Vt. Board Member Resigns Under Fire

The Rutland Herald is reporting that a member of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board has resigned and the implication is that the resignation was over a wildlife violation.

If true, that would make three board members in four years who have resigned from the board as a result of a hunting violation. One of those members was convicted of two different violations.

You would think that a member of a state's board that is appointed to oversee the state game and fish agency, and which is responsible for setting policy for the Fish & Wildlife would be sticklers for the rules.

While these three shouldn't be considered representative of other members of the board, it does raise questions about the people being appointed to the board by Gov. James Douglas. Clearly a different strategy should be considered.

The most recent board member to resign is Michael Popowski, a Northfield attorney. No charges have yet been filed a full three or more months after the alleged incident. Curiously, not many people were interested in talking about the issue.

Fellow board members, however, were concerned that they were never informed of the situation, and Douglas said the situation was "frustrating" and "disappointing."

Yes it is.

The full article can be found in Friday's Rutland Herald.

Click here for the full article.

Wildlife Official Admits to Illegal Kill

Sure seems like I'm picking on wildlife officials these days, but it's just the luck of the draw right now.

A wildlife official in Alaska illegally killed a cow moose according to an article in the Alaska Daily News. Michael Fleagle, 48, who had served 10 years on the Alaska Board of Game, turned himself in and pleaded no contest to hunting a moose out of season and was fined $500.

But there's more to this story and Fleagle is a guy who deserves a break.

Fleagle was completely legal except for one thing. The zone where Fleagle was hunting was closed under an emergency order after officials expected the harvest to be met early.

The season was to have started Aug. 25 and run through Feb. 28. Fleagle went hunting Jan. 5. The emergency closure order came Dec. 14 and Fleagle failed to check before hunting.

He killed a moose, returned home and logged on to the Internet to register kill and that's when he saw the zone had been close. He turned himself in to Alaska troopers the next morning.

"It sounds like a legitimate mistake." Trooper Spokesman Tim DeSpain told the Daily News.

Mistake or not, wildlife regulations require hunters to know the rules. If a rule is violated, ignorance is no defense.

Fleagle did the right thing in the way it was handled.

"It was my obligation to check, and I was relying on information that was outdated," Fleagle said in the Daily News article. "There's no defense for that; it was an honest mistake."

N.Y. Deer, Bear Kill Up in 2007

New York's deer and bear harvest were both up in 2007, according to a recently issued press release.

Hunters killed 220,000 more deer in 2007 than the previous year and increased in every category -- bucks, antlerless deer, muzzleloading and bow kill.

Bear harvest numbers also increased in all N.Y. bear hunting ranges.

Statewide, hunters killed 1,117 bears, more than the 796 killed in 2006.

Montana Announces Wolf Hunt

Montana will hold its first wolf hunting season if the animals are taken off the federal Endangered Species list, which was expected to happen Feb. 21, according to an article in the Helena Independent Record.

The federal delisting will likely be challenged in court, which would delay the proposed hunt.

The wolf hunting season would be held Oct. 26 - Dec. 31, 2008, as set by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission, according to the article. The use of dogs, bait, scent or lures, aerial spotting or hunting, artificial lights, radios or electronic calls will all be illegal.

Montana would be the first state to hold a wolf hunting season

The Independent Record reports an estimated 417 wolves with 38 breeding pairs in Montana.

The full article can be found here.

Outdoor Life Names New Hunting Editor

Outdoor Life has reportedly found its replacement for Jim Zumbo a year after he made a blog post that cost him his job with the magazine.

The Great Falls (Montana) Tribune is reporting that Andrew McKean, that state's Fish, Wildlife & Parks information officer announced his resignation and will take over as Hunting Editor for Outdoor Life on March 1.

According to Tribune Outdoor Editor Michael Babcock, McKean is a Missouri native now living in Glasgow who has worked with the Rocky Mountain Hunting and Fishing News and has been with the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks for 5 1/2 years. McKean will continue to live in Glasgow, but will travel to New York.

Zumbo, of Cody, Wyo., resigned from Outdoor Life almost exactly one year ago under fire for a blog he posted against assault rifles as hunting guns. He lost many major endorsements by outdoor gear companies, his backing for a television show was pulled and he resigned from his post as hunting editor for Outdoor Life during the backlash that followed.

Read the full story here.

N.M. Game & Fish Director Guilty of Violation

Always know where you are. If you don't know where you are, you could end up finding yourself charged with illegally killing a deer on private land without permission. Even if you are the director of the state game agency.

I know this fellow a little. Seems like a decent enough guy (even through the last time we spoke he was yelling at me about a column I wrote about him) and I'd have to believe him if he said he thought he was on BLM land.

