Category: Wildlife

Goldfinch

Michigan: Task Force Needs Property Owner Info On Underground Features in Keweenaw County

Affected area is Lake Superior shoreline from Gay to Grand Traverse Harbor

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s Water Resources Division, in cooperation with the Buffalo Reef Task Force, is asking property owners to report underground features, like onsite septic systems and water and irrigation lines, along a 5-mile stretch of Lake Superior shoreline in Keweenaw County.

Over the past few years, the task force has been working to remove dark-colored stamp sands from the beach between the community of Gay and Grand Traverse Harbor.

The stamp sands were deposited into Lake Superior and on the beach at Gay during historic copper stamp mill processing from the Wolverine and Mohawk mines. Ore was crushed by the stamps and the copper separated through a flotation process. Stamp sands are the waste material resulting from the milling work.

Over the past roughly 80 years, the stamp sands have shifted south – moved by winds, waves and nearshore lake currents – about 5 miles to the Grand Traverse Harbor, covering 1,426 acres of shoreline and lake bottom.

“Without taking measures to slow the movement and down-drift accumulation of the stamp sands, they will eventually move past the harbor and deposit on the natural white sand beach south of the jetty, at the mouth of the Traverse River,” said Steven Check, a project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Detroit.

The sands threaten Buffalo Reef, a natural underwater structure important to lake trout and lake whitefish. Read more

Fishing, Wildlife

Stealth Cam Launches Enhanced Command Pro App for Cellular Trail Cameras

Irving, TX – Stealth Cam®, the leader in trail camera innovation and cellular imaging technology, has just launched its all-new Command Pro App for 2021! This new App provides a seamless integration for wireless camera operation and image/video management for Stealth Cam.

Retooled and refreshed for 2021, the Command Pro app raises the bar in remote scouting with the integration of industry leading technology, supported by a robust server platform for improved performance and reliability. These features include:

High-resolution HD downloads – Available through all the new 2021 camera models (DS4KTM, REACTOR, FUSION X, MORPH, MERGE, MANIFEST 2.0, RELAY, TRAIL-TEK).

Video Mode w/ Previews – For the new 2021 video enabled cameras, the Command Pro app shows a 3-frame preview of the recorded video, before you chose to download the full clip.

Night Colorization – Turn black and white images into color on demand with Command Pro’s groundbreaking AI powered technology.

Tagging options and filters – This option makes it possible to organize and recall individual animals and select filter parameters to identify and sort game patterns, time frame, and environmental conditions. In short, the new filtering and tagging functions can help you pattern your biggest target animals.

Global Gallery – This feature integrates images, videos, and video previews from all 2020 and 2021 Stealth Cam, Muddy & Wildview cellular cameras into a single gallery! These are conveniently stored chronologically by date and time. By leveraging the new filter and tagging options, the Global Gallery offers territory-wide activity monitoring at a glance and with never-before-seen precision.

Already a Stealth Cam Command user? No problem Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Pope & Young Club/St. Charles Museum of Bowhunting to Join WOW National Museum and Aquarium

Preeminent collection of bowhunting artifacts relocates to America’s Conservation Capital, home to unprecedented assembly of exhibits from leading conservation organizations

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Officials from the Pope & Young Club in Chatfield, Minn., together with noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, today announced plans to relocate the Pope & Young Club/St. Charles Museum of Bowhunting and its permanent collection to the campus of Bass Pro Shops national headquarters in Springfield, Mo., home to Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium.

The Pope & Young Club is one of North America’s leading bowhunting and conservation organizations, dedicated to the promotion and protection of bowhunting by increasing awareness and appreciation for bowhunting foundations, principles and values. Currently located in Chatfield, Minn., the Club’s Museum of Bowhunting is the singular, crowning testimony to North America’s rich bowhunting heritage. The museum boasts the preeminent collection of bowhunting artifacts and history, educating visitors to bowhunting’s place in wildlife conservation and culture. Artifacts and educational displays retrace the steps of pioneer bowhunters and the sport’s rise in popularity during the mid-20th Century, to modern day bowhunting and the continued legacy of the Pope & Young Club.

The potential to reach a significantly wider audience and inspire new generations to discover bowhunting was a key motivation in the Pope & Young Club’s decision to relocate its collection. Located in the heartland of America within a day’s drive for half the population, Wonders of Wildlife welcomed 1.6 million visitors in its first year alone and has been voted as “America’s Best New Attraction” and “America’s Best Aquarium” twice by USA TODAY readers. Read more

Wildlife

Michigan: Colfax Fire in Wexford County is now 78% contained

Department of Natural Resources fire crews are making headway as they work to contain the Colfax Fire that continues to burn in northern Wexford County, Michigan. The fire, which was reported shortly after 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 25, is currently estimated at 378 acres. The acreage of the fire area will continue to be updated as more accurate data is collected and confirmed.

