Team Fur News
A Prairie Spring Morning
By FUR-FISH-GAME Editor, John D. Taylor
If you could bottle this up, and give it away free to all people, there would never be another war, kindness would prevail and human beings might be more likable.
Spring gobbler hunting the day before, I’d encountered a group of five hens and five longbeard gobblers working along a dry creek bed in western South Dakota. I intercepted them, “cut them off at the pass,” to put a Western spin on it, after making a wide loop out in front of them. I set up at the base of gnarled and broken-down old cottonwood tree and watched them work towards me, following the creek bottom.
First came three longbeards.
They acted like a collective group, like a trio of jake brothers, one fanning at the others, not the five hens behind him, as if to say, “Look at me, I’m a big gobbler.”
I suspected they were the remaining birds from a group of five jakes I'd encountered on the second to last day of turkey season in 2025. I called the quintet across a 300-yard strip of open prairie between two bends in the same oxbow creek bottom, downstream of where I now saw them, in another pasture to the south. I put my tag the first one in, going four for four on turkey tags that year.
Creek really doesn’t describe this waterway. It’s more like a vernal flow, only alive during spring, following heavy snows or rain. The rest of the year it’s a mostly dry creek bed. A smattering of water holds in a few deep pockets where sunlight and wind don’t evaporate it. Yet the amount of timber and debris washed into the bottom suggests it has flowed quite heavily in its past.
Next came the five hens and another longbeard. The hens were all business, focused catching and eating frost-stunned grasshoppers and other insects in the grass, paying no attention to the three jokers who refused my hen call entreaties in front of them.
Bringing up the rear was another hen and a gobbler. He moved slowly, deliberately in a focused way, like someone in charge of things. I suspected he was the boss gobbler, running herd on the hens and his four underlings.
I called to him – seductive hen yelps, cutting and purrs. He stopped, looked around, didn’t see the hen (no decoy, don’t use them) then carefully came into shotgun range, his lust being his undoing.
This bird, with three beards – the largest was 10 inches – and inch long spurs, both uncommon for a Merriam’s wild turkey subspecies, rode home in my truck the next day. His beards and a couple of representative feathers now grace the spent shotshell that ended his life, and his heavy carcass resides in my freezer for a special November or December meal.
Tagging this turkey was a wonderful experience. But killing turkeys isn’t what I want to share here.
I had a second gobbler tag for the same unit burning a hole in my pocket. And after the boss gobbler went down, and I rose to fetch him, the rest of those birds boogeyed up the creek bottom. I thought I knew where they were headed. There was a cattle ranch where I’d seen turkeys roosted in the fall, when I hunted deer or birds on the big Walk-In, a mile or so from where boss tom fell. I figure the spooked birds went there since it was safe territory.
After field dressing the tom, stowing him in my Expedition, and a brief break, I followed the creek bottom as far as I could, hoping to either intercept these birds further north, or at least understand the territory a little better. I’d only hunted this pasture a time or two and knowing the lay of the land helps a lot.
I followed the creek from a big hill above it, scanning the bottom for big, black, football-shaped turkeys with my binoculars.
No birds.
The top of the hill culminated in a bluff overlooking a large bowl of a valley, in the bottom was the creek bed. A house, shed or barn – it was hard to tell what, since it was basically a pile of boards, half an ancient bedspring, a brown gallon Clorox bottle and the decorative cast metal legs of a woodstove – once stood on the flat of this bluff, part of a previous ranch or farm. A cement foundation held everything together. Time weathered the boards into dry, cracked, gray planks covered with some sort of coppery fungal growth. A defunct hay wagon, one wooden wagon wheel intact, rested on the sidehill. Barbed wire corrals were behind the place. The overall sense was this was a place from the turn of the 20th century.
Such places always spark my curiosity. What happened here? Was it a ranch? A farm? Who owned it? What happened to the people who lived there? Did drought, the Dust Bowl, or some economic collapse send them scurrying from this place? I wanted to know its story, but this was largely unavailable, and I felt sad not knowing. It reminded me of traveling through small western Nebraska towns to hunt birds when we lived in Wyoming. The architecture in those towns spoke of the 1950s through the 1980s. And I suspected they were happy, prosperous places, great environments to raise a family. The American dream town. But then the mid-1980s Farm Crisis made life there untenable. People left, and what remained was a monument to good things going south. Same here.
