World Ice Fishing Final Resuts

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

XIV World Ice Fishing Championship Riga , Latvia 2017
Date26-02-2017 OrganizationLatvijas Makskeresanas Sporta Fed.
Lake Mazais Baltezers
TEAM FINAL RANKING


1-Ukraine
2-Latvia
3-Russia
4-Lithuania
5-Estonia
6-Belarus
7-Kazakhstan
8-United-States
9-Finland
10-Poland
11-Norway
12-Mongolia
13-Bulgaria
14-Sweden

Congratulations to  the UKRAINE Ice Team from the entire Outdoor Scene Nation

Participants: Denis Novgorodskyi, Ivan Shchevich, Vitalii Stadnichenko, Vladyslav Sydoriakin, Ihor Muzychka, Oleksii Zayko
Coach: Vitalii Levchenko
Coach: Dmytro Korzenkov
Delegate: Damir Shykhotarov

World Ice Fishing Tournament Feb.24-Feb.27 Riga, Latvia

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

USA,   USA,   USA,

It's game day! These are the anglers who will be competing for the USA today and tomorrow. Myron Gilbert, Lawrence Luoma (alternate), Chad Schaub, Kevin Kowalski, Ben Blegen and Nick Schertz. We'll give you an update after the day one weigh-in.

Good luck from the Outdoor Scene Nation on wnri.com Worldwide Livestream

Tune in Sunday at 9 am

Canadians win Laconia derby, but N.H. mushers on the rise

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Guy Girard of St. Thomas de Joliette, Quebec, finished strong Sunday to win the 88th Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby. (DAN SEUFERT/UNION LEADER CORRESPONDENT)

LACONIA — Canadian musher Guy Girard won the 88th Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby on Sunday, and two other Canadians took second and third place.

Mushers from the Granite State also placed highly in this year’s race. That’s a sign of things to come, and an indication of the growing popularity of the sport in the state, said Jim Lyman, president of the Lakes Region Sled Dog Club.

“The sport is strong and we have a lot of support,” Lyman said Sunday. “This (Laconia) race will be around for a long time.”

Guy Girard of St. Thomas de Joliette, Quebec, finished first with an overall three-day time of 2:26:02. In second place was Claude Bellerive of Charette, Quebec, whose overall time was 2:27:20. Finishing third was Jean-Rene Saucier of Woburn, Quebec, who had a time of 2:28:36.

Third place had been occupied by Rejean Therrien of St. Emile, Quebec, but he dropped to ninth place after a difficult run Sunday that likely had to do with a flu-like illness that affected his dogs, Lyman said.

Finishing fourth was Doug Butler of Bristol, Vt. a longtime Laconia racer, with a time of 2:31:30. In sixth place was Angie Carter of Penacook at 2:39:03; in eighth place was Eddie Clifford of Raymond, with a time of 2:41:44.

Racheal Colbath of Gilford finished in 10th place at 2:47:55, and in 13th place was Peter Franke of New Durham at 3:27:27.
This year’s race was dedicated to the late Keith Bryar II of Moultonborough, the two-time winner of the race (2002 and 2011) whose father won the race three times in the 1960s.

About $4,000 was raised for a scholarship in Keith Bryar II’s name. He died last year at 57.

Veteran musher Randy DeKuiper of Hesperia, Mich., described the race as “one of the top two or three races in the country.”

“It’s always a great trail and they put on a great event here,” he said. “Always have.”
Source:  DAN SEUFERT Union Leader

