On October 11, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed AB 1052, an amendment to the Fish and Game Code concerning the Bay-Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp. This legislation repealed the requirement for anglers to have the stamp on a license or as a validation, and the collection of related fees, beginning in 2010.

The Bay-Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp Program was established in 2004 to benefit Bay-Delta sport fisheries. The law currently in effect requires anglers to obtain a Bay-Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp before sport fishing in the tidal waters of the San Francisco Bay Delta and the mainstem of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, including major tributaries, below the most downstream dam. The stamp requirement is still in effect for the remainder of 2009.

The cost of the stamp changes annually (it cost $6.30 this year) and fees received by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) are deposited into a separate account within the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. The funds currently in the account will still be spent on appropriate projects in the Bay Delta.

“As a member of ICCAT, the United States has a responsibility to work with other countries to end illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and implement strong management measures that will end overfishing and help rebuild the stocks.

“The status quo with respect to eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin is neither sustainable nor acceptable. Conservation of this species depends on science-based management and effective compliance with the rules on both sides of the ocean.

“I believe that to be most effective, the long-term management of the species must be led by ICCAT. I urge ICCAT to do the right thing – follow the science and implement strong new measures to protect the bluefin. I look to ICCAT for strong and definitive action at this week’s meeting.”

Background:

ICCAT, an international body of 47 nations and the European Community, is responsible for the management of Atlantic bluefin tuna. The United States has repeatedly urged ICCAT to heed the scientific advice and adopt measures that will end overfishing in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean and put bluefin tuna on the path to recovery. This includes measures setting responsible, science-based quotas, stronger enforcement of those quotas, and closures during spawning periods.

The United States delegation to ICCAT travels to Brazil this week for the body’s annual meeting. This year, as in years past, the United States is seeking the strongest possible management for the conservation of Atlantic bluefin tuna.

On October 14, the United States announced its support of Monaco’s proposal to list Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to prohibit international trade of the species. The final U.S. decision on whether to vote for Monaco’s proposal at the 2010 CITES Conference of Parties will take into account whether or not ICCAT adopts strong management and compliance measures at this week’s meeting.

For further background, please see October 14 release: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20091014_bluefintuna.html

2009/11/11—Young hunters checked 13,328 deer during the early portion of Missouri’s youth firearms deer season Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, barely missing a record.

The first Youth Portion of Firearms Deer Season was in 2001, when hunters age 11 through 15 checked 6,277 deer. The most ever taken during the two-day hunt was 13,466 in 2004.

Top counties statewide were Osage with 318 deer checked, Franklin with 295 and Callaway with 240.

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, this year’s early youth deer harvest is 28 percent larger than last year. That comes on the heels of an 83-percent increase in the number of deer killed during the four-day Urban Portion of Firearms Deer season compared to 2008.

Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen said two factors contributed to this year’s strong urban and youth deer harvests. One was weather. Cool conditions during both seasons favored increased deer movement, making the animals more visible to hunters.

Another factor in hunters’ favor was the number of deer carried over from the 2008 hunting season.

“Last year we more than doubled the number of counties where the four-point rule applied,” said Hansen. “That was sure to hold down the number of deer taken in the 36 counties where the rule was new.”

Hansen noted that when the four-point rule went into effect in 2004, the deer harvest dropped 14 percent in the 29 affected counties. Over the following three years, the harvest in those counties rebounded, as surviving bucks grew larger antlers and became legal to shoot.

The Missouri Department of Conservation recorded one firearms-related deer hunting incident during the youth season. A 9-year-old hunter in Knox County was walking to a hunting blind Nov. 1 when his .243-cal. rifle discharged, striking his 18-year-old brother in the leg. It was the third firearms-related hunting incident in the youth season’s nine-year history. One occurred in 2007, and one occurred in 2008.

Next on Missouri’s deer-hunting calendar is the November Portion of Firearms Deer Season Nov. 14 through 24. This portion normally accounts for approximately 80 percent of the state’s firearms deer harvest.

