PHOENIX —  They’re the chattery, fuzzy, winged creatures of the night and now they’re the star attractions of Arizona Game and Fish Department’s latest live-streaming wildlife camera.

AZGFD recently installed what is believed to be the first live-streaming wild bat roost camera in Arizona. Viewers tuning in to the “bat cam” can watch as migratory Yuma myotis bats, and other bat species, roost at the Cluff Ranch Wildlife Area near Safford in southeastern Arizona.

“Bats are truly amazing animals,” said Randy Babb, AZGFD Watchable Wildlife Program manager. “In Arizona, we have a wonderful diversity of bats that perform pretty much all the same tasks that birds do. Some – such as the lesser long-nosed and Mexican long-tongued bats – drink nectar, while others are voracious insect predators, consuming up to 1,000  mosquito-sized insects an hour. We’re really excited to offer this fascinating real-time glimpse into an active bat roost.”

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Public hearings scheduled in Kalispell, Missoula, Great Falls, Conrad

The Fish and Wildlife Commission has approved language for a proposed administrative rule that would codify population objectives for grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE).

The decision on August 9, 2018 sets into motion a public comment period that will run from Aug. 24 through Oct. 26. Public hearings will be held in Kalispell, Missoula, Great Falls, and Conrad. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff will explain and answer questions about the proposed population objectives at the hearings and take public comment.

The population objective is for NCDE, which is one of six designated recovery areas for grizzly bears in the lower-48 states. Grizzly bears in the NCDE are currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, although they have met their recovery criteria and may be proposed for delisting in the future.

The NCDE subcommittee of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) released a revised conservation strategy for grizzly bears (found here) earlier this summer. This document summarizes the commitments and coordinated efforts made by the state, tribal and federal agencies to manage and monitor the grizzly bear population and its habitat upon delisting. Read more

A wounded grizzly bear was killed by FWP officials on Monday on the Marias River west of state highway 417 near Shelby.

The bear was shot July 26 and the incident is under investigation by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bear was killed because it was not likely to survive the gunshot wound and due to concerns for public safety.

FWP first trapped this 3-year-old male grizzly last October near Choteau where it had been eating apples out of trees near a residence. The bear was collared and released on National Forest land. This summer, the bear returned the prairie lands along the Marias River and got into additional unsecured attractants (chicken feed, and dog food) at one or more residences.  After approaching another residence, the bear was shot.  FWP had tried to locate and trap the bear but was unsuccessful. Read more

On the DNR’s Wildtalk podcast, wildlife staff chew the fat and shoot the scat about all things habitat, feathers and fur. With insights, interviews and listener questions answered on the air, you’ll come away with a better picture of what’s happening in the world of Michigan wildlife.
In episode #3, find out more about the DNR’s Hunting Access Program, which helps people find land to hunt throughout the state. Later in the show, learn what you should do if you discover a raccoon in your attic!
Questions about something you heard on the podcast? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-WILD (9453).

With the start of the school year fast approaching for many, don’t forget to include Michigan’s wildlife in your class plans.

The DNR offers a variety of wildlife classroom curricula at the elementary, junior high and high school levels, and each program is developed to fit current state educational standards. Better yet, they’re free to educators! Topics include:

• • Elk University. One hundred years ago, wild elk were brought to Michigan to re-establish the state’s elk population. High school students are put in the role of wildlife managers, while learning about this conservation success story through Elk University. These lessons also include Michigan history, forest management and social considerations for wildlife management.
  • A Year in the Life of a Michigan Black Bear. Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students have the chance to learn all about black bears in Michigan – from their life history to how the DNR manages populations – in this curriculum. Students also get to “follow” black bear movements in Michigan by looking at actual location data from collared bears.
  • Wondrous Wetlands and Waterfowl. Middle schoolers can get an introduction to wetland habitats with this program. These lessons have activities about wetlands and the ducks, geese and swans that live in Michigan, and give students an opportunity to look at how different land uses affect wildlife habitats, including wetlands.
  • Go Wild for Michigan’s Wildlife. This curriculum introduces elementary-age students to a variety of species found throughout Michigan and their supporting habitats. Materials include sets of Critter Cards for each student to keep; however, those sets are limited and are issued on a first-come, first-served basis to Michigan educators who register. All registered educators will receive an electronic copy of the Critter Cards to use.

