the end of this year in the Coast/North Cascades region, after reaching the zone’s quota of 120 cougars.

Since Jan. 1, 2011, 120 cougars have been killed by sporthunters or in response to damage or public safety concerns in Zone A (Coast/North Cascade). ODFW closes sport hunting if a zone’s quota is reached.

The closure only applies to sport hunting. Cougars may still be killed if they are threatening livestock, pets or human safety.

This is only the third year that cougar sport hunting has been closed in Oregon. Previous closures occurred in 2001, with one zone closed, and 2002, when two zones closed.

Most of the increased take of cougars in Zone A this year is from “non-hunter” kill, or cougars taken due to damage, public safety concerns, roadkill or other reasons. So far, 59 cougars were killed in this category in 2011, compared to 48 in 2010 and 38 in 2009. Sporthunter harvest of cougars was 61 in 2011, 55 in 2010 and 61 in 2009.

ODFW closely tracks the take of cougars. Sporthunters and any landowner that kills a cougar due to damage or public safety issues must check in the cougar’s skull and hide (with proof of sex) at an ODFW office within 10 days of harvest. During the check-in, ODFW collects data to estimate the cougar’s age.

The data is used to estimate the overall cougar population in Oregon, which is about 5,700 cougars today. To keep the cougar population healthy, ODFW closes sporthunting zones when a certain quota is reached as it was today in the Coast/North Cascades.

Cougar sport hunting in the Coast/North Cascade region will resume on Jan. 1, 2012, when the 2012 season begins with the same quota for the new year.

Find a map of zones and each zone’s quota at the link below: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/big_game/cougar/quota.asp

Anthony P. Mauro, Sr

Not too long ago the prevailing wisdom of American surgeons was to prescribe bed confinement for most surgery patients.

It was ultimately discovered that the prescription of bed confinement not only caused life threatening complications it also delayed the physical recovery of patients.

The medical community soon replaced a “passive management” approach with treatments of early ambulation. As a result patient outcomes improved markedly.

Similar to the experience of American surgeons, there are some who have prescribed “passive management” for our forests over many decades and the effect has been equally injurious to forest health. The prevailing thought has kept woodlands from being managed by both humans and Mother Nature. We have learned that “passive management” is conspiring against forest health through degradation by aiding invasive plants and insects, and other wildlife to overtake forests.

Mother Nature manages forest health by making use of fire, wind, disease, insects, and other forces. Judicious doses of forest destruction are her way of regenerating forests and guaranteeing sustainability. Destruction and regeneration are performed in varying areas and at differing levels and intervals, which provides forest age classes that are well distributed. This in turn creates biodiversity – a foundation for forest vigor and the health of dependent flora and fauna.

Efficient disturbance created by fire, wind, disease, and insects not only provides for the long-term well-being of the forest and its dependent plant and wildlife communities but also reduces the susceptibility of the landscape, as a whole, to catastrophic damage. Disturbance is as crucial to forest health as early ambulation is to surgery patient health.

Although it appears counterintuitive, when humans prevent Mother Nature from managing forests by suppressing her natural forces we act to compromise her immune system. Passive management creates severe imbalances in the ecosystem, which allows insects, disease and deer, to intensify beyond the ability of nature to manage these forces efficiently. It causes overstocking of bio-fuels. The result is forest susceptibility to massive insect and disease outbreaks, devastating crown fires, and increased vulnerability to wind.

The evidence of a compromised immune system in New Jersey forests is found in overpopulations of deer preventing forest development by browsing seedlings and saplings, and ruinous infestation to the Pinelands by the southern pine beetle.

In the Highlands the hemlock woolly adelgid has infested eastern hemlock forest trees. Also, gypsy moths have caused defoliation, with oak forest types being the most affected. Over the years continued defoliation has made trees susceptible to insects and diseases that can eventually cause their death from other agents. As a consequence there might be a reduction of the larger mature oak species in certain areas.

The remedy for woodland restoration is in pending legislation. Bills A1954/A4358 provide for a forest harvest program on State-owned land. For nearly three years the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, New Jersey Forestry Association, New Jersey Audubon Society, New Jersey Farm Bureau, and Department of Environmental Protection have worked with legislative leadership provided by Senator Robert Smith and Assemblyman John McKeon to create a template for a forest harvest program. The result of this effort is also supported by the New Jersey Division Society of American Foresters and the New Jersey Tree Farm Program. Additionally, scores of forestry professionals and Ph.Ds. in the fields of wildlife ecology, forest biology, natural resource management, and agriculture have endorsed the legislation.

The bills provide a means to facilitate natural processes through forestry practices. These intentional, human-induced activities can initiate the recovery of ecosystem health, integrity, and sustainability. If we are going to continue to prevent Mother Nature from freely using her methods to manage forests it is our obligation to safely and responsibly replicate her formulas.

Bills S1954/A4358 legislate a Forest Stewardship Plan using environmental health standards as the basis for forest regeneration – it does not rely on economic standards. The Department of Environmental Protection and forestry professionals determine the types of methods needed to replicate those used by Mother Nature for purposes of environmental health.

Approval for forestry projects requires that water quality, soil erosion, and threatened and endangered species be considered before authorization is granted, and a Forest Stewardship Plan must be in place before any cutting is initiated. By-products can be sold and the revenue put into an account created by legislation that is used to finance continued forest stewardship practices. This approach treats each forest individually but takes into consideration its place as part of the overall environment.

The lack of forest management and fragmentation in New Jersey are partially to blame for the extirpation of several animals. At the same time we prioritized the recovery of the bald eagle we ignored the needs of animals such as bobwhite quail, red-headed woodpecker, ruffed grouse, pheasant, and more. We have prevented forest disturbance and as a result the integrity of the habitat needed for these species to survive has been severely compromised.

Some special interest groups have misrepresented bills S1954/A4358 as logging and distribution legislation. Their portrayal is not only untrue but unwittingly takes advantage of people’s lack of knowledge of forest biology and the specifics of the legislation, and plays on prejudices that enlist them as advocates of the status quo – a campaign that facilitates environmental damage.

