Ambler Expands Marketing Team with Key Hire

Canadian hat company, Ambler Mountain Works, announces the hire of Eryn Willard as the company’s new brand manager. Eryn will be leading the marketing and outreach efforts, and will be tapping into her background in graphic design to create all sales materials for the brand.

“Ambler lured me away from the agency-side of the business by promising me a steady supply of hats to satisfy my addiction…” said Willard.  ”Even better is that I get to work with a fun group of people who are committed to social good and creating stellar products.”

Eryn comes to Ambler with over 15 years of experience in marketing, six of which include owning a brand communications firm serving outdoor industry clients in apparel and accessories.  Her expertise will play a pivotal role in Ambler’s launch of their 2013 summer collection, an introductory line of casual style hats and tote bags for warm weather adventures.  This is the first line of its kind for the Canmore, Alberta company and includes lightweight and comfortable styles for children and adults.

“Eryn will have to learn to love Canadian beer because we aren’t loosening our vice grip around her anytime soon,” said owner Christian Rawles.  “We love her creativity and steadfast passion for this brand and are absolutely thrilled to have her in the family.”

Eryn is a passionate snowboarder, climber and mountain biker, and serves on the board of directors of Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition (OIWC).

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Recovered Montana Caribou Released Back into the Wilds of British Columbia

According to British Columbia wildlife officials, the caribou that was rescued in Montana last week has apparently recovered and was released this past weekend.

The caribou was rescued in upper Pinkham Creek by FWP biologists after having succumbed to apparent tick paralysis.  The caribou was transferred to British Columbia wildlife staff for holding until she recovered.   This past weekend, she was able to stand on her own and walk and appeared healthy.   There was a good weather window so the decision was made to fly the caribou back up into the Purcell Mountain high country.

“They were able to release her on a ridge just above 10 resident caribou” said Jim Williams, R-1 Wildlife Program Manager.   “When they lifted off she was observed walking in their direction.”

Wildlife managers are hoping the caribou will survive and add to the gene pool of the resident caribou in the Cranbrook, B.C. area.

Follow the caribou’s progress and find other current information on wildlife on FWP’s new Region 1 Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/MontanaFWP.R1

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Final Round of Sage Grouse Trapping and Canadian Translocation Completed

A two-year sage grouse trapping project that captured a total of 40 birds on the northern Montana prairie for translocation to Alberta has been completed.

In Canada sage grouse are classified as an endangered species, and wildlife officials say their numbers in southeastern Alberta have declined about 80 percent since 1970. In an effort to increase the population of birds there, Alberta biologists in 2010 asked permission to capture up to 40 sage grouse in Montana and bring them across the international border for re-establishment.

Last year biologists and technicians with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) and Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, a ministry within the provincial government, were hampered by poor weather and were only able to capture and moved nine of the birds from southern Phillips County. The final trapping and transferring of 31 additional birds from sites in southern Valley County took place over the past few weeks.

“Unlike last year, this year we had excellent weather and operating conditions, which allowed everything to go smoothly,” said FWP Region 6 Biologist Kelvin Johnson, who coordinated the project on the United States’ side. “The releases also took place without any problems. To date, the birds there appear to be keying in on the habitat. Some birds also appear to be nesting.”

The trapping project involved locating the birds during the day at their breeding display areas, commonly known as leks, and coming back to capture them at night using all-terrain vehicles, spotlights and long-handled nets.

A total of 37 female sage grouse and three males were captured and moved. All captured and released birds were fitted with GPS radios to allow Canadian biologists to follow them and determine their survival and reproductive success.

Biologists say the Canadian birds are naturally associated with the northern Montana sage grouse. In many areas of Montana, particularly in FWP Region 6, sage grouse numbers remain steady and strong because important habitat has been protected.

“This translocation came out of a larger, cooperative conservation and habitat effort called the Northern Sage Brush Steppe Initiative, which has resulted in close coordination over the last six years for the Alberta, Saskatchewan and Montana wildlife agencies,” said FWP Region 6 Supervisor Pat Gunderson.

The sage grouse translocation project – which underwent public review in an Environmental Assessment and approval by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission — is not expected to negatively impact overall bird numbers. In Valley and Phillips counties the estimated minimum spring population of sage grouse has been 15,000 birds over the past five years.

