Category: Wildlife

Goldfinch

Oregon Court Accepts RMEF’s Brief in Wolf Lawsuit

MISSOULA, Mont.—The Oregon Court of Appeals granted the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s application to file a friend-of-the-Court brief in a lawsuit by animal rights groups seeking to eliminate state wildlife management in Oregon.

“We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, its professional biologists and wildlife managers, and the Fish and Wildlife Commission in carrying out their duty of managing all of Oregon’s wildlife,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Oregon’s science-based wolf plan indicates wolves reached delisting criteria five years ago.”

As of December 31, 2015, Oregon’s minimum wolf population estimate numbered 110, marking a 26 percent increase over the 2014 population and a 42 percent increase since 2013. Biologists also indicate the actual number of wolves currently in Oregon is likely greater than the minimum estimate.

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to delist wolves from the state Endangered Species Act (ESA) in November of 2015. The Oregon legislature ratified the commission’s decision by passing a bill, which was later signed into law, removing wolves from the state’s endangered species list. Those moves had no immediate effect on wolf management yet animal rights groups still filed suit seeking to reverse the delisting. Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting, Wildlife

Sportsmen’s Alliance, Maine Trappers Victorious in Lynx Lawsuit

On Wednesday, Feb. 15, U.S. District Judge Jon Levy issued his ruling in a lawsuit that sought to revoke the state of Maine’s Incidental Take Permit (ITP), which would open individual trappers to Endangered Species Act (ESA) violations. Judge Levy ruled the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s use and application of ITPs were lawful and in keeping with the requirements of the ESA.

The ruling is a clear victory for the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, trappers in Maine and the Maine Department of Inland Fish and Wildlife. In his ruling, Judge Levy found that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s “actions were in keeping with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act…the National Environmental Policy Act…and the Administrative Procedure Act…” Read more

Animal Rights, Wildlife

Song Sleuth iOS App ID’s Birds by Song

BOSTON, MA – Song Sleuth (www.songsleuth.com), a groundbreaking app that turns your iOS device into a powerful and accurate bird song identifier, debuts on the iTunes Store today.

Developed by Wildlife Acoustics in collaboration with world renowned bird expert and illustrator David Sibley, Song Sleuth is a simple to use application that enables anyone with an iOS device to record, recognize and positively identify the songs of nearly 200 North American birds.

The biggest leap forward for hobbyist birders since binoculars, Song Sleuth’s technological backbone 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.

“By pairing sophisticated algorithms and our proprietary software, Song Sleuth delivers unprecedented accuracy in bird song identification,” said Ian Agranat, Wildlife Acoustics founder.

Read more

Wildlife

Boone and Crockett Club Matches NSSF Grant to Montana Council of Boy Scouts of America

MISSOULA, Mont. – Boone and Crockett Club recently matched a $2,000 grant from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) awarded to the Montana Council of Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The $4,000 total will be used to help support the shooting sports program at Montana High Adventure Base (MOHAB) and throughout the Montana Council BSA by providing safe and up-to-date equipment.

For the past six years, NSSF has provided funds to local BSA Councils through its BSA Council Challenge Grant program. The grants awarded are to reflect planning to strengthen and increase BSA Council activities in shooting sports and commitment to the advancement of knowledge and understanding of shooting sports activites and firearms safety. The NSSF believes that learning proper skills and safety techniques at an early age often results in a lifetime interest in shooting sports and the outdoors.
This year, NSSF is providing a total of $100,000 to qualifying BSA Councils. Of this amount, the first 50 qualifying grant applicants were eligible to receive up to a maximum of $2,000 in matching grant funding from the NSSF. Boone and Crockett Club stepped in to double that amount with $2,000 to help offset the costs of the local council’s shooting program.
“By being awarded this grant we will be able to very cost-effectively increase the time spent and number of rounds fired at our Palmer Shooting Sports Complex while continuing to teach firearm safety, marksmanship, hunting and shooting sports skills,” said Luke Coccoli, the Club’s conservation programs manager. “The receipt of this grant will undoubtedly benefit the youth that attend our camps and ultimately promote, protect and preserve one of the healthiest pastimes available, shooting sports.” Read more
Firearms, Wildlife

Stealth Cam® Unleashes Ultra HD 4K Video

Grand Prairie, TX- Stealth Cam®, continuing their innovative dominance on the trail camera market, announces a May 2017 release on the first trail camera featuring 30MP resolution and Ultra HD, 4K Video technology.