Three other portions follow the November hunt. The Antlerless Portion runs from Nov. 25 through Dec. 6. The Muzzleloader Portion is Dec. 19 through 29. The final portion of the firearms season is the Late Firearms Youth Portion Jan. 2 and 3.

Missouri also has an archery deer season that opens Sept. 15 and closes Jan. 15, with an 11-day hiatus during the November firearms deer season.

Details are published in the 2009 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet.

2009/11/11–Hunters in most parts of Missouri will find plenty of deer when the November Portion of Firearms Deer Season opens Nov. 14, but they need to check out changes in hunting regulations before the season starts.

This year’s firearms deer season includes 42 days in six portions:

§ Urban. Oct. 9-12

§ Early youth, Oct. 31-Nov. 1

§ November, Nov. 14-24

§ Antlerless, Nov. 25-Dec. 6

§ Muzzleloader, Dec. 19-29 and

§ Late youth, Jan. 2-3.

Hunters should note that the order of the antlerless and muzzleloader portions is reversed this year compared to what it has always been in the past. Other changes include:

§ Young hunters must be at least 6 years old to obtain landowner hunting permits.

§ Reduced-cost nonresident landowner permits no longer are available.

§ When mentoring a firearms hunter who is not hunter-education certified and not hunting on a landowner permit, all mentors, including landowners on their own land, must be at least 18 years old and hunter-education certified unless they were born before Jan. 1, 1967.

§ Qualifying nonresident students may purchase resident permits, except lifetime permits.

§ New areas with antler-point restrictions include Ste. Genevieve County and the parts of Cass and Jefferson counties not included in the new urban deer zones.

§ The part of Franklin County in the St. Louis Urban Deer Zone no longer is under the antler-point restriction.

§ Legal air-powered firearms may be used during firearms managed deer hunts.

§ Deer hunting seasons and methods are restricted on some conservation areas this year, and some area regulations have changed.

Details of these changes are explained in the 2009 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, which is available wherever hunting permits are sold. The same information is available at www.mdc.mo.gov/13924.

Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen says hunters will find deer plentiful throughout most of Missouri this year. Furthermore, he said they will find more mature bucks in much of the state, thanks to a regulation that went into effect in 2004. That is when the Missouri Department of Conservation implemented the “four-point rule.”

Under the regulation, hunters in 29 counties in northwest and central Missouri have not been allowed to take antlered deer unless they have at least four points measuring 1 inch or larger on one side of their antlers. Few deer achieve this degree of antler development before they are 2.5 years old. In effect, the antler-point restriction is a minimum age limit, giving bucks time to mature and grow larger antlers. They also gain experience, making them more wary and challenging to hunt.

Long-term studies show that white-tailed deer bucks’ antlers attain only 25 to 35 percent of their maximum size when they are 1.5 years old. The figure increases to 60 percent for 2.5-year-olds. Three and one-half-year-old bucks’ antlers are 75 to 80 percent of maximum size, while those 4.5 years old grow antlers that are 90 to 95 percent as large as they ever will grow.

Hansen said the total number of deer taken by hunters typically decreases the first year that antler-point restrictions are in effect in a particular area. However, the number of does taken may increase, improving the Conservation Department’s ability to control deer numbers. The total number of deer taken in antler-point restriction areas gradually climbs back to nearly its previous level as antlered deer mature and grow larger antlers, making them legal for hunters to shoot.

Hansen points to the ages of deer taken by hunters in counties with the antler-point restriction four years after the rule went into effect. The number of 2.5-year-old deer was up 20 percent compared to counties without the restriction. The number of 3.5-year-old deer was 62 percent greater in antler-point restriction counties, and the number of 4.5-year-old deer was up an astonishing 202 percent.

