08.Mar.2010

In an ongoing effort to make world-class anglers available to fishing fans everywhere, FLWOutdoors.com announces the 35th installment of FLW Live Reel Chat. On Monday, March 15, at 2 p.m. Central time (3 p.m. ET), visitors to FLWOutdoors.com will get a chance to correspond directly with National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif. – the 2010 FLW Tour Table Rock Lake winner – in a special live chat-room format.

With nearly $1.4 million in career earnings at FLW Outdoors events, Ehrler has recorded 21 top-10 finishes, including two FLW Tour titles (2006 Forrest Wood Cup, 2010 Table Rock), two FLW Series victories (2010 Lake Shasta, 2009 Lake Havasu) and an American Fishing Series crown (2004 championship).

Not even a quarter of the way through 2010, Ehrler has already staked out his territory as arguably the best bass pro fishing fishing in FLW events. With a tremendous amount of momentum on his side, Ehrler will try to keep his hot streak alive when the Tour visits Lake Norman in Charlotte, N.C., March 24-27.

How to participate in the FLW Live Reel Chat

Participation in FLW Live Reel Chat is simple. Beginning immediately, visitors to FLWOutdoors.com can log on and submit questions for the Brent Ehrler chat. However, if that is not feasible, readers can also wait until the start of the live chat on March 15 and submit questions while the chat is ongoing.

During the March 15 chat, fishing fans will be able to pose questions directly to Ehrler about his most recent FLW Tour win on Table Rock, his past championship wins, the challenges anglers face fishing for a living or anything else that comes to mind.

In addition, bass-fishing fans who missed out on any of the previous FLW Live Reel Chats can view the archived transcripts by clicking here.

FLWOutdoors.com will offer the FLW Live Reel Chat format continually, with regularly scheduled chats occurring after the conclusion of major FLW Outdoors tournaments. Also, additional chats will be added throughout each month as anglers or celebrities become available.

via FLW Live Reel Chat with Brent Ehrler March 15 – FLW Outdoors.

The spread of a deadly brain disease could threaten Ohio’s deer population and the revenue the state receives from hunters.

Chronic Wasting Disease, an illness among deer and elk that causes the brain to deteriorate, has been found in Midwestern states including Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois. So far, Ohio has been successful in keeping the disease out of its deer herd.

“People come from all over the country to hunt our prized deer,” said Larry Mitchell, president of the League of Ohio Sportsmen. “Our big concern is CWD coming into the state.”

That’s why state Sen. Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville, and Rep. Mark Okey, D-Carrollton, have proposed bills to have businesses that keep commercial deer apply for a permit and be subject to fencing requirements and other control measures.

The concern is that deer in breeding facilities and preserves — where operators buy trophy-sized deer from around the country and people pay to hunt them — could become infected, get loose and infect the native deer population. Chronic Wasting Disease can spread through feces, urine and saliva and by animal-to-animal contact.

The bills also would give the Ohio Department of Agriculture sole authority to regulate commercial deer. That’s where the controversy comes in.

Who controls the deer?

In a memo last month, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources opposed the bills because the agency wants to retain oversight of the deer population.

ODNR has regulated hunting preserves — most of which are in central and southern Ohio — since 1953 and deer breeders since 1994, according to the memo. The Department of Agriculture has authority over health issues and already regulates sale of captive deer across state lines, said Jim Lehman, Division of Wildlife law enforcement administrator.

“We want to make sure that we maintain authority over those animals,” Lehman said. “(CWD) is not easy to fix once you’re dealing with it. It’s much easier to prevent it.”

The League of Ohio Sportsmen encourages hunters to call legislators to speak out against the bills.

“Without the Division of Wildlife’s authority, it could get out of hand,” Mitchell said. “If there was a problem with a herd inside a place, the Division of Wildlife would have no control over anything. The department of agriculture does not have the manpower to do this.”

