Category: Wildlife

Goldfinch

Wild & Wool; New Film Exposes Die-offs of Bighorn Sheep

Bozeman, MT — The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF), in partnership with Sitka Gear, has produced a new film that, for the first time, takes an in-depth look at what has been killing wild bighorn sheep since the 1930s, and has been slowing efforts to enhance populations of this iconic species.

The culprit is called Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, or M.ovi for short. It is a bacterium carried by some domestic sheep and goats that can lead to respiratory complications and death in wild sheep. M.ovi is not a problem everywhere, or everywhere domestic and wild populations come in contact with each other, but M.ovi has been identified as a pathogen in bighorn sheep pneumonia outbreaks. These outbreaks have resulted in sporadic and, in some places, large-scale all-age die-off events in bighorn sheep, in some cases with mortalities of 70% or more of a given population. What’s exacerbating the problem is these disease episodes also result in low lamb recruitment often for decades. Read more

Wildlife

Michigan: trees at higher risk of oak wilt now through mid-July

If you have oak trees – especially red oaks – now is the time to be wary of oak wilt spores carried by flying beetles.

From April 15 to July 15, oak trees are at high risk for oak wilt, a serious fungal disease that can weaken white oaks and kill red oak trees within a few weeks of infection.

“The guidelines against pruning oak trees during this period are a way to help prevent the spread of the disease,” said James Wieferich, forest health specialist in the DNR’s Forest Resources Division. “Unfortunately, many people learn not to prune or otherwise wound trees from mid-April to mid-July only after they lose their oaks to oak wilt.” Read more

Wildlife

Monitoring Bird Migration during mid-April

With some species, you can see daytime migrations firsthand, including Canada and Cackling Geese.
Many birds migrate at night, high above ground, making it hard to observe their migration flights, including many songbird species including Orange-crowned Warblers and Hermit Thrushes (all photos by Paul Konrad).

Bird Migration is really heating up, and there’s much more to come. Which species can you expect next? There is a remarkable tool you can use to prepare for new species that will soon arrive in your region, and when to expect the peak of migration for a given species in your region of the country – and more! Plus you can check continental radar screens that show weather-related migrations happening in real time or as recorded during the past several hours; you can even review last week’s migration radar info if you wish – on BirdCast. Read more

Wildlife

The Trick to Attracting Woodpeckers to Nest Boxes

Northern Flickers are the most likely woodpeckers to use an adapted nest box, but Downy Woodpeckers may be enticed to use a wood chip filled nest box just as readily.
The BestNest Classic Three Woodpecker House

Ready to try something new? You can attract woodpeckers to your property specifically to enjoy the activities of Downy or Nuttall’s Woodpeckers, Hairy or Red-headed Woodpeckers, or maybe a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Actually, Northern Flickers may be the most likely woodpeckers you can attract to a nest box. But woodpeckers usually excavate their own nesting cavities, and provide a high percentage of nesting cavities used by a variety of cavity nesting birds. So what’s the trick to attracting woodpeckers to use a nest box?

Because pairs of woodpeckers prefer to excavate their own nesting cavity, birders have learned that it’s best to stuff a nest box intended for woodpeckers and flickers with wood chips. If all goes according to plan, woodpeckers will “excavate” the wood chips from the nest box, not unlike they excavate pulpy dead wood from the inside of a dead branch or snag to create their nesting cavity.

NestWatch and other people in the know suggest packing a nest box intended for woodpeckers completely full of wood chips, and tamping the wood chips into the nest box to give the material a “soft-solid” composition, so a woodpecker can excavate the interior. Read more

Wildlife

SCI Shines Light on COVID-19 Impact to Wildlife Conservation

Washington — Safari Club International CEO W. Laird Hamberlin recently brought attention to the looming threat to wildlife conservation as a result of COVID-19 in an op-ed that appeared in The Daily Caller.

Americans are rightly focused on the threat that COVID-19 poses to humans. We are all thankful for the first responders and health care workers who are on the front lines of this crisis, and we mourn the senseless loss of human life. We are all cheering on the scientists and researchers who are working feverishly to develop and test possible treatments and a vaccine, while the rest of us remain at home and practice social distancing to limit the spread of the pandemic.

But the coronavirus poses another threat – to our nation’s wildlife. The threat does not rest in direct transmission of the virus to animals, but in an economic chain reaction that could deny the states billions of dollars in vital funding for the conservation of wildlife and habitat. Read more

Wildlife

NDA Debuts Online CWD Resource Center, FAQ Video

The New CWD Resource Center is full of videos, articles and information dedicated to education on CWD as well as relevant news and updates.

INDIANA, Pa. – (April 13, 2020) —The National Deer Alliance (NDA) has released a video on America’s most frequently asked questions regarding chronic wasting disease (CWD), as well as a full CWD Resource Center focused on providing important and accurate information about the disease in a format that hunters will appreciate. Read more

Wildlife

Michigan Public Land Cleanup Challenge

 

If you’re out scouting your next hunting spot, running dogs or just enjoying the outdoors locally, the OTG program challenges you to leave your public land better than you found it. Take part in this fun and easy clean-up challenge and be entered to win one of two $50 Cabela’s gift cards! Click HERE for details and guidelines.

How to Enter to Win a $50 Cabela’s Gift Card

  • Take a photo (or multiple) of your public land clean-up efforts and the litter you remove.
  • Like the OTG Facebook page.
  • Share your photos and a brief explanation of why you participated and what state game area, wildlife viewing area or GEMS you improved to the OTG Facebook page or via email to MUCC Habitat Volunteer Coordinator Makhayla LaButte at mlabutte@mucc.org.
  • Two winners will be randomly drawn on May 1, 2020. Winners will be announced via email and the OTG Facebook page on May 5, 2020.
  • Each winner will receive a $50 Cabela’s gift card.

