Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Goldfinch
Take a deep breath and exhale. Now don’t, apologize, because Patrick Moore, a Canadian ecologist and business consultant, who was a member of Greenpeace from 1971-86, told members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, environmental groups use faulty computer models and scare tactics in promoting claims that man-made gases are heating up the planet. Details here…
by Doug Reeves, assistant chief, DNR Wildlife Division
Do you want a good activity to get you thinking about spring? Then build a bluebird box or two and put it/them up in a good place. Do it now. It really is only a matter of weeks before bluebirds will be looking for nest sites again, and you want to be prepared. Early migrants may use the boxes as roost sites even before they are ready to nest. Read more
Overland Park, Kan. — Simmons, a leader in high-quality, high-value sports optics for more than 25 years, has introduced its first trail camera featuring black LED night vision technology. Hunters can now covertly monitor game and land activity around the clock with the new Whitetail Blackout trail camera. Read more
Deer hunters who participate in Quality Deer Management (QDM) Cooperatives enjoy nearly twice the level of hunting satisfaction that other deer hunters experience, according to new research from Michigan State University (MSU) that appears in an upcoming issue of QDMA’s Quality Whitetails magazine. Read more
Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops, Gander Mountain, Jay’s Sporting Goods, Frank’s Great Outdoors and many other great outdoor retailers in Michigan are helping us protect our hunting and fishing rights by letting us collect signatures for the Scientific Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act petition in their stores!
This is the petition that will make sure that Michigan’s fish and wildlife are managed with sound science, defeat the anti-hunters, fight Asian carp, and preserve free military hunting and fishing licenses.
All we need is volunteers like you willing to spend a few fun hours collecting signatures and talking to fellow outdoorsmen and women about protecting our hunting rights.
Our goal is to make sure someone is collecting signatures in each of these stores every day that they’re open – will you help? Sign up today!
Paid for by with regulated funds by Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management, PO Box 11082, Lansing, MI 48901
The Department of Natural Resources has announced the release of the 2014 Michigan Fishing Guide, which includes rules and regulations effective from April 1, 2014 through March 31, 2015. Copies of the guide can be obtained at any location where fishing licenses are sold.
This year’s guide is the second year the DNR has implemented improvements geared toward the request of anglers. The 2014 guide is printed on higher quality paper to better withstand the wear and tear of fishing in Michigan, is of a smaller physical size (better able to fit in anglers’ tackle boxes), and includes an easier-to-read font size.
The 2014 Michigan Fishing Guide will also be available in a user-friendly, electronic format online at www.michigan.gov/fishingguide starting April 1.
Imagine sitting beside a quiet pond in the balmy spring air, listening to the frog and toad chorus. Now imagine yourself contributing to the understanding of Michigan’s frog and toad population as you listen.
Though this winter may seem never-ending, spring will soon be here and volunteers are needed to assist with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Division’s annual Frog and Toad Survey. This survey offers biologists a snapshot of the current abundance and distribution of frogs and toads in the state. Read more
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds everyone that after the heavy ice and snow cover melts on Michigan’s lakes this winter, it may be common to discover dead fish or other aquatic creatures. This year’s more severe winter with heavy snow and ice cover will create conditions that cause fish and other creatures such as turtles, frogs, toads and crayfish to die. Read more
Michigan’s fishing, hunting and ORV licenses will change beginning March 1, 2014. The new license structure – authorized by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2013 – makes buying a license easier and provides vital funding to improve outdoor recreation opportunities for anglers, hunters, trappers and ORV riders. Read more
By Glen Wunderlich
Long before animals had lawyers representing a small segment of society that values the lives of animals above humans, man existed by hunting. In fact, there are millions of traditional rural Americans that, in essence, hunt to subsidize their existence today. As a sportsman, I am among them.
Predictably, the leading anti-hunting organization in the world, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), based in Washington, DC and not connected to our local shelters, has ridden its gravy train into our small town with a plea to now save Michigan’s wolves from extinction by aid of petition – even though in the history of regulated hunting, no animal species has ever been in peril, as a result.
Their leaders, Wayne Pacelle and Mike Markarian have a plan for Michigan, and it doesn’t involve our wildlife biologists and scientists; it does involve suing us, however.
These extremists have a dream inconspicuously absent in a recent Argus-Press editorial: Wolf delisting isn’t based on best available science, by Mke Markarian, of The Humane Society Legislative Fund. So, sharing their vision for America is my pleasure. Read more