It’s a beautiful spring day, so you decide to go for a nice walk around your neighborhood. You are strolling along the sidewalk when suddenly you hear loud chirping near your feet. You look over and see a baby bird lying on the ground near a tree trunk. What should you do? The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has a few tips.
It is not unusual to find a baby bird on the ground during this time of year. Many birds are hatching and often leave their nests before they are able to fly. Some may also be blown out of nests during spring thunderstorms.
“Baby birds usually chirp and call from the nest, waiting for their parents to bring food to them — and sometimes they get excited or agitated, which results in them falling from their perch,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Migratory Game Bird Coordinator Jason Jones said.
The most common baby birds that people find are robins (which nest in trees) and swallows (which build their mud nests in eaves and on the sides of houses).
If you find a baby bird on the ground, there are a few things you should do. Read more
In a continued effort for transparency and in accordance with Wyoming laws, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has released the public records requested by the public related to a recent law enforcement case involving an individual who was cited for illegally possessing a live wolf.
The department recognizes the importance of transparency and fostering public trust, especially during difficult times. The release of information regarding this case follows Wyoming State Statutes. The records released include the law enforcement case report of the violation and videos that initiated the investigation.
The individual was cited for a misdemeanor violation of Wyoming Game and Fish Commission regulations, Chapter 10, Importation and Possession of Live Warm-Blooded Wildlife.
This incident does not represent Wyoming and overshadows our state’s proven track record and dedication to the conservation of wildlife resources.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) reminds the public to protect themselves and their pets by keeping a safe distance from wildlife, especially animals that may be behaving abnormally, such as those that appear overly aggressive and/or lacking a fear of humans.
The reminder comes after a gray fox, suspected of being rabid, bit three people in two separate attacks earlier this month at Saguaro National Park in southern Arizona. The animal was killed as it approached a park service officer. Another gray fox was located and killed last month after it bit a person in a picnic area on Mount Lemmon near Tucson. Read more
NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, praises the U.S. House of Representatives’ bipartisan passage of H.R. 6492, the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act. The bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), garnered 51 bipartisan cosponsors. The measure was approved in a voice vote, a rare demonstration of Congress working across party lines.
The EXPLORE Act must be approved by the U.S. Senate before it can be considered by President Joe Biden.
The NSSF-supported bill includes the Range Access Act, which would increase and improve outdoor recreation opportunities across the nation while improving infrastructure and driving economic growth in rural communities. Specifically, that portion of the bill would require the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to have at least one qualifying recreational shooting range in each National Forest and BLM district which is crucial to ensuring safe public recreational shooting. The EXPLORE Act also contains other provisions to improve hunting and recreational shooting access. Read more
Birding in Michigan during spring migration is a big deal, with hundreds of species to search for, endless opportunities to catch sight of them and plenty of people who enjoy the chance to talk all things birds! Mark your calendar for two events coming up Thursday, April 18.
Birds & Brews in Marquette
If you’re up for a special evening of bird trivia, conversation about how public lands support birds and the chance to win a door prize – all while enjoying a complimentary (alcoholic or nonalcoholic) drink – join the Laughing Whitefish Bird Alliance and MI Birds at Birds & Brews, 7 p.m. at Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 W. Spring St. in Marquette.
This is a family-friendly event, with coloring sheets and crayons provided. Door prizes include binoculars, a book on gardening for birds, and coffee and chocolate donated by local businesses. Registration is not required. We hope to see you there! (More than a hundred people attended the 2023 event, pictured above).
Woodcock Walk near Gladwin
If an outdoor adventure is more your speed, head to the Lame Duck Foot Access Area near Gladwin, one of the DNR’s Grouse Enhancement Management Sites, for a guided Woodcock Walk led by DNR staff and partners from the Ruffed Grouse Society. This GEMS location is one of the best places to view male American woodcock doing their quirky spring mating dance. Read more
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 2023 bighorn sheep survey, completed by recounting lambs in March, revealed a record 364 bighorn sheep in the grasslands of western North Dakota, up 5% from 2022 and 16% above the five-year average. The count surpassed the previous record of 347 bighorns in 2022.
Altogether, biologists counted 106 rams, 202 ewes and 56 lambs. Not included are approximately 40 bighorn sheep in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and bighorns introduced to the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in 2020.
Big game biologist Brett Wiedmann was pleased to see an increase in the survey for the sixth consecutive year.
