South Dakota GFP Reminds Hunters to Register for Winter Depredation Hunts

As winter approaches in South Dakota, the Department of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) reminds resident hunters of a unique opportunity that may exist later this

winter.

The GFP has a Wildlife Damage Management Program that assists landowners with various wildlife depredation abatement techniques.  However, when other methods are ineffective, GFP may utilize willing hunters to help reduce damage caused by wildlife. 

“Winter depredation hunts are a valuable management tool that GFP uses in some situations to alleviate wildlife damage to landowners’ stored-feed supplies,” said Wildlife Damage Program Administrator Keith Fisk. “Depredation hunts are largely dependent upon the severity of the winter, snowfall accumulations and the number of animals involved. During mild winters, few hunts are conducted; however, when extreme conditions cause wildlife to congregate near farmsteads and livestock feeds, depredation hunts are more common.” 

South Dakota residents may register for potential depredation hunts for deer, antelope and turkey starting Dec. 1, 2013.  Hunters can register for depredation hunts (free of charge) at http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/depredation-hunts.aspx and are encouraged to register for counties near their home or within close driving distance.

“New for 2013, hunters may register for a maximum of 10 counties,” said Fisk. “Depredation hunts are often time-sensitive and winter weather can sometimes make travel difficult for participating hunters. For a successful hunt, GFP needs participating hunters to be available at the hunt location almost immediately.” 

Once registered, hunters are then put into a random drawing to determine eligibility once a depredation hunt is authorized. 

Winter depredation hunts focus on assisting landowners with wildlife damage, but also can provide hunters with another hunting opportunity after tradition hunting seasons are closed.  For more information, please visit the GFP website or contact GFP at (605)223-7660. 

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BASIC FIREARM RULES ARE IMPORTANT FOR A SAFE HUNT

The first of Iowa’s two shotgun deer seasons opens on Dec. 7, and while optimism for a successful hunt is the primary focus, hunters are encouraged to brush up on safe hunting practices.

Basic firearm rules are pretty straight forward: always point the muzzle in a safe direction; treat every firearm as though it were loaded; unload the firearm and open the action, especially when crossing obstacles, until you are ready to shoot; keep the barrel clear and choose the proper ammunition.

“Our deer hunting tradition is shared with our friends and our family,” said Megan Wisecup, hunter education administrator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.  “Practicing safe hunting techniques is important to make sure we all get home at the end of the day.”

An estimated 140,000 hunters are expected to take to the timber during Iowa’s two shotgun deer seasons and Wisecup said self inflicted injuries and property damage continue to be prominent.

“Those incidents could be avoided by simply following the basic rules of firearm safety and ensuring there is a safe backdrop prior to taking a shot,” she said.

“Hunters tend to get fixated on their target and when a deer is running, they forget about their surroundings. Look beyond your target and clearly identify the target before taking the shot,” Wisecup said.  “You must be certain you have a clear, safe shot. Never point your firearm at anything you do not want to shoot.”

That advice can help to prevent self inflicted wounds as well. 

Wisecup encouraged hunters to wear plenty of blaze orange and to discuss the hunting plan with everyone in the group.

“You want to be seen from all sides in the woods,” she said.  “It is also important to discuss the hunting plan that will outline the role for each person and where they will be during the hunt.  Plan your hunt and hunt your plan.  It is critical to communicate with your hunting partners to ensure everyone knows where each other is at all times.”

In 2012, there were nine deer hunting related incidents in Iowa: five personal injuries and four property damage.  There were no deer hunting fatalities in 2012.

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DEER DONATION PROGRAM BENEFITS IOWANS IN NEED

Iowa’s popular deer donation program Help Us Stop Hunger (HUSH) is entering into its second decade as a tool connecting hunters, lockers and hungry Iowans.

The program is pretty simple – hunters contact a participating locker before bringing in a whole, field-dressed deer, and once at the locker, they fill out a donation card. The locker processes the deer into two pound packages of ground meat. The Food Bank of Iowa then coordinates collecting the valuable protein and distributes it to local food pantries.

“Iowa deer hunters do an excellent job of using available doe tags to reduce the deer herd which simultaneously provides a needed  high protein product to the Food Bank of Iowa,” said Jim Coffey, who coordinates the HUSH program for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Bureau.  

Iowa’s HUSH program is considered a major success nationally and Coffey is often contacted by other states looking to replicate it.

Since its inception, Iowa hunters have donated more than 56,000 deer to the program. Donations peaked at about 8,000 deer in 2007.  The 5,281 deer donated by hunters in 2012 resulted in 800,000 meals being provided to needy Iowa families.

