Archive for December, 2009
2010 NONRESIDENT APPLICATION BOOKLETS NOW AVAILABLE – WF&G
30
Dec
CHEYENNE - More than 22,500 nonresident big game application booklets for the 2010 hunting seasons are being mailed out this week to hunters who applied through the mail for the 2009 hunting seasons. An additional 64,000 postcards have already been sent to nonresidents who applied online.
The postcards are a reminder of the online application process. Big game application information is now on the Game and Fish Web site http://gf.state.wy.us. Hunters who want a printed application booklet can contact the Game and Fish at (307) 777-4600 or request an application from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 5400 Bishop Blvd., Cheyenne, WY 82006.
Resident application booklets will be available at Game and Fish offices and license agents by the last week of December.
A number of application periods begin on January 1. The nonresident application period for elk is the month of January, and January 1-March 15 is when nonresidents must apply for deer and antelope. Applications for the drawings for both resident and nonresident moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat licenses are accepted during the months of January and February.
License draw manager Aaron Pelto said online applications have been steadily increasing. “Hunters are applying online because they find it a more convenient way to apply and applying online helps ensure accuracy of the application,” Pelto said. “From the Game and Fish Department standpoint it is the most efficient and cost effective way for us to process applications. It also speeds up the drawings since more of the applications are processed online.”
Hunters with questions on hunting in Wyoming or the application process can contact the Game and Fish at (307) 777-4600.
(Contact: Al Langston (307) 777-4540)
Conservation Agreements Protect Wildlife Habitat – CDW
30
Dec
Conservation Agreements Protect Wildlife Habitat – Colorado Division Of Wildlife
STONEWALL, Colo. – The Colorado Division of Wildlife has reached an agreement with the Torres family of Las Animas County to protect 2,387 acres of valuable wildlife habitat. Five parcels southwest of Stonewall have been placed in conservation easements that will permanently protect the land from being sub-divided and fragmented.
The Torres Conservation Easements will protect critical habitat for deer, elk, bear, turkey, and a multitude of other wildlife species. The land includes elk calving areas, deer winter range, denning sites for bears, strutting grounds for wild turkey, and habitat for dozens of species of birds and other wildlife.
The Torres parcels are located in a transition zone between alpine, aspen, and Ponderosa Pine habitat; and will ensure preservation of an important elk migration corridor.
“This land is a prime area for wildlife. We are pleased to know it won’t be chopped up by buildings and roads,” said Marvin ‘Glen’ Torres of Trinidad. “Conservation easements are a great way to keep the land the way it is,” he said.
“The Torres family should be commended for the legacy they will leave to future generations,” said Bob Holder of the Division of Wildlife. “It is particularly satisfying to know that JL (Louie), Kelly, Glen, and Robert Torres had the strength, courage, and foresight to establish these conservation easements. Their efforts are a shining example to other small landowners that conservation easements are a viable option to protect their land and legacy.”
By combining funds collected from habitat stamp sales with grants from Great Outdoors Colorado and other sources, the DOW has permanently preserved approximately 75,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat since 2007 – including nearly 21,000 acres opened to public access for hunting and fishing.
DOW acquisitions and easements have protected critical habitats for sensitive species like sage-grouse, and preserved important winter range and migration corridors for deer and elk.
Conservation easements allow people to continue to use the land they own for existing practices like farming or ranching, but in the event the landowner sells, the new owners are bound by the stipulations of the conservation easement as well.
A nine-member citizen’s committee appointed by the Governor oversees the DOW habitat stamp program. Proposals are reviewed and ranked according to wildlife benefits, public access, and cost.
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Meetings Scheduled Throughout January to Discuss 2010 Big Game Hunting Season Proposals – MFWP
29
Dec
Meetings Scheduled Throughout January to Discuss 2010 Big Game Hunting Season Proposals
All of the Region 3 meetings will begin at 7 p.m. with the exception of Anaconda, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. The schedule is as follows:
Butte
Jan. 5
War Bonnet Hotel
Whitehall
Jan. 6
Whitehall High School
Bozeman
Jan. 6
Holiday Inn
Ennis
Jan. 7
Ennis Fire Hall
Helena
Jan. 12
Red Lion Colonial Hotel
West Yellowstone
Jan. 13
Holiday Inn Sun Spree
Dillon
Jan. 14
Search and Rescue Building
Livingston
Jan. 19
Best Western Yellowstone Inn
Lima
Jan. 19
Lima Public School
Anaconda
Jan. 19
Lee Metcalf Center
Gardiner
Jan. 21
Comfort Inn
Written comments can be sent via the FWP Web site athttp://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/oppForPubCommentDefault.html or mailed to FWP Wildlife Bureau, Attn: Public Comment , PO Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701. The comment deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010.
A complete list of the proposals and the schedule for all forty-six public meetings being held across the state in January can be found on FWP’s Web site at fwp.mt.gov under For Hunters and 2010-11 Hunter Season Comments .
