“Mr. Whitetail” Larry Weishuhn’s Deer Hunting Tips

There’s a reason they call Larry Weishuhn Mr. Whitetail. It’s not because of television shows (on the Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, etc …) or award winning writings (both books and articles) or his induction into the National Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame. The name spread because of these accolades, but it’s not why they pasted him with that moniker. He’s known as Mr. Whitetail because the man understands deer.

I’m a regular neophyte when it comes to hunting whitetail, but I wasn’t the only one at the NRA’s Great American Hunting & Outdoor Show who was dazzled by his seminar on hunting. Just like the seasoned hunters who asked the questions, I shook my head as he dispelled myths, revealed facts and laid out the groundwork for a successful hunting season.

Here’s some of his highlights (paraphrased):

• Buying scent blockers always seemed like a waste to me. If the sun is in your eyes and wind at your back, you’d be amazed how good any scent blockers works.
• If you want to learn about deer then study people. If you want to learn about people then study deer. It’s amazing the similarities we share.
• We go out for deers early in the morning. Deers come out more between 10 am and 2 pm. Do they know we leave by 10 to go watch football or is that just part of their nature?
• Predators don’t take down the weak and informed until they’ve eaten all the healthy ones. Why would they? Would you cut up a sickly cow or a robust steer?
• 6-8 weeks before deer season opens, I hang blaze orange and dirty socks in the areas where I’m going to hunt. Once the season starts, they’ll be use to what I’m going to look like and what I’m going to smell like.
• There are two parts of North America — those that have wild pigs and those that are going to have them.
• Birth control for deer is foolish. Any medication or devices introduced into the mix eventually makes the rest of the herd sick. The only efficient method of birth control comes with a 130 grain solution.
• You can kill as many deer on the ground as you can from a tree. But you don’t have to climb to get to the ground.

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Proper Turkey Decoy Placement

How close should you put your turkey decoy?

Many people tend to over think how close or how far away you should place your turkey decoy.  They worry “the tom won’t see my turkey decoy if he comes from over here,” or  ”if I put it too close the tom will see me.”  Hopefully I can make you rethink how to answer the question so you don’t make a mistake I have seen over and over again.

How close you put the turkey decoy is a weapons question

How close your put your turkey decoy is completely dependent on your weapon limitations.  When I set up to kill a tom in the spring or fall, the shooting is the easy part.  You place your turkey decoy at a distance you are comfortable you can hit it at 10 out of 10 times.  If you are shooting a longbow, the decoy may be 15 feet from your blind (I set them that close most of the time).  If the pattern on your new 12 gauge is most effective at 35 yards, you set the decoy at 35 yards.  With a top-quality turkey decoy, you have confidence the toms will confront him, so put the decoy where you are comfortable shooting, and you will make the shot.

How close you put the turkey decoy should dictate the spot you set up

Since how close you put the turkey decoy is a factor of the range at which you are comfortable shooting, it will dictate where you set up.  If your shotgun performs best at 35 yards, don’t set up where the farthest shot will be 15 yards.  Your group will be so tight you can easily miss the tom’s head and neck.  He only has to bob his head slightly as you squeeze the trigger for a complete miss.  A 35 yard optimum shot means you need to set up in a more open area to best use your choke’s pattern.  If you are shooting a self bow with a 5 yard comfort zone, you may pick tighter spots where the bird really needs to come looking for your turkey decoy.  You don’t have to set up in thick cover, but it is a good option, as the toms may not close the whole way in wide open areas where they know that their strutting antics are easily seen.  Our Best Turkey Decoy helps solve this open field issue, but if you run low quality fakes, it is a concern.

Our Best Turkey Decoy maximizes success by placing birds in your comfort zone

Many toms are missed each spring because of how close the toms come to the turkey decoy.  If your turkey decoy is not top of the line, you can’t predict how close the tom will approach.  If you put the turkey decoy at 35 and the bird hangs up at 50, you may miss the shot.  By using top quality decoys, like our Dakota jake, the toms are much more likely to come all the way to the decoy.  That means you decide how far the shot is, and having that control over shot distance means you know you can make the shot.

