Results from Third Week of Montana Big Game Season
November 24, 2008
Warmer than average temperatures and lack of snow continue to hamper elk hunter efforts along the Rocky Mountain Front.
“The number of elk brought through the Augusta check station is down by over half as compared to the 10-year average,” says Brent Lonner, Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife biologist.
So far this season, hunters have brought in 92 elk compared to the 10-year average for this date in the hunting season, which is 208.
For deer hunters, however, it’s a different tale. Hunters have checked in 113 white-tailed deer going into the fourth week of the five-week season. That compares favorably with the 10-year average of 116 animals.
Mule deer numbers this year at the check station are 178, only slightly below the long-term average of 195.
“Deer numbers have picked up a little,” Lonner says, “with the rut starting.”
The elk rut peaked the third week of September. Now hunters need snow and cold to move elk into more accessible locations.
While the numbers at the Augusta check station - FWP Region 4’s sole biological check station - apply only to a handful of hunting districts on the Rocky Mountain Front, they often mirror conditions elsewhere in north central Montana.
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TPWD to Consider Sweeping Deer Hunting Regulation Changes
November 11, 2008
AUSTIN, Texas -The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has transitioned away from political boundaries for the purpose of monitoring white-tailed deer populations and toward biologically-based communities or Resource Management Units (RMUs).
The department has identified 33 unique RMUs across the state having similar soils, vegetation types and land use practices they believe will more accurately capture deer population dynamics. The intent is to develop deer season bag limit frameworks based on these units, although implementation will still track county boundaries to avoid confusion among hunters.
In a briefing of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission’s Regulations Committee, TPWD unveiled an extensive suite of potential regulation changes in deer harvest throughout much of the state. The department will be gathering public input on the possible proposals during the next couple of months and present to the commission in January a comprehensive set of proposals.
Those proposals will then go back out for official comment during a series of public hearings around the state next spring. A final decision will be made by the commission at its March 25-26, 2009 public meeting.
Expansion of Antler Restriction Regulations
One key potential change involves further expansion of the department’s successful antler restriction regulations into 52 additional counties where biologists have identified a need to provide greater protection of younger buck deer. In these counties, data indicates more than 55 percent of the harvested bucks are two-and-a-half years of age or younger, which creates an imbalance in the deer herd age structure.
According to Clayton Wolf, TPWD big game program director, based on data to date in the 61 counties where the rule is currently in effect, the antler restrictions have improved age structure while maintaining ample hunting opportunity.
Potentially affected counties include: Anderson, Angelina, Archer, Atascosa, Brazos, Brown, Chambers, Clay, Cooke, Denton, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Grayson, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Liberty, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Orange, Palo Pinto, Parker, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Smith, Stephens, Tarrant, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker, Wichita, Wise, and Young.
Bag Limit Changes
The department is also looking at increasing the bag limit from one buck to two bucks in Baylor, Callahan, Haskell, Jones, Knox, Shackelford, Taylor, Throckmorton, and Wilbarger counties. Wolf noted this area of the state is characterized by relatively large tract sizes and light hunter density and the deer population has grown over the years as habitat has become more favorable to white-tailed deer.
In addition, the department is considering increasing the bag limit from four deer to five deer in Pecos, Terrell, and Upton counties. White-tailed deer densities throughout the eastern Trans-Pecos are very similar to densities on the Edwards Plateau, where current rules allow the harvest of up to five antlerless deer. This change would increase hunting opportunity while addressing a resource concern.
The department is also looking at increasing the bag limit in most Cross Timbers and Prairies and eastern Rolling Plains counties from three deer (no more than one buck, no more than two antlerless) or four deer (no more than two bucks and no more than two antlerless) to five deer (no more than 2 bucks). Counties affected include: Archer, Baylor, Bell (West of IH35), Bosque, Callahan, Clay, Coryell, Hamilton, Haskell, Hill, Jack, Jones, Knox, Lampasas, McLennan, Palo Pinto, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Taylor, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson (west of IH35), and Young.
Another possible change would increase the bag limit from three deer to five deer (no more than one buck) in selected counties in the western Rolling Plains. Although white-tailed deer densities are highly variable in this part of the state, areas containing suitable habitat have become saturated with deer and whitetails are expanding into marginal to poor habitat.
