Category: Wildlife

Goldfinch

Michigan CWD and TB Testing at Deer Check Stations

One of the most notable recent changes is in the strategy for testing deer.

For 2023, testing will be focused in the northwestern Lower Peninsula and in a few counties in other areas where additional information is still needed. The counties for CWD testing in 2023 include Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Hillsdale, Isabella, Kalkaska, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Osceola and Wexford. In these counties there will be drop boxes, staffed submission sites, and partner processors and taxidermists to assist with collection efforts.

In light of the recent CWD detection in Ogemaw County, a drop box has been added at the Rifle River Recreation Area to test for CWD in deer harvested within the county. Deer from Ogemaw County also can be brought to the staffed deer check station at the DNR West Branch Field Office for CWD testing.

In the remainder of the state Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

DNR to Hold Public Meeting Dec. 6 on Development of Douglass Houghton Falls Scenic Site

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will host a public meeting next week in Houghton County to present conceptual designs for development of a state scenic site at Douglass Houghton Falls.

The meeting will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, in the auditorium of Lake Linden-Hubbell High School, located at 601 Calumet St. in Lake Linden.

At the meeting, DNR staff and U.P. Engineers & Architects, Inc. representatives will present conceptual designs for the site, followed by an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.

“Douglass Houghton Falls is a natural gem in Michigan’s Copper Country, and it’s a place we want to ensure more people can discover and enjoy,” said DNR Parks and Recreation Division Chief Ron Olson. “It’s a special site with great significance locally and regionally, too, so it is key that the public has the opportunity to share their input as plans move forward.”

In 2018, the DNR purchased the 115-acre site from a private landowner through a 2015 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant of $300,000.

The site itself offers Michigan’s tallest waterfall, at 110 feet, which presents spectacular panoramic views of pristine wilderness in the heart of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Read more

Wildlife

Time to Check Trees for Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

Invasive pest now confirmed in seven Michigan counties

The Michigan departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Rural Development encourage those who have eastern hemlock trees on their property to take time this winter to inspect the trees for signs of hemlock woolly adelgid. Anyone taking to the woods also can help by looking for signs of this invasive insect while hunting, hiking or enjoying other outdoor activities.

Winter is the best time to look for evidence of an infestation, according to Robert Miller, MDARD’s invasive species prevention and response specialist.

“Cooler temperatures trigger feeding activity,” Miller said. “As hemlock woolly adelgid feeds, it secretes a white, waxy material that creates ovisacs. The presence of these small, round, white masses makes it possible to identify infested trees.” Read more

Wildlife

Judge’s Order Halts Wolf Trapping and Snaring Season In Most of Montana

Wolf trapping and snaring in Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks administrative regions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and in Hill, Blaine, and Phillips counties won’t start until Jan. 1 and will run through Feb. 15, according to a federal court injunction issued Tuesday evening. In areas in eastern Montana outside FWP administrative regions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and Hill, Blaine, and Phillips counties the order does not apply, and the wolf trapping and snaring season will start November 27 and run through March 15 as described in the 2023 wolf regulations.

The wolf hunting season, separate from trapping and snaring, remains in place and is open through March 15 as described in the 2023 wolf regulations. Wolf harvest quotas are still in place for FWP regions and can be tracked via the Wolf Harvest Dashboard.

FWP and the Fish and Wildlife commission have worked diligently to assemble and implement sound science-based management for wolves and grizzly bears, including the wolf regulations impacted by this ruling. The recovered status of grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide and Yellowstone ecosystems is testimony to this effort. The State of Montana has appealed the ruling. FWP staff will continue to track the denning status of grizzly bears in case an appeal is successful, and the injunction is overturned.

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Hunting, Wildlife

Online Course Offers Deeper Dive on Inland Lakes Learning

Whether you live on a lake, enjoy a secret fishing spot or escape the daily grind at a serene lake in the woods, you already know that lakes provide big benefits to mental and physical health and deserve our appreciation and attention. You can discover even more connections through an upcoming Michigan State University Extension opportunity.

A nationally recognized, award-winning, six-week class for anyone with a passion or curiosity for inland lakes, including lakefront property owners, local government officials, lake managers and educators, MSU Extension’s Introduction to Lakes Online course is full of information and inspiration. Led by Extension educators and state agency personnel, it covers lake ecology, watersheds, shorelines, water law, aquatic plant management and community involvement.

Registration, course information

The course runs Jan. 30 through March 20. Register by Jan. 12 for the early-bird discounted rate of $95 per person; after that, the rate is $115. Registration closes Jan. 28. Course details and scholarship and other information are available on the Introduction to Lakes Online course webpage. Read more

Wildlife

AZGFD Announces Winners of 2023 Wildlife Photo Contest

The Arizona Game and Fish Department has announced the winners of the 2023 wildlife photo contest.

The 12 winning photographs are included in the full-size 2024 wildlife calendar that is published in the November-December 2023 issue of Arizona Wildlife Views magazine.

