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Monthly Archives: August 2024
China reports highly pathogenic H5N6, H7N9 bird flu outbreaks: OIE
DNR publishes fall 2024 hunting and trapping forecasts
US eagle population faces serious threat from hunters — but it’s not what you think
By
Ashley J. DiMella, Fox News
Published Aug. 12, 2024, 10:14 a.m. ET25 Comments
Famed NYC eagle killed in vehicle collision
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Originally Published by:
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Officials who are monitoring incidents affecting the eagle population in the United States are revealing a lingering danger that could cause a decline in the birds’ presence.
Todd Katzner, a US Geological Survey (USGS) wildlife biologist based in Boise, Idaho, told Fox News Digital via email that lead exposure of raptors, involving eagles and vultures, is a global phenomenon.
He said this has been seen on every continent as people hunt animals and leave bullets behind, as well as avian scavengers — birds that eat dead animals, which may then have remnants of ammunition embedded in their bodies.
Researchers found that of 448 birds from around the US, 50% of the winged animals had evidence of chronic lead poisoning, according to a recent USGS and collaborator’s paper published at Science.org.
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“In this case, ‘chronic’ means ‘repeated exposure,’ meaning 50% of the eagles were getting exposed to lead again and again,” Katzner said.
“Most of the others had evidence of lead exposure, just not as frequent as the 50% that showed chronic exposure,” he also said.
In Feb. 2023, officials in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, experienced an incident when a bald eagle — America’s bird — died from lead poisoning.
“An eagle is supposed to be the strong, powerful symbol of America, and here he lies lifeless as [he] lost the fight to lead poisoning,” officials with the Raven Ridge Wildlife Center in Washington Boro, Pennsylvania, posted on Facebook in 2023 — adding a plea to sportsmen to make “the switch to go lead free” in hunting practices.
Three months ago, Lancaster County found another eagle dead as a result of lead poisoning.
This past January in Indiana, a bald eagle was transferred to Humane Indiana Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center after the bird was found suffering from lead poisoning at Potato Creek State Park.
see also
Senate finally names bald eagle the official national bird, 242 years after it became a symbol of America
“Our team provided stabilizing care, administering fluids, a critical care food alternative, and began chelation therapy. With lead levels as high as they were, and with as poor [a] body condition as he was in, we were not terribly surprised to find that he had sadly passed away overnight,” Humane Indiana Wildlife officials wrote on Facebook.
“A lead fragment the size of a grain of rice is lethal to a mature bald eagle, meaning that a standard 150 grain lead bullet can poison 10 eagles,” the post went on.
“The deadly metal accumulates in an eagle’s system over the course of [its] life, meaning that there is no safe amount of lead exposure. For this reason, lead is often called ‘the silent killer,’” the post also noted.
Katzner said that although “hunting provides an important food source for these birds … they are also potentially a source of lead.”
He said bird scavengers get lead poisoning from finding game or remnants of game shot by hunters.
“When a lead bullet hits an animal, it fragments into tens or hundreds, sometimes thousands, of fragments. If the hunter recovers their [target], then often they leave a gut pile that contains lead fragments,” Katzner said.
“If the hunter does not recover their target, then the animal’s carcass will contain those lead fragments.”
He added that birds will often eat those carcasses or remains — making them highly susceptible to lead poisoning.25
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Fish comprise about 70% to 90% of an eagle’s diet, yet the bird “will feed on what is most available, and requiring the least amount of energy to acquire it,” according to the American Bald Eagle Foundation.
Katzner said there is good evidence that using non-lead ammunition can help decrease the rates of lead poisoning.
In addition to the consumption of lead ammunition, lead poisoning can also come from the diet.
“Lead poisoning rates can also be high for other birds such as a red-shouldered hawk that eats earthworms, which tend to concentrate [the] lead in their bodies,” Katzner said.
NYS Hunter Safety Ed. is required for license
Aug 12, 2024
Forrest Fisher
forrestfisher35@yahoo.com
The regular big game firearm season (deer/bear) in our southern zone of NYS will open on Saturday, Nov. 16 and run through Dec. 8. The early archery season opens on Oct. 1 and runs through Nov. 15. The crossbow season opens on Nov. 2 and runs through Nov. 15. Photo by Joe Forma
In New York State, the pursuit of hunting for small game (rabbits, squirrels, pheasants, etc.) or big game (deer and bear) is a responsibility that comes with the requirement of hunter safety education to obtain a hunting license, including bow hunting.
The course covers safety, hunting techniques, responsible, ethical hunting practices, and legal hunting implements, including a gun, a muzzleloader (black powder), crossbow, or bow to pursue wild game. All courses require the completion of homework PRIOR to attending an in-person course. You must complete the homework to participate in the course.
There are in-person, instructor-led, hands-on hunter education courses and online courses. The in-person courses are free. The online courses cost between 24.95 and 49.95, depending on which option is chosen for study.
For either course choice, the minimum age for course attendees is 11, though the minimum age to purchase a license is 12. The course is an 8-hour class session.
The in-person courses are free and provide the best option for anyone new to hunting. All students under 16 must bring a permission slip signed by a parent or legal guardian. None of the hunter safety instructors are paid to provide these firearm safety services and hunter ethics recommendations; their time is totally volunteer time. They do it to pass on the hunting traditions so that everyone stays safe in the fields and woods and that the time-honored role of hunting in the wild can be passed on for generations. And to meet NYS requirements.
