More hunters will be hunting on some of Utah’s best big game units this fall.

On April 10, members of the Utah Wildlife Board raised the number of permits for many of Utah’s big game hunts.

The Northern Region wasn’t one of those hunts, though. Board members cut 1,000 general buck deer permits from the region for this fall.

“This is a great time to hunt big game in Utah,” says Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. “Utah’s big game herds are doing well, and the state has a wider variety of animals to hunt than ever before.”

Hunters who applied for a 2008 permit will know by April 30 whether they drew one.

Fewer deer permits in northern Utah

After last fall’s hunting seasons, biologists found an average of 18 bucks per 100 does on public land hunting units in the Northern Region. Even though the number of bucks was on the high end of the 15 to 20 bucks per 100 does objective, the biologists recommended 1,000 fewer permits for the region this fall.

“We want to be cautious,” Aoude says. “The deer herds in parts of northern Utah had a tough time this winter.

“When we do our after-winter surveys later this spring, we’ll know better how many deer were lost. But our big game permit drawing happens in April, so the board had to set the permit numbers before we completed our surveys.”

Elk, deer and moose

Limited entry elk and deer and once-in-a-lifetime moose permits are among the permits board members increased. Aoude explains why:

Elk—Biologists manage Utah’s limited entry elk units so those who hunt the units have the potential to take a bull that will fall into one of four age categories: 6 to 7 years old, 5 to 6 years old, 4 to 5 years old, or 3 to 4 years old. The age of the bull a hunter might take depends on the unit he or she hunts on.

Utah has 28 limited entry bull elk units. On 26 of the units, hunters are taking bulls that are older than the age objective for the unit. “For example, a hunter who hunts a unit managed for 5- to 6-year-old bulls can often end up taking a bull that’s one or two years older than the objective for the unit,” Aoude says.

“The board needed to increase the number of permits so hunters could take more bulls,” Aoude says. “Taking more bulls will allow the herds to get closer to their age objectives.”

Deer—Biologists manage Utah’s limited entry deer units so there will be plenty of big bucks for hunters each fall.

The Paunsaugunt and Henry Mountains units are Utah’s two premium limited entry units. Biologists manage these units so at least 35 bucks per 100 does are left in the herds after the hunts are over each fall.

The rest of Utah’s limited entry units are managed so at least 25 bucks per 100 does are still in the herds after the fall hunts.

Only two units in southern Utah aren’t meeting that goal. On the rest of the state’s units, the number of bucks biologists are finding is higher than the buck-to-doe ratio for each unit. “We have plenty of bucks on these units. And that’s great news for hunters. It means more of them can hunt some of these units this fall,” Aoude says.

Moose—Utah’s moose herds are also doing well. In many of the herds, there are almost as many bulls in the herds as cows.

Hunters are reminded that the deadline to submit a controlled hunt application to local license agents or to ODFW is May 15.Mail order applications to ODFW Licensing, 3406 Cherry Ave. NE, Salem, OR 97303 must be postmarked by May 15 and fax orders to (503) 947-6117 (or 6113) must be received by 11:59 p.m. PT May 15.

ODFW limits the number of hunters for particular hunts to improve game management and enhance the hunting experience. Hunters must apply for tags for these “controlled” hunts in the spring. A random computer drawing occurs in June and hunters are notified by June 20 if they are successful.

Specific tag proposals will be available online by April 30, when ODFW’s annual big game public meetings begin. In general, elk tag numbers will be proposed to be similar to last year while mule deer and pronghorn tag proposals will be down slightly due to poor fawn recruitment.
As of April 21, ODFW has received 82,986 applications but anticipates over 400,000 by the deadline. Get your application in early advises ODFW License Services Manager DeAnna Erickson. “The earlier you get your application in, the more time ODFW staff has to fix any errors—and you’ll avoid the huge rush in mid-May,” she said. Last year, 64,561 applications were processed on May 15.

Below is a list of controlled hunt mistakes Erickson and other licensing staff see commonly made by hunters:

• Getting personal information wrong. Double-check your name, birth date, phone number, address, and Hunter/Angler I.D. number.

• Choosing the wrong hunt. Hunt numbers can change. Double-check your hunt number with current regulations so there is no risk of losing hard-won preference points. Don’t rely on store clerks or hunting buddies for this information.

• Not including correct daytime tel. information. ODFW needs your current phone number so we can get in touch if there is a problem.

• Getting party details wrong. ODFW’s new POS system should make party applications easier because once one member applies, the system can access that information as other party members apply. Be careful not to exceed party size on your application—for example, for pronghorn antelope hunts the maximum party size is two.

