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May 14, 2013
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Utah Dove, Pigeon Hunt Recommendations
April 29, 2013
You might be allowed to hunt band-tailed pigeons across Utah this fall.
The following are among the changes Division of Wildlife Resources biologists are recommending for this fall’s upland game hunts:
- Allowing hunters to hunt band-tailed pigeons across Utah.Currently, band-tailed pigeon hunting is allowed in 13 of Utah’s 29 counties.Blair Stringham, migratory game bird coordinator for the DWR, says most band-tailed pigeons are found in southern Utah. “Making the hunt a statewide hunt would make the regulations easier to understand,” he says. “Also, even though pigeons are mostly found only in the 13 counties, hunters who did see a pigeon outside of those counties could legally take it.”
- Stringham says band-tailed pigeon numbers have declined since the 1960s. For that reason, biologists are recommending that the daily bag limit be decreased from five pigeons a day to two birds a day.”If we drop the limit,” Stringham says, “we’re comfortable allowing pigeon hunting across Utah.”
- A third change would increase the number of mourning and white-winged doves hunters can have in their possession.Biologists are recommending that the possession limit increase from 20 doves to 30 doves. The daily bag limit of 10 doves would stay in place.Keeping the daily dove bag limit at 10 doves, but allowing hunters to have 30 doves in their possession, would help those who travel a long distance to hunt.
“Instead of having to pack up and head home after two days of hunting,” Stringham says, “you could extend your hunting trip an extra day because you could have 10 additional doves in your possession.”
- Starting the dove and pigeon hunt on Sept. 2.The hunt usually starts on Sept. 1.”Utah law doesn’t allow a hunt to start on a Sunday,” Stringham says, “so we’re recommending that this year’s hunt start on Monday, Sept. 2.”
Read and join the discussion on Utah Dove, Pigeon Hunt Recommendations at OutdoorHub.com.
Utah Greater Sage Grouse Plan Announced
April 25, 2013
Governor Gary R. Herbert today announced the completion of a conservation plan to preserve greater sage grouse in Utah. The plan will protect more than 90 percent of Utah’s greater sage grouse through incentive-based provisions on private and school trust lands, and through reasonable regulation by federal agencies that manage land in Utah.
“Many diverse interests have come together to address the challenges sage grouse face in Utah,” said the Governor. “The direction the plan provides will maintain or increase the number of sage grouse in Utah while allowing economic development to continue. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
In early 2012, the Governor assembled a sage-grouse working group, which included county commissioners, federal land managing agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Utah Departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Food, the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, representatives from energy and recreational industries, and the conservation community.
The working group met throughout 2012 in open public meetings and received substantial public input. When finished, the working group provided a series of conservation recommendations to the Governor.
Director of the Public Lands Policy Coordination Office, Kathleen Clarke led the planning effort and said conserving sage grouse will require a concerted effort by state, local and federal agencies, as well as participation from willing private landowners.
“State representatives and the Natural Resources Conservation Service are ready to work with private landowners who wish to conserve sage grouse in a way that benefits the landowners and the birds,” said Clarke.
“As with most complex issues, not everyone agrees with everything in the recommendations,” said Alan Clark, sage grouse coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources. “Despite their differences, though, the group developed a sound and balanced approach to conservation of the greater sage grouse.”
Objectives of the plan include:
- Protecting 10,000 acres of the best sage grouse habitat annually
- Enhancing 25,000 acres of existing sage grouse habitat annually
- Increasing the total amount of sage grouse habitat by 50,000 acres annually
The plan with maps, as well as a question and answer sheet, is available at http://go.usa.gov/TX93.
Read and join the discussion on Utah Greater Sage Grouse Plan Announced at OutdoorHub.com.
Professional Shooter Lays Down the Law on Brotherhood Outdoors
April 5, 2013
The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s award-winning hunting and fishing TV show, Brotherhood Outdoors, will feature a Texas quail and hog hunt with professional shooter and veteran, police chief Diane Sorantino, at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, April 7 on Sportsman Channel.
A proud member of PBA Local 59 in Cape May County, New Jersey, Sorantino is also a member of Team Beretta and the National Sporting Clays Association Team USA. She has two World Championship titles to her name—making her a quick shot when it came to pursuing quail at Wildcat Creek Resort in Detroit, Texas.
“While filming Diane’s adventure, we mounted a camera to her shotgun,” said Brotherhood Outdoors co-host Julie McQueen. “We discovered that she doesn’t even blink when she pulls the trigger. In fact, she keeps her eye on the target and only pulls her gaze away after the target has fallen.”
