S.D. part of nationwide trend in hunting/fishing participation

PIERRE, S.D. – If fishing license sales are any indication, South Dakota is in line with a recent study showing an increase in the number of hunters and anglers in the United States.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported preliminary results from their once-every-five-years study of hunting and fishing participation around the country. The study showed an 11 percent increase in the number of anglers over 2006.

Meanwhile, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department reports one of its best years in fishing license sales in some time. Nearly 67,000 resident annual fishing licenses have been sold so far in 2012, compared to 56,000 at the same time in 2011. In 2006, there were 56,000 licenses sold for the entire year.

Hunting has seen a less dramatic increase, but the Fish and Wildlife Service survey numbers showed an increase in hunter numbers for the first time in two decades. Numbers in South Dakota have been fairly consistent over the past several years. With hunting seasons just beginning to open many license sales have not taken place, so it will be late in the year before 2012 can be compared to past years.

Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates – a leading research and data analysis firm focused on the sportfishing and hunting industries – says there are several factors that may be part of the increase.

“The slow economy has certainly had an impact,” Southwick said. “When the economy took a hit, a lot of people went back to enjoying more traditional activities that were also less costly than other options. Fishing license sales and tackle sales data all back that up.”

Another factor may be efforts by states, organizations and businesses to recruit and retain more anglers and hunters.

South Dakota, like many other states, has been active in promoting outdoor activities and in particular participation in hunting and fishing. GFP has worked with national organizations such as the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and National Shooting Sports Foundation, as well as other businesses and organizations with an interest in promoting these sports.

“It is a very rewarding experience when our staff introduces men and women, both young and old, to hunting and fishing,” said Tony Leif, director of the GFP Division of Wildlife. “We feel as though we are not only perpetuating a great South Dakota tradition, but also a way for our citizens to enjoy the many outdoor opportunities our state has to offer.”

Leif pointed to the work at GFP’s Outdoor Campuses in both Sioux Falls and Rapid City, as well as numerous one-day events GFP hosted throughout the summer in locations around the state that all offered hands-on experience in shooting, fishing and other outdoor pursuits.

“The activities we host at our Outdoor Campuses and across the state in various communities are an open invitation for South Dakotans to become acquainted with the outdoor adventures our state has to offer. My hope is that after a sample of the fun, these folks will become life-long anglers and hunters,” Leif said.

For more information about hands-on learning opportunities through GFP, visit their website at http://gfp.sd.gov/outdoor-learning/ .

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Indiana- Public hearing Oct. 4 on proposed rule changes for deer and wild turkey hunting

The Natural Resources Commission will conduct a public hearing Oct. 4 in Plainfield on whether to permanently approve a rule package that includes allowing hunters to check-in deer and wild turkeys electronically. 

The electronic harvest reporting system, also called CheckIN Game, allows hunters to check in a deer or wild turkey using a computer or other Internet-capable device, or by telephone, and receive a unique confirmation number.

Hunters still have the option of checking in a deer or turkey at a check station.

CheckIN Game has been in effect by temporary rule since the spring 2012 wild turkey season, after the NRC gave the rule preliminary adoption.

With this proposed change, commercial deer processors will need to record the electronic harvest confirmation number on the record instead of the official metal tag number that is given by a check station, and register with the DNR prior to March 1 of each year.

Additional changes in the rule package:
– Removing the handgun license requirement to comply with state law in IC 35-47 because state law no longer requires an individual to have a handgun license while hunting lawfully.
– A provision to allow a person who buys a deer license bundle to also have the option of using it to take three antlerless deer.
– Clarifying the ending date for the fall wild turkey firearm season.
– Allowing an individual to call wild turkeys for another individual as long as the person calling for turkeys is properly licensed.

The proposed rule language can be viewed at: IN.gov/legislative/iac/20120822-IR-312120115PRA.xml.pdf

The public hearing will start at 5:30 p.m. at the Plainfield Public Library, 1120 Stafford Road in Plainfield. 
Comments can also be submitted online to the NRC at: nrc.IN.gov/2377.htm. Click on "Comment on Proposed Rule" next to the “Deer & Turkey Electronic Harvest Reporting.”  The deadline for submitting comments is Oct. 4.

Comments can also be mailed to:
 Natural Resources Commission
 Indiana Government Center North
 100 North Senate Ave., Room N501
 Indianapolis, IN 46204
All comments sent to the NRC regarding this rule package will be provided to commission members and DNR staff and will be publicly disclosed and searchable on the Internet and in a paper docket as part of the final report.

The NRC is expected to vote on final adoption of the rule package at its Nov. 20 meeting.

