The future of Maryland deer hunting is about to take on a quite different look and feel.
Soon gone are the days of shooting just about any deer that happened to walk by. This coming season deer hunters will have to make a difficult decision when that buck comes in view.
Dont shoot at something white. Please dont shoot just at something white.
Turkey season will open this weekend in many areas. As always, read and understand a current Louisiana turkey hunting pamphlet. If in doubt, call the Wildlife and Fisheries (318) 343-2417, Monroe and get an answer to your problem. Be reminded that a Louisiana wild turkey license is required in addition to our small and big game licenses.
I just literally might near have a spell when I hear a group of people telling the big tales of a turkey hunt, The turkey took a tree on me and the next time I saw that white head, I shot im. There are many white things in the woods on any given day. People have paper towels, handkerchiefs, T-shirts, an old tin containing diaphragm calls, and just a sluice of other light-colored things.
A legal turkey in Louisiana must have one or more beards. People being shot during turkey season should be a criminal offense. We will all be camouflaged to the hilt. Most of us will probably be sitting down, hopefully calling, and probably will have been hid for quite some time, if and when the shot occurs. Think safety. Be careful. Be aware of where your buddy is. There will be another day.
Do not allow a loaded shotgun on a moving vehicle. You are an accident looking for a place to happen. Carry some bug spray with you. A turkey has a poor sense of smell. Carry a common black plastic garbage bag to sit on the damp ground. Tell someone where you intend to hunt and with whom. Shoot your shotgun before Saturday with the choke and shot size you intend to hunt with.
Enjoy this weekend and the spring days that will occur in the coming weeks. The first day of spring will actually occur this week, and the equinox will also. Just think, after the spring equinox our days will be longer than the nights. Longer days mean warmer weather and after today, well, Im already ready for cooler weather. I just dont know how we survive a 14-hour August day in 95-degree weather.
Go to your camp this weekend. Take a youngun with you, build a big fire, cook some really good grub and enjoy the weekend. I am reminded of a trip Ruff and I made when he was about 5 or 6 years old. We had bumped into someone and, in passing information back and forth, I made the statement, Aw, well set around, watch a little TV, chew the fat and spit in the fire. I didnt think much about it until we got on the road. Ruff, in an innocent childs voice and with a very concerned expression, asked, Daddy, can I just chew on some bacon fat tonight? Only from a youngun!
Well, I hope many of you got to go to one of the Wildlife and Fisheries public meetings held this week. I went to Alexandria Tuesday as I had another meeting Thursday evening. As I prepare this weeks article, I havent had a chance to find out how many people attended. At Alexandria we had more wildlife and fisheries personnel than public. One person asked how these meetings were advertised. Of course, department personnel rattled off the various means of communication it used. I hope someone asked about our panther population locally.
In a couple of weeks I will word an opinion on the use of steel shot vs. lead shot for the taking of waterfowl and small game in Louisiana. I will ask this question in the form of a survey to be emailed to me, so be waiting and watching. I still contend that lead shot is far superior to steel shot for taking various game. Lead, Pb, Periodic Table Atomic Number 82, is a naturally occurring element in our world. This steel shot business probably started in California, and what starts in California migrates to the east. Did you know, in fact, that California has banned all forms of lead ammunition?
If memory serves me correctly, it seems that a grad student in California found a wounded or dying condor. Anyhow, the thing died and the ensuing autopsy revealed, get this, lead poisoning. Now this student came to the conclusion that this condor had found the remains of an elk that a hunter had field-dressed and this condor ate the fragments of the copper and lead bullet and died. Do you or can you realize the astronomical odds of something like this happening? Anyhow, he got lead bullets outlawed! Go figger.
Richard Price writes a weekly outdoor column. Email him at mrcattle@hughes.net.
WITH their bouffant hairstyles andpin-striped suits, the millionaire sons of Donald Trump are a chip off the old block when they appear among New York#39;s glitterati.
But one area where Donald Jnr and Eric Trump don#39;t see eye-to-eye with their father is in killing animals for fun.
The pair have been forced to defend themselves against accusations of cruelty after photographs emerged on the internet of them standing next to animals shot dead during a hunting holiday last year.
Zimbabwean conservationists and animal-rights groups have hit out at the two millionaires – and even Donald Snr has publicly questioned why his sons enjoyed hunting so much.
The photos appeared on the website of Hunting Legend, a company that specialises in tailor-made big-game hunting across Africa for wealthy clients in Europe, the Middle East and the US.
The brothers are shown in trophy photos standing next to a dead elephant, a crocodile, a kudu, a leopard and a waterbuck.
The animals were all shot on a hunting range close to Zimbabwe#39;s Victoria Falls.
In one picture, Donald Jnr is holding a knife and a severed elephant tail.
Wealthy hunters pay thousands of dollars to shoot big game in Africa.
