The newly acquired property within the Pigeon River Country State Forest contains a nearly one mile stretch of the Black River and approximately one-half mile of Saunders Creek. Both waterways are situated in the headwaters area of the Black River system, an area that is a highly regarded “blue ribbon” brook trout fishery.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has completed a recent purchase of more than 500 acres of private land within the Pigeon River Country (PRC) State Forest in northern Michigan.

The acquisition of the property occurred through a partnership with the Little Traverse Conservancy, assistance from the Headwaters Land Conservancy, and with funds from the Natural Resource Trust Fund.

“This land acquisition simply makes sense,” said Scott Whitcomb, DNR unit manager for the Pigeon River Country State Forest. “Given the size and location of the property and the natural resources that occur there – this is a perfect addition to the PRC.”

The 517-acre tract of land, the second largest piece of private property within the PRC, is a natural fit for the state forest system. The land is bordered on two and a half sides by state-owned land with a level to gently rolling topography. The property also contains a nearly one mile stretch of the Black River and approximately one-half mile of Saunders Creek. Both waterways are situated in the headwaters area of the Black River system, an area that is a highly regarded “blue ribbon” brook trout fishery.

“We are excited about this land acquisition. It nicely ties together the southern portions of the Pigeon River Country State Forest,” said John Walters, chairman of the Pigeon River Advisory Council and president of the Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

“The Pigeon River Country is a special place and the addition of the portions of Saunders Creek and the Black River make it all that much more special, especially for folks interested in quiet recreational opportunities.”

The property will be managed as part of the Pigeon River Country State Forest in accordance with the Concept of Management. This includes managing for timber and wildlife, specifically elk and other forest wildlife habitat, as well as for fisheries habitat. The property will also be open to the public at all times for hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife viewing and other resource-based recreation.

“Thanks to the Natural Resources Trust Fund, the purchasing of this land is an outstanding addition to the PRC and should provide to be a huge benefit to the citizens of Michigan,” added Whitcomb.

With funds provided by the Natural Resources Trust Fund, the Department of Natural Resources was able to purchase over 500 acres of land within the Pigeon River Country State Forest.

For more information on the Pigeon River Country State Forest and the Concept of Management, visit www.michigan.gov/dnrpigeonriver.

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

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.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- Department of Natural Resources Director Rodney Stokes has authorized the Department to proceed with purchasing 2,354 acres in Menominee and Dickinson counties in the Upper Peninsula to create the Menominee River State Recreation Area.

The DNR will purchase the land for $2,534,400 in funding from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and DNR Land Exchange Facilitation Fund. The land is currently owned by Wisconsin Electric Power Company.

The acreage includes two separate tracts – Piers Gorge and Quiver Falls. Piers Gorge is located one mile south of the community of Norway, and includes 145.35 acres of land and 1.5 miles of access along the Menominee River. The acreage includes whitewater rapids and waterfalls, and contains some of the fastest-moving water in Michigan or Wisconsin. It is not navigable for general canoeing, but has become a popular destination for expert class kayakers seeking challenging Class IV whitewater. The parcel also contains good wildlife viewing opportunities for eagles, osprey and waterfowl, as well as public fishing access.

Quiver Falls is eight miles south of Piers Gorge and contains 2,208.83 acres of land and provides eight miles of access along the Menominee River. It is adjacent to the existing Menominee River Natural Resource Area, a 4,450-acre tract along five miles of the Menominee River managed by both the Michigan and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources.

The Quiver Falls parcel contains river frontage on both sides of the Menominee River, scenic rocky gorges with significant drops in the river and waterfalls. The area is popular with hunters and anglers, as well visitors because of the scenic sightseeing opportunities.

“This acquisition will give the Michigan Department of Natural Resources a unique opportunity to co-manage this area with our counterparts in Wisconsin,” said Ron Olson, chief of the Michigan DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division. “This would be our first jointly operated public recreation area and river corridor park, and would protect and make open to the public more than 5,000 acres along the Menominee River. The tourism potential of this project is enormous.”

For more information on the purchase, including a map of the area, go to www.michigan.gov/nrc and click on the Nov. 10 agenda for the Michigan Natural Resources Commission. The purchase is outlined in Item 6 under Land Transactions.

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

Ruffed Grouse Society

Coraopolis, PA --(Ammoland.com)- The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) applauds the Pennsylvania Game Commission for opening an additional 10,400 acres in Centre and Clearfield counties to hunters and trappers.

“With thousands of acres being lost annually through development and private landowner posting, it’s important that more access be made available to sportsmen and sportswomen; not only here in Pennsylvania, but in every state across this great nation of ours,” said Mike Zagata, RGS President and CEO, noting that is was hunters that laid the cornerstone for today’s conservation movement.

“In may sound paradoxical, but in order for grouse, woodcock, deer, duck, turkey or the thousands of songbirds and other non-hunted species to survive, it is imperative that the outdoor traditions we inherited from our forefathers continue, and the only way that can happen is by making more land available and maintaining it so that all wildlife will prosper,” Zagata said.

Established in 1961, the Ruffed Grouse Society is the one international wildlife conservation organization dedicated to promoting conditions suitable for ruffed grouse, American woodcock and related wildlife to sustain our sport hunting tradition and outdoor heritage.

Information on RGS, its mission, management projects and membership can be found on the web at: www.ruffedgrousesociety.org.

West Virginia DNR

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – -(Ammoland.com)- The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Management Area (WMA) program is designed to conserve and manage high quality habitats for a variety of wildlife on 1.4 million acres of public lands, including State WMAs, State Forests, National Forest lands and U.S. Army Corps of Engineer projects.

In addition to conserving and managing wildlife habitat, development projects aimed at improving public access and recreational opportunities are an important component of the state’s WMA program.

“Using hunting and fishing license monies, the DNR continues to expand and develop WMAs throughout the state,” said District Wildlife Biologist Rob Silvester, who is based in the DNR District 3 office in French Creek.

“These land acquisition efforts have greatly enhanced our ability to provide wildlife-associated recreation opportunities to the citizens of West Virginia.

These areas are used by outdoor enthusiasts for fishing, hunting, boating, hiking, trapping, birding, or just a relaxing evening walk.”

WMAs support and offer a variety of development projects, including access roads and trails, parking areas, boat launch ramps, courtesy docks, public shooting ranges and campgrounds. Many areas have ponds stocked with fish, and some offer fishing piers and/or trails that provide access for physically-challenged sportsmen and women. In addition, WMAs provide a diversity of wildlife habitat and associated hunting opportunities.

“These areas are for your use and enjoyment, but please respect others and use them wisely,” said Silvester.

For more information concerning West Virginia’s WMAs, obtain a copy of Wildlife Management Areas — A Guide to Their Facilities, Fish and Wildlife available at all WVDNR district offices, or visit the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources’ website at www.wvdnr.gov.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

Pennsylvania --(Ammoland.com)- The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s teams of land managers, foresters and Food and Cover Corps crews are focusing their efforts – and the agency’s resources – on a massive amount of habitat improvement projects on the more than 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands this spring.

“Wildlife habitats are changing across the landscape as farming practices evolve and urban/suburban expansion convert former wildlife habitats into various types of developments, from homes to shopping malls,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “According to Pennsylvania’s Wildlife Action Plan, 300 acres of wildlife habitat are being lost every day, primarily to sprawl.

“For this reason, the Game Commission’s network of State Game Lands is critical to ensuring that wildlife will always have access to the three habitat components it needs to survive: food, shelter and water. And, through our habitat improvement efforts, we strive to ensure habitat diversity for all wildlife.”

As an example, Chester/Lancaster/York Counties Land Management Group Supervisor (LMGS) Linda Swank said that her Food and Cover Corps crews are working to re-establish several non-productive hedgerows that were removed this winter on State Game Land (SGL) 43 in Chester County.

“More wildlife-friendly trees and shrubs will be planted in those areas over the next few years,” LMGS Swank said. “The crew also is working to establish a few more warm-season grass fields at Muddy Run in southern Lancaster County, and putting in some hedgerows there as well. Mowing is starting already and lime and fertilizer are being spread to begin the preparation for planting. The next few weeks will be non-stop for both crews.”

Bradford/Susquehanna Counties LMGS Richard J. Lupinsky Sr. said a four-acre border cut around food plots is planned on SGL 12 in Bradford County.

“This will create brush piles, which serve as escape cover for wildlife, and will release apple trees, shrubs and vines,” he said. “We have cut about four acres in the past, which resulted in grouse and rabbit populations increasing. We will be planting six acres in this same general area in fields that have not been planted in years.”

Carbon/Luzerne/Lackawanna/Monroe Counties LMGS Michael Beahm said an area of SGL 119 in Luzerne County will undergo major habitat changes.

“Currently, there is a 30-acre area of fescue grasses and scattered food plots close to Francis E. Walter Dam,” LMGS Beahm said. “Each fall, the area is utilized as a youth pheasant hunt site with marginal habitat. This spring, a prescribed burn is planned for the area to remove the heavy thatch created from the fescue cover. The prescribed burn will be the start of its transformation, followed by an herbicide application and replanting the area with native warm-season grasses. These changes will take a couple years to mature, but wildlife value will improve greatly along with the hunting.”

Lawrence/Butler Counties LMGS Jeffery T. Kendall and his Food and Cover Corps crews have been working hard to prepare for the upcoming planting season.

“The crews plant many food plots with various grains and grasses to benefit many different species of wildlife,” LMGS Kendall said. “The plots are planted for food and cover for different times of the year to help wildlife.”

Sometimes, the drive to implement habitat improvements can be made difficult by weather, especially in remote parts of Pennsylvania. For example, Potter/Tioga Counties LMGS Denise H. Mitcheltree said winter conditions persisted through March and made travel within the remote State Game Lands quite difficult.

“Food and Cover Corps crews in Potter and Tioga counties used a variety of means, including snowmobile and snowshoes, to access locations with bluebird boxes,” LMGS Mitchelltree said. “The crews were able to finish cleaning out 156 bluebird boxes in preparation for the spring nesting season. They also cleaned out and repaired 20 duck boxes that could not be access earlier. When not working on nesting structures and general infrastructure maintenance, the crews were able to prune 286 fruit trees and release 124 apple trees throughout the seven State Game Lands. Six brush piles also were built to provide escape cover for birds and small mammals.”

Adams/Cumberland/Franklin Counties LMGS Barry Leonard said his Food and Cover Corps crews were busy repairing damage caused by recent heavy rains to roads and parking lots.

“Culverts that get clogged with leaves and debris result in water running across roadways thus degrading the road surface,” LMGS Leonard said.

Roe noted that the Game Commission is mandated, by state law, to spend a specific amount of money on habitat improvement each year. That minimum is based on an established rate of $4.25 for each resident and nonresident adult general hunting license and $2 for each antlerless deer license. During the 2009-10 license year, the Game Commission sold 846,293 resident and nonresident adult general hunting licenses and 867,697 antlerless deer licenses, for a total minimum of $5,332,139.

“In reality, we spent $5,902,523 on habitat improvement projects, which was $570,384 more that the legislatively-mandated minimum,” Roe said. “This was not a one-time aberration, however, as we have routinely exceed the minimum threshold set by the Legislature because we recognize how important habitat improvement is for all wildlife.

“However, when you combine our stable license sales with the increasing costs of conducting habitat work – from gas prices to repairs of heavy equipment – we are seeing the amount of work we are able to accomplish stagnate or decline. Fortunately, with organizations such as the National Wild Turkey Federation and Pheasants Forever, we are able to do more than what our license dollars allow.”

Clarion/Jefferson Counties LMGS George J. Miller said the NWTF Millcreek Chapter recently completed a habitat project to plant beneficial trees and shrubs on SGL 74 in his two counties.

“About 40 volunteers from the NWTF Chapter and Wal-Mart planted more than 200 trees and shrubs, including serviceberry, high-bush cranberry, arrowwood, crabapple, nannyberry, and Washington hawthorne, in the interior of three fences established last year as part of this same type of project,” LMGS Miller said. “The dry weather last April and early May, along with girdling of the bark by rodents over the winter months, caused mortality in most of the trees and shrubs previously planted. In addition to the plantings, the group added tree tubes for additional protection against girdling by mice and added fertilizer to promote growth and vigor. The Chapter will come back this summer to remove woody, invasive species that are crowding out the desired plantings. After the trees and shrubs become well established, the fencing and tree tubes will be removed.”

Perhaps one of the most important wildlife habitat partnerships for the future is the Game Commission’s cooperative effort between the agency’s Howard Nursery and local land managers and the American Chestnut Foundation. This partnership has been working to raise more than 700 blight resistant American chestnut hybrid seedlings, which represent the most nearly pure American strain yet produced.

Armstrong/Indiana/Westmoreland Counties LMGS Art Hamley said his Food and Cover Corps crews are assisting with the establishment of an American chestnut orchard.

“We are very optimistic that this generation will play an extremely important role in the restoration of blight resistant American Chestnuts to Penn’s Woods,” LMGS Hamley said. “Returning this native food source to the wilds of Pennsylvania will be a welcome addition for a wide variety of wildlife.”

Bedford/Fulton Counties LMGS Jonathan S. Zuck said, on March 5, the Thunderbird Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) assisted the agency in conducting a “Habitat Day” on SGL 73 in Bedford County.

“About 50 volunteers improved habitat for ruffed grouse and other wildlife by clear-cutting about five acres of pole stage timber and constructing six brush piles,” LMGS Zuck said. “It was truly a team effort with members of the RGS, local sportsmen’s clubs, Fort Bedford Boy Scouts, and concerned individuals working with the Game Commission to improve wildlife habitat. A special ‘thank you’ goes out to the Thunderbird Chapter for providing lunch.”

Howard Nursery Superintendent Cliff Guindon said the Game Commission’s “Seedlings for Schools” program, in its fourth year, shipped roughly 110,000 seedlings to 850 school buildings in Pennsylvania.

“Seedlings were shipped the weeks of April 18 and 25 to coincide with Earth Day and Arbor Day activities at schools,” Guindon said. “All seedlings are donated by the Game Commission’s Howard Nursery and shipping costs are covered by the Wildlife for Everyone Foundation with funding from Waste Management, Mealy’s Furniture, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Wildlife program. Elementary school grade levels have choice of white pine or silky dogwood seedlings. Other species from the nursery public sales list are made available for ‘Seedlings for Habitat’ projects for middle and high school programs.”

