TPWD Discounts Online Entries in Big Time Texas Hunts
July 31, 2008
AUSTIN, Texas — The Lone Star State boasts some of the finest hunting anywhere in the country, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Big Time Texas Hunts offer hunters a chance to experience the best of the best.
Tommy H. Bridgers would agree. Last year, the 65-year-old steel plate fabricator from Duncanville was selected the Big Time Texas Hunts winner in the Texas Grand Slam category.
“They advertise this as a hunt of a lifetime and I would agree,” exclaimed Bridgers upon returning from three days of hunting desert bighorn sheep in the rugged mountains of West Texas. “This was probably the most physically demanding hunt I’ve ever been on, but it was also the most rewarding. I would never have the resources to buy a desert bighorn hunt, so I got mine the lucky way!”
The Big Time Texas Hunts program offers the opportunity to win one or more top guided hunts with food and lodging provided, as well as taxidermy in some cases. The crown jewel of the program is the Texas Grand Slam hunt package, which includes four separate hunts for Texas’ most prized big game animals — the desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, mule deer and pronghorn antelope. There are several quality whitetail hunt packages available, as well as opportunities to pursue alligator, exotic big game, waterfowl and upland game birds.
Entries for the Big Time Texas Hunt drawings are $10 each and are available wherever hunting licenses are sold or by calling 800-895-4248. They may also be purchased online this year at a discounted price of $9 each. There is no limit to the number of entries an individual may purchase, and entries may be given as gifts for others. Purchasers must be 17 years of age or older.
“This is something I’ve participated in over the last five years, but I never gave it a thought that I’d win,” said Bridgers. “It has really added a new aspect to my hunting and just goes to show sometimes good things happen.”
Proceeds from the Big Time Texas Hunts are dedicated to providing more public hunting opportunity and to funding wildlife conservation and research programs in Texas.
Here’s a summary of the Big Time Texas Hunts offerings:
- The Texas Grand Slam - This truly is the hunt of a lifetime. The bighorn sheep hunt is very exclusive; TPWD issues only a handful of permits a year. The bighorn sheep hunt takes place on a West Texas Wildlife Management Area. The other three hunts included in the Texas Grand Slam will be on some of the most exclusive private ranches in the state. The winner may also bring along a non-hunting companion to share in this awesome outdoor adventure.
- Texas Whitetail Bonanza - 10 winners will each get to experience a high-quality white-tailed deer hunt, something legendary to Texas on popular ranches known to produce big bucks. Guide service, food and lodging are provided on these 3-5-day trips during hunting season. Each winner can also bring along a companion to hunt as well.
- Texas Gator Hunt - One winner and a guest will enjoy a rare and unique three-day trip pursuing alligators at the J. D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area on the Gulf Coast. Each hunter may harvest one alligator. All necessary equipment, expert guides, lodging and gator hide removal are included. The winner and guest will also be treated to an airboat tour of the marsh to view alligators.
- Texas Waterfowl Adventure - One winner and as many as three invited guests will win a series of three exciting waterfowl adventures. The hunts are located on some of the best waterfowl areas in Texas. Trips include a Coastal Prairies guided hunt for snows, blues and white-fronted geese; a guided duck hunt in the Coastal Marshes; and an East Texas hunt for wood ducks and mallards.
- Texas Exotic Safari - Two winners will experience the thrill of hunting African exotic game right here in Texas on the Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area in the Texas Hill Country. Each winner can take two exotic species, including, gemsbok, scimitar-horned oryx and impala. Hunters may choose to shoot modern rifle, muzzleloader, archery or crossbow. Winners can also bring along a companion to hunt a management exotic. Food and lodging will be provided at the scenic Mason Mountain WMA lodge. Taxidermy service will be provided for the two winners. Proceeds go to benefit wildlife conservation and research on Mason Mountain WMA.
- Texas Big Time Bird Hunt - One winner along with as many as three hunting buddies will enjoy a unique package of upland game bird hunts: two days of quail, two days of pheasant hunting in the Panhandle and two afternoons of dove hunting. There will also be a two-day guided spring turkey hunt for two included in the package. Food, guide service and lodging are included on all bird hunts, and pointing dogs are provided for quail and pheasant hunts.