Anne James’ photo of a ringtail was awarded best in show and is showcased on both the cover and in the calendar. James, of Payson, said, “I knew few entries would include a ringtail because of their nocturnal nature and that it wasn’t an ordinary image.”

The 12 winning photographers are: Read more

Contests, Wildlife

Silencer Central Supports Bill to Redirect Tax Stamp Revenue for Conservation

Silencer Central, America’s largest silencer dealer, has rallied behind a groundbreaking bill introduced in Congress on November 9, 2023, which aims to redirect tax stamp revenue from the sale of suppressors to vital conservation efforts and expedite the processing of applications.

“The Tax Stamp Revenue Transfer for Wildlife and Recreation Act is a significant milestone for wildlife, hunters and shooting enthusiasts,” said Brandon Maddox, CEO of Silencer Central. “By redirecting tax stamp revenue towards conservation efforts and expediting application processing, we are ensuring the sustainability of our natural resources and supporting the growth of shooting sports.”

Maddox has been a strong advocate for this bill, recognizing its potential to revolutionize wildlife conservation and recreational activities. Silencer Central is proud to build upon its rich conservation heritage and help improve ballistics, accuracy and safety with its suppressors.

Under the proposed act, 15% of the total revenue generated from tax stamps would be directed towards expediting the processing of suppressor applications by the ATF’s National Firearms Act (NFA) division to a maximum of 90 days. This allocation aims to address the lengthy waiting periods faced by applicants, which can currently extend up to a year despite recent efforts to streamline the process. Read more

Firearms, Wildlife

Prune Oak Trees in Winter to Avoid Oak Wilt

Leaves are down, temperatures are cooler, and that means it’s prime time for pruning oak trees, which can be infected by the oak wilt fungus if they’re pruned during the high-risk period April 15-July 15.

“Beetles that can carry the disease from tree to tree are not very active now, and the trees are not vulnerable to infection,” said Simeon Wright, forest health specialist with the DNR Forest Resources Division. The beetles are attracted to fresh bark damage or wounds where tree limbs have been removed. Read more

Wildlife

RMEF-WAFWA Partnership Commits $1.2 Million to Accelerate Western Big Game Migration Corridor Conservation

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation committed $400,000 to reinforce its multi-decade partnership with western states on issues crucial to the movement and overall health of elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and other wildlife species.

“This is not just an agreement with our partners at the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA). It’s an action plan,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. “The initial three-year allotment of funding will be matched by WAFWA at a ratio of at least a 3-to-1, thus placing more than $1.2 million on the ground for the protection and conservation of critical winter range and migration corridors.” Read more

Wildlife

Time to Balance the Deer Herd

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

“Hunters should take as many deer as they legally can for the good of the deer and the range,” the biologists urged, because deer numbers were far higher than what the habitat could support.  As Yogi Berra would have said, “It’s Deja Vu all over again.”  However, this biologists’ call to action came some 70 years ago.

Back then, the Southern Lower Peninsula (SLP) added 8,445 deer to the total taken – a distant third to the other two regions in the state. It fielded about one-half as many hunters as did the Upper Peninsula.  Today’s geographical shift now pegs the total number of hunters and deer taken in the SLP to exceed the remainder of the state.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  If we hunters do not step up, we run the risk of intervention by government to hire sharpshooters to lay our precious, renewable deer-herd resource to waste.  As frightening as it may seem to some folks, invited snipers are already piling them up legally via crop damage permits, while the over-abundance prevails.

With this in mind, I have committed my season to do my part to take at least one doe.  I purposely did not use the term “antlerless”, although perfectly acceptable in a broad sense; my focus will be adult, female deer.

Michigan Whitetail Doe

Doing so is a bittersweet proposition, but a necessary evil, if you will, for the future benefit of hunters, land owners, and wildlife.

I may not be subjected to “buck fever” as a result but sometimes an involuntary adrenaline rush makes things difficult for me even when I’m staring down wildlife as low on totem pole as a woodchuck.  At times, I have to talk to myself to settle down in an effort to get those crosshairs to cooperate.

Identifying a big buck is easy when his headgear may as well be a flashing light.  Not a whole lot of thinking is involved, when the biggest brute in the woods is at hand.  Female deer, on the other hand, require careful examination of myriad details to bring home the most venison for the dollar spent on licenses and processing.

I’ll consider the weather-related conditions, as well.  I won’t get involved with tracking in the rain.  If it’s too warm to hang a deer, I’ll wait.  If it’s too cold to hang one without it being subject to freezing, I’ll hunt another day.  After all, there will be over 90 total hunting sessions – mornings and afternoons each day – through the season’s final day, January 1, 2024 and that should suffice to choose ideal conditions.

A perfect shot is still imperative when the time arrives.  My Ruger American rifle in .450 Bushmaster caliber is up for the task and has been sighted in to maximize effectiveness.

Ruger American in .450 Bushmaster with Hydro Dipped Stock and Zeiss optic

Confidence?  You bet!

The anticipation and excitement of November 15th’s opening day is still bottled up with expectations.  That slow walk in the morning darkness will still be the same, as has been the case for decades.  It simply never gets old.

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