ODNR and the agriculture department are working together to reach a balance on the issue, Lehman said. Gibbs said he and Okey want that balance. Gibbs feels the sportsmen’s opposition is misguided and premature.

“We’re both hunters, and we’re both sportsmen, and we want to protect the deer herd,” he said. “Unfortunately, the ODNR has the sportsmen all riled up. We can sit down and work this out.

“We’re not going to pass a bill that sportsmen aren’t going to be comfortable with.”

Gibbs said he proposed the bill because operators of hunting preserves in his district — including Holmes County, which has four preserves — asked for regulations. Okey did not return a message seeking comment.

“There’s no framework about what the regulations are now,” Gibbs said. “They want a structure in place. I’ve toured the farms, and they’re pretty impressive.

“If something happens, they want to make sure they work with the Ohio Department of Agriculture.”

Sen. Mark Wagoner, R-Ottawa Hills, who represents Ottawa County and is co-sponsoring the Senate bill, said his understanding is the bill would help the state better regulate deer sold as livestock. ODNR would retain oversight of the native deer herd, he said.

“It’s a bill that makes sense and should be at least considered,” he said.

The agriculture department monitors domestic deer that are sold across state lines, said Robert Boggs, Ohio Department of Agriculture director.

The department oversees shipping, making sure shipments match the manifest, Boggs said.

“We just keep them honest,” he said. “You don’t get three strikes and you’re out. You’re out on the first strike.”

A captive deer must go through five years of inspections before being considered disease-free, he said. If farms don’t have that certification, they can’t market their animals.

His agency and ODNR work together, he said. The agriculture department tests for diseases among the animals, and ODNR uses its 137 wildlife officers to monitor deer across the state.

“They’re very important in enforcement in keeping us informed in other parts of the state,” Boggs said. “We have no problem with them, and they have no problem with us.”

Since July 2007, ODNR’s wildlife officers have conducted 395 inspections of deer-holding facilities. They documented 41 issues or problems and filed 16 charges, including conspiracy and interstate transportation of non-certified deer.

“The Division of Wildlife, with its significant numbers of well-trained law enforcement officers, is uniquely suited to dealing with laws and rules dealing with captive (deer),” according to the ODNR memo.

Gibbs, however, said wildlife officers’ visits to the preserves have been sporadic. He thinks more stringent oversight would be beneficial.

His and Okey’s bills propose to have breeders and operators of hunting preserves apply for a permit to keep commercial deer — which would come with a $300 fee. If approved, they would be subject to state regulations.

“If you don’t want to be involved with it, you stay the same,” he said. “This is voluntary.”

Regulations including criteria for fencing, records of all deer kept, sold and killed on the property and tissue samples of 10 percent of the operation’s deer, according to the bill.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture works with deer farmers more than ODNR does, Gibbs said.

“We do have interest in the bill, but only the disease portion,” Boggs said.

Boggs commended Okey for moving to take more precautions against Chronic Wasting Disease.

“It’s something we think will move us much further on in terms of the disease,” he said.

mkhorn@gannett.com

via Officials hunt for way to keep herd healthy | mansfieldnewsjournal.com | Mansfield News Journal.

FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto

Florida is known, near and far, as the “Fishing Capital of the World” and with good reason. But the Sunshine State also enjoys some pretty good hunting opportunities, with arguably the best gator and wild hog hunting around. And Florida is home to one game animal that has hunters from all over the world planning trips here for the chance at harvesting one of these fine birds.

I’m talking about the Osceola wild turkey, also known as the Florida turkey.

What really makes the Osceola special is that it lives on the Florida peninsula and nowhere else in the world. That fact alone makes the bird extremely popular with out-of-state hunters who might be trying to complete a Wild Turkey Grand Slam by harvesting each of the four subspecies that occur in the United States – those being the eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam and the Osceola.

