Draw Results:
Arizona Deer and Sheep results are out. Results are posted on Arizona’s website https://www.azgfdeservices.com/.

Let us know if you drew and we will add you to Member Draw and send you a list of members that have drawn previously or an outfitter if you are interested in one.

Wyoming Preference Points:
The application period for Wyoming preference points is July 1st to Sept. 30th. If you already applied for Moose, Sheep, Elk, Deer, or
Antelope and selected the preference point option you cannot purchase an additional point. If you didn’t choose this option or didn’t apply for a specific species you can still obtain a preference point for this year.

We highly recommend building points in Wyoming for all species.

If you aren’t going to have time or don’t want to deal with the states’ applications have us apply you, but don’t miss out. You can sign up or learn more about our License Application Service from our website http://www.huntinfool.com/licenseapp/ or by calling Jenny at 435-865-1020.

Summer Membership Drive Winners:
The public drawing was held July 10, 2010 and the lucky winners of our 2010 Summer Membership Drive were drawn. Visit our website http://www.huntinfool.com/giveaway/winners.asp for a complete list of the lucky winners!

Magazine:
The August issue of The Huntin’ Fool will ship July 23rd and you should receive it by August 6th.
Contact us at 435-865-1020 if you aren’t receiving your issues.

Thanks,

Huntin’ Fool Staff
Carter’s Hunter Services
Publisher of The Huntin’ Fool  Magazine
435-865-1020 phone
435-865-1090 fax

Don’t forget to mention to the Huntin’ Fool Staff that Rudy at Winded Bowhunter sent you!

Draw Results:
Wyoming Deer and Antelope results are out. Results are posted on Wyomings’s website http://gf.state.wy.us/DrawResults/frmSearch.aspx.

Idaho Deer, Elk, and Antelope results are out. Results are posted on Idaho’s website http://fishgame.idaho.gov/apps/ch/deab.cfm.

California results are out. Results are posted on California’s website https://biggame.dfg.ca.gov/biggame/.

Let us know if you drew and we will add you to the Member Draw and send you a list of members that have drawn previously or an outfitter if you are interested in one. Read more…

MISSOULA, Mont.–Wildlife conservation projects in 12 Wyoming counties have been selected to receive grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in 2010.

The new RMEF funding, totaling $335,500, will affect Albany, Big Horn, Carbon, Converse, Fremont, Hot Springs, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, Sheridan, Sublette and Teton counties.

“These grants are possible because of the successful banquets and fundraisers staged over the past year by our Wyoming volunteers–most of whom are elk hunters as well as devoted conservationists,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Since 1984, our annual grants have helped complete 408 different projects in Wyoming with a combined value of more than $40 million.” Read more…

Photo by Stacey Huston

Start the new year out right!!! Not a scam.. I have some friends in N.W. Wyoming that have their cabin for sale. They are trying to use Social Media to push the sale.

A true log cabin with privacy and a beautiful view of the Pryor Mountains! It is just 45 Minutes from Cody, Wyoming and 35 Minutes from Powell ,Wyoming or Red Lodge, Montana!

Have a look at the cabin here!

Help spread the word..

Just tell them that Rudy sent you the information!

Even though most big game seasons have already come and gone, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department reports that some areas are still open and have licenses available for residents and nonresidents.

For deer, the area with the most licenses is nonresident Region A (hunt areas 1-6) in the Black Hills area in the northeast portion of the state. More than 700 nonresident Region A licenses are available for that area as well as numerous reduced price doe/fawn licenses that may be purchased in addition to the regular price licenses that allow the taking of a buck.  Residents can hunt that region with a general license.  The season in Region A opens Nov. 1 and runs through Nov. 30 in hunt areas 1-3, and until Nov. 20 in areas 4-6.  For type 6 doe licenses, hunt areas 1-6 are open until Nov. 30.

Other nonresident regions with licenses remaining include Region J in the southeast and Region M in north central Wyoming.  Seasons in these regions vary with the individual hunt area but some areas still have open seasons until Oct. 31 while others are open until Nov. 4 for general license holders.

Antelope seasons in the northeast overlap many of the deer seasons in the Black Hills.  Antelope areas 1-5 are open now and will close on Nov. 20.  Antelope hunters should also be aware that seasons in many other areas in northeast Wyoming still have licenses available with most seasons staying open until Oct. 31.

