ODNR Offers New Antlerless-Only Deer Muzzleloader Hunt Oct. 12-13

COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio hunters may participate in a new antlerless-only deer muzzleloader season

Oct. 12-13, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

“October is a great time to hunt deer in Ohio. This new antlerless muzzleloader weekend is a chance for Ohio hunters to enjoy the outdoors and help manage the state’s deer herd,” said Scott Zody, chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife. “Hunters should be aware that no antlered deer may be killed during this weekend, regardless of hunting implement.”

In addition to this added antlerless season, an extra half hour of prime hunting time after sunset was added to all gun seasons this year to give hunters more golden opportunities in the field. Hunting hours are now 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

It is legal to hunt antlerless deer statewide with a muzzleloader or bow during this two-day season. No antlered deer may be harvested regardless of hunting implement. Antlerless deer include deer without antlers and deer with antlers less than three inches in length. All hunters, excluding waterfowl hunters, are required to wear a vest, coat, jacket or coveralls that are either solid hunter orange or camouflage hunter orange.

Hunters will be able to use antlerless permits and either-sex permits during this two-day season.  A new tagging procedure administered by the ODNR Division of Wildlife requires hunters to make their own game tag to attach to a deer. Game tags can be made of any material (cardboard, plastic, paper, etc.) as long as it contains the hunter’s name, date, time and county of the kill. Go to the Deer Hunting Resources page at wildohio.com for more information on changes to the game check process.

All hunters must report their deer harvest using the automated game-check system. Hunters have three options to complete the game check:

• Online at ohiogamecheck.com;
• Call 877-TAG-ITOH (824-4864);
• Visit a license agent. A list of agents can be found at wildohio.com or by calling 800-WILDLIFE.

Game-check transactions are available online seven days a week, including holidays. Landowners exempt from purchasing a deer permit, and other people not required to purchase a deer permit, cannot use the 877-TAG-ITOH option.

The ODNR Division of Wildlife remains committed to properly managing Ohio’s deer populations through a combination of regulatory and programmatic changes. Progress toward reducing locally abundant herds can be expected. Strides have been made to reduce deer herds in many counties closer to target levels.

Ohio hunters are encouraged to hunt more does this season to help the needy in their area. The ODNR Division of Wildlife is working with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) to help pay for the processing of donated venison. Hunters who donate their deer to a food bank are not required to pay the processing cost as long as funding for the effort lasts. More information about this program can be found online at fhfh.org.

Deer hunting in Ohio continues to be a popular activity for many who enjoy the outdoors. Ohio hunters checked 218,910 deer during the 2012-2013 season. Ohio ranks fifth nationally in resident hunters and 11th in the number of jobs associated with hunting-related industries. Hunting has a more than $853 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging and more, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Hunting in America: An Economic Force for Conservation publication.

Related articles

• First Ever Pre-rut Whitetail Antlerless Season Opens Oct. 12 (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• 2013 Deer Hunting: Michigan Status and Prospects report (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Changes abound in Michigan deer hunting regulations (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Deer Season Debuts With Archery and Muzzleloader (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• Wisconsin: Sign up by Sept. 1 to participate in a gun deer hunt for people with disabilities (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Deadline to sign-up for Wisconsin disabled deer hunt September 1 (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Oklahoma deadline for youth bonus antlerless deer hunt applications August 16th (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Passing on Young Bucks Now Means Bigger Bucks Later (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)

Oklahoma Youth deer gun season offers young hunters first shot

Youth hunters and their mentors have been heading to the woods for the youth deer gun season for an

entire decade now, and over the years this hunting opportunity has become an important part of Oklahoma's outdoor heritage. This year, the unique chance for youth to hunt deer with a firearm before anybody else runs Oct. 18-20.

     The youth deer gun season made its debut as a three-day antlerless hunt in 2003. Since then it has grown in popularity and has also become an opportunity for youth to hunt both bucks and does in the same season, enjoying a limit of two deer (no more than one of which can be a buck). Last year, youth gun season hunters harvested almost 5,000 deer.
     The youth season is open to hunters under 18 years of age who are accompanied by a hunter 18 years or older. 

     "The youth deer gun season is a win-win for Oklahoma," says Erik Bartholomew, big game biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "It provides an opportunity for youth to go hunting and emphasizes mentorship in the sport of hunting. It's also good practice for the regular deer gun season because if they don't harvest a deer, they can use their unfilled youth deer gun license during the regular deer gun season in November."

