2011-2012 Kentucky Deer Season Ends With Fourth Largest Overall Harvest

Kentucky’s 2011-12 white-tailed deer season ended Jan. 16 with hunters posting the fourth largest overall harvest ever recorded.

“The 119,656 deer taken was the highest total since the 2008-2009 season,” said Tina Brunjes, deer program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “Good hunting weather may have been a contributing factor to the excellent harvest during the last two months of the season.”

Hunters bagged a record harvest of 12,989 in December, which surpassed the previous record by 4,261 set in December 2004. “Muzzleloader hunters were responsible for that big jump, checking in 10,536 deer during their nine-day late season that ran Dec. 10-18,” said Brunjes.

January’s harvest was excellent, too with hunters telechecking 2,628 deer – just 73 short of last year’s record harvest for the month.

Overall, hunters reported taking 55 percent male deer and 45 percent female deer. Modern firearms hunters bagged 83,357 deer, muzzleloader hunters 15,161 deer and archers 18,169 deer.

“For the last 10 years our harvest has gone up and down a bit, but overall the trend is stable,” said Brunjes. “That’s a good sign.”

This past season, Kentucky had 90,247 successful deer hunters, but 77 percent (69,776 hunters) took just one deer. “Seventeen percent of our successful deer hunters (15,118 hunters) took two deer, and six percent of our successful deer hunters (5,353 hunters) took three or more deer,” said Brunjes.

By zone, hunters harvested 52,664 deer in the 35 Zone 1 counties; 30,160 deer in the 27 Zone 2 counties; 25,324 deer in the 33 Zone 3 counties and 11,505 in the 25 Zone 4 counties.

The bulk of Kentucky counties are in deer management Zones 2 and 3. Brunjes said there’s still work to be done in the Zone 1 counties, where deer densities are too high, and in the Zone 4 counties, where deer densities are below target levels.

Archers and muzzleloader hunters took 61 percent antlerless deer. Modern gun hunters bagged the lowest percent of antlerless deer 38 percent.

Crossbow hunters posted the highest percent of antlerless deer in the harvest, 63 percent. They also established a new harvest record in the process. Crossbow hunters bagged 1,969 deer, which represents about 1.6 percent of the overall harvest.

For the third consecutive season, archers posted a harvest record by taking 18,169 deer, about 15 percent of the total harvest.

“Overall, the hunters we have are being more successful,” said Brunjes. “We hope that all this success will help them in mentoring new hunters

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Cooperative Dove Field Program Enrollment Underway in Kentucky

Kentucky farmers can help carry on the hunting tradition and earn much-needed extra cash by enrolling in the Cooperative Dove Field Program. Enrollment is currently underway and will continue until mid-March.

“Under the new Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, increased payments are available for 2012,” said Rocky Pritchert, migratory bird biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The Cooperative Dove Field Program, which began in 1998, can generate up to $10,000 for a landowner who leases a field on their land for public dove hunting.

“We will accept fields ranging from 6 to 30 acres with additional payments for buffers around fields. Fields generally run from 15 to 30 acres in size,” Pritchert said. “But, we encourage anyone interested to apply.”

Farmers may plant an idle field to sunflowers, millet or another acceptable crop for a public dove field by working with a Kentucky Fish and Wildlife private lands biologist and following some simple guidelines.

Payment amounts depend on the number of acres enrolled, crop type and fulfillment of the plot management agreement with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

To get the process started, landowners must contact their Kentucky Fish and Wildlife private lands biologist or Natural Resources Conservation Service liaison. For a listing of biologists, log onto Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s homepage at fw.ky.gov. Click on the “Hunting, Trapping and Wildlife” tab and then on “Contact Us.” Property owners may also call 1-800-858-1549 for more information.

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Trapping is the Most Effective Way to Control Wild Pigs in Kentucky

In Kentucky, wild pigs may be hunted with firearms year-round with no daily bag limit, but wildlife biologists believe trapping is the most effective way to control the feral pests.

“In established populations, hunting often educates more pigs than it removes,” said Chad Soard, a wildlife biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “Research has shown that relying too heavily on hunting will not control pigs and may hasten their spread.”

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is working with landowners to help them deal with the destructive, unwanted swine which pose serious ecological, economic and disease threats.

“We’ve had verified sightings of wild pigs in 37 counties,” said Soard. “For many of these sightings there’s no evidence of established populations. They’re just isolated occurrences of free-ranging pigs living independent of humans.”