Juniata/Mifflin/Perry/Snyder Counties LMGS Steve Bernardi said 15 young men and their instructors from the Carson Long Military Academy in New Bloomfield, Perry County, recently assisted with a habitat project on SGL 171 in Juniata County. They erected several bluebird nest boxes, replanted fruit producing seedling to replace some that had died and made improvements to a five-acre herbaceous opening.

Bernardi added that the same group assisted the Perry County Conservation District in cleaning up a large illegal dumping area on SGL 281.

“They picked up more than five tons of trash and debris and around 300 tires – about 4.6 tons – that had been dumped over a bank along a remote roadway,” Bernardi said. “Many thanks to this group for doing this work that may other wise would not have gotten done anytime soon.”

Dauphin/Lebanon Counties LMGS Scott Bills said, on April 14, a group of Cub Scouts from Pack 77 helped plant winterberry, alder, viburnum, mountain ash and crabapples on SGL 211, in an area that usually attracts migrant woodcock.

“Invasive alien species, such as honeysuckle and multiflora rose, were cut and removed from the area by members of the 28th Class of Wildlife Conservation Officers (WCOs) prior to their graduation,” LMGS Bills said. “The Upper Dauphin Area High School’s conservation club also will be planting many of the same species in recovered fencerows on SGL 211 soon. Some 600 seedlings will be put in the ground by this hardworking group.”

Berks/Schuylkill Counties LMGS Matthew D. Belding said the Ruffed Grouse Society, Charles Bechtel Chapter, had a working field day on SGL 110 on April 9.

“For many years, the Ruffed Grouse Society has contributed many hours of labor and thousands of dollars to assist with our habitat management of SGL 110 in Berks and Schuylkill counties,” he said. “This year, we had more than 25 people attending to plant 1,000, three-year old white spruce. The evergreens will provide winter and escape cover not only for the grouse, but for many other species of wildlife.”

Despite all of this work to improve wildlife habitats, Game Commission officers continue to see disregard for State Game Lands by individuals who view them as nothing more than rural dumps and courses for motorized vehicles that are illegal to use on State Game Lands.

For example, Mercer County WCO Lawrence R. Hergenroeder is investigating the recent dumping of a large projection screen television in SGL 284 parking lot.

“If you witness this type of illegal activity, please pass on any vehicle and subject information you can to the appropriate Region Office,” WCO Hergenroeder said. “State Game Lands are open for public use, but those responsible for this type of illegal activity will be subject to stiff penalties when they are caught.”

In another case, WCO Hergenroeder cited a New Castle man for dumping household trash on SGL 178 in Neshannock Township.

“When confronted with the evidence, the man admitted that the dumpster he usually uses was full, so he drove to the SGL and threw it over the embankment instead,” WCO Hergenroeder said.

Allegheny County WCO Dan Puhala reports that a dump truck load of yard debris was intentionally dumped in the parking area for the shotgun range at SGL 203.

“The large pile of brush was found dumped in the middle of the parking area causing obvious access issues,” he said. “Inconsiderate acts such as this have a negative impact on all of those who use the State Game Lands. The tire tracks on scene indicate that a dual wheel dump truck was used in this incident. Anyone having information regarding this careless act should call the Southwest Region office at 724-238-9523.”

Fayette County WCO Brandon Bonin, while patrolling SGL 138, discovered a large dump site containing; tires, shingles, and assorted household products.

In another recent case, WCO Bonin issued a citation to an individual for operating an ATV on SGL 238.

“I have received information that ATVs are on this State Game Land frequently, and I will be increasing law enforcement patrols in this area, especially targeting the unlawful operations of these machines,” WCO Bonin said.

Westmoreland County WCO Brian Singer and his Deputy WCOs investigated several illegal dumping cases in his district.

“We have been able to track down the violators and charges have been filed for trash illegally dumped on lands open to public hunting,” WCO Singer said. “We remind individuals that penalties for this kind of activity can cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars, much more than the trash companies charge to pick up the trash at your doorstep.”

Roe said that the Game Commission’s land management teams have accomplished much so far this year, and that they have plans to do even more.

“I’ve long said that it is not our employee’s enthusiasm and ingenuity that limits our abilities to accomplish habitat projects to benefit wildlife; it is our limited financial resources that inhibits our capability to do more for wildlife,” Roe said. “There is no doubt that we can do more for wildlife if only provided the means to do so.”

Following is a summary of other habitat projects underway in each of the Game Commission’s six regions.

NORTHWEST:

Forest/Warren Counties LMGS Richard T. Cramer reported that his Food and Cover Corps crews have been busy maintaining SGL boundary lines, maintaining and replacing bluebird nest boxes, preparing equipment for spring planting, readying equipment for prescribed fires and many other duties.

Crawford/Erie Counties LMGS Shayne A. Hoachlander and all of the Northwest Region Food and Cover Corps crews, foresters, biologists, and LMGSs recently met for a two-day conference that provided or covered: mandatory pesticide license credits, habitat management techniques, commercial drivers license training, Marcellus gas operations on SGLs and other information pertinent to habitat management duties. Crawford County LMGS Jerry A. Bish noted that this training is only done once a year in this format. “In addition, it gives us time to compare strategies and techniques with our colleagues, and we had a little bit of fun,” he said.

Butler/Lawrence Counties LMGS Jeffery T. Kendall said the constant rainfall this spring has delayed the Food and Cover Corps crews from getting State Game Land fields planted. “Many of the food plots are setting idle because they are too wet to get equipment into to get them planted,” he said. “This could affect what ends up getting planted and what will be available for wildlife next winter.”

Clarion/Jefferson Counties LMGS George J. Miller reported the Jefferson County Food and Cover Corps crew will be planting about 1,600 native trees and shrubs in the riparian buffer of the remnants of the old Punxsutawney Reservoir on SGL 195. “They also will be reseeding a vegetated interior roadway on SGL 244 by applying herbicide to kill undesirable grasses, applying lime and fertilizer, and then no-till plant with legumes,” he said. “These projects were made possible by PR funding, which is revenue from an excise tax placed on firearms and ammunition that is then made available to state wildlife agencies for such projects.”

Mercer County WCO Donald G. Chaybin reported seedlings recently were distributed to private landowners enrolled in the Game Commission public access programs. “There also were surplus seedlings made available to sportsmen’s clubs, schools and youth groups,” he said. “All of these seedlings will provide valuable food and cover for wildlife in the future. In northern Mercer County, there were nearly 10,000 seedlings provided without charge to safety zone cooperators and others interested in improving wildlife habitat. Our seedlings are produced at the Game Commission Howard Nursery in Howard, Centre County.

SOUTHWEST:

Armstrong/Indiana/Westmoreland Counties LMGS Art Hamley, this spring, said his Food and Cover Corps crews have been rehabbing and maintaining the many leguminous State Game Land food plots and establishing new ones. He also said various SGL nesting boxes have been cleaned and repaired and await new residents.

Hamley said, over the winter months, the Food and Cover Corps crews did numerous border cuts on public and private lands, including the cutting of aspen stands to increase stem density and browse. “Apple trees have been day-lighted and some stands of larger evergreens have been topped, which helps to maintain vigorous growth at or near ground level,” he said. “Many of these efforts would have been impossible to attain without the use of the new Cat habitat machines.”

Hamley also said a prescribed burn on warm-season grass fields is planned this spring and foresters, land managers and Food and Cover Corps crew personnel have received many hours of training to assure compliance with laws surrounding that activity.

Cambria/Indiana Counties LMGS Dan Yahner said the Food and Cover crews in northern Cambria County recently spent a considerable amount of time operating a hydro-axe machine on SGLs 108 and 184 this month. “This 16-ton machine has a type of ‘brush hog’ mower attachment on the front that is capable of cutting down brush and small trees up to seven inches in diameter,” he said. “The cutting was done to remove the invasive locust trees from a mountain-top grassland bird nesting area on SGL 108. The Game Commission is conducting a cooperative study with Penn State University to record the nesting activity of threatened and endangered birds in these reclaimed strip mined areas. Among others, Henslow sparrows, short-eared owls and Northern harriers have been observed using the area. The hydro axe also was employed to cut maturing scrub oak areas on the mountaintops along the Allegheny front. This unique habitat matures over time and becomes overgrown and choked out by larger trees such as birch and sassafras. By clear-cutting these areas completely every 10 to 15 years, the scrub oak quickly reproduces new sprouts and provides untold amounts of browse and acorns for the wildlife. In days gone by, the scrub oak areas were maintained by wildfires that were started regularly by sparks from the steam engine railroads. The fires would burn out and kill the shallow rooted invasive type tree species, allowing for the deep-rooted scrub oak to re-sprout and sustain itself. Modern methods of fire suppression have caused these scrub oak areas to slowly disappear.”

Yahner also said the new Food and Cover Corps crew in northern Indiana County has been hard at work cutting down a stand of mature aspen trees on SGL 262. “By cutting down the old and dying trees, the sunlight reaches the ground and a proliferation of new aspen spring up from root sucker sprouts,” he said. “Many species of wildlife benefit greatly from this new and thicker aspen regeneration.”

Southwest Region Field Forester Roger Brown said a 189-acre timber harvest habitat project on SGL 82 in Somerset County is going to be a Woodcock Demonstration Area. “To date, 48 acres of the 59 acres planned to be cut along Wills Creek have been cut in the Goudy Memorial Habitat Project,” he said. “This project will improve habitat for woodcock by removing the mature trees in the stream corridor. Removing these mature trees will stimulate sprouting, creating a long swath of dense young forest growing on the moist bottomland soil. The timber harvest also will reach into the nearby forest stands, where 49 acres of an additional planned 130 acres have been cut. These cut areas will provide feeding habitat for breeding and migrating woodcocks.”

Brown also said a 14-acre timber sale on SGL 93 in Somerset County was completed in March. “This timber sale was set up to improve habitat conditions near a reclaimed strip mine on this new SGL,” he said. “A long, thin area was cut in the forest stand along the edge of the reclaimed strip mine. This will create a border edge of dense young growth between the open field area of the strip mine and the forest stand. Border edges are an important source of food and cover for wildlife. Apple trees, crabapples and hawthorn were reserved in this area, which will provide a valuable food source. A small patch of Japanese knot weed that was found on the strip mine was treated with an herbicide to prevent the spread of this invasive species.”

Brown said a 75-acre timber sale on SGL 111 in Somerset County will reduce the number of large trees that have begun “shading out” the food plots with their large branches. “Cutting the timber around the fields allows more sunlight into the fields,” he said. “This also creates border edges around the fields, allowing a transition from the open areas of the fields to the new dense young growth in the cut areas, to the forest stands. Border edges provide food and cover and are valuable wildlife habitat. Part of this timber sale also will cut some of the timber that is shading the grass game land road that provides access to the food plots, in effect, creating a long border edge. Valuable wildlife trees such as oaks and hickories will be reserved in these areas. This timber sale will be shown to interested timber buyers in May. The winning bidder will have until 2013 to complete the sale.”

Brown said a 30-acre timber sale on SGL 297 in Washington County will improve wildlife habitat by cutting large mature poplar timber along some small wet drainages in the sale area. “This will provide areas of dense young growth that is preferred by species such as woodcock,” he said. “A small stand of aspen also will be cut, again providing valuable wildlife habitat as the aspen re-sprouts. A wetland is planned for development near this timber sale. With the wetlands, and nearby fields, this timber sale will create valuable wildlife habitat. This timber sale will be shown to interested timber buyers in April. The winning bidder will have until 2013 to complete the sale.”

Southwest Region Field Forester Brandon Karlheim said a 45-acre aspen timber harvest on SGL 184 in Cambria County involves a reverted 30-plus year old strip mine that has regenerated to larch, pine, aspen, locust and red maple, mostly a pole timber size stand (six to 16 inches in diameter). “The objective of this cut is to remove the species listed to create early successional habitat that is being managed for grouse and to improve the current habitat that is already present,” he said. “This harvest will improve habitat for other mammals and bird species which thrive in early successional aspen cuts for both food and cover as well. Timber species that will be reserved within the sale will consist of white pine and small islands of red pine for roosting structure and thermal cover. Future management of these aspen stands proposed for regeneration may include cutting smaller portions of these areas every five to 10 years, maintaining aspen stands in various stages of maturity. The creation of small patches of conifer cover within these aspen stands will be reserved and will enhance ruffed grouse survival in the winter.”

Karlheim also said a 75-acre prescribed fire is planned for SGL 174 in Indiana County. “The prescribed burn will be completed with the 75 acres split up into seven smaller blocks that will allow for greater control of the fire,” he said. “The purpose of the prescribed forest burn is to eliminate the striped maple that makes up much of the understory and to promote the present oak seedlings that are unable to proceed past the overtopping striped maple. With using a prescribed fire as a management tool it allows us to eliminate competing undesirable species, promote desired species, enhance wildlife habitat and meet training standards. Such preventative measures have been taken to promote desired outcomes. The prescribed burn also will remove debris – such as leaves, dead tops and logs – from around the bases of high-valued mast producing trees, such as oaks.”

Karlheim reported a 65-acre hawthorn timber promotion project is planned for SGL 279 in Cambria County. “Of these 65 acres, 23 acres have been preferred to have the established hawthorn within the site promoted,” he said. “The hawthorn will be promoted by having the overtopping trees removed from the site. Also a spray contractor will be selectively hand spraying invading hardwood species and patches of multiflora rose that are competing with the present hawthorn. Hawthorn plays a significant role in wildlife habitat such as providing great cover for woodcocks and nesting structures for songbirds. Hawthorn also provides an excellent feed source for other wildlife.”

NORTHCENTRAL:

Lycoming/Union Counties LMGS Thomas M. Smith said his Food and Cover Corps crews recent accomplishments include: pruning 10 fruit trees; border cutting 10 acres; thinning of two acres of invasive species; releasing 140 trees from competing vegetation; building nine rabbit brush piles; cleaning out three waterfowl nests; marked and painted one mile of State Game Lands and five miles of propagation boundaries; posting 14 informational signs; and conducting various maintenance on 17 gates, 15 parking lots, four culvert pipes, four dikes, one building, one shooting range and five miles of roadway.

Centre/Clinton Counties LMGS Michael Ondik said that his Food and Cover Corps crews erected or maintained more than 200 nesting or housing structures for bluebirds and bats. “The cleaning of these boxes every year, removing last year’s nests, is a key to successful use this year,” he said. “Please remember to do maintenance on your box, or erect some if you can.”

