REMINGTON CELEBRITY HUNT TO BENEFIT ILLINOIS CONSERVATION
PROGRAMS
The first annual Remington International Goose Calling
Invitational and Celebrity Hunt will be held Jan. 3-5, and will bring the
world's finest goosecallers, sports and entertainment figures to Marion
for a special weekend of hunting and goose calling competition. Proceeds
from the event will benefit the Illinois Conservation Foundation.
"The Remington International is a major fund-raiser
for conservation and wildlife programs in Illinois," said Department
of Natural Resources Director Brent Manning. "Fifty lucky hunters
will join celebrities from all walks of life to enjoy some of the finest
goose hunting in Southern Illinois. I urge hunters, individual donors and
corporate sponsors to register early for this memorable event."
The inaugural hunt is reserved for individuals who make
a $1,000 tax-deductible contribution to the Illinois Conservation Foundation
to support youth hunting and fishing events, National Hunting and Fishing
Days and other conservation programs in Southern Illinois. Hunters will
be teamed with a top guide, a championship goose caller, and a celebrity
to hunt in some of the finest goose pits in the Mississippi Flyway. The
weekend package includes a reception and dinner, lodging, meals and goose-pit
fees. In addition to its financial support, Remington is providing steel
shot to all event participants.
Another major event attraction is the Remington International
Goose Calling Championship. According to DNR Public Events Coordinator
Ron Allen, the contest is open to the public and will be held at the Marion
Cultural Civic Center Saturday evening, Jan. 4.
"We have assembled the finest goose callers in the
world to compete for a $20,000 championship purse," Allen said.
Non-hunting donors contributing $500 to the Conservation
Foundation will be recognized at a banquet at the Marion Holiday Inn Holidome
on Friday Jan. 3, and receive special seating at the Remington International
Goose Calling Competition.
For a $3,000 contribution, corporate sponsors will receive
all the hunter benefits including goose hunts on Saturday and Sunday mornings
for individual employees, a full-page advertisement in the commemorative
program, product promotion and special recognition throughout the event.
"As America's oldest gunmaker, we are pleased to join
the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to create this unique event
to benefit the Illinois Conservation Foundation," said Bill Wohl, senior
manager for media relations and public affairs with the Remington Arms Company.
"Illinois is Remington country. We are very active
in firearm safety training, hunter education and waterfowl conservation
programs in Illinois. The Remington International is a culmination of these
activities," Wohl said.
To register for the Remington International Goose Calling
Invitational and Celebrity Hunt, as a hunter, donor, or corporate sponsor,
or to obtain additional information, call 1-800-GEESE-99, or contact Ron
Allen with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources 217-785-9371.
The Illinois Conservation Foundation's mission is to enhance,
through external funding, the goals and programs of the Illinois Department
of Natural Resources. The foundation is an IRS, 501(c) (3) not-for-profit
corporation. The amount of the contribution that is deductible as a charitable
contribution is limited to the excess of the amount contributed over the
value of goods or services furnished in return by the organization.
IOWA
Listing Service Aids Farmers, Hunters
A pilot program matching farmers and hunters looking for
places to hunt is being tested in six southern Iowa counties this fall,
according to DNR wildlife chief Richard Bishop. Farmers who wish to be
involved in the program can have their name placed on a list by contacting
their county farm bureau office. Hunters can then call the bureau to request
the name of a participating farmer.
"The listing service is a win-win program for both
farmers and hunters," said Rick Robinson, director of environmental
affairs for the Iowa Farm Bureau. "Many farmers have reported increased
crop losses in recent years as habitat increases and wildlife populations
multiply in some parts of the state. This listing will help farmers identify
hunters who are looking for a place to hunt, and is another tool farmers
can use to deal with local wildlife crop damage."
"The listing service should help bring hunters and
farmers together," said the DNR's Bishop. "Farmers who want to
reduce the number of deer on their land need to attract more hunters and
have those hunters shoot does. But hunters must understand that the farmers
are under no obligation and these are not guaranteed places to hunt. For
this program to succeed, the hunters must be courteous and follow the landowner's
rules."
To ensure that both farmers and hunters are satisfied,
both parties should clearly understand what is expected before permission
to hunt is granted. Phone numbers for participating county farm bureaus
are: Appanoose: 515-437-4333; Davis: 515-664-2238; Jefferson: 515-472-2128;
Monroe: 515-932-7873; Van Buren: 319-293-3758; Wapello: 515-682-8714.
Winter Habitat, Food Plots for Pheasants
Food plots are not the total answer to increasing Iowa's
pheasant population, but they are an excellent management tool and source
of research information, according to DNR wildlife biologist Todd Bogenschutz.
"Habitat on private lands, whether food plots or some
other practice, is the key to higher pheasant numbers," said Bogenschutz.
"Because more than 95 percent of Iowa is in private ownership, it
is important for landowners to understand the importance of safe winter
cover near the food plots. Of course, nesting and brood-rearing cover are
also important, and habitat doesn't have to be a food plot. A landowner
can provide habitat simply by not mowing waterways or roadsides."
"Research has shown that wild hen pheasants, feeding
in corn and sorghum food plots near dense winter cover, had higher fat reserves
than hens not feeding in food plots," said Bogenschutz. "Higher
fat reserves contribute to higher reproductive success, and hens in good
physical condition can nest earlier. First nests usually have higher survival
rates and larger clutch sizes."
"Food plots with dense cover also offer protection
from predators," Bogenschutz continued. "Winter concentrates
birds regardless of food. A bird that can travel ten yards to feed in a
food plot has a lower predation risk than one that must travel a half-mile
to feed in a plowed field. In addition, foraging efforts are reduced, leaving
the birds with increased energy reserves. As snow depths increase, pheasants
will leave good winter feeding areas with marginal cover for areas with
poor feed but dense wetland cover. To minimize predation, food plots should
not be established next to tall trees, old farmsteads, rock piles, or other
similar areas."
Landowners interested in developing wildlife habitat can
receive information and assistance by wanting: Habitat Improvement, DNR,
Wallace State Office Bldg., 900 E. Grand, Des Moines, IA 50319-0034, or
by calling 515-281-5918.
Trumpeter Swan or Snow Goose? Waterfowlers Beware
Trumpeter swan restoration programs are showing great signs
of success and snow goose populations are at record high levels, but waterfowl
hunters should have no difficulty seeing the difference between a swan and
a snow goose, according to DNR wildlife biologist Guy Zenner.
"A mature trumpeter swan is a very large, all-white
bird with no black on the wing tips, a long neck, and a unique call,"
Zenner said. "Juvenile swans are a darker, sooty-gray color, especially
in the head and neck area. While a snow goose tips the scale at about six
pounds and has a wingspan of about three feet, a trumpeter swan weighs 21-30
pounds and has a wing spread of seven to eight feet. Tundra swans, which
look just like a smaller trumpeter with a yellow spot on the beak in front
of the eye, also migrate through Iowa. A tundra swan is also considerably
larger than a snow goose, weighing 13 to 18 pounds, and having a wingspread
of six to seven feet."
"Although the major snow goose migration is near the
Missouri River in western Iowa, some snows may show up in scattered areas
around the state. I want to emphasize that so far there have been no problems
with swans being mistaken for geese. However, I want to remind waterfowl
hunters to be aware that swans may be seen in their hunting areas and they
should know how to identify them."
MICHIGAN
WATERFOWL OPENER SLOW IN NORTH ZONE
Results of Department of Natural Resources hunter bag checks
on Sat., Sept. 28, opening day of the 1996 waterfowl season in the Upper
Peninsula, show hunter success was less than last year.
Jerry Martz, Wildlife Division Waterfowl Specialist, said
opening day weather was ideal for hunters, but the numbers of ducks available
for hunters was lower than last year at the seven major sites checked by
DNR biologists. He suggested that local production was not as good as that
in 1995 and that this year's flight of Canadian birds is just starting.
Mallards and wood ducks were the most common species in
this year's bag check, but there was a scarcity of ring-necked ducks and
green-winged teal. Canada geese made up a larger proportion of this year's
bag. This was expected, as this year's goose opener and duck opener were
the same date. In other years the goose opener was a week earlier than
that for ducks.
ROSE LAKE SHOOTING RANGE TO BE REBUILT
The shooting range at the Rose Lake Wildlife Research Area
on Peacock Road has been temporarily closed to allow for contractors to
rebuild it into a modem shooting facility.
The $500,000 project will include 25, 50 and 100-yard ranges
with covered shooting benches.
The facility will also include a shotgun range with ten
shooting positions. Funding for these improvements for the area's shooting
sports enthusiasts will come from state recreation finds and federal excise
taxes on hunting and shooting sports equipment.
The contractor, R. P. Wood Construction, Inc., of Unionville,
Michigan, has already begun earth work. The anticipated completion date
is June 1, 1997.
While Department of Natural Resources officials regret
the inconvenience this project may cause to those who have used the Rose
Lake Range, they are confident that patrons will find the new facility worth
the wait. Persons seeking alternate locations to practice their shooting
sports are encouraged to investigate the several private-sector ranges and
sportsmen's clubs in the area that provide public shooting hours. For information
on local shooting facilities, call the Michigan United Conservation Clubs
at 517-371-1041.
MINNESOTA
Geese Unlimited makes first-ever habitat donation to DNR
Geese Unlimited, a waterfowl conservation group based in
Grand Rapids, recently refocused its efforts from goose relocation to goose
habitat conservation with a first-ever donation of $15,000 to the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources.
