Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan ■ Saturday, January 2, 2010PAGE 4B www.yankton.net

OUTDOORUPDATE

Snowmobile TrailsReceive 40 Inches OfSnow For Christmas

PIERRE — The Black Hillssnowmobile trails received overthree feet of snow during therecent storm, and groomers areout in full force to get the trails inriding condition.

“Grooming has been difficult,”said Ryan Raynor, trail programspecialist in the GFP Division ofParks and Recreation. “This muchsnow accompanied by high windhas caused deep drifts. Crews areworking hard to get the trails readyfor snowmobilers.”

Great snow conditions exist inthe northern Black Hills; however,the southern trail system onlyreceived 8 inches of snow.

Snowmobile trails in easternSouth Dakota also received sub-stantial snow cover, but Raynorreminds riders that, like in theBlack Hills, it will take a few daysfor groomers to get caught up.

Current trail conditions can befound at our website atwww.sdgfp.info and on twitter@SDSnowBHills or@SDSnowEast.

For more information onsnowmobiling in South Dakota orto request a snowmobile trail map,call 605-773-3391.

Turn In Poachers WebSite Gets UpgradePIERRE — South Dakota’s

Turn in Poachers (TIPs) InternetWeb page is getting a facelift,including the addition of links tounsolved cases.

TIPs is a cooperative effortbetween the Game, Fish andParks Department and the non-profit Wildlife Protection, Inc.

The Web page,http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/TIPS/Index.htm, has been around forseveral years and provides a his-torical perspective of the TIPs pro-gram in addition to keeping thepublic informed on the statisticaldata. It will now feature informationon high-profile cases being investi-gated by wildlife law enforcement.

According to TIPs Coordinator,Charlie Wharton, this addition wasprompted by two recent SouthDakota poaching cases. “Thekilling of a moose in the Black Hillsin early fall and the more recentcase involving a bighorn sheep inCuster State Park provided theimpetus to reach out to Web usersfor information. In the past, TIPshas sought out general informa-tion on wildlife violations; but, withthis addition, we are taking ourcases directly to the public.”

The first case being featured onthe Web site involves the illegalkilling of a mature bighorn sheep inCuster State Park, near GameLodge Campground and Creek SideResort on Friday, Nov. 27(http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/TIPS/BigHornPoached.htm). The animal'shead and cape were taken, whilethe carcass was left to rot.

The importance of this case ismultiplied because this matureram was one of only nine that livein the park.

Contract Awarded ForRapid City OutdoorCampus ComplexPIERRE — The South Dakota

State Engineer’s Office hasawarded a $9.8 million construc-tion contract for building a Game,Fish and Parks outdoor learningcenter and regional office facility inRapid City.

J. Scull Construction Service,Inc. of Rapid City has beenapproved as the contractor for thebuilding project. Funding for theentire project will come from feder-al sources and hunting and fishinglicense revenue that was set asideby the Game, Fish and ParksCommission over the past 4 years.

“We are very pleased toannounce Scull Construction asthe contractor for our plannedRapid City complex,” Tony Leif,director of the GFP Division ofWildlife, said. “Jim Scull’s compa-ny has a wealth of experience inmajor construction projects in thecommunity and around the region.I know that Jim is passionateabout this project and will be avaluable partner to our agency aswe move forward into the con-struction phase.”

Construction is set to beginwithin the next month and isscheduled to be completed byApril 2011.

Construction progress can befollowed through the GFP site atwww.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/Education/OutdoorCampusWest/index.htm.

OUTDOORREPORT

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BY GARY HOWEYHartington, Neb.

Years ago, when my brother A.J. and Ifirst started ice fishing, the gear was pret-ty basic and mainly homemade, but wethought that we had it figured out.

We “redesigned” our Flexible Flyer sledinto a real ice fishing machine by wiring apeach crate to the top of it, rods weremade from broken broom handles and acouple of nails.

To get through the ice, we borrowed aspud bar from our neighbor. A spud bar

isn’t exactly a high techpiece of equipment asit’s just a “real” heavymetal bar with one ofthe ends sharpened.

