June 2, 2026
Contact: Mark Boersen, 989-275-5151, ext. 2722730 or Brian Piccolo, 989-275-5151, ext. 2722030

A 150-pound black bear that wandered into a Mt. Pleasant neighborhood and climbed a tree directly over a white-picket fence was captured and safely relocated to a northern Michigan swamp Tuesday.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources partnered with Mt. Pleasant police, firefighters and city workers to isolate the male bear in the tree and then tranquilize and tag the animal before transporting it about 60 miles away to the Houghton Lake area.

With a crowd of residents watching from a safe distance, the tranquilized bear fell unharmed about 18 feet into a thick pole vault pad borrowed from Mt. Pleasant High School. “Sometimes bears wander in and out of developed areas, but this one was so far inside the city limits that we thought it best to intervene and take the bear out of this situation in a safe manner,” said Mark Boersen, a DNR wildlife biologist who participated in the effort. “Eventually, he would come down out of the tree, probably at night, but removal is the safest situation for people and their pets and the bear. Everything worked out well.” Tuesday morning, Mt. Pleasant police and DNR Conservation Officer Michael Lator responded to reports of the treed bear near Fancher and Mosher streets, a residential area north of Central Michigan University. The DNR’s Wildlife Division was called in to tranquilize and transport the bear. Assisting in that effort were Boersen; Scott Larsen, the DNR’s state wildlife veterinarian; and Brian Piccolo, a DNR wildlife biologist and field operations manager. The City of Mt. Pleasant provided a bucket truck to help biologists discourage the bear from climbing further up the tree. The animal was then tranquilized with a dart rifle. Once the bear was safely down from the tree, biologists did a medical workup of the animal – finding it healthy – and attached an identifying red ear tag. It wasn’t immediately known where the bear originated, but Piccolo said it likely ventured over from the Chippewa River corridor, which is about a mile and a half west of the neighborhood. The capture and relocation come three weeks after the DNR confirmed a bear sighting in the Carleton/Flat Rock area in southeast Michigan’s Monroe County. While the vast majority of Michigan’s more than 12,000 bears live in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, it’s not uncommon to see them in mid-Michigan and even occasionally in southern Michigan. “In a general sense, you may encounter a bear anywhere in the Lower Peninsula,” Boersen said. “Obviously they’re less likely as you go south. But people in the Lower Peninsula should not assume that they would never have a bear come in their yard.” Read more

The hunter immediately reported the incident to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.

On the evening of May 16, a hunter shot and killed a male grizzly bear in defense of life after it charged him and his young son from a short distance away while they were hunting black bears near the Cave Falls Road on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest outside of Ashton.

The hunters were sitting on the edge of a meadow when a grizzly began crossing it and seemed to pick up their scent. The grizzly then changed direction and headed directly toward the two hunters. As the hunters attempted to alert the grizzly to their presence, it began to charge directly toward them. The man fired at the charging bear with his sidearm before quickly switching to his hunting rifle, killing it within 5 yards of where he was standing.

The man called the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office as soon as he was able and reported the incident. Idaho Fish and Game was notified and immediately responded. After conducting a thorough investigation, it was determined that the hunter acted in defense of life, as he and his son were being charged by a bear from a close distance.

Grizzly bears are protected under state and federal law, and Fish and Game reminds hunters that grizzly bears may be encountered in the Greater Yellowstone area and parts of northern Idaho. Grizzly bears also occasionally visit as far south as the Grangeville area and into the Salmon Region in central Idaho.

Here are some good reminders when hunting in grizzly country:

Read more

Click to watch as a monarch is tagged at the OKC Zoo!

Twenty “first generation” Oklahoma monarchs were tagged with small solar-powered transmitters at the Oklahoma City Zoo to track their northbound migration. These butterflies were raised from eggs laid in Edmond by a female monarch that had overwintered in Mexico and migrated to the state earlier this spring. They joined dozens of other monarchs tracked by conservation groups, including 20 individuals cooperatively tagged by the Dallas and Oklahoma City zoos.

“The amount of information these tags are providing is amazing,” said Emily Geest, OKC Zoo conservation scientist. “We can check in on each butterfly and follow their journey across the Red River and further north.”

The transmitter weighs about 10% of the butterfly’s weight and is comparable to a grain of rice. It sends a signal every time it connects to a device with Bluetooth and location services enabled. The free Project Monarch Science app shows the location of tagged butterflies and allows users to scan for active tags in their vicinity. One Oklahoma butterfly nicknamed “Verbena” has traveled more than 200 miles from the zoo and was last detected near Emporia, Kansas.

Read More

Want to learn more about one of North America’s rarest songbirds? Take advantage of two free tours featuring the Kirtland’s warbler and its jack pine habitat.

The outings, set for 7-10 a.m. Saturday, May 30, and again Saturday, June 13, will start and end at the DNR’s Grayling field office, 1955 Hartwick Pines Road, in Crawford County.

The tours will start with a short presentation detailing the Kirtland’s warbler history, past and current status, and future management strategies. Once nearly extinct, the gray and yellow songbird remains a state-threatened species, with about 95% of its worldwide population nesting in northern Michigan.

Tour participants will then make the short drive to tour the jack pine habitat and observe the warbler. This involves a roughly half-mile walk on a trail road. Bring sturdy footwear, binoculars, water and bug spray.

These events will take place rain or shine. RSVP to Tim Riley at RileyT6@Michigan.gov or 989-370-7313.

More birding opportunities

Read more

 

By HEATHER JOHNSON DUROCHER
Writer, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

For some visitors to Tahquamenon Falls State Park, the main attraction at Michigan’s second-largest state park has always remained out of reach.

