RAPID CITY, S.D.--Following action by the Game, Fish and Parks Commission, a framework of rules is in place to allow mentored youth hunting in South Dakota.

The commission’s action was prompted by a law passed in the last session of the Legislature that established mentored youth hunting. Now the rules are in place to allow youth who are accompanied by a mentor to hunt this fall.

After a record year of antlerless deer donations, South Dakota's Sportsmen Against Hunger Program is expanding to include payments for the processing of doe and fawn antelope. The program will continue to offer a $50 processing certificate for antlerless deer and for 2008 will also offer a $40 processing certificate for doe and fawn antelope. The certificates are available directly from the processors with the majority of participating processors accepting the Sportsman Against Hunger certificate as the full payment for processing. After processing the meat is distributed to families who need meat.

As South Dakota's antelope population reaches a near-record size, the state Game, Fish and Parks Commission has approved a hunting season that offers significantly more licenses and tags.  To increase the harvest of antelope, the 2008 season will offer two new types of licenses: a three-tag license good for any antelope and two doe/fawn antelope and a three-tag license good for three doe/fawn antelope.

Jon Gafner would be more than happy to give away the $25,000 worth of merchandise his store sign promises if Brett Favre came back to the Packers.  The marquee sign on Gafner's Jackson Street business, Jon's Sport Shop, says, "Hey Brett, $25,000 shopping spree if you come back!"

The S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department is gearing up for its 14th Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshop. The workshop will be held Sept. 19-21 at Outlaw Ranch, near Custer.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold a public hearing on whether to allow deer hunting in the Hemlock Ravine Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) on Wednesday, July 23, at the Carlton Fire Hall at 100 Forth St. N., Carlton, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. or until all testimony is heard.

In an effort to manage increasing elk populations, more elk hunting permits will be available in 2008 in the traditional primary elk zone near Grygla and new permits will be offered in Kittson County, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Bow hunters can apply to participate in the 2008 regular archery deer hunt at Camp Ripley near Little Falls beginning July 1.

Hunters may pick from one of two Sunday-Monday hunting seasons, Oct. 19-20 (code 668) or Oct. 26-27 (code 669). A total of 5,000 permits, 2,500 per two-day hunt, will be made available. Because of conflicts with military training activities this fall, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) moved the hunting dates for season one three days later, and one day later for season two.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is making major changes to simplify deer seasons and licensing for this fall, according to Lou Cornicelli, DNR big game program coordinator.

CLAYTON -- Rewards of more than $2,000 are being offered for information about the wasteful killing of five deer earlier this month off N.M. 120 near Yates, a small community in Harding County southwest of Clayton in northeastern New Mexico.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife officials today announced that new wildlife tracks recently found in Delta County most likely are from a cougar.

A U.S. Forest Service biologist, Janet Ekstrum, who was conducting a Kirtland's warbler survey near Rapid River June 9, discovered some large animal tracks and contacted the DNR's Gladstone office.

According to harvest surveys compiled by the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department, last year saw the all-time highest recorded deer harvest in the state and it was the eighth straight year that deer harvest has increased.

GFP Game Harvest Survey Coordinator Corey Huxoll said that estimates indicate approximately 70,000 white-tailed deer and 17,000 mule deer were harvested during the 2007 hunting seasons, for a total of more than 87,000 deer. That is a slight increase of about 300 deer from 2006 and a significant increase of more than 41,000 deer since 1999.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Legendary handgun maker and rising star in hunting rifles and shotguns, Smith & Wesson has become the newest sponsor of National Hunting and Fishing Day.

The annual celebration of hunters, anglers and conservation is set for Sept. 27, 2008.

Bucking a trend, sales of hunting and fishing licenses increased in California, according to a Sacremento Bee article that cites statistics from the state Department of Fish and Game. The increase for hunting, about 3 percent, is the first to stretch over two years since 1990. Although the state does not collect demographic information from license buyers that might indicate a trend, factors cited as potential causes of the increase include retiring baby boomers with more time to spend hunting and fishing, more women participants and a connection to the "eat local" movement that encourages finding sources of food close to home in order to benefit the environment.

A Pennsylvania judge last week struck down a Philadelphia City Council ban on so-called "assault weapons" and a second ordinance limiting handgun purchases to one a month. Read NSSF's statement on the ruling.

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The National Wild Turkey Federation recently signed an agreement with Daisy Outdoor Products that will help commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the NWTF's Women in the Outdoors outreach program.

CHAMA -- The Department of Game and Fish will conduct public meetings in Tierra Amarilla and Farmington on June 17 and 18 to review and listen to comments about the Department's recommendations for big-game hunting rules for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

The Department will consider public ideas and suggestions in developing the big-game hunting rules, which will be presented to the State Game Commission at the commission meeting July 23 in Las Vegas. The Commission will adopt the final rules Oct. 2 after further revisions and public comments.