The money was needed to pay for the planting of winter
wheat on approximately 600 acres of a state waterfowl refuge field near
the Roseau River Wildlife Management Area in northwestern Minnesota. Planted
in late summer, the wheat provides food for migrating Canada geese in the
fall and again in the spring, according to Randy Prachar, assistant wildlife
area manager.
Though planted in a wildlife refuge, which is off-limits
to hunting, the wheat benefits hunters by keeping geese in the general area
for several weeks. The plantings also lure the hungry waterfowl away from
private crop fields, much to the gratitude of local farmers.
The donation marks the first time that Geese Unlimited,
a long-time partner with the DNR in goose relocation, has made a donation
for goose habitat.
"GU has been a tremendous ally in establishing goose
populations throughout Minnesota," said Tom Landwehr, DNR wetland wildlife
program leader. Landwehr said that the organization has worked with wildlife
managers to transfer excess geese captured in the Twin Cities metro region
to other parts of the state. "The fruits of their work are evidenced
by the statewide early goose season and in the numbers of geese found in
parts of Minnesota where people never thought there would be geese,"
Landwehr said.
Because of Geese Unlimited's tremendous successes, the
DNR asked the group to use its growing membership to help fund ongoing goose
management needs, such as establishing winter wheat plantings on refuges.
Butch Bakken, Geese Unlimited executive director, said
his organization sees the need for moving into habitat management. The
Roseau River refuge donation was selected for the first donation, he said,
because members can see a wide range of values. "This is a habitat
project that benefits geese by providing them with food during their migration,
while also benefiting hunters and farmers," he said. GU is looking
for other projects on which to cooperate, he added.
DNR and Geese Unlimited relocate 3,600 goslings
Thanks to the efforts of Geese Unlimited and the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources, some 3,600 young Canada geese have new
homes in rural Minnesota and two adjacent states.
The goslings were captured as part of the Twin Cities metropolitan
goose management program in June and July. All 2,000 of the adults captured
were processed as meat for area food shelves, because there were no suitable
release sites. No other state would take them, and, if released in Minnesota,
they would promptly return to the site from which they were removed. The
goslings, however, will regard their new release site as home, because that's
where they will learn to fly.
Geese Unlimited, a Grand Rapids based conservation organization,
helped DNR relocate some 1,500 goslings to sites in northwestern Minnesota.
These remote sites represent the few remaining locations where geese can
be relocated in Minnesota without aggravating existing goose problems.
Geese Unlimited volunteers have helped move some 35,000 goslings to northern
Minnesota over the past 10 years. This has substantially helped establish
and supplement goose populations in that part of the state.
Tom Landwehr, DNR Wetland Wildlife Program leader, said
the efforts of Geese Unlimited and DNR, coupled with the goose's ability
to coexist with humans, has produced a windfall for hunters.
"A major reason we've got an almost statewide early
goose season this year is due to the volunteer efforts of Geese Unlimited,"
Landwehr said. "They've helped establish flocks in much of northern
Minnesota, in areas where we'd never thought geese could survive. We're
now facing the ironic situation of problems developing from too many geese
in some northern Minnesota locations."
In addition to the Minnesota releases, South Dakota and
Iowa also received goslings this year. Because the number of potential
release sites in Minnesota is dwindling, the DNR hopes to continue sending
goslings to Iowa and South Dakota in the future. "We also hope the
early goose season helps slow the growth rate of the population," Landwehr
said. "The goose population explosion is a tremendous success story,
and provides hunters a whole new opportunity."
NEBRASKA
LATE SEASON GOOSE ZONE CHANGED, HUNTING OPPORTUNITY INCREASED
The late season light goose zone boundaries have been changed
to allow additional hunting opportunity, thanks to action taken by the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commissions at their meeting in Lincoln Oct. 17.
The change effects light goose hunting during the late
season, in early 1997. The season in Zone 1 will be Feb. 1 - 16, 1997;
and the season in Zone 2 will be Feb. 2 - March 10, 1997. The limits will
be 10 light geese in the daily bag and 40 in possession.
The Commission had proposed a change in the Federal framework
for snow goose hunting early in the year, but the final framework dates
were not available at the time of the August Commission meeting when waterfowl
hunting season dates were set. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has
now agreed to allow Nebraska to modify the area that can be open until March
10, increasing hunting opportunity by increasing the area included in Zone
2.
Zone 1 will be bounded by and within the area described
by a line at the intersection of the Platte River and U.S. Hwy. 92 in
Polk County, east to Neb. Hwy. 15, south to Neb. Hwy. 4, west to U.S.
Hwy 34, west to U.S. Hwy. 283, north to U.S. Hwy. 30, east to U.S.
Hwy. 281, south to Neb. Hwy. 2, east to the intersection with the Platte
River, and east along the Platte River to the beginning. Where the Platte
River is the boundary between Zones 1 and 2, both banks of the river will
be in Zone 1.
NORTH DAKOTA
OPENING WEEKEND GROUSE & HUN SUCCESS BETTER THIS YEAR
THAN LAST
Sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge hunters appear
to have had better hunting success on opening weekend this year than they
did in 1995. The improved success occurred mainly in the area southwest
of the Missouri River, according to Jerry Kobriger, small game supervisor
for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
Opening weekend hunting survey cards received from 1,243
hunters bear out Kobriger's earlier predictions for improved hunting in
the southwest and spotty success in the rest of the state.
The 1,243 hunters in the survey took 196 partridge opening
weekend. The statewide harvest rate was .03 birds per hour. A closer look
at the area southwest of the river, showed hunter success at .06 partridge
per hour, double that of the rest of the state. During the 1995 opener
hunters took .02 birds per hour statewide and .03 in the southwest.
Surveyed sharptail hunters took 2,464 birds or .40 birds
per hour on a statewide basis during the 1996 opener. Southwest of the
river the harvest rate was .47 birds per hour. During the 1995 opener hunters
reported taking .32 sharptails per hour statewide and .40 birds in the southwest.
Sage grouse success also appeared to be up this year.
Few adult males were taken and most birds were adult hens or young of the
year, showing hunters were locating family groups. Although the sample
of sage grouse is small, it points to good production this year, Kobriger
said. Visit our Home Page at http://www.state.nd.us/gnf
G&F LOOKS AT SNOW GOOSE PROBLEM
Lots of snow geese should be good news to waterfowl managers
and to hunters. But it's not. Actually there are too many snow geese -
so many that they are seriously damaging their arctic nesting habitat, according
to Mike Johnson, waterfowl biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish
Department.
The mid-continent snow goose population that migrates through
the Central and Mississippi flyways is large and growing. Last December's
index of nearly 3 million birds indicates that the population could be twice
that number, several times more than arctic nesting grounds can support.
The over-abundance of birds is resulting in extensive destruction of arctic
habitats. Eventually snow goose populations will decline or possibly crash,
regardless of what wildlife managers attempt.
"We are facing serious overabundance of a waterfowl
species for the first time ever and we lack the history and experience to
guide us in our management," Johnson said. "Nevertheless, we
have two choices: do nothing and allow the continued habitat destruction
and population impacts that would be irresponsible -- or try to control
events as best we can. Our efforts may or may not succeed, but we at least
have to give it a try."
Many solutions have been proposed, all of which require
changes in state and federal laws or international treaties. Increasing
the possession limit, for example, is among the easier tasks. North Dakota
and other Central Flyway states, already have bumped the snow goose possession
limit from 20 to 40 birds. "We know this will not significantly increase
harvest but it will allow some hunters to take additional birds," Johnson
said.
Removing restrictions on hunting methods, such as baiting,
electronic calls, or live decoys are much more difficult because state and
federal regulations must be amended. Such changes might be considered for
the future.
Spring hunting or extended seasons would be the most difficult
to implement because of restrictions in international migratory bird treaties.
These treaties, dating back to 1916, limit waterfowl seasons to a maximum
of 107 days between September 1 and March 10. Treaty amendments would require
negotiations and approval of the United States and other countries. In
any case, such changes probably could not be made for many years. "The
last treaty change took more than 15 years to accomplish," Johnson
adds.
For the near term the game and fish department is considering
a number of suggestions for dealing with the problem. The most common ideas
are:
· Open waterfowl rest areas and refuges to hunting.
These closed areas help to keep geese in the state for a longer time, increasing
the harvest. However, opening them to hunting could actually reduce total
kill by driving birds from the state earlier in the season.
· Allow full day goose hunting. North Dakota currently
restricts hunting to half days so geese can feed and rest. Changing shooting
hours might be counterproductive in that it would push birds from the state
earlier in the fall and reduce harvest.
· Encourage additional hunting by nonresidents.
Current state law restricts them to 14 days of waterfowling. More hunters
would increase the snow goose harvest. The game and fish department notes,
however, that many of the state's residents are opposed to more nonresident
hunters. This change would have to addressed by the legislature.
Initial solutions will stress hunting -- both sport and
subsistence -- to help solve the problem.
"Regardless of what is done, it will include hunters.
But, if it gets beyond what they can do, then solutions may require actual
population control by government agencies," Johnson said. Although
the approach North Dakota will take is not yet clear, the department is
examining what it can do. Additionally, an international committee is reviewing
problems and possible solutions and will make recommendations later this
fall. "It is likely that any proposed management will be controversial
and will require extensive work to gain public acceptance. However, we
believe the problem is serious enough that it must be addressed."
SOUTH DAKOTA
RUMORS ARE UNTRUE
There are rumors going around that big numbers of giant
Canada geese died during the trapping and relocation effort carried out
in Lake County earlier this summer. However, Game, Fish and Parks officials
say the survival rate of the geese was extraordinarily high.
