You and your friends are invited to ride Michigan’s 4,000 miles of off-road vehicle trails and/or the state’s six scramble areas during the second Free ORV Weekend this year.
Residents and out-of-state visitors legally can ride DNR-designated routes, trails and the state’s six scramble areas Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17-18, without an ORV license or trail permit. All other ORV rules and laws still apply, and the Recreation Passport is required where applicable.
Typically, there’s an entrance fee at Holly Oaks ORV Park in Oakland County (although no Recreation Passport requirement), but the fee will be waived for the weekend.
Find places to ride, rules and regulations, ORV events and more at Michigan.gov/ORVinfo.
And before you go, be sure to review safety and trail etiquette information at Michigan.gov/RideRight.
…Officers Joe Deppen and Kris Kiel were presented with DNR Lifesaving Awards for the winter rescue of an angler who broke through the ice…
Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers contribute to their communities in many ways. The efforts of two officers who patrol southeast Michigan were recognized during Thursday’s meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission in Detroit.
Conservation officer from Macomb County receives Wildlife Officer of the Year award
Michigan DNR Conservation Officer Joe Deppen was recognized as the 2023 Shikar Safari Michigan Wildlife Officer of the Year. The award, the highest state honor for conservation officers, is given annually.
“Joe Deppen naturally embodies the character traits of a true game warden,” said Chief Jason Haines, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “His work ethic seamlessly supports our mission to protect the state’s natural resources and people who enjoy them. Deppen is ready and willing to help every day with a positive attitude, is well-respected and valued by those within and outside of the DNR and is often requested by the public to assist at community events.”
Assigned to Macomb County, Deppen has spent his entire CO career patrolling southeast Michigan, which is populated with historic waterfowl areas, including Lake St. Clair, Harsens Island and St. Clair Flats. Read more
Provisions of change in effect immediately after today’s approval
Allowable use of Class 1 electric bicycles on state-managed, nonmotorized bicycle trails/pathways has expanded following approval of a proposed Michigan Department of Natural Resources land use order.
DNR Director Scott Bowen approved the land use order change today during the Michigan Natural Resources Commission’s monthly meeting, which was held at the Cadillac Place Building in Detroit.
“This decision opens our trails to be even more inclusive, providing opportunities to those unable to bike without assistance who want to continue riding and enjoying the outdoors,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division. “We anticipate all bikers and trail users will continue to practice appropriate trail etiquette so all users can be safe and enjoy the expansive natural-surface trail system.”
Definitions and details
An electric bicycle (or e-bike) is a bicycle that has a small rechargeable electric motor that can give a boost to the pedaling rider or can take over pedaling completely.
To qualify as an e-bike in Michigan, the bike must meet the following requirements: Read more
New CDC Rule Will Dismantle Sporting Dog Breeders Throughout Canada and Europe
The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to rescind a new rule restricting the importation of dogs into the United States. Although the agency’s stated reason for the action is to prevent the spread of rabies, the new rule applies to dogs coming from any country – including Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and many others which the CDC itself classifies as “low risk” or “free” of dog rabies.
“We aren’t going to stand by while CDC cancels sporting dog breeders and hunting or trialing across the border without a fight,” said Dr. Todd Adkins, Vice President of Government Affairs at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “CDC has one speed, and that’s to over-regulate to the point of ruin, so let’s see what a federal judge has to say about this agency running roughshod over the American people once again.”
The CDC rule includes new paperwork requirements and microchips for those who want to enter the United States with a dog and goes on to prohibit any dog under the age of six months from entering the U.S. at all. Health certificates or vaccination records for puppies are irrelevant – puppies are totally banned under the rule.
The new requirements and puppy ban include U.S. citizens who are attempting to re-enter the country after visiting Canada with their dog for hunting, trialing or for any other purpose. There are no exceptions for personally owned dogs. The puppy prohibition also has no exceptions, and this ban will completely crater a thriving community of long-established Canadian sporting dog breeders who send puppies to customers throughout the United States. Similar breeding programs for sporting breeds like Drahthaar (Germany) and Bracco Italiano (Italy) also stand to be decimated.
“CDC either doesn’t know or doesn’t care how destructive this rule is for our members who hunt or trial across the border or get puppies from Canadian or European breeders,” said Michael Jean, Litigation Counsel at the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation. “Regardless of whether this was done out of ignorance or maliciousness, we are going to protect our community.” Read more
There is nothing better than memories made while spending quality time with family. For Will and Marshall Barnett, of Buckeye, AZ, a recent father-and-son trip to Arkansas’ famous Crater of Diamonds State Park resulted in the story of a lifetime and the second-largest diamond registered so far this year.
The Barnetts set out on a “boys’ week” road trip from their home in late July, their main goal to visit family and have fun along the way. After learning about the Crater of Diamonds State Park from his uncle, who worked as a park interpreter at another Arkansas State Park, Will decided to stop by Arkansas’ diamond site to try their luck at finding a genuine diamond.
Will and Marshall arrived at the park on the morning of July 27, buckets and shovels in-hand. After renting screens at the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, the two entered the park’s 37.5-acre diamond search area, a plowed field atop the eroded surface of an ancient, diamond-bearing volcano, to start digging. After filling a few buckets with diamond-bearing soil, they headed to the park’s south wash pavilion to wet sift their dirt.
