SPRING SQUIRREL SEASON DATES

PROPOSED

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission passed a 2007 and 2008 spring squirrel season notice of intent at their Sept. 7 meeting. The dates proposed by the commission are from May 5 to 27 in 2007 and from May 3 to 25 in 2008.

Squirrel hunting would be closed in the Kisatchie National Forest, on National Wildlife Refuges, select Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property.

Those Wildlife Management Areas that will be open are Bodcau, Boeuf, Clear Creek, Little River, Maurepas Swamp (East Tract), Russell Sage and Sherburne WMAs. Those WMAs will only be open for spring squirrel season from May 5 to 13 in 2007 and May 3 to 11 in 2008. Dogs are allowed during these WMA seasons for squirrel hunting. Feral hogs may not be taken on these WMAs during these squirrel season dates.

A daily bag limit would be three with a possession limit of 6.

Public comment may be submitted to David Moreland, Administrator, Wildlife Division, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000, prior to Nov. 2, 2006.

REWARD OFFERED FOR INFORMATION ON BLACK BEAR

Louisiana Operation Game Thief (LOGT), the Black Bear Conservation Committee (BBCC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are offering up to $7,000 in rewards for information leading to the apprehension of a violator that killed a Louisiana black bear near Muscle Lake in Avoyelles Parish.

The dead bear was discovered on Sept. 1 on the School Board Tract. It was a female bear that was a part of the ongoing black bear relocation project. She was moved in 2005 from Madison Parish to Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area with four of her cubs.

This bear has been tracked extensively up until her death. Her radio collar sent off an inactive signal upon her death, and Louisiana Department of Wildlife Fisheries (LDWF) Biologist Manager Maria Davidson and LDWF Biologist Supervisor Jonathan Bordelon followed the signal to her body.

“T4’s death is a tremendous loss to the relocation project and a shameful example of human behavior. Somebody using this piece of public property obviously chose to kill her just because they could,” said Davidson.

The Louisiana black bear is on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service list of endangered species in Louisiana and is protected by state and federal regulations.

Anyone with information in the case may place an anonymous call to the LOGT toll-free 24-hour hotline at 1-800-442-2511 or Capt. Peter Oliver at the LDWF Region 3 Enforcement office at 318-487-5634, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

LDWF Enforcement agents collected evidence at the scene and are investigating the case.

COMMISSION PLANS CRAB TRAP REMOVAL PROGRAM FOR 2007

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved a notice of intent to continue the abandoned crab trap removal program at their Sept. 7, 2006 meeting. Two winter trap closures in portions of the Barataria Bay and Lake Pontchartrain estuaries are planned for 2007.

Successful abandoned crab trap closures and clean ups took place in 2004, 2005 and 2006. These programs were very successful in regard to both the total number of retrieved traps, volunteer participation, and acceptance by all user groups. A grand total of 14,452 crab traps were collected; in 2004, 6,894 traps were collected during two clean ups, in 2005, 4,623 were collected during four clean-ups and, in 2006, 2,935 abandoned crab traps in one clean up.

A diverse group of volunteers participated, including commercial crab fishermen, recreational fishermen, concerned individuals, and representatives of conservation and environmental organizations, state and federal agencies, and universities. The abandoned crab trap removal program was viewed as a positive approach to removing derelict crab traps from coastal waters.

Funding for the 2007 crab trap clean up will come from increases in recreational and commercial crab trap gear license fees statutorily dedicated to support the abandoned crab trap removal program.