When it comes to appearance, the Osceola looks very similar to the eastern subspecies, found in the Panhandle, portions of North Florida and the rest of the eastern United States and parts of Canada. The Osceola, however, tends to be a bit smaller and typically a darker shade with less white barring on the flight feathers of its wings.

The most noticeable difference is the white bars on the Osceola’s primary flight feathers; they’re narrower, with an irregular, broken pattern, and they don’t extend all the way to the feather shaft, as compared to the eastern.

When you observe a turkey in a relaxed posture, the whitish, triangular patch that is formed when its wings are folded across its back is less noticeable on the Osceola than it is on the eastern, because of the reduced white barring on the Osceola. Another visible difference is the feathers of an Osceola tend to show more iridescent green and red coloring, while the eastern’s feathers have more of a bronze coloring to them.

Now, it can be argued that the truer Osceola turkey is found in the southern portion of the state. But to help clarify for hunters where each subspecies resides, for record-keeping purposes, the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recognize any wild turkey harvested within or south of the counties of Dixie, Gilchrist, Alachua, Union, Bradford, Clay and Duval to be the Osceola subspecies. Eastern turkeys occur north and west of these counties into the Panhandle.

And regarding turkey hunting, I am very pleased to announce that in February at the FWC meeting in Apalachicola, Commissioners passed into law a new rule, establishing a special, two-day youth turkey hunt the weekend prior to the opening of spring turkey season in each hunting zone. I need to mention, though, that this youth spring turkey hunt weekend applies only to private property and does not come into play until the 2011 spring turkey season.

Only those under 16 years old are allowed to harvest a turkey while supervised by an adult, 18 years or older during the new youth season. However, any adult supervisor who has a hunting license and turkey permit will be allowed to “call in” a turkey and otherwise participate in the hunt, but only the youths will be permitted to harvest one.

So, this spring, you can expect to see some new hunters in our turkey woods, and I’d like to personally welcome them to our great state. After all, these visitors help stimulate our economy, plus, there’s plenty of Osceola longbeards to go around.

Good luck and happy hunting.

via Bagging an Osceola turkey is a big deal for sportsmen | osceol – Sports – ChipleyPaper.com.

The reintroduction of wolves to western habitats has met with plenty of controversy. Landowners, sportsmen and conservation groups have been on one side or the other since the project began. And now the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) is calling the bluff of pro-wolf groups like Defenders of Wildlife, Western Wildlife Conservancy and others for their manipulative use of data concerning the relationships between elk and wolves.

The rub lies in these groups’ use of RMEF statistics that supposedly show an increase in elk populations in the northern Rockies as a result of the wolf reintroduction program. Letters to the editor in western newspapers by these groups, coupled with Western Wildlife Conservancy Executive Director Kirk Robinson’s testimony before Utah lawmakers prompted the RMEF to take action and set the record straight.

“The theory that wolves haven’t had a significant adverse impact on some elk populations is not accurate. We’ve become all too familiar with these groups’ tactics of cherry-picking select pieces of information to support their own agenda, even when it is misleading,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We will not allow that claim to go unchallenged.”

The RMEF gets its data from state wildlife agencies. Information shows that elk populations are expanding in the northern Rockies, but only in areas where wolves aren’t present.

And quite the opposite is true where elk share habitat with wolves such as the greater Yellowstone area. Since the reintroduction of gray wolves to the area in the mid-1990s, the northern Yellowstone elk herd has plummeted from 17,000 animals to just over 7,000 animals. Other localities in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are also documenting downward trends.

Additionally, some research shows that high wolf numbers in areas can cause elk to experience nutritional problems, lower body weights and declining birth rates.

“Every wildlife conservation agency, both state and federal, working at ground zero of wolf restoration —Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming — has abundant data to demonstrate how under-managed wolf populations can compromise local elk herds and local livestock production,” Allen said. “There’s just no dispute, and emotion-over-science is not the way to professionally manage wildlife.”