Many of the licenses are in areas that are predominantly private land.  Hunters are advised to check with the Game and Fish if uncertain about land status or access in the area they plan to hunt.

For elk, a number of areas still have antlerless licenses available and for hunters holding general licenses, many areas in the western part of the state will be open Nov. 1 for antlerless elk hunting once the season allowing the taking of bull elk closes.

Hunters can check regulations for seasons that are still open and the Game and Fish Web site http://gf.state.wy.us for license availability and season dates in the various hunt areas.  Hunters can also call the WGFD at (307) 777-4600 for more information.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is asking moose hunters to provide information on their hunt and have their harvested animal examined to help wildlife managers better understand the decline of moose populations in Wyoming.

Green River wildlife management coordinator Mark Zornes says that many moose populations throughout the world are declining, especially southern populations (including Shiras Moose in Wyoming). To accommodate the observed decline, Zornes says Wyoming has dramatically decreased moose licenses in recent years and more must be done to better understand and potentially affect this decline.

“No single cause has been identified for these worldwide declines,” Zornes said. “Increased parasite loads and disease are associated with slight temperature increases throughout the range of moose from Wyoming to Norway and Sweden.

Several recent moose mortalities in western Wyoming have been linked to the presence of the parasite Elaephora schneideri, commonly called carotid artery worm. Mule deer are the normal host for this parasite and suffer no ill effects. However, the parasite can be fatal to other big game animals, including moose. This parasite restricts blood flow to the brain and extremities, causing ear tip and nose tissues to die, and ultimately can result in the death of the animal. We have also documented cases of keratoconjunctivitis (pink eye) and one case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in moose.”

In an effort to better understand the prevalence and distribution of these diseases and parasites in Wyoming moose, successful hunters are asked to bring their harvested animal to a WGFD Regional Office or field check station for sample testing. Hunters are encouraged to bring the entire head (skull plate can be removed) out of the field with them for sampling at a check station or regional office.

“If you intend to have a trophy moose mounted by a taxidermist, a WGFD employee will pick the head up at the taxidermist after it has been caped,” Zornes said. “Please call the nearest regional office and let the office manager know which taxidermist you are using. We will call the taxidermist and request the head be held until it can be picked up.”

Check stations are run throughout the state on opening days and weekends during many big game seasons. Hunters are required to stop at every check station they encounter and department personnel can collect samples at these locations.

However, if a check station is not encountered, or a field check is not made, hunters are asked to bring their moose head to the most convenient WGFD regional office. Hunters are asked to call first to ensure that someone will be available to take biological samples upon arrival.
(Contact: Lucy Diggins (307-875-3223)

Right now, one of America’s public lands treasures is under threat.

Wyoming’s 120,000-acre Fortification Creek area – and its majestic elk herd – is currently being threatened by rushed plans for coal bed methane gas development.

In fact, the Wyoming Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has already issued 2,000 permits to drill coal bed methane gas before they’ve analyzed the impacts on wildlife or water resources. There’s no reason to rush to develop coal bed methane when such a beautiful and unique landscape is at stake.

Please speak up today to protect these important public lands – and the elk herd they support – from damaging resource extraction practices.

The surrounding landscape is becoming transformed by consumptive land uses – even in the vast state of Wyoming, Fortification Creek has become an island refuge for wildlife ringed by a sea of mineral development.

Urge National BLM Director Bob Abbey to slow down the unneeded coal bed methane gas development on Wyoming’s Fortification Creek to help conserve these cherished public lands.

Thanks for standing up for public lands!

Sheridan, Wyo. (AP) – The Wyoming Game and Fish Department plans to issue 3,000 licenses to hunt deer in an area near Sheridan this fall.

The department says recent mild winters and a high reproduction rate for deer mean more opportunities for hunters. The purpose is to reduce the deer population so they do less damage to livestock forage and wildlife habitat. Deer also can be a hazard on roads and highways.

The licenses apply to Hunt Area 24 outside Sheridan. Hunting season begins Sept. 1 and ends Dec. 20. Hunters who buy the licenses will be allowed to kill up to four does or fawns.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parksis seeking public comment on a proposed agreement among neighboring states on the shared management of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

The proposed agreement defines the process by which the states of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming could develop annual quota recommendations if they seek to establish grizzly bear hunting seasons. None of the states are considering hunting season at this time. The agreement is aligned with the Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy for the Greater Yellowstone Area and state management plans.

