Category: Hunting

DNR public survey, open through  April 16

Seeking broad input on deer management

As part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Deer Management Initiative process, several members of the group have collaborated with a social scientist from the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University to craft a questionnaire for the public, aimed at assessing people’s opinions and perceptions about deer.

The initiative, established earlier this year, is working to address current and future deer-related challenges facing the DNR and the Michigan Natural Resources Commission. It brings together members of the public and representatives from various stakeholder groups to offer diverse perspectives on deer management topics.

As part of the 2024 Deer Management Initiative process, a subgroup of participants volunteered to work with a social scientist to formulate the questionnaire, which seeks input on current deer management practices and the overall significance of deer in residents’ daily lives. The data gathered will provide additional insights for future discussions and subsequent recommendations.

“We extended this opportunity to work on the questionnaire when the group initially convened, and many readily jumped in to help develop it,” said Chad Stewart, DNR deer, elk and moose management specialist.

“We recognized our proficiency in surveying hunters but acknowledged a gap in gauging general public attitudes and views toward deer more broadly,” he said. “We want to learn more about how important deer are to our residents, what trends they see in their local areas, and what concerns they may have about deer in our state.

“That’s why we’ve opted to make these questions available through an online survey that is accessible to everyone, albeit with certain limitations on interpretation. This data will remain valuable, offering insights into how residents across the state perceive deer.”

Take the survey

All residents, regardless of their interest in or knowledge of deer, are encouraged to participate. Completing the survey should take no more than five minutes.

Survey findings initially will inform members of the Deer Management Initiative team about Michigan residents’ attitudes toward deer and deer management, and eventually be made available to the public.

A link to the survey, open now through , is available at Michigan.gov/Deer.

Contact: Chad Stewart, 517-282-4810

Hunting, Wildlife

SCI Opposes Final USFWS African Elephant Import Rule

Safari Club International vigorously opposes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) final rule restricting elephant imports released on Friday, March 29. The final rule will make importing legally harvested elephant parts substantially and unnecessarily more difficult, and African wildlife conservation will suffer as a direct result.

SCI opposes the rule for one simple reason: these regulations will neither stop poaching or human-wildlife conflict nor protect biodiversity. This amendment will only hamper elephant conservation conducted by local stakeholders, indigenous communities, and the African range state governments that are stewards of the world’s largest elephant populations.

Elephant hunting is an important management and conservation tool for the southern African countries with the world’s largest elephant populations. In these countries, elephants can create real burdens for the local and rural communities who share the same land, often leading to human-elephant conflict such as crop raiding. Elephant hunting generates funds and incentives to reduce such conflict, combat poaching, and secure habitat in these countries. Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting

The Spin Seat From ThermaSeat

Transform any five-gallon bucket into a comfortable dual-purpose dream seat for your outdoor activities. ThermaSeat has produced a seat that adapts to any standard five or six-gallon bucket, giving you the comfort and added versatility you need, whether you’re in the woods, on the job site, or on the ice.

“The Spin Seat is great! I love it. I use it at my kid’s baseball games and while we are out hunting or fishing. It’s nice and thick making it extremely comfortable.”-ThermaSeat Customer Read more

Fishing, Hunting

Fiocchi Announces Dedicated Crow Shotshells

Ornithologist Dr. J. Heckel has found that a single crow can be responsible for destroying at least 20 waterfowl eggs per year. Heckle’s research hints that quail plantations, turkey and upland hunters, along with waterfowlers can do their part to enhance game bird populations if they were to simply start hunting crow.

Enter premiere hunting shotshell manufacturer Fiocchi.

Fiocchi has developed a dedicated crow shotshell to maximize crow mortality with a wad that delivers an incredibly dense pattern in a shorter shot string than traditional shotshells.

Whether you are decoying birds into cornfields or hunting timber birds, Fiocchi’s new Caw Caw Cawtridge will deliver devastating results on this uncanny foe.

Up-and-coming YouTuber, TimJoe the Crowhunter, shared his experience with the industry-first shotshell created for crow-hunting enthusiasts.

