Photo courtesy of Darryl Zoller, 2015 Elk Country Watch Facebook group A group of elk, including a large bull, stand alert in a field on State Game Lands 311 in Elk County, in this image captured by the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s new Elk Cam. Video and sound from the camera is being live streamed at the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.state.pa.us, and the live stream is planned to run through the bugling season, which likely will end sometime in mid-October.

Each September, thousands of visitors make their way to Pennsylvania’s elk country to experience for themselves the wonder of the bugling season.

And while there’s nothing quite like seeing a giant bull up close, or feeling your rib cage resonate as it lets loose an ear-splitting bugle, there’s an opportunity this year to get a glimpse of Pennsylvania’s prime time for elk – without ever having to leave home.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has installed a camera on State Game Lands 311 in Elk County, in a field that is off limits to people, but that typically is a hub of elk activity as the bugling season heats up. The camera was installed with help from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of Forestry. Video and sound from the camera are being live streamed on the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.state.pa.us, and some good-sized bull elk, not to mention turkeys, deer and other wildlife, already have made appearances. Read more

Whether you’re a hunter, a wildlife enthusiast or just someone who enjoys an occasional walk in the woods, this 60-second video will help you properly identify the black rat snake, should you ever come across this species in your travels. If you are fortunate to see one of these important Michigan residents, take some time to enjoy it, but please leave it in the wild. Look for more videos in our series into the fall.

Two Michigan endangered species are being observed in record numbers this year, due to the collaborative conservation efforts of the Department of Natural Resources and many partners.

“We’re really excited about the survey results for the Great Lakes piping plover and Kirtland’s warbler,” said DNR Field Operations Manager Keith Kintigh.  “To have both of these species reach record numbers this year shows what great partnerships can do for wildlife conservation over time.”

Piping plovers are migratory shorebirds that nest in three distinct populations in the northern United States and Canada (the Great Plains, the Atlantic Coast and the Great Lakes) and winter mainly along the Gulf Coast. In the Great Lakes, they live near shorelines and beaches and will nest in depressions of sand with rocks, shells or sticks, which can be easily disturbed by beachgoers. To protect their young, they often will distract perceived predators with a “broken-wing” act.

In 1983, there were only 13 breeding pairs of Great Lakes piping plovers in Michigan. This year, more than 158 chicks have been banded in Michigan, Wisconsin and Canada, with more than 58 nests found in Michigan alone. Of the 58 Michigan nests, 43 were in the northern Lower Peninsula and 15 in the Upper Peninsula. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore had the highest occurrence of nests in the region. Read more