2009 Massachusetts Licenses Available By Mid-December
November 27, 2008
Hunting, fishing and trapping licenses for 2009 will be available for purchase online and at license vendors across the state by mid-December. The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife’s efforts in habitat protection and management, wildlife data collection and monitoring, fish and pheasant stocking, endangered species conservation and education programs are primarily supported by fishing and hunting license fees.
Licenses may be purchased online via the MassOutdoors website at www.mass.gov/massoutdoors
. Online license buyers are reminded to be sure to choose “the next year” button when purchasing 2009 licenses, permits, and stamps. Deer hunters will have must wait until January 1, 2009 to apply for antlerless deer permits online. Due to documentation requirements, trapping licenses and hunting licenses for minors are not available for purchase online.
Licenses will also be available for purchase by mid-December at over the counter license vendor locations throughout the state. Hunting and sporting license buyers must show a previous hunting license from any year, state or Canadian province or a hunter safety certificate of completion from any state or Canadian province in order to purchase a hunting license.
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Deer Hunting Safety Tips For Season Openers
November 5, 2008
LITTLE ROCK - Perhaps the most important aspects of deer hunting are safety and ethics. That’s especially true for the opening of Arkansas’s modern gun deer season this Saturday. If no one paid any attention to these, hunting of any kind would be too dangerous to continue. That’s why it’s so important to stress these factors about deer hunting.
Safe hunting is the responsibility of all hunters. Follow the tips listed below, and you will help make the Arkansas outdoors safer for all.
- Don’t rely on your gun’s safety. Treat all firearms as if they’re loaded and ready to fire.
- Never cross a fence, climb a tree or stand or jump a ditch with a loaded gun.
- Never hoist a loaded firearm into a stand.
- Never load or carry a loaded firearm until you are ready to use it. Always unload firearms before riding in any vehicle, including ATVs. Watch your muzzle so the other hunter doesn’t have to.
- Wear hunter orange so you can be seen. A blaze orange hat and at least 400 square inches of hunter orange above the waistline must be worn during all gun deer seasons. It must be worn at all times, not taken off once in the stand.
- Keep guns and ammunition separately and in locked storage.
- Don’t shoot unless absolutely sure of your target and what is beyond it.
- Know the range of your firearm. Remember, even a .22 rimfire can travel over 1-1/2 miles.
- Always be sure your gun barrel and action are clear of obstructions and only carry ammunition specifically intended for the firearm you’re using.
- Always carry handguns with the hammer down on an empty chamber.
- Avoid alcoholic beverages before and during shooting.
- Tell someone where you’re going and when you plan to return. If you move from one area to another advise someone.
- Dress for the weather. Take a GPS or compass to prevent getting lost.
- Carry a flashlight while walking through the hunting area before or after daylight.
Always follow these rules of ethics anytime you’re hunting:.
- Obey all the rules of safety and insist that those around you do the same.
- Obey all game laws and insist that those hunting with you do likewise.
- Do your best to acquire marksmanship and hunting skills that assure clean, sportsmanlike kills.
- Support conservation efforts that assure good hunting for future generations.
- Don’t be a slob. Keep your campsite neat and don’t offend others by openly displaying your kill on your vehicle.
- Pass along to other hunters, especially youngsters, the attitudes and skills essential to being a true outdoor sportsman.
- Make sure you have permission before hunting on private property.
 Most importantly, don’t forget to purchase your hunting license. Licenses may be purchased from dealers, and AGFC Regional Office, the Little Rock headquarters, online or over the phone. Online license purchasing is convenient, but make sure you don’t wait until the last minute to purchase your license online. When purchasing online, a receipt with a confirmation number will be produced. That receipt does not allow for big game hunting such as deer, turkey, bear, elk or alligator. The actual license must be in the hunter’s possession before they are allowed to hunt.Please allow for sufficient mailing time before processing on the Internet or by phone.Licenses may be purchase at www.agfc.com.
