December, 2007 - Wildlife Management Pro

Waterfowl Hunting and Global Warming

The New York Times published an interesting article yesterday regarding the impacts of global warming on hunting, particularly duck hunting. The majority of the article addressed the challenges state and federal wildlife officials face in managing wildlife populations, wildlife habitat, and season dates as weather and waterfowl migration patterns change.

This should ring home with the many hunters this year that have been impacted by warm, dry seasons. White-tailed deer hunters have felt the impact of a warm fall and late rutting activity. And even along the coast, waterfowl hunters have adapted to changing migration times. Continue reading Waterfowl Hunting and Global Warming

Mississippi Teenager Dies in Hunting Accident

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is investigating a weekend hunting accident in Webster County that claimed the life of a teen-ager. County Coroner Steve Wells said Craig Collum, 19, of Cadaretta was accidentally shot Saturday afternoon by a minor who was deer hunting with him. Collum was pronounced dead at North Mississippi Medical Center-Eupora from the single gunshot wound he suffered, according to Wells. Continue reading Mississippi Teenager Dies in Hunting Accident

Whitetails Still Rutting in Kansas

The rifle whitetail action in north-central Kansas continued to be slow but steady through the first full weekend of the season. The hunters and outfitters of Washington County, Kansas continue to be largely frustrated in finding the big bucks that this country is known for, although a handful of really nice bucks have shown up in the back of pickups at the local diner around lunch time. The freezing rain that fell across much of the state on saturday morning dried up within 24 hours or so, making dirt roads passable again. Even with access restored, there was still pretty little shooting going on. Continue reading Whitetails Still Rutting in Kansas

Big Nebraska Whitetails

The good news and the bad news about Nebraska’s deer season is that it’s 9-days of rifle hunting smack during the middle of the rut. Good news, because hunting rutting whitetails is a hoot. Bad news, because young bucks experience lots of mortality, many never getting a chance to reach their potential. Couple this with the fact that hunters can each take two bucks (again, a good news / bad news kind of thing), and the bucks get hit really hard each year.

The 2007 Nebraska season appears to have been about average. The weather was warm, the warmest deer hunt I’ve ever been on, but the bucks were in full rut.

I hunted near Ogallala for the last 3 days or so of the season that opened November 10th and ended on the 18th.

The 4×4 I took was very hot on the tail of a doe, chasing her aggressively through the brush. Through a combination of tough luck and being selective (OK, mostly tough luck), I had not tagged a buck for several years, and when I saw he was a 4-point I knew I wanted to take him. Continue reading Big Nebraska Whitetails

Carter Smith Hired as Executive Director of TPWD

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Carter Smith was named executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Dec. 5 at a special meeting of the TPW Commission in San Antonio. Smith will be leaving the helm at The Nature Conservancy of Texas to take the top job at TPWD.

“Carter Smith is a well-respected conservationist and has proven his ability to develop successful partnerships with landowners and others,” said TPW Commission Chairman Peter Holt. “He is a hunter and angler and a seventh generation Texas landowner. He understands the conservation challenges we face in our rapidly growing and changing state and will provide a fresh perspective as we strive to meet our mission.”

Continue reading Carter Smith Hired as Executive Director of TPWD

Wyoming Offers Great Pronghorn Hunting on Public Land

Hunting pronghorn in Wyoming remains the most enjoyable, most affordable, highest success hunt in The West. It’s perfect for do-it-yourself hunters, and even first-time pronghorn antelope hunters can expect an excellent chance of success. I’ve hunted antelope every year but one since 1992, and can’t imagine when I’ll next miss a hunt this fun.

The hunt I took this year was a great example of how enjoyable and successful antelope hunting can be. We had a large, diverse group, including 2 first-time antelope hunters and 3 first-time-ever hunters. Hunt The West pro-staffer Paul Vanderspek and I rounded out the group. Continue reading Wyoming Offers Great Pronghorn Hunting on Public Land

Deer Hunting Slow in Kansas, But Bigs Bucks Harvested

Deer Hunting Slow in Kansas, But Bigs Bucks Harvested
The rifle whitetail season in north-central Kansas has been slow, but some huge bucks have been taken in the state. The hunters and outfitters of Washington County, Kansas have largely been frustrated in finding the big bucks that this country is known for. Most of the hunters say they are getting skunked.

But, those who have scored, have scored big. I have seen a deer that was green scored at 190″, and I’ve seen two excellent bucks with 11+ total points. Another hunter at the hotel took a medium-sized 4×4, but most hunters are holding out for trophies.

Personally, I’ve only seen 4 bucks, including a 2×2, a medium-sized 4×4, a small 4×4, and a 4×4 that I regret not trying harder to take. Continue reading Deer Hunting Slow in Kansas, But Bigs Bucks Harvested