Another firearms deer season is in the bag. My little group had a pretty darn good year, but that, of course, is a small sample size. Statewide, the numbers show a deer season that was – from a harvest perspective, anyway – a little worse than last year. Firearms hunters last year killed about 174,000 deer. This year's take of…
London, Ohio – A Columbus man forfeited $1,300 in archery gear and lost hunting privileges for a year after pleading guilty on Monday, Dec. 5, to multiple state wildlife violations, stemming from a Nov. 12 incident on land owned by Battelle Memorial Institute in eastern Madison County. Derek M. Ranney, 23, 1277 Burnham Dr., was convicted in the county's municipal…
It's that time of year again when hunters begin to wonder how the state's deer harvest is going. If a hunter has shot a buck, seen a few deer and heard lots of shooting, he or she probably thinks the harvest is high. If the converse is true, the hunter thinks that the deer kill must be low. Fortunately, the…
A couple of weeks ago I was catching up on some reading when I came across Tony Peterson's article "To Stop or Not to Stop" in the early October issue of Illinois Outdoor News. Peterson gives some good advice on when it's a good time and when it's not a good time to attempt to use bleat-like vocalizations to stop…
Firearms turkey hunters in the state took 638 birds during the 9-day season, down 11 percent from last year's total of 716. "This continues a long term trend in both declining harvest and participation in fall turkey hunting, with many hunters choosing to concentrate on archery deer hunting during this time period," Paul Brewer, DNR's turkey biologist, pointed out. Evidence…
The firearms deer kill remains down from last year, when firearms hunters killed a total of more than 174,000 deer. Through Tuesday, hunters have killed 83,500 whitetails, compared with about 101,000 at the same time last year. Many hunters report heavy wind during the first three days of the season was the primary factor that reduced harvest. Deer simply don't…
Wisconsin pheasant hunters, for the most part, are finding out just what two to three tough winters can do to wild pheasant populations. While carryover of state-released birds, or birds raised by landowners, have made a difference in some years, much of that carryover was wiped out by deep snow, icy crusts and sub-zero temperatures. Of course pheasant populations, as…
Athens, Ohio – A pilot project begun by the DNR Division of Wildlife several years ago to match farmers and hunters could be on its last legs. The project, huntohiofarms.com, was started at the urging of the Ohio Farm Bureau to match farmers suffering crop damage with willing hunters. The Division of Wildlife recently drafted a letter to the Ohio Farm Bureau,…
The numbers were telling. They were revealed during a recent public forum with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and two state legislators. The event was held in Hanover Township, Luzerne County, and the panel consisted of Game Commission Executive Director Carl Roe, Commissioner Jay Delaney and state Reps. Ed Staback and Gerald Mullery. Both are on the House Game and Fisheries…
Hunters can look forward to some new public lands this fall, thanks to the new Voluntary Public Access (VPA) program. This program will open more land for hunters, fishermen, trappers and wildlife enthusiasts, beginning in September, but it may be a short-term gain. The VPA program is brand new to Wisconsin and funded by a grant through the 2008 Federal…
The 2011 Minnesota spring wild turkey hunt almost assuredly will not set a new state harvest record. Given the huge record kill of 2010, that's not entirely surprising. The state can't set a record every year, particularly after liberalizing the tagging system last year set the table for a strong kill. Still, did harvest have to drop this much? Consider…
Bass culling, bear bills up for Senate committee vote May 5 Sportsmen who have been following the progress of the bass culling bill, bear hunting bill, deer hunting bill and the appointment of three new Natural Resources Board members might be interested to know that the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Environment will meet on Thursday, May 5 beginning…
A prediction made by two Pennsylvania Game Commission officials recently is extremely alarming. One official – PGC wildlife veterinarian Dr. Walter Cottrell – said in a story that appeared in Pennsylvania Outdoors News that it's probable that chronic wasting disease is either already in the state or it's only a matter of time before it arrives. Cottrell's remark was made…
Some of Wisconsin's most avid duck and goose hunters will migrate to Stevens Point on March 4 and 5, for the 9th annual gathering and something that I think all waterfowl hunters will find beneficial. Although there are several organizations (such as Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, and WI DNR) that help to co-sponsor the…
It might be the dead of winter but there are already signs of spring. Oh sure, the first of many outdoors shows is taking place this weekend in St. Paul but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm referring to deadlines. Hunters who want a shot at a turkey this spring need to get their applications in by Friday in…
