A few folks asked about increasing the hits on their blogs. One of the best “how to” places that I have found is located here
Follow the steps outlined there, and your hits, if not your comments, should increase. Be advised though. Some of those links are “click feeders” and your spyware as well as visitors may place your blog “out of bounds.” Have fun!
“Washington, DC, was named in a health survey as having the highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases of any city in the United States. Blame it on the Wall Street bailout plan. You can’t screw that many taxpayers and not catch something.” —Argus Hamilton
Politics, like everything else in life take time and work if you are going to do them correctly. My good friend and fellow Blogger Texas Fred has launched an exploratory website. Please take the time to visit there, and leave comments.
Yes, I am well aware of the political shenanigans being waged against Sarah Palin. Here is my take on it, and yes I will be blunt:
That idiot needed to be fired, if not prosecuted criminally. Whether there were also personal problems is of no consequence. Alaska is a right to work state; in other words you cannot be forced to work where you don’t want to work, it’s that pesky thirteenth amendment having to do with slavery. It also works the other way around though; you cannot force an employer to have you work for them when they don’t want you there. Especially when there are damned good reasons for that. So, enough of taking pot shots at a decent woman that has accomplished much in her life.
All to often I hear fishermen complaining about crowds on the water. Much as hunters complain about the “Sea of Orange.”
At least those that are die hard fishermen get a reprieve of sorts. It is called hunting season! Not to say that hunters should put away the fly rods. Many streams and especially tail waters near hunting areas offer what many believe to be the best fishing of the year.
The Browns have spawned, and they aggressively defend their redds. Can you say streamer flys..? Present the fly as if it is attempting to raid the nest. Then hang on because the usually picky Brown Trout goes haywire in defending it’s still to be hatched young.
There are still some late hatches happening as well, usually late in the afternoons. These can be Mayflies, small Caddis fly’s, and the ever present Midges. I have had good success with BWO’s as well as Gray Elk Hair Caddis patterns between trips to the bird fields, and along side high country big game hunts in the past. Especially using midge larva patterns when in the high country. Don’t forget the lakes that are not frozen yet either. The fishing may be slower, but the fish tend to be larger and the crowds just not there. Quincy and Aurora reservoirs come to mind.
I live to hunt, but I also find myself fishing when the hunting is done for the day, or season.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) is pleased to announce the nomination process for the 2008 “Landowner of the Year” award is now open. The DOW would like to encourage public participation in nominating this year’s candidates.
Each year, the DOW and supporting organizations select a private landowner who has made outstanding contributions in providing beneficial habitat to Colorado’s wildlife and/or providing public hunting and fishing access on private lands. This award is part of the DOW’s Landowner Recognition Program, which works to improve communication between landowners, sportsmen and the Division.
This Award:
– Recognizes the important contributions private landowners are making to improve habitat for wildlife in Colorado
– Promotes the creation and improvement of habitat on private and public land by acknowledging efforts of landowners
– Creates opportunities for landowners to share information about innovative land and wildlife stewardship techniques
– Promotes understanding and appreciation of the rural land ethic
Nominee Requirements:
– Must be a resident of Colorado
– Must own at least 160 acres in Colorado
– Must be actively engaged in farming or a ranching business as an owner, lessor/lessee or manager
Nomination Instructions:
– A nomination form and detailed instructions are available on the DOW website at: http://wildlife.state.co.us/LandWater/
– All applications are due into the Denver office no later than November 17, 2008. The winner will be notified by January 2, 2009.
Award winners and runners-up are selected by a three-member judging team and are recognized at the National Western Stock Show in January, and again at the Colorado RV, Sports, Boat and Travel Show in March. Both events are held in Denver. Those who nominate the winner also receive a two-day trip to Denver to attend the award ceremony.
Supporters of this award include: Colorado Association of Soil Conservation Districts, Colorado Bowhunter Association, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, Colorado Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Colorado Department of Agriculture, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado State Grange, Colorado State Land Board, Colorado Wildlife Commission, Colorado Wildlife Federation, Colorado Wool Growers’ Association, Industrial Expositions Inc., Izaak Walton League and the National Western Stock Show.
For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.
