BigGame Forever

n WASHINGTON - An announcement today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that a Farm Bill conservation program enhancing sportsmen's access to privately owned lands will open for enrollment drew praise from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and its partners. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this morning announced that applications now are being accepted for the Agricultural Conservation Easements Program, or ACEP, and the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, or VPA-HIP, providing as much as $386 million to help landowners restore wetlands, conserve working agricultural lands, bolster the economy and support hunting, fishing and other recreational activities. Implementation of VPA-HIP, popularly known as "Open Fields," elicited an especially positive response from the sportsmen. The program offers incentives to owners…

CPW TO HOLD MULE DEER STRATEGY MEETINGS GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - Colorado Parks and Wildlife, in coordination with The Keystone Center, an independent facilitator, is holding a series of seven public meetings across the state, including three in the northwest region during May. The goal is to receive the public's input for the development of the Colorado West Slope Mule Deer Strategy. The Strategy will guide agency efforts to work towards increasing mule deer populations. For more information about the mule deer strategy, visit www.cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/CO-WestSlopeMuleDeerStrategySummit.aspx Across the West, state wildlife agencies are seeing declines in mule deer populations. In recent years, mule deer populations in Colorado have decreased below the target objectives set by wildlife managers in concert with the…

Hunters, Shooters Plan to Keep Spending FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. - While pundits may still be arguing over how much of an economic recovery the United States has experienced since the recent recession, companies that make and sell shooting and hunting products have been fortunate to enjoy a steady stream of business. For 2014, outside of firearms, things don't look like they are going to slow down either. According to a recent HunterSurvey.com poll, the majority of shooters and hunters expect to spend as much on shooting and hunting equipment as they did last year. Considering accessories and shooting supplies, of those sportsmen surveyed, nearly 52 percent reported they plan to spend at least the same amount as they did last…

The chance at Idaho's ultimate hunting opportunity is up for grabs, as Fish and Game is once again selling tickets for the Super Hunt drawings. Entries in the first Super Hunt and Super Hunt Combo drawing must be received by May 31 with the drawing set for June 10. All entries received after May 31 will go into the second drawing scheduled for mid-August. All entries for the second drawing must be received by August 10. Winners can participate in any open hunt in the state for deer, elk, pronghorn or moose. That includes general hunts and controlled hunts. Hunters can take an animal or animals on their Super Hunt or Super Hunt Combo tags in addition to any general…

PHOENIX -- The Arizona Game and Fish Department has posted the 2014-15 Arizona Hunting Regulations online at www.azgfd.gov/draw. Hunters may now apply for a 2014 hunt permit-tag issued through the drawing process for deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bighorn sheep, fall buffalo and pheasant. (The drawing process for elk and pronghorn antelope occurred earlier this year.) At this point, paper applications may be submitted by U.S. mail to Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn: Drawing Section, P.O. Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052, or hand-delivered to any Game and Fish office. The online application service for this draw is expected to be available in early to mid-May. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, June 10, 2014 by 7 p.m. (MST). For…

Montana Sets Public Hearings on Hunting, Fishing Fees, Regs Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host a series of nine public meetings in May to review and discuss recent recommendations from an advisory council tasked with adjusting Montana's hunting and fishing licenses and fees. The Fish & Wildlife Licensing and Funding Advisory Council spent the past eight months examining FWP's current license system and funding cycle for fish and wildlife management. That work resulted in recent recommendations to FWP Director Jeff Hagener that would provide an additional $6.25 million a year to stave off deep budget cuts to fish and wildlife management programs. The recommendations are aimed at a simplified licensing system; standardized license discounts for youth, seniors, and disabled…