Add to that long han-dle underwear, fourbuckle overshoes, astocking cap, brown jer-sey gloves and we wereready to hit the ice.

Well, it’s been fortysome years since thattime and things havecome a long way.

Every year, there are more and moreadvancements in ice fishing gear, makingit easier to punch holes through the iceand less exhausting for the fishermenwhen he’s hauling his gear out on the ice.

You don’t have to look far to find newand updated locators that help you to geton the fish quickly, new lures that helpingus to catch then fish as well as clothinghelping to us to stay warm in the harsh-est of conditions.

This year is no exception as I recentlyfound out when I recently attended an IceFishing Expo.

Gone are the old days when you eitherhad to spud your way through the ice orchip your way through the ice with aspoon auger as the ice augers now days,make it quick and easy to get a hole dug

Feldmann Manufacturing out ofWisconsin, (www.jiffyonice.com) the man-ufacturers of the Jiffy augers were thefirst to manufacture ice augers and eachyear they come out with new improve-ments.

All of their augers have the E-Z con-nect, allowing you to quickly remove andreplace the blade from the power unit,making it much easier to transport.

They have a new High TorqueTransmission HTT and heavy duty clutchtransfers more energy giving the augeradditional torque.

They start easily, cut quickly, giving usmore time to fish.

Transporting your gear on and off theice have never been easier as there arenumerous companies out there that aremaking sleds and houses now that notonly allow the ice fishermen to easily haulhis gear onto the ice, but once he getstheir to fish in comfort.

Otter Outdoors(www.otteroutdoors.com) a Minnesotabased company has a complete line of icefishing sleds and houses made for 1 to 4people.

Their sleds have a raised front allow-ing the sled to be pulled through snoweasily with plenty of room to store and

haul your gear.The back of the sled is raised higher

than the front, which allows you to safelytransport all your gear without fear of itfalling off on the ice.

Once you get to where you want tofish, the flip up swivel-cushioned seatsallow you to fish in comfort.

If the weather turns nasty it takes justa few seconds to flip the house up overyou, giving protection from the elementsand plenty of room to comfortably fish,no matter what Mother Nature throws atyou.

Vexilar, another Minnesota based com-pany (www.vexilar.com) celebrates its50th year in 2010. I’ve used Vexilar loca-tors for years and believe they manufac-ture the finest locator available for notonly ice fishermen but also for us softwater anglers.

Their FL-20 is state of the art; it’s athree-color sonar unit allowing you toquickly locate the fish, because of thethree colors, allowing you to see yourlure, which appears orange as itdescends. The unit makes it easy to spotthe fish, which appear in red.

Once you spot the fish are above orbelow your lure, you can watch your lureas you bring it to the depth the fish arefeeding, the red color indicating the fishwill widen which means that your lure isat the exact depth the fish are, puttingthe bait right in front of the fish.

The unit also has a night and daymode. The night setting lets you cut theoutput of the LED display bin in half toavoid getting night blindness when look-ing at the super bright LEDs.

There are also numerous new lures onthe market including those manufacturedby Lindy, another Minnesota based com-pany (www.lindyfishingtackle.com).

Their new Darter with its enticing newaction resembles the lipless crankbaitused by anglers during the open waterseason. It’s rattle chamber mimics the

sounds of a distressed baitfish and willbring in fish from long distances.

It’s worked much like a jig using thestandard lift drop method causing theDarter to vibrate while darting from sideto side.

Available in three sizes and eleven dif-ferent holographic patterns, these baitshave been hot on many upper midwest-ern lakes.

Anglers have found the hottest colorsin our area seem to be the 1/3” Bluegillfor perch and the 1 ?” Shiner and Perchpattern for walleyes

Arctic Armor a Pennsylvania basedcompany (www.idigear.com/arcticarmor)has been keeping us warm for severalyears and once again this year, they’vecome out with several new styles of icefishing clothing that; not only will keepyou warm, it will also keep you afloat ifyou happen to end up in the water.

Insulated with lightweight Insultex™you’ll keep you warm without the oldbulky type insulating material that you’dfind on some cold weather clothing. Thisalong with its Internal Tightening Systemkeeps your body heat in while keepingsnow out.

