Archery Range Opens In Madison County

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A new archery range is now open to the public at the Miller Welch-Central Kentucky Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Madison County.

Constructed on the northern edge of the WMA along Muddy Creek Road, the archery range consists of is a 12-target traditional range and a 30-target course through the woods, said Derek Beard, wildlife coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ Bluegrass Region.

Archers are already excited about the new facilities. “We had people using the range within minutes of putting up the final signs at the entrance and opening the gates,” he said.

Beard said the new ranges in Madison County will provide opportunity for area archers, bowhunters, and for groups such as sportsmen’s organizations, 4-H clubs, scouts, schools and church organizations. “With archery being one of fastest growing sports in the U.S. today, the new ranges will allow for expanded public archery opportunity within close driving distance of one of our fastest growing populations,” Beard explained.

The traditional static range includes 12 lanes with targets set at 10 meters and 15 meters, in addition to targets at 20 yards to 60 yards. Archers shoot into large outdoor archery targets that are secured into target sheds. The second range is a walking woods course consisting of a loop trail with lanes cut and a target placed at the end of each shooting lane. Archers can move within the lane to a comfortable distance ranging from 10 yards up to 65 yards.

The new ranges are open daily from 9 a.m. eastern time to sunset. To reduce impact to targets, broadheads are not allowed on arrows. Groups may apply to reserve a range for a shooting event, by submitting a WMA User Permit Application to the Area Manager for consideration. Call (859) 986-4130 for more information.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife also has archery ranges at Jones-Keeney WMA in Caldwell County, Curtis Gates Lloyd WMA in Grant County, Otter Creek Outdoor Recreational Area in Meade County and West Kentucky WMA in McCracken County.

For a complete listing of shooting and archery ranges on Kentucky’s wildlife management areas, go online to www.fw.ky.gov and click onto the “Maps and Online Services” tab, followed by “Other KDFWR Maps.”

Hunters Find Sandhills Challenging During Kentucky’s Inaugural Crane Season

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Larry Dreamis Hill failed in his quest to take a bird during Kentucky’s inaugural sandhill crane hunting season – but says it wasn’t for lack of effort.

“These birds were extremely challenging and seemed to change their patterns a little every day. I really enjoyed the challenge and look forward to future seasons of pursuing this bird. I remember when the first sandhill cranes showed up in Cecilia (in Hardin County) years ago – now I have the opportunity to hunt them. It’s very exciting,” said Hill, Cecilia’s retired fire chief.

Kentucky’s first modern hunting season for sandhill cranes came to a close Sunday, Jan. 15. The month-long season marked the first time in nearly 100 years that Kentucky sportsmen and sportswomen had the opportunity to hunt sandhill cranes in the Commonwealth. By closing day, hunters had harvested 50 birds. Kentucky had allowed for a maximum harvest of 400 sandhill cranes.

“The harvest number was not surprising to us because Kentucky does not have a tradition of sandhill crane hunting,” said Rocky Pritchert, Migratory Bird Program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “These are extremely wary birds and are a challenge to hunt. Sandhill cranes are hunted in a fashion similar to geese, using decoys in fields. Sandhill cranes are hunted for their meat. They are generally regarded as the finest table fare among migratory birds.”

Kentucky was the first state to allow sandhill crane hunting on the Eastern Population of sandhill cranes. The Mid-Continent Population of sandhill cranes has been hunted for more than 50 years in the United States.

Last fall, a survey coordinated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service counted a minimum of 72,000 sandhill cranes in the Eastern Population. “This population has experienced significant growth over the last decade and has reached a point where we can allow a limited harvest without impacting the population,” said Pritchert. “As a biologist it is my responsibility to ensure harvest does not negatively impact the population and this season will not harm the Eastern Population of sandhill cranes.”

This season, most of the cranes were harvested in Hardin and Barren counties. These are traditional wintering areas for sandhill cranes in Kentucky.

Hunters had to pass an online identification course before being issued a permit. Hunters will have to complete a post-season survey as well.

“The information obtained from these surveys helps us better understand how the season went,” said Pritchert. “The information obtained from this hunt will help us manage future hunts of sandhill hunts in Kentucky and other states that might potentially hunt sandhill cranes.”

Wild pigs on the rise in Kentucky | Kentucky.com

By Karla Ward — kward1@herald-leader.com

Randy Kelley has engaged in a frustrating and discouraging battle the past four or five years on his Henry County farm.

