Category: Wildlife

Goldfinch

Anti-Poaching Continues With DSC Grants

(Oct. 25, 2020 – DALLAS) — What happens when there is no hunting in Africa due to travel restrictions? Poaching goes on the rise. With no incoming revenue, safari operators cannot pay for the anti-poaching scouts and patrols that protect wildlife. These patrols remove snare lines, apprehend perpetrators and create a deterrent presence. But without hunting revenue, there was no way to continue this important work.

DSC and the DSC Foundation stepped up quickly to fill the void, creating the Hunters CARE (COVID Anti-poaching Relief Effort). This program provides relief in the form of grants that will keep boots on the ground in the struggle to prevent poaching.

By the end of October 2020, 26 grants by DSC and 21 grants from DSCF have gone to 10 countries in order to protect an impressive 24 million acres of habitat and wildlife.

In their own words, safari operators speak about the loss of revenue due to the pandemic, and the immediate impact of grants from DSC and DSC Foundation.

Danene van der Westhuyzen, Aru Game Lodge, Namibia, said, “It’s been really a tough year. We all are struggling to survive, but luckily, we all have incredible amounts of passion to keep our businesses going. Thank you, DSC and DSC Foundation, for what you have done for all of us.”

Arthur Baisly, HHK Safaris, Zimbabwe, said, “The area that we look after is 800,000 acres. at the moment. With this COVID and no clients, we have had to reduce our running costs and we sent half of the staff off with no pay. And now with the finances from the DSC, and the DSC Foundation, we are able to reinstate those scouts and get our operation up and running back to normal.” Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Boone and Crockett Club Celebrates Overdue Delisting of Gray Wolf

MISSOULA, Mont. – The Boone and Crockett Club welcomes Thursday’s announcement by Department of the Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Aurelia Skipwith to return gray wolf management to state conservation authority. Wolves are a wildlife restoration success story, akin to the recovery and delisting of bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and numerous other species. The ultimate goal of the Endangered Species Act is to bring species back from the brink of extinction and stabilize populations so that management can move back to the states. The Boone and Crockett Club appreciates the FWS and state wildlife agencies for their success in recovering wolves and looks forward to the future collaborative management of this species.

“As a leader in the first successful delisting of the gray wolf 10 years ago, we welcome this decision and hope it brings closure and celebration to the restoration of the wolf in the lower 48 states,” commented Boone and Crockett Club President Tim Brady in response to the announcement. “The goal of the Endangered Species Act is to recover imperiled species so they no longer require the protections offered by the Act, and the gray wolf is a good example of how a species can be recovered.”

In 1995 and 1996, 66 wolves from southwestern Canada were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park and to central Idaho and by 2002, the states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming had exceeded their recovery goals. In addition, existing populations in the western Great Lakes states had met their population goals by the early 2000’s and within a decade the populations were two to three times their recovery goals.

The Boone and Crockett Club has worked to ensure that recovered wolf populations could be moved off the endangered species list in order to be managed by state fish and wildlife agencies. However, legal challenges to FWS delisting decisions had put wolf management in a constant state of limbo. The Club worked closely with Idaho Representative Mike Simpson and Montana Senator Jon Tester on legislation to ensure that wolves in those two states would be delisted and to prohibit future litigation. After it was enacted in 2011, Idaho and Montana assumed full management authority and proved that their state management plan could maintain stable wolf populations. Wolves in the contiguous U.S. are now estimated at 6,000 individuals and the Club has continued to work with states and the FWS to move to delist gray wolves throughout their range in the lower 48 states.

“Wolves are fully recovered and are naturally expanding and reestablishing well beyond their identified recovery area,” Brady concluded. “Continued lawsuits and delaying of state management of this recovered species is unnecessary, as are proposals to reintroduce wolves in states like Colorado. It is time to celebrate wildlife restoration when we have been successful; it is time to close the book on gray wolves as a federal endangered species.” Read more

Wildlife

Trump Administration Adds 1,275 Miles to National Trail System

30 trails designated, continued expansion of outdoor recreation

BOULDER CITY, Nev. — U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt announced 30 new national recreation trails in 25 states, adding more than 1,275 miles to the National Trails System. Secretary Bernhardt made the announcement from Lake Mead National Recreation Area, where he designated 76 miles of the Colorado River within Lake Mead National Recreation Area as a national water trail. The newly designated Mohave National Water Trail begins where the Black Canyon National Water Trail ends, providing water recreation opportunities for 106 miles along the Colorado River.

Today’s announcement is in addition to the 370 miles of national recreation trails that were designated in 2018, bringing the Trump Administration’s total to 49 national recreation trails added, spanning 1,645 miles.

“I encourage Americans to get outside, enjoy our incredible public lands and visit a nearby national recreation trail. Spanning more than 83,000 miles, larger than the interstate highway system, the National Trails System provides easy access to a wide variety of outdoor experiences,”?said Secretary Bernhardt. “The Trump Administration is committed to expanding public access to the outdoors, so more Americans have the opportunity and ability to experience it in all of its splendor.” Read more

Wildlife

Wildlife Forever and Jay N. Darling Legacy Center Unveil Songbird Art Contest™

White Bear Lake, MN – Wildlife Forever is proud to announce the Songbird Art Contest™ as the newest opportunity to connect the public to the outdoors using the Art of Conservation™. In partnership with the Jay N. Darling Legacy Center based in Des Moines, Iowa, this competition is inspired by the legacy of artist and conservationist Jay Norwood Darling, encouraging participants to learn about North American Songbird Species and inspiring the next generation of stewards.

