MISSOULA, Mont. — In 2020, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation volunteers contributed just shy of $24 million worth of value in donated time and labor to further RMEF’s mission of ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.

“Our volunteers are amazing and are the heart of RMEF. Day in and day out they truly represent who we are as an organization,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. “At no time was that more evident than in 2020 when, despite facing a litany of challenges, they found creative and innovative ways to generate revenue for our mission. We thank them for their passion and dedication.” Read more

If you’re monitoring the Barred Owls nesting in the Wild Birds Unlimited nest box, provided via 2 live nest cam feeds, you probably already know the 2 new nestlings hatched last Friday and Sunday! Now the action has picked up inside the nest box with the female feeding the small downy owls and the male continuing to bring a variety of prey to feed, mostly mice these days. You can check in on the Barred Owl nestlings and monitor their rapid growth anytime, day or night, and follow the activities of the owls through the nesting season, which will continue through most of May at https://www.wbu.com/owl-cam/

In case the female is simply brooding the newly hatched nestlings, you can also check out some of the best video feeds that were recorded previously that are provided with some insightful captions.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says a disease affecting rabbits and hares previously found in western states may be moving eastward. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHDV2) is a virus known to be extremely lethal to wild and domestic rabbits, including cottontail rabbits and snowshoe hares.

RHDV2 was first found in New Mexico in 2010, but it has spread rapidly to other western states(https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/maps/animal-health/rhd), and a case involving a domestic rabbit was reported in Florida in late 2020.

Infection with the virus usually results in the quick death of a rabbit, often in only a few days. The virus is transmitted through direct contact between wild rabbits, domestic rabbits, or between wild and domestic rabbits. It is also easily spread indirectly through contact with dead infected rabbits, infected food and water supplies, personal clothing, and domestic rabbit cages. Read more

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation collaborated with nearly two dozen partners to provide $1,134,098 for 12 wildlife habitat, hunting heritage or wildlife management projects in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. RMEF contributed $82,248 in funding that leveraged an additional $1,051,850 in partner dollars.

“There are wild, free-ranging elk herds in 28 states including these five in the lower part of the Midwest,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer and Nebraska native. “This grant funding helps improve habitat for elk, deer and many other species of wildlife.”

There are 36 RMEF chapters and nearly 14,000 members across the five-state region.

“We greatly appreciate our volunteers in these states who generated this funding by hosting banquets, membership drives and other events. We simply could not carry out our mission without them,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO.

Dating back to 1989, RMEF and its partners completed 539 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma with a combined value of more than $24.2 million. These projects protected or enhanced 285,335 acres of habitat and opened or improved public access to 16,751 acres.

Below is a list of each state’s 2020 projects, highlighted by state and county. Read more

264 bites recorded statewide in 2020

PHOENIX — With more people getting outdoors to take advantage of the state’s warm, spring weather, it’s important to keep in mind that 13 species of rattlesnakes also call Arizona home.

Depending on location, the species that are encountered most often are the Western diamondback, sidewinder, Mojave and black-tailed rattlesnakes.

“Arizona has more rattlesnake species than any other state, and we can all celebrate that amazing biodiversity,” said Thomas Jones, amphibians and reptiles program manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

In warm desert areas, rattlesnakes are most active from March through October. During the spring, it’s not uncommon for rattlesnakes to be out during daylight hours. As the days become increasingly hot, though, usually around early May, rattlesnakes tend to move around more at night. Read more

The Cornell Lab’s Bird Academy has developed an informative bird song course especially for beginners, but helpful for anyone. You can build your birding skills by learning unique new methods of identifying bird songs that you can apply to identify the birds by ear in your area – and other locations you may visit. This Bird Academy course provides self-paced instruction in 8 lessons provided in self-paced instruction that includes 24 topics, 2 helpful quizzes, and 25 instructional videos. You can even try a free sample of a birdsong lesson.

The Bird Academy has developed a unique approach to teach how to listen to bird songs in their natural soundscapes. Try a free sample of a birdsong lesson at https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/lessons/lesson-2-high-sierras/ Read more

An early sign of spring, ospreys are making their return to Michigan. The magnificent fish-hawk with striking brown and white plumage can be seen flying along shallow, fish-filled waters of the Great Lakes region — hovering, then plunging feet-first to snare fish in its talons. Ospreys can be found across the state, but they once faced an uncertain future here.

Osprey were severely affected by use of the pesticide DDT and were listed as a threatened species in Michigan after their population declined precipitously in the 1960s. Fortunately, the sale and use of DDT was banned in 1972, giving ospreys a fighting chance. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of MI Birds partners, the DNR, the Detroit Zoological Society and friends at Huron-Clinton Metroparks, the osprey was successfully reintroduced to southern Michigan and removed from the threatened species list in 2009.

However, it is incredibly important that ospreys continue to be monitored closely statewide to document the health and abundance of their populations. While this species now boasts over 200 known nest locations throughout the state, it is still listed as a Michigan species of special concern. Read more

Now that warm temperatures are back, reptiles and amphibians are out and about — if you look around, you might be able to spot them. Perhaps you’ve heard spring peepers or wood frogs calling. Or maybe you’ve seen a garter snake slip through sprouting blades of grass.

If you see any frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, lizards or turtles while out exploring natural areas, parks, trails or even your neighborhood, please report your observations to the DNR.

Observations provide valuable data on trends, distribution and relative abundance for Michigan’s reptile and amphibian species and inform the conservation efforts outlined in Michigan’s Wildlife Action Plan.

“Reptiles and amphibians benefit from conservation work done by the DNR and partners, but we also need assistance from community scientists to track how their populations are doing,” said Amy Bleisch, DNR wildlife technician. “Your observations help provide that data.” Read more