That said, what he believed isn't as important as reality.

State game director convicted of illegally killing deer

The Associated Press

CARRIZOZO, N.M.—The director of the state Department of Game and Fish has been convicted of shooting a deer without permission on land in southeastern New Mexico.

Lincoln County Magistrate Martha Proctor sentenced Bruce Thompson to 182 days in jail Monday but suspended the time and placed him on probation. The conditions of Thompson's unsupervised probation require that he not violate any local, state or federal laws for 182 days.

Thompson also was ordered to pay a $500 fine. He had pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge.

Thompson still faces a related misdemeanor count of unlawfully hunting or possessing a protected species. He has pleaded not guilty to that charge. A jury trial is scheduled for April 21 in Carrizozo.

The charges had stemmed from a Nov. 17 hunt on the Diamond T Ranch west of Roswell in which Thompson shot a deer. It is illegal to hunt on private property in New Mexico without permission from the landowner.

Thompson, who had a valid deer hunting license, had said he believed he was on U.S. Bureau of Land Management land, based on coordinates entered in his GPS unit.

Grits Gresham Dead at 85

Just found this death notice about Grits Gresham. The outdoor world is suffering with Grits' passing. He was a legend in hunting circles and beyond throughout the outdoor sporting field.

I only knew Grits from his byline in the magazines I read and from that hat that was always perched atop his head. I'll miss both.

Here's one of many obituaries floating around on various outdoor sites:

Outdoorsman Grits Gresham Dies at 85

Grits Gresham, noted outdoorsman, writer, author, and television personality, died on February 18, 2008, in his hometown of Natchitoches, Louisiana, at the age of 85.

Gresham served as field host and producer for "The American Sportsman" television series on the ABC network, host of "Shooting Sports America" on ESPN, was shooting editor of Sports Afield magazine for 26 years, and was published in such wide-ranging magazines as Sports Illustrated and Gentleman's Quarterly. He authored eight books, but may be best known for his role in the series of commercials for Miller Lite beer. Gresham was the fisherman among the athletes who made "Tastes Great, Less Filling" marketing buzzwords for more than a decade.

Grits traveled the world for his work, and he particularly enjoyed his many trips to various African countries as well as fishing and hunting in South America. . He
served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII.

A tireless worker for conservation, he was one of the first public voices bringing attention to the loss of wetlands along the Louisiana coastline, an area where he did much of his graduate work while at LSU.

Gresham's books include "The Complete Book of Bass Fishing," "Fishes and Fishing In Louisiana," "Fishing and Boating in Louisiana," "The Sportsman and his Family Outdoors," The Complete Wildfowler," "Grits on Guns," and "Weatherby: The Man, The Gun, The Legend."

One of Gresham's proudest moments as an outdoor journalist came during an interview with President Ronald Reagan. The President shared with Grits a story no one in the national media had heard, that when he was a broadcaster in Des Moines,
Iowa, Reagan had used a Colt pistol to save a nurse from a mugging on the street. After the story broke, the nurse came forward and confirmed the tale, although she did not know until then that the young man who had saved her with a gun so many years before had turned out to be the famous actor and United States President.

Born Claude Hamilton Gresham, Jr. on June 21, 1922, in Spartanburg County, SC, Grits was the fourth of five children of Claude H. Gresham and Belle Hill Gresham . He attended Blue Ridge School for Boys, the University of North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Yale and received his B.S. and M.S. from Louisiana State University.

Gresham's many awards include the Winchester Outdoorsman of the Year, Alumnus of the Year in the LSU School of Forestry and Wildlife Management; induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and LSU Hall of Distinction; awards for excellence in writing and contributions to conservation from the Outdoor Writers Association of America, and an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Northwestern State University.

At the 2006 SHOT Show, the National Shooting Sports Foundation recognized Gresham with its Lifetime Achievement Award and at that time established, with the Professional Outdoor Media Association, the POMA/NSSF Grits Gresham Communicator Award, the recipient receiving a bronze replica of Gresham's trademark hat.

Arrangements are being made through the Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home, at (318) 357-8271, http://www.blanchardstdenisfuneralhome.com/.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The Gresham Collection at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, 321 Bienville Street, Natchitoches, LA 71457, or in the name of Grits Gresham to the Alzheimer's Association.

Kansas Bill Protects Right to Hunt, Fish

A bill introduced in Kansas would protect the right to hunt and fish in the state as a constitutionally guaranteed freedom, according to an article Feb. 10 in The Wichita Eagle.

The measure was introduced into committee by Rep. Candy Ruff, D-Leavenworth.

"There's always fear of anti-hunting legislation," Ruff told The Wichita Eagle. "Since we're gaining such a reputation as an outdoors state, I think it's important."