The overall conservation strategy, which was developed by state and federal scientists and managers, includes area-wide caps on grizzly bear mortalities, intensive monitoring of Yellowstone bears, their food, and their habitats.

Yellowstone grizzly bears were removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007. Grizzly numbers in the Yellowstone ecosystem have increased from as few as 136 bears when they were listed as threatened in 1975, to more than 500 bears today.

For more information, visit FWP online at  fwp.mt.gov. Click Recent Public Notices and search for 2009 Grizzly Bear MOU . Comments are due by 5 p.m. on Aug. 12. Send comments to Grizzly Bear MOU,   Wildlife Division, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT   59620-0701, or via e-mail to fwpwld@mt.gov.

Leftover licenses for Wyoming doe deer, doe antelope, and cow elk go on sale 8:00am MT on July 21.  These licenses will be sold on a first-come first-served basis, so you’ll need to act quickly if you’re interested.

In previous years, leftover licenses were allocated via an application and drawing process. Starting this year, licenses are first-come first-served.

Some of the areas where licenses are available have reasonable public access either through public federal and state lands or through Wyoming’s hunter management and walk-in area programs.

However, there are also many licenses remaining in hunt areas that are predominantly private lands where public access is difficult.

Leftover license list is here.

You can get more information on the leftover license sale process here.

You can purchase a license here.

Hunters who have questions on applying for licenses or public access in the different hunt areas can contact the Game and Fish at (307) 777-4600.

Wyoming hunters will have more than 50,000 new acres of walk-in access to private lands this year and four new Hunter Management Areas that offer hunting for big game including elk, deer and antelope as well as a variety of upland bird species, waterfowl and small game and predators.

The complete list of 2009 Hunter Management and Walk-In Areas is now available on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Web site. The list includes hundreds of thousands of acres of public access available throughout much of Wyoming.

In all, Wyoming’s Hunter Management and Walk-In Area programs provide access to more than two million acres of public and private lands.

Of note this year are the addition of four new hunter management areas and more than 50,000 new acres of access added to the 700,000 acres already provided through the Walk-in Area program.

The new Hunter Management Areas (HMA) are found in Johnson, Carbon, Albany and Hot Springs counties and are provided courtesy of agreements with PacifiCorp, M&M, McFarlane and the Little V-H ranches. The new acreage provided through the Walk-In Area program includes terrain in several counties, mostly in eastern Wyoming.

“These companies and landowners should be commended for their key role in the good stewardship of these lands,” Gov. Dave Freudenthal said. “As we all know, particularly in the eastern half of our state, access is a prized commodity. We understand that these folks don’t take granting access lightly, and we sure appreciate their willingness to participate in this program which provides such an important benefit to the hunting public.”

Public land access coordinator Matt Buhler said the Game and Fish thanks PacifiCorp and other landowners for their contributions to habitat, sound wildlife management and hunter access.

“The hunter access program is only successful thanks to the efforts of companies like PacifiCorp that own large acreage of land and the many private ranchers and farmers who also participate in the program.” Buhler said. “We have been greatly encouraged by the reception we have received from private companies and landowners to provide places for people to hunt. The amount of access has been increasing every year and it is those who own the land that deserve the credit.”

Buhler said Hunter Management Areas differ from Walk-In Areas in that a permit must be obtained to hunt. “To use one of the 44 Hunter Management Areas, a physical permission slip can be obtained on-line or at Game and Fish offices,” Buhler said.

Details on obtaining HMA permits and accessing some of the 850,000 acres available through that program can be obtained by calling (307) 777-4600 or on the Game and Fish Web site. A listing of ranch rules and the license types that are valid in each of the Hunter Management and Walk-in Areas is also available on the Web site. Hunters should be aware that rules governing use of HMAs can vary with the different areas.

“In some of the areas, permits are unlimited,” Buhler said. “In others, they are limited and a drawing is held to issue the Hunter Management Area permits.” Hunters can begin applying for most HMA permits on July 14.

Walk-In Areas provide hunting opportunity for big game including elk, deer and antelope as well as a variety of upland bird species, waterfowl and small game and predators. The Walk-in Atlas lists the species that can be hunted within each area and the dates when individual walk-in areas can be accessed. Printed copies of the Walk-in Area Atlas will be available in August.

