Family-Outdoors

The S.D. Parks and Wildlife Foundation recently announced a $2 million gift from the Robert and Rita Elmen Foundation designated to “provide quality enhancements to create a world class visitor center and theater for Good Earth State Park.” “The Native American history was what initially grabbed our attention,” said Robert Elmen. “I researched what other sites with so many mounds and artifacts had done to interpret history for visitors. I found that a state-of-the-art visitor center that would do justice to Good Earth would cost more than the State of South Dakota anticipated. This gift to the Foundation will make it possible to properly interpret the centuries of culture reflected at Good Earth.” Because the gift will be completed over a period of 25 years, the Department of Game, Fish and Parks has introduced House Bill 1013 to authorize the South Dakota Building Authority to seek bond financing to utilize this gift for construction of a visitor center and associated interpre...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released the final habitat conservation plan for the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm in northwestern Indiana. The Service has also finalized an environmental impact statement that addresses impacts to the endangered Indiana bat and the human environment. The habitat conservation plan developed by Fowler Ridge includes measures for the long-term conservation of Indiana bats at the Fowler Ridge facility. The Fowler Ridge Wind Farm currently includes 355 wind turbines in Benton County, with plans for up to 94 additional turbines. Two occurrences of Indiana bat mortality have been discovered and reported by Fowler Ridge during surveys at the facility. The plan accompanies an application by Fowler Ridge for an incidental take permit. Under the Endangered Species Act, companies like Fowler Ridge may obtain a permit that allows limited take of threatened or endangered animals, provided an approved habitat conservation plan is in...

A composite image of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore facing north after a winter storm. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Did you know the Great Lakes have thousands of feathered friends floating out there right now? Have you ever wondered how duck, geese and swan populations are tracked? The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with many other states in the nation, estimate duck, geese and swan populations (waterfowl) by looking at areas that traditionally hold birds in January – the open water. “Anytime Mother Nature causes wildlife to naturally group together, surveying can be much more efficient,” said DNR wildlife biologist Mark Monroe. “Looking for birds by truck or plane at the same time across the nation gives agencies a great feel for populations and habitat trends.” From Jan. 5-11,DNR staff visited (either by plane or truck) the same areas that have been surveyed in the past, not just to count waterfo...

It’s  10 o’clock  on a summer night along a gravel road anywhere in Iowa. In the farm pond next to the road a raucous chorus of male frogs are making themselves heard as they vie for mates.  A volunteer stands clipboard in hand, ear cocked, mentally sorting out each of the calling species and the number of individuals using this seemingly ordinary pond.  Skip to a Saturday morning by the river where another volunteer has binoculars trained on the tallest tree in the area.  In this tree is a one ton nest, home to two bald eagles and their young.  Are there two or three young in that nest?  Hard to tell and a follow up visit will be needed; in the meantime, notes are taken and a peaceful hour is spent watching one of the most spectacular birds in North America.  These volunteers collecting data were trained through Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Program.   “We don’t have enough staff in the D...

English: crop of File:Bgforhunting.jpg Taken by Dr. F Eugene Hester. Picture supplied by Fish and Wildlife Service Website. http://www.fws.gov/hunting/ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in partnership with the Minnesota Waterfowl Association and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, hosts the 17th annual Minnesota Waterfowl Symposium, Saturday, February 1st, at the Mall of America Ramada, 2300 East American Boulevard, in Bloomington. The one-day conference is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  A host of hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and natural resource managers are expected to attend and celebrate Minnesota’s waterfowl and wetland resources. The Minnesota Waterfowl Symposium is geared toward giving Minnesota’s waterfowl hunters and enthusiasts the opportunity to interact with waterfowl biologists and managers representing various conservation agencies and organizations. This 17th symposium will focus on blue-winged teal, an important species to Mi...

Oregon Trail South of Three Island Crossing (Photo credit: gharness ) PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota State Parks Director Doug Hofer announced today that applications are being accepted for grants from the Recreation Trails Program (RTP). The grants will be available for trail projects sponsored by municipalities, counties, state parks, federal land management agencies or tribal governments. “When it comes to promoting healthy communities, recreational trails are key,” Hofer said. “As safe corridors for exercise and recreation, trails give families the opportunity to spend quality time together and enjoy the natural beauty of our state.” The Recreational Trails Program provides partial reimbursement for approved trail projects. Eligible projects include construction of new public trails, rehabilitation of existing public trails, development of trail-related facilities and educational programs that relate to recreational trails. The application deadline is  Friday, April 11,...

Last year, more than 8,000 Iowa taxpayers helped boost wildlife conservation with donations to the Fish and Wildlife Fund on their tax form. It is the third year in a row donations to the fund have increased, a trend that Stephanie Shepherd, DNR diversity wildlife biologist, hopes to continue in 2014. “The number of Iowans donating to the fund is growing after a 10-year downward trend,” said Shepherd. “Those donations go directly to research and habitat development for some of Iowa’s most vulnerable animal species, so the funds are very important for natural resources.” According to Shepherd, 8,000 Iowans donated almost $133,000 last spring when completing their 2012 tax forms. The Fish and Wildlife Fund, known popularly as the “Chickadee Check-off,” is a mechanism the Iowa Legislature created in the 1980s for Iowa citizens to donate to wildlife conservation on the Iowa state tax form. At its height, Iowans donated more than $200,000 annually to the fund. According to Shepherd, ...

