Kansas: HUNTERS NEEDED FOR MANHATTAN-AREA YOUTH/HANDICAP DEER HUNT

Application deadline Aug. 1
MANHATTAN — The 10th Annual Youth/Handicap Assisted Deer Hunt is just three months away, and now is the time to sign up. The Riley County Fish and Game Association; Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Tuttle Creek Reservoir are seeking participants for the hunt, to be held Sept. 8 and 9.

Kansas youth 11 through 16 years old and Kansas residents with a certified disability are eligible to participate in this hunt. Participants will need a Kansas hunting license, a deer permit, and, if required by Kansas law, to take or have taken an approved hunter education course. Sponsoring agencies and associations can provide assistance meeting these requirements, including scholarships to help purchase licenses and permits. Rifles and/or ammunition can be provided, as well.

Each hunt participant will be paired with an experienced hunter who will serve as guide. Arrangements have been made with area lockers, where basic processing of harvested deer will be handled free of charge. Other items provided for this hunt include accessible hunting blinds, access to hunting property, hunter orange hats and vests, and transportation to the field.

Hunt participants will also be required to attend a firearm safety presentation and sight-in at the Fancy Creek Shooting Range at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 19.

Other groups and organizations contributing to this hunt include the Friends of Fancy Creek Range, Kansas City Chapter of Safari Club International, Kansas State Rifle Association, and the Tuttle Creek Lake Association.

For more information or an application, phone Steve Prockish at the Tuttle Creek Lake Corps of Engineers Office, 785-539-8511, ext. 3167, or email stephen.e.prockish@usace.army.mil. Applications will be accepted thru Aug. 1.

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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for April 26, 2012

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wisconsin experienced more seasonable spring weather in the last week, with cooler temperatures along with some precipitation across the entire state. The cooler weather slowed some spring activities, but many things are still well ahead of schedule, with reports of ducks and geese hatching clutches this week. The rain dropped fire danger levels to low to moderate, but by Thursday they had already crept back up to High in northwestern and western Wisconsin.
The rain also raised water levels some on many rivers, but most rivers continue to run below seasonal spring norms. The North Fork of the Flambeau River was running low for this time of year, while the South Fork was at more normal spring levels. The St. Croix River has moderate to high water levels. The Lower Wisconsin River was running about seasonal norms.
The cool weather slowed fishing pressure in many areas. The prolonged, slow warm-up of northern lakes has extended the walleye spawning season and delayed musky spawning. With the cooler temperatures, crappie and bluegill spawning is likely still couple of weeks off, so it could be occurring during the May 5 game fish season opener. Walleye fishing was good on the Wisconsin Rive near Stevens Point. Walleye fishing has also been good on Lake Winneconne.
Strong east winds in the last week have kept fishing pressure low along Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Some walleye action was reported again this week on both the east and west shores of the Bay. Pier and harbor fishing was slow, but when winds have been light a few brown trout and coho salmon have been caught. A reminder that the catch-and-release early inland trout season closes this Sunday, April 29.
Third period turkey hunters are reporting many hens are sitting on nest and tom turkeys have been difficult to call in, with some better action later in the afternoon. Leaf-out is also progressing rapidly across the state, making it more difficult for hunters to see birds.
In addition to waterfowl and turkeys, many of the early migrant birds are also now on nests, including woodcock, sandhill cranes and trumpeter swans. Wildlife officials are ready to begin aerial surveys of swan nests, hoping to again find a record number of nesting pairs. Last year, 197 nesting pairs were found, about 10 times the original recovery goal of 20 by 2000. Learn more about Wisconsin's successful restoration of trumpeter swans to its landscape and what's next. Eagle eggs have hatched and eagles are providing a great wildlife watching experience. Swallows, rufous-sided towhees, yellow-rumped warblers, and white-crowned sparrows have begun to show up with the increase in insects.
Hepatica, Dutchman's breeches, spring beauty, cut-leaved toothwort are blooming and trilliums began to bloom this week in the south. Marsh marigolds are still in bloom in many areas. June berries, or serviceberries, are flowering. Lupine is showing flower shoots and will be blooming shortly.
This Friday, April 27 is Arbor Day in Wisconsin, and more than 100 fourth and fifth grade students will be joining Smokey Bear and Alice in Dairyland on the Capitol lawn in Madison to watch a sugar maple, the state tree, being planted at a noon Arbor Day ceremony [pdf; 4.5MB] at the corner of East Mifflin and North Pinckney streets.

Related articles

• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for March 29, 2012
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• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for April 12, 2012
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for March 15, 2012

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for April 19, 2012

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some much needed rain fell last week and was falling again Thursday, relieving what had been very high fire danger across the state. While fire danger levels had fallen to low statewide Thursday, state forestry officials are still urging people to be very careful with any sources of fire, as fire danger can quickly change from low to very high with only a few hours of dry, warm, windy weather. The third week of April is Wildfire Prevention Week, and state officials are encouraging people to look to alternatives for burning, such as composting and recycling.

Data compiled by Wisconsin’s broad base of citizen scientists is verifying what's been a favorite water-cooler topic of late: spring has sprung very early. More than 150 organizations put volunteers to work every year keeping track of Wisconsin wildlife and plants through the Citizen-Based Monitoring Network. Their work is documenting that spring is running about eight days to five weeks early, depending on the species. They found 38 butterfly species arrived early, including an explosion of red admiral butterflies that has been reported in many locations in Wisconsin and the upper Midwest. Wood frogs and spring peepers were heard eight and 15 days earlier, and state records fell for the earliest arrival date for 10 bird species.
Turkey hunters out in the first spring hunting period report some hens are already in the process of laying eggs or starting to incubate, but that there are still many tom turkeys on the prowl that strutting and calling. First period hunters reported good to very good success in many areas. DNR wildlife crews encountered one party that had three generations of hunters including a son, father, and 85-year-old grandfather that bagged to turkeys in Dane County.
The walleye spawning season started very early and proceeded quickly, but the unsettled weather and cold water temperatures have extended spawning, with a few ripe male and female walleye still being found near the spawning grounds. A few musky have been observed up in the shallows but it will still be a week or two until musky spawning really picks up. Sucker fishing has also been fair with some decent catches of redhorse and white sucker coming from the deeper holes on the Flambeau and Chippewa rivers. Walleye anglers are reporting some success on the Wisconsin River.
Windy conditions in the last week along with rain and drop in temperatures kept angling pressure low along Lake Michigan. There was some walleye fishing reported on both the east and west shores of Green Bay. Trollers were finding some brown and lake trout along with some chinook and coho salmon. Water levels are up on Lake Michigan tributaries after the rainfall, but fishing pressure has been low as the number of steelhead in the rivers has dropped.
This Sunday is Earth Day and people have multiple opportunities to help celebrate by participating in a wide variety of events and activities that will be held around Wisconsin. One way people can help celebrate while helping out Wisconsin state park and forest properties is to participate in the fourth annual Work*Play*Earth Day volunteer events sponsored by the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks. Volunteers help plant trees, rake campsites, pull invasive species and make minor repairs, then when the work is done they enjoin hiking or biking park trails, visiting nature centers, or take part in any of the recreational opportunities available at the different parks. The remaining events will be held April 21, 27, 28 and May 5.

Related articles

• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for April 12, 2012
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• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for March 15, 2012