“I’ve been hunting crows most of my life,” said TimJoe. “In fact, my family and I eat crow almost every day. This new Caw Caw shotshell puts more crow in our kettle and on the grill than anything else I’ve tried. Not only does it help keep us in vittles, but it also helps me feel like I am doing my part to save game birds. After all, you can’t live on crow alone; but if you want to try, check out my YouTube channel for some great crow recipes.”

Another unique feature of the Caw Caw Cawtridge that helps the novice and seasoned hunter alike is the integration of an App-based crow call built into every Caw Caw ammo box. Hunters can bring the box with them into the field and select one of three popular calls: Feeding Crow, Fighting Crows, or Dying Crow. Read more

Ammunition, Hunting

AZGFD Offering Additional Big Game Hunting Opportunities April 3

Limited-entry permit-tag draw includes antlered mule deer on world-famous Kaibab Plateau

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) once again will be providing hunters with a chance to draw an additional elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, and pronghorn permit-tag, while generating revenue to support wildlife conservation efforts across the state.

New in this limited-entry permit-tag draw: An opportunity to hunt antlered mule deer on the world-famous Kaibab Plateau. This single permit-tag is for Game Management Units 12A and 12B between Aug. 1 and Sept. 12. AZGFD also has added additional units in which to hunt elk, deer and pronghorn. Read more

Hunting

Bear Hunters Eclipse Harvest Record

Arkansas bear hunters harvested 765 bears during the 2023 hunting season, topping the record by a margin of 100 bears, according to a presentation given by Myron Means at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s March 21 meeting at the Lodge at Mount Magazine State Park.

Means, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Large Carnivore Program coordinator, said hunters took 665 black bears during archery, muzzleloader and modern gun seasons in 2020, and harvest remained in the high 400s the next two years.

Last year’s record is likely attributed to an earlier opening day of the bear archery season in Bear Zones 1 and 2. Recent seasons opened on the third week in September to be concurrent with deer archery season, but bear hunters in 2023 were able to get out on Sept. 13, a week and a half earlier. Read more

Hunting

Michigan’s Natural Resources Commission Has Some ‘Splainin’ to Do

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

On March 28, the nation’s largest statewide conservation organization, Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC), filed a legal suit against Michigan’s Natural Resources Commission (NRC), challenging the three-month closure of the coyote hunting season.  This action follows an inexplicable maneuver by the commission to revert to protecting one of the leading killers of new-born fawns – the ubiquitous coyote.  Accordingly, MUCC and its members will learn just how expensive the commodity of principle can become.

At the March NRC meeting with a 4-2 vote, the commission opted to close the coyote hunting season from April 16 through July 14 annually through the adoption of Wildlife Conservation Order #1 of 2024. MUCC testified in opposition to the closure but its pleas fell on deaf ears.   “The record is unambiguous: The commission has not heard or cited any scientific literature or rationale justifying the closure,” said MUCC Chief Executive Officer, Amy Trotter. “Meanwhile, there were hours of public testimony on the practical benefits of coyote hunting during the spring season, while being reinforced with cited literature.”

“The [MUCC] board voted unanimously to take this action, consistent with MUCC’s mission,” its president, Rob Miller, said. “MUCC was founded on the belief that game management decisions should be grounded in science and insulated from political and social pressures. This is a foundational issue for our organization, and we were obligated to act on behalf of Michigan’s conservationists.”

Mark Spencer, president of the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association, said the idea that trappers and predator callers are behind the closure is misguided.  Interestingly, the commission explained that regulation changes were considered because of stakeholder requests and subsequent feedback from the “furtaker user group”.  Even if it were true, it doesn’t constitute science-based logic – a charge with which the NRC is saddled.

“The stance taken with litigation clearly shows the trappers and predator callers of Michigan are firmly united behind the principles of science-based management,” Spencer said. “Our groups present a united front to ensure our outdoor heritage is protected and grounded in science for generations to come.”

The NRC is a seven-member public body whose members are appointed by the governor to a term of four years and subject to the advice and consent of the Michigan Senate.  Overwhelming voter support resulted in the adoption of Proposal G in November 1996, which vests exclusive authority in the NRC to regulate the taking of game.

The two sides will now lock horns.  However, one over-arching element is even more important than merely changing rules and it is the issue of acceptance by those that hunt.  A case in point relates to Wisconsin’s failed Earn-a-Buck regulation that required hunters to take a doe before being allowed to take a buck during its deer season. Even with science behind the regulation, hunters screamed and kicked enough that the rule was overturned.