“We feel that helping Alberta wildlife managers maintain their sage grouse population will help to keep the birds off the endangered species list in the United States by maintaining and hopefully expanding their overall range,” Gunderson said.

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Wandering Caribou Returned to Canada from Montana

A radio-collared woodland caribou that wandered south into Montana from British Columbia has been returned to Canada.

On Thursday, FWP biologists received a report that a caribou was dead in the Salish Mountains in Pinkham Creek south of Eureka.  The report was based on a “mortality signal” from the radio collar the caribou wore. The female caribou was part of a woodland caribou augmentation effort in the south Purcell’s near Cranbrook just across the border.  In this effort, 19 caribou from northern B.C. had been released about 40 miles north of the U. S. border last month.

FWP’s Jim Williams, Tim Thier, and Tim Manley traveled by snowmobiles to the caribou location based on signals from the Argos collar the caribou wore.  They found the caribou alive but unable to stand.  After loading the animal on a sled, they transported her to the trailhead and then on to a veterinarian’s office in Eureka. The veterinarian treated the caribou with a drug to counter the effects of tick paralysis, which was the expected problem.  The caribou was also given two bags of IV fluid to combat dehydration.

FWP contacted biologists in British Columbia and the caribou was transported north.  As of today the animal is on its feet.  If the caribou recovers, B. C. wildlife officials plan to re-release the animal near resident caribou in B. C.

FWP Wildlife Manager Jim Williams noted that it is common for some animals to wander after they are released into new habitat.  Fortunately, this valuable animal was found alive and returned to wildlife managers in Canada.

Caribou were once native to Montana but are now considered very rare.  Occasionally, a caribou wanders south of the Canadian border into Montana.

Contact: Jim Williams, FWP Wildlife Manager, 751-4585.

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2012 Marks 25 Years of Wild Turkey Hunting in Ontario

The restoration of wild turkeys to Ontario is one of the province’s most successful wildlife recovery stories. It is a point of tremendous pride for members of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) that their Federation, in cooperation with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and other partners, helped restore this important part of Ontario’s biodiversity.

Ontario’s first regulated spring hunt for wild turkeys occurred in the spring of 1987 in Wildlife Management Units (WMU’s) 68 and 71 in southern Ontario. Today 46 WMU’s have open spring seasons and 20 of those also support a fall season.

Prior to the first release, the eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) had been extirpated from Ontario for nearly a century because of unregulated market hunting and habitat loss. Hunters and other conservationists lobbied for the restoration of wild turkeys in the early 1980′s, and as a result, from 1984 through 1987 approximately 4,400 wild turkeys were released at 275 sites across Ontario.

“Over the past 25 years, generations of hunters have enjoyed their time in the field during wild turkey season,” said Angelo Lombardo, OFAH Executive Director. “It is hard to believe, given their abundance today, that the wild turkey had disappeared from the Ontario landscape. Thanks to the vision and the restoration efforts of conservationists, including the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, hunters will take to the field beginning April 25 to celebrate our proud hunting heritage.”

Efforts to restore wild turkeys to most of their former range have been extremely successful, and today the birds are thriving in Ontario. In 2007, the province estimated the population to be about 70,000 birds and growing; other estimates today run significantly higher. In 2010, nearly 60,000 wild turkey licenses were sold (54,335 spring licenses, 3,816 fall licenses), with the proceeds going directly into the Special Purpose Account (SPA) that is dedicated to supporting the provincial fish and wildlife program.

Quick facts:

• 2012 spring season runs April 25 to May 31, including Sundays in communities that allow Sunday gun hunting
• It is mandatory to report a wild turkey harvest to the MNR (call toll-free 1-800-288-1155) by noon the day after the harvest
• New this year, turkey seals are not sticky backed and must be tied on to the bird
• Hunters wishing to hunt wild turkey must pass the wild turkey hunter education exam, and must have a valid hunting version Outdoors Card, small game license, and wild turkey license and seal
• 8,560 wild turkeys were reported harvested in the spring of 2011 and 299 in the fall
• Hunters must secure permission from the landowner to hunt on private property
• Additional information is available in a backgrounder on www.ofah.org/wildturkey

With over 100,000 members, subscribers and supporters, and 675 member clubs, the OFAH is the province’s largest nonprofit, fish and wildlife conservation-based organization, and the VOICE of anglers and hunters. For more information, visit www.ofah.org.