Their super padded knees withInsultex™ keep you warm and dry whenkneeling on the ice to dip or while landingthat big fish.

These are just a few of the new andupdated products that will help to makeyou a more efficient and a much morecomfortable and warm ice fishermen.

Be safe, keep warm and we’ll see youon the ice this winter.

Gary Howey, Hartington, Neb., is a syn-dicated outdoor columnist and the produc-er/host of the award winning OutdoorsmenAdventures television series that can beseen on KTTM/KTTW-TV (Fox) ay 6:30 amSaturday & 7:00 am Sunday and on KPTH-TV Fox, Sioux City, IA. Sunday @ 7:30 am.

OF THE OUTDOORS:

Looking Ahead To Ice Fishing In 2010

GaryHowey

SUBMITTED PHOTOThe new Lindy Darter is one of the hotnew baits that ice fishermen are usingto take Perch and Walleyes.

SUBMITTED PHOTOSydney Gall, 11, shot this deer during the mentorlicense season on Dec. 6 in Yankton County. Itwas Gall’s first deer, and she killed it with oneshot.

BY PAUL A. SMITH(c) 2009, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

POYNETTE, Wis. — Deer camp is a totalimmersion experience.

Just ask the 16 youth hunters of the Kidsand Mentors Outdoors (KAMO) organizationwho assembled last weekend at theMacKenzie Environmental Education Center.

There's the hunting, of course, for asmany daylight minutes as you care to utilize.Then there's the rest — cooking, eating,story-telling, cleaning and game-playing.

Maybe, too, if the conditions allow, somesnow-based recreation. Can you say "snow-ball fight?"

Sleeping? Well, that's optional. You justtry to wedge a little in.

Justin Ludvigsen, 12, was doing just thatSaturday morning. Seated in a ground blindat the edge of a red pine plantation atMacKenzie, Ludvigsen leaned his head backand learned one of the sweet lessons of deercamp: You can't get this kind of sleep athome.

The wake-up calls can't be matched,either.

As Ludvigsen sawed logs, his mentor,Bob Babcock, 51, had remained vigilant, seat-ed next to his young charge. Just after 9 a.m.a trio of white-tailed deer moved along a trailthrough the pines, just 60 yards from theblind.

"I had to beat on his knee," said Babcock,a Milwaukee native who, although no rela-tion, is called "Uncle Bob" by Ludvigsen. "Hewas out good."

Ludvigsen would later claim he wasdreaming of hunting. Whether it was a pre-monition, a gift from Mother Nature orsomething entirely different, the centralWisconsin woods presented him with a realopportunity.

He opened his eyes to a mature doe,standing broadside, in shooting range.

After leveling his rifle on his crutch — theboy has a lower leg cast — he touched off around and minutes later was fixing a tag tothe first deer of his young life.

The cast came in handy once more."Can you drag if for me, Uncle Bob?" said

Ludvigsen, all smiles.Yes, deer camp is special. Ludvigsen and

the 15 other young hunters got a taste of itcourtesy of KAMO, the Wisconsin WildlifeFederation and the Department of NaturalResources.

The event was held earlier this month atMacKenzie, a 300-acre property owned bythe state and run by the WWF. The siteincludes a lodge, kitchen, dormitories,nature trails, prairies and forests.

The youths and mentors rolled intocamp Friday afternoon and evening, carry-ing bed rolls and rifles and more than a fewdreams.

Brilliant white snow covered the groundand striped the trees; the mercury hoveredjust below zero.

"Should develop a healthy respect forthe conditions," said Mark Walters, ofNecedah, founder of KAMO. "We'll makesure they're all dressed right and preparedfor the day."

The kids ranged from 10 to 16 years ofage. Most had never deer hunted before; fora few, it was their first hunting experience ofany kind.

"I'm excited to give it a try," said FeliciaGraf, 16, of New Lisbon, Wis. "I've heard sto-ries, you know, but this will let me actuallysee what it's like."

Walters founded KAMO in 2007 forexactly that reason — to introduce kids,many of whom would not otherwise havethe chance, to outdoors activities like fish-ing, camping, canoeing, hiking and hunting.