To level the playing field, the Brotherhood Outdoors crew added a wild hog hunt to the mix. Not only did Sorantino get to experience her first shot at a Southern hog but she got to pursue one of America’s most invasive species and help remedy the problem at Wildcat Creek Resort.
“In her more than 25 years on the force, Diane has dedicated her time to protecting people in her community,” said USA Executive Director Fred Myers. “We are honored to share her story and get people excited about hunting by marrying her unparalleled shooting skills and sportsmanship together in this episode.”
Winner of a 2012 Sportsman Choice award, Brotherhood Outdoors awards union sportsmen and women who are committed to preserving North America’s outdoor heritage with a guided trip or the opportunity to show off their guiding skills and local hunting or fishing destinations on national TV.
Presented by Bank of Labor, Brotherhood Outdoors is also sponsored by Employee Benefit Solutions, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, National Electrical Contractors Association, United Association/International Training Fund as well as Buck Knives and Burris/Steiner Optics.
To see what happens when the coveys fly and the hogs run for cover, tune in to Sportsman Channel at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, April 7.
Read and join the discussion on Professional Shooter Lays Down the Law on Brotherhood Outdoors at OutdoorHub.com.
Successful South Carolina Fall Dove Hunt Depends on Planning, Preparing Fields Now
April 3, 2013
Now is the time to begin the planning and preparation of fields to attract doves during the upcoming season. The mourning dove is one of the most popular game species in the Southeast, and fall dove shoots are a South Carolina tradition.
Large numbers of doves will feed on waste grains and weed seeds in harvested peanut, corn and wheat fields. Fields can also be planted in millet, sorghum, sesame, corn, sunflowers or other crops and managed specifically for dove hunting. It is legal to plant a field with grains attractive to doves, and harvest or mow all or part of it, or none of it at all, and shoot doves over the area. Well-managed dove fields provide benefits to doves and other wildlife before and after the hunting season. Landowners interested in dove field recommendations should contact the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Small Game Project at (803) 734-3609 in Columbia, or a DNR regional wildlife biologist. Dove field planting information can also be found on the DNR website at http://www.dnr.sc.gov/pubs/AttractingDovesLegally.pdf.
Pending approval by the S.C. Natural Resources Board and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2013-14 mourning dove season dates will be Sept. 2 to Oct. 5; Nov. 23 to 30; Dec. 19 to Jan. 15. Afternoon hunting only is allowed from Sept. 2-7. The bag limit is 15 doves per hunter per day.
Several factors should be considered when planning a dove field. Larger fields are often more attractive than smaller fields. Generally, a dove field should be a minimum of three acres in size and should be designed to allow at least one acre per hunter. Fields should not be located near busy highways, residential areas, schools, hospitals, or other areas where safety or noise could be a concern. Also, doves are easier to attract if fields are located within an agricultural landscape, rather than within a large block of woodlands.
A single field can be manipulated to attract good numbers of doves through the season by alternating strips of several different crops. For example, browntop millet, which will mature in 60-70 days, will provide food during the early dove season. Dove proso millet will mature in 80-90 days and will be available after the browntop falls. Corn or sunflowers could be planted on remaining strips to provide late-season food sources. Doves prefer small-seeded, black-oil-seed varieties of sunflowers over the larger striped-shell sunflowers.
Dove fields should be planted on dates that allow the seed to mature about two weeks prior to hunting, which allows doves time to locate the food source and become accustomed to feeding in the field. Planted strips within fields should be at least 30-50 feet wide, and kept as weed-free as possible. Doves have weak feet and will not use a field where they have to scratch and search for food. For this reason, it is best to plant crops in rows to facilitate cultivation. Herbicides labeled for the various plantings are also recommended. Row plantings also make finding downed birds easier. In fields with heavy weed growth, light discing of strips throughout the field will improve the attractiveness of the field to doves by exposing seeds of native weeds and planted crops.
Overshooting will drive doves away from even a high-quality dove field. A field should not be hunted more than once a week, and the birds should be allowed to feed unmolested during the last two hours of daylight. A particular field should be hunted morning or afternoon, not both.
After the close of dove season, fields should not be plowed under. Crop residue as well as associated weed seeds will continue to provide doves and other wildlife with a reliable food source throughout the remainder of winter and early spring.
Read and join the discussion on Successful South Carolina Fall Dove Hunt Depends on Planning, Preparing Fields Now at OutdoorHub.com.
