Biologists from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ cougar team confirmed this week the 40th cougar report in Michigan since 2008.
“This latest cougar confirmation came from a trail camera set up on public land in Delta County,” said Cody Norton, large-carnivore specialist with the DNR’s bear and wolf program.
The trail camera photo was taken at 8:55 p.m. Aug. 17. A black-and-white image from the camera shows a cougar heading away from the camera into a stand of cedar trees.
Norton visited the area and, with the help of members of the cougar team, substantiated the report. Read more
MISSOULA, Mont. – As the organization that was founded by Theodore Roosevelt to reverse the decline of big game populations more than a century ago and has tracked their recovery ever since, the Boone and Crockett Club today reflects on the tremendous strides that have been made in wildlife and habitat conservation over the past several decades. Its records data points to a bright future for North American big game and the sportsmen who are responsible for their abundance.
The Club recently concluded its triennial Big Game Awards, which established several new benchmarks in conservation success that the Boone and Crockett Club feels is cause for celebration.
“Impressive, remarkable and revealing,” said Boone and Crockett Club President Timothy C. Brady. “In all the years the Club has been hosting these events, the quality and quantity of the trophies that were on display, and the others taken within this awards period, were over the top and should be a measure of pride and hope for all sportsmen.”
The Club began hosting public exhibitions of big game trophies in 1947. Today these events coincide with the three-year recording period for its next records book. The theme of this year’s event was, North American Big Game, More and Healthier Than Ever, Under the Watchful Eye of Sportsmen. Within the Club’s three-year recording period (2016-2018), there were two new World’s Records and an astounding 40 new state and provincial records set from 33 categories of native North American big game. Read more
Every time one of those “Pure Michigan” spots would come over the radio waves and into my ears, it was as if Tim Allen was speaking directly to me. I simply couldn’t take it anymore and planned that get-away to parts “Up North.” Kneff Lake rustic campground in Crawford County would be the destination and outpost for a few days of exploration, discovery, and fishing.
Kneff Lake is a mere 20 acres, but it is stocked with trout. Some 25 or more years ago, I fished the lake with some friends and once we figured out the technique for catching those cold-water trout, we hauled them in. It was those memories that I sought to relive.
The campground offers dozens of spacious, private sites sprinkled high atop the small lake. However, even with my lightweight, 10-foot jon boat, I gave up on the idea of lifting and carrying the boat and gear up and down the steep and lengthy incline. It was primarily the “up” part of the equation that I did not want to attempt by myself.
Who needs a stair climber?
Either that mountain-like trek was more than I recall or Father Time’s whispering in my ear, “Forget it” changed my plans; it was time to explore other possibilities.
My need for an easier way to launch the boat prompted me to ask a local convenience store worker for a lake more suitable for my plan. Somehow, the convoluted directions brought me to tiny Glory Lake in Hartwick Pines State Park. The launch site was perfect with not one other person on the water. I pulled in a few pan fish including one sizeable rock bass. It was as if I had my own private lake.
Back at camp I searched the county map for other nearby lake access and found K.P. Lake only about 10 miles north. It appeared to be a straight-forward drive and after a camp breakfast, it was time to explore. Stephan Bridge Road was the shortest distance but that seasonal road of sand along the eastern boundary of Camp Grayling made it seem much longer than it was. At first, when I noticed a large tract of cleared land behind a short fence, I wondered who would have removed all the timber. It became patently obvious when I read a prominent sign posted on the endless fence:
At no more than 20 mph it took some time but I located the well-hidden K.P. Lake – another perfect launch site; a Michigan Recreation Passport was all that was required and I had one. Interestingly, a sign was posted with the following:
As I rowed into the stiff north wind, I could see the unmistakable outline of one of the magnificent water birds in the distance. I skirted the rare bird from a safe distance for a better look and did my best to capture the moment on video. Obligingly, the lone loon belted out its spooky call and dove below lake level for a meal of fresh fish. The sight and sound made my day!