Cougar in Illinois? State Says No

The Department of Natural Resources says a rumor circulating on the Internet claiming to show photographic proof of mountain lions in Illinois isn't accurate.

The photos are apparently real, but were taken in 2001 or 2002 in Wyoming.

"While it is not completely impossible for a cougar to be found in Illinois, sighting of a wild one is highly unlikely," said Sam Flood, acting director. "Wild cougars have been found in neighboring states but again, very, very rarely."

Flood said rumors that the department is releasing mountain lions in Illinois is "absolutely not true."

For more on the rumor, see the Snopes web site, or cougarnet.org (pdf document).

Huge Deer Results in Poaching Charges

A Michigan man's 24-point buck of a lifetime ended up getting him more recognition than he expected when wardens took an interest in a newspaper story about the deer.

A conservation officer read about the huge buck killed during Michigan's archery season in the Jackson Citizen Patriot. A quick check of the Department of Natural Resources database showed Christopher James didn't buy his hunting license until the morning after he said he killed the buck.

James said he killed the buck at dusk and, after following a blood trail part of the night, went home and returned the next morning to find the buck, according to an article in the Citizen Patriot. He also apparently stopped off at a local marina to buy a hunting license.

James told the Citizen Patriot it was an honest mistake. He said he always buys a license but this time, he simply forgot. He said he confessed and will plead guilty. He faces a mandatory jail term of 5-93 days and a $1,000 fine. His hunting privileges will be revoked for three years and he won't even get to keep the monster rack.

Voyles to Lead Ariz. Game and Fish

The Arizona Game and Fish Department will fill its top job from within in March when Director Duane Shroufe retires after nearly 20 years.

Larry Voyles was tabbed to be the new director of the department by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission at its meeting Jan. 28, according to a news release issued by the agency.

Voyles has been with Game and Fish for nearly 35 years. He joined the department in 1974 as a wildlife manager, took over the wildlife enforcement program coordinator and then became the department's training coordinator. He is currently the Yuma region supervisor, a position he has been in since 1988.

"We're thrilled to hire someone with Larry's depth of experience and accomplishments," said Commission Chairman Bill McLean. "He brings more than three decades of experience in wildlife management to the director's position, as well as the respect of colleagues and the public."

More than 30 applications were considered for the position in a nationwide search. Six were interviewed and the final two were considered at a public meeting Jan. 28.

"We were fortunate to have several qualified candidates to choose from," McLean said. "The process has been arduous, but we've found what we're looking for — someone with a proven record of strong management skills and an in-depth understanding of Arizona's natural resource issues."

World Record Let Go?

Photos floating around the Internet show a giant blue catfish that was caught -- and released -- near Greenville, Miss.

An elderly man apparently caught the fish, had his wife snap a few photos, then turned it loose.

It's unknown just how big the cat was, but estimates put the fish in the 150- to 200-pound range.

Looking for Work? Look at Texas

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is hiring.

Heading into the new year, the department had 50 jobs posted and expected to add more to that list soon, according to a news release.

Most of the jobs are in the State Parks Division with jobs in Austin, its field offices and many of the state's 93 state parks.

"The combination of retirements and new positions is making for the best state park career opportunities that we've seen in 20 or more years," said State Parks Director Walt Dabney. "For people who love the outdoors, like working with park visitors and doing something that makes a difference in their quality of life, this is a wonderful time to consider a parks career."

Other positions to be filled are in the wildlife, fisheries and other divisions

Was a Wolf Spotted in a Colo. Park?

Colorado wildlife officials have been expecting wolves to migrate in from their northern neighbors. But a recent possible sighting of a wolf in Rocky Mountain National Park is being called credible, according to park biologist Jeff Conner as reported in the Dec. 29 edition of The (Fort Collins) Coloradoan.

The report Conner checked into reported a black canine, which was observed for 30 to 40 seconds. Based on the animal's description, Conner examined tracks left by the animal. After eliminating a coyote or domestic dog, he determined the only possible explanation left is either a wolf or a wolf-hybrid.

Unsubstantiated wolf sightings have been reported in or around the national park, a black canine was videotaped in 2006, and a collared wolf from Wyoming was killed on Interstate 70 in 2004.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife has recently completed its wolf management plan just in case wolves become established in the state and don't just visit from time to time.

Parks Free for Vets on Nov. 11

Saying thanking you to our nation's veterans and military personnel, the National Park Service is allowing free admission to any military personal -- active or retired -- and their families Nov. 11.

There are 391 National Park Service locations across the country, including parks, historic sites, battlefields.