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New World’s Record Mountain Goat Taken in British Columbia

A Rocky Mountain goat taken by a hunter in 2011 in British Columbia is the largest of its species ever recorded, according to the Boone and Crockett Club.

Club officials today confirmed the goat, a male that scored 57-4/8 Boone and Crockett points, as a new World’s Record.

Since 1906, the Boone and Crockett Club’s scoring system has been used to measure the success of conservation programs across North America. The system rewards antler and horn size and symmetry—classic symbols of outstanding habitat, strong recruitment of animals into older age classes, sustainable harvest objectives and other elements of sound wildlife management and fair-chase hunting.

More than a thousand Rocky Mountain goats from Alaska to Nevada have met the minimum Boone and Crockett score of 47. But by far the most entries (541) have come from British Columbia.

“British Columbia continues to set the standard for Rocky Mountain goats,” said Eldon Buckner, chairman of Boone and Crockett Club’s Records of North American Big Game Committee. “The province remains home to more than half of the world’s population and trophy-class specimens have been trending upward each decade since the 1970s. That testifies to the professionalism of the British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.”

The new World’s Record goat surpassed the old mark by a substantial 6/8 of an inch.

The previous record was actually a tie between two British Columbia goats, one taken in 1949 and the other in 1999, scoring 56-6/8.

Troy M. Sheldon of Alexandria, Ky., bagged the new record goat on the seventh day of a hunt in the Stikine River area of British Columbia. Sheldon’s friend Carey Renner and guide Heidi Gutfrucht of Northwest Ranching and Outfitting accompanied him on the hunt. He used a Tikka T3 .270 WSM to make a perfect 319-yard shot across a ravine.

Following a required drying period and initial scoring, a special Boone and Crockett judge’s panel verified the goat’s official entry score as a new World’s Record.

Sheldon will be invited to include his trophy in a public exhibition held as part of Boone and Crockett’s 28th Awards Program in Reno, Nev., next year.

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Hunting Community Angered Over Airlines “Sneaking In” Fees for Antlers

If you add in all the permit and license fees, equipment and gear, fees for an outfitter or guide, tags, processing, etc., not to mention airline fees for transporting a harvested big game animal back to your trophy room, the total bill for a successful hunt can end up being quite high. Despite all the fees already in place, multiple airlines charge an additional fee on antlers as checked baggage.

For example, to check your antlers on a US Airways flight, passengers must pay a $200 fee and the limit is one set of antlers per passenger. Size wise, the antlers must not exceed 120 in/305 cm (H + W + L).

Most airways have been gradually raising fees for a number of years. US Airways doubled the original fee of $100  in February of 2011, affecting reservations made after that date and departures after March 2011, according to Andrew Christi, spokesperson for US Airways.

With no official announcement, hunters on the Bowsite.com forums just caught on at the beginning of April 2012 and are no doubt angry about it. User AR02 asks why this costs more than a regular piece of luggage. Bghunter answers with, “my guess is to either make more money or to screw hunters. Either way I think it stinks.”

Christi also clarified when the fee is applicable. It will NOT be charged if the antlers can fit, and are contained, within a standard piece of luggage.

US Airways charges one of the highest fees of commercial airways with routes in the United States. American Airlines charges $150. Frontier and United charge $100, Southwest Airlines, Delta, Spirit(pdf) presumably accept antlers as baggage, but fee information could not be found. JetBlue does not accept antlers on flights.

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Réal Langlois, the Man Behind the Bow 10 Feet Away from a Giant Moose

It seems fair that the man who has a passion for hunting moose should be blessed to have come from the land where the big game roam. Réal Langlois, host and producer of The Rack Man, is based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. For over 15 years, he has shared his knowledge of moose hunting through his videos, which has also made him one of the best hunting filmmakers in North America. Some might recognize and know him best for the record-setting moose shot that was captured on camera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6DckXvJyoc

Langlois has his own production house, Rack Man Films, which produces video after video of quality hunting footage. And while his shining achievement is getting a bull from 10 feet (possibly 8), in an interview with Draves Archery, Langlois said most of his videos feature him getting within close range to his game. As an expert hunter, who is passionate about the sport, I don’t doubt he gets close.