Elk/McKean Counties LMGS John P. Dzemyan reported the two-man McKean County Food and Cover Corps installed new out-flow pipes for three duck ponds on the Allegheny National Forest last fall. “The three ponds serve as popular fishing spots in the summer, duck and goose hunting areas in the fall, beaver trapping sites in the winter and wildlife viewing destinations all year long,” he said. “The crews partnered with the local Mt. Jewett Sportsman’s Club and have been implementing fish structures in the pond bottoms when ponds were lowered for repairs. Funding for the work comes through the Fish and Boat Commission as well as the Allegheny National Forest.”

Dzemyan said the McKean County crew also constructed four new acres of clover strips for cottontail rabbits on SGL 62 and maintained food plots by mowing and applying some new seeding, lime and fertilizer. “The crew also maintained more than 40 wood duck boxes on the numerous wetlands,” he said “The crew also is maintaining youth pheasant hunter areas on SGL 61 and the Allegheny National Forest McKean County with special plantings and stockings.”

Dzemyan said that the three-man Elk County Food and Cover Corps crew has been busy creating more seedling sapling habitat all winter with numerous border cuts and fruit and mast producing day lighting efforts. “One location on SGL 25 is a cooperative project with the Wapiti Chapter of NWTF, in which we created about 10 acres of bush piles and sapling stands next to thousands of new seedlings planted for food and cover for turkeys and other wildlife,” he said. “This area has been mostly a pole-stage monoculture forest stand. Through the middle of this NWTF project, the crew has disked up a strip about one-half mile long and will soon plant it with clovers and grains for wildlife this summer. The increased federal Pittman-Robertson funding for habitat work also has enabled the contract spraying to remove unwanted growth from herbaceous openings on 61 acres of SGLs 25 and 44. We now will be contracting to plant those 61 acres with grains and clovers to improve habitat conditions for game and non-game animals.”

Dzemyan said the Elk County crew also worked with Ruffed Grouse Society to erect fencing to protect about 4,000 fruit and mast producing shrubs in herbaceous openings.

Dzemyan said the Elk County crew also is busy on SGL 311 with maintaining hundreds of new acres of herbaceous openings for elk and other wildlife from the massive mine reclamation program there. “With more than 170 elk being seen on SGL 311, elk numbers are at all-time highs,” he said. “Turkeys and deer also have made heavy use of these new habitat improvements.”

Dzemyan said, on SGL 44, the Elk County crew partnered with the Elk County Chapter of Pheasants Forever on the new 6,000-plus acres of State Game Lands between Brockway and Ridgway to improve pheasant stocking areas and small game rabbit areas. “New herbaceous openings have been created for grains and clovers, and more than 275 acres of new warm-season grasses are starting their second year’s growth from the cooperative WHIP project with NRCS on those lands,” he said.

Dzemyan said partnerships with the Department of Environmental Protection to maintain and improve water quality in both the Tobey Creek branch of the Clarion River and Dents Run and Bennett’s branches of the Susquehanna River are a daily occurrence. “Fish now are in places of both watersheds that just two and three years ago were too polluted with mine acid to support trout and or bass fishing,” he said. “Major projects continue with the DEP and the Bennett’s Branch Watershed Association and the Toby Creek Watershed Association to protect and improve what coal mining has done to both those waterways over the past 100 years.”

Dzemyan said work continues to clean up dump sites on State Game Lands in his two counties. “The McKean County Conservation District worked to clean up old junk yards along the Allegheny River on SGL 301, and McKean County Cleanways helped stop erosion along a stream on SGL 61,” he said. “The Elk County Conservation District and Cleanways have removed a couple hundred tons of dump site garbage form SGL 44 and 293, as well as on Forest-Game Cooperative lands over the past five years and continue to monitor and keep those sites clean. The Allegheny National Forest WIN’s program is preventing silt from public dirt roads from impairing streams on State Game Lands. The Allegheny National Forest funded a project to remove seven abandoned camps that had fallen apart on State Game Lands along the Clarion River. They also helped to improve and old road and to reclaim two old roads that were mud and silt problems for the Clarion River.”

SOUTHCENTRAL:

Adams/Cumberland/Franklin Counties LMGS Barry Leonard said his Food and Cover Corps crews have been busy planting trees and shrubs on several State Game Lands. “The intent is to provide additional food and cover for wildlife in the future,” he said. “In addition to that, they have released and pruned numerous existing fruit trees in order to enhance production this year. The crews have been busy making food plot and habitat improvements on SGLs 76 and 170 thanks to money made available through local NWTF chapters.”

Leonard also said local prisoners in Cumberland County assisted with releasing and trimming about 40 apple trees on SGL 169.

Leonard reported an area of switch grass fields on SGL 235 have been prepped for a burn later in the year. This will clear out some overgrowth and allow for regeneration of desirable vegetation.

Leonard said a timber sale is being conducted on SGL 170. It will result in about 1.5 million board feet of lumber being removed. In return, the sportsmen will gain additional access to the interior of the State Game Land via an extended access road and parking area. The removed timber will allow better regeneration of food and cover for wildlife.

Bedford/Fulton Counties LMGS Jonathan S. Zuck reported during the winter months his Food and Cover Corps crews pruned or fenced 286 fruit trees and day-lighted nearly 9,000 mast-producing trees and shrubs, and created 25 acres of edge habitat and 34 wildlife brush piles. “This hard-working group of dedicated individuals also improved 70 acres of forested habitat through clear-cutting and by thinning and releasing food-producing trees and shrubs,” he said. “We now are top-dressing clover food plots and preparing to plant tree seedlings and turn soils in State Game Land wildlife openings.”

Zuck also reported the New Enterprise Food and Cover Crew planted 20 fruit trees on an old orchard site on SGL 261 near Hopewell with the assistance of a local NWTF chapter, businesses and volunteers. “We received funding through the Tussey Mt. Strutters Chapter of the NWTF to plant, fertilize, and fence 15 apple and five pear trees,” he said. “The trees, fertilizer, and fencing were purchased from local businesses. Art Rexinger, a local volunteer, donated his time and equipment to dig the holes and Beegle’s Log and Lumber of Everett donated eight cubic yards for mulch for use in planting. Later this spring the orchard site will be seeded with beneficial wildlife foods such as oats, clover, brassica and buckwheat.”

Huntingdon/Blair Counties LMGS Bert Einodshofer reported that additional conifer plantings on SGL 99 will continue. “Over the past five years, Food and Cover Corps crews, foresters and Pennsylvania Conservation Corps members have created conifer stands of three to five acres where all existing deciduous trees have been removed and then re-planted with conifers,” he said. “In all, more than 10,000 conifers have been planted in these areas. Volunteers also have enabled us to rehab this area where past gypsy moth infestations devastated the oaks on this State Game Land. Since these projects began, volunteers have provided a key component to allowing us to complete as much as we have. For several years, Bill Mattern, Bill Mattern Jr., Mitch Hiddenman and Joe Myers volunteered and planted more than 6,000 conifers, oak seedlings and other beneficial deciduous trees surrounding the project areas. Without their help, this phase of the project would not have been possible.”

Einodshofer said the Food and Cover Corps crews in his two counties have been training and preparing to conduct several prescribed burns to improve habitat conditions. “Weather conditions permitting, there are three burns planned for SGL 67 in Huntingdon County,” he said. “These burns are being conducted to improve site conditions for scrub oak as well as expand the area in which it currently is found. One burn is planned for late spring and two sites are planned for late summer into early fall. In all, these three areas comprise of almost 150 acres.”

Blair County Stephen T. Hanczar said The Nature Conservancy recently enrolled a 640-acre tract of woodlands within Logan and Frankstown townships into the agency’s Hunter Access Program. “On a brisk, sunny Saturday morning in March, ten volunteers assisted Molly Anderson, Nature Conservancy representative, mark the boundary with the Nature Conservancy’s placards,” he said. “These dedicated members travelled rugged terrain like ‘mountain goats’ to mark the lines.”

Southcentral Region Field Forester Roy Bucher and Juniata/Mifflin/Perry/Snyder Counties LMGS Steve Bernardi discovered a nice stand of aspen on SGL 256 in Perry County last year. “Currently, I am laying out a timber sale to regenerate the aspen that we found,” he said. “While flagging in the sale area, I flushed a grouse from her nest and heard a male drumming in the same area. Looks like the grouse are already in the area and will benefit from the early successional habitat that the regenerated aspen will provide.”

Bucher noted that the wet and rainy spring hampered opportunities to use prescribed fire within the region. “Fortunately, we did get several rain free days and completed a planned prescribed burn on SGL 107 in Juniata and Mifflin counties,” he said. “The area burned was a four-year-old shelter wood cut that did not have acceptable amounts of oak regeneration and significant numbers of other less desirable tree species. We believe we met our objective of reducing the number birch and maple saplings and have made conditions more favorable to release the oak that was present and may gain more from acorn germination.”

Bucher and Bernardi also completed a prescribed burn on SGL 212 in Snyder County. “The burns were for two small forested tracts and had two different objectives,” Bucher said. “The larger unit will be managed for red-headed woodpeckers. We would like to eliminate the brushy understory with the use of the prescribed fire and then remove, by felling, some of the smaller diameter trees. The objective is to create a park like habitat. This objective may require subsequent use of prescribed fire to control brush within the stand. The objective in the smaller unit is to eliminate invasive species and create the conditions to regenerate hard pine. There has been some mortality of the hard pine, creating gaps that have been filled in by invasive species. With the use of fire we hope to eliminate the invasive species and provide the right conditions to regenerate some hard pine.”

NORTHEAST:

Carbon/Luzerne/Lackawanna/Monroe Counties LMGS Michael Beahm said his Food and Cover Corps crews have been working to complete NWTF-sponsored habitat projects. “Each year, local NWTF chapters fund habitat projects on State Game Lands across Pennsylvania,” he said. “This year, we planted 42 mature crabapple trees that were about 10- to 12-feet tall on SGLs 135, 186 and 187. They will provide a valuable soft-mass crop in during the fall and winter months. Additionally, the NWTF funded three acres of clover plantings on SGL 187 in Luzerne County. The funding for the projects was made possible from the money raised at local NWTF Hunting Heritage banquets.”

Beahm said, on SGL 127, the Food and Cover Corps crew worked hard to open up a road on Artillery Ridge this past winter. “The road had slowly grown shut over the years along with severe ice damage,” he said. “This spring, the crews will be planting the road with a clover mix, which will greatly improve the brooding habitat in this area for grouse and turkey, and provide excellent browse for the deer and rabbits.”

Beahm said the Food and Cover Corps crews will be establishing a new food plot on SGL 129. “For the last few years, we have been planning a new food plot along Schoch Mill Road,” he said. “After inspecting several food plots, with the Game Lands Maintenance Supervisor Tony Colecio, and seeing how heavily they are used by the deer and turkeys, we knew this was the year to get it done. Once the food plot is opened up, it will be planted with buckwheat for the first couple years to improve the soil. These projects are always exciting; it’s like building the field of dreams, knowing their full potential impact.”

Sullivan/Luzerne/Wyoming Counties LMGS William Williams said the SGL 57 Food and Cover Corps crew initiated work on a new four-acre linear food plot near Upper Bean Pond. “The plot will be planted in a brassica mix this spring,” he said.

Columbia/Montour/Northumberland Counties LMGS Keith Sanford said personnel from The Nature Conservancy and the Game Commission combined forces in March to conduct a controlled burn of native warm-season grasses on SGL 58 in Columbia County. “Six out of a planned 16 acres were treated,” he said. “The remaining 10 acres will be burned in April if weather conditions permit. The burns will help rejuvenate the grasses by reducing accumulated thatch, eliminating invasive woody plants, and by adding nutrients to the soil. Warm-season grasses are utilized by deer, cottontail rabbits, pheasants, and a variety of songbirds.”

Sanford said, in spite of heavy rains and the opening day of trout season, seven volunteers from the Col-Mont Gobbler Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and Woodcock Limited of PA teamed up with the Game Commission on April 16 for some habitat work. “The group managed to plant 1,800 aspen seedlings on SGL 58 in Columbia County,” he said. “The site where the project took place is being managed to create nesting, brood rearing, feeding and roosting cover for ruffed grouse and woodcock but will also provide important habitat for many wildlife species that thrive in early succession forests.”

Bradford/Susquehanna Counties LMGS Richard J. Lupinsky Sr. said that the Food and Cover Corps crews have been busy with browse cutting to day-light certain areas to let the sun impact the snow and ice and to get the nutritious buds close to the ground for winter wildlife survival.

Lupinsky and his Food and Cover Corps crews will be doing follow up work on 110 acres of reclaimed strip mines that was a prescribed burn and herbicide treatment on SGL 36. “This will include filling sink holes and planting warm-season grasses for habitat that will be used by small game and nongame species,” he said.

In another project, Lupinsky said 40 acres of warm-season grass will be planted along with prior herbicide treatment on SGL 219. “One site will be about 10 acres, with a clover buffer around the outside and through the middle to allow prescribed burning on alternate years,” he said. “The other will be about 30 acres in three parcels and be burned in the same way. This will allow habitat to be in varying stages of growth to create more diversity for the wildlife that uses it.”

Lupinsky said a 54-acre prescribed fire is planned for the spring in the Rose Hollow area of SGL 35. “The goal is to reduce laurel thickets a buildup of forest duff and previous logging slash for optimum regeneration from red oak present in the over story,” he said.

SOUTHEAST:

Chester County WCO Scott Frederick and Chester/Lancaster/York Counties LMGS Linda Swank have partnered with the local Boy Scout troop to conduct some clean-up operations on SGL 43 in Chester County. “Bud Burdy, who is a volunteer HTE instructor and a Boy Scout leader, contacted me recently about coordinating efforts to help clean up portions of SGL 43,” WCO Frederick said. “He already lined up a local refuse company to donate a dumpster so that one of the parking lots can be cleaned up of the items that have been dumped there in recent times. Anyone who uses and enjoys the SGLs needs to provide a big round of applause to Mr. Burdy and the Scouts under his charge in initiating this wonderful endeavor.”

Swank said it is a very busy time for the Food and Cover Corps crews. “It is a time of planning for spring planting and getting equipment ready as well,” she said. “The crews really have been affected by the weather coming out of winter and into almost summer like conditions. Both the York and Lancaster crews worked together to sort seedlings from the agency’s Howard Nursery, to get the seedling ready for distribution to cooperators

Dauphin/Lebanon Counties LMGS Scott Bills and his Food and Cover Corps have been mowing native forbs and grasses in lieu of burning the fields this spring. “Of course, in the midst of all this, the crews still have to get into the many fields and prepare them for planting as the rainfall slows,” he said. “After that they will be seeded with various grains, legumes and wildflower mixes for the fall season.”