- Texas Premium Buck Hunt - This is the ultimate deer hunting experience-an opportunity to harvest a trophy white-tailed buck in the rugged South Texas brush country. One winner and a guest will enjoy the finest deer hunting trip that Texas can offer. Professional guide service, food and high quality accommodations are included to provide each hunter comfort as well as great hunting.
The deadline to apply for this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts is Oct. 15. Winners will be announced in November.
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TPWD Finalizes Dove, Teal Seasons
July 31, 2008
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department finalized the early season migratory game bird regulations, which includes dove and teal seasons for 2008-09. Texas hunters will see a 16-day September teal season and no changes to the South Dove Zone segments.
The North Zone runs Sept. 1-Oct. 30, with a 15-bird bag and not more than two white-tipped dove; the Central Zone is Sept. 1-Oct. 30 and reopens Dec. 26-Jan. 4, with a 12-bird bag and not more than two white-tipped dove. Possession limit is twice the daily bag.
This year, the South Zone dove season is Sept. 20-Nov. 9, reopening Dec. 26-Jan. 13 with a 12 bird bag and not more than two white-tipped dove. Possession limit is twice the daily bag limit.
The Special White-winged Dove Area, which now encompasses land west of I-35 and south of U. S. Highway 90, opens to white-winged dove afternoon-only (noon to sunset) hunting Sept. 6-7 and 13-14 and reopens Sept. 20-Nov. 9 and again from Dec. 26-Jan. 9. The daily bag limit during the first two weekend splits is 12 birds, not more than four (4) mourning dove and two (2) white-tipped dove. The daily bag limit during the remainder of the Special White-winged Dove Area is 12 birds, not more than two (2) white-tipped dove. Possession limit is twice the daily bag.
Teal season is Sept. 13-28 with a daily bag limit of 4 birds. Possession limit is twice the daily bag.
Hunters should note the dove and teal season dates and bag limits are not included in this year’s Outdoor Annual of hunting and fishing regulations. Information will be available in the Early Season Migratory Game Bird Digest supplement, available Aug. 15 on the TPWD Web site and wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.
A proposed dove season rule that would have removed one week of hunting opportunity from the end of the first season segment in the South Zone and added it to the end of the second season segment was not approved. Although public comment was supportive of the proposed amendment, the department has decided to retain the traditional structure because of other considerations resulting from public comment.
“Public comment received by the department indicates a growing concern among hunters, landowners, outfitters, and local businesses that economic factors are increasingly affecting hunting habits or will affect them in the future,” said Mike Berger, TPWD wildlife director. “The department therefore made the decision to leave the traditional season structure in place for the current year while launching an outreach effort to determine if the traditional and historic dove season structure should be altered for future seasons.”
In keeping with hunter and landowner preferences, dove seasons have traditionally been opened on the earliest day legally allowed under frameworks established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, irrespective of which day of the week the date fell. Under federal law, dove hunting in the United States cannot begin before Sept. 1.
Sept. 1, as opening day of dove hunting in Texas, has been part of the state’s hunting tradition ever since the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 was signed. Treaties with Canada and Mexico established the framework for the taking of all migratory game birds, including dove.
“This year, Sept. 1 falls on Labor Day, a Monday, which is a good thing because it’s a holiday for many Texans, and like having another Saturday,” said Vernon Bevill, TPWD game bird program director. “The bad thing is, the next day isn’t Sunday, it’s back to work Tuesday.”
Similarly, this year’s South Zone dove season opener falls on Saturday, Sept. 20. Traditionally, dove season in South Texas has opened on the Friday after the 20th unless the 20th is a Saturday. Federal frameworks currently prevent opening the South Zone before the 20th.
Berger said recent public comment received by the department indicates a strong preference for seasons to open on a Friday, so as to create a three-day hunting opportunity to open the season. Recent public comment also indicates a preference for the 60-day/15-bird configuration in the South Zone.