S1954/A4358 provides a means to restore forest health and provides a source to fund the undertaking. The citizens of New Jersey are stakeholders in this matter and they deserve intellectual honesty and rational arguments as the basis for making informed decisions. Forests are critical to sustaining life on earth and we are therefore obligated to woodland stewardship.

Ant

Color the Green Movement Blue

About: Anthony P. Mauro, Sr, (also known as “Ant” to friends and associates) is Chairman and co-founder of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Conservation Foundation, and New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Environmental Projects. Ant’s commitment to the principles of sustainable use of natural resources and environmental stewardship helped to create the New Jersey Angling & Hunting Conservation Caucus (NJA&HC). The NJA&HC is the first outdoor caucus of its kind in New Jersey and is designed to educate opinion leaders and policy makers about the principles of conservation; the foundation for healthy ecosystems, fish and wildlife.

California Offers One-day Turkey Hunting Clinic in February

California Department Of Fish And Game

California --(Ammoland.com)- The Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Advanced Hunter Education Program is offering a turkey hunting clinic Feb. 18 at Tejon Ranch in Kern County.

Jointly sponsored by DFG, the Hunter Education Instructor Association of Southern California and Tejon Ranch, this clinic is open to hunters of all ages and skill levels.

Experienced instructor and longtime turkey hunter Dave Holbrock will lead this exciting clinic.

Topics to be covered include decoy placement, blind design, ballistics, calling, equipment, game care and cleaning, cooking tips and safety.

The clinic starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. The cost is $45 and space is limited.

Youths 16 years and younger are free but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. DFG’s Advanced Hunter Education Program will provide all necessary class equipment.

Registration forms are available online at www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced/index.aspx. After registering, participants will receive an e-mail with a map to the facility and a list of items to bring.

Tejon Ranch is located along Interstate 5, approximately 30 miles south of Bakersfield and 60 miles north of Los Angeles.

Photo by Chris Wyman Photography Highland Lakes, NJ Fish & Wildlife worker Linda Morschauser is dwarfed by the heaviest and perhaps largest black bear ever recorded in New Jersey. At the Franklin check-in station on Friday, the final official live weight estimate for the bruin was 829.5 pounds. The bear was taken in the woods about 1/2-mile from Jefferson High School. / Chris Wyman

AmmoLand Gun News

JEFFERSON, NJ --(Ammoland.com)-A Morris County deer hunter who shot one of the biggest black bears taken in North America was disappointed.

“I would have traded getting two bucks instead of the bear,” said Bruce Headley, 62, of Weldon Road, Milton. Headley’s 829-pound live weight black bear was one of fewer than a dozen over 800 pounds in 35 states and most of Canada.

Bruce and his family prefer venison, but he missed a shot at a buck on opening day of bear and deer season, Dec. 5, at the 150-acre property that has been in his family for nine generations. It abuts the 3,200-acre Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, Morris County’s biggest park.

Headley had seen the big bruin in his backyard in late September “under a yellow delicious apple tree shoving apples into its mouth,” about half a mile from Jefferson High School. He wasn’t hunting for it, but was one of 7,294 other hunters who bought $2 bear hunting permits.

The next time he saw the giant bear was at 11:15 a.m. Dec. 9 while at his deer stand in the woods where he’d been since before daybreak, about three-eighths of a mile behind his house.

Neighbor John Pessagno, hunting about 350 yards away, called him on his cellphone after 11 a.m. to tell him five does had passed and were heading toward him. Headley saw only one doe come and bed down nearby.

“I was looking to see if a buck might be coming when I saw the bear coming up an old tote road,” Headley said. “I waited till he came to a clearing about 45 yards away, and when he did, I shot at him; I knew I hit it at least three times.”

After the bruin went 50 yards and dropped in a rocky, small ravine, Headley called neighbor Gordon Galfo, who drove over with his four-wheeler, then got Adam, Headley’s 21-year-old son, and Passagno, to help.

They chainsawed a path to the bear, used a “come-along” — a hand-operated crank with a cable — and pulled the bear up on a heavy-duty plastic rescue sled. They next picked it up with a front-end loader and put it onto Galfo’s pickup truck for the drive to the Franklin bear checking station.

It took them about three hours to get the bear out, including getting the equipment and help and clearing the path.

“It took longer to get organized than to get it out,” said Headley, who has hunted since he bought his first license at age 14.

He donated the big bear to the Division of Fish and Wildlife, which hopes to have it mounted and displayed at the Pequest Natural Resource Education Center, so others can see the biggest bear ever taken in New Jersey.

“If the hunter wants to donate the bear and the conservation groups are willing to cover the cost of having it mounted, I think the Pequest Natural Resource Education Center would be a great location,” said Division of Fish and Wildlife Director David Chanda.

“It would be a nice compliment to our conservation education programs,” he added. “After all, the black bear represents a truly remarkable success story.

“Especially when you consider that they were all but wiped out by the industrial revolution in the early 1900s, and now as a result of tremendous habitat and management programs developed by professional wildlife biologists, black bears have been sighted in all 21 counties and will forever remain a part of New Jersey’s landscape.”

Bear Biologist Kelcey Burguess of the Division brought it to Wildlife Preservations in Woodland Park, formerly West Paterson, the studio of famed taxidermist George Dante, whose work is on display worldwide.

Dante’s clients include permanent and traveling exhibits of the Museum of Natural History, the Bronx Zoo, and dozens of museums and zoos. The New Jersey Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs has offered to pay for Dante’s work on the bear.

The day before Headley brought his bear the Franklin checking station off Route 23 — driving past anti-hunting demonstrators who shouted and made [rude] gestures at successful hunters — John Noon of Sussex had brought in 776-pound bear he shot in Stokes State Forest. That bear was a record until Headley’s bear was weighed.

Hunters killed 469 bears in this year’s hunt that coincided with the six-day December firearms deer hunt, fewer than the 592 killed during the 2010 bear hunt, because fog, heavy rain and warm weather reduced the harvest this season. About 800 cubs are usually born every January.

Hunters had to bring their bears to one of five check-in stations where biologists extracted a bear’s tooth to age the animal, took a DNA sample, weighed and measured the bears and determined the location of where the bear was shot.