     Hunters who do harvest a deer during the youth deer gun season may purchase another youth deer gun license and harvest a deer during the regular gun season. Complete details and regulations for the season, including information about the apprentice-designated hunting license that allows certain youth to hunt without having first completed the Oklahoma hunter education course, can be found online atwildlifedepartment.com or anywhere hunting licenses are sold.   

     A detailed guide to participating during the youth deer gun season is printed in the current issue of Outdoor Oklahoma magazine, and a link to the article is provided at the end of this report. Outdoor Oklahoma magazine is the official magazine of the Wildlife Department and focuses on information pertaining to hunting, fishing and wildlife conservation in Oklahoma.

     "Along with getting the annual "Big Game Report" article, subscribers get a lot of other news and details about Oklahoma's outdoors from Outdoor Oklahoma magazine, which makes it a great gift for any youth hunter you might be mentoring during the youth deer gun season," said Michael Bergin, associate editor of Outdoor Oklahoma. "It's just $10 a year."

     Subscriptions to Outdoor Oklahoma magazine are available by calling 1-800-777-0019. 

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Click here to see the article in the current issue of Outdoor Oklahoma magazine that guides youth hunters and their mentors in how to participate in the youth deer gun season.

Click here and scroll to page 16 to see full regulations for the 2013 youth deer gun season in the current "Oklahoma Hunting Guide."

Related articles

• Passing on Young Bucks Now Means Bigger Bucks Later (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Iowa's First Deer Hunting Seasons Begin Sept. 21 (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Oct. 1 marks big opening day for Oklahoma archery hunters (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Oklahoma deadline for youth bonus antlerless deer hunt applications August 16th (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Youth and Disabled Deer Season a Great Opportunity for First-time Hunters (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• North Dakota Deer Season for Young Hunters Opens Sept. 20 (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Iowa Bow Hunters Gearing Up for Deer Season (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Hunters Can Process Deer in Field With Electronic Registration (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• Wisconsin Archers can take up the deer hunt beginning Saturday, Sept. 14 (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)

2013 Deer Hunting: Michigan Status and Prospects report

Deer

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Although surveys show that the leading reason many individuals participate in deer hunting is simply the opportunity to spend time outdoors with friends and family, harvesting a deer is still very important to many deer hunters. No amount of hunting guarantees a harvest, but preparation and hard work are keys to producing the best chance to see and take deer, or to mentor a new hunter through a safe and enjoyable season. The 2013 deer season is expected to be a successful year for many hunters and, as always, will certainly offer the exciting challenge we call “hunting.”
The 2013 Deer Hunting: Status and Prospects report – available for download below – provides information about resources and approaches for preparing for deer season each year, some background on deer in each region of the state and perceptions on hunting activity up to this point in the season.

For more information about deer hunting seasons, opportunities and resources, visitwww.michigan.gov/deer.

• Deer Hunting Prospects 2013.pdf

Related articles

• Iowa's First Deer Hunting Seasons Begin Sept. 21 (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Iowa Bow Hunters Gearing Up for Deer Season (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Wisconsin: Sign up by Sept. 1 to participate in a gun deer hunt for people with disabilities (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Passing on Young Bucks Now Means Bigger Bucks Later (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Youth and Disabled Deer Season a Great Opportunity for First-time Hunters (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• Deadline to sign-up for Wisconsin disabled deer hunt September 1 (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report

 Looking northwest at the mouth of the Sturgeon Bay, a bay in the Bay of Green Bay on Lake Michigan near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin from Potawatomi State Park. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fall Color now near or at peak in Wisconsin's Northwoods

Fall color is now at or very near peak across much of northern Wisconsin, about nearing peak in central Wisconsin and probably a week away in the Black River State Forest area and about two weeks off in the far south. Remember you can check progress on the Department of Tourism’s Fall Color Report (exit DNR).

DNR offices have been receiving inquiries on the status of state properties in light of the federal government shutdown. All state park, forest, trail and wildlife and fisheries areas remain open for public recreation and enjoyment.

Autumn activities continue this weekend at many state properties, with a fall festival at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area in Burnett County, the 25th Colorama Run-Walk at the Lapham Peak unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest in Waukesha County, and Run Wild and Potawatomi State Park in Door County. On Saturday the C.D. “Buzz” Besandy Anadromous Fish Facility in Kewaunee will hold an open house from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be tours, egg collection demonstrations, wagon rides and an “Adopt a Sturgeon” event where individuals will get to release a baby sturgeon into the river.

A cool foggy mornings made for a great southern duck opener in east central Wisconsin while sunny and breezy conditions greeted hunters in the southwest. Hunters reported good numbers of mallards, wood ducks, and teal. Goose hunters are beginning to have much more success with the increase of corn being harvested.