The Walk-in Program is funded to a large extent by the Game and Fish Department’s AccessYes Program through contributions of anglers and hunters usually at the time of license purchase and application.

Get more information here.

MISSOULA, Mont.—Fifteen counties in Wyoming are slated for wildlife habitat conservation projects using $352,547 in new grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 2009 RMEF grants will affect Albany, Bighorn, Carbon, Converse, Laramie, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Uinta, Washakie and Weston counties.

Additional projects have statewide interest.

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

Elk Foundation grants will help fund the following Wyoming projects, listed by county:

Bighorn County—Prescribe burn 300 acres of juniper and mountain sagebrush to improve forage for elk, bighorn sheep, mule deer, sage grouse and antelope in BLM Devil’s Canyon area.

Carbon County—Continue efforts to secure 1,561-acre conservation easement on a private ranch containing elk habitat surrounded by subdivision and energy developments; prescribe burn 2,775 acres to improve elk winter range in Medicine Bow National Forest Big Sandstone area; thin and prescribe burn to improve habitat in Sierra Madre/Little Snake River area of Medicine Bow National Forest; clean ditches and install 1,500 feet of pipeline to improve and expand irrigation and forage on elk winter range at Pennock Mountain Wildlife Management Area; install wildlife friendly fencing and water troughs at two springs to improve use by livestock and elk in BLM Romios Spring area.

Converse County—Using prescribed fire, restore grasses, forbs, aspen and water availability for elk and other wildlife on the North Laramie Range (also affects Albany, Natrona and Converse counties); sponsored deer/antelope hunts with Paralyzed Veterans of America; sponsored Wyoming State 4-H Shooting Sports Competition for about 500 youths competing in pistol, rifle, archery, muzzleloader and shotgun skills.

Laramie County—Install three fence-exclosures around spring water sources to restore riparian areas for elk along BLM North Crow Creek area.

Lincoln County—Utilize biological and chemical control mechanisms, control weed infestations to enhance forage for elk in Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Natrona County—Thin and prescribe burn encroaching conifer and sagebrush to improve aspen communities and forage for elk in Bates Creek watershed; remove overgrown conifer on 215 acres of curl leaf mahogany habitat in BLM Lost Creek area.

Park County—Support research project to study elk migration timing and routes in relationship to private lands, and study habitat use by elk and wolves in Absaroka Mountains.

Sheridan County—Thin 200 acres of encroaching forest to improve elk habitat in Bighorn National Forest; install weed-catchers to enhance structural support for beaver dams, which will restore stream morphology and riparian meadows along Big Willow Creek in Bighorn National Forest.

Sublette County—As part of a continuing stewardship project, thin overgrown forest to restore aspen and grasslands habitat for elk and other wildlife on privately owned, publicly accessibly timberlands.

Statewide—Sponsor Hunting and Fishing Heritage Expo, firearms handling and shooting clinics for youth and women, and Access Yes programs with Wyoming Game and Fish Department; newspaper advertising across Wyoming to celebrate RMEF achievements in conjunction with National Hunting and Fishing Day; radio advertising to build public awareness of RMEF achievements.

Sweetwater County—Develop water source with solar power to ensure water for livestock, elk and other wildlife on BLM lands.

Teton County—Prescribe burn 3,264 acres of elk winter and transition range to improve forage and aspen along Lower Gros Ventre area in Bridger-Teton National Forest; provide funding for “Don’t Poach the Powder” campaign to help protect elk winter range near Jackson Hole (also affects Lincoln County); sponsored Great Elk Tour at Jackson Hole Elk Fest.

Uinta County—Prescribe burn 455 acres of conifer slash to open habitat for aspen and grasslands habitat preferred by elk in Wasatch National Forest.

Washakie County—Thin 800 acres of juniper encroachment and restore sagebrush and grassland on elk winter range in BLM Rome Hill area.

Weston County—Seed 100 acres of native grass in a cleared, aspen regeneration project area for elk and other wildlife in Parmlee Canyon.

Partners for 2009 projects in Wyoming include Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, other agencies, corporations, landowners and organizations.

Since 1984, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed more than 380 conservation projects in Wyoming with a value of more than $36.3 million.

Wyoming Game and Fish is currently accepting applications for Preference Points for antelope, deer, elk, moose, and sheep.

Generally, the applicants with the most Preference Points are the ones who get drawn on the limited licenses, so you it’s highly recommended to maintain Preference Points in states if they are offered.

