Ruffed Grouse Society Releases Maps Of The Habitat Management Projects

The Ruffed Grouse Society has released maps of their Management Area Projects.  It looks like there are a couple of hundred areas listed.

You will need to have Google Earth installed on your computer to view the maps.

Here is the link to the RGS website with all of the mapping information.

Sale Price - Garmin Astro 320/DC40 Combo

If you have been holding off on getting a Garmin Astro 320 system now could be a good time to make your purchase.

Lion Country Supply has them at $449.  This includes a DC40 Tracking Collar.

Here is the link to the sale info

Garmin Astro 320/DC40 Combo

Product Description:

NEW LOWER PRICE!! LCS Offers Free Ground Shipping within the USA on the Astro 320/DC40 System! The Garmin Astro 320 / DC40 - Extended Range is the next generation of Astro Handhelds. The NEW 320 handheld provides up to two miles of extended range for better communication with your dog. Other improvements include: Easier to view screen and graphics, simplified user menus, enhanced protective armor, vibration alerts, and wireless data transfer. The NEW DC 40 collar now includes an integrated antenna and bright orange reflective polyurethane coated collar to increase visibility. The casing design focuses on increased durability and eliminates debris entry into the unit for longer product life. * Units have new setting that allows updates every two minutes, extending battery life to 48 hours * NEW - Up to 9 mile range * Collar strap can easily be changed * E-collar can now be mounted on the collar strap * Casing on the collar has been beefed up making it more durable * Collar fits into cradle charger reducing debris accumulating in charging ports - contacts are flush * Collar Lock feature - four digit pins secures collar from being monitored by others The Garmin Astro320 utilizes new technology that provides up to nine miles of range in open country and a stronger, more consistent connection with your dog when running in heavier cover. The 320 is now encased with a rubber armor and sturdy metal spline to significantly reduce the possibility of damage when used in rough conditions. The color display has been greatly improved providing higher resolution and easier to read in bright, daylight conditions. In addition, the map symbols and menu screen are now bolder and easier to read, and Garmin has simplified many of the function screens making for a lot less squinting. Also added to the unit is a vibration feature to supplement silent alerts, signaling to you that your dog is on point or has treed. New with the Astro 320, two antennas included for your handheld. One is the standard 4½” antenna, plus you will receive a 13 ½” flexible antenna for times when you need extended range. The Astro continues to offer expandability to ten dogs and is fully compatible with any Astro tracking collars and current accessories such as Long Range Antennas. Remember, your Astro can also be used as a personal handheld GPS in the field for times when you are hunting without a dog or even in your vehicle on trips, providing you turn by turn directions. There are numerous Astro accessories available through LCS and some of our favorites are shown below. Call us with any question you have regarding this system and we will give you the straight scoop and solid advice. Garmin Astro 320 Review By Randy Carlson, LCS General Manager The world of GPS tracking systems for dogs is starting to change quickly – and those of us to handle dogs are benefiting tremendously. Now Garmin has raised the stakes with the introduction of their new Garmin Astro 320 Handheld! The new Astro 320 is now matched with the DC40 collar, making it an incredibly accurate and user friendly GPS dog tracking system. A significant number of improvements have been made in the handheld, resulting in the 320. In summary: • Extended Range Capability – now up to two additional miles of range between you and your dog • Simplified user menu • Easier to view high resolution 2.6” screen • Significant external protective armor coating • New vibration alerts • Three axis compass for more accurate readings • Wireless unit to unit data transfer • Improved GPS reception with Garmin’s HotFix GPS Support • Improved base map detail • Button lock feature • The current DC40 collar is supplied with the system Improvements You Can See Immediately you will see a visual difference in the Garmin Astro 320 as the color and material that coats the handheld have changed. Instead of a hard plastic casing material, the Astro 320 now utilizes a very sturdy black rubberized coating that makes it easier to hold in your hand and provides more protection from impacts. A beefy metal “spine” has been added to the back battery cover door. This spine provides great improved protection from severe damage from potentially disastrous events, such as falling with the handheld underneath you. Also, the handheld now has quite a bit of bright orange trim on the front and back of the unit, which helps make it easier to find in a variety of situations. The user buttons placement on the front of the 320 have remained the same, but their size and design has changed slightly – for the better. The biggest difference on the buttons is the primary directional pad - it’s now a little larger and more square-shaped (instead of round on the Garmin Astro 220), which allows you to get a better point of reference through touch when using the pad. The other very important external change that you will immediately notice is the longer 13 ½” antenna, which is an important advanced technical feature as well. This longer antenna is an important component that helps provide the extended range that the Astro 320 now attains. This antenna is highly durable and flexible – you can tie it in a knot and it springs back! It is our understanding that the Garmin Astro 320 will be provided with both the standard 4 ¾”and the longer 13 1/2“ antenna. Easier to read screens with larger fonts Features on Base Map screen are clearer and more prominent Then, you get to the screen, and we really like the improvements here. Plain and simple, the new screen IS EASIER TO SEE! We love it! The screen uses new Garmin technology that provide a bright, sharp, and high resolution graphics. What really makes it different is all the screens use clearer images and larger fonts on all menu screens. No more squinting or asking your buddies, “can you read this?”