88TH ANNUAL LACONIA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SLED DOG DERBY February 17, 18, 19, 2017 OPEN CLASS FINAL TIMES
BIB#'S
FRI	SAT	SUN	finish	DRIVER	HOMETOWN	SPONSORS	SPONSORS	FRI	SAT	SUN	TOTAL
9	13	13	1	Guy Girard	St. Thomas de  Joliette, PQ	EJ PRESCOTT	EJ PRESCOTT	0:47:52	0:46:49	0:51:21	2:26:02
7	12	12	2	Claude Bellerive	Charette, PQ	PISCOPO EXCAVATION	SUN VALLEY COTTAGES	0:48:07	0:47:45	0:51:28	2:27:20
2	10	11	3	Jean-Rene Saucier	Woburn, QC	TRUSTWORTHY HARDWARE	WATERMARK MARIN  CONSTRUCTION	0:49:14	0:47:52	0:51:31	2:28:36
3	9	9	4	Doug Butler	Bristol, VT	CHADWICK BAROSS	CIVIL TAKEOFFS	0:49:34	0:49:43	0:52:13	2:31:30
13	5	8	5	Bernard Saucier	Woburn, QC	AIRPORT COUNTRY STORE &  DELI	ADVANCED PAVING &  EXCAVATION	0:53:35	0:50:06	0:52:48	2:36:29
11	6	6	6	Angie Carter	Penacook, NH	BELKNAP SNOWMOBILERS	WEMJ 107.3 & 1490	0:52:55	0:52:09	0:54:00	2:39:03
1	7	5	7	Hermel Bergeron	St. Angele, PQ	GUISEPPE'S SHOWTIME  PIZZERIA	GRANITE STATE GLASS	0:52:41	0:53:10	0:54:30	2:40:21
6	8	7	8	Eddie Clifford	Raymond, NH	STAFFORD OIL	TILTON TRAILER RENTAL	0:52:19	0:52:32	0:56:53	2:41:44
8	11	10	9	Rejean Therrien	St. Emile, QC	AIRPORT COUNTRY STORE &  DELI	BOULIA GORRELL	0:49:07	0:49:33	1:03:52	2:42:32
10	4	4	10	Rachael Colbath	Gilford, NH	BELKNAP TIRE	CENTRAL NH AMATEUR  RADIO	0:56:42	0:53:37	0:57:36	2:47:55
4	3	3	11	Randy DeKuiper	Hesperia, MI	FAY'S BOAT YARD	STAMPING  TECHNOLOGIES	0:57:48	0:55:07	1:00:10	2:53:05
12	2	2	12	Rodney Tinkham	Groton, VT	IRWIN MOTORS	HK POWERSPORTS	1:01:25	1:03:05	1:04:32	3:09:02
5	1	1	13	Peter Franke	New Durham, NH	GILFORD WELL	GILBERT BLOCK	1:08:29	1:06:34	1:12:24	3:27:27

Massachusetts Volunteers Honored for Introducing Women to the Outdoors

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As dedicated volunteers for the National Wild Turkey Federation's Women in the Outdoors outreach program, Jennifer Ford and Kelly Dalbec have helped countless women get their start outdoors.

In recognition of their tireless work, Ford and Dalbec were co-honored with the Annie Oakley Award, the highest honor given to Women in the Outdoors volunteers. They accepted the award during the 41st annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show in Nashville.

Annie Oakley might be best known for her shooting skills, but she also influenced generations of women to try something new. The same is true for Ford and Dalbec.

"I am proud to accept this award on behalf of our entire [Central Mass WITO] committee and all of our volunteers. It truly is a team effort," said Ford, from Holden, Massachusetts. "It was not that long ago that I was the student learning these same skills. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to give back and pass along the excitement of the outdoors to other women."

Dalbec, of Rutland, Massachusetts, agreed. "I am honored to be a 2017 Annie Oakley award winner, representing all of the Massachusetts WITO volunteers," she said. "They are the best of the best, who over the last 5 years have shared their skills and knowledge, inspiring woman of all ages to step outside and try something new."

The NWTF determined this year's award winners based on how their work strengthens the Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative. Ford and Dalbec met as attendees of a Basic Hunter Education Class after each developed an interest in hunting and shooting sports. From there, they have come full circle and now are hunting mentors, instructors and organizing Central Mass WITO events.

"Jennifer, Kelly and the many WITO volunteers across the country help ensure, each day, women experience our wild places and outdoor lifestyle," said George Thornton, NWTF CEO. "The NWTF is proud of their accomplishments and is excited about the great things these two women will do for the future of hunting and the outdoors."

About Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt.

The NWTF Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative is a charge that mobilizes science, fundraising and devoted volunteers to give the NWTF more energy and purpose than ever. Through this national initiative, NWTF has committed to raising $1.2 billion to conserve or enhance more than 4 million acres of essential upland wildlife habitat, recruit or reactivate at least 1.5 million hunters and open access to 500,000 acres for hunting, shooting and outdoor enjoyment. Without hunters, there will be no wildlife or habitat. The NWTF is determined to Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt.

85,193 Deer Harvested During 2016-2017 Maryland Hunting Season

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

 Do you think of Maryland as a Whitetail Hot Spot in our Country ?

Estimated Whitetail Deer population in Rhode Island about 14,000

Frederick County Leads State in Harvest Totals

Maryland hunters harvested 85,193 deer during the combined archery, muzzleloader and firearm seasons (Sept. 9, 2016-Jan. 31, 2017), according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The harvest exceeded the 2015-2016 total by more than 1,000 deer.

Included in the statewide total were 7,684 deer taken on Sundays open for deer hunting, representing an increase of 19 percent compared to last year.

