Occasionally wildlife travel to areas where they are not typically found. A young bull elk recently has been spotted in several locations in mid-Michigan that are outside its home range.

“We first started receiving reports of a bull elk in Ogemaw County, and then Gladwin County and most recently near Beal City and the Herrick area in Isabella County,” said Michigan Department of Natural Resources elk specialist Chad Stewart. “We were able to confirm the locations and also that it does appear to be a wild elk.”

Michigan’s wild elk population is found in the northeast Lower Peninsula, the vast majority in the Pigeon River Country State Forest east of Vanderbilt. Michigan also has privately owned elk, within high-fence facilities located across the state. When a species like an elk is reported so far from its typical range like this, the first steps are to ensure it is not an escaped private animal. Read more

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Disease Lab and the Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health today announced they have confirmed that a deer in Berrien County has died from epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), a sometimes-fatal viral disease found in wild ruminants. Read more

Gypsy moth infestation, age and drought have contributed to trees’ deterioration

To stimulate new forest growth and remove stressed and dying trees, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is preparing to harvest oak trees on nearly 2,000 acres of state-managed land in the southeast portion of Kalkaska County. These trees have suffered from two years of a gypsy moth infestation, drought and old age.

The DNR conducts yearly flights to monitor forest disturbances and has documented two subsequent years of severe defoliation (leaves being chewed off the tree) on many of the affected stands.

“A healthy tree can usually withstand one defoliation, but two in a row, combined with a couple of very dry summers, was just too stressful for the older, less vigorous trees to handle,” said Kelly Standerfer, a forester who works out of the Kalkaska DNR field office.

Many of these older oak-dominated stands are the result of wide-scale timbering and the uncontrolled wildfires that raged through the sandy landscape in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Oak was one of a few tree species that benefited from the fires and was able to sprout where other trees and plants once had grown. These oak stands now are susceptible to disease outbreaks like gypsy moth and two-lined chestnut borer because of their age and stand uniformity.

“We need to remove the current trees in order to stimulate new growth and remove highly hazardous trees that are susceptible to disease and windfall – making them a risk to those who are out enjoying our natural resources,” said Bill Sterrett, DNR district forest supervisor. “The DNR also wants to move quickly to salvage the wood while it is still economically valuable. We feel a closely supervised timber harvest is the best way to accomplish that. Read more

CEDAR RAPIDS — Iowa’s State Forest Nursery is in need of walnuts to propagate walnut seedlings this coming year, and is offering $2.50 per bushel.

A Cedar Rapids area buying station is set up temporarily to accommodate residents in east-central Iowa. Residents have two options. Beginning Sept. 28, baskets will be available at Squaw Creek Park to donate walnuts during park hours. For those who would like to be paid, a nursery employee will be on site each Wednesday (Sept 28, Oct 5, Oct 12) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to pay for the nuts. Squaw Creek Park is located at the intersections of Highway 100 and Highway 13. The drop-off site will be at the maintenance shop located at 4351 Squaw Lane in Marion. Read more