WASHINGTON-As tens of thousands of African elephants and a record number of Africa’s rhinos are killed by poachers each year, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) has established a US$10 million Urgent Response Fund to stop the killing of Africa’s wildlife, stop the trafficking of wildlife parts abroad and stop the demand for ivory and rhino horn products in Asia. The announcement of the Urgent Response Fund comes on the eve of Wildlife Conservation Day, established two years ago on December 4 by then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to draw attention to the wildlife poaching and trafficking issues. Read more

Hunting, fishing and existing public access would also continue as is, while future inColorado Sportsmen Applaud Renewed Effort to Protect Browns Canyon

SALIDA, CO – After more than 15 years of bi-partisan efforts to protect Browns Canyon, sportsmen are pleased by the prospect that more than 20,000 acres in Browns Canyon could finally be conserved as a National Monument under the Antiquities Act.

On December 6th Colorado Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet join key officials from the Obama Administration for a public meeting aimed at gauging public support for a National Monument Designation for Browns. The meeting will take place at 1:00 PM at the Salida Steamplant.

Browns Canyon is well known by sportsmen for its gold medal fishing waters and mid-elevation elk, mule deer and bighorn sheep habitat.

“As a backcountry hunter, angler and outfitter I admire greatly those rare mid-elevation corners of our state that offer stunning landscape, chances for solitude, and extremely important habitat for big game,” said, Paul Vertrees of Canon City. “The momentum to protect Browns Canyon for generations to come has endured a long and winding process. Now is the right time to give this special place permanent national monument status.” Read more

Upper Peninsula – Delta & Menominee Counties

Several locations in Delta and Menominee counties will soon be a bit fruitier. Over 4,000 fruit-bearing trees were planted, providing a great food source for deer. A variety of trees were planted, including black cherry, elderberry, high bush cranberry and serviceberry, to name a few. The trees were planted along the edges of maintained openings, and along hunter walking trails where adequate food was lacking for wildlife. Many of the trees were sheltered to provide protection from deer browse, and they will be a great benefit to deer for years to come.

The winter can be a great time to take a look back on how your season has gone and make a checklist of things you would like to improve in the coming year. Call it a new year’s resolution for wildlife management purposes.

To ensure you can grow the best food possible for all the critters you are trying to manage, late winter can be a great time to soil test. Getting the areas that you plan to plant in food plots or mast producing trees tested and properly amended with the recommended lime and fertilizer will be the best money you can spend. I encourage land managers to get their lime spread in the late winter for a couple of reasons. Ag lime can take months to begin to break down and neutralize the acidity of your soil, the finer the mesh that the lime is screened through at the quarry, the sooner it will break down. If you usually use the local co-op to spread your lime or rent equipment from them to do it yourself, late winter is a good time to get it done before the row crop farmers begin their planting season. Getting your plots amended with the proper amount of lime will increase the effectiveness of your fertilizer which will positively impact the growth and palatability of your spring and fall food plots. Read more

In the Prairie Pothole region, wildlife biologists had estimated the duck numbers up 8 percent since last year’s record numbers – a total of a 43 percent increase over the past 60+ years.

This spring, biologists estimated the duck population to slightly top 49 million birds. That was an 8 percent increase over the record numbers of ducks seen just the year before.

That population represents a 43 percent increase over the long-term average of ducks that have been counted the past seven decades.

Thank you hunters and your conservation contributions in the form of licenses and excise-taxed gear over the years!

Hat tip from The Missoulian here…