Try Your Luck in the 2010 N.H. Moose Lottery

CONCORD, N.H. — Lottery applications are now available for the adventure of a lifetime – hunting moose in New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s 2010 moose hunt lottery is open! The nonrefundable application fee is $15 for New Hampshire residents and $25 for nonresidents. New Hampshire’s moose hunt is nine days long, starting the third Saturday in October. This year’s hunt runs from October 16-24, 2010. The overall odds of being selected in last year’s lottery were 1 in 22 for New Hampshire residents and 1 in 63 for nonresidents, some of the best odds in the nation for moose hunting. Read more

Bow Hunting Grand Slam 2007

“There he was”, A fine 8 point standing in the gap”

By Mac Moad

The first week of October was finally here.  The first three days were spent in my favorite stand watching 3 raccoons in which I had named Larry, Curly, and Moe.  The mother raccoon was slightly bigger than the two younger ones, and seemed curious to every movement surrounding them.  The days here in eastern Oklahoma in October were still in the 80’s with mosquitoes buzzing everywhere.  I was wondering if it were still to hot to hunt and questioned myself again over and over.  Each day so far, I had hunted morning and evening with only a few does showing up. Read more

Calling Young Artists: Enter the 2010 Junior Duck Stamp Contest

CONCORD, N.H. — Young New Hampshire artists kindergarten through grade 12 are invited to submit original artwork depicting North American waterfowl to the New Hampshire Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department runs the statewide competition, which is part of the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Contest of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The contest serves a dual purpose, giving students a chance to use their artistic talents at the same time they learn about wildlife and conservation. The art competition is open to public, private and home-schooled New Hampshire students.

Entries must be postmarked by March 15, 2010. For competition guidelines, send your request to: Ellen Harrington, N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301. Competition guidelines, including dimension requirements and an entry form can be downloaded from http://www.wildnh.com/Education/ed_Junior_Duck_Contest.htm.

The New Hampshire Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest will award first, second, third and honorable mention ribbons in four groups: grades K-3; 4-6; 7-9; and 10-12. The State Best-of-Show is selected from among the first-place winning designs. Winning artwork in all categories will be displayed at N.H Fish and Game headquarters in Concord. The Best-of-Show New Hampshire winner advances to the National Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest, in which the three top winners receive a cash award and a trip to the adult Federal Duck Stamp Contest.

The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program is an integrated art and science activity developed to teach environmental science and habitat conservation. Teachers who want to integrate these lessons into their coursework can find a curriculum guide for teaching conservation through the arts at http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck/EducationProgram.htm.

Calling Elk Bow Close

Whether hunting public or privateland, the fundamentals of calling elk remain the same.

By Michael Waddell

We heard the bull bugle at first light and snuck into his core area. When I hit a lick on my bugle, the bull simply came unglued and stormed our position like a tank, crashing through brush and small lodgepole pines like they were atchsticks. Before we could react he was in our lap and we were pinned down, myself hiding behind a camera, too afraid to even touch the tripod for fear of my shaking hands would run the footage. All I could see of my partner edged against a stunted pine was the tip of his undrawn arrow shaking uncontrollably on the rest. Before a shot presented itself, the bull smelled a  rat and disappeared as quickly as he arrived.

Read more

Massachusetts Man Injured in Bartlett, N.H., Snowmobile Crash

CONCORD, N.H. – Prakash Ligal, age 29, of Somerville, Mass., sustained a serious injury to his hand in a snowmobile crash that occurred about 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 13, 2010, in Bartlett, N.H.

Ligal was was an inexperienced rider on a guided snowmobile tour, riding third in a group of three rental snowmobiles, on side trails near Bear Notch Road in Bartlett. A half-hour into the ride, Ligal’s snow machine left the trail, snapping off a small tree and coming to rest against a large maple tree, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Conservation Officer Alex Lopashanski. Ligal’s hand was seriously hurt in the incident. He was wearing a helmet and gloves. A passenger riding behind Ligal on the snowmobile was not injured.

