#HuntShootFish

[usfwspacific]

Something for Everyone: Public Lands Provide Myriad Opportunities

By Brent Lawrence / Public Affairs Officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Region in Portland, Oregon

There’s something awe inspiring about public lands. Perhaps it’s the remoteness of it all, thinking that it’s just you and the wildlife. Or perhaps it’s about the connection to the land.

Whatever the reason, public lands are magical for the people who take advantage of everything these places have to offer.

There are hundreds of millions of acres of public lands managed under the umbrella of the Department of Interior. These include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuges, and lands managed by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.

Find your local refuge at www.fws.gov/refuges/

On these lands there a multiple wildlife-related uses, including ranging from hunting and fishing to photography, watching wildlife and outdoor education. More than 101.6 million Americans participated in wildlife-related activities in 2016, according to a new report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

“Outdoor enthusiasts are an economic force in America, generating an incredible $156 billion economic impact in 2016. Forty percent of the U.S. population participated in wildlife-related activities in 2016,” said Robyn Thorson, the Service’s Pacific Regional Director. “Our public lands play an essential role in outdoor recreation, and our team at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is accelerating efforts to expand hunting, fishing and other opportunities when compatible with wildlife management goals. Sportsmen and anglers play a huge role in the conservation of wildlife and their habitat, so it only makes sense that refuges provide opportunities for folks to get outside to hunt, fish and enjoy myriad other wildlife-related activities on their public lands.”

On the Service’s 568 National Wildlife Refuges, permissible uses are known as “The Big Six.” It calls for refuges to support wildlife-dependent uses involving hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, interpretation, and education, when compatible, as legitimate and appropriate uses.

Regardless of your preferred use, these are incredible public lands. They’re special. They’re unique at part of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

And they’re yours.

To celebrate National Wildlife Week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Region is highlighting the myriad opportunities on your public lands.

Take a look at how some people use their public lands.

Tammy Black of Salem, Oregon

Tammy is a regular user of Oregon’s public lands. With 97 percent of the Willamette Valley privately owned, however, her favorite local spots for a hike are Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge and Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge.

“It is super important to have public lands available. Being able to have the freedom and flexibility to hike and to be out in nature is vital to my regular health and activity,” she said. “We’re so fortunate that we have so many spots in Oregon such as the National Wildlife Refuges, particularly when the Willamette Valley is mostly privately owned. I’m going to Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge today with a friend of mine. She was looking for a place to take some photos and for a quiet walk, so I told her I’d introduce her to Ankeny.”

Tammy also watched the total solar eclipse from Baskett Slough Refuge. Read more about that incredible experience at http://bit.ly/OutshineTheEclipse

Andrew McKean of Glasgow, Montana

It’s an understatement to say that Andrew hunts. As editor of Outdoor Life magazine, he has traveled and hunted all across the world. However, his “home” is Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and the public lands in central Montana.

“I live in an extremely rural area, five hours to the nearest airport and about the same distance to the nearest Costco. But because I'm surrounded by public land, including the glorious Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, I consider everything I really need to be close at hand," Andrew said.

In his article about his epic public land elk hunt in the Missouri Breaks, Andrew wrote:

“I can hunt anywhere in the world, but I keep coming back to the Breaks, usually with my bow and almost always alone. My solitude owes to the remote roughness of the country. … My visitation frequency owes to its proximity; if I leave my house at noon, I can be deep in the Breaks by mid-afternoon. And my fidelity stems from its public ownership. My hunting homeland is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management, so I don’t have to ask anyone for permission to visit.

“The ownership – most of my hunting area is on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge – comes with some restrictions. I cannot possess any rock, artifact, or shed antler I find here. I can’t drive off roads. And because elk permits are issued by draw, I don’t draw an archery bull tag every year. But when I do, I save vacation time and gather gear. My goal is to hike into the heart of the Breaks and camp alone for as long as a week while I hunt elk. Any elk. I’d love to hold out for a mature bull, but I’ll take any cow, calf, or meat bull that gives me a decent shot. This isn’t a trophy hunt; it’s about making meat and reveling in the weird wildness of the Breaks.”

Read Andrew’s whole story at http://bit.ly/AndrewAndTheBreaks

Wil Warren of Portland, Oregon

Wil’s passion is teaching fishing to kids. By partnering with Tualatin National Wildlife Refuge and Ridgefield Refuge, Wil’s goal is to give urban kids the opportunity to go from a simple first cast to a lifetime of angle.

“On the weekends, (my dad) would take me out fishing and that was my time to connect with him,” Wil said. “He would tell me stories and taught me how to fish. … I always wanted to be like him, so here I am giving back what was given to me. We’re introducing youth to fishing (at Tualatin Bird Fest). Are they really fishing? No, but they’re getting the experience of learning of how to use a rod and reel. We hope they get hooked on the outdoor experience and fishing.”

Wil says fishing offers two important things to kids: an opportunity to experience nature, and a diversion from the academic and social pressure that builds on kids and families.

“Smelling the fresh air, seeing the birds fly, the ripples on the water, even the flies … there’s just something about getting outdoors,” Wil said. “You get away from the internet, the television and smart phones. Getting outdoors lets the mind relax. Not just for the children, but for the parents as well.”

To read more about the role our refuges plan in teaching kids about fishing and other outdoor activities, visit http://bit.ly/WishToFish

Rachel Marlowe of Tumwater, Washington

Rachel is an amateur photographer. She got her first point-and-shoot camera five years ago, and it caused her to see nature in a new way. About 2 ½ years ago, she got her first DSL camera, and the shutterbug bit her.

“I really got into wildlife photography,” Rachel said. “I do a lot at (Billy Frank Jr.) Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and McClain Creek nature trail. This year I’ve been hiking some more public lands in the mountains.

“For me, it’s very important to have public land available. Animals and nature are a big part of who I am, and how I was brought up. Having access to a place such as Nisqually is just amazing. It can be totally quiet and peaceful day one day and you focus on the plants or trees, and the next day there are eagles, deer and finches all around you. For people who like photograph nature, it is important to have those things available.”

Brenda and Keith Krejci, somewhere on public land

Keith and Brenda Krejci have lived in their motor home and traveled the country since November 2005. Along the way, they volunteer at National Wildlife Refuges, Bureau of Land Management, and state parks. They have volunteered across the Pacific Northwest, including the last four years at two Oregon National Wildlife Refuges – Bandon Marsh and Oregon Islands.

“When we decided to retire to a motor home, we knew we wanted to do something other than just travel, spend time in RV parks, and visit attractions. Both Brenda and I were always interested in learning more about wildlife, birds, and history, but work, family, and life in general never gave us the time.  And so we decided to give volunteering at try.

