The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners this week took the first step toward making crossbow use for archery deer and bear seasons permanent by removing the sunset date inserted in the regulations when crossbows were first permitted in 2009. That clause required the board and staff to review the impact of expanded use of crossbows on deer and bear hunting before June 30, 2012. PGC.
January 27, 2012
NM wolves undergo 'beef aversion' training
US Fish and Wildlife biologists working at a captive breeding center at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in south-central New Mexico have treated six Mexican gray wolves for "conditioned taste aversion," presumably so the predators will find beef distasteful. However, the wise wildlife specialists agree that while the early tests have been successful, a wolf's predisposition for killing is another subject entirely. Really? Albuquerque Journal.
Wandering wolf may enter a third state
Wildlife officials say a 2 1/2-year-old gray wolf that originated in Eastern Oregon and entred northern California last month is currently about 35 miles from the Nevada state line, according to its tracking collar data. "He better bring a canteen and a backpack if he comes into Nevada," said Chris Healy, a spokesman with the Nevada Department of Wildlife. "There is not a lot of wolf habitat." Bend Bulletin.
January 26, 2012
Virginia Sunday hunting bill heads to House
A measure allowing Sunday hunting on private land in Virginia passed its first major test today, breezing through the Senate by a 29-11 vote. It is expected to face tougher scrutiny in the House, where delegates are aware that Gov. Bob McDonnell has pledged to sign any legislation allowing hunting on private property. Lee Tolliver in the Virginian-Pilot.
Minnesota DNR outlines upcoming wolf season
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has set a "conservative" quota of 400 gray wolves for its first hunting and trapping season, proposed for Nov. 24, 2012 through Jan. 5, 2013, or until the quota is reached. A total of 6,000 licenses—one wolf per licensed hunter—would cost $50 with a $4 application fee. ECM Publishers.
Deer collides with 8th grader in school hallway
Officials at Red Lion Area Junior High School in central Pennsylvania say an eighth-grade student and a startled deer collided and fell to the floor when the animal rushed through the school's main entrance at dismissal Wednesday. School principal Kevin Peters and a teacher subsequently trapped the whitetail doe in a foyer and released it later. The boy was not hurt. Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader.
Outdoors advocate & defender, Judge Bob Moon, 60
Popular Hamilton County (Chattanooga, Tenn.) General Sessions Court Judge Bob Moon, known for his outdoors advocacy and strict dealings with game law violators, died Thursday from an apparent heart attack. He was 60. In 2008, Judge Moon made national headlines when he advised a woman who had been pulled from her car and beaten in the head to "purchase a weapon, obtain a gun permit and learn to protect yourself." He will be missed. Richard Simms at Nooga.com.
January 25, 2012
6.1% jump in Illinois FOID cards an indicator?
Depending who you ask, the 6.1 percent (78,500) increase in Illinois Firearms Owner's Identification (FOID) Cards necessary to purchase and own guns and ammo in the past year may be fueled by a growing belief the state is finally poised to legalize concealed-carry of firearms for personal protection. Or, maybe not. The Bloomington Pantagraph.
Treeing Walker is newest AKC breed
The Treeing Walker Coonhound has become the 174th breed to be officially registered by the American Kennel Club (AKC), joining five coonhound counterparts—the American English Coonhound, Black and Tan Coonhound, Bluetick Coonhound and Redbone Coonhound—after being on the club's Foundation Stock Service list since 1995.
Animal-rights protester awarded $15K in Philly arrest suit
The city of Philadelphia has agreed pay an animal-rights activist $15,000 to settle a lawsuit over his 2009 arrest for handing out pro-vegan leaflets outside a grocery store. Though charges were subsequently dismissed against Edward Coffin, he said he sued the city with the ACLU to bring about "necessary changes in Police Department procedures to ensure that fundamental First Amendment rights are being protected." Philadelphia Daily News.
Stranded snowshoer burned money for warmth
A snowshoer lost in a blizzard for two days on Washington's Mount Rainier last week said he stayed alive by digging a snow tunnel and burning personal items, including money, to stay warm. Yong Chun Kim, 66, of Tacoma, said he burned his extra socks, Band-Aids, toothbrush, packaging, and $1 and $5 bills from his wallet. Hell, I burned through lots more than that in Vegas last week! AP with a hat tip to The Goat.
Indiana high-fence hunting bill passes out of committee
A measure catapulting Indiana's contentious preserve-hunting controversy back into the spotlight passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee by a an 8-4 margin Tuesday, while DNR leadership remained tight-lipped on the issue. House Bill 1265 would legitimize four existing high-fence hunting operations in the state and establish guidelines for future preserves. Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette.