Bills said, at this time of the year, some part of the Food and Cover Corps crew tasks includes planting seedlings grown at the agency’s Howard Nursery. “Conifer blocks with soft mast shrubs on the periphery are being planted in some of the long herbaceous openings of SGL 210 to provide escape cover for those species that utilize the open areas, such as wild turkey,” he said. “The Crew will be installing a small orchard of 20 crabapple trees on SGL 210, too. These crabapples were purchased from a local fruit nursery and should yield crabapples in several years. After the planting, the area will then be immediately fenced to prevent damage from rutting bucks and rampaging bears. Once the trees reach a size that almost no amount of damage can kill them, the fence will be taken down.”

Bills also said a new bridge on the abandoned railroad bed in Stony Valley at Yellow Springs was finished.

Bucks/Lehigh/Montgomery/Northampton Counties LMGS Dave Mitchell said contractor recently started working on creating almost five miles of firebreaks on SGL 217. “The firebreaks are constructed using a bulldozer,” he said. “By installing them, we will be able to use prescribed fire to manage the forest and increase the oak component in that area of the SGL, as well as the overall habitat health. Quality habitat should lead to healthy populations of deer, turkey, and grouse. Watch for the first burn to take place next year.”

Mitchell said the Food and Cover Corps crews recently planted more than 1,000 aspen trees on SGL 168 with the hopes of improving grouse and woodcock habitat. “The Walking Purchase Chapter and the Pocono Chapter of the NWTF donated more than $3,000 for the purchase of lime and fertilizer to assist with the planting of 20 acres of food plots on SGL 168,” he said. “The Walking Purchase Chapter held a habitat work day, and planted crabapple trees in memory of a member who had passed away.”

Mitchell also said the Jerry Zimmerman Memorial Chapter of the NWTF donated $1,500 for the purchase of fertilizer to assist in planting of food plots in the Trexler Nature Preserve. “We plant around 15 acres of corn, soybeans and clover in the TNP,” he said. “The property is open for archery hunting of deer and turkey through a cooperative agreement with Lehigh County.”

Southeast Assistant Regional Forester Randy Bauman reported that, as invasive species become more of a problem, foresters are forced to spend more of their time trying to prevent their spread. “Mile-a-minute weed is one of these plants that invade a forest wherever sunlight is introduced to the forest floor,” he said. “We currently are working with the USDA on a project to introduce weevils that eat mile-a-minute leaves and buds. In 2010, we placed 1,750 weevils on six sites on four SGLs and this summer we plan to introduce 1,000 additional weevils. As part of this project, we will be monitoring these sites and documenting the results. We have high hopes that these natural predators will alleviate the threat that mile-a-minute weed poses to the environment.”

Southeast Regional Field Forester Frank Vinitski reported that a timber stand improvement project and a regeneration cut will be conducted along Sharp Mountain just to the east of Gold Mine Road. “This project, totaling around 50 to 75 acres, will improve mast opportunities for the Allegheny woodrat and create desired seedling regeneration to benefit ruffed grouse,” he said. “Wildlife habitat also will be improved by constructing log landings which will be converted into herbaceous openings. These openings will offer food opportunities for the many birds and mammals that utilize this area.”

Southeast Regional Field Forester Jonathan Weaver reported that a prescribed burn has been planned for SGL 156 in northern Lancaster County. “This is a new process for us here in the Southeast Region, and we have learned many lessons,” he said. “Just when we thought everything was ready, we were met with multiple rainy weeks. This is a good example of some of the issues we face as natural resource managers. We can plan things well in advance, but are still at the mercy of weather patterns and other natural processes.”

Facts from the Pennsylvania Game Commission: Landowners interested in developing “backyard habitats” beneficial to wildlife are encouraged to check out the “Landscaping for Wildlife in Pennsylvania,” available from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The 160-page book, which costs $9.43 (plus state sales tax and shipping and handling), can be purchased through the “The Outdoor Shop” on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), in the “General Store” section in the menu bar at the top of the homepage. Orders also are being accepted at 1-888-888-3459.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, during their May 5 monthly meeting, approved two notices of intent (NOI) that included several amendments for the 2011-13 hunting seasons and the 2011-12 Wildlife Management Area (WMA) hunting season.

The amendments adopted as part of the 2011-13 hunting seasons and 2011-12 WMA season NOIs presented to the commission by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) include:

• Deletion of the second weekend of either-sex firearm season for deer on Buckhorn WMA.
• Adjustment of scheduled dates for the Youth Lottery Deer Hunt on Buckhorn WMA.
• Establishing an experimental Quality Deer Season in the following WMAs on the dates specified: Alexander State Forest, Dec. 10-16; Bayou Macon, Dec. 24-30; Big Lake, Jan. 21-27; Bodcau, Dec. 31- Jan. 6; Boeuf, Jan. 14-20; Buckhorn, Jan. 14-20; Camp Beauregard, Jan. 7-13; Dewey Wills, Jan. 21-27; Jackson Bienville, Jan. 7-13 ; Loggy Bayou, Dec. 17-23; Ouachita, Dec. 31-Jan. 6; Pearl River, Jan. 21-27; Pomme de Terre, Jan. 21-27; Red River, Jan. 21-27; Russell Sage, Dec. 31- Jan. 6; Sherburne, Jan. 21-27; Sicily Island Hills, Jan. 14-20; Spring Bayou, Jan. 21-27; Three Rivers, Jan. 21-27; and Union, Dec. 24-30.
• Approved use of Type A personal watercraft, model year 2003 and beyond, which are eight feet in length or greater, from April 1 (beginning 2012) until the Monday of Labor Day Weekend, from sunrise to sunset in these areas: Catahoula Lake, Maurepas Swamp WMA, Pearl River WMA, and Pointe-Aux-Chenes WMA. Additionally, no person shall operate such watercraft on these areas at a speed greater than “slow/no wake” within 100 feet of an anchored or moored vessel, shoreline, dock, pier, persons engaged in angling or any other manually powered vessel.

The amendment adopted as part of the General Hunting Rules and Regulations NOI includes:

• Extending the Special Youth Deer Season on private lands from two to seven days. In addition, youth will be allowed to use any legal weapon during the Primitive Firearms Season in each deer hunting area.

To view the full notices of intent, as presented Feb. 8 by LDWF, please visit www.wlf.louisiana.gov/action-items.

Antler Hunters Should Note Noon Opening on Wildlife Management Areas

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

MALTA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Antler hunters planning to head to west-central Montana Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) on opening day this spring should note a new opening time of noon.

There are three wildlife management areas in west-central Montana that are antler-hunting destinations with regularly scheduled openings on May 15: Blackfoot-Clearwater near Seeley Lake, Threemile in the Bitterroot Valley and Spotted Dog near Garrison.

Some of these WMAs have traditionally opened at midnight on May 15, but the FWP Commission recently enacted regulations that require all Montana WMAs with winter closures to reopen at noon to help with consistency and public safety.

Dave Dziak, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 2 WMA manager, noted that even after these areas open, some roads are likely to remain closed until muddy road conditions improve.

Some Montana WMAs are open year-round, but many are closed during the winter months to protect wildlife from disturbance on their winter range. In addition to these three antler-hunting destinations, several other wildlife management areas in west-central Montana and many others across the state do not open until noon on May 15.

Please check with your local FWP office or FWP’s website at fwp.mt.gov and look under “Habitat” and then “Wildlife Management Areas” for specific opening dates.

Where To Hunt And Shoot - That Is The Question

Bass Pro Shops

Springfield, Missouri - -(Ammoland.com)- One of the biggest challenges to most hunters is just finding a place to hunt.

If you don’t own land or lease land, it probably means finding a good spot on public land. The time to start looking for it is right now.

Your state wildlife agency can provide information on areas close to home and those with the best opportunity for deer, turkey, upland game, or waterfowl. Other sources include National Wildlife Refuges, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land management.

Large timber companies are also a possibility. Some allow hunters to purchase passes to hunt company-owned land. Some military bases and federal installations also allow hunting opportunities.

Another great resource is Hunt and shoot.org.

Hunt and Shoot.org, developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the shooting, hunting and firearms industry, helps new or experienced hunters and shooters find the information they need.

Hunt and shoot.org provides access to helpful resources and links to searchable state-by-state databases that will help hunters and shooters connect with where to go and how to stay involved with hunting and shooting.

Now is the time to get out and find your next place to hunt and shoot.

Larry Whiteley is host of the award winning Outdoor World Radio. For more tips, log onto www.basspro.com

About Bass Pro Shops Group:
Bass Pro Shops -56 retail stores in 26 states and Canada visited by over 109 million people annually, international catalog and internet retailing, American Rod & Gun wholesale division selling to over 7,000 independently owned retail stores worldwide, Outdoor World Incentives also selling Bass Pro Shops gift cards through over 132,000 retail outlets across America and a restaurant division with 26 locations.  For more information regarding Bass Pro Shops store locations, products or special events, please visit www.basspro.com.  To request a free catalog call 1-800-BASS PRO

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The Department of Natural Resources and Environment today announced the schedule of volunteer stewardship workdays to be held throughout February in southeastern Michigan state parks and recreation areas.

Volunteers are needed to cut invasive shrubs from natural areas within state parks and recreation areas.

This activity will help protect and restore the unique natural areas in these southeast Michigan state parks. Volunteering for these workdays is a great way to “GO-Get Outdoors,” breathe some fresh air and avoid cabin fever.

Dates, times and locations of the workdays are as follows:

• Saturday, Feb. 5, Island Lake Recreation Area (Livingston County), 1 to 4 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 12, Bald Mountain Recreation Area (Oakland County), 9 a.m. to noon
• Sunday, Feb. 13, Algonac State Park (St. Clair County), 1 to 4 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 19, Highland Recreation Area (Oakland County), 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 19, Brighton Recreation Area (Livingston County), 1 to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 20, Pinckney Recreation Area (Washtenaw County), 1 to 4 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 26, Waterloo Recreation Area (Washtenaw County), 1 to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 27, Highland Recreation Area (Oakland County), 1 to 4 p.m.

Volunteers should bring appropriate clothing for outdoor work, including long pants, boots, gloves and drinking water.

For information about the specific tasks at each location and to obtain directions, visit the DNRE website at www.michigan.gov/dnrvolunteers and link to the “Calendar of Volunteer Stewardship Workdays.” All volunteers are asked to register using the form available on the website. Any questions should be directed to Laurel Malvitz-Draper at malvitzl@michigan.gov or 248-359-9057.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is committed to the conservation, protection, management, and accessible use and enjoyment of the state’s environment, natural resources, and related economic interests for current and future generations.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- What is a perfect way to celebrate America’s rich wildlife heritage?

Go outdoors and enjoy the natural world around you. See for yourself during National Wildlife Refuge Week, October 10-16.

Whether you hike or paddle, fish or hunt, enjoy a family event or lie in wait to capture that prize-winning animal photo, you’ll find plenty to see on a wildlife refuge — one of 552 units in the National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You will also find much to learn, through refuge talks and exhibits and displays on cultural heritage. Friendly and knowledgeable staff can help you get started.

This year’s National Wildlife Refuge Week focuses on our most pristine and undeveloped natural lands, particularly those in the 19.3-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2010.

“In its vastness, remoteness and beauty, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge awes and humbles us and puts our human ambitions in perspective,” says Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. Because it is one of the last relatively undisturbed ecosystems on the planet, he notes, the Arctic Refuge is also the site of vital research on climate change, predator-prey relationships and species decline. “This land has been entrusted to the American people,” says Salazar.

“The challenge for us is to be enlightened stewards of the land, preserve its character and oversee it with respect.”

Salazar expressed hope that National Wildlife Refuge Week celebrations will prompt citizens nationwide to discover a renewed sense of wonder in nature and take action to conserve wildlife.

“Americans should take pride in their country’s great wildlife legacy,” says Salazar.

National Wildlife Refuges are dedicated to the conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats. The nation’s 552 national wildlife refuges and 37 wetland management districts also offer a wide range of wildlife-dependent recreation — from fishing, boating, hunting and hiking to wildlife observation and photography, nature interpretation and environmental education. Refuges offer many programs and events geared to families and children. These include festivals, junior naturalist classes, boating and fishing instruction, crafts and more.

The Refuge System includes more than 2,500 miles of land and water trails. There is at least one National Wildlife Refuge in every state and one within an hour’s drive of most major cities.

Amateur radio enthusiasts once again are supporting Refuge Week by operating special event stations on several wildlife refuges. Ham radio operators at refuge stations will communicate with operators at other refuge stations as well as stations across the United States promoting refuges. Amateur radio operators must obtain permission from the refuge manager to operate within the boundaries of a national wildlife refuge. Interested licensed operators can find a registration form and more information at: http://www.nwrweek-radio.info.

• For more information on National Wildlife Refuge Week events: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/SpecialEvents/FWS_SpecialEvents_DisplayCategory.cfm
• For more information on a specific refuge: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/

For more information on the Arctic Refuge, including a timeline of refuge history, visit http://arctic.fws.gov/50th.htm. To learn more about Arctic Refuge 50th anniversary events, see http://www.fws.gov/refuges/mediatipsheet/Stories/201009_50YearCelebrationsArcticAndIzembekRefuges.html See also, on Facebook, “Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 50th Anniversary Celebration.”

About:
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The Department of Natural Resources and Environment will host an open house on Wednesday, Oct. 13, to provide information and receive public comment on proposed forest management treatments for 2012 in the Grayling Management Unit.

The open house will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Grayling Forest Management Unit office on M-93 in Grayling.

Each year, the DNRE inventories and evaluates one-tenth of state-owned forest. Personnel gather information about the health, quality and quantity of all vegetation; wildlife and fisheries habitat and needs; archeological sites; minerals; recreational use and wildfire potential. They also evaluate social factors, including proximity to roads and neighborhoods, and use on adjacent public and private lands. The DNRE then proposes treatments to ensure the sustainability of the resources and ecosystems. These treatments may include timber harvesting, replanting, and other management activities.

The open house is an opportunity for the public to review proposed treatments and to provide input toward final decisions. It also provides the public an opportunity to talk with foresters and biologists about issues of interest. Maps and information regarding the proposed treatments will be available at the open house, and can be accessed at www.michigan.gov/dnr under the Forests, Land & Water section.

Each forest section is divided into smaller units or compartments for easier management of the resources. Compartments under review this year are in Frederic, Maple Forest, Lovells, Grayling Charter and Beaver Creek townships in Crawford County; and Greenwood, Elmer and Clinton townships in Oscoda County.