• Faxing in multiple applications. Not only does this confuse ODFW staff but your credit card could be charged multiple times, which takes time to correct. Avoid the last minute and you won’t face a busy fax machine that doesn’t provide a confirmation.

• Writing illegibly. Mail order applicants need to write neatly and legibly to ensure their applications are processed correctly.

• Waiting until the last minute to apply at POS locations.  While ODFW’s point-of-sale system no longer shuts down at 11 p.m., many stores close well before that hour. Even stores open 24 hours may not have staff available to do license sales at odd hours. Stores have also been known to stop accepting customers because of long lines on deadline day. Get your application in well before the deadline to avoid this problem.

For more information on controlled hunt applications, contact ODFW’s licensing division at (503) 947-6100.

Applications for the 2008 Minnesota spring turkey hunt now are being accepted wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.

Spring turkey hunters may apply for one of 37,992 permits to hunt a five- or seven-day season in one of 67 permit areas. Last year, spring turkey hunters harvested 9,412 birds.

“Turkey hunters can look forward to more great opportunities this spring,” said Bill Penning, DNR farmland wildlife program leader. “Turkey numbers remain strong and their range continues to expand into parts of northern Minnesota.”

The 2008 spring hunt will include eight new permit areas. They are:

• Area 152, Mille Lacs Wildlife Management Area
• Area 156, which includes portions of Aitkin, Pine and Carlton counties
• Area 183, which includes portions of Pine and Carlton counties
• Area 241, which includes portions of Otter Tail, Becker and Wadena counties
• Area 243, which includes a portion of Wadena County
• Area 262, which includes portions of Clay and Norman counties
• Area 421, which includes portions of Wilkin, Otter Tail and Grant counties
• Area 423, which includes portions of Grant and Stevens counties.

Hunters also should note that areas 228 and 337, which comprise much of the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area, have been combined into a single area now known as area 601. The same number of permits are being offered in area 601 this year as the combined totals in areas 228 and 337 last year.

A map of permit areas for the 2008 spring turkey hunt is available at < ahref=”http://mndnr.gov”>mndnr.gov.

This spring’s hunt will consist of six five-day and two seven-day seasons. All Minnesota residents must apply no later than Friday, Dec. 7, at any of 1,800 locations where hunting and fishing licenses are sold or by telephone at 1-888-665-4236. A nonrefundable $3 application fee must be paid at the time of application. An additional nonrefundable $3.50 convenience fee will be charged for all applications made by telephone or the Internet. Nonresident hunters may apply by mail or by telephone.

Hunters also will be asked to state a second choice from the three latest spring seasons (May 11-15, May 16-22 and May 23-29). In the event they aren’t successful in the lottery for their first choice of spring season, their second choice will be used. If hunters are successful in the lottery for their second choice and purchase a license, they will lose their preference points for future drawings. Hunters should not specify a second choice if they do not intend to hunt there.

Hunters who are successful for either the first or second choice drawing and choose not to purchase a tag, will lose the current year’s preference point for future drawings but not accumulated preference from past years. Hunters who were not successful in either the first or second choice drawing will be eligible to purchase surplus turkey permits, which are sold on a first-come, first-served basis in mid March.

Archery spring turkey licenses will once again be available to residents and nonresidents. Archery spring turkey licenses may be purchased for the last two time periods (May 16-22, May 23-29) only for any permit area with 50 or more applicants.

Applicants who are successful in the spring permit lottery are ineligible for the spring archery license.

All wild turkey hunters seeking to hunt in spring 2008 must obtain an application booklet at one of the ELS agents or an application worksheet on the DNR Web site at mndnr.gov.

The application booklet contains maps of open wild turkey permit areas, permit quotas, dates and an application worksheet.

The application worksheet should be filled out in advance to ease completion of the application process at an ELS agent. Turkey hunting licenses are made available by a preference system drawing.

A special landowner-tenant preference drawing for up to 20 percent of the permits is also a part of this system. Successful applicants in the drawing will be mailed the 2008 Spring Wild Turkey Hunt Book in February.

For more information, call the DNR Information Center at (651) 296-6157 or toll-free 1-888-MINNDNR (646-6367).

A total of 369 cow elk licenses will be available online at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, to hunters who did not draw a license this season.

Licenses will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, only on the Department of Game and Fish website, www.wildlife.state.nm.us . Hunters are encouraged to visit the website before the sale date to review hunts available and to create an online account if they have not already done so.

The licenses are for antlerless elk in various game management units statewide. The hunts will include 100 licenses for muzzleloaders only, and 269 licenses for any legal sporting arm.

