Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Surplus Property Auctions Set - Missouri Department of Conservation
08/04/03
All-terrain vehicles, pickup trucks, boats, farm equipment and office furniture are among the many items the Missouri Department of Conservation will sell at two upcoming surplus property auctions.
The auctions are set for Aug. 16 in Brookfield and Oct. 18 in Salem. Conservation Department auctions typically include sport-utility vehicles, sedans, tractors, lawn mowers and other power equipment. Office equipment seen at most auctions includes copiers, cabinets, shelves, calculators, desks, chairs, filing cabinets, cameras and air conditioners.
The Brookfield event will include a larger-than-usual number all-terrain vehicles, more than 20 in all.
Auction items are on display from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. the day before the auction and starting at 8 a.m. the day of the auction. The auctions begin at 10 a.m. Complete lists of sale items and terms of sales are available at the registration desk the day of the sale.
All property must be paid for on the day of the sale and before removal. The Conservation Department will accept cash, MasterCard or Visa credit cards or personal checks with proper identification. For lists of sale items, call the Conservation Department General Services Division at 573/522- 4115, ext 3279 or 3283.
Nonprofit Organizations Invited to Apply for Fund-Raising Tags
California Department of Fish and Game
08/04/03
The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is inviting nonprofit organizations to submit applications to auction big game fund-raising license tags for bighorn sheep, deer, elk, and pronghorn antelope in 2004. As required by law, all proceeds from the sale of these tags must be returned to the DFG to benefit these wildlife species.
Each year, a number of nonprofit organizations vie for the opportunity to auction off these tags in order to attract bidders to their fund-raising events, thereby increasing the revenue raised for their organizations. In 2003 one bighorn sheep, two pronghorn antelope, three elk, and 10 deer tags sold at auctions held by nonprofit organizations, raising over $268,000 for research and management of these wildlife species. The DFG expects a similar number of fund-raising tags to be available for 2004.
Application packages were sent to organizations which have previously applied and to organizations expressing an interest in future opportunities to sell these tags. The deadline for submitting applications is 2 p.m. on Aug. 25, 2003. For application packages or additional information, contact Sarah Edmonds in the Wildlife Programs Branch at (916) 445 3449.
Help Prevent the Spread of CWD - Arizona Game and Fish Department
08/04/03
Planning to hunt deer or elk out of state this year?
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is asking hunters who harvest meat from deer and elk in other states to take precautions to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) into Arizona.
Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease affecting deer and elk. Surveillance in Arizona shows that-so far-CWD is not present in our deer or elk populations. The Game and Fish Department has implemented steps to reduce the potential for this disease so that it does not establish here. CWD is already present in the neighboring states of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.
"Very little is known about how the infectious agent of CWD is transmitted from one animal to another. Nonetheless, we are concerned that CWD might be inadvertently brought into our state through the transport of some infected animal tissues," says department researcher Jim deVos.
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission implemented a ban in 2002 on the import of live cervids - hoofed mammals such as deer and elk. There are also some practical suggestions that may help prevent the spread of CWD. Precautions hunters should take before bringing any harvested animal back into Arizona include:
* Bone out the meat and package it (either commercially or privately); do not cut into the spinal cord or remove the head; do not quarter the carcass with any of the spinal column or head attached.
* Do not bring the brain, intact skull or spinal cord back into Arizona.
* If you wish to take the antlers attached to the skull plate, thoroughly scrape and clean tissue from the skull plate using a knife or brush and bleach. Clean all utensils afterward with bleach.
* Animal skins or capes (without skull) do not need any further treatment.
* Sawn-off antlers - with or without velvet - do not need further treatment.
* Upper canine teeth of elk (ivories) do not need further treatment.
In addition, hunters may want to have the deer or elk tested for CWD if such a service is available in the state where the animal is harvested. There may be a fee for such an examination. Contact that state's wildlife authorities for information.
DeVos says there is no evidence that humans or animals other than deer and elk can get CWD. The Game and Fish Department is asking hunters to take the above precautions to help protect Arizona's deer and elk herds.
Those hunting deer and elk in Arizona can also help in detecting animals that may become infected with this neurological disease. If you see deer or elk that are in poor condition, losing hair, have drooping ears, stumbling gait or a slow reaction to your presence, please contact the department at 1 (800) 352-0700. You can get more information on CWD on the Arizona Game and Fish Department at azgfd.com/cwd on the Internet.
Three Men Convicted in Deer Poaching - Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
08/04/03
On June 24, the 7th District Court in Moab accepted guilty pleas by two Moab men, Harley Lammert and Codi Kerby, for the wanton destruction of three mule deer. On July 23, the Grand County Justice Court accepted a plea by another man, Derrick Kerby, for the unlawful taking of a deer. All of the charges stem from a shooting spree that occurred last winter in Castle Valley near Moab.
In November 2002, the men were involved in multiple incidents of shooting deer out of season, usually at night using either a spotlight or automobile headlights. Two of the defendants, Harley Lammert and Codi Kerby, were charged with Class A Misdemeanors. The third defendant, Derrick Kerby, was charged with a Class B Misdemeanor. The men were tied to the shooting of three deer, although informants reported that the men had bragged about shooting as many as 22 animals.
All of the men received suspended jail sentences up to two years upon their meeting the conditions of probation ordered by the courts. The courts ordered the three defendants to pay a combined total of $4,930 in fines and restitution. A rifle and archery equipment were also forfeited.
One of the bucks shot barely missed classification as a trophy. Under Utah's trophy statute, killing a buck with a 24-inch antler spread is a felony, punishable by prison time and substantial fines and restitution. Trucks, 4-wheelers and any other property used in the commission of the felony may also be forfeited, if a court deems it appropriate.
This case was successfully prosecuted because someone cared enough to get involved and call the Division of Wildlife Resources. If you observe suspicious or illegal wildlife-related activity, please call the "Help Stop Poaching" hotline at 1-800-662-DEER or notify your local public safety dispatcher. Utah's wildlife needs all the help it can get. Suffering from prolonged drought, poor range conditions and predation, we can't afford to lose animals to people who have no respect for life and property.
For more information, call the DWR's Southeastern Region office at (435) 636-0260.
DEP Orders Quarantine of Two Hunting Preserves - New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
08/04/03
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) yesterday ordered the quarantine of all deer, elk and exotic sheep on two hunting preserves owned by a Mr. Peter Bubalo in Hardyston Township and Sparta in Sussex County for having imported deer from out of state without a required permit.
The DEP permitting process ensures that all wildlife brought into New Jersey have been certified by veterinarians as healthy and disease free. By failing to follow the permitting process, protective safeguards have been circumvented. In addition, there is currently a ban on the importation of deer and other cervids from out of state. This ban protects New Jersey’s deer population from infection from chronic wasting disease, which has been rampant in a number of western states.
“The quarantine is necessary to allow a thorough investigation of the situation and assess potential health risks to other wildlife, particularly wild deer,” said DEP Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell. “While there are no apparent risks to public health, we are very concerned that this lawbreaker may have put the health of New Jersey’s deer and other cervids at potential risk of chronic wasting disease.”
DEP has inspected both hunting preserves and determined that perimeter fencing is intact. There are approximately 70 to 110 deer in the preserve, and a number of elk and exotic sheep. The quarantine prohibits Mr. Bubalo from selling, or offering to sell, or permitting the hunting of any of the wildlife on either of the preserves until further notice.
The illegal importation was discovered during a routine DEP inspection of the hunting preserves. A citation was issued to Mr. Bubalo, the owner, for lack of written records and failure to obtain appropriate permits.
The hunting preserves are located at Route 94, South Hardyston Township and at 84 Skyline Drive in Sparta.
Earth is going through some drastic changes. Seems this happens every 20,000 years or so, give or take a few thousand. Not everything can be blamed on hair spray and spray paint. Trouble is, like in eons past, we're still not ready to cope with it. Seems that all of the worlds governments wait until it is too late to make the proper preparations. I don't know the answer other than to go for a swim.
Colt
I dunno, Ksquared...as scarce as GP has been of late, I'm thinkin' a Beady Eyed, Stinkin', Buzzard/Vulture may have already feasted on ol' GP.
Otherwise, GP is enjoying himself guarding all them Female Country music singers in their tight fittin' dresses and/or jeans.
Based on both of the above scenarios, it may be time to put out an all points bulletin on GP. <g>
Colt
Justin...
There are several ducks that will rest on tree limbs surveying the area for both food, nesting and cover. Most likely you saw either a Wood Duck or a Mallard in the South Texas area. Some ducks actually have claws on the bottom of their webbed feet to help them when on a limb. As to a power line, I guess they could. Some of our power lines are pretty big in diameter and sometimes they are run bunched together, giving a duck the sensation or feel of a tree limb. Also there are several ducks that actually nest high up in trees but, usually in a hollowed out area of the trunk or in man made nesting boxes.
Here is a photo of a female Mallard sitting on a tree limb on one of our tanks. Just so no one thinks you and I are crazy. Hope this helps. LOL
Colt
Cowboys sign RB, release DE
August 5, 2003
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The Dallas Cowboys signed rookie fullback Erik Bickerstaff on Tuesday.
Bickerstaff was expected to be Wisconsin's starting fullback last fall but didn't play because he had used up all of his eligibility, in part because school officials didn't monitor his academic progress.
A partial qualifier when he joined Wisconsin as a walk-on in 1998, Bickerstaff lost that year of eligibility but could have earned it back by graduating in four years. School officials discovered last summer that he was on pace to graduate in 4 1/2 years and wouldn't be able to play.
The Cowboys also reached an injury settlement with defensive end Darrell Wright.
Wright, an undrafted rookie from Oregon, had surgery Thursday to repair a broken bone in his left hand. The injury happened during practice Wednesday.
Training Camp Notes: August 5
by Bo Mitchell - Content Manager, Fanball.com
Tuesday, August 5, 2003
Fanball.com is running Training Camp Notes each weekday throughout the preseason. Senior Editor Rick Kamla and Content Manager Bo Mitchell will take you around the NFL, so check back each weekday for a report on your team and/or fantasy players.
Arizona Cardinals Here's a quick update on quite possibly the ugliest wide receiver competition in the history of all things played with pigskin. Hey, Jeff Blake has to throw to somebody, right? Currently Larry Foster and Bryan Gilmore are your starters, but that just means they're your early leaders in the clubhouse. It probably won't last. Not excited yet? Second round draft choice Anquan Boldin is flashing some skills while Jason McAddley and Kevin Kasper are also in the running for playing time. Doesn't do much for me, either.
But at least they have first round draft choice Bryant Johnson, who has more upside than any of the aforementioned receivers. The problem is Johnson had to be hospitalized late Saturday/early Sunday for allegedly having too much to drink and tossing his cookies. Nice work, Bryant. This just in: you're at training camp and will be working out in 110-degree heat…you might want to watch the dehydrating alcohol consumption. Even I didn't get that out of hand this past weekend, and I was at my brother's weekend-long bachelor party. Then again, I'm a fairly experienced imbiber.