“The steady decline in donations parallels the decline in the size of the deer herd,” Coffey said. “As the herd size is reduced, hunters should work with their local landowners to harvest the number of deer that is acceptable and if they are not seeing the number of deer that they expect, it may be time to pass up on taking the extra doe.”

Iowa’s bow season is open until Dec. 6, and then reopens Dec. 23 to Jan. 10, 2014. Shotgun season one is Dec. 7-11. Shotgun season two is Dec. 14-22.

To find one of the 89 lockers participating in HUSH go to www.iowahush.com or see the list on page 34 of the2013-14 Iowa Hunting and Trapping Regulations.

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Wisconsin - Preliminary opening weekend results show enthusiasm is high, though temperatures as well as harvest numbers came in low

MADISON – Though opening weekend temperatures were cold, more than 615,000 people bought deer licenses to go out hunting, nearly 27,000 of them buying

licenses to go out hunting for the first time. Many hunters went out with hopes of getting a deer, knowing that despite extremely cold temperatures, they would likely all be guaranteed the making of warm memories.

Though hunters define success in different ways, 110,797 deer were successfully harvested and registered in Wisconsin during the opening weekend of the nine-day deer season. The tally is based on preliminary call-in numbers collected from registration stations by Department of Natural Resources staff.

“Congratulations to all hunters who endured the cold and were able to harvest a deer opening weekend of the nine-day. Though getting a deer is often the ultimate goal, it’s the whole experience of spending time with friends and family, engaging in the traditions, and getting outdoors that makes the hunt so fun, even if a deer is not brought home,” said DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp. “I hope those that weren’t able to get a deer during the season opener will get back out there and enjoy the rest of the days of the season.”

“We saw quite a few new hunters taking part in the traditions this year, with females representing 33 percent of resident First Time Gun Deer licenses sold,” Stepp said. “With the extremely cold temperatures opening weekend, many of these new hunters had quite the initiation. This makes me even more proud of the stories and the photos being shared with us, showing them having fun whether they got a deer or not. If people haven’t checked out our Facebook photo album of pictures collected over the weekend, they really should. It’s a great reminder of what the season is all about!”

To view some of the photos and stories shared, please visit DNR’s Facebook page.

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Wisconsin Outdoors: White-tailed deer rut continues in full swing

The white-tailed deer rut is continuing in full swing across much of the state, with bucks chasing does during the daytime and lots of scrapes and rubs still being found, but some areas report deer activity is beginning to slow, with bucks locked down with does.

Archers have been out in very strong numbers and continue to report some very good success. Good numbers of pheasant hunters have also been out and are also reporting success on stocked wildlife areas. Although blaze orange clothing isn’t required when gun deer seasons are not open, conservation wardens say with the large numbers of hunters in the field, wearing blaze orange while pheasant hunting greatly increases hunter safety.

Leaf drop is now progressing rapidly in southern Wisconsin, with oaks beginning to drop leaves in the last week. With leaves off the trees, grouse hunters are reporting improved success.

Visitors to Wisconsin state park properties are reminded that many properties will open to hunting and trapping on November 15. Maps showing areas open and closed to hunting are available on the DNR website and posted at all properties. All park visitors are encouraged to wear blaze orange or other brightly colored clothing during the hunting seasons, which remain open in parks through December 15 for firearms and through January 5 for archery. For a list of open properties, maps and more information search the DNR website for "hunting state parks."

The cold weather of the last week has caused a lot of puddle ducks to move south, while bringing in increasing numbers of diving ducks. Strong north winds in the last week increased Canada goose and tundra swan migrations.

With all the hunting activity and colder temperatures, fishing activity has slowed and the open water fishing season is coming to an end in the Northwoods, with ice beginning to form along shorelines of larger lakes, but it will still be at least a couple of weeks before there is any safe ice for ice fishing. A few musky anglers are still out, but without much success. Some crappies and perch were being caught on the Oconto River. In the south, walleye continue to be caught on Lake Wisconsin and the Rock River. Coho and chinook salmon and some rainbow and brown trout continue to be caught on Lake Michigan tributaries, especially the Sheboygan, Milwaukee and Root rivers.

