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By: Emily George
The birds forage the yard, the frogs are singing their midnight tune, and the turkeys are gobbling as the rising sun stretches across the dew-covered grass. Spring has arrived in Virginia, welcoming various activities for the outdoors. The shad are running and the trout are being stocked, which means it’s time to dust off the tackle box and purchase a fishing license. Read the rest of this article…
Red Salamander photo by Scott Bolick
Virginia has more than 40 state emblems that represent its cultural heritage and natural resources. Last week, another state emblem was signed into law; the Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) is now Virginia’s official State Salamander. Read the rest of this article…
Field Sparrow carrying an insect to its young. Photo by Ken Mattison.
Watching birds eat from your bird feeder can be a true joy, but did you know that you can take your bird feeding and bird watching to the next level by growing native plants? Read the rest of this article…
Conducting an Atlas survey at Amelia Wildlife Management Area.
The 2nd Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas (VABBA2), a project of DGIF, the Virginia Society of Ornithology and the Conservation Management Institute at Virginia Tech, is kicking off its third season! This season is particularly relevant because 2018 is the Year of the Bird, a celebration of birds and a call-to-action for people to help birds in meaningful ways. Read the rest of this article…
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) announced that Senior Officer Gregory Hall has been named 2017 Conservation Police Officer of the Year. Read the rest of this article…
By Emily George
The intrinsic passion shared among hunters will ignite a unique bond on the eve of the Old Dominion One Shot. A hunter, a guide and a landowner will convene for the first time before they gather afield just before sunrise on a dewy Saturday morning during the peak of spring gobbler season. Read the rest of this article…
‘Bailey’ in training at K9 training school.
DGIF’s Conservation Police Officers needed a few good dogs—and after searching far and wide they found two exceptional pups. K9 ‘Sky’ and K9 ‘Bailey’ are both female black labs. They were selected from hundreds of potential candidates for their intelligence, energy, and strong ‘play’ drive. Read the rest of this article…
Searching for shrikes in southwest Virginia. Photo by Ashley Peele.
2017 was a productive year for DGIF’s Virginia Loggerhead Shrike banding and monitoring project, a collaboration with partners from the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. Loggerhead Shrikes are a state-threatened bird and are listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Virginia’s Wildlife Action Plan. Read the rest of this article…
Wildlife biologists with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) have compiled the preliminary figures for the 2017-18 fall/winter hunting season. The Virginia bear and deer harvests reflected an increase from last year and the black bear harvest was the highest ever recorded in Virginia. Read the rest of this article…
“Something as small as a handheld light out of a window can lead to a bust.” – CPO Wayne Billhimer
A fugitive living at a meth lab in the backwoods of Rockingham County ran smack into “Justice,” a black lab K9 who tracked the felon down in the dark woods Monday evening. Read the rest of this article…