Cincinnati Bengals Third-round draft pick Kelley Washington finally ended his holdout and signed a three-year contract Sunday. He was on the practice field for the first time Monday. The 6-3, 218-pound wide receiver is already slated to be the team's third wideout behind Chad Johnson and Peter Warrick.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports Washington displayed his strength, speed, and quickness immediately. "Speed, hands and power, very powerful guy," offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said of Washington. "The one issue we're dealing with right now is being able to beat bump and run. The only one that now is consistently beating bump and run is Chad. We need someone else that can beat bump and run, and Kelley showed us a little bit in the spring that - because of his strength - he has the ability to do that." We'll get our first glimpse of Washington during their exhibition game this Sunday against the Jets.
Detroit Lions Steve Mariucci is getting his gang of running backs healthy. On Monday, the Lions activated Shawn Bryson from the Physically Unable to Perform list, where he had been since the start of camp while completing the rehabilitation from last October's torn ACL. Bryson was signed out of free agency to be used frequently in Mooch's West Coast offense as a change of pace and third down alternative to James Stewart.
"It's absolutely imperative that we have a stable of running backs," Mariucci told the Detroit Free Press Monday. "Because for us to think that one guy is going to carry the load, that's wishful thinking in this day and age. It's hard to survive a season at tailback. You need about three of them." Bryson looks like he still has all his speed back and, if he remains upright, will siphon plenty of touches from Stewart this season.
Green Bay Packers The Packers' signing of Wesley Walls is very interesting and deserves the attention of fantasy footballers. His teaming with Bubba Franks brings back memories of 1996 when Keith Jackson and Mark Chmura formed a lethal tight end tag team for the Pack. Franks is still the unquestioned starter, but Walls could definitely affect his numbers if (and this is a whopper of an "if") he can stay healthy.
Walls is a good fit for their offense, is great pals with Brett Favre, and the team feels he can gain separation and be a factor in the red zone. Last time I checked, Franks' fantasy value was derived almost entirely out of his red zone duties, as he catches touchdowns sans the big yardage.
By all accounts, Wes is in great shape. "His workout was unbelievable," Packers' tight ends coach Jeff Jagodzinski told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Unbelievable. He looks like he's 30, 27 years old. The routes he was running, I told the guys that's what they're supposed to look like."
Walls is actually 37 and has suffered two torn ACLs (in 2000 and 2001) but he shows zero effects of the knee injuries and says his knees don't bother him at all. Keep your eyes on this situation.
Jacksonville Jaguars With no progress to report on Monday, Byron Leftwich's contract holdout reached 12 days Tuesday morning. It's the longest contract-related absence by a rookie in team history, according to the Florida Times Union. Cornerback Fernando Byrant held out for 11 days in 1999.
Caution continues to be the approach regarding Fred Taylor, who hasn't practiced since hurting his knee last Wednesday. Taylor will not play when the Jaguars take the field for their first preseason game this Saturday against the Vikings, but head coach Jack Del Rio says he's not concerned. "It's definitely just a bone bruise," Del Rio told the Times Union. "We just think it's more prudent to be more cautious now. He's our workhorse. There's no sense in taking an unnecessary risk at this point."
Minnesota Vikings The running back competition just gets more and more interesting and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is fanning the flames. For those of you who have missed the first several chapters of this saga, here's the skinny: Michael Bennett is out until at least the midseason, maybe the entire season, as he is recovering from a stress fracture in his foot. Incumbents Doug Chapman and Moe Williams were atop the depth chart when camp started because, as veterans that's where they deserved to be.
Since camp opened… 1. The Vikes pointed out early on that Williams would reprise the role he had last year when he was the most effective short yardage and goal line back in the NFL. 2. Rookie Onterrio Smith, who we expect to eventually be the starter, ends the first holdout by a fourth-round draft pick that any of us can remember after two days. 3. Chapman missed a few practices with a sprained foot. 4. Smith gives himself a few more nicknames, starts flashing his considerable skills, and even impresses coach Tice with his blocking. 5. Larry Ned, who broke many of Marshall Faulk's records at San Diego State, begins turning heads. 6. Coach Linehan says that Smith has an "even money" chance to be the week one starter. 7. Ned continues to impress everyone from coaches to fellow players to media observers and is considered the star of camp by many. 8. Chapman misses more time with a mild hamstring strain. 9. Ned and Smith both look great running with the first team in their first full-pads practice on Monday morning. 10. Coach Linehan tells the St. Paul Pioneer Press that if the season started today, Williams would be his starting running back. "The only one I'm 100 percent sure of is Moe," Linehan said. He went on to tell the paper that Smith is "close…but he's still missing a few days in my opinion." Williams will start the Vikings' first exhibition game Saturday against the Jaguars.
What we know for sure is that Chapman's status is dropping even though he plans to return to the practice field Tuesday or Wednesday. "One man's misfortune is another man's opportunity," Linehan said. Fantasy players need to remember, the Vikings led the NFL in rushing last year and have a massive offensive line to run behind...so stay tuned.
New York Giants It's official: 2002 second-round pick Tim Carter is the Giants' third receiver. Ron Dixon just can't stay healthy long enough to hold the job and might not even hold a spot on the roster. Dixon is still rehabbing from June 12 surgery on his right knee—the same knee on which he had arthroscopic surgery last December to repair a torn PCL. He was supposed to be ready in three weeks, but it has been almost two months now and he's still limited to light jogging.
When will he return? "I'm not sure," Dixon told the New York Daily News. "Hopefully I can get back maybe next week. I'm going to keep saying 'tomorrow' until tomorrow actually happens." Meanwhile, rookie wideouts David Tyree, Willie Ponder, and Kevin Walter have all looked good in practice.
St. Louis Rams Remember the name Kevin Curtis. The rookie is now third on the team's wide receiver depth chart behind starters Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce and ahead of Dane Looker and Troy Edwards. Rookie receivers don't generally make a lot of fantasy noise, but then rookie receivers don't generally get a chance to play in an offense like this.
Chiefs: Peterson still not sold
by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com
Tuesday, August 5, 2003
News
Priest Holmes played in KC's first preseason game Monday night, telling the world he needs to "get paid." Carl Peterson, however, wasn't sold after watching Priest rush for 14 yards on five carries. "He looked fine," Peterson told the KC Star. "I'm glad he got through it without getting nicked." The Star then asked Peterson if Holmes proved he's completely back. "No," Peterson said. "I'm sure (Priest) would say the same thing. I'm sure he would say he isn't there yet."
Views
Sorry, Carl, but that is not the case, as Priest said he was ready. In fact, he's been saying that since July. Basically, Peterson needs to see Priest rip off a play that screams "old Priest" before throwing millions at him. Stay tuned...
Chiefs: Lineman okay
by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com
Tuesday, August 5, 2003
News
According to Associated Press, Chiefs' offensive tackle Willie Jones was released from the hospital Tuesday after suffering a sprained neck in Monday's Hall of Fame game.
Views
The injury was scary at first, so it's a relief to hear this good news. Jones has had neck problems before, so the team will watch this with a very keen eye.
Chiefs: Holmes gets five carries in preseason opener
by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com
Tuesday, August 5, 2003
News
Chiefs’ running back Priest Holmes played in his first preseason game Monday night, racking up 14 yards on five carries against the Packers. It was his first game since a season-ending hip injury last December. Holmes had surgery in late March. He showed some burst on his second carry when he picked up five yards by beating the linebackers to the side of the field and then running out of bounds. It was his longest carry of an otherwise non-descript night. When asked by a reporter what it would take to get ready for the season, Priest simply said: "Get paid." He is looking for a contract extension and could hold out if his demands are not met. It's also worth noting that Derrick Blaylock, not prize rookie Larry Johnson, was the No. 2 running back on Monday.
Views
Holmes passed his first test with flying colors. He took some hits but didn’t look phased and showed no signs of limping. Like we’ve said all along, if his ! hip is healthy, then he should be the number one fantasy player. His hip looks healthy. Now about that contract.
Cowboys: Carter and Hutchinson will each receive a start
by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com
Tuesday, August 5, 2003
News
Head coach Bill Parcells has not named a starting quarterback for the team's first preseason game on Saturday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. However, whether Quincy Carter or Chad Hutchinson gets the call, the other will start in the team's second preseason game on August 15. Parcells will make the ultimate starting decision prior to the third contest on August 21.
Views
In other words, fantasy owners and Cowboys' fans should not read too much into who starts on Saturday. However, the individual performances will weigh heavily into the final decision.
K.C.'s Jones' injury casts somber tone over Hall of Fame Game
IVAN CARTER
The Kansas City Star
CANTON, Ohio - Chiefs tackle Willie Jones had to be carted off the field and taken to an area hospital Monday night after he suffered a sprained neck late in the second quarter against Green Bay.
The incident was similar but less severe to one that ended Jones' season last November. After the game, Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said Jones had re-gained feeling in his hands after initially losing feeling all over his body.
"He's been through this before, so he sort of has a history with it,"
Vermeil said. "This wasn't anything like the last time he did it though."
The 6-foot-6, 355-pound Jones, who is in his fourth season with the Chiefs and fifth NFL season overall, was pass-blocking against Green Bay linebacker Marcus Wilkins when his body suddenly went limp as he fell to the turf.
Jones and Wilkins did not appear to make violent contact, but the players struck helmets when Chiefs offensive guard Darnell Alford tried to assist Jones and blocked Wilkins into him from the other side.
Jones stayed on the ground without moving for 8 minutes as trainers from both teams and medical personnel removed his face mask and secured him to a stretcher.
Vermeil said Jones was awake and coherent during this time.
Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson said that Jones has some sensation in his fingers and toes and that he would remain hospitalized overnight for additional testing.
Kenneth Funderburk, Jones' assistant coach at Belle Glade Central High School, was watching the game at home in Florida.
"I kept saying, `Get up, get up.' Then he didn't get up. Then I said, `Oh, boy, here we go,' " Funderburk said. "We can sit back and pray and hope everything comes out all right.
"Hopefully, he will pull through. He's got a history with this kind of injury."
Jones suffered a season-ending neck injury Nov. 7, missed two games and was placed on injured reserve.
Coming into this season, Vermeil expressed high hopes for Jones.
"I think last year, he proved he could play," Vermeil said last week. "He was our third tackle, and he did well until he got hurt. He was doing well. But it's time. We have invested two years in him. Actually, (the Chiefs) invested some time in him the year before. It's his time."
The Chiefs have been hoping Jones would shed weight and make fundamental strides this preseason so he could win a job as the team's third offensive tackle behind starters Willie Roaf and John Tait.
He opened Monday's game in place of Tait, who is still recovering from an ankle injury he suffered in last week's scrimmage with the Minnesota Vikings.
Jones struggled for much of the half, giving up a sack to Jamal Reynolds that turned into a turnover when Reynolds knocked the ball out of Todd Collins' hand. Jones was also beaten for two sacks by Wilkins.
If Jones' injury is serious, the Chiefs could put veteran Marcus Spears as the top backup at tackle. Spears started 11 games at right tackle when Victor Riley suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2001. Spears, in his 10th NFL season, has also started at left tackle and guard.
Spears is listed as a backup to Roaf at left tackle. Garrick Jones, in his first NFL season after playing in the Canadian Football League during 2002, replaced Willie Jones in the second half Monday night.
