Outdoor News Daily

According to results of an aerial survey released by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the moose population in northeastern Minnesota continues to decline.

Survey results revealed lower moose numbers and the proportion of cows accompanied by calves continued a 13-year decline and dropping to a record low of 28 calves per 100 cows.

“These indices along with results from research using radio-collared moose all indicate that the population has been declining in recent years,” said Dr. Mark Lenarz, DNR forest wildlife group leader.
Read the rest of this entry »

Many parts of Wisconsin received some much needed snowfall in the last week, with the possibility of more snow in the forecast for later this week. Snow depths now range from a low of 2 inches or less in far southeastern Wisconsin and Door County to 16 to 20 inches in the far north.

The new snow was enough to allow a few counties to reopen snowmobile trails, but trails throughout much of southern and southeastern Wisconsin remain closed or in just poor to fair condition according to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism Snow Conditions Report. Snowmobile trails in the northern third of the state are in good to excellent condition.
Read the rest of this entry »

If you have an exotic pet you can’t care for anymore, please don’t just open the front door and set it free. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) offers a solution for you.

In an effort to keep unwanted exotic pets out of Florida’s native ecosystems, the FWC and Miami MetroZoo will host the third Nonnative Pet Amnesty Day Feb. 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the zoo. It’s free and open to the public. You can surrender nonnative animals to the FWC free of charge with no questions asked and no penalties incurred. Staff will accept exotic reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and invertebrates, but not domestic pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, etc.).
Read the rest of this entry »

Temperatures are warming, songbirds have reappeared, and the first spring chinook salmon of the year was recently caught by an angler on the lower Columbia River.

All signs of an early spring? Not necessarily, said Bill Tweit, an avid birder and a fisheries manager at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

“People are still fishing through the ice on some lakes in Eastern Washington, although it’s getting pretty dicey in some areas,” Tweit said. “Also, while spring chinook are starting to move into the lower Columbia River, the bulk of that run isn’t expected to arrive until mid-March.”

But what about all the song birds showing up in people’s backyards?
Read the rest of this entry »