The new Fish and Wildlife hunting and fishing license system is up and we’ve logged on to test it. Problems were apparent immediately.

The Fish and Wildlife licensing division was contacted and a couple of problems were pinpointed. The representative said they were still working on a couple of areas to make the system complete and entirely workable.

The online system in the past was well received by this user. We’re thinking the new system will eventually be even better (We hope). Fish and Wildlife published a press release about the system. Read on.

The state’s new recreational license sales system became operational recently. The new system began selling hunting and fishing licenses and the Discover Pass on the evening of Dec. 18, several hours earlier than expected.

The secure, next-generation system will improve service to the public and to the approximately 600 retailers across the state.

The public will notice one significant change when they buy licenses or manage their accounts. The new system has a single log-in that provides customers access to their data and allows them to buy licenses and report harvest activity. The old system required customers to log-in multiple times to access separate features, such as harvest reporting.

License fees did not change with the release of the new system. Most license items for the 2017-18 license year, which begins April 1, 2017, will be available for sale in the new system in mid-January 2017. Until then, all products for the 2016-17 license year will remain available.

Dennis note: Hang in there, readers.

Bird feeders

Garnet and I have put out bird feeders for the first time in years. Great fun watching the critters come and go. We are using a simple pie plate now, but will purchase regular feeders soon.

Remember to bring in the pie plates at night, so they don’t get wet with rain or snow. More about feeding birds soon.

Hunting seasons

Quail

The quail season will continue through Jan. 16. The limit is 10 per day and 30 in possession.

Upland game birds: Hunting for pheasants, quail, partridge and forest grouse continues throughout the region. Forest grouse season closes tomorrow. Pheasant, quail and partridge seasons continue through Jan. 16.