Rare Antelope Shot; Its Calf Dies Later
September 24, 2008
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Wildlife Alert program and the owner of a rare desert antelope are offering a combined reward of $750 for information leading to the arrest of whoever shot and killed the addax antelope at Pheenix Farm in Putnam County.
The farm owners found the antelope’s body inside a fenced pasture the morning of Sept. 14. It had been shot to death. Its young calf was found that afternoon in a nearby building, but it died shortly afterwards.
The addax antelope is one of the world’s rarest mammals. It is listed as a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and some scientists estimate there are fewer than 500 left in the wild. It is well-adapted to its native African desert habitat and rarely needs water, because it can get most of its water needs from the vegetation it eats.
Pheenix Farm is a game farm located on County Road 315 and Hewitt Lake Road near Orange Springs.
Anyone with information about this incident should call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. Callers may remain anonymous.
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New Rules for the Ocklawaha Prairie Public Small Game Hunting Area
August 18, 2008
The Ocklawaha Prairie Public Small Game Hunting Area in Marion County has a new permitting process this year. In an effort to provide an equitable hunting opportunity, daily quota permits are limited to five per person per waterfowl season. Additionally, the horsepower limit allowed for boat motors on the area has been raised from 10 to 40 to enable hunters to navigate through vegetation more successfully.Â
“It’s important to create rules and quotas on public lands, such as this one, that allow as many hunters as possible to use the area, without sacrificing hunt quality,” said Jen Williams, hunting coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Northeast Region.
Ocklawaha Prairie Public Small Game Hunting Area is about 2,300 acres, just north of Moss Bluff along the Ocklawaha River and is convenient to Ocala. It is legal to hunt ducks, coots and snipe during the season. Hunters must enter through the check station off 137th Avenue (Old River Road).
For detailed regulations specific to this hunting area, log onto MyFWC.com/hunting/wma/2008-09/Northeast/OcklawahaPrairiePSGHA.pdf.
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Oklahoma Anglers Urged to Take Online Survey to Improve Fishing
June 17, 2008
As part of an ongoing effort to provide quality fishing experiences for anglers, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s fisheries division works regularly to establish “fish attractors” in lakes across the state, and now the Department wants the public’s input on how those areas impact angling.
Biologists with the Wildlife Department are conducting an online survey to gain feedback from anglers on what types of fish attracting structure seems to draw more fish, which types work best for increasing angler success and where fish attractors should be located. Anglers are asked to log on to the Wildlife Department’s Web site at wildlifedepartment.com
to take the survey.
In recent years, the Wildlife Department’s fisheries personnel have been sinking brush piles and spider blocks in waters all across the state in hopes of attracting fish and increasing angler success. Brush piles are brought to lakes from other areas or cut from the lake’s own shoreline. Spider blocks, which are manmade fish attractors built from rubber hosing that is cemented into cinderblocks to create plantlike structure, are made by fisheries personnel as well as volunteers such as school groups and then strategically dropped into lakes across the state. Additionally, aquatic vegetation planting projects conducted by the Department also have been employed in some cases as a method for attracting fish.
“When hunting for deer, turkey and quail, it’s beneficial to have access to areas that attract game and to know where those areas are located, and it is the same way with fishing,” said Barry Bolton, chief of fisheries for the Wildlife Department. “Our state’s waters are full of fish, but anglers know there is a lot more to finding and catching them than just knowing that they live in the water. It’s helps to find areas that draw and congregate fish. And while we have been working to establish areas like this to improve fishing for our state’s anglers, we need to know how well it is working.”
Biologists with the Wildlife Department say all comments and suggestions are welcome, and the information gained from the survey will be used to refine future habitat enhancement efforts.
“The habitat work done by the Wildlife Department is aimed at producing quality fishing, so the interests and concerns of our sportsmen are important to us,” said Gene Gilliland, central region fisheries supervisor for the Wildlife Department.