The RMEF continues to support state-regulated wolf management to include hunting and other viable methods. When populations of furbearers like wolves get too high without any control, disease becomes a problem as seen in packs of Yellowstone wolves.

“When wolves are too abundant, they’re more susceptible to diseases, just like all wildlife. The viruses and mange now spreading through wolf packs is another sign of way too many wolves,” said Allen. “Defenders of Wildlife would like to spin sick wolves as a reason to end hunting. But real conservationists know that diseased wildlife populations need better management. Hunting as a management tool delivers that, period.”

“Remember, pro-wolf groups make their living by prolonging this conflict,” he added. “There is no real incentive for them to admit that wolves are overly recovered. Fundraising is their major motive and they’ve built a goldmine by filing lawsuits and preaching that nature will find its own equilibrium between predators and prey if man would just leave it alone.

“That’s a myth. The truth is that people are the most important part of the equation. This isn’t the Wild West anymore. People live here — actually, quite a lot of us. So our land and resources must be managed. Wildlife must be managed. Radical spikes and dips in populations show that we should be doing it better. It’s not profitable for plaintiffs, but the rest of us would be better served if the conflict ended and conservation professionals were allowed to get on with their business of managing wildlife, including a well regulated hunting strategy.”

The RMEF first got involved in wolf litigation in 2009 and supported defendant agencies by filing legal briefs in federal court to help delist wolves and proceed with hunting — “facts conveniently ignored by groups who misuse our name, data and credibility to prolong the conflict,” Allen said.

“We stand for elk and other wildlife and what is happening right now is simply not good wildlife management,” he concluded.

via Wolf supporters howling | CJOnline.com.

The nine-member Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission recommends hunting, fishing and boating regulations to the General Assembly. Legislators must approve all recommendations before they become law.

Proposed Deer Zone Changes

Commission members proposed several deer hunting zone changes for the upcoming season. Bullitt, Hardin, Hart and Nelson counties would go from zone 1 to zone 2. Adair, Barren, Butler, Cumberland, Daviess, Edmonson, Hancock, Marion, Metcalfe, Monroe, Ohio, Simpson, Taylor and Warren counties would go from zone 2 to zone 3. Clinton, Garrard, Knox, Laurel, Russell and Whitley counties would go from zone 3 to zone 4. Caldwell County would go from zone 2 to zone 1.

Higher zone numbers are more restrictive than lower zone numbers. Placing a county in a more restrictive zone generally helps to increase deer numbers in that county.

Under another proposal, late muzzleloader season deer hunters in zone 4 counties could only take antlerless deer (does or a buck without visible antlers) during the last three days of the season. The first six days of the nine-day late muzzleloader season in zone 4 would be for antlered deer (bucks) only.

Proposed 2010-11 Deer Seasons

Statewide all zones:
Archery (buck or doe) – Sept. 4, 2010 – Jan. 17, 2011

Crossbow (buck or doe) – Oct. 1-17 and Nov. 13 –

Dec. 31

Early Youth Weekend (buck or doe) – Oct. 9-10

Early Muzzleloader (Zones 1, 2 and 3 buck or doe, Zone 4 antlered buck only) – Oct. 16-17

Late Muzzleloader (Zones 1, 2 and 3 buck or doe) – Dec. 11-19

Late Muzzleloader (Zone 4 antlered buck only) – Dec. 11-16; buck or doe – Dec. 17-19

Late Youth Weekend (buck or doe) – Jan. 1-2, 2011

Zones 1 and 2:
Modern Firearms (buck or doe) – Nov. 13-28

Zones 3 and 4:
Modern Firearms (Zone 3 buck or doe, Zone 4 antlered buck only)

– Nov. 13-22

Deer harvest limits remain the same as last year.

