Category: Wildlife

Goldfinch

MI DNR announces expansion of Chronic Wasting Disease Core Area and Management Zone

 

Additional townships and counties are affected

The Michigan Natural Resources Commission expanded the Core Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Area to include 17 townships. This area, which will continue to be referred to as Deer Management Unit (DMU) 333, now will consist of Lansing, Meridian, Williamstown, Delhi, Alaiedon and Wheatfield townships in Ingham County; DeWitt, Bath, Watertown, Eagle, Westphalia, Riley, Olive and Victor townships in Clinton County; Woodhull Township in Shiawassee County, and Oneida and Delta townships in Eaton County.

The CWD Management Zone also has expanded; it now will include the remainder of Clinton, Eaton, Ingham and Shiawassee counties, as well as all of Ionia County. The expanded Management Zone will be referred to as DMU 419. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

CWD Update – Core Zone Expanded in Southern Michigan

This from MUCC…

At one of the CWD meetings the DNR held in Ionia, Both Chad Stewart and Chad Fedewa gave presentations on the disease, and what the Division has done to understand the spread of the disease at this time. Around 30 people attended the meeting, and at least five deer cooperatives were represented.

Chad Stewart provided an overview of the disease. CWD is always fatal; once a deer gets the disease, it will die from it, unless something else kills it first. Deer can live with the disease for 18-24 months before showing any signs of having the disease, and can live up to five years with it. All deer are susceptible to getting the disease, but males are more commonly affected. CWD is not known to be transferrable to humans. This disease is similar to that of Mad Cow disease. About 200 people died after consuming meat contaminated by Mad Cow, but millions were exposed to the contaminated meat. This being said, while it is not known to transfer, that is not to say it couldn’t happen.

If you live in the CWD Counties (see map below), it is suggested you take your deer in to be tested. If you live in the core townships within those counties (see map below), it is REQUIRED that you get your deer tested. CWD can be transmitted directly and indirectly. CWD can be spread via urine, fecal matter, and saliva of a sick deer to another deer, either via direct contact, or the excretions being on a plant, bait pile, rub, another deer makes contact with. Once inside the body, the prions (what CWD is made of) begin to multiply. EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease) is another disease hunters in Michigan are familiar with.

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Below is a list of differences between EHD and CWD.

Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

The Kirtland’s warbler: June’s Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial featured bird


The Kirtland’s warbler is one of Michigan’s special creatures, an international traveler who calls the Great Lakes area – and nowhere else on Earth – its summertime home. Ninety-nine percent of the world’s Kirtland’s warblers nest here, making their success story unique to Michigan!Kirtland’s warblers are small birds, roughly the size of a tufted titmouse. The males have blueish-gray backs, yellow bellies and chins, and whitish undertail feathers. Their faces sport a bright, broken white eye ring and a black patch in front of the eye. The female birds are duller grey on their backs and lack the black face markings.

The Kirtland’s warbler is among the rarest wood warblers in North America. It nests mainly in young jack pine forests on public lands near the Au Sable River drainage and winters in the Bahamas. The males return to Michigan in early to mid-May, a few days ahead of the females. The males establish and defend territories and then court the females when they arrive. The males’ song is loud, yet low-pitched.

Kirtland’s warblers have very specific habitat requirements; they prefer large blocks of young jack pine, usually hundreds of acres in size. The Kirtland’s warbler is a ground-nester, often using the living branches of five- to 20-foot-tall jack pine trees to conceal their nests. Because of these specific requirements, stands of jack pine trees must be actively managed. Large areas of sandy soils are planted with jack pine and then cut decades later, on specific intervals, to achieve the perfect-aged stands. Jack pine is an important resource for the timber industry. Read more

Wildlife

Farm Bureau Asks Court to Block Federal Overreach on Sage Grouse Preservation

WASHINGTON – The American Farm Bureau Federation and Utah Farm Bureau Federation have asked a federal district court in Utah to overturn a host of illegal land-use restrictions hampering ranchers in the western states. The groups made the request as part of a motion to intervene on the side of the State of Utah in a lawsuit against the federal government. The litigation challenges federal land management plans imposing restrictions on ranching and other human activities in Utah as part of a larger effort to manage federal lands for species protection rather than for “multiple uses” as required by law. Read more

Wildlife

Enjoy ‘Coffee with the Commissioners’ July 14 in Lansing

Members of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission will be available to meet with the public Thursday, July 14, in Lansing. The commissioners will be at the DNR Lansing Customer Service Center, 4166 Legacy Parkway, Lansing, 48911, from 8 to 8:45 a.m.

Part of the commission’s “Coffee with the Commissioners” program, it’s a great opportunity for area residents to sit down with commissioners over a cup of coffee and share their thoughts, suggestions and concerns about Michigan’s natural resources.