The special late-season cow elk hunts are designed to provide additional elk hunting opportunities without severely impacting the state’s elk herds. License fees are $59 for state residents, $331 for nonresidents. License fees will be charged at the time of successful online application. The Valles Caldera National Preserve charges a $300 access fee. Only hunters who did not hold elk licenses for hunts this season are eligible for the late-season hunts. It is illegal for any hunter to hold more than one elk license in the same license year.

To be eligible for the late-season hunts, applicants must have submitted a mandatory harvest report for 2006-2007 if they held deer or elk licenses or permits for that season. Those who did not submit harvest reports can still do so for an $8 late fee by visiting a Department office in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Raton, Roswell or Las Cruces, or by calling (505) 476-8038.

Deer hunters who want to purchase remaining doe licenses shouldn’t wait too long because some units only have a few left, according to Carrie Whitney, licensing supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

“If you want to buy a license in a specific unit, don’t wait because they might be gone by opening day,” Whitney said.

Another reason to buy early is because licenses aren’t issued at the time applications are received. “The application is processed the day it is received, but the license isn’t available to be sent out until the next business day,” Whitney said. “So if a deer hunter applies for a license on Friday morning of opening day, it will be mailed the next business day.”

The Game and Fish Department will continue to sell remaining doe licenses through the end of the archery season. As of Monday, Oct. 29, more than 14,000 licenses for antlerless deer were still available in the following units: 1, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F1, 2G, 2H, 2I, 2J2, 2K2, 2L, 3A4, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4E and 4F.

These licenses are available to hunters who don’t already have a license, or for those who want additional licenses. They can be used during the bow season with a bow; the deer gun season with a bow, rifle, or muzzleloader; or during the muzzleloader season with a muzzleloader. Hunters must stay in the unit to which the license is assigned.

Hunters can apply online at the Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply. The regular deer gun season begins at noon Nov. 9 and continues through Nov. 25. Muzzleloader season starts at noon Nov. 30 and runs through Dec. 16. Archery season is open through Jan. 6, 2008.

New Hampshire still has Unit M Special Deer permits left, but they’re going fast! As of October 25, 1,400 permits remained to be issued. They’re valid for taking one additional antlerless deer in Wildlife Management Unit M during the archery, muzzleloader or firearms seasons.

Permits cost $13 and are sold at http://www.nhfishandgame.com or from Fish and Game headquarters.

For details, Unit M boundaries, or a print-and-mail application, visit http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/Special_Unit_M_permits.htm.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has announced that 2,395 nonresident deer permits are still available in several deer management units. These are 2007 permits that were not taken in the May nonresident application period. They are all firearms Whitetail Either Sex permits and are being sold on a first-come, first-served basis at license vendors and through the KDWP website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us.
Leftover permit numbers as of the week of Aug. 6 are listed below by unit:
Unit 4 — 27;
Unit 6 –193;
Unit 8 — 52;
Unit 9 — 306;
Unit 10- - 785;
Unit 11- - 803;
Unit 13 — 10; and
Unit 14 — 219.
Hunters who purchase a leftover permit will lose any preference points they may have accumulated for next year’s drawing. Applicants who were successful in the nonresident drawing or the resident Any Deer permit drawing may not purchase a leftover permit. No hunter may purchase more than one permit that allows the take of an antlered deer. An antlered deer permit is required before purchasing a Whitetail Antlerless Only Deer game tag.
For more information, contact a local KDWP office or visit the KDWP website.

Minnesota soldiers returning from service outside the United States in the past two years are eligible for free hunting and fishing licenses from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources .
Returning soldiers, including those who served in the National Guard, may fish and hunt small game without a license for two years from their discharge. They may also obtain one free deer license under regulations passed by the 2007 Legislature.
“Many Minnesota soldiers have put their hunting and fishing trips on hold while they serve abroad,” said Mark Holsten, DNR commissioner. “The free license is a small way we can recognize their sacrifice, welcome them home, and extend an opportunity to be with friends and family in Minnesota’s great outdoors.”
The DNR long has provided free hunting licenses to Minnesota military personnel on leave from stations outside of the state. The new legislation builds on that tradition. Holsten said a number of DNR employees are in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other parts of the world or recently returned. “Their service to state and country is moving,” he said. “I extend to them, and all Minnesota soldiers, our agency’s respect and appreciation.”
The discharged residents must carry proof of residency and official military discharge papers while fishing or hunting small game. All required tags or state stamps must be obtained. They are available for free at any of 1,800 businesses that sell hunting and fishing licenses across the state. Firearms hunters born after Dec. 31, 1979, are required to have a DNR firearms safety certificate, which is available online through a training course on the DNR’s Web site www.mndnr.gov.
Military personnel who have completed basic training are exempt from the range and shooting exercise portion of the DNR’s firearms safety training.
A free deer license will be issued to residents who provide military discharge papers and proof of residency at any of the 1,800 businesses that sell deer licenses in the state.