A fenceline with a “You Are Leaving The Walk-In” sign halted me when I explored the bowl below the bluff. Peppered with big cottonwoods It seemed to be a perfect prairie turkey roost, or at least the connective tissue to the ranch where I saw turkeys roost in the fall further up the drainage.
I decided I’d come back in the morning. And if it all played out right, I’d be in there, watching nine turkeys come down through the creek bottom again, maybe get a crack at one of those three longbeards, the strutter, I hoped.
Up at 4 a.m., dressing in hunting duds in the back of the Expedition in 26-degree weather is not for the dispassionate turkey hunter. A meal of cold oatmeal, coffee and a breakfast pastry, while the heater ran, took me to a little before 5 a.m. – then it was a fast march back to my spot in the bowl below the old house.
That spot was a twisted, west-facing cottonwood that, like the old house, had seen better days. It rotted from within, then fell over almost across the creek bottom, creating a great set up for hunting. The snarl of downed branches would screen the rising sun from revealing me to anything coming down the creek bottom.
I got there before the time when turkeys should be gobbling like crazy, almost ready to fly down. From the bluff, I scanned the treetops for big black birds, but the turkeys were not there. I figured they roosted at the ranch above. They wouldn’t need to gobble, either, given the abundance of hens. So, it would be sit-and-wait proposition, rather than my preferred run-and-gun.
A group of gobblers, four at least, were gobbling their heads off about a mile due south on private land. “My” birds, I wondered? Not likely. Too far.
As the sun slowly rose behind me, its growing light filled the bowl with an explosion of life by degrees.
The first thing I noticed – naturally – were sharptails, my totem birds, on their leks above the bowl. Their cooing moans rolled across the prairie into my ears almost as strongly as a gobble. Supposedly, bass sounds carry further in open environments than higher pitches, why sharptails coo rather than screech. That certainly seemed true. I could visualize the males, wings cupped, dancing, hoping a female watching from the edge of the lek would choose the dancer to mate with. Watch a Lakota pow-wow and you’ll see imitations of the sharptail dance.
Once, on North Dakota's Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge, I literally crawled within 10 yards of an active lek to shoot sharptail photos for a newspaper article. I was head-to-toe in camo, and it was 22 degrees on frosted grasslands, but I didn’t care. Being close to those birds was such a powerful experience my heart sang with pure joy. The photos turned out pretty good, too.
I shivered in my turkey hide while making a few unanswered yelps. Meanwhile, a blend of birdsong exploded around me. Robins, blackbirds, tiny unidentifiable songbirds, maybe horned larks or even warblers, declared to the morning sky – and anyone nearby – that this was their spot in the world.
I watched a flicker land on a branch in a nearby cottonwood and sing its song. Another flicker arrived, they mated and the roving bird flew away. The performance was repeated a few minutes later. There will be plenty of flickers come June.
Sunlight poked through the branches in the downed cottonwood and weirdly warmed the spots on my back where sunlight hit, while others stayed cold. The air was filled with a clean freshness, and I remembered how the stars looked that night, a perfect representation of a song: “The stars at night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of...” (scratch Texas, substitute South Dakota). “The prairie sky is high and wide, deep in the heart of South Dakota. The sage in bloom, smells like perfume, deep in the heart of South Dakota.”
I wish I could pull from my head all of the things I saw, heard, smelled, felt and experienced that morning, and replay them for you. My words will never do it justice. Yet I couldn’t help thinking that if you could bottle that morning up, and give it away free to all of the people, there would never be another war, kindness would prevail and human beings might be more likable – even those who only see nature on a golf course or those denizens of the concrete jungles humans have constructed to live together like crowded rats in a cage.
