Data-driven animation shows routes for 118 species

Ithaca, NY—For the first time, scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have documented migratory movements of bird populations spanning the entire year for 118 species throughout the Western Hemisphere. The study finds broad similarity in the routes used by specific groups of species—vividly demonstrated by animated maps showing patterns of movement across the annual cycle. The results of these analyses were published today in theProceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. Read more

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced a March 1 deadline to apply for a total of $100,000 in deer habitat improvement grant funding in the Upper Peninsula.The Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative is a competitive grant program designed to enhance deer habitat on non-state-managed lands in the Upper Peninsula.

Now in its eighth year, the initiative is supported by the state’s Deer Range Improvement Program, which is funded by a portion of deer hunting license revenue.

“Due to the success of this program, and interest in 2016 grant cycle, the total amount of grant funding available has been increased by $50,000 to the $100,000 level,” said Bill Scullon, DNR field operations manager and Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative administrator. “Additionally, the maximum amount of individual grants has been raised from $10,000 to $15,000, with the minimum remaining grants at $2,000 each.” Read more

MISSOULA, Mont.—The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) is launching an in-depth, extensive social media campaign at the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) that highlights how Hunting Is Conservation.”Hunters play the primary role in contributing to North America’s wildlife, habitat and resource conservation,” said Steve Decker, RMEF vice president of Marketing. “We have more than 2.3 million people who currently follow or have visited our social media platforms. The goal of this campaign is to reach out well beyond those numbers to hunters and non-hunters alike in order to educate, inform and reinforce how hunters and hunting drive and fund conservation efforts across the United States.”

RMEF will use research provided by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Responsive Management, Southwick Associates and other sources including RMEF’s 25 Reasons Why Hunting Is Conservation. Read more

New York, NY, Ithaca, NY, and Port Rowan, ON—With the El Niño weather phenomenon warming Pacific waters to temperatures matching the highest ever recorded, participants in the 2016 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), may be in for a few surprises. The 19th annual GBBC is taking place worldwide February 12 through 15. Information gathered and reported online at birdcount.org will help scientists track changes in bird distribution, some of which may be traced to El Niño storms and unusual weather patterns. Read more

Birmingham, AL – Moultrie Products®, LLC, the leader in game camera design and innovation, introduces two new high-quality game cameras for hunters and game managers who want high-end performance without the high-end price tag.The all-new A-10™ and A-10i™ take everything Moultrie owners loved about the best-selling A-5 and make it better—and smaller! Featuring 10 MP image resolution and either iNVISIBLE (A-10i) or Long-Range (A-10) IR flash, these cameras are equipped to take high-quality images both day and night. Read more