Hunting and Fishing News: Judge awards $1.95 million to family of boy killed by bear in American Fork Canyon
Saturday, May 14, 2011
LINK/ARTICLE SUBMITTED BY GARY DEVINE
Published: Wednesday, May 4, 2011 12:29 a.m. MDT
SALT LAKE CITY — A federal judge awarded $1.95 million Tuesday to the family of a boy who was killed by a black bear while camping in American Fork Canyon nearly four years ago.
Sam Ives, 11, was killed June 17, 2007, when he was dragged out of his family's multiroom tent and mauled by a massive black bear.
Ives' parents, Rebecca Ives and Kevan Francis, claimed that the death was caused by the negligence of employees of the U.S. Forest Service who failed to warn campers of the bear's presence, and the state Division of Wildlife Services.
The bear had attacked a man 12 hours earlier at the same campsite where Sam, his mother, his brother and his stepfather were staying. Forest officials looked for the bear for several hours but gave up before finding it and failed to warn others, the lawsuit alleged.
FULL-DAY SPRING GOBBLER HOURS TO BEGIN ON MAY 16
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today reminded spring gobbler hunters they can take advantage of full-day hunting – from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset – beginning Monday, May 16.
The full-day spring gobbler hours were approved by the Board of Game Commissioners last year, as part of the 2010-11 seasons and bag limits package. Under the change, legal hunting hours from the opening day of the spring gobbler season through the third Saturday (April 30-May 14) are one-half hour before sunrise until noon. However, hunting hours for the remainder of the season (May 16-31) are from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.
“Although all-day hunting will disturb some nesting hens, the impact will be minimal because all-day hours will cover only the last two weeks of the season,” said Mary Jo Casalena, Game Commission wild turkey biologist. “By then, hunting pressure decreases and most hens are in their later stages of nest incubation, at which point they are less likely to abandon their nests if disturbed.
“We anticipate the benefits will far outweigh the minor disturbance of hens, particularly the increased hunting opportunity for all hunters, such as youth and adults who attend school or work during the morning who now will have the option of a late afternoon hunt.”
Casalena noted that the Game Commission will monitor the afternoon harvest in relation to population trends and age class of gobblers to gauge the impact of all-day hunting. Of the 49 states that conduct turkey seasons, 34 have all-day hunting for all or part of the season, including Maryland, Ohio and Virginia.
To further expand opportunity, the Board extended the spring gobbler season through May 31. This change was implemented to provide additional recreational hunting without impacting the resource because disturbance of hens would be minimal since most hens would be in their later stages of nest incubation.
Hunters who purchased a second spring gobbler season license may harvest up to two bearded turkeys, one per day.
Other harvest reporting methods will remain in place. They are online reporting through the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and the use of pre-paid postage cards that appear in the annual Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping digest that is provided free to each license buyer.
Hackettstown Hatchery Provides Three Millionth Fish to Combat Mosquitos
This year, the Bureau is providing its three millionth fish, offering them to participating counties at no cost. They have been stocked at sites in all 21 counties since the program's inception.
To learn more about this milestone and how the program works, seehttp://www.state.nj.us/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0065.htm on the DEP website. For more about the Hackettstown Hatchery, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/hacktown.htm on the division's site.
Great Egg Reef Concrete Deployment Rescheduled to May 27
The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has rescheduled the deployment of 6000 cubic yards of demolition concrete on the Great Egg Reef to May 27, 2011. Bad weather forced a postponement from the original date of April 22. The deployment is part of the Division's Artificial Reef Program which provides habitat for structure dependent fishes, creates fishing grounds for hook and line anglers, and creates attractions for scuba divers.
Commercial fishers who set lobster and fish pots in the area of deployment should remove their gear or risk having it destroyed. The target date for deployment is subject to weather and sea conditions.
For more information about the deployment, including deployment coordinates, visithttp://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2011/reefconcrete5-11.htm on the division's website; for information on the Artificial Reef Program, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/artreef.htm , also on the division's site.
