PIERRE, S.D. — A Game, Fish and Parks Department survey of landowners’ opinions about wildlife on their property offered some surprising results. After years of hearing about the state’s booming deer population, the majority of landowners who responded to the survey in Hughes, Roberts, Grant and Ziebach counties said they didn’t have enough white-tailed deer on their property.
 
That was one of the findings of the Wildlife on Private Lands Status Report recently released by the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Department. “The data in the report is non-scientific,” according to Larry Gigliotti, GFP planning coordinator/human dimensions specialist. “However, it can be used as a supplement to biological data as the department makes deer management decisions.”
 
On average, landowners responded that white-tailed deer numbers were just about right in Marshall, Moody, Hutchinson, Gregory, Jackson, Haakon, Stanley, Corson, Harding, Codington, Deuel, Lake, Turner, Lincoln, Hanson, Douglas, Charles Mix, Lyman, Tripp, Bennett, Fall River and Perkins counties. The majority of landowners in other counties reported that to varying degrees there were too many white-tailed deer on their property.
 
“We were frankly surprised by some of these findings,” said Wildlife Division Director Tony Leif. “However, these landowner responses provide us with a good framework regarding which areas of the state need more work in depredation control.”
 
In addition to white-tailed deer, landowners were also given the opportunity to respond about depredation problems caused by mule deer, elk, antelope, turkey and Canada geese.
 
The department contacted the landowners through its Landowners Matter newsletter which has about 16,000 subscribers. Of those who got the survey, 3,260 responded. “Not only did we get the landowners’ perspective on various wildlife species, we also got the chance to respond to their inquiries,” Gigliotti said.
 
Five information packets on specific topics were made available to survey respondents. There were 1,341 respondents who requested 2,059 information packets. “In 163 cases where additional information was requested, a conservation officer or trapper was dispatched to handle the landowner’s request,” Gigliotti said.
 
In addition to detailing the survey responses landowners gave about the presence of various wildlife species, the status report also lists all of the 1,170 comments made by respondents who were asked to provide their ideas and concerns regarding wildlife management.
 
The full status report, as well as a special supplement about white-tailed deer, is available on the GFP Web site at http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/privatelands/LandownersMatter/Index.HTM. A hard copy of the report can be requested by writing to Larry Gigliotti at 523, E. Capitol Ave. Pierre, SD 57501.

Hunters in the field for this weekend’s firearms deer opener are reminded that it remains illegal to shoot gray wolves, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Federal officials removed the gray wolf - commonly referred to as the timber wolf - from the endangered species list earlier this year, and the DNR assumed management authority. While no longer endangered, State law classifies the gray wolf as a protected wild animal.

In the early 1970s, the extreme northeastern portion of Minnesota boasted the only population of gray wolves in the lower 48 states. Through the protections of the federal Endangered Species Act as well as successful federal and state recovery programs, the winter population of gray wolves has increased to about 3,000. The species now ranges throughout the forested portion of northern and central Minnesota.

“The recovery of wolves in Minnesota and the Great Lakes region is a conservation success story,” said Dan Stark, DNR wolf management specialist.

Shooting a wolf is illegal except in defense of human life and, under certain circumstances, to protect livestock or pets. Illegally shooting a wolf is a gross misdemeanor with fines up to $3,000 and up to one year in county jail. People convicted also must pay $2,000 in restitution.

“The management goal for wolves in Minnesota is to ensure the long-term survival of the wolf while resolving conflicts between wolves and humans,” Stark said. “With more people in the woods, the potential for conflict increases - particularly for any wolves that have been habituated to humans.”

By Tom Cadden, public information officer, Arizona Game and Fish Department

Nestled in the shadow of Escudilla Mountain a few miles south of the eastern Arizona town of Eagar, the Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area is a special high-country destination that can be enjoyed by hunters, anglers, wildlife watchers and others who love the outdoors.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department acquired the 1,362-acre property in 1993 when it purchased the White Mountain Hereford Ranch. The area was renamed the Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area two years later.