Garrick Jones gave up a third-down sack to Wilkins on the first offensive series of the half but did a solid job on the next drive, which ended with a field goal by Jose Cortez.
Wright Thompson of The Star contributed to this report
Chiefs top Packers in rain-shortened opener
From Herald Wire Services
Priest Holmes looked fine in a brief appearance, and so did Brett Favre as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Green Bay Packers 9-0 at Canton, Ohio, in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game, shortened Monday night by lightning and torrential rain.
The exhibition opener for both teams also had a sobering moment when Chiefs offensive tackle Willie Jones sustained a head injury late in the second quarter.
A Chiefs spokesman said Jones sustained head trauma and was being evaluated at Aultman Hospital.
Kansas City had just taken a 9-0 lead on a 27-yard field goal by José Cortéz with 5:55 left in the third quarter when several lightning bolts hit near Fawcett Stadium.
Play was halted for nearly 30 minutes before NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue decided to cancel the remainder of the game with 5:49 remaining in the third quarter.
ELSEWHERE
• Jaguars: Johnnie Mitchell, who has walked out of two training camps -- including the Dolphins' -- during his on-again, off-again decade in pro football, was released by Jacksonville, putting at least a temporary halt to the 32-year-old tight end from Nebraska's quest to play in a regular-season game for the first time since 1996.
• Raiders: The team was cheated out of hundreds of millions of dollars by Oakland Coliseum officials who lured them home from Los Angeles on the false promise of a sold-out stadium, the team's lawyer said in closing arguments in the nearly four-month-long fraud trial in Sacramento.
• Falcons: Arthur Blank said he won't settle a sexual discrimination lawsuit by a former team vice president.
"You don't settle when it comes to principle," the Falcons owner and former Home Depot co-chairman said about a suit he called "baseless" and "inflammatory."
• Panthers: Rookie defensive tackle Kindal Moorehead returned to the team after spending four days in a Charlotte, N.C., hospital because of an insect bite.
• Lions: Wide receiver and No. 2 overall draft pick Charles Rogers wore pads and took part in a few light drills, nearly a week after he dislocated his left ring finger. . . . Fullback Cory Schlesinger signed a two-year contract extension.
Texas Tech football starts practice, ready to kickoff season
By David Wiechmann
University Daily
(U-WIRE) LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech University football officially starts Wednesday, and the Red Raiders are reporting for duty Tuesday.
The 2003 campaign gets underway this week as the Raiders start two-a-days in preparation for their season opener against Southern Methodist University on Aug. 30.
Two-a-days serve as the chance for the team to set the foundation for the upcoming season and start off on a good note.
"Since the Tangerine Bowl we've been looking forward to this," said senior wide receiver Wes Welker. "We've been busting our butts, and it starts back in spring workouts. You look back at all the preparation you did, and if you have a great year, you have a great year."
All the hard work starts early and ends late, but the end result is rewarding to the players.
"Two-a-days are extremely busy," Welker said. "Your day starts at seven in the morning and goes until nine at night. ... By the end it's a necessary evil for you to be successful."
Linebacker Mike Smith said he is ready for that necessary evil to start.
"I've been ready since spring ball," he said. "We've got a new defensive coach, and we love his new scheme."
Defensive coordinator Lyle Setencich's new defensive system will be more of an aggressive style of football. Smith likes the system because he gets to do what linebackers love-hitting people.
"Coach Setencich is old-school," Smith said. "He likes to hit people."
Personnel-wise the Raiders are not much different from last season, and Smith said that will be an advantage to Tech. The defense loses Lawrence Flugence and Aaron Hunt as two of the team's leading tacklers, and the offense is less one Kliff Kingsbury.
But Welker said Tech fans can expect B.J. Symons to take the reins well for the offense at quarterback.
"Nobody knows too much about him, except for when he came in those few games," he said. "But when he did come in he fed the ball around."
Something the Raiders have to overcome every year is media predictions and low expectations. Welker and Smith both said the team does not really care about preseason predictions any more because it has become commonplace.
"It's the same underdog position we've been in," Welker said. "It's just another year, and we've got to prove people wrong."
Smith agreed with Welker and said the team enters every season having to make people eat their words.
"They do it every year," he said. "We don't get too upset about it. ... We have to show every year what we can do."
This year the team is taking the approach of improving upon last year and getting better every day, which is one of head coach Mike Leach's mottos. Smith said the Raiders will not be satisfied with a low-key bowl game this season.
"We just want to play better and better," he said. "We want to get to a better bowl game this year and improve on everything."
Defensive lineman Adell Duckett said improvement will mean a better atmosphere and a team the fans are bound to enjoy watching.
"It's going to be an explosive team to watch," he said. "The defense has a lot of young guys, new faces, and I think it's a team people are going to enjoy watching."
With this being Welker's senior season, he said he wants to go out with a bang at Tech and leave a mark on the Big 12 Conference.
"This is really my last hurrah," he said. "So, I'm ready to get after it."
Coaches were in meetings and unavailable for comment.
© 2002 University Daily via U-WIRE
Big East preview: Another Vick in the offering at Virginia Tech
By Matt Hayes - SportingNews.com
Bryan Randall says he's the starting quarterback at Virginia Tech. His coach, Frank Beamer, says it too. There's just one nagging problem: A freshman named Vick isn't buying it.
"I want it bad," Marcus Vick says.
And that's enough to shake everything sideways. Maybe it would be different if his name weren't Vick, if he were just another antsy redshirt freshman detoxing from sitting and watching his first year drag by and talking faster than he's thinking.
But this is Marcus Vick, brother of Michael Vick, who just happened to reinvent the position in two seasons with the Hokies. This is Marcus Vick, who, despite not having played a down of college football, already is legendary in Blacksburg, the small southwestern Virginia town his brother mapped a few years ago.
"They're brothers," Randall says. "It's only natural when you see the type of player Marcus is, you wonder. A Vick is a Vick, you know?"
Maybe that's why Beamer dances around the inevitable when speaking of his two quarterbacks. He insists there will be no controversy, yet follows that by saying Randall will have to bust his tail to hold off Vick every week of the season.
Randall played well last season; he did, however, have problems with turnovers (11 interceptions, eight lost fumbles), leading many to believe that Vick would overtake him during spring practice.
Vick played magnificently in the 15 practices. But instead of falling away, Randall performed flawlessly (he committed no turnovers during scrimmages or seven-on-seven drills), strengthened his hold on the position and was the clear starter going into fall camp.
But there are those Vick-esque signs that continue to breathe life into the controversy: a 35-yard darting, blazing scramble for a touchdown in a spring scrimmage and two perfectly thrown deep balls in the spring game that were dropped by wideout Richard Johnson.
Again, Vick never has played in a game, and for all anyone knows, he'll play differently when the game jerseys are on. Tech knows what it has in Randall: an athletic, dual-threat quarterback who completed nearly 64 percent of his passes last season and twice ran for more than 100 yards in a game. Sure, he struggled some in the big games, but so did the entire team.
Vick is the unknown, but every time he flicks that wrist and the ball floats effortlessly, and every time he jump-steps when scrambling and hits another gear, he reminds everyone of the guy you couldn't keep your eyes off for those two seasons in Blacksburg. If he is as good as his brother, how can Tech waste that dynamic ability on the bench?
"If they've got someone better than Randall," says Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni, "God help us all."
Any way you look at it, Tech has a quarterback controversy.
"I want to play," Vick says. "Who knows what will happen, but I'll be ready."
Staff writer Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. Email him at mhayes@sportingnews.com and include your name and location.
Drugs, alcohol, asthma contributed to Iowa State U. alumnus' death
By Lucas Grundmeier
Iowa State Daily
(U-WIRE) AMES, Iowa -- Former Iowa State University and Dallas Cowboys running back Ennis Haywood died primarily because of a mixed ingestion of ethanol and two drugs, the Tarrant County (Texas) Medical Examiner's Office said Friday.
Bronchial asthma made a "significant" contribution, the office said in a release, but it was not the primary cause. The death was ruled accidental.
Haywood, a two-time All-Big 12 selection who ranks fifth on the ISU career rushing chart with 2,862 yards, died the afternoon of May 11 in Dallas after he began vomiting in his sleep about 18 hours before.
According to the autopsy report released Friday, Haywood's death resulted from a mixture of ethanol, codeine and an unidentified benzodiazepine. Those substances can prove dangerous when taken in combination, experts said.
Codeine is commonly used medicinally as a narcotic, prescribed for the relief of moderate pain and cough suppression.
The benzodiazepine family of depressants is used to produce sedation, induce sleep, relieve anxiety and muscle spasms and to prevent seizures.
The drug is also sometimes used to treat asthma.
Because the drugs are prescribed tens of millions of times per year, they are usually not associated with drug abuse.
Ethanol is a component of many alcoholic beverages and can lead to short-term drunkenness and long-term toxic effects when taken in high dosages, Story County Medical Examiner Paul Gryte said.
Haywood's blood-alcohol content, based on a sample taken about 12 hours after he was admitted to an Arlington, Texas hospital, was well below the legal limit for driving.
The autopsy report also highlighted congestion in microscopic sections of Haywood's lungs.
An initial autopsy in Dallas the day after Haywood's death yielded no conclusive results. Friday's release came after the completion of toxicology tests done on Haywood's blood and urine.
Haywood was 23 when he died and was entering his second season with the Dallas Cowboys after signing as an undrafted free agent following the 2002 NFL draft. He spent the 2002 season on the Cowboys' practice squad after leading them in rushing during the preseason.
This preseason, Haywood was expected to compete for a spot on the Cowboys' 53-man regular season roster. He had no known serious health problems before his death -- he completed a team physical one week before his death.
He was survived by his parents, Ennis Sr. and Carol, his high school sweetheart and wife, Kristal, 3-year-old daughter Ennicia and the family's newest member, Haven Haywood -- born June 19, five weeks after Ennis' death.
During Iowa State's 9-3 2000 season, which included the Cyclones' only bowl victory in history, Haywood ran for 1,237 yards, the ninth highest single-season total in school history. He also earned first-team All-Big 12 honors for the first time.
Only Troy Davis has gained more yards per carry as a Cyclone than Haywood, averaging 5.6 yards per carry to Haywood's 5.0.
Drugs, alcohol, asthma contributed to Iowa State U. alumnus' death
By Lucas Grundmeier
Iowa State Daily
(U-WIRE) AMES, Iowa -- Former Iowa State University and Dallas Cowboys running back Ennis Haywood died primarily because of a mixed ingestion of ethanol and two drugs, the Tarrant County (Texas) Medical Examiner's Office said Friday.
Bronchial asthma made a "significant" contribution, the office said in a release, but it was not the primary cause. The death was ruled accidental.
Haywood, a two-time All-Big 12 selection who ranks fifth on the ISU career rushing chart with 2,862 yards, died the afternoon of May 11 in Dallas after he began vomiting in his sleep about 18 hours before.
According to the autopsy report released Friday, Haywood's death resulted from a mixture of ethanol, codeine and an unidentified benzodiazepine. Those substances can prove dangerous when taken in combination, experts said.
Codeine is commonly used medicinally as a narcotic, prescribed for the relief of moderate pain and cough suppression.