“It’s important that we give Michigan residents every chance to hear from them on the management and long-term future of Michigan’s natural resources and outdoor recreation opportunities,” said NRC chairman John Matonich. Read more

Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife

Satellite Images Indicate Port St. Lucie Pollution Traveling to Georgia

Ocean color images from June 15, 2016 from VIIRS sensor on the Suomi National Polar Orbiting Partnership satellite enhanced by ROFFS™ that shows the discolored water from Port St. Lucie, FL reaching the western side of the Gulf Stream and being carried all the way north offshore of Savannah, GA approximately 270 miles (straight line distance). This is the polluted water coming from Lake Okeechobee that has been diverted to Florida’s east and west coasts instead of being sent down its natural path through central Florida to be cleaned by the Everglades before entering into Florida Bay.

The water appears brown off Port. St. Lucie and by the time it reaches the Savannah area it appears as a blue-green water. The change in color is likely to be due to the dilution by the Gulf Stream waters (dark blue). Other recent satellite imagery does not show this water as clearly as this one due to clouds and other atmospheric effects. This provides evidence that Florida is transporting its unhealthy polluted waters to other states.

From ROFF’S.com

Fishing, Wildlife

North American Butterfly Association strives to elevate conservation efforts

“If we can save butterflies, we can save ourselves” is more than a slogan. Agricultural sustainability, urban development, habitat fragmentation and contaminants become evident in butterflies as a precursor to what’s to come for people.

The crown jewel of NABA’s efforts is the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas. The 100+ acre facility is home to native plant gardens with more than 200 species of butterflies present. The climate of the site makes visiting year round a spectacular experience. The Center allows the organization the ability to educate the general public about butterflies while providing a laboratory to researchers. The site will be home to the 2016 Biennial Members Meeting in conjunction with the Texas Butterfly Festival. For more information about the event visit: http://texasbutterflyfestival.com/ Read more

Wildlife

MUCC’s 2016 Annual Convention Recap

Michigan United Conservation Clubs had its most important event of the year this past weekend in Big Rapids: our Annual Convention, where delegates representing our 50,000-plus members and 250-plus affiliated local sportsmen’s clubs vote on what hunting, fishing, trapping and conservation policies we will pursue, honor dedicated conservationists, elect officers and even improve local wildlife habitat.

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New conservation policies adopted by MUCC’s membership (and their sponsors) this weekend include:

  • Support for the use of centerfire rifles at night for coyote hunting. (Chris Kettler and Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association)
  • Banning the use of large quantities of chocolate in bear bait. (Michigan Hunting Dog Federation and Michigan Bear Hunters Association)
  • Educate bear hunters about the danger of using chocolate in bear bait. (Richard P. Smith)
  • Base chumming regulations on the best available science. (Adam Trenz, Metro-West Steelheaders)
  • Creation of a statewide urban deer management plan emphasizing bowhunting and venison donation. (Tomahawk Archers)
  • Define and regulate “airbows” as pneumatic firearms, not archery equipment. (Michigan Bow Hunters)
  • Reverse MUCC’s prior opposition to the use of crossbows during the archery deer season. (Elden Montross, Oakland County Sportsmen’s Club)
  • Support for bass tournaments. (Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation)
  • Encourage the DNR to use adaptive management for bass. (Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation)
  • Increase waterfowl hunting opportunities in county parks and extend liability protection to local government units which allow hunting on their properties. (Macatawa Bay Waterfowl Association and Jack Van Rhee)
  • Create a Federal Fish and Wildlife Disease Trust Fund. (MUCC Wildlife Committee)
  • Reduce the use of chemicals in native aquatic vegetation management, which provides fish habitat. (Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation)
  • Move the start date of the early turkey season in southern Michigan up from a Monday to the prior Saturday. (Millard H. Holton)
  • Allow rough fish harvested during bowfishing tournaments to be donated to rendering facilities. (Rob Miller, Bowfishing Association of Michigan)
  • Encourage the DNR to recognize Michigan’s diverse landscape in management decisions. (Tom Heritier, Saginaw Field & Stream Conservation Association)
  • Increase penalties for hunter harassment. (Jim Pryce)
  • Allow purple paint to be used in place of “No Trespassing” signs. (Jim Pryce)
  • Support the designation of the monarch butterfly as the official state insect. (Tomahawk Archers)
  • Support the designation of a 1.8-mile stretch of county road in a Grouse Enhanced Management System in Marquette County, currently open for ORV use, as a multi-use ORV route to allow funding allocation for signage. (Tim Kobasic, Hiawathaland Trail Association)
  • Confirm an earlier emergency resolution to encourage moose culling at Isle Royale National Park. (MUCC Wildlife Committee) Read more
Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife
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