"We got a fortunate break in our hot summer weather
at just the right time," said George Vandel. "The mild temperatures
and some special precautions we took allowed more than 98 percent of the
captured geese to be released back into the wild," he said.
Right after being captured, the adult birds were separated
from the young ones to prevent injury to the immature geese. During transportation,
the geese were also sprayed with water to keep them cool.
Seven capture sites in Lake County resulted in 805 geese
being moved. Only 11 birds died, either at the capture site or on the way
to the release site. Those 11 represent just 1.4 percent of the total number
of birds that were captured. Vandel said the department was very pleased
with the high survival rate.
"Capturing and relocating any animal is a stressful
experience," he said. "It's not something we do all that often,
so we do everything possible to keep the animals calm and comfortable and
get them transported quickly to the release sites. This particular effort
went very well."
As part of the relocation process, all of the birds that
were captured were banded. Eventually, hunters who return the information
from those bands will provide additional information.
Many of the geese that were released have been observed
by landowners with no reports of any dramatic losses at this time.
"All things considered, we are very happy with the
relocation effort and the low mortality of the birds moved. Somehow, a
rumor got started that a large number of the birds died, but that simply
is not true," Vandel said.
NONRESIDENT LICENSE FEES TO CHANGE
The Game, Fish and Parks Commission has adopted a number
of changes to nonresident hunting and fishing license fees that will go
into effect in 1997.
Although most of the fees will increase from existing fees,
a new price for Small Game licenses for nonresident youths is actually a
reduction in cost. The $25 youth license is $40 less than it is under existing
rules. Currently, young nonresident small game hunters must buy a regular
small game license for $65.
Game, Fish and Parks Secretary John Cooper said, "
We are currently reviewing the types of licenses and fee structure for resident
hunters and anglers. The resident proposal will be made to the Game, Fish
and Parks Commission sometime this winter."
The nonresident fees approved for 1997 are:
Small Game - $95 Youth Small Game - $25
Waterfowl - $100 Shooting Preserve - $30
1996 DUCKS UNLIMITED PROJECTS
This summer was busy one for Ducks Unlimited and Game,
Fish and Parks in South Dakota, with more than 20 major public and private
land projects completed in a number of counties across the state.
"Ducks Unlimited will complete wetland projects this
year in South Dakota that restore, create, or enhance almost 1,000 acres
of wetland habitat" according to Don McCrea, DU Project Coordinator
for Game, Fish and Parks.
In addition, Ducks Unlimited will help Game, Fish and Parks
acquire several tracts of wetland habitat to be used as state Game Production
Areas. "These habitat acquisitions are extremely important to South
Dakota waterfowl hunters. As opportunities for public hunting continue
to be threatened, Ducks Unlimited and Game, Fish and Parks are joining together
to provide secure public hunting areas for present and future generations
of hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts. After acquiring these areas,
the Game, Fish and Parks Department will continue paying property taxes
on them as it does on all their Game Production Areas," McCrea said.
Ducks Unlimited will purchase a number of waterfowl nesting
structures for placement on public land, and will also assist private landowners
to set up managed grazing systems in areas containing good wetland complexes.
McCrea said, "With almost $700,000 committed this
year for South Dakota projects, Ducks Unlimited continues to be our best
partner and wetland ally in the effort to put more ducks in the sky. Whether
you hunt ducks or not, being a member of Ducks Unlimited brings huge benefits
in many ways for South Dakota citizens and wildlife. "
WISCONSIN
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT CHANGES TO WISCONSIN'S TRESPASS
LAW
Question: Are the proposed trespass law changes now in
effect?
Answer: Yes. Assembly Bill AB 13 was signed into law as
Wisconsin Act 451 making changes in the trespass laws that hunters, trappers,
anglers and other recreationists need to know.
Question: What is the basic concept of the trespass law?
Answer: It is trespass for a person to enter or remain
on ANY LAND if the person receives notice from the owner or occupant not
to enter or remain on the land. For certain types of land (fenced, cultivated,
undeveloped or land that is occupied by an agricultural structure), notice
is not required, and it is trespass for a person to enter or remain on the
land without the express or implied consent of the owner or occupant.
Question: What is the most important change you need to
be aware of?
Answer: Under the old law, people needed prior permission
to enter any agricultural land, fenced land or posted land. Under the new
law, people need prior permission to enter all private agricultural land,
fenced land, and UNDEVELOPED land whether or not the land is posted. Basically,
people need to have permission before entering any private lands. This
includes forest lands, grasslands and wetlands as well as farmland.
Question: Are there any exceptions?
Answer: Yes. A person may go up to a private residence
to talk with a landowner or occupant or to ask for permission to enter private
lands. However, a person must leave such premises if requested to do so
by the owner or occupant.
Question: What is the penalty for violating this law?
Answer: The penalty for violating the trespass statute
is a civil (not criminal) forfeiture. The maximum penalty for violating
the trespass statute is a forfeiture of $ 1000. A person who receives a
trespass citation may choose not to contest the citation in which case the
person forfeits the deposit, which is $203.
Question: Who enforces the trespass law?
Answer: Trespass laws are enforced by county or local law
enforcement officers. DNR wardens are not authorized to enforce trespass
laws.
Question: What if there are no fences or signs warning
a people they are about to enter private lands?
Answer: Recreationists are responsible for knowing property
boundaries and should obtain a plat book if they are unfamiliar with the
land ownership where they recreate. Ignorance of property boundaries does
not exempt a person from prosecution under the law.
Question: Wouldn't it be easy to cross over inadvertently
from public lands to private lands?
Answer: Recreationists can look for tell-tale signs of
private lands including buildings, cropland, pasture and fences. But, again,
it's the responsibility of recreationists to know where they are. Under
the revised trespass law, notice to prevent access is only required on private
lands adjacent to public lands and private inholdings within public lands.
This notice could include a minimum of two signs per 40 acres located in
conspicuous places or personal oral or written contact by the occupant or
owner. Owners of private lands adjacent to other private lands that are
leased for public hunting or enrolled in forest laws requiring public access
are not required to provide such notice-permission must be sought before
entering these lands.
Question: Is it okay to take a short-cut back to a road
across private land, chase dogs across private land, or follow wounded game
onto private land without first getting permission?
Answer: No. This would be a violation of the law.
Question: Is written permission necessary?
Answer: No, but this is a good idea. A written note would
clarify to any person or law enforcement officer permission was granted
to be on the land.
Question: If someone obtains permission to do one activity
on private lands, does that give that person permission to be on those lands
for other activities as well?
Answer: No. A person may only enter private lands only
for those activities for which permission was specifically granted. Any
other activity would be considered trespass. For example, a hunter who
receives permission to turkey hunt, cannot return later to pick morels or
asparagus, or event to hunt small game or deer, unless the hunter also obtained
permission for those specific activities.
SOUTHCENTRAL STATES
ARKANSAS
Comments sought on Lake Nimrod waterfowl project
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Little Rock District
is seeking public comments on a proposed improvement to the greentree reservoir
in the Lake Nimrod Waterfowl Area.
The waterfowl area is managed by the Arkansas Game and
Fish Commission on Corps owned land under an agreement between the two agencies.
It offers public duck hunting and enhances bottomland hardwood habitat
for deer, squirrels, turkey and other animals.
The Corps of Engineers is seeking comment on two documents
concerning the project - a Draft Environmental Assessment and a Funding
of No Significant Impact. These indicate the project will cause no significant
adverse effects to the environment, and no Environmental Impact Statement
will be required.
The work includes building a control structure for the
greentree reservoir to allow better water management. The man-made reservoir
creates a shallow, wooded lake for waterfowl and must be drained annually
to sustain the trees. Cost of the project is and estimated $38,000, with
75 percent to be paid by the Corps of Engineers and 25 percent by the Game
and Fish Commission. Construction will begin in 1997 if the project is
approved and funded.
KANSAS
POWER COMPANY OPENS WETLAND
The Kansas City area's first manmade wetland, located west
of Gardner, KS., was officially opened in late September. More than a dozen
local organizations worked together to convert the 50-acre tract owned by
Kansas City Power and Light Company (KCPL) into wetland habitat.
This new wetland, named the KCPL Prairie Wetland, will
serve primarily as wildlife habitat and as a community education resource.
Highlighting the wetland's educational function, 80 students from six metropolitan
area schools identified plants and studied water quality on the area during
a Sept. 27 dedication. The site will also support research on the role
of wetlands in improving water quality.
The wetland covers 24 acres of the area along a tributary
of the Big Bull Creek, nine miles upstream from Hillsdale Reservoir. The
wetland includes islands and walking trails, and a wildlife observation
berm is planned. Upland areas surrounding the wetland will be seeded with
native prairie plants and grasses for wildlife food and cover.
Dan Lekie, district wildlife biologist with the Kansas
Department of Wildlife and Parks, said that over the course of a year, he
expects that more than 200 different species will be drawn to the wetland.
A recent inventory of animal and plant life found raccoons, blue-winged
teal and shoveler ducks, Canada geese, and killdeer on the area. Wetland
plants included arrowhead, barnyard grass, and smartweed.
In addition to harboring a variety of wildlife, the wetland
is a shallow basin divided into three pond-like cells that drain more than
400 acres of urban agricultural runoff. Seeded with grasses and other plants
adapted to wetland soils, the cells collect and slow the flow of water though
the area, absorbing flood waters and preventing soil erosion along the creek.
Water entering the wetland takes two days to pass through. For more information
on the project, call (816) 556-2926.
SPECIAL HUNTS AT SAND HILLS STATE PARK
In an effort to provide exceptional outdoor experiences,
the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks will again offer a special hunting
opportunity at Sand Hills State Park this fall. Upland birds and deer will
be the primary quarry, but hunts will also involve rabbit and turkey.