Soard said he gets regular reports from landowners about their ongoing efforts to remove pigs from areas of Kentucky with established populations. “You have to adapt your strategy to completely eradicate wild pigs,” said Soard. “You have to understand the species. Shooting them on sight isn’t always best.”

Wild pigs live in maternal groups called sounders, usually made up of several related sows with their offspring. Several maternal groups may come together to forage so there could be as many as 20 to 30 pigs on a food source.

Mature boars tend to be solitary and don’t tolerate the presence of other males.

Hunting in general, and sport hunting in particular, is ineffective for controlling or eradicating wild pigs because boars are targeted.

“The removal of all age classes concurrently is critical to any successful control or eradication plan,” said Soard. “Reproduction often outpaces the most intensive hunting efforts. Juveniles can breed at six months so you have to concentrate your efforts on maternal groups, continually trapping over a long period of time.”

Shooting into a group of pigs forces them to search for sanctuary. “You’re going to spread out the population and push them onto neighboring properties,” said Soard.

“Wild pigs are not prone to wandering. They’re not overly territorial, except when boars are fighting over breeding rights,” said Soard. “Populations tend to stay in a small area unless they are pressured.”

Wild pigs make their presence known by the sign they leave such as rooted up areas in woods and fields and wallows around small ponds or wet areas.

Trail cameras are a good way to assess wild pig numbers and find suitable trap sites. “You can’t just trap anywhere; you have to locate the trap on fresh sign, where the pigs are actively feeding or traveling,” said Soard.

Large box traps can be used to catch wild pigs, but corral traps are better. “They allow non-targeted species to escape and are capable of catching entire maternal groups of pigs at one time,” said Soard.

Corral traps are made from wire and typically have a swinging, saloon-style gate which lets the pigs enter, but blocks them from leaving the trap. A good strategy is to establish the trap site at an area where pigs can feed unmolested. Then, monitor the site with trail cameras and set the trap when the largest numbers of pigs are feeding at the site.

In Kentucky, it is illegal to possess wild pigs. Any captured pig must be killed at the trap site. They may not be removed from traps alive.

Corral traps are commercially available or can be homemade. “We have a cost share program to help landowners offset the cost of the traps,” said Soard.

Winter is the best time to trap. Food is in short supply and pigs readily come to bait piles. The best trap sites for pigs are located along travel routes between bedding and feeding sites.

Trapping works. “The staff at Bernheim Forest corral trapped steadily for three years and reduced the population to the point where damage and observations have ceased,” said Soard. “You can’t trap for a while and quit. You’ve got to stick with it.”

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Hunters Find Sandhills Challenging During Kentucky’s Inaugural Crane Season

Frankfort, KY - Larry Dreamis Hill failed in his quest to take a bird during Kentucky’s inaugural sandhill crane hunting season but says it wasn’t for lack of effort.

“These birds were extremely challenging and seemed to change their patterns a little every day. I really enjoyed the challenge and look forward to future seasons of pursuing this bird. I remember when the first sandhill cranes showed up in Cecilia (in Hardin County) years ago now I have the opportunity to hunt them. It’s very exciting,” said Hill, Cecilia’s retired fire chief.

Kentucky’s first modern hunting season for sandhill cranes came to a close Sunday, Jan. 15. The month-long season marked the first time in nearly 100 years that Kentucky sportsmen and sportswomen had the opportunity to hunt sandhill cranes in the Commonwealth. By closing day, hunters had harvested 50 birds. Kentucky had allowed for a maximum harvest of 400 sandhill cranes.

“The harvest number was not surprising to us because Kentucky does not have a tradition of sandhill crane hunting,” said Rocky Pritchert, Migratory Bird Program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “These are extremely wary birds and are a challenge to hunt. Sandhill cranes are hunted in a fashion similar to geese, using decoys in fields. Sandhill cranes are hunted for their meat. They are generally regarded as the finest table fare among migratory birds.”

Kentucky was the first state to allow sandhill crane hunting on the Eastern Population of sandhill cranes. The Mid-Continent Population of sandhill cranes has been hunted for more than 50 years in the United States.

Last fall, a survey coordinated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service counted a minimum of 72,000 sandhill cranes in the Eastern Population. “This population has experienced significant growth over the last decade and has reached a point where we can allow a limited harvest without impacting the population,” said Pritchert. “As a biologist it is my responsibility to ensure harvest does not negatively impact the population and this season will not harm the Eastern Population of sandhill cranes.”

