House OKs bill meant to help owners keep guns in emergencies
December 2, 2022 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio House lawmakers have advanced a proposal meant to ensure that gun owners' lawfully held firearms and ammunition aren't seized by the government during natural disasters, public health crises or other declared emergencies.
Land Between the Lakes adds areas for archery deer hunters
December 1, 2022 GMTGOLDEN POND, Ky. (AP) — Land Between the Lakes will open additional areas for archery deer hunting, officials said.
The select areas, which are typically off-limits to hunting, will be open Dec.
New Jersey moves to reinstate controversial black bear hunt
November 10, 2022 GMTTRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey plans to reinstate its controversial annual black bear hunt.
Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who has long opposed the hunt, announced Thursday that the state’s Fish and Game Council will meet next week to consider game code amendments that would allow the hunt's resumption starting next month.
Wolves shot in Wyoming may be from a Colorado pack
October 28, 2022 GMTDENVER (AP) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials believe that three wolves shot and killed just over the state's border in Wyoming may have belonged to Colorado's closely watched North Park wolf pack.
Call of Duty’s latest battle is between Microsoft and Sony
October 27, 2022 GMTHunting down your enemies on the bustling streets of Amsterdam, along the U.S.-Mexico border or in a Middle Eastern fishing village is just part of the intense action in the latest Call of Duty video game.
‘Forever chemicals’ in deer, fish challenge hunters, tourism
October 5, 2022 GMTPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Wildlife agencies in the U.S. are finding elevated levels of a class of toxic chemicals in game animals such as deer — and that's prompting health advisories in some places where hunting and fishing are ways of life and key pieces of the economy.
West Virginia fall turkey hunting season opens Saturday
October 4, 2022 GMTFARMINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s fall hunting season for wild turkey is scheduled to open Saturday in all 55 counties.
The season will last through Oct. 16. It will be extended for an additional week in seven counties from Oct.
DNR: February 2021 hunt had little effect on wolf population
September 30, 2022 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin wildlife officials estimate Wisconsin's wolf population currently stands at about 970 animals, demonstrating that a much-maligned February 2021 hunting season had little impact on the population as a whole.
9-year-old seriously injured in Alaska brown bear mauling
September 21, 2022 GMTANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A 9-year-old boy was seriously injured by a brown bear while hunting north of Anchorage, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday.
The youth and a 41-year-old man were hunting Tuesday night in the Palmer Hay Flats area about 35 miles (56 kilometers) from the state’s largest city when they came upon the bear, troopers said in an online statement.
Female alligator exceeding 10 feet a new Mississippi record
August 29, 2022 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi hunters have set a new state record after killing a female alligator that measures more than 10 feet long, state wildlife officials said Monday.
A pair of hunters killed the gator Sunday on the Pearl River near the Ross Barnett Reservoir northeast of Jackson, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks said in a news release.
Reynolds expands deer hunting with semi-automatic rifles
June 21, 2022 GMTDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa hunters will be able to use semi-automatic weapons including AR-15 rifles to kill deer in more parts of the state during a newly created antlerless season in January under a bill signed by Gov.
Alligator found dead from gunfire in S. Carolina community
June 20, 2022 GMTHILTON HEAD, S.C. (AP) — The manager of a gated community on the South Carolina coast says a dead alligator found on the property had been shot.
The alligator carcass was collected and removed last week from private property on Hilton Head Plantation, general manager Peter Kristian told The Island Packet.
40 permits given to hunt moose in New Hampshire this fall
June 17, 2022 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Forty people on Friday were offered permits to hunt moose in New Hampshire this fall following the state's 35th annual lottery.
Winners were selected from a pool of 6,033 applicants.
Iowa lawmakers OK deer hunting with semi-automatic rifles
May 24, 2022 GMTDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Deer hunters would be able to use semi-automatic rifles during a newly created antlerless season in January under a bill approved by lawmakers Tuesday and sent to the governor.
