Dec 13, 2005
ABC News

Hunters helped save rare bird from extinction

A hunting lodge with antler chandeliers and stuffed ducks on the walls seems a strange place to celebrate the comeback of the ivory-billed woodpecker, but wildlife officials are doing exactly that.

They credit hunters in particular with helping bring the rare bird back from presumed extinction in the Big Woods section of Arkansas.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 15, 2004

COLUMBUS, OH -- Ohio’s popular muzzleloader deer season is set to open statewide December 27-30, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

"The muzzleloader season continues to grow in popularity with Ohio hunters, and as a result, has become a very important part of our deer management program," said Mike Tonkovich, a forest wildlife research biologist for the ODNR Division of Wildlife. "The four-day season is a great chance to take family out and start or revive a holiday deer-hunting tradition."

Last year, hunters checked 24,053 deer during the statewide muzzleloader season.

href="http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/Hunting/deer/deergunopener.htm"
target="_blank"> src="http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/publicfiles/OhioDNRlogo.gif" height=140
width=110 border=0 align="right">
So far this year, archery hunters have taken 40,966 deer during the first six weeks of the statewide archery season, which began October 2 and continues through January 31. The special youth season, held November 20-21, resulted in young hunters bagging 6,673 deer. Hunters checked 125,681 deer during the statewide deer-gun season held November 29 through December 5. Another 201 deer were taken during the special bucks-only muzzleloader deer season held in October on the Shawnee, Salt Fork, and Wolf Creek wildlife areas.

Prior to the start of the hunting season, Ohio’s deer population was estimated at 700,000. The Division of Wildlife expects as many as 200,000 hunters will hunt deer during the muzzleloader season.

According to the Division of Wildlife, Ohio offers both quality deer and good hunting accessibility. Ohio has more than a million acres of land open to public hunting. And in the last 10 years, the Division of Wildlife has added 65,000 acres to Ohio’s public hunting areas.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.