The benzodiazepine family of depressants is used to produce sedation, induce sleep, relieve anxiety and muscle spasms and to prevent seizures.
The drug is also sometimes used to treat asthma.
Because the drugs are prescribed tens of millions of times per year, they are usually not associated with drug abuse.
Ethanol is a component of many alcoholic beverages and can lead to short-term drunkenness and long-term toxic effects when taken in high dosages, Story County Medical Examiner Paul Gryte said.
Haywood's blood-alcohol content, based on a sample taken about 12 hours after he was admitted to an Arlington, Texas hospital, was well below the legal limit for driving.
The autopsy report also highlighted congestion in microscopic sections of Haywood's lungs.
An initial autopsy in Dallas the day after Haywood's death yielded no conclusive results. Friday's release came after the completion of toxicology tests done on Haywood's blood and urine.
Haywood was 23 when he died and was entering his second season with the Dallas Cowboys after signing as an undrafted free agent following the 2002 NFL draft. He spent the 2002 season on the Cowboys' practice squad after leading them in rushing during the preseason.
This preseason, Haywood was expected to compete for a spot on the Cowboys' 53-man regular season roster. He had no known serious health problems before his death -- he completed a team physical one week before his death.
He was survived by his parents, Ennis Sr. and Carol, his high school sweetheart and wife, Kristal, 3-year-old daughter Ennicia and the family's newest member, Haven Haywood -- born June 19, five weeks after Ennis' death.
During Iowa State's 9-3 2000 season, which included the Cyclones' only bowl victory in history, Haywood ran for 1,237 yards, the ninth highest single-season total in school history. He also earned first-team All-Big 12 honors for the first time.
Only Troy Davis has gained more yards per carry as a Cyclone than Haywood, averaging 5.6 yards per carry to Haywood's 5.0.
Ssssshhhhh, NLionGuy, ya gotta be quiet...the best approach is to sneak up on everyone and surprise them. LOL Something tells me that Paterno will have the Nittany Lions right there in the middle of the hunt. Best of luck to Penn State...
Colt
Ksquared, the thing about athletes is that almost every time they get accused of something bad it turns out to be proven true, sad to say. My brother got his Masters of Business Administration from Baylor's Hankamer School of Business, in Waco. He is sick over what has happened there with the dead basketball player and his roommate. A real shame. I don't want to think Kobe is guilty, but, the DA sure seems to think so. I hope your Michigan guy is found NOT guilty.
Colt
Quail Unlimited Habitat Accomplishments in 2002
Quail Unlimited National Habitat Habitat Coordinator Roger Wells' 2002 Habitat report is here! Click the link below to see the details of our habitat conservation efforts in the year 2002
In 2002 alone, Quail Unlimited / Dove Sportsman’s Society:
Spent over 1.71 million dollars on habitat improvement projects.
Were responsible for over 3.87 million dollars in habitat expenditures through chapters, partners and value of seed distributed.
Planted over 2.02 million pounds of seed on 163,000 acres.
Planted over 135,000 miles of wildlife food plots.
Planted nearly 5,200 acres of native warm season grass.
Purchased over 170,000 pounds of special food plot mixes planted on over 14,000 acres.
Planted 68,000 pounds of lespedeza on 6,600 acres.
Conducted prescribed burning on over 28,000 acres
Purchased, rented or maintained 167 pieces of equipment for habitat development.
Developed or maintained over 300 wildlife-watering sites.
Sponsored over 560 youth activities, projects, camps, etc.
Reached 240,000 youth with activities such as habitat projects, hunter education, conservation programs, scholarships, school events and youth groups.
Sponsored 46 landowner / farmer events attended by 3,100 people.
Sponsored 32 wildlife research projects.
Conducted 108 wildlife surveys in cooperation with state and federal wildlife agencies.
Improved over 7,700 acres of habitat through conservation mowing, spraying, disking and brush management.
Purchased 45 tons of fertilizer for wildlife plantings.
Paid for over 2,200 hours of contract labor.
Quail Season Hunting Dates by State
A look at the quail season hunting dates from the conservation and wildlife departments in the respective states.
Note: All dates are from the respective agencies websites. Make sure you always check local dates with the state hunting authority in your area. Many areas are sectioned off in districts or game wards and the same dates do not apply in each district or ward.
Alabama
November 16, 2003 - February 28, 2004
Daily: 12; Possession: 12
Arkansas
Open Season November 1, 2003 - February 8, 2004, statewide.
Daily: 6; Possession: 12
Information: While training bird dogs, you may only use handguns or shotguns with blank ammunition. Pen-raised quail may be taken by first obtaining a Shoot-to-Kill Bird Dog Field Training Permit and complying with its terms. This permit is available from you local wildlife officer.
Florida
Seasons on wildlife management areas may be different from these seasons.
Season Northwest Zone, Central Zone, South Zone, all zones
November 8, 2003 - February 29, 2004
Georgia
Statewide November 15, 2003 - February 29, 2004
Daily: 12
Louisiana
November 16, 2003 - February 28, 2004
Daily: 10; Possession: 20
North Carolina
November 23, 2003 - February 28, 2004
Daily: 6; Possession: 12
South Carolina
November 28,2003 - March 1, 2004
Daily: 10
Manchester State Forest WMA (except Bland Tract)
November 28, 2003 - March 1, 2004
Daily: 12 (Monday - Saturday only)
Quail Hunting: Bland Tract
Quail hunters must pick up and return data cards at access points. Shotguns must be plugged so as not to hold more than 3 shells.
December 4, 28, 2003 - Game Zone 8 Limits
January 1, 18, 2004 - February 1, 12 , 2004
Tennessee
November 8, 2003 - February 29, 2004
Daily: 6
Texas
Statewide (all counties)
October 25, 2003 - February 29, 2004
Quail Unlimited addresses the habitat problems of quail and dove through its network of grassroots chapters. QU chapters raise funds in their local communities, then fund projects that will have the greatest impact on quail, dove, upland game birds and other wildlife species. QU chapter projects include habitat management, research, youth programs, and informational and educational programs. In addition to helping targeted wildlife species, QU chapter projects also benefit dove, deer, turkey, rabbits, song birds and a host of other species. Sportsmen who are interested in doves may want to consider starting a chapter of the Dove Sportsman’s Society (the dove wing of Quail Unlimited). Funds raised by dove chapters may be used to provide more dove hunting opportunities in the chapters’ local areas. Funds could also be used for youth dove shoots, public dove fields,dove research projects or in association with the chapter’s state wildlife agency.
QU programs are making a positive impact at all level, from local to national, QU members in over 500 chapters across the country support and actively participate in habitat improvement, education and research projects. Funds raised by QU chapters are ear-marked for local habitat and educational projects, state wildlife departments, upland game bird management, habitat research and education programs.
Despite a growing awareness of the importance of preserving and improving upland game habitat, more and more of this habitat is lost each year. In addition, severe seasonal weather conditions such as drought and extreme cold can decimate upland bird populations. Much more scientific research is needed for us to better understand the habitat needs of quail and other upland game birds, their dynamic relationships with other species, and the most effective and beneficial habitat management techniques and programs.
In 2000 alone, Quail Unlimited and the Dove Sportsman’s Society...
Spent over 2.35 million dollars on habitat improvement activities
Planted over 1.8 million pounds of seed on 182,000 acres
Planted over 10,000 acres of warm season grasses
Distributed over 2.1 million pounds of wildlife seed for food plots
Planted over 177,000 miles of wildlife food plots
Planted over 59,000 trees and shrubs with wildlife projects
Conducted controlled burning on over 67,000 acres
Purchased 229 pieces of farm equipment for habitat development at a cost of $207,000
Developed or maintained over 270 wildlife watering stations
Sponsored over 441 youth activities, projects and camps, etc.
Reached over 223,000 youth with activities such as hunting safety, scholarships and habitat projects
Sponsored over 700 landowner seminars and information & educational activities
Supported over 38 research projects nationally
Contributed over 1.17 million dollars to habitat projects in conjunction with outside partners
http://www.qu.org/main/chapterdev/chapterdev.cfm
New programs offer promise on the High Plains: Raising Wheat & Wildlife
by Mark Herwig
High Plains conservationists are finding new ways to integrate wildlife habitat into millions of acres of wheat-fallow cropland. Delayed minimum-till (DMT) is a new concept that shows so much promise for pheasants and other wildlife that the states of Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming, as well as Pheasants Forever and other partners have recently launched promotions to encourage farmers to use the practice.
The DMT concept emerged from the cooperation of Randy Rodgers, a wildlife biologist with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP), and Alan Schlegel, an agronomist with Kansas State University. Wheat-fallow runs on a two-year cycle, skipping a planting season to allow moisture to rebuild in the soil before re-planting. Moisture conservation is the key to successful farming on the semi-arid High Plains.
Many farmers in the 17 states and two Canadian provinces where wheat-fallow is used once allowed weeds to grow after harvest in their 12-20 inch wheat stubble. This tall, weedy stubble provided is not only remarkable pheasant brood cover and winter habitat, but also provides waste grain and wild seed for other wildlife. The only downside to this old system, from a pheasant's perspective, was the weed control tillage in the spring of the fallow phase, which destroyed some nesting birds, eggs and young.
A time of change
In the late 1970s and '80s, many High Plains farmers began using herbicides to control weeds. Farmers sprayed immediately after harvest in late June or July, preventing summer growth of the broad-leaved plants necessary for pheasant brood and winter cover. Farmers also began spraying newly-developed sulfonylurea herbicides on green wheat in spring. The residual activity of the herbicides further minimized broad-leaved plant growth in the stubble.
By the 1990s, weedy stubble on the High Plains was rare and pheasant numbers had crashed. While many Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres had been added on the central High Plains by this time, Rodgers found that pheasants used CRP only 1/3 as much as weedy stubble. (CRP must be disturbed every 3-5 years to maximize pheasant use of a management tool PF is promoting).
Pheasants and other wildlife were further hurt when semi-dwarf varieties of wheat became popular on the High Plains. Shorter varieties resisted lodging (falling over) caused by wet or windy conditions better than taller wheat. Also, powerful modern combines allowed farmers to lower the headers to cut wheat on shorter side shoots or tillers. The upshot: shorter stubble equals poor quality wildlife habitat.
A new idea
The dramatic changes in High Plains farming practices and the resulting loss of wildlife motivated Rodgers to contact Schlegel and propose an investigation of DMT as an option to benefit wheat farmers and wildlife.
Schlegel conducted a six-year study at the KSU Southwest Research and Extension Center near Tribune, Kansas. He compared three wheat-fallow systems. First, the conventional system used subtillage (cutting weeds below the surface using an undercutter) to control weeds throughout the 14-month fallow period. Second, the no-till system used herbicides for fallow weed control. And third in the DMT system, weeds were permitted to grow between harvest and frost. The new weed growth was sprayed once in spring. Any subsequent weed growth in the DMT system was controlled with subtillage.
What the research showed was exciting: farmers can actually increase their profits in wheat-fallow by allowing weeds to grow in stubble after harvest. The reasons DMT increases profitability are its low cost and its ability to conserve moisture.