May you know such a morning. Whether it’s in the turkey woods, on the water, by a campfire, on the trapline, or simply looking out the back door. Mitakuye oyasin… (Lakota for “All are my relatives”)
Be Gator-, Croc- and Bear-Wise
Wildlife agencies are urging people to be bear-, alligator- and crocodile-wise this spring and early summer.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and a slew of other state wildlife agencies are urging the public to avoid creating situations where bears and people come into conflict, particularly as hungry bears search for food in spring and early summer. Intentionally feeding bears puts people and property at risk and can lead to a bear’s death. Unintentional actions can also result in problems. MDC’s Furbearer Biologist, Nate Bowersock, says there are more than 1,000 black bears in the state. Keeping areas free of food attractants such as bird feeders, trash, barbeque grills, pet food and food waste and letting bears find natural foods is important. The basic message from all the wildlife agencies is the same: Store garbage, recyclables, and compost inside secure buildings or in bear-proof containers. Keep grills and smokers clean, stored inside. Don’t leave pet food outside. Refrain from using birdfeeders from April through November. Use electric fencing to keep bears away from beehives, chicken coops, vegetable gardens, orchards and other potential food sources. Keep campsites clean and store all food, toiletries and trash in a secure vehicle or strung high between two trees. Keep dogs leashed. Be aware of the surroundings. If there is evidence of a bear, such as tracks or scat, avoid the area. Leave bears alone! Don’t approach them and make sure they have an escape route. Visit bearwise.org or call (202) 838-3474.
Lisa Yount/Unsplash
Meanwhile, Florida is urging residents and visitors to be bear-, alligator- and crocodile-wise. Florida is well-known for its gators, but the American crocodile also inhabits coastal regions of southern Florida. Gators have rounded U-shaped snouts and typically only their top teeth are visible when their jaws are shut. Crocs have a narrow V-shaped snout and both top and bottom teeth are visible when their jaws are shut. Gators prefer freshwater lakes, slow-moving rivers and their associated wetlands. Crocs prefer coastal brackish or saltwater ponds, coves and creeks, sometimes inland via canals. Ways to reduce conflict with alligators and crocodiles include: Keep a safe distance if you see either reptile. Keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge. Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight without pets. Never feed gators or crocs – it’s illegal, dangerous, and when fed, both can associate people with food. If you spot a gator or croc, call the Florida Wildlife Commission’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866) 392-4286.
Black Carp Found in Oklahoma, $100 Reward
Anglers who catch invasive black carp in Oklahoma may be in for a $100 reward.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) confirmed the first report of a black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) caught in a private pond in McCurtain County. Black carp are one of the four invasive carp species (bighead, silver, grass and black carp) native to Asia now found in the United States. They were imported during the 1970s and 1980s to control snail pests in aquaculture ponds. By the 1990s, black carp escaped into the Mississippi River basin, where natural reproduction has been documented. Black carp stay close to the bottom of the water column using their strong teeth to crush mussel and snail shells. They have the potential to seriously impact already imperiled native mussels, and may compete for food with native fishes, including smallmouth buffalo. In 2015, Illinois’ Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) launched a bounty program to gather data on invasive black carp from nearby waters. Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and IDNR are tracking the spread of black carp across the Mississippi River Basin through the “Keep, Cool, Call” initiative. Anglers in Oklahoma can earn a $100 reward for each eligible fish reported (maximum of 10 fish per month). Anyone who catches a fish they believe is a black carp should dispatch the fish and keep it on ice. (Transporting live invasive carp is illegal.) Make note of the location (preferably GPS coordinates), the type of fishing gear and bait used, and habitat conditions such as depth, water temperature and current conditions. Photos of the fish’s head and mouth as well as total length and weight will be required. Contact Erika Sarvela, ODWC Invasive Carp Biologist, at erika.sarvela@odwc.ok.gov or call (580) 596-8025 or (918) 200-4815 for fish identification and to submit your entry. Anglers are highly encouraged to keep the carp frozen or on ice so ODWC can arrange to pick up the fish for analysis.
Enhancements to Midwest Walleye Challenge
In Nebraska, the Walleye Challenge is a way for anglers to help fisheries biologists evaluate walleye abundance in the state. Photo: Jim Crowley/Unsplash
Walleye anglers have a new way to compete, connect and contribute to fisheries science and management across the Midwest. The third year of the Midwest Walleye Challenge introduces County Captains and Weekly Challenges — features designed to spark friendly rivalry, boost participation and strengthen local pride across participating states. In Nebraska, for example, the state’s Walleye Challenge is a citizen science fishing event that brings anglers and biologists together to support walleye fisheries. The event awards $10,000 in prizes, including “Tough Luck” prizes, for anglers who report trips even when no fish are caught. The collection of catch data during the Nebraska challenge, which runs April 1 through June 28, helps Nebraska’s Game and Parks Commission learn more about Nebraska’s walleye fisheries. County captains serve as local leaders, rallying anglers in their counties to climb the leaderboard, regardless of where they fish. Weekly challenges spotlight different goals throughout the season — from most fish reported, to most water bodies fished — giving every angler many chances to win. Here’s how it works: There’s a $25 entry fee. Anglers record their walleye catches in the mobile app MyCatch. They must photograph their catches on a measuring device using the app. Once the fish is reviewed and meets rule requirements, it will appear on a live leaderboard. Weekly and grand prizes will be drawn. Anglers should report all fish they catch — including zero-catch trips — so biologists can better understand fish population structure. Visit OutdoorNebraska.gov or call (402) 471-0641.Anglers interested in captaining counties should contact Jim Clarke at jim.clarke@anglersatlas.com.