His 200-pound foe: a wild pig. Actually, that should be plural because these pigs tend to run in herds.

"They’re just rooting my farm up," Kelley said. "They just go through your fields and tear it all to pieces. … You never get it back like it was."

Kelley’s 155-acre property in the Bethlehem community is just one example of what the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources calls a disturbing trend. An invasion of wild hogs in counties throughout the state is leaving muddy bogs of overturned ground and ruined crops in its wake.

Feral swine have been in isolated areas of the state for decades, but in 2008, officials started seeing an increase in reports of wild hogs in areas where they had not been seen before, said Steven Dobey, wildlife program coordinator for the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The pigs have a documented presence in 37 counties, he said. That’s up from 23 counties in 2009.

While they are most concentrated in parts of Western Kentucky, the hogs have also been found in other parts of the state, including Scott County, although Dobey said the population seems to be declining there. Click Link Below For Full Story!

via Wild pigs on the rise in Kentucky | State | Kentucky.com.

Patience Pays Off For Kentucky Hunter Who Took 180-Inch Buck | Outdoor Life

By Travis Faulkner

When you’re a father and hardcore deer hunter, it can be extremely difficult to juggle a demanding work schedule and family commitments with fall hunting. This is exactly the dilemma that Josh Hunt found himself facing during the magical month of November. In addition, Hunt had promised his 7-year-old son that he would get the first shot during Kentucky’s annual modern rifle season.

Needless to say, this guy was really feeling the pressure to tag-out with his bow. As a result, he decided to take the second week of November off from work and hunt from daylight until dark. Hunt’s perseverance and dedication was finally rewarded during the last day of his vacation. Here is how his amazing hunt unfolded.

During the first part of Hunt’s vacation, he was seeing a lot of deer activity near his treestand. He was setup directly between two bedding areas with thick cover, which allowed him to catch bucks cruising back and forth for receptive does. In fact, Hunt almost shot a 150-class bruiser the weekend before his vacation started, but the buck busted him when he was drawing his bow. At the time, Hunt felt like he had been gut-punched and that another opportunity would probably not present itself before the opening of gun season.  Click Link Below For Full Story!

via Patience Pays Off For Kentucky Hunter Who Took 180-Inch Buck | Outdoor Life.

Alaska Guiding Legend Joe Hendricks Charged With 34 Felonies | Alaska Dispatch

Craig Medred

One of Alaska’s oldest and most respected big-game guides has been charged with 34 felonies related to illegal hunting in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, most of them alleging that he allowed another unidentified guide to use his exclusive guide area. Joe Hendricks, reached by phone at a winter home in Kentucky, said he couldn’t talk much about the lengthy indictment handed down on Dec. 14, but seemed mainly worried about what it would do to his reputation.

“This is going to mortify my daughter,” he said.

Hendricks’ business, Fair Chase Hunts, has been guiding big game hunters to trophy Brooks Range sheep and monster Kodiak Island grizzly bears for more than four decades. “I’ve had an impeccable record for 45 years,” he said. He hinted that it might have been tarnished now by one of the people with whom he has been doing business in the Arctic. “It’s pretty much assistant guide stuff,” he said.

Alaska has a complicated guiding system that parcels out hunting opportunities to a select handful of master and registered guides. They are then free to hire state-licensed assistant guides to work for them. As it now exists, the system is similar to limited entry in the commercial fisheries off Alaska’s coast. The idea behind such systems is to ensure viable incomes for the people who work in them and, theoretically, to enlist the help of these businessmen to protect public resources as wise stewards of Alaska’s resources.   Click Link Below For Full Story!

via Alaska Guiding Legend Joe Hendricks Charged With 34 Felonies | Alaska Dispatch.

Kentucky Hunter Takes 18-Point Monster Buck | Outdoor Life

By Travis Faulkner

Sometimes in life we don’t always get our first choice, but that’s not always a bad thing. For example, recently a hunter named Greg Allen decided to go ahead and cash in his one Kentucky buck tag on a deer that was actually not his first choice. However, it would be pretty difficult for any serious whitetail hunter to let a giant 18-point buck walk in order to hold out for something bigger. Here is an inside look at how this amazing hunt unfolded in Washington County, Kentucky just a few weeks ago.  Click Link Below For Full Story!

via Kentucky Hunter Takes 18-Point Monster Buck | Outdoor Life.

