Fall Hunting Preview: Opportunity and Regulations Roundtable

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Are you up to speed on the deer hunting regulations for this season? Curious about the additional hunting opportunities available to you this fall? Ever wonder about the most common hunting violations that conservation officers see? These issues and more are covered in our latest video, Fall Hunting Preview: Opportunity and Regulations Roundtable. So sit back with a warm beverage on a cool fall afternoon to watch the video from beginning to end, or click the times listed in the video description to view individual topics that catch your interest. 

Also, don't forget to tweet your harvest photos this deer season using the hashtag #MiDeerPic, or share your favorite hunting memories and mentoring experiences using the hashtag#MoreToTheHunt, because there is always more to the hunt than the harvest!

Finally, we encourage Michigan hunters to support Sportsmen Against Hunger when you purchase your license this hunting season. Just tell your license vendor you would like to donate to MSAH. Your donation will be used to help process venison donated to the program. Hunters can also support the program by donating a legally taken deer to one of the supporting processors across the state. Each year venison processed through this program helps provide a healthy source of protein in over 100,000 meals. For more information go to www.sportsmenagainsthunger.org. Let’s keep this important tradition of helping others that need a hand going and growing stronger.

Indiana DNR sets up shop at Indy outdoor shows

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The Indiana Department of Natural Resources will have a strong presence at the 58th Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show and the 15th Indiana Deer, Turkey and Waterfowl Expo that open Friday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Both shows are presented by Renfro Productions and open at 3 p.m. Friday.

The Deer, Turkey and Waterfowl Expo runs through Sunday (Feb. 19), and the main show continues through Feb. 26. Check www.renfroproductions.com for complete details about show hours, special features, seminars, and ticket prices.

The DNR's main location during the Boat, Sport and Travel Show is Tackle Town in the Blue Ribbon Pavilion. The booth is a convenient one-stop shopping opportunity for licenses, state park passes, lake use permits,Outdoor Indiana magazine, and a new promotion from DNR State Parks & Reservoirs – the SPR GO! Trails and Waves package.

The $99 package includes an annual entrance pass to Indiana’s state parks and reservoirs, a 12-month subscription to Outdoor Indiana, a 2012 motorized lake permit, the choice of a DNR campsite rental gift card or a State Park Inn gift certificate, and an SPR GO! signature backpack. Sold separately, the items have a $134 value.

Two DNR divisions – Fish & Wildlife and Law Enforcement – will have a presence at the Deer, Turkey and Waterfowl Expo in the Fairground's Exhibition Hall.

Staff biologists from the Division of Fish & Wildlife will be on hand to answer questions about wildlife habitat development and management, hunting and trapping seasons, and wildlife species information.

Conservation Officers from the Division of Law Enforcement will be at the Hunter Education Booth, where visitors can try the Laser Shot simulated shooting system with images of realistic hunting scenarios. Conservation Officers also will staff the main DNR booth in the Blue Ribbon Pavilion, where they will display the Wear It! boat that promotes the use of lifejackets.

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Minnesota DNR night flights combat illegal shining and poaching

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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is using its team of conservation officer pilots to identify shiners and other lawbreakers.

“We fly at an altitude that allows us to get a good look at the landscape without being easily detected,” said Lt. Thomas Buker, a DNR conservation officer pilot since 2004. “You’d be surprised at how easy it is to spot an offender from the air.”

Shining is the use of an artificial light at night to temporarily immobilize wildlife. In Minnesota, it is illegal to use flashlights, spotlights, headlights or other artificial lights to locate wild animals from two hours after sunset until sunrise, year around. A person possessing a firearm, bow or other implement that could be used to take wild animals is prohibited from shining at any time. While certain exceptions apply for raccoon hunters and trappers, the laws are in place to protect and minimize disturbances to wildlife, discourage poaching and protect personal property.

Each year poachers illegally kill hundreds of deer across the state, often by shining at night.

The poachers “freeze” the deer in the bright light and shoot them. These lawbreakers can be difficult to catch, since they typically operate on lightly traveled rural roads and in remote areas.

“During night flights, we can see things that would never be visible from the ground,” Buker said.

Using GPS and night vision, DNR pilots provide concise information to conservation officers in trucks. The team works in tandem to pinpoint offenders. “During the course of a few hours, we can effectively observe several hundred square miles,” Buker said.

Penalties for poaching and shining can include fines of several thousand dollars, loss of vehicles, and/or equipment involved in the crime and the loss of hunting privileges.

Anyone who observes shining, poaching or someone committing another natural resource violation should call the Minnesota Turn In Poachers (TIP) hotline at 800-652-9093. All calls are confidential and the caller may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 if an arrest is made.

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Minnesota DNR warns poachers to beware

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Deer poachers take note: That buck in the crosshairs may not be a deer at all, but a decoy used by conservation officers with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to catch people illegally taking deer.

“It’s the firearm deer season and some hunters don’t want to return home empty handed,” said Col. Jim Konrad, DNR Enforcement Division director. “Although the vast majority of hunters abide by the rules, there are some who resort to poaching to fill their tag.”

With only 140 field conservation officers across the state, help from law-abiding outdoorsmen and women, as well as the general public, is welcomed.

“If people see suspicious activity, such as a vehicle driving slowly at night shining a spotlight into a forest or field, they should contact a conservation officer or other law enforcement officer with as much detail as possible,” Konrad said.

He suggested noting the time the incident occurred, characteristics about the people involved, the type of vehicle used, the license plate number, and direction they were heading.

Quick notification is also critical.

“People should contact us as soon as possible,” Konrad said. “The longer someone waits to report the activity, the less chance we have of stopping it. Almost everyone has cell phones, so we hope they put them to good use.”

The Turn In Poachers (TIP) program offers rewards to citizens who report poachers or other resources violations. People can report a violation by calling 800-652-9093, or #TIP on most cell phones.

“The public – hunters and nonhunters – must get involved,” Konrad said. “We all have a vested interest in the wildlife in this state. If we are going to protect wildlife, we must depend on the public to help us to do that.”

Find a Minnesota conservation officer. www.mndnr.gov/officerpatrolareas.

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Minnesota - Three cited for illegal hunting

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Three individuals face multiple charges for allegedly illegally taking deer, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

A DNR conservation officer (CO) and an 1854 Tribal Band game warden were contacted shortly after two men and a woman registered a deer at a convenience store in Virginia Oct. 12. The caller noticed a large amount of blood in the back of a vehicle owned by one of the suspects. One of the individuals was overheard bragging about shooting the deer from the truck with a crossbow.

“The caller thought that the amount of blood in the truck’s box could not have possibly come from one deer, so we started our investigation,” said CO Matt Frericks of Virginia.

The investigation uncovered illegal party hunting, lending/borrowing licenses, failure to register big game animals, and illegal taking of three deer. Fine and restitution amount total nearly $2,800 with other charges possible.

Formal changes will be filed against the three suspects shortly with the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office. The woman is an 1854 Tribal Band member who will face charges through the Band’s legal system.

Anyone witnessing wildlife or fishing law violations is encouraged to contact the nearest conservation officer or law enforcement agency, or call the toll-free Turn-In-Poachers (TIP) hotline at 800-652-9093. Also, #TIP is available to most cell phone users in Minnesota.

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