"Our Sunday harvest continues to grow as hunters take advantage of additional weekend days to spend in the woods," Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Paul Peditto said. "This growth is remarkable considering some counties have only one Sunday open to hunting in firearm season and three of our highest deer density counties have no Sunday hunting at all."

The 2016-2017 statewide harvest included: 29,042 antlered and 53,318 antlerless white-tailed deer; and 1,284 antlered and 1,549 antlerless sika deer.

The harvest in deer management Region A (Garrett, Allegany and western Washington counties) decreased 8 percent, from 9,190 to 8,490 deer this year. These hunters reported 5,067 antlered and 3,423 antlerless deer.

Hunters in Region B (the remainder of the state) harvested 76,703 deer, up 3 percent from last year's 74,832. From this year's total, 25,259 antlered and 51,444 antlerless deer were reported in this area.

Frederick County led the harvest totals again this year with 7,556 deer, followed by Carroll County at 5,663 and Baltimore County with 5,367. Montgomery and Washington counties rounded out the top five with 4,873 and 4,736 deer, respectively.

Deer harvest results by county and type of deer harvested, with comparison to the previous season, are available below:

UMass rejects 4-H youth shooting sports program

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

U.S. shooter Kim Rhode competes in the women's Skeet final at Olympic Shooting Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. Rhode won a bronze medal in the event. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS) (Robert Gauthier)

The University of Massachusetts has declined to host a youth shooting sports program run by 4-H.
UMass representatives say the university is exploring a more broad-based program, but some gun owners see an ideological intent.
"It's absolute social bias against gun owners," said Jim Wallace, executive director of Gun Owners' Action League, a Massachusetts gun rights advocacy group. "You're being handed a successful program that's been vetted nationwide, and then handed the funding for the program. What's the problem?"
Currently, every state except Massachusetts and Rhode Island has a shooting sports program as part of its 4-H. The national 4-H organization runs hands-on educational programming in areas like agriculture and science. The shooting sports program teaches kids how to shoot firearms, but also teaches them about safety and responsibility when it comes to shooting, hunting and archery.

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Massachusetts' 4-H program is run by the UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment.
Ed Blaguszewski, a spokesman for UMass Amherst, said the university studied the shooting sports proposal made by the Massachusetts 4-H Foundation and examined the variety of different 4-H shooting programs around the country.
"Rather than focus limited resources on shooting sports only, the university is actively exploring development of a more broadly based program that includes instruction in hunting, fishing and conservation as part of our youth development activities," Blaguszewski said. "The hunting aspect of the program would include the basics of gun safety and the shooting sports."
The push for the shooting sports program began about two years ago, with the advocacy of Mandy Deveno, a 4-H volunteer club leader and licensed shooting instructor from Bellingham, Massachusetts.
Deveno begin shooting trap with her father at a young age. Now, her daughter is becoming interested in archery and her son in rifle shooting. Deveno is originally from Wisconsin, and she talked to the directors of 4-H shooting sports programs in Wisconsin and Illinois. "Bringing the shooting sports program into 4-H would offer an activity that we find that youth are really engaged in," Deveno said.
Deveno said after Illinois created a shooting sports program, membership in the program grew by 25 percent over four years. She predicted that bringing the program to Massachusetts could grow 4-H membership by 11 or 12 percent, particularly among teenagers, who often lose interest in extracurricular activities.
Laurie Flanagan, executive director of the Massachusetts 4-H Foundation, said Deveno broached the idea, and the foundation supported Deveno's request.
The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife was willing to pay $60,000 a year for three years to cover a shooting sports coordinator and training at UMass.
Peter Lorenz, a spokesman for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, said the state agency was approached by 4-H leadership in the spring of 2016 and asked to become a partner in the shooting sports program, which would be conducted by UMass Extension. If the program were implemented, the agency agreed to provide $180,000 over three years through the Inland Fish and Game Fund, which raises money from the sale of hunting, fishing and trapping licenses by hunters, anglers and trappers.
But UMass rejected the idea.
When Deveno asked why, Steve Goodwin, dean of the College of Natural Sciences at UMass Amherst, emailed Deveno that the university was interested in a broader program. "We are working hard to conceptualize a program that would encompass fishing, hunting and environmental conservation," he wrote in the email, a copy of which was provided to The Republican / MassLive. "We believe that such a program would fit well with the mission of the College of Natural Sciences and the University of Massachusetts."
But Wallace said he does not understand the reasoning. "It doesn't make any sense to us," Wallace said. "We have a nationally recognized program in 48 other states, apparently the funding was all set for the first three years, we had a volunteer that was about to take it on and help 4-H launch this program. ... We're trying to figure out why UMass would say no to education, when this is what it's all about." Source:        Shira Schoenberg | sschoenberg@repub.com masslive.com 

Sportsmen's Alliance, Maine Trappers Victorious in Lynx Lawsuit

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

On Wednesday, Feb. 15, U.S. District Judge Jon Levy issued his ruling in a lawsuit that sought to revoke the state of Maine’s Incidental Take Permit (ITP), which would open individual trappers to Endangered Species Act (ESA) violations. Judge Levy ruled the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s use and application of ITPs were lawful and in keeping with the requirements of the ESA.