“Since (our first experience at Metcalf NWR in Montana), we’ve volunteered at other U.S. Fish & Wildlife locations, Oregon and Washington State Parks, The Nature Conservancy, and the Bureau of Land Management. With very few exceptions, we’ve been welcomed, appreciated, and best of all, educated in a new facet of nature. We’ve become proficient birders, versed in the history of the fisheries of the Western U.S., and amateur naturalists. We’ve led wildlife and nature walks, given evening programs on seals and sea lions, and guided people at Pacific tide pools. But most of all, we’ve had the opportunity to teach children about the wonders of nature as Junior Ranger program hosts.”

In 2016, dedicated U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteers in the Pacific Region gave an incredible 230,919 hours of their time to conservation. That is the equivalent of 28,864 eight-hour work days!

To volunteer, contact your local National Wildlife Refuge or Fish and Aquatic Conservation station or hatchery. You can also email our regional volunteer coordinator Chelsea McKinney at Chelsea_McKinney@fws.gov for more information.

Read more about Keith and Brenda at http://bit.ly/KeithAndBrenda, or more about volunteering at http://bit.ly/FWSvolunteers.

Brogan Madden of Corvallis, Oregon

His smile seems to be as broad as the Willamette Valley, and he flashes it no matter if he’s showing you his latest wildlife photo or his compound bow. Brogan, 13 years old, harvested his first deer with a bow on a recent hunt at Finley National Wildlife Refuge.

“Getting on public lands is a good way to spend time with my family and enjoy the outdoors,” Brogan said. “It’s fun looking at the animals and learning more about them. It’s about seeing them all and everything that’s going on in nature. It makes me happy they let us hunt there. A lot of places won’t let us hunt.”

Brogan’s step-dad, Jeremiah Maghan, noted that public lands are essential to his family time.

“It is extremely important. There’s no other place to go,” Jeremiah said. “This lets you get the kids out of the house and enjoying the outdoors. It’s the greatest thing to see these young kids out there. Being outside in nature builds confidence and self-esteem, and it builds knowledge of the outdoors.”

Peter Pearsall of Newport, Oregon

Peter spends much of his time on public lands. He has worked and volunteered for the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex for the past 2 ½ years, providing many fabulous photographs of wildlife, the refuges (such as Siletz National Wildlife Refuge above) and other public lands.

For him, it’s a way of life.

“I use the Oregon State Parks all along the 320 odd miles of the coast. There are hundreds of parks, refuges and waysides that offer spectacular photo opportunities. You can see the surf, the beach, storms rolling in and the sunsets. Plus on the coastal rocks, which are part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, it’s an incredible opportunity to see the seabirds,” Peter said.

“Every day I end up on some stretch of public land. It is part of what makes the state an amazing place to live and visit. It’s a great example of conservation.”

To see some of Peter’s favorite public land photos and to get some photography tips, go to http://bit.ly/NWRphotography

Rita Poe and Nancy Zingheim of Chimacum, Washington

Rita Poe knew a lot about public lands before she died on Nov. 16, 2015. Nancy Zingheim, on the other hand, knew nothing about these national treasures.

However, their uncommon relationship and Nancy’s role as Rita’s executor after her death put Nancy on an amazing journey that taught her about National Wildlife Refuges and other public lands.

Rita left almost everything – nearly $800,000 – to eight National Wildlife Refuges and four parks across the West. That gift started Nancy on a path that culminated with a 4,000-mile “trip of a lifetime” during which she learned about wild spaces and public lands, and what made them meaningful to Rita.

“She made me realize that we live in nature and there are animals all around us,” Nancy said. “How often do we take time to sit and watch them? I never stopped to realize the little things like when the birds arrive. I do stop and watch the animals now. … Your refuges are quiet and peaceful. If you’ve never been, you should go to a refuge and spend some time there for Rita.”

In the Pacific Region, Rita donated money to Camas, Malheur and Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuges.

Read the whole amazing story at http://bit.ly/RitaLegacy

Kai Pelizza, Portland, Oregon

Sometimes hunting is just a waiting game. It’s about waiting, watching … and then waiting some more.

That’s how Kai Pelizza’s first hunt at Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge worked out. Kai, accompanied by his father Charlie, was taking part in the youth shotgun hunt for antlerless deer at the refuge in August.

“When we first got there in the afternoon, we couldn’t see any deer or anything from the top of the ridge,” said the 17-year-old high school senior. “There was just a little bit of (deer) sign, so we went back to set up camp. By time sun was going down, we went up on top again and saw the deer everywhere.”

It continued like that for the next three days.

“Each day, they were just out of range, and I couldn’t get a good shot off. Finally, on the last day we were walking back along the treeline and saw her there.”

Kai said it was his first time hunting on a National Wildlife Refuge.

“It was really pretty there,” Kai said. “It’s really good to have such a neat opportunity. Without the public lands, there were be a lot fewer opportunities to hunt.”

One of Kai’s fondest memories, however, won’t be of the deer or the refuge, but the time together with his dad.

“One of the coolest things was having my dad there with me. I enjoyed the father-son time to get out there and be alone with him.”

[mypubliclands]

#HuntShootFish safely on your public lands

Falls marks hunting season across the country. Before you head out on your next hunting adventure on public lands, make sure you are prepared by learning the following tips.

Come prepared. Weather and conditions may change quickly so pack accordingly. Always bring a first-aid kit, extra water, food and dry clothing.

Plan your route in advance. Stop by your local BLM field office to pick up hard-copy maps, and make sure your course is on public lands. Don’t enter private lands without contacting the landowner and getting permission first. 

Know your surroundings. Be on the lookout for other people and potential risks. Always be sure of your target and what is beyond.

Let others know your plans. Before leaving, make sure to touch base with someone and let them know where you will be, when you will be back and develop an emergency plan just in case. 

Make sure your equipment is in proper working condition. By checking your equipment, you decrease risk of injury to yourself and others and to avoid accidentally starting a wildfire on public lands. Take steps to make sure trailer chains aren’t dragging, and stay on roads and trails.

Practice Leave No Trace and Tread Lightly principles. Whenever you venture out on public lands, you should follow outdoor ethics to preserve the great outdoors for future generations. Do your part to keep public lands clean and prevent the spread of invasive species.

Practice proper rifle and archery safety. Treat every gun as if it is loaded. Don’t let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you do not intend to shoot. Keep your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard until your sights are on the target and you are ready to shoot. Make sure to never dry-fire a bow, use proper arrows that you store in a quiver and stay alert around broadheads. 

Protect yourself by wearing safety equipment. Always wear proper hearing protection and safety glasses. When target shooting, always use appropriate targets and backstops. In addition, wear hunter orange when required. 

Follow all state hunting regulations and laws. Make sure you are up-to-date in hunter’s safety education and have the correct tags for the area in which you will be hunting.

The Bureau of Land Management manages millions of acres of habitat for big game animals including elk, mule deer and bighorn sheep in addition to thousands of acres of upland bird habitat. BLM-managed public lands offer unparalleled access to outstanding hunting destinations for the enjoyment of all Americans.

