Page 20
December 13, 2013
LoneOStar Outdoor News
LSONews.com
NATIONAL Oklahoma quail season off to good start Quail season has not been open very long, but early reports from the field indicate that conditions have improved over the previous two years that were stricken by record heat and drought. According to Scott Cox, upland game bird biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, hunting has been good in certain areas, even amid what he believes were poor to fair scenting conditions for bird dogs. “Coveys were found, covey sizes were good, age structure was good, birds were healthy, crops were full of good forbs,” Cox said. Hunters were even reportedly harvesting birds as young as 6 weeks old. Birds were also known to be on nests as late as October. Cox said that it’s been common for groups of hunters to see about four to five coveys each, with covey sizes ranging from about 12-18 birds. He estimates hunters are harvesting about four to five birds each on average. — ODWC
Roadkill salvage now legal in Montana Montana state wildlife officials say permits to salvage road-killed deer, elk, antelope and moose are now available online. The new law that allows for the salvage of road-killed wildlife for food became effective in October.
People who salvage road-killed animals must complete a permit within 24 hours of salvaging the animal. There is no charge for the permits. Anyone who salvages a roadkilled animal must remove the entire animal from the roadway. The salvaged animal must be used for personal consumption and cannot be donated or used for bait or pet food. After the new law’s first week, 45 permits were issued across the state. Three were for dead elk, 13 for mule deer and the remainder were for white-tailed deer. Salvaging roadkill is legal in 14 other states, including Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan. — MFWP
Paddlefish harvest limits set in Oklahoma New angling rules are pending that will help conserve Oklahoma’s important populations of paddlefish. The changes include setting an individual annual harvest limit of two fish per angler and requiring that anglers report their paddlefish harvest online using the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s e-check system. The annual harvest limit has been set at two paddlefish per individual, meaning that once anglers have harvested two fish, they must stop keeping them for the year. However, they can continue “catch-and-release-only” fishing for paddlefish. Additionally, the new rules require anglers to log on to wildlifedepartment.com to report their harvest, much like hunt-
ers must check in their harvested deer online. Checking fish will further expand biologists’ knowledge of paddlefish populations. Current rules that limit anglers to one paddlefish per day and that require them to stop fishing for the day once a fish has been kept will remain in place. — ODWC
New North Carolina staterecord archery deer
North Carolina has a new staterecord archery deer, all because Tim Watkins’ plan came together when he arrowed a huge buck Sept. 18 in Stokes County. A panel of four certified Pope and Young Club and Boone and Crockett Club scorers officially measured the buck when the required 60-day drying period was completed, and it scored 170 1/8 points. It will supplant a 166 6/8-inch Guilford County buck arrowed in 2009 by Andrew Kerman as the state-record typical buck taken by a bowhunter. Watkins’ buck is the first North Carolina deer killed by a bowhunter to qualify for the Boone and Crockett Club’s all-time record book — minimum score 170 — and it will tie for No. 16 among typical bucks taken in North Carolina by all methods. The rack had an 18 1/8-inch inside spread, main beams of 26 2/8 and 26 5/8 inches and brow tines measuring of 3 4/8 and 3 7/8 inches. The four longest tines measured 12 7/8, 12, 11 7/8 and 11 2/8 inches. The rack’s gross score was 176 7/8. — NCRWC
Huge black bear taken in Pennsylvania Daniel Beavers of Covington Township bagged a black bear that weighed 772 pounds. The massive prize is the largest bear captured in the state so far this season and Beavers hopes its skull will be the largest in the world. “I couldn’t believe how big it was. It’s big,” Beavers told local news stations. The kill is a sentimental one for Beaver. He grew up hunting with his father, Jacob Beaver. After his dad passed away in 2012, the son has had trouble dealing with the loss. When he embarked on a short hunting trip on the second day of bear season, Beavers took his dad’s .30-06 rifle instead of his own gun, a 12-gauge shotgun. Beavers and the bear were old foes. The man spent four to five years tracking this particular beast through the woods in Lackawanna County. Beavers had come to recognize the bear by his size and also by the white “V” on its chest. — Staff report
Polk named Oklahoma officer of year Dru Polk, game warden stationed in McCurtain County in southeast Oklahoma, has been named the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Game Warden of the Year for 2013 and Wildlife Officer of the Year for the Shikar-Safari
Nikon will send your 10x42 ProStaff 7 binoculars. You can check out the entire line at the nearest dealer: See a full selection of Nikon products at:
Praco Gun & Pawn 2201 W. Waco Dr. Waco, TX 76707 254-753-5511 www.pracopawn.com
took this first buck at the rdon is 7 years old and Clifton hunter James Lia h at the time. The hunt wit whom he was hunting same age as his father, n. The ranch has been ranch just outside of tow took place on the family s the fifth generation ent res rep es 100 years. Jam in the family for nearly on an evening hunt at en ranch. The buck was tak the t hun to ily fam the of er’s gun. m Remington mag, his fath about 70 yards with a 7-m
Club International. Polk was recognized before the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission at its December meeting. Former U.S. Rep. Bill Brewster of Ardmore, a member of ShikarSafari Club International, presented Polk a framed certificate and a silver commemorative plate from the club. “The award means a lot to me, but it means just as much to my family,” said Polk, who has served as a warden since 2001. “If it wasn’t for them being understanding, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. To be selected officer of the year by your peers is something to be proud of.” — SSCI
Ohio hunters coming through in deer season Ohio hunters checked 75,408 white-tailed deer during the weeklong gun hunting season, Dec. 2-8, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. “With the muzzleloader season and almost two months of archery hunting yet to come, Ohio hunters have many more opportunities to harvest a deer,” said Scott Zody, chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Hunters have harvested 162,720 deer so far in the 2013 hunting seasons, compared to 171,867 at the same point last year, a 5 percent difference. Until recently, the populations in nearly all of Ohio’s counties were well above their target numbers. — ODNR