The formal compartment review to decide on prescriptions for these areas is scheduled for 9 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 3, at the Grayling Forest Management Unit office in Grayling.

Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for these meetings should contact Susan Thiel at 989-348‑6371, extension 7440 a minimum of five business days before the meeting.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is committed to the conservation, protection, management, and accessible use and enjoyment of the state’s environment, natural resources, and related economic interests for current and future generations. Learn more at www.michigan.gov/dnre.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. --(Ammoland.com)- Deer season is the most popular time of the year for Georgia hunters, and this year archers get first draw beginning Sat., Sept. 11. Last year, 107,792 archery hunters harvested more than 54,000 deer.

Statewide archery season runs through Oct. 8, but special regulations apply to archery-only counties and extended archery season areas. Hunters should refer to the 2010-2011 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations guide available at www.gohuntgeorgia.com, at retail license agents or any Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division office.

Georgia is considered a top destination in the country for non-resident hunters and continues to draw tens of thousands of hunters from across the country each year. The state’s quality deer herd and the close to one million available acres of public hunting land serve as the main appeal.

Georgia offers more than 90 state-operated wildlife management areas. Many of these public lands offer specialty hunts, including primitive weapons hunts, adult/child hunts and ladies-only hunts. Dates and locations for these hunts are available in the 2010-2011 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations guide, and WMA maps are available at www.gohuntgeorgia.com .

Hunters are allowed a season bag limit of ten antlerless deer and two antlered deer (one of the two antlered deer must have a minimum of four points, one inch or longer, on one side of the antlers). To pursue deer in Georgia, hunters must have a valid hunting license, big game license and a current deer harvest record.

If hunting on a WMA, a WMA license also is required. For more information on deer hunting seasons and regulations, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com .

Beaver Trapping Season

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Beaver and river otter trapping on public land will still require a special permit, but the method of acquiring the permit and permission to trap a particular public land area for beaver and river otters has changed, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

For the 2010-11 trapping season, controlled beaver and/or river otter trapping opportunities on 73 wildlife areas, state parks and other publicly managed lands statewide will be awarded through a new system of computer-generated random drawings, similar to the system used currently for controlled waterfowl and deer hunts in Ohio.

The application period will be September 15 through October 15. Applications will be accepted online only; there is a $3 charge associated with applying for each public land area or group of areas as will be noted on the application form. In most areas, permits will allow beaver and river otter trapping (in counties currently open to otter trapping); however, some permits may be limited to beaver trapping only.

Drawing results will be available in late October at wildohio.com, with permits and instructions being mailed in November to successful applicants. All controlled trapping permits will be transferable; they will be issued to an adult trapper with instructions for use of the permit on a particular public land area.

This revised system for awarding controlled beaver and/or river otter trapping opportunities on select public lands in Ohio will allow area managers to set specific limits and restrictions based on the trapping opportunities and needs for their areas.

“Our mission is to conserve and improve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats, while promoting their use and appreciation by the public,” said Suzie Prange, furbearer biologist for the Division of Wildlife.

“We feel providing fewer trapping restrictions, where warranted, will allow us to better manage beaver populations and provide a more fair system for all trappers with an interest in these recreational opportunities.”

For the wildlife refuge portions of Killbuck Marsh and Mosquito Creek wildlife areas, the current system will not change – they are not part of the online lottery system – instead, sealed bids will be accepted in September for all furbearer trapping opportunities at these areas.

For official bid proposal forms and other information, contact the Division of Wildlife District 3 Office in early September at (330) 644-2293. Also, beaver trapping within American Electric Power’s recreation area, known as ReCreation Land, Avondale Wildlife Area, and Conesville Coal Lands will continue to require a special beaver trapping permit which is in addition to the normal user’s permit. This special beaver trapping permit is issued from the AEP Land Management office in McConnelsville, Ohio.

For more specific information, please visit wildohio.com or call your nearest Wildlife district office.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources 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.

For more information, contact:

• Suzie Prange, ODNR Division of Wildlife
  740. 589. 9930
• Gary Ludwig, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Central Ohio
  614. 644. 3925
• Scott Butterworth, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Northwest Ohio
  419. 424. 5000
• Dan Kramer, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Northeast Ohio
  330. 644. 2293
• Jim Hill, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Southeast Ohio
  740. 589. 9930
• Dave Kohler, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Southwest Ohio
  937. 372. 9261

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(Ammoland.com)-   Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) Director Sean Logan will be joined by officials from The Trust for Public Land and Goodyear Global Communications to celebrate the opening of ODNR’s newest state park and wildlife area at Wingfoot Lake on Thursday, August 26 at 6 p.m. The public is invited to attend the ceremony.

Following the ceremony, staff from Ohio State Parks and ODNR Division of Wildlife will host guided wetland hikes, disc golf, mini golf, archery and other outdoor activities. Light refreshments will be provided courtesy of Pepsi Cola and Hersheys Ice Cream Company.

WHAT: Wingfoot Lake State Park & Wildlife Area Dedication

WHO: Sean Logan, ODNR Director

• Bill Carroll, Ohio State Office Director, The Trust for Public Land
• Chuck Sinclair, Senior Vice President, Goodyear Global Communications
• John Hunter, Acting Chief, Ohio State Parks
• Jim Marshall, Acting Chief, Division of Wildlife

WHEN: Thursday, August 26, 6 p.m.

WHERE: Wingfoot Lake State Park & Wildlife Area, Portage County

Wingfoot Lake State Park and Wildlife Area is located off Waterloo Road at 993 Goodyear Park Boulevard near the community of Suffield in Portage County.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources 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.

Dove Hunting

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. --(Ammoland.com)- Hunters statewide can celebrate the beginning of dove season at noon Saturday, Sept. 4.

Long-awaited opening day is traditionally considered the beginning of the fall hunting season, and with the numerous wildlife management area hunts scheduled, it is the perfect opportunity to introduce children and grandchildren to the sport.

“Georgia has some fantastic public areas for dove hunters. In fact, many WMAs provide fields managed specifically for dove hunting opportunities,” says John W. Bowers, Wildlife Resources Division’s assistant chief of Game Management.

“In addition to being the ‘kick-off’ to the fall hunting season, dove hunting is a prime time to introduce family and friends to hunting, as it typically is a fun-filled day.”

Most WMA public dove fields are quota only on opening day. As such, hunters are encouraged to review dove hunting rules and regulations to ensure the availability of the field they plan to visit.

The official 2010-2011 dove seasons are Sept. 4-19, Oct. 9-17 and Nov. 25 – Jan. 8. Shooting hours are noon until sunset on opening day (Sept. 4) of the first season and one-half hour before sunrise to sunset for the remaining two seasons. Sunrise and sunset times for each day are found in the 2010-2011 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations guide or online at www.georgiawildlife.com .

The daily bag limit is 15 doves per hunter. Additionally, there have been some reports of white-winged doves in Georgia. White-winged doves may be harvested, but count toward the daily bag limit of 15.

Any autoloading or other repeating shotgun must be plugged to hold no more than three shotshells while hunting doves. As always, hunters must obtain permission from landowners before hunting on private property and please respect the land by cleaning up spent shells, leaving gates the way they were found and removing all trash.

Dove hunters 16 years of age and older must possess a Georgia hunting license and a free Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program Permit (HIP Permit). Those hunting WMAs also must possess a WMA license. Hunters may purchase licenses online at www.georgiawildlife.com , by phone at 1-800-366-2661 or at more than 650 license agent locations (list of agents available online).

For more information on dove hunting rules and regulations, public dove fields and conditions, or adult/child dove hunts, hunters should review the 2010-2011 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations guide, available at www.gohuntgeorgia.com or at any Wildlife Resources Division Game Management office.

Updated and accurate harvest rate estimates facilitate the successful management of doves. As such, the U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Research Division and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with several states, including Georgia, initiated a dove trapping and banding project in 2003.

Hunters can participate in this conservation effort by examining harvested doves for bands and reporting band numbers to the USFWS by calling 1-800-327-BAND.

Kentucky Fish & Wildlife Moving Quickly To Launch Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area

Kentucky Department Fish Wildlife

Kentucky --(Ammoland.com)- Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Jon Gassett and his executive staff have been busy assessing options and building a plan since Governor Steven Beshear’s June 16 announcement that Kentucky’s Department of Fish and Wildlife would re-open Meade County’s Otter Creek Park next spring.

Their mission: Create the Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area with more than 2,000 acres of new public hunting and fishing opportunity within 30 miles of Louisville, and simultaneously maintain the area for hikers, runners, horseback riders, mountain bikers, campers, rock climbers, kayakers, canoeists, and more. The Department also plans to establish a Fish and Wildlife law enforcement training facility on the area.

“We’re off to a great start,” said Gassett. “Executive staff spent an entire day on site and department personnel have been there many days since then. We are excited about the area’s many possibilities and what they will mean to all those who pursue recreation outdoors.” The effort is not without its challenges. “We intend to succeed,” said Gassett.

“It’s important to remember that the park was forced to close in 2008 due to its high operating costs. Fish and Wildlife has been successfully supported solely by its users for nearly 70 years and we’re now exploring ways to include the area’s users in that model.”

Some of the area’s structures are sound and can be utilized immediately. But others have fallen into serious disrepair and likely will need to be removed. Hundreds of trees still block hiking and riding trails where winter ice storms dropped them two years ago.

“The public and volunteers have long played integral roles in our department’s management of Kentucky’s fish and wildlife resources and our public areas,” said Gassett. “We’ll be counting heavily on them to make the Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area a success as well.” Gov. Steve Beshear called the Department’s new acquisition “a great opportunity to expand our adventure tourism efforts in an area so close to the Commonwealth’s largest city.”

He said the area can be used for many types of recreation and will help tourism and economic development in the region. Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson called it “the best possible scenario for Otter Creek – and for the people who use and love the park.”

He said the city had urged state government to assume operations of the park for more than 20 years. Camp Piomingo, operated by the YMCA of Greater Louisville under a lease agreement, will continue to offer its youth programs. Legal arrangements to initiate a temporary lease of the area from Louisville Metro Government by the Department are continuing until the final land transfer can be completed. The U.S. Department of the Interior deeded the land to the City of Louisville decades ago with deed restrictions that it always remains an outdoor recreation area.

The City now is donating the land to the Department and the Department of Interior must approve the transfer. The Department plans to purchase 200 adjacent acres from the City.

“We’re working diligently on a draft plan of operation that opens the area to hunters and anglers for the first time, but also allows for many other types of outdoor recreation as well,” said Gassett.

“The area has been closed to everyone for more than two years, but we plan to open it this coming spring.”

User fees will be necessary. When the area was Otter Creek Park, the City of Louisville shouldered its operational costs. But Fish and Wildlife receives no General Fund money. It is funded entirely by licenses, permits and fees paid by those who hunt, fish and boat.

Otter Creek users will now be Fish and Wildlife customers as well.

California Outdoor Heritage Alliance

Sacramento, CA --(AmmoLand.com)- Assembly Member Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) has introduced AB 2223, legislation which would prohibit the use of lead shot on state Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) operated by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG). Violators of the bill’s provisions would be subject to a $500 fine on the first offense.

The bill would not only undermine the Constitutional authority of the California Fish and Game Commission–the regulatory body tasked with determining the precise methods of take for hunting and the specific public use regulations for each WMA–but also remove any meaningful scientific review and analysis of the effects of lead shot by providing an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

In doing so, the measure ensures that politics, rather than sound science, dictates the state’s hunting regulations and management of wildlife.

According to proponents, the bill is intended to reduce alleged lead shot-induced mortality to mourning doves (the most populous game bird in North America) as well as to raptors that feed on doves and other small game. Yet, only a portion of the WMAs across the state provide significant dove hunting opportunity, and fields that are heavily hunted for dove are typically disked on an annual basis by DFG so as to make most lead pellets unavailable to wildlife.

In addition, raptor populations on WMA’s remain at very high levels, while there has reportedly been no documented incidents of raptors succumbing to lead shot poisoning.

“I’ve hunted two dozen WMAs across the state for just about every upland game bird and small game species, and the one thing you notice is that each area is unique in terms of species, topography, management practices and degree of hunter pressure,” stated Mark Hennelly, Vice President of COHA.

“AB 2223 wrongly mandates a ‘one-size fits all’ approach without a single WMA-specific study demonstrating significant impacts from the ongoing use of lead shot on wildlife.”

“These issues should be decided by the state’s wildlife management professionals on a case by case basis,” said Evan Heusinkveld, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) director of state services. “Science, not politics or public opinion, should be the basis for these decisions.”

AB 2223 is sponsored by the Audubon Society, Defenders of Wildlife and Humane Society of the United States. The first hearing will likely be in the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee in early April. For the Committee’s contact information to voice opposition to the bill, click here..

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

GREAT BEND – -(AmmoLand.com)- A draft 2010-2014 Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area five-year management plan is now available for public review and comment.

In 1990, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks developed 25-year management plans for all public lands. In the case of Cheyenne Bottoms, public input was solicited at two public meetings, one in Great Bend and the other in Topeka.

But in an effort to be more responsive to changing conditions and needs, five-year plans were adopted in 2005. This is the second such plan developed to manage this area, and public input is sought.

The primary management goal of Cheyenne Bottoms over the next five years, as in the past, is to provide diverse marsh habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds during their migratory periods.

Two secondary goals are to provide public recreational opportunities to enjoy wildlife using the area — provided these activities do not conflict with the other management goals — and to increase production of waterfowl and shorebirds that nest on the area. Both the primary and secondary goals will enhance the management of threatened and endangered species and a wide variety of resident wildlife.

More specifically, the area’s management plan does not address daily management activities but is intended to chart the general direction of property management for the next five years. Some of the issues include silt, water, vegetation, wildlife, and people management; inlet canal maintenance; and habitat diversity. Goals and strategies for each issue are presented in detail in the plan.

The current draft is available for review at the Kansas Wildlife and Parks website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us, under “Today’s Links” or from the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area page in “Locations.” Comments will be accepted through April 2.

The 19,000-acre area in the middle of the Central Flyway is a haven for migrating birds and annually attracts hunters and bird watchers from across the country. By international agreement, it is has been designated a Wetland of International Importance. For more information or to comment on the five-year plan, phone Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area at 620-793-3066.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA –-(AmmoLand.com)- The Board of Game Commissioners gave preliminary approval to a slate of deer seasons for the 2010-11 seasons that includes adding Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2C, 2E, 4D and 4E to the split five-day antlered deer season, Nov. 29-Dec. 3, and seven-day concurrent season, Dec. 4-11. Those WMUs now part of the split season structure are WMUs 2C, 2D, 2E, 2G, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E.