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Bowling for Spring Gobblers: Strange Turkey Decoy Tactics

I’ve seen all kinds of turkey decoy tactics across the country in the past 20 years. Breeding sets, back feather rugs, and walking behind silhouettes. I have tried it all. At least I thought so until I hunted with guide Justin Nott at Laughing Water Ranch Outfitters in north central Nebraska. They take close to 100 turkeys every spring. I’ve seen a lot of weird turkey decoy tactics, and below is a favorite.

Turkey decoy tactics

Justin talked about one of the turkey decoy tactics he uses for gobblers in open meadows and fields. If you’ve hunted turkeys enough there’s a good chance you’ve been in this situation: a big strutter in the middle of a wide open field. Maybe he’s got a few hens with him or he’s just being a stubborn gobbler. You’ve thrown every call in your vest at him. He seems interested, but not coming any closer. The only chance you have to get that bird closer is to get a turkey decoy out in the field, but there’s no cover and no way to crawl out there without being seen. So how do you get the decoy out there? Simple, just throw it. Well, more of a controlled roll like you’re bowling. This may sound like a long shot, but it has actually worked for him many times. The throw is movement, which will always garner a turkey’s attention, and it’s surprising how often the reaction is positive.

Most turkey decoys don’t bowl real well. Justin was fortunate this past fall to field test the Best Turkey Decoy. The way the birds came in and crushed the turkey decoy made it feel like spring. He even had a good tom mount it, which is pretty rare to see in the fall. Not only is the Best Turkey Decoy a detailed and life-like turkey decoy, it almost always lands upright when tossed! Let’s face it, you’re not going to throw a cheap foam decoy too far. A full body strutter such as a Killer B or Pretty boy could work, but they’re too big and awkward to roll. Plus, if you’re using a real fan there’s a good chance you’ll destroy it. In the past, Nott used a specially modified mounted jake named Frankenstein. Unfortunately, Frankenstein was fairly delicate and wasn’t very fond of being tossed around, especially into a wet field. Still, it got quite a few wise old birds killed, but he was spending as much time repairing it as he was hunting.

Turkey decoy tactics practice

With a little practice, Justin says you can roll the Best Turkey Decoy out to 30 yards and make it sit upright 8 out of 10 times. Even if the turkey decoy doesn’t sit upright you’re still in the game. A quality turkey decoy laying on its side can give the impression of a wounded bird. Most toms, whether they’re the dominant bird in the area or not, will likely jump at the chance to easily get rid of potential competition. Also, turkeys know by instinct that a wounded bird can attract predators and will try to push it out of the area. He’s actually had birds commit to Frankenstein while he was lying upside down on his back.

Another situation this technique is good for is when you use a hen yelp to locate a bird in thicker timber and he’s already on top of you. The bird is coming and there is no time to think out the best set up. Just toss the turkey decoy in the direction of the bird and find the nearest tree. It might save you the heartache of spooking that fast-closing tom. A locator call such as an owl or crow call helps, but sometimes birds just wont respond, especially during midday.

Bowling turkey decoys is more of a last ditch effort, but it’s definitely something you want to keep at the bottom of your bag of tricks. I know there’s a good chance you’ll see me bowling for turkeys this spring. For more turkey decoy tactics, come see Justin at Laughing Water Ranch. Maybe we can go bowling together.

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The Making of a Film Production Company: Warm Springs Productions

Keep an eye on Warm Springs Productions and the TV series this film production house makes in the coming years. The company swept away three awards at the Golden Moose Awards presented by Outdoor Channel this year. This makes yet another addition to the recognition WSP has received in only its fourth year in business.

Most recently WSP won “Best Overall Series,” for Benelli Presents Duck Commander and “Best Graphics” and “Best Sound Design” for Buck Commander Protected By Under Armour at the 2012 Golden Moose Awards presented at SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first year the company was in business (2008), they took five of the 10 golden moose awards they were nominated for.

