Category: Wildlife

Goldfinch

MSU Extension and QDMA partner with DNR to offer CWD test sample collection sites

Michigan Department of Natural Resources partners from Michigan State University Extension and the Quality Deer Management Association will host chronic wasting disease test sample collection sites in Kent, Ionia and Montcalm counties in November.

Hunters in these counties may submit their deer for free CWD testing at DNR check stations from Nov. 15-18 only; outside of this timeframe, hunters still can submit their deer for CWD testing for a fee by pulling appropriate tissue samples and submitting them to a USDA-approved laboratory.

MSU and QDMA staff and volunteers at test sample collection sites will be available to assist deer hunters with lymph node removal and will transport CWD samples to the Michigan State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, a USDA-approved laboratory, for testing.

The sites will be open from 3 to 8 p.m. Sample collection dates and locations are as follows:

  • Nov. 8 – Rustic Sports Shop, 519 Ensley St., Howard City.
  • Nov. 20 – Magnum Sports, 6227 S. Greenville Road, Greenville.
  • Nov. 22 – Belding Hometown Hardware, 930 W. State St., Belding.
  • Nov. 28 – Sadler’s Great Outdoors, 3160 W. M-46, Six Lakes.

All hunters, regardless of where their deer was taken, are welcome and encouraged to bring their deer to these testing collection sites to get help collecting the appropriate tissue samples and submit those samples for CWD testing. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Michigan: invasive mile-a-minute weed found in Calhoun County

The Michigan departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Rural Development recently confirmed the presence of invasive mile-a-minute weed(Persicaria perfoliata) at Albion College’s Whitehouse Nature Center in Calhoun County.

What is mile-a-minute weed?Mile-a-minute weed is an annual vine that gets its name from its ability to grow up to 6 inches per day, or 25 feet in six to eight weeks. Its light green leaves are shaped like equilateral triangles, and both the stems and leaf blades are lined with small, recurved barbs that help it climb over other vegetationWhy is it a problem?The vine’s fast growth and climbing habit allow it to overtake native and landscape vegetation, eventually smothering plants and trees under dense, prickly thickets. Because of the risk to Michigan’s Christmas tree farms, reforestation projects and habitat restoration areas and the plant’s limited distribution, mile-a-minute weed is on the state’s invasive species watch list.How did mile-a-minute weed get here? Read more

Wildlife

South Dakota: Buy Yourself A Bison

CUSTER, S.D. – The 2020 Custer State Park Fall Classic Bison Auction will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the park’s visitor center where 436 head will be available for sale.

This year’s offerings include 10 mature bred cows, 69 mature open cows, 5 two-year-old bred heifers, 12 open two-year-old heifers, 41 yearling heifers, 66 heifer calves, 138 bull calves, 81 yearling bulls, 6 two-year-old breeding bulls and 8 two-year-old grade bulls.

The video and online auction will begin at 10 a.m. MDT at the Custer State Park visitor center, located 15 miles east of Custer on Highway 16A, near the junction of the Wildlife Loop Road and Highway 16A.

The internet auction, going on its ninth year, has helped reach buyers who wouldn’t have been reached in the past.

“An online auction allows people from all over the country to participate,” noted Chad Kremer, bison herd manager. “Having a video auction rather than a live auction also reduces the stress on the buffalo and expedites the entire process.” Read more

Wildlife

Michigan DNR seeks input on dedicated project boundaries, part of 2013 land strategy implementation

As part of the implementation of its managed public land strategy adopted in late 2018, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has been reviewing and revising – and now is seeking public input on – dedicated project boundaries around state forests, game and wildlife areas, parks and recreation areas.

These boundaries, mapped in 2004, serve as a guide for public land ownership and include current state-owned land and privately owned land that would be a priority for the DNR to acquire in the future if it becomes available for sale.

Proposed changes to dedicated project boundaries are available for public review and feedback via an interactive online map at Michigan.gov/PublicLands. Comments will be accepted online through Nov. 30 and at the Dec. 10 Natural Resources Commission meeting.

“Having defined boundaries around DNR lands allows us to focus on priority areas for public land ownership now and into the future to ensure quality recreation opportunities and protect Michigan’s unique features and resources,” said Scott Whitcomb, senior advisor for wildlife and public lands. “By periodically re-examining and redefining those boundaries, we are able to manage public land more effectively and efficiently, easily recognize ownership boundaries and reduce conflicting land uses.”

A final decision on dedicating project boundaries is expected to be made by the DNR director at the December NRC meeting. Read more
Wildlife

NSSF Cancels 2021 SHOT Show

Statement from NSSF President & CEO Joe Bartozzi:

Due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases throughout the world, NSSF, the firearm industry trade association, today makes the difficult announcement that the 2021 SHOT Show has been cancelled.

NSSF has remained in constant communication with Nevada officials throughout the year in our planning for the 2021 show. While there has been a concerted effort to expand the allowable levels for large gatherings by the county and state, with positivity rates peaking during our key planning period we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 show. Sadly, these spikes are currently transpiring worldwide. Given the sheer complexities, diminishing timeline and immense logistical planning required to conduct a trade show as large as SHOT, NSSF simply could not move forward at this point with so many unknowns and variables. We truly appreciate the guidance of Nevada and Las Vegas officials in allowing us to communicate this news to our exhibitors and attendees well in advance of the show. We would also like to thank the Sands directly for their help and efforts to navigate this unprecedented situation. Read more

Ammunition, Archery, Cutlery, Firearms, Fishing, Hunting, Optics, Self Defense, Wildlife

Gray Wolves Management Returned to States and Tribes

BLOOMINGTON, MN– More than 45 years after gray wolves were first listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Trump Administration and its many conservation partners are announcing the successful recovery of the gray wolf and its delisting from the ESA. U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt was at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge to announce that state and tribal wildlife management agency professionals will resume responsibility for sustainable management and protection of delisted gray wolves in states with gray wolf populations, while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) monitors the species for five years to ensure the continued success of the species.

The Service based its final determination solely on the best scientific and commercial data available, a thorough analysis of threats and how they have been alleviated and the ongoing commitment and proven track record of states and tribes to continue managing for healthy wolf populations once delisted. This analysis includes the latest information about the wolf’s current and historical distribution in the contiguous United States

“Today’s action reflects the Trump Administration’s continued commitment to species conservation based on the parameters of the law and the best scientific and commercial data available,” said Secretary Bernhardt. “After more than 45 years as a listed species, the gray wolf has exceeded all conservation goals for recovery. Today’s announcement simply reflects the determination that this species is neither a threatened nor endangered species based on the specific factors Congress has laid out in the law.”

In total, the gray wolf population in the lower 48 states is more than 6,000 wolves, greatly exceeding the combined recovery goals for the Northern Rocky Mountains and Western Great Lakes populations.

The gray wolf is the latest in a strong list of ESA recoveries that includes the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, American alligator, brown pelican and 48 other species of animals and plants in U.S. states, territories and waters. Countless more have improved or stabilized. Collectively, these successes demonstrate that the ESA can make a difference for imperiled species. Read more

Wildlife

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
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