[usfwspacific]

Seasons of the Hunt: Part II of our Series on the Enigmatic Hungarian Partridge

By Dan Magneson, USFWS Fisheries Biologist

Editor’s note: As a part of National Hunting and Fishing Day (Sept. 23, 2017) and Public Lands Day (Sept. 30, 2017), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Region is highlighting hunting, fishing and public lands, as well as the importance of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Be sure to read part one of Dan’s story here. 

Photo credit: gwbf.org 

SPRING

The covey has disintegrated, with the young from the previous year having paired off and formed strong monogamous bonds with Huns from other coveys.  If they are both still alive, the original parents will stay together and start yet another new family.  If one has since died, however, the survivor will readily form a pair bond with a different mate.

If the Hun is like a feathered cheetah when it comes to speed, then they are like a feathered rabbit when it comes to reproducing themselves!

The nest site is usually chosen in sparser dried stems of taller grass intermixed among the stalks of broadleaf weed cover consisting of the previous year’s dead growth and thus creating a light canopy overhead; hay and alfalfa fields that received mowing the previous year are virtually never chosen as a nesting site.  Huns have a decided propensity for nesting in strips of cover along fencelines and in wide ditches along roadsides, possibly a function of their spending so much of their time along the edges of the adjacent fields.  

Depending somewhat on the latitude, the great majority of the nesting will take place from around Memorial Day to the first day of the official start of summer at the solstice; both the male and female are devoted parents and will actively defend the nest.

The female constructs a simple ground nest while the male stands guard.  That task completed, she will typically lay from 16 – 18 buff-olive eggs (although there are occasionally white specimens) and sometimes as many as 22 eggs, by far the most of any gamebird in North America and in fact among the most of any bird on earth.  

This, coupled with and enhanced by extremely good early brood rearing conditions, explains what enables the Hun to generate such steeply-sharp population spikes in certain years and explains why coveys may then be unexpectedly encountered in areas where you traditionally have never seen them.  

Normally, the Hun is much less subject to mortality from predation during winter weather than are most other upland gamebirds – except predators can and often do exact a heavier toll during horrifically-bad winter weather of exceptionally long duration.

But they have an even greater Achilles Heel, whereupon their numbers really take it on the chin: above and beyond anything else, especially extended periods of cold and wet conditions early in a chick’s life can be deadly and very severely depress Hun numbers in the coming autumn; the importance of warm and dry conditions to the very young one-and-a-half inch tall chicks cannot be emphasized enough.  So please, no rain dances now!

As the chicks continue to grow toward maturity, they become less and less associated with cover that has a canopy overhead.

Outside of this acutely-vulnerable period of their lives, I would expect that Hun populations would do better in dry and droughty years in the more easterly portions of their North American range, and conversely do better in moister than normal conditions in the generally more arid westerly parts of their range.

Photo: Hunting for huns in Montana. Photo credit: Hank Shaw

SUMMER

The female carefully conceals the eggs with vegetation whenever she briefly departs, and by now the last of the later clutches will hatch out in July, and insects are of paramount importance to the hungry chicks at this time of year; the high protein levels are necessary to fuel their rapid rate of growth and development.

AUTUMN

In the dryfarmed prairie regions, such as North Dakota, to be consistently successful in the early hunting season look for the birds along the grassy fringes between the wheat stubble and neighboring Siberian elm and Russian olive shelterbelts, or back-and-forth along the margins of other relatively-light cover types bordering the wheat stubble.  The Hun coveys will be comprised mostly of inexperienced and naïve young-of-the-year birds, affording you closer shots and more opportunity to flush them again since they generally won’t go very far before landing.  Their early season behavior always reminded me a great deal of hunting bobwhites along the osage-orange hedgerows back in my native southwest Iowa.

Photo credit: Donald Jones, Montana FWP

Composed at its core of immediate family members, falling in with this central covey along the way are otherwise-unpaired adult Huns.

Besides watching them in order that you can go pursue them again, there is another reason – if you have shot at them.  Sometimes a bird you thought you had missed or barely “tickled” suddenly drops from flight deader than yesterday’s news, or you see a bird land short of where the rest of the covey put down.  You owe it to your quarry to try to get these otherwise-wasted birds into your bag.

Huns will commonly feed early in the morning and again late in the afternoon; food is plentiful, so it doesn’t take them long to get their fill.  Then they will loaf during midday in the vicinity of the edges of the fields.  In wheat country, their diet may be almost entirely comprised of the kernels of this grain, along with sprouts of volunteer plants.

Like a big ol’ trophy bucket-mouthed bass near an old submerged stump, Huns seem to orient to certain features in an otherwise homogenous landscape.  That elevated knoll or hillock or that lone bush or rock pile out in the wheat stubble are good spots to focus your efforts upon, as are abandoned farm machinery and implements in old ranch junkyards and the like.  I remember once hunting an ocean of wheat stubble, and the only feature different was an old Christmas tree that had been dumped out there.  And that was right where I found a big covey of Huns.

You may be able to flush the same covey twice or maybe three times, and very rarely four times.  Huns really stick together, and the first flush is likely to be straight toward some landmark familiar to that covey.  The second flush will likely see them veering in something of an arc.  The countryside may look fairly featureless to you, but rest assured it is not to them.  If you flush them a third time and at the limits of their home range, they might well turn and come right back over your head in order to return to familiar turf – which is quite often the same spot you originally found them, or near to it, and thus demonstrating that they really are rooted or anchored to a certain home range.

If you do succeed in fragmenting the covey into singles and doubles, these are the birds to pursue because they will likely hold much tighter and subsequently flush at much closer range than is likely with the remaining bulk of the covey

In the sagebrush country of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and the far northern portions of Nevada and Utah where irrigated agriculture is more the rule, again look for Huns in areas adjacent to stubble fields of wheat, rye, barley and other small grain crops.  Much of the time this will be along the steeper foothills next to the flatter cultivated farm fields.  Mostly grassy cover interspersed with dots of occasional sagebrush is ideal, and don’t forget to check the grassy heads of basins and especially the deeply sun-shielded and sometimes surprisingly-moist creases between hills, and especially on the very warm days of the early season.  The Huns can find cooler shade among the broader-leafed shrubbery, and the damp conditions are conducive for attracting insects and also for growing succulent shoots and tender grass tips; Huns are always partial to a meal of fresh salad greens, no matter what the season.

I like best the places where the border along the sagebrush and wheat stubble fields really weaves and wanders a lot, where the wheat is surrounded on three sides by sagebrush and grass or conversely those lone and long fingers of sagebrush and grass protruding far, far out into the wheat stubble.

Keep an eye peeled for the places the Huns take dust baths, and the odd loose feather or two confirming that.  And look for piles of droppings indicating where they have roosted; the individual droppings are pointed at one end and broad at the other, looking like a miniature green sugar cone with a scoop of white vanilla ice cream.

If you shoot a double-barreled gun, a fast 20-gauge with a #7 ½ load in a barrel choked improved cylinder and the other barrel choked modified with a #6 load should do a fine job in most instances.

Insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, crickets and ants will continue to be taken by Huns, but the carbohydrates and lipids found in grains have by now begun progressively making up more and more of the diet as the overnight freezing-frosty temperatures causes the insects to die off for the year.

But there are those coveys of Huns who live out their entire lives never once feeding on cultivated, domesticated cereal grains from farm fields.

In the Sawtooth National Forest south-southeast of Twin Falls, Idaho I used to hunt mule deer in a rather pristine, broad valley that was, as best I recall, either entirely ungrazed by cattle or else only very lightly grazed.  I probably put up more coveys of Huns down there more often than anywhere else I’ve ever been, and they were miles and miles from the nearest agricultural areas. They were absolutely thriving out there in that desolate country.  So don’t ignore those vast holdings of public lands that are managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, the public lands adjacent to the big western reservoirs managed by the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and those portions of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-managed National Wildlife Refuges which may be open to hunting.

There are often steep hills associated with these wilder areas, and the birds usually flush downhill and then hook off one direction or the other towards the end of their flight.  I don’t think it is a deliberate and diabolical attempt on their part to better elude your finding them again; instead I think they are just trying to reduce their air speed in order to make a soft and easy landing.  Don’t be too surprised if they subsequently start to slowly work their way up another hill.  You can use the rough terrain to plot a quiet and more concealed approach and if you have a partner, one hunter can start working downhill from above them while the other starts working up the hill from a point just below where they originally landed.  Watch especially any stragglers that flush late behind the main body of the covey; these birds often cut corners and take shortcuts to catch up, giving you a better idea of where they’ve landed if the flight of the main covey has been obscured by an obstacle.

But I’ll tell you, when it comes to pursuing opportunities to make multiple flushes in steeper country, don’t be surprised if the Huns wear you out before you’ve worn them out.  

As autumn grows long in the tooth, the Huns will have wised up considerably, becoming in many cases ultra-wary and hyper-alert. It is about now they begin to start flushing so wildly, far out of shotgun range, and start showing you just how well they can twist and turn on a dime once in flight.  Oddly enough, Huns do tend to generally hold well for a pointing dog – provided it doesn’t press them too closely.  The ideal Hun dog is one with the endurance of the Energizer Bunny, and that casts to-and-fro across the field very widely, but is solid as a statue when it goes on point, allowing you plenty of time to get there.  But don’t dilly-dally with these now-skittish Huns!   Hunt the dog into the wind, and don’t be afraid to experiment if need be:  circling far out to the side and around the covey, then coming in directly at the dog, sometimes perplexes the Huns just long enough for a decent shot at them.  A hawk whistle may help freeze running birds in their tracks; to imitate a hawk, some hunters will go so far as to tie a dark helium balloon to their belts in hopes of likewise helping to pin the Huns down into place.

I’d stick with all #6 loads now, and consider moving up to a 12-gauge shotgun.  You never know for sure what Huns might decide to do on a given day, whether to flush nice and close or way out there beyond gun range.  But I think I’d lean more toward a modified or full choke, though, as it is more likely to be the latter case.

 WINTER

I used to go to college in Bottineau, North Dakota, which is located in the far northern (and central) part of the state.  A blizzard would be howling and wind-driven snow would be coming in thin, powdery waves across the ground, the mercury standing at far below zero.

Yet the Huns would be out scurrying around and feeding right in the midst of it, so impervious that they seemed imbued with immunity to bitter cold.

For such a small bird, the winter survival skills of the Hun border on the incredible; they are absolutely unfazed by the same ferocious blizzards that can lay waste to an entire population of pheasants.

Their habit of forming a warm roosting ring is part of it: with snow lingering on the ground, one author spoke of repeatedly finding different overnight roosts used by the same covey of nine Huns.  They had always very consistently packed into an area smaller than what a single pheasant takes up.  

But unlike either pheasants or bobwhite quail, if conditions get bad enough, then the Huns will use the blanket of snow itself as insulating cover, readily burrowing down into it to escape especially severe and otherwise deadly conditions.  

The wind may whip up some big snowdrifts, but other areas are commonly kept largely snow-free by the very same winds, which gives the Huns a place to forage for food.

But if there is a fairly uniform and persisting cover of snow of four inches or more, the Huns will start to utilize woody cover, as Aldo Leopold noted in 1931:  “Hungarians come nearer being able to get along without cover than pheasants or quail, but during snow they do require some heavy grass, weeds, or standing corn.”

In the northwestern quarter of the state of Iowa, it’ll be wild plum thickets for certain any time there is one in the Hun’s home range, just like with the bobwhite quail in the bottom two tiers of that state’s southernmost counties.

In the Dakotas, it will likely be stands of lilac and caragana.

Out here further to the west, it’s going to be shrubs such as snowberry, hawthorn, chokecherry and buffalo-berry.

Mimicking fox hunters is a viable option, whereupon you don white coveralls and wrap your gun in white tape.  You might consider packing binoculars tucked down inside your coveralls to keep them from fogging up or flopping against your chest.  Neither food nor length of daylight is as plentiful now, so looking even out into the very middle of fields such as wheat stubble becomes more worthwhile as the Huns are now generally spending a greater proportion of the daylight hours feeding.  One thing that will help you after a new snow is that now there are fresh Hun tracks with which to betray their presence.  Scanning far ahead will help you plot an ambush; if you don’t see the Huns actively moving about, then look for “dirt clods” sitting out there and protruding up from the snow.

Also don’t forget the effects of the wind chill factor. Look for Huns to escape the cold winds by locating themselves on the lee sides of hills, steep and sheer protective creek banks, and also man-made structures such as abandoned farmstead buildings as well as lone grain bins and machine sheds.   If such areas also receive warming rays of sunshine and the thinner areas of snow melts off to boot, so much the better.  The wind can work to your benefit by better masking your approach, but bear in mind that the now-nervous Huns will compensate by relying on their vision just that much more when conditions diminish the effectiveness of their sense of hearing.

As in all seasons, if there is a spring or seep where sprouts continue to grow from the unfrozen mud, they are worth checking out for Huns.

I definitely would go with a 12 gauge shotgun in the winter, and preferably one with a PolyChoke as you again never quite know at just what range at they will choose to flush on any given day.  I usually like a more tightly-choked barrel with a #6 shell in the chamber, and I follow that up with #5 shells in the magazine for successive shots at probable longer ranges.

But if the snow is especially deep and worse yet covered by a thick glaze of ice for a prolonged period, the Huns will become desperately hungry, and then begin approaching gravel roadsides, livestock feedlots, silos, and farmsteads in general, searching for barer ground anywhere where they might locate some food.  But no ethical hunter would ever exploit such a pitiful plight.

Late in the winter, after the season closes and the weather warms and the snow melts off,  the males will begin squaring off with one another and engage in ritualized fighting, with the victor getting to stay where he is and the vanquished bird having to leave.  

Female Huns are more aggressive during this period than the females of most other gamebird species, and will decisively lower the boom on any other females caught flirting with their chosen mate.  And which male Huns are the favored mates? The ones seen as leaders within the covey and also those who seem to maintain a state of heightened alert.

