By Glen Wunderlich

The Perry Youth Hunt Extravaganza held last weekend at the Perry VFW became the gathering place for youngsters ages 10 and up to share their hunting tales of the two-day youth deer hunting season.  For the first time, 10 and 11-year old Michigan youngsters could hunt deer with firearms.  But, not everyone knew of the recent change,
because it came after the hunting rules were published.

When 11-year-old Brooke discovered the news with her father, Earl Parish, on opening day, she agreed to tote a .20-gauge slug gun in  southern Shiawassee County for the afternoon session.  The crossbow she carried afield in the morning was left behind.  It would be a decision that would place the gritty youngster in an elite club as a charter member:  Girls under the age of 12 taking a legal buck on the first day under the new law. Read more

The Department of Natural Resources will issue its annual Deer Forecast Report on Monday. In the past, we have released it before the start of bow season (which starts this Saturday), but we have had some unanticipated delays this year. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Also, please be advised that deer baiting can legally begin in the Upper and Lower Peninsula on Saturday as well. I am attaching an article that explains the baiting regulations. In addition, please keep in mind there is still NO baiting allowed in Deer Management Unit 487, which Alcona, Alpena, Iosco, Montmorency, Oscoda and Presque Isle counties due to wildlife disease management issues. If you are going to report that baiting is now allowed in the Lower Peninsula again, please include that it is still prohibited in those six counties. There is a lot of confusion, unfortunately, due to some recent action by the US Department of Agriculture related to the Bovine TB Zone and cattle herds.

Mary Dettloff

DNR Public Information Officer

Yesterday, a federal judge in the Northern District of Texas ruled that the federal ban on dealer sales of handguns to adults from the ages of 18 to 20 does not violate the Second Amendment. The National Rifle Association plans to file a prompt appeal of the court’s ruling to the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

Getting all the gear out and deciding just how much to carry afield for tomorrow’s opener of archery season brings out the tinkerer in me.  New batteries in every gizmo, pulling out the broadheads that remain unblemished from last season – it’s all part of getting ready.

Wind indicators in the form of milkweed floss containe in its original wrapper held intact with a rubber band.  Way cool!

But the wild deer “P” having been collected from the local whitetail population in Shiawassee County has to be the ultimate cover scent.  And, this year a new ball-type dispenser will be tested in concert with the natural cover scent.  Using it when setting out a deer decoy is a great way to mask one’s scent but it also adds aroma to the ruse if sprinkled near it (but not on it!).

Oh, you say ol’ Glen’s lost his mind with this nonsense about collecting wild deer “P” but that’s just what has been done.  How?  I’ll get to that in a future post, and hopefully by next season, there will be enough for everyone that wants to try it.

A new Florida law makes it clear that the state – not local municipalities, counties, etc. – has the sole responsibiliy to regulate firearms.  And, here’s what the anti-Second-Amendment governmental weasels fear most:  Any elected or appointed official of government that exercises power he or she does not possess, can be fined $5 Large.

The NRA-backed measure is expected to be proposed in other states now that the wheel has been reinvented.

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110928/NEWS01/309280006/Florida-blasts-away-local-gun-rules

9/30/11

In a time of high unemployment and struggling national debt, PETA is asking the Obama administration to drastically increase our nation’s debt. The group is proposing a mandatory spay-and-neuter law for all animals adopted from shelters or for those bought from pet stores, licensed breeders or possibly even your neighbor. Read more

9/30/11

This week, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) filed a second set of comments urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to remove wolves in the Western Great Lakes Region from the Endangered Species Act.

In proposing to delist the wolves, the FWS announced that they may recognize a new species of wolves in the region – the eastern wolf. In response to the concerns of the USSAF and others in the conservation community, the FWS’s reopened the comment period to take further public input on the issue of whether two separate wolf species should be recognized.

USSAF’s new comments provide further support that experts in the wolf field disagree with the FWS that two separate wolf species exist. Read more

LANSING, MI — Michigan United Conservation Club’s (MUCC) Executive Director Erin McDonough was tapped to co-chair a Blue Ribbon Panel on State Parks and Outdoor Recreation created by Governor Rick Snyder in an Executive Order (E.O. 10 of 2011) announced Friday.

“I am excited for this opportunity to serve on such an important panel with such a distinguished group of members who are committed to Michigan’s future as a leader in outdoor recreation opportunities,” McDonough said. “Michigan’s state parks amass more than 25 million visitors annually and are a key component of our outdoor heritage and our economic turn-around.”

The Blue Ribbon Panel is charged with taking a comprehensive look at Michigan’s state park and outdoor recreation system Read more

(Columbus,  Ohio) If  you feel you are being squeezed as a hunter or angler, you are not alone. More  and more hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers are facing more  restrictive laws, less access, reduced opportunities, and fewer options.

The  restrictions and attacks have occurred at the local, state and the national  levels. Much of this has been caused by subversive laws passed in part because  of back-door politics and deep funding by the animal rights lobby.  Among these groups that are working against  YOU are the Humane Society of the United States, PETA, ASPCA, Center for  Biological Diversity and many others.

But help  is on the way!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JM48L0Jci4&feature=player_embedded

Thanks  to the newly formed Sportsmen’s Issue Defense Fund (SIDF), developed by the U.S.  Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), the future of hunting and angling looks much  brighter.  Read more

The link below shows a good photo of the recently spotted Cougar in Houghton County.  The DNR says its the same cat that was captured on a trail cam in Ontonogan County.  Interestingly, it has a radio collar but the origin of the mountan lion has yet to be discovered, although some western states have tracking programs.  It will be interesting to find out just how far this cat has traveled.

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2011/09/dnr_cougar_spotted_in_houghton.html