Deer hunting: Early velvet season for bucks set
May 21, 2022 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Deer hunters in Mississippi will have a chance to harvest a buck in velvet during the state’s first early archery hunt in September.
The season is set for Sept. 16-18.
Russ Walsh, wildlife chief of staff for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, said those dates reach a balance between allowing bucks to reach their maximum antler growth for the year and giving hunters a chance to harvest them before they shed their velvet.
Arizona House passes bipartisan election bills
May 18, 2022 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona House has approved several election bills in bipartisan votes.
The measures approved Tuesday, which have all already passed the Senate, make relatively minor changes to election procedures.
Viral disease reduces deer hunt licenses in North Dakota
May 10, 2022 GMTBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The number of licenses for this year's deer hunt in North Dakota has been reduced because of an outbreak of a viral disease last year.
The state Game and Fish Department is making 64,200 licenses available, down 8,000 from last year.
Hunters sue to allow Sunday hunting in Maine
April 27, 2022 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A hunting group is suing the state of Maine to overturn the state's longstanding ban on Sunday hunting.
Hunting bear, moose, wild turkey and deer is popular in Maine, but the state has barred Sunday hunting for generations.
South Dakota proposal would increase bighorn sheep licenses
April 2, 2022 GMTPIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota wildlife officials are looking to increase the number of bighorn sheep hunting licenses for the next two years.
The bighorn sheep hunting season proposal for the 2022 and 2023 seasons increases the ram bighorn sheep licenses from eight to 10, with an additional license being made available for auction.
Bighorn sheep numbers continue to grow in North Dakota
April 2, 2022 GMTBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota wildlife officials say bighorn sheep are making a comeback in the state following a crippling disease outbreak in the Badlands.
There are almost 450 bighorns among populations managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, the National Park Service and the Three Affiliated Tribes Fish and Wildlife Division, The Bismarck Tribune reported.
Alligator hunts possible next year in Mississippi
March 27, 2022 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The number of alligators in Pelahatchie Bay is becoming a problem so the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks has proposed a hunting season to help reduce the population.
Latest attempt to allow Sunday hunting in Maine shot down
March 17, 2022 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — An attempt to open up Sunday hunting in Maine has been shot down in committee.
Hunting big game animals such as bears and moose is a popular activity in Maine, but the state is home to a law that bars hunting on Sunday.
Officials investigate after 300 dead snow geese left on road
March 12, 2022 GMTOMAHA, Neb (AP) — Nebraska Game and Parks officials are investigating after about 300 dead snow geese were found recently on a road west of Falls City in Richardson County.
Thousands of the birds are migrating through Nebraska and there is no hunting limits during conservation season.
Hunting licenses for elk up, moose licenses down in ND
March 8, 2022 GMTBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — More hunting licenses for elk will be offered by North Dakota’s Game and Fish Department this year, but there will be fewer moose licenses.
A bighorn sheep hunting season could also take place, depending on the pending results of summer sheep population surveys.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife holds hearings on moose, deer
March 6, 2022 GMTMONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is holding public hearings this month on next fall's proposed moose hunt in the northeastern part of the state and the health status of the deer herd.
Nebraska-born mountain lion killed in Montana
March 5, 2022 GMTLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A mountain lion that was born in Nebraska has been killed in Montana, a first for both states.
The Lincoln Journal-Star reports that the mountain lion was just a kitten in 2018 when state biologists found it and a sibling in a den in the Pine Ridge area near Chadron and attached yellow ear tags.
Hearings on migratory game bird populations, hunting seasons
February 27, 2022 GMTESSEX, Vt. (AP) — Public hearings will be held this month on the status of the migratory game bird populations and this year's proposed hunting seasons for them in areas of Vermont and New York, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department said.
Hunter education courses being offered around the state
February 21, 2022 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is offering hunter education classes around the state for hunters who wish to purchase licenses.
Moose hunt proposed in northeastern Vermont
February 21, 2022 GMTMONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is proposing a fall moose hunt in the northeastern part of the state to reduce the effects of winter ticks on the animal's population.
