East-central zone closes to wolf hunting and trapping

Wolf hunting and trapping in the east-central zone will close for the remainder of the late  season at the end of shooting and trapping hours on Friday, Dec. 14, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The northwest and northeast zones remain open through Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, or until a zone’s target harvest is reached. The northeast zone also is approaching its target harvest and may close within the next few days. Permits are not zone-specific, allowing hunters and trappers to hunt or trap in any open zone.

The harvest target for the east-central zone during the late season is 10 wolves. Nine were registered when DNR initiated season closure on Dec. 13.
Hunters and trappers in all zones have registered a total of 114 wolves so far during the late season. The total harvest target for all zones is 253 wolves for the late season.


Wolf hunters and trappers must:

• Register all wolves by 10 p.m. the day of harvest in order for the DNR to monitor zone-specific harvest levels. Registration is available via telephone, website or in person.
• Obey zone closures, which become effective the end of legal shooting and trapping hours for the day on which a zone is closed.
• Take responsibility for tracking season progress and season/zone closure each morning before hunting or trapping by calling 888-706-6367 or checking the DNR wolf hunting page.
• Season status and harvest targets will be updated in real-time for each zone.
• Return any radio collars when they bring wolves in for the mandatory wolf inspection and bring an ear tag along so that information on the tag can be examined and recorded.
• Present the entire skinned wolf and pelt for inspection as outlined in the wolf hunting and trapping regulations so the DNR can collect data on wolves for population monitoring.

Complete wolf hunting information, including a map of the wolf zones, is available online

 

written by: MDNR

193 Idaho Wolves Killed Since April 1st

According to a state records request submitted in November, as well as publicly available information on the Idaho Fish and Game’s website, there have been 193 wolves killed since April 1st of this year. The records request response contained information for documented mortality from April 1, 2012 to November 25, 2012. Since then an additional 23 wolves have been reported killed on the IDFG website.

According to the IDFG there have been 123 wolves killed in the hunt (2 were killed in last season’s hunt which lasted until June 30 in some areas), 43 were killed by USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, 13 were killed by trappers, 4 were illegally killed, 3 were killed by unknown causes, 3 were killed in vehicle collisions, 2 were killed by private citizens to protect pets of livestock, 1 died due to natural causes, and 1 was killed due to wounds inflicted by a hunter or trapper who didn’t recover the dead wolf.

Undoubtably the total number of wolves killed is significantly higher than what has been documented because many of the natural deaths and poaching incidents are not detected.

The IDFG also reports that 15 radio collared wolves have been killed since April and that there are 49 remaining collared wolves in Idaho.







By: Ken Cole

Michigan DNR cuts antlerless permits in areas hit hard by EHD

Most Michigan deer hunters are well aware that epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) has reared its ugly head at historic levels in Michigan this year.

A viral disease that it transmitted by the bite of a fly called a midge, EHD causes deer to die from internal bleeding. It has been found in 30 counties in Michigan this year, mostly in the southern third of the state, though it has been documented in Clare and Osceola counties and is suspected as far north as Presque Isle and Benzie counties. This is the largest, most widespread outbreak of the disease in Michigan history.

First described in Michigan in 1955, EHD wasn’t seen again until 1974 and then not again until after the turn of the century. Since 2006, however, it has occurred at some level every year except 2007.
EHD is widespread across the Midwest this year, something that is thought to have been caused by last winter’s unusually mild weather as well as this year’s drought. The tiny flies (about one-tenth of an inch in length) that carry EHD typically breed in mud flats, and this summer’s drought has expanded areas where midges of the genus Culicoides can reproduce. In most years, those mud flats would be underwater.

“Other states around us – Indiana, Illinois and Ohio – have seen this more frequently, and some of them have it from one end of the state to the other,” explained Brent Rudolph, the deer and elk program leader for the Department of Natural Resources. “In Michigan, it’s been mostly restricted to the southern third of the state, though we’ve had a couple of cases that bounced up above the line.”

Rudolph said that states from South Dakota to Kansas have reported more widespread mortality this year than ever before. Deer with EHD suffer from high fevers and head toward water to seek relief. Their bodies are often found in or near ponds, rivers or creeks.

EHD tends to be highly localized; in some cases the disease causes large die-offs in part of a township while areas just a few miles away show no sign of the disease.

Often referred to by hunters as “blue tongue” – a similar, though different disease – EHD shows up in the herd in the summer months, after regulations have been developed for the upcoming hunting season.
The DNR has no estimate of total EHD mortality, though it has had more than 13,000 dead deer reported.
Rudolph said that EHD has never caused widespread or long-term impacts to deer populations, though local effects can be significant and can last for a few years.

“Until this year, we’ve never seen enough EHD in Michigan to cause population declines at a broad scale, but the southwestern corner of the state – Cass and St. Joseph counties – has had EHD a couple of years in a row, in 2010 and 2011, and now again this year,” he said.

