Neil Hoefs 's Entries

• 26 Dec 2013
  Four Components of Good Habitat

  The variables and elements to sustain wildlife through a Midwest winter haven’t changed. Food, water, shelter and space – the four components of good habitat – are all required to varying degrees, depending on the species and climatic conditions. Wildlife management has changed over time. One prime example is the historical practice of feeding wildlife – deer, birds and just about everything in between, especially during winter when people perceive a shortage of food. Food, water, shelter and space – the four components of good habitat Food, water, shelter and space – the four components of good habitat This practice was once embraced by most wildlife professionals, and the traditional thought process made sense to biologists, hunters and citizens. But over the course of time, what was once the standard has been reviewed. New research produced new knowledge that prompted questions future wildlife management decisions.   http://www.uplandgameadventures.com/four-components-of-good-habitat/

  1060 Posted by Neil Hoefs
• By Neil Hoefs

  Four Components of Good Habitat

  The variables and elements to sustain wildlife through a Midwest winter haven’t changed. Food, water, shelter and space – the four components of good habitat – are all required to varying degrees, depending on the species and climatic conditions. Wildlife management has changed over time. One prime example is the historical practice of feeding wildlife – deer, birds and just about everything in between, especially during winter when people perceive a shortage of food. Food, water, shelter and space – the four components of good habitat Food, water, shelter and space – the four components of good habitat This practice was once embraced by most wildlife professionals, and the traditional thought process made sense to biologists, hunters and citizens. But over the course of time, what was once the standard has been reviewed. New research produced new knowledge that prompted questions future wildlife management decisions.   http://www.uplandgameadventures.com/four-components-of-good-habitat/

  Dec 26, 2013 1060
• 18 Nov 2013
  Harvesting a Thanksgiving Turkey

  Before Butterball, a fat wild turkey taken in fall was the centerpiece of many Thanksgiving tables. This year, honor the holiday’s heritage by playing Pilgrim and hunting a fall bird of your own. The basics to harvesting a Thanksgiving Turkeyaren’t all that complicated, but I’ve learned a few moves over the years that’ll help give you an edge. Here’s how to bring home a turkey dinner for your whole family to enjoy. http://www.uplandgameadventures.com/harvesting-a-thanksgiving-turkey/

  1080 Posted by Neil Hoefs
• By Neil Hoefs

  Harvesting a Thanksgiving Turkey

  Before Butterball, a fat wild turkey taken in fall was the centerpiece of many Thanksgiving tables. This year, honor the holiday’s heritage by playing Pilgrim and hunting a fall bird of your own. The basics to harvesting a Thanksgiving Turkeyaren’t all that complicated, but I’ve learned a few moves over the years that’ll help give you an edge. Here’s how to bring home a turkey dinner for your whole family to enjoy. http://www.uplandgameadventures.com/harvesting-a-thanksgiving-turkey/

  Nov 18, 2013 1080
• 30 Jul 2013
  The Good Hurt

  I’ve spent the past two weekends in the thickest, nastiest, aspens I could find. Pushing through pines so dense that I couldn’t see an inch in front of my face. My elbows are scratched and stuck with tiny bits of thorns. My knee is swollen with a bruise the size of a baseball. It’s late September. When pain and ice packs mark the new season as much as that first trip to the cider mill. Most feather-chasers laugh when I say I’m hitting the northern Michigan woods for the grouse and woodcock openers. They tell me they don’t hunt until the leaves are down. The forest is too thick. The odds are stacked against hunters. They tell me they don’t waste the time. - See more at: http://www.uplandgameadventures.com/the-good-hurt/#sthash.DyRkRzt4.dpuf

  1177 Posted by Neil Hoefs
• By Neil Hoefs

  The Good Hurt

  I’ve spent the past two weekends in the thickest, nastiest, aspens I could find. Pushing through pines so dense that I couldn’t see an inch in front of my face. My elbows are scratched and stuck with tiny bits of thorns. My knee is swollen with a bruise the size of a baseball. It’s late September. When pain and ice packs mark the new season as much as that first trip to the cider mill. Most feather-chasers laugh when I say I’m hitting the northern Michigan woods for the grouse and woodcock openers. They tell me they don’t hunt until the leaves are down. The forest is too thick. The odds are stacked against hunters. They tell me they don’t waste the time. - See more at: http://www.uplandgameadventures.com/the-good-hurt/#sthash.DyRkRzt4.dpuf