As part of my trip home, one more stop was on the agenda: The Au Sable River in Oscoda County. Just east of the Parmalee Bridge was a public access point for canoes, which doubled as a stream-side place to fish from the banks. Having caught plenty of trout there years ago, it was worth a look. I rigged a red wiggler worm onto a hook and caught a keeper brook trout on the second cast.
Small Brook Trout from the Au Sable River
After catching another one, I continued on my path home well satisfied with the sights and sounds of the North.
It was a trip to test some camping gear and a chance to return to my past. The sound of coyotes howling in the night along with a solitary whippoorwill added some icing on the cake. It was good to be back “Up North.”
PHOENIX — Water is the essence of life and it’s just as precious for Arizona’s wildlife.
For that reason, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has trucked or airlifted more than 1.5 million gallons of precious water to catchments throughout the state since January 2018. And trail cameras tell the tale of this important work with footage of elk, deer, bighorn sheep and countless other species leaning over for a refreshing drink at one of 3,000 catchments maintained by the department.
“Water catchments are used by all wildlife and while badly needed monsoon rains recently returned, storms are often sporadic and large sections of the state do not receive adequate water to sustain local wildlife populations,” said Joseph Currie, AZGFD Habitat Planning program manager, who oversees the department’s water catchment efforts. “By hauling to water catchments, we’re helping to prevent the localized wildlife die-offs that could happen if water simply wasn’t available.” Read more
Wildlife Research Center® and Tink’s®, the leading manufacturers of quality hunting scents, partnered together to fund a study with CWD Evolution, LLC. that has now led to a CWD testing protocol known as the RT-QuIC test process, that is specifically designed for testing deer urine for CWD contamination. This allows manufacturers of deer and elk scents to test and verify that no CWD is detected in the urine used in their products.
While the risk of urine-based scents spreading CWD is virtually zero, there is a lot of false and misleading information driving policy and regulations regarding urine-based scents and CWD. Unfortunately for hunters, some states have acted on this bad information and actually banned the use of urine-based scents. The test verifies that no detectable levels of CWD are found and provides a final confirmation that the products are safe for use and without risk of spreading CWD. Read more
Today, Delta Waterfowl gives us the insight on the annual US/Canada 2019 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey.
Annual breeding population survey estimates 38.9 million total ducks, down 6 percent, while May pond counts drop by 5 percent; mallards, gadwalls and greenwings increase
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA — North America’s spring duck population declined, but most species remain above long-term averages, according to the 2019 Waterfowl Population Status Report released today.
The annual survey, conducted jointly by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Service since 1955, puts the breeding duck population at 38.90 million, a 6 percent decrease from last year’s population of 41.19 million, but still 10 percent above the long-term average. The 2019 survey marks the first time since 2008 that the estimated breeding duck population has fallen below 40 million. Read more
VERMILION CLIFFS, Ariz. – This year has proven exciting for California Condors in Arizona and Utah with the milestone hatching of the 1,000th condor at Zion National Park, but the excitement is far from over as the 23rd annual public condor release is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28. The public is invited to join the recovery effort by witnessing first-hand a spectacular release into the wild of several captive-bred young condors on National Public Lands Day.
Up to four California Condors will be released by The Peregrine Fund atop the spectacular ledges of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona at 11 a.m. Sept. 28. The public is welcome to observe the release from a viewing area where spotting scopes provided by partners and Swarovski Optik will be set up, and project personnel will be available to answer questions. Read more
The well-drained, sandy loam soil in my remote vegetable garden has been the perfect full-sun location – a place where melons and root crops have flourished over the years. But, this wet and cool spring weather was not favorable to the pumpkin and melon plants, which thrive in warmer ground temperatures. Those early plants that managed to sprout lived for a week or so only to succumb to the uncooperative conditions. With our relatively short growing season, it remains unclear if the effort to replant them will result in anything fruitful. It’s been that kind of season.
