Ohio: American Electric Power and National Hunting Organizations Provide Opportunity for Disabled Sportsmen

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MCCONNELSVILLE, OH –Outdoor enthusiasts with disabilities will have the opportunity to hunt deer, participate in various field activities, and create lasting memories and friendships this fall during a special deer hunting event for disabled sportsmen according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

The tenth annual AEP Ohio Wheelin’ Sportsmen Ultimate Team-Up special deer hunt will be conducted on October 28 and 29 with the event activities at the Clarence E. Miller Armory while the participants will be hunting on land known as the AEP ReCreation Land near McConnelsville.  The “Ultimate Team-Up” is a program developed by the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF).  Participants do not have to be confined to wheelchairs and the event is open to applicants with any type of physically challenging disability. An experienced guide will offer whatever assistance may be needed in the field.  Sponsored by American Electric Power, NWTF Wheelin’ Sportsmen, NWTF Wolf Creek Chapter, and the Ohio Division of Wildlife, this award-winning event will host approximately 40 to 45 hunters.      

To be considered for participation in the event, interested hunters must submit their names and subsequent information no later than September 2.  For registration information, contact Dave Dingey at (740) 962-1205 or Brian Cox at (740) 962-1215.

Hunters in the event must meet necessary Ohio licensing requirements, but do not need to be experienced in deer hunting.  Each hunter will be partnered with an experienced and capable hunting guide, which will make their hunting trip memorable, educational, and, hopefully, successful.

This special hunting event is designed to promote education, good health, character, sportsmanship, recreation, self-esteem, and disability awareness.  Those interested in becoming a sponsor for this event can contact Dave Dingey at (740) 962-1205.

North Dakota: City Archery Hunt Cancelled in Bismarck

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeThe Bismarck Police Department will not issue trespass permits for this fall’s special herd reduction deer and turkey bow seasons within the city limits, due to water still covering a large portion of the hunting zone and associated recovery efforts from this year’s flood.

A special herd reduction season on antlerless deer was scheduled to run in Bismarck from Sept. 2 – Jan. 31, 2012. In addition, up to 25 hunters licensed to bow hunt deer within the city could have received a turkey license to help control a growing population of birds in residential areas.

The city bow hunt is a cooperative effort between the city of Bismarck and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Hunters are required to receive a trespass permit from the Bismarck Police Department before receiving a hunting license from the Game and Fish Department.

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North Dakota: Third Lottery Deer Application Deadline Aug. 10

Deer hunters interested in applying for a first, second, third or fourth license have to submit a third lottery application no later than Aug. 10.

Successful applicants in the first lottery will receive their license in mid-August.

Hunters can apply online, or print out an application, at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. Paper applications are also available from Game and Fish offices, county auditors and license vendors. Residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply.

After the third lottery drawing, Game and Fish will issue any remaining licenses on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hunters can use additional concurrent season doe licenses during the archery season with a bow; the deer gun season with a bow, rifle, or muzzleloader; or during the muzzleloader season with a muzzleloader. These licenses are for antlerless deer only, and hunters must stay in the unit to which the license is assigned.

In addition, youth deer license hunters ages 14 and 15 may purchase additional concurrent season doe licenses to use during the youth season.

Last year, licenses were sold out in all but three units prior to opening day of deer gun season. Hunters are encouraged to apply early if they have a specific unit in mind.

The regular deer gun season starts at noon Nov. 4 and continues through Nov. 20.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources White-Tailed Deer Update

Image via WikipediaOperation Deer Watch 2011

In 2010 the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources launched Operation Deer Watch, a new summer deer observation effort involving outdoor enthusiasts and hunters. The department is interested in sightings of bucks, does, and fawns. The number of deer seen and the number of fawns seen with each doe are indicators of annual deer herd production. Data from Operation Deer Watch will be used with DNR observations to help determine the fawn-to-doe ratio. The vast amount of observation data that citizens can provide will help the Department of Natural Resources effectively and accurately monitor Wisconsin’s deer reproduction.

The survey period begins August 1^st and continues until September 30^th 2011. To participate in the survey, go to the DNR Operation Deer Watch webpage. Once on the webpage, watch the video survey instructions and then click on the link to the survey to record your sightings. A tally sheet has been provided to record information about your deer observations for when you do not have access to a computer. It is important that all information be filled out for each observation. A report summarizing the results of your 2011 deer observations will be produced at the end of the survey period and sent to all individuals who enter their email address on every observation form.