Sand Hills State Park, a 1,123-acre natural area comprised
of woodlands and prairie, is located northeast of Hutchinson. Hunting for
upland birds and rabbits by permit only will be offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays throughout the upland bird season, which runs Nov. 9-Jan.
31. One permit will be issued for each day, and permit holders may take
two friends.
In prior years, there were no special fees involved for
these hunts, other hunting licenses and deer permits. This year, there
will be a trail access permit required for each person using the part.
The permits are $2.50 per day or $10.50 for the annual trail access permit.
All permits are available at the Cheney State Park Office.
Permit applications may be obtained by contacting the Cheney
State Park Office, (316) 542-3664.
Louisiana
TWO WILDLIFE AREAS PRESERVED FOR POSTERITY
Louisiana's first urban wildlife refuge now has permanent
rules established for public recreation. The Wildlife and Fisheries Commission
ratified regulations for visitors to the 237-acre Waddill Wildlife Refuge
in Baton Rouge, as well as for a new wildlife management area in St. Charles
Parish.
"The regulations will ensure continued enjoyment of
these important areas for generations," said James Manning, Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries Fur and Refuge Division Administrator.
Waddill Refuge, adjacent to the Comite River, was donated
to LDWF in 1941. It was used for many years by the Baton Rouge City Police
for youth and other activities. LDWF is now taming the property into a
recreation and education complex, complete with a nature center and nature
trails.
The 3,921 acre Timken WMA is owned by the Orleans City
Park Improvement Association and is being leased to LDWF. Close proximity
to New Orleans, Lafitte and Des ARemands is sure to make it popular with
hunters and wildlife watchers alike.
OKLAHOMA
Snow goose numbers nearing crisis levels
The Mid-continent snow goose population has literally exploded
during the last decade, seriously degrading Arctic nesting habitat and leading
biologists to worry about potential disease outbreaks and severe, long-term
damage to the birds' breeding grounds. A variety of other migratory bird
species also will be impacted if either of these potentially disastrous
events occur.
"Snows nest in colony sites in Canada and because
of their increased numbers, they are literally eating themselves out of
house and home," said Mike O'Meilia, migratory bird biologist for the
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "Hunters are a key component
to helping alleviate this serious overpopulation problem, and we're doing
everything we can to help get the message out to the public. We have liberalized
the harvest regulations to the maximum allowed by international treaty to
bring snow goose numbers into check with their Arctic breeding habitat."
O'Meilia said that in addition to a 107-day hunting season
on light geese, the possession limit has been increased to 40. Biologists
hope the season and bag limit structure will provide additional incentives
to hunt snow geese.
Hunting for light geese (snows, blues and Ross') opened
Nov. 23 and continues through March 9, 1997. The daily bag limit for light
geese is 10, with a possession limit of 40.
Snow geese are most commonly found in the eastern portion
of the state, with large numbers of the birds frequently seen feeding in
crop fields adjacent to refuge areas. Most successful snow goose hunters
set up large numbers of rag decoys in fields being frequented by the geese.
Of course, securing permission to hunt snow geese on private land is a
must.
"We'd certainly like to encourage farmers to allow
hunters access to hunt snow geese," said O'Meilia. "Without access
to feeding fields, we will never be able to harvest the number of birds
that we need to."
Access fee created for Honobla Creek WMA
Beginning Jan.1, 1997, anyone wanting to use Honobia Creek
Wildlife Management Area in southeast Oklahoma will need to purchase a $16
access permit.
In April, the Wildlife Department entered into a cooperative
agreement with John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company to provide public
access to John Hancock's 215,000 acres of timberland for hunting, fishing,
camping and other forms of outdoor recreation. Those timberlands, located
in Pushmataha and LeFlore counties, has been named Honobia Creek WMA. The
Department will partner with Hancock to actively manage the fish and wildlife
resources on this new management area.
"All of the funds raised by this access fee will be
spent on developing and managing the wildlife resources and habitat on the
area," said Richard Hatcher, game chief for the Wildlife Department.
"Without the permit, we simply couldn't maintain the area, and we
certainly couldn't pursue many habitat improvement projects. With funding
from the access permit and through a working partnership with John Hancock,
a great deal of habitat work can be accomplished.
"Basically, people are getting a 215,000-acre lease
for $16. Part of the impetus for this agreement stemmed from the growing
trend in the area to lease large tracts of timber land to private interests.
We didn't want to see the public locked out of this beautiful area and
thankfully, neither did John Hancock."
Hatcher said the area will be open for public recreation
this fall but the access permit will not be required until Jan.1, 1997.
At that time, anyone wanting to use Honobia Creek WMA, including hunters,
anglers, campers and others, will be required to purchase an access permit.
The only people not required to purchase the permit will be residents under
18 years of age or 64 years of age and older. Lifetime license holders
will need to purchase the permit if they intend to use Honobia Creek.
Earlier this year the Oklahoma Legislature passed a law
allowing the Wildlife Conservation Commission to establish a special use
permit for people using private land in 4,000-acre blocks or larger which
is leased and administered by the Wildlife Department. The Legislature
set the maximum fee that could be charged at $25 and specified which state
residents would be exempt from the permit.
At its July meeting, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation
Commission, the Wildlife Department's governing body, voted to create the
$16 access fee for Honobia Creek WMA.
"This endeavor with John Hancock is a significant
step toward providing outdoor enthusiasts with additional high-quality public
recreation areas," said Hatcher. "We're trying to meet tomorrow's
demand for public-use land today, and in this case, we're able to do that
through the financial support of those who will be enjoying that land."
Hatcher said that the Department will probably propose
a very liberal use policy for Honobia Creek and that the Department's management
proposal for the area will be taken to public hearings later this year.
He also said that this access fee applies only to private lands managed
by the Department for outdoor recreation and it does not have any bearing
on existing wildlife management areas.
The Department is continuing to work with other timber
companies with large landholdings to secure similar agreements to provide
additional recreational opportunities for the public.
TEXAS
Public Dove Hunting In South Zone Off To Great Start
Early field reports indicate higher than average hunter
success on Texas Parks and Wildlife Department public dove hunting leases
in the South Zone.
Areas between Houston and Beaumont/Port Arthur, those sites
around Corpus Christi and areas southeast of San Antonio have reported lots
of hunting activity during the first week of the South Zone season, which
opened Sept. 20 and rans through Nov. 7. "There's been lots of shooting
on just about every area. On the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area, hunters
were averaging 7.7 birds in the bag apiece and many hunters were limiting
out at most of the dove lease areas," said Kirby Brown, TPWD public
hunting program director. "That's above the statewide average and
excellent for a public hunting area. There were lots of kids out with parents
and grandparents having a ball."
The dove hunting areas will be open to any hunter with
a valid Texas hunting license and a $40 annual public hunting permit, which
also allows access to over a million acres of public land for many types
of hunting and outdoor recreation opportunities, including deer, squirrel
and waterfowl. Youth under 17 need the special resident license, but do
not require the annual public hunting permit when hunting with a permitted
adult.
Brown said few restrictions will be placed on users of
the dove lease lands, however, with recent rains on many of the areas, hunters
are reminded to stay on paved or topped access roads. "Remember, these
are private lands and hunters should respect that by not getting off the
blacktop or gravel roads and paying attention to all signs," said Brown.
Maps of the dove areas will be available only to permit
holders and are distributed by mail with the map booklet within a week after
you purchase the Annual Public Hunting Permit at any store that sells licenses.
A copy of the map booklet and dove maps are also available at the time
of purchase at TPWD offices that sell licenses. "Remember," Brown
advised, "Our TPWD offices that sell permits and have map booklets
on the spot are only open Monday through Friday from 8-5, so keep this in
mind and plan ahead."
For more information about the program, call 1-800-792-1112
or 512389-4505. The Annual Public Hunting Permit is available now wherever
licenses are sold and via credit card by calling 1-800-TX-LIC-4-U. When
using the toll free number, the map book with the dove lease supplement
will be mailed within two days of purchase.
TPWD PROVIDES VEGETATION MAP OF TEXAS ON INTERNET
Internet browsers can now get a visual perspective of the
actual "lay of the land" in Texas with regards to the vegetation
composition through a digitized version of the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department's "The Vegetation Types of Texas" booklet.
The on-line publication can be found on TPWD's home page
website: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/admin/veg
"This is a very valuable resource because it depicts
the vegetation dynamics of Texas as they existed during the late 1970s and
early '80s," said Kirby Brown, one of the original publication's co-authors.
"It will enable folks to see what types of plant communities existed
20 to 25 years ago in the various ecological regions of the state, particularly
around metropolitan areas. And, although we don't have any plans to go
back and re-map the state with current information, individuals could make
their own comparisons."
The original information was gathered using LANDSAT MultiSpectral
Scanner (MSS) imagery during the 1970s and early 1980s, combined with actual
ground-truthing by field biologists to create a multi-colored illustration
indexing vegetation types across the state. In addition to the map, which
is currently out of print, information from the original booklet includes
summary information and digitized color photographs about each of the 52
distinctive vegetation types found in Texas.
The distinctive vegetation types are described by Physiognomic
Regions, such as Brush, Grassland, Shrubs, Woods, Forests, Marshes, Crops
and Swamps.
"This program works with simple browsers up through
the latest Netscape 3.x and Internet Explorer 3.x browsers," explained
Scott Brown, the Internet program's author with TPWD. "We designed
it to function with the simplest browsers, but those who have the latest
browsers can take advantage of advanced Javascript features including a
client side search engine that references species, counties and eco-regions."