“You have to be a bit cautious about the big differences in 3.5- and 4.5-year-olds,” said Hansen. “The number of deer that hunters take in those age classes is small, so even a modest difference in the absolute number of deer shot translates into a big percentage difference. Nevertheless, a significant difference is attributable to the antler-point restriction.”

Not surprisingly, hunters who focus on mature bucks have been enthusiastic promoters of the four-point rule. This popular support has encouraged the Conservation Department to expand the regulation to 65 counties and parts of three more.

The Conservation Department reminds hunters that Missouri’s population of black bears, while still small, is growing. That means more hunters are likely to encounter bears.

Black bears are naturally shy and avoid human contact. If you see a bear, do not make eye contact. Back away slowly while speaking in a normal voice. If a bear visits your hunting camp in search of food, get in a vehicle and make noise to frighten the bear away. Always report bear encounters to the nearest Conservation Department office.

The Conservation Department also urges hunters to buy firewood locally and burn it before leaving their hunting areas. Moving firewood from place to place can spread devastating forest pests, such as the emerald ash borer and the gypsy moth.

This year’s abundance of firearms deer hunting opportunities represents an amazing change for those who remember the early days of modern deer hunting in Missouri. There was no deer hunting season from when the newly created Missouri Department of Conservation began deer-restoration work in 1937 until 1944. In the early years, the season was for bucks only and lasted just two days. Only 20 counties were open to deer hunting, and the season always was held in November.

As deer numbers grew, the Conservation Commission lengthened the season. The state’s deer population eventually grew large enough to justify a second season for hunters using muzzle-loading firearms. This season extended firearms deer hunting into early December.

By the 1990s, the number of deer in some areas grew large enough to create problems with crop damage and deer-vehicle accidents. This called for deer hunting regulations aimed at reducing deer numbers or maintaining them at desired levels, rather than increasing them. Shooting does is the key to controlling deer numbers, and this fact led to the first-ever antlerless-only deer season in January of 1997. The Conservation Commission later moved the antlerless season into December, following the muzzleloader season. This year, for the first time, the antlerless hunt will follow immediately on the heels of the regular November season, and the muzzleloader hunt will take place in late December, followed by the late youth portion of deer season in January.

Mourning Dove and Eurasian Collared Dove
Dec. 5-Dec. 30

Virginia and Sora Rail
Sept. 12-Nov. 20

Woodcock
Nov. 7-Dec. 21

Snipe
Nov. 1-Feb. 15

Late Canada Goose Statewide Season
Dec. 26-Jan. 30

Duck, coot and merganser
Nov. 21-29
Dec. 10-23
Dec. 26, 2009-Jan. 31, 2010

Youth waterfowl hunt
Dec. 5-6

Snow, blue and Ross’ goose
Nov. 7-Dec. 24
Dec. 26, 2009-Jan. 31, 2010

Conservation Order
Feb. 1-April 25, 2010

White-fronted goose
Nov. 14-Dec. 5, 2009
Dec. 12-24, 2009
Dec. 26, 2009-Jan. 31, 2010

Deer
Archery
Statewide: Oct. 1-Feb. 28

Muzzleloader
Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4A, 5A, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15: Dec. 19-21
Zones 9, 12, 16, 16A and 17: Dec. 29-31
Zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B: Closed

Modern Gun
Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10 and 11: Nov. 14-Dec. 6
Zone 4: Nov. 14-15
Zone 5: Nov. 14-15 and Nov. 21-22
Zones 4A, 5A, 13, 14 and 15: Nov. 14-Dec. 13
Zones 4B and 5B: Nov. 14-22
Zones 9 and 12: Nov. 14-Dec. 20
Zones 16, 16A and 17: Nov. 14-Dec. 25
Christmas Holiday Modern Gun Deer Hunt is Dec. 26-28 statewide.
The Special Youth Modern Gun Deer Hunt is Jan. 2-3 statewide excluding certain WMAs where a modern gun or muzzleloader permit is required to hunt.

