Category: Hunting

Impressive Bulls Top Elk Harvest

Twenty elk were harvested during Arkansas’s 2024 season, including some impressive bulls, according to Wes Wright, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s elk program coordinator.

Of the 20, 14 were taken on private land and six from public land. Nine were bulls and 11 were antlerless. All nine bulls had racks of 5×5 (number of points on each antler) or greater, including a 7×7 and a 6×7. The hunts were Oct. 7-11 and Oct. 28-Nov. 1; youth hunts were Oct. 5-6 and Oct. 26-27.

James Wray, 32, experienced an amazing day of hunting on Richland Valley Elk Conservation Area, part of the Gene Rush Wildlife Management Area. The cotton, corn, rice and soybean farmer from Jonesboro took an elk in Utah a few years back but had not had a chance to chase them in Arkansas until last fall.

He began his Arkansas elk quest by scouting with a friend, Mason Young, about a week before hunting. Read more

Hunting

The Alpha Buck

The Alpha Buck

This story begins about a year and a half ago when my wife and purchased a little piece of land not far from the center of Alpharetta, Georgia. Since then, I’ve continued to run trail cams on the property and seen nothing but does; honestly, it’s kind of crazy that not even one small buck has shown up in over a year. In early December, that all changed.

On Wednesday, December 4, an absolute bruiser that I now called the Alpha Buck decided to grace us with his presence. He showed up at midnight in my upper field and then daylighted at 7:15 a.m. that next morning. Naturally, the daylight photos instantly got me fired up… but what really got me going was when my security camera caught him walking down the driveway at noon. I knew then it was on.

That evening, I went over to the property for an afternoon sit. It’s now 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 5, and like clockwork he came right in to feed. I smoked him at 30 yards. Broadside, full pass through, a tad back and a little high but surely a fatal shot. Well… This is where the story gets interesting.

Knowing I made solid contact, I backed out and gave the deer a few hours. Read more

Hunting

USFWS Withdraws Proposed Biological Integrity, Diversity, And Environmental Health Rule

In a major win for sportsmen, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has officially withdrawn its proposed Biological Integrity, Diversity, and Environmental Health Rule (“BIDEH Rule”) that would have had sweeping impacts on National Wildlife Refuge management.

The Biden administration introduced the proposed BIDEH Rule in February 2024. To say the BIDEH Rule would have harmed sportsmen is an understatement. The rule plainly “prohibit[ed] predator control unless it is determined necessary to meet statutory requirements, fulfill refuge purposes, and ensure biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health.”

With this language, the service would only be able to authorize the taking of a predator if “all other feasible methods have been fully evaluated and such control is considered the only practical means of addressing a specific, significant conservation concern and ensuring biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health.”

Today, the Sportsmen’s Alliance is proud to announce the withdrawal of the rule and can rejoice that the service thought better of its major overstep and withdrew the rule.

“We are glad that the service agreed with our comments and withdrew the proposed BIDEH Rule,” said Michael Jean, Litigation Counsel for Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation. “Sportsmen’s dollars have always been the primary source of funding for the refuge system, and the system was designed to increase recreational opportunities for families, including hunting and fishing. Any action that severely limits those opportunities like the BIDEH Rule did is inconsistent with the refuge system’s purposes and congressional mandates.”

Hunting, Wildlife

Michigan Deer hunting opportunities this week, Dec. 22-28

Save the date: Deer donation drive at Knutson’s

  • Take part in our upcoming deer donation drive in Jackson County, Jan. 4 and 5 at Knutson’s Sporting Goods in Brooklyn.
  • We’ll be taking deer donations for the Hunters Feeding Michigan program. All donated venison will be distributed to Michigan food pantries.
  • The deer donation drive takes place during the new extended late antlerless firearm deer hunting season, Jan. 2-12 in the southern part of the Lower Peninsula. A discounted antlerless license for this extended hunting season is available for $5 per license, or you can use any unused deer tags you already have.

