Outdoors

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and numerous conservation organizations will observe Endangered Species Day on Friday to recognize conservation efforts underway across the nation aimed at helping America’s imperiled species.
To date, the Endangered Species Act, which became law in 1973, has helped to prevent the extinction of hundreds of species. Co-administered by the Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the purpose of the Act is to conserve imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend.

Tune in Sunday from 1-2 p.m. to “FLW Outdoors” on VERSUS for complete coverage of the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship on Kentucky Lake. The one-hour show highlights the University of Florida’s second consecutive national championship victory.

This spring, mating horseshoe crabs will gather at sandy beaches throughout the state. Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute need help from the public to identify horseshoe crab spawning areas. 

This fall, Northwest Florida offers special deer and wild hog hunts at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and a unique “big-game” hunt on the island of St. Vincent NWR. 

The application period for these hunts begins at 10 a.m. May 3 and continues through 11:59 p.m. June 9.