The cycle of a new Hun generation is beginning anew.

 SUMMING IT ALL UP

Coupled with the topography, the direction and the angle and the intensity of the sun along with prevailing weather and wind patterns combine to create a seasonally-changing mosaic of different plant species and ultimately plant communities of varying density.  This in turn provides the Huns a home range in which they can capitalize upon the best opportunities for their continued survival and perpetuation of their own kind.  

For you to be a consistently-successful hunter of these birds, you’ll need to develop the ability to discern these differences and how they interact; that in turn will get you pointed in the proper direction and better narrow things down to just where the Huns are likely to be found on any given day during the changing seasons.

And all of this is alluring to a hunter, or should be, creating a charismatic aura and enticing you to try to take apart and figure out just what makes these birds tick.

The upside to learning in this big outdoor classroom is the generally grand and glorious scenery, the stunningly-spectacular sunrises and sunsets in this otherwise-austere landscape, the wild and sometimes surreal cloud formations, the weird and grotesque rock formations, the sego lily and Indian paintbrush, that old corral with those giant and golden cottonwoods, and all the solitude to be found in the American Outback that is Hun Country.

It’s a classroom in which you will never become bored.

Best of Luck to you the reader during this hunting season and in all in your future Hun endeavors!

[usfwspacific]

Anglers, hunters: The backbone of wildlife conservation

By Brent Lawrence / Public Affairs Officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Region in Portland, Oregon

Editor’s note: As a part of National Hunting and Fishing Day (Sept. 23, 2017) and Public Lands Day (Sept. 30, 2017), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Region is highlighting hunting, fishing and public lands, as well as the importance of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

A few years ago I was at a conference when the man across the elevator saw my U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service badge. He smiled and said, “Thank you for all you do. I love watching wildlife. … Do you think you could issue a license to shoot hunters? I hate what they do to wildlife.”

After a brief pause, I leaned toward him and said in a whispered voice: “You know what you should do next time you see a hunter? … Thank him.”

He was shocked by my response, and replied, ���Really! Why?” As we rode down the elevator, I shared some conservation history.

I talked about how since the late 1800s, hunters, anglers and recreational shooters have been the driving force behind the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, a set of home-grown wildlife management principles that set forth the radical idea that wildlife belongs to everyone, not just the rich and privileged.

Photo: Bison on the National Bison Range in Montana, Credit: USFWS Mountain Prairie Region

In our nation’s early years, I explained, there were few laws protecting fish and wildlife, and our wildlife resources took a heavy blow. Some species, like the passenger pigeon, were taken to the point of no return; others such as bison, white-tailed deer and wild turkeys, were pushed to the edge of extinction.

Concerned leaders within the hunting and fishing communities (i.e. sportsmen) banded together, using their influence to make great strides for conserving our wildlife resources. Important laws were passed that became a cornerstone of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s mission.  

I told my increasingly intrigued acquaintance that according to the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, sportsman-generated funds comprise, on average, more than 75 percent of a state fish and wildlife agency’s annual budget.

Photo: Hunters are a major contributor to wildlife conservation, Credit: Ryan Hagerty/USFWS

Through self-imposed excise taxes on hunting, shooting, archery and angling equipment, and boating fuels, hunters, recreational shooters and anglers have contributed more than $19 billion for wildlife and habitat conservation since 1937, including $1.1 billion in 2017.

I explained how excises taxes, commonly known as Pittman-Robertson Act and Dingell-Johnson Act monies, can only be used by state wildlife agencies for a primary wildlife purpose, such as purchasing public land, improving essential habitat and creating additional outdoor recreation opportunities that also benefit hikers and bikers, photographers and birders, canoeists and campers.

The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, I told him as we walked through the lobby, is about more than money. It’s a philosophy.

It has seven basic tenets supporting the notion that wildlife is a public trust, an American birthright, and that wildlife species need to be managed in a way that their populations will be sustained forever. These tenets benefit a wide range of fish and wildlife, including non-game species, as well as everyone who enjoys nature.

As we reached the lobby door, we stopped and he asked what a non-hunter should do. The answers quickly rolled off my tongue.

First, buy a hunting or fishing license every year even if you don’t hunt or fish. The license fee goes directly to the state wildlife agency to help with all types of wildlife management.

Photo: Federal Duck Stamps are a creative and valuable way to contribute to conservation.

Next, I told him, buy a Federal Duck Stamp.  For every dollar spent on Federal Duck Stamps, ninety-eight cents go directly to purchase vital waterfowl habitat for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System. A Federal Duck Stamp also gets you free admission to the Service’s National Wildlife Refuges, which help protect our wildlife and offer some great hunting, fishing and wildlife watching opportunities.

We walked outside, and he hailed a taxi. He turned and said, “Well, thank you for ruining my night. … Now I have to figure out how to thank a hunter.”

The moral of this story could be that hunters, anglers and recreational shooters all play a pivotal role in wildlife conservation. This is true.

But to me, the real story is that people with the most to lose fight the hardest to protect it. As a hunter and angler, I know the joy of hearing a turkey gobble from across the ridge or seeing a flock of mallards descending. Those are my memories, my treasures.

I’ll always fight to save it. And so will other sportsmen because it’s what we do.

Why do you do what you do? Tell us why you hunt and fish and share your photos with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter by using #iHuntBecause and #iFishBecause.

[usfwspacific]

Putting the ‘Hun’ in Hunting: A Series on the Enigmatic Hungarian Partridge, Part I

By Dan Magneson, USFWS Fisheries Biologist

Editor’s note: As a part of National Hunting and Fishing Day (Sept. 22, 2018) and Public Lands Day (Sept. 29, 2018), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Region is highlighting hunting, fishing and public lands, as well as the importance of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

Photo: The author in a blast from the past photo of a successful hunt for Hungarian partridge, Credit: Dan Magneson

You’ve hunted all day for the Hungarian partridges you know just have to be here somewhere in this general area: after all, you’ve seen them in good numbers after sunrise and before sunset along the adjoining gravel roads, and you’ve seen them hunkered down amongst the snow drifts in the winter. So they’ve just got to be here somewhere.

You’ve already spent this otherwise-splendid afternoon hunting every area that looks the least bit “birdy” but to no avail. What gives?  

Nearing dusk, you throw in the towel and take a shortcut back to your car, cutting across a fall-plowed field, the bared earth there virtually devoid of any vegetative cover.  When you are out in about the middle of it, a large covey of Huns burst simultaneously skyward, those characteristic rust-colored tail feathers fanned and flared outward, filling the air with the fast and flapping fury of wingbeats and excitedly uttering in machine gun-like unison those rick!-rick!-rick! calls.  

They quickly maneuver to turn that ceaseless prairie wind to their tails and transform into blurs.  

And just like that, in not much more than a blink of the eye, they’ve already disappeared again.  