The area boasts a combination of grassland, pinyon-juniper woodland, and riparian habitat, making it home to a diversity of wildlife species. Elk are found here throughout the year, with fall and winter the best times to see them. Waterfowl are readily seen during fall and spring migration periods. The area is used by a variety of raptors, including ospreys, hawks and golden eagles, and nesting birds such as rufous and broad-tailed hummingbirds, Lewis’ and acorn woodpeckers, and mountain bluebirds. Other wildlife to look for are gray fox, striped skunks, badgers, coyotes, mule deer, Merriam’s turkey, pronghorn antelope, and a variety of ground squirrels, chipmunks and bats.

“Since acquiring the property, the department has steadily enhanced its habitat values and attractions for visitors,” says Bruce Sitko, information and education program manager for the Game and Fish Pinetop region.

A small visitor center, a series of hiking trails complete with interpretive signage and wildlife viewing sites, and a day-use picnic area offer the public the opportunity to learn more about Arizona’s unique wildlife and their habitat needs.

The public is welcome to hike, bicycle or horseback ride on the property. The four hiking trails range from easy to moderate in difficulty and take visitors to wetlands, meadows, old homesteads and scenic vistas. The longest is a 2.5-mile loop. Several wildlife viewing points are located on the trails, including one on the High Point Trail Overlook, which has a 20x spotting scope for locating wildlife in the surrounding forest and meadows.

The visitor center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, from mid-May until the beginning of October. Even when the visitor center is closed (as it is now), visitors can explore the grounds.

Hunting is allowed on the property in season.

To get to the Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area, take U.S. Highway 180/191 south from Eagar towards Alpine. At the signs on top of a mesa two miles from Eagar, turn off on an improved dirt road and drive five miles to the property. Park your car at one of two designated areas.

For more information, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/outdoor_recreation/wildlife_area_sipe.shtml

Opportunities for public hunting will be enhanced this fall with the addition of about 2,700 acres of land along lower Richland Creek in Searcy County to Gene Rush Wildlife Management Area.

All regulations, season dates and bag limits that apply to Gene Rush WMA will apply to the new acquisition, although most improvements for public access and habitat management will not be in place this year. For instance, access may be limited by Buffalo River and Richland Creek water levels.

Camping and parking areas have not been installed. This means no camping will be allowed on the newly acquired property this hunting season. Hunters also are encouraged to park in locations that do not block existing roads. Habitat improvements will begin next spring after a management plan has been designed. The plan will be open to public comment as it is developed. In the meantime, please respect personal property that may not yet be removed from the new acreage. No pasture gates should be opened or fences cut. Instances like these will be considered destruction of private property and a civil offense.

Horses may be used for recreation along the existing equestrian trail that connects to adjoining National Park Service land. Other uses of horses will be restricted according to AGFC regulations.

Maps of the new area are being produced and should be ready this fall. For more information or to obtain a copy of the newly acquired area map, call the AGFC Russellville Regional Office, (877) 967-7577 or the area manager at Gene Rush WMA, (870) 741-5446, ext. 277.

A 250 pound, 2 1/2-year-old male grizzly bear was shot and killed the evening of October 4 by wildlife officials, as it walked past residences near Nordman in northern Idaho.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game earlier had secured an agreement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take lethal action against the bear, which officials had determined posed a threat to human safety.

The bear had been trapped in a culvert trap August 11, when it was tranquilized, fitted with a radio collar, and relocated more than 25 air miles to the north near the Idaho-British Columbia border on August 12.

The bear returned to the area of capture by September 8.

The grizzly had received food rewards from human sources, had lost its fear of people, and was considered to be a threat to human safety to the extent that it could not be safely relocated.

“The bear became conditioned to expect food from humans,” said Rob Soumas, a conservation officer for Idaho Fish and Game. “A photographer placed corn near his house so he could obtain photos of grizzly bears.”

The bear found corn cribs near other houses that were put out to attract and feed deer. The bear also discovered and tore apart bird feeders to obtain sunflower seeds. The bear became accustomed to the food and lost his natural fear of humans.

