VERNAL — Birds called loons are visiting Utah right now.

Loons visit the state twice each year. In the spring they migrate from the south as they move north to breeding areas in Canada and the northern edge of the United States. During the fall, they return to the warmer waters in the south.
     
Most of the loons that visit Utah are common loons, but occasionally other loon species are also seen.

CHEYENNE-- In the day to day management of Wyoming's game animals, wildlife managers must take a number of factors into consideration when establishing hunting seasons, license quotas and looking after the well-being of the game herds.

Such things as hunter success, habitat condition, winter loss and more can all affect the numbers of animals in a given population. One such factor that comes into play in Wyoming from time to time is disease. One well known disease problem wildlife managers have dealt with recently is the pneumonia outbreak that hit the Whiskey Mountain bighorn sheep herd in

April showers have brought May flowers to Kansas state parks, and with flowers come warm weather and more outdoor events. Many of the highlights of state park events are OK Kids Days. This May, several state parks will conduct events specifically for youth. These events provide opportunities for kids across Kansas to experience various outdoor activities, from birdwatching to fishing clinics. For many, this is an introduction to the outdoors. For others, it is a rekindling of outdoor interests.

State parks planning combined OK Kids Days and Free Park Entrance Days in May include

Representatives from the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) will hold five meetings in May to discuss proposed changes to waterfowl hunting in the northeast region of the state.   Potential property hunting regulation changes to affect restricted access, limited hunting through reservations, hunting hours restrictions, and mandatory check out will be discussed for the following State Wildlife Areas:  Jackson Lake, Jean K. Tool, Brush, Atwood, Overland Trail, Bravo, and Red Lion.  Potential regulation changes to allow waterfowl hunting from boats will be discussed for Jackson and Jumbo Reservoirs.

 

May 1, 2008, Alexandria, Va. — Yesterday, a federal judge approved a settlement agreement between the Department of Interior and environmental groups to regulate the use of off-road vehicles (ORV) in Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area. This settlement took place despite the efforts of the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee, of which the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is a member, to develop a long-term ORV management plan acceptable to all the stakeholders. The terms of the settlement are extensive and they put in place protections for shorebirds that far exceed protections used at other national seashores and outlined in species recovery plans. The settlement terms will have a negative impact on the

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA– Virtual anglers from around the world are attempting to hook more than $7.3 million in cash and prizes, and an Alamo, California, student has hooked $100,000 in the third of seven fantasy fishing tournaments that will continue through mid-August.

John Yandell, III, 18, a San Francisco-area high school senior attending De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., took first place and reeled in $100,000 in the third tournament of the FLW Fantasy Fishing online game by selecting 10 professional bass anglers whom he thought would weigh in the heaviest catches of largemouth bass at the National Guard Open, a premier stop on the Wal-Mart

CONCORD, N.H. -- A search for a missing 58-year-old kayaker from Vermont will continue today on the Connecticut River in Piermont, N.H. On Thursday, May 1, 2008, Robert Swantak of Bradford, Vermont, set out in his kayak on the Waits River in Bradford, Vermont, and then onto the Connecticut River in Piermont, N.H. for an afternoon of fiddlehead picking. Vermont and New Hampshire authorities were notified in the evening of May 1 that Swantak had not returned from his river trip.

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Conservation Officers, Vermont State Police, Vermont Fish and Wildlife game wardens and the New Hampshire State Police helicopter searched the

BRINKLEY – Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fisheries biologists confirmed a breeding population of northern snakehead, an invasive species from Asia, in Lee County on April 28.

The population was discovered when a farmer found an unusual fish wiggling along a gravel farm road near a ditch and contacted the AGFC regional office in Brinkley. AGFC Fisheries Management Biologist Lee Holt identified the fish as the invasive species that recently made national headlines. Since the confirmation, fisheries biologists have worked to establish how far the population has spread and to control the population.

Louisville, Kentucky -- The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) will conduct the largest archery tournament in US history May 9 and 10, 2008 at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center.

NASP President Roy Grimes has received confirmation of almost 3000 entrants from twenty two states and 175 schools. The previous record for the largest archery tournament was set by NASP in 2006 at 2,192.

NASP was started in 22 pilot schools in Kentucky in 2002. The program quickly spread to 45 other

OLYMPIA-A California sea lion captured yesterday for relocation from the Columbia River died today during a health examination at a Tacoma zoo.

The animal, a 1,454-pound adult male being held temporarily at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium (PDZA), failed to resume breathing after being anesthetized for the examination. A team that included an Oregon veterinarian, a state marine mammal biologist and a federal animal-care expert had concluded the health exam and were attempting to bring the animal out of anesthesia when the death occurred.

MADISON – Deer hunters in Wisconsin will have a 2008 season structure that includes a four-day October antlerless deer only gun hunt in most “herd control” and all “earn-a-buck” deer management units, under a framework approved by the state Natural Resources Board at its meeting in Madison on April 23. The framework is for deer management units outside of the southern Wisconsin Chronic Wasting Disease management zones.