"We wanted to make the information accessible for
students, but we also had a lot of interest from university researchers
who could benefit from this type of data," said Kim Ludeke, TPWD's
GIS (Geographic Information Systems) lab manager. "We're also looking
to introduce eco-region and subregional maps with cross-references to the
vegetation map which will provide even more information about Texas resources."
Visitors to the site can download a full-sized digitized
version (37" x 37") of the original color map in Adobe Illustrator
(1MB compressed) format or in TIFF (340k compressed) format.
SOUTHEASTERN STATES
ALABAMA
THE HISTORY OF WINGSHOOTING
By Stanley D. Stewart
Wildlife Biologist
What is the attraction of a flying target for so many hunters
and shooters? It's a pastime that becomes passion. The thrill of connecting
with a flying bird, real or clay, brings a pleasure beyond explanation.
The satisfaction is found in the difficulty of hitting a moving target.
A still target offers little attraction. This is why bird
hunters avidly pursue ruffed grouse, but few go after blue grouse. The
blue grouse has a habit of sitting in a tree and refusing to fly away from
the potential death waiting below. This is disconcerting to the hunter,
who stands underneath and throws sticks to make the bird fly. The grouse
just dodges the sticks and hops to another limb. The hunter cannot fathom
a game bird so stupid that it will not fly away from danger, so the blue
grouse is called a "fool hen. "
This name comes from the perspective of the wingshooter,
who walks away and leaves the bird because it won't present a flying target.
Maybe the blue grouse is smarter than we think.
Did nimrods before the advent of modern shotguns have the
passion for pursuing a flying target? If they did, they certainly had no
way of fulfilling it. Game birds had to be captured by nets or falcons.
The breeding of land spaniels to locate game birds to be taken by nets
or falcons was well developed in Europe in the fourteenth century and long
preceded wingshooting. I suppose enough bird hunters finally watched enough
game birds fly away and concluded that what they really needed was a light
game gun. Wingshooting was an emerging sport in France and England in the
late 1600s.
Taking game birds in flight became possible after development
of a relatively light gun fired by an improved flintlock with faster lock
time. During the same period, shot makers discovered a method of making
round lead shot by pouring molten lead through a sieve and allowing the
drops to fall into water.
Early shotguns were single barrel muzzle loaders. Double
barrel flintlocks were made in the late 1700s, followed by percussion fire
hammer guns in the 1800s. Percussion shotguns greatly improved wingshooting
success because of rapid ignition. During the last half of the nineteenth
century, breech loading hammerless guns firing smokeless powder cartridges
made shotgunning even easier. The period from about 1880 to 1920 is considered
the golden age of shotgunning. During this era most refinements in shotgun
design were made.
Fine firearms and specialized bird dogs made wingshooting
very popular. But game birds couldn't provide all of the shotgunning opportunity
desired. Shotgun sports designed to simulate wingshooting became popular
in the late 1800s. Early targets were feather filled glass balls. Later,
clay targets thrown, presented challenge in flying targets.
Clay target shooting is challenging, but hunters say it
cannot match the anticipation of going after a real bird with unpredictable
behavior. A clay target's flight path is pretty much fixed, but a bird's
may change any second. The bird's ability to do this pleases the hunter
in concept, but often perturbs him at the moment. This paradox of wingshooting
is the very reason why many enjoy it and come back for more.
TENNESSEE
PUBLIC HUNTING LANDS AVAILABLE
Hunters looking for a place to hunt may wish to try some
of the over 700,000 acres in the Public Hunting Areas (PHA) program. These
lands are the result of a cooperative effort between the Tennessee Wildlife
Resources Agency and several landholding companies to provide public hunting.
Timber companies participating in the program are: Bowater
Incorporated, Champion International, Tenneco, Westvaco Corporation, Willamette
Industries, Inc., and Graham Public Hunting Area. A permit is required
to hunt the areas and permits are available at locations throughout the
state. Locations are listed in the back of the 1996-97 Tennessee Hunting
and Trapping Guide, available where hunting and fishing licenses are sold.
Depending on the location, hunters can expect to find deer,
waterfowl, squirrels, quail, and rabbits. Many areas have excellent deer
hunting and areas with recent timber harvests have excellent small game
hunting available.
For First Time, One-Day Youth Waterfowl hunt Established
In Tennessee
Young sportsmen, 15 and under, with an interest in ducks
and geese will be allowed a one-day hunt on Jan. 25, the first time Tennessee
has ever established a youth waterfowl hunting day.
The hunt was created after the U. S. Fish & Waterfowl
Service presented the idea to wildlife agencies across America in an attempt
to gain more interest in waterfowl hunting and to give adults quality time
with young outdoorsmen.
The hunt will be held after the regular waterfowl season
ends. Hunters between 10 and 15 years of age must be accompanied by adults
18 or older, while youth under 10 must be accompanied by adults 21 or older.
Only the young sportsmen may hunt, and they will be allowed
a bag limit identical to the regular duck and goose seasons. Those limits
and other waterfowl regulations are listed in the 1996-97 waterfowl guide.
VIRGINIA
Virginia Bird Counts
Grouse: The "average" rate of harvest is seemingly
a meager reward for the dedicated hours that grouse hunters spend afield.
Hunters may be short of grouse in the mature forests of southwestern Virginia
but they are long on persistence and stamina. Field reports by Department
personnel indicate that fair numbers of small size broods are being observed
during this years reproductive season. It appears that there will be a
similar availability of birds this fall as experienced with the 1995-96
season but the scattered supply of food may help to concentrate birds and
ease the need for enduring stamina. Late spring frosts in the area hurt
grape production on many mountain ridges this year. So keep putting one
foot in front of the other, shotgun to the ready, as you bulldoze through
the cover with each step of anticipation.
Waterfowl: Anticipate good availability of mallards and
wood ducks in the Clinch, New, Powell and forks of the Holston rivers this
season. In 1995, few waterfowl hunters took advantage of the our first
early Canada goose season. Locally reared, non-migratory Canada geese numbers
continue to increase. With the population's nucleus located in Holston River
drainage and flocks developing in Ciratson, Scott and Tazewell counties.
The early opening/closing of the resident goose season "assure protection
of the troubled migratory geese breeding in Canada, as they begin the first
full moon in October to winter in Va. Many of the local flocks find sanctuary
in waters closed to hunting in urban areas.
As an additional note, the Department began a population
study of resident geese by tagging 485 birds th leg bands and neck collars
in 1994. Hunters are urged to report their band recoveries from harvested
birds either to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Laurel, Maryland
or the Virginia Department of Game and twand Fisheries at Marion.
NORTHEAST STATES
DELAWARE
STATE ADDS 900 ACRES TO WOODLAND BEACH WILDLIFE AREA
The Woodland Beach Wildlife Area has grown by more than
900 acres through the recent acquisition of the former McKay Farm.
The tract, located east of Smyma, contains 657 acres of
tidal marsh, 139 acres of forested land and 113 acres of tillable agricultural
lands. The lands are prime habitat for white-tailed deer, waterfowl and
small game as well as several threatened plant species. The parcel also
features 2,300 feet of shoreline frontage along the Smyma River.
The property also contains a 200-year-old structure which
is listed on the National Historic Register. The building, which was operated
as the Short's Landing Hotel during the 1800s, will be utilized as office
space for staff with the Division of Fish and Wildlife.
The property was purchased from the Brandywine Construction
Company of Wilmington for $989,000. Funds used for the purchase came from
the Open Space Program.
Staff with the Division of Fish and Wildlife are in the
process of marking property boundaries and undertaking other activities
to prepare the property for use by the public. The tract began to be open
for deer hunting beginning with the October 21 archery season. Upland game
hunting will be allowed by permit only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during
November, December and January seasons.
The acquisition of the property creates a link between
the Cedar Swamp and Woodland Beach Wildlife Areas. Combined, the two areas
contain more than 9000 acres of land.
GROWING RESIDENT GOOSE POPULATION HAS STATE SEEKING INPUT
ON SOLUTIONS
Resident Canada geese have been rapidly increasing in Delaware
and other states since the mid-1980s and it is estimated by researchers
that the population may double every 5-7 years. Currently there are 800
thousand to 1 million resident Canada geese in the Atlantic Flyway and approximately
5,000 in Delaware.
Resident Canada geese are not wild geese from Canada that
have decided to stay in Delaware. They are birds which have been hatched
and raised in Delaware," says Tom Whittendale, a biologist with the
Division of Fish and Wildlife. "They do not migrate and will never
go to Canada no matter what we do. Migration routes are taught to young
geese by their parents their first year and birds that have been taught
to migrate to Delaware or anywhere else will continue to do so throughout
their lives. Birds migrate because they cannot survive the winter on the
breeding grounds. Since the weather in Delaware is not severe enough to
force birds south there is no need for residents to migrate and no migration
routes have been established or taught to each new generation."
Our original resident geese probably came from birds released
as ornamental geese on residential ponds in northern New Castle County,
Delaware and south eastern Pennsylvania. Almost all of the problems in
Delaware with resident geese, until very recently, have been in New Castle
County, north of I95. Most of these problems have involved golf courses,
parks, industrial complexes and hospitals. More recently geese have become
a big problem in Kent and Sussex Counties.
The Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife has been catching
and moving nuisance geese at the request of landowners since at least the
early 1980s. Originally Delaware, like many other states with resident
goose problems, captured the birds and transferred them to other states
which wanted them. Delaware birds have been sent to Georgia, North Carolina,
Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia at one time or another. Usually this
amounted to about 100-200 birds a year. Unfortunately, over time all the
states that wanted geese have gotten them and are now experiencing their
own problems. There is no state east of the Mississippi River that will
take resident geese at this time.