Proposed WMA Deer Hunting Changes

The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission also proposed changes to deer hunting regulations on wildlife management areas (WMAs) for the upcoming season. Commission members proposed eliminating the bonus WMA quota hunt deer permit. This means a hunter would no longer be able to harvest a second buck using a bonus WMA quota permit. This would not apply to managed hunts on federal military property, such as Fort Knox.

Also, hunters could only harvest one deer a day on WMAs, except during some quota gun hunts. Several changes were also proposed to hunting regulations on individual WMAs and state parks. Each of these changes will appear in the 2010-11 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, available this July. Look for the guide online at fw.ky.gov, or wherever vendors sell hunting licenses.

Proposed Elk Hunt Changes for 2010-11

Commission members proposed issuing 800 permits through Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s quota elk hunt drawing for the upcoming season. Of this number, 600 would be valid for antlerless elk (cow or a bull without visible antlers). Another 125 permits would be valid for bulls with a minimum of four antler points on at least one side. The remaining 75 elk hunting permits would be spike permits, valid for bull elk with up to two antler points on each side.

The number of permits issued for the special youth-only elk hunt in September remains at five.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife commission members also proposed eliminating the November gun season for antlerless elk (cows or a bull without visible antlers). Last year, cow elk hunters could use rifles during November’s modern gun season for deer. Hunters with an antlerless elk permit could still use rifles or muzzleloaders during their assigned week in December.

Other proposed changes for this season include:

Subdividing elk hunting unit 3 into two subunits to help spread hunting pressure. Unit 3 is located southeast of Hindman, bordered by KY 80, U.S. 23 and KY 15.
Increasing the amount of property open for the September youth elk hunt.
Eliminating metal permit tags.
Eliminating the deer permit requirement for those hunting elk outside southeastern Kentucky’s 16-county elk restoration zone. Hunters still must have an out-of-zone elk permit, however.
Limiting the number of times a hunter could be drawn for a bull elk permit. Under this proposal, a hunter drawn for a bull elk permit could not apply for another bull permit for the next three years. However, the hunter could continue to apply for a cow elk permit. This is designed to increase the number of people hunting elk in Kentucky for the first time.
Allowing a young hunter to only be drawn once for the special September youth hunt. After being drawn, the hunter could not apply for the youth hunt again. However, the hunter could enter the general drawing for an elk hunt.

2010-11 Elk Season

Firearms
Week 1 (bull) – Oct. 2-8

Week 2 (bull) – Oct. 9-15

Week 1 (cow) – Dec.11-17

Week 2 (cow) – Dec. 18-24

Archery
Week 1 (bull) – Oct. 2-8, and Oct.16, 2010 – Jan. 17, 2011

Week 2 (bull) – Oct. 9, 2010 – Jan. 17, 2011

Week 1 (cow) – Oct. 16 – Dec. 17 and Dec. 25, 2010 – Jan. 17, 2011

Week 2 (cow) – Oct.16 – Dec. 10 and Dec.18, 2010 – Jan. 17, 2011

Crossbow
Week 1 (bull) – Oct. 2-8, Oct. 16-17 and Nov.13 – Dec. 31

Week 2 (bull) – Oct. 9-17, and Nov. 13 – Dec. 31

Week 1 (cow) – Oct. 16-17, Nov.13 – Dec.17 and Dec. 25-31

Week 2 (cow) – Oct. 16-17, Nov.13- Dec. 10 and Dec.18 – 31

Youth-only
Sept. 25-27

The next Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting will be 8 a.m. Eastern time, June 11. Meetings are held at the Arnold Mitchell Building, located at 1 Sportsman’s Lane in Frankfort. Persons wishing to be placed on the meeting agenda to speak before the Commission on an issue should notify Kentucky Fish and Wildlife in writing at least 30 days in advance. People who are hearing impaired and plan to attend the meeting should contact Kentucky Fish and Wildlife at least 10 days in advance. The agency will provide a translator. Send requests for placement on the meeting agenda to:

Dr. Jon Gassett, Commissioner

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife

1 Sportsman’s Lane

Frankfort, Ky. 40601.