The division is preparing on a comprehensive report on this year’s season, which again included bears known to have caused damage and other problems. New Jersey’s bears annually cause tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage by breaking into homes, killing pets and livestock, damaging crops and preventing many homeowners from feeding birds or leaving barbecue grilles or garbage outdoors.

For this year’s successful bear season, 7,502 hunters bought 9,082 permits and had a 6-percent success rate, harvesting 140 male bears; 329 females. Of these, 19 percent had been handled during year by biologists: 311 in Sussex; Warren, 98; Passaic, 25; Morris, 33; Bergen, 1, and Hunterdon, 1.

The largest bear shot during the 2010 hunt had an estimated live weight of more than 750 pounds (651 pounds when field dressed) and was taken in Montville Township, near the Boonton border.
Heavyweight Contenders

Garden State adult male American black bears (Ursus americanus) weigh on average 400 pounds. Males are called boars; females, called sows, average 175. Headley’s bear was a boar. Cubs are born in January and most weigh an average of 80 pounds by their first December. Sows aggressively chase their cubs when the reach ages of 16-18 months, so they can breed again.

Pennsylvania’s state record bear, estimated at 879 lbs., was shot in 2010 in Pike County, but weighed 700 lbs. on June 7, 2009, when it was caught, tagged, weighed and released by N.J. bear research biologists off Old Mine Road, in Hardwick Township, Warren County. Six bears heavier than 800 pounds have been shot by hunters in Pennsylvania since 1992.

The U.S. record wild black bear, shot in North Carolina in November 1998, had fattened by eating discards near a pig farm. It weighed 880 lbs. A 805-pound black bear was killed by a hunter in Manitoba, the province where one that was 856.5 lbs was killed when struck by a vehicle on a road near Winnipeg in 2001.

New York’s record black bear, shot in Franklin County in the Adirondacks in 1975, weighed 750 lbs.

Bears can grow as big as 900 in captivity if they’re overfed, which is what happened to the wild one that roamed last year in Pike County, Pa., and had been fed by workers at the Fernwood Resort. The Monroe County hunter who shot it with a crossbow said he didn’t know that.

2011 Black Bear Season Harvest Data

(Below is is preliminary harvest information and subject to revision.)

Black Bear Harvest by Bear Hunting Area

Bear Harvest by Check-in Station

Jim Stabile

About Jim Stabile:
Jim has been writing about the outdoors since 1961 and is a current contributor to Gannett Sunday Papers. Jim was an editor at Outdoor Life Magazine in NYC and the editor of Michigan Out of Doors Magazine. He is currently an Officer in the New York Metropolitan Outdoor Press Association and still an active hunter, enjoying success in his 61st year of deer hunting.

Conservation Corner w/ Anthony P. Mauro, Sr

USA --(Ammoland.com)-  After reading the New Jersey Sierra Club belief that a bear hunt is unwarranted and   unfounded  because it will not help to manage bears in the state of New Jersey, as well as similar comments from Sierra’s  allies in the animal rights community, it occurred to me that one has to overlook some very compelling evidence to the contrary in order to cultivate such faith.

Firstly, to reach the conclusion of the animal activist one must disagree with the findings of both a Superior Court and Appellate Court, each ruling that the State of New Jersey had put together a viable, comprehensive bear management plan. The two courts agreed that the hunt should proceed.

People would also need a deaf ear to avoid hearing the pervading wisdom of biologists, wildlife managers, and State agencies across America that argue persuasively in favor of hunting as one of several necessary bear management tools.

To agree with the conclusion of the animal activist one must close their eyes to the negative psychological effects associated with human-bear conflicts in residential, commercial, and camping situations. It requires an exceptional degree of callousness in order to ignore claims of economic loss caused by bears to agriculture related businesses. This insensitivity would also extend to financial harm that would befall employers and employees of hotels, camps, and other businesses as a result of lost tourism should a bear-human conflict result in injury or worse.

To agree with the animal activist requires one to show complete disregard for human safety. There would need to be ignorance about the ways black bears respond to periods of declining food sources, and a lack of understanding about the perils associated with bear habituation. These are reasons for increased bear-human conflicts. They may in fact be the cause of recent livestock and pet deaths by black bears as well as reports of physical encounters between bears and humans.

It is the goal of animal activists to promote the rights of bears but to do so at the expense of the public health is emotional thinking; a sign of difficulty in distinguishing between emotions and thoughts. It may be the reason for the sensational claims by animal activists that the bear hunt is a grand conspiracy of New Jersey’s Governor to curry favor with hunters, roll back environmental progress and turn over the Garden State to developers and polluters. It is a radical accusation regardless of its origin.

Emotional thinking may also be the spark that ignited a handful of activists to hold a bear hunt protest in Trenton. They lectured using spurious claims based on manipulated data and research. It even earned them the “Pants on Fire” award from PolitiFact, the truth watchdog arm of the Star-Ledger. It is a distinction awarded to those making ridiculous statements.

Color The Green Movement Blue

Finally, for the animal activist to believe that during a time of dwindling habitat and prolific bear population expansion that bear-human conflict can be managed solely by garbage containment and public education is to defy common sense and rely on wishful thinking. While limiting food sources and educating the public about black bears is useful it does nothing to address the primary reasons for increased bear-human conflicts; bear population expansion, loss of habitat, and habituation. Hunting is the tool that addresses these causes.

The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance believes that a black bear hunt is a responsible, pragmatic, environmentally sound, and a science-based method for bringing the black bear population in line with the cultural carrying capacity of available habitat, which is the goal of environmental stewards.

It also provides food for the hunter and his or her family while aversively conditioning bears, which provides a measure of lasting public safety.

About: Anthony P. Mauro, Sr, (also known as “Ant” to friends and associates) is Chairman and co-founder of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Conservation Foundation, and New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Environmental Projects. Ant’s commitment to the principles of sustainable use of natural resources and environmental stewardship helped to create the New Jersey Angling & Hunting Conservation Caucus (NJA&HC). The NJA&HC is the first outdoor caucus of its kind in New Jersey and is designed to educate opinion leaders and policy makers about the principles of conservation; the foundation for healthy ecosystems, fish and wildlife.

Wisconsin DNR

MADISON, WI --(Ammoland.com)- After last week’s colder temperatures and snowfall built up the anticipation of ice anglers, snowmobilers and skiers, warmer temperatures and rain this week dampened that excitement considerably.

