Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Goldfinch
PHOENIX – As part of a conservation program for the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted an annual squirrel survey and estimated approximately 272 animals in the Pinaleño Mountains in southeastern Arizona.
This year’s survey shows an increase of 59 squirrels.
Read more
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) new Central Reservation System (CRS) for state parks and harbors is now open for reservations of all types at www.midnrreservations.com. This more customer-friendly version of the website allows reservations up to one year in advance for lodging and six months in advance for camping and harbors. 
Campers are encouraged to plan ahead to get the first pick of campsites for some early spring camping, or – if outdoor camping in the spring sounds too cold – reserve a cabin, yurt or other lodging option. Now is also the time to start planning for the Memorial Day holiday weekend; Memorial Day is on May 26, 2014. The new system features pictures of the campsites and lodging at each location, and more views will continue to be added. Read more
An Oklahoma hunter in a treestand was attacked by a barn owl and ends up with eye damage. His story is here…
Last week, Safari Club International Foundation held its 12th annual African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF) in Livingstone, Zambia. Conservation leaders attending included wildlife management authorities from the nine African counties of Botswana, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as representatives from the safari industry, NGO and wildlife science sectors.
The government representatives attending the AWCF delivered this week a letter to the Co-Chairs of the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Attorney General Eric Holder. The letter presents their
The letter recommends that the Task Force appoint Safari Club International Foundation to its Advisory Council to act as a liaison for the African governments who are the principle agents for conserving wildlife on their continent. “It is distressing that Africa’s governments were not included or even consulted on the U.S. government’s new Task Force to stop poaching. This policy decision of the U.S. government directly affects Africa’s communities, wildlife, and economies. To ignore these countries is an obvious misstep that needs to be rectified,” SCI Foundation President Joe Hosmer said. Read more
The Parks and Recreation Division of the Michigan DNR has proposed adjustments to the State Park camping fees to take effect for the 2015 camping season. This could be approved by the DNR Director at the NRC meeting in December.
It has recently come to the attention of the DNR that anglers are purchasing red swamp crayfish from food markets and using them as live bait in the Grand River and Kalamazoo River. These species are considered highly invasive and have already been found in Ohio and Indiana. New restrictions were just enacted to protect Michigan’s waters from yet another invasive species.
Michigan’s wolf hunt begins Nov. 15 in three distinct units in the Upper Peninsula. These units were designed around areas of chronic wolf-human conflict where other methods of controlling that conflict have proven ineffective. Read more
Trail cameras have become a vital tool for scouting out new and established hunting areas or keeping track of game, as well as for home and business security. Now, MINOX has taken them to a new level with the introduction of their DTC 1000 Trail Camera, with an integrated wireless GSM feature. Read more
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for the shooting of an immature bald eagle six miles south and two miles east of Strandburg, South Dakota. The eagle was shot on or before October 31, 2013. Read more
NIAGARA FALLS, NY – Blend in with Napier Enterprises’ 57 Series Sportz Camo Truck Tent featuring Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity.
Why camp in an ordinary ground tent or an expensive RV when you can camp right in the back of your truck? The Sportz Camo Truck Tent assembles in the back of your open-bed pickup truck, creating a comfortable, restful sleeping area for two people with over 5.6 feet of headroom. With its patented sewn in floor, you won’t’ have to worry about cleaning out your truck bed before using it. Read more