This season, most of the cranes were harvested in Hardin and Barren counties. These are traditional wintering areas for sandhill cranes in Kentucky.

Hunters had to pass an online identification course before being issued a permit. Hunters will have to complete a post-season survey as well.

“The information obtained from these surveys helps us better understand how the season went,” said Pritchert. “The information obtained from this hunt will help us manage future hunts of sandhill hunts in Kentucky and other states that might potentially hunt sandhill cranes.”

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Indiana Native Covering Hoosier and Bluegrass States for Pheasants Forever

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have named Indiana native Brian Nentrup as its new regional representative covering Indiana and Kentucky. Nentrup joins “The Habitat Organization” after serving four years as a regional director with the Quality Deer Management Association.

Nentrup will be the primary contact for the 18 Pheasants Forever chapters and 8 Quail Forever chapters in Indiana and the 9 Quail Forever chapters in Kentucky, spearheading the organization’s efforts to expand and increase membership in the two states. Nentrup will work to foster relationships with volunteers, supporters, state agencies, and other private and federal partners with a mutual desire to improve wildlife habitat and awareness of pheasant and quail conservation efforts.

“Brian brings great skills and significant experience. And when you combine that with his passion for making a difference for wildlife, we are optimistic about our ability to impact bird populations, their habitat and our communities,” stated Matt Holland, senior field coordinator with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. “We look forward to Brian working with our network of chapters, partners and donors in growing our organizational impact.”

A lifelong hunter, conservation became Nentrup’s major focus after he was elected president of a south-central Indiana hunting club. As a regional director for the Quality Deer Management Association, he established a track record of customer service and fundraising experience.

A native of Columbus, Indiana, Nentrup earned a B.S. in Communications (Business and Marketing emphasis) from Indiana Wesleyan University. He and his wife, Stephanie, along with their two children, live in Fairland, Indiana. Brian’s bird dog of choice? A twelve year old Weimaraner named “Nick.” He can be reached at (317) 753-4543 or via email.

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Twenty-five Kentucky Residents Drawn for Late Season Quota Cow Elk Hunt

Twenty-five hunters from Wallins, David, Hyden, Pineville, Pikeville, Barbourville and other areas in southeastern Kentucky have a second chance to hunt elk in the state.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources recently drew 25 names for a late season quota hunt for cow elk. The late season begins Jan. 28 and ends Feb. 10.

“Kentucky Fish and Wildlife listened when people contacted us about ongoing problems with nuisance elk,” said Tina Brunjes, deer and elk program coordinator for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “This hunt helps reduce elk numbers in targeted areas while giving residents of the southeastern Kentucky’s elk restoration zone an opportunity to put meat on the table for their families.”

The late season hunt is open for cow elk only.

Those drawn for the hunt will receive notification in the mail. Hunters may also see if they were drawn by going online to the department’s website at fw.ky.gov.

Each hunter is randomly drawn from the pool of those who applied for the regular quota elk hunts. Hunters must reside in the 16-county elk restoration zone to be eligible for this hunt.

Only two Elk Management Units (EMUs) are open for this hunt: Knott County EMU and Stoney Fork EMU. Stoney Fork EMU includes sections of Clay, Leslie, Harlan, Bell and Knox counties. Hunters may take cow elk in either unit. Only private lands are open for this hunt. All public lands within these EMUs are closed to elk hunting. Hunters who check online can follow links to maps of these areas.

Those participating in the late season hunt must pay a $30 fee for the elk permit. Hunters must also possess an annual Kentucky hunting license.

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Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s Year in Review

Here are some wildlife-related stories that made news in Kentucky in 2011:

Sandhill Cranes:

Kentucky’s first hunting season for sandhill cranes in modern times opened Dec. 17 and will continue through Jan. 15, 2012, or until the season quota of 400 cranes is reached.

A total of 332 hunters, 96 percent of whom are Kentucky residents, were selected by lottery drawing to participate in this inaugural season.

Hunters with experience in waterfowl hunting will have their skills tested. Decoying sandhill cranes into shooting range is considered the ultimate challenge of migratory bird hunting as sandhill cranes are extremely wary. The daily behavior of sandhill cranes is similar to Canada geese. They like to roost and loaf in shallow water and on mudflats and feed in agricultural fields.

The sandhill crane is a transient visitor to Kentucky whose numbers have increased dramatically since the 1970s. A recent count of the eastern population numbered about 72,000 birds.