Conservation wardens across the state are reporting that ice conditions have deteriorated considerably. Lakes that had 2 to 3 inches of ice now have areas of open water and ice just an inch or two thick along shorelines. Lakes in the far north are in the best condition, with some near shore areas having a solid 5 to 6 inches of ice, but areas out over deeper water and just a short distance away may only have 2 to 3 inches of ice.

Only far north central Wisconsin has any remaining snow cover, with the most being reported in northern Iron County at about 5 inches. Most areas are reporting only 1 to 3 inches of snow remain.

Prior to the warm-up anglers were reporting fair to good action on early ice for bluegills and some northern pike. Initial walleye success on northern lakes has been generally slow for the tip-up anglers, but a few nicer fish have shown up, including a couple of 25-inch walleye have been reported.

Ice had begun to form on both Lake Superior’s Chequamegon Bay and on Lake Michigan’s Green Bay, but with warmer temperatures and wind, most of that ice has broken up. Some anglers have returned to open water fishing, with reports of walleye being caught from boats on the Fox River and some good sauger action on the Mississippi River.

Reports were mixed from the statewide antlerless deer hunt, with some areas mostly in the southern part of the state reporting participation and deer registrations were up, while activity was limited in much of northern Wisconsin. Bow hunters are now taking advantage of this recent mild weather to spend more time on tree stands.

Large flocks of Canada geese are still being reported across much of the state. The exterior goose season is now closed, but the Mississippi River subzone remains open through Dec. 29. Turkeys are reporting to be forming into their larger winter flocks with as many as 40 to 50 being seen feeding on many agricultural fields in the mild weather.

With the mild weather, some late season hunters are reporting still seeing black bear out and about, and wildlife biologists confirmed a black bear denning up in Sauk County this week, the first time this has been confirmed in quite a few years.

There has been an abundance of divers ducks, especially golden-eyes and mallards, stil being seen because of the open water. Large numbers of migrating waterfowl has been seen along the shores of Green Bay, including one report of an estimated 12,000 mergansers.

And for people looking for last minute holiday gifts for the outdoors lovers on their lists, 2012 Wisconsin State Park admission stickers and State Trail passes are on sale now at all state park and forest offices and DNR Service Centers.

DNR Outdoor Report in Portable Document Format (Requires Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®)

Dead Down Wind Supports Wounded Warrior Hunt

Dead Down Wind

South Carolina --(Ammoland.com)- Dead Down Wind proudly participated in the 7th Annual SCI Low Country Chapter Wounded Warrior and Wheelchair Hunt at Nemours Plantation in South Carolina held on Oct. 24-25, 2011.

Four Dead Down Wind pro staffers worked as volunteers during the hunt. Gus Congemi, host of Live the Wild Life, and co-host Ernie Wojtysiak were on hand to film the hunt for the TV show and distribute Dead Down Wind gift bags to the hunters. Congemi said each gift bag contained numerous scent-prevention products to aid in the hunters’ success.

“Attending this hunt was important to my pro staff and me,” Congemi, says. “Pro staffer Mike Gilbert is a retired Army 1st SGT. Pro staffer Mike Leavitt’s father is retired military, and my daughter is a West Point graduate actively serving as a Captain in the Army. These ties to the military made us feel strongly about giving any support we could to this event and our troops. We wanted to give something back to those who serve our country.”

Fifty hunters, including 30 Wounded Warriors, 10 adult disabled hunters and 10 sick or injured youngsters participated in the hunt, and more than 200 volunteers lended a hand. Hunters took 14 deer and two hogs during the two-day hunt.

“Support for the organization allows it to expand its Disabled Hunter programs and inspire other groups and organizations to get involved in offering similar outdoor activities for the benefit of wounded warriors, sick youngsters and disabled adults,” Mark Peterson, SCI Low Country Chapter Disabled Hunter & Wounded Warrior program coordinator, says. “Every year hunters have inspirational stories of courage, perseverance and faith to share. They are stories that deserve to be told, especially the stories of service and sacrifice by the Wounded Warriors.”

For more information on Dead Down Wind, visit them online at www.deaddownwind.com .

West Virginia DNR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Missouri Department of Conservation

JEFFERSON CITY Mo --(Ammoland.com)- The December issue of the Missouri Conservationist is now available for AmmoLand Shooting Sports News readers for free and to enjoy.

Missouri Conservationist December 2011

About:
MDC protects and manages the fish, forest, and wildlife resources.
We also facilitate your participation in resource management activities, and provide opportunities for you to use, enjoy and learn about nature.

Arizona Game and Fish Department Unveils HabiMap Arizona

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- The Arizona Game and Fish Department has launched an innovative new tool that utilizes the latest mapping technology to put wildlife data at your fingertips.

HabiMap Arizona is a user-friendly, web-based data viewer that allows users to visually explore the distribution of the state’s wildlife, wildlife conservation potential, and stressors to wildlife.

“This is a great example of how technology can be used to assist in transparent wildlife conservation and project planning,” said Arizona Game and Fish Department Director Larry Voyles.

“We’re excited to offer a tool that not only allows the department to better manage wildlife at a statewide scale, but also can be used to help address the growth needs of our state.”

Information available through HabiMap Arizona is non-regulatory and may be useful in making decisions about our state’s future growth by considering wildlife early in the planning process. Tools such as HabiMap Arizona can help ensure that current and future generations are able to experience Arizona’s rich wildlife heritage.

“I can’t think of a better way for the Arizona Game and Fish Department to proactively plan for the future of Arizona’s wildlife,” said Jonny Fugate, Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club.

“Arizona will continue to grow, so the question is not if but how we grow. HabiMap Arizona is a tool that can help us have both a healthy economy and healthy wildlife populations,” said Rob Marshall, The Nature Conservancy Director, Center for Science & Public Policy. “We appreciate the department’s investment in developing tools with the capacity to expand and grow as our state changes.”

HabiMap Arizona is a component of the department’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), which provides a framework for helping to set the state’s wildlife conservation priorities. HabiMap Arizona provides a visual representation of the Species and Habitat Conservation Guide, which includes more than 300 layers of wildlife data and other information to identify the conservation potential at a statewide level.

