Copyright 2000 The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News
May 21, 2000, Sunday, FINAL EDITION
SECTION: SPORTS, Pg. 10D
LENGTH: 553 words
HEADLINE:
MILLION MOM MARCH HELPS BOOST MEMBERSHIPS
BYLINE: WILL
ELLIOTT; News Outdoors Reporter
BODY:
The
Million Mom March last Sunday had at least one unintended outcome: Memberships
in both the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports
Foundation increased notably on Monday and Tuesday after the march.
Both
NRA and NSSF inquiries and numbers increased markedly during those two days,
membership personnel said. To join the NRA, call 1-800-NRA-3888; for NSSF
membership call (203) 426-1320.
Turkey talk and book
Ten
days remain in the New York State spring wild turkey season, and informal counts
of Western New York numbers look promising. Area hunters would like to see
outcomes similar to Ohio's spring hunt.
Ohio's season ended May 14 and
hunters there are required to immediately report their kills. A record spring
harvest -- 19,895 birds -- was a 26.5 percent increase over the turkeys taken in
1999, reports the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
"This spring's
mild weather and lack of excessive rain bodes well for the turkeys' reproductive
efforts (this spring)," said Ohio Division of Wildlife chief Michael Budzik.
It may be too late to bone up on turkey hunting techniques for the
spring season, but having a copy of "Secrets of the Turkey Pros" by Glenn Sapir
could increase harvesting odds during the fall season.
Sapir has hunted
with many national and regional experts, including Rob Keck of the National Wild
Turkey Federation, Chris Kirby of Quaker Boy Game Calls and Harold Knight of
Knight & Hale Calls. This North American Hunting Club Hunting Wisdom Library
text covers every aspect of turkey hunting from its origins, to modern
restoration efforts. Sapir provides facts and discounts fallacies about the
turkey and the hunt. The final chapters "After the Shot" and "The Future of
Turkey Hunting" offer some great tips on preparing for the kitchen and a
promising future for turkey hunting.
For an autographed copy of
"Secrets of the Turkey Pros," send $ 20 to: Glenn Sapir, Box 74, Shrub Oak, N.Y.
10588.
New wildlife chief
Dr. John T. Major has been
appointed the new chief of the Department of Environmental
Conservation Bureau of Wildlife, replacing Gary Parsons, who
has headed that bureau since 1987.
Major joined the DEC in 1984, serving
as a biologist in public use, management and planning positions. Recent
assignments include communications, policy and legislative issues. He has
written for several publications and is an active boater, hunter, angler and
shooter. DEC Commissioner John Cahill said, "I am sure the bountiful wildlife
New Yorkers enjoy will be well managed and protected under his leadership."
The wildlife bureau manages populations, protects habitat, provides
regulated uses of resources for hunting, trapping and fishing, provides relief
from wildlife nuisance or damage and reports on resource conditions.
IKES cheer CARA
The Izaak Walton League (IKES) enthusiastically
supported the U.S. House of Representative passage -- 315 to 102 -- of the
Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) on May 12.
This act will invest almost $ 3 billion each year for 15 years in
restoring coastal habitat through the Land and Water
Conservation Fund. All 50 U.S. governors had endorsed these
funds for LWCF. The Izaak Walton League is now looking for the U.S. Senate to
support and approve CARA.
LOAD-DATE: May 23, 2000
