Each year, the DNR Parks and Recreation Division looks to hire roughly 1,200 seasonal park workers and more than 50 seasonal park rangers to help deliver memory-making outdoor experiences at state parks, state forest campgrounds, harbors and other DNR-managed recreation facilities throughout spring, summer and fall. The push for the 2021 season is on now!

Seasonal park workers are key employees who provide customer service and perform important park duties like answering visitor questions, registering campers, cleaning park buildings and mowing grass. Workers earn between $10 and $11.60 an hour and may qualify for academic/internship credit.

Seasonal park rangers (commissioned and noncommissioned) are frontline staff carrying out day-to-day operations and maintenance and other essential duties. They help train and direct seasonal staff and volunteers and maintain grounds, infrastructure and equipment. Park rangers receive state employment benefits and are paid between $17.75 and $24.95 an hour. Read more

FWP partners with trappers to capture marten in southwest Montana

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and partners have begun an effort to restore marten to the Little Belt Mountains.

Marten, which are a member of the weasel family, were historically present in relatively isolated mountain ranges of central Montana, including the Little Belts, until they were extirpated within the last 100 years.

Because marten are generally unable to disperse naturally across large expanses non-forested habitat, FWP and partners developed a project to restore marten to the Little Belts. This involves capturing marten in parts of southwest Montana and relocating them to the Little Belts. However, the effort takes the help of many partners and FWP is collaborating with members of the Montana Trappers Association, Furbearers Unlimited, Fur Takers of America, the Great Falls and Southwest Montana chapters of Safari Club International, and the U.S. Forest Service to get the project done. Read more

GENESEO, ILL. – Springfield Armory® is proud to announce the release of the new Springfield Armory Workbench Series of videos supporting some of the most popular firearms offerings in its product line. These in-depth videos were developed to help new gun owners safely care for and maintain their firearms, as well as provide a useful resource for seasoned gun owners.

Broken up into five parts, the series covers the following Springfield Armory firearms:

·Hellcat® family of micro 9mm pistols

·SAINT® family of rifles and pistols

·1911 family of pistols

·M1A™ family of rifles

·XD-M® Elite family of pistols

“The new Springfield Armory Workbench series of videos was created as a helpful guide for the many new gun owners that have recently purchased Springfield Armory firearms,” says Steve Kramer, Vice President of Marketing for Springfield Armory. “These videos provide both new and experienced owners with instruction on safe disassembly, cleaning, maintenance and reassembly of their favorite Springfield Armory firearm.”

Firearms expert Steve Horsman hosts each of the five segments of the video series, giving the viewers a detailed step-by-step guide on each of the firearms families listed. From the micro-sized, CCW-ready 9mm Hellcat all the way up to the classic M1A rifle, this series covers everything the end user needs to care for these Springfield Armory firearms. Read more

Organized, Safe and Secure with DECKED

Columbus, Georgia: All of us at Realtree love nothing more than a great hunt, and the best hunts are almost always the result of preparation, organization and the right gear. Well, thank goodness we discovered DECKED! Their truck bed drawer and deck system is absolutely perfect for keeping all your gear organized, secure, dry and easy to access.

Several of our Realtree 365 teams have been using the DECKED system this fall and, without exception, they’ve returned seriously wondering how they ever got by without it.

“I honestly cannot imagine ever having a truck without a DECKED system again,” said Realtree Road Trips host Tyler Jordan. “All the stuff that I used to forget or lose or destroy is now right where I left it and incredibly easy to access. Maybe best of all, I’m not always rearranging and moving stuff out of the way. Plus the DECKED system allows me to use my truck like a truck. It’s awesome.” Read more

The Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) is inviting you to join us on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, 1 – 2 PM Eastern. Read more

In 2016, a proposed initiative intended to reintroduce Arctic grayling to select Michigan streams was announced. That idea immediately caught fire, and Michigan’s Arctic Grayling Initiative now counts over 40 member organizations among its supporters.

Before the northern Lower Peninsula was heavily lumbered in the mid- to late 1800s, Arctic grayling were the dominant salmonid (fish of the salmon family) species found in cold-water streams.

They were present in such large numbers that people flocked to northern Michigan towns to target this attractive fish, known best for its prominent dorsal fin. Some anglers were catching them in huge numbers and shipping them on ice back to large metropolitan areas like Detroit and Chicago to be sold in fish markets.

They were extirpated (wiped out) from Michigan due to degrading of habitat associated with the timber harvest practices of the day and overharvest by recreational and market anglers. Competition with and predation by introduced species, like brown trout, also played a role in their disappearing from Michigan waters.

Fast forward more than a century to Sept. 17, 2020 – a big day in the history of fisheries management in Michigan.

That was the day the that the first year-class (fish all produced in the same year) of Arctic grayling future brood fish (those used for breeding purposes) were transferred from an isolated rearing facility at Oden State Fish Hatchery, near Petoskey, to the Marquette State Fish Hatchery in Marquette County.

Approximately 4,000 fish, averaging 6.5 inches in length, made the trip to Marquette.

Check out a video of the fish in their new surroundings. Read more

Many state-designated snowmobile trails in Alcona County are temporarily closed due to safety challenges caused by heavy, wet snow that blanketed the area Saturday, Dec. 12.

Trees and branches, weighed down by the heavy snow, broke and fell onto trails, creating hazardous obstacles. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Huron-Manistee National Forest and the Alcona County Parks and Recreation Department have determined that riding conditions are unsafe at this time.

Snowmobile Trails No. 96 (west of Trail No. 665), 961, 962, 963, 964, 966 and 971 will remain closed until the debris is cleared, and reroutes will not be identified due to the widespread impact of the snow on trails throughout the region. It’s estimated that it will take up to two weeks for the grant sponsor, Alcona County Parks and Recreation, to safely clear the trails. Closure signs and blockades will be removed as trails are cleared and deemed safe for riding. Read more

COLUMBUS, Georgia — Enjoy a warm, cozy fire anytime with the help of the Realtree Fire Starters 50 Pack. The Realtree Fire Starters 50 Pack comes packed in a lightweight canister and can be used to start 50 or more fires.

The camouflage fire starters light when wet and burn at 750 degrees for up to 10 minutes. If the fire starters get wet or freeze, they will still light as they are 100% waterproof inside or outside of the packet.

Realtree Fire starters were designed to accompany the rest of your Realtree gear on your next hunting trip, camping trip or anywhere else you want or need a fire.

Features:

• • Includes 50 Realtree fire starter pouches
  • Can be used for charcoal grills, fireplaces, campfires, wood-burning stoves and more
  • 100% waterproof
  • Burn time: Up to 10 minutes
  • Light time: 0.5 to 2 seconds
  • Flame height: 8 to 13 inches (20.32 to 33.02 cm)
  • 30-Year shelf life

Read more