In recent years, nuisance geese from New Castle County
have been moved to state and federal refuges and wildlife areas. This was
done in the hope that the birds would be more available to hunters. However,
this has not proved to be the case. Resident birds usually move from the
release sites to what they are familiar with ponds and lawns in residential
areas and golf courses. In addition, because of the small size of the state
many of the birds find their way back to the capture site.
Hunting the birds has not been a successful control method
since most birds wind up in areas where they cannot be hunted. In 1995,
the state held a special 15-day season with a bag limit of 5 birds per day
statewide, but only about 280 birds were shot and more than half of these
were taken on one farm.
At this point, the Division of Fish and Wildlife is faced
with a dilemma as to what to do with resident geese. We can catch the birds
but no other state is willing to take them and there is no place in Delaware
where we can release them where they will not become an added problem, says
Whittendale. Hunting is not an adequate method of controlling population
growth because the birds concentrate in areas where they cannot be hunted.
Habitat modification such as fencing and the use of bad tasting sprays
may discourage birds at one location but will move them onto someone else's
property. Egg shaking (with a permit) can be used to reduce or eliminate
reproduction in some situations and euthanasia of some populations may be
necessary. It will probably be necessary to use a combination of the techniques
above and possibly others in order to find a solution to the problem.
New Jersey
1996 SPECIAL SEPTEMBER CANADA GOOSE SEASON PRELIMINARY
HARVEST RESULTS
According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection's Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife, an estimated 12,600 Canada
geese were harvested during the 1996 September season held September 3-30.
This total is approximately 16 percent of the state's estimated 80,000
resident geese.
According to division Director Bob McDowell, New Jersey
hunters experienced one of the longest September Canada goose seasons in
the United States. "As a result of long-term, intensive scientific
research and population monitoring conducted and financed by the division,
we have the necessary information to support a longer hunting season than
most other states. Research indicates that few if any migrant Canada geese
are present in New Jersey before September 30 and that these birds do not
begin arriving until October. As a result, the September season should
have a minimal impact on critically low populations of migrant geese while
allowing increased recreational hunting opportunities on burgeoning populations
of resident Canada geese. Although resident Canada geese are a tremendously
valuable wildlife resource, their population growth has led to increased
crop depredation and nuisance problems in many areas around the state.
This season provides greater relief to farmers and other landowners experiencing
such problems."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which is the
agency with ultimate management authority for migratory gamebirds, suspended
the traditional Canada goose season throughout the Atlantic Flyway in 1995
as well as this year in an effort to protect this troubled migrant goose
population. Even though migrant goose populations increased in 1996 by
57 percent over 1995 levels, this population is still at critically low
levels.
Though the migrant populations have declined, resident
populations have increased dramatically from a statewide population of about
50,000 geese in 1990 to about 80,000 in 1996. "The September goose
harvest will probably not reduce the overall resident goose population,
however, it should help to substantially reduce the population's growth
rate," said Paul Castelli, a wildlife biologist in charge of the division's
Waterfowl Ecology and Management Project.
With the regular Canada goose season closed, harvesting
expanding populations of resident Canada geese during September plays a
major role in managing the population. Special September seasons from 1993
to 1995 ended on September 15 with harvests ranging from 5,000 to 7,800
geese. A total of 5,294 permits were issued for the 1996 September season
compared to about 4,000 per year during the last three years.
"Extending the season to September 30 increased the
harvest by 60 percent over 1995. Cooler weather and greater access to harvested
agricultural fields this year led to a statewide harvest of approximately
600 geese per day after September 15, compared to only 435 geese per day
prior to that date," said Ted Nichols, a wildlife biologist with the
division's Waterfowl Ecology and Management Project.
Special winter Canada goose seasons help to curb resident
goose populations as well. The division increased the 1997 Special Winter
Canada Goose Season to 28 days, from 13 days during the previous two years.
Season dates will be January 15 - February 15, 1997 in two areas of the
state.
SPECIAL WINTER HUNT CANADA GOOSE SEASON JAN 15 - FEB 1,
1997
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's
Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife informs hunters that a Special Winter
Canada Goose Season will be held from Wednesday, January 15 to Saturday,
February 15, 1997 in two areas of the state.
"New Jersey is home to two populations of Canada geese;
resident birds that live here year-round and migrants that breed in sub-arctic
regions of Canada during summer and travel south to spend winter in lower
latitude areas, including New Jersey," said division Director Bob McDowell.
"While migrants have declined due to poor reproduction in the arctic
and low survival rates, resident populations continue to grow, along with
goose related property damage. The special winter season will help to curb
this expanding resident population."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which is the
agency with ultimate management authority for migratory gamebirds, suspended
the traditional Canada goose season throughout the Atlantic Flyway in 1995
and 1996 in an effort to protect this troubled migrant goose population.
On a positive note, these protective measures are working, as migrant populations
experienced a 57-percent increase this year. Such efforts will have to
remain in effect however, as migrant populations are still at critically
low levels.
The USFWS has set criteria that individual states must
meet in order to hold special winter seasons to target resident Canada geese.
The two special winter hunt areas were chosen because they meet the criteria
that no more than 20-percent of the wintering Canada goose population in
an area be comprised of migrants. In the two selected areas, biologists
estimate that 85-percent of the wintering geese are residents and that the
harvest of migrant geese will be minimal.
Special winter seasons were first held in northern New
Jersey in 1995 with a harvest of 840 geese. The season was expanded in
1996 to include a portion of southern New Jersey with a harvest of 2,731
geese. The winter season during both of these years was 13 days in length.
"During the 1997 winter season, a total of 28 hunting
days will be available and we expect a harvest of about 4,000 to 5,000 geese,"
McDowell said.
Boundaries for the hunt area in the northern portion of
the state will be the same as in 1996, while boundaries for the southern
hunt area have been slightly modified.
"Unlike the Special September Canada Goose Season
which was held statewide, the Special Winter Season has distinct boundaries.
Sportsmen and women are reminded to check the hunt area boundaries carefully
before hunting," advised Rob Winkel, chief of the division's Bureau
of Law Enforcement.
Hunters must possess a Special Winter Canada Goose Season
Pet while hunting during this season. The permit can be obtained by sending
a 3" X 5" index card with the applicant's name, full mailing address,
EVENING telephone number and date of birth to:
NJ Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife,CN 400,Trenton,
NJ 08625-0400,Attention: Goose Permits.
Hunters not providing the required information may be denied
permits. A processing fee of $2 must also accompany this information.
Checks or money orders should be made payable to the NJ Division of Fish,
Game and Wildlife. Applicants may not send cash.
NEW YORK
DRAFT LONG RANGE MANAGEMENT PLAN COMPLETED FOR PHEASANTS
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
(DEC) today announced the completion of a draft long range plan for Ring-necked
Pheasant Management in New York State. The draft plan is a culmination
of three years work revising the State's pheasant plan adopted in 1979.
"Public participation has played an important role
throughout the revision process," said Michael Murphy, pheasant plan
coordinator for DEC. "This process was guided by a diverse group of
people who have an interest in pheasants along with an evaluation of the
1979 plan, a review of current research and examination of other states'
pheasant programs."
The purpose of the plan is to meet the current and future
needs of people for pheasant hunting, observation and education opportunities
within biological constraints and consistent with available funding.
Recommendations outlined in the draft plan include:
* delineate current pheasant range and amend hunting regulations
accordingly
* provide input to federal agricultural policies and programs
that may affect pheasants
* establish a working group of individuals interested in
plants and animals dependent on grasslands for their existence
* provide $10,000 annually to purchase warm and cool season
grass seed and shrubs for distribution to private landowners
* continue to provide day-old pheasant chicks and young
pheasants for DEC's cooperative rearing and release programs
* continue to monitor statewide trends in pheasant populations
and conduct surveys, as needed, to assess local populations in primary pheasant
range
* survey pheasant hunters to determine their attitudes,
activities and satisfactions
* develop two pheasant habitat improvement demonstration
areas to encourage habitat projects on private lands
* continue to provide information and technical advice
to members of the public wishing to improve their land for pheasants.
Among the groups that contributed to the development of
the plan were sportsmen and women, birders, animal rights and welfare organizations,
farmers, outdoor writers, cooperative extension agents and others. DEC
hopes these interested individuals and others will provide comments on the
draft plan.
A summary of the draft plan can be obtained by writing
to Michael J. Murphy, NYSDEC, 81 Game Farm Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850.
The State pheasant rearing farms in Basom and Ithaca annually
distribute about 60,000 chicks and 15,000 young pheasants to cooperators
participating in the Day-Old Pheasant Chick Program and the Young Pheasant
Release Program. These cooperators raise and/or release the birds they
receive on land open to public hunting. The State also releases about 25,000
adult pheasants just prior to and during fall hunting season. Most of these
releases occur on State wildlife management and cooperative hunting areas.
Pheasants were first released in New York more than l00
years ago. The first hunting season for pheasants began in 1908. In 1994,
50,874 pheasant hunters harvested 216,138 pheasants, according to DEC's
annual small game telephone survey.
MOUNTAIN STATES
COLORADO
DECLINE IN HABITAT THREATENING SAGE GROUSE
Sagebrush has long been synonymous with the vast openness
of the West. The definitive plant of high-country desert, its wind-swept
husk setting the movie stage of many a Western drama.
For most people familiar with the West, it's difficult
to picture sage as endangered habitat. But for one bird species perfectly
evolved to use this environment, it's a vanishing resource.
Sage grouse, which use sagebrush both for food and shelter,
are in rapid decline in Colorado. Once present in as many as 27 counties,
they are now common in only about five to seven.
