Extra Help for Hunting Acreage in Iowa

Iowa’s Habitat and Access Program (IHAP) will begin accepting new land for enrollment this summer after the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was awarded a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of the farm bill.

More than 8,000 acres was enrolled as part of the pilot program in 2011-14, providing much needed wildlife habitat on private land.

Landowners with land currently enrolled in a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) could receive additional benefits by participating in IHAP. 

“This program allows landowners to meet their mid-contract management requirements of their CRP agreement, including out-of-pocket expenses,” said Kelly Smith, private lands program coordinator for the DNR. “Plus, the incentive rates could cover financial responsibilities under CRP, and any extra costs associated with developing higher quality habitat.”

Landowners interested in installing wildlife habitat or improving existing habitat should contact the DNR who will visit their property and together write a habitat plan that is submitted for consideration. If accepted, the DNR will provide an incentive payment in exchange for the landowner installing the habitat. Landowners determine the length of the agreement, ranging from three to 10 years, and participation is completely voluntary.

A list of DNR wildlife staff who works with landowners is available atwww.iowadnr.gov/Environment/LandStewardship/WildlifeLandownerAssistance.aspx.

The agreement allows hunters access to the portion of the property covered by the agreement, from Sept. 1 to May 31. Conservation officers will provide assistance and enforcement, if needed.

Increasing hunter access has been a focal point within the DNR and this program is an effort to address that need. The DNR placed survey boxes at existing IHAP locations and information submitted indicated hunters were satisfied with their experience and would like to see the program expanded. 

“Hopefully landowner interest in the program will continue and we can expand wildlife habitat and hunter access on private land,” Smith said.

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Walk-In Access enrollment deadline June 1

Department of Natural Resources Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A June 1 deadline is in place for landowners in 21 southwestern Minnesota counties to earn money by allowing public hunting on their private land through the Walk-In Access (WIA) program, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Privately owned parcels of 40 acres or more, which are already enrolled in a conservation program such as Conservation Reserve Program or Reinvest In Minnesota, may qualify for WIA. River bottoms, wetlands and other high quality habitat will also be considered for the program.
WIA pays landowners by the acre to allow hunting access. Bonuses are added if more than 140 contiguous acres are enrolled, if the land is within one-half mile of existing state or federal hunting land, or if a multi-year agreement is signed. Local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) offices are handling program details and enrollments.
This is a voluntary program for landowners. Recreational use laws provide extra liability protection for WIA acres.
WIA land is for public hunting only. No target practice, trapping, dog training, camping, horseback riding or fires are allowed. Enrolled acres are for walk-in traffic only; no vehicles are allowed on conservation land. Parking is along roads or in designated parking areas. DNR conservation officers will address trespass and hunting violations.
Once private land is enrolled in the program, bright yellow-green hexagon signs are placed at the property boundaries.
A map of the 21 counties involved in the program and more information on WIA can be found online or by calling Marybeth Block, DNR Walk-in Access coordinator, at 651-259-5223.
Locations of parcels enrolled for 2012 will be on the website in August. WIA is a partnership between the DNR, SWCD, Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR) and U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is funding the first two years of the program.

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Chronic Wasting Disease Not Detected in Ohio Deer

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CWD testing performed by Ohio Department of Agriculture

REYNOLDSBURG, OH – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) today announced that testing of Ohio's deer herd has found no evidence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) for the 10th straight year. CWD is a degenerative brain disease that affects elk, mule deer and white-tailed deer.

According to ODNR’s Division of Wildlife, state and federal agriculture and wildlife officials collected 549 samples last year from hunter-harvested deer from 36 counties, primarily during the deer-gun season that ran Nov. 28 – Dec. 4. All CWD testing is performed at ODA’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.

In addition to CWD, 561 of the hunter-harvested deer samples were also tested for bovine tuberculosis. Results found no evidence of this disease in Ohio deer as well. Additional CWD samples are being taken from road-killed deer, but those test results are not yet available. Sampling will continue through April.

Since 2002, ODNR’s Division of Wildlife, in conjunction with the ODA's Division of Animal Industry and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife and Veterinary Services, has been conducting surveillance throughout the state for CWD and bovine tuberculosis. While CWD has never been found in Ohio's deer herd, it had been diagnosed in wild and captive deer, moose, or elk in 15 other states and two Canadian provinces. Since CWD was discovered in the western United States in the late 1960s, there has been no evidence that the disease can be transmitted to humans.

ODNR’s Division of Wildlife continues to carefully monitor the health of Ohio's wild deer herd throughout the year. For the latest information on CWD, visit wildohio.com or the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance at cwd-info.org . To view individual test results visit the ODA's website at www.agri.ohio.gov

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THREE KANSAS DEER CONFIRMED POSITIVE IN EARLY STAGES OF CWD TESTING

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Numbers still low; no known threat to humans or livestock
PRATT — The number of cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) detected in Kansas deer continues to be low and is currently isolated to the northwest part of the state, according to the Shane Hesting, wildlife disease coordinator for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT). Samples from three white-tailed bucks taken during this year’s hunting season were confirmed positive for CWD in tests completed last week. Counties where the deer were taken include Wallace (new county of detection), Decatur, and Rawlins. KDWPT will continue testing some vehicle-killed and sick or suspect-looking deer, as well as deer taken with depredation permits, through July 31.

“This season’s testing results bring the total number of confirmed CWD cases in Kansas to 43 since testing began in 1996,” says Hesting. “About 2,400 samples were collected during the 2011-2012 deer seasons, but testing has been slow, and testing kits are continually on back order. We’re about 35 percent done. More importantly, U.S. Department of Agriculture funding will not be available for collecting and testing samples next season. Without federal financial assistance, surveillance will be very limited and less robust.”