The ruling is a clear victory for the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, trappers in Maine and the Maine Department of Inland Fish and Wildlife. In his ruling, Judge Levy found that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s “actions were in keeping with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act…the National Environmental Policy Act…and the Administrative Procedure Act…”

“We are extremely pleased that District Court Judge Levy has sided with reasonable and responsible management,” said Evan Heusinkveld, Sportsmen’s Alliance president and CEO. “Today’s clear ruling is nothing short of a full victory for trappers, but also hunters and anglers, too. This case had far-reaching implications for how Endangered Species Act policies would be implemented. If anti-hunting organizations can ban all trapping in the areas where protected lynx are found, what’s would stop them from banning fishing in streams or rivers that contains endangered fish species?”

The case, filed by the anti-hunting and anti-trapping groups Center for Biological Diversity, the Wildlife Alliance of Maine, the Animal Welfare Institute and Friends of Animals, was essentially a backdoor attempt to use the Endangered Species Act to stop trapping in the state. At the heart of the legal battle were Incidental Take Permits, which are granted under the ESA and provide for limited, incidental taking of federally protected species. Without such protection, individual trappers and state wildlife agencies could be held liable for ESA violations every time a lynx was accidentally caught in a legal trap.

“Today is a great day for Maine trappers, and this judgment vindicates the great work of the Maine Department of Inland Fish and Wildlife,” said James Cote, director of government affairs for the Maine Trappers Association. “We are so pleased with this outcome, which is positive for trappers and Canadian lynx alike, and that wouldn’t have been possible without our partnership with the Sportsmen’s Alliance.”

Canada lynx, which are listed as a threatened species in the U.S. due to fragmented populations at the southernmost range of their habitat, are abundant north of the border in Canada. In fact, there are many who believe that the lynx populations should be removed from the ESA altogether.

This is not the first time that the Sportsmen’s Alliance and Maine trappers have prevailed in trapping litigation. In 2010, we successfully defended against a similar lawsuit that also tried to use the Endangered Species Act to stop trapping. That case paved the way for trapping to continue.

Joining the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation in the most recent case was the Maine Trappers Association and the National Trappers Association

Will the Airbow be next in New England ?

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Maryland:

   Airbow Approved for Deer Hunting

Bloomfield, NY - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources confirmed that the Benjamin Pioneer Airbow has been approved for use in the firearms season for Whitetail and Sitka deer. The Maryland firearms season typically runs for two weeks beginning the Saturday after Thanksgiving and for three days in January and will allow hunters to choose to hunt with an exciting new tool, the Benjamin Pioneer Airbow.

Maryland joins a growing list of states allowing for the use of the Airbow during their hunting seasons. Arizona, Missouri, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington State allow big game animals to be legally taken with the Airbow. Feral hogs can be taken in Georgia, Florida and Texas while coyotes and other predators may be hunted with the Airbow in over 30 states. Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina allow the Airbow to be used for alligator hunting.

Crosman Corporation Communications Manager Jason Reid says, "We are very pleased to learn the state of Maryland has approved the Benjamin Pioneer Airbow for use in the general firearms season for big game like whitetail and sitka deer. The Airbow will provide expanded opportunities for hunters across the state to ethically harvest game this fall."

The Pioneer Airbow is an all-new category of big game weapon featuring full length arrows and full weight broadheads, all driven by air. Based on Benjamin's proven American-made PCP platform, the Pioneer can be cocked with two fingers (and decocked just as easily), and fires 8 shots in the same amount of time it takes to fire three from a crossbow, all at a blazing 450 FPS.

The Pioneer Airbow enhances everything enthusiasts enjoy about archery hunting while making the sport safer and more accessible. "Crosman Corporation is actively working with states across the U.S. to educate them on the efficacy and safety advantages of the Airbow, and we look forward to more states expanding access to this revolutionary hybrid hunting weapon," says Reid.