If you hunt deer, you’ve heard the question — possibly asked it yourself: “How many deer are in Pennsylvania?”

Some kind of answer may be on the horizon. The long-awaited “deer audit,” released Feb. 16 to the state Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC), says the Pennsylvania Game Commission should make public the deer population estimates it uses to set antlerless license allocations.

Titled “The Deer Management Program of the Pennsylvania Game Commission: A Comprehensive Review and Evaluation,” the nonbinding review of the deer management plan was conducted by Wildlife Management Institute (WMI), a non-political organization based in Washington, D.C. WMI has conducted similar reviews of fish and wildlife programs in 40 states and four Canadian provinces. In view of hunter discontent with the Game Commission's current deer program, LBFC commissioned the audit to determine if the program was scientifically sound.

“The PGC should publish the estimates of population size and age and sex structure …,” the audit states. “WMI does not agree that population estimates need to be shielded from the public. Doing so, in WMI’s view, has weakened the trust placed in the PGC by the public and has affected the agency’s credibility.”

The Deer Management Program of the Pennsylvania Game Commission

How many of the state's 800,000 deer hunters have read the audit isn’t known, but many who have appear to agree.

“I don’t see why making the population estimates public is a problem,” said Randy Santucci, southwest director for the Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania. “Transparency in government is always positive. Yes, the trend analysis is there, but we don’t see any quantifiable data to support [the PGC's] qualitative approach. It’s all very abstract.”

In April 2008, Unified Sportsmen filed a lawsuit against the Game Commission alleging that the agency “improperly authorized the decimation of Pennsylvania’s deer herd.”

Jerry Feaser, Game Commission press secretary, admits that his agency has population estimates for each wildlife management unit, but maintains the estimates themselves are not the point.

“[The audit] is suggesting that we offer population estimates to the public. We will discuss that, but obviously it will reignite the controversy over a number, which, while satisfying that interest does nothing to further management,” Feaser said. “An exact number is irrelevant to the goal of this program, which is to balance hunting recreation with the impacts deer have on society and on their own habitat.”

Feaser said there’s a “pitfall” in focusing on numbers.

“We don’t have an estimated number of deer, we have a range,” he said. “[Exact numbers] draw attention away from the real issues. Tracking the trends is what’s important, and we do that.”

Despite WMI’s suggestion that PGC publish its population estimates, the audit commended the deer program in concept.

“All parties interested in deer management in Pennsylvania can be confident in the ability of the PGC to track deer population trends at the statewide and wildlife management unit scale through the SAK [sex-age-kill estimating model],” the audit states.  Click link below for full story!

via Hunting: ‘Deer audit’ recommends Game Commission release population estimates.

By Jeff Samsel

Dozens of streams that are large enough to float in canoes provide a wealth of opportunities to target mixed bags of black bass, which are normally dominated by smallmouths.

Kentucky, the black bass state. OK, maybe it doesn’t have quite the same ring as the Bluegrass State. Nevertheless, anyone who has spent much time bass fishing in Kentucky knows how fitting this nickname would be. Beyond boasting an enormous numbers of bass-supporting rivers and lakes, Kentucky offers outstanding variety to its black bass fishermen. Largemouths, smallmouths and spots (commonly called Kentucky bass) all inhabit various waterways, and fine bass-fishing waters range from small municipal lakes to the mighty Ohio River and vary in character from shallow and turbid to deep and clear.

Along with so many waterways comes an even greater need for proper management, and fisheries biologists with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) are working tirelessly to meet those needs. Black bass research biologist Chris Hickey heads statewide black bass management efforts; he works closely with district biologists, who monitor fisheries and carry out management plans for all species within their respective regions.  Click link below for full story!

via Kentucky Bass Forecast- Kentucky Game and Fish.