Last season, 13 states in the western U.S. and three Canadian provinces had sandhill crane hunting seasons.

The dates and bag limits for all migratory bird hunting seasons are approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Sandhill cranes migrate through Kentucky twice a year along a corridor bounded roughly by Henderson in the west and Lexington in the east. In fall, the birds that stop over in Kentucky are migrating southward to their wintering grounds in southern Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

“Kentucky is a return stop on the sandhill crane’s migration back to its breeding grounds,” said Rocky Pritchert, migratory bird program coordinator for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “Hunting activity in December and early January will not affect wildlife viewing opportunities on Barren River Lake in early February, when the largest number of birds stop over in Kentucky.”

Major roost areas of Barren River Lake have been closed by regulation to sandhill crane hunting to maximize wildlife viewing opportunities.

White-Nose Syndrome:

In April, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife confirmed the presence of white-nose syndrome in a bat residing in a cave in southwest Kentucky’s Trigg County.

White-nose syndrome was first detected in New York in 2006. It has since killed more than one million cave-dwelling bats in eastern North America. Infected bats have now been detected in 16 states, mostly in the eastern U.S., and three Canadian provinces.

Anticipating the arrival of white-nose syndrome in Kentucky, biologists have taken exhaustive measures to limit its spread.

Kentucky was the first state to develop a response plan to the disease. White-nose syndrome is transmitted primarily from bat to bat, but fungal spores may be inadvertently carried to caves by humans on clothing and caving gear.

Turkey Harvest in Wet Conditions:

Despite the wettest April on record in central Kentucky and flooding of many of the state’s major rivers, hunters took 32,193 wild turkeys during the 2011 spring season.

“To harvest over 30,000 birds for the second year in a row, especially considering the weather, says a lot about the size of our flock, and the dedication of our hunters,” said Steven Dobey, wild turkey program coordinator for the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

Hunting conditions were the worst in memory, as a parade of storm fronts dumped heavy rains and spawned high winds.

The National Weather Service reported 14.0 inches of rain in Louisville and 15.9 inches in Paducah for the month of April – more than 10 inches above average in both cities.

In central and western Kentucky, it rained three of the four weekends of the spring season that ended May 8. Only extreme northern Kentucky and some counties in southeastern Kentucky escaped the torrential rains.

The weather cleared the first week in May and hunters ended the season with exceptional harvest numbers. Hunters took 3,195 turkeys on the final weekend of the season. The harvest for the last seven days of the spring season surpassed the record set in 2010 for the same time period.

White Crappie in Kentucky Lake:

The white crappie (Promixis annularis) is making a comeback in Kentucky Lake.

The aging of the lake, combined with clear water conditions and poor white crappie spawns from 2005 through 2007, helped black crappie numbers increase in recent years.

“The 2009 white crappie spawn was exceptionally strong, the best in a long time,” said Paul Rister, western fisheries district biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “We bought a deep water trawl to assess the numbers of young crappie in the lake. It looks promising for the future. The white crappie fishery is coming back.”

Rister said they captured many two-year-old, 8- to 9-inch white crappie in their population sampling along with healthy numbers of white crappie born in 2010 and earlier this year.

“The crappie population in Kentucky Lake is extremely cyclic,” Rister said. “We are just riding the wave. In 4 or 5 years, it could be glory time for crappie fishing on the lake.”

Ohio River Largemouth Bass Stockings:

Anglers are catching more largemouth bass from the Markland Pool of the Ohio River thanks to a supplemental stocking program, now in its fifth year.

“In a recent bass tournament 48 percent of the fish weighed in were fish we had stocked,” said Sara Tripp, Ohio River biologist for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “We plan to continue the stockings for another four years.”

Heavy silt loads and wildly fluctuating water levels in the spring hinder bass spawning success.

The fisheries division stocked bass at 100 fish per acre until this year. In 2011 and for the next four years, the stocking rate will vary from 50 to 100 fish per acre.

A major goal of the program is to compare survival, growth rates and body condition of stocked versus fish spawned in the river.

“Largemouth bass in the Ohio River reach harvestable size after two years,” said Tripp.

Cumberland River Trout Stockings:

In March, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources made its initial stocking of 13,000 brook trout in the Cumberland tailwaters, the state’s premier trout fishery.