Do not wait until the last minute.
The regular big game firearm season for deer and bear in our southern zone of NYS will open on Saturday, Nov. 16 and run through Dec. 8. The early archery season begins on Oct. 1 and runs through Nov. 15. The crossbow season opens on Nov. 2 and it runs through Nov. 15. Other seasons for small game and special rules can be found in the NYS Hunting Syllabus and online at https://dec.ny.gov/hunting. If you have questions about hunter safety training, call 1-888-486-8332 or email hunter@dec.ny.gov.
Here is a list of upcoming Hunter-Safety Courses: Saturday, Aug. 17: Cattaraugus Rod & Gun Club, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 18: Jamestown Rifle and Pistol Club, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 24: Springville Field & Stream, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Thursday, Aug. 29: Ripley Rod & Gun Club, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. plus one additional day; Saturday, Sep. 14: Harmony Conservation Camp, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sunday, Sep. 22: Falconer Rod & Gun Club, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday, Sep. 28: Carroll Rod & Gun Club, in Frewsburg, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Students must complete the required homework, which typically involves reading and understanding the course material, attend the entire session or sessions of the course, demonstrate proper attitude and safety awareness, and pass a 50-question final exam. The exam covers the material taught in the course and is designed to ensure that students have a good understanding of hunter safety and ethics.
After successful completion, students receive a Hunter Education Certificate of Qualification required to purchase their first-time hunting license in New York State. After that, your name and identification will be kept on file for the succeeding years.
If you plan to hunt deer or bear with a bow, NYS requires the hunter to also take and pass a bowhunter education course. This course is like the original hunter-safety course but is only 6-hours minimum. In-person Archery Class sessions are planned as follows: Thur., Aug. 22: Ripley Rod & Gun Club, 6 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. plus one additional day; Sun., Aug. 25: Springville Field & Stream, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sat., Sep. 7; Harmony Conservation Camp, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sun., Sep. 8: Falconer Rod & Gun Club, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
A NYS resident hunting license cost (firearms) is $22 for people 16 to 69 years old. Age 70 and over is $5, ages 12 – 15 is $5, and a non-resident license is $100. The hunting license is valid from Sep. 1 each year through Aug. 31 of the following year. The bowhunting and muzzleloading hunting license privilege is an additional $15 each for residents and $30 for non-residents aged 16-69 years of age, and it is less costly for those younger and older.
The cost of a lifetime hunting license for a NYS resident aged 12-15 is $535, $765 for 16 to 69 years of age, and $65 for those 70 and older. Small game and big game are now included in the annual hunting license for both residents and non-residents.
Hunting provides a sense of adventure and challenge, as hunting big game requires skill, patience and a deeper understanding of wildlife behavior. While some consider hunting to be highly controversial as a topic for discussion, hunters admit that hunting provides a profound and traditional connection with nature that takes hunters back to the time of our forefathers. With more people on the planet now, safety is of paramount importance. Be sure of your target and what is beyond before letting your arrow fly or squeezing the trigger.
Gotta love the NYS outdoors!
Outdoor Calendar:
Aug. 7 – 18: Erie County Fair, Hamburg, NY; visit the Conservation Building to see live fish, animals, and conservation ideas for building bluebird box nests.
Aug. 13-14: Meet with Rich Lazarczak and the Cattaraugus County Trappers in the Erie County Fair Conservation Building to learn about the importance of NYS trappers.
Aug. 15: Southtowns Walleye Assoc., monthly meeting and Kids Day event, 5895 Southwestern Blvd., kid’s crafts and learning stations – 6PM, general meeting – 7PM.
Aug. 16-17: Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge, Dunkirk Harbor from HQ at the Clarion Hotel Gazebo, $500 entry/team; info: Jim Steel, 716-481-5348 or visit https://innovative-outdoors.com.
Aug. 17: Roger’s Bird-Day Bash, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., in the Lodge at RTPI, tickets $20; Includes all-day admission to RTPI.
Aug. 17: NYS Hunter Safety Training, Cattaraugus Rod & Gun Club, 7732 Route 353, Cattaraugus, NY, 8AM-4:30PM, register online at https://register-ed.com.
Aug. 18: NYS Hunter safety training, Jamestown Rifle and Pistol Club, 2882 Busti-Stillwater Rd., Jamestown, 8AM-5PM, register online at https://register-ed.com.
Dove Season Opens September 2, 2024Wildlife Commission reminds hunters to eliminate baiting practices by Aug. 23
Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission met Aug. 8-10 in Olympia
Concurrent Season Deer Licenses
Mon, 08/12/2024
Hunters can purchase additional, concurrent season deer licenses Aug. 14 at 8 a.m. Central time on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. There is no limit on the number of concurrent season licenses a hunter can purchase.
Concurrent season licenses can be used during the archery season with a bow; deer gun season with a bow, rifle or muzzleloader; or during the muzzleloader season with a muzzleloader. However, youth under 14 (at the end of the calendar year) will be issued a concurrent season license for archery only.
Hunters with concurrent season licenses are restricted to the type of antlerless deer printed on the license and must hunt in the unit in which the license is assigned.
Exposing the Big Game 