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Here’s what’s worth reading today, Friday, July 26, 2019:
Longview man sentenced for hunting violations: A violation of hunting laws has landed a Longview man 60 days in the Harrison County Jail. The defendant, 21-year-old Christopher Hines, was sentenced by Harrison County Court-at-Law Judge Joe Black after pleading guilty to two offenses — hunting at night and failure to retrieve or keep in edible condition. Both are Class A misdemeanors. Judge Black approved a plea bargain agreement made in the case between the state and the defendant. Hines was given 60 days on each charge to run concurrently. He was also assessed a $1,000 fine. According to his indictment for hunting at night, on Dec. 10, 2018, Hines hunted white-tailed deer or wild game protected by the Texas Parks & Wildlife code at a time between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise.
UF and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation to help endangered Florida panthers: Faced with threats from heart defects to habitat loss, Florida panthers have struggled to live throughout the years. But recent research may give these endangered animals another chance. Researchers from UF’s Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission conducted a study to find solutions for endangered panthers. The study found improving the panthers’ genetic diversity by breeding with Texas pumas helped them not only survive but thrive, said UF wildlife ecology and conservation professor Madan Oli. The study is a synthesis of 30 years of work.
Texas jetty fishing provides some of the finest angling conditions imaginable
Dial back the ‘wild west’ iguana hunting, Florida wildlife officials say: Yes iguanas are invasive and Florida Fish and Wildlife officials posted guidelines that suggested the public should get rid of them, but the manner in which the public took the message has prompted FWC to clarify its stance. In a press release, FWC reiterates that green iguanas are not native, and can cause damage to infrastructure such as sidewalks and seawalls. “Unfortunately, the message has been conveyed that we are asking the public to just go out there and shoot them up. This is not what we are about; this is not the ‘wild west.’ If you are not capable of safely removing iguanas from your property, please seek assistance from professionals who do this for a living,” said FWC Commissioner Rodney Barreto.
Missouri to implement black bear hunting, reports increased by 260 percent in last 7 years: Missourians may soon be able to hunt black bears as state officials reach a pivot point on bear management. The Missouri Department of Conservation is meeting with state residents to discuss their Black Bear Management Plan and receive feedback from the public. One of their statements, according to a video on their website, includes deliberations for black bear hunting. Black bears are a native species to Missouri. After hunting drove their numbers to nearly zero in the early 1900s, re-introduction in Arkansas in the 1950s and ’60s boosted bear population in the state. Some of them migrated north.
Concerned hunters help crack Wyoming poaching case: Buffalo resident Ray Ludwig recently signed a plea agreement for poaching four cow elk and harassing big game from a vehicle in November. As part of the agreement, he will pay $5,000 in fines and restitution, and will have his hunting privileges suspended in Wyoming and 46 other Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact states for five years. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department said the case began last year in November, when Buffalo Game Warden Jim Seeman was contacted by two hunters who witnessed and recorded a vehicle chasing a group of elk in Hunt Area 35 south of Buffalo. They also heard multiple shots coming from the vehicle.
Report: Montana needs to spend millions more on conservation: A new report from Bozeman-based Headwaters Economics found that Montana is lagging behind other Western states in spending on conservation. The research came out of a partnership between Headwaters and the Montana Outdoor Heritage Project, a coalition of conservation, wildlife and outdoor recreation groups. The key takeaway from the report is that the state needs to spend millions of dollars more on public lands, wildlife preservation and outdoor recreation to keep pace with the use of those resources. The report found that Montana’s state parks are operating with almost $26 million in unmet needs, public trail maintenance has $7 million worth of unmet needs, and wildlife habitat preservation efforts need $15 million more each year.
How to rig a mountain bike for hunting on public land: I spent a week last fall chasing blacktail deer in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains. My hunting grounds weren’t far from Portland’s throngs of man buns, so there were plenty of other people cruising around for deer. But I was able to leave them well behind and have what amounted to a remote hunting experience because of my mountain bike. Plenty of public land across the country is located behind gates that don’t allow motorized transport. Although there’s absolutely nothing wrong with humping it on foot, a bike can get you deeper into the woods in a fraction of the time.
The 10 best fishing products at ICAST: ICAST 2019 debuted a wide range of new products to anglers from all around the world. From apparel to bait storage and some odd stuff in between, here are the top 10 new fishing products to keep an eye out for in 2019.
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