This is related to the post immediately preceding this one.
Living with Wildlife Program to be held in Broomfield October 22nd
Have you ever wondered why coyotes live so close to people? How prairie dogs play a part in the ecosystem? Or what is the best way to get rid of the smell of skunk spray? If so, join us for a presentation on urban wildlife, conflict avoidance and urban wildlife biology and learn more about Colorado’s wildlife neighbors.
If you visit or live near open space, this is a great opportunity to hear a presentation by Broomfield’s District Wildlife Manager, Claire Solohub. The event is sponsored by the Broomfield Open Space Foundation, Division of Wildlife, and City and County of Broomfield. The Broomfield Nature Program will also have volunteers on hand to provide information on educational programs.
Specific species discussion will focus on coyotes, foxes, raccoons, skunks and prairie dogs and will address issues such as:
-Coexisting with wildlife
-Keeping pets safe
-Keeping wildlife wild
-Techniques to minimize nuisance and damage situations
-Enhancing backyard habitat to encourage/discourage wildlife
Refreshments and Q & A to follow the presentation.
WHAT: Living with Wildlife Program
WHEN: October 22, 2008 at 7:00 PM
WHERE: Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library
3 Community Park Rd.
Broomfield, Colorado
Phone: 720.887.2300
HOW: All are welcome, no R.S.V. P. necessary
If you have questions about the event, please call Dan Wilkie, President of the Broomfield Open Space Foundation at 303-466-2507 and Kristan Pritz, Director Open Space and Trails at 303-438-6335.
For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.
It is once again that time of the year. Hat tip to the DOW for some solid information about coexisting with bears.
BEAR ACTIVITY INCREASES IN THE FALL
Autumn is when black bears become more active, setting the stage for an increase in bear sightings and possibly encounters.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) reminds residents and visitors that bears are searching for food to prepare for the denning season, which begins in early to mid-November. From now until then, bears will look for food wherever they can find it and the result may lead them closer to people or homes.
While Colorado’s bears usually run, rather than confront humans, encounters do occur and people should know a few things about how to react, or better yet, how to avoid an encounter altogether by reducing the likelihood of attracting bears in the first place.
Human injuries caused by bears are rare in Colorado. In the few cases when people are injured, it usually involves food left where bears can find it, or is the result of a surprise encounter.
When bears become habituated to food left out by people, it can lead to conflicts, property damage, the possibility of injury and eventual destruction of the bear.
The DOW has the following recommendations to reduce the chances of having a close encounter with a black bear on a homeowner’s property:
Do not feed wild animals (It is against the law to feed foxes, coyotes, or bears in Colorado ) and play it safe if you have bird feeders in bear country. Feeding wildlife, including birds, can draw bears into an area. Once bears become comfortable in an area where they find food, they will continue to return. Bears have an amazing ability to recall areas where food was easily available from year to year. A “neighborhood bear” can become a real problem for homeowners and neighbors.
Tips for safely feeding birds include: restrict feeding to when bears hibernate, which is generally November through April; avoid bird foods that are particularly attractive for bears, such as sunflower seeds, hummingbird nectar, or suet; bring feeders inside at night or suspend them from high crosswires; and temporarily remove feeders for two weeks if visited by a bear. Encourage your neighbors to do the same.
Don’t place garbage outside until pick-up day. A 1994 Arizona study discovered that putting trash cans out the morning of the pickup reduced bear visits from 70 percent to less than 5 percent. Garbage or food items, including pet food, should be stored inside the garage or secure storage shed. Garage doors should not be left open except for very brief periods during the day.
Keep your distance. If a bear shows up in your backyard, stay calm. From a safe distance, shout at it like you would to chase an unwanted dog. Children should understand not to run, approach or hide from a bear that wanders into the yard, but, instead, to back away and walk slowly to the house.
Eliminate temptation. Bears that visit areas of human habitation are drawn there by food. Neighbors need to work together to reduce an area’s appeal to bears. Ask local businesses to keep dumpsters closed and bear-proofed (chained or locked shut). Do not throw table scraps out for animals, and clean your barbecue grill regularly. If you feed pets outdoors, bring leftover food and dishes inside at night.