This brief DNR drone video, captured this morning, provides a glimpse of conditions in the area.

A blackened, burned area of the forest is shown in an aerial view.The fire is located approximately 5 miles northwest of the city of Manton and 21 miles southeast of Traverse City. The fire is 78% contained, with a total fire perimeter estimated at 6.3 miles. Currently, 5.9 miles of the fire line has containment line completed, with work continuing on the remaining 0.4 miles of uncontained fire line. The fire area is located east of 31 Road, west of 33 Road, north of 12 Road and primarily south of 8 Road.

The cause of the Colfax Fire remains under investigation.

Fire crews today will focus on establishing containment lines on the uncontrolled fire edge, monitoring and patrolling the fire area, mop-up and continued work to fell hazard trees.

Firefighter and public safety remains the No. 1 priority as fire suppression efforts continue. The DNR asks that the public continues to stay clear of the fire area. For those who must enter the area, use caution and be alert to the presence of dead, standing trees (called snags) that could fall over and for other hazards. Snags can fall across roadways, creating a hazard for people driving through the area. Additionally, due to the cooler nighttime temperatures, low-lying smoke from the fire may affect visibility in the area.

As a result of the combined fire suppression efforts, both on the ground and in the air, a total of 151 structures (86 residences and 65 outbuildings) were protected from the fire. There is no reported structure loss or damage. The only reported loss due to the fire includes a travel trailer, utility trailer, backhoe tractor implement and a snowblower. Read more
Wildlife

Boone and Crockett Club Receives Funding from Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund

MISSOULA, Mont. – The Boone and Crockett Club announced today that it has received a $50,000 grant through the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund to support policy outreach, research on chronic wasting disease, and the Club’s Poach & Pay project to address wildlife crime. This year’s grant also included a new area of interest – a virtual education curriculum created at and distributed from the Rasmuson Wildlife Conservation Center located on the Boone and Crockett Club’s Theodore Roosevelt Memorial (TRM) Ranch in north central Montana. The new, multi-faceted virtual education approach brings the TRM Ranch and all of its Rocky Mountain ecosystem inhabitants into the lives of classroom teachers and students through a variety of formats including augmented reality applications, Facebook live events, and downloadable electronic trail-camera curriculum modules. The lesson plans adhere to “Next Generation Science Standards” utilized by educators.

“Thanks to the support of the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, we have made major strides on forest management policy, funding for conservation efforts, and improving access to federal lands and waters,” said Tony A. Schoonen, Boone and Crockett Club Chief Executive Officer. “Now with the additional support for our virtual education program, our nation’s youth will be able to learn about North American wildlife, including alpha predators like wolves and grizzlies, through the photos collected through our network of trail cameras and our live webcam.” Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Utah Company and Its Owner Plead Guilty to Wildlife Trafficking Charges

A Utah man and his company Natur Inc. pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Salt Lake City to violating the Lacey and Endangered Species Acts.

On Nov. 18, 2020, a grand jury issued an indictment charging Jean-Michel Arrigona, 58, of Midvale, with unlawfully importing wildlife into the United States and reselling it from the Natur store in Midvale, which he owns. In a plea agreement with the government, Arrigona admitted that he imported approximately 1,500 wildlife items from 2015 to 2020. He only declared three of the packages, as required, to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or customs authorities. Arrigona resold the wildlife online and at Natur. The wildlife, primarily from Indonesia, consisted of taxidermy mounts and bones of bats, flying foxes, frogs, starfish, insects, rodents, and lizards. Some of the wildlife, such as the flying fox (Pteropus sp.) and monitor lizard (Varanus sp.) are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates trade in endangered or threatened species through permit requirements. The United States, Indonesia, and 181 other countries are signatories to the CITES treaty. Read more

Poachers, Wildlife

ALPS Mountaineering Helix 1- and 2-Person Tents

New Haven, Mo. – ALPS Mountaineering, manufacturer of performance-driven technical support gear for wilderness adventures, exploration, and family camping, adds two new backpacking tents to its expansive line of wilderness adventure gear with the release of the Helix series lightweight tents.