“The brook trout are being stocked from Helm’s Landing to Burkesville,” said Dave Dreves, fisheries research biologist for the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources. “These trout are the Owhi strain, the same kind that they stock in tailwaters in Arkansas. They’ve had brook trout grow up to 5 pounds in a tailwater environment in other states.”

Anglers may only keep one brook trout daily; there is a 15-inch minimum size limit. All stocked fish are 9 inches long.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife also stocked an additional 45,000 quick-growing sterile rainbow trout in Cumberland River this year, following a stocking of 18,500 last December. These rainbow trout grow larger because energy normally expended by reproduction goes into body growth.

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Kentucky Man Charged With 88 Counts of Deer-Related Violations

Frankfort, KY – A Nelson County man is facing multiple wildlife violations in an ongoing investigation by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Kevin Barnette, 43, of Bardstown, is facing 88 counts of illegally taking or possessing deer or their antlers. Eighty-five of the charges are related to possessing illegal antlers. He also is charged with one count of killing over the limit of antlered deer during the current deer season.

The final charges include failure to fill out a harvest log and failure to Telecheck a harvested deer. Under Kentucky law, all deer hunters must register or “check” their harvested animal by telephone or online at the department’s website.

Each charge carries maximum possible penalty of a $1,000 fine, loss of seized firearms and deer, and loss of hunting privileges for three years.

Conservation Officers Steve Nelson, Jeffrey Jewell, Brandon Boone and Sgt. David Kuhn responded on Dec. 4 to a complaint by a concerned citizen that Barnette had taken an antlered deer, disposed of the carcass and then took a second buck on the following day.

The officers served two summonses on Barnette, charging him with taking deer over the limit, failure to log the deer and failure to Telecheck. The second summons charged him with illegally possessing another deer.

Their searched produced 84 additional sets of antlers that appeared to be possessed illegally. The officers returned with a third summons on Dec. 10, citing Barnette with another 84 counts of illegal possession.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife officers seized 85 illegal deer racks and a Ruger M77 .300-magnum rifle.

Barnette is scheduled to appear in Nelson County District Court Dec. 27.

Anyone with information about wildlife violations may call the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife poacher prevention hotline 1-800-25-ALERT. The number is staffed 24 hours a day. Concerned citizens may also contact their local conservation officer directly. Contact numbers for conservation officers can be obtained by calling the hotline.

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Ballard Wildlife Management Area in Kentucky Reopens for Waterfowl Hunting

Frankfort, KY – Ballard Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Ballard County will reopen for hunts beginning Dec. 21. The area has remained closed for several weeks due to Ohio River flooding. Current predictions call for the river to drop 4 feet by Wednesday, restoring access to hunting blinds.

Boatwright WMA will remain open under normal conditions.

For more information, consult the website of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources at fw.ky.gov, or call the department’s Information Center during weekday working hours at 1-800-858-1549.

Media Contact: Dave Baker 1-800-858-1549, ext. 4454

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Hunters Take Four Black Bears During Kentucky’s 2011 Season

Hunters took four black bears during Kentucky’s third season for the bruins, held during the weekend of Dec. 10-11.

Neil Perkins, of Hallie, Ky., took a 350-pound male bear in Letcher County that is the heaviest bear taken since Kentucky’s first bear season in 2009, said Steven Dobey, bear program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Hunters took two bears in Letcher County and two in Harlan County.

Snow and ice storms created difficult hunting conditions during Kentucky’s two previous bear seasons. A total of six bears have now been taken in three seasons. Hunters purchased 484 permits for the 2011 hunt.

Black bears moved into Kentucky by natural range expansion from West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee. At the present time only three southeastern counties – Harlan, Letcher and Pike – are open to bear hunting in Kentucky.

“Our highest bear densities are on Pine Mountain, which runs through Harlan and Letcher counties and extends into Pike County along its southeastern boundary,” said Dobey. “Harlan and Letcher counties border Virginia, which has had a fall bear season for decades.”

Hunters are required to register their harvest online or over the telephone through the state’s Telecheck system. Hunters are also required to bring the bears to a check station so biologists can collect information on the bear’s age, sex, weight, body measurements, and the presence of tags or tattoos used to mark some animals.

Perkins’ bear had some history. “We had captured him in May 2010 in Hyden, Ky., in Leslie County for nuisance-related behavior, and released on Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA,” said Dobey. “At that time he weighed about 200 pounds.”

Dobey said the bear likely weighed more than 400 pounds before it was field dressed.

 

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