The Outdoor Pressroom

W.Va. expands CCW reciprocity

West Virginia Managing Deputy Attorney General Tom Smith has announced the completion of concealed carry reciprocity agreements with North Dakota and Delaware, bringing the number of state that recognize CCW permits from The Mountain State to 20. The Charleston Gazette.

AK angler hauls in bothersome ball o' lures & line

David Athearn used a grappling hook attached to his SUV to dislodge a 4-foot long 'mother lode' containing 100 lures and tangled line that had been bedeviling anglers at Cowee Creek near Juneau, Alaska throughout the fishing season. While most of the hooks had rusted away, Athearn noted: "Monofilament...is like Cher's reconstructed cheek bones, they're forever." The Juneau Empire.

Downed Montana power line smokes deer, bears, wolves

Officials say a downed power line near Eureka in northwestern Montana electrocuted more than a dozen wild animals over a period of months, including five whitetail deer, four black bears, two wolves, one coyote and a turkey vulture. "We're just thankful there weren't any two-legged creatures up there, except for the turkey vulture," said Roger Pitman, operations superintendent at the Lincoln Electric Cooperative. The Missoulian.

Canadian woman killed by coyotes

A 19-year-old woman died from multiple bites she sustained during an attack by two coyotes while she hiked a popular trail in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Highlands National Park this week. Toronto singer Taylor Mitchell, who had just released her first professional recording, was in the Maritimes for a series of performances. The Ottawa Citizen.

Tired, thirsty hikers calling 'Yuppie 911'

Western backcountry hikers armed with GPS technology are increasingly using the devices to report such non-emergencies like "water tasted salty," prompting search and rescue officials to call personal locator beacons "Yuppie 911," as the incidents of their misuse grows. Via AP.

Young buck makes mess of Delaware gift shop

A young whitetail buck crashed through the window of a Rehoboth Beach, Delaware nautical-themed gift shop yesterday morning, leaving broken windchimes and dolphin figurines strewn in its destructive wake. "It just ran up and down every aisle, kicking over displays and bleeding," said Gary Turton, owner of Dolphin Dreams. The Daily Times.

Hunters kill 11 wolves first 2 days of open Mont. season

Hunters in Montana took 11 wolves on the first two days of the statewide wolf-hunting season, bringing the year's harvest to 23 animals--about 30 percent of the quota with a month remaining in the season. The Great Falls Tribune.

Busted: Pair charged for growing pot on PA game land

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has filed charges against two individuals for growing marijuana on State Game Land located in Smith Township. Investigators found 12 marijuana plants in thick vegetation adjacent to an existing state-maintained wildlife food plot. PA Game Commission press release.

Pilfered camo outfit doesn't hide Wal-Mart shoplifter

Loss Prevention personnel with the Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. Wal-Mart say a 24-year-old's attempt to shoplift a camouflage hunting jacket and hat by removing the tags and wearing them proved unsuccessful last week, and he was arrested by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Dept. on larceny charges. NWF Daily News.

Yosemite NP study: Bears prefer minivans

A study published in the October issue of The Journal of Mammalogy indicates that black bears in Yosemite National Park have a preference for minivans, breaking into those vehicles more often than any other in the park. The likely reason is because the vans are usually owned by families with children who spill food and drinks, and the smells (not always food) attract the bears. Fresno Bee.

Bay Area restauranteur charged with illegal fishing

San Francisco Chronicle outdoors writer Tom Stienstra reports on one of the more outrageous fish crimes he's ever run across--in which a Bay Area restaurant owner allegedly gillnetted sportfish from the dock behind his business to be prepared and sold at his eatery. John Konatich, who owns Tonys Seafood on Tomales Bay, was arraigned last week on eight counts of violations of the Fish and Game Code.

Ore. 7th grader scores on once-in-a-lifetime goat hunt

When the Oregon mountain goat tag arrived in the mail, 12-year-old Matea Huggins didn't even fathom the magnitude of drawing such a rare and coveted permit. But her dad did. “We should have bought Matea a lottery ticket too,” Ed Huggins said. “We could have been rich and had a nice goat.” Green score on Matea's billy is 52, which would place it third among Oregon goats. The Baker City Herald.

Russia going after AK-47 'counterfeiters'

Russia says it will step up action to halt the increasing knock-off production of the Kalashnikov rifle, which it claims is being pirated by dozens of manufacturers around the world--and poorly, at that. Manufacturing.net has the story.

Idaho hunting tag hike results in revenue drop-off

Instead of helping raise more revenue as anticipated, Idaho's fee increase aimed at non-resident hunters and anglers resulted in decreased sales. “Usually in Idaho we sell out right away when it comes to our nonresident deer and elk hunters, and at this time we are not sold out and we’re seeing a lag,” said Fish and Game Director Cal Groen. The Spokane Spokesman Review.

Gopher broke: rodent tails worth $1 in Idaho county

In an effort to reduce burrowing damage to area irrigation canal systems, the Bingham County (Idaho) Commission has agreed to offer a bounty on gophers, with $1 paid for every tail submitted. Commissioner Ladd Carter encouraged unemployed residents to "gather up some gopher traps." The Idaho State Journal and AP.