. We “view” this as a very important improvement to the Astro 320. The base map has more detail and now shows offers shading to give you an idea where ridges and valley are located. Don’t get me wrong, it is not topographic detail or anything close, but it is an improvement from the base map on the 220. All information on the map screens is much easier to read too.The other very nice and functional improvement is that Garmin has greatly simplified the menu screens. They are easier to read, much more intuitive, and just plain more “user friendly”. The 220 really wasn’t bad, but with the Astro 320 the menu screens are simple to read and understand. Improvements You Can’t See There are plenty of improvements happening inside the Astro 320 as well. Of course, the first and most important improvement is the extended range. The LCS Staff has tested a 220 / DC40 side by side with a 320 / DC40 and the results where clear – the 320 has extended range! Garmin has explained to us that the 320 utilizes a combination of hardware and software enhancements to obtain additional range in the 320. The amount of additional range attained varies based on the terrain – don’t always expect to get two additional miles. But, we found the Garmin AStro 320 definitely outperforms the 220, and this means fewer interruptions with the connection between you and your dog when tracking.The Astro 320 also has built-in vibration alerts, along with tones. Now when your dog goes on point / treed, or you lose a GPS signal or communication with your dog, you can be alerted with both an audible tone and a vibration alert – perfect in noisy conditions or when your handheld is in your pocket. Also, a cool thing we just discovered is there is now a very large list on “tone sounds” from which you can choose – some are higher pitch and some are lower. Those of us who are hard of hearing will find this a nice option. The internal compass on the 220 was a “two-axis” version, and the Astro 320 is a “three-axis compass”. Simply put, this means you get a quicker and more accurate compass direction reading even when the unit is not held level. When you calibrate the compass, you now have to turn the unit in three different directions. The Astro 320 utilizes Garmin’s latest GPS technology – the buzzword is “HotFix GPS Support”. The technical explanation on how it works even staggered Wendel, our technical guy at LCS. Without going into all the techno- weanie detail, it means that the handheld acquires satellites faster and in more demanding conditions than ever before, and maintains this connection once the satellites have been found. We tried it – it works! Also, you’ll hear about the Astro 320 is it now offers “wireless unit to unit data transfer”. Sounds pretty cool, but don‘t think you can beam your location or that of your dog to another Astro 320 handheld unit – you cannot. What you can do is transfer some information from one Astro 320 to another Astro 320, information such as waypoints, routes, and tracks that you have entered or saved onto your system. To do this, the two units have to be about six feet from each other. A nice feature if you want to share GPS information with a hunting partner. There is now a “button lock” feature that allows you to set your handheld so function buttons cannot be accidently pressed resulting in settings being changed. To activate, you simply tap the power button and select the lock feature from the menu that appears, and do the same to unlock. This is a nice addition. You are able to program any Astro collar to the 320, the DC20, DC30 and DC40 - are all compatible. The Negatives One change we don’t like is that the on-off button is located on the right side of the unit, which would make it more susceptible to accidently turning it off/on when in a pocket, but the button is flush so it doesn’t look like it will be much an issue. Also, when loading the batteries note on the way they orient in the compartment – they are reversed from the 220 and the opposite direction from what you would normally expect when installing batteries – we speak from experience on this one! The battery life of two AA batteries is down to 20 hours on the Astro 320 (24 hours on the 220) due to the additional functions the unit must perform. We highly recommend using the best batteries possible – we always have the best luck with DuraCell AA lithium batteries in our units. Garmin Astro 320 Review Summary So, the Astro 320 looks good and works well. Garmin has made numerous enhancements to the system, with the most important, in our opinion, being the extended range. The screens are easier to use and much more readable. It looks like Garmin listened to input from their customers and used the best technology available to make an even better dog tracking system. If you want tracking and training capability - view the Garmin Alpha here!

Brushland and forest bird habitat workshop May 3 - Aitkin MN

A habitat workshop to assist private landowners in maintaining, enhancing and restoring habitat for sharp-tailed grouse, woodcock, golden-winged warblers and ruffed grouse will be held on Saturday, May 3, at Long Lake Conservation Center southeast of Palisade.  

All of these bird species, except ruffed grouse, are listed as “species in greatest conservation need” by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This designation means their populations are rare, declining or vulnerable to decline and are below levels desirable to ensure their long term health and stability.

