Help is on the way to enhance more wildlife habitat, create more public access for elk hunters, better advance chronic wasting disease research and support more South Dakota hunting and outdoor programs.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its partners allocated $1,458,840 in grant funding to further those endeavors. RMEF committed $295,123 that helped leverage $1,163,717 in partner dollars.

The grant funding supports 25 projects across 16 counties and two others with statewide impact.

“A significant portion of these grants focus on invasive weed control, removing encroaching conifers on aspen stands, creating new wildlife water sources and better protecting riparian habitat. These treatments make a significant difference for elk, deer and other species,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer.

Highlighting a few examples, RMEF granted funding in addition to the previously announced $100,000 for chronic wasting disease research in the Black Hills and $15,000 to open public access for elk hunting on private land. In addition, RMEF allotted funding for 15 hunting heritage projects ranging from youth recreational shooting teams to helping expand The Outdoor Campus facility in Sioux Falls. Read more

If you enjoy wildlife and the outdoors, you won’t want to miss the new season of Arizona Wildlife Views on the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s (AZGFD) YouTube channel and Arizona PBS Channel 8.

The Emmy Award-winning television program will open your eyes to the best of our state’s wildlife, wild places and outdoor adventure through spectacular video and compelling stories.

The 10-episode season will highlight a variety of wildlife conservation efforts in Arizona, including: Read more

An individual suspected of trafficking red-eared slider turtles in Cincinnati and striking a state wildlife officer with his vehicle was recently indicted in Hamilton County by a grand jury, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

In July, State Wildlife Officer Brad Turner, assigned to Preble County, received a Turn-In-a-Poacher (TIP) report regarding turtles being sold in Cincinnati. Officer Turner and State Wildlife Officer Andrew Dowdell, assigned to Butler County, responded to the location. They found two men selling red-eared sliders without the required propagation permit.

During the encounter, one of the suspects, Alonso Oliver-Tucker, 37, of Philadelphia, PA, disobeyed an officer’s verbal commands and fled in his vehicle, striking Officer Turner as he accelerated. Officer Turner was treated at The Christ Hospital and released the same evening.

The Cincinnati Police Department filed three arrest warrants for Oliver-Tucker, who was arrested several days later in Pennsylvania. The suspect was recently indicted by a grand jury in Hamilton County on two felony counts: assault on a police officer and failure to comply with an order of a police officer.

The officers seized more than 100 red-eared sliders. Read more

Do you have skills in planning, budgeting and project management? Would you like to apply them to support healthy trees and communities? The DNR is hiring!

Apply for the Urban and Community Forestry Grant Specialist position to join a team of people dedicated to growing and caring for Michigan’s urban trees.

Learn more and apply by Sept. 19.

For more information, contact Pete Muller at (803) 637-7698 or pmuller@nwtf.net

New Research Seeks to Provide Deeper Understanding of Wild Turkey Populations

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — As part of its 2023 investment in wild turkey research, the NWTF is helping fund state-of-the-art research that integrates multiple data sources – a first-of-its-kind approach in wild turkey management – to provide wild turkey managers with a more accurate picture of population abundance across the country.

In 2019, a report in Science made headlines worldwide, stating that North America’s bird population had decreased by 3 billion birds since the 1970s. Researchers deciphered this staggering number using advanced statistical methods integrating wide-ranging data sources, including multiple annual bird censuses, historical data and even weather radar data that can quantify migratory birds. Now, researchers at the University of Florida want to take a similar approach with wild turkeys, painting a clearer picture of wild turkey abundance across the country. Read more

EP:180 | Mississippi Record Alligator

On this BONUS episode we hear the story of the recently killed Mississippi State Record Alligator. The hunters Don Woods, Will Thomas, Tanner White and Joey Clark join us to tell the exciting story, and former MDWFP gator coordinator Ricky Flint explains even more interesting details about prior interactions with the same individual. Imagine a 14 foot jon boat and a 14 foot 3 inch 802 pound alligator! It’s an amazing story of four deserving hunters. Trust us, you don’t want to miss this one.

Listen Links: Read more

Spend any time in South Dakota and what strikes you most is that the place still works. At a time when so many American cities seem like backdrops for the next Hollywood dystopian thriller, life amid the amber waves of grain feels like utopia, a remnant of a country that once was. With 63 parks and recreation areas to explore, it’s no surprise that Forbes included the state on their recent best travel destinations list.

South Dakota’s natural beauty from the Black Hills and Badlands (the geologic wonder that Teddy Roosevelt once referred to as inspiring the romance of his life) to the sweeping prairies, holds some of the country’s most divergent landscapes.

Along with the state’s wild attractions and famous monuments, its economy is thriving. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the state ranked in the top five for growth in gross domestic product and personal income during the first quarter of 2023. The state’s real GDP also rose a whopping 10.1 percent and personal income went up 9.2 percent. Additionally, South Dakota recently broke the record for lowest unemployment rate, registering just 1.8 percent in June—roughly half the national average.

To read the rest of this column click here.

Missing your favorite flannel shirt in the back of your closet? Before you know it, cooler weather will arrive, bringing opportunities to enjoy your flannel along with flickering bonfires under the stars. With a $20 fuelwood permit, you can collect firewood for your campfires or to warm your winter woodstove.

A fuelwood permit allows users to gather dead and downed wood from designated state forest areas, primarily located in the northern two-thirds of Michigan, for up to 90 days. All permits expire Dec. 31. Purchase permits online through DNR eLicense or in person at select office locations. Read more