With waterfowl hunting seasons underway and trapping on the horizon, it’s a good time for outdoor enthusiasts to consider whether their gear might be transporting harmful invasive species (EDITOR'S ADVISORY: link to news release including slide show) to and from a favorite hunting spot, Wisconsin invasive species experts say.

Archery hunters have been out in large numbers on both state owned and private lands, with deer activity picking up during the evening hours. Some young whitetail bucks have already left their bachelor groups and started to chase does. A youth gun deer hunt [PDF] will be held statewide this weekend and bow hunters are reminded that they are required to wear blaze orange in the field.

Musky fishing has been bordering on excellent in the Northwoods with anglers reporting multiple catches on a single trip. The sucker bite really turned on in the last week. Walleye have also begun to get more active and anglers are having increased success.

Strong winds limited activity on Green Bay this week but when possible to get out anglers have been catching some nice walleye. Perch fishing has been good at Sturgeon Bay, Little Sturgeon Bay and Sawyer Harbor. There were a lot of king salmon being caught from the piers in Sturgeon Bay and in the shipping canal.

Lake Michigan tributary fishing pressure has increased and catch rates have improved, with chinook and coho salmon and brown and rainbow trout all reported. Action was reported on the Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Milwaukee rivers. Flows on the Root and Pike rivers remain low and fewer fish have been seen.

Sandhill cranes have been seen in large flocks along the Lower Wisconsin Riverway. The fall bird migration continues strong across Wisconsin. Saturdayand Tuesday nights saw especially large migration events as millions of birds moved south across the state, including the last of the warblers and a slew of short-distance migrants. The hawk migration is in full swing with peregrine falcons, merlins, American kestrels, sharp-shinned, and Cooper’s hawks nearing their seasonal peaks.

Prairies are now in the late fall stage with showy goldenrod expressing its golden colors and a variety of asters in bloom. Milkweed plants are dispersing seed.

IOWA: NEW HUNTING OPPORTUNITY FOR NONRESIDENT DISABLED VETERANS AND NONRESIDENT DISABLED ACTIVE MILITARY PERSONNEL

The Iowa Legislature passed a bill last year that allows a limited number of nonresident disabled veterans and disabled active military personnel to hunt in Iowa at resident prices. 

To qualify for one of the special licenses in this program, the hunter must either be a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more, or serving on active duty in the federal military service and participating in the Integrated Disability Evaluation System.  The applicant must also be a participant in a hunt conducted by an approved nonprofit organization that provides hunting experiences for disabled veterans and military personnel.

The Legislature allocated 25 anysex deer tags and 25 turkey tags for this program from an existing special license program for nonresident hunters who promote the state of Iowa and its natural resources.  The tags will be available upon application, with a process to make sure that this opportunity is spread as evenly as possible among the nonprofit organizations that provide these hunting experiences.  

Please go to http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/HuntingLicensesLaws/LicenseApplications.aspx  to find the applications.

Related articles

• North Dakota Hunters Should Note Canada Goose Limits (family-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• North Dakota Youth Pheasant Weekend Oct. 5-6 (family-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• Youth and Disabled Deer Season a Great Opportunity for First-time Hunters (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• Iowa Bow Hunters Gearing Up for Deer Season (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Iowa's First Deer Hunting Seasons Begin Sept. 21 (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Dove Hunting Season Opens September 1 (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)

PASSING ON YOUNG BUCKS NOW MEANS BIGGER BUCKS LATER

Taming the temptation to harvest the first thing with antlers that walks into range is not something

easily done for most deer hunters. But recent data indicate that Oklahoma hunters are harvesting fewer yearling bucks.

  Indeed, deer hunters are realizing that each time they pull the trigger or let an arrow fly, they are making a management decision that can influence the deer herd in the future, and make future hunts more successful, too.

  The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has embarked on a public awareness campaign to influence deer hunters to think about their choice before deciding to harvest a deer. The slogan "Hunters in the know ... let young bucks grow!" is intended to emphasize that herd management means more than simply harvesting more antlerless deer.

  As the Oct. 1 opening day for archery deer season nears, hunters are being reminded that when they harvest a deer, they are in essence making a wildlife management decision that can affect future successes. Through its Facebook page, the Wildlife Department recently invited deer hunters to share their stories about passing up the first buck they saw when hunting.

  "My theory has always been you will never kill a big one if you kill it before it grows," Michael Musgrove wrote. "I let five smaller bucks walk; killed a 155-inch with my Matthews during primitive, and had a bigger one pass by outside of recurve range a week later."

