DSORadio | Other News: safety

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Other News: S736

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Fall wild turkey and ruffed grouse seasons open Sept. 15

MADISON – The 2012 fall wild turkey and ruffed grouse seasons are set to open, and state wildlife officials say that hunter prospects are good for both seasons. The turkey season will open statewide at the start of shooting hours on Sept. 15, as will the grouse season in Zone A. Grouse hunters interested in pursuing grouse in southeastern Wisconsin should be aware that the grouse season does not open until Oct. 20 in Zone B.

Overall, Wisconsin’s statewide wild turkey population remains strong, and wildlife officials have set the number of fall turkey permits available at 96,700, a 1,000-permit increase over the number of permits offered during last year’s fall turkey season. Permits were increased by 600 in Zone 2 and by 400 in Zone 7 in order to better accommodate demand by hunters.

Ruffed grouse populations in Wisconsin appear to be entering a downswing, according to this spring’s drumming survey results. Ruffed grouse populations are known to boom and bust over an 8-11 year period, and the index that the state uses to track ruffed grouse numbers decreased statewide by 25 percent between 2011 and 2012. This decrease isn’t a surprise, as Wisconsin was overdue for the expected downturn, but weather conditions in the spring were excellent for nesting and brood-rearing, and should mean a good year for reproduction. First-year birds may therefore help offset the cyclic downturn in numbers, and hunters can expect good hunting again during the 2012 season.

Fall wild turkey and ruffed grouse season dates and reminders

2012 Fall Wild Turkey Season Dates (all zones):

Sept. 15 through Nov. 15

2012 Fall Wild Turkey Extended Season Dates for Zones 1-5 ONLY:

Nov. 26 through Dec. 31

2012 Ruffed Grouse Season Dates:

Zone A: Sept. 15, 2012 through Jan. 31, 2013

Zone B: Oct. 20 through Dec. 8

2012 Woodcock Season
Sept. 22 through Nov. 5

For more information, see the Wisconsin wild turkey, ruffed grouse, and Harvest Information Program pages on the DNR website.

Read more here:

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Scott Walter, upland wildlife ecologist: (608) 267-7861

Krista McGinley, assistant upland wildlife ecologist: (608) 261-8458

Turkey and grouse hunting have special safety concerns

MADISON -- Hunters need to keep safety in mind when hunting turkey and grouse.

“There’s something very special about turkey and grouse hunting,” says Jon King Department of Natural Resources hunter education program administrator. “And with the enthusiasm that goes along with this type of hunting, we should all be mindful of making sure we return home safe and sound at the end of each hunt.”

Here are some things King says hunters need to keep in mind when going afield after ruffed grouse and fall turkey:

Follow the four basic rules of firearm safety: TAB+K.

Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.

Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.

Plan your hunt and hunt your plan.

Know your safe zone of fire, know where your hunting partners are and always advance forward in unison and don’t get ahead of or behind your hunting partner.

Be certain of your target and what’s beyond it.

Shooting into thick cover or heavy brush without positive identification can lead to a tragedy.

Wear blaze orange clothing and stay in visual contact with your hunting partners at all times. If you lose sight of each other, stop hunting, call, and listen until you locate each other.

Other hunters and non-hunters will be afield so take the time needed to ensure you have a safe shot.

Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until you’re ready to shoot.

34 percent of hunting incidents are self-inflicted and preventable.

King suggests that you advise someone else of where you will be hunting and when they should expect you back. If something should go wrong, at least someone will know where to start looking.

“Famed conservationist Aldo Leopold once wrote, ‘There are two kinds of hunting: ordinary hunting, and ruffed grouse hunting,’” King says. “Don’t let careless hunting practices spoil this special tradition.”

Read more here:

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jon King, hunter education program administrator: 608-575-2294

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Other News S728

Hunters called to protect state’s hunting heritage

We had 11 hunters, including five kids, at our deer camp last year. Sleeping arrangements were a bit complex, but we made it work. In the moments before dawn, all 11 were up and dressed ready to venture out to their posts to play an assigned role in the group hunt.

That’s hunting in Wisconsin -- steeped in tradition and family values. There are hunting families and camps that have persisted for generations. Others, like ours, can only claim a decade or two of fun stories. If you only talk with hunting friends – in person or electronically – it’s easy to get the feeling there will always be as many hunters as there are today.

A look at statistics gives a different picture, however. The total number of hunters the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reported to the federal government has declined from 770,000 in 2000 to about 704,000 in 2010. A recent demographic analysis published in Population and Environment predicts the number of resident male deer hunters will decline by more than 25 percent in the next 18 years. The figures predict an average decline of 1.6 percent per year with the drop off accelerating in the later years.

Moreover, DNR surveys reveal the number of small game hunters has declined by an average 2 percent per year for the past eleven years and attendance at Hunter Education courses has dropped by an average of 2 percent per year since 2000.

The evidence indicates we are at the beginning of a long, steady decline in number of hunters in Wisconsin. With more than 700,000 still hunting in the Badger State, should we respond now? Yes.

Yes, because we still have a lot of hunters. And, hunters are the only ones who will be able to ensure our future by mentoring new hunters. Further, there’s no successful model to follow for recruiting new hunters and hunter numbers are declining around the nation. We need time to learn what works for hunter recruitment in the 21st century.

Read more here:

For more information:

Keith Warnke - (608) 576-5243

Get specific advice for specific waters online and with one search

MADISON – It’s now easier than ever for anglers fishing Wisconsin waters to make sure their catch is safe to eat: Wisconsin's updated fish consumption advice for 2012 is available online and features a new search tool that delivers anglers simplified consumption advice for fish from specific waters to limit exposure to environmental contaminants that may be in the fish.

“Fish are a part of a healthy diet and fun to catch. Fishing gets us outdoors. We wanted to make it easier for anglers to get the right advice quickly and without having to look at different charts in our booklet,” says Candy Schrank, the Department of Natural Resources toxicologist who coordinates fish consumption advice. “We hope people will use the query tool frequently to check advice for eating fish from their favorite fishing spot.”

The new query tool can be found by going to the DNR website dnr.wi.gov and searching for “Eat Your Catch.” Development of this tool was supported by the Department of Health Services’ Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant. The grant also supported creation of Hmong and Spanish versions of a two-minute video about Wisconsin's fish consumption advice.

Read more here:

For more information:

Candy Schrank -(608) 267-7614

Dr. Henry Anderson - (608) 266-1253