The Practical Nature of Wolf Management

By Glen Wunderlich

Michigan and other states, as well, understand wild game management.  In fact, by virtue of how well wildlife is managed is demonstrated in one word:  sustainability.  Nowhere in the history of regulated hunting has game suffered at the hands of hunting to the point that any game species has been threatened with extinction.  Thoughtful leaders have adhered to the strict guidelines of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and dutifully brought back countless wild animals from the brink of being wiped out.  Such is the case with the Great Lakes wolves.wolf

 

Yet, federal judge Beryl Howell has ruled that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)  could not de-list wolves under its distinct population segment rule, in part, because Congress had never manifested an intent to approve the use of the distinct population segments for de-listing a species, though the rule could be used to list species. Read more

Michigan records safest hunting season with no fatal incidents in 2014

Older man instructing young boy holding a rifleFor the first time, Michigan recorded no fatalities during all hunting seasons in 2014, according to reports compiled by the Department of Natural Resources’ Law Enforcement Division. Ten incidents involving injuries were recorded in the state – nine in the Lower Peninsula and one in the Upper Peninsula.

“We had 10 incidents reported for 2014, which ties with last year for the fewest number of reportable hunting incidents since Michigan started tracking them in the 1940s,” said Sgt. Tom Wanless of the DNR’s Recreational Safety, Education and Enforcement Section.

“What makes 2014 the safest on record is that for the first time we had no fatalities,” Wanless added. “Michigan’s hunter education program, and the dedicated volunteer instructors who are the backbone of it, is a big reason we have been experiencing a low number of hunting incidents.”

With more than 729,000 base licenses sold in 2014, Michigan’s hunting injury/fatality rate per license is .001 percent. The base license is required to purchase any hunting license.

Of the 10 incidents reported in 2014, four involved small game hunters, two involved waterfowl hunters and four involved deer hunters. One of the deer hunting incidents occurred during the early antlerless season in September and one was in December’s late antlerless season. Two incidents were reported during the firearm deer hunting season from Nov. 15-30. One incident took place Nov. 20 in Osceola County, while the other happened Nov. 25 in Oakland County at Bald Mountain Recreation Area.

Information on the hunting incidents recorded in 2014 and so far in 2015 can be found online at www.michigan.gov/conservationofficers under Law Enforcement Reports.

New Limb Shaker Calling Kit From Hunter’s Specialties Helps Hunters Locate And Call In Their Next Gobbler

The Limb Shaker Calling Kit contains the new Limb Shaker Friction Call and Limb Shaker Owl Hooter. The Limb Shaker Friction Pot Call has a ready to play pre-sanded glass surface and comes with a Green Mountain camo striker. It easily produces all the sounds of a hen turkey, including high-pitched yelps and cuts.

The Limb Shaker Owl Hooter is an easy-to-use call that helps hunters locate gobblers early and late in the day. The reed-style call has a realistic raspy sound with three holes in the end to funnel the sound for added volume. It allows hunters to call softly when gobblers are near or louder for birds farther away. Loud or soft, it sounds like a real owl. Read more

POMA to Recognize Outdoor Filmmakers During 10th Anniversary Conference

The Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) announced a new partnership with the Outdoor Film Festival and Tour earlier this year. During its annual business conference March 18-21 in Springfield, MO, POMA will showcase submissions in the Whitetail Short Film category.

“Outdoor filmmakers, whether specializing in TV or short form, will find the POMA annual business conference to be a great opportunity for learning more about the industry and for networking with other professional filmmakers,” said Tom Opre, POMA president and a 26-year veteran filmmaker. Read more

Federal Premium 3rd Degree Wows at the 39th Annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show

ANOKA, Minnesota – The recently introduced 3rd Degree™ turkey loads from Federal Premium® were on display at the 39th Annual National Wild Turkey (NWTF) Convention and Sport Show at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee this past weekend. Attendees were impressed by how the new 12-gauge turkey loads deliver lethal patterns near and far.

The new Federal Premium 3rd Degree load uses a multi-shot, three-layer payload to ensure lethal patterns whether gobblers hang up at 40-plus yards or come to the decoys on a string.

The leading section of the new Federal Premium 3rd Degree turkey loads, which accounts for 20 percent of the total pellet count, consists of No. 6 nickel-plated FLITESTOPPER® lead. These pellets release from the wad first, dispersing quickly to create a larger, more effective pattern than conventional loads for shots inside of 20 yards. The second stage of the payload is copper-plated No. 5 lead shot, which creates a dense, even pattern at moderate ranges. The final 40 percent of 3rd Degree’s three-stage payload contains No. 7 HEAVYWEIGHT® pellets. Made of high-density tungsten-iron material, they give hunters more energy than No. 5 lead shot at 40 yards and beyond. The increased pellet count delivers more hits on target at long range. Read more

Talking Whitetails With Troy Landry, Plus: Skinning A Coyote

Troy Landry, star of “Swamp People,” loves to hunt big alligators and big whitetails! Watch this video as the GrowingDeer.tv team visits with Troy to develop a plan to improve the deer hunting and habitat for his Kansas hunting property. Plus, learn how to skin a coyote in the step by step guide by an expert taxidermist. It is available for viewing online today at www.GrowingDeer.tv.