“A recurrent theme was the concern that increased consumer costs, particularly transportation costs related to energy prices, make anything less than a three-day opening weekend economically unjustifiable,” said Berger. “Similarly, proponents of the 60-day/15-bird configuration stated that economic considerations would cause them to curtail the number of times they could go hunting, leading them to prefer a higher daily bag limit. In the past, hunters and others have expressed an aversion to delaying the opening day until the first full weekend, preferring the earliest possible opener.”
Hunters looking for a place to hunt dove should consider TPWD’s public hunting opportunities. According to Linda Campbell, TPWD public hunting program director, the department manages more than 50,000 acres of dove hunting units. Hunting access to these areas is available with purchase of a $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit, available Aug. 15 wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.
A map booklet detailing locations and additional information about the 143 public dove hunting units is included with the Annual Public Hunting Permit and will be available on the TPWD Web site beginning Aug. 15. A permit is not required to access the map booklet information online.
TPWD dove program coordinator Jay Roberson anticipates an above average hunting season for doves this fall, based on habitat conditions. “We had a pretty dry spring and doves do well in those conditions,” he noted. “The birds weren’t responding last year to predictions of good food availability and many doves stayed to the north. I’m guardedly optimistic this year.”
Roberson reported hearing of good numbers of doves across South Texas and anticipates hunters should have good success if they can identify flight patterns. Conditions are expected to change in the weeks heading into the season, particularly in the wake of recent weather resulting from Hurricane Dolly.
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Texas Sporting Clays Association offers youth shoots
July 31, 2008
AUSTIN, Texas — The crack of gunfire at the range and the competitive spirit among shooting enthusiasts might be a bit intimidating to young rookie shooters, but the Texas Sporting Clays Association wants to ensure it ushers in this new generation of competitors.
The association is offering its Bob Brister Youth Shoots, a series of six clay shoots that are aimed at introducing youngsters to the sport.
The shoots will be held at various target ranges throughout the state.
The shooters will compete in the “Hunter Class” in two categories — Sub-Juniors for participants ages 8-16 years and Juniors, for shooters ages 17-21 years. They will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals.
Winners of the two classes at each shoot will be eligible to attend the next Scholastic Clay Target Program State Shoot, an event supported by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The events are open to young shooters who are not presently members of the Texas or National Sporting Clays Shooting Association. They will be scored separately from the youth shooters who are already registered with either association.
Each shooter will receive a free membership into the Texas Sporting Clays Association as well as an official membership card into the National Sporting Clays Association. Participants will also receive the quarterly “Sporting Clays Magazine.”
TPWD also has partnered with National Shooting Sports Foundation to the foundation’s Scholastic Clay Target Program, a program that gives school-aged children opportunities to showcase their shooting skills and earn state and national recognition in addition to learning safe firearms handling.
The Texas Sporting Clays Association held its pilot shoot at the American Shooting Centers in Houston in July. The remaining five shoots will take place in Austin, Beaumont, Dallas, Kerrville and Midland.
Calendar of shoots
- August 24 — Windwalker Farms in Midland
- September 14 — Elm Fork Shooting Complex in Dallas
- October 12 — Hill Country Shotgun Sports in Kerrville
- November 23 — Capitol City Trap and Skeet in Austin
- December 20 — One in One Hundred Gun Club in Beaumont
For more information on the Bob Brister Youth Shoots, contact Jeff Foster at jfoster1@tmisales.com
or (512) 413-8707.
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Waterfowl Hunters Reminded of Upcoming Season Proposal Hearings and Meetings
July 31, 2008
MADISON – Waterfowl hunters are reminded of upcoming public meetings and hearings on the 2008 duck and Canada goose hunting seasons. Citizens can attend one of several hearings or submit comments directly through midnight Aug. 7, 2008.
State waterfowl hunting season are structured around the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s framework. That federal agency is expected to issue its final decision on that framework after Aug. 1, 2008. With the overall picture on the 2008 waterfowl breeding populations mixed, hunters can expect some significant changes in 2008 hunting seasons, according to Kent Van Horn, the Wisconsin state waterfowl biologist who just returned from Mississippi Flyway Council meetings.