Late antlerless firearm deer season

  • Now through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, on public and private lands ONLY in the Lower Peninsula.
  • See page 9 of the Deer Hunting Regulations Summary for a map of open deer management units.
  • During this season, a hunter may harvest an antlerless deer with an unused single deer license (including the license issued through the Mentored Hunting Program), deer combo license (regular and/or restricted tags), universal antlerless license or deer management assistance permit if issued for the area/land where hunting.

Archery deer season (late segment)

  • Now through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, statewide on public and private land.
  • Changes to antlerless harvest have occurred in the Upper Peninsula. Antlerless hunting with archery equipment on the single deer license and deer combo license is prohibited after Dec. 10 for units 027, 036, 152, 252, 021, 349, 249, 017, 117 and 149 (mid-snowfall zone). Antlered hunting with archery equipment can continue through Jan. 1 in these units.
  • See page 14 of the Deer Hunting Regulations Summary for the Upper Peninsula antler point restrictions chart.

Harvest reporting

  • Deer hunters are required to report a successful harvest within 72 hours or before transferring possession of the deer (to another person, a processer or taxidermist).
  • Reporting your harvest takes about three minutes and provides critical information for managing Michigan’s deer herd.

Report your harvest or see the reported harvest totals in real time at Michigan.gov/HarvestReporting.

Hunting

Defeat the Cold with Fish Monkey

Ice fishing is one of the world’s truly extreme sports. It’s great fun and there is plenty of action, not to mention the good times and camaraderie shared by those who participate in this winter activity. In order to be safe and successful you need the right gear, and it starts with a good pair of gloves.

Most anglers just grab a pair of heavy insulated work gloves, but fishing requires more. You need a glove that’s not only waterproof but also one that has the dexterity to allow you to manipulate small rods and reels easily. One that can go from driving a snow machine or side by side to drilling an auger to baiting tiny hooks. Meet the cold-weather glove lineup from Fish Monkey.

First up is the Stealth Sherpa Dry-Tec Heavyweight Gloves and Mittens. These are 100 percent wind- and waterproof, but even more important, they are constructed with a durable water repellent finish. Read more

Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife

Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation to Present Oral Arguments in CDC Puppy Ban Case

This Thursday, Dec. 19, the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (SAF) will present oral arguments in support of its request to preliminarily enjoin recent dog-import restrictions imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

SAF sued CDC in August 2024 to rescind a rule restricting the importation of dogs into the United States. Shortly after suing CDC, SAF filed a motion for preliminary injunction. The CDC opposed that motion, and SAF answered with additional arguments and a reaffirmed commitment to holding CDC accountable for its overreach.

The CDC rule illegally restricts the import of puppies from countries that have been determined to be free of dog rabies or those that are at low risk of introducing dog rabies. Specifically, the rule requires a puppy to be at least six months of age and microchipped to enter (or reenter) the United States.

If granted, the preliminary injunction would pause implementation of the rule’s restrictions on puppy imports and reentries from rabies-free or low-risk countries until the court makes a final decision on the lawfulness of the rulemaking. A preliminary injunction is just the first, but necessary, step in protecting the interests of our members. Hunters and sporting dog owners are harmed by the rule’s restrictions – our members are having hunts, trials and plans for welcoming new puppies into their families interrupted or stopped altogether because of the CDC’s overreach. Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting

Michigan Deer Hunting Opportunities This Week, Dec. 16-22

Late antlerless firearm deer season

  • Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, on public and private lands ONLY in the Lower Peninsula.
  • See page 9 of the Deer Hunting Regulations Summary for a map of open deer management units.
  • During this season, a hunter may harvest an antlerless deer with an unused single deer license (including the license issued through the Mentored Hunting Program), deer combo license (regular and/or restricted tags), universal antlerless license or deer management assistance permit if issued for the area/land where hunting.

