New Zealand mud snails discovered at FWP hatchery

HELENA – New Zealand mud snails were discovered earlier this month at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Park’s Bluewater State Fish Hatchery south of Laurel. To eliminate the threat of further spread, nearly all of the rainbow trout and largemouth bass at the facility will be destroyed.

New Zealand mud snails are an aquatic invasive species found in a variety of waterbodies across Montana. The snails have the ability to expand in population size and in distribution very rapidly, potentially changing the ecology of waterbodies where they are located. Once established in waterbodies, they are hard, if not impossible to eradicate.

Mud snails were discovered at FWP’s Bluewater Hatchery in 2020. The hatchery was quarantined then and decontaminated. The source of the new infestation is unknown, though FWP staff believe cracks in older concrete tanks might have allowed mud snails from the previous infestation to survive decontamination.

“We are conducting a full decontamination and our oldest concrete settling basins, where this infestation was discovered, will no longer be used,” said Eileen Ryce, FWP fisheries division administrator.

The largemouth bass that will be destroyed are brood stock and large enough to eat. FWP staff will hand out the dead bass to youth under 12 or anyone with a fishing license on Friday, April 2, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon. There is a limit of 5 bass per individual. That hatchery is located at 700 Bluewater Creek Road, Bridger, MT. People who pick up fish need to make sure to dispose of the entrails and carcasses in the household garbage, not in a waterway or down the drain into a wastewater system. Read more

Fishing

Virginian Sentenced for Dog Fighting Conspiracy and Illegal Possession of Firearms

A Virginia resident was sentenced today to 37 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to federal charges resulting from a lengthy investigation into a significant multi-state dog fighting conspiracy.

According to court documents, Raymond L. Johnson, 41, of Henrico, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. Beginning in November 2019, law enforcement investigated a criminal organization involved in dog fighting based out of Richmond, and extending into Baltimore, Maryland. In late 2020, law enforcement agents executed three residential search warrants in Virginia and one residential search warrant in Maryland, and seized numerous dogs that were being used for organized dog fighting, together with dog fighting paraphernalia, firearms and ammunition.

During the investigation, Johnson communicated with his co-conspirators about breeding and fighting dogs, past dog fights, coordination of upcoming dog fights, and other topics detailing the business and the brutality of dog fighting. Johnson hosted two dog fights at his residence, videos of which were recovered by law enforcement. Agents executed a search warrant at Johnson’s Henrico residence on Nov. 19, 2020, and recovered nine pit bull terrier-type dogs with scarring consistent with dog fighting. Agents also seized other evidence of dog fighting activities at Johnson’s residence, including dog collars, medications, supplies and supplements and a treadmill used to train dogs for fighting. Read more

General

Michigan: fuelwood permits available Friday with new online purchase option

Want to cut firewood for personal use in a Michigan state forest? Fuelwood permits will be available from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources beginning Friday, April 1, with a new online purchase option.

Permits will cost $20 this year after a two-year fee suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s how to get one:

“We’re encouraging the online option to save everybody time and energy going forward,” said Jeff Stampfly, chief of the DNR’s Forest Resources Division. “It’s a new service for these permits, but many people will be familiar with it if they have bought hunting and fishing licenses in the past.” Read more

General

Meet the Arnold Palmer of Duck Habitats

As commodity prices go, few have been tracking mallard dividends as closely as Steve Farris. After a stellar career as a Grammy-nominated guitarist and one of the cofounders of the 80’s band Mr. Mister, Farris has turned his creative energies and life-long passion for duck and goose hunting into another art form—buying, transforming, and selling some of the best waterfowling properties west of the Mississippi. The fact that Mr. Mister’s two Grammy nominations came for hits, Broken Wings and Healing Waters, might have foreshadowed his calling to the world of duck hunting real estate.

For those who follow the recreational real estate market and the extensive habitat improvements that Farris has made to some of them, he could be known as the Arnold Palmer of duck hunting courses. “Every blind is a different hole,” muses Farris. Like any great artist, he sees land the way a painter sees canvas—an opportunity to manifest a vision of something perfect. In his case, it’s land and water that is irresistible to ducks and geese and, ultimately, to those who love to hunt them. That’s a unique talent and skill set that Alex Maher recognized shortly after meeting Farris a few years ago. Maher is the founder of Live Water Properties, a Jackson, Wyoming-based ranch and recreational real estate brokerage firm specializing in some of the best hunting and angling properties across the country.

