But wildlife officials say that makes him a good neighbor to the black bears that share the mountains, especially this year, when a late freeze and drought across the West have drastically reduced their natural fare of berries and acorns.

ATLANTA — Career Sports & Entertainment, a full service marketing and representation agency, and JM Associates, an outdoor television programming pioneer, are joining forces to create a marketing firm that offers unparalleled opportunities for the brands they grow, personalities they represent and networks they support.

ATHENS, Texas—Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will begin accepting entries into the Budweiser ShareLunker program October 1, 2007.

Anyone legally catching a 13-pound or bigger largemouth bass from Texas waters, public or private, between October 1 and April 30 may submit the fish to the Budweiser ShareLunker program by calling program manager David Campbell at (903) 681-0550 or paging him at (888) 784-0600 and leaving a phone number including area code. Fish will be picked up by TPWD personnel within 12 hours.

MADISON – Gypsy moth populations have been increasing to damaging levels in parts of Wisconsin, according to state forestry officials, who stress that this is the best time of year for landowners to determine if trees on their property could be defoliated by this pest next summer, and if so, to determine the best course of action to address the problem.

“Hot, dry weather this summer favored gypsy moth survival, and populations of the pest increased to levels that threaten significant tree damage in many counties next summer,” according to Andrea Diss-Torrance, Gypsy Moth Program Coordinator with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forestry Division. Counties where the gypsy moth outbreak could be significant include, Adams, Columbia, Dane, Juneau, Kenosha, Marathon, Marinette, Milwaukee, Portage, Rock, Racine, Sauk, Walworth and Wood.

The DWR released many of the chukars in areas where biologists have constructed game bird water guzzlers. Chukars were also released in areas where populations have been affected by the dry conditions in Utah this year.

CASPER - The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission authorized a 30-day public comment period on the state’s draft revised gray wolf management plan on Sept. 7. The revised plan is posted on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Web site. The comment period will end Oct. 10.

The commission also authorized the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to conduct four public meetings the week of Sept. 17 in Pinedale, Lander, Casper and Cody. At each of the meetings, department personnel will discuss the draft revised plan and accept written comments. The meetings will run from 7 to 9 p.m. at the following locations:

HAYWARD, WI – The inland trout season closes Sept. 30, and the final three weeks just may be the best fishing of the year.

The summer’s extreme weather -- August’s intense rains and flooding in southern Wisconsin and prolonged drought in northern Wisconsin – haven’t seemed to hurt the fishing prospects for this fall much, according to state fisheries managers. And conditions are ripe for fish and anglers alike.

Grasshoppers and other terrestrial insects litter the water, luring big trout to take a bite. Cooling temperatures in bigger streams and rivers spur fish to be more active. And adult trout start moving into smaller tributary streams as they get ready to spawn, giving anglers a

Lowell Washburn
Iowa Department of Natural Resources

"The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has lost a dedicated biologist and the state has lost a skilled steward of wildlife resources with the death of Rocky Spencer yesterday.

The department is assisting state and local officials investigating the incident. Rocky reportedly died instantly Saturday afternoon after being struck by a helicopter rotor. He was in the area to capture wild bighorn sheep in the Yakima River canyon as part of a research project.

Rocky was highly skilled and passionately committed to wildlife fieldwork, particularly work with cougars. His advice and assistance helped residents and local communities, especially in suburban King County, co-exist with wildlife in a rapidly changing environment.  His countless contributions to the Department during his