In Wisconsin, a total duck breeding population of 627,000 was up from 2007 and 45 percent above the long-term average. However, key breeding areas in the U.S. and Canadian prairies were dry when surveyed in May and these results impact the federally mandated hunting season structure, Van Horn said. Mallard, blue-winged teal and green-winged teal numbers from across Canada and the United States were at good levels and similar to 2007. Canvasback and pintail counts dropped significantly from 2007 while scaup and redhead numbers were similar to 2007.
Season to be set by Natural Resources Board, Aug 13, 2008
The Natural Resources Board will set the 2008 season structure at its Aug. 13 meeting in Platteville. At this time, Wisconsin waterfowl hunters can anticipate the following hunting season proposals for 2008:
- 60 day overall duck hunting season
- Season closure on canvasback ducks
![In many opinions the Wood Duck is among the most colorful of Wisconsin's native waterfowl. About 1 in 5 ducks harvested in Wisconsin is a "woodie". - Photo credit: Jack Bartholmai](http://www.outdoorcentral.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/20080731006.jpg "In many opinions the Wood Duck is among the most colorful of Wisconsin\'s native waterfowl. About 1 in 5 ducks harvested in Wisconsin is a \\"woodie\\". - Photo credit: Jack Bartholmai")
60 day, one bird bag on pintails- A daily bag limit reduction or a partial season closure on scaup
- Potential bag limit change for wood duck
- Two Canada goose hunting season periods in the Horicon zone - Period 1 Sept. 16-Nov. 2, Period 2 Nov. 3- Dec. 16
- A Sept. 27 opening day for the northern duck zone and an Oct. 4 opening day for the southern duck zone
- A southern zone duck and exterior zone Canada goose season closure from October 13-17
“We expect to post the season proposals on our Web site, dnr.wi.gov, early next week,” Van Horn said.
In addition to the scheduled meetings and hearings listed below, comments can be submitted to: James Christopoulos, 101 S. Webster St. , PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921, (608) 261-6458, or via e-mail: james.christopoulos@wisconsin.gov.
2008 Post-Flyway Meetings
Aug. 2, Wausau, 9 a.m. (Conservation Congress Meeting), the Plaza Hotel & Suites, Three Rivers room, 201 N. 17th Ave., 1- (800) 754-9728
Aug. 2, Wausau, 1 p.m. (DNR Public Meeting), the Plaza Hotel & Suites, Three Rivers room, 201 N. 17th Ave. 1- (800) 754-9728
2008 Public Hearing Locations
Aug. 4, La Crosse, 7 p.m., State Office Building, Rooms B-19 and B-20, 3550 Mormon Coulee Road. (608) 785-9000
Aug. 5, Rice Lake, 7 p.m., WI Indianhead Technical College (WITC), Room 241, 1900 College Dr. (715) 234-7082 ex: 5249
Aug. 6, Appleton, 7 p.m., Agricultural Services Center, Main conference room, 3369 West Brewster St. (920) 832-1804
Aug. 7, Delafield, 7 p.m., Kettle Moraine State Forest - Lapham Peak Unit, Trecker Lodge, W329 N846 Co. C. (262) 646-3025. Park entry fee will be waived for participants.
Natural Resources Board Meeting
Aug. 13, Platteville, 8:30 a.m., Governor Dodge Hotel and Convention Center, 300 W. Business Hwy 151. 1 (888) 447-5457
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Van Horn, (608) 266-8841
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Test Results Show VHS Fish Disease Hasn’t Spread in Wisconsin
July 31, 2008
MADISON – All planned testing of wild fish for VHS fish disease has been completed for 2008, and results show that so far, the deadly fish virus has not spread in Wisconsin and that state waters have not suffered the kind of fish kills once feared.
Fish from 67 different waters were tested for VHS in 2008, and the only positives were found in fish from Lake Michigan, where VHS was already known to exist. Round gobies found washed ashore on a Milwaukee Beach in June and yellow perch collected a short while later both tested positive. The diagnosis of VHS in the round gobies, an invasive fish species, represents the only instance this year in Wisconsin in which VHS was diagnosed as the cause of a fish kill.
“This is good news on all fronts,” says Wisconsin Fisheries Director Mike Staggs. “There was a lot of concern in 2007 that VHS was already widespread in Wisconsin and that it would spread rapidly,” he says. “Based on the sampling we’ve done last year and this year, it’s clear that’s not the case, and that’s a very good thing.”