To read the rest of the column, click here

Hunting, Wildlife

Kimber Donates Handguns and RIfles to Ukraine

TROY, AL, March 30, 2022 — Kimber Mfg., Inc. donated 200 handguns and 20 rifles to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces of Ukraine, to bolster their capabilities in this time of conflict.

Throughout this conflict, the Ukrainian people have inspired the world with their courage and determination, which inspired the Kimber team to find a way to help. Kimber answered by providing 200 R7 Mako 9mm subcompact pistols with 800 extra 13-round magazines, 10 Advanced Tactical rifles in .308 Win., and 10 bolt-action rifles in .308 Win. Each rifle contains 2 magazines and a matched replacement firing pin assembly.

Mission First Tactical (MFT) donated holsters for the R7 Mako pistols and Tactical Rifle Cases. In addition, MFT also donated 3,300 AR-15 magazines and 1,000 AR-10 magazines.

Leupold & Stevens, Inc. (Leupold) donated 20 Mark 4 LR/T 3.5-10×40 rifle scopes, which were paired and installed on each of the 20 Kimber rifles.

“The people of Ukraine are enduring tremendous hardships and are in need of support from around the world,” said Leslie Edelman, Kimber owner and CEO. “Kimber is honored to play a part in providing this much-needed assistance with the donation of these firearms and accessories. Our hearts and prayers go out to the courageous people who will be using them to defend their freedom and nation.” Read more

Firearms

Michigan DNR asks anglers to report tagged walleye

Starting Wednesday, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will jaw tag 3,000 walleye across multiple Saginaw Bay tributary rivers. As the DNR adds more tagged walleye to Michigan waters, anglers are asked to report tagged fish to assist data collection efforts.

Anyone catching a tagged fish is asked to report the following information using the tag return form at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField:

  • Species.
  • Length.
  • Weight (if known).
  • Tag location (where tag was attached).
  • Identification number (the larger of the two sets of numbers).
  • Tag return address (for example MICH DNR MM-1).
  • Capture date and location. Read more
Fishing

CZ-USA’s Top Turkey Shotgun Picks for Tagging Spring Gobblers

Kansas City, KS (March 30, 2022) – Spring gobbler season is firing up, and CZ is making sure hunters are well gunned as they hit the turkey woods. Three hard-hitting 12-gauge shotgun options will allow hunters to carry more longbeards over their shoulders and enjoy more turkey breasts on the smoker.

CZ Reaper Magnum is CZ-USA’s over/under designed for max flexibility in those common situations where gobblers either strut into hunters lap or hang up at the outer margins of range. Clad in Mossy Oak Obsession Camo the Reaper is built to slay turkeys with the same 3 ½” chambers of the Swamp Magnum.

The beauty of hunting with an Over/Under is that each barrel can be equipped with a different choke. Putting an open choke in the bottom barrel for the optimum effectiveness at close range and an extra full choke in the top barrel, to deliver lethal pellets at longer distances, a simple flip of the selector switch lets hunters pick which barrel to fire. Read more

Firearms, Hunting

Warrantless Search and Surveillance Practice Overruled in Tennessee

A warrantless search and surveillance practice used by wildlife agencies to investigate hunting and fishing violations was ruled unconstitutional last week by a Tennessee circuit court; paving the way for property owners in several other states to challenge criminal charges resulting from such techniques.

The case has garnered the attention of private property rights advocates, poachers, wildlife law enforcement officials and outdoor enthusiasts who support the investigative methods for wildlife protection.

In 2018 Benton County landowners Terry Rainwaters and Hunter Hollingsworth sued the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) after they discovered a video camera with a 24/7 live feed installed on a tree on Hollingsworth’s property, which was marked with no trespassing signs. Rainwaters claims the agency also engaged in warrantless searches on his property. Read more

Wildlife

Michigan: plan now for spring treatment of hemlock woolly adelgid

If hemlock trees on your property show signs of hemlock woolly adelgid infestation, now is a good time to plan for spring treatment of this invasive species. Hemlock woolly adelgid, native to Asia, is known to be present in areas of Allegan, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa counties in Michigan. These small insects suck sap from hemlock needles and ultimately can cause tree death.

Insecticides are available to control the insect, and in many cases, landowners easily can apply them by carefully following label instructions and application rate guidance. In Michigan, the label is the law. Due to certain restrictions on the use of these insecticides, you may need the services of a licensed pesticide application business. Read more

Wildlife
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