Waterfowl Season Meeting Set for August 18

CONCORD, N.H. – The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will hold a public meeting on proposed season dates and bag limits for the 2010 waterfowl hunting season on Wednesday, August 18, 2010, at 6:30 p.m., at the N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive in Concord. Comments at the meeting will be considered in finalizing New Hampshire’s 2010 waterfowl season dates.

“Overall, spring breeding conditions for waterfowl were favorable again this year,” said Edward Robinson, N.H. Fish and Game’s waterfowl biologist. This year’s total U.S. duck population estimate from the traditional survey area in the prairies and parklands is 41 million birds, which is nearly identical to last year. In New Hampshire, weather and habitat conditions were also very good for nesting and brood rearing. Federal frameworks will allow for liberal waterfowl seasons in 2010.

New Hampshire’s proposed waterfowl season is very much like last year’s. N.H. Fish and Game is proposing a 60-day duck season with a 6-bird daily limit, and a 60-day Canada goose season with a 2-bird daily limit. Fish and Game also recommends continuing split seasons, including both ducks and Canada geese, in both the inland and coastal zones to allow early and late hunting opportunities:

* The proposed INLAND ZONE waterfowl season (ducks, mergansers, coots, Canada geese) would open on October 5 and run through November 17; then reopen November 24 through December 19.

* The proposed COASTAL ZONE season would open on October 6 and run through October 17; then reopen November 24 through January 10, 2011.

As the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department works in partnership with the public to conserve, manage and protect these resources and their habitats. Visit http://www.HuntNH.com.

Lucky Day for 2010 NH Moose Hunt Permit Winners

CONCORD, N.H. — The adventure of a lifetime is in store for 395 people who have been offered permits to hunt moose in New Hampshire this October. They are the lucky winners in the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s annual moose permit lottery drawing, held today.

The names of the 2010 winners and alternates are posted on Fish and Game’s website at http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Moose_hunt/2010_Moose_Winners.html. Read more

Moose Lottery Drawing Takes Place Friday, June 18, 2010

CONCORD, N.H. — The annual drawing to select the lucky hunters who will be offered a permit to hunt moose in New Hampshire this fall will be held on Friday, June 18, at 9:00 a.m. at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive in Concord, N.H. Fish and Game will issue 395 moose hunting permits this year. The public and interested media are invited to be on hand to watch the excitement as the names are drawn. Winners are selected through a computerized random drawing.

Radio personalities Peter St. James and Ken Cail will broadcast live from Fish and Game headquarters that morning from 6 – 10 a.m., with drawing results starting at 9 a.m. Tune in to radio station WTPL (107.7 FM), which can be heard from Nashua to the Lakes Region; or in the Upper Valley, the broadcast can be heard on 94.3 FM or 1400 AM. The station will also stream the audio on its website, http://www.WTPLFM.com.

Lottery results will also be available online – official lists of winners and alternates will be posted on the Fish and Game website by 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 18, 2010. (Please be patient; the large spike in web traffic on lottery day sometimes causes download delays.)

Moose-themed Fish and Game merchandise will be available for purchase from 8 a.m. to noon on moose lottery day, including a chance to order the special edition 2010 moose hunt T-shirt. (You don’t have to win the lottery to buy a shirt; an online order form also will be posted on June 18.) The sale is a great chance to get all your “moose wear” – moose-motif T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, coolers, notepads and more.

More than 14,000 applicants entered the lottery for the chance to win a permit for the 2010 moose season, which runs from October 16 to 24, 2010. In addition, more than 1,100 people will continue to accrue bonus points by submitting an application for a point only but are not included in the lottery this year. The bonus point system improves your chance of winning for each consecutive year you enter and are not selected.

For more about moose hunting in New Hampshire, visit http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_moose.htm.

Moose Lottery Deadline Is May 28 – Don’t Miss Your Chance!

CONCORD, N.H. — Want a chance to hunt moose in New Hampshire this fall? Then get your application in for the 2010 New Hampshire Moose Hunt Lottery by Friday, May 28, 2010! That’s the deadline to enter to win one of 395 New Hampshire moose hunting permits.

It’s easy to enter the moose lottery: just go to http://www.huntnh.com (where you can apply online or print out a mail-in application), or pick up a moose hunt lottery application from any fish and game license agent. The entry fee is $15 for New Hampshire residents and $25 for nonresidents (nonrefundable). Read more

Turkey Hunting Weekend Workshop for Women: Signup Deadline March 24

CONCORD, N.H. – Are you a woman interested in learning how to hunt wild turkeys? Get set for the spring gobbler season by signing up for a new “Beyond Becoming an Outdoors-Woman” (Beyond BOW) Turkey Hunting Workshop on April 23 – 25, 2010 (Friday-Sunday) at the Woodbound Inn in Rindge, N.H.

Sign up now using the registration form posted at http://www.nhbow.com. The class is limited to 14 participants. Registration is first-come, first-served. Deadline for sign-ups is March 24, 2010. Cost of $295 includes instruction, materials, use of equipment, all meals and two nights lodging at the charming Woodbound Inn & Resort (http://www.woodbound.com), nestled in Rindge, N.H., on the shores of Lake Contoocook in the heart of the Monadnock region.

Participants in this “Beyond BOW” workshop will learn everything they need to know to set out on a turkey hunt of their own: calling, habitat, equipment, shotgun patterning, safety, ethics, cleaning/cooking game and participation in a mock hunt. “Beyond BOW” courses expand the offerings of traditional BOW fall and winter workshops. These in-depth courses are designed to give women the skills to do the outdoor activity on their own. It also gives participants a chance to network with enthusiastic, like-minded women with whom to share these activities.