The proposed package retains the two-week (12-day) concurrent, antlered and antlerless season in the remaining 14 WMUs.

Deer harvest data from 2009-10 is expected in mid-March, and will be used to guide the Board’s establishment of antlerless deer license allocations.

Two other changes proposed, so far, is to eliminate the two-week antlerless deer seasons held following the close of the regular firearms season leading up to Christmas in Wildlife Management Units 2B, 5C and 5D. However, the Board voted to extend the concurrent antlered/antlerless deer hunting for archery hunters in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D from Jan. 17-29.

Based on a motion by Game Commissioner Thomas Boop, the Board directed staff to prepare for its April meeting to suspend the issuance of Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) antlerless deer permits to public landowners, unless an approved management plan is in place. Boop noted that this action does not impact private landowners ability to enroll in DMAP, which enables landowner to address deer management objectives on their properties.

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. 29-Dec. 11 in WMUs 2C, 2D, 2E, 2G, 3C, 4B, 4D and 4E.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA –-(AmmoLand.com)- The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2010-11, including broad changes to deer, bear, turkey and small game seasons.

The public may offer comments on all proposed 2010-11 seasons and bag limits, as well as other Board actions, between now and the Board’s next meeting, April 19-20, at which time the Board will finalize seasons and bag limits for 2010-11.

Also, the Board will take action on setting antlerless deer license allocations for the 22 WMUs at its April meeting. Deer harvest estimates for the 2009-10 seasons will be available in mid-March.

Following are several articles on meeting highlights… Keep reading next post.

Fees for DMAP permits are $10 for residents and $35 for nonresidents.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. --(AmmoLand.com)- Coyotes are found in every county in Georgia and their presence has hunters and wildlife biologists alike wondering how these predators are affecting white-tailed deer populations.

“Since the 1960’s, Georgia’s deer population has risen from scarcity to areas of local overabundance through restocking efforts and science-based management,” says Charlie Killmaster, State Deer Project Coordinator. “The population has since declined to a healthy level; however, a better understanding of the role of coyotes in deer management is needed.”

Although several studies have investigated predation impacts on the white-tailed deer population, few have been done in the Southeast and coyote predation on fawns likely varies regionally and locally. To better understand the nature of these impacts, UGA and Georgia Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) recently began a 4-year cooperative research effort investigating the effects of coyotes on fawns.

“It is well understood and accepted that coyotes do eat deer,” says John W. Bowers, Assistant Chief of Game Management. “However, whether coyote predation is a benefit or an obstacle to deer management strategies is not black and white. We are hopeful this cooperative research effort will provide additional information for use by deer managers and hunters in making responsible management decisions.”

One of the challenges faced when researching large predators, such as the coyote, is that they are highly secretive and wide-ranging, making it difficult to determine how many there really are. “We know from previous research that coyotes are having some impact on Southeastern deer herds,” says Dr. Karl V. Miller, Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management at The University of Georgia. “To determine the extent of that impact, we first need to generate reliable estimates of coyote populations.”

This study, primarily funded by WRD, will attempt to address this issue through a novel capture-mark-recapture technique in which DNA found in deposited scats will be used to identify individual coyotes. Researchers will also evaluate the seasonal diet of coyotes and assess the extent to which they impact fawn recruitment by conducting an intensive coyote removal across two large study sites in central Georgia.

The study will be conducted on B. F. Grant and Cedar Creek Wildlife Management Areas in central Georgia.

“Because these two areas lie in the Piedmont Region of Georgia, we hope to establish a landscape model that predicts coyote abundance and their effects on deer populations,” says Will Gulsby, a PhD student in Wildlife Ecology and Management at The University of Georgia who is working on the project. “Our hope is that this model can be used by deer managers to make informed management decisions.”

Graduate students began work on the two WMAs earlier this fall by conducting trail-camera surveys. These camera surveys will be done repeatedly throughout the three-year study to assess fawn-to-doe ratios before and after the coyote removal. Later this winter, they plan to begin monitoring coyote abundance by setting up scent station and scat deposition transects that will traverse nearly 24,000 acres.

“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us,” says James Kelly, another graduate student at The University of Georgia who is working on the project. “But it will be well worth it in the end when we can add to the body of knowledge WRD, deer managers, and hunters use to achieve their management goals.”

Georgia’s present laws and regulations allow coyotes to be taken year round with no bag limit and few restrictions. As such, hunters and landowners have maximum flexibility in managing coyotes on their properties.

For more information regarding coyotes, visit the WRD website at www.georgiawildlife.com, contact a WRD Game Management Office or call (770) 918-6416.

Pheasant and Bobwhite Quail Stocking Planned

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(AmmoLand.com)- The NJDEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife has decided that pheasants will be stocked for Thursday, December 24 on central and southern region Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs).

The 1,160 pheasants that were not stocked for December 22 on central and southern region WMAs will be evenly distributed amongst the last 3 stocking days in those regions for December 24, 29 and 31.

The pheasant stocking allocations for northern region WMAs remain as originally scheduled for December 24, 29 and 31.

Progress on the road and parking area snow clearing in the southern and central regions will be sufficient to stock pheasants and to provide vehicle access for hunters on December 24. However, hunters should be prepared for difficult hunting conditions due to snow cover in excess of 20 inches on some WMAs.

A decision has also been made to stock bobwhite quail on Greenwood and Peaslee WMAs for December 29 and December 31. The 800 quail from the cancelled stockings for December 22 and 24 will be added to the 1,200 quail scheduled for stocking on December 29 and 31.

The WMAs affected by the pheasant stocking cancellation for December 22, which will receive extra birds for the December 24, 29 and 31 stockings include:

Central Region
Assunpink, Colliers Mills, Fort Dix, Howardsville, Manahawkin, Manasquan, Medford and Stafford Ford.

Southern Region
Dix, Glassboro, Heislerville, Mad Horse, Millville, Nantuxent, Port Republic, Tuckahoe and Winslow

If any further stocking changes are necessitated by severe weather, they will be posted on the Division website at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2009/stockingchange12-09.htm .

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(AmmoLand.com)- The NJDEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife has canceled the scheduled stocking of pheasants for Tuesday, December 22, 2009 on all Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) in the central and southern region of the State due to excessive snow cover from the weekend storm.

The pheasant stocking scheduled for northern WMAs for December 22 will not be affected.

Division personnel are working to clear parking lots and roads on the central and southern WMAs to provide hunter access for the next scheduled stocking of pheasants for December 24. A decision to stock pheasants for December 24 will be made on Wednesday, December 23 and will be based on the progress of the snow clearing work. Updated pheasant stocking information will be posted on the Division’s website at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/smgame_info.htm on December 23.

If birds are stocked for December 24, the pheasants from the canceled stocking will be added to the December 24 allocations for all affected WMAs. If stocking for December 24 is canceled, the pheasants from both canceled stockings will be added to the two scheduled stockings for December 29 and 31.

Due to the inability of stocked quail to endure the effects of this record snowfall, quail stocking for both December 22 and 24 have been canceled. The decision on stocking quail for December 29 and December 31 will be based on snow depths prior to the scheduled stockings.

Updated quail stocking information for December 29 and 31 will be posted on the Division’s website at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/smgame_info.htm . If snow depths decrease enough next week for quail to be stocked, the birds from the canceled stockings will be added to the December 29 and 31 allocations for Greenwood and Peaslee.

Hunters are advised that the ability of personnel to clear roads within the WMAs may affect the location of stockings.

Affected Wildlife Management Areas are:

• Central Region: Assunpink, Colliers Mills, Fort Dix, Howardsville, Manahawkin, Manasquan, Medford and Stafford Ford.
• Southern Region: Dix, Glassboro, Heislerville, Mad Horse, Millville, Nantuxent, Port Republic, Tuckahoe and Winslow
• Quail stocking: Greenwood and Peaslee.

Ducks Unlimited

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla –-(AmmoLand.com)- For over 15 years, Ducks Unlimited has worked with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to secure the future of waterfowl habitat and Oklahoma’s hunting heritage.

Soon to be completed improvements on Waurika Wildlife Management Area make it the tenth WMA to benefit from the partnership. The completed project will allow area managers to provide quality hunting opportunities on over 120 acres of seasonal wetlands.

“Improvements to the Beaver Creek Wetland Development Unit at the Waurika WMA are wrapping up and should be completed soon,” said DU Manager of Conservation Programs Eric Held. “Ducks Unlimited, Inc. and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation have worked together to ensure this area will continue to provide waterfowl hunting opportunities for Oklahoma’s sportsmen for years to come.”

This is the 10th state WMA in Oklahoma on which Ducks Unlimited’s engineers and biologists have provided the professional services required to complete wetland habitat improvements.

“DU’s expertise has been invaluable, and their engineering and financial support have played a critical role in restoring and enhancing habitat on our publicly-managed wetland projects,” said Alan Peoples, chief of wildlife for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Since 1995, improvements have been made to nearly 8,000 acres of wetland habitat at the Copan, Eufaula, Fort Cobb, Hackberry, McClellan-Kerr, Mountain Park, Oologah, Red Slough, Waurika and Wister Wildlife Management Areas.

Ducks Unlimited conservation staff is able to provide professional services as a result of the support garnered by its many volunteers and members, at a direct cost of more than $675,000.

“Ducks Unlimited’s many supporters throughout Oklahoma have provided the funding that allows these projects to take place” stated Charles Hurlburt, DU State Chairman. “Seven additional wetland projects are underway and being led by DU engineers and biologists.”

Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved nearly 13 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow, and forever.

Beaver Trapping Season

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

The statewide late archery and flintlock muzzleloader deer seasons run concurrently from Dec. 26 to Jan. 9.

In Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 2B, 5C and 5D, bowhunters can participate in additional archery season for antlerless deer from Dec. 14-23, and the late flintlock season runs from Dec. 26-Jan. 23. All hunters with WMU 2B 5C or 5D antlerless deer licenses can use any legal sporting arm to harvest antlerless deer from Dec. 14 to 23, and from Dec. 26-Jan. 23.

The small game seasons are as follows: squirrel, Dec. 14-23 and Dec. 26 to Feb. 6; ruffed grouse, Dec. 14-23 and Dec. 26 to Jan. 23; rabbit, Dec. 14-23 and Dec. 26 to Feb. 6; and snowshoe hare, Dec. 26-Jan. 1. In addition, pheasants (males and females) will be open from Dec. 14-23 and Dec. 26 to Feb. 6, in WMUs 1A, 1B, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4D, 5C and 5D.

Hunters who participate in any of these seasons must have a general hunting license, which provides Pennsylvania hunting privileges through June 30. Depending on the deer season hunters are participating in, they also must meet additional licensing and fluorescent orange requirements.

All antlerless deer taken by hunters in the late archery and special regulations area antlerless seasons must be tagged with an unused WMU-specific antlerless deer license harvest tag or a Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) antlerless deer permit harvest tag.

Flintlock muzzleloader season participants may harvest an antlerless deer with either a WMU-specific or DMAP-specific antlerless deer license/permit or general hunting license deer harvest tag. Buck hunting in the late seasons is governed by antler restrictions and limited to only bowhunters and flintlock muzzleloader hunters who possess an unused general hunting license deer harvest tag.

During the flintlock season, only single-barrel long-guns .44 caliber or larger and flintlock handguns .50 caliber or larger with a flintlock ignition system are permitted. The firearm must be an original or reproduction of a gun used prior to 1800. Peep sights and fiber-optic inserts are permitted, as well as iron, open “V” or notched sights. A flintlock ignition system consists of a hammer containing a naturally-occurring stone which is spring-propelled onto an iron or steel frizzen, which, in turn, creates sparks to ignite the gunpowder. Flintlock muzzleloader hunters may use “any single projectile” ammunition.

Hunters are reminded that firearms limitations for special regulations counties – Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia – remain in effect for the extended antlerless season in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D. Those restrictions do not apply to those portions of Beaver, Berks, Butler, Lehigh, Northampton, Washington and Westmoreland counties contained in WMUs 2B and 5C, where firearms deer hunters may choose to use a rifle, shotgun or crossbow.

Hunters using archery or muzzleloader licenses, and hunting with those special sporting arms, are not required to wear fluorescent orange clothing while afield, but are encouraged to do so where the seasons overlap with late season firearms deer hunters. Special regulations area hunters must wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange clothing, unless they possess an archery or muzzleloader license and are hunting with a bow, flintlock or crossbow.

Those hunting in the late seasons also may take coyotes with either a general hunting license or a furtaker license, 24 hours a day, from July 1-June 30, including Sundays, as per specifics listed on page 76 of the 2009-10 Hunting and Trapping Digest. The bag limit is unlimited, and hunters may use electronic calls and can pursue coyotes without wearing fluorescent orange in most instances. Also, trappers can take an unlimited number of coyotes until Feb. 21.

Trappers also may use cable restraints for foxes and coyotes from Jan. 1 through Feb. 21. In order to participate in this season, trappers must have passed a mandatory cable restraint certification program, which was developed and implemented with the assistance of the Pennsylvania Trappers Association.

Furbearer hunting seasons continuing through the winter months, include: red and gray foxes, until Feb. 20, including Sundays; raccoons, until Feb. 20; bobcats, for those with special permits, until Feb. 20; and skunks, opossums and weasels, until June 30 (certain restrictions apply during the spring gobbler season, so please refer to page 76 of the 2009-10 Digest).

Furbearer trapping seasons include: beavers, Dec. 26-March 31 (bag limits depend on WMU, which is outlined on page 74 of the 2009-10 Digest); minks and muskrats, until Jan. 10; raccoons, skunks, opossums, foxes and weasels, until Feb. 21; and bobcats, for those with special permits, until Feb. 21.

“Trappers seeking new locations to place sets are encouraged to contact any of the agency’s six region offices for contact information for landowners looking for relief from nuisance beavers,” Roe said. He also recommended trappers review the various “Field Officer Game Forecasts” available online (www.pgc.state.pa.us).

Crows may be hunted on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until April 4.

Dove hunters also will have late season opportunities when dove season reopens Dec. 26-Jan. 2. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset, and the daily limit is 15.

