The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division recently selected Dennis Ellis as the 2010 Volunteer Hunter Education Instructor of the Year.  This award is presented annually in recognition of an instructor who displays outstanding volunteer efforts in educating sportsmen and women on wildlife conservation and the importance of safety while hunting.

Hunter education courses in Georgia are offered three ways:  by classroom, CD-Rom or online.  “Because of the importance of the information learned in a hunter education course, our agency has made efforts to meet the needs of many users,” says Walter Lane, Wildlife Resources Division’s Hunter Development Program Manager.  “The options offered include a traditional classroom course, a CD-rom course and three online courses.”

Successful hunting trips require a combination of skill, patience and most importantly, preparation. As turkey season rapidly approaches, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division encourages preparation first, hoping that hunters will brush up on important turkey hunting safety tips before hitting the woods.  “Hunters should be 110% certain of their target AND what is beyond it before pulling the trigger and should never shoot at sound or movement,” advises Walter Lane, Hunter Development Program Manager. “Turkey hunters have to utilize their firearms safety knowledge and remember ways to keep themselves and others safe while in the woods.”

The opening day of the Georgia turkey hunting season is Sat., Mar. 26 and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division anticipates that the 2011 season should be fair, with harvest likely down from the 2010 season. Statistics from the 2010 season harvest summary indicate that an estimated 47,275 resident Georgia hunters bagged 34,001 turkeys last year.

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources recently conducted one of the most successful youth turkey hunts in the history of the agency with eight gobblers bagged with four misses. It was all part of a Take One Make One (TOMO) hunt conducted on Youth Turkey Day on March 27.

Taking a hunter education class in Georgia is easier than ever, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division.  Hunters can now access three online courses (including two new approved courses), use a hunter education CD-Rom or take the traditional classroom course. 

Successful hunting trips require a combination of skill, patience and most importantly, preparation. As turkey season rapidly approaches, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division encourages preparation first, hoping that hunters will brush up on important turkey hunting safety tips before hitting the woods.

Turkey hunters across the state are practicing their yelps and clucks in preparation for the upcoming turkey season. Opening day is Sat., Mar. 20 and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division anticipates that the 2010 season should be good, and harvest levels should be similar in comparison to the past several years.

The use of prescribed fire as a land management tool has deep and ancient roots in South Carolina’s heritage, but conducting prescribed burns is becoming increasingly challenging because of a variety of factors, according to Johnny Stowe, S.C. Department of Natural Resources representative to the South Carolina Prescribed Fire Council.

Better interaction with customers and more services to the public will be just some of the results of the new S.C. Department of Natural Resources Florence Hub Office Building. Public services such as boating registrations, hunting and fishing licenses, and boater/hunter education will be offered at the new location.