New Hampshire’s spring gobbler season starts on May 3, 2010. The youth turkey hunting weekend takes place on May 1-2, 2010. For more information on turkey hunting in New Hampshire, visit http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_turkey.htm.

New Hampshire’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman programs are co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (http://www.WildNH.com) and the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation (http://www.nhwf.org).

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

New Hampshire Pre-Files “Firearms Freedom Act” Bill

New Hampshire Representative Dan Itse has filed HB1285, New Hampshire’s version of a “Firearms Freedom Act”.

Gary Marbut, president of Montana Shooting Sports Association and instrumental author of the Montana Firearms Freedom Act, says that Itse’s version, somewhat of a clone of Montana’s, calls for criminal penalties against anyone attempting to enforce federal gun laws against the manufacturers of New Hampshire-made guns, etc.

Visit Fish & Game at these Winter Outdoor Events and Expos

CONCORD, N.H. — Be sure to visit the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department booth at several upcoming expos and events catering to outdoor enthusiasts. You’ll have a chance to buy your 2010 New Hampshire hunting and fishing licenses and the 2010 New Hampshire Fish & Wildlife calendar, as well as getting answers to your hunting, fishing and wildlife questions. The new line of Fish and Game logo merchandise, from camo hats to new-design T-shirts and sweatshirts, will be available.

Look for Fish and Game at these exciting winter events:

ROCKINGHAM HUNTING & FISHING EXPO: Saturday and Sunday, January 9-10, 2010, at Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H. This expo features many local and national outdoor products and services. See the New Hampshire record buck. Hunting and fishing seminars by local experts and special scavenger hunt for the kids. For more information, visit http://www.rockinghamexpo.com.

GREAT MEREDITH ROTARY ICE FISHING DERBY: Saturday, January 30; and Sunday, January 31, 2010. The derby brings anglers to New Hampshire from all over the country in hopes of snagging the heaviest Meredith Rotary-tagged rainbow trout and claiming the grand prize. The Meredith Rotary Club, in consultation with the N.H. Fish and Game Department as part of an ongoing fisheries management plan, stocks tagged fish in several New Hampshire lakes for this event. This year’s stocked lakes include Little Squam, Mascoma, Ossipee, Waukewan, Wentworth, Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam. During the derby, N.H. Fish and Game fisheries biologists Don Miller and John Viar will collect valuable fish data at the derby weigh-in. For tickets and information, go to
http://www.meredithrotary.com

DERBY HIGHLIGHTS FEATUREING N.H. FISH AND GAME INCLUDE:
* For the fourth consecutive year, the Meredith Rotary Club will kick off the derby by hosting a free ice fishing panel discussion on Friday, January 29, 2010, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Meredith Community Center on Route 3 in Meredith. Don Miller of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department; and Licensed guides Adrian Lavoie and Travis Williams will discuss ice fishing tips, techniques and equipment. Light refreshments will be served.
* On Saturday, January 30, 2010, Fish and Game’s “Let’s Go Fishing” program staff and volunteers present a free hands-on clinic for kids and their parents on the basics of ice fishing at derby headquarters, Meredith Bay. Learn how to catch the big one! Sessions run hourly starting at 10 a.m. through 3 p.m. Ice-fishing equipment will be featured, including using tip-ups, sounding the hole and power augers. Then the kids will have a chance to fish!

NEW HAMPSHIRE FARM & FOREST EXPOSITION: Friday, February 5; and Saturday, February 6, 2010, at the Radisson Hotel/Center of New Hampshire in Manchester, NH. Since 1984, “New Hampshire’s Greatest Winter Fair” has offered commercial exhibits, educational sessions, student and exhibitor demonstrations, animals, an auction and activities for attendees of all ages! Special this year is the N.H. Fish and Game Department Wildlife exhibit. Meet Fish and Game staff and learn how to make connections with wildlife in your back yard. For information and directions visit: http://www.nhfarmandforestexpo.org.

TOYOTA EASTERN FISHING & OUTDOOR EXPOSITION: Thursday-Sunday, February 11-14, 2010, at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, featuring everything the angler, hunter or outdoorsman could imagine. N.H. Fish and Game’s booth will feature expert information about where, what and how to hunt and fish in New Hampshire, 2010 hunting and fishing licenses, and newly designed merchandise featuring moose, snakes and bears. For hours, directions and admission fees, visit http://www.sportshows.com/worc_main.html.

2009 New Hampshire Deer and Bear Hunting Season Results

CONCORD, N.H. — Based on preliminary deer registration tallies, N.H. hunters harvested 10,390 deer during the 2009 season. This preliminary statewide total kill was down about 5% from the actual 2008 deer kill of 10,916, but is comparable to season results prior to 2006.

Based on these 2009 preliminary registration figures by county (which indicate where deer were registered, not necessarily killed), results were mixed, according to Kent Gustafson, Deer Project Leader for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Read more

A Warning To Outdoor Users About Echinococcus, From Worms

by

Tom Remington

This is a warning to outdoor users about a potentially deadly biological event that could result from one’s curiosity to poke at and kick through scat from wolves, coyotes and foxes. Of course not everyone knowingly does this but many hunters, trappers and simply the curious, want to know what these animals have been eating.

Read more

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