First-Come, First-Served Deer Gun Licenses Available Oct. 1

More than 700 licenses for antlerless deer are still available after the North Dakota Game and Fish Department recently completed its second lottery drawing. Individual results are

available online at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov.

These remaining licenses will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Oct. 1. These licenses are only available to individuals who have not already received a lottery or landowner license, and are valid only during the regular deer gun season, Nov. 7-23.

Hunters can apply online starting Oct. 1, and paper applications received prior to that will also be processed Oct. 1. Residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply.

Paper applications will be available approximately Sept. 24 by visiting the department’s website, and later in the week at Game and Fish offices and county auditors. Paper applications will not be available at retail license vendor locations.

Applications hand-delivered to the department’s Bismarck office will not be processed while the applicant waits.

(B = Any Antlerless D = Antlerless Whitetail)

Unit	Type	Available
3F1	D	204
3F2	B	18
3F2	D	445
4F	D	61

Landowners Seek Doe Hunters

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is currently working with 18 landowners

in 14 hunting units across the state who would like to host hunters with antlerless deer licenses in 2014.

Participating landowners are located in hunting units 2C, 2G2, 2I, 2J2, 2K2, 3A4, 3B3, 3C, 3D2, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 4B and 4E.

The program is not intended for buck hunters, but designed to direct hunters with antlerless licenses to specific areas to reduce deer populations.

Interested hunters can get their name on a list of possible participants by accessing the Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov. Hunters who do not have Internet access can call the department’s main office in Bismarck at 701-328-6300.

Hunters will provide their address, hunting unit(s) where they hold valid antlerless licenses, and if using rifle, muzzleloader or bow. From this list the department will select the number of hunters landowners have agreed to host. These hunters will be sent the landowner’s name, phone number and any information relating to the landowner’s specific situation.

Hunters must have a valid 2014 deer gun license – the Game and Fish Department does not provide a hunting license with this program.

Not everyone who signs up will end up with a new place to hunt, because not everyone’s schedule will match up with a landowner’s, and more people will likely put their name on the list than there are openings. Currently, participating landowners have openings for about 200 doe hunters.

North Dakota’s 2014 regular deer gun season runs from Nov. 7-23. In addition, the archery season extends through Jan. 4, 2015; the youth season is Sept. 19-28; and muzzleloader runs from Nov. 28 – Dec. 14

North Dakota - Deer Season for Young Hunters Opens Sept. 19

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Friday, Sept. 19 at noon signals the start of a nine-and-a-half-day deer hunting season for youth ages 12-15.

Licensed residents ages 12 and 13, and 11-year-olds who turn age 12 in 2014, are allowed to hunt statewide, but only for antlerless white-tailed deer. Resident deer gun hunters age 14 or 15, and 13-year-olds who turn age 14 in 2014, with a “youth season” license, can hunt statewide for any deer, except antlerless mule deer in units 3B1, 3B2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F. In addition, a special license is required to hunt antlered mule deer in those same units.

After opening day, hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Solid daylight fluorescent orange vests or coats, and hats are required for all young hunters and their adult mentors.

Each youth deer hunter must be under direct supervision of an adult while in the field.

In addition to the deer license, hunters must possess a general game and habitat license and hunting certificate.

The youth deer season closes Sunday, Sept. 28.

DNR conservation officers emphasize tree-stand safety as hunters gear up for fall

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hunting from a tree stand is a popular way for hunters to enjoy their season, but nearly every year a Michigan hunter is seriously injured or killed falling out of a tree stand. Conservation officers at the Department of Natural Resources remind hunters of the top safety tips when it comes to tree stands.

Before a hunt, know your equipment:

• Read and understand the manufacturer’s instructions and warnings before using a tree stand and harness.
• Check the stand, straps and chains before you go out for signs of wear and tear or missing parts.
• Practice at ground level with your tree stand and harness with a friend or family member.
• Learn how to properly use your harness. The DNR recommends a full-body harness.
• Waist belts or upper body-only harnesses can cause serious injuries or death in a fall. 

When scouting for a tree:

• Choose a healthy, straight tree that is the right size to hold you and your stand.
• Check the tree beforehand for insect nests or animal dens.
• Avoid using climbing stands on smooth-barked trees, especially during icy or wet weather.
• Clear debris from the base of the tree to minimize injury from a fall and to ensure a sturdy base if using a ladder stand. 