Photo: Public land where the illusive ‘hun’ may sometimes be found. Or not. Photo credit: Dan Magneson

Welcome to the challenging world of hunting – or should I say trying to hunt? –the seemingly-inexplicable gray partridge, that feathered lightning whose swift, strong and sure flight makes it the cheetah of our upland gamebirds.

I once had a friend who remarked, “pheasants are where you find them.”  I knew what he meant, but that statement is far more accurately attributed to the Hun, who – due in large part to their very minimal need for cover – are the least predictable gamebird we have in terms of figuring out just where they are apt to be.

As a passionate upland gamebird enthusiast and an ardent hunter, I just live for the thunderous bedlam of these covey rises, accompanied by those vocalizations that sound to my ears somewhat squealing, but which at the same time are not unmusical, having even a melodious quality about them.  The Hun has the most exciting flush of all of gamebirds.

Formally known as the gray partridge, Perdix perdix, this Eurasian bird was imported from various countries in its European range, with the country of Hungary being chief among them, and thus the common nicknames of “Hun” or less commonly “Hunkie” came into widespread use reflecting the ultimate origin of so many of these birds.  They are on the smaller end of being a medium-sized gamebird, being usually a little over a foot long in length, and a little over ¾ lb. in weight.

Photo: The Hungarian partridge (Perdix perdix), Photo credit: Audubon.org

Like virtually everyone else, I’m awestruck by the eye-popping iridescent and vivid coloration of a drake wood duck or a rooster pheasant.

But there is room in my heart for the others having a more understated beauty, with the drake pintail duck being a personal favorite; the pointed polar white streak extending up the sides of their brown necks, the fine gray herringbone suit, and the neatly-accented “windows” of slate blue on the sides of their otherwise-black upper bills combine to give them a subtle and highly attractive beauty.

So it is with the Hun, though they are perhaps even more conservative, all demurely done up in those flatter, more muted pastel earth tones that are so handsomely overlain with the chocolate-chestnut horseshoe-shape emblazoned upon their breasts and also arranged in a dramatically-barred pattern down their sides.

My favorite physical description of the Hun is taken from Discover The Outdoors:

“…The male is mostly gray with a distinct "U" shaped, rust colored, brand on its lower breast. It's face and throat is tinged with burnished orange and the breast is stamped with minute bits of a darker gray. At the demarcation of upper abdomen to belly, the feathers lighten to almost white and pale beige. The upper back is an almost non-discernable blend of brown, gray and white, shifting to mottled dark brown wings. The male partridge's tail is a dark, chestnut-brown. Female Hungarian partridges are similar…”

Little wonder that the plumage of the Hun is so highly prized by anglers who tie their own fishing flies!

The feathers of the “shoulder” area of the folded wings near the body is where you go to definitely determine the sex of the Hun:  males have only a blond mark along the central shaft of the feather, whereas the females have this exact same mark, but also with the addition of blond crossbars at right angles to the central shaft; this pattern on the female bird represents the so-called “Cross of Lorraine.”

But there are Hun stories out there just as colorful as a rooster pheasant.  I read of one describing a World War I soldier in central Europe, who was crawling about one night in that “no man’s land” between the two entrenched and opposing armies.  He accidentally placed his hand right smack dab in the middle of a snoozing covey of a dozen Huns.   In that split second before he came to his senses, he’d thought he had set off a landmine and was then on his way toward knocking on those Pearly Gates.  I myself recall driving down a seldom-used North Dakota gravel road one night well after darkness, and a covey of Huns who had roosted right in the center of the road flushed through the headlight beams.

On a heart-warming holiday note, one man notes how the lyric “and a partridge in a pear tree” from the song The Twelve Days of Christmas reminds him of the Christmas mornings of his childhood.  He goes on to describe how his siblings and he, at his father’s behest, carried a bucket of grain just far enough away from their prairie farmhouse that the partridges felt secure.  They would then retreat back into the house and tiptoe up to the window and peek out to watch the Huns come down to enjoy their very own Christmas presents.

The story of how the Hun came to North America begins with the unregulated overhunting and destruction of their historic habitat that decimated so many of our native upland gamebird species.  Faced with these steep declines and eager to find a replacement species, Americans naturally turned to the Old World gamebirds already familiar to so many of the newer immigrants from Europe.  

Like the bobwhite quail, Huns are sociable and gregarious birds, coalescing into a basic and cooperative social unit termed a “covey’” which in turn is largely comprised of birds which are related to one another.  They feed together, keep watch for and sound a warning indicating the presence of predators, and often sleep overnight in a rosette or ring in which all the tails are pressed inward, their bodies are hugged against the other birds on both sides, and all heads and thus eyes are facing outward and covering a 360 degree field of view.  The benefits of roosting this way are two-fold:  body warmth is conserved and predators are observed.  And just as with a covey of bobwhites, if a covey of Huns is ever scattered apart, they will employ a unique call with which to reunite themselves again.

These imports reached their pinnacle from the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s, abruptly ceasing in 1914 concurrent with the start of World War I.  Numerous entities were stocking Huns:  various state game agencies, private hunting clubs and even independently by wealthy and well-heeled individuals.  Those releases along the Atlantic seaboard were generally failures, but as one progressed west, and especially in the west-northwest and northwest compass directions, the birds began to take hold.  Not surprisingly, this occurred in those areas of North America that were similar to the Hun’s own native environment, and at similar latitudes, where the annual precipitation fell within a band of somewhere between one to two feet and where the grasses were often no more than knee-high and the distance between the standing stems rather sparsely-spaced.

The stunning success of introducing the ring-necked pheasant into Oregon’s Willamette Valley by Judge Owen Denny is a well-known story, but less well-known is the story of particular Canadian attempts at stocking the Hun in the early 1900’s.

Like a droplet of oil falling onto the surface of water or a lit match tossed into gasoline vapor, these birds explosively stormed across the prairie at a rate calculated at 28 miles per year and enduring for a full 400 miles, spilling over into the adjacent northern U.S. states along the border and augmenting their own attempts at stocking Huns.

Further leveraged by the penetration of the railroads ever deeper into the northern prairie, it may well have represented the most successful attempt at stocking an introduced gamebird anywhere in the world – ever.

In the state of North Dakota alone, it was estimated that by the early 1940’s the Hun population had already reached its all-time peak of 8 – 10 million birds.

Today the grain belt of the northern Great Plains and the semi-arid sagebrush steppe of the Columbia Plateau and the northern Great Basin high desert areas of the Intermountain West remains the Hun’s biggest stronghold in the United States.  Being a fishery biologist, it isn’t lost on me that good Hun range east of the Rocky Mountains coincides with good northern pike range, and in the Pacific Northwest it coincides with the farther upstream reaches of historically good salmon range. And all of it is jackrabbit country to boot.

Requiring not much more than a wide open sky overhead, one can be hunting sparsely-vegetated and sparsely-peopled prairie and high desert habitats (photo above) for individual species as diverse as pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse, chukar partridge and California quail and still have an excellent chance of stumbling across some Huns as well.  

