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Hunting-access program provides $50 million in federal funds to expand recreation opportunities on private lands

Saint Paul, Minn. – July 8, 2010 – Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever today praised a decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to release $50 million in funding for the “Open Fields” Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, a new effort to encourage owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch and forest lands to provide public access to their lands for wildlife-dependent activities such as hunting and fishing.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the announcement this afternoon at a national press conference, at which other speakers included Howard Vincent, Pheasants Forever National President and CEO, and representatives from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Open Fields was authorized by Congress for the first time in the 2008 Farm Bill following support from a TRCP-sponsored coalition that included Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. Open Fields provides states $50 million in federal monies to create or enhance voluntary hunter-access programs on private lands and encourages landowners who enroll their properties to employ best-management practices for wildlife. Landowners can receive a financial incentive in exchange for opening lands to the public for hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation. The Open Fields funding can now be used to enhance the 26 existing state public access programs, and establish programs in states where such programs are currently absent. There will be an application process for states to apply for funding.

“American sportsmen are deeply invested in the Open Fields program,” said Vincent, who praised the program on both its wildlife habitat and hunter access merits. “We appreciate the federal government’s willingness to expand public access to hunting and other recreational activities by assuring its implementation. Sportsmen now speak together in urging our nation’s decision makers to continue this record of support by retaining and funding Farm Bill conservation programs in 2012.”… Continue reading

Reprinted from the Outdoor Wire

Yamaha’s Weekly Outdoor Tip:

Link – http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outdoor/events/dynamicevent/2/1224/yamaha_outdoors_tip_of_the_week.aspx

Food plots are a great way to attract deer, not only to your property, but to a specific location on that property. But they’re not the only way. There are other ways you can modify the habitat to make it more “huntable.” And this is a good time to start because any disturbance you cause will be long forgotten by hunting season.

One of the simplest steps is cutting shooting lanes around existing stands. This is important for both gun and bowhunters, but more so for the latter. Nature abhors a vacuum and over time, stuff naturally grows up into openings like shooting lanes. Perhaps you overlooked something the last time you cut, only to discover the hard way when it obscured an otherwise clear shot. Even a small evergreen could obscure a rifle shot and a single branch could prevent a bow shot.

Over the years, I’ve found that spending time in the outdoors has become much more precious to me.

It may be that it’s the fact that I’m away from the office and the racket that’s associated with it.

To me, it’s my escape from the everyday doldrums and a chance to get back to my roots.

While growing up, I was fortunate to have mentors to teach me about the outdoors.  My father Cal liked to hunt and fish when he had time; it was my Grandma & Grandpa Menkveld that did a lot of fishing and some hunting.

Then there was Glen Matteson, our neighbor across the street, to us kids he was an outdoor guru as there wasn’t anything in the outdoors that he didn’t know about

Because of these influences on our young lives, we were bitten by the outdoor bug and spent as much time as we could get away with, wandering along the Sioux River or exploring the shores of Pelican Lake.

I can honestly say that there wasn’t much in the outdoors that we didn’t try!  From fishing to hunting and everything in between, we did all the things kids could do in the outdoors.

We were truly fortunate to have adults that influenced us, getting us interested in the outdoors.

Things have changed considerably in today’s world!  Backs while I was growing up, it seemed like most people hunted and fished as it was just part of growing up in the upper Midwest.… Continue reading

LINCOLN, Nebraska – The public is invited to attend the free Nebraska Outdoor Expo on May 15 at Fort Kearney State Recreation Area, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

The fourth annual expo, open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., is designed to meet the needs of anyone interested in outdoor lifestyles, regardless of age or experience, through a variety of hands-on activities, demonstrations and interactive displays.

This is a great way to learn everything about the outdoors from the experts, with displays and instructions on hunting fishing, camping and a whole lot more.

New attractions in 2010 include nationally known hunting experts, hands-on bow fishing, youth Discovery Zone, and a Marketplace showcasing outdoor-related vendors and exhibitors.

Visit… Continue reading

GRAND ISLAND, Neb, April 29, 2010 – Ducks Unlimited (DU) is using innovative ways to help Nebraska landowners while providing habitat for waterfowl in Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin. A new $1 million grant from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) will allow DU to use some of these techniques as well as enhance public lands to increase recreation and tourism opportunities in the area.

“We know our work to provide habitat in Nebraska will be more successful if we act in ways that benefit landowners,” said Steve Donovan, manager of conservation programs for Nebraska.

The NAWCA grant will restore and protect more than 4,100 acres of habitat in the Rainwater Basin through 14 separate projects. One of the projects funded through the grant will allow DU to trade good cropland for marginal cropland in order to restore a 300-acre wetland that will become part of the Nelson Waterfowl Production Area.

“This land trade will keep the best cropland in production, while allowing the marginal cropland to be restored to wetland, providing habitat to waterfowl and other wildlife,” Donovan said. “It’s a win-win for the landowner and waterfowl.”