Through aggressive protection, management and educational programs, the Arizona Game and Fish Department conserves, enhances, and restores Arizona’s diverse wildlife resources. The department also provides information and suggestions on how you can enjoy and appreciate Arizona’s wildlife. Learn more about the department at www.azgfd.gov. To learn more about HabiMap Arizona, please visit www.habimap.org.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe reminds hunters and trappers they still have a mixed bag of seasons from which to choose after the statewide firearms deer season concludes on Saturday, Dec. 10.

They include seasons for deer, snowshoe hare, ruffed grouse, squirrel, cottontail, pheasant, coyote, fisher, bobcat, beaver and other furbearers, crows, doves and waterfowl.

With the regular firearms seasons for deer closing on Dec. 10, a wide variety of hunting and trapping opportunities remain over the next couple of months.

The small game seasons are: squirrel, Dec. 12-23 and Dec. 26-Feb. 25; ruffed grouse, Dec. 12-23 and Dec. 26-Jan. 28; rabbit, Dec. 12-23 and Dec. 26-Feb. 25; and snowshoe hare, Dec. 26-Dec. 31. In addition, pheasants (males and females) will be open from Dec. 12-23 and Dec. 26-Feb. 4 in WMUs 1A, 1B, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4D, 5C and 5D.

The statewide late archery and flintlock muzzleloader deer seasons run concurrently from Dec. 26-Jan. 16. Further, all hunters with WMU 2B, 5C or 5D antlerless deer licenses may use any legal sporting arm to harvest antlerless deer from Dec. 26-Jan. 28.

Flintlock muzzleloader season participants may harvest an antlerless deer with a WMU license, DMAP permit, or a general hunting license deer harvest tag. During the late season, antlered deer may be taken only by bowhunters and flintlock muzzleloader hunters who possess an unused general hunting license deer harvest tag.

Hunters using archery or muzzleloader licenses, and hunting with those special sporting arms, are not required to wear fluorescent orange, but are encouraged to do so, especially when hunting in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D, where an antlerless season for limited-range firearms users will also be in progress. Refer to the Digest for firearms restrictions in special regulations areas. Hunters using conventional firearms in those WMUs must wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange.

Furbearer hunting seasons continuing through the winter months include: red and gray foxes, until Feb. 18, including Sundays; raccoons, until Feb. 18; and bobcats, in designated WMUs, from Jan. 17-Feb. 7.

Furbearer trapping seasons include: beavers, Dec. 26-March 31 (bag limits depend on WMU, outlined on page 74 of the 2011-12 Digest); mink and muskrats, until Jan. 8; raccoons, skunks, opossums, foxes, coyotes and weasels, until Feb. 19; and bobcats until Jan. 8.

Trappers also may use cable restraints for foxes and coyotes from Dec. 26-Feb. 19, providing they have passed a mandatory cable restraint certification course. For information on courses, visit the Game Commission’s website and click on the “Hunter Education” link in the right-hand column and choose the month of interest to find the nearest course.

Dove hunters also will have late season opportunities when dove season runs Dec. 26-Jan. 4. Hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset, and the daily limit is 15 birds.

Waterfowl hunters have plenty of hunting opportunities to pursue from December into April. Hunters may take Canada geese and white-fronted geese during the following upcoming seasons: Atlantic Population Zone, Dec. 17-Jan. 25; Southern James Bay Canada Goose Hunting Zone, Dec. 12-Jan. 25; and Resident Canada Goose Zone, from Dec. 20-Feb. 25. Snow goose season is open and runs until April 27; special permit required in the Atlantic and Southern James Bay Zones from Jan 26-April 27; and from Feb. 27-April 27 in the Regular Population Goose Zone.

Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers may be hunted in the Lake Erie Zone until Jan. 4; in the North Zone, until Jan. 4; in the Northwest Zone through Dec. 16; and in the South Zone through Jan. 14.

For details on waterfowl bag limits in each of the zones, please consult the Pennsylvania 2011-12 Guide to Migratory Game Bird Hunting, which is available on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) by clicking on the “2011-12 Migratory Game Bird Brochure” icon in the center of the homepage.

In addition to a regular Pennsylvania hunting license, persons 16 and older must have a Federal Migratory Bird and Conservation Stamp, commonly referred to as a “Duck Stamp” to hunt waterfowl. Regardless of age, hunters also must have a Pennsylvania Migratory Game Bird License to hunt waterfowl and other migratory birds, including doves, woodcock, coots, moorhens, rails and snipe. All migratory game bird hunters in the United States are required to complete a Harvest Information Program survey when they purchase a state migratory game bird license. The survey information is then forwarded to the USFWS.

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

New Jersey Fish and Game

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

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

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

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

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

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

AUSTIN, Texas --(Ammoland.com)- According to survey results compiled by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service 74% of Texas’ 254 counties contain feral hog populations and there is a good chance Texas Parks & Wildlife Department offers feral hog hunting opportunities in those counties on almost 1 million acres of Public Hunting Lands scattered across the state.

Right now is as good a time as any to hit the woods feral hog hunting. Given the drought conditions across the state hunters can anticipate feral hogs being around whatever water sources are available, especially with acorn-producing trees nearby.

In East Texas there are several Wildlife Management Areas that offer year-round hog hunting, but staff recommends keying in on those areas associated with rivers such as Alabama Creek, Alazan Bayou, Angelina Neches/Dam B, North Toledo Bend, and Blue Elbow Swamp Wildlife Management Areas.

With the purchase of a hunting license and a $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit hunters will be mailed a publication that includes maps, legal game box descriptions, and means and methods of hunting for each and every Wildlife Management Area, Public Hunting Land, State Park, etc…available in our Public Hunting Program.

Additionally, folks can digitally-scout these areas before heading down the highway by visiting http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/public/lands/maps/

About:
The Mission of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, (TPWD), is to manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Visit: www.tpwd.state.tx.us

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

LITTLE ROCK, AR --(Ammoland.com)- Commissioners with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission last week shortened the turkey season from last year’s total of 18 days to 16 days.

The season framework was approved after a review of recent harvests and brood surveys along with input from turkey hunters.