GAME COMMISSION ADVISES MOTORISTS TO WATCH FOR DEER
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today urged motorists to stay alert and slow down when driving after dusk and before dawn to reduce their risk of colliding with a white-tailed deer.
“Each spring, deer congregate on the grassy areas along the state’s busy highways, and cover greater distances in search of food,” Roe said. “This activity makes vehicle collisions with deer all but inevitable.
“For the sake of public safety, the Game Commission is asking motorists to watch for deer and to drive defensively after dark and before sunrise, which is when deer are most active. Your efforts can help to keep accidents to a minimum, which, in turn, will reduce or eliminate hardships to your family and other Pennsylvanians.”
Roe noted that being more knowledgeable about deer can help Pennsylvanians steer clear of a deer-vehicle collision. For instance, in spring, young deer – last year’s fawns – are on the move as does chase them away to prepare to give birth to this year’s fawns. Yearling does usually travel no farther than necessary and will often later reunite with the doe after her new fawns begin traveling with her. However, young bucks typically disperse farther to set up their own home range.
“Unfortunately, these young deer make tragic mistakes when crossing roads in spring and moving through areas unfamiliar to them,” said Roe. “They’re no longer following the leader, they’re moving independently. And that increases the potential for an accident, especially in areas harboring large deer populations.”
If a deer steps onto a road, Roe said, motorists should slow down and come to a controlled stop as soon as possible, and turn on their hazard flashers. Stopping may not be an option on busy highways, unless the driver can reach the shoulder of the road.
“Don’t risk trying to drive around a deer,” Roe said. “Since deer usually move in single file, more deer may be following, so you should stop, or at least slow down, to make sure all deer have passed.
“Also, deer sometimes abruptly reverse their direction right after crossing a road. This is a defensive mechanism that often kicks in when deer are startled, and they retrace their footsteps to other deer they’re traveling with or return to an area they’ve already checked for danger.”
Deer in northern counties spend a good deal of time in spring feeding on the tender shoots in grassy areas alongside busy highways. Motorists should slow down immediately whenever they see grazing deer along roads. While deer dining next to busy highways and interstates are often not bothered by the traffic, deer along rural roads seem less tolerant and are more edgy.
Drivers who hit a deer are not required to report the accident to the Game Commission. If the deer dies, only Pennsylvania residents may claim the carcass. To do so, they must call the Game Commission for a permit number within 24 hours of taking possession of the deer.
However, to report a dead deer for removal from state roads, motorists can call the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation at 1-800-FIX-ROAD.
The permit number issued by the agency lets meat processors and law enforcement officials know that possession of the deer is legal, and not the result of poaching. Antlers from bucks killed in vehicle collisions must be turned over to the Game Commission.
If a deer is struck by a vehicle, but not killed, drivers are urged to stay their distance because some deer may recover and move on. However, if a deer does not move on, or poses a public safety risk, drivers are encouraged to report the incident to a Game Commission regional office or other local law enforcement agency. If the deer must be put down, the Game Commission will direct the proper person to do so.
Other tips for motorists:
* Stay alert and don’t count on deer whistles or deer fences to deter deer from crossing roads in front of you. Deer can’t hear ultrasonic frequencies and there is no scientific evidence that deer whistles are effective.
* Watch for the reflection of deer eyes and for deer silhouettes on the shoulders of roads. If anything looks slightly suspicious, slow down.
* Slow down in areas known to have a large deer population; where deer-crossing signs are posted; places where deer commonly cross roads or are struck by motorists; areas where roads divide agricultural fields from forests; and whenever in forested areas between dusk and dawn.
* Deer do unpredictable things. Sometimes they stop in the middle of the road when crossing. Sometimes they cross and quickly re-cross back from where they came. Sometimes they move toward an approaching vehicle. Assume nothing. Slow down, blow your horn to urge the deer to leave the road. Stop if a deer stays on the road; don’t try to go around it.