Staggs says the test results affirm the DNR’s rules for boaters, anglers and people who harvest wild bait are working to avoid spreading the disease. VHS Prevention.
“We thought the virus could be contained if we could get boaters and anglers to drain their boats and not move live fish,” he says. “It seems we’ve been successful and we’re thankful for the public response.
“We need boaters and anglers to keep up the good work now and in the future to contain VHS and other invasive species.”
VHS, or viral hemorrhagic septicemia, was first detected in Wisconsin in Lake Winnebago system waters in May 2007 and later that month in Lake Michigan system waters. None of the other 50 waters tested that year were positive for VHS.
The virus does not affect humans but it can infect dozens of fish species, can spread rapidly, fish-to-fish and through the water, and it caused large fish kills in 2005 and 2006 in the lower Great Lakes.
To assess the prevalence of the disease in Wisconsin in 2008, DNR fisheries crews collected fish from 67 different waters for testing by the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Madison, the La Crosse Fish Health Center and Microtechnologies, a private lab in Maine, says Tim Simonson, the fish biologist who has been coordinating DNR’s VHS surveillance effort. VHS Distribution in Wisconsin.
Most of the work was done at the same time DNR crews were conducting fish population surveys and when water temperatures were below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, when the virus is most active. The fish collected for testing included walleye, musky, smallmouth bass and yellow perch, all anglers’ favorites and all species that are among the most susceptible to VHS.
“The samples had to be collected during a short period when the water temperatures were right and processed immediately,” Simonson says. “Our fisheries staff did a tremendous job getting this critical work done on top of their already scheduled fish sampling activities.”
Fish from the 67 waters were tested for one of three reasons: as part of the DNR’s planned surveillance for VHS that was funded in part by a federal grant; because the fish had symptoms consistent with VHS; and as part of DNR’s efforts to keep VHS and other diseases out of the state hatchery system. Reproductive fluids from all wild game fish that were spawned in spring to supply eggs for the hatcheries were screened for VHS and other viruses.
Waters tested included popular, high traffic waters such as Lake Du Bay, the Wisconsin River at several locations, the Minocqua Chain of Lakes, Little St. Germain Lake, Lake Kegonsa, Lake Koshkonong, Willow Flowage, Gile Flowage, and Lac Courte Oreilles. “We can’t say with 100 percent certainty that VHS is not somewhere outside these known waters, but it’s certainly not prevalent,” Simonson says. “We’ve looked at so many different places and so many different watersheds.”
Test results of fish taken from several Lake Winnebago and Fox River waters tested negative for VHS including Little Lake Butte des Morts and the Wolf River in Waupaca County.
The DNR is seeking another federal grant to help pay for VHS monitoring next year; waters planned for the project will be scattered across the state to continue to assess the prevalence of VHS.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Staggs (608) 267-0796; Tim Simonson (608) 266-5222.
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Engineers Working With Dam Owners to Assess Flood Damage, Make Repairs
July 31, 2008
MADISON – With record high waters receding in many southern Wisconsin communities, state dam safety engineers are helping owners of Wisconsin’s public and private dams finish assessing the damage and where to go next.
DNR staff inspected or had contact with the owners of more than 200 dams during the flooding. The good news is that, for the most part, the dams held up well and did what they were supposed to do,” says Meg Galloway, Department of Natural Resources Dam Safety Chief. “There was no loss of life, and the five dams that were breached were low hazard, rural dams, with only minor damage reported downstream.”
Heavy rains that started June 7 and continued for much of the next two weeks led to record flows on waters including major rivers such as the Baraboo, Rock, Milwaukee, Bark and Root. A portion of five dams in southern Wisconsin were breached and unable to hold back the impounded waters, Galloway says. Those dams were: the Cushman Dam on the Bark River, the Carlin Dam on Upper Spring Creek, and the Lower Spring Creek Dam in Jefferson County. The Wyocena Dam on Duck Creek also was breached, as was the Figor Dam on the Middle Branch of Duck Creek, and an unauthorized dam in Grant County.
Lake Delton drained when floodwaters washed out a section of road, but the dam itself held.