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Deer, Elk, Antelope Licenses Still Available in Some Areas of Wyoming
October 14, 2008
CHEYENNE– The Wyoming Game and Fish reports that some limited quota licenses are still available for elk, deer and antelope. Licenses are available for both resident and nonresident hunters.
Some big game seasons have closed, others will be closing in a few days and others are just getting underway. A listing of areas with licenses available can be found on the Game and fish Web site. Click on Leftover License Availability, then go to the leftover lists for the desired species.Â
Full price and reduced price deer, antelope and elk licenses are available. Reduced price licenses can be purchased as “stand alone” licenses or in addition to the regular full price licenses. Regulation provides that after the drawing, hunters can obtain up to four doe/fawn licenses in certain areas for each species. The post-drawing license fee for resident doe/fawn licenses is $22 for adults and $14 for youth under 18. These same licenses are available to nonresidents for $34 for adults and $19 for nonresident youth.
According to WGFD biological services supervisor Reg Rothwell, the reduced price licenses are an important wildlife management tool. “People who obtain these licenses are helping the department manage big game herds by providing harvests that sustain them at their population objectives or reduce their numbers to objective,” Rothwell said.
Rothwell explains that population objectives are based on habitat evaluations and consultation with land management agencies, sportspersons and landowners. Recommendations on hunting seasons and license quotas for regular and reduced price licenses are then presented to the public every spring at a series of meetings throughout the state. Those recommendations are based on analysis of data from the previous year and the estimated size of each herd compared to its population objective.
All leftover licenses including doe/fawn, cow/calf and regular price licenses are now being sold at any of the 100 fully automated license agents in the state. In previous years, regular price licenses remaining after the drawing were only sold at Game and Fish offices, and leftover reduced price licenses were only sold at license agents.  A listing of automated license agents where these licenses can be obtained can also be found on the Game and Fish Web site.
Many of the remaining licenses are on private lands. The Game and Fish advises hunters to make sure they have access to hunt prior to obtaining a license. Persons with questions on access and licenses can contact Game and Fish regional offices or call the Game and Fish in Cheyenne at (307) 777-4600.
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N.H. Fall Shotgun Turkey Season Is October 13-17, 2008
October 6, 2008
CONCORD, N.H. - New Hampshire’s five-day fall shotgun turkey hunting season takes place Monday through Friday, October 13-17, 2008, in select Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) in the Connecticut River Valley and southwest portions of the state (WMUs D1, D2, G, H1, H2, I1, I2 and K). These areas have New Hampshire’s densest wild turkey populations.
Participants in the fall shotgun turkey season need both a turkey license ($16 for N.H. residents or $31 for nonresidents) and a current N.H. firearms hunting license. Hunters can purchase licenses online at www.HuntNH.com or from any Fish and Game license agent.
New Hampshire’s turkey license comes with 2 tags, one for use during the spring gobbler season, and one for use during either the fall archery or the fall shotgun turkey season. Hunters are restricted to taking a single turkey during the fall, either with bow and arrow during the archery season, or with a shotgun during the shotgun season. The bird must be tagged with the “fall” tag that comes on the regular turkey license.
Mark Ellingwood, a wildlife biologist with Fish and Game, notes that, “Hunters no longer require a special fall shotgun turkey permit in order to hunt the fall season. Beginning in 2008, purchase of a turkey license gives you the option to take a spring bird and a fall bird. The fall bird can be taken during the archery season (statewide, except for WMU A) or the shotgun season, in the 8 designated Wildlife Management Units open to fall shotgun hunting.”
Ellingwood advises fall turkey hunters to be extremely selective in deciding when to shoot, both as a matter of safety and to guard against hitting more than one bird with a single shot. “Even if the turkeys are not “flocked up,” their cryptic coloration, coupled with the pellet pattern cast by a shotgun, requires that hunters exercise extreme restraint when choosing a shot,” says Ellingwood. He also reminds hunters to use good judgment in deciding where to pursue turkey flocks: “Pursuit of flocks visible from public roadways is discouraged for reasons of safety and fair-chase.”