Bear
Archery
Zone 1: Oct. 1-Nov. 30
Zone 2: Sept. 15-Nov. 30
Zones 3, 4, 5, 5A, 6 and 7: Closed

Modern Gun
Zones 1 and 2: Nov. 9-30
Zone 5: Dec. 5-13
Zone 5A: Nov. 28-Dec. 13
Zones 3, 4, 6 and 7: Closed

Fall Turkey Season
Closed

Elk
Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, A and B: Dec. 7-11 

Quail
Statewide: Nov. 1-Feb. 7

Rabbit
Statewide: Sept. 1-Feb. 28

Fall Squirrel Season
Statewide: Sept. 5-Feb. 28

Spring 2010 Squirrel Season
May 15-June 13

Crow
Statewide: Sept. 5-Feb. 20

Furbearers (2009-2010)
Gray fox, mink, red fox and striped skunk hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1-sunset, Feb. 28
Opossum Hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1- sunset Feb. 28
Bobcat hunting: sunrise, Oct. 1-sunset, Feb. 28 and from the first day of spring turkey season through the last day of spring squirrel season.
Coyote hunting: sunrise, July 1-sunset, Feb. 28 and from the first day of spring turkey season through June 14.
River otter hunting: sunrise, Nov. 4-sunset, Feb. 28
Raccoon night hunting: sunset, July 1-sunrise, Aug. 31
Raccoon day or night hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1-sunset, March 31
Muskrat, nutria, beaver hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1-sunset, March 31
Badger, spotted skunk and weasel hunting: Closed
Furbearer trapping (other than beaver, coyote, muskrat, nutria): sunrise, Nov. 14-sunset, Feb. 21
Coyote trapping: sunrise, Aug. 1-sunset, March 31
Beaver, muskrat, nutria trapping: sunrise, Nov. 14-sunset, March 31

The 2010 deer season opening dates:

Deer (archery): Friday, Oct. 1, 2010
Deer (muzzleloader): Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010
Deer (modern gun): Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010

Upcoming Public Meetings:

2010-2011 General Public Meetings
Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

For further hunting changes regarding bag limits, deer zone boundaries, game checking and other information go to www.agfc.com.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has set deer season openings for 2010 but subject to change in case of emergencies. These opening dates are: Archery: Friday, Oct. 1, 2010. Muzzleloader: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010. Modern Gun: Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010.

AGFC deer program coordinator Brad Miller says he expects a great year for deer hunters in The Natural State. “One thing hunters should keep in mind is that Mother Nature has dealt us a couple of obstacles this year. First, those hunters that hunt in the Ozarks and the northern Delta regions should make sure their usual spots haven’t been impacted by last January’s ice storm. Some areas may be inaccessible, and hunters should have a back-up plan,” Miller said. “Secondly, the recent flooding may have closed some areas, washed out roads, or water may still be covering some areas,” he added.

Given that mast production looks good across much of the state, hunters should identify the spots on their area with good acorn production to maximize their chances, Miller says. “Opening weekend has a substantial impact on what our final numbers will look like. The first two days of modern gun accounted for almost 19% of the total season harvest last year,” Miller explained. “I hope the weather is good this weekend so that hunters will want to get out, and the deer will be active. Ideally I’d like to see a cool day with minimal wind,” he added.

A short breakdown of the state’s geographical regions follows:

Ozarks: Reports indicate that acorn production has been poor to fair. Ice damage has been severe in many areas.

Arkansas River Valley/Ouachitas: Field observations indicate moderate to good to excellent acorn production.

Crowley’s Ridge: Reports by regional staff are similar to those of the Ozarks. There has been some ice damage in the area, but acorn production has been fair to good.

Delta Region: Reports from southeastern Arkansas indicate fair to good mast production.

Gulf Coastal Plain: Acorn production by white oaks in the area is good. Additionally, the persimmon crop appears excellent this season.