California Increases Bear Limit
California bear hunters can now take two bears per season with the proper tags. Photo: Danika Perkinson/Unsplash
The California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) recently adopted amendments to black bear hunting regulations, raising the bear harvest limit to two. In addition, allowing up to two bear hunting tags per year, CFGC adopted regulation amendments redefining hunt area boundaries to include the entirety of Lassen and Modoc counties. No change was proposed to the 1,700-bear harvest threshold that was last reached in 2012, and if reached this year, would close the season. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife scientists expect the regulation changes to result in 100 to 200 more bears bagged each season out of a population of about 60,000 bears across the state’s habitats.
Missouri Looking for Experienced Birders
The Missouri Department of Conservation needs birdwatchers to help with the 2026 North American Breeding Bird Survey. Photo: Ryan Magsino/Unsplash
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) needs volunteer birdwatchers who know their birds by sight and sound to assist with five vacant bird-observation routes in the state as part of the 2026 North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). BBS takes place May 27 – July 7. The five Missouri BBS routes that need volunteers are Hayden in southern Maries County, Kearney in Clay County, Barnard in Nodaway County, Weston in Platte County and Dover in Lafayette County. BBS is a long-term, large-scale, international bird monitoring program that started in 1966. Its purpose to track the status and trends of North American bird populations. Each year during mostly June – the height of the bird-breeding season – BBS volunteers collect bird-population data along roadside survey routes. Each survey route is 24.5 miles long with stops at half-mile intervals. At each stop, volunteers conduct three-minute counts where they record data on the bird species and numbers they see or hear within a quarter-mile radius. Surveys must start half an hour before sunrise and take about five hours to complete. Volunteers need only conduct their survey route once during the survey period. For more information on Missouri’s birds visit the MDC online Field Guide at nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/search. For more information or to volunteer, contact MDC Avian Ecologist and BBS Coordinator Janet Haslerig at Janet.Haslerig@mdc.mo.gov or (573) 522-4115, ext. 3198.
New FUR-FISH-GAME Work Shirt Available for Sale
Introducing the perfect work shirt for play time. This FUR-FISH-GAME Red Kap work shirt is available now. With the 65/35 poly/cotton blend, this shirt pretty much tells wrinkles to take a hike, leaving you looking neat, cool, and ready to take on any task. Find it HERE. Or wait for the ad to appear in our July issue.
Historic Year for Maryland Oyster Reproduction
MDNR biologists count oyster spats in fall dredging surveys. Maryland’s oyster reproduction has hit historic highs during the fall of 2025 surveys.
Maryland’s oyster reproduction has hit an historic milestone. According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), the concentration of new oysters in fall of 2025 surveys was nearly six times higher than the long-term spatset average and the second highest ever recorded in the 41-year history of the state’s annual fall oyster survey. The Chesapeake Bay’s oysters are crucial to the health of the bay and an important economic resource. Oysters spawn in the summer, and their larvae (spat) move freely in the water before attaching to a hard surface—often other oyster shells—where they grow and spend the rest of their lives.
A juvenile oyster (spat) attached to an oyster shell.
Every fall, MDNR scientists dredge hundreds of sites and count the spat growing on oyster shells, rocks, or other materials. Preliminary results indicate Maryland’s oyster population is growing at levels not seen in decades, while rates of mortality and disease remain low. MDNR measured an average of 250 spat (juvenile oysters) per bushel at key sites. This is at the highest level recorded since 1997—more than three times higher than the prolific reproduction in 2023. The long-term spatset average is 42.2 spat per bushel. Several areas saw especially high spatsets, including 3,600 spat per bushel on two bars in Broad Creek and more than 2,100 spat per bushel in the St. Marys River restoration sanctuary. MDNR shellfish biologists calculate the oyster biomass is the highest in 33 years. A key driver for the state’s fishing industry, oysters are second only to crabbing in dockside value. Oyster harvesting averages more than $18 million annually over the past five years, when watermen brought in an average of 475,000 bushels annually from 2021 to 2025.