Waterfowl hunters have plenty of hunting opportunities to pursue from December into March. Hunters can take Canada geese and white-fronted geese during the following upcoming seasons: Atlantic Population Zone, Dec. 19-Jan. 26; Southern James Bay Canada Goose Hunting Zone, Dec. 14-Jan. 28; and Resident Canada Goose Zone, from Dec. 11-Feb. 19. Atlantic brant may be taken from Dec. 10-31. Statewide snow goose season runs until Feb. 19, after which the conservation season runs from Feb. 20 through April 3. In addition to all required licenses, conservation season snow goose hunters must obtain a free permit from the Game Commission website.

Ducks, sea ducks, coots and mergansers may be hunted in the Lake Erie Zone until Jan. 2; in the North Zone, until Jan. 9; in the Northwest Zone Dec. 14-Jan. 1; and in the South Zone until Jan. 15.

For details on waterfowl bag limits in each of the zones, please consult the Pennsylvania 2009-10 Guide to Migratory Game Bird Hunting, which is available on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) by clicking on the “Waterfowl Hunting 2009-10” 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 Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(AmmoLand.com)-

The NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is conducting a habitat improvement project to create three small patches of early successional forest totaling 25 acres on the Flatbrook Wildlife Management Area.

The work is being conducted under a forest management plan funded by the Ruffed Grouse Society and administered by the New Jersey DEP Forest Service

Ruffed Grouse Society

About:
Established in 1961, the Ruffed Grouse Society is the one international wildlife conservation organization dedicated to promoting conditions suitable for ruffed grouse, American woodcock and related wildlife to sustain our sport hunting tradition and outdoor heritage.

Information on the RGS, its mission, management projects and membership can be found on the web at: www.ruffedgrousesociety.org.

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

LITTLE ROCK, AR –-(AmmoLand.com)- Arkansas’s special youth waterfowl season will take place Saturday, Dec. 5 and Sunday, Dec. 6, and weather conditions are forecast to be much more like typical duck hunting weather than they were during the first segment of the regular season.

The special youth waterfowl season is open to youths 15 and younger. They may hunt ducks, in-season geese, coots and mergansers. Youths who have completed a hunter education course must be accompanied by a mentor who is 18 or older. Youths who haven’t completed hunter education must be accompanied by a mentor who is 21 or older. Mentors may not hunt ducks, coots or mergansers, but they may call waterfowl and hunt other in-season game. Shooting hours and bag limits are the same as regular duck season, except all-day youth hunting is allowed on AGFC wildlife management areas and shotshell restrictions on certain WMAs are not in force for the special youth season.

Youth hunters likely will find frigid conditions on opening morning of the special season. Temperatures are predicted to be in the mid- to upper-20s Saturday morning, with high temperatures climbing to around 50 degrees in most parts of the state.

The second segment of Arkansas’s regular duck season opens Dec. 10 and closes Dec. 23.

Recent rainfall has likely flooded some fields that had been drained by farmers in recent weeks. Because of record rainfall in October, many farmers allowed most water to run off in an attempt to salvage late crops. Many of the state’s river bottoms, as well as AGFC wildlife management areas, still are holding abundant water.

In the two weeks since AGFC biologists conducted the season’s first aerial waterfowl surveys, two strong cold fronts have pushed through the state, and several new concentrations of ducks have been reported.

To assist hunters in tracking ducks, AGFC has created several Web links with maps and information about recent waterfowl movements and aerial survey reports.

For a list of links, visit http://www.agfc.com/hunting/huntingseasons/waterfowl-migratory-birds/waterfowl-locations.aspx.

Information on river levels can be found at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc/ or http://water.usgs.gov/realtime.html. Sunrise/sunset tables are available at: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.html and in the Arkansas Waterfowl Regulations Guide.

Youth Waterfowl Hunting

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

ARKANSAS CITY, AR --(AmmoLand.com)-
Beginning Dec. 19, the Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA and Deer Research Area West Unit will be open for permit youth waterfowl hunts each Saturday for the remainder of waterfowl season. There will be five online permits drawn for each Saturday the area is open to waterfowl hunting.

Only youths 15 and under may apply and a valid hunter education certificate is required. Each successful applicant may bring up to three additional youth hunters and must be accompanied by at least one supervising adult.

The deadline to apply for the December hunts has passed, but the application period for the Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 hunts is underway with a Dec. 26 deadline. The successful hunter will receive email notification and that email will serve as the successful applicant’s entry permit. A printed copy is required to enter any flooded or inundated area during the waterfowl season.

To apply for a youth permit, go to https://www.ark.org/agfc/waterfowl/index.php. Computer drawn permit holders should pick up an area map at the WMA headquarters that will denote duck hole locations along with directions to the individual duck holes. Signs will be in place to direct hunting parties to the appropriate duck hole. ATVs may be used for travel to duck holes and back from parking lot access only.

Waterfowl hunters may not enter inundated areas before 4 a.m. and must stop hunting by 12 noon and off the WMA by 1 p.m. No boat motors allowed. Airboats may not be operated on waters within the Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA and Deer Research Area (both units, excluding the Mississippi River) during duck season.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA –-(AmmoLand.com)- Hunters planning to participate in the state’s archery bear season on Nov. 18 and 19 must have a general hunting license and a bear license from the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

The archery bear season will be held in Wildlife Management Units 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 4A, 4B and 4D.

In WMUs where the archery bear season and fall wild turkey season run concurrently, bowhunters are required to wear a hat containing 100 square inches of solid fluorescent orange when moving. The hat may be removed when the hunter is stationary or on stand.

WMUs affected by this requirement are WMUs 2G, 3A and 4D.

Crossbows are permitted to be used by any hunter participating in the archery, regular or extended bear seasons.

Any bear taken by a bowhunter must be checked by the Game Commission within 24 hours of the time it was killed. Successful bowhunters should call a region office for instructions.

Region office staff will direct the hunter to a location where an employee will meet him or her and check the bear. Traditional check stations will not be open during the archery bear season. Telephone numbers for the six region offices are listed on page 3 of the 2009-10 Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

LINCOLN, Neb. –-(AmmoLand.com)- There has been a national trend of declining participation in hunting for years. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission took a step Thursday to attract more young big game hunters.

The Board of Commissioners approved youth deer, turkey and antelope permits that cost $5 each. The board held its regular meeting at Pheasant Bonanza, northwest of Tekamah.

The current prices for selected permits are, excluding agent fees: resident deer ($29), nonresident deer ($208), resident antelope ($29), nonresident antelope ($149.50), resident turkey ($23), and nonresident turkey ($90). All hunters, including youth, pay those prices. Now, youth under age 16 may purchase those permits for $5 each.

Other permits were created and fees amended by the board.

In an effort to raise funds that will do such things as acquire land, support public access programs and improve habitat, the board raised the cost of an annual Nebraska Habitat Stamp by $4 to $20. It also raised the annual Nebraska Aquatic Habitat Stamp by $2.50 to $10.

New permits that were created include nonresident paddlefish, nonresident combination hunt/fish permit, lifetime fur harvest, nonresident elk, and nonresident landowner elk.

The board also raised the cost of a lifetime habitat stamp by $80 to $400 and created agent fees of $1 (purchased through Commission) and $2 (purchased through an agent other than Commission) for most hunting, fishing and fur harvest permits.

Changes to the 2010 fishing and turkey hunting regulations also were approved.

Changes to turkey regulations include a spring turkey permit that may be used in either the shotgun or archery season. In the past, spring turkey hunters were required to purchase either a shotgun permit or archery permit to hunt with those respective weapons during designated seasons.

The board made the following changes to other wildlife regulations:

• Suspended the bighorn sheep harvest in 2010. A pneumonia outbreak has reduced the population of the Fort Robinson herd, where sheep are hunted.
• A limited landowner applicant may be a spouse or child of the owner or leaseholder of qualifying land or a sibling sharing ownership of the qualifying land. The spouse or child need not be residing in the same household of the owner or leaseholder.
• Added landowner bull elk to the list of permit applicants who receive preference points if denied a permit and who lose all preference points if granted a permit. It also removes language that states all preference points will be lost if a person does not apply at least once for five consecutive years.
• Removed all restrictions on draw weight and draw length of archery equipment used to take deer, antelope, turkey, elk, and bighorn sheep.
• Removed all restrictions on how long deer, antelope, turkey, elk, and bighorn sheep meat may be possessed.
• Added a regulation that archers hunting deer, antelope, elk, or bighorn sheep are not required to wear hunter orange during the firearm seasons for antelope, elk or bighorn sheep.
• Removed all restrictions on how long game birds or game animals may be possessed and added language that states that it is unlawful to possess more than a possession limit of game birds or game animals.

The board also:

• Entered into an agreement with the Platte River Basin Environments (PRBE) to provide public access and conservation management on two tracts of land in the Wildcat Hills. The Carter Canyon Ranch Tract (7,870 acres) and the Montz Point Tract (1,430 acres) are owned by PRBE.
• Amended a lease with the Bureau of Reclamation to include a mitigation tract in Webster County in which the Commission will provide public access and conservation management. The 475-acre tract will be designated as Guide Rock Diversion Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
• Acquired a 13.31-acre tract of land at U.S. Highway 77 and Bluff Road in Lancaster County. It will be used to consolidate Commission operations and maintenance staff and replace sites that are being leased.
• Acquired a 156-acre tract of land in Stanton County that will be an extension of Wood Duck WMA.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA –-(AmmoLand.com)- Each year, Pennsylvania Game Commission field officers and foresters develop game forecasts for the areas they work to share with interested hunters and trappers. Observations on local wild turkey populations are always a part of this annual offering.

The Game Commission’s “Field Officer Forecasts” can be found in the center of the agency’s homepage (www.pgc.state.pa.us).

Developed to share field officer perspectives and observations on game and furbearer trends in their respective districts and to help hunters and trappers get closer to the action afield, this information helped many sportsmen and sportswomen have more enjoyable days afield last year.

“Our field personnel spend a tremendous amount of time afield, often in the areas hunters and trappers are most interested in learning more about,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director.

“Their observations have value to hunters and trappers, so in 2006 we set up a cyber-clearinghouse where anyone who enjoys hunting and trapping in Pennsylvania – resident or nonresident – can access game and furbearer forecasts from every county of the state. It’s the detailed field reporting hunters and trappers seek out, and part of our longstanding commitment to be the first and best source of hunting and trapping information in the Commonwealth.”

Roe noted the Game Commission divides the state’s 67 counties into six regions, and then each region is divided into WCO districts comprised of about 300 square miles each.

There are 136 WCO districts statewide. Each of the 29 LMGS groups is comprised of a number of counties or portions of counties within each region, and seeks to equally distribute the amount of State Game Lands and public access lands within the region. The number of foresters ranges per region, from four to nine.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA –-(AmmoLand.com)- The Pennsylvania Game Commission is expecting hunters to encounter a sizeable wild turkey population when they head afield for the opening day of wild turkey season on Oct. 31. And, because of the abundant acorn crop this year, finding birds this fall may be more difficult than it was last year.

“Wild turkey hunting is one of Pennsylvania’s premiere outdoor experiences,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “The satisfaction derived from calling in and taking a game bird that can see you twitch at 50 yards is a fulfillment that veteran hunters never tire of and new turkey hunters can’t wait to experience.

“The good news for this fall is that we believe there are great opportunities for wild turkey hunters throughout the state. But, as always, pre-season scouting and planning will be important to your hunting success.”

Season lengths vary in the state’s Wildlife Management Units for fall turkey hunting: WMUs 1A, 1B and 2A (Shotgun and bow and arrow only) – Oct. 31-Nov. 14; WMU 2B (Shotgun and bow and arrow only) – Oct. 31-Nov. 21; WMUs 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 4A and 4B – Oct. 31-Nov. 14; WMUs 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C, 4D and 4E – Oct. 31-Nov. 21; WMUs 5A and 5B – closed to fall hunting; and WMUs 5C and 5D (Shotgun and bow and arrow only) – Oct. 31-Nov. 4. (NOTE: On page 52 of the 2009-10 Digest, the fall turkey season dates for WMU 2F are incorrect. The correct dates are listed above: Oct. 31-Nov. 14.)

Mary Jo Casalena, Game Commission wild turkey biologist, said fall turkey hunters will face two challenges, but nothing that a little pre-season scouting can’t remedy. Those challenges are: smaller flocks of young turkeys in the woods caused by a cool, wet spring that decreased nesting success, which translates to a lower than average population of young turkeys; and an abundant crop of acorns, mostly red oak group, though white oaks tend to be scarce in many areas, which research has shown tends to disperse turkeys and flocks throughout the woods, making them harder to locate and hunt.

“Fortunately, the turkey population in the spring prior to nesting was above average, at about 345,000 birds, rebounding during the past three years from its low, in 2006, of 291,000, so there remains an above-average population of turkeys in Penn’s Woods,” Casalena said. “The state’s wild turkey population is above the 10-year-average thanks to good reproduction the past two springs and generally conservative fall season lengths, which prevents the overharvest of hens.”

Locating a flock is only part of the hunt, Casalena said. Properly setting up and bringing a turkey within range is another challenge, and is what makes turkey hunting simultaneously tricky and enjoyable.

“Overall, I anticipate turkey hunters to enjoy success rates only slightly lower than last year, when 16 percent of fall turkey hunters harvested turkeys, a great improvement from the 12 percent success rate over the previous three years. Hunter success has been as high as 21 percent (2001, a year with excellent recruitment), and as low as 4 percent (1979). The final 2008 fall harvest was 24,288, similar to the previous several years.”

The preliminary spring 2009 harvest, calculated from hunter report cards, was about 41,400, which is similar to last year. Additionally, during the spring season, hunters harvested about 1,880 gobblers using the second tag, or “special turkey licenses.” Even though spring harvests are down from the record 49,200, in 2001, Pennsylvania hunters have consistently maintained spring harvests above 30,000 bearded turkeys since 1995, exceeding most other states in the nation.

“Turkey population management is centered on regulating the fall either-sex season,” Casalena said. “Our goal is to maximize recreational opportunity without adversely affecting populations. According to guidelines outlined in our Turkey Management Plan, we increase fall season lengths when turkey populations are increasing, but must reduce season lengths when populations are declining.”

Casalena noted that fall turkey seasons were changed in three WMUs: WMU 2D was shortened to two weeks (Oct. 31 – Nov. 14) to help the population rebound to former abundance levels; WMUs 5C and 5D were shortened to 4 days (Oct. 31 – Nov. 4). Also, WMU 5A remains closed to fall turkey hunting for the seventh year to help restore the turkey population there.