The northern badlands population increased 5% from 2022 and was the highest count on record. The southern badlands population dropped to its lowest level since bighorns were reintroduced there in 1966. Read more
Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)
Years ago, after attending an educational seminar on food plots for wildlife with speaker and farmer, Ed Spinazzola, I was excited to convert some neglected land into a deer magnet. However, there was an area of approximately one acre of weak, sandy soil with a low pH (or high acidic value) that would need improvement to become productive. After several years of battling noxious weeds amid the low-quality soil, I conceded the effort and expense to build up the parcel was futile and gave up on the notion. Fortunately for the Monarch butterflies, I had inadvertently stumbled onto a means to help save the interesting species by allowing one particular indigenous plant to flourish: milkweed.
This perennial plant is toxic to some wildlife, but is life-sustaining to monarch butterflies. In early spring, the monarch’s eggs are laid exclusively on these plants and hatch into caterpillars which feed on the plant. Two weeks later, caterpillars attach themselves to leaves or stems of milkweed plants and so begins the transformation to the unique butterfly. Our farmers don’t want to see the plant among their alfalfa fields, because of its poisonous nature; however, I can’t help but smile as I witness Mother Nature’s hand each year in what has become a fragrant haven to the butterflies and other pollinators.
Oddly enough, Michigan House Bill 4857 was signed into law last month, aiming to protect milkweed (explicitly excluded in the bill), while targeting many other noxious weeds for eradication in the state. Here’s the language of the enrolled bill: An act to amend 1941 PA 359, entitled “An act for controlling and eradicating certain noxious weeds within the state; to permit townships, villages, and cities to have a lien for expenses incurred in controlling and eradicating such weeds; to permit officials of counties and municipalities to appoint commissioners of noxious weeds; to define the powers, duties, and compensation of commissioners; to provide for sanctions; and to repeal certain acts and parts of acts,” by amending section 2 (MCL 247.62), as amended by 2010 PA 358.
I don’t know that growing government to the point of creating commissioners of noxious weeds will have any measurable effect on the butterfly population but I am committed to allowing nature to take its course in the matter. Although the migrating monarch is dependent on milkweed for survival, I find the milkweed valuable for another important reason: When the aromatic flowers fade, seed pods form and contain silk or floss, which can be used as natural wind indicators for wise hunters.
I merely wrap tape around the pods and wait for them to dry out and carry them afield when deer hunting. The seeds are easily stripped from the floss, if one is concerned about establishing milkweed elsewhere. The feathery floss can be viewed for a hundred yards or more and provides a visible indication of wind direction and currents well beyond one’s hunting stand.
Best of all, Mother Nature provides this hunting aid free of charge, and it is better than any store-bought gimmicks that only give arms-length feedback. With this valuable information, a hunter can determine where scent will intersect with a deer’s nose before it actually happens.
For entrepreneurs of any age (hint for kids), the seeds can be marketed on sites such as Ebay for substantial amounts with virtually no overhead expenses. Who knows if aspiring youngsters may not become commissioners of weeds someday?
GW: No discussion about the NRC’s maneuver to protect coyotes!
The draft agenda for the April 11 meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission has been posted to the NRC website at Michigan.gov/NRC. The meeting will take place at 9 a.m. at Lansing Community College, 600 North Grand Ave., in downtown Lansing.
Meeting topics include a presentation to recent Pure Michigan Hunt winners, a discussion of falconry regulations, a look at Saginaw Bay walleye and yellow perch populations, an update on chronic wasting disease monitoring and surveillance, several land transactions and more. Read more
Gear up and enjoy the outdoors in the new Realtree Regatta canvas tent by White Duck Outdoors. Decorated in Realtree EDGE camo, this canvas tent is designed for durability, comfort and concealment for the camper, glamper or hunter.
White Duck Outdoors Tents are designed for easy setup and quick use, so getting outside and enjoying time in nature doesn’t have to be limited to the most experienced campers our outdoors enthusiasts.
The Regatta Realtree EDGE camo tent features DYNADUCK fabric, with 8.5-ounce army duck cotton canvas and a water-repellent, mold- and UV-resistant finish to offer years of reliable outdoor use in a variety of conditions. Read more
March through May is breeding season for wild turkeys and, as a result, there is an increase in turkey activity across the Commonwealth. Some turkeys may act aggressively by pecking, following, or exhibiting other intimidating behavior towards people. Males puff out their feathers, fan their tails, and strut while gobbling and making other vocalizations. This behavior is common during the breeding season and other times of year when turkeys are establishing social dominance or status within the flock.
Wild turkeys live in flocks organized by pecking order. Each bird is dominant over or “pecks on” birds of lesser social status. Turkeys may attempt to dominate or attack people that they view as subordinates, and this behavior is observed most often during breeding season. They may also respond aggressively and peck shiny objects like windows or vehicles, interpreting their own reflection as an intruding turkey. Read more