I spoke to Warm Springs Productions President Chris Richardson about the Montana company’s exponential growth since its founding in 2008.

“We had visions of success but, growing this quickly has been a unique experience,” said Richardson. WSP started out at a four-person operation in a tiny office that went on to produce 78 episodes for seven television series last year as a full production house that does everything in-house; the pre-production, graphics, sound, post-production, filming, and so on.

Bridger Pierce, the Director of Operations & Senior Producer of Outdoor Programming was also on hand to discuss the company’s successes. He was excited about the talented people at the company that make success possible. “I think Chris and Marc [Pierce, CEO] have done a great job of hiring within the outdoor industry and from outside of it,” Pierce said. “It’s through that bringing together of a great crew that Warm Springs was able to continue raising the ceiling on outdoor television.”

Watch the season three promo of Duck Commander below

After fifty to sixty days of filming, 700 hours of footage and two to three weeks editing time per episode, WSP finally had 12 episodes of Duck Commander to present to the Outdoor Channel. In that time the crew really bonded with the Robertson family, the stars of the series.

“We spent hundreds of days in Monroe and it’s hard not to just become part of their family,” said Richardson. “They make you feel at home even if you’re manning the swamps with them for 40 days in a row…. I call them my second family when I’m down there.”

Both Richardson and Pierce recall the unruly time schedule of filming – cameramen had to get up before the hunters, around 3 o’clock in the morning, and they couldn’t sleep until filming was over; often times after 11 p.m. But the challenges were worth it.

“We would shoot long hours,” Pierce said, “but the reality is that we’ve got such a great staff who are creative minded and really want to put the best product on TV and so every single one of them isn’t satisfied until we accomplish that.”

And to accomplish that it took 700 hours of footage, most of which ended up on the editing floor, to produce 12 episodes of Benelli Presents Duck Commander. In that time, one camera fell into the swamp and every day the crew faced the challenges of pouring rain, ice-cold waters, humidity, keeping batteries charged and the many Louisiana mosquitos that breed in its swamps.

And while WSP can’t reveal everything they’re working on before its officially announced, look for projects WSP is working on right now with the Discovery Science channel, the History Channel and the shows that are already in production like Buck Commander and Making Monsters set to air soon.

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Sustainability: Wildlife is the Model

“Sustainable” (insert your preferred commodity here) has become the new buzzword for anyone and everyone who wants to make a serious impact to help conserve our planet’s natural resources.

For example, sustainable energy development has become most prevalent in recent times. The energy currently being produced on wind farms and via solar energy has greatly raised the awareness among the general American public for the concept of “sustainable.” More so that the term “green,” “sustainable” reflects both the common-sense utilization of resources with the goals of decreasing human impact on the planet — while still maintaining growth in our U.S. and world economies.

I would like to reflect today on an often overlooked natural resource that offers a sustainability paradigm: our nation’s abundance of wildlife. Please let me explain. Wildlife species, like the North American Whitetail Deer, are currently estimated at all time highs in their population count, with some estimates suggesting there are over 25 million deer in the U.S. alone. By contrast, deer populations at the turn of the 20th century dipped as low as 500,000.

So, how does this relate to sustainability?

Every state’s wildlife resources agency manages wildlife populations to prevent the ravages of overpopulation – and the dangers that come with it, such as vehicular accidents. They generally allot a certain percentage of the state’s deer herd to be harvested by hunters. The state tightly regulates the number of deer harvested so as to not exploit the herd, thus allowing continued growth. Hunters pay substantial fees for hunting licenses in order to pursue deer; this money goes to support habitat conservation to further the management of the species. Sustainable Harvest.

All hunters are expected to utilize the meat and venison from their harvest. Through hunting, individuals are able to provide a high-protein, low fat food sources for their family and friends. Sustainable Locavorism.

Because deer populations are so high, hunters harvest more meat than they and their friends can consume. The venison, however, does NOT go to waste. Programs like Sportsmen Against Hunger and Hunters Feeding the Hungry help individuals donate ground venison to local food banks. Meals made from venison that hunters have provided over the last 10 years to those less fortunate number in the tens of millions. Sustainable Giving.