On Thursday, May 3, the Colorado Wildlife Commission approved 2007 big game license numbers during their May meeting in Grand Junction. The Commission also approved mandatory mountain lion hunter education and discussed possible regulations for exotic animal parks and sanctuaries.
The Wildlife Commission sets annual big game license numbers at its meeting each May. Colorado Division of Wildlife terrestrial biologists provided an update on license recommendations for 2007. License numbers are set to maintain big game herds at or near long-term population objectives and in the case of deer, elk and pronghorn, license numbers are also set to achieve sex ratio objectives.
For the most part, hunters will not notice significant changes in license availability in 2007. Colorado’s deer and elk populations remain healthy and stable and license availability should again be good. The largest change from the previous year’s hunting licenses has to do with the blizzard of 2006 that struck the eastern plains of Colorado. Due to the pronghorn movements and mortality caused by the extreme conditions, fewer pronghorn hunting licenses will be available in eastern Colorado in 2007. While pronghorn licenses will decrease in the southeastern part of the state, deer licenses in eastern Colorado will increase.
“While the winter hurt pronghorn, deer seemed to come through it pretty well,” explained DOW Terrestrial Section Manager Rick Kahn. “Because of the deep snow, deer were heavily concentrated in small areas where there was less snow. This made it easier to count the deer and our population estimate for some areas increased and that means additional licenses will be available this fall.”
Elk hunters will find that statewide license numbers are similar to last year, but cow elk hunters should note one change. Cow elk licenses were reduced in some southwest Colorado game management units as elk populations are now at or near the population objectives in those units. At the same time, the number of cow elk licenses offered in northwest units was increased to continue to bring those populations closer to objective.
Wildlife Commissioners unanimously voted to pass the nation’s first mandatory mountain lion hunter education program. The Internet-based test and certificate system was developed by DOW education personnel. The concept for a lion hunter education course was brought to the Wildlife Commission through a citizen petition process in late 2005. Two petitions were presented at that time, one from carnivore protection organizations and one from the state’s mountain lion hunting organization. Both groups have been supportive and instrumental in helping develop the new education program. Beginning with the 2007 season, mountain lion hunters will be required to complete and pass the on-line test.
Wildlife Commissioners were also briefed on items that will be up for final consideration at future meetings. These items include proposed draft regulations dealing with feral hogs and proposed regulations for exotic animal parks and sanctuaries.
Feral hogs are a significant management challenge in many states to the south and east of Colorado. The DOW and Wildlife Commission are concerned that feral hog populations are expanding towards the southeastern corner of the state. Feral hogs can cause significant wildlife habitat damage and as many other states are trying to control or eliminate feral hog populations, Colorado wildlife and agriculture officials are seeking methods to prevent the expansion of these invasive animals into the state. The draft regulations include a provision that would allow the take of feral hogs without a hunting license. Final regulations will be considered by the Wildlife Commission at its July meeting in Ft. Collins.
Colorado currently has several licensed commercial wildlife parks and sanctuaries. These facilities often care for large, non-native carnivores such as tigers, African lions, cheetahs and grizzly bears. In order to address public safety concerns and assure protection for native wildlife in regard to the potential escapement of these animals, the DOW regulates these facilities and requires that they are accredited or certified by the American Zoological Association. The DOW is recommending regulations that would require each of these facilities to have a closure plan in place that would state how animals at the facility would be dealt with should the facility cease operation for any reason. Because the DOW is funded by hunter and angler dollars, the DOW is also concerned that the cost of caring for exotic animals could take funds away from other management of Colorado’s wildlife. Additionally, the draft regulations would require that each of these facilities post a bond to provide funds to accomplish the closure plan. Commissioners urged staff to continue to work with sanctuary owners and interested members of the public to finalize proposed regulations. Originally this item was scheduled for final consideration in July, but Commissioners felt that additional time might allow for further fine tuning of the regulation. Final commercial wildlife park and sanctuary regulations will now be considered at the September Commission meeting in Pagosa Springs.
The May meeting is the last meeting for DOW Director Bruce McCloskey, who is retiring after 33 years of service to the DOW, three as director. Department of Natural Resources Director Harris Sherman thanked McCloskey for his years of service. McCloskey recapped the many successes he has seen during his time with the DOW and offered some thoughts on challenges that face the Division in coming years. Audience members and Commissioners gave McCloskey a standing ovation as he concluded his comments.
Sherman also announced that DOW Deputy Director Mark Konishi will serve as acting director of the DOW while a full and transparent search is conducted for a new director for the DOW. In order to make sure that no applicants have an unfair advantage for the permanent director’s position, Konishi has agreed to serve as acting director and not apply for the permanent position.
The Colorado Wildlife Commission is an eleven-member board appointed by the governor. The Commission sets Colorado Division of Wildlife regulations and policies for hunting, fishing, watchable wildlife, and nongame, threatened and endangered species. Commissioners also oversee DOW land purchases and property regulations.