When Troy Dumler, Kansas State University ag economist, compared the yields, inputs, and gross returns, it turned out that the DMT system provided an average net return of $39 per acre, compared to $30 per acre with the no-till system, and just $3 per acre with the conventional wheat-fallow system. Keep in mind there is only one crop every two years in wheat-fallow. The most obvious conclusion of this work was that the post-harvest tillage used in conventional wheat-fallow was really harmful to grain yields and subsequent profit. The greatest drawback to the no-till system was the high cost of multiple herbicide applications throughout the 14-month fallow period.
Applied over 1,000 acres, for example, the DMT system would provide an increase in profits of $9,000 over the no-till wheat-fallow system. More impressively, DMT would increase profits by $36,000 over the conventional wheat-fallow system.
"This is an average and these increases may not happen every year. But in a lot of cases, that's the difference between a farmer making money in a year or losing it," Rodgers said.
Water is the key
The foundations of DMT's appeal are its low input costs and moisture building ability. Moisture is the crucial limiting factor in dryland wheat farming on the High Plains.
Dryland wheat is just that ó there is no irrigation. Rodgers agrees that letting weeds grow after wheat harvest in the DMT system uses some of the moisture remaining in the soil. However, the increased surface residue provided by the weeds and their upright structure help to significantly increase snow capture and retention over winter. Studies have shown that moisture from snow is responsible for up to 45 percent of wheat yields on the High Plains.
By using a herbicide for spring weed control in the fallow phase of the DMT system, all that upright residue is maintained on the soil surface during the critical spring months when the potential for soil moisture storage is typically greatest. The heavy residue also reduces evaporation at ground level by preventing air movement and shading the soil. In this way, the DMT system more than makes up for the moisture used by weed growth after harvest.
Schlegel's agronomic research showed that, by the end of fallow, the DMT system stored an average of just over an inch more moisture in the soil compared to conventional wheat-fallow, and this despite the post-harvest water losses to weeds. While no-till wheat-fallow stored more moisture than DMT, it was less profitable due to higher input costs ó i.e. increased herbicide costs.
A pheasant's perspective
From a pheasant's perspective, DMT offers many advantages. The post-harvest broad-leaved weed growth provides excellent brood cover and the weedy stubble makes good winter cover later on. The best combination for pheasants is found when both tall stubble and broad-leaved weeds are present. Rodgers found pheasants were six-times more abundant during winter in weedy stubble than in herbicide-sprayed stubble.
Yet, spraying can be a positive for pheasants come spring. Using herbicides for spring weed control, instead of tillage, in fallow stubble will allow most nests to survive. If tillage is used, substantial nest destruction is likely. Rodgers recommends subtillage once weeds begin to come on again in late June or July. Research he conducted in the early 80's showed that pheasant chicks and nests will often survive subtillage with an undercutter (without treaders), but virtually never survive surface tillage with a disk.
Also, pheasants aren't the only wildlife to benefit from DMT. Other species that benefit include cottontails, mule deer and many songbirds. Compared to conventional wheat-fallow, DMT also reduces soil erosion. The added residue and reduced tillage can increase soil organic matter and improve soil structure of all important for future crops.
Tall stubble benefits
Taller stubble should be part of the recipe as well. The DMT system, as with any High Plains crop rotation, works best when wheat stubble is kept as tall as possible. Like the added residue provided by the weeds, taller wheat stubble improves snow catch and decreases evaporation from the soil. Rodgers has observed that taller stubble encourages growth of relatively benign broad-leaved weeds like wild sunflower. But short stubble tends to favor difficult-to-control grasses as well as Russian thistle. Of course, what happens in any particular field depends on the weather that year, soil type, seed bank, and past management practices.
Recent studies by scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service indicated that farmers should always strive to cut wheat no less than 2/3 of the height to the base of the primary wheat stalk with conventional combine headers. This provides for optimum harvest efficiency, moisture conservation and erosion control. KSU agricultural engineer Mark Schrock has pointed out that running the combine header too low carries the risk of decreasing the machine's threshing efficiency. This loss can offset the small amount of low quality grain gleaned from short tillers. Using a stripper header, which harvests grain without cutting the wheat stalk, may be even better, particularly if wheat is relatively short or thin.
DMT is catching on
With the research just completed, several states are beginning efforts to promote the DMT concept.
In Kansas:
The KDWP has recently incorporated DMT information into a video and has provided it, and supporting information, to all county ag extension agents in western Kansas. On top of that, KDWP has sent the video to every landowner and farm operator in the four-county pilot area of the Western Kansas Pheasant Initiative. Rodgers realizes DMT wheat-fallow won't work for everybody in western Kansas. Many farmers have shifted into more-intensive cropping rotations that require post-harvest weed control. But he thinks DMT will work well for High Plains farmers who are staying with wheat-fallow.
In Nebraska:
DMT has already gained a foothold in Nebraska's dry, western panhandle. There, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) along with Pheasants Forever, the state's natural resources districts, and the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service are promoting DMT as part of the new Tall Wheat Stubble Management (WSM) Pilot Program. In fact, PF-Nebraska and the NGPC have jointly hired a biologist to promote this program.
Ritch Nelson, NGPC district habitat manager, said the WSM program began just last fall has already enrolled 1,400 acres, with most choosing a tall stubble-DMT option. Nelson said he expects the incentive program, which includes public hunting access, will be expanded beyond the Panhandle.
Nelson hopes the WSM program gains momentum and more people sign on. If that happens, he hopes the USDA may eventually consider including WSM as a conservation option in the Farm Bill.
In Colorado:
Tim Davis, private lands/real estate supervisor for the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW), reports his agency is working toward offering incentives for DMT and tall stubble through the USDA's Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP).
"We're hoping it will be more than a pilot program. It is a good way to provide multi-purpose benefits," Davis said.
Davis thinks the economic benefits are the main reason that farmers should try DMT, but he mentioned another reason. "We're currently in one of the worst droughts in history. If ever a practice that prevented soil moisture loss were to be implemented, this would be the time. DMT could be considered the dryland wheat farmer's insurance policy against drought."
Davis said CDOW's Pheasant Habitat Incentive Program (PHIP) and DMT are a perfect match. PHIP is administered in the field by Colorado's Pheasants Forever chapters. He said PF chapters are excited and ready to assist with promoting DMT in eastern Colorado's wheat country.
Bruce Rosenbach, habitat chairman Phillips County Chapter, lives in northeastern Colorado where he farms 2,500 acres of wheat. He said DMT will come close to paying for itself just on the basis of fuel savings because of the recent high price of diesel.
"I had 320 acres in DMT last year and will do 800 acres this year. It should help the pheasants because the hens like to nest in the weedy wheat stubble. It will be one more piece of the puzzle for pheasants," Rosenbach said.
In Wyoming:
In eastern Wyoming, Ryan Amundson, habitat extension biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, has also begun promoting DMT. The effort so far has mainly been an educational drive, but the state is also offering some limited, one-time incentives to coax farmers into increasing stubble height and trying DMT.
DMT in the future
Barth Crouch, Pheasants Forever wildlife biologist for Kansas, said he likes the new approach. "DMT holds a lot of promise for us. When it snows in Kansas, it often comes with a lot of wind. Anywhere there is CRP, there's no snow on the road ó the plants hold the snow. DMT works the same. And when it rains, covered ground holds more water than bare ground or short stubble."
Crouch believes DMT incentives should be added to the federal Farm Bill. "Anything that keeps soil from blowing away and conserves moisture on the arid High Plains is good. We have to find new systems where the farmer makes money and we get wildlife too. That's the wave of the future."
DMT in detail
For more details on delayed minimum tillage (DMT), the free brochure "Improving Profit and Habitat in the Wheat-Fallow Rotation" is available from Randy Rodgers, Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks, P.O. Box 338, Hays, KS 67601; or email your request to randyr@wp.state.ks.us or call 785-628-8614.
http://www.pheasantsforever.org/
I agree, Ruellit. Them early Chief's teams were awesome.
TRCP Follow Up Letter To Send To President GW Bush,
TRCP Joins Ducks Unlimited, Other Leading Conservation Groups To Sign Wetlands Letter to President Bush
The Honorable George W. Bush
President
The White House
1st Floor, West Wing
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
As our nation’s leading hunting and angling organizations, we are writing to express our strong opposition to potential regulatory changes that would eliminate long-standing Clean Water Act protections for millions of acres of wetlands and thousands of small lakes and ponds. For America’s 47.8 million hunters and anglers the protection of the wetlands and waters where we hunt and fish is one of the single most important issues pending before the Federal government.
Specifically, we are concerned that the January 15, 2003 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Clean Water Act Definition of "Waters of the United States" will ultimately lead to the elimination of Clean Water Act protections for isolated wetlands, lakes and ponds. We do not believe the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should proceed with a rulemaking to redefine "waters of the United States" and ultimately narrow the scope of the Clean Water Act. After three decades as the most important federal statute in the protection of fish and wildlife habitat it is inappropriate from our perspective that the rule making process may be used to significantly weaken the Clean Water Act provisions of greatest importance to sportsmen.
America’s rich hunting and fishing traditions are inextricably tied to the protection of habitat and as sportsmen and Republican Presidents have known for over 100 years isolated wetlands and small ponds are among the most important of all habitat:
"a little pool out on the prairie will show along its edges numerous traces of animal life; for, though of small extent, and a long distance from other water, it may be the home of beavers, and muskrats, the breeding place of different kinds of ducks and the drinking place for the denizens of dry country roundabouts, such as wolves, antelope, and badgers."
-Theodore Roosevelt
Hunting Trips of A Ranchman -- 1885
Today, over half of all the ducks in North America begin their lives in the small prairie potholes extolled by Teddy Roosevelt. However, if Clean Water Act jurisdiction over isolated bodies of water is removed, 96% of these wetlands, and thousands of lakes and ponds enjoyed by millions of fishermen, could be polluted and filled in without recourse.
We are calling upon you, as a fellow hunter, fisherman, and conservationist to stop any proposed rulemaking by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that would abolish long-standing Clean Water Act protections for wetlands and other small bodies of water. Absent these protections, your goal of "no net loss" of wetlands and the full potential of voluntary wetland restoration and banking programs will never be realized.
We look forward to working with you in the coming months on this matter of critical importance. Your leadership on this issue is greatly appreciated by America’s hunters and anglers.
Sincerely,
American Fisheries Society
American Fly Fishing Association
American Sportfishing Association
BASS/ESPN Outdoors
Boone & Crockett Club
Buckmasters American Deer Foundation
Campfire Club of America
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
Dallas Safari Club
Delta Waterfowl Foundation
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Izaak Walton League of America
Mule Deer Foundation
National Shooting Sports Foundation
National Trappers Association
National Wild Turkey Federation
North American Grouse Partnership
Pheasants Forever
Pope and Young Club
Pure Fishing
Quail Unlimited
Ruffed Grouse Society
Shikar-Safari Club International
Texas Wildlife Association
The Wildlife Society
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Trout Unlimited
U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
Wildlife Forever
Wildlife Management Institute
Join TRCP today and WIN — It's free!.
Our Mission: To ensure that America's lands, both public and private, will always provide clean water, healthy habitat, bountiful fish and wildlife populations, and opportunities to fish, hunt and enjoy the outdoors.
