From the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries - L.D.W.F. Announces Bid Process for Alligator Hunting on WMAs and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Properties for the 2013-2015 Alligator Harvest Seasons

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will be accepting bids for alligator hunting on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) properties for the 2013-2015 alligator harvest seasons. Eligible alligator hunters are chosen through a bid system every three years on selected WMAs/USACOE properties.

Bids for alligator hunting will be solicited for the following WMAs and USACOE properties: Grassy Lake, Spring Bayou, and Pomme de Terre (Avoyelles Parish), Attakapas (Iberia, St. Martin and St. Mary Parishes), Sherburne - USACOE Lands (Iberville, Pointe Coupee and St. Martin Parishes), Dewey Wills (La Salle and Catahoula Parishes), Manchac (St. John Parish), Pearl River - North of Interstate 10, Pearl River - Between Interstate 10 and US Hwy 90 and Pearl River - South of US Hwy 90 (St. Tammany Parish), Joyce (Tangipahoa Parish), Maurepas Swamp (St. John, St. James, Ascension, Livingston and Tangipahoa Parishes), Indian Bayou - USACOE property (St. Landry and St. Martin Parishes), Atchafalaya Delta (St. Mary Parish), Pointe-aux-Chenes (Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes), Salvador (St. Charles Parish) and Pass-a-Loutre (Plaquemines Parish).

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Experiencing a whirlwind plains-game quest along South Africa’s eastern seaboard

When Editorial Director John Zent went on safari in South Africa, he went with thoughts of landing that long range heroic shot:

Spiral horns and Curious Diversions
Carefully laid plans for a classic African plains-game hunt take an unexpected turn.

We left the hills in mid-afternoon after failing to find the record-class buck known to be up there. Wind-blown mists from an imminent winter storm hindered glassing, and at any rate, we had another plan for evening. Beyond a well-kept farmstead, we came upon a behemoth green tractor dragging chisel plows over muddy ground, and assuming it was the landowner, stopped to thank him for allowing us to hunt the place. Emerging from the fogged-up cab was a big ruddy-faced man dressed in wool and brown duck. As we joked about wayward bucks and mud-splattered tractors, a lanky teenager popped out the door, and he was followed by two younger boys. Though fairer and less weathered, they clearly were the man’s sons, keen to help Dad christen the farm’s new machinery.

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From the Utah Division of Wildlife Services - Deer hunting permits reduced slightly

Salt Lake City, Utah — Even though the number of deer in Utah is going up, on May 2, the Utah Wildlife Board approved a slight decrease in the number of general buck deer permits available for hunts in Utah this fall.

A total of 84,600 general deer permits will be available for 2013. In 2012, a total of 86,500 permits were offered.

Division of Wildlife Resources Big Game Coordinator Anis Aoude says even though the total number of deer in Utah is going up, the number of bucks per 100 does is still below the management objective on some of the state's hunting units.

Aoude says two factors determine how many buck deer permits can be offered on a unit: The average number of bucks per 100 does on the unit over the past three years and whether that number has increased, decreased or stayed the same during the three-year period.

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Las Vegas, Nevada - Design is meant to catch the eye. A creative curve, a subtle edge or a flash of paint to jumpstart the consumer's desire. And if happens to be an incredibly versatile product designed by an American mainstay like Buck Knives, then there's a chance we're talking about more than design.

At the 2013 SHOT Show, one of the products to fit such a description was the Buck Knives Paklite FieldMaster kit.

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From the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department - Vermont Moose Hunting Applications Are Available

Vermont moose hunting permit applications are now available on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com). Printed applications will be at Vermont license agents statewide in June.

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From the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources - 2013 public alligator hunting, special WMA season applications available online May 1

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will begin accepting online applications for the 2013 Public Alligator Hunting season and the Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Alligator Hunting Season at www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/alligator/index.html. More than 100,000 alligators live from the Midlands to the coast of South Carolina and the population is not threatened by the regulated removal of a relatively small number of alligators. Last year, hunters took 465 alligators during the public alligator hunting season with the average size being nearly nine feet in length.

A $10 nonrefundable application fee is required to apply for the Public Lands Hunt and a $15 nonrefundable application fee is charged to apply for the WMA Alligator Hunt. A randomized computer drawing based on a preference point system will determine the selection of hunters. Applicants can only apply and pay fees online or at one of the walk-up counters at a DNR Regional Office in Clemson, Florence, Columbia, or Charleston. ... more on South Carolina's 2013 Alligator Hunting Season ...

From the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife - Apply now for your best chance at a Kentucky elk hunt; permits exceed 1,000 this year

Frankfort, Kentucky - You don't have to wait until midnight April 30 to apply for a Kentucky elk hunting permit. You can avoid an Internet traffic jam at the deadline by applying sooner than later at www.fw.ky.gov.

This year, Kentucky will issue 10 youth permits and 1,000 general quota hunt permits through a random drawing conducted by the Kentucky Commonwealth Office of Technology. The quota hunt permit number is 105 more than last season and represents an all-time high for the state.

Elk hunts are open to Kentucky residents and those who live outside of the state.

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From the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife - Moose Permit Lottery Deadline Quickly Approaching

Augusta, Maine - The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is reminding all hunters that the deadline to apply for the 2013 Maine Moose Permit Lottery is less than three weeks away.

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From the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks - Youth Hunter Education Challenge returns to South Dakota

Pierre, South Dakota - Young hunters will get a chance to demonstrate both their shooting abilities and their knowledge of conservation at the 2013 Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) June 15 in Mitchell.

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