Hunters Take Four Black Bears During Kentucky’s 2011 Season

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Hunters took four black bears during Kentucky’s third season for the bruins, held during the weekend of Dec. 10-11.

Neil Perkins, of Hallie, Ky., took a 350-pound male bear in Letcher County that is the heaviest bear taken since Kentucky’s first bear season in 2009, said Steven Dobey, bear program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Hunters took two bears in Letcher County and two in Harlan County.

Snow and ice storms created difficult hunting conditions during Kentucky’s two previous bear seasons. A total of six bears have now been taken in three seasons. Hunters purchased 484 permits for the 2011 hunt.

Black bears moved into Kentucky by natural range expansion from West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee. At the present time only three southeastern counties – Harlan, Letcher and Pike – are open to bear hunting in Kentucky.

“Our highest bear densities are on Pine Mountain, which runs through Harlan and Letcher counties and extends into Pike County along its southeastern boundary,” said Dobey. “Harlan and Letcher counties border Virginia, which has had a fall bear season for decades.”

Hunters are required to register their harvest online or over the telephone through the state’s Telecheck system. Hunters are also required to bring the bears to a check station so biologists can collect information on the bear’s age, sex, weight, body measurements, and the presence of tags or tattoos used to mark some animals.

Perkins’ bear had some history. “We had captured him in May 2010 in Hyden, Ky., in Leslie County for nuisance-related behavior, and released on Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA,” said Dobey. “At that time he weighed about 200 pounds.”

Dobey said the bear likely weighed more than 400 pounds before it was field dressed.

Kentucky Afield Outdoors: Questions And Answers For Modern Gun Deer Season

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Modern gun season for deer, the highlight of the fall hunting calendar, opens Nov. 12, 2011.

Hunters often wonder about rules and regulations concerning deer hunting. Here are some FAQs (frequently asked questions) about Kentucky’s most popular big game hunting season:

Q: Does modern gun season for deer open on Nov. 12 every year?

A: No. It opens statewide on the second Saturday in November. The actual date changes annually due to calendar shift.

Q: How long is modern gun season open?

A: Kentucky’s 120 counties are divided into four deer management zones. Counties in Zones 1-2 have a 16-day season (Nov. 12-27) and there’s a 10-day season in the counties of Zones 3-4 (Nov. 12-21).

Q: How many bucks can a hunter take during modern gun season?

A: All hunters have a bag limit of one antlered deer per season, no matter what they hunt with (modern gun, bow, crossbow, or muzzleloader), or the seasons they choose to hunt.

Q: How many antlerless deer (does) can a hunter take during modern gun season?

A: In the Zone 1 counties, hunters may take an unlimited number of antlerless deer. There’s no “daily” bag limit on deer. In Zones 2-4, the combined bag limit for all deer seasons is four deer. Hunters are reminded that in the Zone 4 counties, antlerless deer may not be taken during modern gun season.

Q: How do hunters check in the deer they take during modern gun season?

A: Hunters now have three Telecheck options: The first is to call (800) CHK-GAME (245-4263). The second and third options are online. Visit the department’s website at fw.ky.gov from a home computer or laptop, or a phone with a web browser, and follow the prompts. All deer taken in Kentucky must be Telechecked.

Q: Can hunters use archery gear or muzzleloaders during modern gun season for deer?

A: Yes; any legal rifle, handgun, bow, crossbow or muzzleloader may be used. All deer hunters must wear hunter orange clothing and must follow all firearm season restrictions, zone guidelines and other hunting requirements.

Q: A 30-year old resident who is new to hunting wants to know what license and permits are required for modern gun deer season. A co-worker invited him to hunt on their family’s farm.

A: Kentucky residents must purchase an annual hunting license and deer permit. Additionally, anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1975 must carry a valid hunter education course completion card while hunting. Anyone hunting for the first time is also eligible to buy a hunter education exemption permit. This permit allows apprentice hunters to hunt for one year without a hunter education card. The permit requires its holder to hunt with a licensed, adult hunter who meets the hunter education requirement.

Q: Where can a hunter get more information about Kentucky’s deer seasons?

A: A summary of Kentucky’s deer season dates, a list of counties in the various management zones and other important laws can be found in the 2011-12 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, a 66-page booklet that’s available wherever licenses are sold. Also, deer season regulations are posted online at: fw.ky.gov.