Sustainable practices have long been a tradition of American culture, however only now has such a definition like “sustainable” being given to it. For wildlife and those that pursue game species, sustainability is the key to providing a true vale on the individual animal. Not only is the hunter gaining a valuable meat from the animal, but others within the community can realize the important role wildlife and hunting play to provide food to those less fortunate. Establishing a value that wildlife, in very real and tangible terms, helps feed others, encourages better and more productive management of these animals in the future.

Hunters have helped increase wildlife populations while putting hundreds of millions of dollars into conservation, and have provided hundreds of millions of healthy, organic meals for their families and the less fortunate in the process. If this is not the definition of sustainable, then I don’t know what is.

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Late Season Oklahoma Bow Hunting

As the sun set on the Western horizon, my wife Beth, cameraman Hunter, and I still had six more hours of driving to do. Traveling through Mississippi, the miles couldn’t move fast enough to the Oklahoma border. We were headed to hunt the Okie state for the first time and couldn’t be more excited for a late season bow hunt.

Arriving after midnight, we quickly found our beds so we could start off first thing in the morning. As daylight came the deer movement began. Since hunting over feeders is legal in the state, and late season food sources are a strong necessity to get a shot, we were going to use these to our advantage. Beth was hunting the top of a ridge and not long after being in the stand she had deer coming in. After the first few came in to feed, a nice buck followed but never offered Beth a clear shot.

Setting up just off a food plot on a hardwood creek bottom, I saw a few deer after first light, none large enough to shoot or close enough. Suddenly I saw a nice buck trotting across the plot. He was heading away and I decided to blow my grunt call. With a few short tending grunts, the buck stopped and headed straight for us! He came in on a string to the call and stopped at 15 yard…right behind a tree! Standing there looking, the buck knew something wasn’t right and trotted back up the ridge and out of bow range. Talk about a great start to the trip!

The afternoon was also slow for me, only seeing a doe with two yearlings, but Beth was wrapped up on a food plot with deer. She saw several bucks that were nice and a couple of shooters. None offered her a shot on the first afternoon though.

When morning two began we awoke to rain, which isn’t a good combination for video gear or bows for the most part. We decided to tough it out in ground blinds, we normally hunt in Ghostblinds but in the rain we needed cover for the video cameras. Sitting in the blind as daylight approached we watched the woods come alive on the top of a hardwoods ridge. With the acorns long gone, the only food available was the feeder setup 15 yards away. Several does and yearlings along with one small-racked buck came in to feed then eased back down the ridge. I thought to myself that the rain was setting in harder and the deer would stop their moving for the morning when I looked to our right and a buck was coming up the ridge. Checking him out with my Hawke binoculars, he was a nice eight with a broken rack. As I looked at him, a giant eight point walked into view. This buck had it all: mass, tine length, width, and height.

Quickly I told Hunter there was a shooter coming in and to get ready with the camera. I clipped my release on my loop and readied myself for the shot. The bigger buck came right in and began feeding. I slowly drew by my bow and anchored for the shot. Gently touching the trigger, my arrow released and I hear a loud thwack and watched the buck hit the ground right there! What happened? The chair I was sitting in was a little low in the blind so after I released the arrow, my fletchings clipped the edge of the blind window just enough to kick my arrow up. Luckily my Muzzy plowed the deer’s spine and dropped him right there. After a follow up shot the buck was done. Was I lucky or the buck just unlucky? I will never know, but I had my Oklahoma tag filled!

Beth was back on the same food plot she hunted the afternoon before and again had encounters with a couple nice bucks with no luck. She was looking for her first deer with a bow and was doing all she could to contain herself. She finally had a nice eight point in range and drew back on him only to have a doe walk in the way and she was never able to get a shot off. Over the next three days she saw plenty of deer but no shooters to get an arrow towards. As dark fell on the last afternoon, I asked her if she wanted to give it one more try the next morning before we had to head home. Her answer, “I didn’t pay all this money for a tag to eat it!” She learned from me many times that tag sandwiches don’t taste good!

