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 Hunters Shape Their Futureby Mark LaBarbera
"The conference was a huge success with the potential for accomplishing great things in the future," said Jeff Nass, President of the National Rifle Association’s chartered association in the state. "We look forward to working with this group and representatives from other groups that were unable to attend." His group, Wisconsin Firearm Owners, Ranges Clubs and Educators Inc. (Wisconsin FORCE), actively participated at the conference with leaders from Whitetails Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Wisconsin Deerhunters, Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, National Wild Turkey Federation, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, Wisconsin Bowhunters Association, Wisconsin Trappers Association and others, including members of local hunting clubs and the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. As a Life Member of North American Hunting Club, Safari Club, Mule Deer Foundation and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, I’ve heard fellow members share concerns about the next generation losing touch with nature and wondering what can be done to reconnect youngsters and introduce new ones to hunting, conservation and the shooting sports. Most people agree that there is no silver bullet. Read more here: Hunters register 5,433 birds in 2011 fall wild turkey hunt
The 5,433 registered birds compute to a success rate of 10 percent, a slight decrease from the 12 percent success rate for hunters during the 2010 fall season. “The fall turkey season, along with our spring season, continues to provide important recreational opportunities for Wisconsin’s hunters,” says Scott Walter, upland wildlife ecologist for the Department of Natural Resources. "Hunters that pursue turkeys during both the spring and fall seasons are really treated to two very distinctive outdoor experiences, and get to enjoy turkeys during very different phases of their annual cycle.” Hunting turkeys in the fall is quite different than taking part in the spring hunt, where hunters use the breeding behavior of gobblers to call one into range, he says. Fall hunters learn that the key to success is to pattern turkey flocks, and locating roost sites and feeding locations in order to get close to turkeys. The decline in harvest between the 2010 and 2011 fall seasons continues a downward trend in fall turkey harvest over the past seven years and likely reflects turkey numbers and hunting trends, Walter says. “Certainly, the previous three winters have stressed turkeys, and recent wet springs have likely limited production," he says. "Long-term, turkey populations – and the number of turkeys hunters encounter in the field – will ebb and flow in response to weather conditions that determine production levels." The fact that there are so many opportunities available to hunters in the fall also seems to have resulted in fewer hunters pursuing turkeys recently, with the number of fall permits sold declining steeply the past few years. This also has reduced the total number of birds harvested in the fall season, Walter says. Not including Fort McCoy, the total number of permits available statewide for the fall 2011 season was 95,700, the same as in 2010. A total of 54,949 permits were sold, including 41,332 via the drawing with another 13,617 permits sold over-the-counter after the drawing had been completed. Turkey permit levels for fall 2012 to be set this summer Permit levels for the 2012 fall season will be set this summer once harvest data for the spring 2012 season is available and biologists can assess spring production levels, Walter says. Permit applications for the 2012 fall season are due August 1st, 2012 “Statewide, the population of turkeys remains strong,” says Krista McGinley, DNR assistant upland wildlife ecologist. “Long-term, turkey numbers are primarily driven by the quality of habitat available and weather during the critical nesting brood-rearing period. "We’ve got excellent turkey habitat across the state, this winter’s been mild for turkeys and, given good production this spring, hunters should have an excellent opportunity to see turkeys and perhaps harvest a bird this coming spring and fall.” The number of permits available to hunters in each of the state’s seven Turkey Management Zones is recommended by members of the Wild Turkey Management Committee, who consider recent trends in harvest, hunter success, and turkey reproduction, as well as hunter densities and field reports of turkey abundance, when deciding on final permit numbers. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
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Showing posts with label Jeff Kelm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeff Kelm. Show all posts
Friday, March 2, 2012
Other News: S709
Thursday, February 9, 2012
DSORe eNews S706
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  • Meet Wisconsin’s new big-game ecologist • Tips for calling black bears and cougars   • Jeff competes in the Ice Fishing World Championship in Kazakhstan • Dan gears up for winter expo season |  eMail: outdoorsradio@gmx.com | ||||||||||||
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| INSTANT SURVEY VOTE ON - POLL S706 Do you favor the adoption of statewide fishing regulations for bass, muskies and northerns? |  | ||||||||||||
