Excerpt from Grizzly Bears of Montana, Second Edition

A Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks bear management specialist kept track of the same female grizzly for 21 years. Here are the highlights from his journal of Grizzly Bear 500.

January 1979

In a snow-covered den high on a slope of the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana, a grizzly bear is born. The one-pound cub nestles in her mother’s fur. Nourished on rich milk, she grows rapidly. When she emerges from the den in late May with her mother, she weighs about 10 pounds.
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If you’re as passionate about trails as we are, and you’d like to help shape state-designated routes and pathways throughout Michigan, apply for one of several volunteer positions now open for two of the DNR’s advisory workgroups.

“The DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division, which oversees our statewide trails system, relies on input and guidance from residents to help us maintain, improve and grow the thousands of miles of motorized and nonmotorized trails in communities around the state,” said Tim Novak, state trails coordinator. “We’re excited to share these workgroup openings and continue the work of providing outdoor spaces for everyone to enjoy and explore, efforts that help elevate Michigan’s reputation as the Trails State.”

Positions are available on both the Nonmotorized Advisory Workgroup, or NAW, and the Off-Road Vehicle Advisory Workgroup, also known as ORVAW. Read more

Brrr … it’s cold outside! But for many of our feathered friends, winter in Michigan is just another season. Get to know a few of our small and resourceful winter birds and the clever survival tactics they use to stay warm and find food throughout the winter.

The black-capped chickadee is an expert at staying cozy in cold temperatures – shivering and contracting opposite muscle groups to stay warm, and even lowering its body temperature at night and entering regulated hypothermia to conserve energy. These birds are frequent visitors to backyard bird feeders, carrying sunflower seeds to store in tree bark for later, when food is scarce.

How to ID:  Read more

Valentine’s day isn’t the only big event for birds-of-a-feather this year. The 28th edition of the annual Great Backyard Bird Count is coming up Feb. 14-17, and anyone who wants to join is welcome.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a joint project of the National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada to help scientists track changes in bird populations over time.

Roughly 300,000 people worldwide participate in the annual event. Their combined records reported 7,920 species during last year’s citizen science project. These records are extremely valuable to researchers, ornithologists and other conservationists who are keeping tabs on the world’s avian species.

The count takes place each February to get a snapshot of bird distribution just before spring migrations carry many species back to their nesting grounds. Read more

Feb. 12, 2025

Contact: Tim Riley, 989-370-7313

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division is seeking the public’s help in conducting a community-based northern Lower Peninsula survey to detect any potential presence of gray wolves.

The survey, which will rely heavily on reports from the public of wolf sightings and other potential evidence, will take place from Feb. 17 through March 10.

Aerial surveys and research studies aim to uncover insights into moose population trends and challenges in the Upper Peninsula

By RACHEL LINCOLN
Wildlife outreach coordinator
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

The 1,000-pound Michigan bull moose, standing 6 feet, 5 inches tall with 40-pound, paddle-like antlers, is the iconic symbol of the Upper Peninsula’s wildness.

Despite their majestic status, Michigan’s moose have faced significant challenges over the past century. To understand the factors shaping their survival today, researchers are examining population trends and the hurdles moose encounter.

“Michigan’s moose are a vital part of the Upper Peninsula’s ecosystem and identity,” said Tyler Petroelje, northern Michigan wildlife research specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “Through this new study of factors limiting moose population growth, we’re working to uncover a clearer path for the future of moose in Michigan.”

Aerial survey

DNR wildlife biologists have conducted aerial surveys to estimate the moose population in the western U.P since 1997. Read more

The Boone and Crockett Club recently voted unanimously to expand the boundary for Shiras’ moose to include the state of Nevada. The distribution of moose in the western United States was updated in 2015 to include northeast Nevada and management through the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) has allowed the state’s moose population to continue to expand and grow. The agency has determined that hunter harvest is sustainable and could also provide critical biological information. As a result, NDOW approached the Club about adding moose hunted in Nevada to the organization’s big game records keeping program.

“We are happy to promote a conservation success story where an iconic western big game species like Shiras’ moose have grown enough in population to support a regulated hunting program,” commented Kyle Lehr, the Boone and Crockett Club’s director of big game records. “Adding Nevada to the boundary for Shiras’ moose celebrates this accomplishment and allows the agency and B&C to gather critical data about the species. Measuring both hunter-harvested or found bull moose antlers creates a data set that shows how management of habitat can support a thriving moose population that can produce mature males.”

The Boone and Crockett Club has been measuring the antlers, horns, and skulls of North American big game since 1895 with the original vision of creating a record of what was thought to be the vanishing wildlife in the country. The organization’s Records of North American Big Game was first published in 1932, and now in its 15th edition, serves as a vital record of biological, harvest, and location data on hunter-taken and found big game species based on the principle that the existence of mature, male specimens is an indicator of overall population and habitat health. While often misunderstood, the records program is not to celebrate the success of a hunter but rather the success of conservation efforts and selective hunting that leads to the presence of larger, older animals on the landscape. Read more