Family-Outdoors

(Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters to bring their young hunters to one of Michigan's managed waterfowl hunt areas in October and November for a memorable experience. Hunters can choose from several dates and locations. Parties with at least one youth will be given priority in the draw at all seven locations: Oct. 25  – Nayanquing Point Wildlife Area (afternoon hunt only) in  Pinconning Oct. 26  – Muskegon County Wastewater (morning and afternoon hunts) in  Twin Lake Nov. 1   –  Fish Point State Wildlife Area (afternoon hunt only) in  Unionville Nov. 1   –  Fennville Farm Unit of the Allegan State Game Area (morning hunt only) in Fennville Nov. 8   –  Shiawassee River State Game Area (afternoon hunt only) in  St. Charles Nov. 9   –  Pointe Mouillee State Game Area (morning hunt only) in  Rockwood Nov. 14   –  Harsens Island Managed Hunt A...

Youths in the southern and eastern parts of Oklahoma will be able to get an early jump on duck season this weekend. Youth waterfowl hunting days will be Oct. 18-19 in Waterfowl Zone 2, providing two additional days outside of the regular waterfowl seasons for hunters 15 and younger.    The regular season for ducks, mergansers and coots is already open in the three Panhandle counties. The season will open Oct. 25 in Zone 1, and Nov. 1 in Zone 2. Goose hunting season will open Nov. 1 statewide.    Any youth hunting during the special early waterfowl weekend must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older who is hunter education certified (unless exempt). The adult hunter may not hunt ducks, mergansers or coots, but may participate in other open seasons. All daily bag limits for waterfowl are the same as those for the regular seasons.    Duck population numbers were strong this past breeding season, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 's 2014 Wat...

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Since 1975, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Cy Curtis Awards Program has recognized deer hunters who harvest a trophy buck in Oklahoma. Soon, hunters who bag a trophy elk, black bear or pronghorn antelope in Oklahoma also will be able to collect a Cy Curtis Award.    Jerry Shaw, regional supervisor for the Wildlife Department, outlined future changes to the Cy Curtis Awards Program during the May 5 meeting of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission in Oklahoma City.    "If you would've asked me when I started 20 years ago if we would ever be putting black bears in our Cy Curtis book, I would have said no. But here we are!" Shaw said, alluding to the many successes of the Department's wildlife management programs over the past several decades.     For decades, only those hunters who harvested a whitetail or mule deer buck that met the minimum score for antler size were eligible for a Cy Curtis...

The hunting industry and sportspersons' groups are once again stepping up to support hunting and wildlife management in Michigan by sponsoring the sixth annual Pure Michigan Hunt. “We have the greatest sportspersons' groups and hunting industry right here in Michigan,” said Department of Natural Resources wildlife outreach technician Katie Keen. “It’s great that we can work together to help the resource, as well as making the dreams of three lucky hunters come true.” Every year, three winners are chosen by random drawing to win hunting licenses and gear. Each winner is awarded an elk, bear, spring and fall turkey, and antlerless deer license, as well as first pick opening morning at any managed waterfowl area. In addition to the licenses, winners receive prize packages donated by sportspersons' groups and the hunting industry that have totaled in value over $4,000 each. Shotguns, rifles, crossbows, camouflage clothing and memberships to natural resources group...

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is making it easier for Michigan seniors age 65 and older to get a price break on the hunt/fish combo license. The new senior hunt/fish combo license includes a fishing license (good for all legal species), a base hunting license and two deer licenses for $43. When purchasing the 2014 licenses without a senior discount, seniors who purchased the regular hunt/fish combo license paid $76. The only way to get a senior discount on these items was to purchase them separately as senior licenses. The newly packaged discounted license is available for purchase as of April 14. In addition, resident seniors who paid the higher $76 price for a 2014 license will be receiving a letter from the DNR offering a refund of $33 -- the difference between the regular hunt/fish combo and the senior hunt/fish combo. "When the license year began on  March 1 , we had quite a few seniors who qualified for discounts on individual licenses but were buyi...

 (Photo credit: Odalaigh ) The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission finalized the 2014 elk hunting seasons at their April meeting in Oacoma. The Custer State Park elk hunting season will run from  Sept. 20-Oct. 5  with five “any elk” licenses available, one of which is set aside for a successful entrant in a raffle conducted by a nonprofit organization dedicated to big game management. The Custer State Park early archery elk hunting season will run from  Sept. 1-30  with four “any elk” licenses available. The Black Hills archery elk hunting season will have 92 “any elk” and 15 “antlerless elk” licenses available for the season running  Sept. 1-30 . Unit 7 for the archery season was also changed; with the area east of Interstate 90 being removed and placed in Unit 9 of the prairie elk hunting season. The Black Hills elk hunting season will have 420 “any elk” and 250 “antlerless elk” licenses available for the season that will run  Oct...