This is a fatal combination for the bear, Soumas said.

“There’s an old adage that a fed bear is a dead bear,’ and unfortunately that was the case for this one,” he said.

Fish and Game was notified of the situation in late July when some residents became concerned about the behavior of the bear, which was being seen regularly. Traps were set and the bear was caught and relocated.

When the grizzly returned to the area, the bear was trap shy and avoided capture. Though not aggressive toward humans, the bear began to scavenge on porches, decks and carports, and began entering chicken coops to eat chicken feed.

In one incident, the bear inadvertently isolated a resident from his home when the bear ambled through a carport. The man kept his car between himself and the bear and safely made it into his home. Following this and other incidents and discussions between Fish and Game and the Fish and Wildlife Service, officials decided October 1 to kill the bear. When it was seen near a residence on October 4, officers shot the bear with a high powered rifle.

The following morning, October 5, a second grizzly was captured in a culvert trap. This bear appears to be less habituated to humans, and is being collared and released in a remote location.

Fish and Game wildlife research biologist Wayne Wakkinen and grizzly bear education officer Brian Johnson expressed frustration with the situation.

“People need to be aware of the consequences of their actions,” Johnson said. “Intentionally attracting an animal like a grizzly bear to your house by using food puts both humans and the bear at risk.”

Wakkinen agreed.

“Wild animals do not need to be fed by people to survive, and feeding does nothing but lead to problems for wildlife,” he said. “This is a classic example of the bad that can happen when people feed wildlife. People were placed at risk, and at least one- and perhaps two-grizzly bears will end up being removed from an already small population.”

Kentucky hunters now have 15,000 new acres to pursue deer, elk, turkey and small game this fall in Clay, Bell and Leslie counties at Graham Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Roughly three-quarters of this area is part of the Begley WMA/Daniel Boone National Forest Limited Entry Area for elk hunting while the remainder is open to at-large elk hunting.

“This is part of our ongoing commitment to provide more hunting access to the public,” said Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commissioner Jon Gassett. “We are extremely grateful that Tommy Graham, the landowner, made this happen. People like Mr. Graham share our love of the outdoors and recognize the importance of preserving our hunting heritage by allowing more public access to large tracts of property.”

The portions of the area open to at-large elk hunting mainly lie west of KY 66 and north of KY 1850.

“There are a lot of elk on that property,” said Tony Wheatley, lands acquisition coordinator for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “You have a great place to elk hunt.”

The area is a mixture of mature hardwoods and reclaimed coal mining land.

“The majority of it is in timberland,” said Graham, a resident of Linden, Tennessee. “I owned a lot of land in Tennessee and I was in a similar program in Tennessee. That was one of the main reasons I did this. I believe being in this type of program adds value to the land.”

The strip benches and other remains of mining on portions of Graham WMA should make the property an easier place to hunt compared to the topography of the surrounding area. “The mountains in that part of the state are tall and steep,” Wheatley said. “But, with all of the old strip benches, there should be plenty of places for hunters to set-up to deer or elk hunt. It should be relatively easy for hunters to go in and out and retrieve downed game.”

The area is open to statewide regulations for deer, turkey, small game hunting. There are few viable fishing opportunities on the area. Be sure to follow all signage as some areas are off-limits to the public.

The area lies between KY 66 and U.S. 421 south of Hal Rogers Parkway in the area where Clay, Bell and Leslie counties meet.

A map of the property is available online at fw.ky.gov.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife is asking hunters for help this season with a research project focusing on mule deer in selected areas of southwest Colorado. Hunters who participate will be entered into a drawing and could win a Weatherby .270 rifle that is being donated by the Mule Deer Foundation.

Big game managers in Gunnison, the San Luis Valley and Montrose would like to examine the age structure of mule deer bucks harvested in game management units 54, 61, 62 and 80. The intent of this project is to evaluate how various management prescriptions are working in units with contrasting objectives.

