Kentucky landowners who want to participate in the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program have until February 18, 2005 to sign-up at their local U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service office to be considered for the 2005 program year.

Applications received after February 18, 2005 will be held until the next evaluation period.

The Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program provides landowners an opportunity to conduct wildlife habitat improvement projects on their property. The program provides up to 75 percent cost-share for eligible practices on their land.

The primary focus for the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program in Kentucky for 2005 is to create and restore early successional habitats. Early successional habitats are open areas such as former pastures, old fields or agricultural lands that are beginning to return to their natural state. Planting native grasses, shrubs and wildlife friendly grasses are eligible practices for 2005 Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program cost-share assistance.

Other eligible practices for the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program include installing filter strips to control erosion in planted fields, improving forest stands, planting field borders and trees, constructing wildlife watering holes, planting trees and other plants along the edges of streams and fencing to exclude livestock from sensitive areas.

Applications for the program are evaluated and ranked to determine which applications benefit wildlife habitat the most. For more information on the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program, please contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office or call the KDFWR at 1-800-858-1549 to contact your local private lands biologist.

"A few years ago we put together our available data on streams concerning smallmouth bass, rock bass and largemouth bass populations," said Gerry Buynak, assistant director of fisheries for the KDFWR, "and came up with a benchmark so we can rate the sport fish populations in streams across Kentucky."

Using the assessments and knowledge of streams in their districts, biologists listed the best smallmouth bass streams in each fishery district in Kentucky. A brochure listing these streams will be produced this coming spring.

Most Kentuckians are within a 30-minute drive of a stream with a fishable population of smallmouth bass. The stream assessment initiative gives biologists a tool to manage each individual stream to produce the best fishing. The information learned about the health of smallmouth bass in a particular stream may lead to future regulations like the successful slot limit on smallmouth and largemouth bass in Elkhorn Creek in Franklin County enacted in 1993. The slot limit is responsible for bigger smallmouth bass swimming in Elkhorn Creek.

"In the beginning, we didn’t have a lot of data except for the Elkhorn and a few other streams to put the assessment together," Buynak explained. "Now and in the future, we will have more data to develop better assessments and rankings on these streams."

Some stream fisheries may benefit from a catch and release only regulation, a lowered daily creel limit with a higher minimum size limit or just a higher minimum size limit. Each stream differs in water quality, the genetics of the smallmouth bass in the stream or the fertility of the water. Biologists are beginning to have the necessary information they need to make the best management decisions on stream fisheries instead of placing them under a blanket, statewide daily creel and minimum size limit. All of this should lead to better stream smallmouth fishing in Kentucky in the future.

There are streams all across Kentucky that were polluted in decades past from mining activities, sewage discharges, chemicals leaching into the stream, stream channelization and siltation from agriculture or construction. Many of these streams are in much better shape now, but the smallmouth bass populations have not fully recovered.

"One of the possibilities of this program is to go into streams that were formerly degraded or polluted and are now recovering and stock smallmouth bass to jump start and restore the fisheries in those streams," Buynak explained.

 The sampling work done to evaluate recovering streams also gave biologists a greater understanding of the genetics of smallmouth bass from different parts of Kentucky. Biologists don’t want to mix the genetics of one strain of smallmouth bass with another.

"The smallmouth bass populations in each drainage we looked at are distinct from one another," Buynak said. "We don’t want to take Elkhorn Creek smallmouth bass and put them in the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy."

A 16-inch, brown-striped smallmouth bass tail walking across the surface of a Kentucky stream trying to shake a lure is one of the outdoors experiences that hooks a person into a lifelong fishing obsession. This new initiative will provide the same experience for generations to come.

The stream bank and often the stream bottom may be privately owned. Anglers must receive permission from the landowner before accessing a stream. For more information on stream fishing opportunities in Kentucky, call 1-800-858-1549.

The 2004 Kentucky hunting season has been one of the safest on record.

Of the nine hunting-related incidents reported this year, only one fatality has occurred involving a firearm. A 38-year-old deer hunter in Henry County died from a self-inflicted wound while climbing out of a tree stand. The hunter failed to use a haul line that safely delivers the gun to the ground.

"We are encouraged to see our hunter education requirements make a positive impact in Kentucky," said Mac Lang, hunter education coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR). "From all indications, the one fatality relating to a firearm happened because of improper handling of that firearm."

The other two hunting fatalities in Kentucky in 2004 resulted from deer hunters suffering heart attacks while in the field, one in Mercer County and another in Jefferson County.

"We hope we have no hunting-related fatalities next year," Lang said. "One is too many."

Kentucky hunters collectively spend millions of man-hours in the field, but maintain an extremely low degree of accidents, injuries and deaths. The vast majority of injuries or loss of life related to hunting result from self-inflicted wounds, falls and being unprepared. However, educational efforts continue to improve our knowledge of handling firearms with respect and hunting safely.