  Jul 30, 2013 1177
• 12 Jul 2012
  North Dakota Pheasant Crowing Counts Up

  Pheasant Crowing Counts Up North Dakota’s spring pheasant crowing count survey revealed a 10 percent increase statewide compared to last year. All four pheasant districts showed an increase compared to last year. The number of crows heard in the southeast increased by 12 percent, northwest by 8 percent, northeast by 6 percent and southwest by 4 percent. Stan Kohn, upland game management supervisor for the State Game and Fish Department, said birds did not experience excessive mortality last winter. “Even with the nice winter last year, I anticipated fewer adult birds to be available this spring because poor production in spring of 2009-11 led to fewer young birds entering the fall population,” Kohn said. “However, I did expect to see higher crow count numbers in the southwest because good numbers of birds were observed last winter, but it didn’t pan out in the crow count numbers.” Even with a somewhat smaller breeding class of birds, Kohn said hens were in better shape this spring because of less winter stress. In addition, he said nesting habitat looked to be in pretty good condition in all areas of the state, and nesting and brooding weather this spring has been almost ideal. “I expect much better upland game production this summer,” Kohn added. “Pheasant hens are finding better quality nesting and brooding cover on the uplands this spring, and with the good weather, more hens were successful with first clutches, a positive sign of a good production year.” However, Kohn noted, the loss of CRP is going to decrease nesting and brooding cover in the future, and will negatively affect the pheasant population. Spring crowing count data is not always a good indicator of the fall population. It does not measure population density, but provides an index of the spring rooster population based on a trend of number of crows heard. Brood surveys, which begin in mid-July and are completed by September, are a better indicator of the summer’s pheasant production and provide insight into what to expect for a fall pheasant population. Pheasant crowing counts are conducted each spring throughout North Dakota. Observers drive specified 20-mile routes, stopping at predetermined intervals, and counting the number of pheasant roosters heard crowing over a two-minute period during the stop. The number of pheasant crows heard is compared to previous years’ data, providing a trend summary.

  1823 Posted by Neil Hoefs
• By Neil Hoefs

  North Dakota Pheasant Crowing Counts Up

  Pheasant Crowing Counts Up North Dakota’s spring pheasant crowing count survey revealed a 10 percent increase statewide compared to last year. All four pheasant districts showed an increase compared to last year. The number of crows heard in the southeast increased by 12 percent, northwest by 8 percent, northeast by 6 percent and southwest by 4 percent. Stan Kohn, upland game management supervisor for the State Game and Fish Department, said birds did not experience excessive mortality last winter. “Even with the nice winter last year, I anticipated fewer adult birds to be available this spring because poor production in spring of 2009-11 led to fewer young birds entering the fall population,” Kohn said. “However, I did expect to see higher crow count numbers in the southwest because good numbers of birds were observed last winter, but it didn’t pan out in the crow count numbers.” Even with a somewhat smaller breeding class of birds, Kohn said hens were in better shape this spring because of less winter stress. In addition, he said nesting habitat looked to be in pretty good condition in all areas of the state, and nesting and brooding weather this spring has been almost ideal. “I expect much better upland game production this summer,” Kohn added. “Pheasant hens are finding better quality nesting and brooding cover on the uplands this spring, and with the good weather, more hens were successful with first clutches, a positive sign of a good production year.” However, Kohn noted, the loss of CRP is going to decrease nesting and brooding cover in the future, and will negatively affect the pheasant population. Spring crowing count data is not always a good indicator of the fall population. It does not measure population density, but provides an index of the spring rooster population based on a trend of number of crows heard. Brood surveys, which begin in mid-July and are completed by September, are a better indicator of the summer’s pheasant production and provide insight into what to expect for a fall pheasant population. Pheasant crowing counts are conducted each spring throughout North Dakota. Observers drive specified 20-mile routes, stopping at predetermined intervals, and counting the number of pheasant roosters heard crowing over a two-minute period during the stop. The number of pheasant crows heard is compared to previous years’ data, providing a trend summary.