"It's a variety of habitat disruption that has caused
the population decline: permanent removal, fragmentation and degradation,"
noted Clait Braun, a researcher with the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
"All of these things are happening daily."
Counts in breeding areas this year were up as much as 10
percent, but researchers say that's probably just a blip in the large-scale
declines many sage grouse populations are experiencing.
In lower Moffat County, Division researchers documented
a 90 percent decline since 1978; at Cold Spring Mountain, the population
has probably dropped 60 to 70 percent over the same time frame.
For sage grouse in the Gunnison area, which may be a species
separate from the rest of Colorado, data indicate a 50 percent decline in
overall population size since the late 1960s.
Perhaps more remarkable is that these birds use an environment
that few competitors find enticing.
"From September to May, 95 percent of what they eat
is sagebrush leaves," Braun said. "They are very specialized
birds, evolved to use a poor-quality habitat."
Although these grouse subsist on sage for long periods
of time, their eating, breeding and nesting habits are anything but simple.
Sage grouse require large expanses of undisturbed sage country, from which
they use different areas during different parts of the year.
For instance, during the winter when they feed heavily
on sage above the snow, the birds prefer Wyoming big sage, and to a lesser
extent, mountain big sage.
"They prefer certain subspecies of sage, and you have
to think its because of the chemical composition -- sage contains some nasty
chemical constituents," said Division Wildlife Researcher Tom Remington.
"I think a lot of the habitats that produce the sage they prefer are
also the best habitats for converting to agriculture."
During the spring breeding period the birds need small
open areas, usually on a slight rise but near the protection of dense sage
and woody vegetation, to use as leks. Many males will gather in these areas,
puffing themselves up to display brilliant white chest feathers and two
yellowish air sacs, from which they produce a popping sound to help attract
females.
Females will nest within two miles of the leks during the
early summer months, when they rely on both dense sage and summer grasses
and forbs to hide them from predators. The nests also tend to be near riparian
areas or wet meadows, and young grouse may feed heavily on insects from
these areas as the forbs.
The bird's natural defense is cover from sage and grasses.
Sage covers them from avian predators, and grasses from their ground predators.
As such, the natural tendency for sage grouse is to walk, rather than fly.
"That's obviously a problem if you put a road through
the middle of the habitat - these aren't the smartest birds around,"
Braun noted. But even less intrusive human disturbance can have disastrous
effects for these birds. For instance, power lines increase the ability
of raptors to spy and feed upon sage grouse.
Permanent removal of habitat often means turning sage country
into agricultural fields. But residential development and fire suppression
also have an effect by encouraging the growth of pinon-juniper trees in
prime sage grouse country.
"If you look at all that country around Durango and
Cortez, its now agricultural fields and invaded by pinon-juniper -- that
all used to be prime sagebrush habitat," Braun said. "But it's
really difficult to see the changes that have occurred because they transpired
over decades and occurred before we were born."
Habitat fragmentation is believed to had a profound impact,
although sage grouse populations have been found in habitat areas as small
as 6,000 acres. Sage grouse are less susceptible to predation when they
remain in good sage cover on the ground, but they still need to move to
different areas several times a year.
Large-scale habitat degradation, much of it meant to increase
livestock forage, has played a major role in dwindling populations. "There's
been a war waged on sagebrush to get rid of it," Braun noted. "It
really is becoming a critical habitat type."
For years, ranchers hoping to increase the carrying capacity
of both public and private lands for livestock have used a variety of weapons
battling the sage. Fields are disced, chained, burned and chemically treated
to favor the production of grasses over sagebrush.
Although sage grouse also want grasses and forbs during
the summer, the loss of their natural cover -- sagebrush -- is deadly.
At the same time, heavy grazing of the grasses and forbs reduces the food
supply for young birds and subjects the entire population to increased predation.
Heavy grazing on both private and public lands is believed
to be a major contributor to disruption of the sage grouse habitat.
"Anything in moderation is going to help -- rotating
fields for rest-rotation or taking only a certain percentage of the grasses
and forbs available," Braun said. "There are grazing practices
that are compatible -- we know the answers...
"But when you go in and eliminate huge chunks of sagebrush,
there will be problems. They need sagebrush -- that's the bottom line."
MONTANA
Orange is the Answer
When thousands of upland bird hunters set, off for Montana's
peaks and prairies this fall, I'll be among their ranks. But you'll never
have trouble spotting me in the crowd. That's because on every outing since
that fateful day when I was given a second shot at growing old, I've entered
each birdy-looking piece of real estate I've encountered looking like a
blazing orange neon light. A "hunter orange" cap and an equally
bright sweatshirt are already stashed with the rest of my gear awaiting
the year's first trip afield. Sure, that much of the stuff does make me
stick out like a scarlet cardinal in the snow, but it certainly does the
job. That job is allowing, indeed forcing, me to be seen. Consider these
truths from the National Shooting Sports Foundation:
1. Fluorescent (blaze) orange is the most easily seen,
recognized, bright, unnatural color against a natural background. It is
the safest color for hunters to wear under all weather and light conditions.
2. Almost 10 percent of all hunters have color vision
deficiencies. Red clothing is no longer recommended because red may not
be seen by those hunters who cannot distinguish colors correctly, and because
red is difficult to see in low light.
3. Accidents in which the victim was not seen by another
hunter, in the path of his or her shotgun's swing or mistaken for game rank
at the top of the list of the most common types of hunting accidents.
4. Hunter-orange clothing is a tremendous aid in helping
hunters maintain visual contact with one another, particularly when moving
through dense cover or woods.
Despite these facts, some hunters remain skeptical about
the value of blaze orange clothing and traditionally resist wearing this
lifesaving material while afield. The color, they say, may be seen by the
game and lower their hunting success.
Fortunately, most states and Canadian provinces have stepped
in and forced the issue upon -those skeptics by passing laws requiring certain
hunters, particularly those pursuing big game, to wear hunter orange. And
to quiet those doubting Thomases, studies show that hunter success has not
declined in those states in which mandatory hunter orange regulations have
been adopted, ours is one such state. Montana's current law dictates that
all big game hunters (except bowhunters during special archery seasons)
as well as those accompanying them must wear at least 400 square inches
of hunter orange material above the waist and visible in all directions.
A hat or cap alone, like a fluorescent orange band around a Stetson, will
not suffice.
No, those of you with sharp eyes, the book says nothing
about blaze orange for bird hunters. But I'm going to wear it. Lots of
it, too. I wouldn't be caught dead without it. Well, er ... one frighteningly
close call years ago has taught me I'm right.
WASHINGTON
Status of 13 wildlife species to be reviewed
The status of 13 wildlife species will be reviewed in coming
months to determine if special protections are needed to ensure their survival
in the state, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced
today.
The studies will take place under an agency program aimed
at identifying troubled, or potentially troubled, native wildlife species
and mapping out strategies to restore them to health.
Under the program, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
will ultimately decide which species should be put on the state's endangered,
threatened or sensitive species list. Presently, 33 species are on the
list.
"We'll be evaluating six species to determine if they
should be downlisted or delisted, and seven others to see if they should
be put on the list as endangered, threatened or sensitive," said Harriet
Allen, who oversees the department's threatened and endangered species program.
The species that will be evaluated for possible downlisting
or delisting, because of recovery successes, include the bald eagle, peregrine
falcon, Columbian white-tailed deer, gray whale, Aleutian Canada goose and
brown pelican.
The species being considered for listing include the sage
grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, common loon, fisher, Oregon spotted frog, common
murre and Olive Ridley sea turtle.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife defines an endangered
species as one that is seriously threatened with extinction throughout all
or a portion of its range. A threatened species is defined as one likely
to become endangered unless steps are taken to reverse its decline.
A sensitive species is defined as one that is especially
vulnerable or is declining, and is in need of special management consideration.
WDFW's listing procedures were adopted in 1990 by the state
Fish and Wildlife Commission, the nine-member citizen's panel that establishes
agency policy. The procedures were developed by citizens, constituent groups
and state and federal natural resource agency officials.
Once listed as endangered or threatened, a recovery plan
is written for the species. The plan outlines the steps needed to restore
the species to healthy levels and prioritizes department activities.
For example, WDFW habitat acquisition funds are frequently
allocated based on listed species. Agency personnel also provide landowners,
city and county officials and others with in-depth information on listed
species, where they are located and what steps are needed to protect and
enhance their populations.
Allen said WDFW's efforts should not be confused with the
federal government's program to list species as endangered or threatened
based on the species' status throughout its entire range in the United States.
The state's list serves as a wildlife management tool which identifies
species in need of immediate attention within the state.
Species placed on the federal government's list receive
protection under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). A species listed
by the state does not receive protection under the ESA unless it also is
on the federal government's list.
Allen said the department is seeking biological information
on the status of the species to assist in the reviews. Biologists' draft
status reviews and recommendations on at least eight of the species are
expected to be available for public review by next spring. The department
will then hold public meetings to discuss and explain the recommendations,
and listen to citizen comments and suggestions.
The Fish and Wildlife Commission could render decisions
on some species by August 1997. The commission is expected to decide the
status of all 13 species by 1998.
U. S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Partners for Wildlife Program Continues Conservation Success
Story Through Voluntary Restoration of Wildlife Habitats for Private Landowners
Since 1987, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service)
has successfully restored habitats on private lands through the Partners
for Wildlife (PFW) program. During that time, 310,000 acres of wetlands,
135,000 acres of associated grasslands, 600 miles of riparian habitat have
been restored throughout the nation.