If you did not already apply for a Wyoming license and pay the Preference Point fee up front, you can apply for Preference Points now between July 1 and September 30.

Antelope = $30

Deer = $40

Elk = $50

Moose = $75

Sheep = $100

Get all the information needed and apply here.

SCI is closely reviewing two separate cases filed in two different courts on June 2, 2009 to challenge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s rule to delist the wolves of the Northern Rocky Mountains, with the exception of the wolves of Wyoming.  In federal district court in Montana, Defenders of Wildlife and 12 other wolf and environmental groups filed a suit challenging the legality of the delisting of Idaho and Montana’s wolves.

Read the full article here.

BOZEMAN– At their spring meeting in Bozeman, Mont., managers of member agencies that make up the Yellowstone Grizzly Coordinating Committee (YGCC) heard the results from a special task force created to study the factors leading to grizzly bear deaths in 2008.

As part of the requirements for removal from the threatened and endangered species list, the YGCC set maximum targets or “quotas” for acceptable numbers of annual grizzly bears deaths throughout the Yellowstone Ecosystem. Both male and female mortality quotas in the Yellowstone Ecosystem were exceeded last year.

“Although we work very hard every year to reduce bear mortalities and over the long term mortalities have remained low, we felt it was important to review our efforts as a precautionary measure in light of the increased mortality in 2008,” said YGCC member and WGFD assistant wildlife chief Bill Rudd. “Despite the observed spikes in mortality that we have observed over the past 15 years the population continued to increase.”

The YGCC also heard a review of preventative steps proposed by a similar task force in 2004 after a spike in bear deaths. Along with the 2009 and 2004 reviews, the committee was also presented with a list of potential actions that could help reduce mortalities.

Caribou-Targhee forest supervisor and YGCC chairman Larry Timchak said it was clear that a wide range of factors contributed to the mortality limits being exceeded. “While bear managers were watching what appeared to be a typical year, review of climatic data and information regarding the availability of key grizzly food sources shows that by the fall elk seasons, the bears were poised for conflicts with humans because of the delayed negative impacts of lingering winter snows and a poor whitebark pine cone crop,” Timchak said.

The team also noted another reason more bears have died is simply because there are more bears in the ecosystem than at the beginning of the recovery efforts. “We have used a very conservative approach to our bear management over the past 30 years and it has produced the desired results. We now have a recovered population and there are bears in places they have not been for a long time “said Rudd.

In addition to discussing the variety of ways that bears died, the task force also provided the committee with ideas to serve as starting points for reducing mortalities in the future. Last year an abnormally high number of bears deaths were linked to big game hunters, so many of the suggestions dealt with educating hunters about safety in bear country and encouraging those heading into the woods to carry bear spray. Mark Bruscino, WGFD grizzly bear conflict specialist, said the WGFD added a number of suggestions to try and reduce mortalities as part of the review conducted by the YGCC. “We will add these to the score of practices and recommendations we have already in place. Unfortunately, as densities of grizzly bears continue to increase, the likelihood for human-bear interactions also goes up. Our goal is to create an environment that is safe for bears and people.”

Chuck Schwartz, leader of the interagency grizzly bear study team, has observed spikes in mortality before. “One year does not a trend make,” cautioned Schwartz. Timchak added that bear mortality numbers will be monitored closely and said: “We will do whatever possible to prevent grizzlies from dying needlessly.” The YGCC will review the report and recommendations for decreasing mortality. It will be up to individual agencies to decide what solutions are workable within the framework of their particular governmental unit.

A component of all the state grizzly bear management plans accepted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was that some form of limited hunting opportunity could eventually occur. Committee members are carefully monitoring grizzly bear mortalities and their causes to assess the potential for hunter harvest.

A copy of the initial draft of the 2009 Yellowstone Mortality and Conflict Reduction Report can be viewed at http://www.igbonline.org/YellowstoneMortalityReport2008draft1.pdf.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department assumed management of grizzly bears in 2007, after the bears were removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. Today, Wyoming is managing grizzlies in cooperation with the Yellowstone Grizzly Coordinating Committee, a group of state, federal, tribal, and local representatives overseeing grizzly bears throughout the Yellowstone ecosystem. For more information about grizzly bears in Wyoming, visit: /wildlife/grizzlymanagement/index.asp.

-WGFD-