Sharp-tailed grouse are of particular concern due to their long term population decline in Minnesota. Aitkin County and western Carlton County are home to the remaining stronghold of this unique, native grouse in east central Minnesota. Landowners with dancing grounds (leks) on their land or within two miles of them are especially encouraged to attend. Their land can provide the habitat necessary for sharp-tailed grouse breeding, nesting and brood rearing habitat.    

    

The workshop runs from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and includes information on the biology and habitat requirements of sharp-tailed grouse, woodcock, golden-winged warblers and ruffed grouse, and technical and financial assistance programs for assisting implementation of habitat projects. Each registrant will receive an aerial photo of their land for a work period during which they will get assistance in developing habitat project ideas. Coffee, fruit and muffins will be served at morning break, as well as a sack lunch. The early afternoon will consist of a habitat tour. An optional, evening, woodcock “sky dance” program will occur at 8:30 pm.

This event is made possible and free to attendees thanks to sponsors that include the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Aitkin & Carlton County Soil & Water Conservation Districts, DNR, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Pheasants Forever, Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society, Woodcock Minnesota, American Bird Conservancy, Ruffed Grouse Society and Wildlife Management Institute.   

   

For more information and to register, contact Scott Kittleson at the Aitkin NRCS office at 218-927-2413 x101 by April 24, with your name, address, phone number, land location (twp., range, section, forty), sack lunch order, and interest in the evening sky dance program.

Read the origiginal Aitkin Age article

How to Properly Range Your Gun Dog

by Chad Mason   

Retrievers are one of American pheasant hunters’ most popular companions. In pheasant country, I see more Labs than anything else, with goldens running third or fourth. For our beloved retrievers, it’s all about range. As long as a retriever is ranging just right, there isn’t much else he can do wrong.

Few things in upland bird hunting are more exasperating than a dog that flushes beyond your shotgun’s capabilities. But there’s nothing more useless than a dog that covers no more ground than his master. Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of retrievers at both ends of that spectrum.

Ranging properly is not the same as the textbook description of quartering we read in training books, though some enthusiastic new retriever owners aspire to see their dogs hunt in this manner.

Retriever field trials and hunting tests have not (yet) put a heavy emphasis on upland bird hunting, so you’d have to watch a spaniel event to see what I mean. What you will see are dogs running back-and-forth before the gun like high-speed lawn mowers, cutting neat lines perpendicular to the hunter’s direction of travel. These lines extend perhaps 20-25 yards on each side of the gun, and 10 to 15 yards in front. One spaniel field trial judge told me this was “ideal” for hunting upland birds.

I think that’s crazy.

Ranging right is not a mindless, mechanical activity, and it is not a series of all-out sprints. It is a nuanced and intelligent quest that recognizes which areas are likely to hold birds, and which aren’t. It means effectively covering as much likely bird-holding cover as possible at an endurance pace, in such a way all birds put to flight by the dog are reasonable targets.

Proper range begins with canvassing the wind for bird scent, and culminates with investigating the sources of scent. Ranging just right may even take a dog momentarily beyond the range of the gun in order to expose a bird to the gun. But ultimately, a dog that ranges just right understands the physical and ballistic limitations of his master and hunts within them, because he also understands his own need for the master as an indispensable teammate.

Read the rest of the GunDog Magazine article

18 Worst Human Foods For Your Dog

It’s hard to not give a dog a scrap of human food from time to time. In fact, dog meals made from our food can be healthy and nutritious, not to mention delicious for your pup.

Though not every food that we eat is good for our canine friends and some are downright dangerous. So dangerous in fact, that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) had to issue an official statement, which you can find in this article.

To keep your dog healthy, avoid giving him the following snacks.

1. Chocolate

2. Grapes

3. Garlic and Onions

7. Bread Dough

This may seem obvious, but the yeast found in dough is dangerous for dogs.
This also means that you shouldn’t, under any circumstances give your dog bread dough, not even in small quantities.

The enzymes in the yeast convert the sugar in the dough to ethanol (alcohol) and carbon dioxide.
The carbon dioxide is what makes the dough rise and if happens after the dough had been eaten by your pet, you know where and what will happen.

After eating, the yeast can multiply in your dog’s stomach causing pain or even as bad as destroying tissue.

The kitchen can be a dangerous place for a dog. However, by continuously expanding your knowledge and being aware of the hazards, your dog can live a long and healthy life!

Be careful with everything in kitchen and especially take good care of your garbage and make sure it’s properly sealed so that the dogs cannot rummage through it for food.

Read more on these 4 foods, all 18 foods, and the complete article

2013 - 2014 Winter Pheasant Habitat Condition News - Not As Bad As You Might Have Thought

Two factors are of critical importance to maintaining healthy pheasant populations: weather and available habitat. While these elements affect pheasants year-round, they’re highlighted annually as the harshest season comes to an end and pheasants begin their next reproductive cycle. A tough winter can certainly result in adult bird mortality, but the real key is getting healthy and strong hens into spring nesting season. Healthy hens lead to larger clutches of eggs, which adds up to more chicks headed toward autumn.