And during certain longer-term periods of persistently favorable weather patterns (which in the case of Huns means dry and droughty), the southeasterly fringe of Hun range may even briefly blend with the northwesterly fringe of bobwhite quail range and thus you might possibly encounter both of these species on the same hunting trip.

For example, there was an extended period of a generally droughty-dry and rather persistent weather pattern in Iowa from 1977 – 1989. It was within this same time period that large areas of farmland acreage were enrolled and thus idled for long periods in the newly-created Conservation Reserve Program, often being planted to grassy cover.  This created a coupling of conditions distinctly positive for Hun reproduction and their further range expansion, and in some cases they were subsequently found all the way south to the Missouri border.  

Today in Iowa, with the return of wetter conditions and fewer CRP lands, Huns have largely receded and retreated back to their historic stronghold in the northwestern quarter of the state.

Probably no other American gamebird rubs shoulders with so many other species of upland gamebirds across such a wide range – and wide range of varying habitats.

But like a buckeye tree, they usually are never particularly thick anywhere, and so mostly represent “targets of opportunity” and are taken by the wingshooting public more as a “bonus” or “filler” gamebird, taken incidentally while primarily hunting the aforementioned more popular species; relatively few hunters specifically key in on Huns.

Yet if you were going to pursue Huns specifically, what is their general life history, and what are their seasonal patterns of habitat use along with their related behaviors, and how might one adapt their hunting strategy to better boost their odds of success?

Tell us why you hunt and fish and share your photos with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter by using #iHuntBecause, #iFishBecause and #HuntShootFish.

[usfwspacific]

North American Model of Wildlife Conservation: Wildlife for Everyone

By Brent Lawrence / Public Affairs Officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Region in Portland, Oregon 

Hunting and wildlife conservation. At first blush, the two might seem to be at odds.

How can you promote wildlife conservation by hunting for the same animals you’re working to save? Welcome to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, a model that is truly unique in the world.

From its inception in the late 1800s, hunters, anglers and recreational shooters have been the driving force behind this set of home-grown wildlife management principles, which set forth the radical idea that wildlife belongs to everyone, not just the rich and privileged.

Caption: Ric (left) and Garric Shirrod from Washington with their pronghorn antelope at Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge.

In our nation’s early years, there were few laws protecting fish and wildlife and our wildlife resources took a heavy toll. Market hunters took fish and wildlife at will while habitat disappeared under plow and roads, resulting in devastating reductions in wildlife populations. Some species, like the passenger pigeon, were taken to the point of no return; others such as bison, white-tailed deer and wild turkeys, were pushed to the edge extinction.  Concerned leaders within the sportsmen community banded together, using politics and power, to make great strides for conserving our vast wildlife resources.

As the tides turned for conservation, important laws were passed, including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act of 1934, the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, and the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950.  Collectively, these acts laid the foundation for a funding mechanism to state wildlife management agencies and are a large part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s history.

Sportsman-generated funds comprise, on average, more than 75 percent of a state fish and wildlife agency’s annual budget, according to the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Caption:  Steve Olson (left) and Tyler Hand hunting Willapa Bay National Wildlife Refuge in 2016 with their partner, Raven

Today, through self-imposed excise taxes on hunting, shooting, archery and angling equipment, and a tax on boating fuels, hunters, recreational shooters and anglers have generated more than $21 billion for wildlife and habitat conservation since 1937. These Wildlife Restoration and Sport Fish revenues, raised through the Pittman-Robertson Act and Dingell-Johnson Act, are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program.  In 2019, more than $1 billion was distributed to states through the program.

The funds can only be used by state wildlife agencies for a primary wildlife purpose, such as purchasing public land, improving essential habitat and creating additional outdoor recreation opportunities that also benefit hikers and bikers, wildlife and wildlife watchers, canoeists and campers.

“License dollars generated by hunters and anglers, along with these Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson dollars, provide the cornerstone of state-based efforts that are critical to the conservation of America’s wildlife and natural resources,” said Aurelia Skipwith, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “These funds provide benefits for outdoor recreation of all types. This is why working with states and partners to recruit, retain and reactivate hunters and anglers is essential to the future of conservation."

North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, however, is about more than money. It’s a philosophy.

The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation has seven basic tenets supporting the notion that wildlife is a public trust, an American birthright, and that wildlife species need to be managed in a way that their populations will be sustained forever. The Wildlife Society  and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation both do an excellent job of explaining them, and I borrowed some of their descriptions below.

Wildlife as Public Trust Resources: Natural resources and wildlife on public lands are managed by government agencies to ensure that current and future generations always have wildlife and wild places to enjoy.

Prohibition on Commerce of Dead Wildlife: Commercial hunting and the sale of wildlife is prohibited to ensure the sustainability of wildlife populations. The Lacey Act, which the Service has a role in enforcing, prohibits trade in wildlife, fish, and plants that have been illegally taken, possessed, transported or sold.

Rule of Law: Laws and regulations developed by the people and enforced by state and federal agencies will guide the proper use of wildlife resources.

Opportunity for All: Every citizen has an opportunity, under the law, to hunt and fish in the United States and Canada. This differs from many other countries, where only landowners and the wealthy can afford to participate.

Wildlife Should Only be Killed for a Legitimate Purpose: Individuals may legally kill certain wild animals under strict guidelines for food and fur, self-defense and property protection.  Laws prohibit the casual killing of wildlife merely for antlers, horns or feathers or the wanton waste of game meat.

Wildlife as an International Resource: Because wildlife and fish freely migrate across boundaries between states, provinces, and countries, they are considered an international resource.

Scientific Management of Wildlife: The best science available will be used as a base for informed decision-making in wildlife management. It’s important to note that management objectives are developed to support the species, not individual animals.

Caption: The author with a wild turkey harvested in the Clearwater Mountains of Idaho. Photo by John Hafner.

Wildlife is a priceless part of our national heritage and the sportsman-funded North American Model of Wildlife Conservation keeps the emphasis on long-term management. This focus benefits a wide range of fish and wildlife, including non-game species, as well as everyone who enjoys nature.

How can you get involved?

First, buy a hunting or fishing license every year even if you don’t hunt or fish. The license fee goes directly to the state wildlife agency to help with all types of wildlife management. As an added bonus, license sales also help determine Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson distributions to states.

Second, get a Federal Duck Stamp.  For every dollar spent on Federal Duck Stamps, ninety-eight cents goes directly to purchase vital waterfowl habitat for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System. It has raised more than $750 million and protected 6 million acres of waterfowl habitat since 1934. A Federal Duck Stamp also gets you free admission to the Service’s National Wildlife Refuges, which help protect our wildlife and offer some great hunting, fishing and wildlife watching opportunities.

Third, introduce someone to hunting or fishing. Through the R3 Initiative to recruit, retain and reactive hunters and anglers, the Service is working with state agencies and partners to increase the number of people who participate in these outdoor sports and, in turn, support conservation. Please take someone new on your next trip. 