For more information: Linnea Petercheff, Division of Fish & Wildlife, (317) 233-6527.

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Big Game Hunting Over Bait Prohibited in South Dakota

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department is reminding hunters that hunting big game over bait is prohibited on all lands.

A person may not establish, utilize, or maintain a bait station when hunting from August 15 to February 1 to attract any big game animal, including wild turkey.
A bait station is a location where grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, hay, minerals, or any other natural food materials, commercial products containing natural food materials, or by-products of such materials are placed or maintained as an attractant to big game animals for the purpose of hunting.

The use of scents alone does not constitute a bait station. In addition, this restriction does not apply to foods that have not been placed or gathered by an individual and result from normal environmental conditions or accepted farming, forest management, wildlife food plantings, orchard management, or similar land management activities.

For more information, contact a local conservation officer or GFP Division of Wildlife Office.

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Deer Season for Young Hunters in North Dakota Opens Sept. 14

Friday, Sept. 14 at noon signals the start of a nine-and-a-half day deer hunting season for youth ages 12-15.

Licensed youth ages 12 and 13 are allowed to hunt statewide, but only for antlerless white-tailed deer. Deer hunters age 14 or 15 with a “youth season” license can hunt statewide for any deer, except antlerless mule deer in units 3B1, 3B2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F. In addition, a special license is required to hunt antlered mule deer in those same units.

After opening day, hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Solid daylight fluorescent orange vests or coats, and hats are required for all young hunters and their adult mentors.

Each youth deer hunter must be under direct supervision of an adult while in the field.

In addition to the deer license, hunters must possess a general game and habitat license and hunting certificate.

The youth deer season closes Sunday, Sept. 23.

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South Dakota Landowners And Hunters Asked To Report Dead Deer

Arenavirus

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department is asking landowners and hunters to be on the lookout for dead deer.

This is the time of the year when deer tend to succumb to hemorrhagic disease, also known as epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), or blue tongue.

The disease is common in white-tailed deer and is typically detected in late summer or early fall.
The virus is spread by a biting midge and causes extensive internal hemorrhaging. Many deer exhibit no clinical signs and appear perfectly healthy; other deer may have symptoms such as respiratory distress, fever, and swelling of the tongue.

With highly virulent strains of the virus, deer can die in three days or less. Affected deer are often found in low-lying areas or near rivers or ponds, where they go to combat the high fever.

People who see sick deer or find several dead deer in one locale are asked to contact their local conservation officers or call the Pierre GFP office at 605-773-5913.

EHD outbreaks can be locally severe but rarely affect more than 25 percent of a local deer population. In rare cases, the disease will affect more than 50 percent.

Deer may continue dying from hemorrhagic disease until a hard freeze reduces the midge populations that carry the disease.

EHD is not infectious to humans. For more information on the EHD virus visit http://www.vet.uga.edu/scwds/pdfs/HD.pdf

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SUMNER COUNTY, KANSAS DEER DID NOT HAVE CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE

Initial test was false-positive
PRATT— In July, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) reported that nine deer had tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) during the 2011-12 testing period. The agency now reports that the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, after two different tests, did not detect CWD prions in the Sumner County deer, so initial testing in this case yielded a false-positive result. This reduces the total 2011-2012 positives to eight. Counties where CWD was detected during the 2011-2012 surveillance period include Wallace (one), Rawlins (one), Decatur (one), Norton (two), Trego (one), Ford (one), and Stafford (one).

The white-tailed deer in question was taken from Sumner County last winter. This result brings the total number of confirmed CWD cases in Kansas to 48 since testing began in 1996. In total, 2,446 animals were tested for CWD during the 2011-2012 surveillance period, Aug. 1, 2011, through July 31, 2012.
Annual testing is part of an ongoing effort by KDWPT to monitor the prevalence and spread of CWD. The fatal disease was first detected in the Kansas free-ranging deer herd in 2005 in Cheyenne County.

More information on CWD can be found on KDWPT’s website, ksoutdoors.com, or at the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance website, www.cwd-info.org.

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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report

Warm, dry weather has returned for the Labor Day weekend, and along with that, fire danger levels have once again climbed to high and very high throughout much of the state. Burning permits have once again been suspended in many counties, and people heading out over the holiday weekend should be extremely cautious with fires and any possible sources of ignition, such as smoking materials or hot exhausts on vehicles.

Water levels continue to be low on many rivers and in marshes. The lower Wisconsin River continues to run extremely low. The St. Croix River is at very low levels for canoeing and fishing trips. The Wolf River is getting lower by the day making navigation dicey. The South Fork of the Flambeau River is low but the North Fork appears to be fine for paddling.