Bartlett-Jackson Emergency Medical Services and Bartlett Police responded to the scene, and Ligal was transported to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H.

No further information is available at this time.

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For tips on safe snowmobile operation, visit http://www.ride.nh.gov.

Register Now for Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Winter Workshop (Feb 20)

CONCORD, N.H. — Registration is now open for the 2010 Winter Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (B.O.W.) workshop, a one-day program for women to learn outdoor skills for winter activities. The 2010 Winter B.O.W. workshop will be held on Saturday, February 20, 2010 (snow date Sunday, February 21), at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Owl Brook Hunter Education Center in Holderness, N.H. The workshop costs $55, which includes a box lunch. Participants must be at least 18 years old. B.O.W. is co-sponsored by N.H. Fish and Game and the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation.

Participants choose a single activity for the day. They can learn how to ice-fish, explore winter outdoor survival skills, try snowshoeing and tracking, snowmobiling or ’Shoe and Shoot (combines snowshoeing and target shooting).

A printable registration form and course descriptions can be downloaded at http://www.nhbow.com, or request an application by mail by calling 603-271-3212 or email Lisa.M.Collins@wildlife.nh.gov. Register early, because the workshop fills up fast.

The New Hampshire Wildlife Federation is a nonprofit group that advocates for the promotion and protection of hunting, fishing and trapping, as well as the conservation of fish and wildlife habitat. Visit http://www.nhwf.org.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit http://www.WildNH.com.

Snowshoe Hare Hunting Workshop – January 23 in Holderness

HOLDERNESS, N.H. — Learn about the excitement of snowshoe hare hunting at a free workshop being offered at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Owl Brook Hunter Education Center in Holderness, N.H. The workshop will take place from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 23, 2010. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. To register, call the Owl Brook Hunter Education Center at (603) 536-3954.

At the workshop, Edward Vien and Larry Williams, President and Treasurer of the NH Beagle Club and Volunteer Hunter Education instructors; along with Bob Drozdowski, past president of the NH Beagle Club, and Larry’s son Thomas Williams will introduce participants to one of New Hampshire’s finest small-game hunting experiences — hare hunting with beagles.

The workshop will cover topics such as snowshoe hares and where to find them, equipment needs, dogs and their needs and training, safety considerations, where to find information on hare and rabbit hunting, and clubs in New Hampshire that focus on dogs and hare hunting. The instructors have many years of experience and a true passion for their sport, so bring all your questions.

Participants should bring warm outdoor clothing and be prepared to go outside. The first portion of the workshop takes place in the classroom, and then the class moves outside, where the dogs will show their stuff! For the outdoor portion of the class, you’ll need to dress warmly and wear proper footgear for snow (bring snowshoes if you have them). Please note that this workshop does not include lunch.

Activities at Owl Brook Hunter Education Center are made possible in part by federal funds provided through the Wildlife Restoration Program.

For more information on Fish and Game’s Owl Brook Hunter Education Center, visit http://www.HuntNH.com/Hunting/hunter_ed_center.htm.

“Citizen Biologists” Asked to Report Wild Turkey Flock Sightings

CONCORD, N.H. – If you see a flock of wild turkeys in New Hampshire this winter, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department would like to hear about it. For the second consecutive year, citizens are being asked to report sightings of turkey flocks seen from now through March 31, 2010, by filling out a simple electronic survey form posted on the Fish and Game website at http://www.wildnh.com/turkeysurvey. You can also reach the survey by going to http://www.wildnh.com and clicking on “2010 Winter Flock Survey.” Please do not report multiple sightings of the same flock.

The Winter Flock Survey will bolster Fish and Game’s understanding of the abundance and distribution of turkeys during New Hampshire’s challenging winter months. The survey asks participants to report the number of turkeys in the flock; the location where they were seen; the type of habitat the birds were observed in; and what the turkeys were feeding on, such as acorns, beechnuts, seed at birdfeeders, or corn silage.

