Category: Wildlife

Goldfinch

ABC: Proposed Legislation Could Prevent Millions of Bird Deaths

Painted Bunting, one of the bird species of national conservation concern that fall victim to collisions with buildings. Photo by Steve Byland/Shutterstock.

Washington – American Bird Conservancy (ABC), one of the nation’s leading bird conservation organizations, applauds U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) and Rep. Morgan Griffith (VA-09) for introducing the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act (HR 2280).

The bill is designed to prevent the deaths of millions of birds by calling for each public building constructed, acquired, or significantly altered by the General Services Administration (GSA) to incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, bird-safe building materials and design features. Many buildings constructed by GSA are already, in fact, bird-friendly. The legislation would require GSA to take similar actions on existing buildings, where practicable. Read more

Wildlife

New MINOX DTC 400 SLIM Wildlife Camera Sets New Standards for Concealment

The new MINOX DTC 400 SLIM Wildlife Camera lives up to its name, being so flat it sets new standards for increased concealment and inconspicuous monitoring.

The SLIM’s extremely flat body is only about one inch thick and is slightly curved so it fits every tree trunk neatly and snugly. Combined with its camouflage housing, the result is the unobtrusive presence you want and need in an effective trail camera.

Equally important, the MINOX DTC 400 features a MINOCTAR lens, ensuring a nearly distortion-free recording with every movement in sharp, high-contrast detail. The SLIM provides outstanding image quality with brilliance and natural color rendering, and videos are recorded in HD resolution for 10 to 60 seconds. Even in bad lighting or twilight, a powerful IR-flash with a range of up to 49 feet provides reliable images. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

PETA Lawsuit Imperils Rhino Populations

DALLAS – Animal-rights group PETA is suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to stop a management hunt that scientists say would benefit endangered rhino populations both biologically and financially.

Against a torrent of death threats, DSC auctioned the hunt in 2014 on behalf of the Namibia Ministry of Environment and Tourism. The auction generated a record $350,000. All proceeds were earmarked for rhino conservation in the African nation, and held in escrow pending U.S. approval of an import permit that would allow the hunter to bring home the taxidermy from his hunt. That permit was recently approved after U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientists confirmed the benefits to rhino populations.

Basically, the hunt would be used to remove an older, non-breeding, aggressive black rhino bull known to decrease productivity and increase mortality of its herd, while the $350,000 would fund law enforcement efforts to thwart indiscriminate rhino killing by poachers.

PETA’s lawsuit could postpone the hunt as well as the funding for rhino protection.

“Next time you hear about poachers slaughtering rhinos in Namibia, thank PETA,” said Ben Carter, executive director of DSC. Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting, Wildlife

Help on the Way for Elk Habitat, Research in Washington

MISSOULA, Mont.—From prescribed burning and noxious weed treatments to forest restoration, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation awarded grants that will fund 15 conservation projects benefitting 8,760 acres of vital elk habitat in Washington.

The grants total $212,692 and directly impact 8,760 acres across Asotin, Chelan, Columbia, Cowlitz, Garfield, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Stevens and Yakima Counties.

“These projects will help improve elk habitat in areas where encroaching weeds and forest overgrowth have a detrimental effect on wildlife,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We are also providing funds for research regarding forage availability for elk and other wildlife near Mount St. Helens.” Read more

Wildlife

Moultrie launches new ATV spreader with manual gate

BIRMINGHAM, Al. – Moultrie Feeders, the worldwide leader in game cameras and feeders, has launched a new ATV spreader that features a category-leading 100-pound capacity and a new and improved manual gate.

Timing could not be any better for the launch of this ATV spreader – now’s the time to begin planting and fertilizing food plots. This new, improved design features a plastic, tapered hopper that will not rust and will completely empty all contents. The completely redesigned manual gate allows you to adjust the opening on the bottom of the hopper to distribute different seed and feed types – and to regulate how much seed or feed is dispensed. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

A Furry Crown – What is Velvet?