Michigan Wetland Wonders Challenge Winners Take Home Their Prizes
March 25, 2013
Six of the seven Michigan waterfowl hunters randomly chosen as the first winners of the Department of Natural Resources’ Wetland Wonders Challenge – Triston Bradshaw of Allegan, Michael Schindler of Bay City, James Graves of Rhodes, Isaiah Battel of Cass City, Thomas Bauer of Clarkston and Gary Van Kirk of Swartz Creek – received their prizes March 14 at the regular monthly meeting of the Natural Resources Commission in Saginaw. (The seventh winner, Lupe Martinez of Hamilton, could not be present at the meeting and has since received his prize package.)
“This challenge gave me and my hunting buddies the incentive to explore managed waterfowl hunting areas we probably would not have otherwise,” said Thomas Bauer. ”It made our waterfowl season fun, as each new managed area was unique and offered something different. Being a challenge winner was just a bonus.”
The other winners shared similar comments about the challenge giving them the incentive to try other managed waterfowl hunting areas that they haven’t visited before.
To be entered to win one of the seven prize packages, winners had to hunt four or more of the DNR’s seven premier managed waterfowl areas and turn in a punch card as proof of participation this past waterfowl hunting season.
For 13-year-old Triston Bradshaw, the first person drawn, the experience has been a memorable one. This fall was the first time Bradshaw had been waterfowl hunting. His father, Terry, used to duck hunt but had not had the opportunity for a couple of years.
“This contest gave me the incentive to go out again and for me to take Triston,” said Terry Bradshaw.
“It was a great father-and-son experience,” Triston Bradshaw added. “We even slept in our truck at Shiawassee because of rain just to make the morning draw. It was awesome; I can’t wait to go out again next year.”
Each winner received one of seven ultimate waterfowl hunting prize packages, each worth approximately $1,800. Each prize package was unique, but included items such as shotguns, a “golden ticket” good for first choice at a managed waterfowl area hunt, a jon boat, decoys, blinds, calls, taxidermy mounts, guided duck hunts, gift cards, trail cameras and hunting gear. The following companies and organizations were generous sponsors and donors:
- American Waterfowler Magazine
- Avery Outdoors Inc.
- Cabela’s
- Ducks and Bucks
- Ducks Unlimited
- Dunham’s Sports
- Flambeau Outdoors
- Fowl Pursuit
- Frank’s Great Outdoors
- Freeway Sports Center
- Gibraltar Duck Hunter’s Association
- Joseph V. Demski and Terry McFadden
- Lynch Mob Calls
- Mag-na-Port
- Michigan Duck Hunters Association – Blue Water Chapter
- Michigan Duck Hunters Association – Lake Effect Chapter
- Michigan Duck Hunters Association – Saginaw Bay Chapter
- The Michigan Experience
- Naber’s Taxidermy
- Pte. Mouillee Waterfowl Festival
- Quacker Attacker Custom Calls
- Rig’Em Right Waterfowl
- Safari Club International – Livonia Chapter
- Schupbach’s Sporting Goods
- Shiawassee Flats Citizens & Hunters Association
- Taxidermy by Dourlain
- Waterfowl USA – Southwest Lake Erie Chapter
- Wildlife Reflections
- Zink Calls
Consolation prizes were also given out to 93 lucky winners. These winners have been notified, and their prizes will be sent to them in the mail.
“The Wetland Wonders Challenge would not have been possible without the generosity of the many donors and sponsors,” said Barbara Avers, DNR Waterfowl and Wetland Program leader. “They deserve a special thank-you for making this inaugural contest a success.”
Read and join the discussion on Michigan Wetland Wonders Challenge Winners Take Home Their Prizes at OutdoorHub.com.
Montana Upland Game Bird Council to Meet in Conrad
March 22, 2013
An advisory council that last year submitted recommendations on a long-range strategic plan for Montana’s Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program will meet in Conrad, April 2-3.
The group will participate in 2013 field-season planning and tour various habitat projects.
The meeting will be held at Pondera Shooting Sports Club, 972 Granite Rd., beginning April 2 at 1 p.m.
The public is invited to attend and may provide comments to the council during the time identified on the agenda. For more information visit the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ website at fwp.mt.gov, then click “Upland Game Bird Council“. Or contact Debbie Hohler by phone at 406-444-5674, or by e-mail at dhohler@mt.gov.
Read and join the discussion on Montana Upland Game Bird Council to Meet in Conrad at OutdoorHub.com.
Covey Rise Launches New Lifestyle Wing Shooting Magazine
March 20, 2013
Magazine to Commemorate Its 10th Anniversary
Covey Rise LLC has unveiled an inspirational magazine format in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of their recently acquired title, Covey Rise.
