Family-Outdoors

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced today registration is open for this winter’s “Becoming an Outdoors Woman” (BOW) program, which is set for  Feb. 26-28  in Marquette County. This winter will mark the 16th annual winter BOW gathering for women, 18 and older, who are seeking an opportunity to improve their outdoor skills in a relaxed, noncompetitive atmosphere. “Registration for this popular program is already filling up fast,” said Sharon Pitz, BOW program coordinator in Marquette. Typically, about 80 women attend the weekend’s activities. The BOW program is sponsored by the DNR and offers instruction in more than a dozen different types of indoor and outdoor activities, including cross-country skiing, archery, winter shelter building, ice fishing, fly tying, wilderness first aid, wood burning and more. Instructors provide basic and advanced teaching that is tailored to each participant's individual ability. The program also includes special even...

    Oklahoma's Cy Curtis Awards Program has recognized new state-record entries for typical elk and black bear.      Joe Kysela of Oklahoma City with his Cy Curtis Awards state-record   elk. (Photo Provided)     For nearly 15 years, the elk that Joe Kysela harvested on his first-ever elk hunt has made an impressive wall mount in his Oklahoma City home. Little did he realize that this elk would become the top-scoring typical elk in the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Cy Curtis Awards Program.         The elk that now holds the state record earned a score of 310 1/8. Kysela took the elk Oct. 7, 2000, on a private land hunt outside the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.     Kysela submitted his Cy Curtis application in late October, and his elk now holds the top spot previously held by Mark Thompson of Shawnee, whose elk scored 307 6/8.     In a Sunday Oklahoman newspaper account after th...

PIERRE, S.D. – As winter approaches, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) reminds resident hunters of a unique opportunity that could exist later this winter. GFP’s Wildlife Damage Management Program assists landowners with wildlife depredation abatement techniques. When other methods are ineffective, GFP may utilize hunters to help reduce damage caused by wildlife.   “Winter depredation hunts are a valuable management tool that GFP uses in some situations to alleviate wildlife damage to landowners’ stored-feed supplies,” said wildlife damage program administrator, Keith Fisk. “Depredation hunts are largely dependent upon the severity of the winter, snowfall accumulations and the number of animals involved.”   GFP has not used any depredation hunts the past few years due to mild winter conditions and lower deer and turkey populations. If extreme winter conditions cause wildlife to congregate near farmsteads and livestock feeds, depredation hunts may occur. South Dakota resi...

Opening weekend of quail season lived up to the high expectations of most hunters in Oklahoma, especially those hunting in western and northwestern areas of the state.     "It was as advertised," said John Bellah, president of the Central Oklahoma 89er Chapter of Quail Forever, referring to the annual roadside surveys and the 2015 Quail Season Outlook produced by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation indicating that the number of birds was higher this year.     Bellah, who has hunted quail the past 24 years, said this season's opener was "the best I've ever seen." He was with a large group of hunters in the Oklahoma Panhandle on    Bobwhite numbers in Oklahoma are up about 60 percent from last year, and field reports from hunters on opening weekend are supporting that report. (Jennifer Benge/ODWC) Saturday and Sunday, hunting on private land and on a wildlife management area. Altogether, several groups he was with moved about 20 coveys. ...

Recent Court Decision Makes Enrollment Available Again     The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) is encouraging oil and gas companies to enroll oil and gas leases and pipelines in a voluntary program to help conserve the lesser prairie-chicken. Because of a Sept. 1, 2015, federal court decision that vacated protection of the lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act, WAFWA's Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances is now open for new enrollments of oil and gas leases and pipelines.     The Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances provides industry with predictability for their operations should the lesser prairie-chicken again be listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The bird was listed as threatened in May 2014, but the court decision reversed that protection. Because of that decision, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved new enrollments by companies operating withi...

NORTHWEST Brushy Creek Lake Bluegill - Fair: Fish areas 10-20 feet deep with drop-offs and submerged structure. Black Crappie - Slow: Fish in 12-20 feet of water and near structure located in 35 feet of water. Yellow Perch - Fair: Fish near submerged structure using a minnow and spoon. Bacon Creek Lake Approximately 1,500 rainbow trout were stocked into Bacon Creek Lake on November 3rd. Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake) Walleye regulations for Storm Lake are three fish per day, all fish between 17 and 22 inches must be released and only one over 22 inches may be kept. Walleye - Fair: Some anglers have picked up walleye in the east part of the lake from boat and from shore. White Bass - Fair: Some white bass are being picked up from shore with crawlers and while fishing for walleye. Anglers have had success fishing near the inlet. Swan Lake A few catches of bluegill and crappie have been reported. Fishing activity has been slow. Black Hawk Lake Lake...

CENTRAL Hefner: November 24. Elevation normal, water 55-57 and clear. Walleye good on grubs and live bait along riprap and the canal mouth. White bass and striped bass hybrids fair on lipless baits and sassy shad around points and riprap. Crappie good on minnows and jigs around docks and riprap. Channel catfish fair on cut bait and stinkbait along riprap. Report submitted by Lucky Lure Tackle. NORTHEAST Kaw: November 23. Elevation normal, water 48 and stained. White bass good on Little George lures along riprap. Report submitted by Larry Green, game warden stationed in Osage County. Lower Illinois: November 22. Elevation normal, water 60 and clear. Trout fair on PowerBait and small lures below the dam and along the spillway. Report submitted by Jeremy Bersche, game warden stationed in Sequoyah County. Oologah: November 22. Elevation normal, water upper 50s. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 10-15 ft. around brush structure. Report submitted by Brek Henry, game warden stat...

 Southeast Lower Peninsula  Southwest Lower Peninsula  Northeast Lower Peninsula  Northwest Lower Peninsula  Upper Peninsula  Great Lakes Temperature Map Southeast Lower Peninsula Lake Erie :  Had some boats out but most were duck hunters.     Huron River :  Was giving up some steelhead in the lower river.   Detroit River :  The upper river has been good for muskie fishing.  Perch anglers are still getting some fish when the weather allows.  A few walleye were caught in the Trenton Channel.      Lake St. Clair :  Water temperatures fell quickly with the cold spell.  High winds have kept the lake muddied up and fishing reports have been slow.  Those targeting muskie have done well on both sides of the lake.  The Catch and Immediate Release sturgeon season closes on  Monday, November 30 .  Based on the forecast, it looks like DNR access sites will rem...