“Research showed that the fall harvest was one factor adversely impacting that turkey population,” Casalena said. “Reopening the fall season in WMU 5A is our goal, and the turkey population has shown improvement. The fall season also remains closed in WMU 5B, where we are continuing to allow the population to grow after three years (2001-2003) of transferring wild turkeys into parts of the WMU that had sufficient habitat, but no turkeys. Citizens now regularly see turkey populations where they had been absent for close to 70 years.

“Also, please remember to report any leg-banded turkeys harvested. Leg bands are stamped with a toll-free number to call, and provide important information for the joint research project being conducted in partnership with other states and the National Wild Turkey Federation.”

In both spring and fall turkey seasons, it is unlawful to use drives to hunt turkeys. Hunters may take only one turkey in the fall season.

Shot size is limited to No. 4 lead, bismuth-tin, tungsten-iron or No. 2 steel. Turkey hunters also are required to tag their bird before moving it and to report their harvest within 10 days of taking a turkey. (For more information on the new online harvest reporting system, please see the fourth article in this news release titled TURKEY HUNTERS ENCOURAGED TO REPORT HARVEST ONLINE).

Legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. For more information, please see page 12 of the 2009-10 Digest for the legal hunting hours table. Also, it is lawful to use a dog to pursue, chase, scatter and track wild turkeys during the fall wild turkey season. Hunters are prohibited from using dogs to hunt any other big game animal, including spring gobbler. For minimum orange requirements, please see page 70 of the 2009-10 Digest, as the requirements differ depending on the Wildlife Management Unit.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA –-(AmmoLand.com)- The Pennsylvania Game Commission today has cancelled vehicular tours of State Game Lands 110 and 211 in Berks, Dauphin, Lebanon and Schuylkill counties because roadways in these areas have become too soft to accommodate large volumes of traffic and rain remains in the forecast through Sunday.

“It is unfortunate that these tours had to be cancelled on such short notice,” said PGC Southeast Region Director Doug Killough. “But conditions in these natural areas simply have deteriorated to the point where we were left with no choice.”

Signs announcing the tour cancellations will be posted at the Ellendale gate of SGL 211 in Dauphin County’s Middle Paxton Township, just northeast of Dauphin, as well as at the SGL 110 parking lot on Mountain Road, midway between the Shartlesville exit of Interstate 78 and Route 61.

Each location is the starting point for these two vehicular tours.

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

Arkansas --(AmmoLand.com)- Flooding closes White River North Unit muzzleloader deer hunts. Click here to to the White River NWR web site. ST. CHARLES – The White River National Wildlife Refuge will close the North Unit quota deer hunt on Oct. 17-19 and the North Unit non-quota buck-only hunt, Oct. 20-23 due to an unprecedented early flood season. The South Unit hunt remains open for now. North Unit permit holders are not allowed to hunt in the South Unit.

“We regret closing these North Unit hunts due to the flood, but we also need to ensure hunter safety and protect the deer resource for the future,” said refuge manger Dennis Sharp.

Unfortunately, this water level will keep the North Unit closed for deer archery hunting and prevent the scheduled North Unit muzzleloader deer hunt.

“At this time, we do not anticipate closing the South Unit muzzleloader deer season due to flooding, but hunters are encouraged to monitor water levels,” Sharp said.

He went on to say that the North Unit quota muzzleloader deer permits will not be refundable or renewed as the money has already been spent on associated hunt administration costs. 850 hunters had been issued permits for this year’s hunt. Another 300 were not. The permits will also not be renewed for next year’s hunt.

“I can’t, in all good conscience, renew the 850 North Unit permits for next year, as that would be mean that the other 300 applicants who did not get permits would not be able to hunt there for two years,” Sharp said. “I also can’t predict the impacts of the unprecedented flooding on the deer herd in the North Unit, so I don’t know how many quotas will be offered there next year.”

“I know many hunters will be disappointed in missing this great public hunting opportunity, and I sure understand their frustration,” said Sharp. “I encourage you to apply again for next year’s hunts and hope for more favorable river levels now and next year.”

The North Unit of the refuge closes to deer hunting when the White River reaches 23 feet at St. Charles and does not reopen until the level falls below 21 feet. The river reached the 23-foot level the first week of October, closing archery deer season on the North Unit. The river is currently rising at St. Charles and projected to remain above 21 feet through Oct. 23.

The South Unit closes to all deer hunting when the White River gauge at St. Charles reaches 23 feet and the tailwater gauge reading at Norrel Lock and Dam #1 reaches 145 feet simultaneously as reported at the following website: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/html/whitervr.htm.

Up-to-date flood related deer season closure information is also available on the refuge’s recorded phone message system at (870) 282-8200. Hunters camping on the South Unit should carefully monitor rising river levels that may flood their camp or overtop exit routes.

These types of flooding events, although part of natural floodplain system, can impact deer and other wildlife populations, and may change the number of quotas available for next year.

For more information, please visit: http://www.fws.gov/whiteriver/images/WhiteRiverHuntBrochureText09.pdf http://www.fws.gov/whiteriver/huntingpage.html.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

LINCOLN, Neb. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Hunters in the area of Lake McConaughy had an excellent opening day of the duck season on Oct. 10, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

According to conservation officer reports, hunting pressure was heavy around McConaughy and nearby Clear Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and most checked hunters got their limit of birds.

Among the birds checked by officers in the Panhandle and western Sandhills were mallards, pintails, redheads, scaup, wood ducks, gadwall, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, and shovelers.

Southwest duck hunters had decent success, especially at Sacramento-Wilcox WMA and along the Platte River from North Platte to Sarben. A variety of ducks were harvested, including teal, mallards, scaup, and wigeon.

In south-central Nebraska, the opener was productive in areas where hunters found water, which was difficult to come by.

Conservation officers reported checking one to four birds per hunter. Most of those birds were teal, but there were good numbers of gadwall, as well as some wood ducks, mallards and a ring-necked drake.

While the number of hunters in the region was down, prospects should improve as some basins will have water pumped into them and more birds arrive.

The success rate was good to excellent in the southeast, with many hunters taking their limit Saturday. Hunting pressure was lower Sunday and hunters had fair to good success.

Saunders and Lancaster counties were busy, with at least 20 vehicles parked at Jack Sinn Memorial WMA. Memphis WMA was among the other lakes that had good numbers of hunters. Most of the birds in the bag were teal, gadwall and wood ducks, with a few pintail and wigeon also bagged.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(AmmoLand.com)- The state’s early firearms antlerless deer seasons – early muzzleloader season, Oct. 17-24, and special firearms season for junior, senior, active duty military and certain disabled hunters, Oct. 22-24 – will soon be here, along with seasons for squirrels and grouse, so there will be plenty of activity in the state’s forested areas, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

“In addition to small game and firearms deer hunters, bowhunters also will be afield,” said Calvin DuBrock, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management director. “Some of our most popular hunting seasons are about to begin and hunters are looking forward to heading afield.

“Of course, the fall firearms deer seasons are relatively new when compared to the decades-old small game seasons. And it wasn’t that long ago that Pennsylvania had only a four-week archery season. But these early deer seasons have been warmly received by many deer hunters, because they have extended the window of opportunity for them to take a deer and typically are held when the weather makes it more comfortable to be afield.”

DuBrock noted that these early antlerless deer seasons provide Pennsylvanians more ways to fit deer hunting into their busy schedules, and offer a more relaxing hunt to people who dislike cold weather and woods filled with large numbers of hunters.

“But the October firearms seasons are so much more than another time and another way to hunt deer,” emphasized DuBrock. “These seasons are part of our deer management strategy to stabilize whitetail numbers in most areas of the Commonwealth, and in the process, improve forested wildlife habitat and deer health, and reduce crop damage and other deer-human conflicts.

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

Hunters heading afield for the October firearms seasons should find fair to good numbers of deer in most areas, but other areas will support substantially less or more.

Last year, according to the agency’s Game-Take Survey, the 78,000 hunters who participated in the early muzzleloader season took 12,100 deer (10,000 in 2007). The 43,000 participants in the special firearms season harvested 5,400 deer (6,500 in 2007). Those figures compare with 12,300 in the 2006 October muzzleloader season and 8,500 in the special firearms season. The combined total of both October firearms seasons comprised less than 10 percent of the 2008 antlerless deer harvest, which was 213,440.

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

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

These two antlerless deer seasons are not open to participants of the Mentored Youth Hunting Program, which was created for those under the age of 12, since mentored youth may not harvest antlerless deer. (For more information on the Mentored Youth Hunting Program, please consult page 13 of the 2009-10 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest, which is provided to each license buyer.)

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

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

Any hunter who by accident or mistake kills an illegal deer is required to deliver the carcass – entrails removed – within 12 hours of the kill to any Game Commission officer in the county where the deer was killed. A written statement also must be provided to the officer explaining when, where and how the accident or mistake occurred. The deer must be tagged with the appropriate deer harvest tag.

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

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

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga --(AmmoLand.com)- It is finally that time of the year again for Georgia hunters. Firearms deer season opens Saturday, Oct. 17 and lasts through Jan. 1 in the Northern Zone and in the Southern Zone, through Jan. 15.

“Regulated hunting is the most cost effective and efficient means of managing the deer herd,” says John Bowers, assistant chief of Game Management for the Wildlife Resources Division.

“In fact, regulated deer hunting has successfully reduced the statewide deer population from 1.4 million in the 1990s to close to one million today. Georgia’s deer season and regulations provide flexibility to landowners and deer managers to meet their individual management objectives.”

More than one million acres of public hunting land is available to hunters in Georgia, including more than 100 state-operated wildlife management areas where special hunts are offered throughout the season, including ladies-only hunts and adult/child hunts. Dates and locations for these hunts are available in the 2009-2010 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations guide, and WMA maps are available at www.gohuntgeorgia.com .

During the 2008-2009 firearms deer season, nearly 289,000 licensed hunters harvested over 320,000 deer in Georgia.

Hunters are allowed a season total of ten antlerless deer and two antlered deer (one of the two antlered deer must have a minimum of four points, one inch or longer, on one side of the antlers).

A valid hunting license is required to hunt deer during firearms season, as is a big game license and a deer harvest record. In most cases, a separate WMA license is required to hunt on a WMA. All deer hunters must wear at least 500 square-inches of fluorescent orange above the waist to legally hunt during firearms season, except in areas designated archery-only.

Georgia is considered the top destination in the country for non-resident hunters and continues to draw tens of thousands of deer hunters from across the country each year. The state’s quality deer herd and the more than one million available acres of public hunting land serve as the main appeal.

For more information on deer hunting seasons and regulations, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com .

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. --(AmmoLand.com)- The week-long primitive weapons deer hunting season begins Saturday, Oct. 10. During primitive weapons season, hunters may use archery equipment (including crossbows), muzzleloading shotguns (20 gauge or larger) and muzzleloading firearms (.44 caliber or larger).

“Our primitive weapons deer season provides hunters the opportunity to hunt with traditional or inline black powder firearms or to continue hunting with archery gear,” said John Bowers, assistant chief of Game Management for the Wildlife Resources Division.

“Hunters are allowed to hunt either-sex deer during this week-long opportunity. Primitive weapons hunters have a wide variety of options depending on their personal choices and needs without being burdened by complex regulations.”

More than one million acres of public hunting land is available to hunters in Georgia, including more than 100 state-operated wildlife management areas where special hunts are offered throughout the season, including primitive weapons hunts. Dates and locations for these hunts are available in the 2009-2010 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations guide, and WMA maps are available at www.gohuntgeorgia.com .

During the 2008 primitive weapons season, 58,264 hunters harvested 16,897 deer – a harvest rate that has remained relatively stable in recent years.

Hunters are allowed a season total of ten antlerless deer and two antlered deer (one of the two antlered deer must have a minimum of four points, one inch or longer, on one side of the antlers).

Under the new hunting and fishing license sales system, the primitive weapons license is no longer required to hunt during archery and primitive weapons seasons. However, a valid hunting and big game license is required, as is a deer harvest record. In most cases, a separate WMA license is required to hunt on a WMA.

All hunters, including archers, must wear at least 500 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange above the waist during primitive weapons season. Scopes and other optical sighting devices are considered legal for muzzleloading firearms and archery equipment.

Georgia is considered the top destination in the country for non-resident hunters and continues to draw tens of thousands of deer hunters from across the country each year. The state’s quality deer herd and the more than one million available acres of public hunting land serve as the main appeal.

For more information on deer hunting seasons and regulations, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com .

Ducks Unlimited

CHARLESTON, S.C. –-(AmmoLand.com)- JAMESTOWN, Kansas --(AmmoLand.com)- Partners gathered on September 19th for a dedication and greenwing event on the Jamestown Wildlife Area. One of 12 expansive wetlands deeded by the U.S. Congress to the State of Kansas in 1859, Jamestown WA was once a waterfowl migration cornerstone made of fresh and saltwater marshes, riparian areas, and native grasslands of the Lower Republican River Basin.

Greenwings, Ducks Unlimited members under 18, had the opportunity to band Canada Geese under the supervision of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks personelle. Following the banding, speakers representing a variety of partners discussed the importance of the project and the area.

As with many wetlands across North America, Jamestown wetlands were deeded to settlers and drained for other land uses resulting in the loss of many thousands of acres of important wildlife habitats. Today, conservation organizaitons and agencies striving to restore and protect these crucial wildlife habitats are celebrating great strides in the Jamestown Wetland Project.

Dedication speakers included Kansas Greenwing Chair Jane Irvine, Asst. Secretary of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Keith Sexton, Past Chair of the Kansas Alliance for Wetland and Streams Dennis Haag, Playa Lakes Joint Venture Conservation Policy Director Barth Crouch, Pheasants Forever Field Representative Jordan Martincich, Executive Director of CloudCorp Kirk Lowell, Representative Elaine Bowers, Kansas House District 107, and Mayor Judy Hill of Jamestown.

The overall goals of the project are to expand the present day Jamestown WA from 4,620 acres to as much as 7,285 acres, thus creating a 13-mile wetland habitat corridor. Additionally, 3,500 acres will have wetlands and grasslands restored to habitat representing the pre-settlement landscape in 1859. To date, our conservation partnership has accomplished 35% of these land acquisition and restoration goals.

Partners on the project include Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, North American Wetland Conservation Council, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams, Pheasants Forever, Westar Energy, Kansas Wildlife Federation, CloudCorp, Cloud County Board of Commissioners, City of Jamestown, Cloud County Convention and Tourism, Jewell County Board of Commissioners, Republic County Board of Commissioners, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and over 30 private individuals.

About:
With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with more than 12 million acres conserved. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands ? nature’s most productive ecosystem ? and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres important to waterfowl each year.