“Wet sifting is one of the most effective methods to search for diamonds,” said Park Interpreter Ashlyn Keys. “The search area has two wash pavilions, with water troughs and tables, for visitors to wet sift. Using screens to separate dirt from the gravel allows you to go through more material in less time, giving a better chance of finding a diamond.”
While sifting, Will spotted a promising, glimmering gem at the bottom of his screen. He quickly called over his son, saying, “Hey Marshall, you should take a look at this!” Marshall excitedly picked out the large stone before asking an experienced miner nearby if they had just found a diamond. Read more
Wondering what to do between now and the anticipated September release of the “Beetlejuice” movie sequel? Consider spending some time outdoors looking for a real destructive pest – the invasive Asian longhorned beetle.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service declares every August as Tree Check Month, the most likely time to see the beetle and the damage it causes to trees.
Reaching up to 1.5 inches in length, the Asian longhorned beetle, or ALB for short, is distinctive. With a shiny, black body flecked with irregular, white blotches and long antennae with alternating black and white bands, it would be a perfect companion to Michael Keaton’s ghoulish troublemaker. But in the case of ALB, the destruction is real and long-lasting. Read more
After consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department captured and relocated a subadult male grizzly bear on July 31, 2024.
The bear was captured and relocated preemptively because it frequented developed areas on private lands in the Wilson, Wyoming area. In cooperation with the USFWS and the Shoshone National Forest, the grizzly bear was relocated to the Camp Creek drainage approximately 30 miles northwest of Cody.
Grizzly bears are relocated in accordance with state and federal law and regulation, and Game and Fish is required to update the public whenever a grizzly bear is relocated.
Western birders can try to attract such beautiful hummingbirds as this male Rufous Hummingbird as species disperse southward (photo by Nathan Wall).
A variety of hummingbird feeders are available; this one features a high perch for open viewing of the birds. Simply keep your feeder filled with fresh sugar-water nectar and cleaned regularly (Ruby-throated Hummingbird photos by Paul Konrad).
Photographing hummingbirds that visit your feeders can add another dimension to the fun of attracting hummingbirds. (Remember to keep the sun at your back when photographing.)
A second hummingbird feeder can be helpful if you have many hummingbirds visiting during late summer, and when one or more hummers become overly territorial.
Judging by the number and locations of hummingbird festivals alone – 6 festivals in 5 states – the hummingbird action is heating up. More important, each day it seems there are more hummingbirds coming to our feeder and flower gardens – males, females, and young hummers – with a couple species to watch for daily. Providing the best feeder and flowers scenario for hummingbirds can make the late summer hummingbird migration period one to remember for you and your family. And hummingbird numbers now include a new cohort of fledglings joining the populations that migrated north this spring.
Hummingbirds certainly enliven our feeders and yards, providing exciting observations throughout August and September in most states and provinces. Hummingbird visits will also continue through the winter months in some portions of southern states from California and Arizona to New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana.
Overall, we are talking 13-ish species of hummingbirds north of Mexico, but attracting any species of hummingbird is pretty standard – it only takes a feeder with fresh sugar-water nectar, and adjacent flowering plants add to the attraction (the more tubular flowers the better). So it’s easy to provide hummingbird basics, but there are some other options that can enhance your hummingbird experiences during coming weeks.
– First, you may want to consider adding another nectar feeder, perhaps providing one in a sunny area and one in the shade, or one in the front yard and one in the backyard at favorite viewing locations. Read more
“According to a 2023 Colorado Outdoors report, there have been 25 known mountain lion attacks in the state since 1990—the last fatal attack occurring in 1997 when a 10- year-old boy was killed in Rocky Mountain National Park.
The topic of mountain lion attacks and the status of the big cats is now top of mind in Colorado as initiative 91 (a proposed ban on mountain lion and bobcat hunting in the state) will soon be assigned a proposition number and will appear on the November ballot.
The effort to ban the hunt has largely been funded by a Washington D.C.-based animal rights groups, however, not from grassroots proponents within Colorado. Animal Wellness Action (AWA) and its affiliate organization, the Center for a Humane Economy (CHE) have provided most of the financial backing for Initiative 91. The organizations were founded by former Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) chief Wayne Pacelle who was ousted from his HSUS role under a cloud of sexual harassment allegations in 2018.”
Scott Allen Thompson, 56, of Hawks, was arraigned by a judge in Montmorency County 88th District Court, following an animal cruelty investigation conducted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Thompson pleaded not guilty to four charges, including:
One felony of failing to provide animals with adequate care, punishable of up to seven years in prison and/or up to $10,000 in fines and community service.
One misdemeanor of animal cruelty, punishable of up to 93 days in jail with up to $1,000 in fines and up to 200 hours of community service.
Two misdemeanors for improper burial of dead animals, each punishable by up to 90 days in jail and up to $500 in fines.
“This is a rare situation for the DNR to get involved in, as domestic animal complaints and investigations are not our primary responsibility or focus. However, there were no other resources available,” said Chief Jason Haines, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “This is a very large-scale animal abuse case, and something had to be done.”
In June, DNR conservation officers initially responded to the more than 50-acre Thompson family property, located in Atlanta, with a search warrant regarding a dead horse. They located a total of 10 deceased animals, including: four geese, two chickens and a horse, pig, quail and rabbit.
The owners were ordered to properly bury the horse. The other nine animals were sent to the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in East Lansing, where lab personal determined starvation and dehydration were the causes of death.
On , conservation officers returned to the property with a second search warrant. They were shocked to find numerous animals starving, with no water and poor living conditions. Read more