Archery deer season (late segment)

  • Now through Jan. 1, 2025, statewide on public and private land.
  • Changes to antlerless harvest have occurred in the Upper Peninsula. Antlerless hunting with archery equipment on the single deer license and deer combo license is prohibited after Dec. 10 for units 027, 036, 152, 252, 021, 349, 249, 017, 117 and 149. Antlered hunting with archery equipment can continue through Jan. 1 in these units. See page 14 of the Deer Hunting Regulations Summary for the Upper Peninsula antler point restrictions chart.

Harvest reporting

    • Deer hunters are required to report a successful harvest within 72 hours or before transferring possession of the deer (to another person, a processer or taxidermist).
    • Reporting your harvest takes about three minutes and provides critical information for managing Michigan’s deer herd.

Read more

Hunting

Michigan Lame-Duck Democrats to Make Hunters Pay More

LANSING, MI – For the first time in at least a decade, fees associated with hunting, fishing and boating will most likely jump in Michigan.

Democrats are looking to shore up the state Department of Natural Resources’ budget in the weeks before the close of the hectic lame duck session when they lose their governing trifecta. They’re proposing increasing the cost of boat registration fees and hunting and fishing licenses — in some cases more than 50%.  More here…

In a nutshell, here are the proposed increases, which have already passed committee:

(3) The fee for a base license is as follows:

(a) Subject to subdivision (b), for a resident, $10.00 to$15.00.

(b) For a resident minor child or nonresident minor child, $5.00 to $8.00.

 (c) for a nonresident, $150.00 to $163.00.

Can’t wait for the Democrats ouster in the next session of the legislature…GW

Hunting

Boone and Crockett Club Announces Decision to Create New Big Game Records Category for Javelina

The Boone and Crockett Club announced today that it will be creating a new category in its big game records for javelina (collared peccary, Pecari tajacu), the first new category created since 2001. The proposal to include a new big game category for javelina was brought forward to B&C’s Big Game Records committee by a working group made up of wildlife managers from Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico as well as other hunting conservation groups. Last week, the Committee voted unanimously on the proposal during the Club’s annual meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. That vote is the first step in the process, which will now require creating specific measuring protocols and establishment of minimum scores.

“The decision to add javelina as a trophy species was years in the making and reflects not only the growing appreciation for the species among hunters and wildlife managers, but can bring conservation benefits to javelina and the places it lives,” says Mike Opitz, chair of the Club’s Big Game Records Committee.

The Boone and Crockett Club has been measuring North American big game since 1895 with the original vision for the records program to create a record of what was thought to be the vanishing big game in the country. The big game record book, Records of North American Big Game, was first published in 1932 and serves as a vital record of biological, harvest, and location data on hunter-taken and found trophies based on the principle that the existence of mature, male specimens is an indicator of overall population and habitat health. While often misunderstood, this vision of a “trophy” is not to celebrate the success of a hunter but rather the success of conservation efforts and selective hunting that leads to the presence of larger, older animals on the landscape.

In the proposal’s introduction, the agencies wrote: “Collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), also known locally as javelina, are an important big game animal in the southwestern United States and Mexico. They are managed alongside other big game species, including requirements that hunters follow all regulations in pursuit of the animal across all jurisdictions. This is the first step in taking an animal under the “fair chase” ethic; a concept that originated with the Boone and Crockett Club. Read more

Hunting

Lottery open for chance to hunt bison on Blackfeet Reservation, Montana

HELENA – Hunters have until Dec. 22 to purchase lottery chances for a guided bison hunt on the Blackfeet Reservation. The drawing will be held on Dec. 23. The lottery is a way FWP partners with the Blackfeet Tribe to demonstrate a shared commitment to managing fish and wildlife across the state and to facilitate hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities.

The lottery is open to all hunters – tribal members, nonmembers, Montana residents and nonresidents. Chances are $10 each, and hunters can purchase up to 20 chances. At least 400 bison chances need to be sold or the winner pays $500. Successful hunters can keep the bison’s head, hide and meat.

To enter the drawing, go to fwp.mt.gov/buyandapply. Lottery opportunities can also be purchased at a license provider or an FWP office. For more information, contact the Blackfeet Fish and Game office at 406-338-7207.

Hunting
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