Be one of the first to know when the GrowingDeer.tv team releases a new video. They send out an e-mail every Monday about the new show along with a useful hunting tip. Your email address will be treated respectfully. It will not be shared or abused. Click HERE to subscribe today! Read more

Ivory Ban Bills Across the United States- An Update

Federal Regulation and Legislation

African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possession Act Re-Introduced in Congress – Alaskan Congressman Don Young has introduced bipartisan legislation with Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN) to roll-back and further halt onerous constraints on lawfully possessed ivory products, including musical instruments, firearms, knives, and museum pieces that include ivory parts. The African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possession Act of 2015, HR 697, would effectively end the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s draconian and unilateral moratorium on the sale and trade of lawfully possessed ivory, while also making significant efforts to assist anti-poaching efforts in countries with elephant populations.

The bill would specifically allow: Read more

Boone & Crockett Supports Bill Restoring State Management for Wolves

GW: So, here we go in an effort to wrest control from Feds. Heck yeah!

MISSOULA, MT – A new bill introduced in Congress yesteday would once and for all transfer management of recovered gray wolf populations back to state wildlife agencies in Wyoming and the Great Lakes region.

H.R. 884 is cosponsored by members of Congress from the relevant states from both parties. The original sponsors include Representatives Ribble (R-WI), Lummis (R-WY), Benishek (R-MI), Peterson (D-MN), Duffy (R-WI), Emmer (R-MN), Grothman (R-WI), Huizenga (R-MI), Kind (D-WI), Kline (R-MN), Ryan (R-WI), Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Simpson (R-ID), Walberg (R-MI), and Walz (D-MN).

Several of the sponsors are members and past leaders of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. Rep. Tim Walz is currently a co-chair of the caucus.

Wolf management authority for years has been bouncing back and forth between state and federal agencies in these two regions as the wolf populations there have thrived and spread. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has repeatedly found the species to be recovered, sustainable and ready for science-based management by the states. Courts have repeatedly negated these findings based on lawsuits over procedural technicalities.

Congress previously acted on this same problem with bipartisan support to establish state management in Montana and Idaho in 2011. Today’s legislation renews that effort for Wyoming and the Lake States. Boone and Crockett helped develop the 2011 bill, which also appears in H.R. 884.

“It is a sign of our times that scientific decisions by the Fish and Wildlife Service can be repeatedly reversed in court by those who disapprove of the decision,” said Bob Model, co-chair of the Boone and Crockett Club’s Policy Committee. “Preferences should not trump science. It is past time for Congress to stand behind the science, reinstate the decisions, and cut off further lawsuits – and that’s what H.R. 884 does.”

In 2011, when Congress last acted to reinstate management authority to Idaho and Montana, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had not yet transferred management to other states. Since then, the additional transfers have occurred and, just as in the past, procedural litigation reversed them. It is time again to reinstate the scientific decision of the Fish and Wildlife Service and stop the legal gamesmanship.

Both Idaho and Montana have been successfully carrying out their management strategy of balancing the needs of wolves and people since 2011. Wolf populations in these states remain sizable, sustainable, and stabilized.

In reinstating state management in Wyoming, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, H.R. 884 also makes these reissued rulings no longer subject to judicial review by district courts. The bill does not modify the Endangered Species Act, nor does it prevent the Fish and Wildlife Service from deciding to re-impose federal protection for the gray wolf in the future if it determines that is necessary.

Model added, “At the end of the day, people who live with wolves want to do what’s right for wolves and people. This new bill will allow science-based state management to work for both.”

About the Boone and Crockett Club
North America’s first hunting and conservation organization, the Boone and Crockett Club was founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887. Its mission is to promote the conservation and management of wildlife, especially big game and its habitat, to preserve and encourage hunting and to maintain the highest ethical standards of fair chase and sportsmanship. Join us at www.boone-crockett.org.
Media Contact Steve Wagner, Blue Heron
Communications, 800-654-3766 or steve@blueheroncomm.com.

Stealth Cam G42C

Stealth Cam, introduced in the year 2000, quickly became the leader in scouting camera innovation. Building upon the wildly popular G Series camera platform, Stealth Cam introduces the G42C White LED Flash scouting camera. This 8 Megapixel – 3 resolutions; 8mp, 4mp, and 2mp delivers color day and color night images and video thanks to the 42 White LED’s with an 80-foot range, making it great for land management professionals, hunters tracking potential trophies, or landowners keeping any eye on critters in their back yard. Read more

Plano Tactical: A Commitment to Serving Those Who Serve

Few brands hold more meaning to hunters, shooters and anglers than Plano. From its humble beginnings producing the world’s first molded plastic tackle boxes over 65 years ago, the company has built its reputation on a mission of keeping customers’ valuable gear organized and protected. Today, Plano Synergy continues to put its tremendous engineering and manufacturing resources to work, offering thousands of individual hunting, shooting and fishing lifestyle products across twelve unique brands.

Do a job well and your customer base will grow. Plano has attracted a loyal following over the years, including many from the stringent military and law enforcement communities who have come to appreciate and rely upon the utility and reliability of Plano’s shooting products. Read more

1 207 208 209 210 211 389