The five dams that were breached are rated “low hazard” because they have few people and buildings downstream, and thus a lower potential for loss of life or property damage.
Another 23 dams are estimated to have substantial damage, while at least 31 others suffered minor damage. Damage assessments are still to come on about 20 more dams once the water recedes to allow for such inspections, Galloway says.
Regional engineers are now working with the owners of damaged dams on repair or reconstruction, and for those owners who no longer want the liability of owning dams, removing them. DNR has ordered owners of some of the damaged dams to draw down water levels to allow inspections to be completed, or to reduce the risk of failure and damage should more flooding occur before work is done to repair, replace or remove the dams.
Many of the 200 dams DNR inspected or contacted dam owners about during the June flooding had been inspected by DNR during last August’s flooding. “We ordered a handful of dam owners to draw down water levels, and we think that probably prevented more breaches from occurring during June’s flooding,” she says.
Altogether, DNR staff have completed 543 dam inspections in the past year, including those in response to the flooding concerns. All of the state’s high hazard dams are current on their inspections; under state law, the DNR is required to perform comprehensive inspections of these dams every 10 years.
The department also has been focusing on getting dam owners – many of them private citizens or companies – to prepare their required emergency action plans. Such plans identify the area potentially affected by a dam failure, who to call, and the people and local officials responsible for responding in case of a dam failure.
“The past year’s been a textbook example of why it’s important for dam owners to meet their responsibility for developing an emergency action plan and making sure the appropriate people are aware of it and can carry it out,” Galloway says.
In August 2007, for instance, evacuations were ordered below seven dams in Vernon County as precautionary measures. The fact that Vernon County has done a good job in preparing those plans for all its dams enabled those evacuations to occur quickly and safely, she says. The upstream dams held and the residents were allowed to return to their homes in those cases.
Dam Fast Facts:
- Wisconsin has about 3,800 dams. Since the late 19th century, more than 700 dams have been built, then washed out or removed. Since 1967, about 100 dams have been removed.
- Dams are classified as “Low,” “Significant” or “High” hazard, with the hazard rating based on the potential for loss of life or property damage should the dam fail, not on the physical attributes, quality or strength of the dam itself.
- A dam with a structural height of over 6 feet and impounding 50 acre-feet or more, or having a structural height of 25 feet or more and impounding more than 15 acre-feet is classified as a large dam. There are approximately 1,160 large dams in the State of Wisconsin. These are required to be inspected by DNR once every 10 years.
- The federal government has jurisdiction over most large dams in Wisconsin that produce hydroelectricity - about 5 percent or nearly 200 dams. The DNR regulates the rest of the dams.
- Almost 60 percent of the dams in Wisconsin are owned by a company or private individual, about 9 by the State of Wisconsin, 17 percent by a municipality such as a township or county government, and 14 percent by other ownership types.
- Roughly one-third of Wisconsin’s dams were built before 1940; the next third have been constructed since then, with 851 dams built between 1960 and 1970, the busiest dam-building period. The age of dams is unknown on the remaining third of dams.
- Half of Wisconsin’s dams were built primarily for recreation purposes; about 13 percent to provide power; 10 percent to create farm ponds and ponds to aid in fire control; 7 percent to aid in flood control. The primary reasons that the remaining dams were built is unknown.
- The Association of State Dam Safety Officials in its October 2003 report estimated that $10 billion would be needed to repair the most critical dams in the nation over the next 12 years. Out of this, needed repairs at publicly-owned dams are estimated at $5.9 billion with the remaining $4.1 billion needed for privately-owned dams.
- More information about Wisconsin’s dam safety program can be found online at Wisconsin´s Dam Safety Program.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Meg Galloway (608) 266-7014; Bill Sturtevant (608) 266-8033
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Handicapped Hunters Are Key Players in Goose Island Conservation Plan In Wisconsin
July 31, 2008
LA CROSSE – A popular and effective two-day gun deer hunt for people with disabilities returns for a third year this December to Goose Island on the Mississippi River.
Wildlife officials said the 2006 and 2007 managed deer hunts earned high marks from the participants and the public as well as from local, state and federal officials who designed and monitored the hunts.