But when he’s not hunting, Langlois is filming the breathtaking scenery from his many trips, like this recent one from the Yukon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLceKRGqifM

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The W. Garfield Weston Foundation Supports Major Growth of Alternative Land Use Services

Delta Waterfowl is pleased to announce a leading donation from The W. Garfield Weston Foundation in support of the Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) program. With the Foundation’s gift of $1.46 million, Delta Waterfowl will create two centres of operations, or hubs, to support the national expansion of the ALUS program.

This is the second major grant from the Foundation in the past year, bringing it’s total commitment to ALUS to more than $3 million.

Developed more than ten years ago by Delta Waterfowl Foundation and Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers, ALUS is a community-led, farmer-delivered initiative that promises to revolutionize conservation in this country. The goal is to create a healthy, working landscape that simultaneously sustains agriculture, wildlife and the protection of natural spaces.

Through ALUS, farmers receive payments for delivering a variety of environmental services. Projects include enhanced and protected wetlands, increased native grass cover, wildlife-friendly fencing, pollinator strips and improved riparian areas. ALUS projects are currently established in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island.

“The Foundation is proud to continue its support of this very important conservation initiative,” said Eliza Mitchell, Director, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. “Farmers are playing a key role in preserving Canada’s natural legacy. They are having a great impact on local ecosystems by preserving habitat for endangered species, improving water quality, and reducing soil erosion. Their efforts are important to all Canadians.”

The Foundation has supported the ALUS program for more than a decade. This latest donation will support the expansion of ALUS to at least 8 new communities in Ontario and western Canada. Challenge grants will act as a catalyst to stimulate matching funds from other organizations.

“This is a sea change in conservation for this country,” says Rob Olson, president of Delta Waterfowl Foundation. “Communities all across the country are lining up to be part of this initiative. There’s unprecedented energy and excitement.”

Olson says the latest Weston funding will help establish ALUS as a viable addition to conservation efforts across the country.

“Our hope is that the momentum from adding these new communities will grow exponentially,” says Olson. “This grant has the impact of allowing us to do 10 years of work in one year. We’re very thankful The W. Garfield Weston Foundation is giving us this chance to do it.”

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Nova Scotia Hunter Education Goes Online with HUNTERcourse.com

HUNTERcourse.com, North America’s leading provider of online hunter education, is pleased to announce the launch of its online hunter education course for Nova Scotia. Developed in partnership with Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) the new online course provides the province’s new hunters with an engaging and convenient way to learn safe and ethical hunting practices.

Charlie Parker, Minister of Natural Resources for Nova Scotia, says of the new course option, “Our government is helping new hunters by modernizing the way safe hunting practices are taught. This online course delivers a better education product in a more accessible way.”

Brent McNamee, co-founder of HUNTERcourse.com, adds, “We believe that hunters in Nova Scotia will appreciate the option of studying in the convenience of their own home and at their own pace. The interactivity of the course is also a huge benefit. The learning experience is brought to life for students. We hope this online course not only provides students with the knowledge to be safe hunters, but also eliminates barriers to entry into hunting and helps recruit new hunters in Nova Scotia.”

The new course is now available and can be taken by anyone 14 years of age or older. On successful completion of the online course, the student will take a final written exam at a local DNR office. After passing the final exam, the student will receive their Nova Scotia Wildlife Resources Card and be eligible to apply for a Nova Scotia hunting license.

To register for the Nova Scotia online hunter education course, students must visit the Nova Scotia DNR website at https://www.hmcgroup.ca/education/. Prospective students must also pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course, information about which is available on the DNR website.

These improvements to hunter education build on the online crossbow course that was introduced by the province of Nova Scotia and HUNTERcourse.com in 2009. Hunters must first complete a hunter education course and possess the Nova Scotia Wildlife Resources Card before taking the online crossbow course. Links to the new hunter education course and the crossbow course are available at www.huntercourse.com/canada/novascotia.

For more information about HUNTERcourse.com, please contact:

Greg Gulliver
Product Manager, HUNTERcourse.com & HE Tools
1-877-722-8838 x 250
ggulliver@freshaireducators.com

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