Wisconsin Outdoor News from DNR

Image via WikipediaWarm temperatures have continued to dominate the weather scene in Wisconsin this week, with most of the state also receiving some much needed rainfall, including some locally heavy rains in central and southern Wisconsin, which have lead to some rapidly rising and falling water levels on streams and rivers.
The warm weather continues to bring out large numbers of boaters to lakes and rivers, and conservation wardens are receiving many complaints of boats and personal water craft traveling too close to other boats. Water levels had dropped significantly on the Rock and Crawfish River and boaters are urged to use caution as several boats have been damaged by hitting rocks, but levels have risen some with recent rains. Water levels on the lower Wisconsin State Riverway also rose this week. The north has received just light and scattered rainfall in last few weeks and most streams and rivers are near their typical summer low levels. Most natural lakes are also at a low level and many of the flowages are beginning to experience a drop in water levels as well.
Angling success continued to be erratic, with bass providing the most consistent action. Largemouth were being found in thick cover, in the down wood, near the bog edges, in the thick lily pad beds and under mats of vegetation, with smallmouth a little more inconsistent as dropping water levels and warmer temperatures keeping theme on the move. Walleye success has been fair. With water temperatures still in the 80-degree range, many musky anglers have heeded the warnings and let up on fishing pressure. Panfish action has been generally good, with some decent catches of crappie, perch and rock bass reported, but bluegill retreating to deeper water and tough to find. In the south, anglers are having some luck on Beaver Dam area lakes with perch and walleye. Wisconsin River area anglers have been doing very well on catching northern pike, and anglers have still been catching channel catfish throughout the upper Rock and Crawfish rivers .
On Green Bay, walleye fishing continued to be good off Geano Beach on the west shore and Bayshore Park on the east. Perch fishing has improved some in Sawyer Harbor at Sturgeon Bay. On Lake Michigan, west winds last week dropped water temperatures as low as 45 degrees north of Two Rivers. But by the weekend, temperatures rose to 60 degrees at piers to 65 degrees in some lakeshore areas. Angler success out on the lake from most ports continued to be slow, with some chinook reported out of Manitowoc and Two Rivers and a mixed bag of coho, chinook, and lake trout out of Sheboygan and Port Washington. Racine and Kenosha trollers have been catching fewer coho, but more chinook, and rainbow trout.
Some very small spotted fawns are being seen again, indicating some late birthing still taking place. Similarly, some turkeys broods are being seeing with very small poults, indicating there was probably some late re-nesting. The fall shorebird migration is going strong with the peak of adults moving through the Wisconsin at this time. Good numbers of yellowlegs, least sandpipers, and other species are being seen at various wetlands.
Good numbers of swallowtail butterflies are being seen in some areas, while some are reporting fewer monarchs. Black caps are reaching their peak in southern Wisconsin, but large swarms of deerflies continue to make picking difficult.

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Minnesota Deer licenses on sale Aug. 1; regulation changes announced

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Minnesota hunters will be able to purchase 2011 deer licenses starting Monday, Aug. 1, the same day the state’s hunting regulation booklet is available online at www.mndnr.gov/buyalicense. Booklets will be available in mid-August.

This year’s archery season opens Saturday, Sept. 17. The general firearms season opens Saturday, Nov. 5. The deadline for lottery permit applications is Thursday, Sept. 8.

“We’re looking forward to another good season,” said Lou Cornicelli, big game program coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “Deer populations are at or near goals throughout much of the state.”

Cornicelli said hunters will discover several new regulations for the upcoming deer season. The changes, he said, reflect the agency’s interest in regulation simplification and the protection of the state’s deer from Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).

Significant changes for 2011:

• ·         A new CWD management area, called Deer Area 602, has been established in southeastern Minnesota surrounding the area where a CWD positive deer was detected last fall. The new CWD management area will feature a 23-day firearm season. Submission of samples for CWD testing will be mandatory for deer harvested in this area, and there will be carcass import/export restrictions. Detailed information can be found in the regulations book and on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/cwd.

• ·         A new “hunter choice” deer management designation has been established that will allow hunters in certain areas to take one either-sex deer per year in one of these areas. These areas function like lottery areas, with the difference being hunters do not need to make a lottery application or possess an either sex permit to take an antlerless deer. In hunter choice areas, the license is automatically valid for an either-sex deer.

• ·         Bonus permits are not allowed. If a deer is taken in one hunter choice area, a hunter cannot take another deer in another hunter choice or lottery deer area. The designation was created because the majority of deer permit areas are within their established goal ranges, and DNR managers believe one either-sex deer without a lottery would allow those areas to stay within goal without going back and forth between lottery and managed areas. Hunter choice was not created to increase antlerless harvest rates, but rather to make it simpler to take one either-sex deer in the area. Overall, 30 percent of Minnesota’s 127 deer permit areas are designated hunter choice this year.