Enjoy recreating responsibly! Please contact MUCC Habitat Volunteer Coordinator Makhayla LaButte at mlabutte@mucc.org with any questions regarding this initiative.

Wildlife

Interior Secretary Proposes Historic Expansion of Hunting and Fishing Opportunities

New hunting and fishing opportunities across 2.3 million acres at 97 national wildlife refuges and 9 national fish hatcheries

WASHINGTON – Continuing the Trump Administration’s significant efforts to increase recreational access on public lands, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt announced today a historic proposal for new and expanded hunting and fishing opportunities across more than 2.3 million acres at 97 national wildlife refuges and 9 national fish hatcheries. This proposed rule is the single largest expansion of hunting and fishing opportunities by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) in history.

“America’s hunters and anglers now have something significant to look forward to in the fall as we plan to open and expand hunting and fishing opportunities across more acreage nationwide than the entire state of Delaware,” said Secretary Bernhardt. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Hunt Fish Chiefs have been instrumental in our effort over the past two years to streamline our regulations and identify new opportunities for sportsmen and women like no other previous administration.”

This proposed rule would create nearly 900 distinct new hunting and fishing opportunities (an opportunity is defined as one species on one field station in one state). On top of last year’s expansion of 1.4 million acres for new or expanded hunting and fishing opportunities, this proposal would bring the Trump Administration’s total expansion to 4 million acres nationwide.

“Once the Trump Administration’s effort to eliminate the threat of COVID-19 has been successful, there will be no better way to celebrate than to get out and enjoy increased access for hunting and fishing on our public lands,” said Service Director Aurelia Skipwith. “I deeply appreciate everything sportswomen and men do for conservation and our economy, so I am delighted when we can do something to expand opportunities for them. I hope it will help encourage the next generation of hunters and anglers to continue on this rich American tradition.” Read more

Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife

Think Spring, Be Versatile with Your Feeding Station

Orioles and hummingbirds feed on flower nectar and insects, and can be attracted to your feeding station by offering sugar-water for hummingbirds and oranges and jelly for orioles (Baltimore Oriole photo by Paul Konrad).
The Duncraft Oriole Delight Feeder provides comfortable feeding ports for cut oranges and grape jelly – the orange feeder catches the eye of orioles from a distance.
The new Perky-Pet Maple Top-Fill Glass Hummingbird Feeder provides a unique addition to any feeding station.

After a winter of following a pretty static regimen of filling feeders – mostly seed and suet feeders north of the Sunbelt – the new spring reminds us to stay versatile as the birds that visit your yard begin to change with some species leaving for more northern climes, and others arriving from the south. This early changing of the guard is just the beginning of what will be a growing need to change of elements at your feeding station. Soon, orioles and hummingbirds will begin arriving, along with grosbeaks and other songbirds – it’s time to prepare for these exciting species and others.

Neotropical migrants like hummingbirds and orioles may not arrive in your neighborhood for a few more weeks, but just in case, it’s time to take a look at your feeders, clean them if necessary; check to see if you have plenty of sugar or nectar syrup; stock up on grape jelly, and put oranges back on your shopping list. Hummingbirds and orioles appreciate sugar-water nectar, which many people prefer to mix themselves, using the traditional one cup of sugar to four cups water. Some birders buy a prepared sugar-based syrup that they mix with water in similar fashion. Many birders provide two different nectar feeders – one for hummingbirds and one for orioles, and this is a good plan so there is less competition at the feeders, plus the oriole feeders provide more substantial perches than hummingbird feeders.

Actually, though, orioles haven’t shown much interest in our nectar feeders. Therefore, we emphasize providing sliced orange halves and, most important, grape jelly at our feeding station. You can simply place the orange halves and a small bowl of grape jelly on a platform feeder, but with so many attractive hanging oriole feeders on the market, consider buying a specially designed and orange-colored oriole feeder. Read more

Wildlife

NRA Teams With Colorado’s Stop the Wolf Coalition

America’s largest pro-hunting organization joins local movement to educate citizens about the dangers of forced wolf introduction

Fairfax, Va. – Today, the non-profit Colorado Stop the Wolf Coalition announced its latest coalition member, the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). With over 5 million NRA members nationwide, this is the latest sign that national pro-hunting groups are fully engaging in Colorado’s fight to oppose the forced introduction of non-native wolves.

“Fighting for the rights of hunters and every law-abiding citizen is what we are about. That’s why we’re proud to team with the Colorado Coalition to get the facts out about how forcing wolves on the public is such a bad idea,” said Erica Tergeson, director of hunting policy, NRA-ILA.

Also in opposition to forced wolf introduction are 39 Colorado County Commissioner Boards that have come out against the initiative from across our state. To view this list, please visit: https://www.stopthewolf.org/counties-opposed

Many will recall that Colorado Parks & Wildlife passed a resolution opposed to wolf introduction back in 2016. Then-Gov. John Hickenlooper also signed on to a letter with several other western state governors against wolf introduction in Colorado.

“With NRA-ILA on board, we are more encouraged than ever that once folks understand the issue fully, they will learn the facts about why forcing wolves in Colorado is not only bad for our people, pets, livestock, and wildlife, but also bad for the wolves themselves,” concluded Denny Behrens, co-chair of Colorado Stop the Wolf Coalition, a 501c4 non-profit organization.

To support the Colorado Stop the Wolf Coalition and sign their online petition for elected officials, please go to https://www.stopthewolf.org/sign-the-petition. Read more

Wildlife
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