Massachusetts Turkey Hunting Clinics

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

One-Day Learn to Hunt Turkey Clinics are free, one-day workshops for those who would prefer a condensed version of the two-day Learn to Hunt Turkeys Program. The clinics are designed for new hunters to learn and practice three specific turkey hunting skills: how to sight in your gun, what to look for when scouting for turkeys, and how to call in a turkey.
One-day clinics will be held in two different locations; if selected, you will attend only one of the clinics. Dates and locations for the clinics are:

Saturday, April 1, 9am-4pm: Georgetown Fish and Game, Georgetown, MA

Saturday, April 8, 9am-4pm: Monument Beach Sportsman's Club, Buzzards Bay, MA

New for 2017:  Half Day Turkey Calling Workshop: Is your biggest concern when it comes to turkey hunting how to call? If so, this class is made for you! This 3-4 hour clinic goes over the different types of calls and gives you plenty of hands on time to practice your calls with experts!
Sunday, March 26, 10am-1pm: Archery Plus, Spencer, MA
Saturday, April 15, 9am-1pm: Conway Sportsman's Club, Conway, MA

Regulators: Loophole in striped bass fishery needs closing in Massachusetts.

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Massachusetts fisheries officials want to close a loophole in state regulations that resulted in w
hat they believe were illegal landings of striped bass last year.
At a public hearing at Massachusetts Maritime Academy Wednesday night, Division of Marine Fisheries Deputy Director Dan McKiernan said the state is looking to reduce the number of striped bass that commercial fishermen could land from 15 down to two, if they're fishing from shore.
"What happened last year was disgusting," said Patrick Paquette of the Massachusetts Striped Bass Association, which is composed of both commercial and recreational fishermen. "There was a rampant black market at the (Cape Cod) canal. Plenty of guys were taking fish from friends, putting them in coolers, and selling them under their boat permit."
Under state striped bass fishing regulations, a commercial fisherman can buy a boat permit that allows him or her to catch and sell up to 15 fish a day. There is also a less expensive individual permit under which he or she can land two fish a day from shore. The state limited commercial fishing to two days a week. In bad weather, some fishermen with boat permits fished from shore, and could technically land their 15 fish.
"I never caught over five," said commercial fisherman Myron Chamberlain, of North Dartmouth, who said he has a 21-foot boat that can't always take the rough weather so he has to fish from shore sometimes. "I never witnessed people catching more than four or five fish. Not saying it's not happening, but I never saw it."
Several commercial fishermen with boat permits spoke against the proposed regulation, agreeing with Chamberlain that they need the option of being able to fish from shore and land 15 fish to make a living.
"To catch only two fish?" Chamberlain said. "You can't make a living on that."
The problem, according to fishermen and state officials, is that recreational fishermen, who are only allowed to keep one fish, were allegedly passing bass to commercial fishermen who then sold them as part of their 15-fish limit.
"It is common knowledge there were people with boat permits catching fish from recreational fishermen and landing them as commercial fish," said Paquette.
"We had a bunch of complaints about it last year," said Massachusetts Environmental Police Major Patrick Moran, adding that nobody was prosecuted. "We do a lot of early morning, late night patrols, and it's really hard unless someone points it out to you."
With the new regulation, any commercial fisherman fishing from shore could only land two striped bass, which would make it easier to enforce since anyone with more than two fish would be in violation.
"It does make enforcement easier," Moran said. "Simpler is better"
The public hearing Wednesday night was one of four in a week, with the last planned for Monday night on Nantucket. There were 13n proposed regulations on the agenda, an unusually large number grouped in one hearing. The state Division of Marine Fisheries had a backlog of regulatory work to complete following a year during which much of its focus was on complying with Gov. Charlie Baker's requirement that agencies review their existing regulations for duplication and clarity before promulgating new ones, said David Pierce, the agency's deputy director.
Source; Doug Fraser Cape Cod Times

New Hampshire Ice Fishing Course Feb. 18

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

CONCORD, N.H. -- Interested in learning how to ice fish? Then register for a free ice fishing program with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department's Let's Go Fishing program. This program is being offered on Saturday, February 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the North Country Resource Center, 629 Main Street, Lancaster, NH. This program is jointly sponsored by the NH Fish and Game Department and UNH Cooperative Extension 4-H.

Pre-registration is required. To sign up today and reserve your spot, please visit www.fishnh.com/fishing/lets-go-fishing.html and select "View the Current Class Schedule," then "View Upcoming Events." (You can find other ice-fishing classes offered around the state, as well!)

Youth ages 8 to 14 are welcome, but must attend with a parent or another adult. Participants should bring warm clothing and a bag lunch. All other materials and fishing equipment will be supplied. No fishing license is required to participant in this program. During the morning, you'll learn about fishing biology, ice fishing equipment, and ice safety. Then, the class will head out to a top-secret local ice fishing location to test out your new skills!