With the opening of the nine-day gun deer season rapidly approaching, hunters should make sure firearms are properly sighted in and that hunting gear is order. Search the DNR website for “shooting ranges” to find a map of public ranges. Hunters can also get pre-season questions answered by joining any of three live online chats. They all begin at noon: on Tuesday, Nov. 19, what to expect for the season; on Wednesday, Nov. 20, on hunting land accessible to the public; and on Thursday, Nov. 21 on safety and regulations. To join: search “ask the experts” on the DNR website.

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Minnesota Firearms deer harvest down 8 percent from 2012

Minnesota hunters harvested 77,008 deer during the first three days of the firearms season, down 8 percent from 2012, according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). 

Leslie McInenly, DNR big game program leader, said a slightly smaller harvest over the first three days is not surprising.

“Last year, opening weekend weather was almost ideal and the state’s corn harvest was virtually complete, she said. “So given Saturday’s roaring winds of up to 30 miles per hour, which tends to restrict deer movement, and more available deer refuge areas due to pockets of standing corn, the harvest is about what you’d expect.” In some areas, she said, about a quarter of the corn crop was not yet harvested.

The DNR had sold 445,385 firearms deer licenses as of Monday, about 1,000 fewer than last year but roughly 10,000 more than 2011.

Around the state, opening day hunting conditions included snow in the north and gusty winds and overcast skies most everywhere, turning nicer on Sunday. The harvest was down 19 percent in the northeast, 4 percent in the southeast and 6 percent for the remainder of the state. Because hunters have 48 hours to register a harvested deer, final opening weekend numbers for 2013 will be greater than those reported today. 

With improving weather conditions this week, the DNR still expects the final 2013 harvest to be similar to last year when about 185,000 deer were taken.

The firearms season continues through Sunday for all but northeast Minnesota, which extends until Nov. 24. There is also a late southeast firearms season that runs Nov. 23-Dec. 1.

The DNR reminds hunters who harvest a deer to tag it at the kill site. Also, new this year, hunters are required to register their deer within 48 hours after harvest and before processing.

Hunters can report violations 24/7 by calling the Turn In Poachers hotline at800-652-9093.

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Wisconsin DNR offers five ways to find a place to hunt

If you are still looking for a place to hunt this fall, or if you have questions about public

land you frequent, check out the following links for information on public lands and private lands open to public hunting. Additionally, Department of Natural Resources experts will host a live online chat to answer your questions about accessing these hunting lands, including state parks, and using DNR’s open lands mapping tools, on Wednesday, Nov. 20, starting at noon.

To join the Nov. 20 chat, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keywords “ask the experts.”

In the meantime, click on the links below to learn more about some of the public hunting access opportunities in Wisconsin.

The DNR’s Explore Outdoors Web page allows people to search millions of acres of public lands by county, by proximity to a city, by type of property or by one of 22 listed outdoor activities, including hunting. Search results allow you to read about and view detailed maps of DNR properties, including:

State Wildlife Areas are managed primarily for hunting.

Most State Parks are open to certain types of hunting for two months of the year, with new guidelines coming soon.

Most DNR-owned State Natural Areas are open to hunting.

The department’s Managed Lands website at allows you to interactively map most public lands in the state.

Voluntary Public Access (VPA) is a DNR program that provides incentives to private landowners who open their property to public hunting, fishing, trapping and wildlife observation. Maps are available on the DNR website.

Through the Managed Forest Law (MFL) and Forest Crop Law (FCL) programs, some private forest lands are open to the public for recreational purposes. A new DNR Private Forest Lands Open to Public Recreation Web mapping application allows people to use an interactive tool for mapping these private forest lands that are open to public hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation.

Agricultural properties enrolled in the Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program (WDACP) are another option to consider when looking for properties to hunt. More information on WDACP as well as a list of properties enrolled in the program that are open to the public for hunting the species causing damage can be found on the DNR website. Hunters must contact the producer before they hunt.

Other resources for information on public lands open to hunting outside of DNR include the following (all links exit DNR).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service owns several large and small properties in Wisconsin that are open to public hunting. Seewww.fws.gov/midwest/news/wisconsin.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service owns and manage waterfowl production areas in Wisconsin. These properties are typically open to hunting. You can find out more about these sites including an interactive map.

The U.S. Forest Service manages the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 1.5 million acres open for hunting in northern Wisconsin.

“Wisconsin has a wealth of lands, both public and private, that are open to the public for hunting,” said Doug Haag, DNR Realty Operations chief. “These links are not an exhaustive representation of the opportunities, rather a snapshot of DNR programs that may help people locate places to hunt. Other resources not specifically linked here include County GIS sites, County plat books, and several printed mapping products available in local sporting goods stores.”

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