The restoration of these important fish and wildlife habitats
has been carried out in cooperation with private landowners, who have volunteered
the use of their properties for conservation purposes. Most PFW projects
have been completed without cost to more than 13,800 landowners, who have
signed cooperative agreements to leave their restored habitats undisturbed
for at least 10 years.
Typically, the Service furnishes technical assistance to
landowners and pays for costs associated with restoration projects. Sometimes
the Service provides funds and equipment to its partners, including state
fish and wildlife agencies, soil and water conservation districts, private
organizations, individuals and local agencies. Private partners often provide
matching funds to the Service to cost-share the restoration of significant
habitats.
"The success of the Partners for Wildlife program
is reflected in the number of participating landowners and the interest
of our partners to provide assistance," said Bill Hartwig, Director
of the Service's Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region. "Frankly, I can't
think of anyone who doesn't appreciate improved quality in their drinking
water, or in the rivers and lakes where they do their recreational swimming,
fishing and boating. Improving local water quality is an important aspect
of this program to landowners and the general public. "
Other conservation benefits associated with PFW include:
* Enhanced habitats for wildlife
* Reduced downstream flooding by holding back the runoff
of excess water
* Decreased soil erosion by stabilizing sediment-producing
areas
* Additional recreational opportunities
* New economic opportunities for landowners and local communities
Through Partners for Wildlife outreach, the Region has
assumed a leadership role within the Service for the restoration of important
habitats, including converted wetlands and/or degraded tracts of native
grasslands and bottomlands, for migratory birds, endangered species and
anadromous fish."
During 1995 through the Partners for Wildlife program,
1,345 wetlands amounting to 6,023 acres and 1,189 acres of upland habitat,
primarily grassland, were restored in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.
In this Region from 1987-95, the PFW program has restored
almost 15,700 wetland basins amounting to more than 62,200 acres. All the
basins were restored in cooperation with more than 2,700 landowners. Funds
and in-kind services have been provided by approximately 1,000 partners.
For more information on the Partners for Wildlife program, contact the
nearest Service field office or Steve Kufrin, Regional Private Funds Coordinator,
at 612-725-3570.
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Ducks Unlimited Supporters Raise One Billionth Dollar
Ducks Unlimited today celebrated the one billionth dollar
its supporters have raised since the founding of the world's largest private
nonprofit wetlands, waterfowl, and wildlife conservation organization in
1937.
On the road to conserving nearly 7.5 million acres of wetland
and waterfowl habitat across North America, Ducks Unlimited has grown supporters
to more than 900,000 supporters. Today, Ducks Unlimited projects exist
in all 50 states and in major regions of Canada and Mexico.
"The dedication and partnership of our volunteers,
staff, and public and private supporters have played a major role in the
dramatic resurgence of North America's waterfowl population over the past
three years," said Matthew B. Connolly, Jr., executive vice president
of Ducks Unlimited. "When water is plentiful, our habitat conservation
programs promote population growth. In dry periods, our programs soften
the impact of poor climatic and habitat conditions."
"Nearly 80 percent of every dollar raised by Ducks
Unlimited is translated quickly and efficiently into habitat conservation,"
said Gene M. Henry, president of Ducks Unlimited.
"The greatest monument we can bequeath to tomorrow's
the natural resource we protect today," said Henry. "That's why
we are planning to launch a major new fund-raising campaign next May. For
every acre we've conserved to-date, there's at least one more that needs
to be enhanced, restored, or protected."
Ducks Unlimited (DU) was established by a handful of sportsmen
alarmed by a plummeting waterfowl population caused by the Dust Bowl of
the 1930s. From the start, DU focused on projects in Canada, where nearly
75 percent of North America's waterfowl are produced. Today, a majority
of DU's habitat conservation work continues on upland nesting sites and
shallow wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of the U. S. and Canada.
Ducks Unlimited waterfowl habitat projects benefit more
than 600 species of wildlife, including many that are threatened or endangered.
Highlights
1937 Ducks Unlimited is incorporated in the U.S. to raise
funds for conservation programs on Canada's Wetland and waterfowl breeding
grounds
1938 Ducks Unlimited Canada Ltd. established to provide
biological and engineering expertise in Canada
1960 DU conserves 1 millionth acre in Canada
1966 DU celebrates first $1 million fund-raising year
1970 DU membership reaches 50,000
1974 Ducks Unlimited de Mexico established to conserve
habitat for wintering ducks
1979 DU volunteers raise 100 millionth dollar
1984 DU begins conservation programs in U.S. focused on
habitat for breeding, nesting, migratory, and wintering waterfowl
1996 DU celebrates first $50+ million fund-raising year
1996 DU membership reaches 580,000; raises record-setting
$77.6 million
Acreage conserved in Canada 4,975,534
Acreage conserved in Mexico 1,487,912
Acreage conserved in U.S. 913,000
Ruffed Grouse Society
RGS Celebrates 35 Years
The Ruffed Grouse Society was born during a business conference
in a small Virginia town.
On a fall day of 1961 in Monterey, Va., Seybert Beverage
(attorney) met with Britce R. Richardson, Jr, and Dixie L. Shiimate, Jr.,
in his office. After business was taken care of, talk turned to the upcoming
hunting season and ruffed grouse.
They discussed a need to determine a way to help this superb
game bird, for there were signs of increasing trouble. Generally, much
wildlife habitat was disappearing annually as civilization demanded more
room. And much of the forest habitat left was apparently far from ideal
grouse cover, if declining numbers were any indication.
Their concern was re-enforced by the situation close to
home. Around Monterey, hunters were finding fewer and fewer birds in the
covers, with the suspicion growing that the decline had nothing to do with
cyclical highs and lows.
Prior to their meeting, Mr. Richardson had already queried
the Department of Interior and discovered that no organization was specifically
helping the ruffed grouse. So, the three men launched the then Ruffed Grouse
Society of America - now known as the Ruffed Grouse Society with its affiliated
Ruffed Grouse Society of Canada.
The three became the organization first officers when,
on Oct. 24, 1961, the Society received its charter of incorporation from
Virginia.
Mr. Richardson was the first president, serving until 1966,
while Mr. Beverage was secretary and editor of the Society small newsletter
and Mr. Shumate took on the duties of treasurer.
Through the newsletter, they were quick to dispel any notions
that they were expert grouse biologists.
For knowledge of grouse, he asked for help from other hunters,
or anyone who had any special knowledge of the Ruffed Grouse. Grouse enthusiasts
provided funds to study and help the bird. Because grouse had already demonstrated
themselves poor subjects to be released in the wilds from captive rearing,
they assumed assistance should focus on improving the birds' wild environment.
From the beginning, the three saw something more than the
conservation of a native American game bird in their efforts. As Mr. Beverage
observed in his editorial of the first newsletter: "Your editor feels
that as long as the ruffed grouse survives, then America will survive.
They might have seemed an improbable trio to be forming
an organization dedicated to the ruffed grouse. Mr. Beverage was confined
to a wheelchair, the result of polio during childhood Mr. Shumate was a
fish biologist, working with Mr. Richardson on a trout-rearing project.
Mr. Richardson gave over the duties of president to Keith
Davis in August of 1966 and so the organization entered another phase of
its growing process.
"It was my idea at first," Mr. Richardson acknowledged
during an interview in 1984. "But it really got rolling after I found
out from the Department of Interior there was no organized effort on behalf
of the ruffed grouse. For all of us, it was a labor of love -- and from
the first, we got the cooperation of a lot of fine people. "
Before his death 10 years after that observation, Mr. Richardson
stated that he was pleased with what the Society had accomplished. He was
also surprised at how large it had grown.
Mr. Richardson and his fellow organizers thought the membership
"would include writers, scientists, game management experts and all
persons from ruffed grouse states and elsewhere who are interested in the
purposes of the Society. " They simply underestimated just how many
sportsmen and women, as well as other concerned individuals, would actually
want to be involved with the struggles of ruffed grouse.
"When we got involved in the Society, " he explained,
"we weren't interested in promoting grouse shooting. Even back then,
we were concerned with discovering what we could about improving habitat.
"It's funny," he continued, "that anything
like this ever got started here. But we just went with an idea and got
a pretty good response."
A response that grows stronger every year. A response
that gave the Society the impetus to begin forest wildlife habitat improvement
research. (That research would ultimately benefit many wildlife species,
even if at first it was conducted on behalf of ruffed grouse and American'
woodcock.)
In 1972, the Ruffed Grouse Society provided a grant to
Gordon Gullion -- who would, over the years, earn the title "Mr. Grouse."
His studies of grouse, grouse habitat and, most especially, the relationship
between grouse and aspen are still paying dividends.
Although Gordon died in 1991 with work still under way,
his completed research and similar efforts of others have provided much
evidence to support sound science that forest management benefits both the
woodlands and the wildlife that depend on them.
RGS has provided well over $1 million to sponsor habitat
improvement research projects throughout the United States since 1972.
Until 1978, all RGS support for research came directly, from membership
dues. But the Ruffed Grouse Society was undergoing some dramatic changes
in the late '70s.
It was then that the Society rededicated itself, shortened
its name to the current style; hired a new executive director, a wildlife
biologist named Samuel R. Pursglove, Jr.; and made new and aggressive plans
for fund-raising.
The Society inaugurated its Sportsmen's Banquet Program
in l978. That first year five dinners raised $46, 000. During that same
year, RGS started to search out those willing to make a commitment beyond
regular membership dues. The organization started signing up sponsor members
for contributions of $200 or more.
The late '70s were certainly days of new beginnings. And
those beginnings have expanded dramatically. Still, the Society continues
to evolve, as the world in which it must operate, evolves.
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