©2003 Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
www.trcp.org
info@trcp.org
(877) 770-8722
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership recently joined Ducks Unlimited and other leading national hunting and angling groups in sending a letter to the President, calling on him to avoid making any changes to the existing federal regulations that protect our nation’s vital wetlands. The Bush Administration is currently considering specific rule changes that should cause American sportsmen and women great concern. The modifications under review would alter the protection provided to wetlands by the Clean Water Act and thereby dramatically curtail waterfowl hunting and sport fishing. The potential ramifications of the rule changes are huge for American sportsmen and women.
************
What's At Stake:
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership recently joined Ducks Unlimited and other leading national hunting and angling groups in sending a letter to the President, calling on him to avoid making any changes to the federal regulations that protect our nation’s vital wetlands. The Bush Administration is currently considering specific rule changes that should cause American sportsmen and women great concern.
The modifications under review could substantially reduce protection provided to wetlands by the Clean Water Act and thereby dramatically curtail waterfowl hunting and sport fishing. The potential ramifications of the rule changes are huge for American sportsmen and women. In fact, they would lower protection of over 96% of our wetlands found within the United States. Wetlands provide premier habitat for countless waterfowl and fish and thus are invaluable to hunters and anglers across the country. From the prairie potholes of North and South Dakota to the forested swamps of Louisiana, to the tidal marshes of California, abundant, healthy wetlands are vital to our opportunities to hunt and fish.
Click Here: http://www.trcp.org/pressroom/pr_bushltr_wetlands.html
to find the letter along with a list of other organizations that joined with the TRCP in opposition to the proposed rule change.
Go to: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/swanccnav.html for more information on the proposed rule change.
On the previous page, you will find a fully editable letter in opposition to potential regulatory changes that would eliminate long-standing Clean Water Act protections for millions of acres of wetlands and thousands of small lakes and ponds. TRCP encourages you to use this template and add your own comments specific to your locality.
Campaign Expiration Date:
August 15, 2003
Copy of the Letter: In a follow up post.
Original, according to Phil, Churak and OneBgg, are the rascals responsible for none of us getting our much deserved $1,000.00 in Government War Bonds. I believe they are from the Civil War, if I remember correctly. Should be a lot of interest built up, depending on which side you were for. LOLOL Like that episode of The Beverly Hillbillies, where Shorty told Jed he had some really BIG money. Turns out it was Confederate Bills that were about 5" x 10" in size, thus really big money. As OneBgg would say, HARRRRRRRRRRR!!!
Colt
THOUSANDS TURN OUT FOR THE 9TH ANNUAL DUCKS UNLIMITED
GREAT OUTDOORS FESTIVAL
MEMPHIS, TN, June 4, 2003—More than 55,000 outdoor enthusiasts raced through the gates at the Ninth Annual Ducks Unlimited (DU) Great Outdoors Festival presented by Suzuki over the last weekend of May to “see it, try it and buy it.” The three-day family event took place on the grounds of the Agricenter International and celebrated the DU lifestyle. A record number of attendees joined the membership organization, whose mission is to conserve, restore, and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl. The Festival returns for the 10th year in Memphis on June 4-6, 2004.
The Festival is organized by Ducks Unlimited (www.ducks.org) and Primedia Outdoor Events http://www.primedia.com , and is the largest outdoor event of its kind in the country. Skilled professionals are featured at numerous “sporting villages” who guide both novice and experienced enthusiasts in a variety of activities, including archery, clay target shooting, fishing, camping, mountain biking, dog training, ATV testing, and conservation.
The event is designed for family participation, offering a full complement of youth activities that stress Ducks Unlimited’s heritage of conservation, waterfowling and the enjoyment of the outdoors.
“There was great family participation in all venues this year. It was wonderful to see all the kids participating in outdoor sporting activities, many for the very first time,” said Dana Barton, Special Events Manager, Ducks Unlimited. “This event is made possible thanks to the efforts of hundreds of DU
volunteers,” added Barton.
“In addition to our dedicated volunteers, our more than 400 sponsors and exhibitors are critical to the success of the Festival. Without them we wouldn’t be able to bring this unique event to the thousands of outdoors enthusiasts we have in the Mid-South region,” commented Cindy Caryl, Event Director, Primedia Outdoor Events group.
Thousands cast lines in the catfish pond and paddled canoes and kayaks in the Chevy Trucks Fishing Village. Shotgun, pistol and rifle shooters went through cases of ammunition at the Dodge Shooting Sports Village. ATV riders drove over simulated off-road conditions on the four tracks in the ATV Village. Droves of arrows flew through the air in the Archery Village, and extreme biking demonstrations wowed fans in the Toyota Biking and Camping Village. The Nissan Hunting Dog Village received rave reviews for the retriever training and technique seminars. The Off-Road Village saw huge numbers of Festival attendees test-driving the latest models of trucks and off-road vehicles. Hundreds of exhibitors of all kinds sold their wares inside the Agricenter and throughout the Festival grounds.
If you couldn’t make it to the Memphis Festival, don’t worry . . . there are two more Festivals, the next taking place on August 15, 16, and 17, at the EAA Convention Grounds in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and the first Festival in the Mid-Atlantic region taking place in the Richmond/Petersburg, Virginia area, September 19, 20 and 21, at the Virginia MotorSports Park.
Contacts:
Bob Benson, bbenson@ducks.org, 901-758-3859
Catherine Girard, catherine.girard@primedia.com, 323-782-2290
PRIMEDIA is the new tradition in media. With 2001 sales of $1.7 billion from a unique combination of traditional and new media properties, it is the leading provider of targeted content and integrated marketing solutions in both the consumer and business-to-business sectors. The Company is the #1 special interest magazine publisher in the U.S., with more than 300 titles such as Seventeen, New York, Teen, Motor Trend, Fly Fisherman, American Baby, Telephony, American Demographics; the #1 producer and distributor of specialty video with 18 satellite and digital video product lines, including Channel One Network; and the #1 news and information group on the Internet, with over 1,000 special interest web sites. PRIMEDIA’s stock symbol is: NYSE: PRM. More information about the Company can be found at www.PRIMEDIA.com
With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest wetlands and waterfowl conservation organization. Since the founding in 1937, DU has conserved nearly 11 million acres of critical wildlife habitat across North America. For more information: http://www.ducks.org.
http://www.ducks.org/news/GOFMemphis2003FollowUP.asp
The Future of Wetland Conservation May Be Threatened
Interpretation of the Clean Water Act May Adversely Impact Waterfowl
Memphis, TN, June 12, 2003 --- Ducks Unlimited (DU), a world leader in wetland and waterfowl conservation, voiced its concern over changes to wetlands protection provided by the Clean Water Act before the U.S. Senate this week in Washington D.C. Dr. Scott Yaich, director of conservation programs for the nonprofit explained that weakening of federal wetland protection may have serious environmental and economic consequences. How the Bush Administration interprets the Supreme Court’s Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) vs. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision, which reduces federal oversight of “isolated” wetlands, and acts on it, may determine the future of duck hunting.
During his testimony Yaich stated, “A broad interpretation of the court decision will have significant consequences, including accelerated losses of the essential prairie pothole wetlands, vulnerability to filling and draining of an extraordinary number of other wetlands, and the potential for periodic closure of duck hunting.”
The prairie pothole region, which is the most important breeding habitat for waterfowl in the U.S. is one of many areas under threat due to the Supreme Court action. Of the 20 million potholes that once existed in the northern U.S., only seven million remain. One analysis suggested that duck production here would decline by over 70 percent if all wetlands less than one acre were lost, and scientists estimate that up to 96 percent of the potholes could be without protection.
Waterfowl are also a valuable interstate resource, and wetland losses would impact the numbers of birds and funds spent by sportsmen and women. According to a 2001 assessment, the economic impact would be significant, impacting nearly three million duck and migratory bird hunters who spend $1.4 billion on hunting-related goods and services.
DU has been heavily involved in assessing the impacts of the court’s decision. A team of DU scientists has studied the issue as it relates to the habitats most important to waterfowl. Their report is available on DU’s website at http://www.ducks.org/conservation/404_report.asp.
The group continues to work to protect “isolated” wetlands under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act based upon the functional hydrologic links that exist between most isolated wetlands and navigable waters and tributaries. For more information on this definition: http://www.ducks.org/news/DUComments.pdf
For more on the Clean Water Act and the SWANCC decision and to view Dr. Scott Yaich’s testimony, go to: http://www.ducks.org/news/WetlandsJurisdiction.asp.
Contacts: Bob Benson, (901)-758-3859 or bbenson@ducks.org
Scott Sutherland, (202) 347-1530 or ssutherland@ducks.org
With more than one million supporters, Ducks Unlimited (www.ducks.org) is the world’s leading wetland and waterfowl conservation group. Wetlands are nature’s most productive ecosystems, but the United States has lost more than half of its original wetlands, and continues to lose more than 100,000 wetland acres every year.
Tune in to “The World of Ducks Unlimited" Radio Network, and Ducks Unlimited TV on the Outdoor Life network. For more information: www.ducks.org
http://www.ducks.org/news/YaichTestimony.asp
Spring Habitat Conditions Improve for Breeding Waterfowl
Spring precipitation on northern breeding grounds improved habitat conditions for waterfowl production
June 12, 2003 - When what little snow there was finally melted on the northern Great Plains, conditions looked pretty bleak for prairie-breeding waterfowl, but reports from DU biologists in Canada and the United States indicate that snowstorms in April and rains in May improved habitat conditions from poor to good across much of North America’s breeding grounds.
However, according to DU biologists, some of the moisture came late, after large numbers of waterfowl, particularly pintails, had already migrated north of the improved habitat conditions. “This appeared to have occurred specifically in northern Nebraska, South Dakota and parts of Minnesota,” says Rick Warhurst, DU Regional Biologist in Bismarck, North Dakota.
“The good news is, southern Canada had plenty of water to attract and hold those pintails that missed the spring moisture on the U.S. Prairies,” says Steve Adair, Director of Conservation Programs for DU's Great Plains Regional Office.
In general, DU biologists are optimistic about the potential for a good breeding season for waterfowl. “At this time 2003 is shaping up to be a better than average production year on the Northern Great Plains,” says Adair.
That optimism is based on positive reports coming from biologists on the breeding grounds in both Canada and the United States. Here’s what they’re saying:
North Dakota
Heavy late spring moisture significantly improved breeding habitat conditions across North Dakota. Going into the spring many of the large wetlands still contained high water levels but most of the seasonal and temporary wetlands were dry. The rains arrived in time for many of the migrants staging on the large wetlands to find better breeding habitat in newly flooded seasonal and temporary basins. The Missouri Coteau is in good condition from the northwest all the way to the South Dakota border. The Drift Prairie to the east of the Coteau is in fair condition but many of the wetlands were plowed and burned last fall leaving very little emergent vegetation and surrounding nesting cover. West River North Dakota is in fair to good condition. Like in Montana, a significant amount of nesting habitat was impacted by the emergency haying of CRP last year. Overall, production should be fair to good in North Dakota.