The survey is designed to fill gaps in Fish and Game’s existing winter flock data collection efforts. “For parts of the state, especially eastern and northern New Hampshire, we could benefit by additional sighting reports,” said Ted Walski, Turkey Project Leader at Fish and Game. “This reporting system will allow the public to contribute important information to our understanding of winter turkey status in an inexpensive, efficient and, hopefully, enjoyable way.” Last winter, people responding to the survey reported over 1,500 flocks totaling nearly 24,000 turkeys, and encompassing all areas of the state.

Winter is the best time to census the birds because turkeys gather in large, highly visible flocks at this time of year. Knowledge of the status of wintering turkeys is particularly important in New Hampshire, because of the challenges of severe winter weather and limited natural food supplies. There are an estimated 40,000 wild turkeys in New Hampshire. Turkeys were restored to NH by the Fish and Game Department, beginning in 1975.

For more information on the flock survey, write to Turkey Project Leader Ted Walski at Fish and Game Region 4 Office, 15 Ash Brook Court, Keene, N.H. 03431; or call 603-352-9669.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit http://www.wildnh.com.

Missing Hiker Rescued on Mount Moosilauke Monday Night

CONCORD, N.H. – Missing hiker Patricia Dewey, age 50, of Thetford, Vermont, was rescued Monday night (January 4, 2010) by New Hampshire Fish and Game Conservation Officers on Mount Moosilauke in Benton, N.H.

Dewey had been snowshoeing alone when she broke a snowshoe. She was carrying and activated a Personal Locator Beacon, which sends a signal via satellite. This provided rescuers with a GPS coordinate of her location, allowing rescuers to know exactly where to find her, about a mile and half in from the trailhead. “It’s lucky she had the beacon, because there is no cell phone coverage in that area,” said Sgt. Brian Suttmeier of Fish and Game. Fish and Game was notified of Dewey’s emergency call about 6:30 p.m. and she was brought out to safety about 8:30 p.m.

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Learn about safe hiking at http://www.hikeSafe.com.

Massachusetts Man Killed in Pittsburg, N.H., Snowmobile Crash

CONCORD, N.H. — Wayne W. Armstrong, 60, of Tyngsborough, Mass., was killed last night (January 4, 2010) when the snowmobile he was operating crashed into several trees off Indian Stream Road in the town of Pittsburg, N.H.

After eating dinner at a local establishment, Armstrong and a group of three other snowmobilers, including his son, rode their snowmobiles approximately a mile up the traveled portion of Indian Stream Road toward a camp where they had been staying.

Armstrong and one of the other riders had ridden past the camp, and the two remaining riders rode up the road further to look for them. Witnesses said they saw the headlight beam from Armstrong’s snowmobile going through the trees in a cloud of snow.

A member of the riding party called 911 from a camp at 182 Indian Stream Road at approximately 9:35 p.m., and rescue crews from Pittsburg Fire and Rescue and 45th Parallel EMS, along with Pittsburg Police Chief Richard Lapoint and New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Conservation Officer Chris Egan, responded to the scene.

Rescuers initiated CPR, and efforts to revive Armstrong continued until 10:15 p.m. Deputy Medical Examiner Faye Memolo pronounced him dead at the scene shortly before midnight.

CO Egan stated that operating at a high rate of speed, and operating on a plowed road were contributing factors in the crash.

Snowmobile crashes have resulted in serious injury to five other riders in the area stretching from Colebrook to Pittsburg since last Wednesday.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department urges snowmobilers to ride safely and at a reasonable speed for the existing conditions, and to stick to the designated trail system.

Conservation Officers will continue to be patrol the trails on snowmobiles, strictly enforcing speed limits and reckless operation. In addition to officer presence on the trails, “it certainly helps when club members and other snowmobile riders remind each other to ride safely,” said Egan. “People tend to listen more intently to members of their own peer group.”

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For tips on safe snowmobile operation, visit http://www.ride.nh.gov/OHRV/snowmobile_safety.html.

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