Browsing pressure is severe in these areas, where little woody vegetation exists within five feet of the ground. The proposal would provide additional hunting opportunity while addressing a resource concern. Counties affected include: Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dickens, Donley, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hardeman, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Kent, King, Lipscomb, Motley, Ochiltree, Roberts, Scurry, Stonewall, and Wheeler.
The department is also considering for the first time implementing a general open season in Dawson, Deaf Smith, and Martin counties (three deer, no more than one buck, no more than two antlerless).
Another issue where deer surveys indicate a need for change involves additional antlerless deer harvest opportunities. Therefore, the department is looking to increase antlerless deer hunting or “doe days” in the following areas:
- from 16 days to full-season either-sex in Dallam, Denton, Hartley, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Sherman and Tarrant counties;
- from 30 days to full-season either-sex in Cook, Hardeman, Hill, Johnson, Wichita, and Wilbarger counties;
- from four days to16 days in Bowie and Rusk counties;
- from four days to 30 days in Cherokee and Houston counties;
- from no doe days to four doe days in Anderson, Henderson, Hunt, Leon, Rains, Smith, and Van Zandt counties.
This proposal offers more hunting opportunity as well as making “doe days’ more consistent within each resource management unit (a suite of counties with similar population and habitat characteristics). Data indicate that the deer populations can withstand the additional harvest pressure proposed.
The department is also looking at expansion of the late antlerless and spike season into additional counties.
Counties affected include: Archer, Armstrong, Baylor, Bell (West of IH35), Bosque, Briscoe, Callahan, Carson, Childress, Clay, Collingsworth, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crosby, Denton, Dickens, Donley, Eastland, Erath, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Garza, Gray, Hall, Hamilton, Hardeman, Haskell, Hemphill, Hill, Hood, Hutchinson, Jack, Johnson, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lampasas, Lipscomb, McLennan, Montague, Motley, Ochiltree, Palo Pinto, Parker, Pecos, Roberts, Scurry, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Stonewall, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Throckmorton, Upton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson (West of IH35), Wise, and Young. In Pecos, Terrell, and Upton counties, the proposed season would replace the current muzzleloader-only open season.
Biologists are also looking to implement a special muzzleloader season in additional counties, lengthen the existing muzzleloader season by five days to be equivalent in length with the special antlerless and spike buck seasons in other counties, and alter the current muzzleloader bag composition to allow the harvest of any buck (not just spike bucks) and antlerless deer without permits if the county has “doe days” during the general season.
Counties affected include: Austin, Bastrop, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Colorado, De Witt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Goliad (North of HWY 59), Goliad (South of HWY 59), Gonzales, Gregg, Guadalupe, Harrison, Houston, Jackson (North of HWY 59), Jackson (South of HWY 59), Karnes, Lavaca, Lee, Marion, Matagorda, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Upshur, Victoria (North of HWY 59), Victoria (South of HWY 59), Waller, Washington, Wharton (North of HWY 59), Wharton (South of HWY 59), and Wilson.
In response to a commission directive to seek additional opportunities for youth participation, the department is looking at extending the early youth only season to include the entire month of October and the late youth-only season by 12 days during January in selected counties to run concurrently with late antlerless and spike seasons. The intent of the proposal is to allow adults and children to hunt together during different special seasons.
The department is also considering a petition to implement a general open season (with antlerless harvest by permit only) in Grayson County. TPWD staff has determined that there is no biological necessity for retaining the current rule, which restricts lawful methods to archery equipment and crossbows, but will be seeking input from county residents prior to making any official proposal to the commission in January. The date and locations of scoping meetings in Grayson County have not been finalized.
Other Wildlife-Related Issues
Other wildlife-related issues that could be advanced by the department include potentially implementing an open general season in Parmer County for mule deer, contingent upon the results of winter surveys and the temporary suspension of the two-day October lesser prairie chicken season until population recovery supports a season.
Changes Possible in Freshwater Fishing Regs
In addition, several possible changes to freshwater fishing regulations were offered to the commission for consideration including: modifying blue catfish regulations on three reservoirs, modifying largemouth bass regulations on another and providing increased protection for alligator gar statewide.
Harvest regulations for blue catfish on Lake Lewisville, Lake Richland Chambers and Lake Waco currently reflect the statewide limits (12-inch minimum length limit and 25 fish daily bag limit). Possible proposed changes would consist of a 25 fish daily bag limit with a 30 to 45-inch slot length limit and harvest of only one blue catfish over 45 inches would be allowed. No harvest of blue catfish between 30 and 45 inches would be allowed.
