Young pheasants fly from the gravel road edge to the safety of standing corn. The Iowa DNR’s recently completed annual pheasant survey predicts a similar population as in 2021, which is good news for hunters. Photo courtesy of the Iowa DNR.

Results of Iowa’s 2022 pheasant population survey are in and the results were nearly identical to that of 2021, when hunters harvested the highest number of roosters in more than a decade.

The annual August roadside survey found Iowa’s statewide pheasant population to be slightly under 20 birds per 30-mile route. Read more

Highlights

• 2022 big game hunting forecast
• 2022 upland game bird forecast
• Hunters must expect to see bears
• Reminder in the field this hunting season: Be a good steward of the land
• Ask first to hunt on private land
• Turn in poachers – call 1-800-TIP-MONT

2022 big game hunting forecast

HELENA – Are you ready for hunting season? FWP can help. In addition to the following hunting forecast, FWP provides online information about hunting access, including our popular Block Management Program. Through the program, we coordinate with landowners to provide hunting access to more than 7 million acres of private land.

The interactive Hunt Planner map allows users to look at information for various species, including hunting districts and regulations. The hunt planner interactive map is a great way to access our block management information, so if you’re planning a hunt in a certain area, you can see if there are Block Management Areas available to expand your opportunity. Read more

Palm-sized remote trainer provides intuitive at-home or in-field dog training

OLATHE, Kan./August 31, 2022/Outdoor Wire—Garmin® International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NYSE: GRMN), today announced the Delta® SE handheld and collar. Using Garmin’s trusted dog training technology, the new ergonomic handheld offers an easy-to-use form factor. Whether at home or on the hunt, users will enjoy the simple, one-handed operation of Delta SE, so they can keep their focus on their dog, not their handheld device. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

The month of September offers some of the finest weather Michigan has to offer, as the door is opened to another hunting season.  Outdoor enthusiasts are called to the colorful display of autumn colors in our vast deciduous forests and anglers have a final chance at stream trout before the season ends on the final day of September.  In addition, small game hunters have their first shot at grouse and woodcock, while others blend squirrel hunting with whitetail deer scouting.

With my campsite strategically reserved the week following opening day the 15th, my plan is to do it all but with a focus on bushytails in the big woods.  Here are some considerations, if you choose to combine a leisurely stroll in the hardwoods, while testing your marksmanship.

* While shotguns can be effective, save them and their problematic pellets for the birds.  The best tool for the job is a scoped .22 rimfire rifle.  Everyone seems to want to brag how they can pluck the wings off a fly at 50 paces with their .22 rifle, but when it comes down to it, it’s cheap talk.  Here’s a rule one can take to the field:  With your chosen ammo, you must be able to keep 9 out of 10 shots within 1.5 inch groups.  Get as close to the target as you must to produce this level of accuracy.

* Make sure to use a scope designed for rimfires.  That’s because their parallax is set to focus at closer ranges.  Typical high-power rifle scopes can leave the uninitiated looking for the culprit in their inconsistent target results.

* Supersonic ammo is not needed and is almost always not as accurate as sub-sonic ammo.  (Target and standard velocity options are all sub-sonic for this reason.)  High velocity and hyper velocity are also noisy, because they break the sound barrier (approximately 1120 feet-per-second).

* Install a sling before heading afield.  The use of a sling allows hunters to use their hands to operate binoculars – a must for seeing the unseen.  Properly used, slings can steady shots, as well.

* A binocular harness keeps the glass protected, while allowing quick access.  Simple straps will cause binoculars to get in the way at times.

* A seat is always useful for sitting and glassing, but carrying one along can be too much.  Consider a seat or pad that hooks to one’s belt.

* A small backpack can hold necessities such as plastic bags for game, latex gloves for field dressing game, freezer packs, insect repellant, lunch and a drink, etc.

Practice sessions should include various ranges to verify point of impact.  With a 50-yard zero, it will be necessary to confirm bullet placement at closer ranges for ethical confidence afield.

Find the nut trees to find bushytails.  Hickory nuts are favorites of the tree-dwellers and are worth observing from a distance.  When scanning surroundings, do so next to a tree for potential use as a steady rest for precise shooting.

I find more squirrels by listening than looking.  No doubt that early season leaves can obstruct vision, but they work both ways.  Listen for acorn remnants falling from trees in one particular spot and move into position.

A sharp knife is needed, because a squirrel’s hide is tough.  However, the sooner the cleaning is finished, the easier it is.

For table fare, cut them into pieces and par-boil before the preferred method of cooking, frying or grilling.  And, if you can’t wrap your head around eating one, you simply are not hungry.

Reserve your Spot in the 2022 Whitetail Challenge Before September 1st and SAVE

– APEX Outdoor Rewards is preparing for the upcoming fall hunting season and another successful Whitetail Challenge. For 2021 APEX paid out almost $60,000 to APEX Hunters and this fall is setting up to be even bigger. APEX Outdoor Rewards offers state specific hunting challenges awarding a cash prize purse to hunters who successfully record and submit their harvest(s).

Participation in the APEX Whitetail Challenge is simple. Hunters must register in the state or states that they plan to hunt, video record and document a hunt that results in a harvested buck, score that buck with the provided antler measuring tape and submit the animal to APEX. Upon completion of the hunting season the winners for each participating state will be announced. Payout is based off the number of entries with a maximum of only 1,500 entries per state. Read more

SALT LAKE CITY — Several years of ongoing drought conditions have impacted mule deer populations across the state. Here are a few things people hunting deer and elk in Utah this fall should know.

Drought impacts deer by decreasing their body fat (because there are fewer plants and available food sources on the landscape). If the does have poor body fat and nutrition, it leads to smaller fawns, and those fawns have a decreased chance of surviving. If an adult deer has too little body fat at the beginning of the winter — especially a severe winter — it will often not survive the winter months. Recent deer research, conducted in Utah, has shown that the amount of fat deer have going into the winter has more of an impact on their likelihood to survive than the conditions and severity of the winter itself.

Drought conditions have persisted for several years in Utah, and long-term drought-related impacts to Utah’s deer and elk populations are still lingering. However, monsoon rains last fall and again this summer have improved vegetative conditions, especially at higher elevations, and deer appear to be in good body condition.

“We still need a few more years with favorable weather patterns to help us fully recover from drought and increase deer numbers,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Big Game Coordinator Dax Mangus said. “Elk populations are more stable, but could also benefit from increased precipitation and better forage on the landscape.” Read more

With some hunting seasons underway and others right around the corner, your head should be in the game by now. If not, then let us help with some of the top trophies of the 31st and upcoming 32nd Awards periods for Boone and Crockett. If this doesn’t get your blood pumping, then you should really check your pulse.

NEW COUNTY RECORD

Dana Haff connected with this great buck at 12 yards in November 2020. It’s the new record in Cayuga County, New York.

See All 10 Field Photos