The last morning she climbed in the stand well before daylight and was ready. The morning was fairly slow then two bucks came in to feed. One was a real nice eight point, and on the last day she wasn’t giving any a pass! She drew back her Elite bow, anchored and placed her pink Muzzy right behind the buck’s shoulder at 31 yards. Beth had just filled her tag and arrowed her first ever deer with a bow, a nice eight point on top of all that!

There is nothing like spending time in the woods with the ones you love. Getting to share Beth’s first bow kill with her was very special and hopefully the first of many to come. She never hunted before meeting me, I don’t know if I’ve created a monster or not but she straight loves the outdoors and filling her tags as much as I do. I know I’m blessed for sure!

Until next time, God bless and good hunting.

Gear list:

• Bow: Elite Pulse (Michael) Elite GT500 (Beth)
• Rest: QAD Ultrarest HD (Michael and Beth)
• Sight: Spot-Hogg Hogg-It (Michael and Beth)
• Broadhead: Muzzy MX-3 ,100 grain (Michael), Muzzy 100 grain 3 blade Pink (Beth)
• Fletchings: Bohning Blazer vanes (Michael and Beth)
• Optics: Hawke Frontier ED 43mm (Michael and Beth)
• Release: Scott Quick Shot (Michael), Scott Little Goose (Beth)
• Scent Eliminator: Lethal Field Spray (Michael and Beth)
• Attractant: Muzzy Bowhunter Setup (Michael and Beth)
• Camo: Realtree APG by Gamehide (Michael and Beth)
• Safety Vest: Hunter Safety System Pro Series (Michael and Beth)
• Pack: Gameplan Gear Spot N Stalk (Michael and Beth)
• Stablizer: X-Factor Outdoors System (Michael and Beth)
• Boots: Lacrosse Alpha Burly in Realtree APG (Michael and Beth)

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Late Season Oklahoma Bow Hunting

Deer Decoy Placement

You’re sitting in the tree. You have been set up since before daylight and your decoy is out. Within range, you have high hopes and you have confidence you have gotten in without leaving a scent trail, other than an attractant. Lets say you have a buck decoy out and have done all the work you can to get it as attractive to a buck as possible. All the right moves, all the right timing, all the right scents are in place. Everything seems to be in your favor to get this buck you have worked for, into position for a good shot. It’s archery and your range is at 20 yards. With confidence levels this high, it’s hard not to get excited about what may transpire in the next few moments or hours.

Wind is right, temperatures are cold, but tolerable. The woods seem to be speaking and the nature moves all around you. You have your stand set up to be able to ambush him as he steps out from the trail and investigates your decoy. You know what he looks like with all the cam pictures you have. Some deer filter out across the field and you begin wondering if he has changed his pattern. The deer in the field are eating, comfortable and slowly, more and more are showing up to feed. So far, things look very good.

Then, it happens. He comes out from the opposite side of the field. Murphy’s Law has reared his ugly head. Although there are several deer wandering away from you, there is still hope. You give him a grunt to get his attention. He looks up and sees this decoy, a mature buck decoy,  standing at the edge of his field. His tail twitches, ears ease back a little, you can tell he isnt happy with the thought of a competitor moving in on his prospects. You give him another grunt and he begins making his way towards your decoy. Now the heart quickens, blood is pumping and the adrenaline is filling your system like a boost of high octane caffeine.

As you ready for the shot, he is coming in on a string. This is what you have anticipated for weeks or even months. It’s going to happen and you are ready. As the buck approaches, he lays his ears back, moves downwind and makes his final approach. Now, at this point, the question is, how did you orient the decoy, relative to your stand? Did you place it looking away from you? Towards you? At a right angle, quartering away?  Or did you even give it a thought?