DURHAM, N.H. – New Hampshire Fish and Game's Marine Fisheries Division today announced that effective May 1, 2008, commercial fishermen will not be allowed to land Atlantic herring taken from Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Management Area 1A from May 1-31. The May closure will be followed by a period of restricted days -- beginning June 1, 2008, commercial fishermen will be prohibited from landing Atlantic herring taken from Management Area 1A on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  The restriction applies from 12:01 a.m. on Thursdays to midnight on Sundays. The restriction will remain in effect until December 31, 2008, or until further amended. Similar restrictions were in effect in 2005, 2006 and 2007. For full text visit

PHOENIX — A consortium of state, local and federal boating agencies is hosting the fifth annual Tri-State Boating Safety Fair at Lake Havasu State Park to educate boaters about boating safety May 3 at from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The theme of this year’s fifth annual safety fair will encourage boaters to take a boating education class, focus on the effects of operating a boat while under the influence of alcohol, and convey the importance of wearing life jackets.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is mandated by the Kansas Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1975 to review all current and proposed threatened and endangered (T&E) species every five years, and 2008 marks another year for review. A Threatened and Endangered Species Task Force comprised of members from state and federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations will review the currently-listed species and those species proposed for listing.

During this review, species can be added, removed, or status changed based on petitions to KDWP's

FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA – The NRA’s 30th annual National Action Pistol Championship is honoring a man who greatly contributed to the design and formation of what has now become one of the richest and most exciting events in the sport of Action Pistol Shooting.
The Ray Chapman Speed Star Event will debut this year during the NRA National Action Pistol Championships, which is also known as the NRA Bianchi Cup.

The late Ray Chapman helped open the world-renowned Chapman Academy of Practical Shooting in Columbia, Missouri. The Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club’s Chapman Academy Range plays

Punta Gorda, Florida– The sun is out, the waters are warm and the fish are biting. That can mean only one thing – the return of the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup to Laishley Park in Charlotte Harbor. The nation’s premier saltwater fishing championship is docking in the Gulf waters April 25-27 and promises to deliver bigger thrills than ever. The three-day fishing frenzy officially begins at 7 a.m. on Friday, April 25 with the morning launch and ends with the dramatic final day weigh-in at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 27 when one teams walks away with the $50,000 grand prize and valuable points in the Academy Team of the Year presented by Crocs standings.

Durham, New Hampshire – Hordes of students, fans, families and even dogs gathered at the University of New Hampshire over the weekend to see student lumberjacks representing 12 schools across the Northeast compete in a chopping and sawing battle for a stake in the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Collegiate Series Championship.

Paul Smith’s College competitor Matt Bolton chopped and sawed his way to victory through his cumulative points gathered in the underhand chop, stock saw and single buck events. Bolton also became the fourth student lumberjack to earn a ticket to the Collegiate Championship to 

1st Lt. Kyle Burns with Jodi and Weston Clark after Burns received a three-day dream turkey hunting trip during the NWTF's annual Convention and Sport Show.

After beginning his recovery from wounds received during Operation Enduring Freedom, 1st Lt. Kyle Burns of Ft. Benning, Ga., became determined to one day walk through the woods and hunt with his father again. Recently, Burns did just that.

With guides Weston and Jodi Clark, owners of Higher Ground Outfitters and hosts of Outdoor

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is mandated by the Kansas Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1975 to review all current and proposed threatened and endangered (T&E) species every five years, and 2008 marks another year for review. A Threatened and Endangered Species Task Force comprised of members from state and federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations will review the currently-listed species and those species proposed for listing.

During this review, species can be added, removed, or status changed based on petitions to

LITTLE ROCK – One of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s most popular education programs will returns to the state’s lakes this summer. The program is called Underwater Arkansas and is a series of guided dives where participants gain a new perspective of the state’s underwater environment.

The AGFC along with Ocean Extreme Dive and Travel, SportsCo, Red Apple Inn, Eden Isle Marina and Mountain Harbor Resort have joined forces to offer divers a unique view of Arkansas.

Nine sessions will be offered with various topics covered each date. If you’re a certified diver, you’re practically on the

San Rafael - The Marine Life Protection Act Blue Ribbon Task Force set another milestone on Wednesday by recommending marine protected areas for California’s north central coast. The recommendation includes a preferred alternative and three other proposals that will help the State of California improve the design and management of its marine protected areas (MPAs). This recommendation will be presented to the California Fish and Game Commission, the decision-making body under the MLPA.

“Our effort has extended for 15 months, with over 50 days of formal meetings and public workshops, to develop and adopt recommended alternative MPA proposals for the north central coast,” said Susan Golding, chair of the task

SALT LAKE CITY — Peregrine falcons are nesting again in downtown Salt Lake City. And this year, you won't have to wait until June to watch them on your computer screen.
      Cameras put in place by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are up and running early this year. If you log onto the Division of Wildlife Resources' Web site, you can watch the antics of the falcons, including the female taking care of the four eggs she's laid.
     You can also travel downtown and watch the falcons in person. Their nest box is on the northeast corner of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. The building is just west of State Street, between South Temple and North Temple streets.

An ambitious agenda to change Minnesota's fishing opener and overhaul walleye regulations won't pass the Minnesota Legislature this year.

State Sen. Satveer Chaudhary, DFL-Fridley, said his proposal to move the fishing opener back a week wasn't moving forward.

"There was definitely a mood, after complaints from some northern resorters, to slow down the discussion,'' he said. "It doesn't look like it will happen this year."

MADISON – Chinook, or king salmon, once again reigned in Lake Michigan’s waters, with anglers reeling in a record-breaking harvest of 431,000 salmon in 2007, according to angler (creel) surveys.

Anglers hauled in a record number of chinook in 2007 from Lake Michigan, like this beauty Rich Klett caught at Algoma. Contributed photo ©Kevin Naze

“It was really a phenomenal year once again,” says Brad Eggold, Department of Natural Resources fisheries supervisor for southern Lake Michigan. “Anglers were catching one chinook after another.”