Donovan says much of the land restored through this grant will be managed through grazing. “Beef is an important segment of the Nebraska economy,” he said. “And controlled grazing can keep the grass and wetlands in good shape for cows and wildlife.”… Continue reading

Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal

These two jakes came running into our hen calls at the Big Blue Ranch and Lodge near

Burchard, Neb. (Journal photo by Larry Myhre)

BURCHARD, Neb. — Like so many times before, it was a gobble that first alerted us that a tom turkey was coming in.

Gary Howey motioned that the bird was downhill in front of us just in case I hadn’t heard.

I had the video camera running and began looking for the bird.

The first indication was the tip of his tail, spread in full strut, and slowly rocking back and forth as the bird stepped forward.

Then he was there, all puffed up and drumming. It was a glorious sight and one that sets a turkey hunter’s heart to pounding.

He was 15 yards out when Gary “putted” sharply on his diaphragm call to make the bird come out of strut and stick up his head.

Just like that it was over.

Less than two hours into our hunt on the Big Blue Ranch and Lodge south of Burchard, we had both filled turkey tags.

Gary, from Hartington, Neb., and I were guests of Scott Bodie and his wife Billie Kay. Their 2,000-acre working cattle ranch is the backdrop for a retreat for hunters, fishermen, horse enthusiasts, bird watchers or anyone just seeking relaxation.

Their cedar log lodge sits above a 25-acre, spring-fed pond stocked with largemouth bass, crappies, bluegills and northerns.… Continue reading

To be successful at turkey hunting there are several to things that need to come together.

The most important of these is knowing the area the birds are using.

In order to find out this information, it will require pre season scouting as this allows you to have a plan put together ahead of time, so you’ll know the who, what, when and where before opening day.

By doing your pre-season scouting you’ll be able to figure out the bird patterns, where they’re roosting, where they’re coming out of the roost, their travel routes to and from feeding areas and how they get back to their roost just before dark.

Don’t make the mistake that some spring hunters do and use a turkey call while doing your scouting.

Once a bird hears the hen call, he may come running in and catch you out in the open, which is a good way to educate the bird.

When scouting, use a call that makes the Tom gobble, but not come your direction.

You’ll want to use a call that will cause the bird to shock gobble as these loud calls startle or shock the bird causing it to gobble.

Good shock calls can be a predator, owl or crow call as these are sounds that the birds have heard before that won’t make them come running in your direction.

These calls can be used during pre-season scouting and during the regular season.

Locating the tree the birds are using as a roost will be a big help, giving you a place to start on opening morning.

Roost trees are generally some of the tallest trees in the woods.  Look for trees with an accumulation of droppings and feathers under them, which is a pretty good indicator that the birds have used the trees as a roost.… Continue reading

Reprinted from the  Outdoor Wire.

How can you not like the sound of hundreds to thousands of geese overhead?

Limits are liberal (15 birds daily or higher), and the late winter / spring seasons, geography depending, are often generous (check yours as many are underway, and dates vary). Though difficult to decoy and call to your position at times, snow geese (a.k.a. “light geese”) help guys like us bridge winter recreation and turkey hunting to come.

The reason: excessive numbers warrant nontraditional methods. In short, light geese compromise arctic habitat, breeding and feeding there after the migration north concludes. Wildlife management attempts to solve such challenges. We as hunters benefit.

Some tips to hunting light geese include:

SCOUTING SERIOUSLY

Your effort to find them might begin where they roost, and include locating a nearby field where they feed and/or might forage. Study them for a pattern of use. They’ll often move and feed early in the day and later in the afternoon, loafing elsewhere during midday. Sometimes too they just move on.… Continue reading

Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal

All measurements are taken in 1/16-inch increments and converted to decimal form. For conversion charts, go to the National Wild turkey Federation web page at: www.nwtf.org/for_hunters/how_to_score.html A current NWTF member or another licensed hunter from the state where the bird was harvested must verify all measurements.

Step 1: Weigh your bird in pounds and ounces and convert ounces to decimal form.

Step 2: Measure each spur. Spurs must be measured along the outside center, from the point at which the spur protrudes from the scaled leg skin to the tip of the spur. Add both spur measurements and multiply the combined length of the spurs by 10. This is the number of points you receive for the turkey’s spurs.

Step 3: Measure the beard length (a beard must be measured from the center point of the protrusion of the skin to the tip) and convert it to decimal form.

Next, multiply the beard length figure by 2; this is the number of points you receive for the beard length. If you have an atypical bird (multiple beards), measure each beard, convert them to a decimal number, then add those figures together and multiply by two. This is the number of points you receive for your turkey’s beards.

Step 4: Add together the weight, the points for spurs and points for beard(s): This is the score you receive for your turkey.

Listed below is the information on this years spring turkey season in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.… Continue reading