The original Covey Rise was founded in 2003 by the late Kim Price of Alexander City. Price had been a Board of Director’s member for Pheasants Forever and their sister organization Quail Forever, where he was a tireless champion of conservation efforts that focused on his beloved game bird, the Bobwhite quail. To take his efforts to the next level, Price founded and published Covey Rise, a monthly newsletter, with a goal of connecting conservation groups and hunters. His format was widely successful and respected, and Price published the newsletter until he passed away unexpectedly in 2011.
Inspired by his tireless efforts and friendship, John Thames and Kelly Waldrop were determined to keep Price’s legacy alive. In 2012, Thames bought the exclusive publishing rights to the established brand name. In a move counter-current with contemporary publishing trends, Thames and Waldrop relaunched Covey Rise magazine as a lifestyle publication devoted to all aspects of upland bird hunting.
According to publisher Thames, “the new Covey Rise magazine is a 75% content to a 25% advertising model that celebrates all facets of the upland hunting life. We’ll focus on a wider variety of favorite game birds that will include pheasant, Ruffed grouse and woodcock, sharptail grouse and the elusive ptarmigan, among others. Bird hunters are by-and-large traditionalists, and we know that they’ll savor the new Covey Rise. We’re delivering our magazine with content written by award-winning writers, industry-leading photographers and outstanding artists. Selling print magazine subscriptions in this digital age won’t be easy, but we’re more than prepared for the challenge.”
Associate publisher Waldrop agrees. “There are so many facets to a great hunt, and each issue of Covey Rise magazine will showcase distinctive sporting venues, outstanding gear, and interesting people delivered in a format they appreciate. Our experience is that vertical market publishing can be challenging. The simple fact is that a well-published magazine speaks of quality.
Read and join the discussion on Covey Rise Launches New Lifestyle Wing Shooting Magazine at OutdoorHub.com.
McGhee-Carson Unit of Tellico Lake WMA to Be Site of Youth Quail Hunt
March 18, 2013
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Knoxville Quail Forever Chapter will sponsor a youth quail hunt at the McGhee-Carson Unit of the Tellico Lake Wildlife Management Area on Saturday, March 23. The hunt is for young sportsmen ages 10 to 16 that have passed a Hunter Safety class.
The hunt will start at 8 a.m. and will continue until 5 p.m. Each young sportsman will need to be accompanied by a non-hunting adult. Because of time and space, this hunt will be limited to the first 40 who call and register.
Each young sportsman along with the non-hunting adult, a dog handler, and a dog will enter a field where quail have been released. When a dog finds a quail, the young sportsman will be given the opportunity to harvest the bird. Each young sportsman will be given the opportunity to harvest three birds. There will be four fields available, so we will be able to accommodate several young sportsmen each hour.
Lunch will be provided by the Quail Forever Chapter. The TWRA will have other activities for the Young Sportsman to participate in; skeet shooting and 22 target shooting. To register call David Whitehead at (423) 884-6767 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (EST). Please leave the young sportsman’s name and address along with a telephone number where they can be reached in case there is a weather problem.
Read and join the discussion on McGhee-Carson Unit of Tellico Lake WMA to Be Site of Youth Quail Hunt at OutdoorHub.com.
Indiana Turkey Draw for Reynolds Creek Gamebird Habitat Area
March 12, 2013
The drawing will be at the Kingsbury FWA office at 10 a.m. CST on April 6. To be eligible for the drawing hunters must present their 2013 turkey license and they’ll be given a numbered badge. A computer generated random draw will identify the successful hunters for choice of the hunt periods. Hunters will be drawn as individuals only. If successful you may give your hunt to a youth hunter 17 years old or younger.
Once a bird is harvested the hunt is completed. There are no “stand by” drawings. If successful you will be given a special permit card with the hunt period you selected. Keep this card with you at all times. You don’t have to check in at Kingsbury, you can go directly to Reynolds Creek. If successful at the Reynolds Creek drawing you will NOT be eliminated from any other DNR turkey draws.
The hunt periods are:
- April 24,25,26
- April 27,28
- April 29,30, May 1
- May 2,3,4
- May 5,6,7
- May 8,9,10
- May 11,12
Kingsbury is located at 5344 S. Hupp Road, LaPorte, IN 46350. For more information, contact Kingsbury at (219) 393-3612 or rlorman@dnr.in.gov.
Read and join the discussion on Indiana Turkey Draw for Reynolds Creek Gamebird Habitat Area at OutdoorHub.com.