Antlerless deer hunting licenses will be available for 85 of Michigan's 98 Deer Management Units this fall, the Department of Natural Resources announced today.

The Natural Resources Commission recently approved DNR recommendations that will increase the number of DMUs where antlerless licenses are available in the northern Lower Peninsula, while reducing the number of DMUs with licenses available in the Upper Peninsula.

Permits remaining after the recent drawing go on sale June 12

If you don't have a permit to hunt buck deer in Utah this fall, your next chance to get one begins June 12. That's when permits not taken in this year's big game draw go on sale.   In late summer, bucks haven't yet lost the velvet off their antlers. Most of Utah's buck deer permits were taken in the draw, but more than 9,300 Northern Region rifle and muzzleloader, and 6,600 statewide general archery permits, are still available.

Wildlife, public health and food safety experts from five states will meet in Minnesota next week for the purpose of helping regulators, hunters and processors better understand the implications of lead fragments in hunter-harvested deer.

The Department of Natural Resources recently recommended three changes to deer regulations relating to buck hunting in the Upper Peninsula, antlerless hunting and to allow the harvest of albino or all-white deer. These regulation changes will be considered at Thursday's meeting of the Natural Resources Commission in Lansing at the Lansing Center, located at 333 E. Michigan Ave.

A record number of hunters applied for Nevada’s big game tags this year. Wildlife Administrative Services, the contracted vendor responsible for producing the big game draw for the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), reported 146,911 applications for the 2008 main draw, a 4.2 % increase over 2007 numbers. A total of 53,757 hunters applied in 2008, compared to 52,878 in 2007. Hunters can apply for up to seven different hunts. More than 93% of the applications were submitted online via the Internet.

The National Wild Turkey Federation’s Iowa State Chapter continues to make public hunting access a priority, having already contributed $72,000 toward the purchase of 812 acres of land in the Hawkeye State in 2008.   Most recently in Iowa, NWTF volunteers helped purchase land that will be used for public hunting as part of four existing conservation areas in Allamekee, Buchanan, Woodbury and Webster counties. The NWTF, with help from project partners, purchased land to expand public hunting land in the Lansing Wildlife Management Area, along the Wapsipinicon River, in the Oak Ridge Conservation Area and in the Boone Forks WMA.

As Memorial Day weekend nears, DWR provides tips to keep you safe.   With last summer's fatal bear attack in American Fork Canyon fresh on their minds, Kevin Bunnell believes Utahns will be more willing than ever to follow that advice.

Framework for Conservation Title agreed upon, details expected early next week

– May 2, 2008 – Late last night, congressional leaders reached a framework agreement on the 2008 Farm Bill's Conservation Title. Lawmakers are still ironing out other titles to complete the new Farm Bill. Full conservation program specifics will not be publicly released until early next week, but the new Farm Bill appears to be moving forward with the possibility of floor votes in both the Senate and House next week.

PIERRE, S.D.—South Dakota’s hunting heritage has traditionally been passed from one generation to the next. Recognizing that linage, and wanting to help it along, the S.D. Legislature approved a bill this year that allows children as young as 10 years of age to take part in mentored hunting opportunities.

“Having youngsters in the field is nothing new in South Dakota,” said Tony Leif, director of the Wildlife Division of the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department. “Many South Dakotans learned about hunting and the outdoors well before they were old enough to hunt.”

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Each year, conservation-minded Americans celebrate National Arbor Day by joining forces on the last Friday in April to plant an estimated 18 million tree seedlings.

However, to improve wildlife habitat and the environment, tree-planting efforts must span much further than Arbor Day celebrations. Through the National Wild Turkey Federation's initiatives, private landowners and volunteers work year-round to rejuvenate forests by managing habitat and planting trees.

PIERRE, S.D.—Mountain lions will be a recurring agenda item when the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Commission conducts its May meeting at Custer State Park. The meeting will be held Thursday and Friday, May 1 and 2 at the State Game Lodge.

HURON, S.D.—With the arrival of spring, people are anxious to get outdoors and enjoy the nice weather. The S.D. Outdoor Expo to be held on the S.D. State Fairgrounds on May 17-18 will be a great opportunity for the whole family to get outside, enjoy the outdoors and learn a few new activities that they can enjoy all summer long. There are nearly 100 activities and booths for people to visit. There is sure to be something for everyone.

PIERRE, S.D.—In 2007 the South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger organization chose “Feed the Need” as its new slogan. And the state’s hunters did just that, making record contributions of venison to the program that helps feed the less fortunate.

“The hunters of South Dakota really outdid themselves this year,” said Jeff Olson, president of Sportsmen Against Hunger. “They donated 75,000 pounds of venison, up from 45,000 pounds the year before.”