New Hampshire’s 5-day fall shotgun turkey season has been in place since 2006. Last fall, shotgun hunters tallied 343 turkeys (226 hens and 117 gobblers) from the 8 WMUs open to fall shotgun turkey hunting, all in the western half of the state. During the first year the fall shotgun hunt was offered (2006), hunters took 122 turkeys during the limited season.
New Hampshire’s fall archery season for wild turkey runs from September 15 through December 15 (statewide except for WMU A, which is closed to fall turkey hunting). A total of 418 turkeys were harvested during the 2007 fall archery season, double the previous year.
Nearly 20,000 hunters purchase New Hampshire turkey hunting licenses annually. The spring gobbler season, which occurs statewide in May, is the more popular turkey season. During the 2008 spring season, hunters harvested a record 4,098 turkeys in New Hampshire.
For more information on turkey hunting in New Hampshire, visit www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_turkey.htm.
New Hampshire currently has an estimated 40,000 wild turkeys statewide.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state’s marine, fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. Visit www.HuntNH.com.
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Hunters, Anglers Advised of Changes, Maine IF&W Initiatives
October 6, 2008
Augusta - Hunting and fall fishing seasons are underway in Maine, and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife wants hunters and anglers to be aware of rules and agency initiatives in order to have a safe season.
Hunters and anglers are reminded to read and carry with them their appropriate law books. The law books are available at any licensing agent and at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. For more information, call 287-8000.
IMPORTANT: Hunters Must Write Down Their Any-Deer Permit Number
IF&W will no longer be mailing Any-Deer permits to permit winners, as part of a cost saving initiative. Instead, permit winners will need to record their permit number and report the permit number to the registration station when tagging their deer. The Department suggests that permit winners write down their permit number and keep the number with their hunting license so it is readily available when needed at the registration station. Hunters can find their Any-Deer permit number by visiting our web site at http://deer.informe.org/index.htm.
This year the Department granted 51,850 permits to current hunting license holders. The permit allocation is as follows: Resident: 39,578; Non-Resident: 3,579; Landowner: 8,421; Superpack: 272.
Also, IF&W will not be distributing paper applications for the moose and any-deer lotteries next year, but will be accepting online applications on our web site, www.mefishwildlife.com, during the respective lottery dates.
Any-Deer Permit Swap Available
An Any-Deer, Landowner or Superpack deer permit winner may swap their permit with another same-type permit winner in order to switch hunting districts.
The permits must be the same type, and residents can swap only with residents and non-residents can swap only with non-residents.
IF&W does not maintain a list of individuals wishing to swap permits. Permit winners who wish to swap will need to locate and contact other permit winners on their own.
One sportsman, Jeff W. Zimba, is maintaining a non-IF&W-affiliated swap site - www.DoeTagSwap.com. For a small fee, permit winners can locate and potentially swap with other same-type permit winners. However, IF&W still needs to be notified of the swap, and the proper Department paperwork still must be completed.
The site also allows permit winners to download for free and print a business card-sized Any Deer Permit/Transportation Tag on their home computer. IF&W is not mailing Any Deer Permits this year, and winners are responsible for bringing their permit number to the registration station.
The IF&W permit swap fee is $7 (one fee covers both winners.) The swap can be done in person at our main office in Augusta or by mail with the required “swap request form” that’s available on our web site. The Department will assign a new permit number and mail back the form.
The swap can be done online until 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2008. Mail-in requests must be received by Oct. 31. Please allow at least one week for processing.
Hunters: Keep Chronic Wasting Disease Out of Maine
The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, along with other state agencies, is working to keep Chronic Wasting Disease out of Maine.
To prevent the introduction of CWD into Maine, recently passed laws now make it illegal for hunters who hunt and kill a deer, caribou, elk or moose in another state or province to transport any carcass parts that pose a risk of containing CWD prions back into Maine. Hunters may return to Maine only with boned-out meat, hardened antlers (with or without skull caps), hides without the head portion, and finished taxidermy mounts. If still attached, skull caps must be cleaned free of brain and other tissues.