Wolf hunting, trapping ends in southwestern Montana
February 17, 2022 GMTBILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Wolf hunting and trapping has ended for the season in southwestern Montana after hunters killed 82 wolves in the region, the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said Thursday.
Maine’s small game hunting seasons ending for the spring
February 12, 2022 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A handful of Maine's winter hunting seasons for small game animals are ending for the spring.
The bobcat season ends on Feb. 21, while the fox season lasts until Feb. 28.
Committee kills bill to give tribes free parks access
February 7, 2022 GMTPIERRE, S.D. (AP) — A South Dakota House committee on Monday killed a proposal to grant tribal members free access to the state's parks and recreation areas and to provide free licenses to hunt and fish on non-tribal land.
Montana curbs wolf hunt after 23 from Yellowstone killed
January 29, 2022 GMTBILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Montana wildlife commissioners on Friday moved to shut down gray wolf hunting in a portion of the state around Yellowstone National Park, amid mounting criticism over a record number of the animals shot or trapped after roaming across the park boundary this winter.
Idaho wolf population holding steady, wildlife officials say
January 27, 2022 GMTBOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho's wolf population remained steady at about 1,500 last year, state wildlife managers said Thursday.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game made the population estimate public during an Idaho Fish and Game Commission meeting.
West Virginia DNR director Steve McDaniel retiring
January 20, 2022 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Steve McDaniel is retiring after five years as director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
Gov. Jim Justice said McDaniel will take on an advisory role to the DNR when he retires at the end of the month.
Maine moose hunters had less success than normal in 2021
January 18, 2022 GMTPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine moose hunters had less success than usual during last year's hunt despite an increase in hunting permits.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said 68% of hunters harvested a moose during the fall hunt, the Bangor Daily News reported.
Swine fever in wild boars worries Italy’s pork industry
January 15, 2022 GMTROME (AP) — The discovery of African swine fever in northern Italy has Italian pork producers fearing significant economic damage to a major agricultural export and has forced curtailing of the official seasons to hunt for game and to gather prized truffles.
Preliminary numbers show drop in Vermont deer hunt harvest
December 30, 2021 GMTMONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Hunters in Vermont took more than 15,000 deer in this year's seasons, several thousand less than in 2020, based on preliminary reports, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.
Maine’s hunting seasons for winter game birds in high gear
December 25, 2021 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine's hunting seasons for winter game birds are in full swing.
Maine is home to numerous seasons for game birds such as ducks and quails. The seasons for ruffed grouse, bobwhite quail and pheasant all run until Dec.
Tribes: Oklahoma governor ending hunting license agreement
December 13, 2021 GMTOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma tribal leaders said Monday that Gov. Kevin Stitt's decision to not renew hunting and fishing license compacts with the Cherokee and Choctaw nations is part of an ongoing dispute between the tribes and the Republican governor.
Vermont’s muzzleloader deer hunting season ends on Sunday
December 11, 2021 GMTMONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont's deer hunting season is coming to a close.
The muzzleloader season, which started a week ago, ends on Sunday.
Final stretch of Maine’s deer hunt ends for 2021
December 11, 2021 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The final stretch of Maine's annual deer hunt is ending for the year on Saturday.
The last two weeks of the deer hunt are reserved for people who hunt using muzzleloaders and some archers.
Official: Commission may ‘step back’ from hunting buffer
December 10, 2021 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A member of Mississippi's wildlife, fisheries and parks commission says the commission may step back from a proposal to reduce the area for duck hunting at a popular wildlife management site.
Deer kills during WVa gun hunting season up over 2020
December 10, 2021 GMTSOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The number of antlered white-tailed deer killed in West Virginia during the two-week firearms season went up 10% compared with a year ago, wildlife officials said.
Maine deer hunt enters final days for muzzleloaders
December 6, 2021 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine's annual deer hunt is entering its final few days of the year with the season for hunters who use muzzleloaders.
