Hunters, birders and stamp collectors celebrated as the 2021-2022 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp – commonly known as the Duck Stamp – went on sale. The new Federal Duck Stamp and its younger sibling, the Junior Duck Stamp, debuted today and are now available for purchase.

“As one of the most well-known and revered conservation programs in the country, I am excited to buy my very own Federal and Junior Duck Stamps to help contribute to waterfowl and wetland conservation,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “I am so encouraged by the enthusiasm this program and the annual design competitions continue to elicit. I feel proud to both support this artwork and invest in the protection of wetlands and outdoor spaces for future generations.”

The Federal Duck Stamp plays a critically important role in wildlife conservation. Since 1934, sales of this stamp have raised more than $1.1 billion to protect over 6 million acres of wetlands habitat on national wildlife refuges around the nation.

“Purchasing Federal Duck Stamps is a great way to support bird habitat conservation and is one of the most successful conservation tools in our toolbox. Of every dollar spent on a duck stamp, 98 cents of the purchase goes directly to acquiring and protecting waterfowl habitat, said Martha Williams, Service Principal Deputy Director. “First Day of Sale is also our opportunity to celebrate and congratulate the youth artists who lend their talents to the Junior Duck Stamp.

Waterfowl are not the only species that benefit from wetland habitat preservation. Thousands upon thousands of shorebirds, herons, raptors and songbirds, as well as mammals, fish, native plants, reptiles and amphibians rely on these landscapes as well. An estimated one-third of the nation’s endangered and threatened species take advantage of these habitats.

The lesser scaup drake painted by artist Richard Clifton of Milton, Delaware, adorns the new Federal Duck Stamp and will raise millions of dollars for habitat conservation to benefit wildlife and the American people.

The Junior Duck Stamp, which also went on sale today, raises funds to support youth conservation education. This year’s stamp features hooded mergansers painted by Margaret McMullen, of Kansas.

The new duck stamps are available for purchase online, at many sporting goods and retail stores, and some post offices and national wildlife refuges. Find all buying options at http://www.fws.gov/birds/get-involved/duck-stamp/buy-duck-stamp.php. Read more

Public can help by texting “SENDWATER” to 41444

PHOENIX — Water is the essence of life, and it’s just as precious for Arizona’s wildlife.

As drought conditions continue to worsen across the Southwest, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is preparing for another record-setting year of delivering lifesaving water to thirsty Arizona wildlife.

AZGFD trucked and airlifted an unprecedented 2.4 million gallons of life-sustaining water to catchments throughout the state in 2020. With little relief in sight, AZGFD anticipates hauling close to 3 million gallons of water in 2021.

“We usually get a break from hauling water in August after monsoon rains refill much of our water catchments,” said Joseph Currie, habitat planning program manager, who oversees AZGFD’s water-catchment efforts.

“However, due to this extreme drought, we haven’t stopped hauling water from 2020. We anticipate having to haul more water this year than we ever have before.”

Trail cameras document the results of this critical work, with images of elk, deer, bighorn sheep and other species leaning over for a refreshing drink at one of 3,000 catchments maintained by AZGFD. Read more

There’s still time to sign up for the Outdoor Skills Academy Walleye Fishing Clinic, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 19 at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center in Roscommon.

Pro walleye tournament angler Dan Miller will cover walleye fishing from A to Z. Learn about seasonal activities, how to set up your boat and more. DNR staff will be on hand to answer any rules and regulations questions you may have. Plus, a master taxidermist will offer tips on how to care for your trophy fish when you catch it and want to have it mounted.

Cost for the class is $45, which includes lunch and instruction.

To register, go to Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses and click on the “Purchase a license” button. Sign in (using either a username and password or your ID and birthdate), and find the class under the Outdoor Skills Academy tab.

For more information, contact the Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center at 231-779-1321.

If you would like to stay overnight, please contact the RAM Center at 989-821-6200 for reservations with meals included. Cost is $80 for an overnight stay with dinner and breakfast.