Harvest regulations for largemouth bass on Lake Ray Roberts are currently a 14- to 24-inch slot length limit and a five fish daily bag (only one bass 24 inches or greater may be retained each day). Potential changes would consist of the statewide limits for largemouth bass (14-inch minimum length limit and five fish daily bag limit).
The department discussed possible regulation strategies that emphasize protection of adult fish, while allowing some limited harvest of trophy fish to ensure population stability while allowing utilization of the resource. Two possible regulation scenarios were highlighted. The first would consist of issuing tags that would limit the size and/or number of alligator gar an angler could harvest in one year. The other would involve setting a minimum length limit of 7 feet and a daily bag limit of one. Under either scenario, harvest through commercial activities would also be restricted.
Coastal Fisheries to Look at Flounder, All-Water Guide Licenses and Consistency
Despite a relatively good year for flounder coastwide this year, TPWD Coastal Fisheries biologists remain concerned about a long-term downward trend in the abundance of southern flounder in Texas bays. Gill net catch rates have fallen from a rate of .14 fish per hour in 1982 to about .03 fish per hour lat year.
State fisheries biologists have already met with commercial and recreational fishermen to discuss possible changes to flounder regulations, and have planned a series of public scoping meetings to outline management options and receive input from anyone with an interest in the issue.
Management tools at the department’s disposal include decreasing the bag limit, increasing minimum size limit, area or time closures and quotas.
Also subject to scoping in the coming months is a proposal to change the requirements for a TPWD All-Water Guide license, which currently calls for the applicant to hold a USCG Operator of an Uninspected Passenger Vessel, or “Six-Pack” license. The changes would apply to applicants who wish to guide paddle craft trips only.
The draft proposal presented to TPW Commissioners includes requirements that licensees — in lieu of holding a USCG license — successfully complete TPWD Boater Safety training, hold current CPR and First Aid certifications and successfully complete ACA Level II Essentials of Kayak Touring and Coastal Kayak Trip Leading, or BCU Three-Star Sea Kayak and Four-Star Leader Sea Kayak certifications.
Finally, Coastal Fisheries biologists presented several issues pertaining to achieving consistency between state and federal regulations for sharks and reef fish such as gray triggerfish, greater amberjack and gag grouper.
Dates have not yet been set for public scoping meetings on the proposals to change the guide license requirements for paddle craft guides, or for changes in migratory and reef fish regulations to achieve consistency with federal regulations.
 Scoping meetings have been scheduled for possible changes to flounder regulations.
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Big Time Texas Hunts Winners Announced
November 6, 2008
AUSTIN, Texas — Seventeen lucky sportsmen are making special plans for hunting season as winners of this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts. The hunters were selected by random computer drawing from applicants in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department program.
All told, hunters bought 79,327 Big Time Texas Hunt entries during this year’s sales period through the Oct. 15 deadline. This generated $776,229 in gross revenue to support wildlife research, habitat management and public hunting.
Stephen Bauer has been entering the Big Time Texas Hunts for years as a way to support TPWD youth hunting and public hunting efforts. Bauer, who owns and operates two feed stores in the Kerrville area, said he puts in for every hunt category and that support paid dividends as he was drawn as this year’s Big Time Bird Hunt package winner.
“I’m very excited about it,” said Bauer. “This will give me an opportunity to hunt some bird species I haven’t hunted before.”
Bauer, along with as many as three of his 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.
The winner of this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts crown jewel, the Texas Grand Slam hunt package — which includes four separate guided hunts for Texas’ most prized big game animals; desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope and mule deer — will be facing a significant logistical challenge. The winner, Matt Portch, lives in Hopewell Junction, New York.
“Luckily I have a lot of frequent flyer miles,” said Portch, who works for a pharmaceutical company in Manhattan. “I lived in Texas for 10 years and have been entering the Big Time Texas Hunts since the first year of the program. I always applied with the hope, but never the intention of winning, so it was a marvelous surprise.”
Portch admits trying to coordinate four major hunting trips to Texas on the calendar is going to be a big challenge. “But, I will make it happen, it’s too important,” he said. “I have not done any hunting in New York, but have been looking for reasons to come back to Texas. Now I have four reasons!”
Following are the winners of this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts.