South Dakota
Spring precipitation also improved waterfowl breeding habitat in South Dakota, particularly in the western region of the state where conditions that were previously poor are now good across a large area. In north-central and northeast South Dakota the northern portions of the Missouri Coteau and the Prairie Coteau, respectively, have good breeding habitat conditions as a result of the spring moisture. Though grassland conditions are improved in central and southern parts of the state, dry soil conditions consumed most of the spring moisture, and conditions are fair to poor across southern South Dakota. Preliminary waterfowl survey data from eastern South Dakota indicate that fewer numbers of breeding waterfowl are present in the state this spring than have been observed in the previous several years. Wetland conditions across much of this region are only fair, and in those areas with good habitat, it appears as if the moisture came a little late as many waterfowl moved on northward. During the week of May 25 broods of mallards and pintails began to appear on wetlands. Overall, production in South Dakota should be fair.
Montana
Like most prairie states, after four years of extreme drought, it looked as if 2003 spring habitat conditions in Montana would be fairly dismal for waterfowl. There was very little winter snow to provide runoff to recharge wetlands, and nesting habitat was in poor condition. The good thing is, conditions can change quickly on the northern prairies, and Montana has received a significant amount of late spring moisture, which has improved habitat conditions in most of the important breeding areas.
Currently, conditions in Montana range from poor to very good. The Northeast and the Hi-Line of Montana are in fair to good condition with some parts of the northeast being very good. In the Golden Triangle of north-central MT conditions are still poor but get significantly better along the Rocky Mountain Front. Most of the state south and east of the Missouri River is in fair to good condition with a few pockets around Sydney and Billings still being very dry and in poor condition. The inter-mountain valleys have all improved from fair to good with the good spring moisture. Nesting habitat in the state was impacted significantly by the emergency haying of CRP last year that reduced the amount of residual cover available for breeding ducks. Overall, production should be fair in Montana.
Minnesota
Spring moisture was spotty across Minnesota. Some areas were greatly improved by precipitation, but where the rain and snow didn’t hit, habitat conditions remained dry. Southern Minnesota benefited the most from the precipitation and habitat conditions are good in that region. In the central region of the state conditions range from fair to good while in northern Minnesota habitat conditions are fair. In 2002, the waterfowl migration through Minnesota was delayed and large numbers were observed during the May waterfowl breeding population survey. This spring, the northward migration was more normal and fewer waterfowl were observed during the survey but good numbers of waterfowl, particularly mallards, remained in the state. Overall, production is expected to be fair to good in Minnesota.
Iowa
Heavy rain events this spring greatly improved habitat conditions in northern Iowa. Good to very good conditions and good numbers of waterfowl are evident across the state. Waterfowl production in Iowa is expected to be good this year.
Nebraska
Spring precipitation improved wetland conditions in northern Nebraska and good habitat conditions are present in the Sandhills and other areas in Nebraska. May waterfowl breeding population surveys indicate that breeding populations are similar to last year, particularly for mallards, blue-winged teal and gadwalls. The moisture did come late and many waterfowl had already migrated northward when conditions improved. Production will be good in northern Nebraska.
Wyoming
A major snowstorm in April significantly changed the drought stricken area of eastern Wyoming and greatly improved wetland and grassland conditions. Fair to good habitat is present across eastern Wyoming for waterfowl production and good production is expected.
Colorado
Drought conditions continue to persist throughout most of Colorado. Significant snowfall during the late spring provided needed relief to the northern and central mountains. Due to the extremely dry conditions going into the fall of 2002 much
of this moisture has infiltrated the soils. As a result, spring runoff in most drainages is at or below normal. In the South Platte drainage snow pack was 110% of normal, spring runoff along the lower South Platte has been providing good to excellent migration habitat. Nesting conditions in the traditional waterfowl production regions of Colorado including North Park, Middle Park, South Park and the San Luis Valley will be poor to fair this spring. If precipitation does not continue, brood habitat will be limiting throughout these areas. Fair to good nesting conditions exist throughout much of the higher mountain region where wetlands conditions are more constant and not as subject to the hydrologic fluctuations seen in lower elevation wetlands.
Above the 49th Parallel
Spring Habitat Conditions Improved in Canada
In western Canada above normal precipitation across much of the prairies and parklands has improved habitat conditions from good to very good. A strong breeding effort by northern pintail and dabbling ducks in general is underway in the prairies. Most of Manitoba continues to be dry except for areas in the southwestern part of the province. Habitat conditions have improved in B.C. and in southern Ontario and Atlantic Canada. Many areas are reporting the first Canada goose and mallard broods. At this time 2003 is shaping up to be a better than average production year across Canada.
Western Boreal Forest
Spring arrived in the southern Western Boreal Forest during the last week of April and first week of May while in the northern forest many large lakes still remain ice covered. The boreal forest in Manitoba remains very dry and as a result habitat conditions range from fair to near poor. The exception is good wetland habitat in the Saskatchewan River delta due to good run-off earlier this spring. Boreal forest habitat in Saskatchewan has received above normal precipitation since April 1 and wetland habitat there is rated as fair to good. Late winter/early spring snowstorms have brought some relief from the dry winter experienced in northern Alberta and British Columbia. In general good numbers of waterfowl have returned to southern areas of the western boreal forest and large flocks of Arctic nesting species such as Canada geese, snow geese and tundra swans have been seen. Unfortunately roadside surveys in the southern Yukon during the second week of May turned up fewer scaup pairs than expected.
British Columbia
Precipitation since April 1 has been well above normal in the intermountain regions of southern British Columbia. Although much of this moisture soaked directly into the dry soil, some improvement in wetland conditions was noted. The added soil moisture will also improve nesting habitat for late season nesters. With this new snow, the high mountain snow pack will provide near normal run-off later this spring and early summer; good news for habitats associated with irrigation districts in Alberta. Breeding habitat in the southern interior and Kootenay regions ranges from fair to good while very good habitat now exists in the central interior. Habitat conditions in north central and north-eastern B.C. are generally good. The breeding season is in full swing in southern B.C. with Canada goose and mallard broods already evident. In the north early nesting species have arrived and breeding activities have begun.
Alberta
Habitat conditions in the core of Alberta’s prairie region are rated as good. In the Calgary-Red Deer corridor and the extreme southeast corner of the province conditions are very good. Good to fair conditions exist in the extreme southwest corner on the west edge of the Milk River ridge to south of Hanna. Spring precipitation is well above normal (115 to over 200%) over the area. While the very dry soils consumed much of the moisture, the number of ponds is well above last year. Breeding is underway with many lone drake mallards and pintails evident across the landscape. Early information from the annual Migratory Bird Breeding Pair Survey in southern Alberta suggests pair numbers are up substantially in the prairie biome. With continued precipitation an average to good production year is expected.
The Alberta Aspen Parkland has received from 150% to well over 200% of normal precipitation from April 1 to present. Habitat conditions in the western parkland are rated as very good. In the east along the Saskatchewan/Alberta border habitat is in only fair condition because the extremely low soil moisture conditions soaked up most of the moisture resulting in little run-off. Sightings of lone drake mallards indicate a good breeding effort is underway. With continued precipitation good production is expected in the central and western Aspen Parklands.
Break-up and spring run-off are still in progress in the Peace Athabasca delta region where habitat conditions are expected to range from fair to good. To the south conditions improve and are rated as very good to good in the west and central Peace Parklands to fair in the eastern forest. Late winter snow accumulation and above normal precipitation since April 1 (115-200%) have markedly improved habitat conditions compared to last year. In the southern Peace Parklands large flocks of Arctic nesting white-fronted geese, tundra swan and Canada geese have moved through the area. Large flocks of northern pintail have also been seen. With the passage of migrants, resident duck numbers appear down somewhat but a good production year is expected in the southern and central Peace parklands with average production expected from the more northern areas.
Saskatchewan
The western portion of prairie Saskatchewan received well above normal precipitation from September 1 to the present. Some areas of the Missouri Coteau south of Moose Jaw had record amounts of winter snow during this period. Since April 1 all of prairie Saskatchewan has received more than 150% of normal precipitation and habitat condition is now rated as very good. Most parkland habitat in Saskatchewan is rated in good condition however the northwest and northeast parklands are only rated as fair. Generally conditions are wet in southern Saskatchewan prairie and drier to the north.
Early counts from the Migratory Bird Breeding Pair Survey from central, south central and south-western Saskatchewan are encouraging. Preliminary data indicate northern pintail pair counts as high as 36 pairs per square mile in some areas and in the Allan Hills, total dabbling duck pair estimates are over 60 per square mile. Large numbers of pintail and mallard lone drakes have also been seen during the surveys, indicating a strong nesting effort. With the wet weather, agricultural field operations have been delayed and many early nests should hatch before operations can begin. Canada goose broods have been reported from the southern prairie region.
Manitoba
Good habitat conditions exist in the southwest corner of Manitoba including the pothole region near Erickson and Minnedosa. Habitats to the east degrade to fair to poor near the Manitoba escarpment and in the West Lake and Interlake regions. A recent rainstorm brought up to two inches of rain to the Red River Valley, improving habitat ratings from poor to fair. The waterfowl spring migration was unspectacular this year in Manitoba likely due to the dry conditions in the central and eastern parts of the province. Breeding activity has been less than normal especially east of the Brandon and Dauphin regions. Early Canada goose broods have been spotted at Oak Hammock Marsh north of Winnipeg.
Ontario
Recent rains have resulted in good to very good conditions across southern Ontario. Habitat quality is mixed across the north. In the far west near Kenora fair habitat exists as the result of spring rainstorms. Just west of Thunder Bay conditions are rated as poor to fair with water levels well below normal although in the immediate vicinity of Thunder Bay habitat is in good shape. Good habitat also exists around Sault Ste. Marie and north along Lake Superior. In the northern clay belt near Timmins good habitat exists to the west with fair habitat east to the Ontario/Quebec border. Fair habitat exists north of Lake Huron and east through the Sudbury area to North Bay. Fair habitat exists along the Hudson and James Bay coasts. In southern Ontario breeding is well underway with many mallard lone drakes and groups of drakes evident in wetland areas. Broods of Canada geese and mallards have also been seen.
Quebec
In Quebec precipitation accumulations during the past winter and since April 1 are below average to slightly above normal. Habitat conditions across the region are good except for a small area along the Quebec/Ontario border where conditions are rated as fair the result of a dry winter and below normal spring precipitation. Breeding chronology is somewhat delayed but a good production year is expected.
Atlantic Canada
Wetland habitats in Atlantic Canada are in excellent condition but spring temperatures have been cool. Predicted warmer weather will be welcomed as cold wet weather can lower survival of young ducklings. With excellent wetland conditions and many breeding pairs reported in the region, it should be a good production year in Atlantic Canada.
With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands – nature’s most productive ecosystems – and continues to lose more than 100,000 wetland acres every year.
Contact:
Laura Houseal
(901) 758-3764
lhouseal@ducks.org
For some excellent maps and graphs go here:
http://www.ducks.org/news/SpringHabitatConditions.asp
No wonder no one has ever received a dime. How in the world did he con himself into that job? LOL
Colt
Thank you for deciding to take action to protect America’s most important duck breeding areas.
A broad interpretation of a 2001 Supreme Court Decision involving the Clean Water Act by the Bush Administration could potentially seal the fate of invaluable prairie potholes, playa lakes and other wetland habitats in the U.S.