Hunters looking forward to applying for a special buck license will now be able to take a look back at previous application numbers.
After being finalized at the March meeting of the Game, Fish and Parks Commission in Pierre, the applications for special buck licenses are now available on the GFP Web site at www.sdgfp.info. In addition to the applications, there is also information available about applications that were submitted in 2006. These are available at https://www.state.sd.us/applications/gf79BigGame/DrawResultStats.asp.
“This feature will allow applicants to research application volume information, by unit, from the previous drawing,” said Game, Fish and Parks Department License Office Supervisor Scott Simpson. “We hope this information will be useful for applicants when making their unit selections.”
Applications for the special buck licenses must be postmarked by April 20. Online applications may be made online up until 8 a.m. CDT on April 24. Results will be available online on April 27.
Special buck licenses are sold as part of both the West River and East River deer seasons. They allow the license holder to harvest a deer in any unit within that season boundary as long as it is on private land only. Successful applicants will not be eligible to apply in the regular West River or East River deer drawings until the third drawing. At that time they will be eligible to receive up to four additional licenses.
Applicants for special buck licenses should note that landowner permission is required in order to qualify for a license. Applicants must supply to GFP the name and telephone number of the landowner who has given them permission to hunt.
Applicants for an East River license must supply the name of an East River landowner and the name of a West River landowner must be supplied by applicants for West River licenses. Failure to comply with that requirement will result in the rejection of that application and all others applying together in the same envelope.

Utah’s hunters might have more elk and bison permits to draw for this year.
The Division of Wildlife Resources is recommending raising permit numbers for almost all of Utah’s big game animals. Permits for elk and bison would increase the most.
The DWR is also recommending adding an additional 1,000 general season buck deer permits to the Northeastern Region.
You can learn more about the recommendations and share your suggestions at a series of upcoming meetings. Citizens representing Utah’s public Regional Advisory Councils will take the input received to the Utah Wildlife Board when it meets April 5 in Salt Lake City to approve big game hunting permits for this fall’s hunts.
Meeting dates, times and locations are as follows:
Southern Region
March 13, 7 p.m.
Beaver High School
195 E. Center St., Beaver
Southeastern Region
March 14, 6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
885 E. Main St., Green River
Northeastern Region
March 15, 6:30 p.m.
Western Park, Rm. #2
302 E. 200 S., Vernal
Central Region
March 20, 6:30 p.m.
Springville Junior High School
165 S. 700 E., Springville
Northern Region
March 21, 6 p.m.
Brigham City Community Center
24 N. 300 W., Brigham City
More elk permits
Some record-sized bull elk have been taken in Utah over the past few years, but there are still plenty of big bulls out there for hunters to take.
Biologists manage each of Utah’s limited entry bull elk units so the average age of the bulls taken by hunters falls within a certain age category.
The bulls that hunters took on 24 of Utah’s 28 units was higher than the age objective for those units. That means the animals were older than what the objective for those units calls for.
The age of the bulls taken on four units was at the objective for those units. None of Utah’s limited entry units was under the age objective.
“This means we can allow more hunters in the field and still leave plenty of big bulls for hunters to take in years to come,” says Craig McLaughlin, Wildlife Section chief for the DWR.
With that in mind, the DWR is recommending 2,182 limited entry bull elk permits for this fall’s hunts. A total of 79 of those permits would be management bull elk permits. These permits allow hunters to take bull elk that have five or less antler points on at least one side.
Management permits are being offered for the first time to reduce the number of smaller bull elk on four of Utah’s best limited entry units. All of these units have extremely high bull to cow ratios.
More bison permits
Hunter’s choice and cow bison permits for the Henry Mountains in southeastern Utah would also increase under DWR proposals.
Under the proposals, permits would jump from 18 in 2006 to either 47 or 71 permits in 2007.
The final bison permit numbers will be determined later this spring, when the Henry Mountains Bison Working Group finishes revising a management plan for the bison on the Henry’s.
“In 2005, our biologists flew two aerial surveys of the Henry Mountains,” McLaughlin says. “They didn’t see many bison during either survey.”
Even though bison are big animals, McLaughlin says they tend to gather in small groups and are effective at hiding under pinyon/juniper trees.
“Bison are strong animals, and we were pretty sure that the herd had not experienced a big die-off,” he says. “We guessed that the bison had probably moved into thicker cover where it was harder for us to spot them.”
DWR biologists decided to be cautious, however, and hunting permits were cut in 2006.
“Our biologists flew another survey this past August, and this time they spotted the bison,” McLaughlin says. “They saw lots of bison.
“We’ve confirmed that the herd is doing really well, and that’s why we’re recommending more bison permits for this fall’s hunts.”
More deer permits
Under DWR recommendations, the number of general season buck deer permits would begin moving back to the 97,000 permit cap that began in Utah in 1994.
In 2005, general season buck deer permits in the Central and Northeastern regions were cut by 1,000 permits each. The permits were cut because the three-year buck-to-doe ratio in each region had fallen below the minimum of 15 bucks per 100 does called for in Utah’s Deer Management Plan.
As a result, the statewide permit cap was reduced from 97,000 permits to 95,000 permits.
Surveys conducted by DWR biologists after the 2005 and 2006 hunts found that the three-year buck-to-doe average in the Northeastern Region had increased to 15 bucks per 100 does. That number meets the objective called for in the state’s deer management plan.
In the Central Region, the three-year average has fallen slightly to 13 bucks per 100 does.
“Based on the findings, we’re recommending that 1,000 permits be added to the Northeastern Region for this fall’s hunt,” McLaughlin says. “Adding 1,000 permits would increase the total number of general season buck deer permits in Utah to 96,000.”