It is legal for individuals to transport cervid carcasses or parts through the State of Maine if they are destined for other states, provinces, and countries. Transportation is to occur without undue delay and must use the most reasonably direct route through Maine to the final destination. Cervid carcasses or parts must be transported in a manner that is both leak-proof and that prevents their exposure to the environment.
The laws are a result of the fact that no state or province can claim to be free of CWD.
If it emerges in Maine, CWD could seriously reduce infected deer populations by lowering adult survival and de-stabilizing populations. Monitoring and control of CWD is extremely costly and would divert already scarce funding and staff resources away from other much-needed programs.
If you plan to hunt deer, caribou, moose or elk in a state/province known or suspected to harbor CWD, there are some commonsense precautions you should take to avoid handling, transporting, or consuming potentially CWD-infected specimens. You can go to our website at www.mefishwildlife.com to view these precautions.
CWD causes irreversible damage to brain tissues in affected animals and ultimately leads to death. CWD is one of a group of diseases known as Transmissable Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs). Other TSEs include Scrapie in sheep, Mad Cow Disease in cattle, and Creuzfeldt Jacob Disease in humans. CWD had been found several western and midwestern states, as well as parts of Canada.
Chronic Wasting Disease is known to occur in mule deer, elk, and white-tailed deer, although other cervids such as red deer, fallow deer, sika deer as well as moose, and caribou may also be susceptible. CWD is thought to be caused by an infectious protein called a prion that upon entering the body; causes the host’s normal proteins to take on a diseased form. These prions accumulate in the brain and spinal cords, as well as lymph nodes, spleen, eye tissues, bone marrow, saliva, feces and urine in diseased deer.
Hunting In Maine Is Big Business
Approximately 204,000 people hunt in Maine each year, and those hunters generate more than $241 million in economic activity in Maine. Approximately 83 percent of the hunters are Maine residents.
Each hunter spends an average of $1,359 in equipment, licenses, memberships and trip-related expenses, and spends approximately 13 days engaging in the sport, according to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, the most recent information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The economic impact from hunting season is tremendous, supporting thousands of jobs and bringing millions in state sales and income tax revenue.
Make Sure Your Deer Hunt Is A Safe Hunt
The Department offers the following safety tips:
- Be sure that someone knows where you are headed, and when you plan to return.
- Carry emergency survival gear, a flashlight, map and compass, matches and water.
- Stop periodically to eat and re-hydrate yourself.
- Wear two pieces of hunter orange that are in good condition.
- Be sure of your target, and what is beyond it.
- Always keep the muzzle of your firearm pointed in a safe direction.
- Unload your firearm before entering a dwelling, before entering a vehicle, or before storing it.
Know the Difference Between Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye
IF&W would like to remind Maine waterfowl hunters about the need to differentiate between a Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye during waterfowl season, which opens today (Oct. 1).
In May 2007, the Maine Legislature listed the Barrow’s Goldeneye as a Threatened Species because they are potentially vulnerable to extirpation from the state due to their very small wintering population (believed to be less than 250 birds.) Because it is a Threatened Species, the law prohibits their “take.”
Barrow’s Goldeneyes are found in low numbers on certain large lakes, rivers and coastal areas throughout Maine, normally from November to March. Among those areas are the Kennebec River, from Skowhegan to Richmond; the Penobscot River, from Old Town to Bucksport; Englishman Bay; Belfast Bay; Mount Desert Narrows, from Trenton to Lamoine Beach; Carver’s Harbor in Vinalhaven; the St. George River below Thomaston; the Harraseeket River in Freeport.
Barrow’s and Common Goldeneyes look very similar, with a white body, black back and black-appearing head. The Barrow’s, however, has a crescent-shaped spot in front of its eye (while the Common has a round white spot). A Barrow’s head is more black on its side and has a stubbier bill. A Barrow’s female has most of the same characteristics as the male, but she has an orange-yellow bill.