For more information about fishing in Oklahoma or to take the survey, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
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Lake Bistineau Drawdown To Begin July 15
June 4, 2008
Lake Bistineau will undergo a drawdown to assist with the control of giant salvinia, an invasive aquatic plant, beginning July 15, 2008.Â
This action follows two large-scale herbicide applications utilizing spray crews from around the state where over 4,900 acres of aquatic vegetation was treated, expending a total of 3,656 gallons of herbicide. The large mats of vegetation should have been thinned significantly enough from these spray efforts to allow a lot of the giant salvinia to dry and desiccate during the drawdown.
The lake will be drained 7 feet at a rate of 2-to-3 inches per day to minimize the potential of salvinia being transferred downstream and to maximize the amount of salvinia stranded on the bank to desiccate.Â
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Inland Fisheries Division biologists will assess the effects of the drying action on the giant salvinia throughout the drawdown period. The water level will be cycled as needed in order to allow the remaining live plants to drift into areas where they could be stranded on land as the lake level is lowered again.
The gates will be closed and the lake allowed to be refilled with water on Jan. 30, 2009.
For more information, contact James Seales at 318-371-3050 or jseales [at] wlf [dot] louisiana [dot] gov.
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Michigan Promotes “Clean Boats Every Day” Initiative
May 29, 2008
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has proclaimed June 1-8, 2008, as Aquatic Invasive Species Awareness Week to raise awareness about the need for citizens to take action to stop new introductions and control the spread of aquatic invasive species. Michigan is defined by the Great Lakes and its vast inland waters which draw millions of tourists and recreational users every year.
In support of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration declaration of “Clean Boats Every Day” Initiative, Michigan is promoting aquatic invasive species awareness and sustainable boating practices by teaching citizens how to inspect, clean, and drain their boats in order to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invaders.
A few simple preventative measures can help protect Michigan’s pristine waters from AIS invasions. For example, watercrafts and recreational equipment should be inspected before leaving a lake, any vegetation should be removed, all live wells drained, areas that may contain water cleaned, and unused bait should be disposed in the trash.
AIS week is sponsored by the Department of Environmental Quality’s Office of the Great Lakes with collaborative efforts from other state and federal agencies as well as private and nonprofit organizations. For AIS Awareness Week information, the Governor’s proclamation, event listings, activities, and more, visit the OGL’s Aquatic Invasive Species website at www.michigan.gov/deqaquaticinvasives; or contact the OGL at 517-335-4056.
“Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s Future”
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Wildlife Resources Commission Urges People to Leave Fawns Alone
May 27, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. – A tiny deer might look cute and very much alone, but the N.C.Wildlife Resources Commission is urging people not to approach, touch or remove any white-tailed fawns lying in the brush.
At the peak of fawning season in May and June, people might see fawns left alone and assume they have been abandoned by the doe, but this is usually not the case. Whitetails are a “hider” species, which means the female will hide her fawn in vegetation during the first two or three weeks of its life as she feeds.
Dappled and lacking scent, fawns are well-camouflaged and usually remain undetected by predators. The doe will return to the fawn several times a day to nurse and clean it, staying only a few minutes each time before leaving again to seek food. The doe also will consume the fawn’s excrement to eliminate odor that might attract a predator.
The fawn is also well-equipped to protect itself. By the time a fawn is 5 days old, already it can outrun a human. At 3 to 6 weeks of age, fawns can escape most predators. Typically, fawns are functionally weaned by about 10 weeks and are eating vegetation and other browse, although they may continue to nurse for another 4 to 6 months.
Unless a fawn is in imminent danger — for example, being attacked by dogs or injured in a tractor mowing accident — the best decision always is to leave it alone. If you are concerned about the fawn, leave the area and check on the fawn the next day. Do not remain in the area. Does are very cautious and will not approach a fawn if she senses danger.
If a fawn is in the exact location when you check on it the following day and bleating loudly, or if a fawn is lying beside a dead doe (likely at the side of a highway), do not take the fawn into your possession. Instead, contact the Wildlife Resources Commission at (919) 707-0040 for the telephone number of a local permitted fawn rehabilitator or see a list of fawn rehabilitators at www.ncwildlife.org.
It is illegal to remove a fawn from the wild. Only fawn rehabilitators with a permit from the Commission may keep white-tailed fawns in captivity for eventual release. With the exception of trained wildlife rehabilitators, most people are ill-equipped to care for a fawn, atttempts to “save” one typically do more harm than good.
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