Approximately 2,000 buck hunters should have received a mailing for this project, asking them to remove a middle incisor from the lower jaw of their harvested buck and to send it to the DOW. The mailing also included a brief survey card and a pre-paid return envelope in which to submit the tooth.

“We’re making it as easy as we possibly can for hunters to return a tooth,” said Brandon Diamond, terrestrial biologist in Gunnison. “It looks like we had about a 10 percent response rate from the archery and muzzleloader hunters. We’d like to increase the return during the rifle seasons so we’re asking hunters to please participate in this project.”

Biologists are able to determine the age of an animal by laboratory analysis of cementum annuli in the tooth. Hunters participating in this project also will be able to find out the age of their deer, with results likely being posted in the spring of 2008 on the DOW’s web site.

“It doesn’t matter if a hunter harvests a big buck or a small buck, we need to get back as many teeth as we can,” Diamond said. “This information will help us learn more about our mule deer management prescriptions. This is a great chance for hunters to contribute to big game management in Colorado.”

To give hunters more incentive to send in the teeth, the Mule Deer Foundation is donating the rifle. All hunters who submit teeth will have their names entered in a drawing for the rifle. The drawing will take place in early December.

Game management units 61 and 62 are located west of Montrose; game management unit 80 is located southwest of Alamosa; and game management unit 54 is northwest of Gunnison. Hunters are being asked to return teeth by Dec. 1, 2007.

Hunters can also drop teeth off at one of the DOW offices. Please, use the envelope that was provided. Gunnison DOW office: 300 New York Ave.; Montrose DOW office, 2300 S. Townsend Ave.; San Luis Valley DOW office, 0722 S. Road 1E in Monte Vista.

Hunters with questions about this project can call Diamond at (970)641-7060.

After reviewing public comments that overwhelmingly opposed moving the Dungeness Roosevelt Elk Herd out of Sequim, the herd’s co-managers have agreed to pursue efforts to fence the animals away from highways and residential areas.
The decision to explore fencing options was reached during a Tuesday meeting of the Dungeness-Sequim Elk Policy Group. The group includes the herd’s co-managers, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, as well as area landowners, including the City of Sequim, Clallam and Jefferson counties, the Washington Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service.
The proposed fence would be designed to keep the elk on public land and prevent them from moving into Sequim’s urban areas.
The co-managers will investigate fencing routes and present the alternatives during the elk policy group’s meeting in early March. Past cost estimates have placed fencing at more than $1 million. The tribal and state co-managers are investigating funding options, including applying for grants.

SALEM - As spring bear hunters prepare for the April 1 and April 15 season openers throughout the state, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials today reminded successful hunters that their help is needed for an important study.
State wildlife managers are asking every successful bear hunter to submit a single premolar tooth from each harvested bear, as well as the reproductive tracts of female bears. All bear hunters received a specially marked, postage paid tooth envelope, which includes instructions for removing and submitting teeth.
ODFW is working on an important study designed to more accurately estimate Oregon’s bear population. Submission of premolar teeth and female reproductive organs are critical to management efforts.
Biologists are using a unique method to mark bears and help direct black bear management in the state. Last summer, researchers lured bears into bait stations by hanging small sacks containing tetracycline capsules wrapped in bacon. The chemical stains the bears’ teeth, and the stain is visible under ultraviolet light. The system allows researchers to conduct a mark-recapture study to estimate the number of black bears in Oregon.
“This program is crucial to ODFW’s bear management efforts, but its success depends on help from bear hunters,” said Larry Cooper, ODFW Wildlife Division assistant administrator. “Strong hunter participation is essential to helping the department better manage Oregon’s bears, which means quality hunts for the future.”
The bear meat is safe to eat and will not stain the teeth of people who eat the meat.
The higher the percentage of successful bear hunters who cooperate by providing the requested teeth and reproductive organs, the better the population estimate will be. Last year, only 30 percent of successful hunters participated.
Hunters are encouraged to contact local ODFW offices for assistance or more information. Participating hunters will be notified of the age of their bear once laboratory analysis is completed in about a year.