The DNR still uses the lottery in areas where antlerless deer harvest is restricted and managed and intensive harvest designations when additional antlerless deer harvest is needed. This year, 27 percent are managed and 17 percent are intensive areas.

Firearm and muzzleloader lottery either-sex permits

Hunters may once again apply for either-sex or special hunt permits in both the firearm and muzzleloader seasons. In a change from previous years, hunters successful in the lottery can use their permit in either the firearm or muzzleloader season, provided they have a valid license for that season. The deadline for lottery and special hunt applications is Thursday, Sept. 8.

Although a hunter can be selected for both licenses, successful applicants still can only take one deer. In the case of special hunts, a person may draw both a firearm and muzzleloader permit, in which case they must adhere to the bag limits established by each special hunt.

This year’s lottery deer areas are: 103, 108, 119, 234, 235, 237, 238, 250, 251, 252, 253, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 288, 289, 290, 291, 294, 295, 296 and 299.

Other changes

Because deer herds are largely within goals, there will be no early antlerless deer season this year, and no youth-only antlerless areas available this year. The DNR will continue to monitor harvest and population size, and may use these designations in the future. Also, the 16-foot height restriction for permanent deer stands has been eliminated.

Cornicelli urged hunters to familiarize themselves with 2011 regulations before the season begins. Due to delays created by the state shutdown, the hunting regulations booklet will not be available until mid-August wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold, but hunters may access an online version of the regulations at www.mndnr.gov/regulations/hunting.

Deer hunters are also encouraged to review new deer hunting regulations, permit area designations and boundary changes before the Thursday, Sept. 8 application deadline for either-sex deer permits in lottery areas, and for all special hunts.

Additional information about the 2011 deer season can be found at www.mndnr.gov/deer

Michigan - New Law Creates Mentored Hunting for Youth for 2012 Season

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July 27, 2011
A new law recently signed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder will provide new hunting opportunities for youth under the age of 10 by creating a mentored hunting program for the 2012 hunting season. The program is known as the Hunter Heritage Program.

"This is a great opportunity for Michigan's youth," said DNR Director Rodney Stokes. "Our youngsters can start hunting earlier with a safe program, which can have a lifelong impact on their interest in conservation and natural resources. Since becoming Director, I made increasing participation in our hunting heritage one of my top four priorities. This program will help us achieve that goal."

The new law provides hunting opportunities for youths under the age of 10 by allowing them to hunt in conjunction with the mentored youth hunting program. The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) has been charged with developing the program under the law. The law also creates a mentored youth hunting license, which allows mentored youths to participate in a wide variety of hunting opportunities on a single license. Mentored youth hunting license holders will be able to hunt deer, turkey, small game, trap fur-bearers and fish for all species on this license.

In the coming months, the NRC will engage both department staff and external partners in developing the mentored youth hunting program, with the objective of having the program start in the 2012 license year.

Under the new law:

• A parent or legal guardian of the minor child must apply for the license on behalf of the child;
• A mentored youth hunting license will cost $7.50;
• The mentor, who must be at least 21 and possess a valid hunting license, will need to accompany the youth at all times;
• At age 10 the youth will no longer be eligible for a mentored youth hunting license, but will need to either take hunter safety and then purchase a regular license, or hunt under an apprentice license for up to two years.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Frequently Asked Questions
Hunter Heritage Law/Mentored Youth Hunting Program
What does the new law do?
The law allows youths under the age of 10 to hunt with a mentor. Mentored youths will be required to obtain a mentored youth hunting license and hunt in conjunction with the mentored youth hunting program, which is now being developed.
When does the program begin?
In the coming months, the NRC will engage with both department staff and external partners in developing the mentored youth hunting program, with the objective of having this program up and running for the 2012 license year.
How much will a mentored youth hunt license cost?
The cost for a mentored youth license is $7.50. The fee was established in the legislation that created the license.
What hunting privileges are provided under this license?
Resident small game, combination deer, spring and fall turkey, all-species fishing, and resident fur harvesters.
What is the apprentice license?
The apprentice license is for anyone 10 years of age and older who has not received hunter safety certification. An individual may hunt with an apprentice license for two license years. A regular licensed hunter who is 21 years or older must accompany the apprentice license holder into the field.
What license do I purchase once I receive my hunter safety certification?
If you are 10 years of age or older with hunter safety certification, you can purchase regular hunting licenses.