I am still waiting on circulation to return to my fingertips after spending a few days on the lake last weekend in frigid temperatures. As I wait to regain feeling, I also wait for warm weather to arrive.

By this time of year outdoors enthusiasts usually have a couple of adventures under their belts. Whether it is a hike, fishing trip or late-season hunt, February usually opens small windows of mild weather to break the spell of winter. This year, most outdoor-minded people are cursing the groundhog who saw its shadow and waiting for the ice, snow and wind to subside.

There is some good to come from the lingering arctic weather. Granted, this is not much consolation to those chomping at the bit to get outside, but the cold weather will improve future outdoor prospects.

Anglers should be the biggest beneficiaries of this long winter. As long as the water temperatures hover just above freezing, the shad population in the lakes will decrease. Shad die in water below 40 degrees and Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley will benefit from a massive shad die-off.

The immediate advantage of a shad kill is that anglers will encounter larger fish. Gamefish are gorging themselves on these dying shad and their girth will show come spring. In cold water, shad becomes almost completely paralyzed as they near death, and become prime targets for predators. Incapable of escaping, a large shad becomes a quick and easy meal for a predators.

Fewer shad should also result in a better spawn. The fry of this year’s spawn will have less competition as they feed on the same plankton as shad species.

There is an overlap between young threadfin, gizzards and young gamefish for the same plankton in shallow water during the spring and summer. Less shad should mean better population and growth rates of gamefish in future years.

All outdoorsmen will benefit from the harsh winters effect on insect populations. While the cold weather will not completely wipe out annoying insects, it may make outings more enjoyable.

Turkey hunters should see a reduction in ticks this spring. Hikers and campers will not be devoured by mosquitoes during summer evenings and early season bowhunters should be more comfortable in their tree stands come September.

All this time I spend inside allows me to reflect on the good that may come from this long winter. We may not appreciate it now, but come spring and summer we can all reap the benefits of these cold days. Until then I will wait – for the feeling to return to my extremities, the arrival of warmer weather and the opportunity to take advantage of the harsh winter.

via The Murray State News – The Great Outdoors 2-19-10.

As the new license year approaches, Kentucky’s hunting, trapping and fishing opportunities remain one of the state’s best recreational values. Families are pinching pennies wherever they can find them, and licenses offer an incredible value not only for a year’s worth of fun on the lake or in the woods, but for plenty of chances to bring home dinner at a bargain price.

“A fishing license is a great deal for families looking for cost-effective recreation,” said Benjy Kinman, deputy commissioner and former director of fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “Kids under 16 fish free and parents pay less than the cost of a night at the movies to fish all year long, or they may simply purchase a one-day license. Fishing gets everyone outdoors, away from the TV. Fishing is an enjoyable escape and creates lifetime memories.”

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife stocks more than four million fish each year into the state’s lakes, rivers and streams. The department builds and maintains public fishing piers and bank fishing access areas, enforces fishing and boating laws to ensure public safety and protection of fishery resources, and runs an expanding Fishing in Neighborhoods Program (FINs) to provide urban area residents with a place to fish nearby. License dollars create so much opportunity that Kentucky is known beyond its borders as a fishing destination.

Money from license sales produces many of the same benefits on land. Deer and turkeys, whose numbers dwindled in the early twentieth century, now thrive in Kentucky. The state routinely ranks in the country’s top five for Boone and Crockett trophy deer taken. A healthy elk population now roams eastern Kentucky, along with a growing number of black bears. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife continues its concentrated habitat efforts to stabilize and rebuild small game numbers statewide.

“Through purchasing a license, you are contributing to the conservation and management of wildlife in Kentucky,” said Karen Waldrop, wildlife division director for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “License money pays for the restoration of species like deer and turkey, land acquisition, and the continued management of fish and wildlife habitat and populations.”

Education programs reach hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians each year through classroom conservation education, conservation camps, hunter safety courses, aquatic education and more. Since the department receives no tax dollars from Kentucky’s general fund, none of this would be possible without the support of license buyers.

