Outdoor News Daily

Pennsylvania Game Commission officials today announced that a Lancaster County hunter has undergone post-exposure rabies shots after harvesting and field dressing a deer on Jan. 20, in Valley Township, Chester County, that ultimately tested positive for rabies.

“The hunter contacted us about his concerns that the deer was unfit for human consumption,” said John Veylupek, Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer (WCO). “The hunter said that he saw the deer standing in a creek, straining and growling. He thought there was a coyote nearby from the sounds the deer was making.

“After gathering information from the hunter, as well as samples for testing, it was determined that the deer was rabid. Because the hunter had scratches on his hands and had field dressed the deer without wearing gloves, we considered this a human exposure and urged him to contact his doctor about post-exposure rabies shots.”
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The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will have 682 any-deer bow licenses available to nonresidents in 2012. However, pending the final proclamation, antlerless mule deer may not be legal to harvest within a large area of western North Dakota.

The deadline for applying is April 1. A lottery will be held if more applications are received than licenses available. If licenses remain after April 1, they will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants can apply together as a party. A separate check is required for each application.

The nonresident any-deer bow application is available at the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov. The application must be printed and sent in to the department.
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The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will be holding its third series of public meetings during the third full week of February to discuss strategies for managing the Platte Valley mule deer herd in upcoming years.

These meetings are designed to gather public input to develop a new management plan for the Platte Valley herd. The Platte Valley herd encompasses Hunt areas 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, and 161.

The first two series of meetings focused on the issues contributing to the decline of the mule deer population in the Platte Valley hunt areas and possible improvements that could be made to help the herd in coming years. At the third series of meetings a draft management plan for the Platte Valley herd will be presented and the public will be asked for their input on the plan.
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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is considering opening deer hunting in three North Texas counties and another on the upper coast this fall as part of recommended changes to the 2012-13 Statewide Hunting Proclamation.

TPWD staff recommended an open season for deer in Dallas, Collin, Rockwall and Galveston counties during a presentation Wednesday to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission’s Regulations Committee.

In addition, the department is proposing to eliminate pheasant season in four coastal counties and permit the use of firearm silencers for hunting game animals and game birds. Staff recommendations addressing bobwhite quail hunting were tabled by the committee until additional population data is available later in the summer.
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