Muzzleloaders are firearms that are loaded through the front end.
DNR: Nine-day gun season deer kill drops 8% from 2020
November 30, 2021 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Hunters killed thousands fewer deer during Wisconsin's nine-day gun season this year than in 2020, according to preliminary state Department of Natural Resources data released Monday.
Maine’s fall hunting seasons ending for the year
November 28, 2021 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine's big fall hunting seasons ended for the year on Saturday.
The state's “big four” game animals are black bears, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer and moose. The seasons for bears, deer and moose all ended on Saturday, and the turkey season ended earlier in the month.
Vermont’s rifle deer hunting season ends on Sunday
November 28, 2021 GMTMONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont's 16-day rifle deer hunting season is wind downing.
The season started on Nov. 13 and ends Sunday.
Deer hunters still have other opportunities this year.
Utah again proposes hunting-season ban on trail cameras
November 28, 2021 GMTSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — State wildlife biologists are again proposing a ban on the use of trail cameras in hunting a few months after they pulled the proposal to further survey hunters after some initial backlash.
New Hampshire, Vermont asked to test deer for COVID-19
November 26, 2021 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — With hunting season underway, wildlife agencies in New Hampshire and Vermont have started testing for COVID-19 in white-tailed deer, as antibodies for the virus have been found in deer in other states, according to a government study.
Missing hunter found in North Carolina’s Green Swamp
November 25, 2021 GMTWHITEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina hunter who disappeared this week in North Carolina’s Green Swamp has reunited with his family after searchers found him “cold, hungry, and dehydrated,” a sheriff's office said.
Maine muzzleloaders to take to the woods soon
November 22, 2021 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine hunters who harvest deer with the use of muzzleloaders will start their season soon.
Muzzleloaders are firearms that use projectiles that are loaded from the front end of the gun.
West Virginia’s buck gun hunting season starts Monday
November 22, 2021 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The annual buck firearms season is expected to bring thousands of hunters to West Virginia's woodlands.
The season traditionally opens on the Monday before Thanksgiving.
Buck takes shelter inside church on hunting season’s 1st day
November 16, 2021 GMTSTURGIS, Mich. (AP) — A 10-point buck sought sanctuary inside a southern Michigan church on opening day of the state's firearm deer hunting season.
Pastors at Grace Sturgis encountered the buck inside the church's auditorium on Monday before it leapt through a window and back into the wild.
Maine’s big fall hunting seasons coming to a close
November 15, 2021 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine's big four hunting seasons are coming to a close for the year.
The seasons for moose, white-tailed deer and black bears all end on Nov. 27. The season for wild turkey has already ended.
Modern gun deer season opens in Kentucky
November 15, 2021 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's modern gun deer season has opened.
The season opened statewide on Nov. 13 and continues through Nov. 28, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources said in a statement.
Commissioners asked to end deer bow hunting program in Fargo
November 14, 2021 GMTFARGO, N.D. (AP) — Commissioners in North Dakota's largest city will be asked Monday to consider ending a wildlife management program that allows bow hunters to kill deer within city limits.
Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibloski said a recent study shows that harvest rates are low, the plan is no longer effective and it has created a public safety threat.
Maine’s moose hunters not having much luck this fall
November 7, 2021 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine's moose hunters have not had a lot of success this fall.
The state is home to an annual fall moose hunt that attracts tens of thousands of applicants for a limited number of permits.
Walz takes to field for deer opener; visits CWD testing site
November 6, 2021 GMTPINE CITY, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz was among the thousands of hunters who took to the field Saturday for Minnesota’s firearms deer hunting season opener.
Walz hunted with Brady Crocker and Kevin Hinze on the Hinze family’s private property in Pine County.
Rhode Island deer hunting season opens this weekend
November 6, 2021 GMTPROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — With Rhode Island's deer hunting season underway, state wildlife officials are reminding hunters that deer taken during the first two days of the muzzleloader season Saturday and Sunday must be physically checked at one of five state-operated sites.