Kentucky Afield Outdoors – Hunting Season Preview
July 21, 2011
Jul 21, 2011
FRANKFORT, Ky. – The first fall hunting season in Kentucky opens in less than a month. Here are some highlights of what’s to come:
The 2011-2012 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide is being printed and will be mailed to license vendors statewide next week.
The 66-page guide is free, and details the season dates, bag limits and regulations for deer, elk, bear, turkey, small game and furbearers.
There’s also information on licensing, youth hunting, hunter education requirements and quota hunts. This year, hunters may apply online for the special hunts for deer, pheasant and other upland bird hunts on state wildlife management areas.
Hunters and trappers can also find out about public lands and read a summary of regulations for each area.
Some items in the 2011-2012 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide include regulations for the new Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area. You can also see the changes to the elk seasons and an earlier opening day for bear season.
You can read a printable version of the 2011-12 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide online at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources website at fw.ky.gov.
Kentucky’s squirrel season kicks off the calendar of fall hunting seasons on Aug. 20, and the outlook is excellent.
“Last fall we had a really good mast (nut) crop, particularly the red and white oak groups, with the hickories close behind,” said Ben Robinson, small game biologist for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “There was abundant food and females were in good condition going into breeding. Usually that equates to more young being produced.”
The first of two statewide fall squirrel seasons continues through Nov. 11. The season opens again Nov. 14 and runs through Feb. 29, 2012.
The September Canada goose season increased from nine to 15 days for the 2011 season. This season opens Sept. 1 and closes Sept. 15. Fifteen days are the most allowed within Federal season framework.
In another change for early migratory bird hunting for 2011, the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission modified the American woodcock season by moving it later in the year during the peak of the bird’s migration. The American woodcock season opens Nov. 1 and closes Dec. 15. The season opened in mid-October last year.
Kentucky dove hunters will enjoy expanded opportunities this season. Well over 50 public dove fields located across the state give dove hunters productive places to go. These fields, located on both wildlife management areas and private land, are a significant increase in number from last season. A complete list may be found in the 2011-2012 Kentucky Hunting Guide for Dove, Wood Duck, Teal, Woodcock, Snipe and Crow, available in early August wherever hunting licenses are sold.
Keep these changes in mind as you make preparations for this fall’s hunting seasons. The first hunting season is just a month away.
Good news, frustration about Asian carp heard at Port Clinton forum | cleveland.com
July 7, 2011
By D’Arcy Egan, The Plain Dealer
PORT CLINTON, OHIO
The constantly-evolving strategies for managing invasive Asian carp, and preventing them from entering the Great Lakes, brought some good news and a lot of frustration to a small crowd attending a public forum of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee at the Sutton Center here on Thursday morning.
While independent studies and fishing and conservation groups continue to call for permanently closing off the Chicago River lock and dam from Lake Michigan – the main route for the frightful invasive carp to enter the Great Lakes – federal officials again turned down that option. They said management plans are working, praising efforts that seem to keep the carp at bay in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.
“We don’t have a generation to study this,” said Rick Unger, head of the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association. “We built the electric barrier too late to stop the round goby from getting into the Mississippi River. We need permanent separation, then we can study (Asian carp). We stand to lose Lake Erie, and Ohio can not afford that.”
Major General John Peabody of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers said there is no present plan for separation. Peabody said separating the Chicago River from Lake Michigan will be evaluated, but said it was a waste of tax dollars and not the answer to an incredibly complex problem. Click Link Below For Full Story!
via Good news, frustration about Asian carp heard at Port Clinton forum | cleveland.com.
Hunting, fishing on posted land? Get written permission | The Charlotte Observer Newspaper
July 7, 2011
Hunting, fishing on posted land? Get written permission
A new North Carolina law requires hunters and anglers to obtain written permission from a landowner or leaseholder before hunting or fishing on privately owned posted property – including land, waters, ponds or legally established waterfowl blinds.
The Landowner Protection Act also provides two ways to post land: by using vertical purple paint marks on posts or trees, or, as in the past, by placing signs or posters. Click Link Below For Full Story!
Wild hogs introduction to the southeast equals a multimillion dollar mistake- The Daniel Island News
July 6, 2011
By Debby Hill
In the 1500’s pure Eurasian wild hogs were introduced into the Southeast United States by the Spanish. In the 1900’s they were introduced into North Carolina and Texas specifically for hunting purposes. In addition, over time, some of these domesticated hogs and their descendants escaped their pens and became feral.