  Jul 12, 2012 1823
• 28 Mar 2012
  Bighorn Sheep Auction License Sells for $42,000

    Bighorn Sheep Auction License Sells for $42,000 North Dakota’s 2012 bighorn sheep auction license sold for $42,000 at the March 17 Midwest Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation annual meeting in Bloomington, Minn. North Dakota’s auction license allows the winning bidder the rare privilege of pursuing a North Dakota bighorn on a self-guided hunt. One hundred percent of the auction license proceeds, plus an additional $10,000 donated by MCWSF, are used to enhance bighorn sheep management in North Dakota. In addition, a 5 percent conservation fee for all auction licenses generated an additional $2,100 from the sale of North Dakota’s license for wild sheep conservation.

  1161 Posted by Neil Hoefs
• By Neil Hoefs

  Bighorn Sheep Auction License Sells for $42,000

    Bighorn Sheep Auction License Sells for $42,000 North Dakota’s 2012 bighorn sheep auction license sold for $42,000 at the March 17 Midwest Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation annual meeting in Bloomington, Minn. North Dakota’s auction license allows the winning bidder the rare privilege of pursuing a North Dakota bighorn on a self-guided hunt. One hundred percent of the auction license proceeds, plus an additional $10,000 donated by MCWSF, are used to enhance bighorn sheep management in North Dakota. In addition, a 5 percent conservation fee for all auction licenses generated an additional $2,100 from the sale of North Dakota’s license for wild sheep conservation.

  Mar 28, 2012 1161
• 28 Jun 2011
  Garmin® Acquires Tri-Tronics® Inc.

  Important News From Tri-Tronics!Tri-Tronics has signed an agreement to be purchased by Garmin Ltd. This is really a combining of market leaders, and we hope that you’re as excited about it as we are.As you probably know, Garmin is the pioneer in GPS dog tracking. What you may not realize is that their navigation systems are also found in airplanes, boats, cars, and many other devices, all over the world. They’ve been at it as long as just about anyone in the GPS business.Tri-Tronics, of course, is a pioneer and market leader in its own right. Taken together, the strengths of the two companies are highly complementary, and together we believe that we can better serve the broader sporting dog market with the best products, service, and customer support.The combination of our respective product lines will result in more choices, more innovation, and better value and service for our dealers, customers and supporters.So as a practical matter, what does this mean for our customers, users, and supporters?In a nutshell, it’s business as usual.Tri-Tronics will continue to be responsible for supporting its own products just as Garmin will be for its own products. Tri-Tronics will continue to offer high quality products and stand behind them. We will continue to honor our product warranties and service products in Tucson. Our office in Tucson will remain open and your Tri-Tronics contacts will remain the same as before; the same people, phone number and email address. The current Tri-Tronics management team will stay in place through the transition period at which time a decision will be made about how the overseeing process will be handled.We will continue to provide updates to you as developments warrant.

  1122 Posted by Neil Hoefs
• By Neil Hoefs

  Garmin® Acquires Tri-Tronics® Inc.

  Important News From Tri-Tronics!Tri-Tronics has signed an agreement to be purchased by Garmin Ltd. This is really a combining of market leaders, and we hope that you’re as excited about it as we are.As you probably know, Garmin is the pioneer in GPS dog tracking. What you may not realize is that their navigation systems are also found in airplanes, boats, cars, and many other devices, all over the world. They’ve been at it as long as just about anyone in the GPS business.Tri-Tronics, of course, is a pioneer and market leader in its own right. Taken together, the strengths of the two companies are highly complementary, and together we believe that we can better serve the broader sporting dog market with the best products, service, and customer support.The combination of our respective product lines will result in more choices, more innovation, and better value and service for our dealers, customers and supporters.So as a practical matter, what does this mean for our customers, users, and supporters?In a nutshell, it’s business as usual.Tri-Tronics will continue to be responsible for supporting its own products just as Garmin will be for its own products. Tri-Tronics will continue to offer high quality products and stand behind them. We will continue to honor our product warranties and service products in Tucson. Our office in Tucson will remain open and your Tri-Tronics contacts will remain the same as before; the same people, phone number and email address. The current Tri-Tronics management team will stay in place through the transition period at which time a decision will be made about how the overseeing process will be handled.We will continue to provide updates to you as developments warrant.

  Jun 28, 2011 1122