Lake Superior shore at Presque Isle Park in winter (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Women seeking the opportunity to improve their outdoor skills are invited to register for the 13th annual Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) winter program in the Upper Peninsula. The program will be held in Big Bay the weekend of  Friday, Feb. 28 to Sunday, March 2 . Sponsored by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, this program offers instruction in more than a dozen types of indoor and outdoor activities, including cross-country skiing, dog sledding, ice fishing, fly tying, wilderness first aid, wood burning and more. Instructors provide basic and advanced instruction that is tailored to each participant's individual ability. The program takes place at Bay Cliff Health Camp, a universally accessible facility, located in a picturesque wooded setting overlooking Lake Superior approximately 30 miles north of Marquette. The $180 registration fee includes all food and lodging, as well...

Duck season is currently open for Zone 2. For zone maps and complete waterfowl hunting wildlifedepartment.com .   NORTHWEST    Canton - Zone 1 :  Water level is 12.8 feet below normal. Habitat conditions are poor at the current lake level. Winter wheat around the lake is in fair condition. Row crops have been harvested and are in good condition. Goose numbers are low. Hunter activity is low. Hunter success for geese is unknown. The northwest portion of the lake is dry, and the only usable boat ramp is at the Canadian Campground day use area. regulations log on to   Fort Supply- Zone 1 : Water level is .59 feet above normal. Habitat conditions are poor. Local winter wheat is in poor condition. Goose numbers are low. Hunter activity is moderate. Hunter success is good. Goose numbers have decreased considerably over the past week. The lake and sloughs are currently 100% open and clear of ice. SOUTHWEST   Ft. Cobb - Zone 2 : Water level is 5.76 feet...

Gene Hause of Lomega caught a 5 1/4 lb. rainbow trout at Roman Nose State Park on Saturday, January 18, while fishing with his son-in-law.  CENTRAL Arcadia : Elevation normal, water 36 and murky. All fishing fair. Report submitted by Shelia Hutton. Draper : January 19. Elevation 1 3/4 ft. below normal, water 39 and clear. Crappie fair on minnows at 8-10 ft. off fishing docks. All fishing slow. Report submitted by Chad Strang, game warden stationed in Cleveland County. Hefner : January 20. Elevation dropping, water 38-42 and clear. Largemouth and smallmouth bass slow. White bass and striped bass hybrids fair on jigs and grubs at 25-30 ft. along the dam. Channel and blue catfish good on cut bait at 30 ft. along the dam. Crappie good on slip corks, jigs and minnows at 20-30 ft. along the dam. Walleye slow. Report submitted by Lucky Lure Tackle. Overholser : January 21. Elevation normal, water 44 and murky. White bass fair on soft tail and feather tail ...

by Doug Reeves, assistant chief, DNR Wildlife Division I was outside, headed back to the house, when I heard a bird song that seemed to be a jumble of various noises. It was not a clear, predictable song, and much of it was what I would call a racket – sounding like a disturbed or distressed bird – but it was one that I had heard several times before. I knew it was a northern shrike. This makes the fourth year in a row that we have had at least one shrike visit our 40 acres. Previously, they were rare visitors that stopped in for a short time and then disappeared just as quickly. Lately they have been staying for prolonged periods. That may be because the mix of fields and brush suits them very well now. Northern shrikes have a subtle beauty, being varying shades of gray, white and black. The blocky head, black eye stripe and hooked beak are important identification marks. They tend to be quite visible much of the time, setting on electric lines, the tops of trees and other co...

Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge (Photo credit: USFWS Headquarters ) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Seeing wildlife conservation in action just gained even more appeal. America’s national wildlife refuges will offer free admission to visitors on these days in 2014: January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day February 15-17: Presidents’ Day weekend September 27: National Public Lands Day October 12: The first day of National Wildlife Refuge Week November 11: Veterans Day The fee holiday is an annual inducement to visit public lands. National wildlife refuges are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, part of the Department of the Interior. National wildlife refuges protect many iconic species, such as alligators and bison, whooping cranes, moose and puffins. And they do it on awe-inducing landscapes that range from Oregon’s rocky cliffs to Texas lagoons, from Maine wilderness to woods and fields inside the city of Philadelphia. There’s at least one national wildlife refuge in...

Great Lakes Temperature Map Click on the links below to jump to the report section that interests you most: Southeast Lower Peninsula Southwest Lower Peninsula Northeast Lower Peninsula Northwest Lower Peninsula Upper Peninsula As frigid temperatures blanket the state once again, fewer anglers are out  fishing. Those braving the cold are catching fish but the bite has slowed. River anglers are dealing with ice in many locations.    SOUTHEAST LOWER PENINSULA Lake Erie:  Still had some anglers taking a few perch in the Metro Park Marina. Catch rates at the Banana Dike were fair however the cold spell will more than likely slow the bite. Some were fishing at the marina near the mouth of the Huron River. Walleye anglers are fishing Brest Bay. Try 14 to 17 feet with orange and silver spoons tipped with a shiner.  Detroit River:  Airport Bay was producing some perch. Most are heading off Groh Road and taking Frenchman’s Creek out to the bay. Some a...