Hunting, fishing groups angle for adaptation efforts.

Ferris Jabr in the Daily Climate: For the average United States' city or 'burb dweller, firsthand evidence of climate change is rare. Hunters and anglers see it every day. That's one of the main messages from a coalition of hunting and fishing organizations that released a report Monday outlining the consequences of climate change for fish and wildlife in the United States.

"It's very evident that major shifts are under way," said Richard Kearney, assistant regional director for climate change for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Pacific Southwest region, which was unaffiliated with the report. "We are just now seeing the first stages of big changes in the distribution of fish and wildlife and (their) habitats."

The report, "Beyond Seasons' End," suggests a number of strategies to help wildlife adapt. It expands upon a 2008 report, "Seasons' End," by detailing specific projects for habitat stewardship along with associated costs.

The coalition includes Trout Unlimited, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Pheasants Forever and the Boone & Crockett Club. "We didn't think it was enough to outline the problems," said Steven Williams, President of Wildlife Management Institute. "We wanted to take the next step and show how to adapt."

The document targets fishers and hunters, but everyone should be concerned, Williams added. "What happens to game species like pheasants, duck, elk, and trout will happen to non-game species, too," he said. "As go fish and wildlife, so go human health and quality of life."….

Image from Boy's Hunting Book, from 1890