Eatonville resident Joel Turner took second place in the professional division during the recent 2012 Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation/Leupold World Elk Calling Championships.

In the professional division, competitors are required to make specific calls such as barks, whistles and screaming bugles. The amateur-level callers have 30 seconds to mimic cow elk sounds, followed by bull sounds.

The competition was held as part of the foundation’s annual convention and expo, which ended Feb. 4 in Las Vegas.

Bryan Langley of McMinnville, Ore., won the professional division, while Corey Jacobsen of Boise took third. Turner won the event in 2008.

Winners received …

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I took a few hours this afternoon to walk around the 2012 edition of the Washington Sportsmen’s Show.

Here are four things that caught my attention as I wandered among outfitter booths, demonstration tanks and manufacturer displays.

Get involved: Even as you look for a deal on a hunt or fishing rod, you can help out. A number of groups are on hand that do good work and could use your financial support. Among them is Outdoors For All, a group that takes special needs children on hunting trips. In their second year, the group is taking five kids on …

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Larry Carpenter, a Mount Vernon boat dealer and long-time sportfishing enthusiast, and Jay Kehne, an Okanogan County conservationist and hunter, have been appointed to fill two vacant positions on the state Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The appointments were announced a short time ago by Gov. Chris Gregoire.

“We’re extremely pleased to welcome these great additions to the commission,” Miranda Wecker, commission chairwoman, said in a prepared statement. “These are two strong individuals and we are looking forward to seeing their perspectives brought to the table.”

Carpenter, appointed to a western Washington position on the commission, is owner of Master …

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Gifford Pinchot National Forest officials just announced they have increased the fire warning level. The impact on the general public will be minimal, however.

Forest officials said the Industrial Fire Precaution Level has moved from Level I to Level II, increasing restrictions for work on the Forest.

The only effect on the general public is a restriction on the use of chainsaws. The new restriction means chainsaws may not be run from 1-8 p.m.

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest fire danger rating is now at moderate.

Camp fires should be completely extinguished before departing camp at any time. Keep a …

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A new federal grant of nearly $1 million will allow the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to offer incentives to more private landowners to open their lands to fishing and hunting.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, part of the federal Farm Bill, is the second awarded to the department in as many years. Last year, the state received $1.5 million to increase recreational access to private lands.

“Hunters and fishers consistently rank access to the land and water as one of their top concerns,” Nate Pamplin, assistant director of the state’s wildlife program said in a news release. …

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The results of the drawing for 2011 special-hunt permits are available on the state Department of Fish and Wildlife website.

The results of the were verified Tuesday and are now available for viewing. Click here to go to the site.

Holders of the special permits can hunt at times and locations beyond those authorized by a general hunting license.

This year’s application forms included a range of hunting options for deer, elk, moose and bighorn sheep, said Dave Ware, game division manager. Like last year, hunters were allowed to submit applications in multiple categories, boosting the total …

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OK guys, next year we’ll have a reason to go along with our significant others to the Seattle Premium Outlets near Marysville. Cabela’s Inc. and the Tulalip Tribes today announced the sports outfitter will build a store in Tulalip.

Cabela’s expects to open the 110,000-square-foot store within Quil Ceda Village on the Tulalip Tribes reservation along Interstate 5. This will be the second Cabela’s store in Washington, joining the Lacey location. That store, at 185,000 square feet, opened in 2007

The company currently operates 33 stores throughout the United States and Canada.

I find it interesting Cabela’s is willing to …

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Although wolves have been removed from federal Endangered Species Act protection in the eastern third of Washington, they remain protected as a state endangered species throughout Washington.

That is the crux of a news release sent out this morning by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Under Congressional direction that prevents any judicial review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Thursday removed the northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolves from federal endangered status. The action affects wolves in Montana, Idaho, the eastern third of Oregon and Washington and a small area of north central Utah.

Idaho has …

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