Because of this trend, DNR Director Keith Creagh today signed an emergency order that decreases antlerless license purchase limits for deer management units (DMUs) where the most EHD-related die-offs have occurred. Director Creagh signed the order at the regular monthly meeting of the Natural Resources Commission.

Effective immediately, the purchase limit for DMU 486 is five private land antlerless deer hunting licenses per hunter. Also effective immediately, the public antlerless license purchase limit per hunter is two for each of the following DMUs: 012 (Branch), 034 (Ionia), 039 (Kalamazoo), 041 (Kent), 044 (Lapeer), 076 (Sanilac), 078 (Shiawassee), 079 (Tuscola) and 080 (Van Buren).
Individuals who purchased antlerless licenses prior to this emergency order are not required to return licenses. This order only applies to antlerless licenses purchased on or after Nov. 8, 2012.

“We’re encouraging hunters to use their best judgment,” Rudolph said. “If a hunter is in an area of an outbreak, backing off – or not taking an antlerless deer at all – is an appropriate thing to do.”
From the information that was received from numerous volunteers, a weekly EHD map has been compiled, which may help aid hunters with their harvest decisions. The map and other EHD information including how hunters can report sighting of deer (under Current Issues).


Deer hunters and others interested in deer management in Michigan are invited to join the Department of Natural Resources at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13, for “DNR Live: Deer” – a one-hour, online forum designed to answer questions from the public about the state’s deer population, hunting seasons, EHD, regulations and other topics. The online forum’s panel of DNR experts will include the Wildlife Division’s deer and elk program leader Brent Rudolph and wildlife veterinarian Steve Schmitt, along with Law Enforcement Division Assistant Chief Dean Molnar.

Written in:  Outdoorsnews

Man Kills 22 point buck

One Georgia hunter is celebrating a likely record kill. Fletcher Culpepper killed a 22 point buck Monday in Worth County, Georgia. The four-year-old deer weighed nearly 250 pounds. Culpepper says he almost didn't go hunting Monday because he just had surgery on his shoulder, but at the last minute he decided to hit the tree stand.

Written by: Jeff Wyatt

Officials from West Michigan, home to several special events combining veterans and the outdoor activities, helped usher through state legislation that provides free hunting and fishing licenses for disabled veterans.

State Rep. Holly Hughes, who introduced the bill earlier this year, and Muskegon County Veterans Center Director Dave Eling were among the advocates for the new law signed last week by Gov. Rick Snyder. Beginning March 1, free hunting and fishing licenses will be available for any 100 percent disabled veteran applying for a license.

 

Eling, who presented Snyder with a military challenge coin in recognition of his efforts during the bill signing ceremony, described the free licenses as a nice recognition for the veterans.

"On behalf of all veterans in the state of Michigan, we are pleased that the Legislature has passed this legislation and that Gov. Snyder has signed it into law,” Eling said. “This will give 100 percent disabled veterans the ability to go hunting and fishing without the charge of a license. I am proud of Rep. Hughes for all of her work pushing this through."
Veterans who are 100 percent disabled can currently purchase hunting and fishing licenses at a 60 percent discount. Public Act 339 of 2012 waives the fees for any 100 percent disabled veteran who applies for hunting or fishing licenses in Michigan.
"Providing free licenses for disabled veterans is just a small token of our deep gratitude for their sacrifice for all of us," said Denise Gruben, manager of licensing and reservations for the Department of Natural Resources. "We want veterans to be full participants in outdoor sports. We're pleased to make these licenses available to qualifying veterans beginning next March under this new law."

 

More than 3,000 disabled veterans in Michigan purchased hunting or fishing licenses in 2010.

"This is a small token of our gratitude and a way to help those who have made such overwhelming sacrifices for our country," said Hughes, R-White River Township. "Helping these veterans enjoy the many wonderful natural resources our state offers can also help them find a sense of normalcy in their lives by being able to return to the places and outdoor sporting they love."
Based on the new law’s language, a “disabled veteran” refers to a resident who has been determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to be permanently and totally disabled as a result of military service or a resident rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as individually unemployable.

By: Eric Gaertner

Reading Body Language

Communication among white-tailed deer always has intrigued hunters. North American Indians used crude calls to bring deer close, but only in the past 20 years or so has deer calling caught on among modern day hunters.

However, most forms of whitetail communication witnessed by observant hunters are silent. Learning this body language can make you both a better and more successful hunter. Here are some messages to look for your next time afield.

The best known communication display among does and bucks is what I call the frozen stare, in which a deer’s body becomes rigid, its chin held high and its gaze locked on some item of interest. It’s used when danger is suspected (such as a hidden hunter) and other deer readily pick up on it.

A deer also will stare in the direction of a perceived intruder, watching for any movement. Following a concentrated stare, the deer might appear to lose interest by dropping its head and seemingly forgetting about its subject. The deer then abruptly jerks its head upward to catch any errant motion. The game might last a few minutes and is sometimes embellished by the deer stomping the ground in an attempt to make the object of its concern reveal its identity and/or location.