Bears should not be irrationally feared, nor should they be dismissed as harmless; but they should be respected as large animals with the potential to damage property and injure people if we create environments where they become dependent on human food sources.
For more information and tips on preventing conflicts with bears, visit the DOW’s “Living With Wildlife” Web page at http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/LivingWithWildlife/ and click on “Living with Bears in Colorado.”
For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.
So what else is new? We are still more than a little angry with them after all.
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan – The Taliban are unusually angry about the latest suspected U.S. missile strike in Pakistan, a sign a top militant may have died in the attack, officials and residents said Sunday amid reports the death toll rose by two to 24.
STATE SIGNS MOU WITH SOUTHERN UTE INDIAN TRIBE CONCERNING BRUNOT AGREEMENT
The Colorado Division of Wildlife, the Colorado Wildlife Commission, Governor Ritter and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) concerning wildlife management and enforcement in an area known as the Brunot area.
In 1874, Congress approved an agreement between the United States and certain Ute Indians in Colorado, known as the “Brunot Agreement”. Under this agreement, the Utes ceded certain land to the United States but reserved a right to hunt on those lands for “so long as the game lasts and the Indians are at peace with the white people.” The Brunot Agreement covers land now known as the Brunot Area, which roughly extends from U.S. Highway 160 on the south to the southern boundaries of Montrose and Gunnison counties on the north and from the middle of Mineral County on the east to just west of Cortez on the west.
Since 1972, the Tribe has refrained from exercising its rights in the Brunot area but, after a recent decision of the Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council, the Tribe now plans to allow tribal members to exercise their rights under the Brunot Agreement. Prior to exercising those rights, however, the Tribe and the Division of Wildlife worked together to develop an MOU in recognition of the parties’ shared responsibility for the well-being and perpetuation of the wildlife resources and habitat of the area. In addition, both parties sought to ensure communication and cooperation in the use of the area by their respective constituents. Therefore, the parties have agreed in the MOU to maintain a strong and cooperative dialog regarding wildlife, especially related to the harvest of game species and management within the Brunot area. The Tribe and the State also agreed to recognize and respect the jurisdiction of each other and to work cooperatively in the conduct of law enforcement operations of mutual interest.
“The MOU will help foster sound wildlife management between the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe,” said Tom Remington, Director of the Division of Wildlife. “We are pleased that in seeking to hunt and fish under the Brunot Agreement, the Tribe has chosen to work with the state in order to protect wildlife in the Brunot area into the future. It clearly demonstrates the Tribe intends to hunt and fish under the agreement in a cooperative and responsible way.”
The Tribe has managed and operated a professional wildlife management program on its reservation in southwest Colorado for a number of years and will adopt rules for hunting and fishing by tribal members within the Brunot area in a manner consistent with its existing practices. These rules will set forth the seasons for tribal member hunting, methods of take, species to be harvested and other regulations. The MOU includes agreement regarding the types of species to be taken and a process by which allocation of rare game species such as moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats will be equitably allocated between tribal hunters and hunters licensed by the Division of Wildlife. There are currently 1,431 members of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe but, on average, only 225 members obtain deer or elk licenses annually for hunting on the Reservation. Importantly, the Brunot Agreement does not give members of the tribe any rights to hunt on private land in the Brunot area without first obtaining landowner permission and Brunot hunting rights are not transferable to other hunters who do not belong to Ute tribes.
Tom Spezze, Southwest Regional Manager for the Division of Wildlife said “We have had a very good working relationship with the Southern Utes for many years, and we look forward to working closely with the Tribe to accomplish our mutual goal of protecting our shared wildlife resource in the Brunot Area.”
Division of Wildlife staff and Southern Ute Indian Tribe staff will host several open house events to answer any questions concerning the agreement and provide copies of the MOU and maps of the Brunot area. The public may come and go as they choose. The open house events are scheduled for:
Durango, Oct. 14, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the County Extension Offices, Animas room, 2500 Main Ave.
Montrose, Oct. 21, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 1391 South Townsend Ave.
Denver, Oct. 29, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hunter Education Building, Division of Wildlife Headquarters, 6060 Broadway
For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.
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