Hunters need park-specific permit to hunt those parks; other parks are open to any hunters MADISON - Turkey hunters interested in hunting in a Wisconsin state park during the 2014 Wisconsin spring turkey hunting season should note that the 16 state parks that were open to spring turkey hunting prior to 2014 are still designated as special turkey hunting zones. "To hunt in the 16 state parks with designated turkey zones, a person must have a turkey hunting permit that is issued specifically for that zone," said Scott Loomans, wildlife regulations specialist for the Department of Natural Resources. "The 2012 law opening state park properties to hunting did not eliminate the established state park turkey zones that are set in current administrative codes." State park spring turkey zone permits are issued through the same permit application process as permits for regular turkey zones. Hunters had to apply for those permits by the Dec. 10 application deadli...

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The electrifying gobble of wild turkeys will grip hunters, beginning with youth season hunters, who head to the woods as early as Saturday in pursuit of Iowa’s big game bird. “It should be a great year. We had an excellent turkey reproduction during the 2012 drought year. There should be quite a few two year old gobblers out there, this spring,” forecasts Todd Gosselink, wild turkey research biologist with the Iowa DNR.  Iowa’s youth season runs April 5-13; allowing an under 16 hunter and a licensed, adult mentor, first crack at a spring tom.  The first of four regular seasons dawns April 14-17 across the state. Ensuing seasons are April 18-22, April 23-29, and April 30-May 18. Paid combination gun/bow tags are valid statewide in the season selected. Archery-only tags are valid statewide, throughout the four regular seasons. A late bonus for youth hunters was approved by the Iowa Legislature several weeks ago, allowing that hunter to ...

 The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) has selected four individuals to be recognized as Regional Habitat Partners of the Year. Private landowners from around the state are nominated by GFP staff based on how they use available state and federal programs to improve habitat on their land, create innovative habitat efforts and demonstrate leadership in promoting habitat development and partnerships. The award recognizes individuals who have established and enhanced habitat for fish and wildlife in South Dakota. The 2014 regional award recipients are: West Region: Clifford Poss, Philip Central Region: Larry Kindopp, Sioux Falls Southeast Region: Del Ochsner, Alpena Northeast Region: Dennis Skoog, Milbank “These award recipients are great examples of the many private partners our department relies on to ensure that South Dakota’s wildlife resources remain strong for years to come,” said Tom Kirschenmann, chief wildlife biologist for GFP. “Private landowne...

Anglers and hunters are reminded to be wary of ground conditions when traveling to and from a favorite fishery or hunting location. Greg Power, fisheries chief for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said with fishing good statewide, many anglers are taking advantage of late-season ice and early-season shore fishing. “However, travel can be difficult this time of year with the soft conditions,” Power said. “We urge anglers to use common sense when conditions are likely to cause problems with township roads and access points.” Wildlife chief Randy Kreil said spring snow goose and turkey hunters are encouraged to maintain positive landowner/hunter relations. “We ask hunters to be cognizant of these conditions,” Kreil said. “Driving on soft, muddy roads and trails is strongly discouraged.” Hunters are advised to seek permission before attempting any off-road travel on private land. Related articles Ice Awareness for Hunters, Anglers from ND...

Youths can log on to  wildlifedepartment.com  any time through  April 18  and apply completely online for the 16th Annual Wildlife Youth Camp.        The weeklong event is slated this year for  June 22-27  at Oklahoma University Biological Station at Lake Texoma. The camp is run entirely by employees of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and aims to teach youth about the rewards offered by a career in wildlife - be it as a game warden, fish and wildlife biologist or even a communications or education specialist.      The free camp increases awareness of conserving and managing Oklahoma's wildlife resources through courses on wildlife-related career opportunities, rifle and shotgun training, archery, wildlife identification, wildlife law enforcement, fishing, fisheries management, ropes, swimming, turkey and waterfowl hunting, management and law enforcement.      "We urg...

Though the weather is decidedly wintry, spring is coming and with it the turkey hunting season. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds hunters to check their spring turkey drawing results and the availability of leftover licenses, now online  at  www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings . Leftover spring turkey licenses go on sale to unsuccessful license applicants at  10 a.m.  Monday, March 10. Licenses go on sale to all other hunters, including those who did not participate in the application process, at  10 a.m. Monday, March 17 . Leftover licenses will be sold until quotas are met. "Hunters looking for the greatest flexibility may wish to purchase a Hunt 234 license, which will be available  March 17 at 10 a.m. ," said DNR upland game bird specialist Al Stewart. "The Hunt 234 license is valid from  May 5-31  and includes all open areas of the state except the public lands of southern Michigan. New this year, hunters may purchase Hunt 234 th...

North Dakota’s spring light goose season opens  Feb. 15  and continues through  May 18 . Residents can hunt during the spring season by having last fall’s 2013-14 bird licenses. Otherwise, hunters will need to purchase either a 2014-15 combination license; or a small game, and general game and habitat license. Nonresidents, regardless of age, need a 2014 spring light goose season license. The cost is $50 and the license is good statewide. Nonresidents who hunt the spring season remain eligible to buy a fall season license. The spring season does not count against the 14-day fall hunting season regulation. A federal duck stamp is not required for either residents or nonresidents. Licenses are available only from the Game and Fish Department’s Bismarck office, the department’s website  at  gf.nd.gov , or by calling  (800) 406-6409 . Availability of food and open water dictate when snow geese arrive in the state. Early migrants general...