Even though there is no guarantee on how a wild animal will act, or react, in a given situation, there are a few things you can take into account when placing your decoy out in front of your stand. Let’s say, again, you have placed a buck decoy out. Most would consider this to be a threat to a mature buck, as he sees it as the “new kid” on the block. He will most likely approach it with an aggressive stance and approach from somewhere in front or slightly quartering into the front of this decoy. This would tend to make you want to place your decoy in such a way that, when your intended target is within range, you have a shot with as high a percentage as possible, to make a lung shot. Ideally, your shot would be a quartering away shot at a slight angle, or a full broadside shot.  There is no way to tell how the buck will approach your decoy. If possible, you can use a tree, bush or other obstacles to “force” his approach. But again, no guarantees. Mostly, a wild animal is going to act just as it is, wild. We can only guess, at best, what they may do and how they will act.

Now, with a doe, in my opinion, this tactic is a little more dependable. Chances are this buck will approach with one thing in mind.  This is the rut, and they are rutting. This doe smells like she is ready and willing. You have him approaching and, when he begins his final approach, there is a great chance he will do this from behind her. He wants to be careful when he makes his investigation. You have set your doe decoy up with her facing away, slightly quartering to one side or the other. The best we can do is try and increase our odds and hope for the best. Even when we do everything right, sometimes it just doesn’t work out the way we pictured it. Just remember that we can study every movement we can, make an educated evaluation with the information we have gathered over our lives and make the highest percentage shots we can, when we do get that shot.

Do your homework, go the extra mile, make that seemingly unnecessary adjustment, practice ethics and conservation. Make your shot count. Practice shooting, trailing wounded game tactics and think about what you’re doing and why. We all take calculated risks when we hunt and if we can make it an activity with knowledge at the forefront, most times it is successful whether make a harvest or not. Teach this to our young. Pass on the respect and conservation minded way of our heritage. We need to follow the right paths for our children to walk behind us, as we have done with the ones who have taught us.

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Chance to Win Sports Pac: Apply Early for Controlled Hunt in Oregon

Salem, OR—Apply for a fall big game controlled hunt by Jan. 31, 2012 and you will be entered into a drawing to win one of 50 2013 Sports Pacs (a $164.75 value).

For the third year, ODFW is awarding a total of 100 Sports Pacs among the pool of hunters that apply for and are issued a fall big game controlled hunt application before April 15. While residents receive a Sports Pac, non-residents selected in the drawing will win a hunting license (a $140.50 value).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The purpose of the drawings is to encourage hunters to apply for controlled hunts early, well before the May 15 deadline. The sooner hunters apply, the better their chances of winning one of the three drawings:

• 50 Sports Pacs (or Non-Resident Hunting Licenses) will be awarded among pool of hunters that apply between Dec. 1, 2011 and Jan. 31, 2012.
• 30 Sports Pacs (or Non-Resident Hunting Licenses) will be awarded among pool of hunters that apply by March 15, 2012.
• 20 Sports Pacs (or Non-Resident Hunting Licenses) will be awarded among pool of hunters that apply by April 15, 2012.

A Sports Pac includes a Combination Angling/Hunting/Shellfish License, a Combined Angling Harvest Tag, a Validation for Upland Bird and Waterfowl hunting, plus a General or Controlled Deer, General or Controlled Elk, General Cougar, General or Controlled Bear and Spring Turkey Tag.

The drawings will take place Feb. 1, March 16 and April 19 and winners will be notified by mail. Hunters unsuccessful in the first or second drawing will be re-entered into future drawings. Only one entry per hunter is allowed, meaning hunters that apply for several controlled hunts will still only be entered once. Controlled spring bear hunt applicants are not eligible for the drawing.

Hunters can apply for controlled hunts online, at a license sales agent, at ODFW offices that sell licenses, or by mail or fax order using the fax or mail order application (also found on page 17 of the 2012 Oregon Big Game Regulations).

Mail order/fax applicants should allow 7-10 days for their applications to be processed and issued. Remember, to be eligible for the drawing, the controlled hunt application must be issued, not just received, by the drawing deadlines (Jan. 31, March 15 and April 15). Controlled hunt applications can be processed and issued immediately online, at license sales agents or ODFW offices.

