Opposition to the Biden administration’s ongoing negotiations with an extreme environmental and animal-rights organization concerning hunting, fishing and trapping on National Wildlife Refuges continues to grow as 33 members of Congress have joined the chorus of 41 national sportsmen’s organizations.

The Congressional Western Caucus just submitted a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams expressing concern over President Biden’s “commitment – or potential lack thereof – to ensuring access on our nation’s wildlife refuges for hunters, fishers, and sportsmen and women.”

The letter further states dismay at the decision to negotiate possible settlement options with the Center for Biological Diversity, whose sue-and-settle tactics are well documented and counterproductive to conservation.

“Shockingly, rather than defending the 2020 Rule in court, FWS initiated settlement discussions with this litigious special interest group, whose long track record of filing frivolous lawsuits has done nothing to further effective conservation efforts across the country … We are deeply concerned by these settlement discussions and the fact that the Administration has chosen not to publicly declare their intent to defend the expansion of access to our nation’s wildlife refuges,” wrote the lawmakers. “It is hard to imagine any settlement would not involve the loss of hunting opportunities … We are especially concerned that the settlement may invoke policies set during the Obama Administration banning the use of traditional ammo and tackle on all refuge lands. This is unacceptable.” Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

As each season of deer hunting commences, I watch over lush food plots of turnips in anticipation of hungry whitetails rushing to the nutritious vegetation.  There is no doubt about the lure of brassicas when the weather turns sour and the turnips sweeten to perfection.  However, the best early season attractiveness in whitetails’ diets goes to clover blends in our climate.

Season upon season, it’s clear that deer prefer blends of legumes such as peas, beans, or clovers in the early seasons.  Unlike beans, however, perennial clover is not killed by frost and that makes it one of the most readily available food sources in the spring when stressed deer have consumed all the remnants of annual plantings.

It’s a common practice to blend brassicas with clover when planting, but once the brassicas are either eaten or die of natural causes, bare spots are everywhere and those areas will be filled with weeds if left to Mother Nature.  A rather simple solution to minimize this risk is to overseed in the spring when the soil is moist.  This practice sets the stage for years to come, providing minimal maintenance is given in terms of fertilizer and mowing.

Like everything else, inflation and supply shortages must be considered.  It’s impossible to predict how much products will cost in the future or if they will even be in stock, so if you can afford today’s prices and you find seed, fertilizer, and lime, it’s best to stock up when supplies are found.

Ladino clover is a cool-season perennial legume that spreads by stolons – creeping horizontal plant stems or runners that take root at points along its length to form new plants.  In the proper growing environment, ladino clover can persist for four to five years or more, particularly in northern climates.  Deer will ignore undesirable weeds and will search out nutritious clover.  Beyond those years, it will be present, albeit in lesser amounts, but nonetheless will continue to be attractive.

Red clover is a cool-season legume that is classified as a biennial with a two-year lifespan, but with proper management it can persist for three or more years in northern states such as Michigan.

The use of a cultipacker or roller is important both before and after planting for a firm seedbed and to prevent planting the seed too deep.

It also provides a smooth surface, which is important when it comes time to mow – and, clover loves mowing at heights five inches and above.

Soil samples are also necessary so that lime and fertilizer requirements can be defined for best results.

Seedbeds can be tilled to keep weed production down until planting time nears in August.  Then, before planting an application of glyphosate can eradicate pesky weeds before broadcasting the clover seed to minimize weed competition.

There is no easy way to get a good food plot established, but a good plot of clover will serve wildlife for years to come with minimal maintenance.

You are invited to volunteer to participate in the Midwest Crane Count, which will take place this Saturday morning, April 9. This is the annual survey of Sandhill Cranes across 120 counties in 7 states of the upper Midwest, including Wisconsin and some counties in Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana. Whooping Cranes will also be monitored, mostly in reintroduction areas in Wisconsin. Each year more than 1,600 volunteers visit local wetlands and meadows to participate in the Crane Count, which will indicate where pairs of cranes may nest in coming days and weeks.

Organized by the International Crane Foundation and supported by state wildlife agencies and birding groups, participants in the Midwest Crane Count will be committed to scout an assigned area, complete virtual training, and conduct the Saturday morning count. Anyone who can identify a Sandhill Crane by sight and calls is welcome; teams of 2 people are preferred, and a vehicle is required to reach count sites.

To join the action, contact the County Coordinator for the county you wish to participate in at Click here to view the listing of county coordinators. For more information about the Midwest Crane Count and the International Crane Foundation, see Annual Midwest Crane Count – International Crane Foundation (savingcranes.org)

Funds will bolster organization’s Pollinator Habitat Outreach Program

St. Paul, Minn. – April 4, 2022 – Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are proud to announce a new $40,000 donation from the Minnesota-based nonprofit, Monarch Joint Venture, who works to conserve monarch butterflies and other pollinators. The donation will help support Pheasants Forever’s Pollinator Habitat Outreach Program.

“We’re very excited to be providing this partner grant to Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever to continue their work with youth and pollinator outreach,” said Katie-Lyn Bunney, Monarch Joint Venture’s education coordinator. “The Milkweed in the Classroom program is a great way to involve teachers and students in conservation action for monarchs and pollinators, and we look forward to continued collaboration and partnership with the program.”

The decline in the overwintering population of the Eastern monarch butterfly – among other pollinator species such as native honeybees – has been widely circulated in the conservation community. According to the World Wildlife Fund Mexico, the 2020-2021 overwintering population of Eastern monarch butterflies decreased 26 percent from the previous year.

In response, conservation groups have been working diligently to establish habitat projects that benefit the monarch butterfly and other pollinating insects. This habitat also has major implications for upland bird populations, whose broods thrive in pollinator habitat each spring. The new partnership with Monarch Joint Venture will help protect both pollinators and upland birds. Read more

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its partners allocated $2,098,338 in grant funding in Arizona for elk habitat stewardship, wildlife management and hunting heritage projects. RMEF directly granted $156,136 that leveraged an additional $1,942,202 in partner dollars.

“One of the major issues in this part of elk country is a lack of life-sustaining water for elk and other wildlife. Some of this grant funding is specifically earmarked to upgrade more than a dozen water sources,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “Additional projects of focus include restoring historic grasslands and a study monitoring predator impact on elk.” Read more