  Matt Martinsen wrote that hunting is getting better every year. "If more people just let the little-basket eights or smaller walk, the deer woods would be so much better." Martinsen passed up "at least 10 different little guys last season, and shot one buck (130 inches) and five does."

  Beatrice Loftin and her husband try to practice good deer management on their hunting property, and they make judgments about a buck's age before deciding whether to shoot. "This is good practice because it allows the deer to grow so they can 'be all they can be.'"

  During the first week of the 2012 archery deer season, Caryn Williams of Coweta was faced with a tough decision while hunting. "I watched a real large-bodied six-point stop about 25 yards in front of me. I had a good opportunity to take him, but I passed. Looking at his rather large body, I kept thinking, 'Wow, if this guy has this nice of a body, and he appears to be only a year or two old, by next year he should be a beautiful typical, rather-large eight-point.'

  "I have never shot a buck that I would consider a wall-hanger, so I decided it would be a waste to kill him just for the meat, because next year he should be meat plus a nice trophy!" Williams wrote. "Hopefully he is growing a perfect eight or 10 points, and we will get to meet again this year!"

  In March, the Quality Deer Management Association recognized Oklahoma in a report showing that bucks aged 3.5 years and older comprised 51 percent of the state's total buck harvest in 2011. Wildlife Department deer harvest data also show that the percentage of yearlings in the total buck harvest has continually declined over the years, from nearly 70 percent in the late 1980s to just 25 percent in 2011. (See accompanying graphs.)

  Erik Bartholomew, the Wildlife Department's big-game biologist, said the fact that fewer younger bucks being harvested indicates that Oklahomans are enjoying good hunting opportunities.

  "Hunters are better educated, and they are being more selective about what they harvest," Bartholomew said.

  Hunter Drew Turner wrote that he has passed on numerous small bucks. "The most exciting thing I've ever done while hunting was let that first six-point walk on by with the intention of letting him grow."

  Matt Ross made the choice to wait many times during the season. "I probably passed up more than a dozen bucks, all within bow range," he wrote. "Several were nice eight-points, just not quite old enough. I ended up shooting an old gnarly buck with a broken nose."

  Despite deciding to pass up several smaller bucks, Emery Lamunyon of Luther wrote that "all in all, I had a great year!" He ended up with two nice does in the freezer.

  Bartholomew said the state's 250,000 deer hunters can continue to improve the health and structure of the deer population by making conscientious decisions about what they are harvesting. "We encourage hunters to continue thinking about the bucks they are harvesting each year. Ask yourself each time you see a buck, 'Is he the one I want?' and look for opportunities to pass on younger bucks in order to wait for an older one."

  The Wildlife Department urges hunters to visit its Facebook page, which is a great resource for those who want to see photos of older, larger bucks. The Department shares photos submitted by visitors, especially on "Trail Cam Tuesdays" when deer photos take center stage.

  Hunter Kris Spivey summed up "letting young bucks grow" and the notion of putting some serious thought into a decision about whether to harvest a deer. "It might take three seconds, three minutes or three years, but patience will bring a big buck."

Related articles

• Iowa Bow Hunters Gearing Up for Deer Season (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Oct. 1 marks big opening day for Oklahoma archery hunters (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Iowa's First Deer Hunting Seasons Begin Sept. 21 (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Indiana Deer Seasons (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Youth and Disabled Deer Season a Great Opportunity for First-time Hunters (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• Changes abound in Michigan deer hunting regulations (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Wisconsin Archers can take up the deer hunt beginning Saturday, Sept. 14 (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)

WILDLIFE CHECKPOINT PLANNED IN CENTRAL KS

Joint effort will check drivers’ licenses and possession of wildlife

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT), KHP and local law enforcement will conduct a joint checkpoint in central Kansas in early October. The fall turkey season starts October 1, and the regular big duck season starts October 5. The checkpoint is intended to help enforce state and federal wildlife laws, as well as the state’s driver’s licensing laws.

Local law enforcement officers will operate the first stage of the checkpoint to be sure drivers are properly licensed to be driving. If a driver does not have a valid license, appropriate enforcement actions will be taken. Travelers should not expect major delays from this portion of the checkpoint.

Occupants of vehicles in the first check lane will be asked if they are hunters or are transporting wildlife. If yes in either case, drivers will be directed to a nearby KDWPT check lane where natural resource officers will check for required licenses and permits, count the game and gather biological, harvest, and hunter success information. This portion of the checkpoint should also cause minimal delay.

Additional wildlife checkpoints will occur around the state during the fall and winter hunting seasons.

For more information, contact KDWPT natural resource officer Matt Stucker at (620) 770-9330, or by email atmatt.stucker@ksoutdoors.com