Minnesota Finalizes Long Range Musky Plan
Minnesota has a new long range musky plan that aims to improve the fishery. Photo: Amber Kipp/Unsplash
Minnesota has 101 waters managed for muskies, comprising 2% of the state’s fishable lakes and rivers and 22% of the total surface area that is fishable. Muskies have been introduced in 48 lakes and are maintained in these lakes through stocking. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has finalized its multi-year effort to update the state’s long-range plan for muskellunge. The plan uses information from recently completed studies focused on musky survival and ecology, along with community interactions and extensive stakeholder input. The new plan aims to improve existing musky populations, shift the approach in musky stockings, continue hybrid tiger musky management in the metro area and broaden research and education efforts. Among the most significant changes to musky management is the increased use of yearling muskie stocking, young muskies raised into a second year and stocked in the fall, which have much higher survival rates after being stocked. The plan also calls for increased focus on the musky fisheries in Mille Lacs Lake, Lake Vermilion and Lake Minnetonka, an approach that received strong support during the public input process. Visit mndnr.gov/muskie or call (651) 296-6157 or (888) 646-6367.
Michigan Great Lakes Fisheries Survey highlights
Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources annually surveys Great Lakes fisheries. One fish encountered was this 35-pound lake trout. Biologists believe MDNR stocked it in 1995.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) completed its annual assessments of the state’s Great Lakes fish populations last fall. MDNR surveys the diverse and important fisheries annually between April and November. Crews from research stations in Marquette, Charlevoix, Alpena and Harrison Township gather data on fish populations, fish health and the presence and effects of invasive species. This information directly informs fisheries management decisions. Some highlights from this research include the following:
• Lake Superior, Northern Lake Michigan – Spring adult lake trout surveys showed a slight increase in populations east of the Keweenaw Peninsula and slight declines west. The summer juvenile lake trout survey indicated slight declines in western and central areas (Ontonagon to Marquette) and slight increases in eastern waters (Munising to Grand Marais).
• Lake Michigan – Spring gill net surveys were conducted at St. Joseph, South Haven, Saugatuck, Grand Haven, Arcadia, Leland, Elk Rapids and Charlevoix ports. More than 5,000 fish were captured — including a 42.5-inch, 35-pound lake trout believed stocked in 1995. Yearling and older alewife numbers are similar to recent years. However, numbers of less than year-old alewife were low, except in southern Lake Michigan. Other fish — bloaters, rainbow smelt, yellow perch and stickleback — had above-average recruitment. The highest catch of yellow perch was recorded since 2012, which, with luck, could portend an improved yellow perch fishery.
Saginaw Bay produced this lake sturgeon.
• Lake Huron –The spring survey showed young, wild lake trout continuing to survive well and join the adult population, along with stable adult lake trout populations, low mortality and strong natural reproduction in northern Lake Huron. Stocked lake trout survival was lower. This bodes well for the decades-long lake trout recovery effort. Cisco (lake herring) rehabilitation efforts continue. Saginaw Bay had the second highest gill net catch rate ever recorded for yearling walleye, with the total walleye catch rate increasing.
• St. Clair-Detroit River System – Stable northern pike growth rates were shown, but yellow perch and lake sturgeon experienced reduced growth rates following increased water clarity in Lake St. Clair.
• Creel Survey Program – Institute for Fisheries Research - Every year, MDNR staff known as “creel clerks” survey Great Lakes anglers to collect information that helps inform fisheries management decisions. In 2025, 27 creel clerks conducted angler surveys from January to November at 84 locations across lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron and Erie. Clerks interviewed more than 20,000 anglers and collected nearly 6,000 fish samples for age and growth analyses. This research found anglers spent 4 million hours fishing Michigan’s Great Lakes, catching 3.22 million fish, of which 1.58 million fish were kept, and 1.64 million fish were released. Most fishing occurred on Lake Huron, followed by Michigan, Erie and Superior. Angler harvest in the Great Lakes was dominated by walleye and yellow perch, followed by Chinook salmon, lake trout, coho salmon and rainbow trout.