“I had always admired them from a far, but actually getting a chance to hold one was an amazing experience,” wrote one Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) enrollee about their goose banding experience on Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in Wisconsin. Another enrollee wrote, “That experience will last me a lifetime!”

Ron Fisher, Assistant Manager at Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge commented, “I think some of the more fun days for our YCC enrollees were when they were involved in their environmental education activities.” Fisher coordinated two YCC crews throughout the summer. Most of their work involved maintenance, including helping pouring the foundation for a bunkhouse and repairing accessible trails.

On the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge YCC Crew Leader Arena Bark taught her YCC crew about scientific study protocol. Then they jumped in the river and started diving under the water to collect wild celery. Each youth was asked to file a program evaluation. One of the youth wrote, “I enjoyed [the most] diving on Lake Onalaska for the Wild Celery Survey.” As you can imagine a hot summer day spent working “in the river” was a special memory.

Bill Thrune, Wildlife Refuge Specialist commented, “I’m a graduate of a program called the Neighborhood Youth Corps and it was probably my first foot in the door to my career. I would call it my first real job. I imagine some of our YCC enrollees may pursue a career in conservation after their summer job experience, just like I did.”  

So, YCC experiences may offer an experience to last a lifetime and offer a career in the making.

One of the committees will assist the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries in updating the Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River portion of the state’s Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan. The other will assist in updating the section of the plan that pertains to the central and southern waters of the state.

The commission uses fishery management plans as guides for implementing regulations and other management measures.

Individuals interested in serving as an adviser should be willing to attend meetings at least once every two months and actively participate in the committee process. Advisers will be reimbursed for travel and other expenses incurred in relation to their official duties.

Applications are available online at http://www.ncdmf.net/mfc/advisorforms.html, at Division of Marine Fisheries’ offices or by calling (252) 808-8022 or (800) 682-2632. Applications should be returned by Dec. 1 to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557, Attention: Kelly Mullen.

From this study, biologists hope to learn how frequently bass are caught and harvested. They also hope to learn more about the size range of fish caught. 

Beginning this month, biologists are tagging largemouth bass with small, yellow tags along the back of the fish just below the dorsal fin. These tags carry a printed telephone number, e-mail address, tag number and reward value.  Anglers should carefully examine all bass caught in Florida lakes for reward tags, as biologists will tag fish in numerous lakes throughout the state.

Biologists encourage anglers to remove these tags by cutting them as close to the fish as possible and then treat the fish as they would normally. Once anglers remove a tag, they should immediately report it to the FWC Angler Tag Return Hotline at 800-367-4461 or e-mail TagReturn [at] MyFWC [dot] com. 

Anglers participating in the study will receive a reward for each largemouth bass tag they return to the FWC. When reporting the tag, anglers should provide the following information:

• the species of fish,
• tag number, fish length,
• date and time of capture,
• name of the lake where the fish was caught, and
• whether the angler kept or released the fish.

Anglers should mail the tags to:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Attn: LMB Tagging Study
601 W. Woodward Ave.
Eustis, FL 32726 

To learn more about FWC research projects, visit http://research.MyFWC.com.      

All sorts of animals – big and small – live in your backyard. Some fly, some crawl, some jump, and some slither. They live under rocks, logs and leaves; up in bushes or trees; near water; and in holes in the ground and cracks in your house.

For your first Backyard Safari, look under a plant’s leaves, especially if they look as if something chewed on them. This is where caterpillars hang out. They look like worms with many legs. Some caterpillars look hairy, while others are smooth. Caterpillars change into pretty butterflies or moths. Leaves hide caterpillars from birds that might want to eat them for lunch.

Unless you know what kind of caterpillar you are looking at, do not touch it. Sometimes the ones that look furry are prickly. They could be poisonous.

