Kirk is a Northern California hunter who has made the most of his suburban hunting opportunities. In an area that has many open spaces but in the form of many land parcels from 5-10 acres , his bowhunting prowess has made him popular with homeowners invaded by aggressive mating turkeys each spring. (more…)
From the Wyoming Fish and Game E-newsletter…
UPTON – Of all high school state championships – football, golf, soccer, speech/debate, track and field, etc. – none are more “Wyoming” than the state hunting championships.
The Youth Hunter Education Challenge, as it””s officially called, will be held May 8 in Upton and young hunters do not need to qualify in a regional or district tournament to compete. All Wyoming and South Dakota youth 18 and under who have passed hunter education are eligible to showcase their hunting skills and probably learn a little.
The challenge tests youngsters in sporting clays style trap shooting, .22, muzzleloader and archery marksmanship, wildlife identification, orienteering and hunter safety judgments. “The challenge is designed to be a fun event for all participants – not just the winners,” said Jim Dawson, the Game and Fish””s hunter education coordinator.
This is the third year the challenge has been hosted by the Upton Gun Club and officially sanctioned by the National Rifle Association. Winners in both age categories – 15-18 and 14 and under – are eligible to advance to the international competition to be held July 26-30 at a top-notch shooting complex near Mansfield, Pa.
In addition to the department and the gun club, the challenge is sponsored by the Wyoming Friends of the NRA and a variety of Wyoming businesses. All participants receive a prize for competing.
In the spirit of interstate cooperation, South Dakota young hunters can also participate in this challenge for the right to represent their state at the international competition. “Because Upton is close to the border, we””re teaming up with the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks and holding their challenge at the same time,” Dawson said.
He adds that although the youngsters from both states will take part in the same tests, they will not be competing against each other. Winners will be crowned from both states.
To participate, youngsters need to submit copies of their hunter education card, birth certificate, photo and pay a $10 entry fee. Entry forms are available at the Game and Fish Web site and offices and must be submitted by April 30.
For more info, call the Game and Fish’s Jim Dawson or Jeff Obrecht at (307) 777-4600 or Rick Rothleutner of the Upton Gun Club at (307) 281-9980.
The deadlines to apply for FWP’s special license drawings are May 1 for bison, moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat; and June 1 for elk, deer and antelope.
Applying for special big game hunting permits and licenses is a lot easier these days for the growing number of hunters who apply online at fwp.mt.gov . Click ” Apply for a Permit or License .”
Internet applicants receive instant confirmation that their applications are accepted and accurate. To avoid the one slip-up that can’t be detected, applicants should double check their desired hunting district numbers before and after entering them. Once submitted, the application can’t be changed.
Applicants will need a MasterCard or Visa credit card. A convenience fee of $1.25, plus two percent of the total purchase, will be added to the purchase price.
For those who don’t own a computer, Internet access is available at Montana’s 80 public libraries and 30 branch public libraries. Paper applications are available at all FWP offices and from most license providers.
Additional information about FWP’s $5 SuperTag lottery is also available online on FWP’s SuperTag Web page. The SuperTag chances are available for bison, moose, sheep, mountain goat, deer, elk, antelope, and mountain lion hunts.
Well Utah just emailed me withthe news that I knew was coming. I won’t be hunting the Beehive state this Fall. Of course I only applied for bonus points. I hope they pay off in the future.
Appl # Hunt # Result
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247590 ELK BONUS POINT ELK BULL Bonus Point Earned
247592 ROCKY MTN GOAT BONUS POINT ROCKY MOUNTABonus Point Earned
247589 DEER BONUS POINT BUCK DEER Bonus Point Earned
247591 DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP BONUS POINT DESERT Bonus Point Earned
247594 ROCKY MTN SHEEP BONUS POINT ROCKY MOUNT Bonus Point Earned
247593 MOOSE BONUS POINT BULL MOOSE Bonus Point Earned
———————————————————————————————————
Kelly first was featured here with a stud of a moose from Canada, and later with her goofy pronghorn from Oregon.
Well now she had added a nice gobbler to the wall, with her bow no less. In true Western fashion she received permission to hunt on a neighbor’s ranch. She did it solo, even though she had never been to the site before.
Here is the story in her words:
This ranch where I shot the tom is located about a mile down the road at a neighbors ranch. My boss maintains their road for free and in return they let him (and his friends) hunt turkeys if they are there. And they are there…for now. My boss informed me yesterday that I would be hunting (more…)
“The RF read over 400, which is a little far for me to shoot, so I dropped elevation and got set up on a stump at 290. I had a dead solid rest and waited for the bear to quarter just a bit as it fed up hill. Jody said he saw the bear buckle well before he heard the shot…..I aimed for the base of the bears skull, knowing my bullet would drop a few inches, which hit him square between the shoulder blades. He dropped and slid to the bottom, I racked in another shell and heard the bear moaning from the canyon floor….dead bear!
Then I looked to the bottom of the canyon and realized, Holy Hell, that’s steep and will take hours to get’em out. It’s near dark, so the decision was made to come back in the morning, when we’d have all day to pack the bear out.