The most prized hunts are the so-called Big Five – leopard, lion, rhino, elephant and buffalo.
Four of the five are endangered.
Killing one of these can often cost $10,000 ((pounds sterling)6,300) for licences, which are meant to be strictly rationed.
Hunting lodges insist animal populations need to be controlled and that the money that is generated through licences finance conservation efforts and provide employment for locals.
In a series of tweets, 34-year-old Donald Jnr defended his holiday: I hunt and eat game. I am a hunter, I don#39;t hide from that.
In a reply to a critic he also denied that the kills were wasteful, writing: I can assure you it was not wasteful the villagers were so happy for the meat which they don#39;t often get to eat. Very grateful.
But many conservation groups are uncomfortable with private hunts, especially in Zimbabwe, where endemic corruption and a poor security situation means poaching and overkill is rampant whilst little money filters down to the poor.
One of Zimbabwe#39;s most eminent conservationists told The Independent yesterday that he believed private hunting should be banned for two years until a genuine count of the country#39;s animals could be completed.
The government deliberately overestimates how many animals we have so they can grant more licences and make more money, Johnny Rodriquez, of the Zimbabwe Conservation Taskforce, said.
If things carry on the way they have recently there won#39;t be any animals left in the next five or six years.
You can#39;t paint all the private hunters with the same brush but there are a lot of unethical guys out there.
Legislators, state employees, outdoor enthusiasts and environmental groups are showing more support the second time around for legislation that would raise hunting and fishing license fees in Minnesota.
“I think that there is a certain amount of a learning curve where a lot of people learned about the need last year, and when it comes to this legislative session there’s not so much bringing people up to speed,” said Jeanine Vorland, a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources area wildlife manager.
Though the DNR proposed license fee hikes in 2011, no legislation was passed. The bill is gaining more support this year and unanimously passed the Minnesota Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday.
The DNR and other state officials have been monitoring the Game and Fish Fund — which the DNR uses for hunting and fishing regulatory measures and law enforcement — and they expect it to lose much more revenue in the next year than previously thought.
According to the DNR, last year’s state government shutdown cost the Game and Fish Fund $2.2 million because people could not purchase licenses during that period. Furthermore, the DNR said a federal budget forecast shows the DNR losing more than $5 million because of a decline in direct license revenue and declines in two fish and game reimbursement programs. Last year the DNR expected its Game and Fish funds to dip into the red by 2014, now it expects that to happen by as early as July 2013.
The DNR has not increased license fees in almost 12 years; and some DNR officials were hoping for increases much earlier, so the DNR would not be in such a dire position. Regardless, people are paying closer attention to the game and fish legislation this year. Furthermore, most hunters and fishers may not be upset by the proposed increases.
“There is nobody I know who isn’t going to buy a license if (fees) go up,” said Justin Hanson, an outdoorsman and resource specialist for the Mower County Soil and Water Conservation District. “People are going to grumble a little bit, but it’s not going to make that big of a difference.”
Vorland said her fellow employees also strongly support fee increases, and she also knows many resident anglers and hunters who are not opposed to fee hikes. Brian Landherr of rural Rose Creek said higher prices won’t prevent him from buying licenses, either. However, he mentioned he would like to see funds from those increases go toward more management and enforcement practices in southern Minnesota, something he believes other areas of Minnesota are receiving the lion’s share of.
Under the new legislation, resident fishing licenses would increase from $17 to $22 ($24 proposed by the DNR), small game licenses from $19 to $22 and deer hunting licenses from $26 to $30. Many add-on, small game stamps — like pheasant and duck stamps — will remain the same price. Furthermore, the DNR has proposed a wealth of new options, such as more short-term licenses, non-resident licenses and hunting-fishing combo licenses. For example, a Minnesota resident would be able to purchase a Super Sport license that includes general fishing, small game, deer, duck, pheasant and trout for $99. If the game and fish legislation passes this session, the new fees would take effect March 1, 2013, as the DNR’s license year begins in March.
The bill is receiving some bipartisan support, and Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, may also support the bill, as long as it doesn’t receive any unreasonable amendments or unrelated additions.
“I look forward to seeing it on the Senate floor,” he said.
He added, “I think it’s a very small increase, and I think that the DNR will use those dollars to continue to support those areas we use to hunt and fish in the state of Minnesota.”
The DNR has campaigned for license fee increases for more than a year via its website, which contains revenue projections, license options and other media. For more information, visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/heritage.
Proposed increases to resident hunting and fishing licenses
Several new license options
– The Associated Press contributed to this report
The state Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider adopting a new package of sportfishing rules for 2012-13, as well as an increase in the number of multiple season hunting permits issued each year at an upcoming public meeting.
The commission, a nine-member citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the state Fish and Wildlife, will convene for its regular meeting Feb. 3-4 in Room 172 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. SE The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:30 am both days.