- Grand Slam — Matt Portch, Hopewell Junction, NY
- Premium Buck Hunt — Leon Pavlock, Guy, TX
- Exotic Safari — James Cavness, Sanger, TX; Joshua Bellman, North Richland Hills, TX
- Whitetail Bonanza — John Knotts, Streetman, TX; Kevin Harris, El Campo, TX; Dixon Presnall, Aledo, TX; Patrick Mitchell, Pine Bluff, AR; Clarence Davis, Groveton, TX; Matthew Zaiontz, San Antonio; Roddy Wade, Dallas; Neil Reichenback, Carrollton, TX; Thomas Patrick, Houston; Kenny Ferguson, Ackerly, TX.
- Big Time Bird Hunt — Stephen Bauer, Harper, TX
- Waterfowl Adventure — John Noland, Houston
- Gator Hunt — Mark Garrison, Houston
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Pennsylvania Game Commission Offers Advice to Hunters Headed Out of State
October 7, 2008
HARRISBURG – With thousands of Pennsylvania hunters heading off to hunt big game in other states and Canadian provinces, Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe reminds hunters that, in an effort to prevent the introduction of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) into the Commonwealth, the agency prohibits hunters from importing specific carcass parts from members of the deer family – including mule deer, elk and moose – from 14 states and two Canadian provinces.Â
Roe noted that this importation ban was contained in an executive order signed into effect in December of 2005, and affects hunters heading to: Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York (only from CWD containment area), South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia (only from Hampshire County), Wisconsin and Wyoming; as well as the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.Â
The specific carcass parts, where the CWD prion (the causative agent) concentrates in cervids, that cannot be brought back to Pennsylvania by hunters are: the head (including brain, tonsils, eyes and lymph nodes); spinal cord/backbone; spleen; skull plate with attached antlers, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; cape, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; upper canine teeth, if root structure or other soft tissue is present; any object or article containing visible brain or spinal cord tissue; unfinished taxidermy mounts; and brain-tanned hides.Â
Roe noted that the prohibition does not limit the importation of:Â meat, without the backbone; cleaned skull plate with attached antlers, if no visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; tanned hide or raw hide with no visible brain or spinal cord tissue present; cape, if no visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; upper canine teeth, if no root structure or other soft tissue is present; and finished taxidermy mounts.
Pennsylvania hunters heading to a state with a history of CWD should become familiar with that state’s wildlife regulations and guidelines for the transportation of harvested game animals. Wildlife officials have suggested hunters in areas where CWD is known to exist follow these recommendations to prevent the possible spread of the disease:
- Do not shoot, handle or consume any animal that appears sick; contact the state wildlife agency if you see or harvest an animal that appears sick.
- Wear rubber or latex gloves when field-dressing carcasses.
- Bone out the meat from your animal.
- Minimize the handling of brain and spinal tissues.
- Wash hands and instruments thoroughly after field-dressing is completed.
- Request that your animal is processed individually, without meat from other animals being added to meat from your animal, or process your own meat if you have the tools and ability to do so.
- Have your animal processed in the endemic area of the state where it was harvested, so that high-risk body parts can be properly disposed of there. Only bring permitted materials back to Pennsylvania.
- Don’t consume the brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils or lymph nodes of harvested animals. (Normal field-dressing, coupled with boning out a carcass, will remove most, if not all, of these body parts. Cutting away all fatty tissue will help remove remaining lymph nodes.)
- Consider not consuming the meat from any animal that tests positive for the disease.
Roe said hunters who harvest a deer, elk or moose where CWD is known to exist should follow that state’s wildlife agency’s instructions on how and where to submit the appropriate samples to have their animal tested. If, after returning to Pennsylvania, a hunter is notified that his or her game tested positive for CWD, the hunter is encouraged to contact the Game Commission for disposal recommendations.
The Game Commission, with the assistance of the Pennsylvania and U.S. departments of Agriculture, has conducted tests on more than 18,000 deer and elk that have died of unknown illnesses, were exhibiting abnormal behavior or were killed by hunters. No evidence of CWD has been found in any of these samples.
The Game Commission will continue to monitor this disease and collect samples from deer and elk that appear sick or behave abnormally. The agency, this year, again plans to continue to test all hunter-killed elk and approximately 4,000 hunter-harvested wild deer for CWD. Â
First identified in 1967, CWD is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that affects cervids, including all species of deer, elk and moose. It is a progressive and always fatal disease of the nervous system. Scientists theorize CWD is caused by an unknown agent capable of transforming normal brain proteins into an abnormal form.