As we grow older there comes an age when our arms are not long enough to focus on small letters, bluntly, we can’t see clearly without the aid of glasses. For this writer, conservation worker, active hunter and target shooter, it was at the age of 40 when I went to read the back of the toothpaste tube when brushing my teeth. I called out to my wife that they had messed up the printing. It was blurry to unreadable. She took a fast look and told me there was nothing wrong with the printing. My eyes changed that fast from 20/20.

Off to the optometrist for my first set of glasses and yes, I needed bifocals. I remember stepping off the curb after putting them on the first time and feeling like I had stepped off the edge of the earth. The doctor told me the first change most likely would be the most significant. It was, not to mention a new learning process.

I operate tractors, bulldozers and about every other kind of equipment there is on the farm, even my truck was hard to see the dashboard display at times with the glasses. Conclusion, even with the new specs I could not see clearly in some circumstances. It was not until the VA took over my eye care that a great doctor told me the mystic secrets of eye ware. I learned there are adjustments that can be made to glasses when made. To me that is improving my quality of life.

What is your focal point? All glasses are made to a standard focal point that was set when people did not work on monitors and held books to read at a standard approximately 16 inches. That will not cut it when operating machinery or monitors that are 24 inches or more from your eyes. Measure the distance from your eye to the monitor for example and see what it is. Mine are about 24 inches to 28 inches (second monitor), not 16. Measure the distance from your eye to the dashboard display of your truck or car and you will find it is even farther. If your glasses are made to the 16-inch focal point, it will be hard to see especially at night. Have your new glasses set or made to your focal point, it does not cost more. Read more

Whether you’re an outdoors newbie building up your recreational skills or an experienced veteran searching for a fresh hobby, the DNR Outdoor Skills Academy has a class for you!

Starting this month, the academy will offer classes at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center on Higgins Lake in Roscommon. The RAM Center recently opened for individuals, families or small groups to “Lodge and Learn,” a chance to stay amid Michigan’s northern woods while building outdoor recreation know-how.

Check out these upcoming classes:

• Walleye Fishing Clinic, June 19 – Pro walleye tournament angler Dan Miller will cover walleye fishing from A to Z.
• Bush Craft, Wild Mushroom and Wild Edibles Clinic, Oct. 8-10 – Instruction on wilderness safety, bush craft (surviving and thriving in the natural world), wild edibles and how to find, identify and handle a variety of Michigan’s edible wild mushrooms.
• Ice Fishing for Beginners, Jan. 8, 2022 – How to set up equipment and how, where and when to fish, electronics, ice safety, and rules and regulations.
• Advanced Hard Water School, Feb. 25-27, 2022 – Learn from the ice fishing pros. Each student will pick a topic of interest and be assigned a pro fisherman.

The RAM Center isn’t the only place to catch one of these invaluable classes. The new North Woods Survival Skills Clinic will be at the Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center in Cadillac Aug. 14. The class will cover skills needed in an outdoor survival situation, including navigation; wilderness first aid; and how to safely prepare water for drinking, safely start a fire without matches, make cordage (rope from plants), make a log stove and identify animal tracks and scat. Participants also will learn how to shoot a bow and arrow. Read more

The Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee is re-opening to the public on Wednesday, June 2! Summer hours are Wednesday through Sundays, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Located eight miles west of the city of Marquette in the forested ravines of the Marquette Iron Range, the museum overlooks the Carp River and the site of the first iron manufactory in the Lake Superior region. The Jackson Iron Company and others manufactured wrought iron from local ore at this site from 1848-1855.

The museum tells the stories of Michigan’s three iron ranges and the people who worked them, through dramatic exhibits, audio-visual programs and outdoor interpretive trails.

This summer, visitors will also see a special temporary exhibit that explores the history of Fayette Historic State Park through archaeology. Called “Mining for the Past: Archaeology at Fayette,” the exhibit includes the objects generations of Anishinaabek, iron smelter company workers, and tourists left behind.

The museum is also pleased to debut refreshed Iron Industry Heritage Plaques, which honor the extraordinary individuals whose strength, ingenuity and hard work built Michigan’s iron ranges. Photo and name plaques are displayed in the museum’s commons as a tribute to miners and their families. Read more