A complete meeting agenda is available on the state Fish and Wildlife Commission website.
During the two-day meeting, the commission will consider adopting 18 sportfishing rules, which were developed with public input and discussed at the commissions December and January meetings.
The proposals range from closing steelhead fisheries earlier in a number of rivers in the Puget Sound area to allowing anglers to fish with two poles on the Pend Oreille River and the lower Spokane River.
All proposed changes are posted on the state Fish and Wildlifes website.
In other action, the commission will consider a bid to increase the number of multiple season hunting permits issued each year.
Since 2006, state Fish and Wildlife has conducted annual drawings for multiple-season hunting permits, which allow a certain number of hunters to participate in all general hunting seasons for deer and elk. Without the special permit, hunters must choose among archery, muzzleloader or modern firearm seasons.
State Fish and Wildlife has proposed increasing the number of deer permits from 4,000 currently to 8,500, and the number of elk permits from 850 to 1,250. State wildlife managers told the commission in January that increasing permit levels will expand hunting opportunities without posing a risk to deer and elk populations.
Also during the February meeting, the commission will consider a 165-acre land acquisition in Okanogan County for fish and wildlife habitat.
The commission also will receive briefings on the 2011 Puget Sound recreational and commercial crab fishing seasons, changes to the recreational clam and oyster seasons on Puget Sound beaches, the Wildlife Program, the Colockum elk herd, sanitary shellfish enforcement, and the inland fish stocking strategy and marketing plan.
The Rockingham County Hunting Advisory Committee voted Thursday night to change its name and host a spring meeting on deer in the landscape.
The committee, pending approval by the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners, will now be referred to as the Rockingham County Hunting and Wildlife Advisory Committee. Chairman Pete Bromley said the committee would most likely be dealing with issues beyond the scope of hunting.
Many concerns of the citizens of Rockingham County go beyond hunting and deal with wildlife in general, he said. Our decisions may include the consideration of coyotes, potential coyote damage last year and damage to livestock, pets and even vegetable crops. There have also been complaints about deer damage to plantingshellip;and these are not hunting issues per se.
A resolution in support of House Bill 459 was passed by the hunting committee and will be forwarded to commissioners. The bill to regulate hunting while impaired on private land in Rockingham County was passed by the House in June of last year but was referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources.
The board will also sponsor a community meeting similar to the one held last year on coyotes. Bromley said it would be done again through the Rockingham County Cooperative Extension and would most likely feature presentations about deer in the landscape by Extension Agent Kathryn Holmes, Wildlife Office Barry Joyce and Bromley.
The meeting is scheduled to take place in the Agricultural Center on March 12.
In other business, Joyce brought up the idea of urban archery in Rockingham Countys municipalities. The only area currently enrolled in the program in Wentworth.
We have a lot of areas where people arent allowed to hunt and thats one of the problems, Joyce said. It would be nice to have someone from the cities who can look into this to open up the opportunity for bow and arrow hunting its not dangerous. I think a lot of these people are scared of hunting in the first place and are afraid to open up to something with potential liability issues, which is reasonable. But I think if they learn more about it, they will come on board.
Bromley said organizers will open the floor up during the deer landscape presentation on March 12 to present more information about the urban archery season.
The issue With lives increasingly busy, sportsmen and -women need every opportunity.
Where we stand The state should finally end its ban on Sunday hunting.
When most hunters have hung up their boots for the season, some
of us are just warming up. Now is the time for predator
hunting.
Why would you want to attract the attention of a predator? So it
can hunt you, of course. Calling predators takes a little planning
and a few tricks to lure in these guys, but the thrill of the hunt
is worth the effort.
Predators are not bad animals; they are an important part of a
healthy ecosystem. They can cause problems, but they still are cool
to have around and they can be hunted when managed properly.
Coyote calling from January to March is one of the greatest
hunting challenges in Nebraska. We are entering the breeding cycle
for bobcats, coyotes and other predators. For coyotes, this opens a
new door of communication between predator and hunter because
hunters can have good responses from both prey (distress calls) and
coyote (howls, barks and yips).
The setup
Predators make their living from keen eyesight and a nose that
can smell a mouse under the snow several hundred yards away.
Scouting an area will help you locate coyotes and tell you where to
start calling. Hunt into the wind or a crosswind, as predators
often will try to circle downwind to smell and locate the prey
animal.
Using decoys confuses the predator and takes the predators
focus off the hunter. I like furry decoys that flicker or gyrate. I
spray a bit of fox urine on the decoy to help with the confusion
part. The coyote usually will come into the call and head straight
for the decoy.
Howling for success
Howling can work any time of year, but greater opportunities
exist now. During the breeding season, coyotes become more
territorial, with males searching for females and willing to pounce
on any other male in the area. This is a great time to start a
morning session with a long contact howl or a challenge howl. I
give a couple of these and then wait for a few minutes, and then
come back with a prey distress call. If a coyote gives me a
challenge howl or barks, I come back with a challenge howl and the
fight is on.
