More than 500 young hunters will have access to high-quality deer hunting this fall at six state parks, one state recreation area, two military reservations, two refuges and a nature preserve.

“Special youth hunts are a great way to provide a safe, structured and fun opportunity for a youngster and their parent or guardian to spend some quality time outdoors,” said Mike Kurre, mentor program coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

PRATT -- For several years now, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) has offered hunter education courses that provide a large percentage of the work online, followed by a day of mostly field training, including live fire. Several days before the class, students log on the International Hunter Education Association's (IHEA) home study website, http://homestudy.ihea.com. Here, they are taken through several pages of information regarding hunter education, including introduction to hunter education, hunting safety, hunter responsibility, outdoor safety, wildlife conservation, and hunting opportunities.

New permit system designed to meet hunter demand, landowner preference
PRATT -- There is good news for nonresident deer hunters this year: all applicants for Nonresident Whitetail Either Sex Deer permits were successful. This is the first year all applicants have been successful, and this success is directly attributable to changes in the permit allocation process made by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) last year.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) will host the annual Southwest Youth Program at Scott State Park on Aug. 1 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Individuals attending the program will have the opportunity to draw one of 24 guided hunts, and two shotguns will be given away. To be eligible, youth must be at least 10 years old. Individuals older than 16 may participate in a guided hunt if they have never hunted before.

KDWP is looking for landowners to participate in a program that provides income in exchange for hunting access to their land. The program called the Special Hunts On Private Lands Program is trying to increase access in more urban areas of the state.

The Game, Fish and Parks Department has produced the backyard bird booklet to give readers tips on how to identify and attract birds. A bird checklist will help you document your growing bird list.

Wyoming- For more than 10 years Hunters in Wyoming and anglers The AccessYes program was set up shortly after the walk-in area program began as a method to provide a payment source to compensate landowners for providing access. Game and Fish state access coordinator Matt Buhler said that in 2008, hunters and fisherman gave $131,375 to AccessYes. An additional $45,261 was gifted by conservation organizations and sportsmen. "Most of the donations are made at the time of license purchase," according to Buhler.

Pratt's Annual Fishing Derby heads up a busy weekend in the State of Kansas

Pratt – We're getting to the heart of summer and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has plenty of fun outdoor activities for you to attend around the state. The weekend of June 13th is no exception and it is packed full of fishing derbies, OK Kids days, and more.

The National Wild Turkey Federation is introducing a brand-new, full-color publication-Turkey Country. The new magazine will take the place of the Federation's four main publications-Turkey Call, Women In The Outdoors, Get in the Game and Wheelin' Sportsmen-beginning in September 2009. "Turkey Country is not just a new name, it's an entirely new magazine," said Burt Carey, NWTF editorial director. "We're taking the best of all the NWTF's titles and rolling them into a brand-new, exciting book with a cutting edge look. It's the publication of the NWTF and all its programs."

EDGEFIELD, S.C.-The National Wild Turkey Federation distributed more than $314,000 in May 2009 as it continues to advance its mission of benefiting wildlife conservation and protecting hunting traditions. The monies are distributed to states and programs through the NWTF Hunting Heritage Super Fund.

The Hunting Heritage Super Fund supports the NWTF's multitude of conservation and education programs with money raised from NWTF Hunting Heritage Banquets, donated by corporate sponsors and given to benefit wildlife conservation.

Lake Quivira, Kans. - June 2, 2009 - Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) announce a $1 million pledge from Duayne Madl, 59, of Lake Quivira, Kansas to PF's Grassroots Conservation Campaign . A Patron Member of PF and a QF member, Madl made the significant financial commitment because of his strong belief in the wildlife habitat conservation mission of PF/QF.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) has announced that there will be no paper applications or mail-in forms for 2009 antelope permits. All applications must be submitted online. The application deadline is midnight June 12. Those who applied last year will not receive an application in the mail this year.

With enough noise and grunting to wake a deaf man (which pretty much describes me), two bears came crashing out of the dense Canadian bush on a dead run and stopped suddenly, smack dab in the middle of the clearing my stand overlooked. I had spent the last five hours napping and reading the better portions of a Reader’s Digest magazine, while consuming too much hard candy.

CHEYENNE-- May is certainly not the time when big game hunts take place in Wyoming, but it is the time when residents start making plans for their fall hunting trips. The month of May is the resident application period for limited quota elk, deer and antelope licenses.

The application deadline is normally May 31, but since that falls on a weekend this year, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will accept applications received by 5 p.m. mountain time on June 1. The Game and Fish advises hunters that all applications must be received in the Cheyenne office by the deadline date to be entered in the drawing regardless of the postmark date.

CODY--The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has unveiled a new grizzly bear management Web page on the department's Web site. The new page provides up-to-date information on grizzly bear conflict, research and education efforts, including weekly updates on bear management activities in Wyoming.

The 13,727 acre-Kansas Army Ammunition Plant (KSAAP), 3 miles east of Parsons, will conduct an archery deer hunt on Nov. 3-Nov. 15. Permits will be issued through a drawing. All hunters must be at least 16 years old and have successfully completed a hunter education course. Archery hunters must use a recurve bow, longbow, or compound bow. A doe must be harvested prior to harvesting an antlered deer. Hunters may elect to harvest a second doe. The application deadline for the archery deer hunt drawing is Aug. 20.