Ask an adult to help you turn over a log or large stone (be sure to turn the log toward you in case there is a snake hiding underneath). It is not hard to find a beetle because there are many different ones. In fact, they are the largest group of insects on Earth. Look for the bugs with biting mouths and hard front wings that protect them.

Some beetles help people by using their jaws to eat tiny critters that chew on flowers or dine on vegetable gardens. Other beetles are pests because they eat the food people grow.

Beetles lay their eggs in dead, fallen trees or logs. When you turned the log over, did you also see tiny, white, squishy “worms” wriggling around? These grubs are baby beetles. Other animals and bugs that call logs and fallen trees home are pill bugs (roly-polies), ants, salamanders, lizards, frogs, earthworms, termites and centipedes.

The recreational harvest and possession of vermilion snapper is prohibited beginning Nov. 1 in all Atlantic waters off Florida.  Recreational harvest of Atlantic vermilion snapper will reopen on April 1, 2010.

For spotted seatrout, all harvest and possession is prohibited from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 in all waters south of the Flagler-Volusia county line in the Atlantic and south of a line running due west from the westernmost point of Fred Howard Park Causeway, which is 1.17 miles south of the Pinellas-Pasco county line in the Gulf of Mexico.

The recreational harvest of spotted seatrout will remain open until February in northeast and northwest Florida waters.

More information regarding Florida recreational saltwater fishing regulations are available at MyFWC.com/Rules.

10/29/2009 – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) today awarded state snowmobile trail grants totaling $200,000 to nine local governments and to the statewide snowmobile association for trail maintenance, equipment, and safety improvements for public-access snowmobile trails in Illinois. 

“Snowmobiling in Illinois is enjoyed by thousands of people annually and we always talk about the importance of safety.  This money will help maintain trails and help keep snowmobilers safe this coming season.” said IDNR Director Marc Miller. 

The state snowmobile grant program is funded entirely by snowmobilers through the registration fees they pay.  There are nearly 38,000 registered snowmobiles in Illinois.

The snowmobile grant program is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.  Applications for the next round of grants are available by contacting the IDNR Division of Grant Administration, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL, 62702-1271, or by calling 217/782-7481.  Applications are accepted March 1-May 1.

The Snowmobile Grant Program recipients and project information for Fiscal Year 2010 are listed below:

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Blackhawk Park District (Carroll County), $15,000 to upgrade and maintain the snowmobile trail between Stockton and Elizabeth. Funds will be used to repair/replace four snowmobile trail bridges and to add gates and posts.

Flagg-Rochelle Park District (Ogle County), $11,085 to acquire a 1.7 mile-long, 40-foot wide corridor adjacent to a proposed bike path in Rochelle.

Freeport Park District (Stephenson County), $8,000 for the out-of-pocket operation and maintenance costs involved with the grooming and maintenance of the area’s public snowmobile trails.  

Knox County Sheriff’s Department (Knox County), $3,100 to buy heavy cloth orange safety vests, and a portable generator to provide electricity for a command trailer.

Lena Community Park District (Stephenson County), $16,000 to purchase and replace two rubber tracks on a Tucker-Terra 1000 snowmobile groomer and to help cover operation and maintenance costs involved with the use of the snowmobile groomer. 

Lena Community Park District (Stephenson County), $2,550 to purchase materials to construct a snowmobile bridge, 200 snowmobile trail signs for better marking trails and posts.

Loran Township (Stephenson County), $5,250 to repair seven small snowmobile bridges and to purchase 500 snowmobile trail signs and posts to better mark the area’s public snowmobile trails.           

City of Morrison (Whiteside County), $11,085 for the development of a 10-foot wide, eight-tenths of a mile long aggregate trail that extends northward from the edge of town.  The eventual plan is to develop a trail that will reach Morrison- Rockwood State Park. 

Rockford Park District (Winnebago County), $40,820 to install a new snowmobile bridge, to repair four existing snowmobile bridges, and to purchase snowmobile trail signs and posts to better mark the area’s public snowmobile trails.