Some of the most popular licenses include the annual fishing license, which is just $20; a resident combination hunting and fishing license for $30, which covers fishing, as well as hunting for small game and furbearer species; and a statewide deer permit, $30 for Kentucky residents, which in combination with an annual hunting license allows the holder to take two deer – one antlered and one antlerless, or two antlerless. Families will find a great value in licenses – a joint husband and wife fishing license is available for $36, and kids under 12 don’t have to buy most hunting licenses at all.

Sportsmen and sportswomen who fish and hunt for multiple species could find themselves paying up to $145 for the licenses and permits needed to take deer, turkeys, small game, ducks and geese, furbearers and all species of fish. This is why Kentucky Fish and Wildlife offers a Sportsman’s License. It’s a package deal that shaves $50 off the cost of buying those licenses and permits separately. The $95 Sportsman’s License, available only to Kentucky residents, includes a combination hunting and fishing license, a statewide deer permit, spring and fall turkey permits, a state waterfowl permit and a trout permit. It’s like having year-long movie tickets or a season pass to your favorite amusement park. The only extras hunters need are a federal duck stamp to hunt waterfowl, and an additional permit if they want to hunt at Peabody Wildlife Management Area or Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. A bear hunting permit, trapping license and an elk lottery application must also be purchased separately.

For complete licensing information, pick up a copy of the 2010-11 Kentucky Fishing and Boating Guide, or the 2010 Kentucky Hunting Guide for Spring Turkey & Squirrel, available online at fw.ky.gov and wherever licenses are sold.

Getting a good value for your money is more important than ever. Kentucky hunting, trapping and fishing licenses are still one of the best deals around. Fore more information, call Kentucky Fish and Wildlife toll-free at 1-800-858-1549, or go online to fw.ky.gov

via Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources – The Value Of A Hunting And Fishing License.

Hailing from Purlear, N.C., Johnston emerged from a preliminary field of 48 callers to win the Senior Division of the Wild Turkey Bourbon/NWTF Grand National Calling Championships.

“It’s very surreal. It’s obviously a dream come true,” said Johnston, who finished fifth in 2009. “The first phone call I made was to my wife because she didn’t travel here with me this year. As soon as I heard her voice, we both kind of lost it. It was a special moment. I mean this is the best feeling you can have as a turkey caller. It’s hitting a grand slam or winning the Super Bowl.”

Every February, callers from all over the nation flock to the NWTF’s National Convention and Sport Show to compete in the championships. At this year’s convention, sponsored by MidwayUSA , the calling championships had more than $25,000 in cash and prizes going to the top callers. Seats filled up quickly with onlookers wanting see and hear the terrific turkey talk.

In the Senior Division, callers are asked to perform a series of calls that imitate a single wild turkey hen. Some of these calls include the yelp, cluck and purr, kee kee run and tree call. A panel of seven expert judges score each call and the slightest mistake can virtually eliminate a caller from contention.

“Winning a title at the Grand National Turkey Calling Championships is like reaching the summit of a mountain. There is no higher place among the turkey calling’s elite,” said George Thornton, NWTF CEO. “The atmosphere in the room during the trophy presentation is electric. Raising the first-place trophy at these contests means that you have beaten the best callers in the world.”

Each year, thousands of outdoor enthusiasts and NWTF supporters rally at the NWTF National Convention and Sport Show. The event features the Grand National Calling Championships, seminars from hunting pros, more than 550 vendor booths, top entertainers at evening functions and more.

The NWTF is a nonprofit conservation organization that works daily to further its mission of conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage.

Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its members have helped restore wild turkey populations across the country, spending more than $306 million to conserve 14 million acres of habitat for all types of wildlife.

For more information about the NWTF’s National Convention and Sport Show or the NWTF, visit nwtf.org or call (800) THE-NWTF.