Applicants must mail their full name, drivers license number, social security number, birth date, address and phone number on a 3x5 index card enclosed in an envelope to Commander’s Representative, KSAAP, ATTN: SJMKS-NR, 23018 Rooks Road, Parsons, KS 67357. Hunters may apply alone, or pairs may apply by submitting information for both hunters on the same index card. The information provided will be used to conduct mandatory background checks for successfully-drawn applicants. Incomplete or incorrect entries will not be accepted.

CHEYENNE-- If the winter of 2008-09 so far is any indication, wildlife should be entering the spring in good shape and biologists are looking forward to a good production year from Wyoming's major big game species.

However, game managers caution that more spring rains or snows are needed if the range is to be able to sustain the habitat improvements that were made with the moist conditions of the previous year. In general, it is an open winter in most parts of the state and the animals are getting through the cold months in very good condition.

New WGFD system will make getting these licenses easier

CHEYENNNE-- The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has announced dates for the sale of issue-after limited quota big game licenses for the 2009 hunting season. Issue-after licenses are licenses that were not sold during the initial limited quota license draws earlier in the year.

The idea of being an Outdoor Mentor is not something we study for. It is the natural gift that goes along with being a good father and a good steward to the “Spirit of the Wild.” ….Uncle John

There is a wild Christmas Tree I know about way out in the woods that never an ornament will grace, but it reflects the spirit of the season never the less. It doesn’t grow as straight as the rest of the trees in the forest, because this big buck visits it periodically rubbing his antlers on the course bark. This would seem to be decoration enough, however. When I visit the tree, and point it out to a new young hunter, there is an inner excitement in knowing that such a great and powerful animal has displayed his strength telling all the brief visitors here that he is the king of the forest.

They were chosen because life had not been fair to them, but the urge was still strong for the thrill of the chase. It was a long wait for the hunt of a lifetime, but 13 year old Kelton Smith was patient, you get that way if you’re confined to a wheel chair with muscular dystrophy. But you know, I don’t think I ever heard him complain about it.

Improved turkey habitat can conflict with needs of quail

Kansas spring turkey season is in full swing, and many hunters are enjoying the abundance of this large game bird. Other hunters who enjoy turkey hunting but also like to quail hunt may be wondering why turkey populations have surged in recent years while quail populations have declined in much of the state. Jim Pitman, small game biologist for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP), has some answers.

In 2004, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) completed the nation's first statewide wildlife viewing trail, the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail. The purpose of the trail was to bring tourism dollars, based on wildlife viewing, into local communities. A key conservation goal was that the valuable tax revenue would allow these communities to support and even invest in habitat conservation efforts. Furthermore, by providing access to wildlife, the trail would build Virginians appreciation for wildlife and birds. Five years later, VDGIF and its partner communities are seeing success in a big way.

After the legalization of the crossbow in Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries responds in pure ignorance.

“Can you believe this?” I try to be a strict adherer to game and fish laws, I read and interpret every word so I personally don’t make a mistake. This is probably due to the fact that a large part of my Army career in the Military Police was being a Game Warden on military posts including Fort Richardson Alaska, Fort Sill Oklahoma, Fort Ord and Hunter Ligget in California and Fort Chaffee Arkansas. Needless to say I became very familiar with game and fish laws and ethics. Over the years I developed a sense of fairness and understanding when it comes to why things are done in the world of game and fish laws. The by word is compromise, while trying to please the grass roots hunters that do in fact stir up a lot of unnecessary problems stemming from many reasons to include special interest and just plain selfishness.

While the most severe blizzard to hit parts of Kansas in decades may have come the last week of March, warm weather will soon make this event a fleeting memory, enticing Kansans across the state to visit their favorite state parks. To enhance these visits, park staff conduct a variety of special events. Some events are scheduled in conjunction with Free Park Entrance Days, some celebrate a special historical event or geological attribute of an individual park, and others are just for entertainment. Each park sets its own dates for these events.

Events may include anything from a marathon race to boating courses and equestrian events. Many are educational and all make visiting Kansas state parks more fun. For more information on state park events, phone individual parks or visit the Event Calendar on the department's website.

CWD-positive deer reported from 2,693 samples collected by KDWP

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks reports a total of 10 chronic wasting disease (CWD) occurrences from among almost 2,700 deer tissue samples collected and submitted for lab analysis by KDWP in recent months.

CHANUTE -- On May 30, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Lil Toledo Lodge, the Kansas Wildlife Officers Association, and the Kansas State Rifle Association, the Women of the National Rifle Association (NRA), and the Kansas Bow Hunter Association will join forces to conduct the area's fourth Women on Target Shooting Skills For Women shooting clinic.

PIERRE, S.D. – Chad Tussing, Education Services Coordinator for the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department, has been honored by the South Dakota Science Teachers Association with the 2009 Friend of Science Award.


SDSTA presents the award each year to an individual for their support of South Dakota students and the work done by the association. “We are proud to work with such a generous educator,” Mark Farrand, executive board member for SDSTA said. “Chad gives of his time, energy and ideas selflessly for the betterment of learners of all ages across South Dakota.”

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invites the public to comment on a proposal that would simplify regulations for hunting Canada geese during the early fall season in the metro and southeast parts of the state.

As part of ongoing efforts to eradicate bovine tuberculosis in the state, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) contractors will conduct aerial deer removal operations starting on Monday, March 16. Aerial sharpshooters will work within the bovine TB core area in northwestern Minnesota for about two weeks.
An aerial survey in January resulted in an estimate of about 660 deer in the core area, down about 18 percent from 2008.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has announced the distribution of more than $740 million to 56 state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies to fund fish and wildlife conservation efforts, boat access, shooting ranges, and hunter education.