The statewide turkey season will be April 14-29 in zones 1, 2, 3, 4B, 5, 5B, 6, 7, 7A, 8, 9, 10 and 17 with a bag limit of two bearded turkeys and no jakes, except for a single jake that youth hunters may harvest. In zones 4, 4A, 5A and 9A the season will be April 14-24 with a bag limit of one bearded turkey and no jakes, except for a single jake that youth hunters may harvest. Zone 1A will be closed. The 2012 youth turkey season hunt will be April 7-8 in all open zones.

The bag limit for the season will be no more than one legal turkey taken per day and no more than two legal turkeys taken in any combination of open turkey zones. Youth may only take one jake during the season, either during the youth hunt or statewide hunt, but adult hunters will be limited to mature gobblers only.

In other business, the Commission:

• *Approved a grant to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to be used for conservation fundraising purposes. The grant includes an either-sex elk permit for the September 2012 elk hunt. The permit will be auctioned at the Arkansas RMEF banquet. Money generated will be used for elk habitat improvements, public education and research.
• *Approved $34,844 for the purchase of new life jackets for the AGFC’s wildlife officers.
• *Approved a budget increase of $113,231 for the purchase of new Glock pistols for AGFC wildlife officers. The new guns will replace existing weapons that are as old as 19 years.
• *Approved a pass through Federal Boating Infrastructure Grant, sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for $100,000 to be used for the construction of the Hastings Bay Marina on Arkansas River in North Little Rock. The facilities will be built to accommodate transient boats in excess of 26 feet on the river.
• *Authorized an increase of $173,732 in the spending limit from funds already budgeted for consulting engineering services on Dam #3 at the Jim Hinkle Spring River State Fish Hatchery. The engineering firm of Crist Engineers, Inc. of Little Rock was chosen for the work.
• *Approved five Marine Fuel Tax fund projects around the state. The City of Clarksville will match $42,955 to pave the parking area at Lake Ludwig. Total cost of the project is $85,910. Desha County requested $67,000 to chip and seal the parking area and access road at Lake Kate Adams. The City of Oil Trough will received $82,518 from the tax to be used to pave and increase the size of the parking area at the White River access. Oil Trough will provide an in-kind contribution of $25,753 for the $108,271 project. Perry County will use $46,108 to chip and seal a 2.75-mile section of access roads and parking areas at Harris Brake Lake. Perry County will provide an in-kind contribution of $47,000 for the $93,108 project. White County will receive $12,000 for additional and unanticipated worked at the Little Red River Nimmo Access. Additional work was required on the project to stabilize the roadway. The county has provided an additional $24,000 of in-kind money to the project.
• *Heard a presentation on the Beaver Tailwater Habitat Project. The project included various work on riparian areas, improving water quality, increasing water depth and improved angler access.
• *Heard a presentation on 2011 alligator season harvest. A total of 23 alligators were taken during the recent season.
• *Heard a presentation on the number of boating accidents in the state. As of October, there have been 73 boating accidents and 15 fatalities this year.

Ohio Department Natural Resources

FINDLAY, OH --(Ammoland.com)- A lottery card drawing will be held for youth muzzleloader deer hunts on January 7, 8, 9 and 10, 2012 in portions of the State Wildlife Refuge on the Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

Interested youth hunters, ages 17 and younger, may apply by mailing a 4 x 6 inch post card to the Wildlife District Two Office; 952 Lima Avenue; Findlay, OH 45840. Print the name, address, and phone number of the applicant on the card with the words “Pickerel Creek Youth Muzzleloader Deer Hunt” at the top.

Postcards must be postmarked by December 8, 2011. Eight permits will be issued per day. The drawing will be on the December 19 with permits will to be mailed out on the December 20 to successful applicants.

The Division of Wildlife conducts controlled hunts on professionally managed areas throughout the state for youth. These hunts provide a unique opportunity for young hunters to learn from their mentors.

If you would like more information about these hunts go to the Division of Wildlife’s webpage at wildohio.com and look for the controlled hunt tab.

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

Kansas Governor (Right) Hosts First Ringneck Classic Pheasant Hunt

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

OAKLEY, KS -–(Ammoland.com)- Kansas Sam Governor Brownback hosted the inaugural Kansas Governor’s Ringneck Classic on Nov. 18-20 in Oakley. Approximately 68 hunters joined the Governor for the hunt.

The weekend began with a community dinner on Friday night, then hunting and an awards dinner on Saturday, followed by a bonus hunt on Sunday.

“It was a beautiful, cold Kansas day, and I hope I can speak for all the hunters when I say that I had a fabulous time,” Brownback said. “I especially want to thank the city of Oakley and all of northwest Kansas for hosting the hunters. I also want to thank the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and everyone who helped to plan this event and make it possible.”

The Ringneck Classic was held to showcase Kansas as the premiere destination for pheasant hunting in the Midwest.

“Kansas is consistently ranked as one of the top three states in the country for pheasant hunting,” Brownback added. “This is an underutilized asset for our rural communities. If we do a better job telling folks about the high-quality hunting available here in Kansas, we will pull more of those tourism dollars into Kansas.”

Brownback used a shotgun passed down to him from his grandfather. He shot four pheasants, reaching the limit for individual hunters within three hours of beginning the hunt, and accompanied hunters for the remainder of the day.

“Hunting, and specifically pheasant hunting, is part of our heritage in western Kansas,” Kansas Secretary of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Robin Jennison said. “Northwest Kansas has traditionally been one of the state’s best pheasant hunting regions, and I am confident ‘The Classic’ will grow to be a prominent part of our Kansas hunting tradition. The hunt also will allow us to showcase the many other tourism opportunities in northwest Kansas.”

Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer also joined Jennison and the Governor, along with Kansas State Senator Ralph Ostmeyer and Kansas state representatives Gary Hayzlett and Don Hineman.

“Pheasant hunting in northwest Kansas has a long and cherished tradition,” hunt organizer Raelene Keller said. “The Oakley community is thrilled at the opportunity to represent Kansas and Governor Brownback as hosts for the inaugural hunt.”