We all love antlered animals, but what is it made of?
By Austin Delano

Antlers. They have fascinated man since the beginning. Going back thousands of years, one can see man’s love for animals with antlers etched and painted on the walls of caves. Antlers were a trophy in a different way before they were used to decorate walls of our hunting camps and game rooms. Before modern civilization, antlers were used to make tools, ceremonial wear, and weapons just to name a few. So how do these intriguing bones grow? What are they made out of? How do they go from this soft looking, furry velvet, to a durable set of rock hard fighting gear? Read more

Wildlife

Hunters, Anglers Fund America’s Conservation Efforts

MISSOULA, Mont.—New statistics recently released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) show hunters and anglers generated $1.1 billion in 2014. That funding will be distributed to state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies to support America’s conservation and recreation projects.

“‘Hunting Is Conservation’ is not just a motto or a theme or a mantra. It’s truth,” said David Allen, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation president and CEO. “Sportsmen and women who hunt and fish are the people who generate the funds for on-the-ground conservation and wildlife management efforts from coast to coast.”

The funding is raised through the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration programs which place excise taxes on the sale of firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing equipment, electric boat motors, and from taxes on the purchase of motorboat fuel.

“These funds are the cornerstone of state-based efforts that are critical to the preservation of America’s wildlife and natural resources,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “But they are also the fuel for a massive financial engine that benefits outdoor recreationists, hunters, boaters and anglers, equipment manufacturers and retailers, and local and regional economies. Their value cannot be overstated in providing opportunities for the next generation of Americans to get outdoors, experience our wild places and learn the importance of conserving our natural heritage.” Read more

Wildlife

AZ: Unchecked Burro Population Growth Damaging Habitats

BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. — An alarmingly large and rapidly expanding burro population is damaging wildlife habitat, crowding out wildlife species and incurring costs to state and federal taxpayers, according to testimony at the May meeting of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission in Bullhead City.

In addition to the animal’s impact to other species and habitats, Arizona residents are also being impacted by an over-abundance of burros, said Bullhead City Mayor Tom Brady.

“This is a significant issue that is having a direct impact on our community – and others around the state – and must be resolved,” Mayor Brady said. “Due to a lack of proper management, the population of burros is now expanding at an alarming rate and is creating a public safety and ecological concern for our residents.” Read more

Wildlife

Ultimate Game Call System On Your Mobile Device with iHUNT App

There’s a very good reason iHUNT by Ruger remains the best-selling hunting app for smartphone users. Featuring high-quality animal and hunting calls with no audio noise, iHUNT brings the ultimate hunting call system right to a user’s mobile device.

To further increase the value of the premiere hunting call app available on Android and iPhone, iHUNT by Ruger has added the very popular Solunar Times, Activity log, Weather and Photo Sharing features that had previously only been available to iTunes users. Hunter’s can now plan their hunt using the Solunar times and weather, record the results on the activity log and share photos of their trophy with the iHUNT community. All this plus the ability to create an infinite number of playlists using the 600 sounds from 47 species and the ability to connect via Bluetooth with the iHUNT by Ruger speaker ensures a successful hunt.

A thoughtful design and presentation of feature options makes the iHUNT incredibly easy to navigate and use. With iHUNT by Ruger, hunters carry a high-quality calling system afield with the convenience of a smartphone.

The iHUNT by Ruger app features an unmatched selection of more than 47 animals and 600 hunting calls. The app has 40 different deer calls, 54 coyote calls, 37 turkey calls and 29 duck calls. There are even 26 alligator and crocodile calls on the iHUNT app. And that’s just a sample of the calls and variety of animal species. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Birding Opportunities Abound Now in Michigan State Parks, Trails and Nature Areas

Spring means bird migration, and that makes for prime birding opportunities in Michigan’s woods and waters. The Department of Natural Resources has pulled together some tips on enjoying this special time of year in state parks, trails and natural areas:

  • May is the best month to be on the lookout for colorful warblers (more than 40 species of warbler have been observed in Michigan). Songbird (passerine) migration peaks in mid-May in southern Michigan and shortly afterward in northern parts of the state.
  • Watch the weather. Strong southerly winds can result in good overnight flights of birds (most passerines migrate at night – in fact, in a dark campground, birders might even be able to hear the flight calls and see birds passing in front of the moon). When southerly winds run into storm fronts at night, this can create “fall-out” conditions where migrating birds are forced to land. Fall-out can result in heavy concentrations of birds in their respective habitats.

    • Read more

Wildlife
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