Sounds familiar, right? That is why we spend the off-season working out so we can get to those spots that the game is unpressured and get them out of there. (Usually boned out in a backpack). What makes this story unique though is that Kirk had just finished the American River 50 mile Endurance Run seven (7) days before . (more…)
The application period for elk controlled hunts, as well as controlled hunts for deer, pronghorn, fall black bear and fall turkey runs from May 1 through June 5. Hunters may apply for controlled hunts at any hunting license vendor, Fish and Game office; with a credit card by calling 1-800-55HUNT5 or 1-800-554-8687; or online at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov. An additional fee is charged for telephone and Internet applications. Hunters must have a 2010 Idaho hunting license to apply.
Ross Russell, aka “elkhunterfromhell” lives by the words:
“IF YOU AIN’T SWEATING…. (more…)
Long time Montana hunters will notice a slightly new format in the state’s 2010 big game hunting regulation booklet and find several new opportunities for deer, elk and antelope for the upcoming season.
The opening pages of the 2010 big game regulations outline the hunter’s legal responsibilities afield, followed by hunting district maps, regulations and legal descriptions of each hunting district. The final pages of the regulations contain information on licenses and general items of interest to hunters.
“We made the changes in response to requests for a simpler and easier way to access the array of information in Montana’s hunting regulations,” said Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks spokesman Ron Aasheim. “We hope that most find the regulations easier to read and the information more accessible.”
In addition, there are several new opportunities for hunters in 2010. Here’s a summary:
New Opening Day— Antelope, deer and elk seasons will open on a Saturday for the first time in recent memory. The general season for antelope will open Oct. 9. The general deer and elk season opener is set for Oct. 23. In past years, most general big game hunting seasons opened on a Sunday.
Deer Youth Hunt at Fall Break— A youth hunt for deer limited to youngsters between the ages of 12-15 was approved for the Thursday and Friday preceding the Saturday opener. That’s Oct. 21-22 and coincides with Montana’s annual two-day teachers’ convention, which are no-school days for most public school students. FWP will evaluate the program over the next two years.
“Party” Applications for Elk and Deer Hunters— For the first time ever, deer and elk hunters who enjoy hunting with friends and family can now apply for special licenses and permits as a “party” of up to four applicants. Be sure to follow application directions carefully.
ELK B Licenses— Elk B licenses (formally called “A9” or “B12” licenses), which allow taking a second elk, have replaced antlerless elk permits in several hunting districts. The change seeks to conform to deer and antelope “B” license classifications that provide hunters an opportunity to purchase a second license. An added benefit to hunters is the ability to use their special permit drawing application for a special bull-elk permit, instead of an antlerless permit. The change also provides additional opportunities for wildlife managers to increase antlerless elk harvest in areas where elk exceed population objectives.
Black Bear and Mountain Lion Archery— For the first time, Montana will offer black bear and lion archery-only seasons, which will open along with the general big game archery season on Sept. 4. To participate one must have a valid archery license.
New Antelope and New Deer and Elk Applications for Residents— Due to additional opportunities, residents now have one application for deer and elk and another for antelope. Each application requires a $2 Bonus Point fee.
Bonus Points— New this year, bonus points are also available for Elk B, Deer B and Antelope B licenses through the special drawings. The price to participate is $2 for residents and $20 for nonresidents per application.
Bison Hunting Districts— The deadline to apply for Montana’s special license drawing for bison is May 1. Hunters should note, as indicted on the application, that the West Yellowstone hunting district is 395 and the Gardiner hunting district is 385.
Montana’s annual big game hunting regulations and drawing applications are now available on the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Web site at fwp.mt.gov and from most FWP offices and license providers.
The deadline to apply for moose, bighorn sheep, bison and mountain goat licenses available through a drawing is May 1; the deadline to apply for deer, elk licenses and permits and antelope licenses available through a drawing is June 1.
Finish Form 1040 or head out for the start of spring turkey hunting? Tough decision.
Those who have done the right thing and finished with taxes before the deadline can expect to find Idaho’s wild turkey populations in good shape. Idaho is home to more than 30,000 turkeys, mostly of the Merriam subspecies.
The general season youth turkey hunt runs Thursday April 8 through Wednesday April 14. Youths 15 years or younger on April 8, may participate in the youth hunt. All youth hunters must have a valid 2010 Idaho hunting license.
The general spring turkey hunts open April 15 and runs through May 25. Dates vary for controlled hunts, listed in the brochure.
Spring turkey hunting seasons and rules can be found in printed form at all Fish and Game offices and at license vendors statewide. The brochure is also on the Fish and Game web site at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/rules/ug/.
Hunters also can use the convenient Idaho Hunt Planner, found in the hunting section of the Website, where detailed maps are available.
Hunters must have a valid hunting license and a turkey tag. They may buy an extra tag for the spring hunts, but the limit for the year is three turkeys with no more than two taken in either the spring or fall seasons. The extra tag is now valid throughout the spring season and may also be used in the fall turkey season.
The waiting period for using the second tag has been eliminated.
Two turkey tags – one general tag and one extra tag – may be purchased for the spring turkey season before May 26.
Resident adults pay $19.75 for the first tag and $12.25 for an extra tag. Discounted tags for youth, seniors and disabled veterans are $10.75. Nonresident turkey tags cost $80, except for junior mentored tags priced $19.75.