Nonresidents who wish to apply for big game combination, elk combination or deer combination licenses for the fall of 2007 Montana hunting season can apply online or download applications at Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks web site at fwp.mt.gov. Look under Hunting, and then click on Obtain a License.
To request an application write to: Licensing Section; Montana FWP; P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701; or call 406-444-2950. The application deadline is March 15, 2007.

Lottery applications are now available for the adventure of a lifetime — hunting moose in New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s moose hunt lottery is open and costs just $10 to enter . New Hampshire’s moose hunt is nine days long, starting the third Saturday in October. This year, it runs from October 20-28, 2007. The odds of being selected in the lottery are about 1 in 20 for new Hampshire residents and 1 in 55 for nonresidents, some of the best odds in the nation for moose hunting.
To enter the moose hunt lottery:
Click here for online license sales, including the lottery;
Click here to print an application to mail in.
Pick up a lottery application from Fish and Game license agents statewide.
Moose hunt lottery applications for 2007 must be postmarked or submitted online by midnight Eastern Time, May 25, 2007, or they may be delivered to N.H. Fish and Game headquarters in Concord prior to 4:00 p.m. that day. Winners will be selected through a computerized random drawing on June 22.
Last year , more than 16,300 applicants entered the lottery for the chance to win one of 675 permits. Those who are lucky enough to take part in the hunt have an excellent chance of success. Last year more than two-thirds of New Hampshire permit holders got their moose. Permit holders can choose another hunter of any age to accompany them on the hunt, but only one moose may be taken per permit.
Each applicant can enter the moose hunt lottery once each year. A bonus point system improves the chances for unsuccessful applicants who apply each consecutive year. Hunters who get permits are not eligible to enter the lottery for the following three years. It is not necessary to have a current hunting license to enter the lottery, but hunters who are offered and accept a permit must buy a $100 resident or $300 nonresident moose hunt permit, as well as a New Hampshire hunting license.
Both state residents and nonresidents may enter the moose lottery. The number of permits available to nonresidents is capped, based on the prior year’s sales of nonresident hunting licenses .
Visit http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_moose.htm for more information on moose hunting in New Hampshire, including a moose hunt Q&A, regional success rates and a gallery of photos and stories from past New Hampshire moose hunts.
All proceeds from the sale of moose hunt lottery applications and permits are used to support New Hampshire’s comprehensive moose management program, which includes education, research, protection and management. The state’s current moose population is estimated at about 7,000 animals. N.H. Fish and Game is the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats.

County-specific antlerless deer tags are disappearing, as hunters head into the later days of bow season and prepare for the two big shotgun deer seasons in December.
As of Monday morning, only 37 counties had anterless tags remaining from their quotas. Many tags were snapped up since November 12, the first day for hunters to purchase November shotgun tags, for use on the three days after Thanksgiving. Until last year, only bowhunting was allowed during that period. Prior to November 12, hunters were limited to three county antlerless tags.
Many of the counties with antlerless tags remaining are in deer-heavy southern, southwestern and northeast Iowa. To view a list of counties with remaining tags, go to www.iowadnr.com, click on hunting, then on white tailed deer, then on availability of limited quota licenses in the left hand column, then finally on resident antlerless deer by county. Other special hunts; urban areas, parks and in other high-deer corridors still have tags available. There were no antlerless tags offered this year in 21 north central and northwest Iowa counties.