Likewise, this year Kentucky experienced the lowest number of boating fatalities in nearly 30 years.

Since 1976, the number of registered boats and watercraft in Kentucky has steadily increased from 80,000 to 180,000 vessels registered in 2003.

"The number of boating-related fatalities ties the lowest number we’ve had since 1973 and only two were related to alcohol," said Lieutenant Mike Fields, boating education coordinator for the KDFWR. "We increased our enforcement effort on the water at various times this year, and perhaps that stimulated greater awareness of the dangers of drinking and boating."

In 1973, 54 Kentuckians died from boating-related accidents, compared to nine in 2004. Even this low number could have been reduced further, had operators worn a personal floatation device or lifejacket.

"In eight of the nine fatalities, those who lost their lives were not wearing a lifejacket at all," Fields explained. "And, in the ninth fatality, the person was wearing a lifejacket, but didn’t have it properly secured around his body. It came off when he fell in the water. It floated, he didn’t."

Four of the nine boating fatalities involved non-motorized boats. Only one fatality resulted from the collision of two boats.

"The other eight fatalities were single vessel fatalities, not collisions," Fields explained.

For more information on hunter and boater education, log on to the internet at fw.ky.gov and click on the "education" tab.

The owner of a rare Snow Leopard that escaped its cage and triggered an intense 10-day search by authorities last summer is facing 10 counts in Bullitt District Court of illegally possessing and transporting wildlife into Kentucky.

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officer Myra Minton cited Tim Peveler, 43, of Shepherdsville, Wednesday for illegally possessing the endangered snow leopard and three genets after a five-month joint state and federal investigation. Peveler, who also possessed a black leopard and two bearcats at his Bells Mill Road residence, was also cited for seven counts of transporting wildlife into the state without a permit. His arraignment is scheduled for February 14.

The 3-year-old snow leopard, an endangered species native to the mountainous regions of Asia, slipped through an open gate last July 26, attracting statewide attention, panicking local residents, and prompting an immediate response from local and state agencies. It was recaptured 10 days later by Peveler, Conservation Officers Chris Ogle and Minton, and Bullitt County Sheriffs Deputy Jimmy Cooms.

"This is an excellent example of how the private holding of improperly permitted wildlife can quickly escalate into a public safety issue," said Col. David Casey, KDFWR Director of Law Enforcement. "We and other agencies responded immediately, but a large leopard ranged freely in Bullitt County for 10 days."

State law requires persons to obtain a KDFWR permit prior to transporting any wildlife in to the state. It also prohibits the private possession of internationally endangered wildlife and certain non-native wildlife species with the potential to damage native ecosystems. Genets are prohibited. Catlike in appearance and habit, they are not cats, but part of the family Viverridae, which also includes civets and mongooses.

Besides forfeiture of the animals, each cited count carries a possible fine from $100 to $500 and six months in jail.

Winter anglers on Dale Hollow Lake or Kentucky Lake are sometimes awestruck by witnessing the majestic flight of our national bird, the bald eagle. The annual Eagle Watch Weekends give people who don’t normally visit these lakes in winter a chance to view bald eagles up close in the wild.

The Eagle Watch Weekends for 2005 are January 14 - 15 and January 21 - 22 at Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park, January 21 – 23 at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, January 28 – 30 at Lake Barkley State Resort Park and February 4 – 6 at Kenlake State Resort Park. The Kentucky Department of Parks sponsors the Eagle Watch Weekends in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Participants in the Eagle Watch Weekend get a tour with biologists, naturalists and expert guides on a van tour, a boat tour or a combination of both. Those who choose the Dale Hollow Lake Eagle Watch Weekend go out on an open barge supplied by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (all participants in the Dale Hollow Lake Eagle Watch Weekend must bring a U.S. Coast Guard approved lifejacket). Prices for these combinations range from $15 to $80 for an adult.

"Those who go on the Eagle Watch Weekend can expect to see eagles for sure," said Shawchyi Vorisek, avian ecologist for the KDFWR. "The colder the weather is, the better the eagle viewing."

Between 150 and 350 bald eagles migrate to Kentucky’s waterways each winter. "Our numbers for the 2004 count were 191 bald eagles," Vorisek said. "We are getting mellow winter weather this year, but I expect the number of eagles in the state to be about the same as last year."

Three new pairs of bald eagles built nests in Kentucky in 2004, including the first nesting pair at Cave Run Lake. Kentucky now possesses 39 pairs of nesting bald eagles.

It is recommended those who participate in the Eagle Watch Weekend bring along comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots, rain gear, warm clothes that can be layered, binoculars, ear muffs, warm gloves, warm headgear and a camera.