New Hampshire Fish and Game's "Let's Go Fishing" program has taught thousands of children and adults to be safe, ethical and successful anglers. Find out more at www.fishnh.com/fishing/lets-go-fishing.html. The program is federally funded through the Sport Fish Restoration Program.

Restoring a Rare Rabbit

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

The New England cottontail lives in parts of New England and New York. Over the last 50 years the range of this once-common rabbit has shrunk and its population has dwindled so that today it needs our help to survive.
A critical threat is the loss of habitat – places where rabbits can find food, rear young, and escape predators. Development has taken much land once inhabited by cottontails and other wildlife. And thousands of acres that used to be young forest (ideal cottontail habitat) have grown up into older woods, where rabbits don't generally live.
Today the New England cottontail is restricted to southern Maine, southern New Hampshire, and parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York east of the Hudson River - less than a fifth of its historic range.
Since 2010, captive breeding specialists at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, R.I., have been working to perfect housing, feeding, and breeding techniques so that New England cottontails can be bred in captivity.

This New England cottontail was produced by the captive breeding program at Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence, RI.

Conservationists have begun returning captive-bred rabbits to the wild to boost the numbers and genetic diversity of existing populations, and to start populations in places where good habitat exists but rabbits aren't present.
In 2015, the Queens Zoo, in New York, also joined the captive breeding effort and by year's end had successfully bred and raised 11 cottontails that were later set free in natural habitat.
As of October 2015, conservationists had released 118 captive-bred New England cottontails, 71 of them in Rhode Island and 47 in New Hampshire. One important release site is Patience Island, a brushy, 210-acre uninhabited island in Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. As this island population grows and thrives, it will become a key source for restocking other areas throughout the species' range.
Conservationists have also built four "hardening pens," enclosures where young captive-raised rabbits learn to hide in cover and feed on natural vegetation before being released into the wild in other areas. Pens are located at Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge in Rhode Island and Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge in New Hampshire.

Captive-bred rabbits are being released into the wild to establish new populations.

A Captive Breeding Working Group, made up of biologists from all six states with populations of New England cottontails, provides direction and advice in developing the captive breeding program. So far, breeding stock has come from rabbits live-trapped from healthy populations in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine.
To help guide breeding pairings, conservation geneticists with the University of Rhode Island's Wildlife Genetics and Ecology Laboratory (WGEL), directed by Dr. T.J. McGreevy, are studying adaptive genetic variation in the cottontails that have been brought in as breeders. This information will also help maintain the adaptive potential of the New England cottontail population on Patience Island. The WGEL works closely with Brian Tefft, a wildlife biologist with the Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife, to monitor the population size and genetic diversity of rabbits on the island, and to monitor the success of translocation efforts when rabbits are moved from Patience Island to habitat on the mainland.

Phenology Calendar for Febuary

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

PHENOLOGY CALENDAR

A Look at the Season's Main Events Virginia Barlow Second Week of February Mating season for foxes is at its peak and fox tracks are more common as these animals search for mates. Minute cattail seeds, each with a tiny parachute, are dispersed in the fall and winter. Skunk cabbage buds formed in autumn. They melt their way through the snow and are usually blooming now in southern New England and New York. When not confined by deep snow to a deeryard, a healthy white-tailed deer eats between six and eight pounds of twigs a day.

Idaho: Fish and Game Feeding About 20,000 Big Game Animals This Winter

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

 Southern New England is having another record warm winter with little snow fall but others parts of our great country it is the opposite weather pattern. Pittman Robertson Act and Sportsmen Restorartion Fund, Thank You , Sportsmen and Sportswoman for your purchases of Guns ,Ammo , Licenses and Stamps and Fishing Equipment to fund our Country's State Dem's to finance the biologists to safeguard our Fish and Wildlife.
 The Outdoor Scene e-mail hot line has received NO winter fish kills in the tri-state region as of Feb. 1, 2017 In the mild winter of 2016 we received only 7 winter ice fish kills reports. 3 for schoolie stripers getting caught in low water and 4 for manmade earthen dam ponds with low water levels.
  Wild Turkey and Whitetail Deer should have a better chance of making though the winter again in southern New England.

It's the largest operation of its kind in about 20 years in southern Idaho.

This winter's cold temperatures and deep snow at low elevations has prompted Idaho Fish and Game to implement emergency big game feeding at nearly 110 locations across southern and eastern Idaho. Winter conditions in the Panhandle, Clearwater and Salmon areas are closer to normal so emergency feeding is not necessary there, but animals and weather conditions continue to be monitored to see if more feeding is needed.