If the distress call does not work, I use a female invitation
howl, which is shorter than the contact howl in length. I then use
the howler to make coyote yips and whimpers, which can really get
the attention of a big male.
Distress cries
Distress sounds imitate the cries of dying prey, such as a bird,
rabbit or other small mammal. Distress cries work any time a
predator is hungry and sometimes when it is just curious.
When I arrive at a site to call, I start with quiet distress
sounds just in case a song dog is near. Coyotes are agreeable to an
easy meal, but not if that meal sounds like a mad 75-pound rabbit
with bad intentions.
After calling for 10 seconds, I stop, watch and listen. I then
give a distress call but focus on the shrill screams more heavily
rather than the cries. After a couple of 10-second stints, I will
mix screams and cries of a distressed critter. I play this call for
10 to 20 seconds, and then sit quietly for 30 seconds or more. I do
this for about 30 minutes, and then I move a half-mile to a mile
before I call again.
Predator hunting is a great way to extend your season, spend
more time in the field, enjoy winter and help remove a few problem
animals for local landowners. Predator hunting combines all the
necessary stealth and skill of other types of hunting with the
excitement that comes from being the hunted.
Jeff Rawlinson is an assistant administrator in Game and
Parks Information and Education Division. Contact him at
402-471-6133 or jeff.rawlinson@nebraska.gov. Read his blog, Lock,
Stock and Bedlam, at OutdoorNebraska.org.
By Brad Fulton
Capital News Service
Virginians are one step closer to being able to hunt on Sundays. On a 29-11 vote Thursday, the Senate passed a bill that would allow Sunday hunting on private land.
Sen. Ralph Northam, a Democrat from Norfolk, introduced Senate Bill 464. Originally, it would have completely lifted the state’s ban on hunting on Sundays. A committee folded it into SB 464 legislation by Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, to permit Sunday hunting “on private property, either as a landowner, the landowner’s spouse or the children of the landowner, or with the written permission of the landowner.”
At the request of Sen. Charles Carrico, R-Galax, senators further amended the measure to prohibit hunters from hunting within 250 yards of a place of worship.
Of the 20 Democratic senators, 17 voted for the bill and three voted against it.
Of the 20 Republican senators, 12 voted for the bill and eight voted against it.
“I’m glad that the Senate acted decisively today to roll back an archaic restriction on a constitutional right in Virginia,” Petersen said after the floor vote.
The bill would rescind a state law that prohibits hunting on Sunday on public or private land, declaring it a “rest day for all species of wild bird and wild animal life, except raccoons, which may be hunted until 2 am on Sunday mornings.”
Gov. Bob McDonnell said last week that he agrees with lifting the ban on hunting on Sundays on private property.
Opposition to lifting the ban has come from groups such as the Virginia Farm Bureau and the Virginia Humane Society.
“Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, through its grassroots policy process, opposes hunting on Sunday,” said Wilmer Stoneman, VFBF associate director of governmental relations. “People are trying to couch this as a private property issue, but if it is, then you should be able to hunt and fish on private property 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, not just on Sundays.”
Petersen noted that the National Rifle Association supports his efforts to eliminate the ban on Sunday hunting. According to a survey, two-thirds of licensed hunters in Virginia support hunting on Sundays, Petersen said.
The bill now goes to the Virginia House of Delegates. If passed, the measure could open up Sunday hunting as early as next hunting season.
Power struggle affecting vote?
The vote on whether to ban lead shot for mourning dove hunting could turn as much on a legislative branch vs. executive branch power struggle as on the issue itself.
Many lawmakers think the Iowa Natural Resource Commission, which is appointed by the governor, defied legislative intent by approving the ban.
Committees in both the Senate and House voted last week to void the ban. The Senate Natural Resources Committee passed Senate Joint Resolution 2001 on Wednesday 9 to 3. The House passed House Joint Resolution 2001 on Thursday 17 to 4.
Whether the committees? votes reflect the sentiment of their chambers remains uncertain.
Iowa House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said last week he hasn?t counted likely votes yet, but he expects sufficient support in the House to void the ban.
?This is not about lead shot or steel shot,? he said. ?This is about the Legislature passing a bill and the executive branch overreaching,? Paulsen said.
He noted that the House considered but rejected banning lead shot when it approved dove hunting.
?A decision was made by the Legislature,? he said. ?We enacted a bill, and then we had an executive agency that did whatever they wanted to anyway, and I have a problem with that.?
Iowa Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, who has the authority to allow or block consideration of legislation in the Senate, said he doesn?t know whether the issue will be considered.
?There is some sentiment for it and some sentiment against it,? Gronstal said.