Hunt permit applications for the spring 2007 hunts for turkey, javelina, buffalo and bear must be received by the Arizona Game and Fish Department by 7 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2006. Completed paper application forms, along with payment for license, tag and application fees, can be mailed to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn: Drawing Section, P.O. Box 52002, Phoenix, AZ 85072-2002, or can be hand-delivered to any Arizona Game and Fish Department office. There is no online application option for the spring 2007 draw.
Remember, if you’re mailing your application, it must be in the possession of the Game and Fish Department by Oct. 10; postmarks don’t count.
You must obtain a 2007 license to participate in the draw. License and draw application fees are non-refundable. If you haven’t already purchased a 2007 license at the time you submit your hunt application form, you’ll need to apply for a license and include payment at the time you submit your application. . If you are unsuccessful in the 2007 spring draw, tag fees will be refunded. Applicant “A” on each application will receive the refund for tag fees.
Please note that all license, stamp, tag and application fees have increased. The department is offering some new family and “super conservation” license packages that offer savings over the cost of the individual licenses if purchased separately. A list of these new license products can be found on page 3 of the spring 2007 hunt regulations. The family, super conservation hunting, and super conservation hunt/fish licenses are available to residents only and can be purchased only at department offices; they are not available through the draw application process.
Application forms and spring 2007 hunt regulations are available at all Arizona Game and Fish Department offices, at license dealers throughout the state, and online at azgfd.gov.
Draw results will be available no later than Nov. 17 by calling 942-3000 . Hunt permit-tags will be mailed by Nov. 17 to applicants who are successful in the draw.

West Virginia resident and nonresident archery deer hunters have until October 13 to purchase their additional deer bow hunting license, according to Curtis Taylor, Chief of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Section. The deer archery season opens on October 14, and the additional bow hunting licenses must be purchased prior to this opening date.
Hunters may purchase two RB licenses or two RRB licenses for use during the upcoming archery season.
“Dedicated archery hunters can pursue up to three deer in West Virginia during the 11-week bow season which opens on October 14 and closes on December 31,” said Taylor.
Hunters are reminded of the following archery hunting regulations relating to the Class RB and RRB licenses: Resident hunters may purchase only two Class RB licenses and nonresident hunters may purchase only two Class RRB licenses each calendar year.
The Class RB or Class RRB archery licenses must be purchased before October 14, 2006, prior to the opening of archery season.
For complete information, hunters should consult the 2006-2007 West Virginia Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary available at any DNR Office, license agents, or by visiting the DNR Website at www.wvdnr.gov.

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. - No longer will you have to search for a paper copy of a deer, turkey or waterfowl quota hunt application or have to keep up with hard copies of rejection notices from previously applied for hunts. This process is now available completely, and solely, online! Hunters must submit and manage their quota hunt applications through personal accounts on the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division website - which can be found at www.gohuntgeorgia.com.
“This step forward in the application process will benefit hunters and the Agency tremendously,” says WRD Assistant Chief of Game Management John Bowers. “Not only will hunters be able to apply directly online, they no longer will have to keep up with hard copies of rejection notices - those will be managed online and they can use these notices like a ‘bank’ to increase their chances of being selected.”
In some cases, the hunter has a pre-existing account. Those who applied for an alligator, deer , turkey or waterfowl quota hunt last season have an account created for them that includes their current quota hunt status. Additionally, those who have either recently completed a hunter education course or purchased a Georgia hunting license through the WRD website have an account that has been updated to reflect their current quota hunt status. Hunters that do not fall into one of those two categories must set up an account prior to applying for a quota hunt. To apply, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com and select “Hunting,” then “Quota Hunt and Information” and finally “Georgia’s Online Quota Hunt Application System.”
“One of the best things that hunters, and any others with an account on the WRD website, can do is to make sure that their e-mail address is current,” says Bowers. “This e-mail address allows our agency to send out quota hunt related messages via e-mail thereby improving customer service.”
To be eligible for quota hunt drawings, applicants must ensure that they have an account on the WRD website and then must apply online prior to midnight as follows: September 1 for deer hunts ; October 15 for waterfowl; and February 15 for turkey.
For more information on the new online quota hunt application system, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com or call 770-761-3044.