Because the two look so similar, the harvest of Common Goldeneyes may result in the unintentional taking of Barrow’s Goldeneyes, according to Wildlife Biologist Sandy Ritchie, who manages habitat conservation and special projects at IF&W. By improving the duck hunter’s ability to distinguish Barrow’s from Common Goldeneyes and by alerting hunters that Barrow’s Goldeneyes are known to congregate in certain areas, IF&W and hunter will minimize the unintentional take of Barrow’s Goldeneyes.
Despite our efforts, a few Barrow’s Goldeneyes may be unintentionally shot. In these cases, hunters are required to surrender any Barrow’s Goldeneye taken incidentally to legal waterfowl hunting activities. The bird must be surrendered to the Department within one month of when it was shot by contacting a local game warden or calling the Wildlife Division in Bangor to coordinate a pick-up. There will be no penalty for killing a Barrow’s and reporting it to the Department.
Moose Hunting Moves to Southern Maine
This November, four Wildlife Management Districts will be opened to moose hunting for the first time - an area of the state that has not experienced moose hunting since 1935.
The southern Maine moose hunt will occur during the regular firearms deer season, from Nov. 3 to Nov. 29 with a resident’s only day on Nov. 1 in WMD 15, 16, 23 and 26.
Sufficient permits will be allocated to allow a slow to moderate decrease in moose number to address highway safety concerns while eliminating or greatly reducing conflicts between moose hunters, landowners and the general public.
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Moose hunting in southern Maine will be very different from moose hunting that occurs in western, northern, and eastern areas of the State because hunters participating in a southern Maine moose hunt will be hunting largely on small, private landholdings, according to Wildlife Biologist Sandy Ritchie, who manages habitat conservation and special projects at IF&W. Success will likely be low, especially for hunters not from the immediate area who do not use a guide. It may also be more difficult to remove moose from private land in southern Maine, and the means required to remove a harvested moose from private land could be of concern to some landowners.
IF&W staff is working with the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine to ensure that landowners are aware of the hunt. Also, staff is working with hunters who drew permits to hunt in the southern districts to draw attention to a number of things they can do to help ensure a quality hunting experience while maintaining good landowner relations and future public access, according to Ritchie.
Fall Fishing on Sebago Lake
As the fall fishing season approaches, anglers are reminded of the new fall fishing regulations in effect this year on Sebago Lake. In the past the open water fishing season on most of the lake closed on Sept. 30. The single exception was a small area near Sebago Station that permitted fishing from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30.
The new regulations allow anglers to fish the entire lake from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. From Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 togue (lake trout) may be harvested under the same size and bag limits in place for the rest of the year, but all salmon and trout must be released.Â
These new changes are not printed in the current open water fishing law book because the changes were advanced after the current law book was printed. Also, since the changes represented a liberalization of the existing regulation, providing expanded opportunity, anglers could not be penalized (fined) if they weren’t aware of the change, according to Francis Brautigam, an IF&W Regional Fisheries Biologist based in Gray.
The regulation change was proposed by Sebago Lake Anglers Association and as adopted is consistent with the new salmon management plan recently adopted for Sebago.  The change also is consistent with the Classic Salmon Initiative.
The purpose of the regulation change is to increase lake trout harvest opportunity and further reduce lake trout abundance. Lake trout are a strong competitor with landlocked salmon. The intent of the regulation change is not to allow additional salmon fishing opportunity!
Unfortunately there is no enforceable language that could be adopted making it illegal to fish for salmon. Although the current regulation prevents salmon from being taken from October through December, even catch and release fishing for salmon is expected to increase handling stress and associated salmon mortality, particularly for ripe adult fish.Â
We request that anglers not target salmon after Sept. 30, but take advantage of the opportunity to catch and harvest lake trout during a time of the year when most of the pleasure boat crowd have put their toys to rest, little fishing pressure exists, and the spectacular early fall foliage provides a great back drop to any open water fishing experience.
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Delaware Youth Waterfowl Hunt Scheduled for October 4
September 29, 2008
The Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife is again providing young and disabled (non-ambulatory) hunters a special opportunity to hunt waterfowl Saturday, Oct. 4. Hunting is permitted statewide on private and public lands, including state wildlife areas and federal refuges. Check specific area regulations for lottery times and blind availability.