Reproducing Cougar Population in Minnesota?
Evidence of cougars reproducing in Minnesota was documented in video captured by the University of Minnesota’s Voyageurs Wolf Project.
For the first time in more than century, evidence of cougars reproducing in Minnesota was documented in video captured by the University of Minnesota’s Voyageurs Wolf Project. The video, shared with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), show a female cougar with three large kittens feeding on a deer carcass, south of Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota. The Voyageurs Wolf Project deployed hundreds of trail cameras in northeast Minnesota to help with wolf research. Those cameras have recorded footage of lone cougars eight times since 2023, but no footage of kittens – until now. The video of the cougar kittens was captured by two cameras placed over a GPS-collared deer Voyagers suspected a cougar killed. John Erb, MDNR research biologist estimated the kittens to be seven to nine months old. Cougars were native to Minnesota, but no evidence of reproduction has been seen for more than 100 years in east of the Dakotas and Nebraska until recent reports from Michigan and now Minnesota. Yet, adult cougars, commonly wandering males, were frequently seen. Cougars can travel more than 40 miles in a day. Most Minnesota cougars were likely transient animals from the Dakotas or Nebraska. Erb said predicting the future for these kittens is extremely difficult. They could be the foundation for more cougars, or they may be killed by wolves or vehicles. Time will tell, he said, but Minnesota is nearing a point where the probability of a self-sustaining cougar population has increased. Cougars are protected in Minnesota, with no open harvest season. Visit mndnr.gov/cougar or call (651) 296-6157 or (888) 646-6367 for suggestions on what to do if encountering a cougar and more information. The cougar kitten video is available on YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EL1FRB11DU.
Walleye Tag Reward Study Continues In Green Bay?
To better understand the walleye fishery and gain estimates of walleye catch rates, WDNR?launched a reward tag study in 2024.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), together with Walleyes for Tomorrow, will continue the walleye reward tag study in Green Bay and its major tributaries. Green Bay’s bay and its tributaries support a world-class walleye fishery that has recently grown in popularity. To better understand this fishery and gain estimates of walleye harvests, WDNR launched a reward tag study in 2024. WDNR will continue the study, tagging 5,000 walleyes with yellow floy tags and 400 red reward tags in five major spawning areas around Green Bay (Sturgeon Bay and the Fox, Menominee, Oconto and Peshtigo rivers) this spring. Reports of tagged walleyes captured or harvested will help guide walleye management in Green Bay and its tributaries. Anglers are encouraged to report all walleyes caught with any colored tag to WDNR via email to DNRFHGBFish@wisconsin.gov or by calling (920) 662-5411. They can also be mailed to DNR Green Bay Service Center, ATTN: Fisheries Biologist, 2984 Shawano Ave., Green Bay, WI 54313. Anglers should report the tag number, tag color, species, length, location, date and if the fish was harvested or released. Reward tags will be red with “REWARD: $100.” Angler must provide proper verification that they caught a reward tagged walleye to receive the $100. This includes presenting the physical tag to WDNR if the walleye was harvested, or a close-up photo of the tag, including the three-digit tag number and a picture of the angler holding the walleye with the reward tag attached to the walleye if the walleye is released. Any tagged fish can be released or harvested if it is legal to do so.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Upper Peninsula Trappers Association (Michigan)
The UP Trappers Association will hold a Trappers Convention and Outdoor Expo July 10 and 11, in Escanaba, Michigan, at the UP State Fairgrounds. Camping and food available on the fairgrounds. The Expo offers demonstrations, mini raffles, can raffles, and events for the youngsters. The Expo features Heimo and Edna Korth doing demonstrations and visiting with their fans, along with other top name demonstrators and vendors. For vendor spaces or information, contact Mary Theoret (906) 241-6155 or mltheoret@gmail.com and visit www.uptrappers.com.
New England Trappers’ Weekend will be held August 13 – 15 in Bethel, Maine. Contact Neil Olson cell - (207) 749-1179, home (207) 875-5765
Pennsylvania Trappers’ Association
The Pennsylvania Trappers’ Association, District No. 10, will hold their fall convention September 11 and 12, at West End Fairgrounds, located at 570 Fairground Road, in Gilbert, Pennsylvania. For more information call Bob Counterman (610) 759-9203.