Specifically, if anyone thinks that hunters in our Upper Peninsula will understand and cooperate, doesn’t know much about Yoopers, either.

Hunting

MUCC Files Suit Against Natural Resources Commission

By Justin Tomei | March 28, 2024 | 
On March 28, the nation’s largest statewide conservation organization filed suit against the Natural Resources Commission (NRC), challenging the three-month closure of the coyote hunting season.

At the March NRC, the commission, in a 4-2 vote, voted to close the coyote hunting season from April 16 through July 14 through the adoption of Wildlife Conservation Order #1 of 2024. Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) testified in opposition to the closure.

MUCC filed in Ingham County, arguing that the commission unlawfully closed Michigan’s coyote season, violating their responsibility and legal charge. The Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers (MTPCA) has also filed a lawsuit against the commission in Mackinac County.

The groups argue that the NRC relied on unsubstantiated claims of negative public perception and perceived potential loss of management control, said MUCC Chief Executive Officer Amy Trotter.

“The record is unambiguous: The commission has not heard or cited any scientific literature or rationale justifying the closure,” Trotter said. “Meanwhile, there were hours of public testimony on the practical benefits of coyote hunting during the spring season, while being reinforced with cited literature.” Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting, Wildlife

Michigan Government Land: Keep or Sell?

lush green wetlands spread out against a backdrop of tall, deep-green pine trees and a bright blue skyDNR’s nearly four-year intensive land review effort recently completed

By SARAH LAPSHAN
Senior Communications Advisor
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Three and a half years, nearly 9,800 individual parcels and more than 167,000 total acres comprehensively evaluated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources – it’s all part of the DNR’s agencywide state land review process that concluded in February with approval of the final group of staff recommendations on which parcels to keep, swap or sell.

It was a massive undertaking prompted by Michigan’s Managed Public Land Strategy (initially developed in 2013), which directs the DNR to evaluate how well the lands under its care contribute to the department’s mission.

The review focused on two basic types of parcels: those that are either 200 acres or smaller in size or those irregularly shaped with a significant shared private-public boundary that makes them difficult to manage.

Just how much land are we talking about? Read more

Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife

Michigan’s MUCC Takes On the NRC

The commission relied on unsubstantiated claims of negative public perception, social pressures and perceived potential loss of management control.

After reviewing the options, MUCC’s executive board authorized legal action against the commission and filed suit against the NRC.

You can view a press release on the filing HERE.

MUCC was founded on the belief that game management decisions be insulated from social and political pressures to the greatest extent possible. Michigan voters agreed, passing Proposal G overwhelmingly in 1996.

MUCC believes the commission illegally closed Michigan’s coyote season in violation of their responsibility and legal charge to “the greatest extent practicable, utilize principles of sound scientific management in making decisions regarding the taking of game.”

The process is expected to take months to complete, and we can only succeed with your help.

Conservationists of Michigan can strengthen our fight in the following ways:

  • If you are a member of an MUCC affiliate club, consider joining as an individual member. Having a direct link to MUCC will ensure you stay up to date with the suit, show you truly care about Michigan’s natural resources, and lend your voice to the largest and most successful statewide conservation organization in the country.

 

Untitled%20-%202024-03-28T093008_640.png
  • Donate. Whether you are a Life Member, Individual Member, or affiliate club member, we need your support. MUCC’s mission thrives with contributions from Michigan’s outdoor community. Our organization survives on $20 and $50 donations from everyday Michigan sportsmen and sportswomen. Making a difference is as easy as supporting MUCC!

 

Untitled%20-%202024-03-28T095654_081.png
Litigation is not a tactic MUCC uses frivolously, and our membership and hunters and trappers across Michigan have asked us to stand up and fight for this issue.

Together, we will fight for the principles of sound scientific management. Together, we will ensure our children will have the same opportunities we did. Together, we can preserve Michigan’s outdoor heritage. Join, donate, and share.

Yours in conservation,

amy%20sig.jpg

 

Amy Trotter, Chief Executive Officer
Animal Rights, Hunting
1 … 15 16 17 18 19 … 382