Family-Outdoors

The Eastern Oklahoma County Struttin' Hens will hold a Women In The Outdoors event  June 13  at the Arcadia Conservation Education Area in Edmond. Women In The Outdoors (WITO) is a women-only program sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation. Expert instructors will teach outdoor skills related to hunting, camping, cooking, fishing and anything outdoors.      "This program helps women develop outdoor skills like fishing and hunting, but it also offers activities like basket weaving, jewelry making, bird watching and primitive cooking. I attended an event last year and had a blast," said Jennifer Benge, information and education technician for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. This program is a hands-on, educational, outdoor opportunity for girls and women 14 and older. Space is limited. The cost to attend the event is $65, which includes a one-year subscription to "Turkey Country" magazine and a one-year membership to the National...

Coralville Reservoir and dam on the Iowa River near Coralville, Iowa, USA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) A flip of the switch cranks up the generator. Adam Thiese peers over the bow and guard rail; an eight foot dipping net in hand. As long as he keeps a foot on the mat at his feet, a pulse of direct current travels out from the electrodes mounted on the side of the boat…through Coralville Reservoir. A similar safety mat is at the feet of boat operator Chris Mack, a few days ago in the shallows above and below Mehaffey Bridge. And the electroshocking run is starting to yield results. A couple drum—sheephead—wriggle to the surface. A white crappie, then a couple bluegills, dart erratically off to the side and then float. Thiese acts fast. The fish are not injured; just stunned. He works the net under, scooping them up out of the water. With a lean behind, he flips the net and the fish plop into an on-board holding tank. Working in 15 minute increments, fisheries workers hit the sam...

The Yellow Bank River as viewed downstream from County Road 15 in the Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Agassiz Township, Minnesota. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Happy 40th birthday  Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge ! Acquired as part of the Big Stone-Whetstone River Project of Minnesota and South Dakota, this refuge was created in 1975 and consists of 11,586 acres of tallgrass prairie, wetlands, granite outcrops, and river woodlands. In honor of this anniversary, we wanted to offer up a few highlights of what makes Big Stone so special. We focus much of our attention as land managers and biologists on wildlife and providing the basics of food, water and shelter for them. We often see our refuge lands through a “production” lens, in terms of increasing the diversity and population numbers of wildlife. Protecting intact habitats, in some cases, and totally rebuilding or restoring them in others is one direct way we can increase wildlife productivity. We fight to keep...

  A biologist prepares to swab a tri-colored bat during annual surveillance efforts. (Jena Donnell/ODWC) Three tri-colored bats,  Perimyotis subflavus,  from a privately owned cave in eastern Oklahoma's Delaware County have tested positive for the fungus,  Pseudogymnoascus destructans,  that is associated with the disease known as white-nose syndrome. This disease has been confirmed in seven hibernating bat species across the eastern United States. With these new findings, Oklahoma becomes the third state where the fungus has been confirmed, but the disease is not present.    Bats are crucial to a healthy ecosystem. They play a key role in keeping insect populations including agricultural pests and mosquitos under control. In cave systems, they also provide nutrients for other cave life through their droppings.    "While disheartening, these results are not totally unexpected," said Melynda Hickman, ...

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 This coming  Saturday, May 23  is the opening day of large and smallmouth bass season on the Great Lakes and all inland waters  except  Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River and the Detroit River which do not open until  Saturday, June 20 .  Those participating in catch-and-release have caught a good number of fish so the opener should be good.   SOUTHEAST LOWER PENINSULA Lake Erie:  Fishing was slow with the chilly weather but walleye were still being caught around Stony Point and the River Raisin buoys when trolling crawler harnesses in 18 to 22 feet.  The perch are few and far between but the white bass were everywhere and hard to keep off the lines.  Water temperatures were up near 58 degrees. H...

Numerous kids and their families participated in the 10th annual Urban Kids Fishin On Saturday, May 16, a burgeoning partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Urban American Outdoors TV was celebrated at the tenth annual Urban Kids Fishing Derby in Kansas City, Kansas. This year Midwest Region staff from Neosho National Fish Hatchery not only participated in the day’s activities, but also stocked the event’s pond with trout to make the day possible. Joining Neosho participants David Hendrix and Roderick May was the Service’s Deputy Director, Jim Kurth. The Urban Kids Fishing Derby highlights how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to efforts that help engage urban youths in the outdoors. Deputy Director Jim Kurth (far left) joined Wayne Hubbard (far right) of Urban American Outdoors and participants at the 10th annual Urban Kids Fishing Derby for a day of fishing and fun. Photo courtesy of Urban American Outdoors. Related articles Fish And Wi...

For lake locations, maps and other information, go to  www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/ FishingReports.aspx The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issues a weekly fishing report on Thursdays in an effort to provide the latest information heading into the weekend. The weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys, and county and state parks staff. For current information, contact the district fisheries office at the phone number listed at the end of each district report. NORTHWEST Brushy Creek Lake Walleye - Fair: Anglers have had some success fishing with leeches and live minnows with a slip bobber off the fishing jetties. Bluegill - Fair: Expect panfishing to pick up when the weather warms. Muskellunge - Good: Anglers have had good success fishing muskies. Many fish are 30 to 40 inches. Storm Lake (including Little Storm Lake) Boaters should use caution around the dredge barge, booster pump barge, and pipelin...