For those using wheelchairs, experiencing the iconic, 200-foot-wide, amber-hued Upper Falls up close was impossible. What stood in the way was a 94-step staircase that led park visitors to a viewing platform.

“We heard time and time again from people that because of accessibility, they had never been to the brink, had never been able to feel that spray hit their face or smell the river,” said Kevin Dennis, park manager at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the Upper Peninsula’s Luce and Chippewa counties.

That has now changed Read more

Rufous Hummingbirds range the farthest north of any hummingbird species even nesting in southern Alaska (photo by Fernando Ortega).

Northern-nesting hummingbirds are migrating now, including Ruby-throated, Rufous, Broad-tailed, and Caliope Hummingbirds. These tiny birds are flying hundreds of miles and more, before arriving and spending time preparing for the next leg of their migration flights farther north – or possibly establishing nesting territories near you. Because flowering plants are at a minimum as northern temperatures warm and plants revive, the center stage for many migrating hummingbirds is our nectar feeders and potted flowering plants as they provide important food, and our landscaping provides resting areas and shelter.

During the long migrations north, the importance of these resources can’t be underestimated. Attracting and benefitting hummingbirds is easy, as long as you live within the range of one or more hummingbird species. Providing sugar-water nectar in a hummingbird feeder is simple: 1) keep it filled, 2) keep it fresh (the nectar); 3) keep it clean (your feeder), and 4) mix your sugar-water nectar at a ratio of 1 part white cane sugar to 4 parts water – the sugar-water mix that is closest to nectar produced by flowers that hummingbird favor.

In addition to nectar, hummingbirds need protein, which they get by feeding on tiny insects and spiders daily. It’s interesting to watch hummingbirds as they hunt; in fact, many times when you see a hummingbird working its way from plant to plant, flower to flower, it may be feeding on tiny bugs hidden among the vegetation and blooms – watch closely. Read more

May 11, 2026
Contact: Laurie Abel, 517-599-6703

Firefighters from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources worked Monday to contain a wildfire that began Sunday near the southeast end of the Tomahawk Creek Flooding in Presque Isle County.

Cool overnight temperatures, frost and favorable humidity levels helped slow the spread of the fire, officials said.

The wildfire burned about 190 acres of state-managed land, including jack pine stands, a blueberry bog and hardwood debris left behind by last year’s ice storm.

“The fire is mostly contained. We’re monitoring it and extinguishing hot spots now,” said Jennifer Hansen, fire supervisor for the DNR’s Atlanta Unit. “Crews will remain on scene today and tomorrow to continue monitoring the area.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

No evacuations were ordered, and no homes or structures were threatened.

DNR fire crews were assisted Sunday by DNR conservation officers, DNR aviation staff, U.S. Forest Service aviation personnel, the Michigan State Police, and fire departments from Onaway, Forest Waverly and Case Township, as well as Presque Isle County Emergency Management and the Salvation Army.

May 8, 2026
Contact: Kevin Jacobs, 989-370-4041

Two Fire Boss aircraft, each capable of scooping up to 800 gallons of water from a lake in just 15 seconds, have been added to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources firefighting fleet this season.

The planes, leased from late April through early June – historically the worst part of Michigan’s fire season – are housed at the Gaylord Regional Airport. This central location is ideal to respond to wildfire anywhere in the state and especially for the areas hit hard by the ice storm of 2025. The planes were used earlier this week to assist with a fire on federal land near Mio.

Fire danger is elevated across the state this weekend, so make sure to check Michigan.gov/BurnPermit or, in southern Michigan, contact your local municipality to make sure it is safe to burn.

“The branches and trees downed from the ice storm can impede us getting into the woods with equipment,” said Kevin Jacobs, DNR aviation manager. “The added debris on the ground will add fuel to the fire, which could cause wildfires to spread faster and burn with more intensity.”

He said the Fire Boss aircraft don’t replace crews on the ground but can offer an important head start once a fire is discovered.

“They can get to a fire scene fast,” Jacobs said. “Having two of these planes working in tandem can make a difference in our ability to contain fires and protect people, property and natural resources.”

The planes are Air Tractor AT-802 models, designed for agricultural use and modified to include floats for landing on water. They need approximately a mile of open water to perform their water-scooping sequence. Read more

Contact: Laurie Abel, 517-599-6703

Firefighters from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and local fire departments attacked a wildfire late Sunday in Presque Isle County near the southeast end of the Tomahawk Creek Flooding.

The fire covered approximately 180 acres around 8:30 p.m., said Laurie Abel, public information officer for the DNR’s Incident Management Team.

“The fire is burning in jack pine, hardwood and a blueberry bog,” she said. The cause of the fire hasn’t yet been identified.

A single vehicle that got stuck on a forest road was burned; its occupants were able to get away from the vehicle and are safe.

Traffic restrictions remain in place along Spring Lake, Anderson and Millersburg roads as emergency crews manage the area and monitor fire activity.

At this time, no evacuations have been made, and no homes or structures are considered at risk. Firefighters have achieved approximately 60% containment as suppression efforts continue throughout the night and into Monday.

Equipment in use Sunday included four Air Boss water-scooping planes, an Air Attack plane which coordinates air activity, and DNR fire detection aircraft.

The Legislature allocated one-time funding for the DNR to lease two AT 802 water scooping planes to help fight fires. Downed wood in the northern Lower Peninsula from the March 2025 ice storm has created an increased fire risk this spring. Weather has been windy and dry for the past several days, contributing to fire risk.