I hope that all service members take advantage of this fee-free day and spend Sunday in a park making memories with their families," said Mary Bomar, director of the National Park Service. "I am part of a military family and I know firsthand that time spent together is extremely precious. National parks provide wonderful opportunities for families to connect with each other while they explore our country's natural, historical and recreational treasures."

S.D. Pheasant Season Looking Good

The 2007 pheasant season in South Dakota is looking a little like the old days, according to a press release issued by the state's Game, Fish and Parks Department.

The department is expecting a season like those seen in the 1950s and '60s.

Brood count surveys are reporting this year's pheasant population is 23 percent higher than last year's and 18 percent higher than the 2005 population, which was at a 40-year high.

The population boom is credited to optimum weather and a wealth of acres in the Conservation Reserve Program, according to GFP Secretary Jeff Vonk.

Season dates run from Oct. 20 to Jan. 6

West Virginia Sees New Record Striper

Michael Pittman Jr. of Wayside, W.V., landed a 40.88-inch, 21.38-pound striped bass July 8 at Bluestone Lake, setting a new state record for length.

The fish topped the previous record striper length of 37.75 inches. That fish also came from Bluestone Lake in 2006.

The fish falls short in the weight category. The state record striper heavyweight tipped the scales at 29.56 pounds -- another Bluestone striper.

Colorado Record Laker Tops 50 Pounds

A Blue Mesa Reservoir angler caught a new Colorado state record lake trout May 23, besting the old record by nearly 4 pounds.

Don Walker caught a 50 pound, 5 ounce fish that measured 44 1/4 inches in length with a girth of 34 3/8 inches. The old record was a 46-pound, 14-ounce fish that was 42 1/2 inches long.

"I've been fishing there a long time," Walker said. "So when it hit I knew I had a big fish on."

Walker was fishing with a tube jig in 40 feet of water, bouncing the lure on the bottom. He said his graphite rod rigged with 12-pound test line was bent double and it took him 25 minutes to bring the fish to net.

"You've got to play a fish like that just right or you'll break the line," Walker said.

His wife, Paula, netted the fish and earned kudos from Walker for her net work.

"You need a lot of help with a fish like that, you need a good netter," Walker said. "Paula did a good job."

Global Warming and Brook Trout Habitat

Great article in the Rutland Herald about the impact of global warming on the brook trout fishery in Vermont.

The article points out that as the temperature continues to climb, the suitable habitat for brook trout will diminish with less than 100 years before brook trout can only be found in the highest mountain streams.

From the story:

The national nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council and Defenders of Wildlife spotlighted the problem in a 2002 report "Effects of Global Warming on Trout and Salmon in U.S. Streams." Using weather projections from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, they estimated that upward of 40 percent or more of rivers and streams now suitable for cold-water fish will become too warm to sustain them by 2090.

Federal projections are even worse. A New England Regional Climate Variability and Change Assessment done for the U.S. Global Change Research Program says if the Earth's greenhouse-gas levels double because of fossil-fuel burning and other emissions, "the region faces a 50- to 100-percent potential loss of habitat for brown, brook, and rainbow trout."

The full story can be read here.

It's enlightening, entertaining and flat out scary.

Cliffs Closed to Protect Peregrine Falcon Nests

The Fish & Wildlife Department has announced that eight cliff areas have been closed to protect nesting peregine falcons.

The areas include the following:

• Nichols Ledge in Woodbury - access to any part of the cliff is closed.


• Fairlee Palisades in Fairlee - access to any part of the cliff is closed.


• Deer Leap in Bristol - access to any part of the cliff is closed.


• Bolton Notch in Bolton - trail below cliff is open, but cliff access is closed.


• Rattlesnake Point in Salisbury - southern overlook is closed, western overlook is open.


• Mt. Horrid in Goshen/Rochester - access to any part of the cliff is closed, but Great Cliff lookout is open.


• Snake Mountain in Addison - cliff top south of pond is closed, all trails are open.


• Smuggler's Notch in Cambridge - Elephant's Head area is closed.

Doug Blodgett, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department biologist, said the areas will be closed until Aug. 1, but if a falcon pair doesn't nest or if the nesting is not successful, the areas will be reopened.

Area updates will be posted on the Fish & Wildlife's Web site at: www.vtfishandwildlife.com or by calling (802) 241-3700.

Steven D. Faccio

Peregrine Falcons

"The areas closed include the portions of the cliffs where the birds are nesting and the trails leading to the cliff tops or overlooks," Blodgett said. "In many cases the lower portions of the trails are still open. Signs are posted at the trailhead or along the trail indicating which areas are off limits."

If you see peregrines, report it to the Fish & Wildlife by e-mailing: doug.blodgett@state.vt.us.