by Chad Love

Two years ago at this time I wrote a Field Notes blog post on the American Kennel Club's annual list of the nation's most popular dogs and how it relates to the sorry state of hunting dogs in this country. In that post I asked the question of why, at a time when dogs have never been more popular, the sporting breeds (barring labs) continue to sink into obscurity. Well, the AKC just released its list of the 20 most popular dog breeds for 2010.

by Tim Romano

Think your favorite fishing spot is crowded? The Dogon people of Mali get to fish the waters of Lake Antogo in west Africa one day a year and from what I can tell it's for a purely sustenance based reason. Luckily, I think most of us do not fish to eat. I certainly will whack a fish every now and then, but I don't depend on it. Besides being completely fascinated by the video below, it got me thinking about some of the waters I regularly fish.

-- Chad Love

A well-known duck hunter and call maker who was indicted last month on numerous felony wildlife violations has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

From this story in the Springfield, Illinois State Journal-Register:

“Fallin’ Skies” duck hunter Jeffrey Foiles entered a not guilty plea Thursday to a 23-count indictment accusing him of violating federal wildlife laws. Moments later, Foiles learned he would be facing charges in Canada, too. Foiles, best known for his series of "Fallin' Skies" hunting videos, also is a waterfowl hunter, guide, call-maker and operator of Foiles Migrators Inc., a retail business near Pittsfield. He also is one of two owners of the Fallin’ Skies Strait Meat Duck Club in Pike County.

by Scott Bestul

Joe Hamilton, founder of the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA), has been named Budweiser’s “Conservationist of the Year” beating out three other finalists for the prestigious honor. Hamilton accepted the award during the Golden Moose Awards ceremony, held during the 2011 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

I met Joe two years ago at a QDMA function, and the man is simply a class act. Among the most respected biologists in the country, Hamilton has spent his over 40 years studying wildlife and is an expert on many species, from amphibians to black bears. He’s among a handful of living biologists who has received a Career Achievement Award from The Wildlife Society, an association of professional biologists and researchers. Joe has also worked with other groups, such as Ducks Unlimited and The Nature Conservancy, to create conservation easements and expand hunting opportunity. But you’d never guess at his pedigree if you met this modest, friendly man on the street.