All of the Region 3 meetings will begin at 7 p.m. with the exception of Anaconda, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. The schedule is as follows:
Butte
Jan. 5
War Bonnet Hotel
Whitehall
Jan. 6
Whitehall High School
Bozeman
Jan. 6
Holiday Inn
Ennis
Jan. 7
Ennis Fire Hall
Helena
Jan. 12
Red Lion Colonial Hotel
West Yellowstone
Jan. 13
Holiday Inn Sun Spree
Dillon
Jan. 14
Search and Rescue Building
Livingston
Jan. 19
Best Western Yellowstone Inn
Lima
Jan. 19
Lima Public School
Anaconda
Jan. 19
Lee Metcalf Center
Gardiner
Jan. 21
Comfort Inn
Written comments can be sent via the FWP Web site athttp://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/oppForPubCommentDefault.html or mailed to FWP Wildlife Bureau, Attn: Public Comment , PO Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701. The comment deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010.
A complete list of the proposals and the schedule for all forty-six public meetings being held across the state in January can be found on FWP’s Web site at fwp.mt.gov under For Hunters and 2010-11 Hunter Season Comments .
FWP Region 4 Schedules Meetings on Wildlife Tentatives – MFWP
29
Dec
FWP Region 4 Schedules Meetings on Wildlife Tentatives
Fish, Wildlife & Parks has set meeting dates in north central Montana to discuss the tentative 2010 big game hunting regulations.
For the 2010 hunting season some of the proposed changes affecting FWP Region 4 include:
ELK
· Create five either sex permits valid throughout the hunting district (HD) 425.
· Adjust the A9/B12 antlerless elk license to be valid on private and DNRC lands in all Region 4 HDs except 401, 410, 417, 420 and 455. Currently not valid in 12 HDs.
· The addition of general license opportunity during the last nine days of general firearm season in HD 448.
DEER
· Convert any general A license from either sex mule deer to antlered buck only mule deer for both archery and firearm seasons.
· Combine unlimited resident and nonresident single region antlerless whitetail license.
STATEWIDE ISSUES
· Statewide deer and elk opener one day earlier than traditional Sunday for firearm season.
· Statewide create youth deer hunting season on third Thursday and Friday of October.
· Move opening day of the general firearm season for antelope to Saturday of Columbus Day weekend and adjust the antelope archery only season to end the day before this opener.
All of the proposed changes are on the FWP web site at http://fwp.mt.gov under recent public notices: request for public comment – 2010-2011 hunting season proposals – interested persons letter.
Here are the R4 season setting meeting dates & places. Everything starts at 7PM.
· Jan. 5, Fort Benton, city hall;
· Jan. 7, Wolf Creek, elementary school;
· Jan. 11, Chester, high school auditorium;
· Jan. 11, White Sulphur Springs, city hall;
· Jan. 12, Augusta, Catholic church;
· Jan. 12, Shelby, Marias River Electric Coop;
· Jan. 13, Stanford, city hall;
· Jan. 14, Conrad, Pondera shooting sports club;
· Jan. 14, Lewistown, FWP office;
· Jan. 19, Great Falls, MSU-COT Heritage Hall.
Rules for Ice Fishing Safety – MFWP
29
Dec
Rules for Ice Fishing Safety
The ice fishing season is here, but ice conditions may vary and not always be safe.
Starting with the recent cold snap, ice begins to firm up, then melts when temperatures fluctuate. That means ice safe yesterday may be a death trap tomorrow.
Whatever the weather, it’s best to test the condition of the ice before venturing forth. Ice thickness depends on a number of factors: currents, inflows from streams, water depth, underwater springs or other features protruding through the ice. Slight changes in any of these can lead to uncertain ice conditions.
Here are some tips for staying safe on the ice:
· There should be a minimum of six inches of hard ice before individual foot travel.
· Stay off the ice along the shoreline if it is cracked or squishy. Don’t go on the ice during thaws.
· Watch out for thin, clear or honeycombed ice. Dark snow and ice may also indicate weak spots.
· Small bodies of water tend to freeze thicker. Rivers and lakes are more prone to wind, currents and wave action that weaken ice.
· Don’t gather in large groups on the ice.
· Don’t drive large vehicles onto the ice.
· If you break through, try not to panic. Move or swim back to where you fell in. Lay both arms on the unbroken ice and kick hard. This will help lift your body onto the ice. A set of ice picks, worn around the neck, can aid in a self-rescue. Once out of the water, don’t stand but roll away from the hole until you reach solid ice.
The best method for determining ice thickness is carry a spud bar, or chisel, and test the thickness when walking onto a frozen lake. That’s especially true if no one recently has been on the lake.
Fur Handling Workshop Offered in Deer Lodge
29
Dec
Fur Handling Workshop Offered in Deer Lodge – MFWP
A fur handling workshop is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010 in Deer Lodge. The all-day workshop, sponsored by the Montana Trappers Association, will offer information and demonstrations on fur handling safety, ethics and techniques.
There is no charge for the workshop, and students of all ages are welcome. The class will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Spark and Arc Welding, 604 Mitchell St. in Deer Lodge.
To register, contact Ed Hebbe III at 406-846-2304. Workshop participants should bring a chair, lunch and dress warmly.
Mike Hogan Of Florence With His 10″ Mountain Goat Taken Near Red Lodge
15
Dec
Mike Hogan Of Florence With His 10 Inch Mountain Goat Taken Near Red Lodge
Nathan With Mule Deer Buck – Photo From Bruce Pitcher Of Bruce Pitcher Photography In Bozeman
15
Dec
Nathan With Mule Deer Buck - Photo By Bruce Pitcher Of Bruce Pitcher Photography In Bozeman