Throughout history, North America has been home to a tremendous diversity of bird species. Since the 1960s, Songbird populations in North America have dropped 29 percent over historic averages. Three billion birds have been lost and many species of songbirds are at risk of becoming endangered. While one single factor cannot be attributed to these losses, the data is clear that public awareness and education about this critical issue is needed now, more than ever.

The Songbird Art Contest™ will focus on conservation education and will be open to all ages with a strong focus on youth engagement. Participants will be required to submit an original piece of artwork accompanied by an essay detailing the unique characteristics of their chosen bird species and conservation needs. Participants will have until November 30th of each year to submit their entry to the contest by mail to Wildlife Forever. Winners being announced on National Bird Day, January 5th. The Songbird Art Contest™ is looking for additional partners and sponsors to kick off the contest, opening on May 1st, 2021. Read more

Wildlife

$3.6 million in grants available to target invasive species in Michigan

Proposals accepted through Dec. 11

Michigan’s Invasive Species Grant Program is now accepting proposals for the 2020 funding cycle, with an anticipated $3.6 million available to applicants.

The program – a joint effort of the Michigan departments of Natural Resources; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Agriculture and Rural Development – is part of a statewide initiative launched in 2014 to help prevent, detect and control invasive species in Michigan. Read more

Wildlife

Elevate your bird-watching with some community science

One of the best ways to enjoy Michigan’s fall colors and fresh air is to take in the many majestic migratory birds that dot our skies and landscapes this time each year. Better yet, birders of all experience levels can lend bird research a hand by sharing observations of what they see and when and where they see it.

Michigan’s fall migration includes waterfowl, shorebirds, waterbirds, songbirds and raptors that head south to their wintering grounds. Such bird patterns, often complex and misunderstood, are key to helping identify conservation priorities that best support these winged wanderers.

Why does that matter to you? Well, researchers need help. You can help advance Audubon’s Migratory Bird Initiative by visiting public lands and reporting bird sightings on eBird – an online database of bird observations providing scientists, researchers and amateur naturalists with real-time data about bird distribution and abundance. Plus, eBird makes it easy to keep track of your own bird observations, photos and audio files. Read more

Wildlife

Hunt Smarter with Wildgame Innovations’ All-New HuntSmart™ App

An intelligent app that organizes and analyzes trail camera captures automatically. HuntSmart™ is self-learning; the more data it gathers, the better its predictions. The now downloadable free app’s technology will work with trail camera images from any SD card, regardless of the make or model.

Grand Prairie, TX – Wildgame Innovations introduces the ultimate scouting app. The HuntSmart™ app’s Artificial Intelligence Management (AIM) system organizes and analyzes trail camera images automatically with advanced features for as low as $2 per month. Its built-in species recognition algorithm software identifies game by species, including buck vs. doe differentiation, turkey, coyote, elk, hog and more. The app uses weather data, moon phase information and analyzed trail camera images to predict the best time and location for you to hunt. HuntSmart™ learns from trail camera captures, and more data means better predictions. Critical intel about your property and its game increase your odds of bagging bigger bucks this fall.

Monitor cameras remotely and in real-time via Live Stream to the HuntSmart™ app from up to 150 yards away when using any Insite Cell™ or Insite Air™camera. These two new models are Wildgame Innovations’ most advanced game cameras ever engineered – both are controlled and enhanced using the HuntSmart™ app. The app’s scouting features work with any trail camera you are currently running; use advanced tools like Hunt Predictor, Hit List Tracker and Buck Scoring with any standard SD card. Or manage all this intelligence wirelessly when using any Insite Cell™ camera model. Share your best photos and videos within your buddies through the ap and save locally on your phone. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Cooler temps mean it’s time to start pruning oaks

Colder temperatures this weekend mean it’s time to start pruning oak trees with minimal to no risk of spreading oak wilt. The best way to prevent the spread of oak wilt is to prune during the tree(s) during dormant season.

“There have been a few days in a row that were at or near freezing and with the weekend forecast the risk of oak wilt is very minimal,” says Tivon Feeley DNR Forest Health Program Leader. “For that reason, we suggest that you start pruning your oak tree now until about the first of March.” Read more

Wildlife

Monster Python Captured in South Florida

Photo courtesy South Florida Water Management District

Members of the Python Action Team set up to reduce the number of invasive pythons in south Florida under the Python Elimination Program recently captured an 18-foot, 9-inch Burmese python that apparently sets a new length record for snakes captured in the program.

Ryan Ausburn and Kevin Pavlidis caught the behemoth of a snake, which weighed a whopping 104 pounds

The removal of the pythons is an effort to reduce predation on native wildlife, which has been dramatic since the snakes began multiplying in the Everglades some 20 years ago. The giant snakes have been found to prey on water birds, all sorts of small mammals–which have largely disappeared in vast swaths where the snakes are most abundant–and even on alligators and deer occasionally.

Ausburn and Pavlidis make a living selling products made of snake skin leather. Reportedly, the skin of this snake will go into making special footballs for the 2021 Super Bowl in Tampa. Read more

Wildlife
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