The wild hog population has been spreading across the United States ever since. The desire to hunt these wild hogs, now the second most popular big game animal, combined with hunters moving and releasing them to various locations across the country, and the fact that hogs will breach many kinds of fences, has resulted in wild hogs now being located in every county of South Carolina and more than 4 million hogs in at least 45 of our 50 states. They have also been spotted on Daniel Island. This nonnative species has been referred to as an “ecological disaster” in a recent report by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
An invasive and destructive species, wild hogs cause 1.5 billion dollars in ecological and economic damage annually in the United States. Wild hogs damage native ecosystems. According to a study done by Clemson University, “Besides man, (wild hogs) are the greatest vertebrate modifier of natural communities.” Their rooting damages the natural environments of native plants and animals, causes an increase in soil erosion, and nonnative plants, and decreases water quality. They damage and consume crops and pastures. The rooting and trampling results in soil compaction, water infiltration and a disruption of the nutrient cycle of the soil. They destroy fences, roads, and dikes, and affect the regeneration of timberlands.
Wild hogs are opportunistic eaters. The majority of their diet consists of plant and animal matter. Native wildlife must compete with them for food sources. They also eat eggs, fungi, carrion and whatever garbage they can find. They prey on various livestock and ground nesting birds. Wild hogs even affect endangered native plant and animal species in South Carolina and other states. Endangered loggerhead turtle nests are often destroyed and eaten by wild hogs. Click Link Below For Full Story!
via Wild hogs introduction to the southeast equals a multimillion dollar mistake.
Service Proposes to Expand Hunting Opportunities on National Wildlife Refuges in Eight States
July 6, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a proposal to open Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota to deer and turkey hunting for the first time, while expanding hunting activities at nine other refuges in eight states. If approved, the proposal would provide additional public hunting opportunities in fulfillment of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997.
“For decades, the National Wildlife Refuge System has offered some of the nation’s best public hunting and fishing, helping to connect generations of Americans to their sporting heritage. The Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to expanding these opportunities wherever they are compatible with refuge purposes,” said Service Director Dan Ashe.
In addition to the new deer and turkey program at Crane Meadows, other proposed changes include:
- Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, CO, would increase big game hunting by offering elk hunting for the first time. The refuge also allows migratory bird hunting, upland game hunting and fishing.
- Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, LA, would open for the first time to migratory bird hunting of waterfowl and coot. The refuge also allows fishing.
- Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge, MS, would open for the first time to migratory bird hunting of duck and geese; upland game hunting of squirrel, rabbit and raccoon; and big game hunting of deer and hogs. The refuge also permits fishing.
- Currituck National Wildlife Refuge, NC, would open for the first time to big game hunting of deer and hogs.
- Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, MN, would increase acreage for migratory bird hunting, upland game hunting and big game hunting.
- Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge, MN/IA, would increase acreage for migratory bird hunting, upland game hunting and big game hunting. The refuge would expand the species for migratory bird and upland game hunting.
- Ouray National Wildlife Refuge, UT, would allow for the first time upland game hunting of turkey and big game hunting of elk. The refuge also allows migratory bird hunting and fishing.
- Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, MN, would open new areas to migratory bird hunting. It would allow big game hunting of turkey and deer for the first time. The refuge is also open for fishing.
- Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, TX, would open three new units to upland game hunting of squirrels and rabbits and big game hunting of feral hogs and white-tailed deer. The refuge is also open for migratory bird hunting and fishing.
While definitions of hunting categories vary by refuge and state, migratory bird hunting generally includes ducks and geese. Upland game hunting may cover such animals as game birds, rabbit, squirrel, opossum and coyote. Big game hunting may include such animals as wild turkey, deer and feral hogs.
Hunting is an important tool for wildlife management, giving resource managers a valuable tool to control populations of some species that might otherwise exceed the carrying capacity of their habitat and threaten the well-being of other wildlife species, and in some instances, that of human health and safety.
Under the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, the Service can permit hunting and fishing as well as four other types of wildlife-dependent recreation where they are compatible with refuge purpose and mission. Hunting, within specified limits, is permitted on more than 300 national wildlife refuges. Fishing is permitted on more than 270 national wildlife refuges. Other wildlife-dependent recreation on national wildlife refuges includes wildlife photography, environmental education, wildlife observation and interpretation.