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The original Firminator was a brilliant solution for land managers looking to maximize their time, energy and financial resources by incorporating all the necessary food plot implements into one unit. But as the popularity of food plots grew, so did the demand, from a broader and more diverse group.

There were those who realize the best hunting plots are designed less for agricultural efficiency and more to maximize “huntability” by taking advantage of natural cover, terrain, wind direction and deer movements. As a result, these plots are often irregularly shaped and sometimes well off the beaten path, down the narrow trails, in the bottoms or up on the smaller ridges – places not easily accessible by heavy equipment and implements. There were more than a few land owners/managers who simply did not have tractors or larger implements, even for larger or more accessible areas.

With the technology already in place, Firminator needed only to downsize. The Firminator G-3 ATV Model puts all the same features of their full size G3 implement into a unit sized just right for an ATV (four-wheeler or side x side). Though light enough to be easily pulled by a 500cc or greater ATV, its 800 pounds proves ample weight for the 16-inch ground turning discs to break up and dig into hard ground that other ATV harrows would simply bounce across the surface of. Its 3-inch square tubing steel frame can withstand anything you’d expose your ATV to, and more. The seed box, constructed of the same steel as three point models, feeds the Firminator’s precision ACCU-Seed delivery system. When you’re done seeding you can finish with the true agricultural grade cast iron cultipacker.

The ATV Model comes with a tow bar sized for a 1-7/8-inch ball, but also retains the 3 point hitch for use on a small tractor.

ATV MODEL SPECS:

• • Frame material: 3-inch square tubing
  • Weight: 860 lbs.
  • Discing width: 32″
  • Cultipacker width: 34″
  • Seed hopper: 34: x 14.5″ x 12 W
  • Seed capacity: 2 bushels
  • Disc size: 16″ (6 discs at 6″ spacing)
  • Tow method: 1-7/8″ ball or three-point hitch

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Based on a judicial order and settlement entered on August 6, the Piping Plovers that nest annually at Jones Beach State Park in New York will no longer face the risk of predation from feral cat colonies inside the Park’s boundaries. The plover, a small shorebird, is federally protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as a Threatened species in the Atlantic Coast region, and is listed as Endangered under New York law.

A lawsuit filed by American Bird Conservancy (ABC) in March 2016 alleged a violation of the ESA based on a concern that New York State Parks was not doing enough to ensure that feral cats do not harm the protected Piping Plovers and their chicks. Subsequent discussions between ABC and New York State Parks led to a settlement that provides protection to the plovers from cat predation.

Under the order and settlement, the cats currently living in colonies at Jones Beach will be humanely trapped and removed from the park by the end of the year to a sanctuary where they will be cared for. If the cats cannot be humanely relocated immediately, a limited number of cats will temporarily remain in a fenced area at the park. State Parks has also agreed that any new cats found in the park will be trapped and removed so new cat colonies do not exist at the park in the future. The agreement means that the plovers and their chicks will no longer face the possibility of predation from cats. Read more

App helps users identify and learn bird songs

BOSTON, MASS (August 6, 2018) – Song Sleuth (www.songsleuth.com), the popular and powerful birding by ear learning tool and bird song identifier app, is now available for Android devices.

Developed by Wildlife Acoustics in collaboration with world renowned bird expert and illustrator David Sibley, Song Sleuth is a simple to use application that provides details and auditory learning tools to help birders of all levels identify birds by ear in the field or study them while at home.

“Song Sleuth is one of many tools that can help identify a bird, but its true benefit is helping people become better birders by familiarizing them with known birdsongs in a logical, familiar way,” said Sibley.

The app features detailed information and recordings on over 200 North American birds and guides users to identify birds in the field by their song.  Song Sleuth’s ability to identify birds by their song in real-time is based on Wildlife Acoustics’ decade-long development of algorithms for wildlife study.  Its software is similar in concept to what is used in speech recognition software, but specifically tailored to the unique acoustical characteristics of bird songs. Read more