West Virginia Trappers’ Association
The West Virginia Trappers’ Association will hold their annual convention September 18 - 20, at the Gilmer County Recreation Center, 1365 Sycamore Run Road, Glenville, West Virginia. Gates open at 9 a.m. Friday, and 8 a.m. Saturday. The event includes demonstrations and seminars at various times both days, food and vendors. Free Trappers Education Classes begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, with registration at 8:30 a.m. Primitive camping is available. Admission is free and everyone is welcome to attend. Visit www.wvtrappers.com, the WVTA Facebook page, or contact Jeremiah at (304) 916-3329.
Vermont Trappers’ Association
The Vermont Trappers’ Association will hold its annual rendezvous September 19 and 20 at the Orleans County Fairgrounds, in Barton, Vermont. Visit www.vttrappers.com or call Ben Vicere, (802) 779-7021, for more information.
North Carolina Trappers’ Association
The North Carolina Trappers’ Association convention will be held September 25 and 26 at the Johnston County Livestock Arena, located at 520 County Home Road, in Smithfield, North Carolina. The event features trapping and fur handling demos, a trappers’ auction Friday afternoon followed by a fellowship meal that night and kids’ contests Saturday morning. There’s a one-time admission fee of $5 for those older than 15. Call Tommy Bryant (252) 915-0627 or Matt Bishop (910) 545-7760.
South Carolina Trapper’s Association
The South Carolina Trappers’ Association will hold its trappers’ convention October 2 -3 at Camp Woodie, 8444 Old River Road, in Pinewood, South Carolina. The event features trapping classes, youth events, demos, games for the kids and a live trapline set Friday and checked Saturday. The event opens at noon Friday, 8 a.m. Saturday. Vendors and tailgaters are welcome. Contact Eddie Jackson (803) 235-5787 or Joe Leonard (803) 507-4940.
Connecticut Trappers’ Association
Connecticut Trappers’ Association will hold their Fall Rendezvous October 10, at the Tolland County Agricultural Center, 24 Hyde Ave, in Vernon, Connecticut. Gate opens at 8 a.m. The event features vendors, demonstrations, a trap setting contest, raffles and more. Contact Cameron Kelsey (619) 997-2345 or Scott Kneeland (860) 234-3192.
Coming in our July 2026 Issue
Features
• Addie’s Cougar - David Zeug tells how Addie Schroeder and her Walker hound, Dandy, bagged their first cougar after overcoming obstacles.
• Fishing For Arctic Grayling - Noah Davis and his father caught grayling in high Rocky Mountain lakes and in the Arctic. Here’s how they did it.
• Black Bears In The Blueberries - Mike Fitzgerald tells how he found good bear hunting in Canada’s boreal forest timber harvests growing up to brush and berries.
• Special Situation Mink - Robert B. Young details two mink sets sure to account for more pelts in your fur shed.
• A Bucket List PA Timber Rattler Hunt - Rich Mierejewski gets an unexpected invite to catch timber rattlers and learns a lot about himself and these snakes.
• Musky Minded - Rebecca Costello shares a lifetime of musky fishing and what she learned chasing this fish of 10,000 casts.
Other Stories
• Looking For An Alaska Trapline – Mark Schlenker recounts his early days trying to find an Alaska trapline and learning how make a dream come true.
• Radios For Outdoorsmen – Heath Curtis looks at how to use three types of radios to stay in touch outdoors.
• Trapping Skunks – Andrew Zysek tells how to convert this furbearer into cash.
• A Halibut Worth The Haul – John Witte, his wife Joy and daughter Kerra seek halibut in Prince William Sound. They come away with a whopper of a story and a big fish for Joy.
• Outdoor TV – Jim Zumbo looks at what goes into making outdoor television shows.
• Study Botany, Become A Better Hunter - M. P. Valoski says learning how to identify wildlife food sources, like the varieties of oaks, or dogwood, or grapevines will make you a better hunter.
• Invading Eden – With bow in hand, Alex Marritt takes on a special whitetail buck that seem almost impossible to get close to.
• The Grouper And The Crane – Cameron Kirby shares a seagoing tale about catching mahi-mahi and learns some life lessons about a fellow angler.
End of the Line Photo of the Month
Josh, Landon & Colton Johnson, Ogilvie, Minnesota
Subscribe to this newsletter
Put Subscribe in the subject line and include your first and last name.
SUBSCRIBE TO FUR-FISH-GAME Magazine