We keep a eye on the remaining wild buffalo and elk also.

Maine: Wild Turkey Bill 1-31-17

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

By George Smith BDN,  George's Outdoor News

My turkey bill got plenty of support at yesterday’s public hearing before the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee. And the committee will quickly get to work on the bill on Thursday.

The bill would eliminate the permit requirement and fee, allow on-line and phone tagging, and expand the bag limits to three toms in the spring season and three birds of either sex in the fall season. I tried to eliminate the permit and fee in 2014, and believe that is going to be essential if we’re going to get more hunters to hunt turkeys. Last year DIF&W sold only 16,000 turkey hunting permits and estimated that no more than 5,000 of us hunted turkeys in the fall.
    The current population in Maine is 65,000 to 75,000 wild birds and growing.

Senator Paul Davis, the bill’s sponsor, did a great job of presenting the bill, while acknowledging he’d received a letter from Commissioner Chandler Woodcock reporting that he didn’t want to lose the $300,000 the agency now gets from the sale of turkey permits. Senator Davis did note that the agency currently has a surplus of more than $1 million. He also noted that at a farm near his Sangerville home, he frequently sees 200 to 300 wild turkeys.

Representative Jeff Timberlake, whose family owns a large apple orchard in Turner, also gave compelling testimony, suggesting that for turkeys we should allow year-round hunting with no bag limits. Yes, Maine farmers hate turkeys.

Jeff reported that their orchard has spent over $250,000 putting up deer fences but turkeys just fly over them. And turkeys are very destructive. The population is growing rapidly on their farm, costing more than $1 million in crop damage each year. “They don’t like Macintosh or Cortland apples,” he reported.  “They like Honey crest and Gala - the most valuable apples). They take a peck out of every apple. They can devastate an orchard in an afternoon. And they are hard to kill. They are smart. Bringing them to the state of Maine was a terrible mistake,” he concluded.

That last statement drew some discussion. While I love to hunt turkeys, I recognize the legitimacy of the argument that reintroducing turkeys, which cause so many problems for farmers and woodland owners, can be challenged given that only 16,000 of us hunt them.

Tom Doak, executive director of the Maine Woodland Owners, also did a good job speaking in support of the bill.

“The reestablishment of wild turkeys in Maine has succeeded beyond pretty much everyone’s expectations,” said Tom. “The wild turkeys can now be found in abundance in many areas of the state, including some areas where they apparently never naturally occurred. Our support of the principles behind this bill are based on the concerns that turkeys are fast on their way of becoming nuisance wildlife in areas of the state.

“What started out as a genuine success story to be celebrated – the reestablishment of wild turkeys has the potential, and is some cases is, turning into ‘why did we bring these birds back’ moments,” testified Tom.

Opponent

The only opponent to the bill was Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Wildlife Division Director Judy Camuso delivered that testimony, stating that “The Department is opposed to this bill because it does not allow us to manage Maine’s wild turkey population based on biological principles and sound science.”

Judy also noted that a survey conducted in 2015 found that “overall Maine’s public is very satisfied with the management and population levels of Maine’s Big Game species.”

Judy did offer two suggestions that, in my earlier testimony, I’d encouraged the committee to include in my bill.

“Two key management strategies recommended in the draft big game management plan (for turkeys) are:

• Refine the turkey management system in order to adjust harvest of female wild turkeys during fall by altering bag limits and season lengths in response to information on wild turkey populations trends and weather conditions and
• Request an adjustment to statute to give the Department the ability to alter bag limits and season frameworks through rulemaking.

Neutral

Both the Maine Professional Guides Association and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine testified “neither for nor against” the bill.

Don Kleiner, speaking for the Guides Association, recommended “that instead of doing what this bill asks as far as setting seasons and bag limits, you give the Commissioner the authority to set bag limits and provide him or her with broad guidelines for what seasons would best be held.”

Don also said, “With permit sales declining we need a real strategy to encourage increased participation from both resident and nonresident hunters. Removing the fee…does not meet the longer term goal of providing a funding source for improved management that we all agree is needed.”

“The department has not done a good job of promoting the hunt or educating potential turkey hunters and we would ask that you give them strong encouragement in that direction.”

David Trahan, SAM’s executive director, said that although his organization supports “some of the concepts within LD 98, we don’t support some.  We do not support expanding spring bag limits, but do support fall bag limits expansion for areas the department deems appropriate. We are reluctant to expand turkey bag limits statewide when the department is still trying to grow the population.”

My Testimony

In 2014, the legislature enacted my proposal to reduce the turkey permit fee and expand the seasons and bag limits.