Notice of the proposal was published in the Federal Register on July 5, 2011; the public has until August 4, 2011, to provide comments. To comment on the proposed hunting rule changes, please visit http://www.fws.gov/refuges/news/pdfs/2011-12RefugeSpecificPropRule.PDF.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov. Connect with our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/usfws, follow our tweets at www.twitter.com/usfwshq, watch our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and download photos from our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq.
The Contemporary Sportsman
July 2, 2011
They said that with the internet and video who needs a magazine. Think again my friends. Growing up in the 70’s there was nothing more than books and magazines to take me away to that remote hunting or fishing spot. I remember running to the library during my study hall thumbing through Outdoor Life and Field and Stream, my imagination running wild. Nothing beats a good read, not even a video.
Thanks to Integrated Digital Publications (IDP) they have brought the outdoor magazine to the digital age. IDP publishes free on-line, content-rich sporting magazines on fly fishing and wingshooting. Their current publications include The Contemporary Sportsman, a publication devoted to the fly fisherman and wingshooter, The Contemporary Wingshooter devoted to the people who love the sport of wingshooting and Backcast, the complete fly fishing experience.
The quality of content and photography is nothing more than stunning. Viewing the magazines online is great but what really brings these publications to life is the Apple’s Ipad. You can download the apps for the The Contemporary Sportsman and The Contemporary Wingshooter at the app store. Each will cost you $3.99 but that’s a bargain when you see the vivid text and photography come to life on your Ipad. Better yet there were no trees harmed in the publication of these great online magazines. Read green as they say.
So if you want to be taken away by some of the best outdoor writers in the industry go to www.integrateddigitalpublishing.com and start receiving your free subscriptions today. You can also check them out on their MyHuntingandFishing.Com profile page by clicking here! Why you’re there become a fan!
Deer of the Day — Missouri Monster, John David Berry – North American Whitetail
July 1, 2011
by Aaron Decker
Firearms are often times heritage pieces that are passed down from generation to generation. Each time a gun takes a big deer or is along for an adventure, it’s like a new chapter is being scribed into the firearm’s history, with each shot offering a new story.
13-year-old John David Berry’s rifle belonged to his Uncle, David Shaw, who tragically lost his life in a fire in 1996. The Remington Model 700 chambered in .243 Winchester was a favorite of Shaw’s and he had taken several trophy bucks with the gun while hunting in the deer woods with his father Bill.
After losing his son, Bill poured his attention towards his grandchildren, including John, who he’d pick up from school and take hunting, teaching him everything he could about outdoorsmanship and appreciating every moment in life as “you never know when your last breath will be.” Click Link Below for Full Story!
John's buck featured 31 points and scored 228-inches.
via Deer of the Day.
Tarpon rodeo officials call for support | HoumaToday.com
July 1, 2011
By Brent St. Germain
Sports Editor
PORT FOUCHON — Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle has a message for all fishermen.
“We want to tell the people that it’s safe to eat the seafood and the fishing hasn’t been better,” he said.
Camardelle made that statement prior to the start of Thursday’s Grand Isle International Tarpon Rodeo media-day charter fishing trip. The rodeo, which will be held July 28-30, returns after a one-year hiatus following the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that led to a massive oil spill off Louisiana’s coast.
State Rep. Nickie Monica, R-LaPlace, hosted the fishing trip in an effort to promote the 89th annual installment of the rodeo. More than 15 rodeo organizers and media members boarded the Louisiana at 6 a.m. and ventured out more than 25 miles in search of red snapper and mangrove snapper.
After watching a number of fish pulled onto the 65-foot charter boat owned by Steve Tomney, Monica said he would chalk it up as a successful fishing trip.
“We had such a great day of fishing with everyone limiting out on red snapper,” Monica said. “We want people to know the rodeo is coming back, and everyone is ready. We want people to come out and support the island and the Grand Isle International Tarpon Rodeo.”
Monica reiterated Camardelle’s statement that the fish is safe, and said that he is couldn’t wait to get home and put his fish on the grill. Click Link Below For Full Story!
via Tarpon rodeo officials call for support | HoumaToday.com.
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