Wolves on long list for refuge elk management alternatives
A reference to using wolves to help cull elk herds in Colorado's Alamosa, Baca and Monte Vista national wildlife refuges takes up only one sentence in a 13-page document laying out the potential management strategies, but it was more than enough to draw immediate opposition from neighboring ranchers and others when the alternatives were submitted to the public this week. The Pueblo Chieftain.
January 24, 2012
Alleged Louisiana poacher charged with contest fraud
Agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on Jan. 19 cited a Franklin Parish man for taking a deer with an illegal weapon and four felony counts of contest fraud. Authorities said Billy W. Jordan, 54, of Winnsboro, used a .204 cal. rifle to shoot a trophy buck and subsequently entered the deer in four big buck contests. Louisiana law requires that deer may be taken only with a centerfire rifle at least .22 caliber or larger.
Shooting TV with deer rifle results in arrest
A 66-year-old Oceana County, Mich. man remained jailed Tuesday on felony charges of reckless discharge of a firearm for allegedly shooting his television with a deer rifle while at home with his wife. Authorities said the man was intoxicated at the time of the incident and it was not clear why he fired a .30-30 Win. round at his TV. Two words: American Idol. In the Muskegon Chronicle and this update.
January 23, 2012
74-pound striper is likely new Virginia record
Fishing off Virginia's Cape Henry with Capt. Tim Cannon on the Bada Bing Friday, Prince William County angler Cary Wolfe landed a striped bass weighing an even 74 pounds. The fish eclipses the current state record of 73 pounds caught almost to the day four years ago by Chesapeake's Fred Barnes. Lee Tolliver reports in The Virginian- Pilot.
Octogenarian Alaska Bush pilot injured in moose attack
Dorothea Murphy, 85, wife of Alaska Bush pilot George Murphy, used a shovel to drive off a moose as it attacked her husband as the two walked their dogs Friday. Mr. Murphy, 82, is recovering from seven broken ribs and gashes to his head and left leg. The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reports George is a longtime Bush pilot flying for the Iditarod Air Force and still owns the 1946 Aeronica Sedan he purchased in 1953. Anchorage Daily News.
Wild turkey (bird, not bourbon) leads to DWI arrests
Authorities in St. Lawrence County, NY say a 50-year-old Brasher Falls man was charged with driving while intoxicated and possession of marijuana after he served to avoid a wild turkey and veered off the road Sunday. Troopers said a 40-year-old man who stopped to assist his friend was also charged with DWI. Via AP.
Who knew? Celebrities don't wait for Iowa deer tags
A little-known Iowa DNR program started in 1998 to promote deer hunting that permits high-profile hunters and celebrities like Toby Keith, Jeff Foxworthy and Ted Nugent to acquire an otherwise limited and highly coveted Iowa non-resident any-deer tag has some regular hunters—resident and non-resident alike—crying foul. Iowa issues only 6,000 non-resident any-deer tags annually, and drawing one often takes years. Des Moines Register.
Magazine article implicates Texas gator poacher
Based on an investigation that began after an article about his alligator night-hunting appeared in Texas Fish and Game magazine, a South Texas hunting guide pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court last week to illegal alligator transportation under the Lacey Act. Oh yeah, night-hunting for gators is illegal in Texas. Clifton Everts of Twisted Forks Outfitters was sentenced to one year probation and ordered him to pay $4,000 to TPW Operation Game Thief and $10,000 to the Lacey Act Reward Fund. Justice.gov and S. Texas Today.
January 22, 2012
Bonnie & Clyde's guns fetch $210K
An online bidder who was not immediately identified purchased the Model 1921A Thompson .45-cal. submachine gun believed to be used by the 1930s bank-robbing duo Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow for $130,000 during an auction held at Mayo Auction & Realty in Kansas City yesterday. The same bidder purchased a 12-gauge 1897 Winchester also used by the notorious two for $80,000. Kansas City Star.
January 21, 2012
Appreciate squirrels this weekend
Established through the efforts of Asheville, NC wildlife rehabilitator Christy Hargrove, Squirrel Appreciation Day is recognized on Jan. 21 to honor the crafty bushytailed rodent. "Celebration of the event itself is up to the individual or group--anything from putting out extra food for the squirrels to learning something new about the species," says Hargrove. Here at The Outdoor Pressroom, we appreciate squirrels in a dutch oven with veggies.
3-legged English setter has 2-state adventure
Zip, a 3-legged English setter, is back home after it disappeared during a New Hampshire bird hunt on Dec. 31, was picked up by a woman traveling on I-95, and eventually landed in a Massachusetts shelter, where a missing-dog alert system was used to reference owner Peter George's Granite State Dog Recovery Web posting. "He had a little adventure and got pretty far with those three legs," said George. Hampton Union.