The California Department of Fish and Game reminds hunters there are no refund or exchanges for premium deer tags where areas are closed due to fires. The general deer season in the A zone - in all or part of 29 counties that stretch from Mendocino to Los Angeles - opens beginning Saturday, Aug. 12.
“Each year some of California’s hunters face the possibility of the state’s devastating fire season impacting their planned hunting trips,” said Craig Stowers, DFG’s Deer Program Coordinator. “However, DFG does not control that element of the deer hunting experience. Hunters should consider shifting their focus to another site within the zone they have selected. Funds raised from the sale of hunting tags are used to conduct surveys and research, perform habitat maintenance and improvement projects that meet the requirements necessary to conduct all hunting seasons.”
DFG deer officials anticipate additional restrictions on U.S. Forest Service lands located within deer zones D11, D13, D14, and D15 as the deer hunting season progresses. A map of zones can be found at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hunting/deer/zonemapsinfo.htm.
The Forest Service has implemented fire restrictions on the Los Padres and Mendocino national forests. The fires have caused public access restrictions to many of these areas and may affect deer hunters. Additional and Area-specific Archery Hunts within these zones may also be impacted.
DFG prints the following on each deer tag, “No refunds or exchange for premium tags. No refund or exchange for emergency closures due to fire, weather or other conditions.” DFG also prints the refund policy on page 8 of the 2006 Big Game Book.
Refunds for unused deer tags , bear, antelope, elk, and bighorn sheep tags may only be requested prior to the opening of the earliest season for which the tag is valid. Deer tags for X zones, Additional Hunts, and Area-specific Archery Hunt tags are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Zones A, B, C, D, and archery-only tags may be exchanged if the following conditions are met: 1) the earliest season for the tag being exchanged has not yet opened; 2) tags are still available for the zone or hunt requested; and, 3) payment of a nonrefundable $6.50 exchange tag-processing fee.
DFG recommends that hunters seriously consider the consequences of requesting refunds. Moisture conditions could change at any time, allowing the reopening of the forests in time for a portion of the season to occur.
For further information regarding the status of the fire restrictions, contact the Forest Service direct at the following numbers:
Los Padres National Forest: 968-6640
Mendocino National Forest: 934-1266

If you haven’t obtained a buck deer permit for this fall’s hunts in Utah, your next chance to obtain one begins June 15 when permits not taken in this year’s big game draw go on sale.
More than 140 Northeastern Region rifle and muzzleloader, 15,500 Northern Region rifle and muzzleloader and 9,500 statewide general archery permits will be available.
Three permits for Utah residents to hunt on Cooperative Wildlife Management Units also will be available. One permit to hunt buck deer on the Engineer Springs CWMU in Box Elder County will be available, and two permits will be available to hunt on the Bear Mountain CWMU in Sanpete County.
Permits to hunt bull elk on general season any bull elk and spike bull elk units also will go on sale June 15.
Where to buy them
The three CWMU permits will be available at DWR offices and from 270 hunting license agents across the state. The CWMU permits are available only to Utah residents.
In addition to DWR offices and license agent locations, buck deer and bull elk permits will also be available at https://secure.utah.gov/hflo/hflo. Residents and nonresidents may purchase them.
Time when you can buy a permit varies
The time when you can buy a permit on June 15 varies according to the method you choose.
DWR offices will open at 8 a.m. on June 15, and buck deer and bull elk permits will also be available at the DWR’s Web site beginning at 8 a.m. that day.
License agents cannot sell permits earlier than 8 a.m. on June 15, but some of them may not open for business until later in the morning. “I would encourage hunters to contact their nearest license agent before June 15 to learn what time they’ll open for business that day,” says Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing coordinator for the DWR.
A list of agents who sell Utah hunting licenses is available at wildlife.utah.gov/licenses.
Save time — visit the Web site or a license agent
Tutorow says when permits have gone on sale in the past, long lines have formed at some of the DWR offices. To save time this year, she encourages hunters to visit the Web site or a hunting license agent.
“You need a major credit card to buy a permit from the Web site but if you have one, the Web site is a great option,” she said. “Hunting license agents are also a good choice. Most of them are open on weekends and evenings and they may be closer to your home than a DWR office.”
For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at 538-4700.

SALEM - Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials announced the state’s 2006 auction for a pronghorn hunting tag went for $20,200 at the Oregon Hunters Association, Lakeview Chapter’s annual banquet last weekend.
The successful bidder is an Oregon resident. The tag entitles the hunter to hunt Aug. 1-Sept. 30, anywhere pronghorn hunting and tags are authorized, including Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.
The 2006 auction was the third pronghorn auction held by ODFW. Last year, the auction netted a record $34,000 for a pronghorn tag. The next auction, for a Governor’s Statewide Elk and Deer Combo tag, will be May 20 at the Oregon Hunters Association annual meeting in Lincoln City.
The pronghorn tag auction is one of many auctions and raffles administered by ODFW to raise money for the benefit of wildlife management in the state. Proceeds from the pronghorn auction go to research and management of pronghorns in the state. Last year, ODFW’s auctions and raffles raised a record $515,800 for wildlife habitat improvement and hunter access projects throughout Oregon.
For more information, visit http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/auctions_raffles/