The early Canada goose and dove hunting seasons open Saturday, Sept. 1, and with many marshes like Horicon and Theresa mostly dry hunters are being urged to check traditional hunting area ahead of time to see if birds are even in the area. Many waterfowl hunters are looking to hunt along rivers due to the lack of water in many marshes. Wildlife crews have been busy mowing fields around sunflower fields to provide access for the dove season. Check the dove hunting pages of the DNR website for dove fields planted on state wildlife areas.

Fishing was slower in many areas during the dog days of August. In the north, variable and changing weather made for erratic fishing success. The most consistent action has been with musky, with anglers having quite a few catches of fish in the 32- to 42-inch size. Bass fishing has been a bit inconsistent in the last week. Walleye fishing has been fair, with many anglers using leeches and crawlers. In the south, warm water temperatures slowed game fish action on the Madison area lakes. Anglers were searching out deep holes and undercut banks where fish could escape the heat on Jefferson county waters, with some bluegills biting in deep water suspended 2 to 5 feet off the bottom.

Walleyes continued to draw considerable fishing pressure on Green Bay. The bite on the east shore was a bit inconsistent but walleyes were still being caught. Action on the west shore seemed to be moving north of Oconto. There was good news for perch anglers along Door County as the cooler water improved the perch bite with some larger perch being caught.

Lake Michigan summer fishing patterns are starting to change, with there not being a tight thermocline anymore. Trollers have been catching mostly chinook, along with some coho and a few rainbow and lake trout. Fishing was also starting to pick up at piers, with action reported at Manitowoc, Two Rivers and Sheboygan.

There were more reports of white-tail bucks beginning to shed velvet this week and spots are fading on fawns. Cold fronts earlier this week brought the first large push of warblers into northern and central Wisconsin, with blackburian, Nashville, golden-winged, magnolia, and Tennessee among those reported.
Apples, acorns and hickory nuts are already heavily dropping off of trees. Sunflowers, asters and goldenrod are blooming. Bright red clusters of jack-in-the-pulpit berries are easily spotted on the forest floor. Sumac and some maple leaves are beginning to turn red. Wild rice is starting to ripen, but ricers will have to search for good beds, as the unusual spring and summer weather was apparently not favorable for beds this year.

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ND Bowhunters Reminded of Hunting Over Bait Ban in Some Southwestern Units

Identifying Animals at Risk from CWD. A raccoon family feeds on a deer carcass staked out by researchers at the University of Wisconsin, in a study aimed at determining which species could be at risk of contracting CWD. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is reminding bowhunters that hunting deer over bait is now prohibited in deer units 3C, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1 and 3F2.

Expansion of the area in which hunting over bait is no longer allowed is in response to recent discoveries of chronic wasting disease in deer in part of southwestern North Dakota. In 2011 only unit 3F2, where the first two CWD positive deer were taken, was closed to hunting over bait.

When the third CWD positive deer was taken last fall, Game and Fish began the process to add adjacent units to the ban in an effort to reduce risk for further infected deer to congregate and spread the disease.

“Using a combination of data from winter deer surveys in 2009, 2010 and 2011, new research into the spread of CWD on the landscape conducted in Alberta and Nebraska, and a proactive approach to managing disease, Game and Fish decided to extend the ban on hunting over bait into the deer hunting units surrounding 3F2,” said Department wildlife veterinarian Dr. Dan Grove. “This ban will help reduce the risk of the potential spread of CWD and artificial movement of deer via man-made causes.”

Grove added that the harvest locations of the three CWD-positive animals were clustered within an area in unit 3F2 along major waterways that extend close to surrounding units.

“We started informing the public about this change already last fall,” said Randy Kreil, Game and Fish wildlife division chief. “We talked about it at our advisory board meetings in the western part of the state, and in other forums, as we know it’s a big change and we want people to understand why we feel this is necessary to reduce disease threats to the state’s deer herds.”

Hunting over bait is defined as the placement and/or use of bait(s) for attracting big game and other wildlife to a specific location for the purpose of hunting. Baits include but are not limited to grains, minerals, salts, fruits, vegetables, hay or any other natural or manufactured foods. The designation does not apply to the use of scents and lures, water, food plots, standing crops or livestock feeds used in standard practices.

In addition to the units where hunting over bait is no longer allowed on either private or public land, hunting over bait is also not allowed on most other public land through the state, including state wildlife management areas, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas; U.S. Forest Service national grasslands; and all North Dakota state school, state park and state forest service lands.

These provisions also apply during the deer gun and muzzleloader seasons later this fall.

Related articles

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