Family-Outdoors

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that a subspecies of moose found in North Dakota and three other states could warrant federal protection. The finding opens a full status review by the USFWS to determine whether moose could be listed under the Endangered Species Act. State Game and Fish Department officials emphasize the finding merely initiates a status review of moose in the Upper Midwest, and it will not affect any current state regulations in the foreseeable future. The announcement concerns the population of the moose subspecies found only in the Midwest, including Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin in addition to North Dakota. Jeb Williams, Game and Fish Department wildlife division chief, said the Department will be providing data to show that the state’s moose population has been doing quite well for years. Williams mentioned if data on North Dakota's moose population had been considered in the petition's finding, it's possible the state...

Contact:  Lt. Pete Wright ,  906-228-6561  or  John Pepin ,  906-226-1352 Michigan Conservation Officers with the Department of Natural Resources are urging motorists to use caution and remember safety when stopping along Upper Peninsula roadways to view and photograph moose or other wildlife. In recent weeks, for example, moose have been seen with regularity along a section of U.S. 41 west between Ishpeming and Humboldt in western Marquette County. “In many cases, motorists stopping along the highway to take pictures of these moose have created traffic hazards and unsafe conditions for pedestrians,” said DNR conservation officer Mark Leadman. “These dangerous actions could cause serious injuries or fatalities.” Conservation officers and police have observed motorists opening doors into traffic, stopping in traffic lanes, making illegal U-turns, not slowing down in areas congested with parked vehicles and pedestrians. Pedestrians have also walked or r...

Mule deer  Mule Deer  populations are looking better - so says a recent study done by the ND Game and Fish Department.  This study shows the population up by 21% over last year.  The factors cited include better fawn survival and a moratorium over the last four years on antlerless mulies. Pronghorn  hunters did well with on overall success rate of over 80% with an average of just over two days hunting per hunter. Next year's season will be announced in July. Moose  and Elk  lottery results are in and can be viewed here .  Those successful should receive written notification this week. A bighorn sheep lottery is to be held in September after the population numbers have been assessed.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources asks those who live in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, or those who are just visiting, to share any moose sightings through the  Moose Observation Report form , now available online. The DNR has been monitoring Michigan's moose population since the species’ reintroduction to the state in the 1980s. To estimate the population status of Michigan moose, the DNR conducts aerial surveys across the core moose range in the western Upper Peninsula. When determining the aerial survey sample area, observation reports are important resources that help to identify where resident moose occur. “Observation reports give insight to where resident moose are being seen in the U.P., allowing us to assess the distribution prior to conducting the aerial survey,” said Chad Stewart, deer, elk and moose management specialist for the DNR. “The survey is an important tool that provides an abundance estimate of moose in Michigan. Using ...

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) North Dakota’s 2014 bighorn sheep, elk and moose proclamation is finalized and most season information is the same as last year. The bighorn sheep season will have five licenses available, one more than last year. Licenses in Unit B1 increased from one to two due to skewed male-female ratios caused by declining numbers of females. Unit B2, which was created to prevent overharvest of Sully Creek rams, has been immersed into B1 due to low numbers in the area. Similar to last year, collared rams may not be harvested in Unit B3. The season length has been extended to two months, and the new opening date corresponds with the peak of the rut to improve prospects of finding mature rams. A total of 261 elk licenses are available to hunters this fall, the same as in 2013. A total of 937 elk – including 701 adult cows – were taken out of the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park during the National Park Service’s reduction effort from 2010-201...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia) Harvest statistics released by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department show overall hunter success during the 2013 season for bighorn sheep was 100 percent, 91 percent for moose and 50 percent for elk. The department issued three bighorn sheep licenses and auctioned one. All four hunters harvested a bighorn ram. The department issued 111 moose licenses last year. Of that total, 111 hunters harvested 101 animals – 85 bulls and 16 cows/calves. One additional license was raffled by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the hunter was unsuccessful in harvesting a moose. Harvest for each unit follows: Unit Hunters Bulls Cow/Calf Success Rate M5 5 1 4 100 M6 15 4 6 67 M8 15 14 1 100 M9 25 22 2 96 M10 51 44 3 92 The department issued 271 elk licenses last year. Of that total, 255 hunters harvested 127 elk – 77 bulls and 50 cows/calves. One additional licen...