City of Savanna (Carroll County), $7,110 to purchase snowmobile trail signs and posts to mark two new public snowmobile trails.  One trail will extend from Savanna to Mt. Carroll and the other will extend from Savanna to Thomson. 

SNOWMOBILE CLUBS

Illinois Association of Snowmobile Clubs, Inc. (IASC), $80,000 to partially reimburse them for their annual cost of maintaining liability insurance that is required on all public snowmobile trails in Illinois. 

“Winter angling pressure has been consistently higher than open-water fishing pressure, making the adjustment back to the 17- to 26-inch protected slot limit for the winter season a necessity,” said Gary Barnard, Bemidji area fisheries supervisor for the DNR. “Anglers still will have good success because walleye abundance remains high and there are good numbers of fish smaller than 17 inches.”

The change from the open water 20- to 26-inch protected slot limit to the winter 17- to 26-inch protected slot limit that begins Tuesday, Dec. 1, will continue through Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010.

The estimated open-water walleye harvest from state waters of Upper Red Lake for 2009 was 147,000 pounds. That harvest level is 21,000 pounds below the threshold that would trigger a more conservative three-fish limit.

Regulations for the 2010 open water fishing season will be determined later this winter and announced in advance of the walleye opener on Saturday, May 15, 2010.

The programs planned are:

Comets: Icy Visitors From Afar – On Saturday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m. come make your own comet with our comet chef.

Tracks and Scat – On Saturday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m. come learn about mammals and birds and the clues they leave. Participants will take a closer look and match the wildlife with the evidence they leave behind.

Ski Cross Country – On Saturday, Jan. 16, there will be a class on the basics of cross-country skiing at 2 p.m. Following the class, there will be a ski tour of the trails near the Discovery Center. After the ski tour, there will be hot chocolate and coffee available, and information about the best skiing opportunities at Michigan state parks.

Snowshoe-making Workshop – On Sunday, Jan. 17, Come learn how to make your own traditional style of white ash snowshoes during a workshop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the center. There is a $160 fee to cover materials and instruction. Class size is limited and preregistration is required. Participants should bring their own brown bag lunch.

The Mystery of the Missing Groundhog – Join the Discovery Center staff on Saturday, Jan. 30, to learn the about the missing groundhog during this investigative program. The program begins at 2 p.m.

The Fastest Thing on Ice: Ice Boating – Guest presenter Mel Nichols will describe the ice boat building process; and Bruce Brown, world-class ice boat racer, will describe the racing experience during this presentation set from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6.

Snowshoeing – A snowshoeing adventure will be offered at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at the center. If there is insufficient snow, a hike will be substituted.

Winter Orienteering – Come and learn the challenges of finding your way around in the woods with a compass and map. This is a program for all ages, and compasses will be provided. This program takes place at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13.

Alternative Energy Today – Discover how your family can incorporate current alternative energy sources in your home by finding out about technologies and resources, including a list of local businesses to help you install alternative energy products in the home. This program will start at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20, and includes a hands-on activity involving solar power.

Spring Into Gardening – On Saturday, March 6, come discover the joy of gardening with Master Gardener Sharon Sohoza. Learn how to prepare soil, and the ins and outs of seed starting, along with tips on spring cleaning. Participants will start an herb to take home. This program will be offered at 2 p.m.

Spring Awakening – At 2 p.m. Saturday, March 20, come take a brisk spring walk along the trails near the Discovery Center and look for signs of the approaching spring season.

All programs at the center are universally accessible with the exception of skiing and snowshoeing. With the exception of the snowshoe-making workshop, all programs are free; however, a valid State Park Motor Vehicle Permit is required to enter the recreation area. Permits are available for $6 for a Michigan resident daily and $24 for an annual. Out-of-state residents may purchase permits for $8 for a daily and $29 for an annual.

To register for programs, call the center at (734) 475-3170.