Four soldiers with the 1st Infantry, Second Brigade at Fort Riley were Brownback’s special guests: Bronze Star recipient 1st Lt. Josh Willis and sergeants Christopher Dean, Justin Hillman, and Brad Slickers. All four men returned from duty in Iraq on Nov. 4, 2011

“These young men’s sacrifice is incredible,” Brownback said. “I’m honored that they were able to participate in the hunt. They are wonderful young men, and I had a great time with them.”

Hunters participating in the two-day event included George Brett, former Kansas City Royals baseball player; Tom Watson, professional golfer. Two live music performances highlighted Friday and Saturday nights. Heath Wright, with the country-western band Ricochet, performed live Friday night at Oakley High School, and Wright and Nashville singer Chuck Wicks each performed live on Saturday night at the banquet.

For photographs of the pheasant hunt, go online to on.fb.me/vfNWdc.

Montana Deer Harvest Picks up in Final Days

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wisconsin 2012 Black Bear Permit Application Deadline Dec. 10 2011

Wisconsin DNR

MADISON, WI --(Ammoland.com)- Black bear hunters have until close of business on Dec. 10 to apply for available permits for the 2012 black bear hunting season.

Applications for the black bear permit drawing cost $3 and may be purchased through the Online Licensing Center on the DNR website, at all authorized license agents, at DNR Service Centers (Hours for service centers vary; check the DNR website for service center days and hours of operation; DNR Service Centers are not open on Saturdays), or by calling toll-free 1-877-LICENSE (1-877-945-4236).

The 2012 black bear season begins Sept. 5, the first Wednesday after Labor Day, and runs through Oct. 9. The opening week of Wisconsin’s bear hunting season alternates – allowing those who hunt over bait to go first one year and those who hunt with the aid of dogs to go first the next year.

In 2012, hunters who hunt over bait will go first in all management zones; the season for those hunting with the aid of dogs or using other methods will open Sept. 12 in zones that allow hunting with the aid of dogs (A,B, and D). In Zone C, where hunting with dogs is prohibited, hunters may hunt bear over bait or by other means not using dogs from September 5th through Oct. 9.

There were 27,793 hunters who submitted applications for the 9,005 Class A bear harvest permits available for the 2011 bear season. A total of 103,853 hunters applied for either a harvest permit or a preference point in 2011.

Applicants currently need to have collected between four and nine preference points in order to successfully draw a bear harvest permit. Hunters can check their preference point status in one of three ways: by visiting the Online Licensing Center, by calling Customer Service & Licensing toll-free at 1-888-WDNRINFo (1-888-936-7463), or by contacting a local DNR Service Center.

The bear drawing is held each year in early February. Drawing winners will be notified via U.S. Mail shortly after the drawing. Drawing winners may purchase their 2012 Class A bear license beginning March 7, the start of the 2012 license year.

Total permit availability for the 2012 black bear season has not yet been determined. Proposed quota and permit levels will be taken up by the State Natural Resources Board at its January 2012 meeting.

More information on black bear hunting is available on the DNR website.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Linda Olver, Assistant Big Game Specialist – (608) 261-7588

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah --(Ammoland.com)- If you like to hunt bears, you might have opportunities in 2012 that you’ve never had before in Utah.

A new bear management plan is making the new opportunities possible. The Utah Wildlife Board approved the plan earlier this year.

John Shivik, game mammals coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says the plan has opened the door to some new hunting options.

“At the same time,” Shivik says, “the plan provides some important safeguards to keep the state’s bear populations healthy and safe.”

All of the changes the DWR is recommending for Utah’s 2012 bear hunts are available online. The following are some highlights:

Currently, most of the bears that are hunted in Utah are tracked by hounds and ran up trees. A few hunters hunt over bait using a bow and arrow. But starting in 2012, biologists are recommending that spot-and-stalk-only hunts be held in some areas in Utah.

Hunters may not use hounds or bait during spot-and-stalk hunts. Currently, all of Utah’s bear hunting areas are limited-entry areas. Only those who draw a permit for a limited-entry area can hunt on it.

Starting in 2012, biologists would like to offer some harvest-objective hunts too.

The number of hunters who can hunt on a harvest-objective area isn’t limited, so switching an area to harvest objective gives more people a chance to hunt the area. Letting more hunters hunt an area increases the chance that more bears will be taken.

Black bear hunters might have some new opportunities in Utah in 2012. Photo by Lynn Chamberlain

As soon as a predetermined number of bears are taken (called the area’s quota), the hunt on the area will end for the season.

The spring hunts on some of Utah’s bear hunting units might run a little longer in 2012. Having longer spring seasons allows biologists to put more pressure on bears in areas where bears often kill livestock and raid campgrounds.

Protecting the bears
In addition to opening the door to some new hunting opportunities, the new plan provides bears with some important safeguards:

In the past, Shivik says biologists have used three factors to determine the health of Utah’s bear population—the percentage of bears taken by hunters that are female, the average age of the bears taken and the number of adult bears that survive in Utah from year to year.

You won’t find those three factors in the new plan. Instead, biologists will focus on two key factors: the amount of female bears and the amount of adult males taken by hunters.

(An adult male bear is a bear that’s five years of age or older.)

Shivik says the number of females and the number of adult males that hunters take gives important information about how a bear population is doing: The number of females hunters take is important because females give birth to cubs and then care for the cubs after they’re born.

“But the number of adult males hunters take is the best early indicator we have about the health of a bear population,” Shivik says.

Shivik says adult males wander more than the other age groups. Because they wander more, adult males are the bears hunters usually encounter and take.

If biologists see that the number of adult males hunters are taking is going down—and the number of females is going up—they know the bear population in the area is in decline.

“Once hunters start finding females, instead of the males they normally encounter first,” Shivik says, “we know the population is declining in number.”

In addition to the number of female bears and adult male bears hunters take, biologists are also using two important bear studies to determine the health of Utah’s bear population:

One study involves snagging hair from bears at sites across Utah. After the hair is snagged, DNA tests are used to determine how often the bears that left the snagged hair are visiting the sites. This study is helping biologists measure how fast or slow the state’s bear populations are growing.

In the second study, biologists visit bear dens in the winter to see how many cubs are in the dens and to assess the health of the cubs and their mothers.

This study is giving biologists important information about the number of bears that are being brought into Utah’s population each year.