At the same time, however, I was able to seed a few small food plots last week and the brassicas have already germinated. The tropical conditions we’ve experienced recently have been ideal and, if the sugar beets follow suit, these plantings should be deer magnets by fall.
With the rains have come mosquitos in large numbers, but interestingly the number of dragonflies is astonishing. Routine trail riding on an ATV kicks them into action at every turn by bunches. Dragonflies, which are similar to mosquitos in that they require standing water to hatch from eggs, are Mother Nature’s answer to mosquito control.
Perched Dragonfly Carrying Eggs
These bug-eyed, aeronautical acrobats are every outdoor person’s friends, because they have a voracious appetite for up to 100 mosquitos per day. That may not sound like much, but when one considers the sheer number of these predators this season, it has to make a difference.
Dragonflies possess extraordinarily sharp vision aiding them to detect movement of potential flying fast food. Courtesy of two huge compound eyes, the dragonfly has nearly 360° vision and can move their four wings to maneuver in any direction. Much like a bluebird, they’ll hunt from a perch for prey and can strike and return in less than 2 seconds.
Another friendly inhabitant of the area is the monarch butterfly. Monarchs are dependent on milkweed plants, which the butterflies’ larvae eat nearly exclusively. It is for this reason that I’ve left a section of land with weak soil to grow indigenous milkweed plants.
The soil is simply too sandy to produce anything but weeds, but the symbiotic relationship between the poisonous milkweed and the similarly poisonous monarchs is reason enough to let nature take its course.
The late-summer versions of monarchs are born to fly – all the way to Mexico or California and back! The monarchs begin to return north in the spring, feeding on nectar along the route home. Eggs are subsequently laid only on milkweed plants, and a new generation hatches. They flutter about without fear from birds which instinctively know to leave the poisonous beauties to themselves.
If that’s not enough reason to leave some milkweed to grow in selected areas, consider the fact that milkweed seed is in demand. In fact, a recent check of milkweed seed for sale on Ebay found that a half pound goes for $150.
Once the flowers are finished blooming, they form a pod of milkweed floss with the seeds attached. A piece of tape wrapped around the pod will keep it intact until it’s time to use it afield. That white floss material (with seed removed) is the perfect wind indicator for any hunter concerned with air currents. Better than any store-bought puffer or smoking iteration, the floss can be seen for a hundred yards or so giving the wise hunter an edge over scent-sniffing game.
Sometimes we have to look for that silver lining but it’s here among us.
Funding proposals for 2019 now are being accepted through the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program, with an anticipated $3.6 million available to applicants. The program – a joint effort of the Michigan departments of Natural Resources; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Agriculture and Rural Development – is part of a statewide initiative launched in 2014 to help prevent, detect and control invasive species in Michigan.
An invasive species is one that is not native and whose introduction causes harm, or is likely to cause harm to Michigan’s environment, economy or human health.
“From our old-growth forests and inland lakes and streams, to the unmatched sportfishing opportunities and thousands of miles of trails, Michigan is home to some truly world-class outdoor recreation opportunities,” said DNR Director Dan Eichinger. “Unchecked invasive species pose serious threats to those resources and the outdoor economy. Michigan’s Invasive Species Grant Program is a valuable tool that allows us to work with community partners around the state to better fight and contain these land and water pests.” Read more
Bushnell’s CORE DS Technology Is Optimized for Day AND Night
OVERLAND PARK, Kansas –– Bushnell, the industry leader in trail cameras, offers even greater performance with the CORE and CORE DS trail camera lines.
Now shipping across the Country, every CORE Trail Camera is built with a suite of features inside that reveal more of the tough world outside. Crafted with more speed and range to capture more useful images, and industry-leading battery life, CORE trail cameras give users more options for preset or custom settings to maximize each camera for any situation. All of that comes standard with the reliability of Bushnell. Read more
The launch site was perfect with not one other person on the water. I pulled in a few pan fish including one sizeable rock bass. It was as if I had my own private lake.