Advisory question will ask spring hearings attendees’ opinion on simpler regs This year’s spring fish and game rules hearings will feature a question aimed at determining whether sportsmen favor the elimination of the current north/south zone regulations for bass, muskies and northern pike. In the Jan. 27 issue of Wisconsin Outdoor News, editor Dean Bortz writes:“The DNR has managed bass, muskies and northern pike with different regulations for northern and southern zones for many years because spawning and growing seasons may differ from north to south. The agency is now wondering whether it still makes sense to have those zones because of variations in spawning seasons and weather patterns within the zones and from year to year. | |||||||||||||
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   When you leave a comment AND YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS, you are entered into the drawing - for a ... ZipVac portable vacuum sealer starter kit, complete with a rechargeable pump, a hand-operated pump and reusable, resealable storage bags. Follow ZipVac on Twitter and subscribe to the ZipVac blog. | |||||||||||||
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 THE EVENTS CALENDAR HAS BEEN MOVED DANSMALLOUTDOORS.COM/EVENTS•FISHING CONTESTS: Find them ALL online @ American Fishing Contests | |||||||||||||
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Free Turkey Hunter Education Clinics offered, starting in late February MADISON – Free turkey hunter education clinics will again be offered this year in Wisconsin. These free clinics are presented by volunteer instructors and are sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.Clinics typically last two to three hours and are designed to cover wild turkey biology and behavior, hunting methods, regulations, safety precautions and landowner/hunter ethics, as well as tips for scoring trophy birds and a few ideas for preparing turkeys at home. The turkey hunter education clinics are for all ages and experience levels, from beginning turkey hunters interested in learning wild turkey hunting techniques to experienced hunters looking to brush up on their skills and learn new techniques. These clinics will be held from late February through late March. Information and a listing of the dates and locations for each clinic will be available soon on the wild turkey page of the DNR website, or may be obtained by calling the DNR Customer Call Center from 7 a.m. through 10 p.m., seven days a week, at 1-888-WDNRINFo (1-888-936-7463). For the latest additions or changes to the schedule, please refer to the DNR website. Hunters may have noticed that the number of turkey hunter education clinics offered has gone down in recent years. Department staff and clinic instructors are planning how to combine the success of the turkey hunter education clinic program with that of the Learn to Hunt program. Over the years, as Wisconsin hunters have become adept at the art of turkey hunting, interest and participation in the turkey clinics have declined. However, novice turkey hunters will be well-served by the Learn to Hunt Turkey programs, which offer a valuable combination of classroom and field instruction as well as a hands-on mentored hunting experience. To learn more, visit the Learn to Hunt page of the DNR website. Read more here: FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Winds, fluctuating temperatures, runoff mean changing ice conditions for sturgeon seasonOSHKOSH, Wis. – Sturgeon spearers anxious to start the season this Saturday are urged to check with local clubs and sport shops around Lake Winnebago and the Upper River Lakes for the latest information on ice conditions and to keep safety as the top priority when participating in this year’s season.  As of Monday, the thickness ranged from 3 to 13 inches – and it has been constantly changing thanks to temperature fluctuations, runoff and wind. Department of Natural Resource conservation wardens in the spearing region credit local fishing clubs members for checking ice conditions and thickness. Despite poor ice conditions now, the spearing season is set and goes on as scheduled, according to Ron Bruch, DNR sturgeon biologist as Oshkosh. The long-range forecast over the possible 16-day season (if spearers do not reach a harvest cap that would close the season earlier) includes colder temperatures that could improve ice conditions. Sturgeon Spearing “Working with the public, Natural Resources Board, and the legislature, the DNR sets the seasons for fishing and hunting,” Bruch says. “The anglers, spearers, and hunters who participate in these seasons are responsible for their own actions in the pursuit of their sport. Sportsmen and women make their own decisions, and may elect not to go out on the lakes to fish during thunderstorms, to hunt during ice storms, nor to spear or ice-fish on marginal or dangerous ice. Make sure you use good judgment when going out there.” Winds can cause ice shifts which, in turn, cause cracks in the ice. Water flow from creeks that are running also help to weaken ice in spots. Read more here FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
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