Young hunters must be between 10-15 years of age and accompanied by a licensed non-hunting adult at least 21 years of age. Hunters 13-15 years of age must have completed an approved hunter education course and possess a Delaware junior hunting license. Standard daily duck bag limits and regulations apply, with hunters also permitted to harvest snow geese and two Canada geese. Young hunters should be of sufficient size, physical strength, and emotional and mental maturity to safely handle a firearm.
The Division of Fish & Wildlife annually provides this and other special hunting opportunities to promote hunting and outdoor recreation among young hunters and provide additional opportunities for disabled hunters. Studies have shown that youngsters who participate in outdoor recreation activities are more likely to continue these pursuits as adults. In addition to the waterfowl hunt, a youth deer hunt is scheduled for November 1.
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Ohio’s Fall Turkey Hunting Season is Approaching
September 26, 2008
Hunters will have more days to hunt with a gun
COLUMBUS, OH - Hunters are preparing for Ohio’s upcoming fall wild turkey season, which runs Saturday, October 11 through Sunday, November 30, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
New this year, wild turkeys may be hunted throughout the entire season with shotguns using shot, crossbows and longbows. Previously, the season had been split with an archery-only segment during the last portion of the season. Nine counties in northeast Ohio, including Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, and Wayne, have been added to the fall turkey season. This brings the number of open counties statewide to 46.
“Brood production was enhanced in parts of southern Ohio by this summer’s emergence of 17-year cicadas,” said Mike Reynolds, the division’s wild turkey biologist. “Hunters should be able to locate flocks of turkeys feeding on abundant white oak acorns and beech nuts in mature forests.” Reynolds estimates Ohio’s statewide wild turkey flock now numbers more than 200,000 birds.
Fall wild turkey hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. The bag limit is one turkey of either sex per hunter per season. A fall turkey permit is required in addition to a current Ohio hunting license. All harvested turkeys must be taken to an official turkey check station by 8 p.m. the day of harvest.
Dogs may be used to assist in taking wild turkeys during the fall hunting season, but not during the spring season.
Hunters should be aware that the fall turkey season will partially overlap with the Early Muzzleloader Season deer hunt (October 20-25) on three state-owned areas: Wildcat Hollow and Salt Fork state wildlife areas, and Shawnee State Forest. Turkey hunting will not be allowed on these areas during those dates.
More than 17,000 hunters pursued wild turkeys in the state last fall, harvesting 1,216 birds. The first fall wild turkey hunting season in Ohio was in 1996.
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Pheasant Season Opens October 1 in New Hampshire
September 24, 2008
CONCORD, N.H. - A long-standing fall tradition in New Hampshire, the hunting season for pheasant gets underway on October 1. Around the state, hunters will be afield in pursuit of the flashy, ring-necked upland game birds. This year, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will release 13,500 pheasants, purchased exclusively with revenues from the sale of pheasant licenses, at 73 stocking sites in 51 towns. Â
“Most of the pheasant release sites are on private lands, stocked with landowner permission and available to sportsmen only because of their cooperation,” said Fish and Game Pheasant Project Leader Karen Bordeau.  “Please respect the property of these landowners, who make our pheasant-hunting tradition possible, by following all safety guidelines and by hunting courteously. Take the time to thank them for their generosity.”
The birds will be distributed over four stockings at all sites in 2008; stocking will be completed by October 18. In-season stockings will be done on Thursdays and Fridays to maximize weekend hunting opportunities.
The list of towns to be stocked (including road names) can be seen on the Fish and Game website at www.HuntNH.com/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_pheasant.htm; printed lists are also available at Fish and Game headquarters and regional offices.Â
The pheasant season runs from October 1 to December 31, with a daily limit of 2 birds and a season limit of 10. Pheasant hunters must purchase a $16 pheasant license, in addition to the regular New Hampshire hunting license. Non-residents may hunt with a pheasant license and either a non-resident NH hunting license or a non-resident NH small game license.Â