The new Helix tents are available with one- or two-person capacity and are sized for backpacking or ultralight camping. Based on a three-pole mesh tent and rain fly configuration, the Helix boasts a minimum weight of 2 lbs., 14 oz. or 3 lbs., 12 oz. for the one- and two-person models, respectively, and with a packed size of 5×16 or 6×18 inches.

These free-standing tents utilize 7000-series aluminum poles and lightweight aluminum hardware for support. Both the floor and fly are made of 20D 380T nylon ripstop, with the floor receiving a 3000mm silicone/pu coating and the fly a 2000mm silicone/pu coating that resists UV damage. The fly offers full coverage for maximum weather protection and, along with the floor, has factory-sealed seams.

Practical and ergonomic features include roof ventilation to minimize moisture buildup, mesh storage pockets, and vestibule storage to accommodate gear. Assembly is quick and easy thanks to snap-on pole clips, 7075 aluminum stakes, and guy ropes for anticipated high-wind conditions. Read more

General, Wildlife

Michigan: Great Lakes frontage, acres of forest and more DNR surplus lands available at online auction

Great Lakes frontage, acres of forest, prime residential lots – these and more DNR surplus lands available at online auction

Keeping your eyes open for the right piece of Michigan property? Don’t miss the current auctions of surplus public land from the Department of Natural Resources.

After careful consideration of properties it manages on behalf of Michigan residents, the DNR has selected 10 that are much better suited for private ownership. The department is preparing these surplus properties – in Antrim, Baraga, Benzie, Berrien, Delta, Gogebic, Midland and Oakland counties – for sale via online auctions open now through June 15 and 16.

Scott Goeman, DNR Real Estate Services manager, said that while these properties no longer fit the department’s goals of efficient management and broad access to public outdoor recreation opportunities, they could fit nicely into potential bidders’ future plans.

“We are responsible for more than 4.6 million acres of public lands, and we regularly review those lands to evaluate how well they fit with our overall management strategy,” said Goeman. “Sometimes, it becomes clear that, due to a number of factors – for example, if a parcel is landlocked by private property, isolated from other DNR-managed land or doesn’t support optimum outdoor recreation opportunities – it makes more sense to remove that parcel from our management. Read more
Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife

Michigan DNR firefighters continue to suppress 68-acre fire in Marquette County

A crew of 10 Michigan Department of Natural Resources firefighters is continuing to construct a containment line around a fire that ignited Tuesday afternoon in a remote area of Marquette County, near the south end of Goose Lake in Richmond Township.

The crew is working with hand tools in a rocky area inaccessible to larger equipment, with the fire reported today as 75% contained.

The area burning is situated south of Marquette County Road 480 and north of County Road NC, which leads to the DNR’s boating access site on Goose Lake.

“We don’t anticipate any problems with the fire at this point,” said Pete Glover, the DNR’s incident commander on the fire. “We will continue to be out here monitoring the fire over the next few days.”

The so-called “gravel pit fire” was fought initially Tuesday afternoon by more than 30 firefighters from the DNR, the Sands Township Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service, which had a crew from Oregon on fire stand-by in the region. Read more

Wildlife

Michigan: Leave firewood at home

Hot tip for travelers: Leave firewood at home

Wherever your travels may take you this summer, you can make more room for your favorite recreational gear, your pet or even an extra friend by choosing to leave firewood at home.

Moving firewood when you camp, hunt or head out for a weekend getaway means you risk carrying tree-killing insects and diseases inside the firewood. Bugs can crawl out, infesting trees and carrying diseases that can forever change the landscape of the places you love.

“Much like the emerald ash borer – which spread across the state in the early 2000s, killing many of Michigan’s 700 million ash trees – invasive oak wilt, beech bark disease and hemlock woolly adelgid are threatening tree species that are critical components of our forests and landscapes,” said Robin Rosenbaum, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Plant Health Section manager.

According to MDARD, there are 140 pests and diseases that can be moved with firewood. Some are already present in Michigan, while others, including Asian longhorned beetle, beech leaf disease and spotted lanternfly, are infesting nearby states.

“On their own, these insects and diseases can’t travel very far, but they can travel hundreds of miles on firewood,” said Sue Tangora, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Forest Health and Cooperative Programs Section supervisor. “Trees cut for firewood often died due to insects or disease. Why risk carrying oak wilt to your cabin or beech bark disease to your favorite camping spot?”

Keep the fire burning

You can still have a roaring campfire, or a cozy night in front of the fireplace, if you just know how to burn safe. Read more

Wildlife
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