Gunnison, Colo.–Gunnison elk hunters will see significant regulation and license changes for the 2010 big game seasons.  Two groups–archery hunters and second-season rifle hunters–are affected most by changes to license allocation and should plan carefully before arriving to the Gunnison area this fall.

“We want to make sure hunters accustomed to purchasing over-the-counter elk licenses are aware of these changes well before the start of the seasons,” said J Wenum, DOW area wildlife manager for Gunnison.  “We don’t want hunters showing up here realizing they cannot purchase licenses or that licenses have been sold out.”

Beginning this year, archery hunters can no longer purchase over-the-counter licenses for Game Management Units 54, 55 and 551. All Gunnison archery licenses are allocated by the limited drawing only for the 2010 season.  Therefore, bow hunters must participate in the spring drawing and have applications submitted prior to the April 6 deadline to obtain licenses for these Units.

Read more…

DENVER, Colo. – The Colorado Wildlife Commission finalized 2010 big game regulations at its regular meeting Jan. 11.  The Commission approved a variety of changes, some providing expanded opportunities for hunters.

Key revisions include:

Hybrid Draw:
The Colorado Division of Wildlife established a “Hybrid” drawing for select elk and deer licenses for the 2010 hunting seasons.   The purpose of the drawing is to give hunters the additional opportunity to draw a license for some of the state’s premier elk and deer hunting areas.    Hunters with five or more elk or deer preference points that select as their first choice a unit requiring 10 or more resident preference points for that species will be automatically included in the random drawing. Approximately 15 elk and three deer units qualify for the drawing.

Read more…

The application deadline this year is February 1. The February 1 deadline is a departure this year from the normal January 31 deadline since January 31 is on a weekend.

Hunters may apply online at https://gf.state.wy.us/elsapplication/ELSWelcome.aspx.

The Non-resident (Me!) application is available at http://gf.state.wy.us/wildlife/hunting/NonResident/index.asp.

Good luck in the draw!

The printed regulation booklet for Arizona’s 2010 elk and pronghorn antelope hunting seasons are now in license dealer stores and department offices throughout the state. Hunters that are interested in a tag will need to submit an application through the lottery-draw process.

Applications for Kentucky’s 2010 elk hunt lottery went on sale today. Applications cost $10, and give the purchaser a chance to win a bull or cow elk tag. Applications are available online only.

You may apply by logging onto the homepage of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and clicking on the yellow “Buy Licenses Here” box on the right side of the page. If you wish to purchase a chance for someone on your Christmas shopping list, you will need that person’s social security number.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife issued 750 cow elk tags and 250 bull elk tags for the regular 2009 lottery quota hunts. More than 46,000 people applied for the 2009 hunts.

Youth hunters 15 years old and younger may apply for the 2010 youth-only elk hunt at Paul Van Booven Wildlife Management Area. Youth may apply for the regular quota elk hunts and the youth-only hunt, but each application costs $10.

You can only apply one time (except those youth applying for the youth-only and regular elk quota hunts). The lottery is open to Kentucky residents and non-residents. The deadline to apply is April 30. The drawing will be conducted in May.

Eighty-seven percent of those drawn for the 2009 bull elk hunt successfully harvested a bull elk during the current season.

I’ve made my annual donation, I think it’s my lucky year!

MISSOULA, Mont.–Nineteen Utah counties are slated for wildlife habitat conservation projects using $262,462 in new grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 2009 RMEF grants will affect Cache, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Kane, Millard, Piute, Rich, San Juan, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington and Wayne counties.

All grants are funded by proceeds from Utah hunting permits sold at RMEF fundraisers.

“Thanks to our volunteers across Utah who helped drive the 2008 fundraisers that made these grants possible. When Elk Foundation banquets, auctions and other events transform into on-the-ground conservation work, it’s payday for all of our supporters who are passionate about giving something back to the outdoors,” said David Allen, Elk Foundation president and CEO.

Read more…

The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission has tentatively adopted a new rule for the sale of nonresident big game combination licenses that increases opportunities for resident and nonresident family members to hunt together.

The new rule implements HB 585 passed during the 2009 legislative session to help promote the state’s hunting heritage. It makes an additional 500 nonresident deer and elk and 500 nonresident deer combination licenses available to former Montana residents with family members who reside in the state and hunt here. The license fee would be the same as similar nonresident combination licenses obtained through the annual drawing.

“Nonresident applicants for these licenses must be sponsored by a family member with a valid Montana hunting license who will accompany them in the field on the hunt,” said Hank Worsech, FWP licensing Bureau Chief.

Worsech said if more applications are received for the license than there are licenses available, a drawing would be conducted to issue the licenses and any unsuccessful applicants would be placed in the appropriate general nonresident combination license drawing.

The proposed deadline to apply for the license would be March 15, 2010.

For details on the new rule, go to the FWP Web site at fwp.mt.gov under Public Notices. Public comment on the wording of the new rule will be accepted through Dec. 4 by email to: hworsech@mt.gov , or   via mail to: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Licensing Division, PO Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.

The FWP Commission is scheduled to make the new rule final at its meeting Dec. 10, 2009.

Elk hunters on the Rocky Mountain Front are doing well three weeks into Montana’s five-week, big game season, according to data collected by Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

The elk harvest as collected at FWP’s Augusta check station is about 25 percent above the 10-year average.

Through the third week of the five-week deer and elk general season hunters have taken 200 elk. The 10-year average is 151.

Part of the reason could be hunter effort.

Read more…