The deadline to apply for a controlled hunt is May 15 each year. In 2011, 79,481 out of 380,639 total applications, or almost 21 percent, were processed by April 15, 2011. That compares to 21 percent in 2011 and 16 percent in 2010.

“Most controlled hunt applications are received during the last few days,” said Deanna Erickson, ODFW license sales services manager. “However, these drawings have increased the number of early applicants.

In the past, the high volume of sales activity in the last few days prior to the deadline led to long lines and slowed or crashed the system.

The vendor that manages the license sales system is purchasing the Sports Pac and Non-Resident Hunting Licenses for the winners.

Some of Oregon’s big game hunts are limited entry, including almost all rifle hunting of deer and elk east of the Cascades and pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and Rocky Mountain goat hunts.  These hunts require a controlled hunt application.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Chance to Win Sports Pac: Apply Early for Controlled Hunt in Oregon

Idaho Wolf Hunting Closed in Two Zones

The seasons opened August 30 and closed December 31.

Wolf hunting seasons remain open through March 31 in the Panhandle, Palouse-Hells Canyon, Dworshak-Elk City, Middle Fork, Salmon, McCall-Weiser, Sawtooth, Southern Mountains and Southern Idaho zones, and through June 30 in the Lolo and Selway zones.

Wolf harvest is limited in only three of the zones still open. The season limits are 40 wolves in the Salmon zone, 60 in the Sawtooth zone and 25 in the Southern Mountains zone. There are no limits in the remaining eight wolf management zones.

Hunters may buy two wolf hunting tags per calendar year, valid only in the year for which they are issued, and they may take only one wolf per tag. Wolf seasons are any-weapon seasons, electronic calls may be used statewide and wolves may be taken incidentally during fall bear baiting.

Hunters must report killing a wolf within 72 hours, and they must present the skull and hide to an Idaho Fish and Game office within 10 days. Fish and Game will monitor the hunt daily. The seasons will close when the harvest limit for a zone is reached or by the season closing date, whichever comes first.

Wolf trapping seasons opened November 15 and continue through March 31 in the Panhandle zone, except for units 2 and 3; in the Lolo zone; in the Dworshak-Elk City zone, except Unit 10A; in the Selway zone; and the Middle Fork zone.

All other zones are closed to trapping with the option of opening a trapping season in other zones upon commission review in January.

Trappers who have completed the mandatory trapper class may buy up to three tags in the 2011-2012 trapping season with a trapping license; in addition unused hunting tags from the current calendar, 2012, may also be used to tag trapped wolves.

Snares and foothold traps, with a jaw spread of no more than 9 inches are legal during wolf trapping season.

Baiting regulations for trapping wolves are consistent with regulations for furbearers.

Trappers must check their traps at least once every 72 hours; they must report a kill within 72 hours and bring the skull and hide to be checked with Fish and Game within 10 days.

Wolf hunting and trapping seasons and rules are posted on the Fish and Game website at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/hunt/?getPage=266, and they will be available in a brochure.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Idaho Wolf Hunting Closed in Two Zones

Application Period for Idaho Spring Turkey Hunts Changed

The application period for spring turkey controlled hunts has been delayed to begin February 1.

The application period will run through the end of February. The application fee is $6.25 per person for residents and $14.75 for nonresidents.

Hunters may apply for controlled hunts at any hunting and fishing license vendor, Fish and Game office; with a credit card by calling 1-800-55HUNT5; or online athttp://fishandgame.idaho.gov. An additional fee is charged for telephone and Internet applications.

If drawn, a hunter must also purchase a turkey controlled hunt permit at $7.75 and turkey tag at $19.75. Spring turkey controlled hunt information will be available following the Idaho Fish and Game Commission meeting on January 26.

Hunters must have a valid 2012 Idaho hunting license to apply.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Application Period for Idaho Spring Turkey Hunts Changed

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