Annual testing has been a part of an ongoing effort by KDWPT to monitor the prevalence and spread of CWD. The disease, fatal in wild deer, was first detected in deer taken in Cheyenne County in 2005.

CWD is a member of the group of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Other diseases in this group include scrapie in sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or Mad Cow Disease) in cattle, and Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease in people. CWD is a progressive, fatal disease that results in small holes developing in the brain, giving it a sponge-like appearance under the microscope. An animal may carry the disease without outward indication, but in the later stages, signs may include decreased interactions with other animals, listlessness, lowering of the head, weight loss, repetitive walking in set patterns, and a lack of response to humans.

“It must be noted that many of the symptoms of CWD are indicative of other diseases,” Hesting explains. “Thus, a sick deer may or may not be infected with CWD. CWD is a serious deer disease but is still rare in Kansas.”

All but three of the 43 positive animals detected since 2005 were asymptomatic, meaning 40 animals did not show any symptoms of CWD at the time of collection. Anyone who discovers a sick or suspect deer should contact the nearest KDWP office.

There is no vaccine or other biological method that prevents CWD. However, there is no evidence that CWD poses a risk to humans or livestock in the natural environment. Still, precautions should be taken. Hunters are advised not to eat meat from animals known to be infected, and common sense precautions are advised when field dressing and processing meat from animals taken in areas where CWD is found. More information on CWD can be found on KDWPT’s website, www.ksoutdoors.com(Hunting/Big Game Information), or at the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance website,www.cwd-info.org.

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DNR to continue bovine TB surveillance in northwestern Minnesota

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No deer tested positive for bovine tuberculosis (TB) in 2010, but surveillance efforts will continue in northwestern Minnesota when the firearms deer season opens Saturday, Nov. 5.

“We are encouraged by last year’s test results,” said Michelle Carstensen, wildlife health program director for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “If this fall’s testing efforts do not detect any more positive deer, that will build confidence that TB has been eliminated or is at an undetectable level.”

Hunters who harvest deer in deer permit area 101, also known as the bovine TB management area, must register their deer at one of six check stations so tissue samples can be taken for testing. Electronic registration via phone and Internet will not be available for hunters who indicated they would hunt in permit area 101 when purchasing a license.

Check stations will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily from Nov. 5 to Sunday, Nov. 20. Stations will be located at the Wannaska forestry office, Wannaska; Olson’s Skime Store, Skime; D&G Pro Station, Hayes Lake; Hayes Lake State Park; Grygla Sporting Goods, Grygla; Fourtown Store, Fourtown; and the Thief Lake Wildlife Management Area headquarters.

Hunters who harvest deer from surrounding deer permit areas also can register deer at these stations.

“Cooperation from northwestern Minnesota deer hunters has been excellent during the six years DNR has been testing for bovine TB,” Carstensen said. “Getting samples from surrounding areas outside the bovine TB management zone provides additional information that is extremely useful in our efforts to eradicate the disease in wild deer.”

All hunters who register deer at one of the six check stations will receive a DNR cooperator’s patch. Hunters who harvest a deer in permit area 101 also will be entered into a raffle for a lifetime hunting license and a Savage .270 bolt-action rifle. The Roseau River chapter of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association purchased the prizes and is sponsoring the raffle.

This fall’s surveillance goal is to collect 500 samples for testing, Carstensen said. At least 200 of those samples should originate from within the core area of the disease management zone, a 164-square-mile area centered around Skime.

Since 2005, bovine TB – a progressive and chronic bacterial disease that primarily affects cattle but also wildlife – has been found in 12 cattle operations and 27 free-ranging deer in northwestern Minnesota. Nearly 10,000 deer have been tested during that time. Every deer that tested positive for bovine TB was taken within a 10-mile radius of Skime, with most recent discovery coming in 2009.

In response to the disease, DNR implemented liberal hunting seasons and deer population reduction efforts to significantly reduce the number of deer in the area and help minimize the potential spread of the disease from deer to deer.

Minnesota’s agricultural livestock status was recently upgraded to TB-free by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The change in accreditation is a positive step toward eradication, Carstensen said. But special testing requirements and movement restrictions for cattle in the bovine TB management zone remain.

“Last year’s results were encouraging,” Carstensen said. “But we need to increase our confidence that bovine TB has been eliminated or is at an undetectable level in the area’s wild deer herd.”

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Minnesota: Interactive Walk-In Access hunting maps now available online

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A free online atlas and interactive maps of hunting lands enrolled in Minnesota’s new Walk-In Access (WIA) program now are available to the public for viewing and downloading on the Department of Natural Resources (DNR)website.

“Our website offers a number of ways for hunters to identify and locate WIA parcels,” said Marybeth Block, WIA coordinator for the DNR. “In addition to aerial maps, we offer some neat interactive options through Google maps, Google earth and the DNR recreational compass.”

Block said crews have posted boundary signs on more than 9,500 acres enrolled in the WIA program.

“WIA sites are not considered open until boundary signs are in place,” she said. “Maps representing WIA sites are general and may not accurately represent the actual legal or established boundary of these areas. They should be used for reference only.”

The public may hunt on any signed WIA parcels of land without getting additional permission from landowners. No motorized vehicle traffic is allowed. Trapping, trap shooting, fishing, dog training or other activities outside of hunting are prohibited.

“The future of this program depends on the positive perceptions of the landowners involved in the program,” Block said. “We ask hunters to follow a code of conduct that respects the land and the people living near the WIA parcels.”

The code of conduct can be found online with the hunting atlas, interactive maps and other WIA information.

The Walk-In Access program is a collaborative effort among the DNR, Board of Water and Soil Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Voluntary Public Access Program, which funded the three-year pilot program.

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