The group utilizes a time-honoredprocess (adults teaching kids) and a per-sistent approach — activities are held year-round.

"My dad taught me and my siblings tolove the outdoors," said Walters, 48, and asyndicated outdoors writer. "And now I'veraised a few kids, too.

"I know we've got more and more single-parent households who can use the help. Ialso know it usually requires more than justtaking your kid to a hunter safety class ortaking them on one hike to teach them tovalue the outdoors."

Walters said he was in the midst of adivorce in 2007 when he decided he neededto start something positive. The KAMO ideaseemed natural, so he wrote a columnabout it and solicited members.

The group now has four chapters inWisconsin and about 180 members. Itattracted national attention recently when

one of its members, Jon Hilmer of Baraboo,Wis., was named one of Field & Stream mag-azines 25 conservation heroes of 2009.

KAMO has sponsored a wide array ofoutdoor experiences, including ice-fishingoutings, wildlife-viewing hikes, turkey huntsand waterfowl hunts. And now a deer camp.

The KAMO deer camp at MacKenziehelped serve multiple missions, said DerekDuane, DNR director at the facility.

Since the grounds are not open to gen-eral hunting, the event helped trim the deerherd. And the KAMO goals dovetail withyouth education initiatives of both the DNRand the WWF.

The young hunters got a classroomrefresher on hunting safety Friday night.And hunting sites were carefully chosenand assigned. Then it was time for some sto-ries around the stone fireplace and a littlesnowball throwing.

A recent Saturday was filled with hunt-ing and an evening presentation from DeanTeeter, a Poynette resident with a long-standing deer camp in northern Wisconsin.

"If you form a real deer camp, and youcould, you will make some of the bestfriends of your life," said Teeter.

At the end of hunting late Sunday morn-ing, seven deer — six does and one buck —hung outside the dorms. The kids thenlearned to skin and butcher deer. Each thenleft for home with fresh, packaged venison.

"I love this," said Ludvigsen. "I can't waitfor the next time."

Nebraska Deer CampsProvide Women With

Hunting Opportunities LINCOLN, Neb. — Two deer camps for women

hunters are being planned by the Nebraska Gameand Parks Commission. Both are scheduled forJan. 8-10, 2010.

The camps, part of the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program, are designed for womenof varying experience levels who want to learnmore about deer hunting. Participants will takepart in all aspects of the hunt. They will be pairedup based on experience level to provide informalmentoring opportunities.

The Central Deer Camp will take place nearAlda in Hall County along the Platte River. ASeason Choice Area 1 permit and NebraskaHabitat Stamp are required. A 2009 stamp may beused.

The Baxter Deer Camp will take place nearMilligan in Saline County. A Season Choice Area 20permit and a habitat stamp are required.

The hunt takes place during the January lateantlerless season when no bucks may be takenand only legal firearms may be used. All partici-pants must have proof of successful completionof a hunter education course.

Space is limited. To reserve a spot, contactAaron Hershberger at (402) 471-6144 or aaron.her-shberger@nebraska.gov.

Deer Camp Mentors Offer Tips On Shooting, Snowball Fights

PAUL A. SMITH/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL/MCT

Justin Ludvigsen, right, of Sheldon, stands with his mentor, Bob Babcock, ofGlen Flora, and a white-tailed deer Ludvigsen shot during a Kids and MentorsOutdoors (KAMO) event at MacKenzie Environmental Education Center inPoynette, Wis. on Dec. 12.

Youth Fishing Instructors Will Be Certified LINCOLN, Neb. — Adults

may be certified as volunteeryouth fishing instructors for theYouth Fishing Program. TheNebraska Game and ParksCommission will have free train-ing on Feb. 6 from 10 a.m.-noonat Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium.

The certified instructors willlearn how to put on fishing pro-grams, derbies and club activi-

ties for children and families.The aquarium is at 21502 W.Nebraska Highway 31, Gretna.Pre-registration is required forany adult

Visit OutdoorNebraska.org tolearn more about the YouthFishing Program. Contact AndreaFaas at (402) 332-3901 orandrea.faas@nebraska.gov to reg-ister.

www.yankton.net

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