The final bill in 2014 reduced the turkey hunting permit to $20 for both residents and nonresidents, with no additional fee for a second Tom in the spring, expanded the fall season to the entire month of October and added a second turkey of either sex to the fall bag limit, reduced the tagging fee from $5 to $2 for each turkey (with all of the fee going to the tagging agent), extended the spring season to all-day, and authorized all-day hunting for Youth Day.

Today’s bill would eliminate the permit requirement and fee, allow on-line and phone tagging, and expand the bag limits to three toms in the spring season and three birds of either sex in the fall season. I tried to eliminate the permit and fee in 2014, and believe that is going to be essential if we’re going to get more hunters to hunt turkeys.

Last year DIF&W sold only 16,000 turkey hunting permits and estimated that no more than 5,000 of us hunted turkeys in the fall.

DIF&W is currently completing work on a new turkey management plan. And I am pleased to report that the goals, objectives, and strategies in the new plan support the provisions in this bill. For example, the department hopes to increase the number of turkey hunters to at least 20,000 by 2022. In my mind, that is far too modest a goal, but at least they recognize the need to get more hunters out there after turkeys.

And the easiest way to do that is to eliminate the permit and fee. That would, for example, allow our 50,000 grouse hunters to shoot a turkey if they saw one in October while hunting grouse. And really, why not?

We also need to make it easier to let the agency know we killed a turkey. There are not as many turkey tagging stations as deer tagging stations, and some hunters have to drive 30 miles to tag their turkeys. I know that some just don’t bother, and drive on home with their turkey. I think they’ll actually get a more accurate count by allowing online and phone tagging.

I also hope you will eliminate the $2 tagging fee for those using the online and phone system. It is not reasonable for DIF&W to get an additional fee when they ask us to let them know what we harvested.

And clearly, we need to harvest more turkeys. Turkeys are really my secret weapon to access private lands and farms to hunt. They all beg me to come shoot their turkeys! The new plan includes an objective to reduce turkey complaints by landowners. The obvious way to do that is to let us shoot more turkeys. I promise you, landowners and farmers will be delighted.

In the new turkey management plan, one objective of the agency is to adjust the statute to give them flexibility to increase turkey bag limits and seasons through rulemaking. In addition to specifying the new bag limits we suggest in this bill, you could use the bill to give the agency the authority they seek. The new plan also seeks authorization for the agency to “establish wild turkey hunts in hotspot areas of conflict.” Great idea! And I hope you will use this bill to give them that authority.

Last Session

We had a lot of support for the bill last session, including from three legislators who own farms. But even with all of that support, I had little hope that much would be done because DIF&W opposed the bill.

But DIF&W’s Judy Camuso, at the final work session on the bills, delivered a big surprise, informing the IF&W Committee that the department had decided to support many of the proposals, all of which were then enthusiastically embraced by the committee. Truly, I was astonished. I was also very pleased when the department informed the Appropriations Committee that it could absorb the estimated loss of $100,000 of fees that would occur because of the reduction in the permit fee. That was very helpful in getting the bill to final enactment.

Conclusion

Now I know that getting a bill through the legislative process is a lot harder than harvesting a turkey, but I know you are up to the task, and I hope you are willing to embrace the changes we propose. Thanks!

Dale Hubbard’s Testimony

Dale Hubbard, an avid and experience turkey hunter, was unable to attend the hearing, but sent me this testimony to present to the IFW Committee.

My name is Dale Hubbard and except for 22 years as a Naval Officer, I have lived in Hartland since 1948. I started hunting turkeys in 1985 when I was stationed in New York state. I've since pursued them in Vermont,

Idaho, here in Maine and I continue to return to N.Y. to continue that tradition with good friends who also journey here to do the same.

Here's my impression and opinion, being a lifetime hunter and a 30+ year turkey hunter.     The numbers of hunters, in general, are down and turkey hunters are down significantly.  License fees, special turkey permit fees, limited tagging stations and tagging fees all contribute to this lack of interest. It is expensive and too much hassle for what you get. Rollback of license costs, expanded hunting opportunities and increased limit are all great ideas for breathing some life back into this hunting opportunity.

Make the experience easy, a small game classification with a harvest report online or by phone will reward the state with a more accurate picture for meaningful game management. (This was related to me years ago by New York's Dept. of Environmental Conservation while I was researching another "turkey bill") Also, while the committee debates this bill, don't forget our out of state friends, get them here once and they may come back for multi-season hunts.
I strongly support this bill and approval, combined with our all day spring hunting hours, it will be a serious incentive for resident and out-of-state turkey hunters.
Thank you for the chance to put in my "two cents.” - Dale Hubbard, Hartland