During your hunt:

• Tell a reliable person where you are hunting and when you can be expected to return.
• Wear a full-body harness and make sure it is connected to the tree at all times. If using a ladder stand or climbing sticks, attach the harness before securing the platform to the tree or stepping onto it.
• Climb higher than your stand and always step down onto your platform.
• Wear boots with non-slip soles.
• Never carry equipment when climbing – use a haul line to raise and lower equipment, unloaded firearm or bow. Do not attach the line near the trigger or trigger guard of your firearm.
• Have emergency equipment – a knife, cellphone, flashlight and/or whistle. 

"DNR conservation officers responding to tree-stand falls see the same mistakes over and over – not using a harness or a haul line,” said Sgt. Tom Wanless, supervisor of the DNR hunter education program. “Nationally, 82 percent of hunters who fall from a tree stand are wearing a harness, but it’s not connected. And 86 percent of tree-stand falls take place during the climb up or down. Harnesses and haul lines save lives.”

For more information about tree stand safety, go to the Treestand Manufacturers Association website at www.tmastands.com. For more information about hunting in Michigan, visit the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/hunting.  

DEER SEASON IS HERE

Kansas deer season is upon us and with a variety of seasons to choose from, it’s important hunters stay informed and organized. The 2014 deer season kicks off with the youth and Sept. 14, 2014, followed by the muzzleloader season, Sept. 15 - 28, 2014, and the archery season, Sept. 15 - Dec. 31, 2014. Resident hunters can obtain deer permits over the counter from any license vendor, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism office, and online at ksoutdoors.com. A resident hunter who purchases an Any-season White-tailed Deer permit can hunt during any season with equipment legal for that season. Other permits may be equipment and season specific, as listed on the permit.

disabled season going on now through

New this year, hunters can reference color-coded calendars found in the2014 Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summaryand online at ksoutdoors.com to keep track of season dates.

All hunters hunting deer during a firearm deer season and persons assisting, are required to wear blaze orange while in the field. A minimum of 100 square inches on the front and 100 square inches on the back must be visible. A blaze orange hat must also be worn.

Last year, more than 120,000 hunters pursued deer in Kansas, harvesting nearly 90,000 deer and spending 1.4 million hunting days afield. Overall success rate for active hunters was 51 percent.

For more information on the 2014 Kansas deer season, consult the2014 Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summaryor visit ksoutdoors.com

2014 Wisconsin Fall Hunting and Trapping Forecast is now available!

With a number of 2014 fall hunting and trapping seasons just around the corner, the

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will once again offer a Fall Hunting and Trapping Forecast. The fall forecast provides a great deal of information and helpful tips for all types of hunting and trapping.

To view this year’s hunting and trapping forecast, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keyword “forecast.”

Highlights for the 2014 fall season include the FFLIGHT Program and new early teal season. Deer hunters will find everything they need to know for the 2014 season in this year’s forecast, from updated deer management units to helpful hunting forecasts.

DNR Customer Service staff is available to assist the public online and via phone from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Spanish and Hmong bilingual customer service representatives are also available. Customers may reach customer service at 1-888-WDNR INFo (1-888-936-7463) or by e-mail at csweb@wisconsin.gov.

Michigan DNR seeks partners in new hunting and habitat program

The Department of Natural Resources is looking for partners in a new hunting and wildlife management program called the Grouse Enhanced Management System (GEMS), in

which timber is intensively managed to improve ruffed grouse habitat and hunting opportunities. Seven GEMS are being formed in both the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula for a fall 2014 hunting season debut.

GEMS will be managed primarily for aspen and harvested on a shortened rotation. Normally aspen is cut every 60 years, but within the GEMS, aspen is intended to be young and thick – the best habitat for grouse and woodcock – and will be cut about every 40 years. Each GEMS area will contain gated roads, which will allow hunters to meander among different-aged aspen stands without concern for vehicle traffic.

Each GEMS area will have a parking lot, an information station and signs, as well as local community partners, and each will:

• Provide unique, walk-in hunting opportunities.
• Promote hunter recruitment and retention.
• Expand local economies.
• Accelerate timber harvest opportunities.

Groups or organizations interested in partnering with GEMS can contact Katie Keen at 231-775-9727.