Generally speaking, the winter of 2013-2014 was toughest on pheasants and pheasant habitat in the Great Lakes region where heavy snows and bitter cold made for a long winter that continues despite the calendar turning to spring.  Meanwhile, the Dakotas experienced a relatively mild winter, while the lack of snow accumulation across parts of the Great Plains has biologists concerned, the moisture being needed to restore habitat conditions following three years of drought. Here’s a state-by-state breakdown:


Editor’s Note: Additional states may be added as information becomes available.

South Dakota
South Dakota’s pheasant range has received only about 50 percent of its normal snowfall this winter, which is good news for the nation’s largest pheasant population. “Pheasant winter survival is higher when there is minimal snow cover such as this past winter,” says Travis Runia, lead pheasant biologist with the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department, “The winter has not been stressful to pheasants this year and we expect that survival was higher than normal. Our population usually increases after winters with below normal snowfall, given nesting conditions are also favorable.” Runia notes a very severe blizzard did occur in the western quarter of South Dakota, which likely resulted in high mortality of pheasants outside their primary range, but in the rest of the state’s cattail sloughs and shelterbelts are providing excellent winter habitat due to the limited snow cover. With hopes turning to a productive breeding season, the state’s Pheasant Habitat Work Group, appointed by Governor Dennis Daugaard, continues its work. “The group is tasked with reviewing the many habitat-related comments received in conjunction with the Governor’s Pheasant Habitat Summit, which was held in December,” Runia says, “The group will deliver a report to the governor with a list of practical solutions to the many threats to pheasant habitat in the state by the summer of 2014.” With fingers crossed for a productive spring nesting season, South Dakota appears set for an autumn pheasant rebound.

North Dakota
Winter started out early and extreme in December, but since then, pheasants have been spared from brutal conditions. “A lack of snow has provided many feeding areas, birds are able to feed on uplands, and little stress has been noted in birds because they can get to food,” reports Stan Kohn, upland game management supervisor with the North Dakota Game & Fish Department. Snow cover may even be too low in some areas. “The lack of snow cover to date may set the stage for dry conditions throughout many counties in southwest North Dakota that were showing borderline drought conditions late last summer,” Kohn said, noting that snowfall in the state’s pheasant range is about 50 percent below normal. And at the northern edge of pheasant country, North Dakota hasn’t fully escaped winter’s wrath until May. “A big unknown will be weather conditions in this part of the country in the next six weeks,” Kohn says, “Late spring snowstorms can be a real problem with pheasants in March and early April.” While grassland conversion is continuing at a rapid pace in North Dakota, Kohn notes his department is promoting new habitat options for expired/expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands, as the North Dakota Game & Fish Department has received a $1.9 million grant through the state’s Outdoor Heritage Fund to direct toward this effort.

Minnesota
Serious winter weather arrived early in Minnesota and hasn’t left yet. “This has been an extremely cold winter. Many areas have experienced more than 50 days with minimum air temperatures at or below 0°F,” says Nicole Davros, upland game project leader with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, “Snow drifts have filled all but the largest cattail marshes, so good winter cover has become more limited. Birds are taking advantage of food plots and are utilizing roadsides in areas where the snow has become too deep or crusted over.” Davros notes deep snow didn’t develop until late January, and the deepest snow depths occurred outside the state’s core pheasant range. And within that core range – west-central, southwest, and south-central areas of the state – strong winds helped keep fields open for feeding. While the winter has been tough at times, it pales in comparison to the 58,000 acres of undisturbed grassland habitat lost in the state’s pheasant range. To combat this acreage loss, Minnesota continues to permanently protect habitat through land acquisition via its voter-approved Legacy Amendment. Hunters will be happy to hear the state is also expanding its Walk-in Access (WIA) program from 28 to 35 counties in 2014.

Iowa
Snowfall has been significant in northeast, north-central, and the east-central regions of Iowa, continuing an unprecedented run of snowy winters topping more than 30” of accumulation. History says that doesn’t bode well for the pheasant population, but that’s presuming a wetter-than-normal spring ensues, which is typical after a snowy winter. Areas that didn’t receive as much snow this year included the southwest and west-central regions of Iowa, according to Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife research biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Bogenschutz is optimistic that pheasant and quail numbers can improve in the southern half of the state this year, and the best bit of news is once continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signups begin, 50,000 acres will be available through the Iowa Pheasant Recovery program.

See more states and read the complete Pheasants Forever Pheasant Blog post

Blind dog reunites with owner after a traumatic separation