“I get excited about the Goose Island hunt,” said Ron Lichtie, wildlife biologist with the Department of Natural Resources. “It’s like a larger version of deer camp. Besides accomplishing our ecological goals, we are making new friends and sharing the special bond that develops during a hunt.”
This year’s hunt takes place Dec. 13-14. The deadline for applications is Oct. 31. About 25 participants will be randomly selected for the hunt with preference going to applicants not drawn last year. Those selected will be contacted in early November.
The managed hunt is administered by a locally based, non-profit organization, the North American Squirrel Association. The association, which provides opportunities for the physically challenged to enjoy outdoor recreational opportunities, will be collecting applications from anyone who carries a Class A, Long-term B or Class C disabled permit. Applications can be found at North American Squirrel Association under the event updates tab.
Goose Island is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Part of the island is leased to La Crosse County and is managed as a county park and campground. The remainder is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge.
Excessive deer numbers on the island have resulted in undersized, malnourished deer and damage to wildlife habitat caused by heavy browsing. At public meetings, a clear majority of people said they would prefer to see healthy deer over high numbers of deer.
The Goose Island deer management plan is the result of a collaborative effort by representatives from the county, the Town of Shelby, the two federal agencies and the DNR.
On the first day of the 2006 hunt, 28 physically challenged hunters harvested 18 deer. On day two, 21 hunters harvested 19 deer. Of the 37 deer taken, 29 were does or fawns. Four of the 8 bucks harvested had already shed their antlers, a sign of stress on the herd that can be attributed to overpopulation. Half the bucks were 30 or more pounds under average weights and most does were underweight, some by more than 40 pounds.
During the two-day hunt in December, 2007, a total of 24 physically handicapped hunters harvested 26 deer, 23 of them antlerless.
Lichtie said these deer appeared healthier than those from the 2006 hunt but were still generally underweight. The inter-agency task force has determined that another hunt this year will be beneficial to herd management.
“Thanks to the Badger State Sportsman’s Club and other volunteers, we have enough information to develop a long-term management plan,” Lichtie said. “I’ve enjoyed seeing these volunteers come together and give their time to accomplish this managed hunt. The participants and volunteers make it work.”
The flat terrain and the roads and trails associated with the campground create an ideal opportunity for physically challenged hunters, Lichtie said. The special hunt is well managed and no concerns about safety arose from the earlier hunts, he said.
The early morning hunts come to an end each day at 11 a.m. and by noon the island is re-opened to the public.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron Lichtie, (608) 785-9992 or Randy Hansen, North American Squirrel Association (608) 781-2026
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Fish Kill Occurs on Lake Francis Case
July 30, 2008
CHAMBERLAIN, S.D.- South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks officials received reports of a fish kill on Lake Francis Case on Friday, July 25. Anglers reported large numbers of dead fish south of the White River confluence area. Department of Environment and Natural Resources staff were contacted and a GFP staff biologist was dispatched on Friday afternoon to survey the situation.
Dead fish numbering in the hundreds were found from the mouth of the White River, down to the Elm Creek area. Species positively identified were native river fish including river carpsucker, channel catfish and paddlefish. Due to the decomposed condition of the fish, it is thought that the kill occurred earlier in the week.
After reports of the fish kill began to surface on Friday, other individuals who had been on Lake Francis Case in the vicinity of the White River earlier in the week reported seeing channel catfish and paddlefish exhibiting unusual behaviors.
The cause of the fish kill is currently unknown. Fish kills can occur naturally for a variety of reasons. High water temperatures, bacterial and viral infections, and low oxygen levels in the water are a few of the more common natural causes of fish kills. Fish kills stemming from toxic substances entering the water from human activities such as industrial or agricultural runoff can also occur. Isolated fish kills, such as the recent fish kill on Lake Francis Case, do not generally affect the long-term health of aquatic systems or fisheries quality.
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North Dakota Swan Hunt Applications Online
July 30, 2008
Online applications for North Dakota’s 2008 tundra swan licenses are available and the deadline for applying is Aug. 13.
North Dakota residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply. Interested hunters can print out an application for mailing, or submit a