Kentucky Afield Outdoors – Early Muzzleloader Deer Season

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The first of two seasons created especially for hunters who want to take deer with muzzleloading firearms is coming up.

Kentucky’s early muzzleloader deer season, which debuted in 1990, will be held this year on the weekend of Oct. 15-16.

In the past decade, the muzzleloader deer harvest has averaged 16,272 deer a year. A high of 19,918 was taken during the 2004-05 season, and a low of 13,179 bagged last season.

“Because it’s in mid-October, our early muzzleloader season often gets impacted by hot weather,” said Tina Brunjes, deer and elk program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The amount of mast (acorns) available to deer is also a factor in how many deer are taken.

“A bad mast year pushes deer out into the open, to forage fields and food plots, and that tends to increase the harvest,” said Brunjes.

Wildlife biologists checking trees on 45 routes across the state as part of the department’s annual mast survey found that 30 percent of the white oaks and 76 percent of the red oaks produced acorns this year.

The department’s mast survey has been conducted annually for over 50 years. “In 2007, we adopted a standardized protocol of checking marked trees, so we could share data with other states in the region,” said Robinson.

“Based on what we observed, this year’s mast crop is rated poor for white oaks (20 to 39 percent of trees produced mast), and good for red oaks (60 to 79 percent of trees produced mast),” said Ben Robinson, small game biologist for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

Oaks, especially white oaks, are the most important tree species to wildlife in Kentucky forests. They produce acorns that are a critical food source for squirrels, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, black bear and other forest species.

Wildlife prefer white oak acorns because they are more palatable. The acorns produced by red oaks are much higher in tannin, which makes them bitter.

White oaks can produce acorns every year but entire crops are often lost due to late freezes, summer droughts or untimely rains when oak flowers are pollinating. Red oaks are more reliable year to year because it takes two years for red oak acorns to mature and not all trees produce mature acorns in the same year.

White oak stands make excellent places to set up a ground blind or tree stand.

“Find a white oak that has acorns, and you’ve got a good place to hunt,” said Brunjes. “Deer will travel a considerable distance to feed on white oak acorns.”

She has another suggestion for hunters. “If you’re trying to reduce deer numbers or improve the buck-to-doe ratio in your herd, go ahead and take a doe during the early season. It’s not going to mess up your hunting for bucks during the rut,” said Brunjes. “You need to think of the big picture when managing deer on your hunting property.”

Muzzleloaders have always been part of Kentucky’s hunting history and culture. During Kentucky’s muzzleloader deer seasons, hunters may use traditional muzzleloaders, such as flintlock longrifles and percussion half stock rifles, or modern in-line muzzleloaders of any caliber. Legal equipment also includes optical sights, round balls, conical bullets and saboted bullets.

Kentucky’s late muzzleloader deer season is actually the older of the two seasons. It was first held in November of 1985 as a two-day hunt in 52 counties. Hunters could take only antlered deer. At that time not all 120 counties were open to deer hunting, and the state was divided into seven deer management zones.

Through the years the late season was lengthened and the bag limit liberalized. The season was eventually moved to mid-December.

By 2004, the late season had expanded from seven to nine days and opened statewide. By then, hunters could take deer of either sex in all four of the state’s deer management zones.

This year’s late muzzleloader dates are Dec. 10-18, 2011.

The early birds catch a look at elk on state parks’ tours | Kentucky.com

By Bruce Schreiner — Associated Press

HAZARD — Sleepy sightseers piled into vans at a state resort park for a nearly hourlong drive in the dark to an Appalachian coal-mining site that’s become home to another valuable natural resource in Eastern Kentucky.

The group gave up some sleeping time for a chance to get a close look at a majestic animal that has made a strong comeback after disappearing from these Kentucky mountains for more than a century.

That first glimpse of an elk at daybreak, as the sun peeked over the crest of hillsides, was worth the early wake-up call.

At that point, the hunt was on for visitors armed with cameras and binoculars.

“We’re in chase mode now,” said tour guide Trinity Shepherd, the park naturalist at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg.

Everyone had caught elk fever. The visitors peered out the van windows looking for antlers or patches of brown nestled in the green vegetation. It didn’t take long to find more elk and to hear a bull elk bugle — a foghorn-like bellow heard during fall mating season.  Click Link Below For Full Story!

via The early birds catch a look at elk on state parks’ tours | Travel | Kentucky.com.

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