The turret-like movement of a deer’s large, cupped ears is an additional form of body language. Although the ear’s main function is to amplify sounds, a rigidly held, flicking ear also alerts other deer that something’s up.

A deer’s white hind end is the transmitter for a variety of unspoken messages. The basic body language is for bucks and does to raise their tails and flare the long, white hairs as they flee danger, usually with the tail waving back and forth. Even the rump hairs might be stiffened and raised, making much of the rear end white. This familiar process is known as flagging. Conversely, a deer attempting to maintain a low profile will tuck its tail and draw in its rump hairs, hiding as much white as possible.

Does exhibit another communication, tail wagging, as they loosely flop their tails from side to side, signaling their fawns to follow. The tail’s casual movement isn’t one of alarm, but rather an easily-followed sign used to maintain contact with fawns while feeding, traveling at night or when moving through understory.

Both bucks and does flick the horizontally held tail in a side-by-side motion to communicate. It’s employed when something’s believed to be amiss but doesn’t necessarily result in a deer immediately running from danger.

When a deer shifts its tail signals from flicking to horizontal hold — usually accompanied by a hard stare — it warns others that something’s not right.  But the deer might not have made a decision as to what it will do. A hunter scoping a deer should be forewarned that his target is about to bolt when the tail shifts from its normal, downward position to horizontal and then vertical. If the deer decides it’s a false alarm, the tail will drop back into its normal downward position.

By the time the fall rut rolls around, herd bucks that spent the summer in one another’s company will have established a social hierarchy based on interaction, aggressiveness and rack sizes. Small bucks might show their submission by grooming and licking dominant bucks on the head, shoulders and back. Direct eye contact by the younger buck, as usual, is a no-no.

Big bucks shielding their does from lesser bucks will render a hard gaze, laying back their ears and walking in a stiff-legged gait with their antlers directed forward. Even when bedded, subordinate bucks will not face dominant bucks, thereby avoiding accidental eye contact and a possible scuffle.

by Tom Fegely

Time to Get Ready for Hunting Season

With slightly less than a month remaining between now and the beginning of hunting season here in Ohio, and a couple of months until archery season, it is time for hunters to begin gearing up and getting ready to hit the woods this fall.

Most hunters have their own pre-season rituals but there are a few things that every hunter should do to get ready to avoid surprises, some of which may even be potentially dangerous, and I’ll cover a couple of those now. On the other hand, if you like surprises and danger, then you can stop reading now.

First, honestly ask yourself if you are actually ready to head into the woods or to climb a tree; sedentary lifestyles and poor fitness and dietary habits have a way of interrupting your plans the first time you have to hike into and out of the woods, drag a dead deer, climb a tree, saw limbs or many other physical activities.

Putting up a tree stand is hard work when you consider all the steps that are involved. Fortunately there is still time to get out and do some walking or shed a couple of pounds before hunting season. As always, talk to your doctor before you start any serious fitness program.

One thing you should do is get out in the woods and visually inspect your hunting areas; your favorite tree stand tree may have blown down, or trees may have fallen across your access roads – especially this year after the big derecho. Of course someone may have put in a new logging road or new house right next to your hunting grounds. There may not be much you can do about the new-found situation, but at least you will be spared an opening morning surprise.

Changes can also alter wildlife travel and resting habits; windfalls may allow more light into the understory creating the opportunity for more undergrowth and vegetation. These are mostly natural changes and create a little diversity of habitat.

If you are like most hunters you are probably going to rely on an all-terrain vehicle or utility vehicle to haul you and your hunting equipment into the woods. Most ATVs are very reliable but that doesn’t mean you should neglect basic maintenance like checking or changing your oil, maintaining your tire pressure, checking or replacing your brakes or making other recommended changes and adjustments. The time to find out you have a bad battery is not when you loading or unloading your ride into the back of your pickup truck. A little TLC will help ensure your steed doesn’t let you down when you need it the most.

If your bow or gun hasn’t been out of the closet since last fall you’ll need to get it out and, first, make sure it is in safe working order, properly cleaned and tuned, sighted in or adjusted. Then invest a little time and ammo in making sure it’s still shooting straight. One thing many aging hunters don’t consider is that their eyes may have changed over the past year, or they have a different glasses prescription or new lenses that drastically change the way things appear through a scope or through sights. In any event, you want to make sure you are capable of making a good shot and a swift, humane kill.

Tree stands? Check them out carefully, paying particularly close attention to any weight-bearing straps or cords that may have abraded or rotted during the off season. Practice putting it up, and don’t neglect checking out and adjusting your harness.

Don’t forget to purchase your hunting license and any necessary tags! Familiarize yourself with any changes that may have taken place in the game check or licensing systems in your state. Peruse the updated hunting laws and seasons because there may have been changes during the past year.

The above is by no means an all-inclusive list of pre-hunting season activities, but they should be at least a good starting point to help make sure you and hunting buddy have a safe and enjoyable season!

by Jim Freeman