There currently is no practical way to test live animals for CWD, nor is there a vaccine. Clinical signs include poor posture, lowered head and ears, uncoordinated movement, rough-hair coat, weight loss, increased thirst, excessive drooling, and, ultimately, death. There is currently no scientific evidence that CWD has or can spread to humans, either through contact with infected animals or by eating meat of infected animals. The Center for Disease Control has investigated any connection between CWD and the human forms of TSEs and stated “the risk of infection with the CWD agent among hunters is extremely small, if it exists at all” and “it is extremely unlikely that CWD would be a food-borne hazard.”
“Hunters spend a lot of time in the woods, and are a valuable source of information to wildlife agencies across the United States,” Roe said. “If a hunter sees a deer or elk behaving abnormally, or dying from unknown causes, contact the state wildlife agency and provide as much specific information as possible about where the animal was seen.”
In 2005, Pennsylvania CWD task force members completed the state’s response plan, which outlines ways to prevent CWD from entering our borders and, in the event CWD is found in Pennsylvania, how to detect it, contain it and work to eradicate it. The task force was comprised of representatives from the Governor’s Office, the Game Commission, the state Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state Department of Health, the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, as well as representatives from stakeholder groups including hunters, deer farmers, deer processors and taxidermists. Initiated in 2003, a copy of the final plan can be viewed on the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us
) by clicking on “CWD Update” in the “Quick Clicks” box in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage.
“We know that Pennsylvania hunters are just as concerned about keeping CWD out of Pennsylvania as we are, and we are confident that they will do all they can to protect the Commonwealth’s whitetail and elk populations,” Roe said.
Other information, including tips for taxidermists and meat processors, can be found on the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) in the CWD Update.
Websites for all 50 state wildlife agencies can be accessed via the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us). Click on the “Related Links” section at the bottom of the homepage, then select “Wildlife Agencies,” and then choose the state of interest from the map.
Additional information on CWD can be found on the CWD Alliance’s website (www.cwd-info.org).
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North Dakota Landowners Seek Doe Hunters
August 28, 2008
North Dakota Game and Fish Department big game biologist Bill Jensen is currently working with a number of landowners across the state who would like to host antlerless deer hunters in 2008.
“We are hoping to match landowners who want a good deer harvest with antlerless whitetail and mule deer hunters looking for a place to hunt,” Jensen said. “We have worked with several dozen landowners in the past, and most have reported good success in matching up with doe hunters.”
This program is not intended as a guide service for buck hunters, Jensen said, but to direct antlerless hunters to specific areas to reduce deer depredation problems in the future.
“These landowners have contacted us and asked for help in reducing the deer population in their areas,” Jensen said. “We’re happy to direct some hunters to them, but we don’t want them to be overrun either. This is the reason we have developed and set up the contact list.”
Landowners participating in the program are located in hunting units 2C, 2E, 2G2, 2I, 2J1, 2J2, 2G2, 2K1, 2K2, 3A2, 3A3, 3A4, 3B1, 3C, 3D1, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B, 4D, 4E and 4F.
Interested hunters can get their name on a list of possible participants by accessing the Game and Fish Department’s website. Hunters who do not have Internet access can call the department’s main office in Bismarck at 701-328-6300.
Hunters will provide their address, hunting unit(s) where they hold valid antlerless licenses, and if using firearm or bow. From this list the department will select the number of hunters landowners have agreed to host. These hunters will be sent the landowner’s name, phone number and any information relating to the landowner’s specific situation.
Not everyone who signs up will end up with a new place to hunt, Jensen said, because not everyone’s schedule will match up with a landowner’s, and more people will likely put their name on the list than there are landowners.
North Dakota’s 2008 deer gun season runs from Nov. 7-23. In addition, a September antlerless deer gun season is open from Sept. 26 – Oct. 2 in hunting units 2C and 2D. The archery season extends from Aug. 29 through Jan. 4, 2009; the youth season is from Sept. 12-21; and muzzleloader runs from Nov. 28 – Dec. 14.
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Remaining Doe Licenses In North Dakota Issued First-Come, First-Served
August 21, 2008
More than 38,000 antlerless deer gun licenses are still available after the North Dakota Game and Fish Department recently completed its lottery dra