Learn more, share your ideas
After you’ve reviewed the DWR’s ideas, you can let your Regional Advisory Council members know your thoughts by attending your upcoming RAC meeting or by sending an email to them.

RAC chairmen will share the input they receive with members of the Utah Wildlife Board. The board will meet in Salt Lake City on Jan. 12 to approve rules for Utah’s 2012 bear hunting and pursuit seasons.

Dates, times and locations for the RAC meetings are as follows:

• Southern Region

Dec. 6, 7 p.m.
Beaver High School
195 E Center Street, Beaver

• Southeastern Region

Dec. 7, 6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E Main Street, Green River

• Northeastern Region

Dec. 8, 6:30 p.m.
Bingham Entrepreneurship and Energy Research Center
320 N Aggie Blvd (2000 W), Vernal

• Central Region

Dec. 13, 6:30 p.m.
Central Region Conference Center
1115 N Main Street, Springville

• Northern Region

Dec. 14, 6 p.m.
Weber State University, Shepherd Union Building, Rooms 404A and 404B
3848 Harrison Blvd, Ogden

Email
You can also provide your comments to your RAC via email. Email addresses for your RAC members are available online.

The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.) is listed under each person’s email address. You should direct your email to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.

New Jersey Fish and Game

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

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

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

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

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

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.

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is reminding hunters that over-the-counter sale of leftover and unclaimed black bear hunting permits will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, November 21.

Hunters can possess two permits each for a different zone – but the bag limit is still one bear.

The numbers of permits which will be available when the OTC sale begins are as follows:

• Bear Hunting Area 1: 328
• Bear Hunting Area 2: 1,729
• Bear Hunting Area 3: 1,817
• Bear Hunting Area 4: 1,286

The permit availability chart will be updated continually in real time after Monday’s sale opening. The chart can be viewed at www.nj.wildlifelicense.com/ALS/unit_report.php .

A current, valid NJ Firearm or All-around Hunting License is required to purchase a permit. Sales will continue until the season ends or the permit quota is reached. There is a non-refundable processing fee of $2.00 per permit.

Permits can be purchased online at www.nj.wildlifelicense.com or at license agents. If a hunter wishes to purchase two permits they must be purchased in two separate transactions – we apologize for this inconvenience. Those purchasing permits online need to allow sufficient time for the mailed permits to arrive (up to 7-10 business days) or pay for expedited shipping.

NOTE: It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure that their purchase is for the correct area(s). All permit sales are final, with no exceptions.

More information on the black bear hunting season, including the Black Bear Hunting Areas Map and Descriptions, is available on the division’s website at www.njfishandwildlife.com/bearseason_info.htm . Hunters should also refer to pages 13, 29, 60 and elsewhere in the 2011 Hunting and Trapping Digest ( www.njfishandwildlife.com/dighnt11.htm ) for additional information and regulations.

New Jersey Hunters Permitted to Take Feral Hogs in Zones 25 & 65

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has issued a Special Wildlife Management Permit to control feral hogs in Deer Management Zones 25 and 65. Hunters do not need a separate permit to pursue hogs.

They only need to have their regular hunting license and deer permits necessary to hunt deer during the applicable seasons.

Feral hogs may be pursued during the season dates prescribed for Deer Management Zones 25 and 65 and may be harvested anywhere in Zones 25 or 65.

Sportsmen and sportswomen will be permitted to shoot free-ranging feral hogs of either gender and any age while deer hunting during all deer seasons in zones 25 and 65, provided they have not reached the season bag limit for deer.

The bag limit for feral hogs is unlimited.

For more information on hunting feral hogs, including season dates for both zones and the requirement to check in harvested hogs, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2011/feralhogs11.htm on the division’s website.

Big Time Texas Hunts Winners Announced

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

AUSTIN, Texas --(Ammoland.com)- When an unknown number shows up on the caller ID, Weatherford Downtown Café owner Britton Schweitzer just lets it go to voicemail.

“It’s usually people trying to sell me stuff, not Texas Parks and Wildlife calling because I won an amazing hunt,” Schweitzer said.

Schweitzer and 13 other lucky sportsmen are clearing their calendars for some of the best hunting packages in the Lone Star State won through Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Big Time Texas Hunts program.

The program’s raffle offers hunting packages ranging from a guided white-tailed deer hunting experience in the South Texas brush country to the Grand Slam package which treats one Texan and a non-hunting friend to food, lodging, taxidermy and a personal guide service for four separate hunts for desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, pronghorn and desert mule deer. Schweitzer won the Grand Slam.

“When I get my license online I throw $100 toward the different hunts but never expect to win,” Schweitzer said. “I am an avid fisherman and hunter and I see it as basically donating $100 every year to public lands,” he said.

The small town café owner said he usually donates to local causes and was flabbergasted to have won the program’s Grand Slam. He said he moved to Weatherford a few years ago with his wife to raise a family. He hopes to bring her along on his hunts.

“I think it’s an awesome opportunity and I am excited I got picked,” he said. “ I never win anything and it was a pretty big shocker.”

Big Time Texas Hunts are offered through an annual raffle. This season saw 62,610 entries generating almost $600,000. Ticket sales support wildlife research, habitat management and public hunting in the state of Texas. Ticket purchasers must be at least 17. For more information on this hunting program, visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/buybtth.

Following are the winners of this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts.

• Grand Slam — Michael Schweitzer, Weatherford
• Premium Buck Hunt — Joseph Yuras, Garden Ridge
• Exotic Safari — Jimmy Webb, Tyler and Martha Vogelsang, Hearne
• Whitetail Bonanza — Tommy Dulin, Colorado City; Ivan Berry, Pasadena; Francis Sharp, Pasadena; Michael Broderick, Conroe;
• Joe Mills, Gonzales; Ramona Bourgeois, Concord, CA; Humbert Trevino, Laredo; Randall Coombs, Spearman
• Waterfowl Adventure — Alexander Hamilton, San Antonio
• Gator Hunt — Darren Lasorte, Fairfax, VA

About:
The Mission of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, (TPWD), is to manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Visit: www.tpwd.state.tx.us

Thirty Special Needs Youth to Pursue Whitetail During Ohio Season Opener

Union Sportsmen’s Alliance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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