Stealth Cam is committed to producing products capable of providing the clearest images and the DS4K has every feature to help deliver these expectations. It is loaded with premium features, which include dual image sensors for optimal day and night high-resolution images, 42 NO GLO IR emitters for 100FT true invisible night time illumination, split second trigger speed, adjustable IR range, and many more. The 30 Megapixel hi resolution game camera has a 16:9 wide image ratio, manual shot capability and an SD card slot up to 64GB to house multiple images and videos when needed most. The DS4K uses Matrix™ Advanced Blur Reduction and Retina™ low light sensitivity improving the quality of low light pictures. Stealth Cam delivers yet another product to set market standards that will give users the most realistic images and videos available. To learn more about Stealth Cam products, please visit http://www.stealthcam.com.

Stealth Cam DS4K Features: Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Sportsmen’s Alliance Sues Department of Interior Due to Refuge System Overreach

On Feb. 10, the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, the Alaska Professional Hunters Association and two rural Alaskans filed suit against the federal government seeking to overturn two Obama-era restrictions governing the management of National Wildlife Refuge and National Preserve lands within Alaska’s borders.

The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation and APHA believe the rules are an overreach of the federal government into the traditional state role of game management, and this action in Alaska sets a dangerous precedent that puts hunting at risk on hundreds of millions of acres of public land nationwide.

The 96 million acres of National Wildlife Refuge and Park Service lands at stake in this lawsuit cover an area slightly larger than Montana, the fourth-largest state in the union.

“Game management belongs in the hands of boots-on-the-ground state biologists who understand the traditions, goals, game animals and ecosystems better than anyone, certainly better than a federal bureaucrat simply reading a report in a Washington, D.C. office,” said Evan Heusinkveld, president and CEO of the Sportsmen’s Alliance and Foundation. “These two rules represent yet another act of the Obama Administration that sets a bad precedent for states across the country that, if not stopped, would allow federal bureaucrats or a future administration more in line with anti-hunting activists to continue seizing control of traditional state decisions.”  Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 17-20

GW:  Bird watchers simply count the number and species of birds they see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count.

LITTLE ROCK – The 20th annual Great Backyard Bird Count will draw bird-watching enthusiasts from all walks of life to take a little extra note of our feathered friends this February 17-20. All it takes to participate is a little extra time and an eye for detail to identify birds you see.

The GBBC is one of the largest and longest-running internet-based, citizen science programs, with more than 160,000 bird watchers in more than 100 countries participating. According to a release from the Audubon Society, last year’s count reported 5,689 species – more than half the known bird species in the world. Read more

Wildlife

Join the 20th Great Backyard Bird Count

Bird watchers from around the world enjoy counting their birds and entering the GBBC photo contest. Photo by Ann Foster, Florida, 2016 GBBC.

Bohemian Waxwing by A. Blomquist, 2016 GBBC.;

Join the 20th Great Backyard Bird Count
Bird watchers around the world take part, February 17-20

New York, NY, Ithaca, NY, and Port Rowan, ON—A lot has changed since the first Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) was held in 1998. Each year brings unwavering enthusiasm from the growing number of participants in this now-global event. The 20th annual GBBC is taking place February 17-20 in backyards, parks, nature centers, on hiking trails, school grounds, balconies, and beaches—anywhere you find birds.

Bird watchers count the birds they see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, then enter their checklists at birdcount.org. All the data contribute to a snapshot of bird distribution and help scientists see changes over the past 20 years. Read more

Wildlife

MI DNR to answer questions about CWD in Mecosta County at Feb. 22 town hall meeting

The Michigan departments of Natural Resources (DNR) and Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) recently announced the finding of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a Mecosta County deer farm facility.

There are two upcoming opportunities for interested landowners, hunters and deer farmers to get the latest information and ask questions about this finding:

For deer farmers – Wednesday, Feb. 1
MDARD will hold a meeting at 7 p.m. at the Big Rapids Holiday Inn, 1005 Perry Ave., Big Rapids.

For hunters and area landowners – Wednesday, Feb. 22
The DNR will host a town hall meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Morley Stanwood High School Cafetorium, 4700 Northland Drive, Morley. Read more

Wildlife

New Moultrie Game Spy 2

Moultrie’s Game Spy 2 is Feature Packed for 2017!
50-foot motion-detection range, 50-foot flash range and a lightning-quick trigger speed make the Game Spy 2 Plus game camera exceptionally diverse.

Birmingham, AL – Moultrie®, the best-selling brand of trail cameras, game feeders and wildlife management products, introduces the small but mighty Game Spy 2 Plus, which makes trail camera scouting simple and more affordable than ever. Keeping tabs on a mature buck is hard enough—operating a game cam to help find that buck shouldn’t add to the frustration.??

Boasting a 50-foot motion-detection range, 50-foot flash range and a lightning-quick trigger speed of 1 second, Moultrie’s Game Spy 2 Plus scouting camera captures multi-shot photos and video to meet your basic scouting needs without a hefty price tag. From monitoring a food plot to keeping tabs on a heavily used trail, the Game Spy 2 Plus has the capabilities to functions flawlessly in any scouting location. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife
1 … 194 195 196 197 198 … 371