As you can see, the relationship between sportsmen and sportswomen and wildlife conservation is truly special. So to borrow a line from the Colorado Wildlife Council, maybe wildlife enthusiasts everywhere should “Hug a Hunter” and “Hug an Angler.”

Why do you do what you do? Tell us why you hunt and fish and share your photos with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter by using #iHuntBecause, #iFishBecause and #HuntShootFish. 

[mypubliclands]

#HuntShootFish Montana’s Upper Missouri River Breaks

The public lands of the Montana’s Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, both under federal and state management, make a significant contribution to the local lifestyle and the regional economy. Within the monument you can float the river, fish, hike, hunt, camp, drive for pleasure, find a little solitude, enjoy a sense of exploration or simply marvel at the variety of resources around you.

Vast portions of the monument are serviced only by graveled and unimproved roads. Much of the monument is not accessible by any road, inviting visitors to explore on foot.

Visitors are encouraged to visit the Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center, 701 7th Street, Fort Benton, MT 59442. Staff will be able to assist with maps, local outfitters, closure information, and general safety tips. All visitors are encouraged to carry a map and have basic land navigation skills before exploring the remote areas of the monument.

In some areas, the BLM lands are intermingled with State of Montana lands and private property. It is important that visitors enjoying the public lands of the monument remember to respect the rights of private land owners and be aware of trespassing.

If you are planning an outing on the river, our staff at the Fort Benton River Management Station will help you prepare for a safe and enjoyable trip. Please call us toll free at 877-256-3252, click here to contact us via e-mail, or visit in person at the Fort Benton River Management Station. We are located at 701 7th Street, Fort Benton, Montana 59442.

Throughout this fall, we will be sharing hunting and fishing destinations on BLM-managed public lands. Hunting and fishing on public lands is an American tradition that supports many local economies.

Photos by Bob Wick.

[usfwspacific]

In Pursuit of Solace: A Hunting Story

This blog was written by Elise Brown, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biologist stationed in Portland, Oregon.

Blog author Elise Brown out on a hunt. Photo credit: Elise Brown/USFWS

Any hunting excursion into the forest, or wherever it may be, is always a welcome reprieve in my life.  Dare I mention that it’s my true solace?  The anticipation of entering our public land—from the ponderosa pine forests to the Oregon high desert filled with sagebrush—rivets my soul.  The preparation to face the elements and escape the comforts of modern society definitely takes determination and skill.    

One of my favorite places to hunt is the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, where I’ve made many memories with my family and have heard my grandpa reminisce about hunting trips over the last 50 years.  It’s amazing to think that some of the creek bottoms and ridges my boots touched is the same ground my great, great grandfather hunted.  This patch of public land is definitely intertwined throughout my family tradition.

One’s virtues can also be developed during the whole hunting experience, especially to successfully harvest an animal.  

“To be an elk hunter, you must be patient…” My dad’s words always echo in my memory.  

It’s so true.  To hunt elk or any big game is quite a challenge and what you get out of it in part depends upon what you put into the entire event. Strategy…research…technique…practice…

Elise’s grandfather following a game trail. Photo credit: Elise Brown/USFWS

Get up before dawn…light the fire in the woodstove…drink black coffee and eat an energizing breakfast…pack up your gear…hike into the forest…check the wind…listen…look…be still.  

That stillness is what I enjoy—whether in a tree stand, hunting blind, or following tracks through the snow.  

For me, all the factors involved with hunting represent a chance to slow down and recharge my senses.  Sometimes the silence can be so complete that you’d swear the elk will hear your pounding heart.  And then almost at the moment when you least expect it: a hollow “thud” resounds—the telltale sign a large mammal just jumped from its bed, hooves pounding into the dirt.  My instant reaction is to freeze in place—eyes and ears straining in the direction of the noise.  On one instance during my last trip, I was fortunate enough to see several dark brown flashes flit downhill through the trees.  It’s awe-inspiring to see a 500+ lbs. animal move with such stealth and relative quiet when necessary to avoid danger.  

Even though I didn’t harvest an elk this season, I still feel grateful for the opportunity to pursue these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat.  Even more valuable are the memories made with my family and hearing my grandpa reminisce about hunting trips over the last 50 years.  It’s amazing to think that some of the creek bottoms and ridges my boots touched is the same ground my great, great grandfather hunted.  This patch of public land in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is definitely intertwined throughout my family tradition.

Granted, it is a bonus experiencing the weight of a pack loaded up with meat and the post-shot adrenaline still coursing through your body. But until next year, I’ll be in pursuit of patience.      

#HuntShootFish #IHuntBecause

[usfwspacific]

The Big 6: National Wildlife Refuges Offer Wide Variety of Public Uses

By Brent Lawrence / Public Affairs Officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Hunting. 

Fishing.

Wildlife observation.

Photography.

Environmental education.

Interpretation.

Individually, they all provide a wide variety of great outdoor experiences. Together, however, they stand tall as a cornerstone of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System.

They’re known at the Big Six and are part of the guiding principles for the 567 National Wildlife Refuges that stretch from Florida to Alaska, and Maine to the Pacific Islands. There are 67 National Wildlife Refuges in the Service’s Columbia-Pacific Northwest Region and the Pacific Islands Region, which includes Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. There are also five national monuments managed by the Regions’ refuge system, in coordination with state and federal partners.

Read about a student’s artistic interpretations of the Big Six

The overarching mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans. 

Under that mission are nine guiding principles, including one that focuses on the Big Six public uses. It calls for refuges to “support wildlife-dependent uses involving hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, interpretation, and education, when compatible, as legitimate and appropriate uses.”

A new report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows that 101.6 million Americans – 40 percent of the U.S. population 16 years old and older – participated in wildlife-related activities in 2016, such as hunting, fishing and wildlife-watching. The findings reflect a continued interest in engaging in the outdoors. These activities are drivers behind an economic powerhouse, where participants spent $156 billion – the most in the last 25 years, adjusted for inflation.

Of the 568 National Wildlife Refuges nationwide, roughly:

78 percent are open to photographers and observation;

66 percent are open to hunting; and

55 percent are open to fishing.

When permitting hunting or fishing on a refuge, it is done to ensure sustainable wildlife populations and is done so under the tenets of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

“The team at the Fish and Wildlife Service is accelerating efforts to expand hunting and fishing opportunities where they are compatible with wildlife management goals,” said Robyn Thorson, the Service’s Pacific Regional Director. “Sportsmen and anglers play a huge role in the conservation of wildlife and their habitat, so it only makes sense that refuges provide opportunities for folks to get outside to hunt and fish. Refuges provide all Americans with places to hunt, fish, observe the natural world firsthand and experience the great outdoors.”

You can experience America’s wildlife heritage at a National Wildlife Refuge near you. There is at least one national wildlife refuge in each state. To find one near you, go here and type in your ZIP Code.

Why do you do what you do? Tell us why you hunt and fish and share your photos with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter by using #iHuntBecause, #iFishBecause and #HuntShootFish.