As hunter-conservationists, waterfowl enthusiasts, and concerned citizens, we must let key decision-makers in Washington D.C. know that we disapprove of any action that will limit the full protection of these wetlands in the U.S. If the court’s decision is wrongly applied, the waterfowl resource we treasure will suffer. Loss of vital breeding grounds and wintering habitats will have a severe impact on our opportunities to observe and hunt waterfowl throughout the U.S. The future of our wetlands and waterfowl populations is at stake!
To express your concern, choose a letter(s) below that best reflects your opinions on this issue and send it to the White House, the Secretary of the Interior, and your Congressional representatives. You have a few delivery options to choose from once you select a letter to send. You can automatically email or fax the letters to the recipients, but we urge you to also print and mail (or fax) a copy of the letter(s) to the recipients on your personal letterhead. Customizing the letters by adding personal opinions and comments in addition to details specific to your state is also important. Experience tells us that this is the most effective way to deliver your message. Personalized letters get read. Don’t forget to encourage your family members, friends, and co-workers to send their own personalized letters.
For other links go here:
http://www.ducks.org/news/BreedingGrounds.asp
Ducks Unlimited Receives Honors for Accomplishments With GIS Technology
Organization is Among the First Nonprofits to Receive the Prestigious Award
Memphis, TN
July 8, 2003—Ducks Unlimited (DU) will be honored on July 10, 2003, with a Special Achievement in GIS award from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), the world leader in geographic information system (GIS) software. Selected from more than 100,000 organizations worldwide, winners of this award have displayed extraordinary use of GIS technology. ESRI will honor these organizations at the Twenty-third Annual ESRI International User Conference in San Diego, California, among thousands of GIS professionals.
http://www.ducks.org/news/GISAward.asp
DU of the future: Using new GIS technologies, such as this image of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, assists DU with conservation planning.
“The outstanding work of the Special Achievement award winners is inspirational,” said Jack Dangermond, ESRI president. “These organizations have embraced GIS technology and used it to bring real benefits to the people they serve.”
A GIS is a computer-based mapping tool that takes information from a database about a location, such as streets, buildings, water features, and terrain, and turns it into visual layers. The ability to see geographic features on a map gives users a better understanding of a particular location, enabling planners, analysts, and others to make informed decisions about their communities.
DU is being recognized for utilizing GIS technologies to better enhance and improve its conservation mission. Chris Baker, GIS manager for DU in Memphis, TN, was thrilled to learn the news, “This is a great honor for the GIS department at DU and a source of pride. It also puts our efforts in the National and International spotlight as a leading edge organization.”
“This honor highlights to the world how DU is pioneering the latest technologies to deliver one of the most effective conservation programs,” said Don Young, DU’s executive vice president. He added, “ESRI is a global leader in the spatial data arena and thus their recognition of DU is truly of significance given their large and diverse client base.”
The DU GIS team uses this technology as the "eyes and ears" for the organization’s science-based conservation planning. GIS permits DU to quantify and qualify waterfowl habitat, do important analyses, and design eco-spatial models to prioritize different types of restoration work over tens of millions of acres at a time.
For more information contact: Bob Benson, Manager of Media Relations at 901-758-3859, bbenson@ducks.org, or Nikki Snowhite, ESRI Marketing Communications at 909-793-2853, ext. 2194, nsnowhite@esri.com.
Contact: Bob Benson
Phone : 901-758-3859
E-mail: bbenson@ducks.org
With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest wetlands and waterfowl conservation organization. Since its founding in 1937, DU has raised more than $1.7 billion to conserve nearly 11 million acres of critical wildlife habitat across North America. For more information: www.ducks.org.
For more than 30 years, ESRI has been the leading developer of GIS software with more than 300,000 clients worldwide. ESRI software is used in all 200 of the largest cities in the United States and in more than 60 percent of counties and municipalities nationwide. Headquartered in California, ESRI has regional offices throughout the United States, international distributors in more than 90 countries, and more than 1,500 business partners. ESRI's goal is to develop comprehensive tools that enable users to efficiently manage, use, and serve geographic information to make a difference in the world around them. ESRI also provides consulting, implementation, and technical support services. ESRI can be found on the Web at http://www.esri.com
Duck Numbers Up: Experts credit improved habitat on northern breeding grounds
For complete article and charts and graphs go here:
http://www.ducks.org/news/2003DuckNumbersUp.asp
Memphis, July 3, 2003—The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released the breeding duck population and May pond numbers from its 2003 survey, conducted each year in cooperation with the Canadian Wildlife Service. Numbers of birds and habitat conditions have improved greatly over what was observed in 2002. Overall duck numbers are at 36.2 million birds, up from the 31.2 million birds estimated in 2002. The index for breeding habitat conditions stood at 5.2 million ponds, 91% above the 2.7 million counted in last year.
“These results pretty well confirm what our staff and others in the breeding areas have been observing this spring,” says Dr. Bruce Batt, DU’s Chief Biologist. DU’s Executive Vice President, Don Young, notes, “This is great news following the extremely dry winter that we had across these same areas. The extraordinary snow and rains that started in April have provided much-needed moisture that will benefit waterfowl and the farming community. That precipitation, along with habitat put in place by DU and other groups and vital federal habitat programs like CRP are combining to produce an effective recipe for duck production.”
“The fall flights should be improved as a result of these conditions” notes Young, “but as always, hunting success in any given location is very much affected by regional and local weather conditions. For many duck hunters, especially in the southern U.S., a good old-fashioned winter would be a welcome change after unusually warm and wet winters during the past two seasons kept many birds from migrating very far south.”
Each of the 10 most common species of duck is up from last year. Mallards are at 7.9 million birds, relative to the 7.5 million counted in 2002.
“We are especially glad to see the jump in pintail numbers by 43% from 1.8 million to 2.6 million,” says Batt. “Conditions on the prairies were just right when they arrived. So, unlike the pattern of recent years, they appear to be putting in a very good nesting effort.” Pintails remain of great concern as they are still 39% below their long-term average. Nevertheless, this relief from the recent trends is welcome.
The other species of concern is scaup. Their numbers are up slightly from 3.5 million to 3.7 million birds. Both pintails and scaup are the subjects of major new research efforts. DU and many partners in the U.S. and Canada have developed extensive new management efforts to resolve the pintail problem. But the cause of the scaup decline is not yet fully understood and new management approaches are not yet readily available.
Waterfowl managers have adopted the population goals of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan against which to measure the progress of management efforts across the continent. Of the 10 most common duck species, only the pintail and scaup are seriously below the Plan’s goals, by 54% and 40%, respectively. Wigeon are up by 9% but still 14% below goal. All others, including mallards, are above or very near the goals in 2003.
Gadwall numbers are up 14% over last year and continue to be well above the goal, and green-winged teal are up by 15%. Northern shovelers showed a very large increase to 3.6 million birds, 82% above their goal. Relative to last year, the other two common diving ducks, canvasbacks and redheads, are up by 15% and 13%, respectively—a welcome change from steady declines during the previous two years.
Blue-winged teal are at 5.5 million birds, a number that will be welcomed by hunters that participate in the September teal season, because a longer season is prescribed when the population is above 4.7 million birds.
“These increases are mostly the result of much better conditions on the prairies, which stimulated the birds to stop and breed,” says Batt. “Upland nesting habitat is the other critical element that drives nesting success. It will be improved this year because of the generous rains but, for the long-term, we still have a great deal to do to improve and secure improved nesting conditions, especially in Canada.” DU continues to work diligently to resolve those issues and is seeing promising improvements in some areas as agricultural policies and practices change in ways that are more beneficial for waterfowl.
“Two exciting initiatives in this regard arise from DU’s leadership in improving Canadian upland cover,” explains Young. “ The first is an expanded winter wheat program, and the second is a new conservation cover program developed with agriculture Canada.”
With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands – nature’s most productive ecosystems – and continues to lose more than 100,000 wetland acres each year.
Contact: Laura Houseal
(901) 758-3764
lhouseal@ducks.org
Look for Ducks Unlimited on the World Wide Web at www.ducks.org. Tune in to The World of Ducks Unlimited Radio Network, and watch Ducks Unlimited Television on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN).
For all of the Charts and Figures go here:
http://www.ducks.org/news/2003DuckNumbersUp.asp
BREEDING GROUNDS IN JEOPARDY: Take action today to save the prairie potholes
The prairie pothole region, the most important breeding habitat for waterfowl in the U.S., is facing an increased threat. Depending on how the Bush Administration interprets and acts on a Supreme Court decision affecting wetlands, scientists estimate that up to 96 percent of the potholes could lose current federal protection. Experts estimate that in some years this could mean a severe reduction or even closure of duck hunting.
To send a message to the White House, the Secretary of the Interior, and your representatives in Congress, click on the “Take Action” button, and tell Washington how important this issue is.
RESEARCH UPDATE: Ducks Unlimited Scientists Search for the Keys to Higher Duck Production
MEMPHIS, TN, August 4, 2003 - Ducks Unlimited is expanding its research in the Missouri Coteau of the U.S. Great Plains to identify the characteristics of the best breeding habitat for waterfowl and other prairie-nesting birds. The study was originally scheduled to last two years and cover the Missouri Coteau region of North Dakota, but DU has now expanded that research into South Dakota, and rather than ending the study after two years, some sites will continue to be monitored for five to ten years.
“This research will facilitate DU’s efforts to improve nest success by providing the best possible habitat for waterfowl,” says Scott Stephens, DU’s Research Biologist in charge of the study.
Stephens says they’ve learned a lot from this study over the last two years, but there’s always more to learn. “There can be quite a bit of variation in how sites do from year to year. That’s why it’s important to look at areas over the long term – so we can see what characteristics those sites with a high average of nest success over a long period of time share. Then, we can target DU projects in regions with those characteristics.”
This year, as part of the extended study, research crews scattered across the Missouri Coteau region of the Dakotas, are examining nest success rates for ducks and shorebirds on 27 sites. Each crew is locating nests by dragging 200 feet of chain stretched between two ATVs, through grassland areas. When the chain passes over females on nests, the bird flushes and the researchers are then able to mark the location of the nest and revisit it periodically to determine its success.
Landscape characteristics of each site are then gathered using satellite imagery and processed using Geographic Information Systems. Based on that information, statistical models are run to show the factors that influence nest success. To date, during 2003, research crews have gathered information on over 2,000 duck nests and several hundred shorebird nests with hundreds of nests being located each day.
Armed with the information provided by this study, Ducks Unlimited will continue to improve its conservation projects on the breeding grounds. “By using science to refine our decisions, we’re ensuring the decisions that we make today are better than the ones we made yesterday,” says Stephens, “And if we continue studying the birds and their habitat, and monitoring our own work, we can rest assured that the decisions we make tomorrow will be even better.”
With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands – nature’s most productive ecosystems – and continues to lose more than 100,000 wetland acres each year.
Contact: Laura Houseal
(901) 758-3764
lhouseal@ducks.org
Look for Ducks Unlimited on the World Wide Web at www.ducks.org. Tune in to The World of Ducks Unlimited Radio Network, and watch Ducks Unlimited Television on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN).
LOL, sure, sure, sure! I won't be holding my breath...LOL
Colt